~Soul Stealer Mononoke~ by Sweet and Sour Suki

A Chain Of Events

"Have you done what I have asked of you, Kagura?" Naraku looked to his detachment with faint dislike, eyeing her as she entered his room, blood splattered across her white kimino. Not answering, the woman crossed the wooden flooring towards the demon and thrust her hand forward, opening her palm. Upon it lay seven shards of the Shikon No Tama. Naraku nodded and took them from her.

"Well done." He exclaimed in his even tone, adding the shards to his collection. Soon enough, he would have them all... "And the village?"

"Annihilated." Kagura answered in a low voice, flicking blood from her kimino with a slender finger. "Just as you ordered."

"Good. You may leave." Naraku replied, his voice never changing. Kagura bowed and exited the room. She growled slightly as she walked down the dark corridor, wondering when she would be free of her master's rein over her. Not any time soon, considering she had just helped him further along his wish of being the most powerful being to ever exist.

"Kagura," A very familiar voice jumped out from the shadows, and out stepped Kanna, forever holding her mirror in her grasp. "What you have done, it is not good."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kagura snapped back at her older sister, continuing to walk down the hallway and unsuccessfully trying to rid herself of the blood that covered her.

"I do not know..." Kanna answered truthfully, following her sister. "But I have a feeling that you were not supposed to destroy that village."

"I cannot disobey Naraku. You of all people should know that, Kanna. He wanted those jewel shards, and that village had been hiding them for some time now. There was no other choice."

"Yes, but perhaps-"

"What would you have liked me to do? Don't tell me you actually care that a single village has been destroyed?" Kagura turned to the little girl behind her, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course not. But something bad is going to happen soon because of this... I can sense it." Kanna said quietly, staring straight ahead. Kagura looked to her sister, not knowing what to make of it, and then turned on her heel and left. There was nothing she could do about it now... the entire village was in shambles. Everyone was dead.

~*~*~

"Lunchtime!" Kagome cried out, holding up several packages of ramen in her hands, grinning to her companions. "Who wants ramen?"

"ME!" Shippo jumped up excitedly before InuYasha knocked him down.

"No ME you little runt!"

"I would like some, Kagome-chan." Sango smiled, tearing her eyes away from polishing her hiraikotsu.

"You wouldn't leave me out, would you?" Miroku waved as he walked towards his friends, returning from a trip to the nearby springs.

"Actually-" Sango began, only to be cut off with a slight pinch from Kagome.

"Ramen it is then!" She exclaimed happily. Sango sighed.

As Kagome prepared lunch (with Shippo's help) InuYasha sat down to once again inspect his sword. He stared at it for about five minutes before Miroku finally cut in to his musings.

"You know InuYasha, the tessaiga hasn't changed since the first time you got it. Maybe a few more dings along the edge, but its still no worse for wear. You'd think that as often as you look at that thing, it'd begun to grow into a daffodil or something." The houshi grinned, looking down at the dog demon.

"Shut up monk. I won't ever be able to use the tessaiga right until I know every curve, every dip, every... every ding. You have to really know your sword before you can wield it properly." InuYasha growled back.

"Why InuYasha, I never knew you thought that way about weaponry." Sango said in surprise, setting down her hiraikotsu to peer of the half-demon's shoulder.

"Of course I do! I always have!" InuYasha retorted angrily. "My father taught me all about the secrets of swords and weaponry before he died."

"Is that so? I had no idea..." Miroku put a finger to his chin.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You couldn't even tell if you knew how to hold that sword correctly, InuYasha, let alone know all its secrets."

"We sort of just thought you bashed people over the heads with it and hoped it worked." Shippo chipped in. Kagome sweat-dropped, knowing that was probably the wrong thing to say to InuYasha.

"Why you..." InuYasha leaped forwards and made a grab at the little kitsune, who ran behind Kagome in an attempt to escape InuYasha's wrath. "Get back here!"

"Lunch is ready!" Kagome jumped in between them and held out a bowl of ramen for InuYasha. He grabbed it from her hands and collapsed onto the ground, greedily shoving noodles into his mouth.

Well, that shut him up. Kagome sighed and shook her head, handing out ramen to everyone else as well.

Things were quiet around lunch time, as everybody was too busy stuffing face to say anything. It was the only time of the day that was halfway peaceful.

"Mph... Thif if greath Kagometh!" InuYasha attempted talk, and failed miserably. Kagome grinned happily.

"I'm glad you like it, InuYasha!"

