(Not half as long as the last one, but oddly incomplete. This is where I stopped writing. It's not like me to stop in the middle of a chapter, but there you go. It lacks closure, see? At least it's back to the 'regular' time line of the story. No day before or day after stuff. From here on out I planned to write straight I think... I don't remember. Here it is, anyway, the last almost-complete chapter. Still haven't managed to fix the grammar problems. As always, read, review and be merry at your own discretion.)


Chapter 3:

It promised to be a bright and hot day. The sun, though it had not climbed very high, was already beating down over the low valley. InuYasha hardly registered the sun as he raced across the grass. His eyes were trained on the forest that was steadily growing on the horizon. It was a black spot against an endless sea of green. The trees were tall and closely bunched together, the bushes so heavily overgrown that they created a nearly impassible thicket of thorns and dead branches. The tops of the gnarled, black leafed trees were interwoven tightly, each tree practically growing out of the one beside it. In this way the forest blocked out the bright sun. The shadows of the tall trees stretched out across the grass in long, grotesque forms that looked more like a gaggle of demons that a living bit of nature. InuYasha came to a stop at the tip of these shadows. He sniffed at the air cautiously, Sango's warning of a trap returning to his ears. This place was as dark as any night, and so the Shadow Demon could fight with all of his power, despite the brilliant sun. But InuYasha was not hindered by his human body this time: he could fight it on an even level now. It was injured, after all. His keen tawny eyes narrowed sharply and he made his decision, rushing forward and breaking through the line of the overgrown forest with his claws.

I don't care if this demon is at full power! I'll rip it apart with my claws! He thought to himself, growling as he tore through the bramble with ease. His pointed dog ears perked forward and he stopped his assault on the forest abruptly. He turned his head slowly from side to side, searching every corner of the wood. Something had rustled in the bushes around him, and though he had been making quite a racket with his claws he had not missed the unmistakable crunch of light footfalls. Someone was following him. A wind picked up from off to his right, and when he turned it blew dust and debris from the ruined bushes into his eyes. The footsteps picked up again, only to vanish suddenly as the wind began to howl. InuYasha held his arms over his face, his feet biting into the earth as the sourceless wind roared around him, threatening to blow him over.

"Damn it, where'd this wind come from!" The half-demon muttered, his eyes peering at the forest from behind the safety of his Robe of the Fire-Rat. He noticed someone, a mere shadow of a fleeting movement, disappearing into the forest soundlessly off to his left. He leapt after it, the wind at his back, pushing him forward. As he followed the figure the forest before him seemed to open, allowing him a path that closed when he passed. He was not worried by this, however, as he knew he would be able to easily slice his way back. He did not consider the fact that he might get lost. After numerous sharp turns and circles, InuYasha caught sight of his quarry. Long wisps of raven hair disappeared behind a tree. InuYasha was a moment behind it, and yet it was gone. He was stopped in his tracks suddenly as long, gnarled roots crawled from the underbrush and wrapped around his ankles. They steadily climbed up his legs and around his waist. Snarling bitterly, InuYasha swung his claws and tore at the thick vines, but for all that he tore away more grew to replace it, until his arms were caught and wrapped tightly at his sides. One thick vine worked its way up his body, wrapping itself around his neck. The tip of the vine cradled his chin, turning his head and pinning it slightly to the left. It wanted to show him something and, because the vine was surprisingly strong, he could do nothing but look. He did have the option of closing his eyes for some sort of protection, but simple curiosity over-powered him and he looked on in wonder, not yet seeing anything he needed protecting from. His gaze fell across a small clearing. He was half hidden behind a tree, obscuring his view. There was nothing to be seen. InuYasha began struggling against the cocoon of vines, trying desperately to pull at least one arm free.

"InuYasha…"

He jerked his head in surprise, a movement that spurred the vine around his neck and face to redouble its grip. What was that? A voice on the wind. It sounded familiar, but distant, carried by a breeze that still rustled through InuYasha's silver tassels. He blinked. Two shadows now loomed across the valley floor, stretching towards each other without any lights to guide them. From his position, InuYasha could only see one person, and only in silhouette. He gasped, gargling as the vine tightened one more. He recognized the form, even in the shadows of the trees. It was a young girl with long hair, and thick bangs. Her left arm was held out from her body with a bow gripped tightly in that hand. Her right hand was drawn back, the elbow bent tightly, pulling the bow string as far back as it would go. An arrow was notched on the string. Her face was turned in profile, looking intently at her target.

