Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I own this plot line… and… this paper clip on the table here.

He didn't remember falling, but he remembered hitting the ground. A jarring thud, the village man scrambling away, and pain. He was faintly surprised that he hadn't noticed her coming, but then again, he hadn't seen her as a threat for awhile now. Unfortunate.

Raven Moon: Ch. 4, How Did This Happen?

Author: Cyan I'd

Betas: Special thanks to Alex and Sashi

Kagome smiled, tilting her face into the sun and sweet breeze. Her arms were spread wide, fingers trailing along the long grasses at the side of the trail, and her steps were light and easy. Just ahead, the monk made a steady trek for the nearest village, a straight-arrow course for their only hope for a night's sleep without a blanket of stars. To be honest, Kagome was really looking forward to that stay at the inn. She hadn't been out for long – the early afternoon melted into looming twilight, that was all – but as a miko and resident of the temple, cleanliness was fairly high on the priorities list, for the health of their patients and ritual purification. Naturally, to one accustomed to a life of warm bathwater and scrubbing brushes, the dusty roads and grime of travel didn't appeal.

"You're in good spirits," Miroku said,shooting her a small grin. She returned the look, feeling much more at ease with the man after he swore on his own life that he would not touch her on any part of her body unless circumstance demanded it. Of course she reinforced her 'request' with an arrow in one fist, and of course he was completely clear on exactly what circumstances deemed touch necessary.

"Yup. I've decided that if things have to mostly suck, I'll make do with what doesn't suck."

Miroku chuckled to himself. He wasn't at all offended; his was a life far from her own. He understood as best as he could.

"And what, pray tell, doesn't suck?"

A wild gesture followed, encompassing the general area, and the flash of a brilliant smile. "This doesn't. Adventure."

"Kagome-sama, you have a dazzling personality," he admitted, charmed by her presence. And an incredibly pure heart… even an untrained fool would see her unblemished soul for what it was. He would just have to double his efforts to protect it, then.

"Thank you," she smiled. The rumble of the wagon slowed, drawing the conversation to a close for the time being. Tanuki stopped on the crest of a hill, bent double and panting, while his two travel-mates caught up. Kagome eyed the raccoon demon carefully.

"Maybe I should pull for awhile…?" she murmured.

"Nonsense," Miroku waved her off, "Tanuki's fine; he could use the exercise." To prove his point, the monk bounced the end of his staff off of the demon's round middle, which gained a rather indignant snort (between gasps for air). "Besides, you couldn't pull it. Machina is heavy, you know."

"Machina… just what sort of priest sells Machina, anyway?" she asked, giving him a critical eye. He smiled good-naturedly her way.

"The travelling kind that doesn't plan on starving to death. Come on, the village is right below us," he gestured, angling his shakujou down the hill. Kagome scanned the small huts and roads with a small frown. The village was tiny, which wasn't a problem, of course – but the small curls of smoke rising from some demolished homesteads was.

"Miroku-sama… what happened…?" she murmured.

"Miko-sama, did you really think that your village was the only one having troubles with youkai?" he asked, sidestepping the cart and making his way carefully down the steep incline. Tanuki eyed the hill nervously before following, trying to drive the soles of his feet into the tufts of grass to keep the cart from rolling too fast. It was futile, though – he slipped, the cart bounced, ran him over and thundered down the hill with the demon scrambling to catch it. Miroku, to his credit, didn't seem very upset that his livelihood was careening out of control. Kagome sighed and followed, feeling a little uneasy.

This village, it seemed, was in a very similar situation to her own home, save for one important factor: the temple. There was no miko or priest guarding it, there hadn't been for years, if the talk of old men was anything to go by. A kami was said to reside there once, but the temple was long since desecrated, and on the wings of that atrocity came years of drought, famine, and youkai attacks that escalated in frequency as time went by. Kagome was wary of staying in a place like this – they surely wouldn't turn away a shrine priestess and a travelling monk, such an act would only bring more bad luck down on their heads – but could they really, in all good conscience, put a strain on the village's resources, even if only for one night?

