disclaimer: don't own it.

my fanfic account wasn't working so i couldn't update chapter 17 on friday when i finished it, so sry but i did get 2 chappies done maybe i'll have chapter 19 out on sunday or monday

Chapter 18

A Parent's Worry

Kagome paced the living room, worriedly. Inukuro sat on the couch watching his mother walk back and forth. He sighed. She had been like this ever since Mitsukai didn't come home on the night of the festival, six days ago. It wouldn't have been so bad, they knew Mitsukai could take care of herself and would probably beat the shit out of anyone who came near her. But when she disappeared she was human. She was weaker as a human. She'd probably still give a good fight but she wasn't likely to win against someone who really wanted to harm her. Inukuro growled at the thought of someone hurting his sister. His mother passed again. He couldn't take this anymore. It was too unnerving to watch her pace worriedly. It just made everything worse. So, he stood up to go to his room. As he stood, Kagome stopped where she was.

"Where do you think you're going?" she snapped.

"To my room," said Inukuro plainly.

He was about to say that he was getting sick of her pacing all the time, but he was interupted by the door bell ringing through the apartment. Kagome practically ran to the elevator door and pressed a button next to it, allowing the elevator doors to open. Standing in the elevator was Inutaisho, dog form of course, he walked past Kagome before turning into his human form. Kagome turned to look at him with expectant eyes. He sighed and shook his head. No Mitsukai.

They had been searching for Mitsukai since the day after she disappeared. The police had been involved at first but had given up the search the day before, announcing Mitsukai a run away. Fortunately the story was not taken to the press. The only people who knew were of course the family (including Sesshoumaru, Rin, Kenji) and Mitsukai's friends who had promised not to say anything about her disappearance to the school or anyone else. The school was told that she was really sick and ordered to stay home.

Kagome sighed. Suddenly the phone rang causing Kagome to jump. She shook her head at her own uneasyness and walked over to the phone. She picked it up and wearily greeted whoever was on the other end.

"Moushi moushi," she said.

"Mom?"

"Mitsukai!" she nearly shouted in surprise. At Mistukai's name Inukuro and Inutaisho's ears perked (well Inukuro's did, Inutaisho just listened into the convo) "Where are you honey? Where have you been? Are you okay? You're not hurt are you? Are you in trouble?"

"Mom, chill---" began Mitsukai.

"You have no right to tell me to chill, missy! You've disappeared for six days, six human days! You could have been dead for all we knew! We had the police searching and everything!" yelled Kagome. "Though they didn't prove much help," she added in a mutter.

"I'm sorry, I- I – I went to...Kyoto," said Mitsukai.

"KYOTO! Why didn't you call?" asked Kagome.

"It slipped my mind?" Mitsukai suggested.

"That isn't an excuse, now where are you?"

"Um, the subway in Tokyo."

"Stay right there! I'm coming to get you."

With that Kagome hung up.

Earlier With Mitsukai

Mitsukai easily jumped out of the well. She sniffed the air. All the scents of a city came to her. She snorted and shook her head. She hated that smell. Yepp, she was definitely home. She sighed. Time to deal with the situation at hand. 'Mom's probably worried sick. But who wouldn't be when their child disappears for a week.'

Mitsukai looked into the trees of the park and up to the large apartment/hotel building. She sighed. 'I'm gonna be in SO much shit.' Suddenly she came up with a brilliant plan. Okay, it wasn't so brilliant but it made a good excuse. She nodded, confirming her decision then started running in the direction of the...school?

She arrived at the school and looked around. She spotted the payphone and walked over to it. Luckily this phone had been broken for months and you didn't have to pay for calls. Even better only her gang knew this. She quickly dialed the number after a quick pause to remember it. She waited for a few moments and listened to the phone ring three times before someone finally picked up.

"He—I mean moushi moushi," came the voice on the other end. "Damn, I always forget that part," the male voice on the other end muttered in english. Mitsukai couldn't help but giggle.

'Yupp, definitely him, good,' she thought.

"Shut up Matt and listen," she said in english (she had taken it in school).

Matt Latham was a Canadian exchange student at Mitsukai's old school in Kyoto. She had became quick friends with him before she moved and hadn't really talked to him since. Matt was a real comic and always made stupid little jokes that made everyone laugh hysterically. He was usually incredibly outgoing too.

"Mitsukai?" asked Matt.

"Yupp, I need your help, kay."

"Anything for you sexy."

"Shut up. Okay, if anyone asks I've been in Kyoto for the past week. Okay? Tell the others. If anyone calls and asks, I was at Rei's house or something. Yea, Rei's, her parents would be totally cool about it. They've done stuff like this before for me."

"What the hell? What's going on?" asked Matt.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Okay, so you've been at Rei's house for the past week?"

"Yea, thanks a bunch, your the best."

With that she hung up and dialed another number.

After Phone Convo with Kagome

"Shiiit!"

