InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Vanished Innocence ( Chapter 5 )

Hell-OH!! ::ducks assortment of weapons thrown at head:: Now, is that any way to treat an author of wonderfully amazing fanfiction? ::ducks atomic bomb:: Guess that's kinda up to the reviewers . . . heh heh. . . .

ANYways, here I am. Sorry I haven't updated, but I just haven't had the kind of depressing thoughts necessary for this kind of thing (now that I think of it, I don't have the depressing thoughts right NOW. . .EEP!!) Oh well, I'll give it my best shot . . . you know, get a few pages out while I'm still conscious . . . ::sneaks peek at death-glares from reviewers:: OKAY, OKAY!! ::types furiously::

You know, ONE of the reasons (other than #$%!in' writer's block) MIGHT be because SOME people ::glares:: aren't reviewing with as much enthusiasm as I might like. ::sighs:: Feh. . . I guess that's the way the dice roll.

Alright! Before I go to bed:

HAUNTED

By: Dark Angel Kiki

/watching me wanting me/
/I can feel you pull me down/
/saving me raping me/
/watching me/

Chapter 5-Vanished Innocence

Mrs. Higurashi muttered in her sleep. Her dreams were not peaceful

"Mama!" Kagome called out. "Help me, please!" Tears streamed down her daughter's face, and she was drowning in some kind of black substance, like oil, or-

"Mamaaaaaa!"

"Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi sat up, sweat streaming off her face. Tearing off the covers, she didn't even bother to pull on her robe as she burst through her bedroom door and tore down the hall.

"Mom!" came a cry from Sota's room. He also came out of his room, sweating and crying. "Mom, I had a nightmare-" He stopped as his mother moved past him.

"What's happened to Kagome?"

Inu-yasha was lying in front of Kagome's bedroom door, unconscious, his face streaked with pain. Mrs. Higurashi stepped over him as she opened her daughter's door.

"Kagome-" her cry was shortened as she saw the empty bed. . .

"Inu-yasha, wake up!" Sota shook the dog demon. "What happened? Where's Kagome?"

Inu-yasha grunted, but didn't wake up. [A/N: Stubborn ass, isn't he? ^^;]

"I saw it all! Kagome was kidnapped!" said a small voice. Sota looked up, but couldn't see anyone. "Down here, boy! Down here!"

Sota looked down to see some kind of insect jumping on Inu-yasha's shoulder. "What the-"

"I am Myoga the flea, servant of Lord Inu-yasha!" the insect squeaked. "And I can wake him!" Jumping to Inu-yasha's face, the flea stuck his mouth into the flesh and began sucking blood. [Never fails . . .]

Two seconds later, Inu-yasha's hand came up, squashing poor Myoga. His amber eyes opened, and his brow furrowed. Sitting up, he snapped, "Where's Kagome?"

Sota blinked, his jaw hanging open. Inu-yasha snorted, and looked down at him palm, where Myoga inflated himself, repeating, "I saw what happened to Kagome! I saw it all! I-EEP!!" He squeaked again as his head was placed between two of Inu-yasha's nails.

"Talk, Flea," Inu-yasha said shortly. His ears twitched as he heard a whimper. He turned his head to Kagome's room, where her mother was standing. . .

"Ka-gome. . ." Mrs. Higurashi whispered. One hand was at her mouth, and she looked like she was holding back a torrent of tears. "What happened to my daughter?" She turned to Inu-yasha. "What happened to her?" she repeated.

"I . . . don't know. . ." Inu-yasha said to her. Inside himself, he swore again and again.

Some protector, he snapped at himself. You idiot! Just because Kagome was back in her own world, that didn't mean she would automatically be safe!

But what was done was done-nothing could change that now.

He looked back at Myoga. "What happened?" he asked. "Wait-how did you get here, anyway?"

