Summary: After a troubling visit to a village far away, strange and mysterious things begin to happen to Inuyasha and the others. When the disturbing truth is discovered, the group begins a dangerous journey in order to save the life of their friend. Can they escape the sickness?
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other related titles or logos.
Hello readers, and welcome to Chapter Four of 'The Sickness'. By now you all probably know that this is the revised and completely rewritten version of the story, so I hope everyone enjoys it! Thanks to all who read Chapter Three, and thanks to all who reviewed, please continue to do so! On to the story!
The Sickness
Chapter Four: The Journey for Truth Begins
Inuyasha was falling. Or was he floating? He couldn't tell. All around him was inky darkness, obscuring his sense of direction, not even a tendril of light to guide him. He felt lost in the sea of shadows, and the only person he could think of to save him was her.
Kagome.
He spoke her name like it was delicate china, meant to be preserved and protected. To his surprise she suddenly appeared next to him, radiating a soft light. He took her hand, but did not look at her. Just being by her side was enough. He was sure they were falling now, falling right out of the sky. With their fingers intertwined he felt no fear, only elation. The shadows began to melt away as their feet silently and gently touched the ground. They were standing next to the well, and for the first time Inuyasha noticed the strange and sorrowful ringing coming from within its depths. Like a mournful voice, the well sang to them.
He wanted to talk to Kagome. He needed her assurance, her love, to protect him from the dark places of the world, the unknown. He wanted to tell her about her eyes, how unbearably beautiful they were. He turned to face her. Two holes gaped back at him from her perfect face, holes as deep as the well.
Inuyasha woke with a start that almost sent him reeling out of Goshinboku. He flailed frantically, managing to balance himself on a branch. His heart was still pounding from his nightmare, his eyes still half asleep and playing tricks with shadow and light. The forest was still quiet with pale morning, yet Kagome was awake, sitting beneath the tree, and playing with the hem of her blue skirt. He hopped down from the tree, startling her.
"You're up early," he commented, his voice still rough with sleep. There were dark circles under her eyes and her voice was weak when she answered him.
"I couldn't sleep," she whispered.
The half demon nodded in understanding. His sleep hadn't been too pleasant either, and short lived as well. It was still too early for anyone to be up, as the Sun was just shyly dusting the ground with golden light. "Come with me," he said, extending his hand to her. She squeaked in surprise when he wrapped his arms around her middle and launched them both into the dense branches of the God Tree. The branches created a natural dome of shade for them, casting them into a quiet sense of comfort.
"It's nice up here," Kagome commented, leaning into his chest. Inuyasha's cheeks turned pink and he suddenly found the leaves very interesting.
"Keh."
"Inuyasha…" Kagome said, disrupting the quiet once more.
"What is it, wench?" he said, although his voice was soft.
"You know I would never lie to you, right? I would never make something up."
Inuyasha's ears twitched in confusion and a small stab of guilt raced through him. How many times had he lied to her about Kikyo in the past? "Right, and?" he said.
"So, since you know that….you would believe anything I told you?" she slowly turned her face upwards to look at him, and Inuyasha's nightmare flashed through his mind. Two beautiful brown orbs stared back at him, not the empty, dead openings he'd seen in his dream.
"That's pushing it a little, but let's just go with yeah. Now what is it you wanna tell me, Kagome?" he growled, his annoyance beginning to color his responses.
Kagome looked at him a moment more, before sitting back on the branch, a serious expression marring her usually carefree face.
"Last night at the hot springs…I…saw something," she said quietly, fearfully.
Inuyasha gazed back uncomprehendingly. "And….?" he prompted.
"Oh, Inuyasha. You're going to think I'm crazy if I tell you, but I know it really happened, and I was so scared, and-"
"Oi! Kagome, calm down. Tell me slowly what happened," he said gently.
Kagome nodded and took a deep breath to steady herself. She wanted to tell someone about what had happened, but she did not want to say her fear aloud. That would be like admitting it was real, like admitting that the monster was coming after you.
