InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mind's Eye ❯ Coming to Terms ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

SORRY EVERYBODY! Thanks to w_j for telling me about a crucial typo! So, no, I haven't updated again, I'm simply fixing it… Sorry everybody!

AN: I was writing these when I suddenly realized that I'd missed some past responses. If I missed you before or if I'm missing you now, I'm really, really sorry! I didn't mean/don't mean to do so, and I feel horrible…

Responses:

the color blue: I'll keep the amount of time fights take up in mind while I write. As to why it's always the headman's house, I think that it's because of Miroku's incredible con artist abilities. I'm not being lazy and not updating; I'm paying each story that I'm working on equal attention. Of sixty pages I write each cycle, twenty of them are devoted to this story, and it takes a while to write that much.

OxAshiteruxO: Honestly, I think that that creature was the most disgusting thing I could've put it. I've been hard-pressed to think of anything worse, actually… Yay! Someone likes the bunnies! XD

rin sama1989: Wow! I think that you're the first person who's really enjoyed the way I described the skin monster… I'm glad that you like it!

Tiamath: Ghost or transcended being? Not tellin'! It would ruin the story, though I'll admit that you're really perceptive… I'm glad that I didn't overdo it with the skin monster thing. I thought I was getting pretty close, though.

Ganheim: Yeah… for the spacing and typos, the spelling and grammar component of Microsoft Word can only do so much. I'm partly to blame for that one. I also blame QuickEdit for being weird, in that regard. (As you say QuickEdit is more of a hindrance than a help: it's killed my bunnies that I use as spacers.) I'm actually not completely sure if Shippo's eating bao- I always find them at Chinese restaurants, but I'm pretty sure that they're eaten in Japan, too. (They were the closest things that I could find)

bright-star-in-the-night: Thanks! (Referring to the "interesting" comment there, not the grisly.) Sorry if you found it a bit much…

Kumorita: I know what you mean! Baaaaad mental image… And actually, my endings are in a state of flux; I know what the resolution will be, but leading up to it is very vague.

NewSalemWitch: Yeah, it was a bit gory… And I'll keep that in mind, about me overdoing the missing thing. (Terrible grammar…) Thanks for pointing it out! I'm glad that you liked the other chapter, too. (My favorite in this story so far…)

w_j: No problem (about the update)! It's fun to write… heh heh. Thank you!

Purely Mistake: While telling you about the monsters would ruin the story, I can tell you this about Kagome: no, she won't rest much! (Poor girl… I'll hafta give her a break at some point…) Thank you very much! It's very kind of you to say all that you did. (And yes, your incredibly generous and flattering review went straight to my head. He he)

agent-doo: That is a very good question. And honestly, I have no idea what the answer would be… But I have to admit, not knowing can really drive you up the wall. The imagination always seems to exaggerate things… (like birthday presents and stuff. You get really really excited…) So for Kagome it could definitely be worse to not be seeing it.

Kathryn Angelle: Hehe, Inuyasha can be pretty dense sometimes, though it seems to me that he can also be brilliant. (i.e. The first encounter with Kagura, when he uses Kagome's arrow to slice through her power and Kaze no Kizu's the heck out of 'er. Wow I'm a nerd….) Thanks for the tip! I see what you mean; looking back, no one seems to really react to Kagome much, though I think that such a disaster would have a very large impact.

InuKagluver91: Thanks! I've actually got a system going on the updates; a chapter of one story, then the next, then the next, then back to the first one again. Of course, it's not a strict schedule, but I don't wanna drop anything.

NewSalemWitch: It's alright, really! Life can throw the oddest and most stressful things at you, and at any time. Really, I'm thankful that you review in the first place. Good luck on the schoolwork!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me.

The Mind's Eye

Chapter Four: Coming to Terms

"So, you don't have any idea either, then," Inuyasha hazarded with amber glance at the monk. He wiped his foot off on the ground. "This stuff is disgusting."