Mitsukai smacked her forehead. 'What did I just get myself into?' With that last thought she took off as quickly as possible to the nearest subway station. On the way she stopped at the first person she thought of's house. Sasuke. He had a sister that was about Mitsukai's size. She desperately needed new clothes. She knocked on the door of the apartment house then tapped her foot impatiently. Soon, the door opened.

"AI! Just the person I wanted to see!" exclaimed Mitsukai. "You're my size right?"

"You mean for clothes? Yeah, maybe a size bigger, but pretty much...WAIT where the hell have you been! We've been searching all over Tokyo for you!"

"Yea, so I've heard. I've been in Kyoto staying with a friend. ANYWAY, so can I borrow some clothes real quick?"

Ai gave her a stern look then totally caved. "Okay come in. Don't worry the guys are out."

"Thank you! I love you Ai, always have!" Mitsukai squealed.

She heard Ai laugh from the other room. A moment later she came out with a simple skirt and t-shirt. She threw them at Mitsukai then shoved her into the washroom to change. Mitsukai quickly changed, folded her yukata, gave Ai a quick hug then was out the door.

"Don't tell Mom," she called over her shoulder at Ai.

She ran as quickly as her body would allow to the train station. She arrived a few minutes later, out of breath. She quickly caught it before her Mom arrived and asked why she was out of breath.

She waited a few more minutes before she saw their vehicle pull into the parking lot. She walked cautiously toward it, knowing her mother was going to give her a huge lecture the moment she saw her. But, she was totally wrong. Kagome got out of the car and ran to Mitsukai. Mitsukai expecting punishment cringed but was shocked when Kagome hugged her tightly and started crying.

"Mom?"

"I was so worried," cried Kagome.

"Mom, I'm fine."

Kagome pulled away and looked Mitsukai over. She nodded, deciding Mitsukai wasn't hurt. She hugged her daughter again.

'Hmm, maybe she'll be so happy that I'm home that she won't punish me,' thought Mitsukai.

"You're grounded Mitsukai Sango Higurashi!" 'Guess not...'

"Whaaa? But...okay I guess you're right. I deserve it." 'I should of just told them the truth. They might have believed me.'

"Damn right you deserve it. You're grounded for a month. No TV, no going out past 5:00 p.m, and no computer," said Kagome.

Mitsukai hung her head and nodded. She opened the car door and flopped into the back seat. She didn't really feel like sitting up front with her mother in the mood she was in. The back was safer. So, they drove home in silence.

When they arrived home Mitsukai walked past everyone without even saying hello or sorry. She was beat. Exhausted from all the running she had been doing that night. She vowed never to do that again. If she ever went back to the feudal era she would be sure to make it just a quick visit to say hi.

Feudal Era, Next Morning

Shippo ran happily through Sango and Miroku's house. It was around 10:00 in the morning and Mtisukai still hadn't woken up. So he decided to wake her up. He ran into the room Mitsukai was staying in yelling her name.

"Mitsukai! Mitsukai! Mitsukai...?"

He looked around. The room was empty and the bedmat was rolled away. Actually it hadn't even been spread out. Mitsukai was not in the room and hadn't been that night. He ran outside where he saw Sango with Sae. He ran up to her, panicked.

"Sango! Sango! Mitsukai's gone!" he cried.

"What do you mean Shippo?"

"She's gone. She's not in your house. Her bed hasn't even been slept in."

"That's odd."

"We have to find her!"

So, Shippo and Sango looked. They searched the entire village. No Mitsukai. They talked to the guards at the gate. No one had passed through the gates since Kaede arrived the day before. It was like she was ghost...just disappeared.

Shippo started crying which got Sae crying. Sango tried her best to comfort both, which was difficult.

"Sh-she's g-gone!" Shippo sobbed. "She's n-n-never comi-ing back! It's just like when Kagome left."

"It's okay Shippo. She had to leave soon anyway. She had to get back to her own village. And you weren't as close to her as you were Kagome, you knew Kagome for a long time. It was hard on all of us then. You couldn't have been that close to Mitsukai," explained Sango.

"You're wrong Sango. Mitsukai reminded me of Kagome. She looks like her and even smells a little like her. She was Kagome and Inuyasha in one, she was like a big sister to me," Shippo tried to explain.

"You only knew her for a few days, Shippo."

"I know, but I still miss her as much as Kagome."

Sango sighed.

"Feh, I'm glad the wench is gone. Finally some peace," came Inuyasha's voice behind them. He tried to act cool about it but his act faltered when he frowned and looked out past the village. He couldn't explain it, he was worried about the annoying, pain in the ass girl. He smiled. Just like Kagome, annoying and a pain in the ass. But it wasn't the same as Kagome. It was a new feeling, not like what he had felt for Kagome. He didn't know why he was so worried though.

He sighed.

A/N – i kno! It was a sorta crappy chapter forgive me! Next one will be better! So review!

kage no megami

goddess of shadow