» Disclaimer - I do not own Inuyasha

• Gather the Shards

Forsaken Provenance

• Chapter II •

It was so dark.

Kagome stared at the body that laid on the ground next to her that looked so much like her own. All signs of the supernatural features Midoriko had before were gone. It was like looking at her own dead body.

She looked down at her hands. What was that light? Whatever it was it saved her life. Midoriko had screamed and the light had burnt her. Kagome could still smell the scent of burnt flesh.

Something crawling across her thigh brought her out of her thoughts, "Ahh! Get off-get off!" Kagome violently swatted the centipede off her body and stood up. It was too dark too see where it went but she could still feel the tingle of it on her skin.

Oh gods she had to get out of here. But where is here? It was just so dark, the small waning moon wasn't any help because there was a thick fog in the air. She could only see the body beside her in the grass.

But is she really dead?

She gave the body of Midoriko a fearful look. Kagome couldn't stop trembling. Backing away from the body, making sure it wasn't going to follow Kagome took off running. Hopefully there would be someone around who could help.

It was difficult to see where she was going. She kept tripping over roots and knots in the earth and the grass was no help as it was so wet that she kept slipping into the mud. Where am I?! Panic swept over. I was pulled into a mirror. Where was that thing trying to take me?! What was it going to do to me?!

"Help!" She was the loudest thing in these woods, "Is anybody out there?!"

Her only answer was the sloshing sound of the mud beneath her feet.

Her face was burning, her eyes watering up. Vision starting to blur not that she could see where she was going anyway.

The ground beneath her changed, startling her out of her tears. Stone? She had stumbled upon a path. That meant if she followed it, it would lead to civilization right? At least to a house or something? Where ever it lead it was a path worth taking. She allowed herself to slow down so she could follow it. The darkness and fog obscuring most of her view.

Rubbing the wetness from her eyes Kagome walked until she saw a large iron gate glinting in the small light that was available. She hesitated for a moment. She had no idea what could be on the other side of this gate. Now that she gave the gate a good look there were words, or maybe it was one word, in-between the iron rungs in a language she couldn't even recognize. Toto, I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore… Except for sound of cawing crows the night was so eerily silent.

The bushes rustled behind her and she couldn't help but picture Midoriko with that centipede like body jumping out of the shadows at her. She pushed opened the heavy gate with all her might, it squeaked so loudly and it took a lot out of her to even open it enough for her to squeeze in. Thankfully it was easy to close. Good. It could act as a barrier between her and that Midoriko.

Kagome leaned against the gate to catch her breath. And stared at the bushes but nothing emerged. It was all in her head.

She pushed off the gate and walked forward. Barely making out a building in the distance. Hopefully someone was home. In a rush she ran right into something that banged her knee.

She let out a short squeak of pain. Oh gods that hurt. Kagome grabbed her shin and rubbed it soothingly. She had just walked into a, was that a gravestone?

Looking around she could make out a couple headstones through the fog. This is a graveyard? Does that mean that building is a church?

There was a faint moaning not too far from her. Kagome turned towards the sound. That sounded like a person!

A priest maybe? Did they hear me earlier? "Hello?! Can you help me?!" She waved her arms over her head. Although now that she thought about it they probably couldn't see that anyway.

There was that groaning sound again and they were moving towards her, she could hear their feet dragging through the mud. She walked towards the sound feeling so incredibly relieved. She could make out their outline in the fog.

She stopped. That smell. What was it? It was disgusting. It was like, rotting flesh? The form shambled towards her, and she shivered. No way. They stalked towards her with slow, unsteady and stiff steps and with every step the smell grew stronger. As they came into view Kagome's stomach began to churn. Its skin was discolored and missing in places, she was able to see all of its muscle, bone, and everything she'd never wanted to see. Its face was sunken in and its hand reached for her blindly, it's eyes unfocused. There was another groan coming from behind it.

That was all she needed to snap out of it and she ran as fast as she could towards the church. Is that a zombie?! She looked back to see it coming after her, and it wasn't alone. Zombies?!

Kagome fell forward tripping over a coffin that was open on the ground. Now that she looked ahead of her if she hadn't tripped she would have fallen face first into the open grave in front of her. Oh gods that was close. She crawled forward making sure that she felt the edge of the hole, so she didn't walk right into it, and she tried to get up quickly.

One of the zombies grabbed her ankle and dragged her backwards. Kagome let out a high pitched shriek and grabbed around the wet grass trying to find something to hold onto. Securing her hand around a thick stick she swung her body around hitting the zombie in the face. His head flew off, the stick breaking under the force.

