InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of Truth ❯ The Week After ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: I know, I know, another story, but I love to write, and ideas just keep bursting out.

Disclaimer: Yeah right, if I did, I wouldn’t be writing a fanfic.

Summary: “Naraku wasn’t the one we were after Kagome, he wasn’t even close.” Mir/Kag

Rating: R(M) just to be safe for now

Category: Anime: Inuyasha

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Mystery/Drama/and I don’t know what else


Before the cool mist faded away, and even before the song of the chimes of spring reached her ears, she knew, she knew something was off. These days of triumph which should of been filled with glee and resolved hope, but as each moment passed, the melancholy mood grew more and more dense.

Struggling over the lip of the well, Kagome watched the horizon where the tiny smoke tendrils flew up into the sky. Foliage had yet to bloom, and the fragrance of winter still hung heavily in the air. Crisp grass crunched beneath the soles of her shoes, frost breaking and snapping under her rather small weight.

Struggling with her load, Kagome thanked Kami for whatever time she had left with her friends. It was well known at this point in their journey, that when the Shikon no Tama disappeared from existence, a choice would have to be made. Her choice. Something that had resided on her shoulders for quite some time now.

Would she stay here, in the Feudal Era? Or return to her original time, to her biological family? She couldn’t imagine a life without her annoying brother Souta, her grandfather’s eccentric ways, Buyo’s attempts to escape the shrine, and her mother’s loving ways. But on the other hand, Kagome couldn’t imagine a world without her dearest friend Sango, her adoptive son Shippo, the youkai like pet Kirara, the lecherous ways of Miroku, and the abusive hanyou Inuyasha that she loved dearly.

Everything was swirling down to this one point, this one point in time that would change her life for good. Would she commit herself to a life with the hanyou? Or, was she destined to settle down with the kind, though rather annoying, Hojo? Which one would she choose, which one was she meant for?

The tiny village was rising in her vision, the tiny huts nothing but small play things to some of the youkai that she had fought in the past. It was remarkable to herself at least, that through all their toils, she, the weak Kagome, hadn’t been slaughtered.

Wiping her brow and waving off handedly to a few villagers, Kagome walked to Kaede’s hut, pulling back the makeshift door, and letting it fall in her wake.

Inside the small home was filled with the scents of stew cooking and herbs boiling. Kagome had grown to love these scents, to love the job as a miko, to enjoy the tedious tasks that all asked of her. She even loved the tiring days, and the relief of her muscles when she fell into her sleeping bag every night.

Dropping the yellow knapsack upon the floor, and away from any who entered through the door, Kagome sat before the blazing hearth. Picking up a wooden ladle off to the right, and stirring the boiling concoction, she silently wondered where the others were. Ever since Naraku, things had returned to a leisurely pace, the fact that the Shikon no Tama had still not been wished upon weighing heavily on her shoulders.

Brows knitting in thought, Kagome tried to imagine the wish of the hanyou if she truly did give to him. Would he wish for the return of his previous lover, leaving her broken and alone? Would he wish to purify himself of his human blood, becoming a monstrous pure youkai that destroyed lives? How about to rid himself of his brother, Sesshomaru, or perhaps even Kouga? Either way, each wish was something that would taint the jewel, could she allow that to happen?

On the other hand, Kagome had no idea what she wanted besides the love and affection of the fore mentioned half-youkai, but knew it to be wrong to wish for something like that. It was a choice she didn’t really want to make, deciding whether or not she should give it away to him.

Sighing, and looking gloomily down into the boiling cream, a since of foreboding seemed to arise within her, hiding itself at the back of her mind so she could not grasp the reason. The light at the end of the tunnel had became blotted, a darkness arising within and causing her to shiver in dread. Something was wrong, something was going to change, and this something would bring sorrow far more than what she had experienced before.

Standing, and walking to the window, Kagome watched with a hooded expression as each companion returned from a day of work. Sango, the tajiya that had lost her entire village, came from the east, her large boomerang strapped to her back and the tiny Kirara perched on her shoulder. The brilliant weapon gleamed in the fading sun, covered with weeds and various other things from her day of training the children of the village.

