Chapter 1: Dead City
The girl sat on her bed, her knees to her chin and crying softly. Her father had just died after being bitten by a strange mugger. Her chocolate eyes were red-rimmed, and her waist length raven hair covered her face. A sound downstairs caught her attention, "Mom?" She called, "Souta? Grandpa?"
"Ka-Go-Me!" Souta's voice filtered up the stairs, "help!"
Quickly Kagome tore down the stairs, just in time to see a strange man bite into the tender flesh of Souta's throat. His eyes quickly dimmed as the blood poured from his jugular (sp), "sis!" He gasped, collapsing, the hunched man leaned over her brother and Kagome felt her legs getting weak as she noticed that he was eating the boy.
"What the hell are you doing!" Kagome screeched, leaping over the banister and grabbing the sick bastard that had killed her brother.
She gasped as she looked into his eyes to see- nothing, his eyes were glassy- dead. He gnashed his teeth at her, snarling through his bloodied lips. "What the hell!" She let go of the man's shoulders, noting that his clothes were torn and he himself had festering wounds.
He leapt forward, attempting to bite her, thinking quickly Kagome picked up a lamp and smashed it on his head, the man crumpled to the ground and didn't move, "Souta!" Kagome cried as the boy rose, but there was something wrong with him.
Souta looked at Kagome with glassy, dead eyes, "sis-ter." He struggled to say, as though he had never spoken before, "Sister kill Souta."
"No!" Kagome cried, appalled, "I will not kill you Souta!"
Tears poured over her cheeks as he took a step towards her, "Sister kill Souta before... Souta kill sister." His eyes took on a sad look, "Souta doesn't want to hurt Kagome."
"Then don't!" Kagome cried, "We'll find help!"
The glassy eyed boy shook his head, "Need- feed." He said, "Souta will hurt Kagome, kill."
Kagome wrapped her arms around the boy, "never!" She cried, feeling tears slide through her already puffed eyes, "M-maybe the jewel can help!" She thought back, it had taken two and a half years to complete the jewel that she had broken- maybe she could make a wish and bring Souta back to her.
"Kagome, that's what they want you to do." Souta managed to speak in a complete sentence, "do not use the shikon no tama... Inuyasha."
Kagome could feel him sniffing at her throat and he turned his face away from her, "Souta will hurt Kagome- get protection from Souta and others, get your friends to come here."
She sensed his control slipping, and was surprised by his strength when he shoved her away. Kagome went sprawling, falling into the kitchen where she saw her mother hovering over the stove, "Mom?" She whispered cautiously.
The woman turned and Kagome could see the same dead eyes on her, the woman screeched and leapt at Kagome, she held a knife in her hand and slashed violently, "Mom?" Kagome knew that she hadn't lost all control yet.
"Will not let you become one of us!" She hissed, cutting Kagome across the stomach.
Kagome cried out in pain and stumbled backwards, "No!" She screamed as the blade was planted in her chest, it just barely missed her heart and lungs.
The girl gasped and stumbled back as the blade was wrenched from her body. Thoughtlessly she ran from the house, she knew that they were following, other strange creatures that could sense her blood and was surprised when she felt the blade of her mother's knife sink itself in her thigh. Kagome stumbled, but quickly managed to pick herself up, she hurriedly made her way into the well-house and fell into the old well. "Inu-yasha..." She murmured as the blue light engulfed her body.
On the other side, Kagome felt rain pounding heavily down upon her, the well was rapidly filling with water. Weakly she stood, and pulled herself out of the well- coming face to face with- none other than Sesshomaru himself. Seeing the Youkai lord, she nearly fell back into the well, but he quickly grabbed her and yanked her halfway over the side, where she sat, gasping for breath and trying to regain her composure, "What are you doing here?" She asked in surprise.
He expressed some concern for his little sister.(After defeating Naraku she had saved Rin's life, this had thus brought her closer to Sesshy, and she became like a little sister to him…) "Are you okay Kagome?" He asked, his eyes slightly wide as he smelled the blood on her body.
"Sesshomaru-" She began but was startled to feel a pair of clawed hands grasp at her leg.