"So, where are we heading to?" Miroku asked, putting down his empty bowl.

"Do you want some more?" Kagome looked over her own bowl to the monk, and held up another package or ramen.

"Huh? Oh yes Kagome, that would be great, thank you."

"No problem. And to answer your earlier question, I don't know where to go now..." Kagome sighed, busying herself with preparing another bowl for Miroku, and now InuYasha.

"What do you mean you don't know where to go? I thought we were following the presence of jewel shards!" InuYasha exclaimed in surprise, looking at Kagome.

"Yes but..." The girl looked worried, gazing out beyond the small clearing they were having a picnic in, and looking at the dirt road ahead. "Its strange. I sensed the shards were very near... perhaps in the next village... but today, I can't sense anything! Its as if they disappeared!"

"Hmm..." Sango looked befuddled. "Maybe they simply moved them to another city."

"But why?" Shippo jumped into the middle of the circle. "If they did that, it would attract every demon for miles around! They would all be able to feel the pull of the shards!"

Miroku agreed. "Something isn't right. Perhaps we should continue on to the next village and see what they have to say."

"It's a good a plan as any." InuYasha nodded, taking his third ramen bowl.

"Hey! I'm running out of ramen, you know!" Kagome protested, her hands on her hips.

"You can get more when you go back home!"

"Whaaat? You never want me to leave and suddenly when there isn't any ramen left it's ok with you!?"

"Well... we need food..." InuYasha replied weakly, looking up at an angry Kagome. She threw her hands in the air with disgust.

"Argh! I give up! You're such a jerk, InuYasha!" She growled, and stomped off a few paces towards the road.

InuYasha growled back as everyone else sweat-dropped. This was getting to be ridiculous. Ever since they had defeated Kaguya (check out the 2nd InuYasha movie!), Kagome and InuYasha had been on short fuses with each other.

"InuYasha, Kagome is right. You should stop being so mean to her." Sango sighed, tying her hair back into a ponytail to become ready for the day.

InuYasha sputtered wildly and turned around.

"Mean to her!? I didn't do anything! It's not my fault she's so sensitive!"

"I HEARD that, InuYasha!" Kagome yelled from not fifty paces away. Shippo had bounded off after her and the two were simply walking along the edge of the road. InuYasha sighed.

"Ever since you kissed Kagome, it's been tense between you two. Maybe it was a bad kiss. Maybe you should apologize." Miroku grinned mischievously. (Kagome and InuYasha kiss for the first time in the 2nd movie, obviously. She had to kiss him to stop him from changing into a full demon and remind him that she loved him as a half demon. It was so KAWAII! ^^)

"I didn't kiss HER! She kissed ME!" InuYasha protested, springing to his feet so he could look down at Miroku. "Stop trying to make this my fault!"

"Well, it is your fault. You're the man in this relationship. Be a man, and make out with her- I mean, up! Make up with her!" Miroku stumbled over his words. Sango hit him with the side of her weapon.

"You are hopeless." She muttered, and ran off to be with Kagome.

"Feh. Women." InuYasha growled, falling back to the ground next to Miroku, who second the notion.

"Can't live with them, but certainly can't live without him" The monk drooled as he watched Sango's butt move to and fro while she ran.

"Hentai."

"What!? A man can dream!" Miroku protested.

"From the looks of it, you'll be dreaming for quite some time. Sango doesn't seem to-" InuYasha suddenly stopped, and sprang up to his feet. He lifted his nose to the air and narrowed his eyes.

"Sango doesn't seem to what???" Miroku cried helplessly, not realizing what InuYasha was doing.

"Do you smell that?" The half demon growled, sniffing.

"I smell ramen and dog breath. That's about it."

"Quit cracking jokes. I'm serious." InuYasha exclaimed quietly. Miroku blinked and stood.

"I can't smell anything... but now that you mention it... I sense something... something evil."