Looking at the worn exterminator, Kagome wondered if the sorrowful expression would ever cease. Kohaku had not made it through Naraku’s tyranny, dying in a final attack against his master. It was valiant and noble death, the miko knew this, but the grief still swept through her friend none the less.

It was surprising that no injuries had be sustained in the last fight they would experience with the hanyou. So strange that Kagome had wondered after the blood had been shed from the enemies if it had not all be an illusion. But no, Naraku had had an aura this time, had screamed in pain, not laughed, hell, he had wanted to die, why, she did not know.

Miroku, the very perverted monk, came from the west, his black strands dancing in the breeze. He wore a lighthearted expression, the tunnel in his hand still there, but no longer a worry to his life. The staff that he possessed jingled a familiar tune that had became comforting in her many years of traveling in the Feudal Era.

A hut not far from Kaede’s was being constructed, the men helping with the newly wed couple’s home. Miroku had volunteered immediately, just two days ago in fact, and had been faithful to his promise ever since. And every night, much to Sango’s delight, had returned down the same path, and had been reported by several village men to be a great asset, not wandering off to flirt about.

Inuyasha was mystery on the other hand, one that Kagome could not get her mind around. Every day he disappeared, and every night he returned from the north, becoming more and more distant as time passed. His amber eyes had become more and more hostile, growing in rage each time they passed over her and their friends.

Kaede entered then, her short and stout figure loaded down with various spices that she would mix to her late supper. Usually she would have already had the food prepared, but lately she had become more and more preoccupied with a strange illness that swept over the lands. For hours on end she would search through every book she owned trying to find an answer to the disease.

Turning and helping the elderly woman, Kagome let her mind wonder once more, a fact that she had been let happening quite a lot recently. Biting her bottom lip in frustration, she felt the cool air ripple her shirt, shooting cold oxygen up her spine. And from the rather quiet entrance, she had no doubt that the hanyou had came back first.

Huffing, and scowling at both Kaede and herself, Kagome felt her cheeks grow hot and her body become self-conscious. No matter the amount of times he rebuffed her, she could not give away the emotions that her heart had every time he looked into her chocolate orbs. It was a pitiful thing, she knew, when it came a time when a man, that was like the hanyou, could not be shoved aside.

Miroku and Sango entered at the same moment, chatting easily to one another as they sat about on the floor. Shippo too would come back soon, his adventures with the younger children gaining him great delight from most of the women of the village who loved the more free time they had away from their little ones.

The aroma of stew filled the confines of the small room, a low grumble coming from all the stomachs. Kagome found herself working mechanically rather than paying much notice to the task at hand. It was a job that she found both peaceful, and dull. But, the fact that she had been absent the main portion of the day, she found herself willingly doing the work for the ones that had been working themselves all the day long.

Another jet of cold cooled her heated body, and the jumping sounds alerted the house of the newest arrival. Shippo, the small youkai kit, was always a ray of sunshine with the darkest of storms was building on the horizon. He had grown little since she had first met him, a small orphaned boy that had no where to turn to.

Watching as the others ate their dinner, Kagome found that her earlier hunger had decreased so rapidly that if she ate one morsel she may become ill. Shippo sat on her lap, happily eating his bowl and eagerly asking for more once he had completed that task. All, save one, complimented the two mikos, always trying their best to make their feasts to be pleasant ones.

“Lady Kagome, aren’t you hungry?” Miroku’s worried expression made her smile, often she took their unwavering loyalty for granted.

“No, I don’t think I am, thank you,” the worried tint to his violet eyes did not lessen, in fact they seemed to have increased.

“Are you ill?” Sango looked up at this point, watching the monk, and then the silent miko with anxiety.

“No, I don’t believe so anyways,” smiling as if to reassure them more than herself, Kagome gathered the dirty dishes as the elderly miko left to research more on the problem at hand.