Gingerly, Miroku crouched down next to the pile of jelly and poked at it with the end of his staff. It hissed and melted away as it met the blessed wood, revealing a wooden figure in the middle. "A golem?" Purple eyes widened incredulously. "I've never seen anything like this." They were all familiar with Naraku's golems; images of himself, typically used as distractions or to carry messages. Golems didn't have demonic auras; this one did. When dissolved, they became piled of dirt. This one gave off little things that screamed.

Carefully, Miroku reached for the little wooden doll and picked it up. He smiled grimly. Even the wood that it was made of was different; this one was dark and smooth; "Obsidian," he murmured.

"What was that?" A white ear twitched in his direction and a clawed hand went up to rub it; Inuyasha's ears were still ringing from that final scream.

"It's obsidian," Miroku repeated louder. "This kind of stone is usually used for spells to trap or contain spiritual essences and ghosts-" he stopped abruptly, comprehension dawning in his eyes. "It was a sort of golem, but instead of dirt, he used tortured souls." The black-haired monk dropped the wooden doll hastily. Even the doll was sculpted differently, and better; it was twisted, and precisely carved kanji spiraled down the body. The eyes were wide and sunken, the gaping hole that served as a mouth yawned in a silent, agonized scream.

"That bastard," Inuyasha spat. "Always coming up with new tricks for us." Silently, he wondered how many people had died to create the thing. Savagely, he brought Tetsusaiga down onto the figure.

"Inuyasha, don't! You'll-" Miroku didn't have time to finish; a silent explosion ripped a dizzyingly dark hole in the air. Inuyasha and Miroku staggered back. "Idiot!" the monk choked. "Look what you did! I told you not to do it."

"What is it?" Amber eyes were wary, Tetsusaiga held out to ward off anything that might emerge.

"I… think," Miroku began, incredulous," that you might have just opened a portal to afterlife." Purple eyes regarded the frayed edges of the rip; the space was starting to close up. "'New tricks', indeed."

"But where," Inuyasha queried, amber eyes unreadable, "did Naraku learn this new trick?"

"And where are Sango and Kagome?" Miroku and Inuyasha exchanged a glance.

One word vehement from Inuyasha said it all; "Shit." The two of them dashed off, leaving the shrinking portal behind them.

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(><)

"Shit." Sango watched with horror as the long pillar of dead flesh circled around them. They were trapped. Desperately, she hurled Hiraikotsu at the barrier of skin. On any other creature, they would've been free. But this… this thing stuck itself back together as quickly as Hiraikotsu hewed it apart, instantly mending the skin that the giant boomerang severed.

"Sango?" Kagome's voice was slightly panicky. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "What's happening?"

"We're surrounded-" she broke off as the trap cinched shut after them. Waves of stench rolled off of the rotting flesh and over the three of them, causing both Kagome and Sango to gag.

To Kagome, the whole thing was a cacophonous, panicked blur. All she knew was that something had suddenly come from nowhere and turned everything upside down. Something putrid and soft brushed her arm- dead human skin. Her mind was a roaring horrified blank, and she recoiled in disgust. Something spun through her perceptions, and for a brief moment she could see again in perfect detail, out towards the very horizon, even, and then the thing around her fell away, and she was again rendered sightless.

Sango was silent for a moment. She blinked in shock. Just a moment ago, the thing was about to kill her, and then it dissolved into powdery dust in a bright flash of pink light that Kagome from Kagome's outstretched hands. She glanced at the black-haired girl behind her. "Kagome, it's all right. You killed it."

"Thank goodness." She let out a sigh of relief, and shuddered. "It… touched me. It was so gross!" She rubbed at her arm with one hand as if to scrub off the sensation.

"Kirara, let's go down." The demon exterminator's sharp eyes caught sight of something on the ground. The fire cat obeyed and Sango helped Kagome off her back before investigating what she'd seen. She stepped over scrap of skin with a grimace and crouched next to it. "A golem?"

Kagome wandered over to Sango with help from Kirara, wincing when she stepped on something soft and squishy. "What is it?"

"It's a golem, but… different." Brown eyes stared incredulously. The demon exterminator glanced quickly at Kagome. The other girl had a frustrated expression on her face. "Sorry. It's just hard to explain."