Myoga looked sheepish. "Well, I, uh. . ." The pressure of the nails on either side of his head increased. "Ah-I saw everything that happened this afternoon and I was as worried as everyone else was for Kagome so I hid in your clothes when you came through the Bone-Eater's well!" Taking a breath, he looked up at Inu-yasha. "Will you put me down now? Please?"

He looked so pathetic, and Inu-yasha was in such a hurry that the tiny demon was obliged. "Now talk," Inu-yasha snapped when Myoga was finished kissing the wooden floor.

"Well," Myoga started, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "I decided to go into Kagome's room for-ah-a midnight snack, and-"

"Eew, gross!" Sota exclaimed. "You were gonna suck my sister's blood?!"

"Kid," Inu-yasha said carefully, a vein throbbing in his temple. "We don't have time for you to be squeamish. Shut up."

Sota blushed, and closed his mouth.

"As I was saying," Myoga continued. "I was in Kagome's room, and she was sleeping peacefully when suddenly the shadows in the room began . . . moving." Myoga paused for dramatics' sake. "The shadows blocked out all light coming from the window, and for moment's I could not see. Luckily, like most demons, I was able to see through the dark, though it was very difficult . . ." The flea paused again.

"Cut the theatrics and tell us what happened to Kagome!" Inu-yasha snapped.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure how to explain the next part!" Myoga said defensively. "It seemed at first the shadows themselves had converged on Kagome's chest, weighing her down, but then I saw that it was a separate entity-something that controlled the shadows, but was, by itself, an individual."

"And then?" Inu-yasha prodded.

"Then, something slimy and cold covered me and I can't remember anything after that." Myoga sighed. "When the shadow-and I think that was what impaired my vision-got off of me, Kagome was gone."

Inu-yasha growled. "That doesn't really help me-if it was a demon, how could it have gotten here? Only Kagome and I can travel through the well. . ."

"I don't think it was entirely a demon," Sota spoke up. He stared at Myoga. "Didn't you say it was on Kagome's chest?"

"Yes, it appeared that way," the flea responded.

Sota stood and ran into his room. When he came back he was carrying a library book: "Mythological Creatures". Flipping to a page, he read aloud. "`Incubi and succubae: These spirits or demons visit people in the night'. Succubae are female, and incubi are male-they visit females through dreams." Sota looked up. "The book says that sometimes the incubi sit on their victims' chests, crushing them."

Inu-yasha blinked. "But why the hell would this incu-whatsis be interested in Kagome?"

Sota blushed. "Well-it says that both incubi and succubi use humans for, um. . ."

"For what?" Inu-yasha was starting to get impatient. "Spit it out."

"For . . . uh . . . intercourse." Sota coughed slightly, still red.

Inu-yasha's expression switched from disbelief to disgust in less than a second.

"What?" he said in a flat tone.

---

Kaede stirred in her bed; she was plagued by dreams where Kagome was drowning in the middle of a swamp, the black waters dragging her down as she screamed. But she can swim, Kaede thought dully. Something must have been dragging her down. . .

"Kaede!!"

The old woman was torn from her sleep as Inu-yasha ran into the hut.

"Inu-yasha?" Miroku also sat up across the hut. "Kagome-something's happened-"

"I had a horrid dream," Sango said. "Kagome was snatched up by some kind of black demon with red eyes, and-" She cut off as she saw Inu-yasha's face.

"Kagome HAS been kidnapped," Inu-yasha said. "By a kind of shadow-demon-thingy called an incubator."

"Huh?" Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Shippo, and even Kilala looked at him, clueless.

"Um, Lord Inu-yasha, I believe Kagome's brother called it an `incubus'," Myoga muttered from his master's shoulder.

"Whatever," Inu-yasha spat. "I don't care what it's called-the point is, we have to save Kagome. Now!"

"Inu-yasha," Kaede said tightly. "I think you need to calm down. We need to discuss this first. You don't even know where to look."

She got out of bed and began coaxing the fire into life again.

---

Back in modern Japan, Sota tried to comfort his mother. Mrs. Higurashi sat on Kagome's bed, looking lost, clutching at her daughter's bathrobe.

