Chapter 22 Unknown Evil


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A/N: Hey guys! How are you all doing? I'm sorry I took so long to update… but um… my muse and inspiration decided that they needed a vacation. So… they left me without warning and only now just returned, hence the creation of this lovely chapter. Or maybe not so lovely for some of you. For that I will let you all decide. But I will save you the trouble of my excuses and let's just move on to the review replies.

Kirara Kitten- Sighs deeply….FINE! You can have a hint. Yes, Kanna and Kagura appear in this story. There, ya happy now? Lol. It's only cuz I heart you that I told you! he he.

Siren-of-the-Irish-Mist- Thank you!

kyasarinyume07- Thank you! Yes actually I do remember you! lol.

Nabz- Thank you so much! You are so nice! I hope you had a happy holiday! I did!

inuyasha1818- Thank you!

Berii- Its okay. You can make it up to me. Lol.

Jamie- Thank you so much for all your reviews. I'm glad you like the first songs I chose for the first few chapters. And you asked me about why I chose the song I did for chapter 10? It was completely random. I liked it so I put it in there. If you have something better that you think I should use give it to me and if I like it I will change it. And I would have emailed you like you wanted and answered the questions you asked then but I didn't get an email address…. If you did leave one it didn't show up. You have to like put random spaces for that. But I don't know if you know that or forgot to and since you are anonymous I couldn't find ya... But I did know you were a GIRL. Lol. I don't know how I knew but I did. And I can't tell you what happens to Hojo and Kikyou… at least not now! That would give it away! And it wouldn't be an inu story if Inu and kags didn't get back together.

And after this chapter I will start using the review reply button when you guys review this chapter!

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Over the next few nights Kagome's nightmares never once stopped visiting her. She hated when the day would end and dreaded what she would see when sleep would overtake her. Every night was a different nightmare. But all involved the same evil man. That one thing remained the same in each one. She either dreamed of him with a young ghost like child or an older woman with piercing red eyes. She always woke up sweating and breathing heavily each morning.

Her friends began to worry about her but didn't know what to do. It wasn't like they could do anything to stop her nightmares from coming. They now became a frequent occurrence.

And this morning was no different. It had been almost a week since that first nightmare hit Kagome. She was jolted from her sleep, this time from a nightmare that bothered her more than the others. She waited for her breathing to calm before she climbed from her warm bed and left the room.

She then entered the living room and plopped herself down on the couch. Ayame and Sango stopped their eating breakfast as their friend entered the room.

"Kagome are you okay? You don't look so good. " Sango asked placing her bowl of cereal on the coffee table, to better give all her attention to her friend. "Did you have one of those dreams again?"

"Yeah. This one was the worst one yet." Kagome said in an almost whisper.

"Tell us." Ayame said gently rubbing her friends back.

Kagome nodded and reluctantly began to describe the dream in as much detail as she could remember.

Xxx

"Damn it! Things are going all wrong!" The evil man snapped. His features were harsh and fine lines creased his face.

"Is there anything I can do, my lord?" The pale girl asked in her monotone voice.

"NO! LEAVE ME BE!" Naraku yelled his anger getting the best of him, as always. No matter who you were if you were near when he was off on one of his tangents it was wise to run and hide…or else.

The girl who was used to his frequent screaming simply nodded and left the room.

Naraku spaced the large expanse of his hideout, growling and knocking things over as he went. They fell to the floor breaking into a million pieces. He was so angry! Things were totally screwed up! His plans failed utterly and completely! He should have known better than to trust humans! DAMN IT! DAMN THEM! This is one mistake he would never make again!

Suddenly his eyes lighted upon a small cage, inside two small figures were trapped. Naraku grinned and stopped his pacing. He walked towards the cage menacingly causing the two beings in the cage to cower. They knew what was coming. It happened every time their abductor became angry.

Pain. Hurt.

"Kukuku! Time for a little fun! Although I don't think this will be much fun for you two!" Naraku smirked and opened the door to the cage. He reached his hand in and grabbed what appeared to be a young Kitsune by its tail.

"Please no, Naraku-sama! Please don't! Please don't hurt me!" The Kitsune pleaded. His young face was bruised and battered. Not the face you would expect a child to have.

"Shut up! Do not tell me what to do!" Naraku screamed and threw the Kitsune across the room. The child hit the wall and fell unconscious.

Naraku then turned to the other occupant of the small cage and pulled her out by her tail as well. She struggled against his grasp and growled the whole time.

"Stop it!" Naraku snapped shaking the neko demon rather roughly.

She shrieked with discomfort before falling limp into unconsciousness in his grasp.

