Endless Incubus by Selto

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. They belong to our beloved Rumiko Takahashi. This story is fictional and written for the pure entertainment of the readers.

Author's Note: This first chapter is more or less a prologue. Those who have the patience to keep reading will not be disappointed. ^_^!

Warning: Chapters marked with * hold mature content. Those who are not fond of it (or are underage) are kindly asked not to read the aforementioned chapters.

Title connotation:

INCUBUS:

1. a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women

2. someone who depresses or worries others

3. a situation resembling a terrifying dream

In this story's case, the third definition applies. In other words, Incubus here stands for Nightmare.

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"I'm sorry for your loss, dear," an old female voice said from behind her. "They should not have died so soon."

The only reply she received was a silent "I know", followed by a mournful sigh that escaped the girl's lips. She refused to look the old woman in the eye just yet.

Instead, with great reluctance, she finished tying the red pants of her kimono. Tradition was hard to ignore, especially if it ran in the family.

"She is said to be our ancestor, right?" the girl briefly asked, gazing through her thick lashes upon the old painting of a young priestess hanging on her wall. A change of subject was in order. It was best if she tried to focus on something less emotionally devastating. Three weeks have passed since their funeral. She should have come to terms with it by now.

"Yes. Kikyo Nakamura, the first priestess to have walked these sacred grounds. I don't know if I told you, Kagome, but Kikyo had become such a figure because these sacred lands were forbidden to women back then. Only high priests could even come close and-"

"Yes, you've told me, grandma," Kagome sighed again.

Really, she had heard this tale ever since she was little. The legend of the High Priestess Kikyo who walked the sacred lands of Edo 500 years ago, the same lands upon which the Nakamura family estate was currently located on. It was said that ever since a long time ago these lands have been bestowed with immense spiritual power.  Only high priests could withstand it and use it. Commoners could not even come close, and priestesses seemed to have the same problem. Many believed it was because female spiritual power was not strong enough to withstand such energy.

As a memento to Kikyo, each generation of direct Nakamura descendents celebrate the time Kikyo claimed the lands as her own and made them her home. For 500 years, the duty of carrying on the role of high priestess had been passed down from mother to daughter, from mother to daughter. Tradition had it that until they became of marriageable age, the Nakamura girls would be trained in the art of becoming priestesses so they could take care of Kikyo's shrine. After that, they could either continue on with their duty, or choose to marry.

Having nothing left to do but accept what was to come, with difficulty and utter care Kagome closed her eyes to sharpen her resolve. Fate was cruel to her. Three weeks ago, her parents and younger brother died in a car accident. Now, it was imperative that she participated in her final and most important ceremony at the shrine so she could finally receive the title of high priestess from her grandmother, Kaede. It was painful, to say the least. Although she had not been interested in following in her mother's, and grandmother's, and great grandmother's, and -in all actuality- Kikyo's footsteps as a priestess, this was a family tradition. The title was supposed to be given to her by her mother though, not her grandmother.

Kagome fought to keep the tears at bay. Her mother had been planning for this moment for as long as she could remember.

"There, all done," Kaede said with a small smile. The dark wavy hair of her granddaughter had been straightened and tied with a white ribbon in a low pony tail. "I must say, the resemblance is very uncanny."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, grateful for the innocent distraction.

"See for yourself, child," was the woman's answer, who shortly after standing moved to bring a mirror on the opposite wall so it would rest near the Kikyo’s portrait.

Whirling around, careful not to slip on the recently waxed wooden floor, Kagome raised her eyes to stare at her reflection in a curious manner. There was no mistake. Seeing her reflection right beside the painting, she could easily realize what her grandmother meant. Her reflection seemed to rather resemble the painting than herself. Uncanny indeed.

"We...look alike," the girl acknowledged at last.

"Extremely so."

"I...guess we should be going," Kagome said, glancing from the corner of her eyes outside the window to stare into the darkness that now claimed the lands. It was too hard, she concluded. Was there even a reason for her to go on with this charade? It was no secret that she felt no inclination towards being a priestess, but for her mother, who had truly been a figure of love and understanding, she would've chosen this path and much more. But now...what meaning did it have? Her fists clenched tightly, her nails digging small crescent moons in the delicate skin of her palms as her eyes continued to lose themselves in the darkness of the summer night. She felt lost.

Up there, on the third floor of her family's house, only two rooms resided. Her bedroom and that of her brother's which had been stripped of all its belongings so they could be given to those in need, as it was custom for the Nakamura's.

Not many people visited their estate. Many blamed it on the legend of Kikyo. But Kagome had served in the shrine many times, and had even helped out during festivals. She had said prayers for those who came to visit, trying her best to make them feel at ease. She couldn’t understand why they were still so weary. 'Kikyo's Legend? Frightening?' A dry chuckle escaped her lips. People refused to visit the estate because of that? Oh, the fearsome uncertainty people felt when faced with spirituality was quite unnerving. That, or the fear of climbing so many steps to get to the shrine.

Her poor attempt at humor did not lighten up her mood at all. It showed her just how much distress was bottled up within her. She was a mess, there was no other way around it. She missed her family too much.

"Ready, child?" Kaede's old but gentle voice interrupted her inner musings. Her grandmother knew that should she not act soon, Kagome would once again drown herself in anguish. The elderly woman could relate to her granddaughter's pain. The deaths of her daughter, son-in-law and grandson were very hard to accept. After receiving the news Kaede had confined herself in her room, and refused to let herself step outside until her heart found a way to cope up with the devastating blow it received so mercilessly. And eventually, two days later, her old wooden door creaked open and the elderly woman slowly but steadily made her way outside, her eyes firm and head held high. She would pray for the dead souls that they found peace, and would resume her now much more solitary life as one her age should.

Her true concern had been, and still was, Kagome. The girl was young, her soon-to-be-eighteen mind did not have the strength to fully understand how much grief truly weighted upon her fragile heart. Kagome reacted much like herself when she received the news, and refused to leave her bedroom. However, as days passed, she did not come out, little sound coming from her room. That had worried Kaede greatly, and on the fourth day of Kagome's solitary confinement she had entered the room, deeming it necessary to have a serious talk with the girl. She had been truly surprised to find Kagome lying upon a neatly made bed, her entire room sparkling with cleanliness and books piled up beside the bed. Apparently, her granddaughter had been reading and cleaning the entire time.

Kaede was then in a true predicament. While she was grateful to have not found the girl a quivering bundle under the bed covers, with a tear stained face and red puffy eyes, the fact that Kagome chose to spend this time reading, and bottling up her feelings did not sit well with Kaede.

