Chapter 5

"And the school didn't call?" Kagura watched Sesshomaru pace the floor, the broken phone in his hand. He just cut his eyes at her, continuing his pacing.

Of course, the school didn't call. It was one less demon for the world to have to worry about. Sesshomaru hadn't even realized Rin had gone missing until he went to pick her up from school and they couldn't locate her. After twenty minutes of searching, they deemed her lost then forced Sesshomaru and InuYasha off of school grounds. They hadn't cared that a child was gone.

Sesshomaru had called Kagura immediately, asking her to watch InuYasha while he searched all of the areas he could think of her going. The yokai park was a broken barren wasteland, but she loved it. Even InuYasha would allow her to play there at times. Her scent had been there, but it was old, stale. She had spent only a few minutes at the park, and then left hours before.

He followed her scent into the city, where he lost it because of the overwhelming stench of humans. He hadn't been able to pick it up again, despite how desperately he looked. Rin had been lost for hours now, with no one knowing where she was.

"Perhaps I should call the police." Sesshomaru stopped, looking down at the broken phone in his hand. The screen had cracked years ago, but he couldn't afford to replace it. He only had a few minutes left anyway and couldn't afford a new card. He didn't even know if he could make a long enough call to the police.

"And put a target on her back? You know exactly what will happen if those humans think there is a rogue demon on the loose. They will shoot first, ask questions later." Kagura crossed her arms over her chest, scoffing. "You call them, she's as good as dead. I say we wait until night. Most of the humans will be asleep. At least enough that they won't get in our way. We can look for her then."

"And in the meantime, she is alone, scared, and possibly hurt. I cannot sit here for hours waiting." Sesshomaru stalked towards the front door, slamming it open. The entire door came off in his hand, his grip so tight the handle was crushed and broken. Closing his eyes, he looked up at the sky, breathing deeply to try and calm himself.

Demons couldn't show the extra strength they had. They couldn't show the abilities they grow into. They were born, raised to believe that any show of strength would be enough to get them locked away or killed.

Dropping the door, Sesshomaru could only look at it, shoulders slumped. He only had two days left in this hell hole of a trailer, but those were two more days InuYasha and Rin had a roof over their heads. Now, he would be lucky not to have the cops banging on his door.

"That helps." Kagura kicked the door to the side, and Sesshomaru glared at her once more. They had been friends since they were kids. Kagura had always been the kind of person to make sarcastic comments, but right now, he didn't want to hear any of them.

"Look, you can't go into the city like you are now. You are a mess. You are freaking out, and if any human lays their eyes on you, they are going to think the worst. You are no help to Rin if you are dead. We have to be smart about this." Kagura stalked up to him, her red eyes locked on his amber. "Wait until tonight. Rin is smart. She would know to go somewhere safe until we can find her."

"There is a reason she left the school in the first place, Kagura. We do not know what that reason is, or how she will react in this situation." Sesshomaru turned from his friend, rubbing his hands through his hair. "There is one other I can call."

"The monk? You haven't spoken to him in years. Not since your parents died. Why would he help you?" Kagura scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "If anything, I would be questioning why he was there at the time of your parent's death anyway. Since when does any priest or priestess give a rat's ass about us? If you ask me, he was involved."

"He wasn't involved. He was just a witness." Sesshomaru stared down at his phone, hesitating. He hadn't talked to the monk in years, and when they had spoken, it had only been brief. "He told me to call if I ever needed him."

"And? Do you really trust him? He could purify Rin, and she wouldn't stand a chance." Kagura grabbed Sesshomaru's arm, forcing him to look at her. "We can find Rin by ourselves. We don't need the aid of humans, not when it always comes at a price."

"I have to do something, Kagura. She is my sister." Sesshomaru stepped back, out of Kagura's reach. "If you do not wish to be involved, then go. I will do this on my own."

"I told you I would watch InuYasha. I just hope he doesn't lose a brother on top of a sister." She waved a hand over her shoulder, and Sesshomaru growled. Rin wasn't lost to them. She was somewhere in the city, but he would find her and make sure she was okay.

Turning from Kagura, he started walking, determined to find Rin and bring her home. His feet slowed and halted when a brush of awareness rushed over his spine, tingling along his back. He looked up to the skies as Kagura came to stand beside him. She could feel it too, the pulse of reiki, a warning. Good or bad, Sesshomaru didn't know.

"We should go." Kagura grabbed his arm, but Sesshomaru held still, eyes fixated on the clouds. That reiki felt familiar. This was stronger than anything he had ever felt before, but there was something about it that he just couldn't place, something that was warm and inviting.

At first, all he saw was a black speck, but then it grew and grew until what he saw didn't make any sense at all. He recognized that hair, those blue eyes. He knew that warmth, despite only encountering it twice. It was his angel.

"Kagome." He whispered, and then she was landing in front of him on sure feet, her eyes hard as they met his. "You can fly?" He shook his head, pushing that thought to the side. "No. That doesn't matter. Help me. Rin has gone missing. I lost her scent in the city, and I cannot find her. Please, Kagome." He wasn't one to beg, but he knew if any human would help him, it would be Kagome. She had a heart that he could never understand, but it was one that wouldn't leave a child stranded and alone.