"Well…Sango and I were just bathing, like normal. I went under the water to rinse my hair and suddenly everything just got still and quiet. All the sounds were kind of…dull, you know? And I starting sinking and sinking until I hit the bottom, even though we all know those springs are shallow enough to stand in. And…honestly, Inuyasha, I am not making this up…there were dead bodies all over the place. Hundreds, at least. And they were all pale and bloated and…twisted, like in the village. And they were all staring at me. I could feel their eyes on me. Like, even though they were obviously dead, they still had a conscious thought pattern and I was picking up on it. And I guess I got scared and ended up swallowing a bunch of water, and then Sango pulled me out."
Inuyasha paused, to try to take in her story. It was hauntingly similar to his own experience by the well. A dead corpse appearing in the still and quiet, staring at you with eyes that drew you in and didn't let you escape… that's what had happened to him. And now Kagome, too, had encountered the undead.
"Did you tell Sango about it?" he asked, his claws flexing on the branch nervously.
"No. I just told her I saw a snake, because I know it sounds crazy," she admitted.
Inuyasha scoffed. "We've seen stranger things here, Kagome."
Kagome felt a small smile tug on her lips. It felt better that someone else knew, especially Inuyasha. Even the news of that dark encounter didn't dim his light. With him it was, what is it, is it dangerous, and how do I kill it? That kind of strong mental attitude helped push Kagome out of her worried mood. She'd been up all night hearing whispers and seeing ghostly forms through the trees, all due to her overactive imagination.
And even though she felt better because of Inuyasha's nonchalant response, the half demon in question did not. He could feel that creeping, ice cold fear piercing his stomach again. It was a desperate fear, an instinctual fear that gripped him, the same kind of fight or flight sensation. And then there was Kagome. After hearing her story and having that nightmare it was almost unbearable to look at her face. His heart raced every time he looked into her eyes, for he feared that she might be in danger. Something might be threatening her, something beyond the natural world and thus beyond his control.
"We should probably see Kaede about this," he urged.
"What? I thought you just said, 'we've seen stranger things here.'"
"Well, yeah! And most of those things almost succeeded in killing us, too, remember? Just because we have seen worse, and probably been through worse, it doesn't hurt to be cautious, right?"
Kagome stared back at Inuyasha as comprehension dawned on her. He was scared. Inuyasha was truly scared. 'Let's be cautious' was not his style, and that realization was enough to chill her with anxiety all over again.
"Well, why should we be cautious if there is nothing to worry about?" she asked, panic creeping into her tone.
"I never said that, wench," he growled.
"But…you were all nonchalant about it! That is totally misleading, dog boy!" she yelled, pointing her finger in his face.
Inuyasha grabbed her finger and yanked her back to his chest. "Be quiet, wench, you're gonna wake up the whole village." Although his words were rough his voice was soft. Kagome was going to protest, but it was awfully comfortable on his chest. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you, Kagome. That's why I want to be cautious."
Kagome stilled, suddenly too tired to respond. Staying up all night was causing a heavy sensation to bear down on her shoulders and neck and eyelids, but strangely enough she simply could not fall asleep. She could close her eyes, let all the tension from her body go, and even settle into deep rhythmic breathing, but sleep wouldn't come. They lay together like that until the sun crept into the sky, illuminating everything with light. Inuyasha could hear the villagers, along with Miroku and the others, beginning to stir.
He didn't want to wake Kagome from her almost slumber, especially when her body was sagging as though it was under the weight of the whole world, but he knew that leaving Sango and Miroku alone together for any length of time could get dangerous. He lifted the priestess into his arms and began bounding towards the village. And sure enough, as soon as he was in ear shot he heard a startled yelp, a resounding slap, and a familiar crash from inside their little hut.
XXX
"Miroku! What has gotten into you?"
A livid Sango was stalking towards Miroku who lay crumpled against the wall, a stupid look of happiness on his red face. Miroku knew he was probably in for the beating of a lifetime, but it was well worth it. He'd woken, and the sight of sunlight pouring over Sango's sleeping form had been too tempting. He'd gently turned her face toward his and leaned in to give her a chaste kiss that more than likely wouldn't have even woken her…however, she had. And the sight of him hovering above her had startled her so much that she'd jerked upwards, crashing their lips together almost painfully.
And Miroku, being the sly person that he is, had fully taken advantage of her state of shock and half-awake, and had slid his fingers through the long ends of her hair and had proceeded to thoroughly kiss her.
