A/N: Thanks to reviewers Western White Tiger, Guest, Lorien Legacy, and Novert A-Rex for their kind comments in the previous chapter. As more characters will join Inuyasha's team in upcoming chapters, the banter between Kagome and Inuyasha will slowly tone down. Without spoiling too much, I do plan on writing Kagome maturing throughout the journey. As for whether I will follow the previous plotline or diverge completely from here on forward, I'd say there will be major revisions, but readers of the previous version will probably pick up similarities as well. I think the major change in the beginning of this story pertains more to the far future plotline, which the previous version never reached yet. With that said, hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.


A Different Journey

The story of Inuyasha, and the miko he loved who had survived death


Chapter 4

"You sure we're going the right way?" Inuyasha yelled at Kagome whom he propped onto his back despite her protests. Clinging on for her dear life while he carried her and ran ahead like a horse, Kagome could hardly formulate a coherent answer.

"How the hell would I know? I'm new to this too!"

"Fucking useless wench!"

Kagome would've told Inuyasha to die again, if not for the fact that she had already tried it five minutes into their journey and his sudden crash onto the ground threw her five feet ahead and nearly broke her neck. Thank goodness she somehow rolled enough that she landed on her butt instead. Just when she thought that bruise was finally going to start healing…

Though Kaede said that Kagome should have the ability to sense the Shikon shards, she didn't exactly know what sensation she should be looking for. It wasn't as though her heart had converted to some sort of metal detector that would beep upon approach to its target. When asked to pick a direction this morning, Kagome just went with her best guess. She wasn't sure if she really did sense something, or did she just subconsciously prefer the flat road over the rugged path that traversed heavy woods. After that giant centipede on her first day, who knew what she would encounter in the woods again? Inuyasha could probably save her from anything – the thought warmed her cheeks and this irritated her so she wouldn't admit it – but she wasn't ready to trust him. No way in hell would she trust this dog-boy with a mouth fouler than a cesspool!

Then she felt it. Something clenched her heart, and though it continued beating, she felt as though it had stopped. She recalled the feeling from yesterday, when the youkai swallowed the Shikon's shards and the power that overwhelmed her then. This was it.

"Inuyasha, it's in that cave!" Kagome shouted, pointing ahead. Inuyasha swerved and bounded towards the cave she indicated, all the while yelling back at her.

"I said to not fucking call my name like you know me!"

They came up to the cave. The entrance was wide, and judging from the darkness within, it was a deep, wide cave. Inuyasha covered his nose with his sleeve, his face a grimace.

"What the fuck is this smell?"

Kagome didn't smell anything, but to Inuyasha, this was the stench of rotting flesh in shouki. There was not only the smell of decay, but that of acid, strong and stinging. He glared at Kagome.

"You sure it's this way?"

"Well, if you smell something and I don't, that's magical, right? Magical means Shikon?"

"I hate your logic."

Despite saying this, Inuyasha kept walking ahead till the darkness engulfed them both. He surveyed the surroundings for a source of the stench but found nothing. The sides of the cave were lined with rock, the ground in dry dirt. There was no sign of life anywhere.

"Watch out!"

Kagome's shout caught Inuyasha's attention, but he really had no idea what he should be watching out for. There was nothing ahead, even as Kagome pushed him away, hard, as though there was something out to kill them both. He was going to complain about Kagome, but something hit him on his leg – would've hit his chest if Kagome hadn't pushed him – and it hurt like fuck! Kagome was right. He couldn't see it, but she did, the something that had attacked him.

"What the hell was that?" he screamed. His leg was burning in pain. He felt as though the muscles were being eaten through to the bone.

"Didn't you see it? The black liquid-"

Kagome didn't have time to finish her sentence as a shadow loomed before them both. A giant snake had slithered out from the depths of the cave and now shot down for Kagome with its open jaws.

"A Shikon shard!" Kagome saw it buried in the snake's mouth. In her desperation to stop being swallowed, she pushed the snake away with her bare hands. There was a blinding light where she touched, a loud hiss, and the snake shrieked when its flesh split in a nasty gash from Kagome's energy.

"How dare you…" the snake cursed, wrapping Kagome's legs with its tail. She couldn't move even when it was about to sink its fangs into Kagome's shoulder. She would've been done for if not for an ofuda sent flying to exactly where Kagome had wounded the snake, making it shriek and retreat once again. Kagome turned around to see a monk had come into the cave. He pushed Kagome aside and slammed his staff at the snake's head.

