Chapter one: Fear

"Kagome"

A soft whisper swept through the darkness. A voice all too familiar to one's beating heart. Her eyes danced swiftly, trying to hunt down the one who it belonged to. The trees rustled all around, covering up any form that may hide in their shadows. It was a starless night. Dark clouds hanging low, giving off a loud rumble in its wake. Storms were approaching rather hastily, telling everyone that they needed to seek out shelter immediately.

She had long forgotten how far she ran from the demon. All she knew now was that she was alone.

No one even knew that she had returned to this world, for it was a split second after she stepped out of the well when the monster had attacked. Not knowing what to do, she jumped to the side, barely managing to avoid its deathly blow. There was no time to act and there was no chance she would be able to handle this one on her own. 'Run!' She told herself and immediately took off in the opposite direction, while desperately dodging left and right. 'I have to hide! But where?...'

Kagome, as fast as she was, was not fast enough to out run this beast. There were only so many times she could keep this up before she completely ran out of stamina. Running was one thing, but having to constantly jump out of the way and get back up only to do it all again, was another. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the ground collapsed all around. Dragging both her and the creature down into the depths below.

Pain, shortly followed by small gasps of air had emerged. She had landed hard on her side, making her feel like a fish out of water as she struggled to take in oxygen. Layers of dirt and rocks had fallen on top of her, completely hiding her small, petite body from the demon that now stood unharmed by the sudden impact.

The demon was approximately ten feet tall. It had four arms. All embedded with an armor of spikes that glistened with a fiery ember that arose from the outside of its flesh. On top of his head were horns that curved together to form a crown, which to Kagome looked as though she had ran into the devil himself. Diablo, she had named him, for He was most definitely death incarnate.

'I can't move!' The weight of all the dirt that lay on top of her was too much. All she could do was lay there silent, as she awaited what was to come. A clawed hand bigger than her torso reached through the pile of dust and retrieved her, only to throw her with such force into the next wall. A loud snap could be heard followed by a grunt of pain. Something had broken inside the miko, paralyzing her completely. There were no thoughts, just pain and fear.

However, Kagome refused to walk with death any longer. She closed her eyes and with what little energy she had left, willed a powerful blow to immense out from her body. A bright red light could be seen from all around as she blasted Diablo with her spiritual energy, causing him to dissipate in a matter of seconds. The hard part was over, or so she thought.

Inuyasha sat outside of Kaede's hut watching the morning light rise. He was the only one up at the time. It had been a long night previously. Kagome had crossed over to her side of the well after a mild argument had occurred between the two. It seemed they had been fighting a lot more than necessary and yesterday was the last straw. During the middle of the argument, Kagome took a deep breath and instead of yelling and telling him to sit repeatedly, she took in a deep breath and told him rather calmly, that she was going to give him his much needed space. Until they could talk in a peaceful manner, she would not be back. Of course he protested, telling her to stop being stupid and work things out with him, but she just smiled and softly spoke those dreaded words "Farewell Inuyasha." With that she ran off leaving a confused hanyou behind.

'I'm sorry Kagome.' It was his fault that she left. She had insisted that they stay and take a break in the village before going off after the shards. She kept telling him that something felt wrong and she felt that she needed to be there, but his stubbornness got the better of him. He told her to stop being so useless countless of times that day, hurting her feelings in more than one way. Finally she had enough and quietly walked away from him. He couldn't take it back now, and his pride wouldn't let him follow her to make it up to her, so he was stuck there with a very unhappy group and his thoughts.

The sunrise was always something he loved to share with the Miko. Something that he never did with his first love, Kikyo. Sure, she was the first woman to show him a world where he felt needed-where he felt wanted, but Kagome accepted him for who he was. Even on the days that he put her down, she would always be right there, to help him-and to be there for him through thick and thin.

"Inuyasha," came a sleepy voice "You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Miroku, the wise one of the bunch. He always knew too much about a situation before anyone ever said a word.

"I don't know why I do it Miroku. I know I messed up this time. You should have seen her eyes as she left."

The monk gave a small nod to show that he understood. "Give her time Inuyasha. She'll come around."'Even though we both know that she shouldn't' A small thought went through the monks mind,but he would never say such a hurtful thing. Not unless it was necessary.

The others could be heard stirring in their slumbers. They were rising to see what the day had in store for them. The place was so quiet with Kagome away and they all knew who to blame for her absence. Inuyasha could feel their eyes pierce daggers into his back. Finally he snapped. "Do You MIND?! I know I messed up, okay! I don't need you to remind me every time I walk by!"

