The Brewing Storm

Two

Kagome shot up from the ground where she had fallen asleep, the nightmare from which she had awoken tearing at her as she gasped for breath, feeling the sweat beading down her forehead. Kagome gazed around, seeing that Miroku, Sango, Kilala and Shippo were still asleep beside her. Inuyasha looked questioningly at her across the fire. 'Bad dream?' he asked. She nodded in reply. 'You were mumbling in your sleep.'

'It was just a nightmare. Do you think it has anything to do with the broken sunset?'

'Maybe,' he replied, before one of those awkward silences she knew all too well fell over them.

As the silence swept through their campsite, Kagome found herself recalling the dream she had just awoken from. An image of a dark, shadowy, cloaked creature came before her eyes. Fire, water and a thick mist encircling around it, she shivered as she shook the menacing image from her mind. 'Are you cold or somethin'?' asked Inuyasha.

'I'm good, my dream just…I guess it just freaked me out a bit, or, a lot.' He got up slowly, walking round the fire and sitting beside her, draping his kimono round her shoulders.

'What was it about?' he asked as she leant her head into his shoulder, pulling the kimono tightly round her.

'I…I think that whatever caused the broken sunset…I think that the disturbance was the summoning of some ancient evil, and I've seen it.'

'Must have been a really detailed dream,' he said, breathing in her scent deeply. Kagome smiled.

'It's just a feeling I've got after seeing this thing.' Inuyasha leant his head on top of hers, and smiled.

'Umm, Kagome I…'

'What?' she asked.

'I need to tell you something…I-' He broke off suddenly, drawing from its sheath, the glimmering sword Tetsusaiga, getting to his feet.

'Inuyasha?'

'Wake the others,' he whispered to her.

'There is no need for that,' sounded a cold voice from the trees; Inuyasha glared as Sesshomaru and Rin stepped out of the shadows of the trees, walking towards them.

'What the hell are you doing here?' asked Inuyasha angrily, as Sango, Miroku and the others stirred from their sleep at the raised voices. They shot up on their guard as the tall, pallid, ominous figure of Sesshomaru met their sleepy eyes, only to be met with the same expressionless look in return from their enemy.

'Come now brother, you know exactly what I am here for, unless I am the only one who felt the disturbance earlier.' Inuyasha was so determined not to look as if his brother's words meant anything, but Sesshomaru saw straight through him. 'I thought so.' Miroku, Sango and the others edged forward to Kagome and Inuyasha's side, now fully awake and alert.

'What do you know about the broken sunset?' asked Miroku boldly, as Shippo leapt onto his shoulder. The little girl, Rin shifted uncomfortably at Sesshomaru's side; she hadn't liked the eeriness of the sunset either.

'The sunset was a warning,' the silver-haired demon replied. 'It is the broken sunrise where the trouble will begin.'

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' asked Sango angrily, not at all in the mood for his complacent attitude.

'If Inuyasha or yourselves had the ability to hear past the ringing earlier, you'd have known exactly what was going on.' They understood now, Sesshomaru had heard something beyond the deafening ringing sound, but what was it? 'But obviously my help isn't wanted,' he turned to leave. Inuyasha, Sango and the others did not try to stop him, the presence of the older demon made them nervous right now, especially when he was being so…unusually nice.

Kagome dashed to his side, grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. He seemed surprised that she had a sudden outburst like that, just as the others were.

'Please,' pleaded Kagome, slightly hysterical, 'help us.'

'Kagome!' argued Inuyasha.

'Kagome-chan, let go of him!' ordered Sango. Kagome turned away from them, ignoring them.

'Who is Kazuya?' asked Kagome. Sesshomaru and the others looked oddly at her, wondering how on earth she got that name.

'Stupid, what are you talking about?' She ignored Inuyasha again, still looking at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru wondered still how she got the name, but he answered her nonetheless.

'Kazuya was an ancient powerful demon; he was half youkai and half sorcerer.'

'Makes you miss Naraku a little don't it?' muttered Shippo, referring to their past and lately deceased enemy.

'No!' Inuyasha snapped. Sesshomaru continued.

'His father was a dark magics master; he was executed by the Sages before Kazuya's birth. I guess in that time you could say that the Sages were like the rulers of the world, they powered ancient magics and kept order to the world. Because Kazuya was born of such dark energy he was pure evil, and he burned his mother inside out while she brought him into the world. He grew unnaturally fast and escaped the custody of the Sages, fleeing to an ancient Sage who he tricked into giving him pity and kindness. Kazuya was found by the Sages, killed the one who helped him and it is said that, Kazuya had fallen in love with a Sage's daughter, Yuna. The Sages were merciless and cruel back then, not caring that Kazuya had sincere, human feelings they made him watch, as they branded her with the condemned mark, which stopped her from being resurrected or reincarnated, and burned her alive.'

He stopped for a moment, most probably for dramatic effect, before continuing. 'Kazuya was burned and his ashes were sealed in the Black mirror of the ancient Temple of Lost souls. The Sages banished the temple from the face of the earth, only to disappear themselves not long after and no one knew what happened to them. But I do…Kazuya was brought back today, and he's out for revenge.'

'And what exactly does his revenge intend?' asked Miroku nervously.

'It intends doing what the sages prophesized he would do - that he would throw the world under his dark reign, and kill anyone who opposes him.'

Kagome suddenly felt very sick and dizzy, and letting go of Sesshomaru she stood looking pale and shaky. Inuyasha walked to her side, looking directly at Sesshomaru.

'Why is Kagome having dreams of Kazuya?' he asked.

'Maybe this is her way of being affected by the broken sunset; she is a priestess after all.'

'The reincarnation of one…' corrected Miroku quietly.

