Chapter 4

"My lord, is it possible that we may go back now? It's just that I feel there may be nothing left to find, my lord," Jaken says while holding his staff nervously. "She was only a human, my lord."

"That human could have taken your life in a second, if she so chose. She was my brother's mate. She was part of the clan. We will continue searching until something is found," Sesshoumaru said in a tone that left no more arguments. Jaken sighed softly and held the staff closer to his body. He really wanted to take a break, or better, go home. The girl was only human. She couldn't have survived. But, Sesshoumaru-sama was confident. Maybe she had survived? But, why had she not come back?

"My lord, maybe you should stop for a break. Perhaps in the cave over there?" Jaken said. The toad flinched back when Sesshoumaru's glare hit him from over the Taiyoukai's shoulder.

"Are you suggesting that I need to rest, like a common human?" Sesshoumaru asked with a cold tone. Jaken cowered behind the dog demon and waited for the beating. When it didn't come, the toad opened his eyes. Sesshoumaru was crossing through the air and through the chasm to the other side. Jaken watched as the dog demon entered the cave.

"My lord! Wait for me!" Jaken squawked. I thought he didn't want to rest…

. . . . . .

Sesshoumaru entered the cave and froze.

He had only entered to search for a sign of the miko. Instead, he found the scent of old blood and salt water. He continued into the cave and stopped at its center. A patch of dried blood remained on the floor. It wasn't old; no more than a week.

"My lord, what is it?" Jaken asked when he spotted his master leering at a spot of dried blood. Jaken approached it and looked at it as well. Jaken continued to stare at it with hopes that something would happen. Nothing seemed special about the blood. Did an animal die? "My lord, wait for me!" Jaken yelled when Sesshoumaru started to leave him behind yet again. Barely making it, Jaken held n as Sesshoumaru fly away from the chasm. "Where are we going my lord!" Jaken asked. Sesshoumaru didn't answer. He two continued to fly off to wherever Sesshoumaru led them.

. . . . . . .

Sesshoumaru continued his trek in the nearby forest.

The blood he had found was from many different beings. He could smell the blood of animals, demons, and several humans. But, two scents stuck out the most to him. The day Kagome died, Sesshoumaru had committed the scent of Kaoru's blood to memory. They had used that blood the try to find her. He, his brother, and several others had failed to find her. Kaoru's blood was in that cave.

More importantly, Kagome's blood was mixed in as well.

The Taiyoukai had a lead. The miko might still be alive.

. . . . . .

The forest was chilly today.

Winter does that. Fortunately, it made the animals bigger. Unfortunately, it made them heavier, too. The boar she was lugging around wasn't doing her any favors either.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she reached back to her home. The fire was still going strong in its pit. It was warm and cozy deep in the cave. The ground was covered with hides and furs that gave it a furry feeling. Moving the dead boar over to side of the cave, she began cutting up the meat for dinner.

Later she calls out, "Dinner time." Not rousing any response from her partner, she went over to her. "I got us a good one. Come eat." She shakes her partner. After several tries, she starts to get frantic. She keeps saying 'wake up', her pleading getting more panicked. After a while, she stops. Her partner isn't breathing. She starts a teary sob and moves away from the body.

. . . . . .

Sesshoumaru continues his walk in the forest. He was nowhere near Naraku's grave. He kept coming across the scent of Kaoru's blood in the forest. Every time he did, more blood would be found along with it.

"My lord, maybe you should stop for a short period. You should eat something my lord," Jaken says. Sesshoumaru wants to glare back at him, but he doesn't. He's so close.

Sesshoumaru keeps going in his direction with Jaken following him. After a while, the sound of feet and heavy breathing reaches his ears. The sound of a woman screaming reaches his ears. Jaken turns around and readies his staff. "Halt, human! You are in the presence of lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken says.

The woman slows to a stop and looks at Sesshoumaru frantically, "Not another demon. Please do not harm me. I was only trying to escape the other demon."

Sesshoumaru stared at the woman bored. She seemed to be around middle-aged with short hair; plain. Soon, the sound of more feet reached his ears. He looked up from the woman and she looked back with him. Jaken looked around the woman and gasped loudly. "You! Lord Sesshoumaru has been looking all over for you! Who do you think you are!" Jaken squawks. The toad is ready to let out all his irritation and anger. Now, he's on a roll. He couldn't complain to lord Sesshoumaru, but he can chew out the woman. Unfortunately, Jaken's yelling was cut short by Sesshoumaru's boot. The human woman cried out and fled the area.