Naraku sighed dramatically. "No fun." He flung the neko back into her cage before going to retrieve the Kitsune and doing the same to him as well. He noticed a small pool of blood left behind where the Kitsune had previously lane. He started at it without a care. "I would have rather enjoyed it more if they had lasted longer… But alas I was not granted that small pleasure." He turned stormed out of the room possibly seeking someone else to torment.

Xxx

"And that's when I woke up." Kagome said once she had finished telling them her dream. "I can't believe he did that to those poor little creatures! And that little Kitsune! He was only a child! He couldn't have defended himself! What kind of man could do that to them and not feel remorse!"

"Someone one with an extremely evil heart! All the more reason why I think we need to go see Kaede." Sango decided looking pointedly at Kagome.

"Yeah, she may have some idea as to why this is going on and what's causing Kagome to have these dreams." Ayame agreed. "We should probably tell the guys about it too."

"No. We don't need to bring them into this. It has nothing to do with them. Let's keep this between ourselves and if we absolutely need their help then we'll tell them about it." Kagome said dismissing the idea without a second thought.

"Kagome, we may need them now. They may have some insight about this situation. We need and should talk to them!" Ayame's eyes bore into her friends.

"No." Kagome remained undaunted. Her decision was made. She pushed herself up off the couch and headed into the kitchen. In here eyes this discussion was over.

In the eyes of her friends on the other hand, it was far from over. So they followed her into the kitchen intending to continue where they left off.

"Kagome what are you afraid of? Does this have anything to do with Inuyasha?" Sango took her place beside her friend who was pretending to be so engrossed in pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

"No." Her voice was small and unconvincing.

"Oh really?" Ayame put her hands on her hips. "I think otherwise."

"IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH INUYASHA NOW DROP IT!" Kagome said her voice slightly raised, the keyword being slightly here. "Why does everything always have to do with Inuyasha!" Kagome then left the counter and took her bowl of cereal into the living room. She clicked on the TV and sat down once again on the couch.

"Kagome! Don't you walk away from us!" Ayame said as she and Sango followed not far behind Kagome. She snatched the remote control from Kagome and turned the TV off. "Now tell us what is bothering you!"

"Nothing. Nothing is bothering me!" Kagome said stuffing a big spoonful of Coco Puffs into her mouth.

"Kagome, Ayame and I have known you forever. And in that time we have come to learn that nothing always means something. Now we are not going to leave you alone until we get an answer. So it would be wise on your part to give in and confess to what's bothering you." Sango sat down beside Kagome and moved a stray lock of hair from her face.

Kagome sighed. "Okay. Fine. I feel like such a jerk! I just assumed Inuyasha had betrayed me yet again and I refused to even give him a chance to explain! What if he hates me now? What if I have ruined everything? What if-"

But Kagome was never given the chance to finish. Her words were halted by her friends arms wrapped around her in a warm hug.

"It's okay Kagome. We thought the same thing. I'm sure he doesn't hate you! I mean him coming right over when you were having that nightmare…I think that says he doesn't hate you and that all is not lost." Sango said still hugging her.

"Yeah. Sango is right." Ayame nodded her head in agreement. "We jumped to conclusions as well without letting him explain his story. So really we are all to blame."

Kagome sighed but didn't say anything. Her friends were right, but that didn't mean she still didn't feel bad about it.

"Now, why don't we get ready and go see Kaede." Ayame said.

Kagome nodded and got up from the couch and went back into her room for a clean change of clothes.

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"So what do you think all this could mean?" Ayame asked once Kagome had finished telling Kaede all that had happened with her dreams and the demon attack.

The old woman remained silent and just gazed deep into the eyes of the three young women before her. No one could read her face. They could not tell whether she was scared, or if the information she had just received meant nothing. Her face was blank and unreadable.

"Something evil has been culminating for some time in this town." The old woman finally said. "I felt the evil growing for some time now. It's been getting stronger and stronger." She finished her face finally showing emotion; worry.

"Why didn't you tell us before now? Before we came to you?" Kagome asked slightly angry. "What if we chose not to come to you? What if we didn't come to you before it was too late?"

"I trusted ye. I had faith ye would find me in time." The old woman said simply.

"So what do we do now? How do we go about stopping this evil?" Sango wondered feeling the gravity of the situation. They had no idea what this new evil was, or if it could even be stopped!

"All I can tell ye is to be on alert. Keep yer eyes, ears, and minds open to anything out of place. Even the smallest of details could be of use." She now turned her gaze upon Kagome. "And ye child, ye must pay attention to yer dreams. No matter how frightful and scary they are, ye must remember them as best ye can. Ye have some connection with this new evil, ye may even know him. Any small details could help ye discover who he is and stop him. For I sense this evil is targeted towards ye, my child. Ye must be more alert and watchful than the others."

