Konnichiwa buddies, how are you peeps doing? I know this is sort of going by quickly, but I can't help that I have nothing better to do with a stuffy nose and a computer –sniff- anyway, here's chappie 4!

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Dark shadows loomed over the empty village as night approached, the air thick with tension and alertness. A lone glow of light dimly flickered through the window of Kaede's hut, sending long, stretching shadows to dance across the dirt floor outside.

Sango sighed, watching the candle Kaede had lit as its small flame danced and swayed intricately, her eyes glittering from the tiny source of light. Miroku and Kaede had long since retired, sound asleep across the room from her, just outside the candle's circle of light. She, however, had too much to worry about to sleep. Her best friend, almost sister, had been devoured into darkness, and here all her friends were, not knowing if she was alright, or where she was. Not only that, but if what Inuyasha said was true, that Naraku had something to do with this, that must mean Kohaku, her little beloved brother, was also unwillingly pulled into this as well. She clenched her fists in fury at the thought that that bastard was using her innocent, vulnerable brother, who couldn't even remember who his family was or his tragic past, to do such evil deeds as this.

"Lady Sango, please…you must go to sleep at some point tonight." Miroku's tired voice sounded behind her from the shadows. She turned, about to object, but only let a yawn escape her lips. Okay, so maybe she did need a little rest. She crawled over by Miroku, but kept her distance from his mischievous and perverted hand.

"I find that you came any closer to me, you won't be waking up for a week." He laughed huskily, turning his back to her.

"I wouldn't dream of it, my dear Sango, goodnight." The two of them closed their eyes, allowing themselves to slip into a deep slumber.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was struggling to maintain consciousness.

His eye lids were unbelievably heavy, drooping to cover his molten amber orbs on several occasions, causing him to blink rapidly just to stay awake. Moving his body was out of the question; whenever he tried to so much as twitch one of his hanyou dog ears, a jolt of pain would course through his body until he finally gave up on any attempt on movement. That damn burner with the herbs in it was still burning, much to Inuyasha's frustration. He overheard Kaede tell Miroku that the herbs would lull even the fiercest youkai into a deep sleep. 'So,' Inuyasha thought bitterly. 'She really isn't gonna let me look for Kagome until this heals…DAMN OLD HAG!'

He tried lifting his head slowly, gingerly. There was nothing…no damn herbs, no darkness in his body…NOTHING that was going to stop him from finding Kagome. Though he refused to admit it to anyone, not even her, he couldn't live without her. She was his koshii (love, beloved, sweetheart, etc), no two ways about it. His shoulders and chest racked and shook with pain as he tried lifting himself to a sitting position. If he got that far, he concluded, he could make it the rest of the way. He managed to lift his head and shoulders about two inches before his shoulders gave one last shudder and crashed against the futon as his body strength left him for the hundredth time that night. 'Like I said before- DAMN…OLD…HAG!'

A deep growl crawled up his throat, and despite the darkness, his pearly white fangs shown somewhat noticeably in the dark. How could they do this to him? They all know enough that he can't stand being without her, so how do they expect him to fuc-

"Aah-!" His eyes snapped open widely, his pupils contracting three times as small as their normal size. He involuntarily clutched his chest over where his heart was. Something was clawing, crushing his heart mercilessly giving no signs of relieving him of any amount of pain it could inflict on him…

…and yet…it didn't feel like it was his heart that was actually feeling the pain…more like…

What's happening to me? Inuyasha…help me…please…

"…Kagome…!" The crushing feeling intensified as he clenched his teeth. His back arched so that his chest was slightly lifted from the futon as his eyes shutting tightly. He didn't even notice anyone waking up, too focused on the conversation that was going on internally, but from where he was still uncertain.

Soon, girl…everything will make sense soon…the pain will alleviate, I assure you. But until then…

No-! Please stop-! You'll never use me or my powers for this-! Inuyasha where are you? I need you! Please hurry!

"Where…where are you…? Tell me…and I'll come…damn it just tell me where you are!" He whispered hoarsely through desperate gasps of air.

I-I don't know- I can't see anything! Inuyasha, just follow your heart! I'll be there!

"Kagome…Kagome-!" A sense of dread overcame him as the crushing feeling tensed around his heart one last time before releasing him, flinging his back down against the futon and leaving without a trace.

Inuyasha lay there, hand still clutching his chest where his heart was, beads of sweat trickling down his face and chest. He knew he was gasping for air, but he didn't really give a damn at the moment.

"Inuyasha, what happened to ye?" Kaede asked, reaching out to the bucket of water with the cloth draped over its lip.

"Kagome…she spoke to me. I have to find her-! I have to-!" He made another attempt to sit up, but Sango pushed him back down. Not that she really needed to; the herbs still numbed his body pretty well.

"Inuyasha, what did Kagome say exactly?" Miroku asked sitting with his knees tucked under him. Inuyasha's face clouded over sadly as his ears drooped. He turned his head up to the ceiling, their amber irises burning intensely.

"She's hurt…" He said quietly, almost as if in shame. In all honesty, he was ashamed of himself for not protecting Kagome better. He absolutely hated himself now. He clenched his fists in fury. Why did it have to be this way?

"…She can't see anything, all she really said was to follow my heart, that she'd be there. There was another voice…but I don't know who it belonged to." His face only darkened as he stared up at the ceiling. Despite the darkness, they could all see the fire in Inuyasha's eyes as his stare burned into the wood above him.

"I will find her, that much I'm sure of." He said in a low, dangerous growl as his fangs glinted in the moonlight. Kaede couldn't help but take a step back in surprise. She never would have thought that Inuyasha's bond with Kagome could be this strong, or his feelings for her this intense. Had this been Kikyo that was taken into everlasting darkness, even fifty years ago, the hanyou wouldn't be this determined to save her. 'Perhaps,' the aged priestess mused as she added more herbs to the burner. 'He has finally found his true love this time…just as fate had planned.'

"Rest now, Inuyasha- ye must be ready to save her." He growled, but once the herbs had burned fully, his eyelids drooped, covering his molten amber eyes. He tried fighting it, but the herbs pulled his body into a numbing state. He was asleep before he even knew it.

"Lady Kaede, I can't help but ask- do you think that Inuyasha had truly heard Kagome calling out to him, or was it merely his heart longing to hear her voice?" Miroku pondered, twirling his houshi staff slowly, causing it to catch the moonlight. Kaede only smiled.

"I do not doubt he made contact with Kagome, especially if he heard a second voice…" She frowned in thought, linking her arms behind her again.

"…Inuyasha might have also heard the voice of one of Kagome's captors."

"One of…? How can you be sure there is more than one?" Sango asked from beside Miroku.

"Well, Inuyasha said that he didn't know the other voice, and I am certain that he would recognize Naraku's voice almost anywhere, so Naraku must have at least one accomplice." Miroku bowed his head in thought.

"It makes sense enough, but for now we'll need to just rest. Like you said, Kaede- we need to be ready to save Kagome." What they didn't know was that, while he was physically asleep, Inuyasha's hearing was just as good as when he was awake. 'So, Naraku has accomplices this time around. Good, they'll all meet their death by my hand. Whether it be from my claws or my blade, I will be the end of them. Hang on just a while longer, Kagome- I'm coming.'

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Well, not very exciting, but it will be pretty soon- I promise! R & R peeps!