However, up until this very day, Kagome seemed to be fine. Kaede had honestly been expecting her to snap at any moment, and let all of her grief out so she could silence her raging heart. But no such thing happened. Perhaps the girl was stronger than she thought? That, or maybe more stubborn than she remembered. Either way, Kagome had yet to have an outburst. Perhaps this incident made her granddaughter more mature and convinced her to abandon such emotional exteriorizations?

"Ah, I hate this! Why do I feel like this? I'm so nervous I can't even remember what I'm supposed to do during this stupid ceremony!"

Perhaps not. Kaede shook her head, taking silent note of the girl's light stomping. Emotional exteriorizations would not be so easily left behind it seemed.

"Don't worry yourself over trivial things, Kagome. It will come to you once the ceremony begins," Kaede explained.

"No, you don't understand! It may have come to you and my mom so naturally because you wanted it to, but I am no real priestess. Come on, grandma, you know as well as I do that even our cat has a better idea of what spiritual power is," Kagome retorted, dreadfully anticipating the nocturnal ceremony.

"Nonsense, all Nakamura priestesses get a grasp of spiritual power eventually and if it is not before then it's definitely during the sacred ceremony," Kaede said, grabbing Kagome's hand in a tight grip and tugging her along and out of the room.

In all honesty, Kaede was thrilled at seeing Kagome properly dressed in the traditional miko kimono. It was forbidden for the Nakamura shrine maidens to wear the proper white and red miko kimono until they've proven themselves worthy of being called high priestesses. It was all done in order to honor the name of their Mother Priestess, Kikyo. While most Nakamura priestesses were not reluctant to continue the tradition, Kaede noticed that with the passing of years the miko abilities of their bloodline gradually lessened and were now a far cry from what they used to be.

According to the legend, priests and priestesses in Kikyo's time would preserve their energy before death and let it flow through each generation so it would not die. However, if one did not harness it enough, the energy would lose its power. Still, to think that 500 years have passed and Kikyo's spiritual powers continued to be passed down even in small doses made the old woman wonder...just how powerful had Priestess Kikyo been for her power to last this long?

"I'm not ready for this!" Kagome vehemently protested.

"You're as ready as you'll ever be. Quit complaining, Kagome! Your mother would be very disappointed."

Oh, she struck a sensitive nerve, and they both knew it. Kagome glared at her grandmother's back. This was so not a pretty thing she was doing. How could she even think to manipulate her like that?

"I can't believe you would use that to make me go on with this!"

"You leave me no choice. Try to see things my way, Kagome. Wouldn't it be a pity for 500 years of tradition to go to waste simply because of an emotional breakdown? It is painful, I understand, but it will only last this one night, and afterwards you will be able to choose to leave this path behind and marry, if that is your wish. My one and sole desire is that, no matter what happens, you will pass on your miko knowledge to your daughter someday," Kaede finished.

In truth, the elderly woman realized her words must have seemed cold and unfeeling towards the girl. But there was no way around it. Whether Kagome wanted it or not, the ceremony would be held. If not...Kaede would rather not think what would happen then.

Ignoring the shiver that ran down her spine at even the thought of that dreadful possibility, Kaede willed herself to focus on making sure this ceremony went on smoothly. After all, Kagome's future depended on it. Kaede came to realize early in her years that being a priestess was not something the Nakamura girls could do out of their own free will. They had no other choice. Kaede had witnessed her own cousin and sister die because they have refused to become high priestesses of Kikyo's shrine. It was no mere coincidence, and if memory served, there have been many other women in their family who have shared the same fate. So Kaede understood then that it was vital for a Nakamura girl to become a miko.

The elderly woman was determined not to frighten Kagome by telling her all this. All her granddaughter needed to know was that this ceremony would be held regardless of her opinion. Once she was named high priestess through the ceremony, her life would cease to be endangered by Kikyo's curse. 'What could have happened to you for you to harbor such hatred and place a curse on your own family, Kikyo?' , Kaede wondered.

Kagome could see her grandmother's point, even if it did frustrate her to no end. What bad could come out of one ceremony?

She sighed then, finally willing her legs to move faster so her grandmother could understand that she was not protesting as much anymore.

Upon taking the subtle yet very eager hint, Kaede released the arm of her granddaughter, thus resuming to leading her steadily outside the house. No words were uttered as they descended the steps of the old mansion, the squeaking of the dark ancient wood beneath their feet serving as the only reminder of their determined steps. Kagome discreetly glanced around the house as they quietly made their way toward the entrance doors, carefully taking in the familiar, yet at this very moment foreign darkness of her home. The walls, so smooth to the touch, were adorned with the soft glow of traditional lamps, and the dim light gently illuminated the wooden floor mostly covered by tatami matts. Bookshelves embraced the wider of the walls, the books' leather covers dimmed by a thin layer of dust. Old scrolls and parchments were neatly placed in chronological order just above the bookshelves as masterly-carved candlesticks were elaborately scattered between them so when lit they would cast light in just the right angle for reading to be enjoyable. Tapestries embellished the walls, adding a soft touch of ancient times to the house, the low style Japanese tables of dark maroon displaying an impressive collection of origami figures. As they walked, Kaede carefully made sure to extinguish the small flames of the lamps, leaving the house in complete darkness.

It was strange, really, how usually Kagome could not wait to spend some time outside and enjoy the nightly blessed sky, and now it seemed as if all she wanted to do was to remain within the safe grounds of the mansion, never to move again until this...threat...yes, threat, would disappear completely. But her body desired to move and feel the cool night air upon its heated skin.

Kagome inhaled deeply as she stepped foot outside her house. This night seemed to be darker than usual and something seemed to be calling for her. She felt allured by something, the alluring string promising nothing enjoyable. Her apprehension grew.

Very few lamps were scattered here and there to illuminate not nearly enough the gardens which surrounded her home. Their light was dull and pale, doing little to give her the sense of security a light bulb usually provided in the night. Unsure footsteps followed the more determined ones of the old woman who seemed completely unaware of her granddaughter's growing anxiety.

The Nakamura lands were covered by dense mountain forests and so even the mansion was surrounded by tall coniferous trees which now, poorly lit and and engulfed in thick shadows, seemed to loom over them like wraiths. The dark cloud-filled sky denied the moon the right to shine, instead intensifying its nightly depth so no stars could be seen. 'What a night' , Kagome thought, rubbing her arms to fight off the goose bumps as she followed her grandmother down the ancient sinuous forest path.