Her face softened then, a smile pulling on her lips. "I have her. She came to my job." Kagome wavered then, a hand going to her head, and Sesshomaru felt alarmed when a drop of blood, followed by another fell from her nose. "I think I overdid it though." Her eyes rolled back, and she went limp, jolting forward. Sesshomaru caught her before she hit the ground, tilting her head back to cup her cheek.

"Kagome?" Her heart was strong. He could hear it pounding in her chest, but those drops of blood still rolled from her nose. "Something is wrong."

"Good. Let her die. One less human we have to worry about." Kagura shrugged a single shoulder. Sesshomaru snarled before he realized he was, bearing his fangs at Kagura in a warning. Kagura took a step back, tense and surprised at his reaction. "Why do you care so much if she dies?"

That was a good question, but something in him refused to let her die. "She has Rin."

"You can just follow her scent back to wherever Rin is." Kagura knelt beside him, glaring at Kagome's unresponsive face. "Just let this one go."

"She has no scent." Sesshomaru furrowed his brows, never noticing it before. He had never smelled her, and he couldn't help but to wonder why or how. There were many things about this woman that he didn't know.

Lifting her gently in his arms, he turned back to the house, but stopped. Kagome deserved better than a run-down trailer. He couldn't bring himself to take her inside, to subject her to the broken home of a demon.

"You know what, you are on your own." Kagura was giving Sesshomaru a look of pure rage. "I say let the bitch die, but you go and hold her like you actually care. She hasn't done anything for you, and never will. How do you know she didn't kidnap Rin in the first place?"

"She has done many things for Rin and InuYasha." Sesshomaru didn't take his eyes off of Kagome's face as he watched her sleep. The blood was stopping, and he could only breathe in relief. Perhaps whatever was happening to her wasn't serious. "Go, Kagura. I will handle things from here."

Kagura only scoffed, and then she was gone, using her feather to fly high in the sky. They weren't allowed to use their magic, but she pushed the limits. It put all demons at risk, but she had never thought of it like that.

With Kagura gone, Sesshomaru took Kagome inside to his home, setting her on his couch. She didn't fit in his home, was too good for it. An angel like her deserved so much more, but it was all he had.

InuYasha poked his head out of the room, his nose twitching. "I really can't smell her. I don't think I ever have." Sesshomaru wasn't surprised that InuYasha heard everything that was being said. Their hearing was excellent and Kagura wasn't one to be quiet.

"I have to go for help." Sesshomaru wasn't sure what to do. With Kagura gone, he couldn't leave InuYasha alone, and with Kagome unconscious he had no idea where to go anyway. Rubbing his face, he turned his back on Kagome and his brother. He had to think of something.

Another prick of awareness down his spine, and he looked out of the door, feeling the foreign demonic presence. A fire cat stuck her head into the door, roaring her greeting. On her back was a woman Sesshomaru recognized but only met once.

Sango tsked as she climbed off of the firecat's back. "She always pushes herself too far." Sango didn't ask to walk into his home, barely paid him any attention as she walked up to Kagome, pressing her fingers to her neck and checking her pulse. "Her heart is still strong, so that is good. She will just sleep off the shock to her body she no doubt put herself in."

"What happened?" InuYasha asked, and Sango looked down at him. "It's not my place to tell. It's a secret." Sango placed her finger to her lips, giving InuYasha a smile. "But she is okay. And so is Rin. She ended up going to Kagome's job, and a few guards did get rough with her. Kagome came to her rescue though and took her home. Hitomi, Kagome's mother, called me to come and get her. And you two of course."

"We do not have a car." Sesshomaru flicked his eyes to the firecat. "Will she carry us all?"

"Kirara is my loyal companion and I think the world of her, but not even she can carry three full grown adults and a kid." Sango looked down at InuYasha. "Would you like to ride on Kirara's back? She can go really fast."

"Yea!" InuYasha couldn't hide his excitement, and Sesshomaru watched him for a moment. It was such a rare sight to see him happy.

Looking back at Sango, he motioned towards himself. "And what of me? I will not allow you to take my brother without me. I also want to be there with Rin. I need to see if she is okay-"

"It's okay. We are all going. You are a daiyoukai, Sesshomaru. I know you can fly." Sango said soothingly, but they both looked at InuYasha when he squeaked.

"You can fly? Why haven't you ever told me? I would have thought you were cooler." InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest, and Sesshomaru had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.

"Because it is illegal." Sesshomaru was answering InuYasha, but he was looking at Sango.

"Don't worry about that." Sango waved him off, climbing onto Kirara's back, motioning for InuYasha to do the same. He clambered on behind her, barely able to contain his excitement. Sango looked back towards Sesshomaru. "Just don't drop my friend, and you won't have anything to worry about."

Sango pulled out an I.D. card so only Sesshomaru could see. His heart stuttered to a stop in his chest, and he gulped. A demon slayer. Sango was a demon slayer, one of only humans strong enough to kill a demon.

And he was supposed to trust her, fly with her, back to wherever Rin was.

Despite his instincts telling him to be wary, he gently lifted Kagome and nodded towards Sango. He was taking a risk, but for Rin, he would do anything. They stepped out of the trailer, and took to the skies.

...

I'm sorry for the delay in posting. A lot has been going on and I am still in a funk over it. My grandma died, and it's harder getting past it than I realized it would be. I honestly think I am about to lose my job because I can't even think about writing at the moment, so that is another problem for me. Anyway, as an apology for taking so long, I will post the next chapter immediately after this. I hope you enjoy.