And although she would never admit it, Sango had thoroughly enjoyed it. But her sense of pride and modesty, coupled with the fact that she had forbidden herself to give in to Miroku's advances whether they be romantic or sexual, had caused her to react quite differently than she had really wanted to. For in reality, she had wanted to throw herself at him, desperately seeking a way to escape, to lose herself from the darkness that was threatening to consume her very being. She wanted to experience happiness again, excitement, elation. She no longer wanted to stalk the dark passageways of revenge and cruelty, but to bask in the light of love making and romance.
But she simply could not. No matter how tempting it was to throw away her quest for vengeance and let Miroku, her best friend and only desire, sweep her off her feet, she could not give in. Those were utterly selfish desires, and she would be condemned to hell if she left her brother to rot in that animated corpse of a body, with no will and no freedom. And to free him she would need to not only focus on training and determining a way to revive him, but she would also need to sever her ties from the world. For if she was unable to save her brother, if in the end he was truly meant to die at the hands of the creature Naraku, then Sango planned to join him shortly after. It was only right. They were all meant to die, each demon slayer who had visited Naraku's castle that faithful night. And so they would, the line of exterminators ending with her and Kohaku, hand in hand. Their spirits would join their ancestors' together.
Miroku was staring at her, a puzzled look on his face. She had been charging him, ready to pound his head into the dirt, but she had suddenly stopped.
"Miroku," she said quietly, seriously. "Please…don't anymore. I don't want that kind of attention from you. If you are truly my friend, and you truly care about me, then please just…leave me alone."
His heart fell into the pit of his stomach, her words like acid on his very skin. It was not that she was refusing him, for she had done this many times in the past. But their situations together had always been almost comical. He would grope her, she would get mad and punch his lights out, and at the end of the day they were always still companions. But she had never refused him like this. She had never pleaded with him in a broken and defeated voice to leave her alone.
And although he realized what she was doing, distancing herself from him, it still hurt him to hear those words. He bowed his head slowly, the slap on his cheek stinging for the last time. He nodded solemnly, unable to bring himself to reply.
He was just about ready to crawl back into his futon and sulk for the remainder of the day, but Inuyasha burst into the hut like the insensitive imbecile he was, carrying a dreary Kagome in his arms. The half demon looked from Sango to Miroku, lifting a dark eyebrow in question. "What the hell's gotten into you two?" he sneered. One withering look from the demon slayer was enough to cool his heels, though, and he promptly went into the corner and sat down, cradling Kagome in his arms.
There was a long silence, Inuyasha too afraid to speak, Miroku too sad, and Sango lost in thoughts of despair. Despite the warning glare she'd given him, Inuyasha could only wait so long.
"Well, since no one else is sayin' anything, we have a problem on our hands."
That got everyone's attention, even rousing a sleeping Shippo who had miraculously dozed through his companions' confrontation.
"Huh…wha?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Kagome was alert now too, reclining in Inuyasha's embrace, too tired to feel embarrassed, and enjoying it too much to move.
"Kagome and…" Inuyasha paused. He had been about to say 'Kagome and I', but he was still not ready to admit to their group what had happened to him at the Bone Eater's Well a few days before.
"Well, Kagome saw something at the hot springs last night that…" Inuyasha paused again. Why couldn't he talk about this stuff? He cursed his own inability to admit feelings.
Thankfully Kagome took over. "It has us all a little concerned," she finished, looking around the room nervously. Three pairs of eyes stared back at her curiously, silence filling the room once again. Kagome cleared her throat.
"Sango, what I saw last night that scared me so badly wasn't a snake."
Sango raised her eyebrow, casting a look at Miroku, but he only shrugged, just as in the dark as everyone else. Kagome took a deep breath and began recounting the tale to the rest of her companions. As she did, their eyes widened, and Sango brought a hand to her mouth.
"Kagome…I didn't see anything last night. Are you absolutely sure of what you saw?" Sango felt a little skeptical. She had been right there in the water. Kagome had never left her sight for a second, except to rinse her hair, but even then Sango could clearly see her.
Kagome nodded slowly, chewing her lip in thought and said, "I know it sounds weird, but I am not making this up. There was something there. I could see it and feel it and I just…believe it."
The demon slayer nodded. Although she relied more on logical and critical thinking, she trusted her friend. Kagome was a pure and honest person who would never lie to get attention and never deceive for her own purposes.