"We won't be a strain," Miroku assured her, "because I will pay for our lodging and give them good Machina. We will be beneficial, if anything."

"But I don't approve of you using funds from faulty Machina to pay our way, let alone giving them some of the junk itself!" she returned, crossing her arms petulantly. They argued in the middle of the road, the cart off to one side, weary villagers passing by on the other and sparing them an interested glance.

"It's the highest quality Machina in these lands, of course," Miroku declared loudly. Somehow, Kagome suspected it wasn't for her benefit. "Why, I've got numerous quality goods here – the well-known 'Up-lifter' can lift up to four tonnes – speeding up construction by fifty-percent! And, of course, there's the 'Blade Wheel', which sharpens any blade ten times faster than the traditional methods. Why, anyone with youkai problems would love to have one of these."

"I saw that 'Blade Wheel' fall out of the cart and crash into a tree!" Kagome hissed.

"It's very durable."

"It started as one piece. Now there are two pieces."

"Some assembly required."

"Are you amonk, or a shady businessman?" Kagome sighed, rubbing her forehead. Really, she could feel a headache coming on… already. One day into their travels.

"You're quite right, Kagome-sama," Miroku said seriously. He looked determined now, with a confident stance and a strong grip on his staff. He surveyed the damaged surroundings with a critical eye, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"This… this is terrible. These people have been completely ravaged. If they don't find some way to defend themselves soon, this village won't last," he stated calmly, a hint of regret lacing is tone. Kagome nodded, but said nothing. She was still in training. She wasn't sure what she could do to help these people in the long run, save staying there and helping to defend their village – which simply wasn't an option.

"We should do what we can while we're here – but don't compromise much-needed rest, Kagome-sama. We still have a long way to go."

"Absolutely," Kagome agreed, clenching the strap of her pack a little tighter. Women, children, whole families… she could tell which ones were in mourning. She still remembered the way her mother was when her father didn't come back that time… tired, red-eyed and shrouded in black. Some things, it seemed, were truly universal.

"Kagome-sama, I'll leave it to you to figure out what you can do. I, for one, can feel an instinctual calling to where I am needed. My senses tell me that lovely group of ladies over there requires some comfort in these terrible, terrible times."

Kagome watched him pad off, fighting the tick that started to develop under her eye.

"Doesn't he… have any… shame…?" she muttered. The Tanuki shook his head, leaning heavily against the cart.

Kagome sighed and let her pack slide to the ground, searching for any sign of what might be the headman's home. She really didn't know what she could do to help, but perhaps if she talked to the headman, he could point her towards whichever hut housed the injured? With no miko, it was unlikely the sick or injured were being cared for properly. Her knowledge of healing herbs and proper care might just come in handy, and alleviate a little of that guilt that came with staying here for the night.

She walked carefully down the dusty path, her bow still slung over one shoulder and eyes carefully scanning the people as she passed. She knew they were watching her curiously, and it made her feel just a little self-conscious. She came into town with a monk, this much the people knew. However, what they didn't know was that she herself possessed spiritual powers – as a priestess in training, she didn't yet don the traditional garb of a true shrine maiden. She was a little thankful for that, now.

All of the shacks looked as though they were frozen in the midst of tumbling down. Villagers came and went carelessly through the doorways of their broken homes. They wore shredded clothes and worn-out faces. They were very thin.

Hard times, Kagome thought, grimly. She stopped in front of a slightly larger lodging with five stone steps cut into the small slope that led up to the door and crowned with a decorative banner that had seen better days. Crossing her fingers, Kagome guessed this was the place she was looking for and headed up to the door, her fingers twitching to hold her arrows. She always felt that way when she was anxious.

This is so stupid… I don't even know what I'm doing! But, then again, anything is better than nothing, I suppose.

"Excuse me…?"

