Disclaimer: Ok yeah, I don't own Inuyasha and I never will so let's get on with the story.
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CHAPTER TEN: Missing
InuYasha woke up late the next day. This was unusual since Kotaro usually jumps on him every morning. He didn't mind so much though. It was kind of nice for him to be able to sleep in every once in a while. So he rolled over and intended to hug Kagome… except she wasn't there. He opened his eyes slowly so they could adjust to the light and saw that Kagome wasn't in the room.
He looked out the window. It looked as if it was already in the afternoon. The sun was high in the sky… ((A/N: haha that rhymes!)) so it couldn't be morning.
Wonder where Kagome went off to… InuYasha wondered to himself. He sniffed the air and realized that the kids were gone too. He smelled something else for a second but the extra smell quickly dissipated and he shrugged it off thinking that it wasn't worth finding out.
There's a reasonable explanation for all of this… he thought. Kagome must've taken the kids somewhere and decided to let me sleep. Prolly' took them swimming or somethin' since it's hot outside.
With that thought he went outside. Again, he smelled something, but the smell dissipated before he could find out what it was. "I don't like this… Something's not right… Kagome wouldn't just leave. She would wake me up or leave a note or something…"
InuYasha was starting to become worried. He sniffed the air to try to find Kagome's scent. It took a couple of minutes, but he found it. It was very faint, but he could just barely smell it. It seemed as thought the scent was dispersing after being there for so long, but why would that be the case if Kagome only left this morning? Something must've happened that night.
InuYasha chased after the faint scent and ran through the forest that surrounded his home. He jumped over bushes and around trees and finally got to the end of the scent. It ended at the river. He wouldn't be able to follow the scent anymore if they had gone through water. He desperately sniffed the air, but it was useless. He wouldn't be able to find Kagome now.
Why am I so worried? he thought. If they DID go swimming they would've gone to this river. Of course I would've lost their scent. I'm worrying over nothing...
He started walking away then stopped But it isn't like Kagome to just leave without saying anything… I think I'll go pay Sango and Miroku a visit. Maybe they're at their house...
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Sango was busily cooking for her family. She had been busy all day trying to cook, watch the baby and Mushin, and keep Miroku from grabbin' her butt. ((A/N:sigh: some things never change)) It had been a tiring day for her and now that she had finished cooking she just wanted to rest. Miroku and Mushin have arms, they can feed themselves… she thought.
She walked over and picked up Sakura and fed her some feudal era baby food… ((A/N: umm yeah I dunno just play along people)). She told Miroku and Mushin that their food was ready and was just sitting down to feed Sakura when InuYasha burst through the door.
"InuYasha? What's wrong?" Sango asked looking up at the panicking half demon.
"Damn it! They aren't here." He said, not even looking Sango's way.
"Are Kagome and your children missing?" Miroku asked.
"What do you think, dumbass?" InuYasha snapped at Miroku.
"Now, now, no need to get angry!" Miroku held his hands up to try to ward off the angry demon and slowly backed away. "When was the last time you saw them?"
"Last night. They were taken while I was sleeping."
"Feh... trust you to lose your own mate, InuYasha..." A voice said from the doorway.
InuYasha turned around quickly and stared at the source of the voice.
"Shippo? Wh-What're you doin' back here? When'd you get back?" InuYasha stared dumbfounded at the young fox demon.
He was a little older now. About 15 years old. ((A/N: ok let's just say that that's in demon years…)) He still looked pretty much the same except he was taller now. Not too much taller since he's a fox demon… but still taller than he used to be. At his full height he reached a little taller than InuYasha's waist. His once bushy tail was now long and fluffy.
Shippo smirked at the half demon. "I came back late last night to visit. Heh... I kindda got turned around so it took me a while to find your house."
"Late last night? How late?"
"I dunno… you had already gone to bed when I got there. But the fire inside had been put out recently so I guess all of you were just falling asleep maybe a half hour before I got there. I guess someone else came to visit late at night 'cause there was someone that was leaving when I got there—"
"What?" InuYasha, Miroku, and Sango asked in unison.
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"I said 'what?'"
"No! Before that! What did you say about someone leaving when you got there?" InuYasha yelled, becoming frustrated.
"Oh there was someone that went inside your house when I was arriving."
"What did they look like, Shippo?" Sango asked.