Suddenly, Kagome fainted, and her limp body hit the ground with a smack.

~~~

~~~

~~~

"Kagome!" InuYasha yelled out, and rushed over to the girl's fallen body. Sango was already crouched down in worry, taking Kagome's pulse.

"What happened?" Miroku demanded, coming up right behind InuYasha.

"I-I don't know!" Sango replied shakily. "One second she was fine, and then she got this strange look on her face and she sort of let out this strangled scream in the back of her throat and then she just... fell over."

"Is she breathing?" InuYasha paled as he looked down at Kagome. Sango nodded.

"Yes. She seems to have just fainted..."

InuYasha carefully picked Kagome up and set her in his lap, pushing her dark hair away from her face. He looked down at her, and noticed that her skin had gone white as snow, and her eyes were shut tight as if she were concentrating on something difficult. Her hands were balled into fists, and she lay tense in InuYasha's arms.

"InuYasha... before Kagome fainted... I felt something strange. Like a gust of cold air piercing my entire body, reaching my heart! I felt as if I would never be happy again." Sango exclaimed quietly, taking Kagome's hand into her own.

"We also sensed something. Something that rode along with the breeze from farther down the road. Something bad has happened, I can sense this as well." Miroku sighed, crouching down next to Sango to stare at Kagome worriedly.

"I thought I caught Naraku's scent for a second there, but I'm not sure. It could have been one of his detachments. But in any case, its not a good sign." InuYasha growled, his eyes never leaving Kagome's face.

Shippo hugged Kirara for comfort, shaking a little as he watched his surrogate mother turn paler and paler as the seconds ticked by.

Suddenly, Kagome gasped quickly, trying to get air into her lungs, and sprang upwards. Her eyes flew open and she stared straight ahead.

"Kagome!" InuYasha cried out, reaching out to hold her shoulders. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Kagome continued to breathe heavily for a bit, then she shakily opened her mouth and said,

"The village... the entire village is gone! The stench of death is everywhere! No one survived!" She gasped, clutching her heart with her hands. "I felt it, I felt their terror and pain! We have to help them! We have to get to the village!" Kagome cried out, almost in tears.

"Kagome, calm down!" Sango pushed the young girl back onto the ground with a firm grip. "You don't look good, stop and breathe for a second."

Kagome obliged, closing her eyes and taking in a few deep breaths. Pretty soon, she was back to normal.

"Are you alright?" InuYasha asked once again, leaning over her.

"Yeah... What happened?" Kagome asked in a confused voice, sitting up once again, only this time more slowly.

"We were hoping you would tell us." Miroku answered gravely, raising an eyebrow. Kagome shut her eyes and held her head in her hands.

"I-I was just walking down the road, and all of a sudden... this-this blast of cold air hit me right in the face, and the screaming... a hundred voices screaming in my head..."

Miroku and Sango exchanged confused glances, but InuYasha was the first to speak.

"Screaming? We didn't hear any screaming." He shook his head.

"I think only I could hear it. It felt like they were inside me, screaming for help, and in pain. I felt their misery... it was horrible. I can still here them now... only its more like an echo at the moment." Kagome continued, looking up to InuYasha.

"An echo?" He narrowed his eyes, still confused.

"Yeah. I think... I think that it was real, only it didn't happen right now. And I also think that the voices are from the village just up ahead..."

Everyone turned to look down the road, the afternoon sun lighting up the way, not noticing the depressing situation below.

"Do you think we should check it out?" Miroku asked, turning to InuYasha.

"Yeah, someone may still need our help." InuYasha stood, and helped Kagome up as well. The girl shook her head sadly.

"Its no use. Everyone is dead..." Kagome sighed.

"Then the least we can do is bury the villagers, if that's what truly happened." Sango exclaimed, calling Kirara over and jumping on her back, Miroku straight behind her. Kagome nodded in agreement.

"Get on my back, Kagome, lets check out this village and see if there's anything we can do." InuYasha ordered gruffly. She quickly obeyed, and Shippo jumped onto her shoulder, holding onto her hair for support.

"You okay Shippo?" Kagome turned her head to look at the little kitsune. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"I'm fine." Shippo squeaked in a high-pitched voice. "Don't forget, I'm a kitsune warrior! I'm pretty tough."

InuYasha snorted.

"Let's go, Kirara!" Sango patted the demon cat and off they went.

~*~*~

So much chaos... even I would not have gone to these lengths to obtain a handful of jewel shards. I see no point in all of this. Then again, Naraku is a strange demon... The great Lord of the Western Lands mused as he picked his way through the decay and rubble of what used to be a large village. He had been surveying his lands when he had come across the destruction, and had decided to look into it to see if Naraku had left any survivors. Not that he cared, simply curious.