The hut was cool and dark. A man was bowed over a piece of parchment paper, discussing it with another man. The light that spilled from the doorway glinted off something long and metallic in the corner – a sword, maybe?

"Yes, miss?" one asked respectfully. Kagome flushed with embarrassment. Here she was, intruding on their home, and yet she was the one that was getting all the respect. She bowed slightly in acknowledgement (as she had seen her own mother do) and stepped fully into the hut.

"I'm very sorry to disturb you, sir. I just arrived here with a friend, and we were hoping to find a place to stay for the night. However, it looks like you've had a hard time of things, so I thought I'd offer to help in any way I can," she explained, choosing her words carefully. She wanted to come off as mature and schooled – not as the child that she was.

"That so?" the other drawled. Kagome immediately guessed by his confident and authoritative mannerisms that he was the headman. "What can you help us with, child?"

"I came from a village about a day's walk from here. I'm a priestess in training – I'll do whatever I can."

"A priestess…? That's very fortunate news, hm, Toshio-sama? Well, you could certainly take a look at our injured fellows, if that's not too much trouble. We're looking after people in our own homes, I'm afraid – the temple didn't feel safe – and they're at the center of town."

"I wouldn't mind at all." Kagome smiled, a friendly, open expression. The village headman – Toshio, apparently – nodded to his companion.

"Go ahead and take her there, then. I think we've done all we can here."

The other man nodded in response, then gestured for Kagome to make her way outside. He followed, cutting a wide path across the stone steps and heading down the road away from where Tanuki waited with the cart.

"How bad are the demon attacks?" she asked, keeping pace by his side. She studied his profile curiously, noting a strong, set jaw and soft, brown eyes.

"Very bad. We managed to fend them off for quite awhile, but recently they've gotten much worse," he explained. He glanced her way, a bitter smile on his face. "We've lost many people, miko-sama."

"You can call me 'Kagome'. I'm sorry to hear that," she replied softly, fingering the smooth wood of her bow. She felt anxious all over again, fighting the urge to take an arrow in hand, just in case.

"Not your troubles, Kagome-sama. Do not fret," he waved her off.

"What about calling for help? A priest, a priestess?"

"We tried asking a couple of neighbouring villages if they knew of anyone that would be willing to come here and help – none could be spared, it seemed."

"And the taijiya?" she pressed. Demon slayers… certainly they would respond to this village's need?

"We tried that, too. Sent for them about three weeks ago. Rumours have been going around, though, that even the taijiya are hard-pressed right about now. They're so busy trying to protect their own village, they barely have time to meet the demands of so many others."

"I didn't realize… things had gotten so bad," Kagome said softly.

"It's not the sort of thing that the knowledgeable like to spread."

Kagome sighed and stared up at the ceiling. She could still make out some shapes and swirls in the dark, the work of some painter or another when times were better, and wondered if there would ever be time for such pretty things and thoughts again. The moon was full and high, casting pale, silver light over a village too quiet to be natural. It seemed the people were even too afraid to breathe loudly in their sleep.

She turned on her side, studying her soft, rounded nails and calloused hands. Years of working with bows and arrows had long since eroded the soft, feminine velvet of her fingers – only princesses were allowed to keep such dainty loveliness. It didn't bother her, though, not in the least. She couldn't imagine just kneeling by a window as the men march off to war. She would want to do something.

She suddenly missed her mother and brother. They were only a day away, but to her, that was so much more than what was tolerable. They'd been there her whole life, and now they were gone – would she ever see them again? Things had changed so much… if only she hadn't gone out that day, found that undead youkai, would all of this mess been averted?

Silly fool… it would have happened anyway.

Kagome frowned. That had sounded sort of like that boy… which she wasn't entirely sure was healthy. Talking to yourself was bad enough, but when the opposition sounds like some spirit from beyond the grave, well… maybe she was just a little stressed lately.

Kagome snorted and turned over, fully prepared to drift back to sleep, when a loud crash nearly stopped her heart. It sounded like splintering wood and a low, rumbling thunder that sent vibrations even through the house she stayed in. On the heels of that came a few panicked screams.

