"Miroku, wake up!" Shippô screamed as he tugged at Miroku's sleeve, "Wake up! InuYasha has gone missing!"
At these words Miroku sat up with a start and grabbed Shippô. It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining brightly and a slight breeze was rustling the leaves, but this would not stop Miroku from being mean to Shippô.
Miroku lifted Shippô up by the tail so he was able to look him in the eye. "What do you mean InuYasha has gone missing?"
"I mean he's not here."
"What's all the racket about?" Sango asked as she stretched and sat up to face them.
"InuYasha's gone!" Shippô shouted as he tried to free himself from Miroku's grasp. "When I woke up this morning he wasn't here."
"Do you think he went to find Kagome without us?" Sango asked.
"Although that would be something InuYasha would do, I do not believe that he would just get up and leave without saying anything to us." Miroku stated.
"I don't know, I'm kinda worried," Sango murmured as if in deep thought.
"Well you can quit your worrying for now," came InuYasha's voice.
"InuYasha! Where have you been?" asked Sango as she looked around to find the source of his voice, "and where are you?"
"We have a problem," InuYasha said as he stepped into the clearing. "My demon powers haven't returned," he stepped into the sunlight only to reveal the truth that, indeed, his powers hadn't retuned to him.
Miroku and Shippô gave each other questioning looks, but Sango was the one to speak up first.
"InuYasha…why didn't you change back? Doesn't the transformation happen when the sun first rises?"
"It usually does, but I don't know what the hell happened! Damn it! Curse it all!" he said as he sat down next to the others. In his frustration, he started picking up twigs and sticks that he found on the ground and began crushing them.
Miroku looked up and said, "InuYasha this isn't good."
"Yeah, I know," InuYasha replied as he avoided Miroku's glance. "This is all Naraku's doing."
"InuYasha, how do you know Naraku did this to you?" Shippô asked as he finally freed himself from Miroku's grasp.
"Because, who else would do some kind of spell on me to make me stay in my human form. The only logical thing would be for him to do it so he could get rid of me while I was unable to defeat him." InuYasha scowled.
"But InuYasha," Sango said. "I didn't think Naraku knew about you and the new moon, and besides, if he wanted to get rid of you, why didn't he just kill you?"
"Because he's doing everything in his power to make my life a living hell. And I have no idea how he knows about the new moon." InuYasha said as he stood up and looked around. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go after Naraku."
"But InuYasha," Shippô pleaded, "it wouldn't be wise to look for Naraku in your condition."
"And what exactly is my condition?" InuYasha snapped.
"No…no…nothing," Shippô said weakly.
"InuYasha, Shippô is right, we shouldn't go looking for Naraku when you don't have your powers."
"Just shut up Miroku!" InuYasha snapped again. "Kagome isn't gonna just save herself."
"I understand your feelings for her, but putting yourself, and others in danger by walking straight into Naraku's trap is exactly what he wants you to do, and it's exactly what you can't do," Miroku stated.
InuYasha jumped up and clenched his fists. "I don't give a damn Miroku, he's got Kagome, and I'm gonna get her back!"
"InuYasha, please don't be rash," Sango cut in. "Let's find a way to break your spell first."
"By then Kagome might be dead!" He shouted back.
"InuYasha, I highly doubt Naraku would kill her, especially if he wants you to follow him into his trap," Sango said uneasily as she shifted her sitting position.
"Damn it, don't you understand? He didn't hesitate to kill Kikyo, and he's not going to show Kagome any mercy." InuYasha snapped back, his temper rising.
"I'm sorry," Sango whispered as she lowered her head.
InuYasha turned around and started packing their belongings into Kagome's yellow backpack. When everything was in the bag, he tossed it over his shoulder and turned back to face the others.
"Let's go," InuYasha said in a commanding voice. "We don't have all day." He said as no one moved.
"But InuYasha," Shippô dared speak, "how're you gonna find Naraku if you can't follow his scent?"
"We'll just go in the direction in which he departed and then we'll go from there, so let's go!" InuYasha said urgently.
Not wanting to cause any more arguments, they all stood up silently. InuYasha lead the way off the path and into the woods heading east. No one dared speak a word to him because he was in one of his bad moods, and in the middle of a deep thought.
They kept trudging through the woods without food, drink, or words until the sun began to set. Sango then decided it was time for someone to speak up, so she took the chance of it being her.
"Umm, InuYasha," she said quietly.
"What is it now?" He snapped back as he tuned around to face her.
"It's…it's…it's getting kinda've late, don't you think we should stop just for the night?" She asked shakily.
"Feh. As long as you don't hold me up tomorrow." He said as he threw the backpack to the ground and lay down beside it. He began to sleep almost immediately afterwards without eating.
"He really is tired," Sango whispered to Miroku, "he just won't admit it."
"You're right. Let's let him sleep; he needs it." Miroku said as he began to gather sticks and twigs to make a campfire.