How Will I Know

Disclaimer: I have added to my InuYasha collection! I have a CD: InuYasha's Best! And A new Keychain, and An 'Art of InuYasha' book. However: I still don't own InuYasha.

Chapter 5: A Fishy Situation

When Kagome woke up the next morning, it was to a cool needle landing on her cheek. She ignored it until three more hit her face in the next minute. A few more hit, then she felt a shadow move over her and the needles stop falling.

"Kagome!" InuYasha's voice anxiously whispered. She opened her eyes to a grey world, with low clouds every which way, except for a bright red above and next to her.

"InuYasha?"

"Get up, it's starting to rain. We have to go find shelter." Kagome sat up rubbing her eyes and InuYasha lifted away his Haiori. The raindrops fell on Kagome again, waking her thoroughly. She jumped out from under the blanket and hastily folded it up. She stuffed it in her backpack and pulled out a couple umbrellas.

"What time is it?"

"Well, the sun came up a couple hours ago… it should've at least."

Shippou popped into her vision for the first time.

"InuYasha, stop going around it!" He turned to Kagome. "Miroku and Sango have been missing!"

"What!" Whomp! "InuYasha! Why'd you hit Shippou?"

"I didn't want to make you worry." InuYasha said, turning away from Kagome slightly. Shippou stood, glaring at InuYasha and spitting out earth.

"I think we should've told her right away, not make her find out on her own and let her sleep until she wants to wake up. She cares about Miroku and Sango as much as we do!" Shippou grumbled as he pouted sitting on the ground. Kagome looked at InuYasha worriedly, forgetting the raindrops that were quickly picking up in consistency.

"You should have told me!" She said, exasperated. "Did you think I'd rather sleep than save my friends? Do we know where they went at least?"

"Of course I know where they went! What, you think I would just sit here as they were taken away?"

"They were taken away?" Kagome said, in a suddenly small voice, holding her umbrella at her side so Shippou ran under InuYasha's. She forgot the rain, and the umbrella, and Shippou. "Are you sure they were taken?" She looked so sad… but luckily, InuYasha had news that was somewhat good.

"I don't think they were taken, but it's too damp out here to really tell. I can't smell much in the rain." InuYasha said as he held his umbrella over Kagome and himself. He reached out for her hand and they started walking. That is, until Shippou giggled, then InuYasha seemed to snap back to the present and dropped Kagome's hand. She put up her own umbrella, in a slightly better mood.

"Let's look for them now, before the rain covers their path. We won't get wet, so we don't need to look for shelter." InuYasha nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and started sniffing around, occasionally crouching to more thoroughly inspect a scent. Soon, though, the rain had washed out all trace of anything besides the animals that ran through seconds ago, scared away by InuYasha. They had to resort to finding them like hunters, finding broken twigs, bits of fabric on intruding branches, and tufts of fur or scorch marks from Kirara.

The path led them to a cave on a hillside, about a mile from the path. They looked at each other, thinking maybe they hadn't been abducted before peeking into the cave. Miroku was sitting on the ground and Sango was on the other side of a bonfire from him. Miroku greeted them heartily from where he sat, and Sango walked over to Kagome and said hi. Kagome thought there was something weird about the two of them; they didn't seem right. When Sango went back to sit down, Shippou with her, she whispered her concern to InuYasha. He agreed something was up.

Miroku had some fish cooking over the fire, and he passed Shippou one. It was quickly finished. He ate one, followed by Sango. There were two left, so he offered one to Kagome.

"No thanks… I want to take a look around."

"Suit yourself."

Kagome started looking around the cave, and, remembering the snake demon in the last cave she was in, took her bow with her. As she began inspecting, going farther and farther into the back of the cave, InuYasha wanted to follow. Miroku called him over to the bonfire however, and InuYasha reluctantly came. He was offered a fish also, but refused as Kagome had done. As Miroku talked to him about the weather, and how it would affect the search for the jewel shards, Sango was watching Shippou play with a finger trap. InuYasha was only half listening, however, mostly focused on Kagome's sounds and scent. He heard her carefully stepping around, occasionally brushing the wall with her hands. InuYasha suddenly realized that Kirara was nowhere in sight.

"Hey, Miroku… Where's Kirara?" InuYasha interrupted. Suddenly, Kagome screamed.

Ooooh, sorry for the suspense, I couldn't resist! I'll make sure to get the next chapter out asap. No spoilers either! Sorry! X-D