"What—?!"

"Kagome-sama, rise and shine!" Miroku called, banging on her door. Kagome scrambled to her feet, thankful that she'd chosen a shirt and an old skirt that kept her decent to wear to bed. Of course, they weren't in the peak of fashion… and was that a frayed edge, there?

Another crash reminded her that now was not the time for fashion critiques. She snatched her bow from the corner of the room and tore out the door, pounding down the small hall towards the front of the house. The monk was already there, shakujou gripped in one hand, expression dead serious and slightly apprehensive.

"I'm here, I'm here! What's going on?" Kagome gasped, halting beside the wayward monk.

"It seems that we're under attack… but honestly, Kagome-sama, you did have time to put on some clothes – just wrapping an old ratty blanket around your waist will really impede battle, and—"

"It's a skirt," Kagome snapped, brushing her fingers against the woollen fabric. It was not ratty!

…was it?

"Oh. Well. I…" Miroku blinked, not sure what to say to pacify the girl. He was tempted to tell her that it really was a very nice skirt… but she wasn't stupid. She'd see right through that blatant lie, for sure.

"Houshi-sama! Miko-sama! The southern border of the village!" a villager gasped, running up to the two in the midst of their fashion dilemma.

"Of course. Gather the village men, move the women and children away and into the centre of the village – we'll see what we can do!" Miroku commanded, tugging on Kagome's hand to get her moving. They crossed the road and cut between a few huts, making quick progress towards the source of the rising smoke and calls of the men trying to turn away the latest threat.

A large centipede rose from behind the roofs of the intact houses, complete with multiple arms and long, oily black hair. Kagome and Miroku stopped just behind a cluster of men, armed with whatever they could find, it seemed – poles, swords, bows and arrows, garden utensils – not that it would do them much good.

"Miroku-sama…" Kagome started, but she didn't have to finish. It was fairly obvious that the youkai attacking the village suffered from the rather unhealthy condition of death, if the strings of rotting meat hanging from between the hard plates of its carcass were any indication.

"Again…?"

The centipede by then knew of their presence, leering down at the pair with a lazy grin.

"You. Priestess."

Kagome started and looked around, as if expecting another priestess to come forward and raise her hand.

"I've been looking for you."

The sections of her body crunched as they shifted while she lowered herself down towards Kagome, keeping the same wide grin stretching her bloated lips.

Kagome turned on her heel and bolted, heading straight out of the village. She knew she had to lead it away from the villagers, there was no question about that – the only decision she had to make was whether to run left or right. Behind her, the centipede screamed in outrage, crashing through whatever homes were left standing to give chase to the young girl. Kagome put on an extra burst of speed, the feeling of death crackling through her veins like icy flames.

She scrambled down a small grassy slope, heading for a small stream that headed straight into the forest. She had to get it away from the village – it was obvious that the only reason the centipede was there was because of her.

'…the nature of death is like a pool of water. A disturbance in one place sends ripples across all time, and all things that have the power to be aware learn of it. There is no doubt in my mind that your… experiences in the other world have already roused the attention of many things wicked and powerful. No matter what path you choose, miko-sama, be careful of your steps.'

Good advice. She really wished it was a little more useful in this instance, though.

"I could use… a little… help…" she panted, shrieking as the demon skimmed along the ground and drove up clumps of earth and vegetation. She ducked instinctively, wondering if this time she wouldn't survive – it was bound to happen sooner or later, at this rate.

Inuyasha watched the small waves lap against his leg with a sort of bored detachment. He reclined lazily against what seemed to be a rough 'rock', uncaring of how it got there or what caused it. It was damn convenient, though. And relaxing. Although, there really was no need to relax – around here, there wasn't much to get you tense. Unless, of course, you counted the undead spirits that clawed their way through the icy barrier between death and the in-between in hopes of returning to the living world to feast on flesh… or, whatever it is that they did.