"No…" the blind girl replied jerkily, fingers twiddling nervously. "It's not you -it's …frustrating, not being able to see it myself. Having to be told." She pursed her lips. "I'm such a burden, aren't I?" Her smile was bitter. "Having to tell me every little thing, having to help me go everywhere…"

Sango frowned worriedly, her hand paused just above the doll. This wasn't like Kagome at all. She always appeared to be so calm and confident, never stopping to question herself or her actions. With all that had been going on recently, the demon exterminator hadn't fully realized how this accident had torn down not only Kagome's confidence, but also her sense of self. And there was nothing she could say to that. "Kagome… we're your friends, remember? We help each other out. You've done it for me, and for everyone else. Now it's our turn to help you." Sango turned away, blushing slightly in embarrassment. She didn't like making those sorts of speeches.

Kagome knew it, and she smiled slightly. "Thanks, Sango."

The older girl cleared her throat. "No problem. It's the truth, you know." She picked up the doll carefully. "Hm. This isn't much like a golem…" She ran her thumb over the smooth surface of the doll. Brown eyes widened in surprise and horror, and she dropped the thing and scrambled away.

"What's wrong? Is it still moving?" Kagome backed away slightly, one hand on Kirara, who had assumed the role of "guide dog" for the time being.

"It's made of bone," Sango explained, voice soft and thoughtful as she traced the kanji engraved on the bleached smooth surface with one finger. "Caught me by surprise, that's all." She shuddered slightly. The doll somehow felt -and looked- wrong. For starters, it was made of bone. It was far smaller than Naraku's usual golem dolls and much better crafted. The body was twisted, the eyes were the wide and sunken ones of a skull, the mouth long and grinning. Ribs were intricately carved into the figure at intervals, as if the crude skeleton was shedding its skin. Sango dropped it with distaste and turned to Kagome.

"We should get going and look for Inuyasha and Miroku-" she broke off as said pair dashed down the road. "Well, speak of the devil."

"No need to, we already saw him," Miroku gasped. "Or rather, it." He straightened and surveyed the battlefield that was once a village. "And what happened here?"

As Sango explained to them what happened, the black-haired monk inspected the bone figure. He picked it up without hesitation once the demon exterminator had finished her story. "I see. He turned the tiny thing over in his hands. "This figure is almost identical to the one that we found, but it's made of bone rather than cherry wood, and the carving is slightly different." He dropped the figure and stood up, dusting his hands in a business-like manner. "I'd bet anything that it was the same sort of spell."

"Monks don't bet," Inuyasha reminded him. "But I agree; it stinks of the same plan, and Naraku's behind it." He covered his nose and glanced at the shattered houses and bits of skin, amber eyes blazing. How many people had died for Naraku's uses? How many innocents had he slaughtered this time?

"We were wondering why you didn't show up," Sango admitted as she gingerly shouldered a bloodstained Hiraikotsu.

"Undoubtedly, he wished to destroy us individually," Miroku agreed. He glanced at Kagome. "Is something wrong, Kagome? You're unusually silent."

The black-haired girl smiled cheerfully. "Oh, I'm fine, just a bit tired, you know?" She pushed the sunglasses up the bridge of her nose and turned away, the false smile fading as quickly as it appeared.

Sango, Miroku and Shippo exchanged an uneasy glance while Inuyasha watched the blind girl, his expression unreadable. Unspoken tension filled the air as the five of them traveled down the road. The only sound was that of their footsteps and the occasional bird.

After about half an hour, Miroku cleared his throat and finally broke the silence. "We should probably stop to eat soon." Purple eyes met amber, conveying a silent message. He glanced at Kagome.

"…Fine," Inuyasha grumbled begrudgingly with his own eyes on the black-haired girl. "There's a bunch of trees over there we could stop at."

"Sounds good." Miroku nodded his approval, and they kept going in silence.

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(•. •)

(><)

"Kagura, what was that?" Naraku's voice was cold and soft, yet holding deadly promise towards the wind witch. Cold, narrowed eyes watched her calculating.

