Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Inuyasha.

AN// It may seem gloomy now, but I assure you it is a comedy. I've posted this story before with the title of "With the power of Rocky", but I decided to rewrite it. So this beginning is brand new.

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Delicious Rocky Road

Prelude

The black ominous smoke came from the once lush forest and billowed over the ground in a dominating display of power. Pushing at the vegetation and making the trees bend and creek as they struggled against it's onslaught it seemed to slither like a thousand snakes. The leafs withered and died, going from a healthy green to a sickly muddy color. Very soon they fell down to the ground were they were crushed into dust by an unnatural force that could not be seen by the human eye.

As it spread and came ever closer it seemed to crack and burn the very air with electricity.

Their throats started to itch when they breathed in the dry air, and their nostrils were hit by the pungent odor of burnt earth and grass.

The smoke rose in the air over the very treetops as if to see its goal better before effortlessly turning to the right despite the harsh winds picking up with the upcoming storm.

As it turned unnaturally swiftly, a scream could be heard in the distance. But it quickly died down to a strangled moan and instead they could soon hear the building scream that resembled that of a dying animal spreading chills down their spines.

The smoke covering their land reminded her of poison. A malicious venom spreading through the air making it impossible to escape. They couldn't stop it. With every breath, every time she inhaled the burning air deep into her lungs, she knew it was to late. But even if she could, she knew she would not leave.

"What's happening?" A small boy no more than ten asked the woman who stood beside him. She was standing tall and proud, her eyes gleaming in the light that managed to break through the clouds quickly forming over their heads. The wind had her long black hair whipping dangerously close to her dark eyes, but the woman never blinked, staring transfixed at the coming threat she knew they couldn't fight.

He followed her gaze and saw it to. He went still as he watched the dark powers coming closer to their home. Clasping her hand tightly, he tugged lightly before asking weakly, "Mother, where is father?"

She spared him a glance before looking out the already smoke engulfed fields, "He is out tending the crops".

The child went silent, already knowing what had happened to his sire. His hand held hers in a steel grip as he heard the upset murmurs and the panic that was rising in everyone's chests as they saw their impending curse coming nearer.

A woman broke out of the stupefied crowd breathing hard and fast. She jogged the remaining distance between them and then put her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. "Mikomi", she greeted before righting herself and wiping the perspiration from her forehead.

"Saya", she answered the panting woman.

Saya noticed the boy at her side and gave Mikomi a hard stare, "He shouldn't be here". Looking behind her she saw the rest of the men of the village, "And neither should they".

"Mother… Are we going to…" He stopped mid-sentence seeing his mothers frown. He still held her hand but if it was to comfort her or himself he didn't know. But he hoped that it helped his mother as well. She was afraid. He knew why. And that was the only reason why he decided not to cry out. No matter what, he would not let her know just how frightened he really was.

She ignored the child clinging to her hand and instead stated the obvious, "He is finally coming. I refuse to run away. I will not grant him the pleasure of hunting us down like animals".

The villagers not yet blatantly staring at the approaching smoke, came out from their huts to see what all the commotion was about. The men seemed to shudder as the burnt smell burned their nostrils and quickly covered their faces with their sleeves.

"Yes", Saya answered, "Mikomi", she lowered her voice, "There is still time. If we hide them, then maybe"-

The urgency in her voice wasn't lost on the other woman, still she shock her head. "Even if I said 'Yes' he would find them".

The fear was blatant, yet they all stood their ground as the smoke finally reached them and engulfed their forms, making it impossible to see each other. Gasping and coughing could be heard and she struggled to hold her breath for as long as she could. She squeezed her sons hand in reassurance, though she knew he would know it was a lie. That knowledge nearly broke her heart.

Her sons grip on her hand tightened. She heard him whimper ever so slightly but the sound was muffled as if he was biting his own fist trying to keep quiet. Her heart clenched and her stomach seemed to twist as the small warm hand that had been holding hers so firmly for comfort disappeared. She strained her ears but even his cries were gone. She tried to find him with her eyes, but the smoke made it impossible to see even her own hands.

Her motherly instincts screamed at her to search for him, to find him before he was taken away. But she already knew that he was lost to her. She already knew he was gone.

She let out the air she had been holding and breathed in deep, resulting in an odd wheezing sound that after a while started to sound strangely like a dragged out wailing that had been cut short in the middle.

"…Mikomi?"

"I know", she faltered and turned away her face before her shoulders slumped. She should have listened. If she had then her village would have been safe. Her son would not be… "Saya". She didn't wait for her to answer from the darkness, "What do the gods want from us?", she asked brokenly. "Why did they expect me to turn my back on her"?

The darkness was everywhere in the thick fog. But even as it cleared with the help of the now rapidly falling rain, and she could once again see Saya and the familiar huts of the village, her son was gone as was everyone else.

"We prayed all night. Before I came here, I was still praying. When I left, they were still by the altar. Still…"

Saya watched her sisters empty black eyes The way the rain fell down as big drops on her clothing and hair that started to cling to her face in thin black strands. She had failed her leader. She had failed her people.

Saya bowed her head ashamed of her failure.

"I know". Mikomi's answered.

They were gone. This was a cursed village now.

She had never felt so alone and powerless in her entire life.

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AN// In the next chapter we will see some Kagome and Inuyasha comedy! This was just the epilog to the story and the tale in itself will not be particularly angst filled.

I hope you liked it.

Next chapter: What a wonderful world!