"That's unreal," Miroku murmured from his place against the wall. "As you already know, Kagome, spirits can rarely manifest themselves so explicitly. Most spirits appear as light, or sometimes in the form of animals. But it is hard for a ghost to take human form, not without aid of some sort."
"So what do we do about it?" Inuyasha asked from the corner.
"To the point as usual, Inuyasha," Miroku said, grinning ruefully. "I suppose we can ask Kaede, although I doubt she will have any answers." He slowly pushed himself off the floor and dusted off his robes as the others followed suit. One by one they stepped into the morning light, greeting the day despite the eerie atmosphere that surrounded them. Kilala pounced gracefully from the roof to Sango's shoulder, happy to finally see her friend.
They trekked to Kaede's hut. Miroku avoided Sango's eyes, afraid to show her the hurt he was feeling. Inuyasha was "dragging" Kagome by her hand, although he really just wanted to have his hand around hers. He was still feeling this strange feeling of fear, but it was not fear for himself. It was fear for her. Every time he looked at her he felt a sharp pang of it, could taste it in his mouth bitterly. It was not because of their strange encounters with the spirits, either, it was an actual pulling on his conscious, an instinctual drive. He knew that to ignore this feeling would be unwise, but it was hard to decipher exactly what he wanted it to do. Mostly it simply felt like he should take Kagome away somewhere and hide her from the world, with only him present to protect her.
Of course he knew this was not possible. So what else? What other options did he have? The entire group entered Kaede's hut, instantly crowding it. The old woman cast a suspicious eye on them "What are ye up to, Inuyasha?" She said in her gravelly voice.
"ME?" Inuyasha shouted. "Why do you always assume this is about me, ya old hag?"
Before the two could get into a verbal battle that would last for the better part of the day, Kagome stepped forward and interjected, "It has nothing to do with Inuyasha, Kaede. It has to do with me." Inuyasha felt a little bad as she said this, for he too had come upon the undead. However, he didn't want anyone to know just yet. He didn't want to cause a panic and he certainly didn't want them all worrying about him or pitying him.
"Ye, Kagome?" Kaede seemed shocked, earning a pout from Inuyasha. Why was he always the one in trouble while everyone took Kagome's side? Kagome sat down, so the others followed her example, making a circle around the fire. Shippo settled into Kagome's lap, Sango made sure to put the priestess between she and Miroku, so Inuyasha had no choice but to sit next to Kaede. At least Kilala came over and curled up next to his knee.
Kagome retold Kaede what she had told everyone else, making sure to describe every detail. She figured that the more the old woman knew, the better advice she could give. Although Kaede did not have the spiritual power that Kikyo possessed she was still a powerful healer, archer, and even medium. For this reason, their group often looked to Kaede for spiritual advice. Kaede listened with closed eyes, a frown marring her wrinkled face, a crease between her eyebrows. After the story was told, the old priestess sat in silence, absorbing the news.
"I should have known ye five would be affected by this," she murmured, earning a hot red gaze from Kilala, who she had not counted.
"Affected by what, may I ask?" Miroku questioned, surprised that Kaede had knowledge of these events. Although Kaede was indeed wise and even powerful to an extent, she lived in a very small village that very few people ever came through.
As if reading his thoughts, the old woman croaked, "I have heard rumors of late of a growing and spreading darkness. I know not all the important details, all I know is that it leaves destruction in its wake, yet it leaves not a trace of its presence. I have heard that this entity, this spirit, roams the land consuming souls and leaving behind human husks, contorted in pain and death."
A rustle went through the group as they cast surprised looks at each other. One common thing was on their mind, and one thing only. The village in the mountains. The village where human corpses had been sprawled carelessly about, distorted in the most unnatural of ways.
"The village we just visited…was like that," Kagome said, unable to further describe the condition in which they had found it. Kaede sighed solemnly.
"I was afraid of this," she said remorsefully.
"Just tell us what the hell is going on, hag!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly, jumping up.
"Sit down, fool," the old woman commanded in a voice much stronger than her appearance gave her credit for. Inuyasha folded to the ground and muttered 'keh' under his breath. "As I said, I know not all the information on this subject. However, I know someone who does. There be a man high in the Northern mountains named Seiji. He is very wise and very old. If anyone knows of this evil, it be he."
The group was silent again, each one lost in thought until Kagome said almost sadly, "So you are saying we have to travel North? We have to set out again for another trip?" The old woman nodded, staring intently at Kagome with her good eye.
