I don't own these characters.
17: Searching
Midoriko was not sure what she was doing, but she was doing it with a purpose. She marched into County lockup and went right to his cell. The smug bastard was on the bed, legs kicked up like he was on a lounge, with a smirk on his face.
"All right, you hanyou scum, where is my sister?" Midoriko demanded, glaring at him like the piece of garbage she was certain he was. She was worried about her sister and when she found out that Naraku was in jail, all she could think was that something happened to Kikyo. She tried calling her sister's cell only to find out the number was no longer available. She checked all of Kikyo's haunts to find out she had not been to any of them in weeks. The folks at the demon art museum remembered her fondly and were baffled over her absence in the past few weeks.
Midoriko did not know what to think. She probably should have expressed her concern to Kaede, but she did not want her little sister fret over all of this. Kaede could have at least told Midoriko that Kikyo was fine because she knew where Kikyo worked.
Instead, Midoriko went to the one person she was certain knew where her sister was, namely Naraku. He was easy to find considering the fact that he had gotten arrested Friday afternoon. He was stuck there until Monday when his bail would be set.
"It is nice to see you, Midoriko," Naraku said with mock pleasantness.
"Spare me. Where's my sister?" she demanded, her fingers itched to destroy him, certain he did something to Kikyo. Her anxiety had been amplified ten fold when she found out one of the charges Naraku was held on was suspicion of murder. The charge was from a few years ago when he supposedly stole the identity of a man whose body they recently found in the mountains. He had drained the dead man's bank account and liquidated most of his property. She did not want to know anything more about the crimes he might have committed. She just wanted to know where the hell her little sister was, wanted to make sure her sister was not added to his long list of crimes.
"What makes you think I know?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"Don't mess with me, insect. If anything has happened to my sister—"
With a snort, he cut her off and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "I know. Something along the lines of I'll be reduced to a pile of ashes blowing in the wind. You do that and you'll never find Kikyo."
"Where is she?" Midoriko snarled. If she lost her sister to this scum, she would never forgive herself. She was supposed to protect Kikyo and she had abandoned her at a critical time. How could she leave her sister in the hands of this monster?
"To be quite truthful, I haven't a clue. Have you tried the dog demon she enjoys bending over backwards for? Perhaps he has her. She could be assuming her position as his bitch at this very moment," the half-demon commented with a shrug. Of course, he knew that was very unlikely. He suspected Kikyo was out there somewhere, clawing at the walls to forget she was starving. The idea warmed him.
Midoriko was silent. She considered he might be trying to get information from her by acting like he knew something about her sister's affair. One false move and she could confirm his suspicions and put her sister in mortal danger. Danger she was sure Kikyo was in regardless if he did know about her affair or not.
"Don't be so quiet now, Midoriko. I do know what she does with that flea-bitten mongrel. I know everything she does. I know her every move even now," the half-breed stated.
"Then tell me where she is."
"Like I said, the mutt she bends over backwards for might know. Have you asked him about her? She might be lying underneath him as we speak… or worse," he commented.
"I hope they fry you," she said. While the murder charge against him was the worst of the charges, his list of indictments was the longest she had ever seen. Street crime, white collar crime, and everything in between. If it had to do with money and violence, he was somehow involved in it.
"When they set bail, it will be posted. If you see Kikyo before then, tell my dearest I'm coming to get her soon," he informed her with a smirk.
"They will not set bail for you," she stated. He was involved in a murder, after all.
He chuckled. "Oh, they will. After all, I am only a person of interest in the most serious one. Not an actual suspect and they have no proof I did anything. I will make bail and these charges will go away, as they always do. So, please, tell my dearest we will be together again and then we will never part after." His eyes sparkled with evil and promise. He grinned, showing his teeth, like a crocodile.
Midoriko did not like the sound of that, nor did she like the look on his face. Her stomach twisted and turned to the point she feared she might vomit in front of him. She had to find her younger sister soon and make sure she was safe. She exited the jail and got on her phone. She sent a text message to Kaede that read, "What's Rin's number?"
-8-8-8-8-
Kaede was with Kikyo at the time her phone went off, sitting in the pizza shop not too far from where Kikyo crossed children on school days. Kaede did not check it right away after she saw it was a text message. She went back to telling Kikyo about a stunt Kohaku had pulled off a few days ago in the park.
"Sounds difficult," Kikyo commented with a small smile as Kaede finished up the story.
"It is. Me and Rin tried after him. We landed right on our backs. It hurt a lot," Kaede reported with a laugh.