"Then go get her?!" Spoke the young fox demon. He needed his sweet Kagome. She was so caring to him, like a mother and also a best friend. She took him in even though it was against the half demons will. He was alone in this world until she came along.

"I agree with Shippo, Inuyasha."

"Not you too Sango!"

She looked at him with disapproving eyes. "Kagome does her best to provide what she can for this group and you take advantage of that fact, Inuyasha. She may not be strong like you and me, but she is strong in ways that we can't even began to compare with. She gets her heart broken on nearly a daily basis by you, but she still stays by your side and puts on a smile to make you happy." Inuyasha couldn't deny that the truth hurt but what was he to do about it? She didn't want to see him and she was tired of the fighting. He couldn't ask her to come back to him now. It was asking too much. "I'm going for a walk. Don't come looking for me any time soon." And with that, Inuyasha took off to sit by the river.

Sango turned her attention towards the monk and the little kitsune, in hopes she hadn't said anything too out of line. "Was I too harsh on him?" Miroku walked over to place a hand on her shoulder. "Sango, what you said, as harsh as it may have been, were words that he needed to hear. Without feeling that guilt, he will never acknowledge that he did anything too major to Kagome and will proceed to go on without a second thought." Sango took in his words, realizing that what he said was true. The Monk was a really good guy if only -

"PERVERT!" *Smack

A big hand print could be seen across his facial features. When would he learn that just because she lets her guard down for a split second doesn't mean it was an invitation for him to fondle her backside.

Hours had passed by and the sky began to darken. Storms were on their way in. Inuyasha loved the rain but he didn't particularly enjoy what came with it. Storms were always hard on the hanyou. It weakened his sense of smell, allowing him to be vulnerable to whatever chaos was to ensue. At least he didn't have to worry about Kagome. She was in the safest place she could be at a time like this. At home, away from hoards of demons and away from the dangers of Naraku.

The wind started to pick up rather hard. He really should get back to the group just in case something were to happen. Lightning struck a tree not too far from him, temporarily deafening his ears. 'That was too close for comfort' He said silently in his head, taking that as his Que to head back.

The rain began as a small drizzle and then picked up to a complete downpour, flooding the area around. Not even ten minutes had passed by and the water on the ground already reached to top of Inuyasha's ankle. It was a cold day. When the wind blew, it felt as though jack-frost had come to the village with a vengeance. It was a good thing that he had the robe of the fire rat. It may have been thin, but it did its job. Not only did it protect him from harm, but it kept his temperature at a decent level.

The villagers had been rushing to get into their homes when he past them by. Some grabbing piles of firewood before proceeding inside. From a nearby distance, he over heard the monk and Sango. They had been out in this weather to assist some of the elderly, making sure they were set before retreating back to the safety of Kaede's home. His friends had such a great heart. He admired them for it. Not everyone would be willing to put their neck on the line to help another in need.

It wasn't long after that Inuyasha busted through the opening of the door. Water poured off of his body and he let out a shiver. "You guys alright?" He proceeded to ask before making his way to the bonfire in the middle of the room. "Aye, we are Inuyasha. Thank you." The old woman looked at him with her one good eye to let him know that she appreciated his concern. "It looks as though we are stuck here for a while though. The storm doesn't look like it will end any time soon."

"It's a good thing Kagome didn't come back. She wouldn't be able to find the village with how bad it's gotten outside." Said the little kitsune as he tried to see outside the flap that covered the door. It was so dark and so windy that you couldn't make out what was in front of you from 5 feet away.

"Get away from the door Shippo. You're letting out the warmth." Inuyasha barked. More annoyed at the fact that he mentioned the fact that Kagome had yet to return to him. Something was bugging him though. The thought that she managed to come back through the well and being trapped in this bothered him. What if she had? What if she was lost and cold, trying to find her way back to her friends? Should he go look for her?

"No." Miroku's voice broke through his thoughts. " If you went now, you would only endanger yourself. You couldn't track her down with her scent because its been washed away. Not only that, but did you not hear Shippo? You can't see to even figure out what direction you are going. Relax and wait for the storm to die down some." There was no use in arguing with the monk. He made valid points but all his canine senses were going off, telling him something was wrong.

'Kagome. Please be safe'

Shippo curled up by the fire. A sad, worried expression lay upon his face. Whatever thoughts passed through the young boys mind was also on every one else's as well. There wasn't much talking between the individuals, Just a few questions here and there followed by the simplest answer one could come up with. Sango had kept herself busy as she passed around a few fleece blankets that Kagome had generously given to them. She was always such a caring girl.

