Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, but I'm still not giving up on it!

Chapter 36: Faced Alone

"Kagome? Come on, Kagome, you've got to eat." Sango shoved the bowl of food into Kagome's hands. She took a couple of bites before setting it down beside her. Her face was paler than usual, she had hardly eaten anything for the past few days, and she wasn't getting any sleep at all. Sango was beginning to get really worried. Sango stood and walked outside to join Miroku.

"She's still not eating?" he asked, picking up a rock from the dirt and throwing it into the pond.

Sango sighed. "No. And she cried herself sick again last night. I'm beginning to think you should go and bring InuYasha back. Youkai or no youkai, Kagome is doing a good job of hurting herself. She's being just as stubborn as InuYasha was."

"She hasn't eaten anything to get sick again. Maybe Kaede will be able to coax her into eating something. Kagome does listen to her more than you or I." he picked up another rock, throwing it just as the other. He watched as it skipped a couple of times before sinking to the bottom of the pond.

"I'll take her. Kaede needs to check up on Mia anyway." She gave Miroku a quick but passionate kiss on the lips before returning to the hut. Kagome was still sitting by the wall, her knees pulled up against her stomach with her head lying on top. Her eyes were staring off into the distance, looking into a hidden void. "Kagome, I'm taking Mai to see Kaede. Will you go with me?"

Kagome looked up and gave a weak smile, standing to her feet. "Sure, I'll go with you. Shippou, you want to come too?"

The kitsune nodded and hopped on Kagome's shoulder. "Kaede probably needs my help anyway. With InuYasha gone I'm the only strong one around here."

With the mention of his name, Kagome's heard sunk even deeper; longing for InuYasha to return. It had been three days. The worst part, as she had come to find out, was waiting without a clue to what was going on. If she only knew if he was alright, that'd make her feel plenty better. But, as it was, she couldn't help but worry. She also knew her friends were worrying about her, but she really didn't feel like eating anything. Her appetite was completely gone. Every time she did manage to choke some food down, she just ended up getting herself sick from crying at night.

That was something Kagome couldn't help either. Though the others had been staying with her, it just wasn't the same as having InuYasha there. As much as she tried she couldn't pretend his absence didn't bother her, like she did with the well. She lingered behind Sango as they walked into the village. Some of the villagers watched as the two passed. Most of the villagers were happy with the miko's union with the hanyou. They saw the two as the protectors of the village. Others thought differently. They didn't like the fact that a hanyou would be permanently staying in the village, and the fact that she had accepted him as her mate.

"Sango, Kagome. I was wondering when ye were going to stop by. Tell me, has InuYasha returned yet?"

"No. Not yet." Kagome replied. "I'm sure he'll be back soon, though."

Kaede looked over Kagome, frowning. "Kagome, child. Ye are not looking too well. Come in child, and let me look ye over." Kagome just nodded and followed Kaede into the hut. Sango stayed outside with Mai and Shippou. She figured Kaede wanted to talk with Kagome alone for awhile.

"Is Kagome sick?" Shippou looked up at the exterminator with sad eyes. Everything had been really hard on him too.

"No, Shippou, Kagome's not sick, not really anyway. She misses InuYasha very much, and sometimes missing someone like that can make people feel that they are sick inside." Sango rubbed the kitsune's head.

"Like when my parents were killed? At first I didn't want to do anything, either."

Sango nodded. "That's right. Don't worry though, Kagome will be alright as soon as InuYasha gets back."

"Wh-what if …for some reason…InuYasha doesn't come back? Will Kagome stay sad all the time?"

Sango didn't know how to answer. She didn't want to lie to the kitsune, but she didn't want to scare him either. "Don't think about that, Shippou. InuYasha will come back. He always does. He'll be back soon, you'll see." She gave him a reassuring smile, Mai cooed in her arms. Shippou smiled and tickled the baby's foot. Mai, in response, kicked at the kitsune, which only made him laugh.

"Ye three can come in now." Kaede stuck her head outside the hut. She took the baby from Sango's arms and rubbed the back of her hand against Mai's cheek. The baby grabbed at her fingers with her little hands. "My, is she growing fast. She seems to be in perfect health, Sango, ye and Miroku are doing a great job in parenting." Sango couldn't help but smile. There were times she didn't think her and Miroku were ready to have this child, but others she wouldn't have it any other way.

Kagome was standing beside Kaede, looking as if she were about to be sick again. "Kagome? Are you feeling well?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded. "I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."

"Why don't you go back to the hut and rest? You haven't been sleeping enough lately." Sango grabbed her shoulder and led her back down the path. Not much was said, and Kagome seemed to be in her own world. When they were back in the hut she went straight behind the curtain into her bed.