"And I caution ye," she said, her gaze still fixed on the priestess, "all of ye…use the utmost care."
XXX
"Kanna. Tell me, why did the spirit leave again?"
A small and emotionless voice answered from the dark, "He cannot live without consuming human souls. He must feast once every fortnight."
There was a pause as a man with flowing midnight hair considered this. "Cannot live without human souls?" he questioned, gazing into the courtyard. "He is similar to Kikyo, then. When will he return, Kanna?"
"Now," the light voice answered back. As if on cue a terrifying bellow was heard from the courtyard of the invisible castle, nestled away in the eastern mountains. The black gates of his palace kissed the shore, its dark face gazing out into the endless ocean.
The man in the baboon pelt rose from his futon, pleased to find that the strength it had taken him to tame the beast had finally returned to him. He gave silent thanks to Kanna, who had nursed him back to health. Of course, it wasn't as if she had a choice. He strode into the courtyard, his eyes roaming over the repulsive monster who had once been a living creature with a beating heart. Now it was nothing more than a servant of revenge, thirsty for human blood and ready to serve him if it meant he could carry out his vengeance unhindered.
The vicious beast stalked the courtyard, its beady red eyes drinking in everything. It was still somewhat transparent, barely held on to the real world by hatred and corrupted jewel shards. When it saw Naraku it gnashed its jaws, roaring horrendously into the miasma filled air.
"Calm yourself," Naraku commanded, giving the jewel fragment in his hand a powerful squeeze. The beast flung itself to the ground in pain, thrashing wildly until it completely subsided. The man laughed, a humorless sound.
Not fifty feet away, a petite woman with dark ruby eyes and inky black hair regarded the man with hatred in her gut. Her magenta lips were pursed in a frown as she watched him gloat over his newest beast, watched him with more disdain than one could imagine.
"Naraku," she seethed under her breath, "You will set me free. You cannot contain the wind itself." With that statement she pushed away from the wall and stalked off into the castle.
XXX
Kaede had supplied the group with plenty of supplies and directions to the village where this supposed wise man Seiji resided. They had set out shortly after their discussion with her, much to her ardent urging. She kept casting worried glances at Kagome and then going on about their need for haste all over again. Honestly, Inuyasha didn't mind. He too wanted to find out what threat was looming above them that had him so spooked, had every muscle in his body tensed. In fact it seemed as if they weren't moving fast enough, having to continually stop and rest mainly due to Kagome. He didn't yell at her though, for he could see the fatigue rolling off of her in waves.
Kagome was trying her hardest to keep moving, willing her feet to take just one more step closer to their destination. She could see Inuyasha practically bouncing up and down with anticipation, but god bless him he didn't say anything. She couldn't understand why she felt so worn down. Yes, she had pulled an all-nighter. Yes, she had experienced something that had been emotionally draining. However, each and every limb felt heavy and dragging. She paused for a second, leaning against a tree for support. Inuyasha glanced back at her again, but this time he strode over and picked her up. She let out a squeak of protest as he slid her onto his back, a somewhat awkward position considering the now overstuffed backpack she wore.
"Oi!" he called to Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, "You heard the old hag. We need to get moving. Get on Kilala and we can cover some serious ground before nightfall."
Kagome sagged against him, grateful that she could finally rest surrounded by his earthy scent. Miroku, however, was not so excited about riding Kilala with Sango. They hadn't spoken at all since their encounter and the monk wasn't really sure what to say. He felt broken. He felt like all the effort he had spent trying to heal her, trying to bring her back to him, had all amounted to nothing. He watched the fire cat transform as Sango agilely swung her lean leg over her companion. The slayer stared directly ahead, not even bothering to look at him. He approached Kilala who gave a hiss of approval and swung his leg over as well. Despite their situation, Miroku placed his hands on Sango's hips to hold on as the fire cat took off into the air. She tensed, but didn't say anything.
The group traveled for the better part of the day, eating up sky and earth as if the hounds of hell were upon them. Inuyasha didn't even complain when they stopped for camp that night, for they had made surprisingly good distance. They picked a spot between a cluster of trees, where Miroku promptly excused himself to collect firewood. Kagome watched him with a confused eye, noticing for the first time that he and Sango's normally cordial relationship had turned a little…icy. She glanced from the monk back to the slayer, who had sat down on a fallen tree and was polishing her slayer armor silently.