The snake dodged, but not quick enough. The staff cut right through its neck like knife on butter, sending the head tumbling onto the ground. Kagome stood in awe, and the monk seemed pleased to see her reaction, walking up to her with a gallant smile.

He took up both her hands. "Are you alright, Young Lady?"

"I'm…fine." Kagome had wanted to thank him, but no such words came out her mouth when she found his hand on her exposed thighs, riding up her skirt. It made a vein bulge out from her forehead. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Telling your fortune. Your luscious thighs tell me you will bear many healthy children. Let me see how many…" He reached higher, prompting Kagome to slap him square on the cheek.

"I don't know how many children I will have but I know they won't be yours, Houshi-sama!"

Kagome's slap left a red hot hand print on the monk's face. He touched the spot like she just awarded him a treasure, and grinned. "You can't be so sure, Young Lady. Fate works itself in strange ways. And please call me Miroku. May I be graced with your name?"

"It's Kagome."

Inuyasha's groan interrupted their conversation. He was trying to stand, but the black poison that had hit him weakened his leg. Having heard the sound, Miroku stepped towards him in a defensive manner.

"Youkai," he noted, pushing Kagome back.

"No, he's not the enemy-" Once again, Kagome's words were cut short when she noticed something else – the fallen snake head had floated up into the air and reconnected with the rest of the body. "Houshi-sama, the snake!"

When Miroku turned, he was met by a wave of poison spat in his direction. He couldn't see it, but he judged danger by the snake's attacking position. He pulled away the sacred beads sealing the curse on his right hand and unleashed it – a wind tunnel. The poison was sucked into his hand, and a second later he felt its effects.

"Houshi-sama, the poison…" Kagome muttered.

Miroku judged the situation. The girl was defenseless and there were two youkai in the cave. If he hung on, could he suck them both into his vacuum?

"Don't…worry…" he muttered, crouching low, gripping his right hand with his left to keep it aimed at the snake.

He was young and brash, because such a move would've easily killed him if not for the miracle that saved them a moment later. A pink arrow flew from the cavern entrance, nailing the snake's open mouth, tearing right through where the Shikon shard was embedded to send it tumbling out the wound and onto the ground. The arrow's trail left a holy aura that instantly purified all the poison, and Miroku easily sucked up the weakened snake after.

Though he was saved, the poison still took its toll on Miroku and all he could do was reseal the wind tunnel and collapse on the ground in exhaustion. He saw the Shikon shard levitate from the dirt and flew straight for a mysterious figure standing at the cavern entrance. He couldn't tell who it was, but the other youkai in the cave could. Inuyasha crawled towards her, muttering her name.

"Kikyou…"

He could smell her scent, feel her aura, but she denied him, vanishing before he could take two more steps. Inuyasha dropped back onto the ground, clenching his fist and screaming.

"Kikyouuuu!"


The snake that devoured gatherers – eliminated.

Kikyou had presented the snake scale that stuck to the Shikon shard she had reclaimed to the villagers who had requested the extermination. Thankful for her services, they had given her a full meal, and some coins and rations for her journey. By dusk, she had reached the place where she sensed the next Shikon shard, a barren land of withered trees and few shrubs, overlooking a bare, rocky hill. Even a common person could tell there was something wrong with such parched land in an area of fertile soils. Kikyou felt something else – an evil energy that radiated out the hill like rays of the rising moon. When night had completely fallen, the bird calls distant until finally silent, Kikyou's suspicions were confirmed.

Shinidamachuu were youkai that carried dead souls to the other dimension, long, white creatures with an insect-like head and eel body. They were usually benign, but legend had it that witches could manipulate them to collect souls for resurrecting the dead. Kikyou didn't know if those legends were to be trusted, but here before her was a swarm of shinidamachuu the likes she had never before seen, and they were not carrying dead souls, they were headed straight for her.

Kikyou projected her holy aura to repel them, but they kept circling her, their small claws reaching desperately in her direction. It was as though they were trying to pull her soul out from her chest. Kikyou reached out to purify a few of them, but more came, flying from the direction of the hill down to where she stood. She reached for her bow, shot through the swarm. Still, more came. This cohesiveness. This aggressiveness. And the evil that emitted from the depths of the hill where they came. Kikyou knew, she was dealing with no witch, but a youkai with a Shikon shard that was manipulating the shinidamachuu to gather its meals - living souls!


End of Chapter - reviews appreciated