(A/N: I have never typed 'ye' so much in my life! Does Kaede say ye or yer for your? Oh well! I'll make her say yer! And sorry I missed any and she says you instead of ye! I think I got them all but I'm not perfect!)

Kagome nodded in response but remained silent. She knew whatever this new evil was, was after her. The terror she was now feeling for the gravity of this situation, was stronger than any she had ever felt before.

"Now when ye get home I suggest ye make a list of all the things ye know of this evil. All the facts you have learned from yer dreams. This may help ye get one step closer to finding him." Kaede continued. "Ye may even want to call upon the help of yer other friends?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the old woman. 'What is she getting at?'

"Merely for support?" Kaede grinned. "They may even be able to aid ye in the fight to destroy this evil before it destroys ye." She said more serious.

"Yes Kaede. We will see." Kagome said emotionlessly. "We will keep you updated with what goes on and what we find out. But now I think we should be going." Kagome rose to her feet and her friends followed suit. "Thank you for seeing us on such short notice. You have helped us immensely."

"Ye are welcome my daughters." The old woman said her eyes never leaving Kagome's as if she knew Kagome never intended to ask Inuyasha for help. "Come and visit me again anytime ye feel the need. And especially don't ever hesitate if ye feel the need is great."

"Bye." They all said at once as they backed out the door.

"Stubborn as usual." Kaede muttered under her breath when she was sure they were out of earshot. "I may have to take actions into my own hands." And with that she was gone.

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"Ya know Kagome, Kaede was right. We should enlist the help of the guys." Ayame said lightly trying desperately not to anger Kagome.

"We don't need their help right now. And I don't feel like dealing with them right now either. Inuyasha will want to talk and I don't know if I can handle that at this moment. I really don't know if I can handle Inuyasha at this moment!"

"Kagome, they may know something about this evil! They may have connections that could help us!" Sango quickened her pace in order to keep up with the fast walking Kagome.

"No! We will talk to them IF I think we need it!" Kagome in a voice that signaled the end of this discussion. Finally reaching her car she climbed in and turn up the music full blast just as her friends were getting in.

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"Arg! There is nothing on TV!" Inuyasha groaned finally giving up and turning the tube off.

"Well then don't watch TV and do something else." An old voice said startling Inuyasha.

His body tensed and he slowly turned until he was facing what seemed to be an extremely old woman. Her wrinkles even had wrinkles! "Who the hell are you! And how the hell did you get in here!" How did a woman so old get inside and sit beside him with out him even realizing it? He was a hanyou after all! His demon senses should have caught her long before now.

"Don't ye use that language with me young man! I am Kaede. And how I got here is not important." She said in a regal tone.

"Hey! You're that old priestess who taught Kagome and Kikyou how to develop their abilities! But how you did it without either of them knowing is beyond me." Inuyasha snorted. "So how did you do it?"

"Skill." The old woman answered simply. "And years of practice."

"Decades if you ask me." Inuyasha muttered looking at her old face.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you want me to tell ye why I am here or not!" She had just about lost her patience with this young hanyou. It would not be long before she would lose what little patience she had left for him and leave without telling him why she had come.

"Feh." The hanyou crossed his arms indignantly.

Taking this as a 'yes' Kaede continued. "I am here to inform ye that Kagome and her friends—more so Kagome, are in danger. I have sensed a dark and powerful evil culminating for some time now. It has been growing stronger and stronger far too quickly. Frankly, I have never ever sensed or felt something so evil and I have been around for quite some time now." She glared at Inuyasha warning him to keep his mouth shut and surprisingly he did. "I fear he is after Kagome for she possesses the Shikon no Tama and with that he can gain even more power than he already has." She paused to look deeply into Inuyasha's eyes to make sure he was listening and absorbing the gravity of this situation.

"Go on." He urged a little roughly.

"But I also sense he is after something more." Her eyes locked on to his. "More than just the Shikon no Tama." She paused again.

"What are you getting at old hag!" Inuyasha said. He was getting tired of her beating around the bush! What is she trying to say? Is it so hard to just come out and say it?

"I fear he not only wants the Shikon no Tama but Kagome herself." Inuyasha's eyes bulged slightly. "Yes. I speak the truth. For if he is only after the Shikon no Tama, why is he taking so long to do it? Why not just come out and try to steal it? Why take all the time and effort to use Kikyou and Hojo in an effort to split you and Kagome apart? And Kagome's dreams! How do you explain them?"