The head landed with a thump, and she could see the spine still sticking out of its neck. But the body kept moving, never letting go of her ankle. Its other arm reached out for her face, Kagome didn't even think, she just reacted, kicking the dead man in the chest with all her might. The force of her kick effectively pushed the zombie back, freeing her ankle. She scrambled to get back up, her heart racing. And she couldn't help but think about how all those zombie movies lied to her. Going for the head did not work.

A groan to her right and Kagome was able to dive under the arms of another zombie, dodging his attempts to grab her. Kagome caught herself on her hands and used the crouching position to spring forward darting to the church.

Kagome ran up the front steps and rammed herself into the heavy wooden doors. But they didn't budge. No no no! This can't be happening! She scratched for the handles and pulled and she could feel the lock on the other side keeping the doors from opening. Kagome braced her back to the door. She could make out several figures approaching through the fog and their groaning grew louder.

Leaping down the steps she ran her hand along the stone wall of the building. Following the wall in the darkness, searching for any window she could possible break to get in. She was breathing so heavy now her lungs felt like they were on fire and her legs felt heavy, but she refused to give up. Her fingers skimmed the wall as she ran, the stone was sharp and scratched her but she didn't let up. Didn't churches have windows? Unless, this wasn't a church but a mausoleum?

Suddenly her hand wasn't touching the stone anymore and she stopped to look. Her arm was going right through the stone wall. Like it was an illusion. She pulled her hand out, and it looked fine. The moaning behind her pushed her to action and jumped right through the false wall. It didn't feel like anything but an open space. She turned so her back was to the solid wall on the side and clamped her hands over her mouth, attempting to quiet her heavy breathing.

She could hear her heart in her ears as she heard them approach, and she gulped. She could hear them quickly shuffling past the wall. They didn't notice her slip through, thank the gods. She leaned her head back to rest against the wall.

Her legs felt like jelly. She had to blink back the tears. If there were zombies here then it didn't matter if she had killed that Midoriko or not. Either way she was going to die wasn't she?

I don't want to die.

She rubbed her shin again, she sure was going to bruise there, that's for sure. Looking ahead the area behind this false wall was so. Unnatural. Still and Stale.

There was a narrow path that she couldn't see the end of. Either side of the path was a long drop into blackness. Where am I? What is this place?

Kagome carefully walked the narrow path. It was better than waiting at the entrance where if she fell asleep a zombie could get her. Hopefully this would lead her to some shelter, at least for the night. She let the sound of the crows calm her. That meant there was life here too right?

Without the fog she could more clearly see what was in front of her. Although she wasn't sure where the small light she did have was coming from. Everything about this place was unnatural.

She could feel the air start to pulse. It was coming from the direction she was headed in. Was it safe to continue?But going back wasn't really an option.

Then should could faintly make out a tree in the distance. It was lighter there. Light! Oh how she missed light!

At the end of the path it opened up to a round pedestal of land, a long peninsula surrounded by blackness. Thick grass and huge single tree that took up the center. Its roots were large and she could see them pushing through the packed earth of the descending sides that faded downward into the darkness.

And attached to the tree was a boy. He had to be about her age. The light wasn't just a light, but the reflection of his long white hair. She approached quietly not knowing if this was dangerous or not. He looked like he was sleeping. Roots wrapped around his body soundly and was that an arrow in his chest?

His eyes shot up to meet hers. Gold eyes that glowed in the dark like an animal's would. That startled her and she jumped with a gasp.

"So you came back to taunt me, eh Kikyo?" He glared menacingly at her and cracked his knuckles. Where those claws?

His ears moved up and forward sharply. She could only stare with her mouth open. Where those dog ears?

"What the fuck brought you back here anyway Kikyo? You here to finish me off?"

"Huh? I think you're mistaken." Kagome shook her head walking towards him. At least whatever was holding him there kept him from acting on that murderous look he was giving her, "I'm not Kikyo."

"Not Kikyo?! I think I would know the stench of," As Kagome approached him he sniffed the air the same way she'd seen her cat do, "…you're not Kikyo."

"Yeah," She pointed to herself, "I'm Kagome!"

"Che."

"So," she asked slowly, "are you really stuck?"

The look he gave her and his choice of words almost made her laugh. Man she'd never been happier to get cussed out in her life. Now that he wasn't looking at her like he was going to kill her he didn't seem half bad.

She reached forward to grab the arrow.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to try to pull it out." He grabbed her wrist stopping her. She looked up into his eyes searching, "What?"

"Why would you wanna do that? What'd you get out of it?"

Hmm that was a good question. What would she get out of it? It just didn't seem right leaving him here. Was he placed here for a reason? What reason could that be when there were zombies and crazy mirror ladies about? It was better to be with someone then be alone right now. But she couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't run off, leaving her alone.

But then he could be free. He was trapped back here all alone in the dark. It wasn't right.

He lightened his grip on her wrist and nudged her. She was probably silent for too long.

"Well," She started, "Because I want to."