"How did it go?" Miroku asked Sango outside the hut.

"Kaede said we're doing a great job with Mai." She kissed Miroku's cheek. "And she's perfectly fine."

Miroku smiled and returned her kiss with one of his own. "And about our slumbering miko?"

Sango's smile quickly faded. "I don't know Miroku. I don't know if we should make her stay here. Maybe we should let her go after InuYasha." She sighed. "It really is Kagome's choice. I know if it were you out there, I wouldn't stay here."

"Ah, but if I were InuYasha, I'd make sure of it that you didn't follow."

"I guess so. But look at her. I think we should let her go. She'll be able to sense if Suoh is around, and she can take care of herself, plus she can take Kilala with her." Sango was seriously considering it.

"Sango, InuYasha made her stay here for a reason, and we have to respect that."

"And this has nothing to do with what he'll do to you when he gets back?"

"Ah…that's another down side."

"Please, Miroku? I-I really need to find him." Kagome was standing in the doorway.

"Kagome! What are you doing up?" Sango shook her head. She had obviously been listening in on her and Miroku's conversation.

"Don't go Kagome!" Shippou wrapped his arms around Kagome's legs. "InuYasha will be back, you'll see."

"Shippou, one day you will understand. I have to go, now more than ever." She looked back up at Miroku. "I'll take all the blame with InuYasha, but I have to leave right away. There's…something I need to tell him about."

Miroku reluctantly nodded. If she had any information that InuYasha needed to know about, then he had no choice but to let her go. Plus, by the look on her all too serious face, she wasn't going to take no for an answer anyway. He had no doubt that Kagome would leave with or without telling them.

"Thank you Miroku." She gave the monk a quick hug and went back into the hut. When she reemerged she had her yellow pack already full and ready to go. She really had planed on leaving.

"Kilala." Sango called. The cat ran up by his mistress's feet and mewed. "Go with Kagome." Kilala nodded and transformed, allowing Kagome to climb up his back. "Be careful, Kagome. Kilala should be able to get you to InuYasha in six nights."

"If we don't stop as often as usual I could get there in five."

Sango nodded. "Don't over do it Kagome. Kilala, you don't let her." The cat roared in agreement, and after the final goodbyes, took to the sky.

Kagome leaned against the cat's soft fur. She had to get to him in five nights, she just had to. Four days, five nights. On that fifth night, was a new moon. InuYasha will be human that night. Kagome couldn't let him be on his own then, she had promised him. Though he may have not taken her promise too seriously, she had, and she wasn't about to break it.

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InuYasha covered his fire with dirt, putting out the flames. It was his fifth night out, and he had stopped for a rest a short while ago. It was still dark out, but there was no use in staying still any longer. He wasn't resting too well anyway. Besides, with the distance he had been traveling without all the stops he usually had to make, he figured he would be at Sesshomaru's castle before night fall. That's a couple less days than he thought it would take. If all went well, he'd be home with Kagome within eight days.

He cringed. InuYasha knew what he was in store for as soon as he returned. A thousand 'sits' down into a hanyou-shaped crater. He smiled. Maybe getting 'sat' so many times wouldn't be so bad. If he knew Kagome as well as he thought, after 'sitting' him she would feel guilty. Then comes the ear-rubbing and the making ou- I mean up, the making up. InuYasha felt really bad now. Instead of being with his miko, he was going to be far away with his baka brother.

Would Sesshomaru even help him? Suoh was on his lands after all, that should be enough for him to help. InuYasha wasn't stupid. He knew the first time he beat Suoh was a fluke. His youkai blood had taken control. He wasn't sure how, he was only thankful that the only one that got hurt was Suoh. That in itself was a mystery. Usually his youkai would have no problems killing anything that moved, including Kagome. How he had managed that, InuYasha didn't know.

He kept traveling throughout the night and all the day, stopping only once to eat and then he was off again. As the sun started to do down behind the horizon, InuYasha finally spotted his brother's castle. To InuYasha's disgust, there were other Inu-Youkai still moving about outside. He figured they were probably the rest of his 'family' that didn't give a crap about him. He never really thought about the rest of his family. He had already met his brother, and that was enough. InuYasha didn't really plan on ever getting caught up with the likes of that crew, but he couldn't beat Suoh without Sesshomaru's help.

"You! Where's Sesshomaru?" he approached one of the inu with his arms crossed in front of him. The three inu outside all turned toward him.

"And who are you to be calling on Lord Sesshomaru?" the inu stared unblinkingly at InuYasha, sizing him up.

"Keh, like it maters, I'm his brother." The inu looked shocked. "Now, where is Sesshomaru!"