Kagome raised her hand to lightly place it upon her chest. There was no doubt. Her heart was racing as if she had been running a marathon. She couldn't understand why she was feeling like this. It felt like she knew she should be afraid...but she didn't know of what.

Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine causing her body to stiffen. A new feeling of unease washed over her but this time more intense than before. It was much more tempestuous, bordering fear. And a gasp was released from her rigid lips as she traced this feeling to its source. She felt this unexplainable, yet undeniable feeling of being watched. Ever so slowly she dared to glance over her shoulder, silently praying that she wouldn't find anything.

She saw nothing. Nothing but darkness, and the faded outlines of her mansion. But, as she gazed upon her home, her heart racing as it was, and her mind so troubled, the house did not seem as inviting. No, in fact, it spoke of the same dread she had been feeling coming from outside. Why she felt like this, she couldn't exactly say. However, the feeling was so tangible that she stopped ignoring it.

Then, just before she was about to turn around, something caught Kagome's eye. Her cerulean orbs widened significantly, and the hand upon her chest shook helplessly as realization finally hit her. There was light in the house. Right in the room where she had been before. Her room. She saw a flicker of light, and right before it died down, she could make out a silhouette.

"Someone's in the house!" her voice wavered in her sharp whisper as her fingers lowered themselves none-too-slowly to clutch the fabric of her hakama in a desperate attempt to calm herself and conceal her trembling.

Kaede stopped walking, and turned around to gaze surprised at her granddaughter. Her old knowing eyes narrowed slightly while they attentively surveyed Kagome in silent contemplation, thus unhappily observing her distressed state. It was not unheard of for a Nakamura to become more sensitive to paranormal calls before the sacred ceremony, so Kaede could only guess this was the reason for Kagome's disquiet. However, even her granddaughter should not mistake those small signs for something so tangible. Not yet at least. The house's inspection came next. She saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Kagome, no one's in there, I assure you. The house may not have an alarm system, but the entrance of our estate does. No one can enter these lands without us knowing," Kaede explained, dismissing the matter without a second thought.

"I know, but I swear I-"

"If you truly insist on there being someone, then you should know it could only be Totosai or Myoga," Kaede said, turning around. The girl was truly more paranoid than she thought she would be. She could tell it will take great effort to ensure she did not do something regretful during the ceremony.

Kagome sighed with relief. Of course, how could she forget? Both her uncles were supposed to attend this ceremony, since tradition dictated that upon such an important event family members were required to assist. She nearly felt like laughing at herself. Why common sense left her on this night she couldn't say.

She truly, deeply and -needless to say- constantly hated when people forced her to do something. She exhaled in annoyance while mustering up a harsh glare to settle on her grandmother's back. Really, could she be any more...mean?

Tingle tingle...

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, her body frozen in place. Her blood ran cold in an instant as the deep resonance of her own heartbeat pounded forcefully in her ears. Cold fingers rose to her lips, in a poor attempt to stop them from quivering, the tips of her fingers so cold she could've sworn they had been held in ice. The shaking returned more violent than before.

In that moment she felt it. A hand, cold and rough, slowly tracing up her spine. She whirled around, her eyes frantically searching for what had been touching her.

She was met with nothing. Nothing but the night breeze. Her hands now covered her mouth, her deep blue hues reluctantly taking in her dark surroundings. This couldn't be happening to her! She had felt it! She couldn't be imagining it! That touch, it left such cold tingling sensations coursing through her body that the after effects had yet to disappear.

Tingle tingle...

She suppressed a frightened gasp. The touch returned, this time caressing the back of her neck. She whirled around again, and for a split moment she could've sworn she saw a shadow looming over her. But now, as she again found herself begging her eyes to resume their frantic search of whatever was assaulting her, she found nothing. Nothing but darkness.

Unknowingly to her, the salty liquid that had gathered in her eyes this entire time had finally breached the surface of her lower eyelids and now ran freely down her cheeks. Her cold trembling hands immediately wiped the thin trail of water away from her face. What was happening? No, she actually didn't want to know! Whatever it was, she wanted it to stop! She turned around, and for a few moments considered dashing towards the house. She would not go through this night like this. At this rate, she was positive that by morning she wouldn't still be sane. Halloween was not far away, so maybe some kids decided to play some early tricks on her? Either way, she would not stand for it.

"Kagome, what on earth are you doing?" Kaede asked with exasperation. Truly, she didn't believe this night would be so difficult. She had kept walking through the forest, glad that soon they would reach the shrine, only to find that her granddaughter had not been following her. She knew how much Kagome disliked the duties of a priestess, but really, this was getting ridiculous.

"I-I want to check on my uncle...and make sure he doesn't miss the ceremony. We'll come back t-together," Kagome lied, but still hoped she could somehow go back inside the mansion. It was no secret that she was a terrible liar, and she just knew the stuttering would make it even worse. She couldn't help it though. Something was terribly wrong.

"There's no need. In fact, it's better if we get there before them so we can prepare for the ceremony. Come, Kagome," Kaede sternly ordered.

Kagome bit her lip, opening her stormy sapphire eyes to glare at the woman in front of her. Without further contemplation her body reacted of its own accord, much like it had done when carrying her out of the house, and now she found herself unable to stop her feet from pacing faster and faster. Soon her quickened pace turned into a sprint as the alluring feeling from before returned, only this time even stronger. She didn't know why, but despite her growing apprehension, her feet continued to run in the direction of the shrine as if an invisible force was pulling her to it, drawing her closer and closer until it proved impossible to escape. She felt like screaming, but no sound would leave her lips. The trees seemed to part for her, her eyes catching glimpses of how their shadowed branches seemed to form sadistic smiles. Kagome could hear her grandmother calling out to her but her voice barely reached her, the sound of her running footsteps too loud and forceful.

A wolf howl made her quicken her pace further, its long resonance vibrating through her very being, making her feel as if the beast that released it was right behind her, chasing her like a helpless prey. Then another howl came, stronger and deeper than before, as if the wolf had turned into something bigger, more ferocious. It sounded closer, almost as if the beast was but a few feet behind her, mocking her and toying with her, letting her run and exhaust herself, much to his thrill and pure enjoyment, so she would end up drained and unmoving, completely at his mercy.

"Leave me alone," she breathlessly yelled, her feet aching but still refusing to stop. She could feel something touch the back of her neck, only now it seemed more as if...something...or someone was breathing on her heated skin. The proximity of the action, along with the growls and howls that spelled a new and completely different meaning for fear, made her feel herself falling prey to panic. Only for a brief moment did she dare look back, and what she saw had her trigger a fresh set of tears to stain her ivory cheeks. A shadow, tall and massive, resembling a quadruped of some sort was savagely chasing her.