He looked at her suspiciously.

"How about we make a deal then." She said trying to reason with him, "I'll get this out of you and you help me get out of here? What'da say?"

She could tell he was thinking about it. He released her wrist and let her grab the arrow. As soon as she tugged on it sparks of light shot across his body and he yelled out in pain.

"Shit." He gasped out. He slumped forward, breathing heavy.

"I'm so sorry!" She put her hands up in front of her, she wanted to reach out and comfort him but not knowing how, "I thought th-."

"That fucking bitch," He looked up at Kagome, "she more than just sealed me. She really didn't want me out. Godammit!" He slammed his fist against the tree behind him leaving a depression where it hit.

"Then how do I—?"

"The only one who can take it out is Kikyo. The one who sealed me." He growled but she could tell it wasn't directed at her.

His ears perked up and he looked over her shoulder.

"They're coming." He warned her implying that she should run.

She looked over her shoulder and saw nothing. The only sound around was the birds. She believed him though.

"What, and leave you here? Like bait?!" She said defiantly. No way. Leaving someone behind just wasn't in her nature, "I'm not leaving here without you."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. She reached forward and grabbed the shaft of the arrow again. Willing it to be gone. Shocks of light shot through him again. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. It was so painful.

And the arrow vanished.

He used his claws to tear away the roots that bound him to the tree and slid down the tree clutching his chest.

"It worked!" Kagome knelt down beside him, "Are you okay?"

He looked up and narrowed his eyes. He bared his fangs growling and made a show of cracking his knuckles. Are his hands covered in blood? He lunged towards her, his eyes glowing and she felt fear shiver its way up her spine. Kagome brought her hands up to cover her face, and felt a rush of air pass her.

"Blades of Blood!"

She turned in time to see a crow fall into the blackness below.

"I would know the stench of crow demon anywhere," He told her, "they must have followed your scent."

She let out a breath of relief.

"Shit," He cursed leaning forward again clutching his chest, "the wound isn't closing."

Kagome noticed at the redness that gushed from his wound through his haori, "You're bleeding!"

She ran over to his side and tried to help him up but he pushed her away, "I can smell more of them."

Kagome heard the familiar sound of the zombies moaning and reached for him again, "We need to put pressure on your wound! It should be safe over here right?" That narrow path would be hard for zombies to safely walk across right?

Wrong. She could see many zombies already stepping off the path and heading right for them.

"I hate these crow demons." He stood up again, one hand on his chest, and slashed at one of the zombies, revealing the crow demon nesting inside the corpse's chest, "So weak you have to rely on using dead bodies to fight. How pathetic."

So they weren't zombies? They were demons? Demons?! She looked back at him. How did he know about demons? Was he one as well?!

She watched him cut down the demon possessed bodies that made it across the path with ease. But as the bodies fell the demons flew out and swarmed around him. The crow demons pulled at his hair and scratched at this arms as he swiped at them. The crow demons were larger than any crow she had ever seen, and they had three glowing red eyes that stood out in the darkness.

There had to be something she could to help. She looked around for a rock or something that she could use to hit one of the demons in the air with. Kagome was so focused on searching that she didn't notice a crow demon swoop down at her pulling at her hair. She started to fall back under the force. Another crow came at her from behind its talons scratching at her hip before she hit the ground. Her screech of pain caught his attention.

"Blades of Blood!" She looked up to see his blood slice through the demons flying above her. Their parts falling around her. Some of the demon's blood landed on her making her flinch.

Kagome pushed herself back up and even more crow demons circling overhead. The more he cut down the more demons seemed to appear. A crow demon meet her eyes and dive-bombed right for her. As she brought her hands up to protect herself that warm light erupted from her hands again burning the demon.

Kagome stared at her hands again. How did I do that? And could she control it to do it again?

He jumped to her and lifted her by the arm and barked at her, "You're a miko?!"

"A miko?" She did live at a shrine so being called a miko wasn't uncommon but how was that related to the light she just did? She wanted to ask but she but the sight of his wound on his chest were the arrow was worried her more. It was bleeding even more now.

He grabbed her around her waist and tucked her under his arm, "Whatever, we are getting out of here."

"I don't know where else we could go or how we can even get out of here," Her eyes filled with worry. "I would say we could go back and hide in the mausoleum but the doors are locked."

"Feh, locked doors don't mean anything ta me."

She felt like a basketball but at least he was taking her with him, "Yeah down this path," she pointed.

He cleared the narrow path in a single jump and she couldn't help but be impressed. This guy was powerful. She pointed out the false wall and he bypassed the horde of bodies the crow demons had possessed and made a beeline to the wooden doors.

He was sweating and his skin was clammy. She could easily see that he was still bleeding, but he didn't stop moving. He effortlessly kicked in the thick double doors and dropped her inside, taking a large bookshelf he barricaded them in.

