Fallen

Author's Note: So seeing as I had not included the disclaimer last chapter: I hereby disclaim all rights to Inuyasha except for my plot or any characters I have or will create. There. Now, is it just me, or do the italics on FFnet piss anyone else off? On Microsoft it looks all smooth and on there it looks pixel-y (bad description, I know). Thanks to those who Faved, Followed, and Reviewed.

Chapter Two Part I: Riddles and Rhymes, All The Time

*Also, I just want to say before beginning this chapter that I have no problem with disfigured children, and that I honestly had no idea at the time of what to describe them as. Forgive me if it offends you.*

After three months of alternating between the Sengoku Era and Modern Japan (Eri, Ayumi and Hojo had a hissy-fit about her missing the 'date') Kagome bluntly told everyone her desires on day in Kaede's hut.

"I want to start traveling again." She said it so suddenly that Inuyasha choked on his stew. Miroku chuckled bemusedly at the display before turning to her. "What brought that thought along, Kagome-sama?"

She smiled wistfully. "Truthfully, the shrine has been doing well for the past few years and I haven't planned on getting a career so far," Inuyasha glared at her as she made kissy faces at him when Yuki went to pat him on the back.

"And honestly, while I'm not ready to give my time up, this one is a lot more thrilling." She really wished Sesshomaru hadn't taken Shippo away to go "train the kit as to prepare him to take over his clan" so he could agree excitedly with her, but it is what it is.

Miroku leaned in close to her, smirking as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I agree with Kagome-sama. Who knows what thrilling adventures we could—" Inuyasha cut him off as he threw the bowl of stew at him.

"Hands off of my little sister, you asshole." Miroku sweated nervously as Inuyasha eyes gleamed manically. Inuyasha sat back down, resting his hands into his haori sleeves. "I have to protect this village, ya know. And Yuki has to finish training so she can become the healer when Kaede passes." It was silent in the hut as they pondered this, mellowing out as they were reminded of Kaede.

"Well," Kagome spoke up, linking her arm with a gleeful Miroku. "We can go travel while you two stay here." She said. "We are, after all, very able to protect ourselves." And it was true. In the last months, more demons had come for the jewel and Kagome had learned that, while the curse had been broken, the Wind Tunnel was still located in Miroku's hand, no longer growing but ending with him in his family lineage.

Inuyasha spluttered at that, trying to come up with a good enough excuse. Yuki rested a hand on his forearm, smiling serenely. "Inuyasha, she obviously misses seeing the lands. And as she said, they are able to protect themselves and make quite the team." Inuyasha blushed, turning to face the bamboo covering by the door.

"Fine," He mumbled out. "But you have to return every once in a while or I'll track you both down and drag you here kicking and screaming." He warned, turning to face them directly. They smiled, knowing that he would keep his promise, but it wasn't going to be that easy.

Truth be told, a week later they had left Edo, Kagome having said farewell to her family on the other side and the both of them saying goodbye to Inuyasha, Yuki and Kaede. It had been a week when they had happened upon another village.

As they entered, they immediately noticed something was off. Kagome watched with wide eyes as a transparent child suddenly appeared in front of them with lifeless eyes. "It'd be best you leave now." The tone was smooth and soft, distinctly male but broken. "If you wish to stay, you will probably end up like the rest of us."

The word 'us' echoed through Kagome's mind before she dropped to her knees in front of the momentarily surprised boy, not caring if she got her kimono dirty (she switched as she realized she hadn't really needed to wear the school uniform in the first place). "We will stay."

She shivered when the ghost—boy, she corrected herself—gripped her hand before grabbing Miroku's, leading them to a well kept but mostly deserted inn. The boy sent them a glance as if to say, "wait here." Before entering the inn via through walls.

There were faint murmurings before the door opened to reveal a girl; she looked to be about 15 in age. She was pale, a sickly pale and she was dressed in a dark yukata with a red obi sash. Her dark eyes flittered to the silent boy to the two companions before she bowed.

"Welcome, Miko-sama, Monk-sama." She glanced at the boy again. "I'm hoping my brother, Huyu, didn't cause too much trouble? My name is Fuu, excuse my manners. Please, come inside. I'll set some tea on."

The two spiritual beings followed her into the house before breaking off separate ways, Kagome and Miroku with Huyu and Fuu by herself. Legs folded underneath her on the tatami mat, she waited for either of them to begin speaking.

"Your name…is Huyu?" Miroku hesitantly asked. Sure, he'd exorcised spirits before, but he'd never seen, nor had he sat down and talked to one. Huyu inclined his head. "Yes. Mother and Father named me for my birth season. When I found out, I couldn't bear the heart to tell them that winter was cold and deadly."

They nodded just as Fuu came back in, setting a cup of tea in front of them all (minus Huyu). "I'm assuming you're wondering why this village holds so many disturbances in spiritually?" Fuu questioned, folding her legs under her. Miroku nodded solemnly.

"Yes. I hope you won't mind to tell us. We may even be able to help." Fuu smiled at Kagome's words, the smile seeming to not fit her face. "There's been a curse on this village for longer than my parent's lives. When my grandparents were still here, they told me of a girl that had been killed because she showed other worldly powers."