"What dreams? What dreams are you talking about?" Inuyasha looked confused.

"Ye mean she hasn't told ye?"

"Well obviously, since I don't know what the hell you are talking about! And as you apparently already know Kagome and I haven't quite resolved our problem. We have Kikyou and Hojo to blame for that." The hanyou snapped.

"Yes, that's why I'm here telling ye this instead of Kagome. I told her to come to ye but I know how stubborn she can be, so here I am. But anyway, she has been having these dreams about this Naraku character. Yes, the same man Kikyou said enlisted her and Hojo's help. Kagome was, in fact, having one that night the girls called you for help. That was her first one. Now since that night she had been having them every single night. But in the first one she told me this man or demon, rather, promised to make her his bride. I think that Kagome has some kind of connection with this new evil. She may even know him. But we can't be sure of that just yet."

"What? No way! And why didn't Kagome tell me this?"

"Ye should know why. I shouldn't have to explain everything to ye." Kaede shook her head dismally. "Ye are a dense one aren't you? I don't know what Kagome sees in you. Well… I guess it might have something to do with yer looks." Kaede's old eyes looked him up and down. "Maybe that's what overshadows how dense ye are. Still I'll never understand why she keeps coming back to ye. Well I must be going my job here is done. Promise me Ye'll look after Kagome?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply but his attention was pulled away when the front door burst open and two loud mouths stumbled in. "Yo! Baka Inuyasha! How was your day of sulking in the confines of our home?"

"Koga! Can't you leave him be for one day! Is it so hard?" Miroku shook his head.

Once again Inuyasha was about to say something smart when he remember the old hag. But when he looked to where she was last sitting she was gone. "What the hell!"

"What are you babbling on about now baka?" Koga asked snidely. "And why does it smell like old woman in here? Did you--" But he was never allowed to finish the sentence because by that time Inuyasha had gotten himself off the couch and tackled the arrogant wolf.

Miroku knew better than to try and break them up when they were fighting like this. He had enough scars to know it was better to let them fight it than to stop them, even at the expense of them destroying the house. So, wisely he stealthily walked past them and into the kitchen for some much needed chow.

Xxx 30 minutes later Xxx

"So Inuyasha," Miroku began once the brawl had ended and the two brawlers met him into the kitchen. This always seemed to be the place they talked and well… bonded and caught up with one another. "What happened while Koga and I were gone? I sensed the aura of an aged Miko but when we entered it was gone, as if it had never even been here to begin with."

"It was that old hag that trained Kagome and Kikyou. She said she came here to tell me that the girls were in danger, more so Kagome." Inuyasha started.

Miroku opened his mouth to chastise Inuyasha about calling Kaede a hag but Koga spoke first.

"What? What kind of danger!" Koga interrupted the hanyou.

"Well if you would let me finish, I'd tell you!" Inuyasha glared at the full youkai. "She said it's a new evil, Naraku. That guy that was the one that enlisted the help of Kikyou and Hojo to break Kagome and I up. She thinks he's not only after the Shikon no Tama but Kagome as well." Inuyasha said also telling them of Kagome's dream and the fact that Kaede guessed Kagome knew this demon that was after her.

"Wow." Miroku whistled. "But why didn't Kagome come and tell you herself?" Miroku wondered. "Or why didn't Sango or Ayame tell Koga or me?"

"How should I know? Women are hard to understand! They always have some stupid reason as to why they do what they do!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Well then they obviously, or rather Kagome, didn't want us to know. So we should be on alert and watch them carefully. Just to make sure they are safe of course. And we must make sure we are never seen by them! If Kagome didn't want them to tell us and she finds out Kaede told us anyway…things may not turn out pretty."

"Easier said than done." Koga mused.

"Always make sure you are far enough away that Ayame can't smell you but close enough so you can see them. But when you are with me I can always put up a barrier to hide us, scents and all. After all I come from a long line of powerful spiritual monks." Miroku grinned with pride.

"You sure don't act like one." Both Inuyasha and Koga gladly informed the monk not even bothering to hide the beautiful grin gracing their faces.

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I am so so so so sorry for the extremely late update! All I will say is that I was stuck and my inspiration was gone…. At least for a bit. And when it finally came back I was able to get this chapter up! I think it's a bunch of blah but its better than nothing. I guess I'll call this my blah blah chapter. It's almost pointless if you ask me but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! And sometimes you need blah chapters before you get to the really good ones! Right? RIGHT! That makes me feel so much better! Lol.

So Please R and R! I LOVE getting reviews so much! I always look forward to checking my email just so I can read my reviews! They are the highlight of my day! I know that's corny but that's how I feel!

Clouds of the Sky