"Kagome…" InuYasha breathed, at a loss. When did she get here? Her voice rang in her head, soft most of the time, but capable of strength and defiance. Her voice, however, had not been the one on the wind. They were similar in strength, but the one carried to his ears had also a malice to it that he knew Kagome was incapable of. His mind clicked and his eyes darted across the ground. He could not see the actual person, but settled for the shadow. He could see that it was woman with hair that cascaded down her back. She was wearing a long sleeved kimono of some sort with baggy pants that fell around sandaled feet. She held a bow, longer than Kagome's, with a notched arrow.

"They're… aiming at each other?" InuYasha didn't realize he was speaking out loud. He knew who the other archer was. He could hardly believe it. None of this was making any sense to him. "Kagome! What are you doing here? Did Sango bring you? Hey! You listening to me? What are you doing!" His voice fell flat in the dead air. The two archers did not heed him. An unnatural silence fell over the area. InuYasha felt smothered by it, like his ears had popped and he had suddenly become deaf. His mouth was moving, and he knew he was calling Kagome's name, but no sound penetrated the blanket of silence. A soft wind blew from nowhere, slowly picking up as it rustled the black tree noiselessly. InuYasha closed one eye against the wind, cursing inwardly.

Not this again! Damn it! I can't get free!

The silence was shattered by a sharp, piercing laughter. InuYasha yelled in agony, shaking his head as violently as he could against the vine to escape the noise that burst into his mind. It was surprising that he could now hear himself, but he was preoccupied from this thought by the blood that seeped from his ringing ears. He felt as if his head was splitting from one ear to the other. He continued to writhe and yell in anguish, but the more he moved the more immobile he became. The laughter raged on, assailing his ears and mind. It consumed his entire body, becoming all that he knew. Thoughts of Kagome and the shadow were lost to him. His innards seized, sending wave after wave of pain through his body. Blood ran from his ears, nose and mouth. He choked and gagged on it, his screams turning into gargles. He was on the verge of succumbing to the hazy black that crept in the corners of his vision when he was released. The laughter cut off and the trembling forest returned to a deep, almost serene quiet. The vines crawled back into the earth. InuYasha fell forward, his face hitting the dirt before his body. He trembled, his blood rushing about in an effort to revive him. He did not move for a long time, his ears still screaming at him and his head still swimming. Ten minutes passed before he felt strength return to his limbs. He pushed his hands under his stomach and worked to sit on his knees. The effort left him wavering as the world span around him at a dangerous speed. He watched the blurred trees for a short moment before doubling up and being violently sick. He coughed and sputtered, whipping his bloody mouth with the back of his hand. He snarled, feeling his anger rise and his strength return with it. His nails bit into his palms as he got to his feet, his sheer determination the only reason his body complied.

"InuYasha…"

The voice again. Clearer this time. InuYasha blinked furiously, clearing his vision the best he could. Now he was free to go to the two in the clearing. They had not moved. Both stood like stone monoliths, bow and arrow ready. The half-demon moved past the tree that had blocked his vision, making sure to kick it bitterly. It was her, he knew it before he saw her. His strength waned and he had to lean against the tree he hated just to stay on his feet, but at least now he was in front of it. He could see her.

"Kikyo!"

She, like Kagome, was a silhouette of shadow against the forest. She did not heed him, her face turned towards Kagome in an unwavering stare. InuYasha saw her pull the arrow slightly back, readying to let it sing. He snapped his head around in time to see Kagome do the same. He gaped for a split second, then pushed himself from the tree. He took one step and time stopped around him. The forest vanished. The ground under his feet fell to shadow and the horizon that separated forest floor from forest tree was gone. He stopped, lurching backwards involuntarily. On either side of his vision stood the featureless black image of a woman. Kikyo and Kagome. They were wreathed in a purple flame. They pivoted, their bodies turning in step towards InuYasha. Twin bows leveled at him. The song of the flying arrows was a horrible symphony to InuYasha's still burning ears. He managed a short gasp, which had every intention of being a cry of surprise, before two blazing arrows pierced both of his shoulders. Time restored. InuYasha was rocketed backwards by the force of the arrows. He slammed against a tree, the back of his head smashing painfully against the cold bark. Two more arrows shattered both his knees, and he was sufficiently bound by the pain of his limbs. Wincing, he raised his eyes just in time to see the two shadows dematerialize like wisps of smoke.