"I'm sure it did."
"I got a gnarly gash on my leg, too."
Kikyo arched an eyebrow. "Should I see it?"
Kaede shook her head. "Nah. I cleaned it and put a bandage over it until it scabbed over."
"I see you don't need me to see to your wounds anymore."
A smile settled on Kaede's face. "I'll always need you, Kikyo."
Kikyo smiled back. "I will always need you, too."
Kaede nodded and they were silent for a moment before she asked a question that bothered her a bit. "Hey, Kikyo, did you hear that Naraku got arrested?" She could not understand why Kikyo did not say anything about it. Was it possible her sister did not know? How? They lived together.
Kikyo blinked and leaned back in her chair, trying to play it cool. "No, I didn't hear anything about that." It was surprising, but not really. Naraku had always been involved in shady business, but she was shocked someone finally caught him on it.
"Yeah, it was in the paper today. Midoriko was reading it and then she left the apartment in a rush."
"Did you read it, too?" Kikyo asked.
"Yeah, he's wanted for a lot of stuff according to the paper. Said they had a rush of evidence to tie him to a lot of things, but especially embezzling funds and robbing clients at his job. So, you didn't even know your husband was locked up?" the child inquired, her mouth twisting to the side. What was going with Kikyo to not even know that?
"I'm not looking to keep tabs on him. He is not my husband anymore," Kikyo informed her sister, downplaying the whole thing with a nonchalant wave of her hand.
Kaede's mouth dropped open as her brain tried to wrap itself around this new information. It took her several seconds to get out a basic question. "When did that happen?" She was not sure if it was appropriate to express happiness with such news, but she was damn happy! She was fighting with herself not to grin up a storm or high-five Kikyo. It was about time he got out of her sister's life.
"Quite a while ago," Kikyo replied.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Kaede inquired.
Kikyo tilted her head to the side briefly. "We weren't speaking at the time and now I'd like to forget it happened. I'd like to move on with my life."
"Okay. So, are you gonna marry Sesshomaru now?" Kaede asked with hope in her voice. It would be so cool if they got married. Then she would be related to Rin and that would kick ass. It would also give meaning to Kikyo's affair, maybe help her get over the idea Kikyo had done something so immoral. It could fix everything.
"Not likely." She was still working on not thinking about Sesshomaru and failing miserably. At night, the shadows whispered what could have been and the daylight chased those thoughts and feelings away. But, they returned every quiet night.
Kaede's brow furrowed. "Why not? I thought you loved him."
Kikyo was reluctant to tell her sister what happened. It was not important and she would rather forget about that, too. Besides, she did not want Kaede's opinion of her to somehow sink lower. So, she just let the subject disappear in the breeze.
While they sat in silence, Kaede decided to check her message. She craned an eyebrow when she saw what Midoriko wanted to know. She sent a response, providing the information Midoriko wanted. She supposed it was a slick move of her big sister to send a text because had Midoriko called, Kaede would have been asking all sorts of questions.
"I want you to be okay, Kikyo," Kaede said. It was the truth. Her feelings for her sister remained jumbled, but she needed Kikyo to be fine.
Kikyo put her finger on her drink cup and drew a circle around the rim. "Everything is fine." She dropped her hand as if it weighed too much.
Everything about Kikyo made it seem like her body was heavy, too heavy, especially when she should seem light after getting rid of Naraku. Kaede wished she could believe her sister was fine. Midoriko's weird request did not make her feel better. What the hell was going on with her sisters?
-8-8-8-8-
Midoriko wasted no time using Rin's number. The preteen was stunned to hear from her best friend's big sister, but she was even more shocked to find out what Midoriko wanted from her. The older woman wanted her big brother's number and she knew Midoriko did not mean Inuyasha. Rin did not argue and supplied the number. It was the wisest thing to do for the moment.
Midoriko then called up Rin's brother. She was antsy as it rang a couple of times before he answered. She cut right to the chase.
"Listen, dog, where is my sister?" Midoriko demanded. By the end of the day, if she did not know where Kikyo, someone with demon blood would be dead at her hands.
"And this is?" Sesshomaru inquired in a more deadpan tone than usual.
"Midoriko. Where is my sister?" Her tone was even more deliberate and deadly.
"Ah, you're Kikyo's older sister." He could only wonder why this woman contacted him. It was like he would never be rid of Kikyo. Was it a sign from the universe or a punishment?
"I am. Now, where is she?" she inquired.
"Why would I know, woman?" he countered. He did not want to have anything to do with that female.
