Complete Summary: Behind these rotting wooden walls and corroded and warped ceilings lay individuals who are tortured and tormented down to their very souls. Inescapable fates went unabashed, unhealable scars and wounds that ran so deep marred once beautifully creamy skin. Blemishes of the earth, nay- lower than the dirt they walked on and scorned for their association, they await an ultimatum, for an absolution that they all knew would one day come. It was all a matter of when.

NOTES:
This is a DARK fic. It will more than likely have controversial topics and extensive dark scenes. This is a challenging fic for me and written for personal reasons.
Please, if you are underage or too immature to handle dark themes and adult situations, please leave.

No major notes for this chapter, although this chapter is SOMEWHAT of a filler as we gear up for the next chapter.

Winter was once again around the corner. The days were becoming colder, and the nights were near-frigid and became her only indicator of time. She had an almost constant, unrelenting shiver that left her body feeling sore after so long. Her teeth would chatter for minutes at a time before she seized control of her entire body to hug herself tightly to retain her warmth. Her worn clothing was already thinned from overuse; the lack of body fat did little to keep any heat, if at all.

Reaching into her breast pocket, she once again fiddled with her tassel. She admired the intricately woven strings that were braided into a sakura pattern up top. The red and blue beads that kept it in place at its center still shone with a brightness that contrasted greatly with her dark surroundings. The loose tendrils flared out at the bottom, reminding her lusciously fine hair. She ran her fingers repeatedly through those threads, reveling in the feeling it gave her. Her only source of solace. The only thing she has genuinely touched or felt in so long...

The day the brothers took her to the market felt like eons ago. She knew if she concentrated hard enough, it would be easier to ignore where she was. Who she was. What had become of her. If she thought long enough, it was easy to fantasize, to pretend the world currently around her didn't exist. It was something intangible that she could hold onto, even without the physical reminder now slipping between her bony fingers.

She shivered once more and placed the tassel back in her pocket. She attempted to stay warm by curling in on herself and huddling closer to where the back wall met the brick floor.

They had just finished seeing everyone off after their final meeting. Kagome hadn't gotten a whole lot of time with any of them, in all honesty. The festival, plus the children, had kept her dully occupied over the three days. Neither child had allowed the incident with the phoenix to deter them from their fun.

It had honestly come to her as a surprise when Rin asked for a sleepover a few nights prior. Both children were shaken up but totally fine... until bath time. Kagome had given Shippou a bath first and allowed him to color with his crayons while she and Rin bathed together. However, her shock was evident when she saw the bruises blooming across Rin's chest in a horrifying display of blacks and blues. Rin had been hesitant about telling Kagome about it but couldn't have avoided it even if she tried. Rin had begged Kagome not to say a word to Sesshomaru, but even Kagome couldn't promise her such a thing.

The bruise was put behind them, and it took everything she had not to cry over the massive bruise that marred the child's body. Of course, she should have suspected something the second Rin had asked for that sleepover. She had quickly healed the girl, inciting immediate relief for them both.

It wasn't until Rin and Shippou had fallen asleep that she immediately sought out Sesshomaru, which was easier said than done, but she managed. Sesshomaru had not been happy to be interrupted in his study, but he became absolutely livid the second she told him of Rin's condition. Honestly, she felt it was important he knew. He was her guardian, after all.

But it had not been easy to keep him from interrogating the girl, himself.

She figured there had been a reason Rin had come to her and not Sesshomaru and thought it best to not bring anything up until she was ready to talk about it anyhow. So, after she could calm him down, she bid him goodnight and had gone straight back to sleep that night.

And they haven't talked about it since.

Now, here she was, reluctant to leave the children unattended once more. This was her plan, and as psyched as she was to be going on yet another adventure, she hesitated. There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. What if something happened to the kids while she was gone? What if they weren't guarded well enough? What if-

She stopped herself immediately, kissing each of their foreheads as she lifted her bag to her shoulder. It only had a few essentials in it so that it wouldn't hinder their travel time. Quickly, she shifted toward the door, slipping her shoes on as she went. "You're leaving, aren't you?" Shippou's voice called out in the dark. He was sniffling, and Kagome instantly went to his side.

"Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and I have some things we need to take care of," Kagome said, coming to his side of the bed. She let her hand sift through his hair, and she smiled. "We'll be back before you know it."

"I love you, Mama," he whispered as he settled back into a drowsy state.

"I love you, too," Kagome said, giving him another kiss on his forehead. Really, it was far too early to be leaving in the first place, but the sooner they departed, the sooner they could get there, and the sooner they could get back.

Kagome stood and crept back to the door. Yumi was there with a small bento box. "Here, for the road," she said with a smile, and Kagome took the box with gratitude.

"Thank you," Kagome said, "When the kids wake up, they're probably going to be confused about what's going on. We'll be back in probably the day after tomorrow if we can rush it."

