-1Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Inuyasha and friends. They're Rumiko Takahashi's.
Chapter 3
Last time xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sesshomaru shook his head and said in an even voice, "I do not leave the miko until I am certain she is beyond all danger."
The look on his face said that he would not be swayed. Kagome's mother swallowed hard and tried to hide her fear. She would put up with evil incarnate to help Kagome. But how was she going to get a full fledged demon through downtown Tokyo?
And where was Inuyasha!
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"Damn you, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha screamed as he battled back the sneak attack with another Wind Scar. "I'm the only one that can get her, you baka!"
That last attack had gotten the insect demons. Most lay dead, scattered among the trees and all over the clearing, and a small few were fleeing as fast as they could, reeking of fear and defeat. Concerned only with Kagome, Inuyasha did not pursue. He turned back to the well with a smug smirk plastered on his face as he expected to see a disgruntled Sesshomaru return empty-handed.
He never appeared. Growling his anger, Inuyasha sprang up and landed on the lip of the well in one leap. It was empty.
"What the hell?" Inuyasha exclaimed. He jumped inside muttering, "How did Sesshomaru get through? Oh, he'll be sorry if he's so much as scratched Kagome or her family."
Expecting to see the usual light, Inuyasha was more than a little shocked to land roughly on the dirt floor. He glanced up and still saw blue skies and smelled the stink of the demons. Now he began to get extremely nervous. His brother had somehow passed through and now he couldn't. What was going on with the well?
An even more frightening realization struck next. His full-demon, human-hating brother was now loose and completely unchallenged in Kagome's defenseless era. Before he could prevent it, a disturbing image of Kagome lying in a bloodied heap at Sesshomaru's feet filled his mind. The half-demon bit back tears as he pounded his fist into the dirt repeatedly.
He felt so powerless. Kagome's life was in danger because of him. He sat back against the wall of the well, crossing his legs and clutching Tetsusaiga in front of him. He would wait and kill Sesshomaru the moment he showed that smug face of his. He frowned when his mind pictured the little silver-haired pup that had beamed up at him with pride over catching a fish. He had taught the child that skill.
Inuyasha shook his head, trying to clear it of the unwanted memory. How could he go through with his plan if the feelings that had developed for the child within his brother kept getting in the way? Yet the vision persisted, weakening his resolve.
A distant scream broke the hanyou from his thoughts and he jumped back out of the well with a new concern. That cry had come from the direction of Kaede's village and Sango and Miroku were gone.
"Damn, you fool," he cursed himself softly, bounding at top speed from tree to tree toward the village. "You let those demons go and now they're hurting the villagers."
A moment later, Inuyasha reached the source of the screams, but had to dodge swiftly as a burst of flame swept toward him followed by shrill shouts, "Feel the wrath of my staff, demons!"
The triumphant cries were cut off by a shrieks of pain and the screams of a small child. "Master Jaken!"
Inuyasha landed in a charred clearing among the ashes of several of the insect demons. Only two more remained, the ones that had taken down the green imp and now prepared to slay a small girl who cowered beside a bridled two-headed dragon. The half-demon smiled and charged shouting, "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"
He knew these two, his brother's annoying retainer and the human pup that traveled with him. The imp looked dead, but managed to squawk, "I- I didn't need any help from a filthy half-breed. Lord Sesshomaru- "
"I didn't do it to help you, toad, I did it to help the pup. She can't help it if all she's got to protect her is some slimy toad and a baka dog," Inuyasha cut him off sharply, but the demon had already passed out from his injuries.
"You all right, Rin, is it?" he asked the child gruffly. The way she stared at him made him uncomfortable.
She nodded and bowed low to him before replying, "Mm-hhmm! And thank you for rescuing Master Jaken and I, Inuyasha-sama, but can you help him? He is injured and I don't know when Sesshomaru-sama will return. He just told Master Jaken to look after me then ran off."
