Long Gone and Forbidden
By: Dragon Lady
Chapter Two
She sobbed as she climbed out of the well and dropped to the floor, bawling. //How could I.? I let them die. I could've stopped it, that last battle. Inuyasha. please, forgive me.//
Kagome stood up and wiped away her tears. She couldn't let anyone know what she'd done, not yet. There was still a chance she could fix it all, maybe. She was the priestess's reincarnation, after all.
She stumbled to her feet and out of the hut surrounding the well. She kept walking, not looking at her surroundings. Her feet were leading her home. They knew the way, so she didn't have to look.
Kagome looked up for some unknown reason, and saw the tree, Inuyasha's tree, that marked the halfway point to her home. She sniffed and continued towards it, stumbling into the clearing and sinking to her knees. Only then did she realize this forest did not look as bright and chipper as the one she remembered.
She looked around at the surrounding trees. They were all so dark, nearly black, and she couldn't see past the first row. Vines clung to the branches, seeming to choke the life out of the brittle looking brushwood and trunks.
Her eyes drifted to the tree to see how much it had changed. Despite the dead and darkness around it, the tree was living, vines curling around the trunk in a gentle embrace. The leaves were a bright green, almost like it was the end of spring. The grass around its base and roots was healthy. A small spring bubbled up from between a couple of the roots, and irises, tulips, and roses bloomed in a splendor. only. the flowers were. black, a rich, brilliant midnight black with the occasional white amongst the blossoms.
Kagome stood, utterly and profoundly baffled. There had never been a spring, or flowers, or vines near, on the tree from her time. And the grass and rest of the forest had always looked so alive, not dead and smothered.
She started forward, looking around her with fear and bewilderment cluttered on her face. How could the woods be so different? And when had it changed? Certainly not while she had been in the Warring era. It couldn't have. could it? She looked up. The sky, although blue, was darker than it should've been.
Kagome frowned as she made her way leisurely around the tree. She was busy studying everything around it that she didn't notice any of the inscriptions or carvings on its trunk. She also noticed that there wasn't any wind.
The girl looked up at the tree, making her fears come to life. She swallowed and stumbled towards it. There pinned to the trunk were Inuyasha and the girl, Nathifa, just the way Kagome had left them a little while ago.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome squeaked. The half demon didn't so much as flinch. She reached forward, fingers brushing against the red fabric of his clothes. "Inu-"
A scream, beyond anything human, erupted from behind her. Kagome whirled, barely seeing what attacked her before falling back between the roots of the tree. She shrieked and curled up, pressing herself in between the roots as much as she could.
The creature was some kind of mutated demon, or so she thought. Its body was a walking complex of various creatures. What she thought was the part of one individual was melted into that of another, and it seemed beyond real. The parts fused with one another, but shifted as if never sure where it belonged. The beast's face was nearly the same way. A twisted multifaceted /thing/ that made Kagome's stomach churn. And despite the creature's looks, it was surprisingly fast and stealthy.
It lunged for the trapped girl, letting out another ear shattering scream. The dark haired girl slapped her hands over her ears and twisted into the smallest position she could.
//Don'teatmedon'teatmedon'teatme! Please! Don't eat me!!//
Her blade cut cleanly through the demon. The twisted, vile creature made a small shriek, which she promptly stopped, ripping its vocal cords out with her black nails. Dark red eyes searched the surrounding area swiftly, picking out every detail of the familiar surroundings.
Finally, they came to rest on the girl cowering between the roots of the Tree of Inuyasha. The woman shook her head, placing her hands on her hips and blowing a strand of blood colored hair from her eyes. Her eyes flicked over the girl.
"You. Come." The woman said before turning and walking towards a hut barely visible between the dense undergrowth. She didn't even wait to she if the girl would follow. The red haired woman detached the thin wickedly curved blade from her forearm. She looked it over briefly and shrugged.