'Hey Shippo" Shippo raised his green eyes to face a smiling Sango. She was holding something behind her back, peaking his curiosity. "What's up, Sango?" She reached a slender hand in his direction, beckoning for him to follow her.

"How have your gaming skills been lately?" She asked, pulling out a small box of cards as she took a seat over by one of the corners of the hut.

"You know I'm the best" He let out a cheerful laugh. "What are we going to play?"

"Well Shippo, Do you remember that game Kagome taught us, where we ask each other if they have a certain card and you either say yes or Go fish?"

Shippo's tail began to wag a little bit. He was so small and cute and so innocent. It was true that he was a full fledged demon, but with him being so young, he wouldn't make it very far in the world by himself. Sango was aware of this, so when Kagome was away, she did her best to comfort him just as Kagome would. Of course, Kagome was more motherly to the young kitsune, but Sango was like a sister to him. A sister and a friend.

"Your'e going down Shippo!" Sango said, Doing her best to keep his mind off of the storm.

"Not if I can help it!" Miroku cut in, taking a seat beside his friends, "Mind if I join?" With the smile placed upon his face, no one with a heart could tell him no. There was always that charm that he had. It was always intoxicating to the demon slayer, but she would never allow him to know that.

"Kaede, do you care to join?" Again, that charming smile of his allowed him to have his way as the old woman started to make her way over to them.

"It's not every day we get to do this" The group nodded in unison.

"We couldn't agree more, my lovely Sango." Before Miroku could ruin the mood with his lecherous hand, Sango quickly passed the deck over to him. "You shuffle!" She said, giving him a 'Don't even think about it' look.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha watched from the sideline. As wonderful of a time it would be to play cards with his friends, his demon senses would not allow him to let his guard down. He didn't know what it was, but it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His hand gripped tightly around Tessaiga. Just as he did, a loud crash was heard in a far off distance. Almost as though it was coming from the bone eaters well.

Everyone heard this and quickly stood up, abruptly putting their game to a halt. Shippo looked around and began to ask a question but immediately stopped himself for the fact that he already knew the answer. Everyone knew the sound wasn't the cause of the weather at hand. The fact of the matter was that it did come from the direction of the well. Was Kagome back? Had something happened? Had Naraku found out about her time travelling and put a stop to it? There were too many questions that needed to be answered.

"I'm going!" Inuyasha stated, daring anyone to try to stop him.

"We'll come with you! Miroku, hand me the hiraikotsu!" He immediately grabbed the demon forged boomerang and tossed it to her, grabbing his staff at the same time before running over to Inuyasha.

"SHIPPO! Stay!" Sango yelled, before pulling open the flap to the door and chasing after the two men that had gone before her.

The rain had not stopped and the wind had been just as powerful as before. It had already turned night, making it even harder to make out where they were going. Even if they were to get separated, they had the same destination and fortunately for everyone, they were fully capable of taking care of themselves.

Inuyasha was in the front, taking point, while Miroku was just a few feet behind him. Sango stayed in the back, cautiously looking around to make sure there were no surprise attacks headed their way. Suddenly, everyone stopped to shield their eyes from the massive red light that exploded from the forest. The ground shook underneath them, threatening to give way. "Sango!" Miroku called behind him, reaching out to take her by the hand. " We have to get away"

"Where's Inuyasha?!"Miroku tried to look past the red beams to make out his comrade, but to no avail. Inuyasha was already long gone.

'Damn it! What the hell is going on?' Inuyasha was running, trying to find the source of the light. Whatever it was made his body feel uneasy. It was spiritual energy that had been set loose in the forest, purifying anyone and anything that had been near. Fortunately for him, it only lasted a few seconds before fading away.

The rain hadn't stopped but the wind did, making his journey a little bit easier. Finally he found himself in front of the bone eaters well. Trees had broken off and fallen to ground. There were large craters in the ground that all led in one direction. Inuyasha stopped and observed his surroundings, taking note of every little dent and cranny that could be seen. The well itself was only partly damaged. Half of the wood that was once in tact had been smashed into little pieces, making a small barricade, preventing anyone from coming and going from this world to the next.

"INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha turned to look at his two friends, grateful that they had made it.

"what the-" Sango felt herself filled with worry. She didn't know how to take the sight before her. But before she could finish, Inuyasha cut her off.