"You will have to wait here. I'll see if Lord Sesshomaru will approve of your… intrusion." The inu walked inside the castle. The other two stood close together, blocking InuYasha's view inside. Their looks were of pure disgust. At least they knew of him, but they obviously knew only that he was Sesshomaru's half-breed half-brother. He could tell by the way the inu-youkia looked at him, and they didn't know anything about him at all, they hadn't ever even met him.

The other inu finally appeared back at the door. "Lord Sesshomaru is waiting for you in his quarters. I will show you the way." InuYasha nodded and followed the inu inside. The castle wasn't as big as it first looked. When he walked in, the foyer led into an open room with a long table in the center. The walls were decorated with various swords and armor from past inu warriors. To the left were stairs leading down, and to the right stairs leading up. His guide walked up the right stairs, and InuYasha followed cautiously behind. When they reached the top, he was led down a hallway with several doors to the side. The inu stopped at the end of the hallway and knocked on the last door. A few minutes later the door opened and they both entered.

Sesshomaru stood in front of the two. "Haru," he addressed the inu, "you may go now."

"But Lord Sesshomaru, I don't think…"

Sesshomaru locked his eyes with the inu named Haru. In returned Haru apologized, bowing lowly and exiting through the door, closing it silently behind himself. Sesshomaru waited a few minutes, then turned his attention to his younger half-brother. "What are you doing here, InuYasha. I take it you must have business with me. Why else would you have the gall to set foot in my lands?"

InuYasha growled. "Look, Sesshomaru, I don't like this anymore than you do. But somewhere in your lands is a youkai I plan to kill, and you're gonna help me hunt him down."

"And why would this Sesshomaru care to help the likes of you." His face was unchanging, as always.

"This youkai is feeding off of Kagome's powers. If he's not stopped soon, then he's gonna be worse than Naraku. I know he's hiding somewhere in your land, and guess what's gonna be the first to go once he's done with Kagome?"

"So my younger brother is asking me for help to save the life of his miko. How pathetic, InuYasha. I really thought that maybe you could handle Suoh on your own."

InuYasha growled louder. "You knew about Suoh?"

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow at his brother. "Surely you remember. I did warn you of him, did I not?"

"You didn't do anything!"

"Oh, but I did. This Sesshomaru took it upon himself to warn you that they will seek her out to destroy her. Any youkai would love to be the one to kill a miko as powerful as her, or take her power as their own. So as you see, dear brother, I gave you all the warning you needed. It is no fault of mine if you refused to take heed of my warnings." He turned his back to InuYasha, who in turn grabbed his brother's shoulders and turned him back around so they were facing each other once again.

This is not time for pride. InuYasha told himself. This…is for Kagome. If you fail…Suoh will kill her. So just drop the tough guy outfit! "Sesshomaru, I can't beat this guy on my own. If you don't help me, Suoh will kill Kagome. Are you gonna help or not?"

Sesshomaru stared at InuYasha for a few minutes, trying to figure out if his brother was really being serious. "Haru."

The other inu entered the room. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Take InuYasha to a spare room. Make sure he is brought food and left to himself." He turned back to InuYasha. "We will leave in the morning. I take it you know where Suoh might be lurking?"

InuYasha nodded. "Yea. I've got an idea. But the only way we have to find this place is by the stars, that's the only thing Kagome could use as a landmark."

"You have a chart of some sort?" InuYasha took out the paper Miroku had given him and handed it to his brother. Sesshomaru looked it over before nodding. "I know of this place. It is further down in the valleys. The trees she has described grow there." He tucked the paper away. "Now go. I have other business to tend to."

Haru lead InuYasha back out of his brother's room and down the hallway. Apparently, he wasn't going to be allowed to stay anywhere near the others, because soon they were going up another set of steps to a higher part of the castle. When they reached the top there was only one door, and Haru opened it and watched InuYasha suspiciously as he entered. The room was about half the size of Kaede's hut, with a battered futon and holey-blanket laying on top. The rest of the room was bare, except for a small window on the far side of the wall; little more than a hole itself.

"Someone will be up shortly with your meal." Haru said slamming the door behind him. InuYasha listened as the sound of his steps faded down the stairs. For some reason he got the hint that Haru didn't like him all that well.

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A/N:

Did you ever doubt that Kagome would go after him? Hmm? And I think I have spoiled my readers with too much fluff…they keep asking for it more and more .' Anywho, lets, see, shall I hand out more awards? I guess so. So, lets see today's winners!

Award for being a faithful reader and reviewer: Irathernotsay (anon)

Award for always asking the most questions: Angel452

Award for sniffing/tearing up (I love emotional reviewers) : I AM EOWYNbeanie7101NekoYasha101

That's all for now. See ya next chapter!