The darkness grew.
The shadow moved over the ground, a living inkspot, running as if still a liquid. It hid in the shadows of rocks and trees while it was small. Keeping out of sunlight.
The portal it had come through had been small as well, a tiny little hole in the fabric of the world. Just big enough for this small piece of darkness to break off and ooze through.
Normally, it would have been discovered and destroyed. A similar portal had opened just a day earlier, but it had been bigger. The aura it had put out was louder, stronger. Demons had felt it's presence. As had half-demons.
Izumi had shown InuYasha how to close the portals, though she had warned him he was not yet ready to do so on his own. The portals were dangerous, for they absorbed the power one threw at it, intensified it a hundred fold, and threw it back at you. Not unlike InuYasha's own Backlash wave.
The death of the demon-slayer had filled everyone's mind with fear and confusion and grief. No one, not even Izumi, had been able to sense the presence of this tiny portal.
And so it opened, spewed out a tiny piece of shadow, and closed again, with no one the wiser.
Now this small piece of living shadow moved in the levels known as the Twilight Lands, for they were perfectly in the middle of all the level and universes there were. This tiny piece of shadow hid, and waited.
Under orders by it's master, it hid, waiting until it was sure no one knew of it, no one sensed it. Sometimes smaller things can sneak past enemies when larger things are more easily noticed. Much as a mouse will sneak into your home, but an elephant never could.
And once it had been assured it was unnoticed, it began to eat.
It started by eating non-living things. Wood, rock, dirt. These things did not give it the energy it needed, of course. They only gave it what it needed to survive, not to grow.
It began to eat demons.
Small ones, of course. Mice. Rats. Insect demons. It left the non-demonic things alone, as they did not seem to give it what it needed.
As it grew, bigger were the demons it devoured, using the demon's own power to fuel it, doubling in size each time it ate.
Within a week it was the size of a mouse.
In 10 days it was the size of a cat.
Two weeks later, it was the size of a pony.
For now it shunned humans. Humans did not give it what it needed. While eating humans would sustain it, they had no power with which to grow. Besides, humans might somehow contact those it's master did not want to know about it.
So it stuck to the forests deep, hiding from anything it could not overpower and eat, and grow.
It hid.
And it grew.

"That seems to be the last of them," Miroku said, putting the last bag of rice into the wagon. He pushed and shoved until it was pretty well balanced there, patting it firmly down.
"Thank you so much for helping," the old man said, "If I can sell this in the next village, it will go a long way to getting some things we need."
The monk looked over the old, creaking wagon. It was filled to the brim with rice, vegetables and other grains. For a time of drought, and possibly approaching famine, it was a good thing to see.
The old man was joined on the wagon by two demons, each carrying swords. They were going to be the wagon's guard.
"We're going to be travelling back in your direction shortly," Miroku said to the old man, "If you need help, stay on the road."
The old man and the two demons nodded, bowing, "Thank you again."
Miroku watched as the wagon creaked off, being pulled by two horses. He felt relieved to see the two demons sitting alongside the old man. They both looked like they knew how to use their blades.
He turned and walked back to the small hut he and his friends were sharing. Everyone was outside, their backpacks on their backs, getting ready to move. The monk paused, watching InuYasha and Kagome.
Since their return from Kagome's world, the two had seemed troubled. At first he was afraid they had had some sort of fight over there, something that had strained their already-strained relationship. But it became apparent that whatever it was, it was something they both seemed to be sharing.
"It will be good to see Lady Kaede again," Kagome said.
Sango nodded, "I know she's a very powerful priestess in her own right, but she's still an elderly lady. I worry about her."
"Me too!" Shippo said, jumping up to land on the monk's shoulder, "She's always so nice to me."
They said their goodbyes to the people of the village, and started out on the road, walking back. As usual, InuYasha and Kagome walked out front, and Miroku and Sango hung back. DarkWind walked slightly behind and to the side of Kagome. The Kageri seemed to be trying to give InuYasha and Kagome some privacy.