However, no more than a few minutes later did she come to a full stop, her body instantly dropping to her knees. The impact had been so sudden that her body instinctively leaned forward, causing her palms to rest flatly on the muddy ground as her eyes remained frantic and wide. The howling abruptly stopped, and so did the growling. But she could not bring herself to stay calm. As if all that has happened wasn’t enough, yet another thing added on to her distress. In front of her, on the shrine's old dusty steps, were standing both her uncles. 'Then who...who was inside my room?!' her mind screamed at her.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Myoga asked, rushing over to his trembling niece.

"Did you see it? The wolf?!" she shakingly asked, not entirely sure what answer she was expecting to hear. Neither would do much to ease her state of mind. A 'yes' would turn her frightened state to one of frenzy, while a 'no' would be far worse.

"Wolf? Where?" Myoga asked, not quite understanding what his niece was mumbling about. She sure looked a far cry from being ready for this ceremony.

"He was chasing me! Didn't you hear the howling?!" she begged him to cooperate. Surely he couldn't say he didn't hear it! She was no fool! She had been living in a forest-covered land all her life and by now she could distinguish well animal sounds. Something had been chasing her back there.

"...why is this happening?" her sobbed whisper escaped her unfeeling lips, not having the strength to summon a stronger tone of voice. Her nails slowly dug into the lifeless ground, feeling its earthly texture and small rugged pebbles, as if merely touching it proved to her that she was here, that this was real, that it was no dream.

"Kagome!" shouted her furious grandmother, now having caught up to her. "What is the meaning of this?" Enough was enough, the girl had far overstepped her boundaries.

"Calm yourself, Kaede. She just seems confused, that's all," Myoga rose as he gently dragged Kagome's unmoving body along with him. He decided against releasing her hands just yet, for he still couldn't understand why they were so cold and shaking as if she had been running for hours without gloves during a rough winter night. His most adored niece definitely did not act like herself tonight.

As for Kagome, her body felt numb. Shivers continued to wreck her limbs into a noticeable trembling dance, her heart racing with force. Her mind could not find rest, nor could she shake off the feeling she had felt ever since the preparations for this dreaded night have started. If before she could gradually distinguish what exactly was making her feel uneasy, now she could feel everything all at once; being watched, icy caresses, low howls. Her fear was so tangible she could taste its bitter aroma on her tongue.

Totosai carefully regarded Kagome. What a curious reaction the girl had. He had not expected this.

"Perhaps it would be wise for you to clean her up," he finally said, his eyes locking onto Kaede's tired ones, feeling it necessary to quicken the pace of their preparations.

"Come, Kagome," the elderly woman commanded, refusing to further reprimand the girl's behavior. She was obviously far too distracted to pay attention to her words regardless of what she chose to say. Had she known the girl would have so much trouble accommodating to an insignificant bit of spiritual awareness, she would have tried harder in teaching her how to deal with it. As Kagome had stated earlier though, she never gave signs of grasping the spiritual skills of a priestess. However, her behavior the entire night had been ridiculous. Ridiculous and worrisome. And the only explanation for it was that she could not take spiritual awareness as something natural, but as something threatening. Kaede could think of no appropriate way of proceeding with this without further frightening her granddaughter. Kagome needed to be calm and collected to be able to perform the ceremony, not a nervous wreck. And she was most likely not aware, but Kaede was even more anxious for this ceremony to end. It was best if it ended as soon as possible, for Kagome's sake.

With slow and measured footsteps, the short old woman led her beloved granddaughter into the ancient shrine, passing by the dark tiles palely illuminated by two torches. The shrine was bigger than the regular one people were used to seeing. It consisted of a narrow stairway of several steps at its entrance, and 4 pillars on the right, 4 pillars on the left that led to a not very generous wall against which rested the sacred altar. The middle pillars carried the aforementioned torches, their small but persistent fire only barely casting enough light for people to make out the neat detailed painting that rested right above the altar. A portrait, quite similar to the one Kaede had placed in Kagome's room, of Kikyo. Only this particular portrait was a much more detailed close-up.

The plain sound of dripping water was what had Kagome snap out of her momentary trance, indulging her a short moment to gain some much needed control over her body. She could not understand why her body seemed to listen to its own will rather than her own. Was it truly her unconscious fear of the unknown that was causing these morbid hallucinations, or was it simply something she was supposed to experience during this cursed ceremony?

It was strange really, she noted as if only now coming to the sudden relief-granting realization. Once she stepped foot inside the aging shrine, everything stopped. The howls that have made her curse relentlessly horror movies ceased their savagely rhythmical resonance and much to her happiness, no longer could she feel the impending caresses of her murderous stalker. Now, hidden within the safety of her Mother Priestess' shrine, she could feel no danger near her, as if this was the right place for her to be in. While her mansion seemed obscured and uninviting, giving off the promise of something unpleasant, the forest that surrounded and separated her home from the shrine was even more of an uninviting place.

The sound of dripping water had stopped, and she turned around to see her grandmother take the proper sitting posture in front of her, gesturing for her to do the same. Kagome nodded obediently, feeling more sense come to her by the minute. She refused to dwell on it more, she had all the time to do so tomorrow. Praised be the Heavens, whatever had happened tonight had stopped, and apparently would not happen again. However, everyone knew how grand a mistake it was to make assumptions. Had Kagome remembered that small bit of common knowledge, she would've refrained from blindly convincing herself that her current assumption was correct.

Her hands slowly descended, until the tips of her fingers lightly touched the clear surface of the water that had been poured into the white ceramic bowl in front of her. She took a moment to watch the small ripples battle with each other to reach the blunt walls faster only to clear again and give way to her small reflection, which illustrated her smiling in thorough relief. And smiling she was, for she knew that soon, it would all be over, and she could forget everything about this wretched ceremony.

She gingerly washed her hands of the dirt that had remained on her palms, and dried them with a soft white cloth, all the while intent on listening to her grandmother repeat the steps she had to perform during the ceremony. She had heard them already on numerous occasions, but had never really bothered to give them much thought or to memorize them. Now, however, she was doing her best in remembering everything, and strangely enough, it did not seem so difficult. Maybe her grandmother was right. Maybe even someone as spiritually unaware as her could do this.

An old grandfather's clock that had been placed into a small additional compartment connected to the shrine showed it was 11:50 PM. Soon it would be midnight. All too soon, she noted.

"My duty ends here, Kagome. Now everything is up to you," said Kaede with a gentle smile, glad to see her granddaughter had regained some color in her cheeks and looked much calmer than before. Perhaps she had been worrying over nothing.

