I don't own Inuyasha. Warning, this chapter jumps back and forth between people. I hope I did it in a way that doesn't confuse you. If it does, let me know and I'll change it. After all, this is for you guys!
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Chapter 9: Lost and Found Posters anyone?
The moon was very bright out. And so beautiful. Kikyo loved to stare at the moon while thinking. It was calming to her. She had been staying at a village as a healer for some time now. So far, nobody suspected anything unusual about her, so she wasn't in any hurry to leave.
I guess it's time to head back for the night. Kikyo got out of the tree and started to walk back to the village. The path was clearly marked, so she continued on her train of thought, until something caught her eye.
A stray moonbeam had made something by the river sparkle with it's light. Not in any hurry, Kikyo slowly made her way over to it to see what it was. What she saw was white hair. The hair was attached to a small body that was laying face down on the bank. Kikyo reached down and gently lifted him up. Since the moon was so very bright, she was able to clearly see what she held. And what she saw shocked her.
Inuyasha?
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It had been an uneasy night. Kagome didn't get much sleep because she had been so worried about Inuyasha. At dawn, Sango awoke and told Kagome that she would go look for him in the woods. Kouga didn't really care about finding him, so he stayed put to make sure Kagome was safe. With everyone else asleep, Kagome stayed by a window and studied the map. This is no use. I'm not familiar with this area. Sango or Miroku should be looking at this. . . .
"GAH!"
Kagome jumped, spooked because it had been so quiet.
"Miroku? Was that you, are you alright!" she yelled as she quickly walked over to the door to the male sleeping area. She opened the door to find Miroku and Sesshomaru glaring at each other, and Jaken in the corner ready to attack if needed.
"I'm fine Kagome." Miroku answered through clenched teeth.
"What's going on here?"
Sesshomaru turned his head in disdain and looked at neither of the humans.
"I woke up and Sesshomaru was just standing there, staring at me. Not the greatest of wakeup calls." Miroku admitted, not taking his eyes off of the dog demon.
"You deserve it for what you did last night!" Jaken shouted.
"Oh? And what did I do last night!" Miroku yelled at the little toad like creature.
"You grabbed his boa and used it as a pillow! That's what you did!"
"I didn't do it on purpose! I was asleep!"
"Likely story, you pesty human! Oh, my great Lord Sesshomaru doesn't deserve this. He should be sleeping on a bed filled with soft rose petals in a castle that floats on the clouds. Not forced to sleep on the floor next to an inferior human like this filth!" Jaken ranted pointing his staff at Miroku.
Miroku growled, but before he could say anything, Kagome interjected.
"That's enough, from all of you. It's not like any of us are enjoying this situation, but we're stuck with it. Now stop arguing a--"
"Good morning Lord Sesshomaru! Did you sleep well? Guess what I did when I woke up? I helped make breakfast, and I helped Sango and Kagome clean up the mats. It was so much fun!" Rin said hurriedly as she entered the room. . .she almost seemed to be singing what she spoke.
"Okay, so there is one someone that's enjoying this experience." Kagome said with a sweatdrop.
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"INUYASHA! ARE YOU AROUND HERE? PLEASE, KAGOME AND THE REST OF US ARE GETTING WORRIED! INUYASHA!" Sango yelled throughout the forest riding Kirara. She had skipped breakfast and had been looking for the chibi hanyou all morning. She was hungry, and her voice was getting hoarse from yelling. She wasn't able to find him anywhere. She looked on the forest floor with no luck, she searched in the tree tops, also with no luck. Where are you Inuyasha?
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Inuyasha sneezed and woke up. He didn't know where he was. Looking around the room, he saw a fire going for warmth, and on the table was a plate of food. Assuming the food was for him, and not really caring if it wasn't for him, he ate the food before worrying about anything else.
Meanwhile, Kikyo was picking some herbs with the help of one of the local men. It had been awhile since the village had gotten a decent healer, and they were bound to do everything they could to protect her, unbeknownst to them that it was unnecessary.
"So, who was that youngster sleeping by the fire?" He asked, trying to shirk off the boredom. He had walked to her house to escort her on her herb picking, and when she opened the door, he spotted a little sleeping lump by the fireplace.
Kikyo didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to talk at all. But she had an image to uphold at the moment, so she smiled sweetly.
"Last night I was walking along the river, and I found a child that must have fallen in. He was unconscious when I found him, but he doesn't seem to have any major injuries."
"That's really good to hear. You sure are an angel, Priestess."
"Not really, I'm only doing what I can. Nothing more."
The man just simply left the subject alone after chuckling quietly as if he found what she said amusing.
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Rin came running into the hut.
"She's back, she's back!"
