Warning: There will be very gory scenes, bunch of tragedy, suspense, horror, action/adventure, and romance at the end and a little in between. Also some spiritual around the middle and at the end.
Disclaimer: Aya is MINE! So is the evil torture guy. Who's name shall be unknown at this moment and time. I'll try to make things a bit more chipper.
Summery: Kagome has memories of death and torture that were hidden from her. When tragedy strikes she remembers it all. Near insanity she learns of a past enemy that will endanger everything she holds dear. (Inu/Kag)

The Hidden Truth

By: RejectedAndLoved

Chapter 4: Tracking Down the Prey and Explanations

Last Time

"I didn't know of the book till three days ago, Inuyasha." Kagome closed the book, in the dog demons face and headed outside. But before she left she turned to Inuyasha with a glare and said, "Well since we're so behind in your standards I'm going to work on the incantation." Kagome then headed to Inuyasha's Forest.

"Ha! Like she's gonna do that on her own." Then Inuyasha began to stalk after the girl.

The four in the hut, looked at on another, all thinking among the same lines. 'They're gonna kill each other and things will never get done.' All of them stood and dragged themselves after their companions.

Continuing On

Everyone followed the priestess as she walked down a hill to a vast green field beneath the village. Sitting near the center, Kagome began to discard her few sacred jewels evenly around her in the shape of a circle. Moving to the center of her circle, Kagome sat down, setting the book of incantations in her lap, Kagome raised her hands in the air about to chant when...

"Heh, what are you doing? You look like your asking for a sacrifice or something. Do you even know what you're doing?" Came the rude reply from the hanyou, who stood of to Kagome's sit, his arms crossed his chest.

A sigh came from the others next to Inuyasha as they gazed ahead to look at Kagome's reaction.

She only paused, setting her arms down she looked slyly at Inuyasha with the smooth reply, "What I am doing Inuyasha, is releasing my energy to make a small connection to the other shards, once I do this I will be able to find them because my energy will leave a visible trail for me to follow. I know how to do this because this book gives detail on what exactly what to do. Luckily for me I am fluent in reading my own language. Now are there any other questions or comments you have for me?" Kagome asked with a sweet smile.

With several chuckles and Inuyashas mumbling, Kagome took that as a cue to continue. Raising her hands into air again she concentrated on releasing her energy. Once that task was completed she began to chant the incantation.

It was in a language which no one recognized. The spoken words sounded musical, holy, and pure. As if the words were blessed by the heavens and had given them power.

The chant was repeated until pale blue lights shot up surrounding Kagome and spread out in two directions, pretty close to one another. Then the priestess gracefully stood up, slowly lowering her arms. All the while, the light began to disintegrate. When the light completely disappeared, she opened her eyes with a coy grin on her face, as if she caught the enemy. Quickly, she picked up the jewel pieces, the book which fell from her lap, and dashed back to the village, with others in tow.

Keades Hut

Once reaching the hut, Kagome shifted through one of her bags. Before it was located, Inuyasha pushed through the door.

"Care to explain what happened?"

Not once looking up Kagome answered, "I know were the shards are! Only Kouga and Naraku have them. I was planning to go to Kouga first and then go after Naraku. Oh where is it? Umm... Ah HA!"

Inuyasha watched as the girl stood up with a thick package in her grasp. Before the hanyou could ask what it was, Kagome shoved him out of the hut.

"Inuyasha, could you please make sure no one comes in I'm gonna change."

Abruptly, the dog demon turned, "What's wrong with the clothes you're wearing now? You've always worn them before!"

His reply was another shove out the door away along with, "I need to wear these robes if we want a successful journey. Now be quiet and let me change!"

Grumbling to himself Inuyasha sat in front of the entrance Indian style when the others walked up.

"Inuyasha, why are you not sitting in my hut?" Keade pondered.

Inuyasha looked up and sighed. "Because that stupid wench wanted to change clothes. I'll never-"

"SIT!"

Inuyasha was pulled to the unforgiving ground only to reveal a fully change Kagome behind him.

"You stupid pig! I told you all I needed to do was change! It wasn't a big deal!"

Immediately, Inuyasha got up and faced the priestess. "Big DEAL? Why I..." His words died in his throat as he gazed at her new attire.

She wore what looked like a simple white kimono, in the similar style of Kikyou's. But if positioned correctly, one could see glistening silver inscriptions covering the cloth in a repeating vertical pattern. And, conveniently, Inuyasha and Keade were position correctly.

"Kagome, where did you get that kimono? It seems very familiar to me." The demon slayer asked.