"Alright," Kagome replied, her voice sounding much more confident than she thought it would. Ah, it felt so good to be herself again. She watched her grandmother step outside the shrine and gracefully kneel between her two uncles whom by now have already done the same to thus partake in what was said to be the most important event in a Nakamura priestess' life.

Kagome unconsciously reached out to tuck her raven tresses behind her ears, forgetting that they had been straightened and tied into a low ponytail as it was custom. Strangely enough, it was this small gesture that triggered her self-awareness. This was it and there was no turning back. She would have to perform well.

With a slow yet thoroughly deep inhale, her mind set and her lips pressed into a thin line, she willed her body to turn toward the sacred altar. Her knees gradually lowered until they rested upon the cold floor. Soon, her upper body followed, until she could press her palms to the smooth stony surface right above her head in a most respectful bow. Then, as she stood up, she glanced at the altar more attentively; Kikyo's portrait was indeed a detailed masterpiece, which even though old and undoubtedly much more faded than it had been in its primary days, still looked as though the ancient priestess would soon walk out of it. Such great painting accuracy, Kagome noted with curious admiration, as she took several steps closer to the altar. Underneath the portrait lied a low wooden table, but its unique feudal design was more than making up for it. Upon the table rested the bowl she had washed her hands in, fresh water having been poured into it again, and near it, the most sacred belongings of the Nakamura estate. Supported by a black, glazed wooden prop was a beautifully crafted bow, along with a matching arrow. They belonged to Kikyo and were believed to still carry her signature aura. Right beside them rested a most peculiar wooden prop which had the role of guarding a shining pink jewel, known as the Shikon no Tama. Now this, this was what truly held everyone's interest. It was the living proof that Kikyo's legend was wrongly named a 'legend'. This little item proved it to be real. It was believed that in it Kikyo had stored up her energy before her terrible death. That power had been passed down for 500 years to the Nakamura priestesses. Normally, one would not be able to tell if such a thing was true, but this jewel was different. The jewel glowed constantly, and it had been doing so ever since it had been passed down. Even more peculiar was the way it glowed. It seemed as if there was some sort of substance within it that kept swirling non-rhythmically, sometimes emitting strange radiation sounds. Looking at it up close, one would truly believe it was alive.

But that was nonsense, Kagome knew.

Her stormy blue eyes rose to lock onto the lifeless hazel ones of her ancestor's portrait. Kagome scoffed.

"You might be beautiful, but I don't like you. I don't admire you! I never will. And I don't wanna be like you! I'm just doing this for my mother!"

She hadn't noticed, but as she lightly whispered her confession, her cheeks colored a darker shade of red, and her heartbeat increased as well, her ire getting the best of her.

"Just thought you should know that," she added in a muttered voice, glaring at the portrait. "Let's get this over with."

Her feet took one step back before she again commanded her body to lower into the customary bowing posture. Then, with practiced grace, she rose to defiantly stare into Kikyo's eyes. What strange expression she had in the portrait, Kagome noticed. Such a blank and monotone face, such lifeless eyes. It seemed as if her beautiful features did little to hide the –dare she say it- bitterness beneath them. Then again, perhaps Kikyo never had the intention of 'hiding' anything. If one was to judge by this sole portrait, Kikyo looked anything but approachable and companionable.

"And why would you be sad and unfulfilled? Didn't you get the fame and respect no one else had in your time?"

Really, Kagome had no idea why she whisper-conversed with a painting in the middle of a ceremony.  Perhaps it was because no harm could come out of telling a portrait a word or two. Still, she felt a little sorry for making her ancestor unjustly take on her tantrums.

"But you understand, don't you?"

There was no answer.

"Well, of course not. And I too should follow your example and shut up once in a while, huh? Dad would've agreed big time, I'm sure."

Again she looked Kikyo in the eye.

"I'm kinda happy about one thing though. Apparently I take after you, and since everyone says you were beautiful, I guess that does mean I am quite pretty too?"

After bowing for a third time, Kagome straightened her back and brought her hands together in a silent prayer. So many things could've been the subject of her prayers, yet all she could pray for now was for everything to go back to normal. Or at least as close to it as possible.

The wind picked up again.

It was in that moment that her blood ran cold and her hands clasped tighter together. She forced herself to open her eyes, already feeling them water with fear, as she glanced right and left in panic. She could feel it, even clearer than the first time! She was being watched. And it wasn't her family that was doing it.

This couldn't be happening! Not again!

It felt as if someone was right behind her, surrounding her, terrorizing her. Her body would not move at her weak command, instead obeying its instinctual impulse to tremble. It was there, unmoving, gradually increasing. It refused to leave. That dreaded feeling, or rather, that dreaded presence that mercilessly haunted her.

"Kagome?" her grandmother called. Kaede couldn't really understand why for the past minutes her granddaughter had not done anything, but still, she could not afford to break her concentration.

"I-I'm fine," Kagome managed to announce, although she knew her voice hardly sounded as confident as it did just a few minutes ago. Was she truly losing her mind? Was this some sick dream of hers? It had to be, since she had never experienced such frequent mood swings before. Not to mention that she hardly had a reason to be this scared of anything. Damned be horror movies! If this was happening because she was outside, at almost midnight, in a freakish ancient shrine, during a freakish ancient ceremony, overreacting and imagining stupid things 'cause of horror movies, then damned be the entire movie industry!

Slowly, she brought her arms down to rest upon the wooden table. She truly didn't want to, but apparently she could go no longer without blinking. Instead of blinking the gathered liquid away, she only made it fall down her cheeks. Again, she dared glance to her right, then slowly to her left.

Nothing. No one.

All she could see were the palely illuminated pillars of the shrine, and beyond them nothing. Nothing but darkness. But whatever was watching her was there, hiding beyond the small sanctuary of the shrine. And it wouldn't go away. She exhaled slowly. She felt so helpless, so vulnerable. Whatever it was, she could not reason with it. It would not listen to her desperate pleas.

Her eyes snapped open, as a sudden realization came to her. Unlike in the forest, the beast did not get close to her during all this time. She felt no breathing, no strange caresses, no nothing. Only being watched.

Perhaps...perhaps continuing the ceremony within this shrine would offer her more safety? Would it make the beast go away? It was worth a try.

