"Your mother and sisters? Where are they exactly?" Inuyasha asked.

Kawayou let out a breath and frowned.

"I don't know. I don't know how I got here." He admitted miserably. His ears flattened back on his head and he gave a quick sniff.

Inuyashsa studied him, his ears twitching to pick up the quiet sound.

He hesitated on his answer. The sadness reeking off the boys scent was almost overpowering.

"We can help you find them," Inuyasha finally answered. "But we'll need you to help us. Really help us to find it… you know how to use your nose right?"

Kawayou's dread grew at the thought of having to search. He had barely paid attention. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure how it got so woodsy out here. His mind had just been burning with fear of being hurt and he hadn't really thought of it.

"Come on kid." Inuyasha jerked his head back toward the village and tried to give the most helpful smile he could.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome had managed to force herself back up, and by sheer will power went on. She wasn't exactly sure where Kawayou would have wondered of and now she was thrown off track, a good two miles. She had to find a way to get back up the hill safely, and that wasn't going to happen for awhile.

So as she marched forward, almost like a solider going off to war, she just thought to herself. The Shikon No Tama was far too dangerous to be in anyone's hands. So at the time, she did the only thing she could. Before the entire mess started the Shikon was in her body. At the time, all she could think was putting it back. Letting her and only her hold on to it and protect it with her life. Like it should be. Like Kikyou did.

Kagome's lips thinned at the thought. She wasn't entirely sure how the entire process worked. Kaede had warned her that her magic was mixing so much with the Shikon no Tama, that they were almost absorbing together. Which is why, Kagome only closed her eyes and the jewel disappeared. Back into her.

She took long strikes until she arrived to a narrow hill that she might just be able to climb.

She could smell the smoke rising from the village. She knew she hadn't gotten too far off track. She was almost back. Almost home.

~*~*~

Inuyasha perched himself in a tree as Sango and Miroku gathered their things. He watched the boy with hawks eyes, memorizing his exact scent. He'd told the two were he planned to take the boy and they had jumped at the opportunity to go along. Probably think it would get him back to his own self again. Frowning, he drew his gaze to the sky and noted where the moon would be as darkness descended.

His thoughts still caught him before he could change the subject. It seemed that every woman he loved would end up hating him in the end. Sneering his dug his free fingers into the bark and listened to it cry out. It got really confusing. Part of him was worried that it was Naraku's plan. It didn't make sense and he wondered if it was because of outside influence. And then the jewel getting stronger as they collected the shards… Kagome getting stronger set up for disaster. Kaede had warned them—had warned them that the jewel started to flare up with active power, had started to feed off of and into Kagome.

Inuyasha didn't understand it any more than he did at the time. But he wanted it gone, he knew it was hurting her. He knew that was the reason she started to go insane in the end.

~*~