Author's Note: Kudos to all my reviewers!
Unwary Hanyou: (raises eyebrow, whispers.) Sit. Ah, don't worry, I'm not mad! I'm just glad you're reading. (It sounded like you'd want to see if I sat you or not.)
Umi5: I'll try not to.
Sioned: A plushie Fluffy? Aw, Kawaii! Of course Fluffy's in this fic! Have you not been reading?
Chapter 5
Sesshomaru had been silent since his brother's friends had visited him, and Jaken knew better than to bother him. Rin, however, felt no such compunctions and rattled off question after question. Jaken told her more than once to be quiet, but Sesshomaru intervened and told his little henchman to leave her alone.
"But she is bothering you with questions, my lord," Jaken said, sounding a little hurt.
"I will let you know if I am bothered, Jaken," Sesshomaru said icily. "She asks questions because she wishes to know things. That is all."
Jaken looked somewhat surprised at his lord's sudden understanding of human psychology, but he decided not to mention it. He had changed somewhat since his kidnapping, and he didn't like to be reminded of that at all.
"So where are we going?" Rin asked for the third or fourth time. "Is it far?"
"Only a few days' travel from here," Sesshomaru said, deciding to explain. "Not very far."
Rin looked up at his face. "It sounds far, Lord Sesshomaru."
"It won't be," Sesshomaru assured her. "If you're tired at any time, we'll rest."
Rin nodded. "Do you know who it was that took Inuyasha?"
Sesshomaru looked at her. "I have an idea. It's impossible, but it's an idea. I'd rather not say what it is until I see if it's true or not."
Rin nodded again. "You don't think it's that Kagura lady, do you?" she asked. "After all, she stole me. She could have stolen Inuyasha."
"I do not think that it was Kagura." Sesshomaru stopped, picked Rin up, and began to carry her. She looked a little tired. He was not going to admit to himself, however, that mention of her being stolen made him. . .what was the name for the emotion? Surely not frightened. Worried? Was it worried? He thought a little longer and decided that yes, he was a bit worried at that memory. He never wanted to go through something like that again.
"If not Kagura, my lord, then whom?" Jaken asked, even more confused than Rin and unable to keep himself from asking.
Sesshomaru ignored him and walked on, leaving him to follow and to bring Ah and Un.
He was going to keep his own counsel on this matter.
Space
Sesshomaru stood on the hillside, staring down at the place in shock. It was just as he remembered it; the way it had been before the battle. There was not a stone or stick out of place, and the gardens looked just as he remembered. It was the house he had grown up in, come to life again. He couldn't believe it.
"My lord. . ." Jaken said, shocked. "Isn't that. . . Isn't that your father's house? But it was destroyed! Where has it come from?"
"I do not know, Jaken," he said quietly. "I saw the place burn with my own eyes, but there it is, looking as if nothing has ever happened to it."
"Your father's house?" Rin said, pausing in trying to get Ah and Un to nibble on a flower. She looked down at it and smiled. "It's a pretty house. Are we going down there? Are you going to go and see him, milord? I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."
Sesshomaru didn't answer, but he did begin down the hill towards the house. Rin followed, and Jaken rushed after them, grabbing the reins of Ah and Un, muttering about how the girl was happy to make a pet of milord's steed, but how she never took responsibility for it. He followed them both, wondering how his lord's honored sire's home had reappeared.
None of them said anything as they approached the front gate. Sesshomaru was the first to notice something wrong when his head suddenly felt heavy. It happened too quickly for him to warn the others, but he felt himself falling and in moments, he was stretched on the ground asleep.
Rin stared in horror as first Sesshomaru and then Jaken fell over asleep, and Ah and Un disappeared. "Lord Sesshomaru? Master Jaken? What's the matter?" She ran to first Sesshomaru, then Jaken, and shook them, trying to wake them up. "Why have you fallen asleep? Please wake up!"
She jumped up as Sesshomaru seemed to be lifted from the ground by invisible hands and carried towards the gate. Jaken followed a moment later, and Rin, not sure what else to do, followed them both.
Space
Miroku was sitting up late, watching over the camp. After solemnly swearing to be honorable, the girls took his word for it and went to bed, trusting him during his watch. In order to be doubly safe, however, Sango had asked Kirara to sleep by her and warn her if Miroku even twitched. Kirara, knowing what Miroku was like, had agreed.
Miroku was just beginning to nod off, thinking about waking someone else to take over the watch when Kirara jumped to her feet and growled.
"What's the matter, Kirara?" Miroku asked, rushing over to her where she was sitting on top of Sango's stomach.
Smack!
"Ouch! What did you do that for?" he demanded as Sango sat up and glared at him.
"Because you were about to do something lecherous!" she snarled. "Kirara wouldn't have growled otherwise!"
"She growled, and I came over to see what she was growling about!" Miroku shot back, a little tired of being smacked.
"What's going on?" Kagome asked sleepily, sitting up in her sleeping bag. Shippo rolled off of her shoulder and slid down the material of the sleeping bag and into her lap.
"He was being lecherous!" Sango said, pointing at Miroku.
"She was being shrewish!" Miroku snapped, pointing at Sango.
"You guys…" Shippo started, still half-asleep, but he came awake all at once and started sniffing.
"What's wrong, Shippo?" Miroku asked, Sango forgotten. Kirara growled again.
"I smell that smell," the little kitsune answered. "It's really close."
"What smell? The smell that took Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded.
"That's the one," Shippo assured her. "I'm certain of it."
Kagome was about to get out of her sleeping bag when something rushed at her, scooping her from the ground and taking off into the sky with her. Whatever it was, it was big, and she was being carried in its teeth by her sleeping bag! She started screaming; far too scared to think.