//Blood's blood.// She thought. Her sensitive ears picked up the clumsy steps of the girl behind her. The woman sighed and rolled her eyes, licking the blade with less enthusiasm than normal.
"You should be quieter." The red head found herself saying between licks. Her dark red eyes glanced at the tiny shanty that was and had been her home for the past years. It was made of the dark wood from the forest, and it was built just so, barely visible between the trunks of the dark trees. Vines had grown up and around the hut, holding it together while smothering it at the same time.
The woman pushed the door open, leaving it ajar for the girl behind her to come in. She looked over the weapons piled in the corner and threw her blade onto the heap. She then proceeded to lick her fingers clean of any gore that had managed to get on them.
"Sit." The woman looked at the sticks in the center of the small hut. They immediately burst into flame, warming everyone and thing within the structure. Both sat down, one more than cautious, the other very confident. The older woman stared at the girl, waiting for something.
"Um. T-thanks." The girl stumbled of her words, her brown eyes darting around, never once looking at the dark red ones across the fire. "M-m-my n- name is K-Kagome."
For a breathless moment, the woman just sat and stared unblinkingly at the girl named Kagome. "Nice to meet you finally, K-Kagome. My name is Shaddow." The woman, Shaddow, said coolly. "You don't have to worry. I don't fancy human blood." The comment was followed by a slight smirk, revealing a snow white, sharply pointed canine tooth. Kagome shivered at the sight of it.
//So this is the reincarnation.// Shaddow, glancing to her right, out the window towards the sky briefly, sighed and stood. She began arranging things so all of the scant items were piled on the weapons. A blanket was then placed over the heap, and Shaddow collapsed onto the mound.
"They'll be here any moment." The red head muttered softly. Her finely tuned hearing could already hear them approaching.
"'They'?" Kagome asked a bit nervously, fingers clenching on the hem of her skirt.
"Yes, 'they'. And they might have a few things to take up with you."
"M-me?" The dark haired girl squeaked. Shaddow nodded. "W-who is it-t?"
The demoness smiled a bit cruelly. "I believe you know them already." Her soft words hung in the air, and though the girl could not hear the approaching steps, the woman was already grinning from ear to ear at what she expected to happen.
A sharp, curt knock sounded behind Kagome. The door swung open as the girl screamed, covering her head with her hands. A senseless babble escaped her mouth, and Shaddow could not contain her laughter.
A dark haired man wearing a monk's garb looked in shock at the loud noise and girl. Peering over his shoulder was a young woman in an exterminator's suit. Both stared at the girl cowering on the floor, gaping slightly.
"Kagome?!" The two asked at nearly the same time. Shaddow sat up from her hunched position and continued to chuckle. Kagome looked up at the two standing in the doorway. Her scared look changed into that of recognition and delight.
Kagome jumped to her feet, turning and throwing her arms around the two. "You guys are alright!" She cried happily. "I was so worried Naraku had killed you!"
Sango and Miroku glanced at each other. "Kago-"
"Where's Shippo?" She tried to look past them. The exterminator sighed and moved past the monk and girl. She went and sat down near Shaddow, staring into the fire with a solemn look. Miroku looked off to the side before moving to the opposite side the demon woman.
Kagome looked out the doorway, a small cat-like demon bounding past her feet to Sango. Slowly, Shaddow stood and moved past the young woman, closing the door and guiding the girl to sit again. She then went back to her pile, where she sat and stared into the flames.
Choking moments passed, as the air seemed to be sucked out of the dark haired girl's lungs. The three never once looked up from the flames, their eyes were too fixated on what they were looking at. Shaddow hung her head and was the first to break eye contact.
Gradually, Miroku looked up at her, but his eyes were looking through her. Kagome was afraid looking into those eyes, the deep, wise expanses that stared at something from the long past.
"Kagome. Did you read the tree, beneath Inuyasha's feet?" The girl nodded slightly, too scared of what he was going to tell her. "Well, then. I guess we should fill you in on the details."