The warm water melted away the frost that had dug deep into her pores, cutting the usual warmth and leaving a numbness. Once again, a fearful shiver was shot into her, a feeling she had not felt since the death of their most fierce foe. But even then, the warning signals that were brought forth once more were something much more than what Naraku had made her feel.

Kagome felt as if she was losing it, could it be that since the fact that she was finally done with her adventure, that she could not let go of that past? Perhaps she would become an elderly woman still stuck on this time in her life, unable to move. She did not like this prospect in the least, in fact it made the anxiousness unfold even more so than usual.

Completing her task, Kagome placed herself opposite the brooding hanyou, his silver hair hauntingly beautiful in the dead of night. An owl sounded in the distance, warning an ominous threat that many could not comprehend. Worries were still bubbling up within her, flashes of the most horrible things her mind could think of, each one more disturbing than the other.

Shippo’s silent snores alerted her of his oblivious nature, a sign that the night was growing late, and the hour was becoming more profound. Curling herself about the small child, a single tear for no reason rolling down her cheek. Wiping it away in frustration, Kagome fell into a fitful sleep that would leave her exhausted once the morn broke.

Kagome knew not what awoke her before the rising of the sun, nor why she suddenly felt even more fearful than she had previously. Sitting upright, and gently moving aside the sleeping kit, she stood upon her feet, stretching and reaching for the too high ceiling. Looking to her right, an astonished gasp worked its way up her throat as she realized all three of her comrades were missing in the night.

Twisting about her, chocolate orbs frantic, Kagome felt herself rising full of panic. The tiny child stirred at her feet, sensing her distress and coming out of his slumber. She did not notice this however, nor would she probably of stopped even if she had, for there was the still definite fact that everyone had deserted the premises.

A cool hand covered her mouth just as a muffled scream shrilled out of her aghast mouth. A low rumble calmed her slightly, a deep soothing growl that worked itself up her back and calming her thudding heart. Immediately Inuyasha came to mind, but the unclawed hand proved otherwise, as well as the fact that the face was not his either.

Miroku stood against her back, pulling her back into him as he slipped further into the shadows, watching with keen sight at the door that led to Kaede’s room. His even breathing made Kagome halt her rapid puffs, matching the same tempo as her friend. A rustle, so quiet and undefined made her turn her head slightly, watching as the door to the other room moved and the other two missing friends stepped out.

A smile was on each of their faces, something Kagome had never seen on the hanyou, and had not seen on the tajiya for quite some time. Wanting to ask what was happening, the slight pressure on her body made her halt, waiting as the monk was doing. Something was cupped in the tajiya’s palms, an excited trimmer to her voice as she spoke with glee to the brother of the Western Lord.

Questioning the still monk with her eyes, Kagome felt an odd sense of relaxation, as if a mysterious oppression was forever gone. Miroku loosened his grip on her, and Kagome felt herself stand still, trying to comprehend what was happening, and even though many pieces were displayed, none would fit together as they properly should.

Turning to his gaze, and backing up slightly at the steely look that crossed his eyes, Kagome never said a word as he stalked out the door. The sun was rising on the horizon, the purples, pinks, oranges, and reds of the sky once again being streaked across with the artist’s brush. It was a dawning of what could have been a glorious day, but that aspect had been ripped from all prospects.

Staring at the elderly miko in frustration, Kagome listened to the loud cheers of the children as Shippo entertained them once again with one of his many tricks. He had grown much more talented over the years, picking up more and more fox magic skills that would come in handy once he reached adulthood.

Standing on her feet, Kagome left the hut in search of a more prosperous happening that she was sure was probably not existing. The events of just the night before were still disturbing to her cluttered mind, plus the sense that she was missing something dear and near to her, yet unable to place it. It was a troublesome ordeal to go through, the constant nag of the ever lingering thought unable to give her peace.

Many villagers greeted her warmly as she strolled down the main and only road of the small congregation. The sweet aroma of things to be sold filled her nose, yet unlike usual, Kagome felt no whim to stop and discover the fancies. Instead, she journeyed out of the town altogether, choosing rather to find a secluded spot to ponder her thoughts.