"Is she there with you now?" Midoriko inquired, control almost gone, causing a wobble in her voice that sensitive ears picked up on. She never thought there would come a time when she wanted her sister to be with a demon. She needed to know where Kikyo was immediately. Who knew what Naraku might do to her when he made bail and she was not in the mood to find out.
"Of course not," he answered. He could hear the slight panic in the woman's voice. Was his angel in trouble?
"Do you know where she is?" Midoriko demanded, making sure her tone was hard. She did not want to show weakness to any demon.
"I do not. What's wrong?" he asked. He did not want to seem concerned, but he was. How could he not be? His angel's older sister called him for the first time, sounding a bit panicked while looking for her. Something was wrong with his angel.
"I just… I don't know where she is." The woman was close to panicking in her car. She felt like she was going to hyperventilate, finding it hard to breathe. She took a few deep breaths, but it did very little to calm her down. She clutched her steering wheel tightly and used all of her self-control to avoid crying. What if that monster had already done something with Kikyo? What if she was tied up in some basement? What if she was at the bottom of a lake? What if she was chopped up and fed to the poor?
"Well, when was the last time that you saw her?" he inquired. Why was she so panicked over not knowing where Kikyo was? Kikyo was an adult. She was allowed to do her own thing. Was Kikyo in danger?
"Over a month ago."
"Sounds like you saw her about the same time I did," he commented.
Midoriko's eyes went wide. "What? You saw her so long ago? Aren't you two involved?"
"Not since I found out she was also involved with my brother."
"You mean Inuyasha?" Midoriko scoffed. "Could you imagine? She's not involved with him. They're friends if anything at all, but nothing more." Friends might even be a stretch.
Sesshomaru had suspected as much since figuring out the girl in the pictures with Inuyasha that seemed to be taken by a professional was not Kikyo. After meeting Kagome and staring at the pictures, it was almost obvious it was her in the pictures. Still, he told himself that Kikyo had some kind of involvement with Inuyasha as justification for saying the things he had said to his angel, not to mention threatening her life.
"Well, this proved fruitless. If you see her, tell her… tell her to call me," Midoriko pled.
"Wait, why are you looking for her? What's wrong? Is she in danger?" Sesshomaru inquired.
"She might be. I went to see Naraku after I find out about his arrest. I wanted to know if she was all right because I haven't seen her in so long and I had no idea he was slimier than I first assumed. I don't know what to expect from him, but I know his intentions for Kikyo have never been good. He laughed when I asked where she was and it was so dark. He wouldn't tell me… he wouldn't tell me where she was," she explained. She was so close to tears, eyes burning with sorrow and concern.
What if that day Kikyo had pled for her help was their final conversation? What if the last time she saw her sister, touched her sister was the time that she slapped? A sob escaped her throat as she thought of that.
Sesshomaru heard the quiet wail and swallowed a lump in his throat. If her sister was so worked up and anxious, was his angel in serious danger? Naraku was behind bars, so he could not harm Kikyo… unless he was given bail. Oh, great, he sighed mentally. Kikyo might be in danger.
"Where are you right now?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Excuse me?" she countered.
"Your location, tell me. I'll meet you and we can search together. I'm sure my nose will come in handy," he explained. He could not believe he just volunteered his nose out loud to a human he had never met. He must really be worried, he considered.
"You'll help?" she said as if she was shocked.
"I will," he confirmed. He would not give Naraku the satisfaction of ruining Kikyo again. "So, your location?"
Midoriko told him where she was and he stated he would be at her in ten minutes. No more than ten minutes later, Sesshomaru pulled up behind Midoriko's parked car. He exited his vehicle and walked up to hers. He found her slumped over the steering wheel. She was so distressed she did not even notice him.
"Midoriko?" he asked.
She blinked and picked her head up. "Yes?"
Sesshomaru was a bit taken aback, but managed to maintain his usual stoic expression. Kagome was not lying when she said they all looked alike. Midoriko looked just like Kikyo except with a different hairstyle. Their mothers must have had strong genes. It was not something Sesshomaru knew much about, being a good likeness of both parents, physically speaking.
"I'm Sesshomaru," he introduced himself.
"Yes, I recognize you from the photos," she replied as she took in the sight of him.
"Photos?" he echoed. "What photos?"
"Oh, nothing," she said as she realized she had said that out loud. She was not in the mood to explain that one.
"Did Naraku send you photographs, too?" he asked.
She blinked. "Too?"
"A little over a month ago, he sent me some photos of Kikyo with my stupid little brother," he half-explained, wanting to find out more about the pictures sent to Midoriko.