"I dunno it was dark out. I couldn't really tell. Whoever it was really stunk though… like a demon that's never heard of a bath before…"
That must've been what I smelled when I woke up… InuYasha concluded.
"Did you see where it was going?" Miroku asked.
"That's the strange part." Shippo said. "I tried to follow it, but it disappeared suddenly and then appeared by the river. Then it disappeared again and reappeared a couple miles away. It was hard to track since it wouldn't stay visible."
"Did you see Kagome and the kids?" InuYasha asked with worry in his voice.
Shippo looked up sadly at InuYasha and answered "Yes… but the demon moved so quickly I couldn't keep up. I'm sorry."
InuYasha looked sadly at the floor. He'd never be able to find them now. They were long gone by now. How would he be able to find them?
"Shippo might not have seen where they went. But I did."
InuYasha once again turned around to see the source of a new voice.
"Well, well, if it isn't Myoga!"
"Yes, M'Lord, I've returned and I know where Lady Kagome and your children are." Myoga said as he hopped onto InuYasha's shoulder.
"What? You do? Where are they, Myoga? Tell me!"
"Calm down! Your brother is close to where they are being held captive…"
"No he isn't." Miroku said.
"Yes he is."
"No, really, he isn't" Sango added.
"Yes he is!"
"No he isn't. He's right behind you." Shippo pointed behind Myoga and surely enough there was Sesshomaru.
"I know what the demon wants with Kagome and your children."
InuYasha stared at his older brother with hope in his eyes.
"Really, Sesshomaru?" asked a curious Miroku. "You know where Kagome and the children are?"
"Why would I lie?" He growled. He then turned towards InuYasha and said. "You need not worry, InuYasha. Your family is safe, for now."
"Where are they, Sesshomaru? What does the demon want from them?" InuYasha demanded.
"Tell me, InuYasha," Sesshomaru said in a calm voice, "What happened to the Shikon Jewel?"
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" InuYasha shouted. "Where are Kagome and the kids?"
"I'll tell you AFTER you answer my question. What happened to the Shikon Jewel?"
InuYasha scowled. "Fine. After we defeated Naraku and got the entire jewel back, the jewel just kindda went back into Kagome's body… Like that time that dark priestess, Tsubaki, put a curse on Kagome and the jewel shards went inside her… But what does the jewel have to do with—"
"The jewel is the reason they were taken. It divided itself into four parts, knowing that you and Kagome would have three children. Kagome and your three children each have a quarter of the jewel inside of them. That is the reason that a demon has taken them. It wishes to gain strength from the jewel."
InuYasha stood speechless. After all the trouble they had gone through to get the jewel away from Naraku and now it was in the hands of evil once again.
"Dammit… Now I have to get the jewel away from another evil jackass…"
"The one who had the jewel isn't evil… he's just… ignorant…" Sesshomaru said.
"What do you mean, Sesshomaru?" asked a curious Shippo.
"Do you know this person that wants the jewel?" Miroku asked.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes. "Yes…" He then turned and started walking out the door. "He is my son."
The residents in the small house looked on in disbelief.
"Sesshomaru, wait!" InuYasha ran out to his older brother. ((A/N: LOL! I just thought of something funny… ok InuYasha running out to Sesshomaru through a meadow of flowers... heehee! And that sappy music playing in the backround! Ain't it great? Ok I'm done…))
"What is it?"
"Your son wouldn't kill Kagome… would he?"
"What do you think he would do? He may be half demon but he acts as if he is a full-fledged demon… He reminds me of you at times… But yes, he will most likely kill Kagome and your offspring… He wishes to use the jewel to become a full-fledged demon just as you once did."
"We have to stop him! Come on, Sesshomaru! You need to show me where they are!"
"We're coming too!"
InuYasha turned to see Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. Sango was wearing her demon slaying outfit thing with her abnormally large boomerang strapped to her back. ((A/N: gotta love the boomerang))
"But what about—"
"Don't worry about the baby, InuYasha." Sango said. "Mushin can take care of her while we are gone."
"Yeah, and I'll be with them, InuYasha, so don't worry!" Shippo said with a grin.
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" InuYasha said with a smirk. Shippo glared back at him and 'hmph'ed.'
I love annoying that little runt… InuYasha thought with yet another smirk. He then turned back to his brother. "So are you gonna show me where they are or aren't you?" he said gruffly.