Maybe it was time for Kagome to talk to Sango…to really, really talk to her. Not just hot springs gossip, but to have a deep conversation. She realized that Sango was dealing with some issues that she would rather not speak of aloud, and the priestess respected that. However, their business with Naraku would soon be done. The battle was looming ahead, whether they brought it to him, or he brought it to them. Sango needed to figure out where she would go, what she would do after it was all said and done. What if Kohaku perished? Sango needed to make peace with this fact, or it would drag her down into a place too dark for anyone to reach her.
In fact, the whole group needed to sort these things out. Where would Kagome go when she was no longer needed? Would Shippo continue to stay with them, his surrogate family? How would it affect him if she went back to her time period? And most important…what would become of her and Inuyasha? Although they were very close and had shared some very special and even intimate times together, neither had admitted their feelings straight out. Kagome still felt at times that Inuyasha saw Kikyo's face every time he looked at hers, and Inuyasha still believed that Kagome deserved better. However, the future, the one that was so very uncertain, was coming towards them now. Naraku had obtained almost the entire sacred jewel, thanks to Kikyo. Their group would either die tragically in the fight, or live on to see that future that was so clouded with doubt and grief.
The priestess spread out a blanket on the ground and plopped down tiredly. It felt good to rest, but she still didn't feel at ease. Darkness was coming, creeping over the mountain tops like malicious black shadows coming to devour them all. She thought back on what Kaede had said just before they had left.
"Wait," Kaede had said quietly. "After ye enter the Mori no Sekiryou ye must use extra caution. It is a dangerous place for humans and demons alike, and many end up getting lost. Ye must stick together, and only then will ye reach Seiji. Follow the forest until ye reach the mouth of a giant cave. The journey through the cave will be at least a day, so prepare yourselves. When you come to where the cave splits, follow the middle path and it will lead you to Seiji. Tell him…Kaede sent ye."
Mori no Sekiryou was the forest that protected the village where Seiji resided. Kaede had said that it was very vast and very deep, often confusing those who traveled through it. She had said that to cut straight through was the best way. Of course, two people could always use Kilala to fly straight over, but the old priestess had strictly said to stay together, and the fire cat could not bear the weight of them all. She had also said that they needed to go as quickly as possible. She hadn't even allowed Kagome to return home for extra food and clothes, but she had given her a set of traditional priestess robes. White shirt, long red pants. An absolute vision of the past, she would be. A pretender.
For in truth, Kagome didn't feel like a priestess. She knew she possessed spiritual powers. She could fire sacred arrows, purify jewel shards, even blast demons to hell and back when she was in desperate situations. She trained and trained with Kaede whenever they had the time, but here lately they had been focusing solely on gathering as many jewel shards as they could. Even if she had all the time in the world to harness her powers, she was making very little progress. She could heal small scrapes and bruises, the kind Shippo received when he had a particularly rough romp through the forest with Inuyasha. Kaede had taught her a great deal about herbs and plants too, for in the feudal era they didn't have antiseptic and ibuprofen and things like that.
It made Kagome sad to think how many people in the past died due to improper medical care. In the present, when someone was diagnosed with a disease the doctors did everything in their power to help you, or they at least made your passing as painless as possible. But here, getting a disease meant a certain and swift death, on top of all the many other things you could die from. Samurai, demons, famine, starvation. Kagome wanted to help them all, but she was just as powerless to save them as she was to save her companions.
'Well, shoot,' she mused. 'Looks like I've gone and put myself in a bad mood again.'
Suddenly Kagome remembered that she had some things in her bag that would cheer everyone up a little bit.
"That reminds me!" she said, too loudly, startling the group. "I brought some things back from my time that we can all share." She began rummaging through her enormous yellow backpack. She removed the small tin of Kilala's cat food, the candy she had brought for Shippo, and some chips and other snacks as well.
"Inuyasha, could you open this for me," she said sweetly, presenting the can ofcat food to him. The half demon eyed it warily, scooting away from her a little bit.
"Oh, no you don't Kagome. I am well aware of what that stuff is. It's that nasty cat food shit from before! That stuff is vile, there ain't no way I am opening it!" Inuyasha dashed to the other side of the clearing near Miroku, who cast a disdainful look at him.