"This time, I can honestly say that I had nothing to do with it." She idly twirled a long white feather in her fingers. "I don't know what happened."

"Oh, really?" His voice was still calm and level as he addressed the wind sorceress. "Well. I might warn you that I am quite disappointed with the outcome of what transpired. If I am ever to suspect that it is you who altered things…" he let the threat hang in the air.

"I'll keep that in mind," Kagura drawled. "I did as you said; lead them, and leave." Scarlet eyes glanced sarcastically into deep red. "But if you don't believe me, I'm sure Kanna can confirm… Would I be right in guessing that you had her watching me the entire time?"

Naraku didn't flinch. "Yes," he replied smoothly, cold eyes on her. "How clever of you." With a slight inclination of his head, Kagura was dismissed.

She smirked at him, scarlet eyes blazing hate and snapped her fan closed as she sauntered out of the room.

Naraku drummed his fingers on the wooden floor. Kagura was becoming quite a problem. He would have to get rid of her sometime soon, if she didn't start to shape up. His mind returned to the problem at hand; who had interfered with his plan, and why? He's seen the separate fights through Kanna's mirror; two golem-like creatures attacked, and nearly won. And yet, they weren't like anything he'd ever seen or heard about. These things were much more sophisticated than the wooden doll and dirt constructions that he made.

But in all honestly, Naraku didn't care too much. If this mysterious other person wanted to harass Inuyasha and his companions, then by all means he or she could do so. It would only aid his plans, as long as those weren't interfered with again. Besides, he had much more pressing matters to attend to.

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It seemed, Shippo noted as he quietly munched on a cracker, that whenever they weren't dashing about and chasing some demon or other, everyone was absolutely silent and twitchy. Wide green eyes glanced at Sango. The demon exterminator was quietly cleaning Hiraikotsu, nose wrinkled slightly in disgust.

On the other side of Kagome's big yellow bag, Miroku was nursing a large bump on his head. In his own futile attempt to "break the silence" -Shippo assumed that he just being himself- the monk had yet again been harassing Sango, and had been justly rewarded for his actions.

Inuyasha sat in a tree, golden eyes level as he stared off into the distance. He was brooding yet again. He didn't do much else in his free time nowadays. Shippo sighed huffily, and decided to take it upon himself to cheer the dispirited hanyou up.

He wandered under the tree where the white-haired dog demon sat and hollered up at him. "Hey, Dog-boy, what's your problem?" When Inuyasha didn't respond, the ginger-haired kitsune pulled out a green leaf. With a puff of smoke, Shippo the Big Pink Bubble floated up through the air until he was level with Inuyasha. Glowering at the hanyou, he demanded again, "What happened to you?"

Inuyasha simply pushed him away, eyebrows lowered slightly in irritation. "Leave me alone, brat. I'm trying to think."

Shippo snickered. "Trying," he echoed. "Not so successful, are you?" He moved out of the way just in time. "Hey! Don't throw stuff at little kids! It's not nice!"

"And neither are you!" Inuyasha snarled. "Get lost, brat! Go bother someone else!" He pulled a sizeable stick from the tree he was sitting on and hurled it at Shippo. Being that he was a large pink, slow bubble, the kitsune didn't have enough time to get away.

"Ow!" Wide eyes glaring, the pink bubble rubbed his head. "I was just trying to cheer you up, gods! You're such a jerk, Inuyasha! You can't even go comfort Kagome when she's sad!" Shippo shut up, eyes wide. He'd just touched. At the look that the hanyou gave him, the kitsune laughed nervously and rushed away.

"That was not a good thing to say," Shippo muttered as he hurried away with frequent glances over his back, just to be safe. "He's gonna get me back later…"

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Damn brat…" he muttered. But he knew that Shippo was right, and that was what irked him. With all the time that they'd spent being busy, none of them had time to think about Kagome's problem. Even at Kaede's village, Kagome had focused on trying to see again while the rest of them rushed about and avoided the issue. Now, it had caught up to them.