'Or maybe…' muttered Kagome, so that the others looked to her, 'maybe he just wants you all to know he is back.' Inuyasha looked worriedly at her, wondering what the hell was happening to her.

'Makes sense,' agreed Miroku, 'for his plan to succeed he needs the strongest fighters dead. And not bragging or anything but, most of them are here right now.'

'You gotta admit,' piped up Shippo, 'we are kind of getting a reputation for ourselves, I mean we killed Naraku, The Thunder Brothers, Setsuna no Takemaru, Those creepy brothers to the demon who was in love with Inuyasha, Kaguya, Yura…'

'Hey, Kagome and me killed Yura, you just heard about her,' argued Inuyasha. Then he thought some more about what had been said. 'What Brothers? Who loved me? What demon?' he asked quizzically with a bemused expression.

'Whatever, the point is, we've always killed any threat that has faced us, so I think that maybe, he is after us, to start with anyway.' Shippo said. They all fell under silence for a moment, silently agreeing this was very likely.

'Kazuya wants us to find him,' concluded Sesshomaru, breaking the silence.

'Well he's got what he wants, coz I'm going after him,' said Inuyasha, going to walk off. Kagome turned, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her.

'Wait Inuyasha no, please don't go.'

'Kagome get off me, I have to go!' he argued.

'There is nothing that says you have to go and get yourself killed.'

'Don't be stupid, I won't die!' He pulled his arm from her grip, turning to walk off again, but stopped and turned back as she broke into tears.

'Kazuya is stronger than you are, and he will kill you if you go!' Inuyasha looked away from her, feeling guilty.

'Come on Kagome,' he said quietly, still not looking at her. 'Don't cry.'

'I have every right to cry when you're being so stupid!' The indigo clad Miroku walked supportively to her side.

'She's right Inuyasha; if you go you won't come back.' Inuyasha was furious that they were all going against him.

'So what to you propose I do, sit back and watch him destroy everything searching for us?!'

'Maybe you should just ask for help when you need it,' suggested Sesshomaru, still standing in the same spot.

'We don't need your help big shot, so why don't you just f-' he stopped mid swear word as Kagome spun round, facing the bushes. 'Kagome? What's wrong?' Kagome did not answer him; she just stared at the shadows of the trees.

'I…I heard something…' Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, finding them all so utterly pathetic. Sango placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder briefly, before walking before them, towards where Kagome was staring. As she reached the bushes, dozens of wide, hungry, golden eyes, materialised in the shadows, bringing with them low growls of hunger. Sango turned to face the others.

'Run,' she said, skidding forward and scooping up Kilala. Miroku dashed after her, Sesshomaru and Rin not far behind, Inuyasha took Kagome's hand, and dragged her after the others.

They heard the snarls of their pursuers getting louder and louder as they began to catch up, and Miroku called back to the others as he ran.

'They're some form of wolf demon! But they look different somehow!'

'Yeah, they're meaner, and they smell worse,' replied Inuyasha, with a sneer, hating wolf youkai above all the rest, all thanks to one particular demon. No sooner had Inuyasha replied, than Kagome tripped as Inuyasha pulled her forwards too fast, and her ankle gave a nasty snapping noise.

'Kagome-chan!' Sango called back, all of them stopping just as a wolf pounced on Inuyasha.

'Get going!' yelled Inuyasha, swiping the wolf with his claws, and shifting Kagome into his arms, before running after the others. Kagome wrapped her arms round Inuyasha's neck in fear, her eyes closed in the pain from her ankle. Suddenly Inuyasha skidded to a halt as he saw the others ahead, standing fast. 'Why have we stopped?' Inuyasha asked Miroku. Miroku pointed ahead, and Inuyasha saw it. A great circle of fog enfolded their feet, rising up from the ground and tumbling form the sky as it glided eerily closer.

Rin clung to Sesshomaru, trembling with fear.

'What is it?' she asked in terror, just before the fog swallowed her image, and her voice drowned out. Sesshomaru dragged her up above the fog, and she still clung to him, tears falling down her sweet face. Kilala leapt onto Sango's shoulder as the youkai exterminator slipped her hand into Miroku's.

'Whatever you do, don't let go of each other!' yelled Sango to Inuyasha and Kagome, Shippo hanging even tighter onto Miroku's shoulders. Inuyasha set Kagome's feet on the ground, his arms still tightly round her. She shivered as the icy, silver mist hit her skin, and tears of fear poured silently down her porcelain like face. As the fog was almost completely about them, Inuyasha pulled her tighter.

'I won't let go,' he assured her quietly, and the first of the fog smothered them completely.

As if from nowhere, fog continued to tumble from the sky; so thick and dense that everyone disappeared from Inuyasha's vision amidst the billowing storm that smothered every sight and sound. 'What the hell?' Inuyasha could not even hear his own voice, the only sense he had maintained was his sense of touch. Though he could not smell Kagome, she clung to him in fright, clearly scared at having lost her senses as well. She felt safest with him, she had always told him this, yet still he wondered how holding him would comfort her amongst these dense cloudy, barriers. Suddenly Inuyasha felt Kagome's body being tugged away from him. He held onto her and immediately knew what had happened. The wolves had caught up with them in the mist.

TBC

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A/N: Chappie two, is it getting better? It's hard to tell when you're the author yourself. I am trying to improve it from what it was. Maybe I'm just overly critical of my work as usual. Anyways, review please people. I should be updating two or three chapters every week, since there are five stories to get through. So. I'm going to be nice, well not now because I've left you with a cliffhanger but, you know what I mean - I'm going to be a nice updater and do it quickly, as I don't like when other authors do it to me and make me wait for the next chapter ^.^ Impatient this Shigure is, so. R&R Please, it'll make me update fast.

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Shigure

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