Disclaimers—I don't own Inuyasha or its characters, though I am using them for non-profitable entertainment purposes.

Warning—Blood/Violence, Angst

Author's Note—Reviews are always appreciated and wanted. An ego boost is just what I need. Or you flame me—whatever. Just enjoy.

-Chapter 2: Shocking Discoveries-

Feverish cries ran through the still night air, leaving all that were in earshot to cower away. The quivering girl knelt down in the corner of the small room, staring in horror at the demon in the center. It wasn't him that she was afraid of, though her fears were for him. He was covered from head to toe in blood; his once clear, amber eyes were fogged. His breathing was labored as he stretched out a clawed hand to the woman. "Kago—" his voice was stopped dead as several lines of blood appeared over his chest. The injured hanyou now lay dead on the floor, blood seeping through the floorboards.

Waking from her nightmare, a horrified scream tore through Kagome's throat as she rose from the wooden floor, her eyes burning with fresh tears. "Inuyasha…" she whispered into the dawn as she swallowed back sobs, drawing her knees towards herself. It had been several hours since they all went to bed, the sun now beginning to set the sky ablaze. Her hand rose slowly, wiping away the extra tears that threatened to spill. She swallowed at the lump in her throat before rising and stepping outside for some fresh air, hoping to clear her hazy thoughts.

Sango had told her all about what had been happening in the diminished group. Unfortunately, the only thing that could be said about Inuyasha was that they hadn't seen him since the night she left for her own time. All the same, she was grateful to see a friend from her past, someone that held more worries than what to wear on a date.

Her gaze slowly lifted to the sky before she gasped. Over the canopy of trees, she could see a powerful and evil aura, with smoke seeming to come from it. Raising a shaky hand, she covered her mouth at the distant sight. She knew there was a village over in the area the smoke was raising, also knowing several of the villagers that resided there.

Turning swiftly, she ran back into the hut, quickly rousing the other two forms from their sleep. "Sango! Shippo! Ge…Get up…there's a problem." She pulled away as the two began to join the realm of the living. Neither of them understood why she was yelling, though it wasn't uncommon for the Kagome they knew before.

Sango was the first to speak as she asked her hysterical friend calmly, "What's going on? What's wrong, Kagome?"

"There's fire—the village to the east is on fire I think. There's a powerful demon there too…I …I can feel it." It had been so long since she had actually felt an evil aura, though the reincarnated miko would recognize that feeling anywhere through the ages.

Her words brought about the attention of the kitsune and demon exterminator, both of them rising to their feet quickly. "Are you sure? How far away is it?" Shippo's matured voice asked hurriedly before running from the hut, immediately stopping as he saw the smoke billowing over the trees. "Sango! Kagome was right! There's a lot of smoke coming from over there! I can also smell burning flesh and blood. It's faint from here—but still enough to carry."

Following after him, Sango soon appeared as she tried to keep calm, her eyes focusing on the smoke. Her voice shook slightly before she spoke softly, "We should get over there and see what's going on." She suddenly ran headlong into the forest, not even stopping to think about getting her weapon or old slayer outfit. Kagome and Shippo followed close behind her, all of them holding the excitement and panic of the chase.

There were very few brakes taken, all of them just anxious to get to the scene in hopes that they would be mistaken. However, the smoke was too dark and thick for it to be just a simple bon fire or anything of the sort. Making their way through trees and clearings, it took them a good hour before they were finally able to make it to the site. Though, they didn't find what they thought they would.

Instead of the village being in ruin, there was just a large circle of flames; someone was tied in the center, no doubt dead. Outside the circle, angry villagers yelled and screamed at whoever had the unfortunate fate of being burnt alive. Kagome and Sango were both well out of breath as they stood there, slowly setting themselves down to the ground. Looking up through the flames, Kagome tried to make out the figure that was so mercilessly murdered. However, she couldn't make out the body as the blaze roared higher.

Shippo, who was perfectly fine, seemed to have handled the run quite well. He looked around between the villagers, asking one and then the other what was going on. However, the majority of them just gave him a disgusted look and turned back to the fire. Many of them looked as though they were ready to leap on the unsuspecting kitsune.

Finally, someone answered him, the voice cold with an eerie chill to it. "He's a demon—he has slain many villagers. He's taken their children, ran off with them, raped them and then murdered them mercilessly. We finally found him after all this searching. He's even put a sacred monk under his evil spell, convincing him that he were but a mortal—something deserving of love." The man that answered him stepped forward, his hair a dull blue, and his eyes an eerie blood red. He wore heavy robes as well as a sickening smile across his face.

As Kagome lifted her eyes to him, she gasped softly, seeing the evil aura rising from the man. Standing, she walked over and pulled Shippo back slightly, making sure he was far enough away from the other. "What's the matter m'lady? Was it something I said? Here…I have proof of the spell the demon set on the monk. We had him held up in one of the huts just over there. He keeps insisting that he knows the demon and we should let him go. He claims he's but an innocent in all this. The demon clearly has clouded his mind, and the villagers aren't too happy about it either."

The man raised his hand, making an odd motion with it. After a few moments, there was yelling as someone was dragged from the hut. However, through the crowd of people, Sango, Kagome and Shippo couldn't see who it was. "Let me go! I have to get to him before he dies! Get the hell offa' me!" Though they couldn't see his face, the three of them knew the voice very well.

Before them, a disoriented Miroku fell. The three villagers that had been restraining him had roughly let him go so he collapses before both Kagome and the man. Miroku's face was slightly bruised and his clothing was ripped and dirty. There were long wounds running over his arms and over the back of his neck. Through tears in his robes, minor lacerations could also be seen over his back. Sango and Kagome both held a disgusted and terrified look on their face, though Sango was the only one to move forward. As she knelt down beside him, a small groan left Miroku, only for him to sit up swiftly. His eyes didn't seem to even pass by Sango's form as he yelled out, "Inuyasha!" He was staring at the figure tied to the post, the flames having receded enough for them to just lick the bottom of the captive's feet.

Sure enough, Inuyasha hung limply from the post, though it was hard to recognize him. His once vibrant, silver mane had been diminished. It looked as though it had been torn from his head, leaving uneven strands of hair to hang limply in his beaten and bloodied face, while the silver in it was barely recognizable from under the rusted color of blood. Instead of confident, golden eyes, there were just black scorch marks, which took the shape of crosses over either eyelid. His eyes had been forced shut from the burnt flesh. The dog-ears that lay atop his head were shredded and charred. The coat of the fire rat that once protected him from flames and other attacks, was in shreds as well, the legs of which were torn off as well as the arms, leaving a good bit of his bloodied, scarred, and charred flesh to show.

Kagome stared up at the hanyou she used to hold dearly as a friend, and though she wouldn't usually admit it, someone she loved. Her eyes began to tear as she looked on his form, her throat clenching tightly as she whispered, "Inu…" Her voice broke as she fell to her knees, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. Nothing felt real at that moment as she let out an agonizing scream, crumpling to the ground and sobbing. "INUYASHA!"

--

Fire's Tempest stares up at the chapter before mumbling, "Geez…that was sad…"

Inuyasha: Ya' think?!

Kagome: You better bring him back right now or I'll…I'll… -she raises a bow and arrow, aiming for Fire's Tempest's head-

Fire's Tempest: Temper temper…

Shippo sweatdrops before whispering back to the reader, "Please read and review…give us some ideas here before Kagome goes on a rampage.