"Hey… what are you up to?" he asked, inclining his head slightly to the mortal girl. She had been carrying on for a couple minutes now, shrieking and grunting and struggling with the eight or so human arms of an undead centipede.

"I'm fighting for my life, what does it look like?!" she cried, wrenching her ankle out of its grasp and barely dodging as it lunged for her, fangs first.

"And how's that going for you?" he drawled lazily, tracing circles in the water by his knee.

"Are you nuts?!" she cried. The centipede made another pass, but the girl managed to throw up a feeble barrier to keep it back. Inuyasha paused to seriously consider her question. It was possible, seeing as years of staring at nothing but bleak grey would probably drive even the most stable of people over the edge.

"Are you going to help me?" she asked, planting her feet and squaring her shoulders. The centipede coiled before her, casting a bemused glance at the boy on the ice.

"Nope."

Well then. Kagome swallowed nervously, focussing on the problem at hand – she'd deal with the stupid jerk later. Right now, she was in severe danger of being eaten alive by a half-rotted centipede. Good thing that she'd brought her bow and arrow with her this time when she pulled the both of them through, although she wasn't sure how. Her clothes always made the jump between living and dead easily enough, though, so maybe weapons passed the same way.

Kagome snatched an arrow and threw herself to the side to once again avoid a dive from the demon. She landed hard on the ice, scraping her hands and knees in the process, but ignored it. If she could just put an arrow in the youkai's heart… that should buy her the time she needed. She knocked an arrow, drew back the bowstring, and forgot about the other end of the demon – until it whipped around and snapped her forward towards the gaping jaws. She screamed and landed hard, fighting to drag air into her lungs as a dizzy spell washed over her. Her back screamed in pain. She really wouldn't be surprised if that had cracked a few ribs.

"Nice," Inuyasha snorted, raising his brows. Kagome struggled to her hands and knees, numb with shock from the sudden jarring pain, and shot him her first ever Death Glare.

"Some priestess… what was he worried about, hm?" the centipede purred, lowering herself and stretching her jaws wider. Too easy. A free meal, though, was always welcome and appreciated.

"Oh, forget this…!" Kagome hissed, discarding the bow and arrow. She gritted her teeth, drew herself up on her knees, and glared defiantly at the demon. She threw herself into the sense of death, let it wash over her with ease – cold, hollow, endless and empty – but she could feel the ties that bound the creature easily, a cord that crossed her line of vision.

"Your hold on this world is very weak," she told it solemnly, and snapped that little cord with a flex of her aura. The centipede screamed in outrage, decayed muscles bunching as she prepared to strike, but it was a little too late. The sections of her body slackened and fell apart, her hair hit the water in small clumps, and her eyes sunk back into their sockets. She fell limply onto the ice and faded away, leaving the pair seemingly alone.

Even if I put a stop to this… the nightmares will never end.

Kagome stared at the spot where her adversary used to be, blinking back tears. She wondered idly if they would freeze on her cheeks, or simply fall and become a part of the shallow waters that spread over the ice. She shifted, and regretted it immediately – pain shot up her back. She turned to face the boy on the ice, careful not to jar her already screaming nerves any further.

"You… jerk…" she spat, trembling. Inuyasha stared steadily back at her, his expression closed.

"Oh? Come now, priestess, no need for name-calling," he answered. He made her title sound like a curse. The haunting lilt to his tone brought the image of thick red blood beneath his nails. He tilted his head to the side, giving her a humourless smile that brought a shiver to her spine. "Ne?"

"Why didn't you help me? You should have!"

"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry, I didn't know. There's really no one around here to tell me these things," he replied, raising a hand to indicate the desolate surrounding area. If his intention was to point out the fact that it was just them in an effort to scare her, it worked. Her initial misgivings about the strange boy who she knew nothing about came back and hit her full force.

"What's with you? What happened?" she demanded, drawing her arms closer to her body. It's getting colder…

"A talk with an old friend."

He gained his feet gracefully, trudging through the shallow water towards the huddled priestess.