"I have been searching for you," Sesshoumaru says.

"Well, you found me. What do you want?" Kaoru asks.

"Where is she?" Sesshoumaru asks. Kaoru stares at the demon lord for a while. Of course he was looking for Kagome.

"How would I know?" Kaoru asks.

"Kikyou said what transpired. You will be wise to show me to the girl," Sesshoumaru says and moves in on Kaoru. In half a second, Sesshoumaru had her by her neck. "I am not a patient man."

. . . . . . .

"I like your hair," Kagura says as she continues to brush her brother-in-law's hair. Inuyasha didn't say anything, but he kept flinching lightly when Kagura tugged on a knot. "Sesshoumaru doesn't let me groom him. I thought dogs like to be groomed."

"I can groom myself," Inuyasha says softly.

"If I leave you to do it, you won't do it," Kagura says and tugs on another knot. "I don't mind anyways. I've already done Rin and Shippou's hair. I'm bored. I want Sesshoumaru to come home."

"You miss him?" Inuyasha asks.

"Of course. I love him. Your brother is one of a kind. So are you," she says.

"I doubt it," he says.

"No, you are. I can see it. I've never met anyone else like you, Inuyasha. I'm honored to call you my brother-in-law."

"No. I mean I doubt Sesshoumaru is one of a kind," Inuyasha says. Kagura laughs at this and accidentally pulls too hard on his hair. Inuyasha flinches again and groans. Kagura apologizes and continues with her work.

A short while later, she speaks again. "All done." She stands and cleans out the brush. Inuyasha turns to her and opens his mouth to speak, but stops. Kagura has a blank look on her face, as if she's focusing miles away. Suddenly, she smiles widely and squeals, "He's back!" Just like that, Kagura runs out of the room and leaves Inuyasha behind. The hanyou watches the door for a while and after some consideration decided to follow.

Kagura stood outside the lodge with happiness and anticipation leaking from her form. She wanted to run to him, to attack him with hugs and kisses, to say how much she missed him. But, he wouldn't like that. Sesshoumaru didn't appreciate her displaying her love for him in public. He preferred for her to show him in private, when he could show her his own.

Inuyasha stood by Kagura's side and waited with her. After a while of standing, three figures appeared. The two watched and waited to see what would happen.

'Who are they?'

'I can make out Sesshoumaru and Jaken, but who's the other one?'

"Kaoru?" Kagura asked. Inuyasha froze. There she was. Why was she here?

'How dare she come near me! She must want to die!'

"Why are you here?" Inuyasha growled. Kagura held him back with her hand on his shoulder.

"I was forced to come. There was a misunderstanding. I am not your enemy,"
she says.

'She lies!'

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha. She speaks the truth," Sesshoumaru says and steps out of the tree line. Everyone turns to him as he continues toward his brother. Kagura watches him nervously. He has something wrapped in hides in his arms. Sesshoumaru stops in front of his brother and hands it to him. Inuyasha looks down at it with a stunned expression. Hesitantly, he accepts it. "She does not lie. It is time we found out the truth," Sesshoumaru says.

Inuyasha's not paying attention to him though. He's on his knees with the body in his arms. He could clearly smell the scent of the person. It was stupid of him to hope. He should have known better than to hope that maybe she would still be alive. He should have accepted it. Kagome was dead. Holding her limp, cold body in his arms only made it a solid truth. Slowly, Inuyasha removed the hides from her body. A new wave of sorrow and tears rolled from him.

Kagura looked at her mate in question. It couldn't be real. Sesshoumaru looked at her in question. He looked back at his brother and narrowed his eyes. "You will see your mate again," Sesshoumaru says. Kaoru gasps as Sesshoumaru unsheathes his sword.

"What are you doing!" she yells as Sesshoumaru brings down his blade. The demoness stops however when Sesshoumaru swings at nothing but air. Sesshoumaru sheaths Tenseiga and looks on.

Inuyasha watches his mate, every second filling him with hope.

'Mate?'

'Kagome?'

Slowly, brown eyes open to the world. The first thing they see is amber ones filled with ears staring right back.

~:~

Moi-Moi: There we go. Kagome's alive. Yep, she was dead. Come on people. She fell off a cliff. How could anyone survive that? It would have to have been a miracle. Seriously, let's be human you guys. At least Sesshoumaru brought her back…