She gestured to the two. "She possessed spiritual powers, but since we were isolated from major villages we hadn't even known what a monk or miko was. She was burned to the stake, the townspeople smoldering her name with witch." Kagome flinched a bit.

"From then on, she began to haunt us all. She taunted those she was after, who possessed spiritual abilities, with rhymes riddles. Those who didn't have spiritual abilities were left moderately alone. She has since been haunting us ever since." Fuu sipped her tea quietly. "I was one of the victims." Huyu spoke up, his gaze ever-so blank.

"She seems to prefer us children actually. She's not so harsh to us when deciding our death as she is with the adults." The monk and miko seemed a little creeped out by it, but they listened heatedly. "Anyway—"

"It won't end. I can't pretend. That I want to see them all dead. I'll get them back for what they did. They burned me up, yes they did. Damn all these wastes of air. I'll assure the decline, I declare~"

Fuu looked a little startled, as did her brother. The two companions were in slight shock. A voice giggled at their miffed expressions. "Hehe~! Oh but don't you worry, my little lambs. You decent into death will be placed in good hands! I'll come for you later, so sleep very well. I hope you fall into madness, but only I will tell."

The pressure in the room suddenly disappeared. "I see she has found you two." Huyu frowned, his transparent figure walking over to the two. "I warned you to leave while you still had time." Kagome shook her head, lightly elbowing her monk friend to get him out of his thoughts. "There is no use leaving now, or trying to get us to leave for that matter," Kagome began, silently gauging their reactions.

They didn't seem too surprised by her declaration. "Now that we know your situation, we'll stick to you like pestering fleas." Miroku continued, smiling charmingly. Fuu laughed a bit, her brother having a small smile on his face. "We best get you a place to sleep then, yes?"

"Will you be needing one room? Or two?" Huyu asked, looking between the two with a bluish eyebrow raised. They laughed at the question he implied. "Two; we're not together. We're just friends." Kagome said, ruffling the boys' locks. She shivered as a cold tingle went up her spin when she did that.

- (Dream Sequence)

"Tick tock, goes the clock…"

Children surrounded her. Injuries were oozing blood and some even had bone showing. Some had their heads looped off; others had eyeballs sticking out of their sockets. She even saw one with his intestines hanging out.

Her eyes watered as smoke filled the air. She scrunched her nose up as an awful smell wafted to her senses. Was that…burning flesh? She turned to the children again, surprised to see that they weren't disfigured as they were before. They looked like regular children.

She went to reach out for one, but her hand merely went right through them. Her eyes widened as she stared into many dull and blank eyes. All at once, they started to march to where the burning flesh smell had wafted from.

"And all the years they fly…"

She tried to yell for them to stop, but her mouth seemed to be sewn shut. As the children bypassed her, she noticed Huyu at the back of the group, standing still as his hand reached out to her. Her actions seemed to return to herself and she immediately took the younger boys' hand.

"You're having a dream." He said in a monotone voice, knowing she couldn't speak. He pointed to where the children were marching too and she turned, her eyes widening. There was a large bonfire with a stake burning in the middle. All around it the ground, and even some of the buildings, were covered in blood.

In the midst of it stood a figure. She was a young girl, looking to be the age of Huyu. She had long, waist length black hair that set of a purple hue. Her eyes were pitch black, and her skin was a sickening pale. Her mouth twitched with bloodthirsty fascination.

"Tick tock and all too soon…"

Her mouth moved with the creepy lullaby, entrancing the children. Kagome watched in horror when they reach the fire before they jumped into it, their childish screams of pain echoing in the clearing. "She's showing you the madness."

She could only send a questioning look at him. "Everyone in this town, whether born in or traveling, that has had spiritual abilities, even the slightest bit, has been shown this. If when she calls, they do not answer, it only gets worse from there on out. There are few of us that can manifest a form, but those that do are usually to in despair to move on."

Kagome turned back to the clearing, staring into the flames as the screams of those who have died echoed in her ears. She couldn't move; couldn't speak. She was so useless. Pitch black eyes mover to her in a slow, taunting fashion before a bloodthirsty smile curled onto her lips.

"You and I must die."

The clearing erupted into flames, licking at her clothes and her skin. She was on fire. Huyu's grip started to fade and she looked down in alarm. He wasn't there anymore. She looked up onto to let out a scream when mad eyes met her own.

The little girl caressed her face with childlike curiosity, but to Kagome it seemed she was testing her. For what, she didn't know. All she knew was that she hurt. And that a crazy little serial killer ghost was staring at her.

She stilled when she felt the flames grow in heat. The girl stared at her in morbid fascination, seemingly perplexed by her pain. Why was she in pain again? Oh right, the flames. She looked around and her eyes started to hurt. Turning to the child once more, all she saw was a burnt carcass staring eerily at her in the face.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Author's Note: The "Tick Tock" poem was something from Doctor Who, if anyone wanted to know. That one part just seemed to fit the scene a lot. So, how was my first shot at Horror? Was I any good at it? Should I continue with the horror-themed chapters or do something different?

Vote for the poll on my profile where you want the second book of Fallen to take place in. To any whom are confused, the ones with the asterisks I AM doing, but that doesn't mean I'm doing them any time soon. I just want your opinion on those ones. You're free to vote on whichever ones you prefer.