Inuyasha just stared at the girl in stunned silence. His brother just abandoned the girl in the care of this incompetent imp? And to go after Kagome, no less. That sounded nothing like his brother, other than the fact that it seemed to make no sense. Sesshomaru did what Sesshomaru thought he should, and no one could ever tell what that demon was thinking.
Rin still stared at him expectantly, and Inuyasha remembered she had asked him to help the demon. Her stomach growled and she blushed and looked down at her toes.
"C'mon then, Rin, I'll take you to the village where he can heal and you can get something to eat," Inuyasha told her as he grudgingly lifted the bloody toad in his arms. An angry growl rumbled in his chest as he muttered, "I should have known. That idiot doesn't know how to take care of a human child."
Inuyasha glanced at her again. He had to admit that from the looks of her, his brother managed to provide for her well enough. She smelled clean and her clothes looked tidy. Rin appeared to be a happy, healthy child. Perhaps there was a slight hope that Sesshomaru would not harm Kagome.
"Oh, thank you, Inuyasha-sama!" she squealed excitedly. To Inuyasha's surprise, she turned to the two-headed dragon and fearlessly caught up its reigns and rubbed each of the noses in turn.
"Ah, Un, we are going with Inuyasha-sama to take care of Master Jaken and get some food. C'mon and I'll help you find lots of nice, juicy grass."
Inuyasha shrugged it off as they headed into the village. He could see how other demons wouldn't frighten her after traveling with his brother. Unfortunately, this line of thinking only brought back his painful concerns for Kagome. The smell of her blood had been so strong before she fell. He kicked the dirt in frustration as a feeling of helplessness settled over him. What was his brother's sudden interest in Kagome anyway?
Behind him Rin hummed softly as she playfully skipped ahead of the dragon dangling the reigns loosely from her grasp. She let a sudden burst of laughter as though she were extremely pleased with herself.
Inuyasha glanced back and rolled his eyes when he saw the girl now hopping on one foot, then the other. If he tried to understand his brother's interests, it would only give him a headache.
"I'll drop these two off with Kaede and see if she can tell me what's wrong with the well," he told himself, feeling a bit better to be doing something, even if it was something so trivial.
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Mrs. Higurashi hurried upstairs to her room to dress for their trip to the hospital. Her hands were shaking and she felt sick to her stomach as she thought of her daughter bleeding and unconscious in the arms of a very terrifying demon. He may have been Inuyasha's brother, but they were nothing alike.
On occasion she had heard Kagome talking about this Sesshomaru trying to kill Inuyasha over a stupid sword. He seemed the type to do it, too. His face remained so detached and uncaring, while his eyes passively observed everything around him as though he were systematically analyzing it for weakness or threat.
Inuyasha may have been loud and a little uncouth, but the gruff exterior seemed to be only a defense built up over a hard lifetime. He rarely thought before acting, but he was so full of passion and life. Even when he and Kagome argued, she could see how much he cared for her daughter.
Mrs. Higurashi sighed as she picked up a baseball cap that Inuyasha often used for going out into the city.
"He's got those adorable ears, too. This Sesshomaru doesn't seem to have them, though. And he doesn't seem the type that would wear the hat," she said to herself. She wished desperately that he would at least change clothes. With that armor and fur, his appearance was even more outlandish than Inuyasha's even with the dog ears.
Fighting back her fear, Mrs. Higurashi made her way downstairs as she wracked her brain for the least conspicuous way to get to the hospital. The subway was out. There was no way he would tolerate the smells, the noise and the crowds of people that packed into the trains at this time of day.
"Grandpa, dear. Will you wait here for Sota? Kagome came back from the feudal era injured and I'm taking her to the hospital," she called out as she moved into the room where her father sat arguing with his newspaper.
"She can't really be hurt!" he cried out angrily and shook the paper at her. "I've just come up with a really good illness to tell the school."