Before Kagome could answer, .Keade replied. "Her father passed that outfit to her." Seeing Kagome's shocked expression, Keade smiled kindly and continued. "Oh yes, I remember you. I would've reminded you sooner, but it was your father's wish for you to find out when the time was right." Keade then turned to the demon slayer. "And Sango dear, the reason you recognize that particular kimono is because Kagome's father visited your village once before, wearing those same holy robes. The same goes for you Miroku. You were too young to remember Shippo, but your parents met him too."

Sango's face lit up as she remembered, "That's right! I never knew he was your father. But Aya said earlier that your father came with y-"

Kagome interrupted in shock. "Aya? Aya was here? Why didn't you say anything before?" Distress covered Kagome's face.

Miroku exchanged glances with Inuyasha and Sango before replying. "We must have forgotten to tell you. I'm sorry Lady Kagome, but Aya was here. She also claimed to be your adopted sister."

The priestess nodded repeatedly, clenching and unclenching her hands. "She is indeed my sister, Miroku. Please, do you know where she is? Is she here? Did she tell you something?" Kagome grabbed Miroku's robes desperately, "What did she say?"

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome away from Miroku and shook her roughly. With a frown he asked. "How about you tell us why your family's blood is mixed with your scent first."

Kagome froze, as shock and horror glanced across her face. "You could smell it?"

"Tsk... what do you take me for? Of course I could smell it! Now answer me woman!"

All life which might have been hibernating within the young girl's eye became fully depleted. She bowed her head so her expression could be hidden. She stood still, only shaking to prevent a flow of tears. Gasping deep breaths of air she finally replied.

"You all might need to sit down." Before she turned to walk into the hut Kagome took hold of Shippo and Kilala only to whisper to the kitsue, "Shippou, I want you to take Kilala and play in the field or in the forest. Do not come back till mid day okay."

Instead of protesting, Shippo obeyed his mother like figure's wishes and headed off towards the forest with Kilala in tow.

When she entered the hut all heads turned to her waiting for an explanation. But Inuyasha held a look as if he expected Kagome to attack him and the others. This put a sadistic grin on her face, shaded with pain. "If you think I killed my family Inuyasha you are wrong. I believe you remember when you found me in the well injured."

Inuyasha gave a small nod, which gave her to cue to continue.

Kagome walked gracefully and slightly snobbishly to a far side of the hut and sat down un-ceremonially. She leaned back against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her. She turned her head so she could catch Inuyasha's gaze. "And because you have such a keen sense of smell, I know that you smell Sota's blood mixed with my own. The reason his blood was on me, was when I got home fourteen days ago, there was an...incident."

Kagome's eye's became cold as images flew threw her head. Anger boiled within her, tainting her existence. Her next words became harsh and cold.

"To start off, when I got home, I first found my mother and grandfather on the floor in the living room. My grandfather was stabbed to death, and my mother was raped and decapitated. Then, I went upstairs and found my brother."

Kagome's voice started to crack, as she started to take deeper breaths. She shook her head in disbelief, as she found the wall across her very entertaining.

"That bastard. I couldn't stop the bleeding. I tried so hard to stop it." Kagome bowed her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "Sota died in my arms. Then the guy that killed my family started to attack me, and I had to run away. But when I reached the well, his attack was successful, knocking me unconscious."

Kagome's voice became bitter as her eyes became cold, glistening with unshed tears. "When I went back three days ago, I cleaned their bodies, made their graves, and made their coffins. That's why their scents are mixed with mine. Now, you tell me what my sister was doing here."

Everyone was silent for a while because knowing that Kagome did that all alone was quite shocking. All of them, excluding Inuyasha, had at least someone there for them when they lost a love one.

"I didn't realize that you could go through something like that. I'm so sorry." Sango gave her empathy to Kagome, for she knew what Kagome was going through, and grabbed her in a tight hug. Kagome patted Sango on the back before softly pushing her away. "Thank you Sango, but I'm okay."

Sango nodded and sat down in front of Kagome. "All right Kagome. Well, you see Kagome, after we cleaned your wounds, Keade and I, a woman came through the door telling us how a curse was put on you."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "That's right. All she said was the guy that did this to you put a spell on you so you can remember your memories. She mentioned that you have been to this time era before Inuyasha was released from the tree, and told us that it was your father brought you here. And if those robes were once your fathers, then I have been in his presence once before. I must say, he had great power! And if Aya is right, that you did inherit his powers, your powers exceed the priestess who created the Sacred Jewel."

Kagome chuckled at the monk's enthusiasm, blushing profusely. "Yeah, I guess you could say I have a lot of power." Kagome shook her head to rid herself vain thoughts. "Okay, let me explain that. I first came here at age four." She paused, hesitating, unsure if she wanted to tell.