He sighed uncomfortably and sat up in the tree. And he owed it to Kagome to be with her. He hopped off from the branch and landed on the ground below with ease. With ears twitched and he sniffed. She was behind a copse of trees. After all, she'd done the same for him.

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(•. •)

(><)

It wasn't so bad, Kagome decided. Being blind. Tons of people were blind, and lived perfectly well. She always used to wonder how they did it. How did they walk down a street and know where they were going when all these people were around you? How did you shop and eat at restaurants? Even crossing the street was a leap of faith; cars could hit you, or you could walk into one.

The black-haired girl sighed and fingered the prickly grass she was sitting on. She should probably be home right now. She should be learning how to deal with guide dogs, and walking to school. Her friends. How would they take it?

A lone tear slid down her cheek and despair sat heavily in her stomach. For that one moment when she blasted the skin-creature, she'd been able to see, and for that one moment, she'd been happier than she had been for the last week. Had it only been a week? It felt like years… To have seen like that, to have been aware -because it wasn't really like seeing at all- was what it would be like. And Kagome had realized how far away she was from it. When Kaede said half a year, she hadn't been joking.

A rough, callused thumb wiped the tear off her face, and a disgruntled familiar voice asked hesitantly, "Do you wanna go home?" Hastily, he added, "Just for a few days, I mean. We have a mission, after all."

She could hear the grass bend as he sat down next to her. Kagome smiled. For Inuyasha to even consider offering to let her leave was a first. And she could still feel his thumb on her cheek… "No, I'm okay," she replied quickly. "I probably won't be doing anything at home, anyway."

Her friends would crowd around, offering sympathy and presents. She didn't want to be coddled or pitied; she was still Kagome, nothing had changed that. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it. She didn't want to be reminded any more than she was, but the glasses on her nose and the awkward silence surrounding her. She knew that they were all watching her with concern.

Inuyasha couldn't keep the relief from his voice. "Okay." Reluctantly, he added, "If you're sure." He glanced at the blind girl next him. Her long black hair moved with a slight breeze, and the emerald green grass rustled restlessly.

Kagome nodded. "I'm sure." She swallowed hard. What a wreck… She could almost feel the barriers go up throughout the group as they isolated themselves and their thoughts. And she, the one who'd ultimately brought them together in the first place, was the cause of it.

"Are you just gonna sit here all day?" Inuyasha's voice was rough, but quiet. "We've got things to do, remember."

Kagome's temper flared. "Can't you just give me a few minutes?" she demanded furiously, his kindness of just a few minutes earlier already forgotten. "I just lost my sight. I'm even more helpless than before! I can't shoot things, I even need help to find my way home! I can't read or write. I need every little thing explained to me, and I need some time to adjust! After all, I'll be stuck like this for the REST OF MY LIFE!" She stood up to stomp away, then just laughed resignedly. "I can't even walk away from you when I'm angry…" The bitter laughter broke down to tears, and tears to racking sobs. She sniffed furiously. Great. Now she looked like a charity case, too.

A tentative hand rested on her shoulder as she sniffed unhappily. "…I see." Inuyasha's voice was quiet and contemplative. The warm hand was steady on her shoulder, and surprisingly comforting. "There's no way you can change your situation, right?"

Kagome wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and hiccupped as she listened intently.

"The only thing you can do is accept it. Adjust, and try to overcome your difficulties. Everything will work out in time. Life isn't over." The hanyou's voice was so soft that Kagome almost missed the last words.

She smiled and heaved a shuddering sigh. "Thanks, Inuyasha." Somehow, what he said had helped. He was right; there was still hope, still life beyond today. She'd get through it. "You have no idea how much that helped."

"Oh, I think I do." His voice held that same soft, thoughtful quality to it as the hand lifted from her shoulder. He cleared his throat in a business-like manner. "And besides," the hanyou continued gruffly, a slight flush staining his cheeks, "anyone else would've said the same thing."

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(•. •)

(><)

"Excuse me…" A brown-haired head poked through the Higurashi's open front door. "Hello? Is anyone home?" Hojo's voice was unsure as it echoed through the house. He paused and shrugged. "I guess not."