Mrs. Higurashi shook her head and chided him, "Grampa, you shouldn't keep making up those crazy diseases. I think the kids at school give her a hard time because of them. Besides, she's pretty badly injured."
That seemed to draw his attention from the paper and he sprang to his feet in alarm. "What? Kagome's hurt! Then I'll go with you. I won't let anything happen to my only granddaughter."
"No, Grampa. I'll need you to stay here and wait for Sota," Mrs. Higurashi repeated. "Now I've called an ambulance and I've got to go. I'll call you from the hospital later."
Before the old man could protest, Kagome's mother fled back into the living room. It was empty. Frightened, she raced to the window and looked out. Sesshomaru stood at the entrance to the shrine gazing out over the city. Relief made her knees feel weak and her body go limp. Gradually her heart began to relax. Glancing at the phone beside her, she got an idea.
"Hello, yes, I need a cab to come to the Higurashi shrine. Yes, right away. My daughter is injured and I need to get to the hospital. Oh, thank you so much," she said into the phone then made her way outside.
The tall demon still stood there. He had not moved. His hair was long, brushing the backs of his knees, and the exact same color as Inuyasha's. That long fur draped over his shoulder waved in and out among the silver strands of hair that danced in the stiff breeze. He made a very impressive and hauntingly beautiful image standing there, but he also stuck out like a sore thumb.
He looks as though he'd be better suited for a limo than a taxi, she thought as she studied him.
"Woman, what are those stones?" he asked in a voice so smooth and quiet it startled her. How had he known she was there?
"I can smell you standing there, wench, so do not think you can fool me." His answer to her silence was a little more forceful.
I guess that answers my question, she thought ruefully, but answered him. "Sorry, Sesshomaru. You startled me. Are you referring to the tall, square things?"
The back of his silver head dipped once. Mrs. Higurashi assumed that meant yes. "Those are buildings. Stores, businesses, offices and apartments. The hospital is in a building like one of those."
"I see, yet there is no demonic aura in this area other than my own. Could this mean humans constructed these?" Sesshomaru said thoughtfully.
Mrs. Higurashi was not sure if that had been directed at her or if he was simply thinking aloud. She decided to answer him anyway. "Yes, humans made everything around here. This is Tokyo, a human city. There aren't any demons in our time. That's why Inuyasha has to disguise his appearance when he comes here. I can't get him to remove the fire rat, but he does wear a hat over his ears."
"Yes, unsightly mutt," she heard him say. "Interesting. What do you mean by 'your time'?"
Mrs. Higurashi stiffened. He hadn't known he had passed through time? How could she answer? Fortunately, she did not have to. The demon suddenly announced in a still voice, "Something approaches."
Sure enough, a few moments later, an ambulance raced up to the base of the steps of the shrine. Mrs. Higurashi watched the demon fearfully, expecting him to draw his sword and begin wildly attacking what he likely saw as a demon, just as Inuyasha would have done, asking questions after. Sesshomaru's golden eyes surveyed the vehicle again seeming to instantly calculate vulnerability and strength. He did not seem alarmed like Inuyasha was by so many things from this era, merely curious.
Inuyasha always overreacts because he used to being threatened and attacked and having to fight for his life, Mrs. Higurashi thought to herself. As a full demon there must not be much around that could threaten Sesshomaru's life.
"There are humans within that creature. It has devoured people, and yet I sense no demonic aura. You do not fear it either. Are these beasts trained then?" Sesshomaru said finally, but did not wait for her response. He became a white blur, reappearing beside the door of the ambulance.
Even from where she stood at the top of the steps, she could see the paramedic jump when Sesshomaru's face appeared outside his window. He threw open the door and composed himself before asking, "Is this the girl who is injured? Can you explain what happened?"
Sesshomaru gave the man a studious glance, then turned his attention back to the vehicle shifting Kagome in his arm so he could lean forward and examine the interior without disturbing her.
