Disclaimer: They're Rumiko Takahashi's, not mine.

Scroll 8: Sango's Disappearence

When the three of them returned to the others, they began heading back to Kaede's village. Despite everyone's urging, Karoru refused to tell them about her brother. In fact, she did not speak at all.She traveled beind the group the entire time, and no one could get through to her, not even Kagome who seemed more close to her than anyone else. Most of the journey went on in silence, and the friends wondered what had happened.

"Feh. What's with her?" Inuyasha said when they'd stopped to rest at a tiny stream.

Karoru had vanished to her own privacy as soon as the company had halted.

"She just needs some time alone," Kagome answered, opening a bag of chips.

"She reminds me of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru," stated Sango. "They fight as if they want to kill each other."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Yes indeed, and it seems the elder sibling is always victorious."

"What do you mean by that?" the hanyou retorted. "Sesshoumaru's never beaten me!"

Miroku raised his hands in defense, his smile innocent. "I merely stated--"

"No wonder Karoru's been avoiding us," Sango mused. "She's been humiliated."

Kagome glanced over her shoulder as if the tiger demon were lurking around somewhere behind her. "I hope she's okay."

"Who cares about her anyway?" Inuyasha said passively.

Kagome stood up and glared at him. "You are such a jerk!"

"What do you expect?" said Shippo. "Inuyasha's always been insensitive. Ow!"

Inuyasha knocked the little kitsune over the head. "I'll show you insensitive!" He looked up abruptly as Karoru appeared behind him.

"Are you finished yet?" she asked tonelessly. "The sun is setting."

Indeed it was, as the company found when they looked skyward.

Miroku rose to his feet and brushed himself off. "She's right. We should get going if we want to arrive at the village before nightfall."

And so the company continued their journey back to Kaede's village, silence returning to the group. It was a few hours after the coming of night when they arrived. The village lay in peaceful quiet beneath a blanket of black littered with countless stars. Everyone turned in for the night, the young tiger demon retreating up to the roof of the hut once again and saying nothing. When morning dawned, she was already awake and gazing thoughtfully at the golden sky. Miroku in turn was gazing up at her.

"Lady Karoru," he said, "have you seen Sango?"

Karoru sat up as Kagome strode outside.

"Huh? Sango's not here?"

"She left a little while earlier before dawn," she replied passively.

"Did she say where she was going?" asked Miroku.

"Just something about her brother."

"She must've gone back to her village!" Kagome stated.

"Then there's nothing to worry about." The monk started back inside but was stopped by Inuyasha coming out.

"What's all the raucous?"

"What if she gets hurt along the way?" Kagome said worriedly.

"Sango can take care of herself," Miroku replied in an unconcerned fashion. "Since she didn't tell us she was leaving she probably wants to go on her own, and it would be rude of us to ignore her wishes."

"It makes sense to me," Karoru stated with a similar expression.

Kagome turned her gaze up to her. "But you don't understand!"

"Would someone tell me exactly what's going on?" Inuyasha shouted in irritation.

"Sango's gone, and we need to catch her!" Kagome said anxiously. "You, of all people, Miroku should be impatient to go after her!"

Miroku blinked incredulously. "Why me?!"

Kagome was about to answer when she saw Inuyasha stiffen suddenly and avert his attention from the conversation.

"Inuyasha, what is it?"

The hanyou looked sideways at Karoru. "Do you hear that?"

The tiger demon nodded without gazing back at him. "Something's coming."

Kagome and Miroku exchanged glances. Neither of them could hear anything unusual.

It took Inuyasha only a few seconds more to sniff and realize who it was. Before long, Kagome found herslef being pushed behind him.

"It's Kouga!"

As if on cue, the wild whirlwind appeared on the path ahead, a shower of dust following in its wake. Shippo's blue-ribboned head poked out from the woven curtain momentarily before disappearing again, and a hurried "Don't go out there, Lady Kaede!" was heard.

The wolf demon leaped right out of the twister, landing in a slide a few yards away from the gang. Two other demons appeared hurrying after him along with a small pack of wolves, out of breath and trying their best to keep up. They were ignored.

Kouga pointed a finger at Inuyasha. "Hey, muttface!"

"Kouga! What are you doing here?"

"Give me back my Jewel shard!" He seemed extremely angry.

"What? What are you talking about? I didn't take your Jewel shard!"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, mutt! Don't play dumb with me! You or one of your little friends stole one of my Jewel shards, and I want it back!"

"Uhh, Kouga." Ginta tapped on the wolf demon's shoulder.

Kouga turned his angry gaze on his friend. "What?"

Hakkaku pointed up at the roof of Kaede's hut where Karoru was watching them with a soft, smug smile.

Kouga's eyes widened. "It's you!"

--I know that in some of the conversations in this chapter Inuyasha would have sounded better cursing, but I'm not one to swear, so you'll just have to insert the curse words in where you think it's necassary.

Inuyasha: Feh. Who ever heard of a person who's never cursed before in these times?

--Well I, for one, am proud to be one of the only ones who don't curse, Inuyasha.

Inuyasha: Tch. You're the only one who can be proud of something like that.

--Yup.

Inuyasha: This is one messed up world.