Inuyasha saw her reluctance, and sighed in annoyance. "Look Kagome, we're your friends. You can trust us. It's not like we know anyone else to tell." Inuyasha was now lying on his side, resting his head upon his arm, waiting calmly.

Miroku glared at the demon. "I will have you know that I am aquatinted with multiple people. People who will listen to what I say!"

Sango laughed. "Those people wouldn't happen to be the women you flirt with would it?"

Miroku turned to Sango, mouth agape. He tried to find a reply but none came to mind. Giving up he turned away, so he wouldn't have to meet anyone's eyes.

Sango gave a grin of victory. "That's what I thought."

Kagome covered her mouth to cover her giggling. No matter how many times those two fought Kagome thought of it as cute. Cute in a way that two people who love each other, refuse to admit it, and bicker instead. She sighed after getting control and continued. "Well, as I was about to say. My father had great powers and he probably had a vision of me falling in the well a year ago. Putting me and the well together, he decided to take me down the well at age four. This place was sort of my escape. Like a hiding place."

She paused as her face lit up brightly. "OH! Like this one time I didn't do really well on a test so I came here and ran in the woods. I ran and ran till I tripped over a tree root." She laughed at her foolishness. "It was a tree root from the God Tree. I think that was the first time I saw you Inuyasha." Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise, while Kagome continued. "When I was reaching up trying to touch your ears, I heard my dad calling for me. So I decided to play a trick on him. I hid within the vines covering the trunk and by the time my father came by I would jump on him. But foot got caught and I didn't land very comfortably." Kagome blushed as the others giggled softly, including Inuyasha who muttered stupid as well.

Once the others calmed, Kagome's expression became melancholy. "My father died that day. Naraku apparently was tracking the jewel for a while and was able to trace it. He caught my father off guard. He didn't have a chance."

Inuyasha interrupted. "But your father had visions. Surely he knew-"

"No he didn't. He did get visions often, but the vision were about other people and their well being, not his own." Kagome shifted so she sat little taller. "That was the last time I went to that time, till I turned fifteen. Afterwards, things got a bit weird because no one knew what really happened to my father and I wasn't going to say a demon killed him."

Just then Miroku opened his mouth to protest, because he remembered that Kagome muttered how she was blamed for a death when unconscious. Inuyasha noticed this and smacked him to shut up before motioning to Kagome to continue. Silently, Inuyasha, Sango, Keade, and Miroku agreed to not force Kagome to explain the meanings of what she said unconsciously.

Kagome raised an eyebrow in question, but continued nonetheless. "Okay, well, as I said things were a bit weird after my father died, but things went... normal as things were afterwards. Then at eleven, I met a guy, I don't remember his name, but he befriended me. At least before he backstabbed me and nearly killed me. Apparently, he was going around the country killing little girls. I was his current victim at the time, and his last. After he tried to kill me, I tracked him down and sent him to jail." She turned to others. "You remember what a jail is right?"

The others nodded yes.

"Okay, just making sure. Well, when I sent him to jail he told me and other people where to find the body of his youngest victim. Her name was Leidia Johnson. She was visiting Japan from another country called America. She was six years old." Kagome rubbed her eyes roughly, and coughed to clear her throat, refusing to let the memories to get to her. "Well, I saw her body, and relived her death with my powers. Next thing I remember is I am in a bed, and unable to remember anything."

Kagome looked around at the others whom all had a different expression. Inuyasha's was unreadable. Miroku looked somewhat unsatisfied, while Sango and Keade slightly dreary and understanding.

Kagome closed her eyes and clapped her hands together, snapped the others out of their stupor. "Well, that took enough time. Lets head north east; there we will find Kouga and three jewel shards." She stood up and heaved the lightest bag on her back. "Ready to go!"

Sango peered at Kagome curiously. Kagome noticed this and shifted nervously. "What? Is there something on my robe?" Kagome proceeded to look down her front.

Sango shook her head. "I am wondering, Kagome. How are so cheerful after having to cope with all this painful knowledge?"

Kagome laughed softly at the question. "I asked my self the same thing Sango. When I did I realized I still have my whole life in front of me! It's exciting! And even though Kami took three good people from me, he didn't take the Feudal Era from me, or the beauty surrounding me." Kagome twirled for extra accent.

"My family would want me happy. And who couldn't be with all the extravagant things surrounding us?"

TBC

Yeah... I put Kagome through hell. The girl was from The Lovely Bones By Alice Sebold. It is a sad book. Well, review and tell me what you think! If you haven't notice already, this is gonna be a LOOOOOOOOOONG story. My poor fingers. Anyway got to go! REVIEW FOR GOD SAKES! They are much needed! Is anyone reading this?