Mrs. Higurashi, out of breath, came running up to them and said, "I'm sorry, he's just concerned about my daughter. She's got cuts on her stomach and back and has lost a lot of blood. I think she was attacked. We found her like this."
The paramedic eyed the demon and the unconscious Kagome as though not completely convinced. Sesshomaru watched the other medic move around to the back and followed him. He seemed very interested in the fact that the doors in back opened up and revealed the open area.
"This thing is not alive. It has no heartbeat, nor blood, and it's insides are hollowed out. What manner of sorcery have you placed upon this object, for it allows you to access it freely, yet it reeks of death and human blood?"
The paramedics quickly reached out to take Kagome from his arm and looked at him as if they suspected he might have been a few colors short of a rainbow. The demon was about to pull her away, but Mrs. Higurashi spoke up suddenly. "Please, Sesshomaru, they have to take her in that ambulance. It has the supplies they need to take care of her until we get to the hospital. They help lots of wounded and dying people by taking them to the hospital."
The demon did not look pleased, but allowed the medics to take her. One of the men strapped her onto a stretcher and loaded her inside. He stayed with her quickly cutting back her shirt to inspect the wound on her belly. The other medic looked at the blood on Sesshomaru's kimono and asked, "Are you hurt too?"
"Ridiculous. This is the wench's blood not mine," Sesshomaru answered.
Mrs. Higurashi kept an eye on him while he watched the work on Kagome.
"Does she have any allergies or anything? Do you know anything about what she was attacked with? How long has she been unconscious?" the other medic questioned, though he also kept a rather annoyed eye on the demon as well.
"No, no allergies, and I don't know who attacked or what happened. She's been unconscious since I called."
The medic nodded and started to swing the door shut, but it stopped halfway and refused to budge. He and Mrs. Higurashi both looked up to see a slightly blood-stained hand holding it open.
"I will accompany her," Sesshomaru announced. Mrs. Higurashi sighed, nearly in tears. Kagome was going to die because of his stubbornness.
"No, you will not," the man told him angrily. "We are not allowed to have anyone other than the patient riding in the back. You can see her once we get to the hospital."
That time some emotion finally slipped onto the demon's features, anger. Mrs. Higurashi nearly fainted for joy when the taxi finally pulled up behind the ambulance.
"We'll follow the ambulance in that, Sesshomaru," she told him in a pleading voice. "It'll be right behind and you can keep an eye on the ambulance the whole time. It won't smell so bad either."
He looked back at the paramedic who was now trying to close the door with his whole body. Without a word he removed his hand, though Mrs. Higurashi could have swore she caught a smirk curl his lips when the paramedic fell, ending up in a surprised heap on the ground.
He followed Mrs. Higurashi to the taxi allowing her to open the door. Irritation flushed her cheeks when she saw a smartly dressed businessman speaking urgently on a cellular phone. The man beckoned for her to enter sliding over to make room for her without even hesitating in his conversation. She stepped back to explain to Sesshomaru, but to her surprise the demon had already slipped inside settling himself as far from the man as he could sit while still allowing room for her.
Nervous, but trying to hide it, Mrs. Higurashi slid in next to him. The businessman did not seem very thrilled about the demon's presence either. As he sat down, the demon lord had to toss his long, white mane over his shoulder which consequently spilled onto the man's lap. His fur was also a problem as it draped over Sesshomaru's lap and tickled Mrs. Higurashi's bare calves. The phone conversation faltered a bit as the man tried to remove the unwanted hair and caught sight of the two, long swords that rested across the demon lord's knees. Sesshomaru lifted his hand to his nose and stared fiercely at the windshield ignoring the others.
"Please, driver, can you follow right behind that ambulance? My daughter is in there," Mrs. Higurashi asked, her voice choking over the tears that started to spill out again as she thought of her daughter.