Sango watched as Kirara, in her kitten form, leapt from her arms to Miroku's shoulder, battling for room with Shippo. Miroku lowered his head, squeezing his eyes, as Kirara tumbled and scrabbled and jumped, finally managing to perch atop his head. She sat there, looking very proud of herself.
Sango laughed, "Kirara!"
"I don't mind," Miroku said, "As long as she can balance."
Sango smiled, then spoke, her smile leaving her face as she spoke seriously, "Kagome told me Kirara bonded strongly with you when I was...away." She still couldn't say the words, that she had been dead.
Miroku's smile left as well, and he nodded slightly- careful not to dislodge the cat - "Yes, she did. And I was certainly glad of the company."
"She...she's very fond of you, Miroku."
The monk smiled, "It's returned. She's very loyal little thing."
Kirara mewed.
Sango spoke again, "InuYasha tells me you were planning on taking her to Kohaku."
"Yes. I thought she deserved the option to stay with your brother."
"That's very kind of you. But I think she would prefer to stay with you."
"She's always welcome by my side."
Sango smiled.
Up ahead he saw InuYasha pause, talking to Kagome. They seemed deep in discussion about something.
Shippo spoke, "What do you think happened over in Kagome's world? They acted really weird. InuYasha was acting really weird when he came back."
"Yes," Miroku said, "And he came back as a human, too. He wouldn't talk about it, and I know better than to pry. At least it doesn't seem like him and Kagome had a fight."
Sango nodded.

In the forest, a lone figure walked. She moved along a path worn with time, walking silently. Her mind was heavy with many thoughts, thoughts she couldn't understand.
Kikyo paused to watch a river bubbling past. The heavy drought had lifted, bringing some relief to the land. As she watched, animals darted to the river to drink, birds and mice, feasting on the insects the water brought.
She felt strangely angry.
A short while ago, she had met InuYasha in the forest. And he had told her many things, many troubling things.
Kagome was the one whom the Kageri had latched onto. While she had the Shikon! Of all the stupid, irresponsible...and people honestly thought that Kagome had spiritual power?! Insanity! If she had even a shred of spiritual powers, she would never have allowed herself to get caught up in the web of lies a Kageri spread. Normally, Kikyo wouldn't care in the least what that stupid little girl had done, but she was putting the Shikon in danger.
The Shikon...
All her life, she had devoted to protecting that thing. She had lost any chance she had at being happy. She had died because of it, in a way. Had pinned InuYasha to a tree, and had died.
Now Kagome had it. Had pieced it together, and had it. And InuYasha, the fool, tried to tell her that Kagome could use it?
No one could use the Shikon!
Kikyo herself had trained with it for years and had never been able to do much more than peer into some of it's depths! And this girl shows up, and within one year is supposed to be able to actually use it like some kind of weapon?
InuYasha warned her, gently, not to try anything against DarkWind. Because it would hurt Kagome.
He was such a fool.
He suddenly remembered him telling her about the Handmaiden, Izumi.
A real Handmaiden. And of Amaterasu, no less!
Kikyo had learned about the Senmin from her trainer. She had had to learn about different spirits, demons, and gods. The Senmin had been explained as well. And never in her life had she ever expected to actually see one! Kikyo remembered the meeting in the forest, as short as it had been. The woman, dressed in long gowns, an air of the divine about her. How excited Kikyo had been.
And now InuYasha talked about her as if she were a next door neighbour.
Kikyo looked away, angrilly. It wasn't fair. She had protected the Shikon all her life. She had died protecting it, in a way. She had been it's protector, it's keeper, and all she had ever gotten out of it was an early death.
Now Kagome had it, and all of a sudden celestial beings were appearing to talk to her, and the Shikon starts giving up it's powers, allowing itself to be used like a common sword!
Why Kagome?
Why not her?
"It's a lovely night tonight, is it not?"
Kikyo spun to see a very tall man standing there, watching her. He was bald, save for a long flowing scalp lock that fell to his waist. The left side of his face was covered in a silver mask, the right seemed normal. He was wearing strange robes, of a very dark purple, almost black. His eyes were ice green.
There was a strange aura coming off this man, one she didn't understand. He wasn't a demon, but there was definately something dark about him.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"I'm just a traveller," he said, approaching her.
