Here we go, chapter 1.  Oh, and it's not so much for this chapter, but if you want to increase the creep factor, I suggest getting David Lanz's "Christifori's Dream" and playing it on repeat while reading. It's the song I plotted and wrote most of the story to.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. Otherwise InuYasha and Kagome would be very much together and Kikyou would be….well, let's not get into that, shall we?

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Castle of Mist and Forgotten Dreams

Kagome listened entranced as the storyteller finished her tale. The old woman was a widow and had offered the odd group her hospitality as they passed through the village. There had been rumors of a jewel shard up near the Hiei Mountains, and so they set out on the journey to investigate. 

From the old woman's tale it sounded like they found the place, plus she had learned another story to add to the growing collection of folklore she was doing for class. Kagome sighed, with as much school as she was missing lately, every bit of extra credit helped! Of course, if some people would give her a break and let her return home every now and again…No. Best not to follow that train of thought. That way lay fury and 'osuwari's.  She glanced over at the boy leaning in the doorway, looking out at the moon who had kept unusually quiet during the old woman's tale. He turned and stared at her, giving her the 'what?' scowl. No, that way definitely lay 'osuwari's.

Shippou curled up in her lap, yawning. Yawning, as everyone knows, is contagious and she could feel the exhaustion from the days of difficult traveling they had been doing catching up to her. It did make her feel a bit less like a wimp to see that Sango was in the same state as well. A yawn escaped, and she covered her mouth with a look of embarrassment. The old storyteller smiled, "Come, child. You look ready to sleep as you are, and the little one doesn't seem to be faring much better." She nodded towards the little kitsune who was curled up into a ball of fluff on the miko's lap, making sleepy little noises. "This way." Their hostess slid open a shoji door and ushered them into a room where two futons lay spread out, looking very warm and inviting.

"Only two?" A lecherous grin slowly crossed Miroku's face. "Ah, well. I suppose we shall have to suffer. Sango, shall we prepare for bed?" Despite her exhaustion, the demon exterminator turned bright red and pulled back an arm for a hearty slap to the monk. A cough interrupted them. "My apologizes, Houshi-sama. But I've prepared bedding for yourself and the other young man in the next room." Miroku looked devastated. InuYasha simply snorted and pulled the other from the room as the old woman led them one room over. "Let's go, ya perv."

Kagome sighed. Well, there at least was one disaster averted for the night. She placed Shippou on the futon and settled herself in. "Sango-chan, are you alright?" The other girl nodded. "Yes, I'm just tired. Don't worry, I'll get that pervert tomorrow." Kagome sweatdropped slightly. "Get some rest, Kagome-chan. I have a feeling InuYasha'll want to head out to those ruins tomorrow."

"Un. Oyasumi nasai, Sango-chan."

 "Oyasumi nasai, Kagome-chan."

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She walked down the corridor until she came to a stop in front of a set of shoji doors. She watched as a little hand that couldn't possibly be her own reached and slid the doors apart. "Okaasan?" called out a child's voice. There came no answer. She walked into the room. "Okaasan?" came the call again. The room was richly decorated with hanging scrolls of calligraphy and paintings, a kimono stand stood in the corner with a beautifully embroidered kimono on it, next to it a lacquered chest. She walked over to a painted screen of pine trees in mists of a mountain. Behind the screen lay a woman on a futon. She was beautiful, but deathly pale and her breathing was shallow. "Okaasan?"

The woman opened her eyes and smiled up at her. She knelt down, the woman offered out a hand and she took it, her hand once again much smaller than normal. The woman closed her eyes again. The moonlight shone in through the open shoji casting dark, menacing shadows through out the room. The woman took a few last shallow breaths, and was then still, her hand and the smaller one still entwined. "Okaasan?" came the quiet call. Then again. "Okaasan?" A bit louder and more panicked. "Okaasan?!" Finally, a mournful cry into the night. "Okaasan!!"

Kagome awoke with a start. Her heart beat furiously within her chest as she gasped for breath and then lay still for a moment, simply trying to take in what had happened. The dream had been vivid. Too vivid for comfort and continued sleep. She turned to the left where Shippou slept on, his nose buried in his tail and then to the right were Sango slept peacefully, Kirara curled up near her cheek. Careful not to wake either, she got up and silently slid the door open and then closed it again behind her.

The moon still shone brightly outside, casting shadows like those in her dream. She shuddered. "Kagome? What's wrong?" Turning, she saw golden eyes gleam in the darkness. "I…had a bad dream, that's all. What are you still doing up?" The half demon shrugged. "I heard you, wondered what the hell you'd gotten yourself into this time." Translation: I heard you and was worried about you, she mused. "I'm fine. I just shouldn't have listened to that story right before going to sleep that's all." She sat down on the porch.

"Story?"

"The one she told us about the Hime and her son."

"Oh. That." InuYasha moved to sit next to her.

She glanced at him. "Maybe I should be the one asking you what's wrong. You've been incredibly quiet since we got to this village." He looked down at his hands, bangs shadowing his eyes. "…………"  "Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts!" He glared at her. "What the hell kind of youkai is scared of ghosts?! I dealt with that brat that died in the fire, didn't I?" Kagome smiled. "I was only teasing." He turned the other way with a 'feh!'. "Are you pouting now?" "No!"

"I think you are."

"Feh!"

"I think you're pouting because I was teasing you about ghosts."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

He spun around to snarl at her and stopped short at the bright smile on her face. She tugged playfully on one silver forelock. "Good night, InuYasha." He blinked at her as she rose and returned to her room. She paused, smiled at him, and then closed the door. Mildly confused, he leaned back against a post, drew on knee up and placed Tetsusaiga so that it leaned against his shoulder. Staring out into the night, an odd expression crossed his face. He then snorted.

Feh. Ghosts.

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Hrmm…that was a bit shorter than I liked, but I didn't particularly have this part planned out. I was just kind of going with the flow. And yes, I know InuYasha seems a bit OOC…just wait. Also, if you're wondering what sort of house they were staying in…eh…think a smaller version of the Fatal Frame mansion. Minus the ghosts. Those don't come until later.

So….feed an author's ego. Hit that shiny review button down there and let me know what you think. Comments will go towards new chapters, Criticism will be thoughtfully considered, and flames…well, flames will either make me cry and never post again, or be used for the benefit of entertaining I and my friends.