Chapter 2: Where are we?

For 2 hours the group had been walking endlessly. For 2 hours they had been listening to this old man blab about when he was a kid. Now they were almost at wits end. They had gotten out of the city and were walking through a seemingly endless forest. They were tired, hungry and missing Kagome now more than ever.

"I say we stop…," Miroku said.

"THE CHASE HAS JUST BEGUN!" Flash cried.

Inuyasha sighed and tripped him then picked him up by the shirt collar. "Listen old man we're stopping now for food, Sango luckily brought food now if you don't shut up you're not getting any."

"Fine…," Flash said seeming putout by Inuyasha.

Sighing Sango sat down making a fire. She looked around at all the trees wondering how they got lost. It was no problem getting lost in their own time but they didn't think it would be this easy to get lost in a forest here. She pulled out instant ramen cups for each of them.

"This is all we have…," she said softly cooking each of them carefully.

Everyone ate theirs slowly taking in the surroundings. Everyone was silently wondering where Kagome was right now and if she was ok…

"Let me go!" Kagome cried pounding at her kidnappers' chest.

"Shut up!" Lupin roared and landed throwing her down to the ground.

They were in an old shrine that had been aged by weather. There was a large hole in the roof and the one window in front was cracked. The door was swinging off its hinges slightly. Still…an odd aura remained around it.

"March," Lupin said picking her up forcing her towards the shrine.

Suddenly Lupin stopped and pushed Kagome forward. This time Kagome caught her balance against the swinging door. "What do you want from me?"

"Inside that building is a sword. You will go in, grab the sword then give it to me. If you're lucky I may let you go."

"Why don't you get it?" Kagome asked.

"Because you fool! I can't get in only priestess's can. You're a priestess therefore you can. But don't try of staying there and waiting I can't get in but my energy attacks can."

Kagome sighed and slowly walked in. At the end of the building lay a sword. It was the only thing that was there not covered in any dust. The hilt had 3 balls in it that looked breakable with the slightest touch. It seemed to whisper a haunted voice that longed for a fight. She slowly reached her hand toward the glowing sword.

"I just heard Kagome's voice!" Inuyasha cried suddenly leaping up. His ears twitched slightly with anticipation. "I also know the direction their in!"

"Great!" Miroku cried putting out the fire leaping up.

"Which way?" Sango asked scrambling to her foot.

"Up north, luckily Kagome has that annoying shriek of hers that let us hear her."

Flash stood and began running north. "START THE CHASE!" he cried running ahead the shoulder reflectors spinning faster than ever.

Sighing Inuyasha kept running. He willed his legs to go faster as he looked ahead. He could see a small shrine in the distance growing larger with every step that he took. There was one blurred form he could see that looked like it was waiting for someone.

As they ran forward everyone could see the demon. They stopped as it turned towards them. "Too late, you all came too late. Kagome's already gotten the sword for me."

"Oh…where is it then?" Inuyasha asked.

"Er…it's not in my possession…exactly," he said softly.

Kagome slowly walked out of the shrine. She was holding the sword in one hand as Lupin smiled. Then Lupin leapt back as Kagome took a slash at him.

"After so many years I've found someone who I can teach…," Kagome rasped in a voice unlike her own.

Flash backed away slowly noticing Kagome had the odd aura around her that connected with the sword. "The sword…has chosen her as its new master…I know that sword too. Its old master was my great grandpa. He died from a disease long after the sword lay to rest. Now the sword has chosen her. She won't recognize any of us until she passes out. Then the sword will be able to explain everything…"

This time nobody called him crazy. This time everyone knew that he was serious.

"You thought you could control me but I've chosen this girl as a master," Kagome said. "I will give respect for her that I would never give to you! You have no way of defeating me now."

"Heh the sword scheme may have worked but I have more than one trick up my sleeve. My next destination is the mountains in the past. In the past there was 1 Orb that you didn't get on your journey. One Orb that will give me all the power that I need. The Spirit Orb."

Flash winced as soon as he heard the name. "He…didn't mean by the past…as the Fuedal Era did he?"

Inuyasha nodded and slowly stepped towards Lupin. He leapt forward swinging his claws at him as Lupin disappeared leaving a haunting laugh.

"Half-demon…," Kagome said getting her sword ready.

"It's…Kagome's mouth moving but…it's just not her voice and attitude…," Sango said softly.

"That's the power of the sword…," Flash said softly.

"Amazing…," Miroku said gazing at Kagome in awe.

Kagome swung towards Inuyasha who leapt back. She kept swinging expertly Inuyasha dodging barely with each swing. Each time Kagome's body got more exhausted than before. Soon she was on her knees panting heavily. She may have known how to use the sword but her body wasn't used to all the quick movements.

"So…you're going to finish me off now?" she asked looking at Inuyasha her eyes narrowed.

"We're her friends we're not going to finish you off or her!" Inuyasha said kneeling down. "Tell us your story."

"Fine…I'm the sword of Spirit. There are 4 items of Spirit. The Spirit Sword, the Spirit Orb, the Spirit Shield, and the Spirit Staff. The Spirit Sword when united with the Spirit Staff I'm more powerful. When the Orb and Shield are united they too are more powerful than before. If they are all untied the person owning them all cannot be stopped."

"S-So that's why you took over my body…," Kagome said able to speak for herself now.

"Yes…I shall train you in the ways of the sword in your sleep oddly enough," it said. "You can call me Slash cause that's the name I always wanted!"

"Ok then…," Inuyasha said.

An hour later everyone was huddled around the well including Flash. Kagome had strapped the sword to her hip like Inuyasha. Everybody had their old clothes on and ready to go. Everyone jumped in with each other as the familiar blue light greeted them. As they came up someone who wasn't there before was once again with them.

"Shorin!" Inuyasha cried looking at where Flash once was. "When did you get there!"

"I've been Shorin the whole time," Shorin said smiling. "I had to adopt the name Flash because I didn't know if you guys had gone through body switching again. Now that I knew it was you I had to drop the disguise because we were back here. Now that we're here it's time to go after that demon!"

"Just like old times…," Miroku said grinning.