The actions of the monk the night before were troublesome, but not so much as the tajiya and the hanyou. Were things happening that she had yet to know? Kagome wondered this and many more, as she drew further and further away from the limits. Sango had not shown for her lessons, which was highly peculiar, unlike Inuyasha who was missing which was completely normal. But also, Miroku had not shown his head about the building of the new home, and though the monk was a lecher, he did not break promises unless the most extreme circumstances happened to come about.

Placing herself gently at the base of a large Willow that overshadowed a rather large crystal lake. Small ripples wrinkled the surface, aging the beautiful reflections that stared down in to its face. Small golden koi swam just below the surface, snatching a small water bug before diving once more into the depths.

The sweet perfume of a crisp afternoon was upon them, brightening Kagome’s outlook only slightly, but not enough for her to notice greatly. Staring at her hands, and tracing the lines that creased her palm, the young miko thought once again the to the disturbing evening that had bothered her ever since Miroku’s hand had clamped tightly over her lips to seal away her voice.

Shippo had little idea of any of the happenings that had occurred between the older occupants, but on the other hand, Kaede had little knowledge as well. She had never stirred as the pair had snuck around her room in the midst of midnight. How she had not was beyond her recollections, but Kagome figured that the amount of hours the miko had put in lately were due to this unawareness.

The sweet song of a sparrow came to her ears, registering faintly as the wind created a chorus of sopranos. The low bass of the frog on a nearby lily-pad, a small purple blossom on its green base, gave a single note through out the symphony. The altos joined as well, not wishing to be ignored as the cattails swayed to and fro.

It was a magical spot that she hoped she would never forget, it would be a wonderful spot to return to when the world became to hectic for her to handle. Laying down in the soft grass, and staring up into the blue sky, a stray thought shot across her mind. A memory of the very reason she chose to come to this era, the reason that the journey that had led to so many things had begun. The Shikon no Tama, the jewel had not been seen by her eyes, and Kagome found herself becoming increasingly worried with this fact.

Hyperventilating slightly as she sat bolt upright, a idea so dreadful played forth. The Sacred Jewel had been placed in Kaede’s room, supposedly safer than with herself for the fact that if someone wanted it, they would have to pass through the main room unnoticed as the rest of them slumbered there. And the fact that the tajiya and hanyou were found slipping out of there just the previous night was a scary realization.

Jumping to her feet, and wavering slightly with the new fact weighing heavily upon her, Kagome sprinted towards the village not far away. Panting as she reached Kaede’s home, and barging in, she did not stop to see the surprised look of Kaede as she ran straight into the second room. Minutes ticked on as the elder miko tried to figure out what was happening with the young woman that had just acted so strangely.

A shrill scream echoed through the hut, Kaede jumped to her feet just as a rambling Kagome stepped through the door.

Rocking back and forth, her hands folded neatly across her knees, Kagome waited for the return of anybody. It was nerve wracking, the fact that she could not get Kaede to understand since she had not experienced it like herself. No matter the number of times she had tried to explain the facts that she saw true, the elder simply dismissed the accusations, not believing what Kagome wished not to believe herself.

Shippo sat silently in the corner watching the two women with interest, wondering what he had missed as well. Bits and pieces were becoming clearer and clearer as time passed. A fact that had rang true from the beginning was that the trust in the hanyou was not to be believed any longer, and the tajiya was no better, whether or not her brother’s death pushed her over the edge or she was just tainted to begin with was up for debate.

Kirara had returned as well, by late afternoon the small neko had walked gracefully in, looking about and mewing every once in awhile in question. Her large yellow eyes searched for her master, unable to find her in the contents of the shack. Her pacing steps and agitated sounds growing in volume as the night grew on. She didn’t understand, no one could blame her, she had been with Sango for all or most of her days, and now, the human tajiya was missing from her side.

Kagome on the other hand, was wondering where the monk had disappeared too. Whatever was happening whether Inuyasha and Sango were up to no good, or everything had been blown way out of proportion, the fact rang true, the dutiful man had not shown himself since the wee hours of the morning, and Kagome found herself biting her nails in frustration.