"K-Kagome… K-Kikyo…" He breathed, his mind boggling haplessly. He was alone now, pinned to a tree by four arrows. He bowed his head, lacking the strength of both body and will to keep it up. A soft wind washed over his battered and bruised body. It was warm. Comforting. InuYasha inhaled deeply. In an instant his head was up, nose to the wind.

"That smell!" He said to himself between whiffs, "Naraku!"

The scent was everywhere at once, coming and going as the wind blew. InuYasha cursed himself for not noticing it sooner. Everything had been a trap. Kagome, Kikyo; probably even the Shadow Demon. Naraku wanted InuYasha away from his friends, lost and trapped in this forest where light could not penetrate the trees. InuYasha watched as the long shadows at his feet, his own included, began to stretch and shift, dancing in swirls around each other, connecting and twisting. They over lapped each other, compressing together to form a large swirling black bulge on the ground. The lump of shadows grew and contorted, folding over itself like clay to form a thick torso that rose from the ground like a tree stump. The bottom of it tore away into two sections, molding slowly and carefully into muscular legs. The upper part spawned arms that at first dangled lifelessly downwards, but soon thickened. The ends of each arm split into five long fingers, with one arm obviously longer than the other. The head was the last thing to form. It popped out between finely sculpted shoulders comically, like a flower from beneath snow. It settled onto a thick neck, faceless save for two slits that worked as a nose.

"You again?" InuYasha spat, wrinkling his nose. "Didn't learn your lesson, eh?" He wiggled helplessly against the tree, the intense pain from the arrows preventing him from freeing himself. His limbs felt heavy and lifeless, frozen beyond cold by the shadows that seeped into his veins from the arrow tips. He puffed out his chest and snarled. It was all he could think to do. The shadow demon bobbed, his body shaking in a voiceless laugh. InuYasha opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again as the demon raised a hand. The palm was facing outwards, level with the half-demon's chin. The long fingers reached up past InuYasha's eyes, which surprised the half-demon. The demon methodically moved his hand forward, taking the whole of InuYasha's face into his grip. InuYasha yelped angrily, his eyes narrowing in a shock of fear, but his cry was muffled. He tried to pull his head away but could not, the lithe fingers of the Shadow Demon deceptively strong. No matter how hard he struggled, InuYasha could not pull free. His mouth and nose were cut off from air by the vice-like grip. His lungs seared, calling for oxygen desperately.

I can't breathe! Thought InuYasha, his tawny eyes glued on the Shadow Demon's featureless muzzle. He was helpless, his arms dangling without feeling at his sides. Naraku, who he had no doubt was somehow watching, was winning this round: InuYasha was completely at his mercy.


Kirara and Sango cut through the air, both pairs of keen eyes following the path InuYasha was traveling. He was fast, moving at a startling speed even by the standards they were used to. He soon vanished into the forest, just as Kirara fell suddenly from the sky. Sango clung tightly to the cat-demon's fur as she made her rough landing. Kirara managed to catch herself and pull from the fall with time enough to land heavily on her feet. Her knees buckled and gave way, and the cat collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as blood seeped slowly from her underside into the dead, shadowed grass. Sango leapt quickly from Kirara's back. The cat demon, her energy spent, shrank down into her innocent form.

"Kirara, thank you. Rest now. I'll be back soon, after I find InuYasha." Sango, who was kneeling at Kirara's side, ran a comforting hand through the cat-demon's fur. The cat responded with a purr, sighing and folding her small paws under her body for comfort. Sango rose, peering at the forest.

Where did he get to? She wondered, her eyes searching the ground for any clue as to where he had gone. She had seen him enter the forest, but from above. At this angle, level with the trees, she could not easily translate his position in such a way that she could follow him. Slowly, warily, she moved towards the thick line of trees. Broken twigs and shattered dry leaves told her that InuYasha has passed this way. She hesitated, bathed in shadow, lost for a moment as the trees seemed to reach out around her. There was something very evil about this forest. Her stomach turned over and she took an instinctive step back. There was no light all of a sudden: all she could see were the trees closest to her. She did not remember entering the forest, though now she was enveloped by it. Her back pressed against the cold wood of a tree and she jumped in surprise, drawing her katana from its sheath and spinning to face it. When she realized it was harmless she sighed, replacing the sword. How the tree had come to be there she did not know, but it was clear to her there was no going back. The tree was surrounded heavily on both sides by thick, thorny bramble and numerous other closely packed trees. The only path available to her was a narrow one that stretched, unbroken, deeper into the forest. Sango drew a deep breath, turning on her heels as she steeled herself, and then plunged into the forest as if into water. Her first few paces were quick and breathless, her eyes darting about cautiously. The scenery never changed. She passed the same grey, crooked trees, the same cluster of colorless underbrush. Her footsteps slowed, her breath returned, and she came to a stop. The path she had been following was now, in the blink of an eye, gone. She turned to retrace her steps only to find the same, cold grey tree from before blocking her path. Huffing slightly, Sango turned around again. To her utter surprise, and slight horror, the same tree was before her again, surrounded still by on impenetrable wall of forest. Her heart fluttered and she turned to her left, then back again and to her right, and then in a full circle. Wherever she looked she saw the same thing. She felt her body begin to tremble as her fear mounted, but she refused to let it get the better of her. This had to be some sort of trick, and she was simply falling for it.