Kikyo moved swiftly to the side, but he just passed her, not intent on her after all, but rather the river. He pulled a waterbag from under his robes, and unstoppered it. Kneeling to fill his waterbag, he spoke.
"It's been a while since I saw someone like you."
Kikyo frowned, "What do you mean, someone like me?"
"Dead."
She blinked, backing up a step.
The man didn't move, just kept filling his water skin. After a minute, he stood up, re-stoppering the skin, watching her.
"How long?" he asked.
"What?" Kikyo watched him warily.
"How long have you been dead?"
Kikyo glared at him, "That's none of your business."
The man shrugged, slipping his waterskin back under his robe, "As you wish. I just thought you might like to stop."
"Stop? Stop what?"
"Being dead."
Kikyo blinked, startled, "What?"
"I said, I was just wondering if you wanted to stop being dead. If you haven't been dead a long time, I know someone who can bring you back."
Kikyo watched this man warily. She didn't trust him. No one can bring back the dead.
"It's true," the man said, "I know it sounds crazy, but I've seen him do it before. As long as you're not dead for too long, that is."
He studied her for a second, "You're that priestess, aren't you? Kiki, something like that?"
She frowned, "I am a priestess, yes. Kikyo. How do you know who I am?"
He shrugged, "Rumors and things. I was talking to a woman a long time ago who said you helped her with a burn or something. I told her the only Kiki I knew of -"
"Kikyo."
"Right. The only Kikyo I knew of was dead, and her gravesite had been all dug up. I just put two and two together, and there you go."
Kikyo was silent, wary.
"What do you want?"
"Me? Nothing. My master might want a fee or something, but that's up to you." He paused, watching her.
"I'd be a bit pissed off, myself."
She blinked, confused.
"Well...the rumor from that old woman's village is that you used to look after this necklace thing, and now another priestess has it, and is running around, doing all kinds of miracles with it, her and her friends. I just...I'd be a bit upset, especially if I never got that kind of attention when I looked after it."
Kikyo scowled at him, "You don't understand anything. I never looked after the Shikon for glory or attention. It was my duty."
He nodded, "Still...I'd be upset."
Kikyo looked at him.
Was it possible? Could she...be brought back? Become alive again?
To be warm? To feel something other than anger and loss and hate? To taste food, and water?
Was it possible?
"And how do I know this isn't a trap?" Kikyo asked.
The man shrugged, "I guess you don't. Not like he can do much to you, though. I mean, you're already dead, right?"
Kikyo narrowed her eyes. InuYasha had told her Naraku was back. Was this man in league with him?
But...she didn't sense Naraku's aura about this man, and she had always been able to sense anyone Naraku was in league with.
Was it possible?
As if reading her mind, the man spoke again, "He's a Senmin, by the way."
Kikyo blinked, looking startled, "He..."
The man nodded, "My master. He's Senmin. He saw the work you used to do before, and approves. And he wants to give you back your mortal soul, bring you back to life."
"In exchange for what?"
The man shrugged, "I don't know. You'd have to talk to him about that. I'm just a go-between. He might want you to repay him by doing something, healing someone, I honestly don't know."
Kikyo watched this man cautiously. Something seemed off, and yet...if this man's master truly was a Senmin...he might be able to do what he said.
"What is your master's name?"
The man smiled, "Tsubaro. Would you like to meet with him?"
Kikyo studied the man in silence for a while, and then spoke, "And where would I meet him?"
"Wherever you wanted. He would come to you, if it would make you more comfortable."
Kikyo paused, then nodded, "Tell him to meet me here. And I will decide."

The small group walked along the path, as it snaked through the forest. From time to time the trees would thin out, and they could see the ocean.
Kagome kept her eyes on the ocean as she walked, watching it's deep blue hue. The sun shone on it, sparkling brightly.
Her mind was on her home.
That group. That very powerful, rich coorporation, the Matsumoto co-orporation knew about InuYasha. Knew all about him. His face, that he was half hanyou, where he was from, everything.
Now he was going to have to hide in her house if he came to her world. He couldn't risk going down to the city anymore.