Looking down, Kagome saw that the things had come through the well and her face paled as their grasping hands tore at her legs, grasping for the bleeding flesh. Her eyes began to water as Sesshomaru's arms wrapped firmly about her waist and pulled her into a warm embrace. (She had used her miko abilities to grow his arm back.) "What's going on?" He asked looking at the cannibalistic things in the well with disgust.
"I-it's why I came back." Kagome breathed heavily, looking over her shoulder in time to see several faces peer over the well at her- the faces of her grandfather, mother, and Souta.
"Why do they reek of death?" Sesshomaru asked, backing away from the well.
"I think that it's similar to movies that I've seen- like Resident Evil, Dawn of the Dead, and umm… several others. They must be the undead." Oo Kagome said softly.
"Are those not your family?" Sesshomaru asked, "And just what is a movie?"
"It's something you watch even though you aren't there." Kagome clung to Sesshomaru, "We have to- kill them."
The Youkai lord nodded and drew his sword, the Toukijin. Quickly he let go of Kagome and beheaded several zombies, although the bodies fell, the heads kept snapping at his feet, "Why have they not died?" He asked.
"You have to destroy the brain." Kagome choked back sobs as she saw Sesshomaru cut into her family and couldn't take it, she turned and ran silently away from the scene, deeper into Inuyasha's forest.
Her legs finally gave out, and Kagome collapsed in a dizzy heap, her eyes closed and she knew no more.
After killing all the mindless creatures, Sesshomaru turned and noted that Kagome was gone, "Kagome?" He called, "Kagome!"
He was suddenly aware of Inuyasha's scent, headed towards him, "Sesshomaru!" He cried wildly, "Where's Kagome, why do I smell her blood?" He was frantic, Sesshomaru could smell it on him.
Inuyasha became aware of the bloody scene before him, "They are the undead, Kagome told me that." Sesshomaru said softly, "I think she ran off while I was putting them at peace- it was too much for her to handle."
Inuyasha's eyes lighted upon the bodies of Kagome's family and he understood why she had run off then, "Now she is alone." He murmured.
"No!" Sesshomaru nearly shouted, "She has us, we are her family now, remember, she is our little sister."
The hanyou lifted his nose to the air and caught Kagome's bloody scent again, heading away from the well. "We need to find her." Inuyasha said in concern, "She's lost a lot of blood now, no doubt that she needs medical attention immediately."
He, with Sesshomaru right beside him, followed the trail quickly. He heard Sesshomaru take in a sharp breath at the trail that was all to visible, they didn't need to rely on their noses or their senses, the trail of crimson was all too clear to his worried eyes. They ran for nearly ten minutes before they happened upon the girl, lying in a crumpled heap on a bed of leaves.
Inuyasha ran to her just as her heard a familiar wind approaching, "Damn it Kouga, why now?" He muttered, lifting Kagome's limp form into the air just as the wolf prince appeared.
"Ka-gome?" He ran towards Inuyasha, eying him suspiciously, "What'd you do to her mutt?" He growled.
"Feh!" Inuyasha grumbled, "Like I'd do anything to hurt Kagome!"
Kouga still looked at him suspiciously, "Then what happened?"
"We won't know until she wakes up." Sesshomaru said coldly, for he despised Kouga almost as much as his half-brother.
"Then I won't leave her side until then!" Kouga said fiercely.
At that moment Kagome groaned and her eyes fluttered, "Wha- Inuyasha!" She exclaimed weakly, her eyes snapping open, " I need help… my era's been taken over by the undead! It's massive chaos as far as my shrine goes, they were everywhere!"
"Calm down, Kagome, tell me what happened." Inuyasha said softly as Kouga and Sesshomaru pressed closer in order to hear her hushed voice.
Kagome told them everything she knew, "What!" Kouga cried, "Your mother stabbed you? But I thought that humans were loyal to each other, and most of all, to their kin?"
"She was protecting me, Kouga." Kagome murmured, "She didn't want me to become one of them."
Kouga's face grew dark and thoughtful, "we could all go back and save your era, right?"
"I don't know, Kouga, I don't know who the well lets through and who it'll refuse." Kagome said.