"Oh, Hojo!" Mrs. Higurashi came up from behind him, her shoes sounding softly on the grey stonework of the stairs. "Are you looking for Kagome?" Even Hojo noticed that her normally warm and friendly smile was strained.

"I was, but if she's not here…" he trailed off, the package in his hand crinkling slightly as he shifted his grip on the plastic.

The older woman shook her head. "She's not… available right now." She eyed the wrapped gift. "I can give it to her when she's back, if you'd like," she offered with a smile. "I'm sure that she'd appreciate it."

"If it's all right, I'd like to give it to her myself," Hojo replied apologetically. "Can you tell me when she'll be available again?"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head. "Actually, I can't. But I'll have her call you when she does." She walked up the steps, two large brown grocery bags in hand. Hojo considerately took one for her and she smiled quickly at him.

"Is everything okay?" Genuine concern shone in the boy's dark brown eyes. "Is she sick again?"

Mrs. Higurashi paused, uncertain. Would Kagome be upset if she told everyone? No, they had to know some time, and it was probably best to tell them now, so that when she got back they keep asking questions. Kagome wouldn't like that. Hoping that she wasn't making a mistake, the black-haired woman took a deep breath. "Actually, Hojo, she's… blind."

Hojo blinked at her. "Wh-what?" A small smile curled the corner of his lips, thinking that it was some sort of strange joke.

"She's blind," Mrs. Higurashi explained patiently as she set her groceries down on the table. "She went in to get an eye checkup, and there was a reaction between her eyes and the dilating solution. She lost her sight." Lips pursed, the dark-haired woman fiddled with the bags.

"I-I'm so sorry." Hojo bit his lip. "Is there anything I could do? Really, anything at all…"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head. "That's kind of you to offer, but Kagome's still not feeling up to visitors right now." She gave Hojo an understanding glance. "The shock of it is still a bit overwhelming."

"When did it… when was the accident?" Plastic wrapping crinkled as Hojo's grip on the gift tightened, knuckles white.

"Saturday." Brown eyes stared hard at the counter. "The doctors are working on a solution. So far, no results. But it takes a while for some tests."

"But it's eye solution!" Hojo shook his head incredulously. "This kind of thing isn't supposed to happen! They should've checked the stuff."

"They did. The solution was fine, the same stuff that's used on millions around the world without any problem. Kagome's used it before, too." She sighed heavily. "We don't know why it suddenly effected her like it did."

"So, in other words, it's a big mystery." Hojo sighed unhappily and glanced at the older woman. "Would you like me to keep it to myself, for family privacy?"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled gratefully. "Thank you, no. I don't fancy telling Kagome's friends. Perhaps it'd be best to hear from you?"

"If you'd like me to," the brown-haired boy replied uncertainly. He glanced at the package in his hand. "Well," he sighed heavily, "I guess I should be going. Please extend my condolences to Kagome."

"Of course, Hojo." She led the schoolboy to the back door and slid it open for him. "She should be back in a few days, I think," she told him absently. "In fact, I'm surprised that she hasn't decided to come home before now," she said, more to herself than to him.

Hojo looked at her curiously. "Whatever you say, Higurashi-san. And thank you for telling me. I hope that they somehow find a cure."

"Thank you, Hojo-kun." She bowed slightly and the brown-haired boy did the same. "Have a nice evening."

"You too." He waved and walked slowly off of the shrine's property, the wrapped parcel sitting heavily in his hand. Kagome was blind. And right when he was beginning to suspect that there might be something behind her fake illnesses… undoubtedly it was one of her rare diseases that had affected her eyes and made them sensitive to the solution.

Poor girl. Life was rough for her.

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(0.0)

(><)

The night was cool and clear. A sky ranging from velvety black-blue to cerulean and spangled with bright pinpoints of stars hung overhead as a few clouds crawled across the crescent moon. Painfully oblivious to the spectacular view, Kagome snuggled deeper into her puffy sleeping bag with Shippo sighing quietly in his sleep by her ear.