Kagome had expected InuYasha to rage against it, go down into the city just to prove a point, pissed off, challenging anyone to a fight. She had been surprised when he had said he would willingly go along with it.
She knew he was feeling angry and guilty. Guilty because now her family could be in danger just by his presence. InuYasha didn't want anyone at risk because of him. She knew if it were just up to him, he'd go and hang out for weeks in the middle of the city, just to dare someone to try something. But now...
Trees blocked her view, and she looked back to the path again.
Kagome had always been afraid something like this would happen. You couldn't watch any tv or movie that featured a person or thing from another planet or world that didn't involve the government of that country wanting it to cut up and see what was inside.
InuYasha would be no different.
I guess I should be thankful, she thought, It's not my government, it's just that one group. Even if it is powerful, it's not like they can jump out of the sky in helicopters in the middle of the day and attack.
"What the hell is that?"
Kagome looked up where InuYasha was standing.
He was peering out through a gap in the forest, to the sea. Kagome walked up to where he was looking, standing beside him, and followed his line of vision.
There was an island out there, on the edge of the water, and a strange blue light was emcompassing it. The entire island looked like it was glowing.
"I've never seen anything like that in my life," Sango said.
Miroku shook his head, "Nor I. I am sensing something strange about it, though."
"Yes, so am I." Sango agreed.
The monk looked at InuYasha, "Do you sense anything, InuYasha?"
Ears flicked, "Sort of. It's weird. It's not a demon, and it doesn't have the same feel to it as the Shadelings do."
Kagome turned to the Kageri behind her, "DarkWind, have you ever seen anything like this before?"
DarkWind shook his head, "No, Nushi, I have not. Nor do I sense what Miroku-Monk or the others are sensing, which is strange. I can see the light, but..." he shrugged.
Kagome looked back to the strangely glowing island, then turned to the others, "Should we check it out?"
Miroku and Sango exchanged glances, then they both nodded. Sango spoke, "It might be another attack by a Shadeling or something. We can't just leave it alone."
"You and InuYasha have managed to kill three of them," Miroku said, "But that leaves Jemu that we know of, as well as Phobia, and the little thing that managed to transport all of us to separate worlds. If Keimetsu wants to weaken this world, and was using the Shadelings as shook troops, as Kagome called them, it stands to reason he may have brought more here."
"That's all we need," InuYasha growled. His mood was not improving today.
"Come on, then, let's go see."

"Eh...Lord Sesshomaru? Do you see that over there?"
The demon lord paused, turning to where Jakkan was pointing.
An island out in the ocean seemed to have a strange glow about it.
Lord Sesshomaru studied the island in silence.
Strange. He had passed this way many times before, and could not remember seeing that island glow like that. And yet there was no demon aura about it.
Some doings of Keimetsu?
"Jakken."
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Stay here with Rin. I will go and observe what is happening on that island."
"What? Don't leave me here with Rin, my Lord, let your faithful vas...uhhh." Jakken fell silent as Lord Sesshomaru turned, regarding the imp with a golden stare over a shoulder.
Jakken faltered, "Yes, my Lord, of course."
The demon lord turned, moving slowly back towards the ocean front.

"The glow is getting brighter," Kagome said, when her small group passed through some trees.
Before them, the island lay silent, trees standing tall. The strange blue glow made no sound, nor was there anything else out of the ordinary about it, save for that glow.
When they had broken into a long stretch of land that ran out to a cliff overlooking the ocean, they paused, watching. From here they had a good high view of the island. Trees leaned slightly, having grown in the ocean wind all their lives, a massive rocky upthrust running along the clearing, like the spine of some massive, half-buried monster.
Kagome looked at the light, raising a hand unconsciously to where the Shikon lay under her shirt.
InuYasha noticed, and turned to her, "Kagome?"
She blinked, noticing what she was doing, and dropped her hand. The others noticed as well, and turned to her.
"What is it, Kagome?" Miroku asked.
"I don't like it," she said lowly. She turned back to look out at the strangely glowing island, "I...it feels bad."