"InuYasha!" She called. Her voice reverberated off the trees, filling the small area. She winced at the sound, closing her mouth. No sound, it seemed, could get out of the tiny area in which she was now trapped. A shiver crawled down her spine as this thought trailed through her mind.

What if I'm trapped here? She wondered, feeling suddenly claustrophobic, If I can't free myself? No, there has to be some way out of here. She drew her katana and raised it over her head, ready to cut her way through.

"Sango!"

She froze, a cold wind blowing through her hair from her back. It carried InuYasha's voice, though faintly. It sounded like he needed her help. She turned to face the breeze and her heart skipped a beat. Before her was open forest. There was no path, but the underbrush was not impassibly thick and the trees were well spaced.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sango breathed to herself. She felt a thick, nearly tangible evil in the air, carried on the same wind that brought InuYasha's voice, Was he in danger? She hesitated. Her body refused to go deeper into the forest.

Why am I so scared?

"Sango!" It was InuYasha's voice, no stronger than before. The Demon Slayer peered into the darkness before her. There was movement behind a far tree, and she spotted the faint outline of InuYasha. He leaning on a tree, robed in shadows, his face turned towards her. He raised one hand as she stared at him, waving for her to follow him. "You comin'?"

He did not give her time to respond, leaping off into the forest with a laugh that lingered in his wake.

"Wait!" Sango cried. She ran after him, despite her misgivings. It was difficult to run through the thick underbrush, especially because she had not dawned her Demon Slayer uniform. She had left that, her poison filter mask and her basic supplies with Kagome, Shippo, and Miroku. She had only her regular clothes –kimono and skirt-, the Hiraikotsu strapped to her back and her katana. She used the sword to cut away the gripping brambles as she rushed after InuYasha. "InuYasha! Hold on!"

She ran after him, gaining on him quickly. He was waiting for her. He stopped in the middle a small clearing, his back to Sango as she approached. She was panted; he had led her on quite a chase. With all the turns he had taken, once even turning completely around and leaping past Sango to go back the way he had come, she was sure they were utterly lost.

"InuYasha, where are we?" She had followed him assuming he was leading her somewhere important. Not she was not so sure. Breathless, she put her hand on his shoulder, which vanished beneath her touch. She drew back, eyes narrowing in surprise as his form faded away completely. "A trap!" She bumped into a tree and leaned against it as she gathered herself. Long black tendrils crept slowly from the branches above her, slipping like snakes down the trunk. She felt on touch her arm and she pulled herself from the tree before she was bound to it. The thick black vines fell from the tree, slinking through the dead grass. Sango held her katana in front of her as she took a wary step backward. The crawling vines reminded her instantly of the Shadow Demon. He had set this up. She stopped, poising to attack. A howling wind picked up suddenly at her back, blowing so powerfully that it knocked her legs out from underneath her. She toppled backwards, landing heavily on top of the Hiraikotsu, the katana flying from her grasp. The black vines were on top of her before she had time to recover from the fall. They wrapped like living rope around her ankles and up to her knees. A thick band bound her around the chest tightly, pressuring her ribs to such a degree that she felt them cracking. Her arms were spread out perpendicular from her body, straps around her wrists. Her neck and forehead were also strapped down. Every vine of shadow sank into the ground, immobilizing the Slayer completely. She stared up at the treetops, struggling uselessly. At her feet, through the corner of her sight, she could make out someone emerging from a thick blanket of shadow. She strained to see who it was, but it was impossible to see past her own chest. A small, pure white feather fell from nowhere, tumbling gracefully through the air. It fell by her face, tickling her cheek. The touch sent a shiver through her body.