"I don't understand how this could have happened," she whispered. "I thought that-here, of all places, she would be safe. . ."

Sota bit his lip, trying not to cry. "Don't worry, Mom," he said, patting her shoulder. "Inu-yasha's gonna get her back, and it'll be all right again."

"Inu-yasha was supposed to prevent something from happening in the first place," Mrs. Higurashi said bitterly.

She slapped a hand to her mouth, shocked at her own resentment toward the dog-eared boy, who hadn't done anything but care for her daughter. "I'm sorry, Sota, I didn't mean that," she said, trying to smile for her son. "But sometimes it's hard for me. . ."

"You worry about her a lot, don't you?" Sota asked. "Especially when she's over there."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "More than you know."

"Well, I worry about her, too!" Sota said. "But I know that Inu-yasha's gonna save her! He always does-and on top of him being the best hero out there, he loves Kagome!" Smiling, Sota went over to the window, and looked out.

"He'll save her before sunrise, Mom, just you wait."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, and joined her son at the window, looking out at the mini-shrine. "You're right, Sota," she said. "I'm sure Kagome will be just fine."

[A/N: It's past one am. . .so. . .tired. . .must. . .continue. . .zzzzzzzzzzzz.]

---

Kagome sighed as she felt a cold breeze on her face. She tried to roll over and pull the covers over her head, but her body wouldn't move. Her mind, still fuzzy from sleep, could not comprehend why.

Reality slammed into her. Last night-something crushing on her chest-she had screamed-and then-nothing. Like a sleep without dreams, she could remember nothing. Only blackness. And cold.

Her eyes snapped open. She was chained to some sort of table, more a slab of black rock than anything. The strong, slender chains coiled around her arms, her torso, and her legs, making it hard even to move at all. Not that Kagome didn't try, of course.

"Oh, you're awake, are you?" said a voice to her right. Kagome went cold she knew that voice . . . though she wished she didn't.

She turned her head to one side, and a figure stepped from the shadows. He smiled. Kagome blinked incredulously.

"Good morning, darling," the incubus said cheerfully. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again, trying to focus properly.

He was the average height of a teenage boy, and looked it, too, with shoulder-length black hair and twinkling grey eyes. His mouth was cocked in a grin as he made his way over to the table where Kagome lay. He was dressed in fine silks, and his extremely pointy ears had many sets of earrings. On his fingers were rings of gold, each set with precious stones.

"You-you're the one who's been sending me the nightmares?" Kagome blurted. There was no way-this guy looked like some people she saw on the street, for crying out loud!

"I am," he admitted. "You may call me Kozue. I was ordered to suck out your soul, but that took far too long, so now you're here."

Kagome shook her head. The more she listened to this Kozue's voice, the less it sounded like the chillingly sadistic drawl she had heard in her dreams.

"Oh, by the way, I altered my voice in your mind. Terrifying, wasn't it?" Kozue grinned. At her bewildered look, he added, "Yes, I can read your mind. I've been in it for the past . . . three, four days now?"

Kagome nodded mutely, her mind reeling. This-clown has been making me scared out of my wits, and he looks like he's only Inu-yasha's age-oh my god, the other's must be so worried about me-and just because he was ordered to-

"Wait a minute," she said. Kozue stopped humming to himself, and focused on her. "Who's ordered you to suck out my soul? It's Naraku, isn't it?"

"Naraku?" Kozue shuddered. "No way in Hell. Wouldn't deal with the freaky bastard if you paid me with souls and women." He laughed as Kagome paled. "Relax; I don't like the young, virginal types. Besides, I'm under strict orders not to touch you. Period."

The way he talked . . . he could have fit in at her high school. . .

"How did you get through the well?"

Kozue shrugged. "I travelled with you through the dreams. Dreams have been around forever. I don't need wells or shards of jewels to be able to go where I wish." He grinned. "Although having a shard does help." He held up a sliver of the Shikon no Tama.