InuYasha flicked an ear, staring out over the water, but speaking to her, "Bad how?"
"I can't explain, just...wrong. Rotten. Decayed. Something that...just...shouldn't be here."
They fell silent.
Miroku noticed that there were no birds in the trees near them. It was strangely silent, as if even the birds were hesitant to speak.
"Sango, would Kirara be alright with carrying me, you, Shippo, and InuYasha out to that island to have a look around?"
"Shippo doesn't weigh anything, and she's carried us before."
"What about Kagome?" InuYasha asked, turning to look at Miroku.
The monk spoke hesitantly, "I..ah..thought DarkWind could bring her."
InuYasha turned, looking back out over the water, "Mph."
Miroku spoke lowly to the hanyou, a private conversation, "You cannot run over water, InuYasha, nor jump that far. If you want to go to the island, you will have to fly on Kirara. And since I don't think she could carry all of us-"
"Alright, fine, whatever."
Miroku sighed. InuYasha had been in a strange mood ever since returning from Kagome's world.
"I'm not sure what we'll encounter when we get there," Miroku said, "So we need to be prepared for-"
"Look!" Kagome took a step forward, pointing.
From the island, a long blue beam of light was shooting straight up into the air. It rose straight up until it vanished among the clouds, a pale blue pillar of light. It seemed to pulse there for a moment or two, and then flickered and faded.
Everyone was silent.
"And what was that?" Shippo asked, his green eyes wide.
Kagome turned, looking back at them where she had taken a step closer towards the cliff edge, "Guys, I really don't like this. Something is telling me this is wrong, it's all wrong. I don't think we should stay here any longer."
Everyone blinked at her, and then InuYasha stepped towards her, "You think I'm going to start running again?!"
"I'm serious, InuYasha, something is so wrong here."
"I don't care! I don't run! Whatever is out there, I'll take it on and beat the crap out of it!"
"InuYasha..."
The hanyou opened his mouth to say something, but fell silent as a pale blue transparent sphere seemed to appear around him. It flickered into being silently, pulsing slightly. InuYasha blinked, raising a hand to it.
"InuYasha!" Kagome cried, running to him.
The others moved swiftly to his side, reaching out.
They could feel a pressure under their hands, as if the hanyou was completely encased in a carrier. It felt cool and smooth to the touch. InuYasha pressed his hand against it. Scowling, he slashed out with his claws, but nothing happened, not even a scratch mark appeared. He felt his claws scour along the barrier, but no visible sign remained.
"Get him out of there!" Kagome cried, and started beating on the sphere with her fists. She was starting to panic.
"I can hear you, I can even smell you guys," InuYasha said, glaring around him at the barrier, "But I can't get out! What the hell is this?"
His friends were all circling him, hands out, feeling the strange pale blue barrier that had suddenly erected itself about him. Kagome had removed her sword, and was banging the hilt against the edge of the blue glow.
Shippo leapt into the air, releasing a great gout of foxfire at the sphere. It rippled around the edges before going out. InuYasha, who had leapt back as far as he could when the Kitsune let loose, leaned forward, hands in fists, "You want to warn me next time you do that!?"
Miroku knocked the tip of his Holy Staff against it, "It's solid. Yet air and sound can still travel in and out."
"This reminds me of that thing that took us to Tarangoi's castle that time," Kagome said worriedly, rapping on the sphere with her knuckles.
InuYasha snorted, trying his claws on the inside of the sphere again. Nothing, even a squealing sound. He could feel them biting into something, but no sound, no sign. Nothing.
"Damnit all to hell!"
The sphere suddenly started pulsing again, flickering. It grew brighter and brighter, growing in brightness quickly, ramping up. The four outside were forced to back up, throwing their arms up to block the light.
"InuYasha!?" Kagome called, frightened.
"What's going on!?" Miroku called out, "InuYasha?"
The brightness continued to grow in intensity, flickering like some horrible pale blue strobe light. It was all eerily silent.
There was one huge, masive pulse, and then the light faded out, into nothing.
Cautiously, they lowered their arms, blinking in the after effects of the brilliant light.
The sphere, and InuYasha, were nowhere to be seen.