"He pointed out some obvious things, you know. Which led me to wonder… why should I stick my neck out for a bratty bitch like you?" he asked her, his features darkening. He looked her over lazily, raising an eyebrow at what she wore. "You don't even dress well. You're wearing a carpet, for fuck's sake."

"It's a skirt," she snapped, tugging at one of the threads that hung loose from her shirt. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end now, the cold creeping around her and icing her veins. He seemed paler, somehow, his eyes darker, lips bluish… he looked far from living, and frighteningly close to dead.

"Like I give a shit. I think it would be better to call it your burial shroud, little girl," he said. He stopped directly in front of her, hair falling forward in a way that she would have found endearing had it not been so terribly black against the white of his skin. A small pulse of energy rattled her breath, but it was not her own – it was this boy's, and it felt like it had been dredged from the depths of death's rivers. She pulled back into herself, tried once to speak, and failed.

"What… what are you…?" she murmured, but it was so hard to get the words out. Her back still ached, but her eyes were wide and for once took no notice of the endless grey. All she saw was a curving, wicked smile, black eyes and near-translucent skin.

"I'm saying that I'd like to see you dead, you stupid bitch."

He lunged as she threw herself back, shrieking as her abused back collided with the ice. Beneath, she could feel a rustling restlessness, bloated fingers scrabbling against the barrier to reach her own living flesh. Inuyasha clamped a hand on her ankle, dragging her toward him – his fingers were chilled. She clawed at the ice – nonononononononono…! – but he was so much stronger than she could ever hope to be. As she scraped closer to that terrible smile and sunken eyes, she simply panicked.

"No—" she screamed and sat bolt upright, her chest heaving as she gulped large, terrified breaths. He was going to kill her… he was really going to kill her… but he had saved her before!

It took her a few moments to realize that the feeling between her fingers was grass, not water, and that she could smell flowers and see green rather than grey and the distance scent of something old and decayed. A blink, and she registered Miroku's voice, desperately calling for her from the direction of the village.

To her left the bones of the centipede arched from the ground, chipped and brown, lit by the early-morning sunlight that barely crested the horizon. It was what she saw in front of the bones, however, that brought back the ache in her back and choked her with fear. A boy, curled over, staring in dull shock at long, slender fingers. It was undoubtedly Inuyasha.

A/N: Well well, just in time for Christmas, it seems. Happy holidays (whatever you celebrate, if at all) and have a great new year, everyone. I'm off to shovel snow…

Reviews:

Midoriko-sama: …hey. Only three chapters in, and I've already been thwacked twice? This does not bode well… but thank you for your continued support!

Aoi EkO: I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much. I don't think I've ever been thanked for writing before… excuse me will I go over in a corner and blush. I hope this chapter lived up to the rest, then.

Zonza: Author and stories… woof. Now I feel special. Well, here (was) another update, I hope you enjoyed reading it – and you have yourself a good day as well ;)

call me k: Eh… sorry! I know I promised Inu-ears, but I just couldn't squeeze them in. This chapter dragged on a lot more than I meant it to. But, this time I really mean it, there will be ears in the next chapter – and pretty much right off the bat.

Numisma: Keep it up, and my head will get too big to fit through doorways. It's reassuring to hear that you think characterization is good – seeing as this is AU and all, that's a tricky one to handle.

Jezzibelle: Woohoo for uniqueness! ::dances::

Eh… thank you very much. It's good to hear that last scene worked out alright – I was going for 'touching' .

mokusei & ixchen: Thank you!

Maffeoel: One of the best things… oh man, now there's pressure! Eep. As for the rest of the Inu-cast, Sango's got her spot cemented in, but the rest… well, we'll see if they play in as the story progresses, ne?

Crimsondemon: Obvious…? Maa, I didn't know that. But thank you. And yes, Sabriel is much fun. Cheers!

To everyone who reviewed, thank you very much! Happy holidays! It really means a lot…

Updated: 01/21/05