Yumi nodded and bowed, standing guard the door for the children. She would more than likely be there for the rest of the night to ensure nothing goes wrong. Kagome nodded in her direction, a silent warning to the woman.

"Let us make haste," Sesshomaru said when Kagome finally approached.

Kagome nodded, "Yea, I was just telling Shippou goodbye. He woke up before I could get out the door." Her voice was soft as Sesshomaru extended a hand out to help her up on top of Ah-Un. When she was situated, she turned to Inuyasha, who had his arms folded as he patiently waited. "Running or riding?" She asked.

Inuyasha shook his head, "You ain't gettin' me on that thing. Kirara was safer. That thing shoots lightning from its mouth."

"Alright," Kagome said. "Let's get a move on then." She wasn't prepared for the two-headed dragon to launch into the air immediately. She had gripped the saddle to steady herself as her body lurched backward, trying to keep with the beast. "Onward and upward, huh Ah-Un?" She said as the two flew across the sky. Sesshomaru formed his nimbus at his feet and easily kept to Ah-Un's side on the off chance that Kagome fell. Inuyasha easily kept the pace down below.

Kagome eventually grew comfy enough to open the little bento box that Yumi had given her. However, eating atop a dragon while in motion, several hundred feet in the air with high wind speeds, was no easy feat. For the most part, she nibbled on just the grapes for breakfast, seeing as how they were the least likely thing to go flying from her chopsticks.

It wasn't until sunset when they finally reached the Slayers' Village. They didn't once stop, and it was clear that Kagome had become cramped and restless. The second she stepped off the dragon was the second her butt, legs, and back all ached at once. She had been right when she said she needed to be with them. They were ready to shoot them out of the sky until she dropped down with Ah-Un. Immediately noticing her priestess attire, they allowed her and the rest in.

Kirara was the first to really greet them. In her more demonic form, probably helping someone out somewhere, she had run straight up to the gate to rub her large face into Inuyasha's body, quickly followed by nuzzling into Kagome's. Of course, Kirara also escorted them straight to Sango and Miroku's hut.

"It's good to see you again," Miroku greeted with a respectful bow before gripping wrists with Inuyasha and hugging Kagome.

"I was wondering when we were due for a visit," Sango said as she hugged Kagome in turn. "You guys have been gone for a while."

"Lots of things have happened since we last saw you," Kagome said, "unfortunately, we only have a day to be able to relay everything."

"Well, why don't we get you three settled in for the evening? I'm afraid the only place available currently is the spare room we have in our home," Miroku informed as he gestured toward the entrance of their hut. "The rest of the village is still being constructed, and the huts already built have been claimed by others."

Kagome nodded her appreciation as she followed after the two. She knew right and well that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would follow in shortly. She was glad to be offered a room- with how early they had been up that morning to get here, she knew she'd be knocking out early.

And yet, when she laid herself down on the bedroll, she couldn't will her thoughts to still and give her peace for the evening.

Her eyes glanced over to Sesshomaru, who looked as though he were simply meditating; he sat cross-legged with his back ramrod straight and his swords resting across his legs. She allowed her eyes to roam across the room to the shoji sliding doors that opened out onto the patio. Inuyasha had them wide open, with him laying down on his side and looking out at the wintry landscape beyond.

The braziers had kept the room reasonably warm - perhaps a bit too warm, which was why the doors were opened in the first place. The three of them were quiet for some time before Kagome gave a sigh and gave up on sleeping. She sat up in her cot, crossing her legs and slumping forward.

"You should be resting," Sesshomaru commented, and she glanced at him and noted that he didn't even open his eyes to look at her.

Inuyasha's ears twitched from the corner of her eye, catching her attention, and she sighed once more. "I feel sort of... restless."

"It's just your nerves," Inuyasha said offhandedly.

"Maybe," Kagome said, "but I'm getting a very odd vibe. I don't know. There's something wrong, but I can't place it."

Sesshomaru looked at her then. She wondered what he was thinking. "Sleep for now," Sesshomaru ordered, and Kagome could do nothing but nod.

She stared at the wall for some time after that. She did relent and lay back down, but she could've been lying there for hours before finally getting a wink of sleep. When the sun rose, she rose with it, groggy and a bit cramped up. She had been in a weird half-sleep state all night, and her tiredness was portrayed clearly across her face.

They met with Sango and Miroku for morning breakfast and quickly got to business. "I can tell that you didn't just come for a visit," Sango commented, "so what's this about?"

"Have you noticed anything strange?" Kagome asked when neither of the brothers spoke up. "People going missing, that sort of thing?"

"No, not around here anyway," Sango replied with a shake of her head. "There've been a bunch of burnings a few villages down south; we had some of our slayers head down there to take care of it. Why?"

"There has been an influx of reports of important persons missing," Sesshomaru finally spoke. "We do not know if the burnings have any correlation."