Her numb fingers gently reached out, slowly tracing the ancient bow laid out before her. With growing uncertainty, her hand moved to trace the ancient arrow, watching its black tip glisten in the light of the torches' dying flames. Lifting it up, Kagome held the arrow securely into her left hand while she placed her right one at the arrow's tip. Having succeeded in somewhat calming herself and ceasing her trembling to an acceptable degree, her index finger came to rest upon the pointy tip, and with just a small amount of pressure, her skin had been pierced. Her soft wince went unnoticed as she slowly placed the arrow back into its wooden prop.

Her head snapped back up, her mouth now slightly agape, as she stared straight into Kikyo's eyes. What sort of nonsense was this?

"You..."

But she couldn't voice her thoughts. This was insane. Of course Kikyo couldn't have blinked! It was a portrait for crying out loud!

Shaking her head to free herself of such ridiculous thoughts, she hurried on to the next task. Slowly, her right hand reached out toward the glowing Sacred Jewel. She pressed her bleeding finger upon its crystal-like surface, its cold texture soothing to her fresh injury. To her surprise, she felt the Jewel suck her blood, absorbing it from within. Up until now, she had only thought it a fairytale. Was this thing truly alive? Alive and storing up her ancestors' powers for so many generations?

She shook her head again. She hated this. Truly.

Kagome slowly removed her finger from the Jewel, noticing with bewilderment how her skin had somehow healed. Shaking her head to immediately dismiss the new thoughts of how insane this was, her hands slowly extended just above the glowing jewel, her eyelids lowering so she could whisper-chant her incantation without further distractions.

The skin of her tender palms started to warm up, her pores seeming to absorb the invisible energy emitted from the jewel. Such a strange feeling it was, yet not entirely uncomfortable. Her body accepted this new intrusion with ease. She felt overwhelmed and could not exactly understand what sort of sorcery this was. The world around her grew quiet as she no longer heard even the low howls of her frightening prowler.

Smiling to herself, she opened her eyes feeling stronger and more self-assured than she had ever felt before. Whether she felt this way because of the strange things the jewel did to her or because of the thought that she now had just one last thing to do and the ceremony would end, Kagome was glad that she was not as afraid anymore. Although she knew danger still lurked beyond the shrine's grounds, she would see this ceremony through. So far this decision seemed to work best for her after all.

The grandfather's clock announced midnight.

"It is time, Kagome!" Kaede said with marked determination.

With a firm nod, Kagome rose and urgently grasped the bow and arrow from the table. She had never used a weapon in her life, but her body seemed to know exactly what to do. The sounds of her stretching the bow penetrated the deep silence that befell upon them, her hand setting the arrow in place. She readied it to aim at the target placed on a tree nearby and with a deep inhale she announced:

"I, Kagome, claim my title as High Priestess of these lands!"

And with that she released the arrow, letting it pierce with speed the air, its tip glowing pink brighter and brighter until it finally hit dead center.

To say that Kagome was amazed was an understatement.

In all her life she would've never thought she'd see the day she fired her first purification arrow. It felt incredible. Exhilarating. Her smile rapidly turned into a grin of happiness. This night was over, so was the ceremony, and so was everything else as far as she was concerned. She clapped her hands together with enthusiasm, her eyes shut with joy. She felt like herself again. High-spirited. Bubbly. Cheerful. If only her mother could see her now!

Turning around to face her family members Kagome was confused at what she saw.

Kaede was staring wide-eyed at Kagome.

She would've never thought such a thing could happen. How, just how did Kagome shoot such a strong purification arrow? She was Kagome, always uninterested and unaware of spiritual practices, not gifted, lacking spiritual awareness completely. So how? Kaede didn't know what to make of this. In all her years she had never witnessed such a display of spiritual powers. While even her own purification arrow glowed with pink energy, it had never been this strong, not even when she was young.

Myoga stared in amazement at his niece. He too had not been expecting this. He had expected her to shoot her arrow, for it to glow a very faded pink and miss the target. But here they were, amazed at seeing the exact opposite happen. Perhaps their niece was born to bring this shrine the honor it rightfully deserved.

Totosai, for his part, had been somewhat expecting something like this to happen, but not to this extent. The girl was truly full of surprises.

"No 'congratulations'?" Kagome asked playfully with mocked hurt as she happily descended the stairs of the shrine to join them.

"Congratulations! Congratulations, Kagome! I'm so proud of you!" Kaede exclaimed. She truly rejoiced at seeing her granddaughter now bear the name of priestess so proudly. She brought Kagome into a tight hug, her old hands clutching onto the girl's shoulders as if to remind herself that finally Kagome was no longer in danger. Far from it, actually. Praised be the Heavens, this ceremony ended far better than any of them thought it would.

"Kagome, you were amazing! Your mother would be more than proud!" Myoga said as he too embraced his niece, happy to see her fulfilling the role she had been born to take.

"You've done well and have more than proven your worth, Kagome," said Totosai, bowing in the traditional manner one would bow to a priest or priestess.

Kagome bowed in return, feeling relief like never before. It felt as if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. In all honesty she now began to think that her grandmother had been right, that being a priestess was part of a Nakamura's life, that it completes them.

"Can we go back now? I'm so tired," Kagome admitted with a small yawn. This night had truly taken a lot out of her, but from what she could tell, praised be Kami, whenever she looked around herself she could no longer detect anything worth fretting over. The night seemed peaceful and not as dark. It made sleep seem like something euphoric to her.

"Of course, dear," Kaede said.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A cheerful hum was what could be heard from Kagome's room. The air inside her small chamber was a little warm, for it carried traces of humidity that her hot shower had emitted through the crack left by her slightly opened bathroom door. Kagome felt refreshed. She would not lie, she truly felt weary of entering her room at first. Despite her mind being put at ease by the fact that no strange occurrence could be noted as she headed back inside her home, Kagome was still not ready to put everything that had happened behind her. On their way inside the house, she tried talking once again to her grandmother about what was worrying her, but Kaede explained patiently that it was her newfound spiritual awareness that was playing little tricks on her, and that it was possible that she perceived spiritual awareness as something threatening. It did make sense, but it could still not explain everything. Still, Kaede had much spiritual experience, so if she was not worried, Kagome would not be either.

The first thing she did when she entered her room was to immediately turn on the light. Her eyes quickly scanned the familiar surroundings but found nothing worth fretting over. Everything seemed to be in place. She couldn't detect anything strange, and after the entire ordeal of a ceremony, she knew she would be able to feel if something was wrong. And so, with a long sigh of relief, she took a shower and was now standing in front of her beautiful large mirror –a gift from her mother- gently combing through her damp raven tresses. She couldn't be happier that everything was over and that life would take its normal course starting tomorrow. Well, starting today, since it was already past midnight. As her hands gracefully raised her comb to bring it down on her soft locks, Kagome's gaze locked onto the portrait that rested right beside the mirror. She forgot her grandmother put it there.