The dinner sat on the fire pit, waiting to be reheated, yet no one stirred to do so. All hunger had been wiped clean when the first signs of the stars twinkling had appeared, but the others had not. Kagome knew each and every one of them were quite capable of protecting themselves, but the worry would not leave her heart. It was a tiresome thing that she felt, cluttering her head until she was unable to concentrate on the problem at hand.

A cool breeze washed itself through the window, such a breeze that was unnatural to the early spring months. Rising, Kaede covered the window with a cloth nearby, protecting the occupants from the bitterness of the outside world. The skin upon her body may not have felt the need of heat, but the internal chill that affected her at the moment was quite a bit larger than the cool breeze could ever do.

Leaning against the wall in agitation, Kagome peered irritably at the other four, feeling pinpricks of tears welling up in her eyes. She did not wish to cry, it would show her weakness when the others needed her strength at such a time of turmoil. But, more than anything, she wanted a shoulder to weep upon. For so long she had dreamed of settling down with the man of her dreams, being Inuyasha at the time, and living her life with many children and laughs. This plan was not playing true, and this bothered her to no end.

The moon sat dormant in the middle of the night sky, Kagome shooed Shippo to bed, his emerald green eyes drooping with fatigue. Folding a warm blanket about his small form, and kissing him gently on the forehead, the small kit fell into a dreamless sleep, the small neko curling about him. Soft purrs echoed from her chest as she comforted the small child into a world of security that he usually felt with his adoptive mother, who at this moment could not concentrate on him.

Kaede too retired, her head bobbing as she shakily exited, her stride was uneven and Kagome felt bad for worrying someone in her condition. She could no longer handle such strenuous loads that she and her friends asked of her. She did not complain, and Kagome knew that she never would, but she also knew that the elder was growing weaker with each year she aged.

She felt restless, unsettled, and uncharacteristically hatred to those who had caused her such grief. Kagome did not easily feel this deep sensed anger, it took much to do so, much suffering of her loved ones before she decided that enough had come. Enough had come.

Dousing the blaze, and silently sitting in the dark room, Kagome waited for nothing, yet waited for something. Something that would not come.

Sleep had not been granted to her, so the dark blue rings beneath her eyes were not unexpected the next morning. No person had showed themselves last night, and much to her aggravation, Kagome found herself envisioning some outcomes of this entire scenario. Many were ending up Inuyasha wishing to cleanse his blood, causing himself to become a raging beast that had destroyed Sango and Miroku without a second thought. And the fact, that if this was true, that he was making his way across the country, killing more lives for his sick pleasure.

But, she did not know if this true, at the moment it was just a thought that was haunting and becoming more and more disturbing. Leaving in search of more herbs for Kaede, Kagome found herself relishing in the fact that she had something to preoccupy her slightly. It wasn’t much, but perhaps these plants would be harder to seek since many she had never laid eyes upon in her days.

A large garden spread out before her feet, upturned dirt strange for such early in the season. Strange herbs she had asked for, some that grew all winter, only being ready to harvest now in the spring when others were just breaking the sod in the ground. The richly beautiful leaves were not only green, but some streaked with purples, oranges, reds, yellows, golds, blues, and even rose tints that ranged from dark to light of each respected color.

Squatting before a row, and delicately running her hands across the smooth surfaces, Kagome delicately plucked the multicolored leaves of this great plant. It grew rare, hard to find all over the island of Japan that stretched out far and wide. She often marveled on how the elderly miko had come across such a jewel, but the elder refused time and time again to give reference to where she found her treasure.

The wind was oddly silent today, the normally chattering birds hushed and melancholy to the rays of the light. It truly was a lovely day, but Kagome saw none of it through her worry clouded eyes. She didn’t want to notice the beauty, for the fact still rang true that her friends’ blood could be spilt upon the very Earth that she walked as well. She could not live with this fact, it was such a sorrowful idea that this was happening to herself and her comrades that she often found herself giving up all her hope.