Thoughtfully, the blind girl fingered the sunglasses between her fingers as a small fire popped and murmured somewhere to her left. Slowly, she drifted off, warm and sleepy.

"Kagomeeee…." The same soft voice of the night before last haunted her dreams through a dark maze of jumbled thoughts and ideas. "Kagome, Kagome, listen to me…" Slowly, the vague beginnings of dreams that swirled through her semi-conscious mind settled. "I have so much to show you," the soft voice sighed.

Suddenly, small white hands appeared from nowhere and grabbed her. They let go, and she was standing on a broad flat plane. Everything was vague and misty, as if just beyond her reach. She backed away, brown eyes wide. "This isn't a dream, is it?" she asked slowly.

"No, no." She couldn't pinpoint that voice; it was all around her, echoing through her mind. "This is not a dream at all."

Kagome rubbed her eyes frustratedly. She still couldn't see well. It was as if she could see, but she couldn't understand. Everything was garbled and blurry. "Oh." She dropped her hands limply. She shouldn't be able to see. She was blind. "What do you want?" she asked the entity tiredly.

"I want to help you. You can learn to see again. I can show you, teach you…" the voice was fading, and so were Kagome's surroundings.

"Good riddance," the black-haired girl muttered grumpily. She wasn't inclined in the slightest to listen to someone with the same chilly, soft voice as Kanna. It was probably a demon, anyway.

The blurry images that she couldn't quite see changed and distorted into normal dreams. One moment, she was chasing a clock on wheels down a street made of tree bark, and then she fell down a never-ending cliff and landed on a seagull's giant feathered back. Her strange dreams all remained meaningless and garbled.

But in all of them, she could see.

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(•. •)

(><)

Purple eyes glanced swiftly around the fire; no one was awake. Furtively, Miroku pulled something gleaming and white from his sleeve. Keeping it cupped in his hands, just in case someone was watching. He flinched when the fire popped and looked up. No one was watching. Gently, he traced the kanji on the side of the thing he held with one hand. The other went up the other sleeve as he carefully watched the others sleep. He slid a long knife from the sleeve and fingered the blade.

"What are you doing, Miroku?" The monk whirled and looked up. Inuyasha was wide awake above him, amber eyes glinting in the dancing firelight.

"Oh, Inuyasha!" The black-haired monk placed a hand over his heart. "You scared me there." The hayou continued to stare pointedly. "Oh, this?" He indicated his hands without actually revealing the object. "It's… uh, a precious family heirloom." Hastily, he stuffed the other object up his sleeve again.

Amber eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you sure? What's with the knife, then?" There was a warning note in his voice. The hanyou dropped from the tree and landed next to the monk. "It doesn't look like a 'family heirloom' to me…"

"Back off!" Miroku hissed, fist clenched tightly around the small object in his hand. "It's mine, and I won't let you have it!"

Inuyasha backed away, surprised. "What are you talking about, monk?" He looked at the small object in Miroku's hand. "The doll…"

Miroku's purple eyes flickered. "It's mine. I have a mission. You can't stop me." The knife gleamed in the dancing orange firelight. "I have to… have to…" He took a step forward.

Deftly, Inuyasha reached forward and grabbed the monk's wrist. "What the hell is wrong with you, Miroku?" he demanded loudly. The knife twisted and flashed. Inuyasha hissed and stepped back, a long, shallow slash on his hand.

On the other side of the fire, Sango sat up quickly. "Miroku?" her voice was shocked. She glanced at Inuyasha, then his hand. The demon exterminator stood up and grabbed Hiraikotsu. "What's going on?"

"I don't know!" Inuyasha stepped back as Miroku lunged again, eyes gleaming feverishly. "I think he's possessed by the golem!"

"What golem?" Sango demanded as she stood up and sidled around the fire.

"The white one, in his hand!" Inuyasha leapt back and landed in a tree. "I think he must've picked it up when we weren't looking!"

"Don't try and stop me!" Miroku shouted deliriously. "I have a mission!" He swung the knife at Sango, who deftly blocked it.