By: Dragon Lady
Chapter Two
She sobbed as she climbed out of the well and dropped to the floor, bawling. //How could I.? I let them die. I could've stopped it, that last battle. Inuyasha. please, forgive me.//
Kagome stood up and wiped away her tears. She couldn't let anyone know what she'd done, not yet. There was still a chance she could fix it all, maybe. She was the priestess's reincarnation, after all.
She stumbled to her feet and out of the hut surrounding the well. She kept walking, not looking at her surroundings. Her feet were leading her home. They knew the way, so she didn't have to look.
Kagome looked up for some unknown reason, and saw the tree, Inuyasha's tree, that marked the halfway point to her home. She sniffed and continued towards it, stumbling into the clearing and sinking to her knees. Only then did she realize this forest did not look as bright and chipper as the one she remembered.
She looked around at the surrounding trees. They were all so dark, nearly black, and she couldn't see past the first row. Vines clung to the branches, seeming to choke the life out of the brittle looking brushwood and trunks.
Her eyes drifted to the tree to see how much it had changed. Despite the dead and darkness around it, the tree was living, vines curling around the trunk in a gentle embrace. The leaves were a bright green, almost like it was the end of spring. The grass around its base and roots was healthy. A small spring bubbled up from between a couple of the roots, and irises, tulips, and roses bloomed in a splendor. only. the flowers were. black, a rich, brilliant midnight black with the occasional white amongst the blossoms.
Kagome stood, utterly and profoundly baffled. There had never been a spring, or flowers, or vines near, on the tree from her time. And the grass and rest of the forest had always looked so alive, not dead and smothered.
She started forward, looking around her with fear and bewilderment cluttered on her face. How could the woods be so different? And when had it changed? Certainly not while she had been in the Warring era. It couldn't have. could it? She looked up. The sky, although blue, was darker than it should've been.
Kagome frowned as she made her way leisurely around the tree. She was busy studying everything around it that she didn't notice any of the inscriptions or carvings on its trunk. She also noticed that there wasn't any wind.
The girl looked up at the tree, making her fears come to life. She swallowed and stumbled towards it. There pinned to the trunk were Inuyasha and the girl, Nathifa, just the way Kagome had left them a little while ago.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome squeaked. The half demon didn't so much as flinch. She reached forward, fingers brushing against the red fabric of his clothes. "Inu-"
A scream, beyond anything human, erupted from behind her. Kagome whirled, barely seeing what attacked her before falling back between the roots of the tree. She shrieked and curled up, pressing herself in between the roots as much as she could.
The creature was some kind of mutated demon, or so she thought. Its body was a walking complex of various creatures. What she thought was the part of one individual was melted into that of another, and it seemed beyond real. The parts fused with one another, but shifted as if never sure where it belonged. The beast's face was nearly the same way. A twisted multifaceted /thing/ that made Kagome's stomach churn. And despite the creature's looks, it was surprisingly fast and stealthy.
It lunged for the trapped girl, letting out another ear shattering scream. The dark haired girl slapped her hands over her ears and twisted into the smallest position she could.
//Don'teatmedon'teatmedon'teatme! Please! Don't eat me!!//
Her blade cut cleanly through the demon. The twisted, vile creature made a small shriek, which she promptly stopped, ripping its vocal cords out with her black nails. Dark red eyes searched the surrounding area swiftly, picking out every detail of the familiar surroundings.
Finally, they came to rest on the girl cowering between the roots of the Tree of Inuyasha. The woman shook her head, placing her hands on her hips and blowing a strand of blood colored hair from her eyes. Her eyes flicked over the girl.
"You. Come." The woman said before turning and walking towards a hut barely visible between the dense undergrowth. She didn't even wait to she if the girl would follow. The red haired woman detached the thin wickedly curved blade from her forearm. She looked it over briefly and shrugged.
