'Tis The Season

Chapter Four ::: Kagome's Ordeal

Whip: Hey! -squeals- I got a kimono for Christmas! -does twirl in kimono- Okay, back to the fanfic.

Kagome wandered through the fog seemingly aimlessly. She'd been searching for a way out for hours now. Se wasn't in the best of moods. Cold, wet, scared. She was muttering to herself, saying she hated her life and everything in it. Even in her bad mood, as soon as she said it she stopped.

"That's not true. Not everything." She thought of her friends. Sango and Kirara, Shippo, even Miroku. And Inuyasha. And image of Inuyasha filled her mind. His arms were crossed, his expression smug and proud.

Kagome fell to her knees and hands, her dripping hair concealing her tear-strained face.

"Inuyasha," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself and slowly rocked.

"Kagome!" a voice called. It was distant. Kagome looked up through her hair and saw Inuyasha standing there, his hand outstretched, a smile on his face.

"Inuyasha! You came for me!" Kagome scrambled top her feet, only to find the ground beneath her crumbling. She was pulled down and Inuyasha faded into the distance. Kagome closed her eyes, wishing, praying for Inuyasha to catch her. Her eyes were forced open. She was no longer falling. She was sitting on a grassy plain. Inuyasha was standing in the distance, Sessoumaru facing him.

The dead bodies of Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara and the little girl called Rin littered the ground. Inuyasha was soaked in blood. He was half-dead. Sessoumaru was hard worked as well, though not as much as Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed out. Inuyasha didn't look at her. His head bowed in defeat. Kagome gasped when she saw his tears.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I failed you."

"No! Inuyasha!" KAgome tried to run to him but her legs refused to move. She watched, horrified, as Sessoumaru advanced, raised his sword, and struck the death blow. Inuyasha collapsed.

"No! INUYASHA!" Kagome felt tears streaming down her face as she watched blood collect around Inuyasha's body. She felt her heart break. The fog closed in around her again.

"No!" she yelled. "NO! Inuyasha! He can't be dead!" The fog blocked her view. Kagome herself collapsed and curled up into a ball, sobbing her heartache.

"No," she croaked out in a weak voice. "No."

"Kagome! There you are!" Kagome looked up to see her little brother, Sota.

"Sota?"

Sota smiled at her.

"Mom says it's time for supper. Come on!" Sota ran out of the shrine.

"The shrine? What am I doing here?" Weakly, Kagome trudged out after Sota, tears still gently flowing.

"Kagome!" Sota's voice. He sounded terrified. Kagome saw why. Her home was on fire.

"Kagome! Mom and Gramps are inside! They're stuck inside!"

Kagome watched as her home was destroyed by flames. Her legs turned to jelly and she sank to her knees.

"No," she whispered.

"Mom! Gramps!" Sota ran toward the burning house.

"Sota! No!" Kagome yelled, reached out a hand willing Sota to stop. She was too late. Sota had disappeared into the house. Kagome struggled to her feet. She could hear sirens getting close. In a burst of fear for her little brother, Kagome got her legs to work. She ran toward the burning house. The fire trucks had arrived. Right before she got to the house, hands stopped her.

"Miss, no, it isn't safe."

Kagome struggled to get away from the hands and into the house.

"No!" she screamed. "My family's in there! Sota! Mom! Gramps!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The fireman wrestled her away from the house. He held her to the side as firemen put out the fire.

Time seemed to fast forward. The fire was gone. Firemen were inside the house, looking for her family. One fireman brought out a small body.

"Sota," she whispered. Her voice was sore from screaming. Two more firemen came out, carrying another body. The burnt body was her mother. Two more followed, carrying what could only be her grandfather. The last fireman emerged, with the last member of Kagome's family. Buyo.

Kagome heard a snicker. She turned to look up into the fireman's face.

"Naraku!" she yelled.

"What's wrong, Kagome? Where are your friends now? Aren't they here to comfort you?" His voice was cold, mocking. The scene around them faded to darkness. Kagome was left with a sneering Naraku.

"They've abandoned you, Kagome."

"No," Kagome shook her head. "They didn't abandon me!"

"Face it, Kagome. Everything you loved, held dear. It's all gone."

"NO!" Kagome fell to her knees, hands holding her head. "No," she insisted desperately. Naraku snickered again, the snicker fading. Kagome was left alone in darkness. She curled up into a ball, shaking with sobs.

Whip: -sobs- No! Inuyasha can't be dead!!

Unknown Voice: Uh, Whip? You're the one that wrote it...

Whip: huh? Oh....