Sitting back, and letting the quietness sink, Kagome felt a low sob work its way up her throat until it bubbled forth from her lips. She choked slightly as the air caught in her throat, making her gag as the tears ran down her tanning face. A sniffle came to her nose, her hand rubbing the appendage as she tried to rid herself of the nuisance of her weakness.

Her skin was damp and felt sticky as she wept, the remnants of her earlier tears still traceable even to the normal eye. It was inconceivable to her mind on why no one had shone themselves, explaining why they had been acting the way they had the night before. But has she had seen, no one had dared to show themselves.

Finishing her task, Kagome returned to the hut, only to be shocked once more, the calm physique of the monk meeting her eyes.

Night had fallen quickly, her answers no closer to being answered as they had when he had not shown yesterday. To damper her mood even more, it seemed Miroku had already figured out what had been taken without her assistance. It was even more frustrating when all her thoughts on this matter were put to rest, the calm man reassuring her that the hanyou was not blindly killing his way across the land. In fact, the silver haired inu was quite sane, well, as sane as he had ever been in his opinion.

The others had fell prey to slumber soon afterwards, something Kagome refused to acknowledge before her every demand was met. The night had resumed its hustle and bustle, a contrast to what the air had been earlier that day. And so no one noticed as they slipped out into the night, the only place that Miroku said he believed to be safe from prying ears.

They slowly made their way to the lake Kagome had visited not long ago, the night making the area even more radiant that the sunlight had been able to do. Placing herself at the monk’s side on the ground, the young priestess watched him with curious eyes as his orbs played scenes that she could not decipher.

“Miroku?” awaking from his stupor, the handsome man looked at his friend as the horrors were about to be unleashed on her soul.

“Kagome, I am afraid I do not bring you good news,” his hesitance was annoying to say the least.

“I know that Miroku, I figured that since you didn’t come back, and what happened the night before,” he nodded his head, absentmindedly reminiscing the same thing she had just been describing.

“Yes, I suppose you do. Anyways, things are different now, there are things that you do not know, things I did not wish you to know,” his reluctance was becoming more and more apparent with each new syllable that crossed his masculant lips.

“Like what?” Kagome inched herself closer, knowing the horrid news would be devastating but wishing to know none the less.

“Like the fact that the journey we set upon was to find the jewel, but it had nothing to do with Naraku,” her blank stare made the man wish more and more that he could disappear from her sight.

“Are you sane? The guy was a murderous freak,” Kagome couldn’t believe what she was hearing, he had definitely lost all his thoughts.

“Listen to me, now more than ever, you need to trust me more than anyone,” nodding her head, Miroku continued. “If Sango appears once again, be weary of every action that takes place, do not trust her kindness or her concern. Do not go off alone with her, or you may never return.”

Shivering, Kagome looked out across the lake, watching the sleeping heron with a longing gaze. Many things were running through her head, all of them being of the nature that she did not want to recognize.

“Inuyasha is not better, in fact he is worse than the tajiya, you need to be cautious around him. You may not have to worry about this, for they may not come back, but these are precautions we must take. Understood?” Miroku felt himself looking out into the thicket, checking for any signs of movement.

“Yeah, but, you’re not making any sense,” Miroku sighed as her befuddled expression was something he expected but had not wanted.

“Kagome, please try to understand, Inuyasha and Sango took the Shikon no Tama, they are going to try to do some horrid things, we cannot let that happen,” Kagome felt herself tremble, clutching her clothing in her balled fists as she willed herself to wake up.

“But, earlier you said Naraku was basically unimportant, what do you mean by that? Wasn’t he the one we tried to stop?” Kagome felt the sweat gathering on her palm, the glistening drops cooling her skin as the breeze tickled her flesh.

“Naraku wasn’t the one we were after Kagome, he wasn’t even close,” Kagome felt her stomach churn and the vomit rising in her throat just as another end to a night came about.

A/N: This is going to be another one of my babies, I hope you like it.

CowgirlUSA