Second chap up! Thanks so much for all the reviews! I know that IY and crew seem quite OOC (out of character) But I kind of had to do that for them to fit the story properly. Just think of IY as… more mature. LOL

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this? Fine. I don't own Inuyasha (and probably never will) so please, don't waste your time trying to sue me.

Fading, Fading

"You ready?" Inuyasha looked at Kagome from the corner of his eye. They were standing in front of the well, about to go back to Kagome's era.

"Y- yeah…" Kagome swallowed. "I think so."

A week and a half had passed since Kagome had arrived back at the feudal era crying. They had to go back, seeing as Kagome was now planning to stay in the past for longer periods of time… School and friends didn't seem to matter anymore. Being in the modern times earned her too many stares, too many pity looks. Being in the past was just… easier.

Wrapping an arm around Kagome's waist, Inuyasha jumped, taking Kagome with him. As the periwinkle lights swirled around them like fireflies, Inuyasha felt Kagome tense considerably. The lights that had once brought her joyful anticipation now made her tremble with fear. How had this all gone so wrong?

Once they landed, Kagome pulled out the modern clothes that she had brought for Inuyasha sometime ago. Turning around, she gave him some privacy to put them on and waited patiently as he struggled with the foreign buttons and zippers.

"Kagome… Help…?" Inuyasha finally gave up and was now tugging at Kagome's sleeve like a little child. Turning around, Kagome could not suppress a small smile. Inuyasha's button down shirt was inside-out, and his pants were on backwards. Kagome sighed, at least the got the underclothes and the cap on right this time. Silently, she unbuttoned Inuyasha's shirt and slid them from his torso. She turned it back around and helped him put it back on, buttoning them properly. All this she had done silently, not trusting herself to talk. She was afraid that her throat wouldn't work right now. She felt like she had just swallowed a huge spoonful of peanut butter.

"You have to take off your pants and turn them around. The buttons are supposed to be on the front." Kagome cleared her throat and turned back around, waiting for Inuyasha to adjust his jeans. She felt like she had just given a whole speech when all she said was a few sentences.

As he wrestled himself into the jeans, Inuyasha's ears perked up.

"Kagome, what's that weird wailing I hear outside?"

"Oh, it's the police cars. The police are kind of like soldiers. When we go outside, just play along with whatever I say, ok? Or else we won't be able to get in."

"'K, whatever."

What Inuyasha was not prepared for was that Kagome grabbed his hand, interlaced their fingers and flung open the door of the well house.

Immediately, the sharp, abusive noise of the police cars assaulted his ears. Inuyasha had a faint memory of Kagome explaining cars to him; that they were kind of like automatic carriages and that he was not allowed to attack them at ANY given time of place. But then… it was pretty hard to concentrate on screaming carriages when Kagome's cool hand was in his.

Inuyasha mentally slapped himself for thinking that. Sure… he had realized that his feelings for Kagome were not merely friendly some time ago… but that didn't mean that he was totally accepting of that fact. Knowing was one thing, admitting it was a completely different matter, even if it was to himself.

An officer jogged towards them with a walkie-talkie in hand as they approached the house. It was surrounded by yellow-Caution-Do-Not-Cross-tape like some ill-wrapped present.

"Miss, this is a crime scene," He said. "I'm not allowed to let you in."

"My name is Higurashi Kagome. I lived in this house." Kagome tilted her chin up a fraction of an inch, daring the young officer to challenge her.

"Oh, then please follow me." The officer glanced at Inuyasha, "He would have to stay out side though. Family members only."

"He is my boyfriend."

Inuyasha's breath hitched. He had wanted to hear her say this for quite some time… but this was not the way he had imagined it. But hey, hearing it was nice, nonetheless. Remembering what Kagome had told him in the well, he put his arm around her waist possessively and gave the officer his signature glare. It ran in his family. He may not be as good as Sesshoumaru at it, but it did the trick. The officer turned and ducking under the tape, led him into the house.

Kagome's eyes seem to glaze over as she surveyed the inside of her house. It was empty now, the furniture gone and the walls and carpets washed. (A/N: I have no idea what happens to a crime scene… so… er… bear with me. LOL.) A faint smell of bleach wafted up her nose, leaving a bad taste in the back of her throat.