"Of course, ma'am," the driver replied kindly as he pulled onto the road in the ambulance's wake. "My boss told me the situation when he sent me over here and this gentleman said he was in no hurry so we could take you first. You just calm down, now. I'm sure she'll be fine."
"Yeah, that sounds fine. Until Wednesday, then," the businessman spoke into his phone then snapped it shut.
He shifted so he could be further away from Sesshomaru, yet size him up at the same time. His gaze moved over the fine kimono and armor, to the fur, moving steadily over the demon's red markings and the blue crescent on his brow.
Apparently fascinated and not at all shy, the man hit Sesshomaru's shoulder in a friendly manner and asked, "Why are you in all that old-fashioned clothing? You going to a party, or are you an actor or something?"
Mrs. Higurashi sniffed and silently prayed that the man would survive this ride. To her relief, Sesshomaru merely glanced down at the man over his hand, then returned his focus to the ambulance that continued to move ahead.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man apologized mistaking the reason for Sesshomaru's silence. "You must be really close to her daughter. Don't worry, she'll be fine. Tokyo boasts some of the finest doctors in the world."
At that moment the man's phone began to ring in some obnoxious tune he'd obviously taken great care to download. Sesshomaru started, and the man reached for his phone only to find it was in Sesshomaru's clawed hand while he stared at it.
"Um," the man muttered, taken aback by Sesshomaru's brazen action.
Slipping a claw in the joint of one side he managed to open it. His eyes widened when he saw the color screen and a picture of a mostly naked woman coyly hiding her most intimate parts with her hands. Mrs. Higurashi shot the man a stern look. He blushed, but did not have the nerve to simply take it from the demon's hand.
Sesshomaru held it out in front of himself and commanded sternly, "Speak."
A loud female voice began to fill the taxi. "You bet I will, you no-good son-of-a- ooooh! How dare you tell that bitch that you- " the voice abruptly cut off as the man, emboldened by embarrassment, quickly snapped the phone shut again and took it back from the demon.
His face was red and he stammered, "Um, pr-probably a wrong number."
"Here, look at mine," Mrs. Higurashi quickly interjected. She held up a small flip-phone very similar to the one the man had. "That's my cellular phone that I use to keep up with Sota and Kagome and Grampa when we're not together."
She hoped that told the demon enough so he would not ask any questions in front of their other passenger.
"I see," he said, and repeated the same action he had with the other phone. The picture inside was one of Kagome and Sota. This apparently shocked the demon because he hurriedly looked up at the ambulance through the windshield then back at the picture. Mrs. Higurashi stifled a giggle, but the demon's sharp ears caught it and he glanced at her sharply.
"It is merely an illusion spell," he reasoned aloud, then handed the phone back to her. "The strange box uses similar illusions, does it not?"
"Um, sort of," Mrs. Higurashi replied, working with the assumption that the "strange box" meant the television.
They sat without speaking for a while. The engine hummed steadily and the music of some older rock band droned from the driver's radio, creating a soothing white noise as Mrs. Higurashi tried not to think of how Sesshomaru might react at the hospital. She glanced over at him as he stared ahead at the ambulance. If he had not been a demon, she would have thought he looked worried.
What was he thinking? Why had he come, and why did he seem so intent on helping her daughter since things obviously had not changed between the brothers judging by Kagome's reaction for the brief moment when she had regained consciousness? And what was this debt he spoke of?
Mrs. Higurashi's thoughts were ruptured by what looked like a sudden flash of light from Sesshomaru's claws. It snaked out and retracted back to his fingers so quickly that she thought she had imagined it. She thought that until the driver's radio hissed and spat sparks before dying into silence. A brief look of relief slid over the demon's stoic features as he settled back in the seat.
"Damn, this was a new radio, too!" the driver exclaimed. He patted it mournfully and muttered, "Since they just replaced it, there's no way I'll get a new one any time soon."
To his passengers he apologized, "Sorry folks, but the radio's busted. It's only about another five minutes till we get to the hospital, though."