Kagome looked up from reading over Miroku's shoulder at the map and ran outside to greet Sango, Kirara, and hopefully Inuyasha. To her dismay, Inuyasha wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"No luck?" Kagome asked sadly to her friend. Sango's only reply was a simple shake of the head.
"No luck? I'd say that this was great luck! No more smelly mutt to interfer with me and my woman!" Kouga gloated as he stood in the doorway. He was quickly quieted down by a cold stare from Kagome. "Err. . .I know, I'll go find him!"
Kagome and Sango looked shocked.
"You'd do that?" Kagome asked amazed.
"If he's in those woods, then consider him found." Without another word, Kouga ran passed them and into the woods. Maybe Kagome will be happy with me if I find him, and angry at him for not coming back. And if I don't find him, well, what can you do? Kouga snickered to himself as he began his search.
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Inuyasha finished gulping his meal. I guess Kagome and the others found me last night. Good thing to.
He walked outside of the hut, and noticed that it wasn't the one that he was originally staying in. Wait a minute! Where am I? Where's Ka-----Wait. . .that scent. . . .It can't be! Inuyasha ran following the scent on a path leading to the forest. KIKYO!
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Kikyo was sitting on a rock under a tree. The man that had come with her had fallen asleep while they had stopped for lunch. She was concentrating hard on the ground.
Inuyasha. . . .I wonder, if he and I had gotten married, what would have our son looked like? Or even a daughter? So long ago, yet I still feel the pain. I shouldn't feel anything. . .I have no heart. I barely have a soul left in me. Clay doesn't have feelings. So why do I still feel the pain?
"Kikyo."
She looked up to see a young child with silver white hair, golden eyes, and two dog ears.
"Inuyasha."
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Kouga had no luck finding Inuyasha. And he couldn't smell anything because everything smelled the same, wet. He was walking back to the village, when something did catch his nose. It was blood. Inuyasha's blood. And it was more powerful than the wet scent. He followed it and found the source on a small stone near the bank of the river. Kouga looked at the river and some roots near it. Jumping over to them, he found strands of silver white hair that also smelled like Inuyasha. Putting two and two together, Kouga realized what must have happened.
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They stared at each other for the longest time. They both waited for the other person to speak, but failing to say something themselves. Until Inuyasha got tired of the silence surrounding them.
"Kikyo. . ."
Kikyo looked away from Inuyasha and started to examine the herbs in her basket.
"Before you ask, I found you by the river. You must have fallen in."
Inuyasha stared at her sadly.
"Then thankyou, Kikyo."
She shrugged, as if it was something any exgirlfriend would do for a man that she felt betrayed her.
There was that silence again.
"How have you been?"
His question caused Kikyo to look at him.
"Taller than you, I assume."
He looked at the ground.
"I suppose you're wondering what happened to make me look like this. Well, I drank from the"
"Lake that brings back the youth to the aged?"
"You know about it?"
"I heard it by rumor, and by learning legends in my training. I never really gave it much thought."
"Kikyo, I--"
"Priestess Kikyo! I'm sorry I fell asleep. I hope I didn't keep you wai--", the man's speech slowed, "--ting. You must be the young boy that Priestess Kikyo found last night. Good to see that you're up and about." He glances up at the sky. "Well, it's getting late. I think we should head back to the village. My wife will enjoy cooking dinner for our little guess. She loves children. And I think she'll like you especially, since she also loves dogs." He laughs as he points out Inuyasha's ears.
Inuyasha pops a vein.
"Thank you for the offer. If you don't mind, I have other things to attend to, but I would appreciate it if you took this boy back with you." Kikyo said and then seemed to disappear behind a tree.
"Well, let's go son. I've learned that if women don't want to be found, then there's no way to find them!" The man laughed at what he said, and pulled Inuyasha back to the village by the arm. Inuyasha just stared at where he last saw Kikyo.
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Kouga entered the hut.
"Kouga! Did you find him!" Kagome asked the wolf demon desperatly.
"Yes and no. I didn't find him, but I think I know what happened to him. Hey! Dinner!" Kouga sat down between Sesshomaru and Miroku and started to chow down on the food in front of him.
"Well?" Kagome and Sango asked in unison.
Kouga smirked, "I'll tell you, IF Kagome gives me a kiss."
Everyone, except Sesshomaru, sweatdropped and stared at the smug wolf.
Kagome popped a vein. "Tell me, or you'll be kissing my fist!"
Kouga's smug face was spoiled by a sweatdrop of his own. "Okay! I found some blood and hair strands near the river. So, my best guess is that the stupid mutt tripped and fell into the river and got carried down stream."
Everyone, except Sesshomaru and Jaken, looked surprised.
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Howerd: You've been watching too much CSI.
Nin: Hey! I avoided the words: evidence, traces of, and scene of the crime!
Howerd: Only because I editted.