An elegant black eyebrow arched. "Is that why you thought she was involved with Inuyasha?"
Sesshomaru did not answer that question. "Did he send you photos, too?"
"He did," she affirmed.
Sesshomaru scowled and barely managed to hold in a growl. "We might have played right into that fool's filthy hands. Now, we don't know where Kikyo is, he obviously knows about what she's done, and he could be doing anything to her."
He could not believe he allowed that disgusting hanyou to trick him. He should have figured out sooner that the person in those photos was not Kikyo. He should have spoken to her rather than threatened her. Now, she was probably alone, possibly in peril, and could be lost to him forever. Fool, he berated himself.
"You think he tricked us?" Midoriko asked, even though she was certain he had played them. It did not take away from what Kikyo did, but there was something wrong here if Naraku could use it all and toy with them.
"He turned us against her, so now she's unguarded. Who knows what a sick bastard like him might do to her," Sesshomaru replied. Just when he thought he rid the world of Naraku, he might have set Kikyo up to take the brunt of his insanity.
"You're right. We have to find her before he posts bail."
"All right. Let's go check all of her favorite places."
"I've done that already," she informed him. Did he think she had not conducted any sort of search before breaking down to call him? She was not an idiot.
"You didn't do it with my nose around. I might be able to catch her scent somewhere."
"All right, get in," she told him.
"Are you in a proper mental state to drive?" he inquired.
"Yes, get in," she insisted. Now was not the time to question if she could drive! They had to find Kikyo and quickly.
Sesshomaru did not argue and he got into the car on the passenger side. They started their search and hoped they found Kikyo before the day was out. If Naraku made bail, they did not even want to think about what might happen.
"So, I'm guessing you broke things off with my sister," Midoriko commented as they sat at a red light.
He did not bother to look at her. "And that's your business, how?"
"Just trying to understand why my sister would make another horrid decision in life," she replied.
"Horrid? Seeing a demon," he guessed. He knew how humans felt about demons, just like how demons felt about humans. Of course, he felt demons were justified in their beliefs.
"Not only that, but she is married. Sure, he's the scum of the Earth, but she made the decision."
"So, she should continue to suffer it?"
"I see and you relieved that suffering?" Midoriko inquired.
Sesshomaru's jaw tightened. No, he had not relieved that suffering. He had merely added to it by making her into a liar, encouraging her to break her word, and then tossing her aside while calling her a whore and threatening to kill her. He had taken the only thing she had and ripped her apart. How was he any different from Naraku? He was not sure how he managed to not throw up at the realization.
"And you have not wronged your sister, I suppose," the dog demon countered.
Touché, she silently admitted. She had turned Kikyo away when she had come for help. She had even invaded Kikyo's privacy by looking at those pictures and judged Kikyo from them, just as Naraku probably desired. She should not have paid the photos any mind. Kikyo was an adult and allowed to do what she wanted with the man she thought that she loved. The problem was just that at one point in time, she thought she loved Naraku, too. Was she supposed to just stand idly by as she watched her sister make mistake after mistake?
"Fine, neither us is perfect, despite what we wish to think," Midoriko said.
Sesshomaru nodded ever so slightly. His perfection had to be open to question if he had allowed himself to be tricked by Naraku. He had the perfect woman in his grips and he had allowed one set of sketchy photos from the vilest creature who had slithered across his path take the world from him. He doubted he had ever or would ever do something so stupid again. He hoped his stupidity did not cost Kikyo.
-8-8-8-8-
Midoriko sighed as she entered the apartment, feeling weariness scratching at her bone marrow. Her search with Sesshomaru had been fruitless. He could not pick up Kikyo's scent at any of her favorite places, so she had not been to them in at least a week. Midoriko had no idea where she might find her sister or what might have happened to her. What if Naraku had gotten to her already?
"Kaede, are you here?" Midoriko called as she took her coat off.
"Living room," Kaede answered.
Midoriko pulled her shoes off and marched to the living room. There she discovered her little sister in pajamas and eating some leftovers. She flopped down on the sofa next to Kaede.
"Tough day?" the child answered.
"Indeed," the adult replied.
"What did you want Rin's number for?"
"Nothing too important," Midoriko replied. She did not want to alarm her little sister. The girl already had trouble sleeping, so she did not know what might happen to Kaede if she knew their sister might be in danger.
"She called me and told me you asked for her big brother's number," Kaede admitted.
"I did," Midoriko confirmed.
