Disclaimer: looks at lawsuits sighs I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Warning: Story contains slight Shounen-ai so if you are uncomfortable with that, turn back now.

Chapter 3 Man Eating Maze

The morning sun climbed over the treetops as Inuyasha and his friends awoke from their slumber. Sango prepared breakfast for everyone while Miroku goes to fill up their supply of water at a nearby stream. Shippou was still curled up in the sleeping bad and refused to get out so Inuyasha had to hit him on the head and hang him upside down by his tail before he got up. Kagome had to sit him before she made her way over to Taro to change the bandage on his wounds.

"Are you feeling any better Taro?" Kagome asked as she unraveled his bandages.

"I'm feeling much better, Lady Kagome," Taro said as he pointed down to his completely healed wounds. "See? There's only a tiny discolor now."

"Oh well I guess we don't need to rewrapped it then," she froze as she felt a tap on her shoulder and there was a large amount of heat behind her.

Kagome turned her head around slowly and her eyes came in contact with a very angry half demon. His hair had clumps of dirt attached to it and his face was slightly scratched up. Kagome laughed nervously as his aura flared.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!" Inuyasha yelled making the birds in the nearby trees flew away in fear. "Did you know you sat me right onto a giant rock!"

"You were picking on Shippou! He's just a child, you shouldn't be so rough with him!" she stood up face to face with him as the two enter yet another argument.

Taro can only stare at the pair with wide eyes while Sango and Shippou had a light chat. They were use to the couple's early morning spout, in fact, if they didn't argue, someone was bound to ask them what's wrong. Somehow the topic of Inuyasha being sat had turned into a argument about Shikon shards, school, and idiots. After a while, Taro just got up and went over to talk with Sango and Shippou.

After a few minutes, the fight ended with Inuyasha in a crater that's shaped like him and Kagome stomped off. Everyone could only shake their heads as Kagome made her way over to them with a frown on her face. It was obvious that the two care for each other yet neither was willing to speak up.

"Kagome, do you sense any jewel shards nearby?" Sango asked, for a change in subject.

"No…I can't feel any around here. That's to be expected right? We already found the last shard in the border between this world and the next right?" the priestess reminded her comrade.

"You can sense jewel shards Lady Kagome?" Taro asked, his face somewhat surprised.

"Yea, I don't know why I can but it's always been like this," Kagome put a finger to her chin. "After the jewel burst out from my body, I'd been able to sense the jewel shards."

"That's quite the power you have there, Lady Kago-" Taro's sentence was cut off as they heard a loud scream in the direction that Miroku was at.

"That's where Miroku is!" Kagome exclaimed. She immediately grabbed her bow and arrows as everyone else also got to their feet.

Kirara transformed into her full form as Sango and Shippou climbed on her back. Inuyasha was up once the spell of the rosary wore off and he carried Kagome on his back. Taro had his wings spread and was already on his way over to the stream.

When they arrived, there wasn't a soul in sight. The bottles that Miroku carried with him were tossed randomly on the ground, some crushed, some in the stream. There were obvious signs of a struggle that took place as blood spots could be seen around the stream bank. Inuyasha let Kagome slid off his back as he knelt down to smell the blood.

His eyebrows narrow and he growled as the scent hit him, "Yea this is Miroku's blood alright, no doubt about it."

Kagome covered her mouth with her hand as the fear in her eyes became evident. Sango and Shippou also wore fear on their faces as they watch Inuyasha sniffed at the grounds in search for Miroku's scent.

"It's that bastard Naraku!" Inuyasha drove his fist onto the ground in rage. "His scent is all over this place!"

"Naraku is our sworn enemy," Shippou explained to Taro. "He's hurt a lot of people and he's trying to get more powerful by completing the jewel."

"He went this way!" Inuyasha sped off to his right.

Kagome climbed on Kirara as they all followed his lead. The same thought ran through all their heads, they have to find Miroku at all cost. They followed Inuyasha into a forest and over a river when the half demon suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong Inuyasha? Why aren't you following Miroku's scent?" Kagome asked as Kirara landed.

"His track stopped right here," Inuyasha motioned toward the river. "They must have either fly off or they traveled by water."

Everyone was silenced as they all try to find a way to track down the missing monk. Taro was the first to suggest an idea to the group.

"Why don't we split up to search for him? We can cover more grounds that way since we all have someone in our groups that can detect his scent," the phoenix looked to the rest as they nodded in agreement.

So they all split up into three groups. Sango, Shippou, and Kirara went off to the northeast, Taro went towards the south, and Inuyasha and Kagome took to west. They were all to meet back at the stream at nightfall.

At the Western Lord's Castle

Akina was forced awake by someone tapping on her door. The room was very bare and held little furniture so the knock echoed off the marble floor and stonewall which created a loud thud every time the door was knocked.