An awkward silence answered him. Apparently five minutes was still too long for the uneasy passengers, radio or not. None of them was more relieved than Mrs. Higurashi as she spilled out onto the hospital walkway like a boneless bundle of nerves. She paid the driver then turned to speak with Sesshomaru, but found he had disappeared.
He's worse than a little child! she thought as she tried to locate the demon.
A moment later she heard the paramedics from the ambulance protesting loudly and ran toward the disturbance. Sure enough, a very calm, stately Sesshomaru ignored the men as he inspected the fresh bandages that had been placed on Kagome's wounds.
"Sir, you need to back up and let us do our job," one of the men said so loudly she knew it was not the first warning.
'Why does he have to be so fast?' she thought as she tried to intervene before the paramedics realized what a danger they were in. "Sesshomaru! We'll go inside. They'll bring her in on that stretcher and soon a doctor will see her. It is the way things are done around here."
He gazed at her for a moment then nodded his head. She smiled her gratitude and asked the paramedic, "Which way do we go?"
He indicated a large set of glass doors with his finger and said, "Go ahead and use the emergency entrance. We'll follow you, then it's up to the hospital. We've cleaned the wounds and it doesn't appear they were deep enough to hurt anything vital."
Mrs. Higurashi bowed and said, "Thank you."
Just then a loud crash drew everyone's attention. Sesshomaru stood regally where one of the doors used to be surrounded by a sparkling arc of broken glass. His claws ran through the fur on his shoulder as though he were bored and slightly disappointed by the glass' easy destruction. Mrs. Higurashi as well as several nurses from inside came running toward him. Moving carefully she skirted the fragments of glass and caught the demon's eye.
"How pitiful," he said to her. Glass crunched beneath his black shoes as he walked over to her. "They have the ability to enchant objects for travel and construct massive 'buildings', yet that is the best barrier they can create?"
"That was a door, not a barrier!" Mrs. Higurashi exclaimed too horrified by his actions to worry about disrespect.
"Sir, are you okay?" a nurse cried out as she ran up to him. Her hands reached up with a rag to dab the dark red stripes on his cheeks and she said, "You've been cut. Let me-"
Sesshomaru's claws curled around her wrist, stopping it just before she could touch his face. "Keep your hands from my person. Such a pathetic barrier could not harm me."
He released her so quickly that the woman fell back a few steps. The nurse glanced at Mrs. Higurashi and said, "He must have hit his head pretty hard. He walked right through that door. On purpose. Is he with you?"
"Um, he's with me, but don't worry. Those marks are just tattoos," Mrs. Higurashi tried to explain lightly. A strained laugh was all she could manage. "He's filming a movie and is one of those method actors who tries to stay in character all the time. Ignore anything too strange that he does."
Mrs. Higurashi and Sesshomaru were led into the small room where Kagome was left to await a doctor. Once the door closed and they were left in relative peace, Mrs. Higurashi felt her strength ebb, like the tide shrinking from the shore. Tears flowed once again and she knelt beside her daughter's head stroking her hair. She muttered fervent prayers that the door incident was not a portend of what was to come. Hopefully, the worst was over and behind them. Yet even in her grief, she was not foolish enough to believe that.
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"Kaede, you old hag, where are you?" Inuyasha shouted as he approached the old priestess' hut.
From inside, her voice answered, "Must ye always treat an old woman thus? If ye miss the child so much, ye should go with Kagome to her time and stop your barking at me."
"I just saved your village from a horde of greedy little insect demons, so you ought to be grateful that I hang around. Besides, I've got a patient for you," Inuyasha retorted as he entered her hut and dropped Jaken in an unceremonious heap in the corner.
Rin crowded against Inuyasha's fire rat as she nervously peeked around him to look at Kaede. The old priestess glanced at the injured toad and then over at the girl.
"And just who might ye be?" she asked Rin kindly.