"Kouga's got wolves missing," Inuyasha said, his knee twitching with anxiety. "And there are others, too."

"We have not gotten any reports from the east or north," Miroku informed. "Only a few youkai here and there. Just sporadic reports."

They were quiet for a few moments before Kagome spoke again. "Is there any way that you guys would be willing to help scout the surrounding human villages? Everyone who lives in the palace, aside from myself, Rin, and our nannies, are all demons. I don't think humans would be as open to giving up information to demons as they would be to humans."

"The slayers that went south were some of our best," Sango said after she shared a look with Miroku. "They aren't going to be back for at least another week. The second they get back, we can wait about a day for them to rest up before we head towards the villages closer to the borders and nearby the palace. Should we send them your direction first?"

"No, the demons in the palace do not take slayers lightly," Sesshomaru said, "it would more than likely get you killed."

"We would probably need to snoop around in smaller groups to gather more information," Miroku said thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin. "Is there anything specific you want us to find out?"

"We will need a list of missing persons," Sesshomaru commented, "and any additional information concerning the burnings and kidnappings would be useful."

They mulled and planned for some time. It wasn't until midday when Kagome felt the need to leave that she became adamant about their travel. She became antsy... restless, and unable to concentrate on anything other than getting home. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru could only silently wonder what was going through her brain when they finally relented on leaving.

She could briefly recall how Inuyasha's concerned voice asked her if she was okay. She barely even remembered the trip back home. She remembered how long it felt and the feeling of near-hysteria that infiltrated her senses. She remembered pushing Ah-Un as hard as she could, could even remember Sesshomaru flying past to pull back on the reigns.

And then they saw it... the black smoke that billowed up like dark clouds on the horizon. Inuyasha couldn't see it down below; there were far too many trees. But what she and Sesshomaru could see had their hearts racing. She had shared a look with him right then, the concern reflecting across each of their faces as realization dawned on them both.

Shoes echoed down the hall. She quickly hid her yellow tassel and huddled into the wall. She practically snarled when she realized who it was again. Every so often, the woman would show her face to her, and she could feel the same fierce anger completely overpower everything else.

"I think it's about time I show you," the woman's taunting voice echoed to her. "I think you deserve to see their fate."

The woman's face came into view, and she sat up straighter, glaring her hardest. "Why should I believe anything you say?"

"I have Kaguya's mirror," the woman said smugly, "it only shows the truth. It took some time to hunt this trinket down like you wouldn't believe." The woman legitimately sounded proud of herself. "I feel like our master is honestly just tormenting you for fun these days. Not that I'm complaining, but your reactions are becoming predictably boring. Nevertheless, as instructed, I will show you."

The woman bent down, and Kagome's brows knitted, focusing on the little mirror in front of the bars of her cell. When little Rin's face came into view, her face scrunched in sadness. "I don't want to see it."

"Oh, but you must," the woman said, her smirk stretching clear across her face.

"For what purpose?" Kagome said, her voice breaking. "I've already done your master enough service. I'm done. I refuse to anymore."

"Demonkind is still a threat, priestess," the woman practically growled out. "And as far as I'm concerned, priestesses are also a threat to mankind."

"Then why are you doing this?" Kagome demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The woman said with a sneer as she thrust the mirror through the bars. It rolled to a stop some distance from Kagome, and all she could do was stare at it.

The woman turned on her heel and left the area, leaving Kagome to her thoughts. Kagome really didn't want to know the fate of her friends. Of course, by the way, the woman spoke, she made it sound like they were all dead. But the notion was ridiculous. They were still alive... weren't they?

Suddenly, the question of time passed through her mind. She wondered, exactly, how long she had been held in captivity. It couldn't be more than... a couple years, right? Right?

With trembling hands, she reached for the mirror. What if the mirror was rigged? What if... what if they made the mirror to only show her certain things? Like how Kanna used her mirror to steal her soul? What if it was made for that purpose?

She had to know, she decided.

She needed to find out what this mirror knew. She needed to see her friends, if only for one last time. She wanted to see them again. Even if whatever the mirror showed her rang true -even if it was false- she had to know what happened to them. They never would have let her rot in her cell... would they? If they knew she was here... they wouldn't have abandoned her... right?

Her faith was shaken. To this point, she always had assumed... knew... that they would come for her. That someone, anyone, would come barging in and tearing down the rotted walls of her prison. That they would sweep her away off her feet and take her someplace safe.

The still would come... wouldn't they? Whoever it was, they would come. It didn't even have to be a friend... some valiant soul would come crashing in, reigning in their triumph for taking out a group of very misguided people.

Her lip trembled as her fingers hovered over the mirror. Unleashed tears burned at the corners of her eyes as her hesitation took control of her.

She still wanted to know... didn't she?

A/N:
The next chapter will be hard for me to write and even harder for some of you to read.
As always, I'll see you in the next chapter!