"Jaken, where is Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked in a cold voice, the question geared towards a small toad demon to his right, who jumped at the sound of something besides the silence of death.

"I-I believe Rin and Ah-Un went to pick flowers again, me lord. She left not but a few minutes ago." Jaken answered, stumbling over to Sesshoumaru with his staff in hand. Sesshoumaru turned away from him and continued to walk over the corpses of dead men and women.

Suddenly he stopped, and put his nose to the air, trying to sniff out a particular scent.

"InuYasha..." He growled, recognizing his brother's smell anywhere. He hadn't expected him to be there, but InuYasha had proven to be a demon of instinct, not to mention an idiot that had a tendency to show up where he was not wanted. Ah well, perhaps he would try to obtain his father's sword from him again.

"Stay out of the way, Jaken. InuYasha and his friends are coming. Do not interfere." Sesshoumaru ordered icily, not looking at his servant (though he rarely did).

"Yes master!" Jaken hopped in reply, and ran the other way to hide behind some rubble.

~*~*~

"Kami..." Sango breathed as they reached the village, or at least, what was left of it. Huts were now piles of wood and straw, fire pits were unidentifiable, and men, women, and children lay strewn all over the place, all very, very dead. The stench of their decaying corpses was almost overwhelming, and InuYasha found that he had to cover his nose to protect his delicate sense of smell.

"These poor people..." Kagome whispered, feeling as if she talked to loud, she would break the silence of the dead. InuYasha let her fall from his back and her feet lightly touched the ground. The six companions stepped carefully over the remnants of the village, holding their noses as the smell overwhelmed their senses.

"Only one demon could do this..." Sango growled in anger, remembering her own village, whose fate had not been unlike this one.

"Naraku." InuYasha nodded in agreement. "He must've come here for the jewel shards and ended up killing everyone that lived here when they wouldn't give them up."

"That bastard." Kagome shook with vehemence as Shippo clung to her leg, extremely scared. He had witnessed death before, but this... this was death, destruction, and chaos all wrapped up into one.

"How long do you think this happened?" Miroku questioned, quickly turning away from the sight of a mother cradling a baby to her chest, a look of terror spread across her face.

"Not long... these bodies are fresh, and the smell of death lingers strongly in the air... This morning at the latest." InuYasha growled in reply.

Suddenly InuYasha stopped, holding out his arms to halt the movement of his friends.

"Damn!" He swore, pulling out his tessaiga and peering through the smoke and half-darkness before them. The sun was beginning to set, the rubble casting long shadows that turned into night.

"What is it, InuYasha?" Kagome looked at him worriedly, and a little scared.

"Sesshoumaru is somewhere around here, I can smell it, even over all this death. And that little toad thing that's always with him too." The hanyou growled, stepping in front of Kagome. Sango and Miroku sidled up to him, their weapons also drawn. "Stay back Kagome."

"Alright." She nodded, holding Shippo in her arms. What was Sesshoumaru doing here? She knew they were in western territory, but why would he be in a place like this?

"Sesshoumaru! Come out you coward! I can smell you, you know!" InuYasha yelled towards the smoke, raising his sword. "What do you want?"

"Why, little brother, I would think that it was apparent what I wanted." A cold voice drawled out to them, as the owner of the western lands stepped out so the six friends could see him. His nose was raised haughtily in the air, and as usual, the tenseiga and toukijin glittered dangerously at his side. "You are trespassing once again. Get off my land, unless you are here to hand over the tessaiga."

"You can't have the tessaiga, Sesshoumaru." InuYasha growled, still holding out his beloved sword before him. "The only reason we're here is to help the villagers!"

Sesshoumaru stared at InuYasha blankly, his emotionless slate of a face not giving away any clues as to what he was thinking.

"You wish to help a bunch of dead humans, InuYasha? You are truly more pathetic then I ever thought you were." Sesshoumaru stepped forward; preparing to go to whatever lengths it took to get the tessaiga from InuYasha once and for all.

"We're here to bury the dead, damn it!" The hanyou made sure Kagome was safe behind him, away from his brother's clutches. He would protect her no matter what, and he'd be damned if Sesshoumaru so much as touched her or his sword.

"Why would you care of the affairs of mortals? It is not your place to be concerned with them." The full-blooded youkai before them exclaimed coldly, his voice never changing.

But what about Rin? Kagome thought to herself, hugging a scared Shippo to her chest. Rin is human yet he lets her follow him... its as if she is his... his ward or something. Surely he must have some reason for letting a human girl trail along behind him...

"Is it a fight you're lookin' for Sesshoumaru? Because if it is, then I've got it for you right here!" InuYasha's voice broke into Kagome's thoughts, as the hanyou smirked at his older brother.

"So be it, little half demon." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, and took out toukijin.