"My name is Rin. Please, lady, will you help Master Jaken. He was injured trying to protect me while my lord is away. Inuyasha-sama saved us both," Rin responded. She overcame her nerves and bowed low to the old woman.
Kaede smiled at the child, then moved over to look at Jaken. "I think this demon will be just fine. He'll simply need some time to rest and let his body heal. But what about you, Rin? Are you well? How long has your lord left you with this demon?"
Inuyasha hmphed loudly, and folded his hands into his sleeves. Kaede tried not to sigh at his childish behavior as she waited for him to say what was on his mind.
"She's hungry. That bastard left her about an hour ago, and who knows how long it has been since he fed her," Inuyasha finally spat.
Kaede ignored his last comment and asked, "Rin, are you hungry?"
The little girl looked at her toes, not saying anything, but her treacherous stomach growled again. Kaede glared up at the hanyou knowing that somehow he was responsible for the child's shyness.
"I'll be fine until my lord comes to get me. I would not want anyone to think that Lord Sesshomaru cannot not provide for me, because he really does," Rin admitted almost in tears.
Kaede gasped and asked, "Did ye say, Sesshomaru? The demon brother to Inuyasha?"
Rin nodded and Kaede remarked, "Ah, now I see why ye are so upset, Inuyasha."
"That ain't the half of it, old woman, but you ought to get the pup something to eat first, and we'll talk outside," Inuyasha snapped before abruptly turning and exiting. The faint scratching noise overhead, told them he had settled onto the roof to wait.
Soon Rin was eating quietly inside while Kaede joined a very angry hanyou who still sat on the roof of her hut staring sullenly in the direction of Kagome's well. Stirring slightly at the old priestess' presence, Inuyasha quietly leapt down and led her a short distance into the village.
Kaede found herself rather disturbed by this more serious anger. She knew it had to be more than just a quarrel with Kagome or his brother. With an almost inhuman patience, Kaede remained silent until Inuyasha finally began to explain what had happened. She then said nothing until he had finished his tale.
"I do not know what has happened with the well, but if ye would like to hear my hunch, I will tell ye," Kaede responded.
"Feh, why else would I have told you all this?" Inuyasha retorted. His ears were pressed back against his head as a sign of his irritation.
"Ye say Kagome was badly injured when she passed through the well," Kaede continued as though she had not heard his rude reply. "It is my belief that your brother, for whatever reason he may have, was sincere in his intent to bring her back, and the well sensed this in him as well as Kagome's need and allowed him to pass through. It might help that he is also a blood relative of yours. But I suspect a link to Kagome would be more important."
"If all that's true, then how come I couldn't get through? I was much more sincere than that baka and I'm a lot closer to Kagome," Inuyasha fumed.
"Quit your barking, impatient dog," Kaede chided. "And let me finish. Ye may care for Kagome, but the well must only allow one other to pass and, with Sesshomaru already in Kagome's time, that position is filled. Ye probably won't be able to pass through until he returns."
"Kagome could be dying!" Inuyasha cried out. He jumped into a squatting position on the top rung of the fence, and put his face into Kaede's. "So what the hell am I supposed to do?"
"First, do not yell in an old woman's face," she scolded. "Second, you'll have to trust your brother to do as he said. The third thing you should see to is sitting back there in my hut separated from her beloved guardian and protector who very likely had no idea what he was getting into when he leapt into that well. You are the only one who knows what Kagome's world is like, so you can sympathize most with what your brother must be going through right now."
"Sympathize with that bastard?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Not likely."
He sat thinking for a while after Kaede returned to check on Rin and Jaken. Kagome's world could be a rather intimidating place with all those awful, nauseating smells and strange devices. Sesshomaru was probably fighting hard to keep his last meal down, if he hadn't lost it already because of his sensitive nose. Inuyasha could just imagine what an ass his big brother would make of himself in the modern world.
For the first time, the thought of Sesshomaru being in Kagome's time actually put a smile on his face.