//Blood's blood.// She thought. Her sensitive ears picked up the clumsy steps of the girl behind her. The woman sighed and rolled her eyes, licking the blade with less enthusiasm than normal.
"You should be quieter." The red head found herself saying between licks. Her dark red eyes glanced at the tiny shanty that was and had been her home for the past years. It was made of the dark wood from the forest, and it was built just so, barely visible between the trunks of the dark trees. Vines had grown up and around the hut, holding it together while smothering it at the same time.
The woman pushed the door open, leaving it ajar for the girl behind her to come in. She looked over the weapons piled in the corner and threw her blade onto the heap. She then proceeded to lick her fingers clean of any gore that had managed to get on them.
"Sit." The woman looked at the sticks in the center of the small hut. They immediately burst into flame, warming everyone and thing within the structure. Both sat down, one more than cautious, the other very confident. The older woman stared at the girl, waiting for something.
"Um. T-thanks." The girl stumbled of her words, her brown eyes darting around, never once looking at the dark red ones across the fire. "M-m-my n- name is K-Kagome."
For a breathless moment, the woman just sat and stared unblinkingly at the girl named Kagome. "Nice to meet you finally, K-Kagome. My name is Shaddow." The woman, Shaddow, said coolly. "You don't have to worry. I don't fancy human blood." The comment was followed by a slight smirk, revealing a snow white, sharply pointed canine tooth. Kagome shivered at the sight of it.
//So this is the reincarnation.// Shaddow, glancing to her right, out the window towards the sky briefly, sighed and stood. She began arranging things so all of the scant items were piled on the weapons. A blanket was then placed over the heap, and Shaddow collapsed onto the mound.
"They'll be here any moment." The red head muttered softly. Her finely tuned hearing could already hear them approaching.
"'They'?" Kagome asked a bit nervously, fingers clenching on the hem of her skirt.
"Yes, 'they'. And they might have a few things to take up with you."
"M-me?" The dark haired girl squeaked. Shaddow nodded. "W-who is it-t?"
The demoness smiled a bit cruelly. "I believe you know them already." Her soft words hung in the air, and though the girl could not hear the approaching steps, the woman was already grinning from ear to ear at what she expected to happen.
A sharp, curt knock sounded behind Kagome. The door swung open as the girl screamed, covering her head with her hands. A senseless babble escaped her mouth, and Shaddow could not contain her laughter.
A dark haired man wearing a monk's garb looked in shock at the loud noise and girl. Peering over his shoulder was a young woman in an exterminator's suit. Both stared at the girl cowering on the floor, gaping slightly.
"Kagome?!" The two asked at nearly the same time. Shaddow sat up from her hunched position and continued to chuckle. Kagome looked up at the two standing in the doorway. Her scared look changed into that of recognition and delight.
Kagome jumped to her feet, turning and throwing her arms around the two. "You guys are alright!" She cried happily. "I was so worried Naraku had killed you!"
Sango and Miroku glanced at each other. "Kago-"
"Where's Shippo?" She tried to look past them. The exterminator sighed and moved past the monk and girl. She went and sat down near Shaddow, staring into the fire with a solemn look. Miroku looked off to the side before moving to the opposite side the demon woman.
Kagome looked out the doorway, a small cat-like demon bounding past her feet to Sango. Slowly, Shaddow stood and moved past the young woman, closing the door and guiding the girl to sit again. She then went back to her pile, where she sat and stared into the flames.
Choking moments passed, as the air seemed to be sucked out of the dark haired girl's lungs. The three never once looked up from the flames, their eyes were too fixated on what they were looking at. Shaddow hung her head and was the first to break eye contact.
Gradually, Miroku looked up at her, but his eyes were looking through her. Kagome was afraid looking into those eyes, the deep, wise expanses that stared at something from the long past.
"Kagome. Did you read the tree, beneath Inuyasha's feet?" The girl nodded slightly, too scared of what he was going to tell her. "Well, then. I guess we should fill you in on the details."