"Aaaaah, Kagome!" Shippo croaked as he wiggled back into the sleeping bag. He'd been picked up as well, and his little face was ashen. She stopped screaming; feeling a more urgent need to calm down the scared little kitsune.
"It's all right," Kagome gasped, trying to reassure him. She was so glad that the zipper on this bag was a strong one! "It's okay!"
"How?" Shippo almost wailed. "He's really big!"
He has a point, Kagome thought, trying to get a look at what was carrying them. This has to be a demon. What does it want with us?
"Shippo," she said, holding onto the edge of her bag. "Is this the source of the smell?"
Shippo poked his head out of the bag, still with his eyes squeezed shut, but he sniffed. "That's it," he told her, ducking back down. "What do you think it wants?"
"I'm sure it's taking us to see Inuyasha," she said, trying to reassure him again. He was shaking pretty badly.
"You're just saying that to make me feel better!" he accused, and he held onto her shirt with all of his little kitsune might.
Kagome didn't answer, but she did give him a hug with one arm. The other hand was holding onto the sleeping bag.
Space
It was nearing dawn when the demon finally stopped and set them gently on the ground. Shippo finally opened his eyes and wiggled out of the bag onto the nonmoving(!) hillside. Once there, he grabbed hold of the grass and held on as if he would never let go.
Kagome unzipped her bag and shakily got to her feet, hoping against hope that she would never have to do anything so horrifying again. She was amazed she wasn't a gibbering idiot after that ride.
Shippo let go his stranglehold on the grass and stood up, only to transfer his fingers to one of her socks. "Where are we, Kagome? Where's the demon?"
"Right here," they heard, and when they turned around, they saw, not a large demon, but a man with silver hair and golden eyes. "I'm sorry to have not explained earlier, my lady, but I did want to surprise him. This place is my castle," he said, pointing to it and taking Kagome's arm. "There you'll be able to refresh yourself and make yourself at home."
"Ahh…" Kagome croaked, not quite able to get the words out. "What do you mean?"
Shippo was having no trouble. "Why did you bring us here?" he demanded. "You'd better tell!"
The man turned and spotted him. "Oh, forgive me. I didn't see you, youngster. Where did you come from?"
"He was with me in my sleeping bag," Kagome said, pointing to it. "You picked us both up."
"Did I? Well, that's all to the better." He surprised them both by rolling the bag up and handing Kagome her shoes, which had been tied to the bag's drawstring. She did that at night so she wouldn't lose one, but she'd forgotten about them. He tossed the bag over his shoulder and took Kagome by the arm again as Shippo climbed up onto her shoulder. Without anyone else around, it would be his duty to protect her.
"Why did you bring us here?" Shippo demanded again.
"I brought you here for my son," the demon said, beginning to lead them down the hill. "He wanted to see you."
Kagome stared at him, but followed along dumbly. She had no idea where they were or how to get back to the others. Hopefully Sango and Miroku weren't far behind.
The castle was even more fabulous up close. There were at least four floors, and it spread out everywhere. There were balconies and covered walkways, water gardens and little flower gardens here and there. The place looked like something out of a fairy tale.
The demon led them inside and down a hallway, up some stairs, across an outside walkway, down some more stairs, and into a set of rooms. A bath was waiting for them, but for once, Kagome wasn't in the mood for one. Shippo offered to stand guard while she took a quick wash, and it had to be the fastest scrub she'd ever taken. Shippo took his turn, and they poked their heads out into the hallway where their host was waiting.
He seemed like an affable older man as he led them down the hall and into another room, and this place had a definite lived-in feel. It looked like someone had been reading on the bed, but the bed was empty and the book was set aside. The room was vacant. The demon stared at the empty bed and began to rush around the group of rooms, looking for someone.
Space
Inuyasha woke up sometime around sunrise. Not wanting to sleep any longer, he gingerly got out of bed and made his way into the garden, walking through the early-morning mist that had lingered there. He walked about a bit before giving in to his shaking legs and going to his couch and stretching out on it. The waterfall lulled him back to sleep, and he woke up when he heard "Son, where are you? Son! Son!"
He's getting scared, Inuyasha realized, so he called back, "I'm out here!"
Inutaisho opened the garden door and stared at him, then he smiled. "Here he is," he said, standing aside to let someone pass him. "He's out here in the garden."
Someone came to stand in the doorway, and Inuyasha found himself staring at her.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked, and she almost flew to his side, throwing her arms around his neck. In reflex, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.
Inuyasha stared at his father, wanting an explanation.
"You seemed to be lonely," Inutaisho explained, coming out to stand beside the couch. "So I went to get her for you. You seemed to miss her the most."
Shippo suddenly appeared on Kagome's shoulder, looking happy to see Inuyasha. "You're all right!" the little kitsune gushed, jumping onto the top of Inuyasha's head and trying to hug him from there.
"Of course I'm all right!" Inuyasha snapped. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know!" Kagome wailed suddenly, beginning to cry. "You disappeared, and Shippo smelled a strange demon, and …" she dissolved completely in tears, crying too hard to talk.
"Kagome, it's all right," Inuyasha said, trying to calm her. "He's been taking care of me."
"Who is he?" she demanded, sobbing into his chest. "He grabbed us both and flew with us all the way here!"
"He's my father," Inuyasha said, once she had calmed down some.
Shippo said "Huh?" and Kagome just stared at him. Inutaisho thought it was a good time to make himself scarce.
"I'll just go and get all us of something to eat, shall I?"