Kaede's brow furrowed. "Why'd you call him? To yell at him?"
"Why would I yell at him?" Midoriko asked.
"Because of what he did with Kikyo."
Midoriko nodded, as that was a good reason, but perhaps he did not do anything to Kikyo. She did not have a horrible feeling about him like she had when she had met Naraku. She did not feel like he would injure her sister like she figured Naraku might do. If he had feelings about Kikyo, they probably were not unholy like Naraku's feelings were. While he was a demon, she could not see Sesshomaru chaining Kikyo in a cellar, which she had always believed Naraku was capable of.
"I didn't yell at him," Midoriko replied.
"Then why did you call him? Tell me, big sister," Kaede implored the eldest, looking up at Midoriko with big eyes.
"It's nothing to worry about."
"Does it have to do with Kikyo? Is it because she got a divorce?" the child inquired.
Midoriko's attention snapped and she looked directly at Kaede. "A divorce? Kaede, how do you know that she got a divorce?"
Kaede yelped and jumped in her seat. She had said that because she thought Midoriko knew. Okay, well, that secret was not a secret anymore. She had to stop assuming her elder sisters knew everything, especially when talking to Midoriko about Kikyo.
"Have you spoken to Kikyo lately, Kaede?" Midoriko demanded, clutching her hands together into tight fists.
"Um…" the child stammered, eyes darting around the room as she tried to think of an answer that was not a lie.
"Kaede, tell me now. It's important." Midoriko stared at Kaede intensely, imploring her for the information.
Kaede nodded. "Yes, yes I have."
Midoriko should have felt relief at that, knowing Kikyo was still alive, but she just felt more starved for information. "When? Where?"
"Today," Kaede answered. She wondered why Midoriko was getting so fanatic over things.
"Today!" Midoriko grabbed onto Kaede's arm and held it in both hands.
"Yes," Kaede confirmed.
"Then she's all right?" Midoriko asked and as soon as her little sister affirmed that, she breathed a sigh of relief, releasing Kaede. Well, at least she knew Kikyo was still breathing. That was good. But, they still needed to find her because who knew how long that might be, especially if Naraku made bail.
"Why? Is something wrong?" Kaede asked, her heart in her throat. Something had to be wrong if Midoriko wanted to know about Kikyo.
Midoriko shook her head. "No, everything is fine. Where did you speak with Kikyo?"
"Near that mini-mall," the preteen answered.
"Which mini-mall?"
"The one over by the number nine train," Kaede replied.
"Does she live over there?" Why would Kikyo be over there?
"No, she works over there. I don't know where she lives."
"Have you asked?" Midoriko asked. They were so close. Maybe Kaede had the information, but did not realize it.
"Yes, but she never answers. She always says something like it's nothing for me to worry about."
Midoriko sighed in despair, her shoulders dropping in defeat. She still did not know where Kikyo was. Wait, but maybe Kaede would meet up with her again.
"Kaede, are you going to see her again?" the eldest inquired.
"Maybe tomorrow. I think she'll wait around for me. She did that today. She misses us so much, big sis," Kaede reported.
"I'm sure she does." Midoriko's stomach twisted. Of course Kikyo missed them and it was her fault. She turned Kikyo away.
"Do you… miss her, too?" the youngest sister asked.
"I do," Midoriko admitted, massaging the area over her heart.
"It's okay. She's not mad or anything. You're not mad, right?"
"No, not anymore."
Midoriko silently admitted to herself that Sesshomaru was not so bad for a demon. He was definitely better than Naraku, not that it took much to be better than the damned half-breed. He also seemed genuinely concerned about her sister, even though he was attempting to control himself while he was with her. She could understand that. He had done a better job than she did at remaining in control. She had nearly broken down into tears when they did not find Kikyo. He had actually been rather supportive of her and assured her they would find Kikyo before Naraku did.
Midoriko decided to call Sesshomaru later that night to let him know Kaede knew where to find Kikyo. He pretended not to care, but he was not pulling it off well in her opinion. She did not call him on it.
"Where?" he said.
"We can go together," she replied.
"Where?" he repeated, his voice insistent now. She suspected he wanted to sniff around for Kikyo, but she did not have an exact address to give him. Kaede had not been able to give her an exact address, just the vague location.
"We can go together. I will call you tomorrow." She disconnected the call before he could object.
-*-(Next day)-*-
Kikyo left the tiny apartment she rented. She was pleased to find out Naraku was having legal problems. She figured he would have his hands tied with that and she would be able to start rebuilding her life. She was already going to go see about a position in a hospital. She was close to smiling at the thought of being able to heal people again. Maybe everything would work out fine despite all that happened, she considered.
