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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha...He owns me.

Mahou

Chapter 2: The Book

A week later, they headed back to the well so Kagome could go take another one of her tests. "I don't see why those 'test' things are so important. You should just forget them for once."

"Inuyasha, this hunt won't last forever. I need something to do when it's over." Inuyasha cringed and stared at her back. He didn't want any of this to end.

"Can't you just skip one?" She turned and looked at him.

"Why?" He backed up. For some reason, he just felt that she shouldn't leave. He didn't want her to leave. He suddenly felt a much stronger bond to the miko.

"I…uh…Shippo and everyone else will miss you." He smiled inwardly at his cover up, no knowing that she didn't believe the excuse.

"I still gotta go. My backpack and everything was pretty much destroyed…I need more ramen." He glared at her. "I can always s-i-t you instead…" He turned and walked off while she jumped down the well.

…Two Days Later…

Kagome stopped in the library just to see what was there. Walking down the row, she saw a book about 'ghost' villages from ancient Japan. "Sounds familiar," she sang out. Pulling the book off the shelf, she went to the counter and checked it out.

…Home…

When she got home, she was surprised Inuyasha wasn't there for her yet, but that didn't bother her. One more night at home. She smiled to herself and sat on her bed to read.

Book:

About 650 years ago, there was once a village in the south that flourished. The people were said to be the strongest spell and potion masters in the land as well as the strongest priests and priestesses, though they preferred to be called magicians. Because the land was so dry, they were the only village for miles.

There were two rivers in the land. One good, one bad. They knew how to cure those who drank from the bad one, but only a select few lived. They were highly valued in the lands. Without their blessings, travelers would not survive even a night. The villagers that were around there would not yield any crops during the harvest or demons would attack. Even children born without their blessings died that very night. No one knew exactly why.

On night, their magic got the better of them. Kara, the child they had said was to be the one who took over as village master overpowered her village and killed them out of greed. The rivers dried up. Because she had no control of her powers, she managed to kill herself as well, in a sense. After burying the bodies, she wanted a body of her own so she could live again.

Kagome paused. The rivers dried up…but that happened 150 years before they got there…and Kara…She stopped and put the book away before quickly packing up her new backpack (along with the book) and running for the well.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled happily.

"Hey Shippo. Where's Inuyasha?"

"He's moping around like he always does when you're gone."

"Ok…take me to him." Shippo nodded confused, but took her two the hanyou. "Inuyasha!"

"You said you were coming back tomorrow!" he yelled at her. "Make up your mind!"

"Get down here!" She looked up into the tree at his golden eyes and pulled the book out so he could see it. "I think this might explain something about that village, but I need to check something at the rivers. Can you take me there?"

"Tonight!" The sun had already sunk low in the sky…he knew they wouldn't be back until late the next day.

"Yes, tonight!" He sighed and jumped down to her side.

"What is so important…?"

"I have to know if…never mind. I can't explain it unless I show you. C'mon." He growled a little bit before looking at Shippo (as if telling the kid where they were going) and letting Kagome climb on his back.

…Poison River…

Inuyasha dropped to the ground where he thought the poison river was. He couldn't pick up any sent of water or anything. "Kagome…where exactly was the river?"

"You can't find it?"

"No." She got down and looked around before noticing a familiar spot. She clumb up the side and looked around. "I know why. That is the river."

"This?" He looked at the bone dry riverbed he was standing in.

"Yeah…that village was an illusion…as was the water…"

"How'd I get sick from an illusion? Answer that."

"The village mastered spells and potions. That's how. The book was right…" She dropped to her knees and opened the book as Inuyasha looked over her shoulder.

Book:

To find her way back to life, Kara created the biggest illusion ever thought about. She would not allow her villagers to pass on so they remained behind, inhabiting the dead village. That in set, she used her aunt's potions to create a poison river and a clean one. Now the trap was set.

She was hoping to get a couple, one who drank from the poison river, the other from the clean. Using a sample of each of their blood, she made two potions. Only two couples left that village. All the others disappeared.

The first couple was a newly wed couple who died soon after having their first child. The child didn't survive either. The only strange thing about this was that the mother was a virgin. The second couple that left was a miko and a hanyou…

Kagome slammed the book shut, hoping Inuyasha hadn't gotten as far as she had. "Hey!" he complained. "I was still reading!" She sighed in relief that he hadn't. Of course he had to read from the top of the page so of course he wasn't as far as she was.

"We should head back…but can we go to the village one last time?" Inuyasha sighed and again pulled her onto his back and took her too where she wanted to go.

Once there he just kind of looked around on his own while she seemed to be looking for a set thing, which she found out back of the main house. Referring to her book, she found that all the names of the disappeared travelers were engraved on one large stone.

"So they died," she whispered. "Just like the villagers. Kara, why do you do this?"

She got up and took a short-cut through the house. Bad move on her part because, as she passed the room where they had stayed, she again got the feeling someone was in there.

"H-hello? Who's there?" She looked into the room and saw a faint glow that disappeared in an instant.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called. "What's taking you?"

"N…nothing! Be right there!" She looked back inside the room and saw that everything was once again dark. "Whoever you are, please help us…and these poor lost souls…"

…A Little Bit Later…

Upon their arrival back at Kaede's village, everyone greeted them. But when Kagome walked past them without a word, everyone instantly grew worried. She sat down at the god-tree and opened the book once more, this time to the summary her story.

Book:

A second child was conceived to a virgin. Past this document, nothing is known. It is thought that they, too, died, but no one knows for sure.

If the miko, the hanyou, and their child did indeed die, then the girl is still out there looking. If her soul is sent to hell where it belongs, the villagers will be set free, along with those who died. But if her soul is reborn, then all of the villagers will be forever lost and there will be no one who can stop her.

If the soul is reborn, the only one who can stop her is the child she will inhabit. The child will be born with two souls. Kara's and the child's. Dark and light. Hell and hope."

Kagome closed the book one last time. Die…If that book was referring to her and Inuyasha…then they were the last hope for those villagers as it was now. But that would mean…"Inuyasha…" Her hand went to her stomach. That would mean she was the pregnant virgin they had spoken of.

"Hey, Kagome," Inuyasha said, managing to get her to jump. "You ok?" He kneeled down and pulled her into a hug.

"Yeah…"

"Anything you want to tell me about?"

"No…nothing at all…"

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Cova