"There is no need to 'show' you where it is. You already know where he would be."
InuYasha stared blankly at his brother with his usual clueless expression.
"……"
":sigh: Does your tiny memory span recall a forest where you first met my son?"
InuYasha continued to look blankly and then… "Yeah, so where is he in the forest? It was pretty big…"
"You can find him close by where you first met him…I'm not going to lead you to them so you can kill my son, InuYasha… You're half dog demon… sniff him out…" With that said, Sesshomaru walked away.
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An hour later, InuYasha was running along the forest floor at top speed trying to find his family and his evil nephew. Miroku and Sango searched the treetops as they rode on top of Kirara. None of them were having any luck. InuYasha was beginning to give up hope...
Stupid Sesshomaru… He thought to himself. He could've narrowed it down when he said 'close by where you first met him'. That might've been kindda useful to me while looking… hmph… dumbass…
He then knelt down on all fours and started sniffing the ground. He stopped after a moment and punched the ground in frustration. "Dammit! I don't know what the runt smells like!"
He started to take out his anger on a nearby tree that was 'in his way' and then started to calm down… Sort of…
"Alright…" he said to himself, "I won't be able to concentrate if I'm all ticked off… I guess his scent would kindda be a mix between Sesshomaru and Rin's… :shiver: jeeze… Sesshomaru and Rin? Huh… never in a million years would I have seen THAT coming…. Sesshomaru and Rin… Feh… Like I care…" He then rolled his eyes and started to continue in his search for his nephew's scent.
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"Do you think InuYasha's found anything yet, Miroku?" Sango asked in a worried tone.
"I hope so, because we aren't having much luck... Where could Taromaru be hiding? The only thing that I see here are miles and miles of trees…"
"He's hidden himself very well… and he wouldn't hesitate to kill people…"
"Indeed… I suppose he –AHHHHHHHH!" Miroku nearly fell off of Kirara in surprise as InuYasha suddenly jumped up in front of them.
"Have you guys seen anything?"
"I'm afraid not… What about you? Could you smell anything?"
"I tried to find Taromaru's scent but it's harder than you would think…"
"Well, what about Kagome's scent?" asked Miroku.
"I tried to sniff them out too… but I couldn't find anything…"
"Lord InuYasha, you're trying to follow the wrong scent."
InuYasha looked down at his shoulder. There sat Myoga the flea demon. "Who am I supposed to be looking for then?"
"Shippo said he saw a demon at your home, but a demon as small as Taromaru wouldn't be able to carry Kagome, Shirrow, Noriko, and Kotaro all at once… He would've had a much larger demon do that for him."
"But Taromaru is only half demon… why would a larger demon help him when he could easily kill him?" Sango asked.
"Because he fears Sesshomaru wouldn't be happy if he didn't do as his son told him."
"Well, that changes everything… So how the hell are we supposed to find this demons' scent you little blood-sucking moron?" InuYasha said with a growl. This was becoming very frustrating. ((A/N: lol he's such a nice man!))
"You forget what your elder brother said. :sigh:"
"No I didn't! He said, 'close by where you first met him'!"
"And tell me Lord InuYasha, Is this 'close by where you first met him'?"
"Of course it is… I think…"
"……………"
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Ok so now they were looking in the correct spot 'close by where they first met him' and InuYasha was able to sniff out Taromaru's scent. It was very faint but he was able to follow it. Along with Taromaru's scent he could smell a very strong scent of demon. They followed the scent for a long time and then it seemed to just disappear.
"Dammit…" Was all InuYasha could say.
"Don't worry M'Lord, Let's keep looking… Maybe we'll find some—"
"Shut up, Myoga. I don't wanna hear it."
"But M'Lord—"
"I said SHUT UP!" With that he punched the ground in frustration and it crumpled from underneath him. "AHHHHHHH—OOOFF"
"What happened?"
"I think he fell…"
Sango and Miroku (with Myoga on his shoulder) walked over to the newly formed hole. InuYasha was at the bottom starting to stand up. He fell down a flight of stairs that was formed out of the ground. He was in an underground cave.
"InuYasha it might've been less painful if you took the stairs down, you know…" Miroku said with that cheerful voice of his.
"Oh shut up…" He took a sniff of the air. "This is where they took them… come on." With that they walked down a passage way with InuYasha in the lead, sniffing around for his family.