"First thing, we must get you to Kaede's hut." Inuyasha said in determination, "Sango, Miroku, and Shippo are their."
Kagome smiled in relief and moved closer to Inuyasha, shivering slightly from an unfelt cold. The three moved quickly and were soon in front of the old miko's hut. Kaede rushed outside when she saw them, "Why, what happened to ye Kagome?" She asked.
"Kaede, no time, she needs to be bandaged," Sesshomaru said impatiently, "Kagome has lost a lot of blood."
Kaede looked uncomfortably towards Sesshomaru, she still wasn't used to him being on their side, nor was she used to the fact that he and Inuyasha were on such friendly terms. The woman hurriedly rushed inside, indicating that the group should enter as well and after about a half hour, had managed to stitch and bandage Kagome's wounds. The girl smiled at her, "Thanks, Kaede," She attempted to stand and was gently pushed back down by Sesshomaru.
"Not yet, let your body heal first." He said gently.
At that moment, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo burst through the door, "Kagome!" They all shouted and quickly moved to her side.
"I have- to go back." Kagome said softly, sitting up while gritting her teeth, "There may be survivors who need my help."
"Ka-" Shippo began, then, "We'll all go with you Kagome!"
Kagome looked at the fox kit lovingly, "Thanks." She murmured, getting shakily to her feet, "Time is of the essence."
The group made their way towards the well and each in turn jumped into the depths. All except for Inuyasha were stunned by the blue lights, and it wasn't long before they were in the Higurashi shrine. "Kagome," Shippo held his nose and made a face, "It smells like rotten flesh out here."
"Everyone, be on your guard, don't let them bite you or you'll become one of them, destroy their brain and they'll die, otherwise they'll continue to come after you." Kagome informed them, and they left the shrine.
Outside was a scene of utter chaos, Kagome's house was on fire and Buyo was nowhere in sight, but Kagome didn't have time for her cat now, she had to begin the search, and control the spread of zombies lest they contaminate the world. She made her way towards her overly large van that her grandfather had gotten her (my friends call them the stoner vans, they're the ones that you can stand up in) and motioned for everyone to get in. Once they were seated she grabbed her keys from under the gas pedal and started the engine. Her passengers looked in awe as the scenery passed quickly by, "Kagome, what is this metal monster?" Sango asked, Kirara sat in her lap and also looked at Kagome quizzically.
"It is called a car." Kagome said through gritted teeth as she plowed down the road and into Tokyo.
The city was quiet and appeared to be totally dead. No movements were apparent until Kagome drove through the mall's parking lot. She parked right by the door and climbed out, "We will look here first, for one we need supplies, and two we need to be sure that there are no zombies in here."
They moved swiftly through the door and approached a sign, which Miroku read aloud, "You are here." He murmured, "How does it know?"
Kagome couldn't suppress a giggle, "it doesn't, actually, it's just a sign to help you find your way if you are lost."
Swiftly the group made their way through the mall, piling food, weapons, ammo, blankets, clothes, backpacks, and toiletries into their hands. After gathering the articles, they began to stuff the bags until they were nearly bursting (Yes Inuyasha… there is Ramen…) and then loaded them on their shoulders. Kagome clutched a .9 millimeter in her hand as they made their way back out to the car, Shippo held a large knife that was nearly as tall as him, and the others held their original weapons.
Kagome's heart sped up as a sound was heard behind them and swiftly swung around, letting out a relieved sigh as she saw Hojo, pale as can be, running towards them at top speed, "Kagome!" He cried, "They're here, run!"
"Hojo, stop." Kagome commanded, and he did, quickly she handed him a gun similar to his, "we need to… kill them Hojo, to release them from their suffering."
Kouga growled at the newcomer's apparent closeness to Kagome, "Who is this?" He demanded.
"Not now!" Kagome cried, as a rather large group of fast moving zombies ran at them.
A/N Well, I'm going to end there. I got this inspiration while reading other stories dealing with the Inuyasha gang and zombies. Let me know what you think- I want to get a few reviews before I continue, so help me out with constructivecriticism and maybe just some pleasant comments. Read and review for me!