He took a step back and she was on him, pushing him down. She tore off her school jacket and pushed it up against his wound.

"Are you okay?" She looked up to meet his eyes but they were clenched shut and his brow furrowed in pain.

"It's a spiritual wound." He attempted to explain through his clenched teeth, "Otherwise I'd of stopped bleeding by now."

"A spiritual wound?"

"Ch- I heal faster than you humans, but the seal that was on that arrow is keeping my blood from healing on its own."

Kagome didn't really get it but she nodded her head anyway. So he was a demon as well? His claws and fangs were strange. And his ears really stood out, but something about him didn't scream demon at her.

Now that they had a moment she took a look around the place. It was old, and abandoned if the layers of dust was anything to go by. The walls were stone and cracked with age, decorated with beautiful paintings and displays. The floor was a cool granite that had seen better days.

"You know, I don't really know you name." She said trying to fill the silence.

He was silent for a long moment, "…Inuyasha."

She smiled brightly at him, "Well it's nice to meet you Inuyasha."

She continued to put pressure on his chest, the blood had soaked right through her jacket, ruining it.

"Hm," the noise he made caught her attention, "So where are we anyway?"

"Um I think this is a mausoleum, but I'm not sure…" She stopped and looked at the doors, "I was brought here but. I was hoping you would know."

"Damn." She agreed with that.

Kagome looked around. She had the strangest feeling that something was calling her. Maybe it was a trick of the shadows but she could see a faint light through the floor.

Inuyasha lifted Kagome's hands from his chest and looked down at his wound, "Good it's stopped bleeding. Once it's closed enough I'll kill all those crows and we'll get out of here."

"Okay," she nodded again placing her hands in her lap. She let her ruined jacket fall to the side, "Hey, um," She looked around the area again and fidgeted, "Do you sense that?"

"Sense what?" He strained his ears and she watched him sniff the air.

"It's like something is calling." She pointed to a hallway on the far side of the large entrance.

"I don't smell anything." He said it in a way that made her more worried. He gave her a side glance, "Get up."

Kagome jumped to her feet and tried to help him up, but he pulled his arm away from her and sniffed the ground.

"Hey, not smelling anything is a good thing right?"

"No. I mean I don't smell anything. It's like we're in a void." He pushed himself up using the wall as a crutch. "Show me where exactly this feeling is coming from."

Kagome bit her lip, "If it's bad shouldn't we avoid it?"

"It probably already knows we're here. I'd rather not be taken by surprise."

Kagome took one of the spears from the display armor they had decorating the entrance. It felt durable enough in her hands. And it would give her some distance just in case. She led Inuyasha down towards the light she could see. The feeling of being drawn to it put her on edge.

Inuyasha for his part was slowly following her. She felt bad that he was in so much pain. And he was so pale that she was surprised he was still walking from the amount of blood that came out of him. He refused any help from her and used the wall as a means of balance.

They finally came upon the hallway she can pointed to. Inuyasha put his hand on her shoulder and she didn't shrug him off as he stood there for a moment collecting himself, "How much further?"

She could down further were the stone wall had a curved opening. She frowned at him and pointed to the dark opening in the wall, "Down there."

Wait, she looked at the floor and she could see that faint light moving underneath. Inuyasha pushed her forward and the opening wasn't just to a room. It was a stairwell. One that led down. What could be underneath a place like this? A catacomb of sorts?

There was an old metal sign nailed to the wall next to the stairwell. She touched it with her finger tips, "Do you know what this says? I don't recognize the language at all."

"No." He said without even glancing at it. He senses trained on the stairwell in front of him.

Kagome could feel the light underneath move again and she reached to grab his sleeve, "It's moving, below us."

Inuyasha looked at the floor. They didn't have any other warning then a large crashing sound and the floor beneath their feet gave way. Kagome grabbed onto Inuyasha's arm screaming.

They fell into the crypt below falling with the stone rubble on the bones that littered the ground. Kagome landed right on top of Inuyasha's chest.

"You are not dead souls." A large booming voice called to them.

Inuyasha groaned in pain and Kagome could feel a wetness on her hands as she pushed herself up. His wound had opened up again.

"Who's there?" Kagome called out looking around for the source of the voice, only seeing layers of reflective crystals long the walls.

"Are you grave robbers?" A large skull asked them looming over head. Its head had protruding horns and its body was made of crystals. Kagome couldn't help but compare them to diamonds, "Who seek the Shikon shard?"

"Shikon shard?" Inuyasha asked pushing himself up staring the large skull right in the eye, "What about it?"

Kagome could see the light coming from within its crystal body.

The skull swung its large amalgamated crystal arm at Inuyasha sending him flying back into the wall and bellowed, "I will not pardon any who try to take the shard from me!"