The more she looked, the more she realized how much alike they actually looked. Yet now, with her body clad in her light sleeping gown and her hair gradually regaining its wavy curls, the differences between her and Kikyo became more noticeable. Not to mention that Kikyo's skin tone bordered an unhealthy shade of white while Kagome's was ivory, bearing a light tan. She loved the beach. The most visible difference remained their eye color: Kagome's was a beautiful deep blue color, whereas Kikyo's was a chocolate brown.

Kagome was content.

If it were anyone else, perhaps it would have been frustrating to see your own ancestor better-looking than yourself. As silly as it sounded, it wasn't impossible. It was only natural to want to be at least as good as your predecessor, even in the beauty department. Still, Kagome did not feel that way.

Even though many wish it otherwise, physical appearance is what meets the eye first, and many stop from looking further.

However, her gentle mother had explained that no matter what she may lack physically, she may compensate through her personality. Kagome took this to heart and learned to live her life content with who she was, and determined never to try to be anyone else. She was thankful for her kind mother who had always strived to teach her children compassion and care, and she was thankful for her father, who had taught them to live with pride and dignity.

Her head lowered, the tips of her damp hair tickling her bare arms. Her lips quivered a bit, but she refused to let liquid gather behind her closed eyelids. She would not cry. But Kami, she missed them! Briefly glancing once again at Kikyo, Kagome smiled. All in all, she had a great family and she was thankful for it.

A small clatter resonated softly as Kagome placed the comb upon the mahogany surface of her nightstand. She was free to do as she pleased now and she couldn't be happier. For the sake of her mother, her father and her younger brother, she would live happily and try to make them proud.

Making a move to stand up, Kagome tucked a few wet strands of hair behind her delicate ears. She abruptly stopped midway, her eyes snapping to stare at the mirror. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she did her best ignore her shocked reflection, instead focusing on what was behind her. Only a few feet behind her, standing there, unmoving, was a dark shadow, looming over her with the intention to somehow encompass her. She could feel the tears coming faster than before, her body visibly quivering as she just prayed for it to leave.

"What…what do you want from me?", came her soft whisper, her voice drowned in anguish. How could this continue?! Why did it continue?!

"Please!" she screamed with desperation, her trembling fingers grasping onto the only object close enough to use as some sort of defense: her small comb. Her tears fell at the hopelessness of her situation once the cool wooden surface of said object came in touch with the now sweaty skin of her palm.

Raising her panicked eyes at the mirror, her breath hitched.

She couldn't see the shadow.

Her head immediately whipped around, frantically searching the room for the presence she had unmistakably seen a few moments ago.

Any normal person would've probably run the hell away from that room, and frankly speaking she did not even comprehend why she was still inside.

She was going crazy!

Standing up on wobbly legs, she took a few steps away from the mirror, unconsciously testing the surroundings. She still felt unsafe. The fact that she could not see her nocturnal stalker did little to ease her mind, it actually had the opposite effect. She could feel him. Wiping furiously at her eyes, she let her body fall slightly backwards, making a sound close to a thud as it unceremoniously hit the wall. Still, the moment she let herself slide down the 'wall' she noted that whatever she was sliding on had a different texture than the wall itself. She glanced back from the corner of her eyes, noting how she had once again forgotten about the portrait and was now literally sliding her back against it.

However, at paying closer attention, Kagome could not help but scream!

'No, no! This can't be! Why…why is she looking the other way?!'

Moments ago, Kikyo’s eyes were looking left, but now they were looking right!

The tears flowed more freely now. She needed help! She truly did!

Clutching tightly at her nightgown, Kagome's eyes slowly looked in the direction Kikyo's eyes were.

She felt sick!

There, at the window -where a while ago she could've sworn she saw a silhouette- she now saw it again, the silhouette's outline visible behind the curtain, almost as if someone was playing hide-and-seek and chose to hide behind it. And just before she could take a step backwards to simply escape whatever was tormenting her-

HIT

The last thing her weakened mind remembered was something hard hitting the back of her neck, her vision gradually blurring until it became a mind-numbing black, causing her fragile self to fade into most welcomed unconsciousness. 'Someone…please help me…'

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He had almost been too late. It would have been disastrous had the girl managed to sense more than she already had. It would have been disastrous for him as well, no doubt. Nevertheless, in the end his mission had been quite successful and he could finally report to his master to give him the positive response he had been waiting for all these years. Totosai stared at the unmoving girl before him, letting the small dagger slide away from his hand to lifelessly impale itself into the wooden floor. He had used the back of the dagger to hit the girl, but apparently the hit may have been a little too hard.

His wrinkled face wore a blank expression, his eyes cold as he regarded her young form. He could not understand how such a fragile human was destined to weild such power, nor could he understand how she would ever be able to withstand it all.

A small step and he was right next to her, his body moving to gather hers in his arms so he could begin preparations for their departure. The girl was in a weak condition, she would be weakened even further if they traveled right away, so he surmised that it would be wise to take her to a hospital and ask that the girl be taken care of until she was fit to travel once again. He knew her exhaustion ran both physically and mentally, but he had befriended a few doctors of this era. Having the girl secretly hospitalized would not be such a hard thing to do. After all, Totosai wanted to present the girl to his master when she was well-rested and able to fulfill whatever he had in store for her.

A strong gust of wind had the windows open violently, the curtains mercilessly being ripped away as the hidden silhouette that tormented the girl took a step forward toward the old man and the now unconscious priestess.

Old orbs widened at the sight before him, shame filling his very being, for he had not noticed that the presence inside the room was not that of a mere goblin. The bow in which Totosai had forced his body into was a far cry from elegant and respectful, given the fact that the young female kept him from bending to the extent that was custom for the gesture. He tried to apologize to the best of his abilities, yet it was no secret that Totosai was by no means a smooth-talker. Still, the old sword smith had done his job well, and for that the menacing aura that now surrounded the tall shadow refrained for harming the ever-faithful subordinate. Instead, rich golden orbs settled upon the slumbering form of the priestess who had awakened her blood but a few minutes ago in the ancient shrine of his enemies. One would've undoubtedly expected the Nakamura spiritual power to be hosted by a strong, broad body, preferably that of a male. Yet here she was, a woman-child that had barely reached adulthood holding the very power he had need of. But perhaps the Kamis took into consideration the dire times of the past. This way the girl would be easy to tame, her power easy to manipulate. She finally reached the stage in which he could make good use of her. He had waited long enough. There would be no further delay.