"Well, well. Look what I've caught in my net." The wind seemed to speak, the voice swirling around Sango's head with a strong, stubborn edge to it. Sango tried to pinpoint the source of the sound, but it was impossible. It was the wind: everywhere at once and yet coming from nowhere. "The Demon Slayer. Sango, is it not? Alone in this wretched Forest of Shadows, without you pious boyfriend to protect you. How fun."

"Where are you, witch! Why are you hiding behind this wind?" Sango asked, "Stop toying with me: I know it's you, Kagura." The wind picked up considerably, blowing dust, dead leaves and bits of underbrush over Sango's body. She shut her eyes tightly and held her breath. The debris whirled around her in a small tornado. It quickly gained in speed and power, until it was a roaring wall of cutting wind that circled around Sango with only a small berth. She felt the force of it as it whipped at her hair and clothes. Her ears were assaulted by the roar of the wind, her eyes left tearless and painfully dry. Through this wall stepped the woman Sango had called to. Kagura, the wind sorceress, stood to the right of Sango, staring down at her with a less-than-pleased expression. She had one hand on her hip; the other held a closed fan to her chin thoughtfully. Her colorful, multilayered kimono rustled in the wind. She snorted, waving the unopened fan in agitation.

"You're in no position to throw insults around, my girl." She said pointedly, smiling vaguely. Sango growled, her stinging eyes locked boldly and defiantly on Kagura's. She attempted with one arm to reach her katana, which rested only a centimeter away from the tip of her fingers. Kagura stepped once, putting her foot on top of Sango's hand. She twisted her foot around slightly, digging her heel into Sango's palm. The Demon Slayer whimpered, clenching her teeth and seething up at Kagura. "No weapons." She moved her foot and lightly kicked the sword into the tornado, where it quickly vanished.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Sango through gritted teeth. Kagura looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping the fan against her chin. She then shrugged, putting her hand into the wind as if it were water. It swirled around her hand harmlessly, a hole forming in the thick wall. Sango felt that same affect would not happen should she try.

"A bit of fun, I suppose." Sango arched an eyebrow at the answer. Did she mean her own fun, or that of her Master, Naraku? Kagura did not acknowledge her quizzical glare, walking slowly around the top of Sango's head and out of the Demon Slayer's sight. "Not for you, of course." She continued wickedly. Sango struggled to follow the witch, but was so tightly bound she could not even raise her head. Still, she had the ability to talk, and she would utilize it.

"So you're controlling that Shadow beast? Was it born of Naraku?"

"Hmm." Kagura mused, rolling her shoulders back, "No. I'm surprised you know of this creature. To ask that question… but no. Naraku did not create it. If he had, do you really think it would be so weak?"

"Then what is it?" Sango squirmed in an effort to loosen her hands. Any room she gained was quickly taken as the black bonds tightened. She groaned, determined to free herself.

"Just a borrowed minion. You know, you're just making it worse on yourself."

"Free me! Ugh, I don't have time for your childish games, witch!"

"There's that language again. I give you points for spunk. In a hurry, are you? Chasing after that little mutt, I suppose. I wouldn't worry about him, he has company. Besides, you should be more concerned about your own situation." Kagura snapped her fingers and the earth itself seemed to respond. Sango could feel the found at her back crawling beneath her, sending uncomfortable shivers up and down her spine. The ground then fell away completely. It felt as though her mind went with it, and before she could recover her senses, Sango found herself floating. The thick, black shadows only tightened around her body, keeping her legs bound tightly together and her arms out from her sides. They pulled her upright. The roaring winds closed in around her, stopping at the very tips of her fingers. Her long brown hair, loose now after the white ribbon that had kept it back succumbed to the winds, whipped around her face randomly, getting in her eyes and mouth. Despite her current straights, Sango seemed only irritated by her hair.

"Kagura! What are you doing!" The Demon Slayer's voice was hardly audible over the tornado. The witch did not respond. Sango could see nothing through the sheets of wind, and did not know that Kagura was standing directly in front of her, grinning broadly as she watched the circle of wind once again begin to get smaller. The sorceress's eyes flashed in excitement as the first of Sango's cries of pain pierced the air.


"What is it, Miroku?" Kagome asked, looking up as the monk got to his feet. Miroku did not respond, his clear blue eyes scanning the horizon intently. He stood silently for a long moment, watching something interesting, and yet unseen to both Kagome and Shippo. Then, as if suddenly disinterested, he sighed and looked down to meet Kagome's quizzical gaze.

"I felt something, but it passed." He said simply. She motioned for him to join her once more on the ground, but he declined with a quick shake of his head.