"There was obviously an attack of some sort. I Don't know what from, or what they were after, but it wouldn't be wise for us to ignore this." He pointed to well. "The well is sealed which means there will be no passing through time at the current moment. Whatever happened here was an obvious attack towards Kagome. For whatever reason, we need to find out why."

Inuyasha felt a shiver run through his body. Though it was freezing out there in the rain, the shiver did not come from that. It was fear. Fear that something terrible had happened to Kagome. Fear that he might not actually get to make amends with the young Miko. And fear that he would find her a moment too late. The clock was ticking.

Meanwhile, down in a dark hole lay a young girl, currently unable to move. Her body was badly injured. Undoubtedly, she had a few broken bones here and there. She had deep gashes that were all over her body. There was an endless amount of blood that trickled from her head and down her back. With the fall and then being thrown into the wall she now leaned against, she was surprised that she was even alive. She remembered being so scared when the demon Diablo started walking towards her to make the final blow. She remembered closing her eyes and feeling hatred towards this demon. She wasn't ready to die just yet. She had things to do and she was determined that it was not her that would die this day.

A warm feeling had risen from the inside of her chest. It felt like liquid fire burning the inside of her soul. 'The pain' She thought to herself. 'It's too much!' And then all at once, she felt something escape from her body. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" She screamed a blood gurgling cry of pain while opening her eyes to see this red light radiating off of her, followed by a force that caused the demon to literally melt into nothing.

Kagome couldn't comprehend what had happened. She knew it was her doing that the demon no longer appeared before her, but she didn't know What she had done or more so how she had done it.'That feeling' Kagome raised her hand to her heart, trying to sooth the pain away. Kagome sat in silence, watching the rain fill the hole that she was in. It was already to her waist.

'This is nice' She thought to herself 'after all that, I'm going to drown. If that doesn't kill me then the cold will...'

Kagome tried to force herself on her feet. It took a couple of tries but she finally managed. She looked up at sky, making her feel more like a caged bird than she already did. She had fallen further down than she realized. The opening was way out of her reach and she didn't have a way to climb out unless...

An idea came to her. The walls were made of thick soil, but since it had been raining so hard, she might actually be able to make indention's with her hands and climb her way to the top.

"Here's to nothing" She said to no one in particular. Her bruised hand reached up to grab hold of the mud, making her way out of the watery hell she was in. "That's it. A little more."

It took a lot of effort to pull herself on top of the land. She had to bite back the pain with each movement she made. She thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't slipped and fallen back down to the pit below. The water was much higher now which would have softened her landing, but she didn't think she could keep herself from drowning with being in her current condition.

'Get up Kagome' she told herself. As much as she wanted to rest for a minute, she knew she couldn't. She was still bleeding out and was in dire need of medical attention. 'If only I hadn't have dropped my bag while running.' Somewhere in between dodging and running, she felt her backpack slide off her shoulders. She didn't know how far back she had to go to locate it because she had ran for what seemed like an eternity. When the ground had gave way, it was both a curse and a blessing on her part. The demon had started summon some sort of fire attack to use against her. It was when she felt the burning sensation behind her that let her know she was done for, but then the ground opened up and had caused her to fall out of the way of the attack.

Kagome started back down the path to the bone eaters well when she heard her name being called.

"Kagome"

It was a whisper so soft that she questioned if she actually heard it. She couldn't be for certain if she was alone or not so she stopped in her track and looked around her. Her eyes quickly skimmed through the trees looking for any signs of life. The nights shadows made everything seem ominous. She was out in the open while whoever was there was hidden somewhere behind one of the trees.

The voice was familiar, but she couldn't put two and two together to make out who it belonged to. 'I have to keep going!' She did all but yell at herself for stopping. It could only end badly on her part if she didn't find shelter. She didn't know who was calling out to her and at that moment she didn't care to find out. All she wanted was to be surrounded by her friends. A smile spread across her features when she thought of a certain hanyou that would be most displeased by not only her absence, but by her carelessness. At that moment, she would have given her left arm just to hear his voice.

'wait for me guys. I'll be there soon.' She hoped, as she limped her way through the forest one more time.

If you don't mind, please leave a review for me. I haven't written in a long time and this is a long shot from being through, but I would love to hear what you think about it thus far. Both good and bad comments are welcome. I look at them to help me fix my errors and move to become a better writer. Slowly but surely, this story will be done but it means nothing if no one takes the time to read and review it. Thank you guys for your time and I hope you enjoy! :D

-Lena