"I, I just need to get some clothes…" she forced out before walking down the hall. Inuyasha followed, never letting go of her hand. The walls seem to close in on them, making him feel strangely claustrophobic.

Once inside, Kagome made quick work of pulling random articles of clothing out of her closet and stuffing them in her yellow bag. Inuyasha leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Something didn't feel quite right in here. The entire house reeked of a sharp chemical that stung his nose. Kagome's room however, had a faint smell of roses lying under the stench of whatever cleaning products that was used to get rid of the blood. Kagome smelled nice, but… she never wore this scent. Inuyasha knew Kagome's scent better than anything, and she always smelled of honey and wild flowers. Never roses.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku looked at Kagome from across the campfire. "Will you be able to start traveling again tomorrow morning?"

Kagome nodded, picking silently at her stew.

Sango looked at Miroku, her eyes clouded over with worry. Kagome hadn't said a single word since she came back from the future that afternoon. How long was this going to last? Miroku shook his head slightly, indicating that it was best that they did not interfere with anything at the moment. Both of them knew that Inuyasha had the best chance out of all of them at healing her.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha put down his bowl and sighed. This conversation was inevitable, they all knew it. He just hated to be the one that started it. "Kagome, I need you to tell me what you saw."

"Alright…" Kagome took a ragged breath to calm herself. The fire danced in front of her, casting eerie shadows across her face, making it seem like that she was about to tell a scary camp story. In a sense, she was.

"When I went home that day…" She stared blankly into space as she talked, as if she was seeing it all over again. "The house was… strangely quite. Nothing seemed wrong in the kitchen… I went to the cupboard, and poured myself a glass of juice. I didn't notice anything was wrong until…"

She choked… No, she didn't want to see this again. Inuyasha put his hand over hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze, urging her to continue.

"Until… I saw Buyo's head on the floor… in the middle of the hallway."

Shippou stared at her with wide eyes. The kitty that Inuyasha had told him about was… beheaded? Sango unconsciously reached out for Kirara and relaxed slightly when her fingers came in contact with the familiar back of the fire neko.

"I saw… Gramps and Souta next…" Kagmoe put her hands up to her face and her shoulders heaved as the sobs wracked her body. Inuyasha put his arm around her shoulders and leaned over her slightly, trying the best of comfort her. Their hair mingled on the grass, silver and black… A piercing contrast under the light of the moon and the fire.

"Gramps was… gagged and…his arms where cut off. He was lying in the bath tub and… Oh my God… Souta had his head in the toilet… I think he was drowned." Kagome made a dry retching sound in the back of her throat. "Mom… she was tied to the bed… her face… the blood. Her tongue hand been cut off… it was laying on her face… her eyes… they were gone… gone…"

They all stared at her, horrified, as she sobbed her heart out on the ground. Kagome clutched her stomach, her chest heaving. She gagged again, almost bringing up her dinner. Somewhere through the howls that she was emitting, Inuyasha picked up the curses that she was throwing at God. He gathered her up in his arms again and stood up. Nodding to the others at the fire, he ran off towards the God Tree.

The girl in his arms stuffed her fist into her mouth, trying to muffle the sound. The skin at her knuckles was already raw from her teeth.

What on earth had happened to his Kagome?

She turned her mismatched eyes onto the surface of the lake. A soft breeze picked up her dark locks and toyed with them for a moment, before losing interest and letting them fall softly back against her back.

In an almost hypnotizing fashion, she raised her hand. Silver nails glitter against her pearl like skin. Silently, a thick fog rolled across the lake like a creeping predator. It gathered around her and draped itself around her shoulders.

Without the slightest hesitation, she stepped onto the lake. Almost gliding, she arrived at the center of the lake. In front of her, an image appeared. In it was a girl. She too, had long black hair and fair skin. But this girl seemed to be in a lot of grief. She was on her knees, shoulders shaking with sobs.

As she watched this unfortunate girl, her eyes, one green and one violet, narrowed in satisfaction.

The image of the girl was fading, fading…