"What is it?" Akina called out finally giving up on sleep.

"Lord Sesshoumaru request your presence at his study, Lady Akina," the voice that she recognized as Kaemon informed her.

"I'll be out in a minute!" she yelled back as she washed her face in a bowl that's already been laid out at the stand at the edge of her bed. She dressed herself in the kimono that's been laid out for her on the end of her bed and followed Kaemon to the study.

She took a deep breath as she knocked on the door, talking to him was always a pain, the guy never respond. Once again he voiced for her to come in. The study was just as beautiful as his room. Shelves upon shelves were stacked with books and scrolls of all kinds. In the very center of it all is a giant desk made out of marble that directly connects to the floor. Behind the desk sat Sesshoumaru on a chair made of the same material and fashion as the desk only it was topped with white fur for comfort.

"Follow me," Sesshoumaru got up and in a flash was on her right. He then walked off in the direction of Rin's room, Akina not far behind.

When they both enter Rin's room, the little was curled up into a ball on her bed, fast asleep. Sesshoumaru and Akina quietly made her way to the side of her bed.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru shook the girl's shoulder.

Rin groaned as her eyes open a bit then her eyes snap open; an expression of fear came to her face. After that, her shoulders slump as her mind register the past day's events.

"Rin," Akina called softly. "We're going to begin your treatment now, are you alright?"

The little girl nodded her head as she faced towards the direction of Akina's voice, "Is Lord Sesshoumaru there?"

"I am here Rin," Sesshoumaru made his presence known.

"You're not mad at me are you Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin edged towards him. "I'm sorry I took Aun without your permission. I was really really bored and I missed going outside and no one talked to me and you were busy and…I'm really sorry"

Akina gaze sadly at the girl then up to Sesshoumaru who still showed no expression on his fair face.

"I am not angry with you," he stated calmly. "I should hope that you've learn your lesson this time not to go by yourself."

"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin's voice was laced with sadness.

Akina frowned at the dog demon then she turned her attention back to Rin. She took the child's hand and helped her up from her bed as they made their way out of the room and to a larger room. There, potions and herbs lined the wall while there were several small beds in the center of the room. A small human boy about Rin's age stood to one side of the room.

"Is this the one?" Akina questioned, nodding towards the boy.

"Yes, he has willing to do it provided that I allow him food and shelter here in the castle," Sesshoumaru informed her.

"Alright…" she paused and took a deep breath. "I can begin the operation then. If you don't mind Lord Sesshoumaru, I'd feel better if no one enters this room while I work. The slightest mistake and it can spell disaster for them both."

Sesshoumaru nodded and exit the room, closing the door behind him. Akina motioned for the two children to lay down on two bed side by side as she grabbed the anesthesia from the nearby shelf.

"Don't worry…you'll both be okay," she assured the two humans as she made them drink the potion.

In the forest

"Miroku!" Shippou yelled into the trees. "Are you here!"

Kirara was searching for Miroku's scent while Sango looked for any tracks made by the monk's captor.

"Any sign of him Kirara?" the slayer asked her cat demon.

Kirara could only whine and shook her head, having found no trace of the monk.

She sighed, "How about you Ship-"

He was gone. The little fox demon was nowhere to be found. One moment, he was yelling and the next he disappeared into thin air. The strange part was that Kirara and Sango both did not sense anyone near them at all.

"No…" Sango whispered. "Shippou! Shippou!"

The demon slayer yelled though no answer was heard. Her eyes closed as she took a large gulp. Shippou was just a child; he doesn't deserve whatever it was that was going to happen to him if they didn't find him soon. She mounted Kirara and they both took off.

"I have to warn the others…who knows who else might be gone by now," she said to herself.

Somewhere nearby

Inuyasha and Kagome made their way deeper into the thick bushes and vines grown wild in the forest.

"Hurry up will ya!" Inuyasha yelled as he cleared the path with Tetsusaiga.

"I'm sorry I'm only human!" Kagome yelled back, she was swatting some insects away while trying to remain focus on the path.

Inuyasha cringed as his arm came in contact with some thorns. The stupid forest seemed alive or something to him. Whenever he cut down a vine, more would grow back and blocked Kagome from him.

"What is it with this place?" Kagome asked as a vine crept around her ankle. "It's like a giant maze."

Before any of them knew it, the vines sprung up from around them, affectively blocking them from each other.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he whirled around only to find a wall of vines there.

"Inuy-" was all that he heard, and then her voice stopped and no other sound was made.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled again as he prepared to tear down the vine wall with his sword. Before he can do this however, the vines went limp and fell to the ground. Kagome was nowhere to be found; the only thing that was left was the red tie on her uniform.

End of Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter guys. ; It's almost 4 in the morning and I need my rest. I promise a longer chapter in two days! As always, read and review so I can get more energy to write more!

-Silver