"Bring her to me," his low, baritone voice penetrated the thick silence.

"Yes, my lord."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Kagome!" Kaede yelled, bursting through the door leading to Kagome's room. Her granddaughter's scream disturbed her dreamless sleep, but, alas, her old legs could not carry her any faster. Why did she not listen to her instincts and stay by the girl? Spiritual awareness was still so new to her, she was bound to have troubled sleep. But once inside the room, Kaede dropped to her knees.

The bed was untouched, the light was not dimmed the way Kagome liked to dim it before she went to sleep, and the mirror was broken. But most importantly, there was no sign of Kagome!

Kaede urged her body to carry her further inside the room. Surely this could not be happening!

But then she noticed something that had her blood run cold.

It was not the widely open windows that had caught her attention.

It was the portrait.

There was no doubt.

Kikyo was smiling.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kagome's body hurt. But most importantly, her head throbbed furiously, making her cringe and wince every time a protruding 'throb' resonated through her skull. Silencing her raging thoughts seemed like the most impossible feat at the moment. They appeared to be of nothing and of everything at the same time. She recognized this confusion as her trying to recall what had happened to bring her into such a deplorable state. Ah, a hit to the head. Yes, she could remember that! It had hurt so much that all she could remember afterward was darkness.

Inhaling deeply, she tried her best to lose focus of the chaos inside her mind and focus more on the outside world. Once she fully became conscious, she could deal better with her horrifying headache. The more she concentrated, the more she could feel her senses coming back to her.

Cold, she was cold.

Moments later, she could faintly distinguish the sound of small chatter. People, there were people around her.

A particular harsh 'throb' had her want to move her hand to clutch her forehead, and she would have too, had she been able to. The feeling of ropes immediately registered inside her mind, now having a whole different reason to blame the numbness of her limbs on. Panic was slowly rising within her.

She was tied.

She was cold.

She was blindfolded.

She was gagged.

She heard voices.

She could feel her body being moved.

They were carrying her.

Her ire got the best of her. It was too much for anyone to bear. First the ceremony, then a hit to the head, and now this! As far as she knew she was guilty of nothing serious! She refused to let this go on! If it was just a bad dream, then she would show her sick subconscious how fond she was of this twisted nightmare! And so her body wiggled with as much force as she could muster while she did her best to ignore how much the headache intensified because of her actions.

Her captor stilled at feeling her movement. It was perfect timing as far as he was concerned. They arrived at their destination and were she still asleep, he would have been forced to wake her up in a more unpleasant manner.

The darkness outside had concealed their bodies well, the kidnapper having made sure that no one followed them as they descended the old steps to the ancient well. His sensitive nose was repulsed by the stench of dirt, dust and rust, but since this small ancient chamber held so many artifacts, it gave him a strange sense of home.

Once beside the mystical fountain, he released the girl on shaky legs. His hand grasped onto the dagger he always carried with him and sliced away the ropes that have been wrapped a little too tightly against her milky skin, leaving angry red marks across it.

Kagome was well aware of what he was doing, and once her body was free to move, her hands came up, one to grab the blindfold, and the other to remove her gag, but before she could even scream the name of her kidnapper, said man pushed forcefully against her sternum, making her fall backward. Her mind slowly registered touching the edge of something, before losing balance and falling into a seemingly endless pit. She screamed then, but the echo of her desperate tone didn't seem to reach the surface as she kept falling and falling. Her arms embraced her cold torso as she sobbed, her fear-stricken eyes noting how a strange blue light engulfed her, before her feet finally touched solid ground.

She panted harshly, falling to her knees.

What happened?

What was this?

She shook her head, biting on her bottom lip to keep from crying louder than she already was. Really, she was pathetic. Her small fingers absently caressed the dark muddy ground, desperately trying to make sense of everything, until they touched something smooth. Curiously, she inched a little closer, her slender digits digging into the ground to pull the object that had captured her attention.

She yelped with shock, scooting as far away from that thing as she could. It was a bone! A large, twisted, freaking bone!

Her back suddenly hit something hard.

Turning around, imagine her surprise when she came face to face with a wall. Where the hell was she?

Looking up, her face brightened at seeing something that for the first time this dreadful night gave her a small flicker of hope. She could see the sky with its rich blue depth darkened by the late night hour, the full moon and stars illuminating it in such a tender manner that a poet would kill for the inspiration this beautiful, refreshing sight offered. Wherever this place was, up there was the certain exit and she would more than gladly get to it. If only Kagome learned from her previous ordeals how bad of a decision it was to make assumptions, she would've been spared of many things to come. Yet as most people, it took more than just a few ordeals to learn a valuable lesson such as this one.

With her hands now touching the cold and slimy brick wall, she grasped onto a large vine. To her small satisfaction, she noted how these sort of vines seemed to latch onto the wall's entire surface, which definitely made it a lot easier to climb up. Thank goodness, she would get out without much difficulty. Gripping firmly each vine that she could reach, she slowly but steadily made her way up.

Her mind was in an endless turmoil, her confusion bordering madness. Perhaps she had not seen right. No, that wasn't it. She had seen right. Everything she had seen the entire night had been as real as her. She didn't know why the others could not see or feel what she did, but it didn't matter anymore. She knew she was right. So why, why did uncle Totosai do this to her? It didn't even look like him. Yes, his physical appearance was identical, but even though her uncle was a stern teacher, he had always been very kind to her. The look he had given her before he pushed her was the coldest she had ever seen him give anyone.

Her head hurt. Whether it was from the blow it received or from thinking too much, she did not know. All she knew was that in a few moments she would escape this pit and be free to leave this dreaded place. A person could only take so much emotional strain.

But soon, things took a turn for the worst.

The moment her arm raised right above the edge of the 'pit', someone roughly grabbed her and pulled her up.

Kagome barely had time to notice tall men surrounding her, all of them wearing some sort of heavy-looking metal armor, for her attention had been pulled to the one person that dragged her over the edge of her previous 'prison'. She was petrified. Red eyes burned into her own, their gaze so menacing it took everything she had not to look away and scream in his face. His skin had a blue-ish tone, and before she could even begin to fret over how scaly it felt, her hands had been tied behind her back in a painful tight hold, her body unceremoniously hoisted up and on the man's shoulder.

"Let me go!" she yelled with savage fear, her legs kicking at him with all her might. The phantasmal-looking soldier merely grunted at her pitiful outburst, letting the claws that held her pinned to his shoulder dig into her skin with enough force to draw a little blood.

"Someone! Help me!"

"Silence, human filth! You belong to Lord Sesshomaru now!"