"Fine," came Sango's voice, like a steel blade. She was glaring fire at Inuyasha, who cowered behind the monk. The slayer unsheathed her sword, paused to glare Inuyasha down into a little piece of nothing, and sliced the can open in one deft swing. "There you go, Kilala," she said, stroking the kitten's ears affectionately. She mewed happily and proceeded to eat.
"Hell if I'm gonna sit around here and smell rotten fish all night," Inuyasha barked before he dashed into the trees.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, "We're supposed to stick together!"
The young girl thought she heard a distant 'keh' from within the forest, but she couldn't be sure.
Sango came and settled by Kagome, her presence instantly comforting. Kagome was truly grateful to have a friend like Sango. None of her friends from the present could compare, although she felt bad to admit that. But they couldn't. Sango had depth, had life in her. In the present, everyone was nothing but what they appeared to be on the surface. They felt no deep emotion, they had no honor, no sense of who they really were. They didn't stride fiercely onto the battle field to slay hordes of demons, they didn't witness their brothers murder their entire families, and then die in his arms. And while Kagome would never wish that on anyone, it had made Sango into a beautiful and compassionate girl who she simply adored.
She had always wished for a sister. And shortly after she had arrived in the feudal era, she had gotten one. Sango was attractive, brave, funny, fierce, sad, and more. She would give her life for any one of them. She had already given her life to her family. Kagome put her arm around the slayer, startling her. She gave her a warm smile, and Kagome was pleased to find that her friend smiled back. It was small and fragile, but it was still there. That fact alone gave Kagome hope that everything would be fine, that Sango would be fine. But there was still the issue with her and Miroku. The priestess cast a sly glance at the young man. In her time, he would still be considered a boy, but she never thought of him that way.
He was very wise and very calm, something the guys from her time had not yet achieved. He yearned for a wife and family, something the guys from her time would rather avoid. He, too, had awesome power. The wind tunnel was one of the most powerful forces Kagome had ever witnessed. It drew in everything around it, sucking it into a black void. Kagome shuddered to think where the wind tunnel led its victims. Some alternate reality? Or simply into nothingness, where they slowly went insane from the silent darkness? She hoped to never find out. And she hoped, too, that her dear friend and spiritual mentor never had to find out either. Even without the wind tunnel, Miroku was strong. He could maintain barriers, charm sutras, and wield his staff like nobody's business. And to go along with all that strength and power, he was also very smart, especially for a man of his time, a time where technology had yet to be discovered.
And she could see the hurt written plainly on his face, furrowing his brow, pulling down his lips, slumping his shoulders. What had conspired between her two friends that had caused this kind of pain to grip them both? Kagome wanted to ask, wanted to know. But it felt wrong to approach Sango about it when Miroku was building a fire just a few feet away. So instead, she laid down next to her best friend and gazed at the sky, feeling sleepy and worried. She wondered where Inuyasha had chosen to rest his head tonight, and wished she could be with him. She thought of Naraku. What kind of man would Naraku have been if he had used all that power for good? She dozed in and out of sleep, not ever falling into a deep slumber, yet not fully awake. She tried to imagine what the baboon cloaked man would be like if he was kind. She dreamed briefly of her sitting with him in a pure white room, begging him to change his ways, not wanting to resort to violence to end the fight.
She thought he looked sad for a moment, but then he disappeared and she realized she'd just been talking to a doll. Kagome rolled over, frustrated with her dream and with her inability to rest. Her mind drifted between sunny days at the beach with Inuyasha and the others, to dead bodies lurking in the water. As she stared around the clearing she could almost swear that there were shapes in the trees, pale white shapes that angled towards her with hostility and rage.
Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed Chapter Four! I know it was not very eventful but I am still trying to establish character relationships and get into the groove of things. Very soon more and more characters and their thoughts and feelings and situations will be introduced, now that we have the Inuyasha gang settled and on their way to see Seiji. By the way, Mori no Sekiryou translates to Forest of Loneliness! This is a totally revised and rewritten version of The Sickness, so if you have already read it, please go back and read it again or you will be lost. I have added many things, taken out many things, and reworded many things in general. The chapters are much longer and I hope they are much better. Reviews are always appreciated. I will get working on Chapter Five as soon as possible!