Once she finished with hospital business, she decided to go see if Kaede was waiting for her. She made it halfway to her destination before she ran into the last person she wanted to see. It was like she would never be rid of him.
"Naraku," Kikyo pretty much growled the name. He was in front of her, blocking her path.
"Hello, dearest. You don't look happy to see me," Naraku remarked with a smirk.
"I thought you had been arrested," she commented.
"Yes, but I had a bail hearing this morning and posted bond. Great legal system we have in this country," he replied with a chuckle.
"Well, good for you," she said in a clipped tone. "What happened to your arm?" she inquired as if she really cared. She was curious as to who or what caught up with him.
"Nothing too serious," he answered while glancing down at the stump he now sported. Damn that dog and his poisonous claws. He would get Sesshomaru back after he got everything else done.
"That is a shame," she commented before trying to walk by him. He turned to walk with her, though.
"Where do you think you're going?" he inquired.
"To live my life, not that it's any of your business anymore. Or have you forgotten we are no longer married?" she pointed out.
"That's just a legal technicality. You do still belong to me," he replied. He was a bit stunned to find she was still trying to go on. He had been so certain on her own she would crumble, but it did not bother him that he had predicted her mood incorrectly. It just meant there was more of her to break and he enjoyed watching her shatter.
"I belong to no one," she stated.
"You're mine, Kikyo," he growled and then he grabbed her, holding her just above her elbow.
"Let me go," she commanded.
"I will do nothing of the sort," he replied, forcing her into a narrow alleyway they were close to. He was not going to let her think she could order him around and he would let her know she belonged to him. There were no questions about that.
"Release me now," she ordered.
He obliged her that time and shoved her away from him into the wall of the dead-end alley. She grunted upon impact with the bricks, feeling her bones shake and her teeth rattled in her skull. He hoped she was hurt and understood his strength. He could have put her threw that wall if he felt like it.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kikyo demanded, glaring at him with fire in her eyes.
"You're still mine, Kikyo, and you're always going to be mine. You're coming with me," Naraku informed her.
"I'm not going anywhere with you. You shouldn't be going anywhere, anyway. Surely you have a court date you cannot miss," she said.
"You're coming with me."
"I will not go anywhere with you."
"You don't seem to understand you don't have a choice, dearest," he commented with his usual arrogant smirk. He pointed his good arm at her and spikes grew from his limb toward her.
"Naraku, I will not let you harm me," she informed him.
"How fast are your hands, Kikyo? Would you be able to grab me before I impaled you on my fingertips? Do you know how long I've wanted your blood to touch my skin?" he inquired.
Kikyo was not sure if she would be able to stop him, but she cracked her knuckles, anyway. She would not go down without a fight. She would subdue him or die trying.
-8-8-8-8-
"Are you sure this is where you usually meet her?" Midoriko asked Kaede as the two sisters stood on a corner. Sesshomaru was with them.
"Yeah, and she's usually here before me," Kaede answered. She had been stunned to say the least when Sesshomaru joined them. She wanted to know what was going on and why her big sister and Sesshomaru were joining forces to find Kikyo. She had asked several times if Kikyo was in trouble or something like that and they both assured her that it was nothing big.
"She has been here recently," the dog demon confirmed. He could pick up Kikyo's scent around the place underneath all of the other scents covering the area.
"But, where is she now?" Midoriko wondered aloud, scanning the area. There was no sign of Kikyo. She turned to her little sister. "Kaede, are you certain she doesn't have a cell number?"
"Yeah, she said she can't afford the bill at the moment," the child answered.
"Wait, I think I have something," Sesshomaru informed them as he discreetly sniffed the air; he would never blatantly or noticeably smell the air like his brother did when hunting for people. He frowned as he caught whiff of Kikyo's fragrance coming downwind, but it was mixed with a foul air.
"What's wrong?" Midoriko inquired when she noticed him making that face, like the air was tainted.
"I smell Naraku with her," he answered.
"He got to her first?" Midoriko gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.
"What? What happened?" Kaede asked.
"I'll get to her and make sure that fool doesn't harm her," Sesshomaru vowed and he took off in a ball of light.
"Kaede, wait here," Midoriko ordered, charging off after the nobleman. She would follow Sesshomaru's aura until she sensed her sister's spiritual signature.
"What's going on?" Kaede called to the sky as her eldest sister ran off.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: the end. Will they make it to Kikyo in time?