Kagome gaped. Where had he gotten that? And why hadn't she sensed it?!

"Well-"

Kozue was cut of as a door slammed closed somewhere and a cold voice called out.

"Oops," he said, suddenly becoming serious. "There's the boss, but I'll be back." With that, he was gone.

Kagome took this chance to study her surroundings. On each side of the table were a few feet of clarity, which soon faded into blackness.

Reminds me of the sacrificial altar in cheesy movies, Kagome thought. Ack!-no, no, get that thought out of the head, out of the head!!

Looking to her left, she saw a long, slim window-that's what must have let the breeze in. But even if she could move, it was too high off the ground to even consider jumping to, and the room seemed to be empty of anything to climb on.

Now her only option was to wait for Inu-yasha and the others to come rescue her.

Inu-yasha. . . Kagome bit her lip, recalling how he was wounded. That stubborn hanyou is probably going to ignore his wounds, just to come get me. . . She didn't know whether to feel happy or sick at heart.

On one hand . . . he was coming for her, and nothing could stop him. On the other . . . one of these days his wounds could kill him, and it would be her fault.

Kagome shook her head. While these `deep thought sessions' did help pass the time, they didn't help her keep a positive, peppy attitude.

How can you have a positive, peppy attitude when you know that someone out there wants to suck out your soul? said a nasty voice in the back of her mind.

Shut up! she mentally hollered back, and tried to block everything out.

Presently there were the sounds of feet tapping across the stone floor. Kagome looked up to see Kozue coming out of the gloom. He didn't look the same at all. Gone was his jovial air and twinkling eyes. Now, his eyes were hard, and masked with anger, fear and a sort of misery.

He waved a hand, and the table swung up, so that Kagome's body was now more vertical than horizontal.

"My boss has decided to finish with this," he said, his voice as hard as his eyes and with less emotion. "May I present-"

But he did not have to say any more. A second figure stepped out of the gloom, with long, black hair, the white haori, the red hakama-

[If you haven't figured out who it is yet . . .]

"K-Kikyo?" Kagome exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.

# # #

(three months later)

::yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn:: This took too long. ::sighs::

I hope you people haven't forgotten about this fic, because HERE's the update!! I was hurrying to finish before I take off for Youthwrite2004 for a week.

You, know, this story has really spun out of control since I first got the idea for it-it used to be: Kagome has bad dreams, Kagome is kidnapped by evil bastard controlling bad dreams, Inu-yasha comes to rescue Kagome, Inu-yasha kicks evil bastard's ass, and Inu-yasha and Kagome kiss-kiss and everything is happily ever after.

BUT. . .

Three months ago (when I first started this chapter -.-;;) I decided to introduce Kikyo (hereafter called `the bitch') herself. Introduction of the bitch just kinda popped into my head one night before I fell asleep (because I'm pathetic and think about fanfiction just before I fall asleep -.-;;;;) Is that weird? Am I the only person who does that?? But I will get more into why Ki-I mean, the bitch is involved . . . NEXT CHAPTER!! (Yes, yes I AM evil)

Anyways. . .

I'm sure you noticed that this chapter is quite abrupt (at least I think so) That's `cuz it is. I wanted to finish it before I leave and won't be able to post for a week!

Muses: Oh, so you actually plan to post something in less than three months?

Shut it. That was during the school year-now it's SUMMERTIME!!

I can almost imagine what my beta reader, Lily, will have to say to receiving this via e-mail:

Lily: ::glares:: This took too long for you to write, AND you left it in a cliffhanger again, you little bitch.

I can almost guarantee she'll say exactly that . . . or at least something along those lines.

So . . . that's all I have to say, besides, please review, or e-mail, or something. MAKE CONTACT WITH ME!!!

Disclaimer: ::shudders:: I hate this part. . . Inu-yasha is not in any way, shape or form, owned by me, nor are its affiliate characters. I own plot, and I own original characters. Now go away.

::falls asleep::