Fancy Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not my own.

Warning(s): N/A. Safe for most ages!

A/N: Now that everyone knows the love is shared between the yaoi pair of Kouga and Miroku, let's briefly introduce Kouga! Give him a round of applause, people.


V. Revival

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I gave Souta one last shove, and he toppled over the side of the well. Climbing over the side, I landed on the ground beside him. We exchanged a quick glance, but both of us were exhausted from the events we'd witnessed.

I leaned back against the well and lightly knocked my head against the firm wood. Everything was suddenly so confusing. Had I just witnessed a possession? Reanimation. I sighed.

"I'm sorry to say that you're stuck here for now," I smiled wryly.

To prove my point, I collected a small stick from the ground and dropped it into the well. The stick fell for a short time, and then it burst into flames. Souta was in shock.

"You never answered my questions," Souta frowned, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"I...can't say what's happening. I don't know." I rubbed my throbbing temples. "What you saw wasn't Kagome. A demon was able to reanimate and possess your—Kagome," I corrected myself, trying to keep some emotional distance.

"A zombie?" I shook my head at his suggestion.

"There was a demon. There was intelligence. I wish it were a zombie, Souta," I frowned, setting my shakujou on the ground beside me.

I had wanted a calling—a new path. But I had wanted a new beginning to get an end. There was no ending. From one massacre to another. All I knew was blood, loss, and destruction.

"Sometimes, when I think of her...," Souta trailed off, clamping his eyes shut, "I get so mad! She had to be an idiot. Why didn't she just stay home with me? I blame her. I hate her. And I miss her. I love my sister." Souta opened his eyes, giving me a pitiful look. "I took over the responsibilities. I meditated. I practiced. I wanted to be like her. She was strong—to me, at least." I put a hand upon his head, and he blinked at me.

"There are many forms of strength," I smiled, feeling a little more at ease.

"I don't know when it happened, but I started to sense things. The barrier was a surprise. Am I like her, Miroku?" His brown eyes were so full of youth and innocence, even if he were fifteen years old.

"No. You are yourself. You have a gift. Maybe it just took a little longer for you to notice, hm?" I gave him a smile with closed eyes, and I heard him snicker at my expression.

Somewhere, Kagome was causing trouble. The friendly moment ended when the dark thoughts returned. I got to my feet, and Souta followed suit. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and my instincts told me to check the other graves.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Souta was jogging to keep up with my quick steps.

"If Kagome was possessed, the other graves are in danger. One friend under a demon's influence is enough. Get on." I stopped and motioned for him to climb on my back.

"No thanks," he said, waving his hands.

"I can move faster than you. Or would you rather wait by the well?" I knew that would make him reconsider, and I was right.

Souta climbed onto my back, resting his chin upon my right shoulder. The reunion I had planned was completely ruined. I was stuck looking after Souta in Feudal Japan.

He was quiet while I ran along the forest paths. My breathing was becoming labored, but I continued towards the personal graveyard. Before I even reached the small clearing, I felt a demonic presence. Souta gasped—he felt it too.

"InuYasha," Souta said, pointing to our good friend.

I skidded to a halt and ducked behind a rather large tree. All of the graves were laid open, and the corpses moved about with fresh life. Each person was possessed by a demon.

My eyes lingered on Sango's form, and I felt my chest constricting at the thought of her body being a puppet. How had the corpses remained in such a preserved state? I sensed that a very powerful demon was behind the reanimation and preservation of my friends. But why?

Souta slid off my back and stood beside me, hiding behind the vegetation. We watched the group gather together, and then their eyes took on the same red hue that Kagome's had been. Souta and I both turned our attention to a shadowy figure in the trees. I felt a thread-like connection, and then I saw the near-invisible threads coming from the demon.

"What is that demon?" Souta whispered.

"A spider demon. A powerful one," I frowned, watching as the figure disappeared into the trees.

It wasn't long after the spider demon's disappearance that our friends left the clearing. Souta ran out into the clearing, hovering over the graves and searching for anything that might have been left behind. I could do nothing but stare. I had worked so hard to find peace, hadn't I? Was I ever even close? Everything had been desecrated.

"Everything is gone. What about their weapons, Miroku?" Souta was a brave kid, I had to give him that.

"I left their weapons with Sesshoumaru." It was true, for he had showed a great maturity about the ordeal.

I knew that Sango and InuYasha had been heading westward, but Shippo and Kirara went in a different direction. Sesshoumaru was going to have some trouble. Would his blade truly end the reanimation? If so, why did the spider demon have his puppets walking to their demise? A chill ran up my spine.

"What the hell happened here?!" All attention was on a certain wolf-demon prince.


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Author Rant

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Kouga will become a main attraction from now on! The next chapter has a lot of information in it, but I think I worded it in a way that readers will understand. Oh, and I wasn't sure about possible MirokuXSouta until I got to this point, can anyone tell? I assure you, it's all KougaXMiroku.

Possible Question(s): What if I don't understand? I try to make things clearer for everyone as the story goes along; just message if you don't grasp the concept at work here. Are you sure Souta isn't just being thrown in as a place holder? Souta has his place; everyone will see my plans soon enough. Do you hate Kagome? She's okay.

Reviews are loverly!

Ja ne.