Chapter Twenty Two: The Search Begins

Inuyasha and Koga used the utmost care as they gently helped Kagome home and had to explain to Grandpa what happened to his daughter...

" Don't worry..." Inuyasha said, patting the old man's shoulder, We'll find her..."

" And what about the demon that took my daughter?!" Gramps said worriedly, " Would he hurt her?!"

" Kagome says she doesn't think he would, he seemed different from the last time we ran across him..." Inuyasha said.

" Explain..." Gramps ordered.

" He was laughing, doing magic for Kagome's mom, Kagome said that they rode the rides together at the carnival in town and he made a kimono for her and gave her a crystal rose too..." Inuyasha said, puzzled, " I never knew Naraku to ever be kind to anyone... It doesn't make any sense..."

" It most certainly does..." Gramps said wisely, " If my assumptions are correct, this demon may have changed because of him finding his soul mate..."

Koga, inuyasha, and Kagome, after hearing the startling news, quickly made thier way back to the other side...

Back on the other side...

" I hope lady Kagome is ok..." Miroku said worriedly, "Inuyasha and Koga should have brought Kagome back by now..."

" They'll be back soon, miroku, hopefully her time at home has helped her wounds heal faster..." Songo said hopefully...

" We're right here guys..." Inuyasha said as he leapt from the well...

Koga emerged next, with Kagome safely tucked into his arms...

" What took you guys so long?!" Shippo asked worriedly.

" Kagome's Mother was killed by a female demon..." Inuyasha said angrily, " Surprisingly, Naraku is the one who actually avenged her... But he also took her mother's body and vanished without a trace..."

" What?!" Sango exclaimed worriedly, " We've got to go after him! There's no telling what he might do to her!"

Sango instantly thought of her younger brother slaying thier father and the other demon slayers because of Naraku's evil will... Sango quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Kagome with sisterly love...

" Don't worry, Kagome... We'll keep that monster from making your mother into one of his puppets..." Sango said sadly, hugging Kagome in a sisterly embrace, "I swear we'll get her back from that evil bastard..."

Kagome wanted to agree with Sango, after all Naraku had done to her and her friends, but seeing him and her mother so happy, and seeing how she flung herself in harm's way to save Naraku from getting killed, was an image that she couldn't get out of her head... No matter how hard she tried...

" it's going to be a very very long journey..." Kagome informed everyone, " I'm going to have to go back home long enough to stock up on supplies..."

" Kagome..." Inuyasha began, but Kagome patiently cut him off...

" No Inuyasha... We have more people with us now... We need as much food and supplies as possible so that we don't have to stop very often..." Kagome said.

" Ok..." Koga said, worriedly, " But Inuyasha and I are going back with you... Your still healing from your injuries as well..."

Kagome smiled and nodded in agreement, thankful that her two very best friends cared so deeply about her safety...

" We won't be gone very long..." Kagome informed them, "Just long enough to get plenty of food and supplies for everyone and then we'll be back... It shouldn't take longer then a few hours..."

Sango, Miroku and shippo all said thier goodbyes as Kagome, Koga, and inuyasha vanished through the bone eaters well once again...

A few hours later Kagome, Koga and inuyasha came back through the well, each carrying a very large pack full of food and supplies and Kagome also had a large duffle bag full of the clothes her friends on the other side had given her for her birthday... Later that night, Kagome informed them all that she wanted to go to the hot springs on the outside of the village near Inuyasha's forest and asked Sango if she would like to a company her... Sango jumped at the chance to get a nice hot bath and both were gone in a flash before anyone could object... Once they got to the hot springs, however, Sango was shocked to see the extent of Kagome's hidden injuries...

" Kagome..." Sango began worriedly, " What happened over in your era?"

" A nightmare..." Kagome said sadly, " That's all I can tell you right now... If I say any more, I'm afraid I'll have nightmares..."

Sango was extremely worried about her sister, but decided not to push her for details, otherwise, she feared that Kagome would push her away... They bathed in peaceful silence for a time before each began to wash with the many sweet smelling soaps Kagome brought back from her time... Sango was thoroughly enjoying her bath at this point, sighing happily as the hot water soothed her aching muscles... Until she heard Kagome's whimper... She stopped dead in her tracks as she watched Kagome's chest heave with each wracking sob, as she tried to wash her more private areas, bringing more and more tears to her eyes as she washed further and further down...

When she got to the juncture of her thighs, Kagome cried out in severe pain, the abuse that her body was put through, not yet healed and was still quite painful when she moved a certain way... Not even five minutes later, Koga appeared at the edged of the pool, a look of concern in his beautiful blue eyes... Sango was instantly freaked out and was getting ready to use hirikots on Koga when she noticed his eyes were glowing red with his inner beast and he only had eyes for Kagome...

"Do not fear me, demon slayer... I am only here to ease my Mike's stress and calm her fears..." Koga growled, " I will not harm you..."

" Ok... But can you turn around please? I'd like to at least get some underthings on that Kagome brought me from her time the last time she went home..." Sango said blushing, " I feel a little strange being naked with a man around..."

Koga nodded and did as Sango asked and she quickly put a pretty green lacy bra and underwear set on before silently getting back into the water... As uneasy as Sango was with Koga around, she wasn't about to flee and leave Kagome by herself with a very powerful and dangerous looking male demon... Once Sango was dressed, Koga took one look at her and couldn't resist smirking...

" Ha... That monk of yours would be sure to have an instant nosebleed if he were to see you in that..." Koga growled teasingly.

" He's not my monk!" Sango stammered, flustered, " He's not my anything! We're just friends is all!"

Koga smirked again, before taking his armor off and easing himself into the water... Then he slowly made his way over to Kagome, so as not to startle her...

"Koga!" Kagome gasped in shock as a warm pair of arms encircled her bare waist, " What are you doing?!"

" I won't hurt you..." Koga growled worriedly, " I merely wished to comfort you because I sensed that you were distressed..."

That's all it took... Kagome instantly broke down crying in Koga's strong powerful embrace...

"Oh Koga!" Kagome cried sadly, " I've tried so hard to ignore what happened to me for the sake of saving my mother from Naraku! But it hurts so much! I'm trying so hard to forgive jorn for what he did to me... But I haven't been able to! Am I a bad person for not forgiving him yet?! Am I a bad person for still being upset over my injuries when my mother could be in terrible danger?! I'm so scared and it hurts so much! I don't know what to do!"

Koga wrapped his arms around Kagome's shaking naked body and cradled her to his chest as she wept... Sango wiped her tears as she watched the scene unfold before quietly getting out of the hot spring and silently heading back to Kaede's village...

The next morning, everyone said thier goodbyes to lady Kaede and the villages before heading out, thier long journey finally about to begin...