"What mission?" the demon exterminator asked desperately, staring into glassy purple eyes that didn't seem to recognize her.

Miroku's thumb ran up and down the kanji on the bone figure. "…needs a body," he mumbled. Sango noticed that the kanji was glowing, and something else lit in Miroku's usually kind purple eyes. Malevolent innocence shone in blank purple eyes. "I'm hungry. I'm hungry."

The knife flashed out and Sango blocked it yet again. "Miroku, come on!" Brown eyes pleaded with glassy purple. "Wake up!"

A twig cracked behind the black-haired monk. He looked at Sango, confused. "All I want is to not be hungry. I'm so hungry…"

"Guys?" Kagome's voice rang out from the campground. "What's going on? Hello?"

"Kagome! Stay where you are! Miroku's gone berserk!" Inuyasha shouted, eyes still on the black-haired man.

"But there's something out there!" Kagome's voice was slightly panicky. "I don't know what it is, but it's not good! Get back!"

"Oh, we already know what it is," Inuyasha growled. "It's the figure in his hand." He glanced at Sango. "We should try and get it away from him."

The demon exterminator nodded and looked at Miroku. He had a violent reaction to Inuyasha's words. "No! It's mine! You can't have it!" Sango swallowed painfully. This wasn't going to be easy for her.

On the other edge of the clearing, Kagome focused. Calling forth that particular feeling to the forefront of her mind, small things began to light up in her mind. There were the Shikon Shards in her bag. That flicker over there was Tetsusaiga, different from the Shards, but not unpleasant. She shuddered. No, the nauseous feeling came from the doll in Miroku's hand. She could feel it now, tendrils of its power wrapped around him, using him as a puppet. Kagome bit her lip and forced herself to concentrate as things began to fade. There was one string from the doll that led off, far into the distance as if it was tied down to something. "Like Yura's hair…" she murmured. No one else could see it, but she and Kaede could, through their powers. It was a thread like that, invisible to the eye, but not the mind. All she had to do was apply the same principal…

She blinked. It was a lot harder without her eyes, and everything was so faint that she couldn't really "see" it at all. She huffed a sigh, frustrated. "This sucks," she grumbled unhappily. Again, she was useless.

On the other side of the clearing, Inuyasha's golden eyes suddenly widened with surprise. "Kagome! Gimme an arrow!" Her shooting one would certainly be too risky, but if he could hit the doll with one of her arrows, it might purify the thing.

"…If you say so!" Kagome fumbled around with her pack. "Ouch!" Her fingers met the sharp end of an arrow, and she sucked on the punctured one. With the other hand, she waved the arrow around over her head. "Here! You'll hafta come and get it!"

"I'm coming!" Inuyasha leaped over Miroku. "You got him, Sango?" The demon exterminator nodded grimly and she bit her lip as Miroku lunged at her with the knife again. Inuyasha turned again and raced to Kagome's sleeping bag. His nose twitched at the slight tang of blood. "What happened?" he demanded. "I can smell your blood."

"I grabbed the arrow by the pointy end." Kagome shrugged apologetically.

"You're so careless." He ran back to Sango and Miroku, the arrow grasped tightly in one fist. Eyes narrowed with concentration, he waited until the right moment, and struck.

The little bone figure cracked, purple light glowing between the fissures. The cracks spread, and the little doll broke with a tortured howl. With a shout, Miroku dropped the fragments and backed away shock scrawled all over his features. The figure lay smoking on the ground, the little pieces shriveling.

"Miroku, are you alright?" A concerned Sango tentatively touched the monk's arm.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" Familiar purple eyes watched Sango intently. The demon exterminator nodded. "I'm so sorry," Miroku stared at his hands and shuddered. Wonderingly, he stared at the shriveling fragments of bone on the ground. "I don't know how it did it," he admitted. "I don't even remember picking it up."

Grimly, Inuyasha let the arrow fall from his hand. "Well, I think we know what happened to the villagers," he told the other two. They nodded solemnly.

"Is everyone okay?" Kagome's anxious voice called from the clearing.

"We're fine," Sango replied loudly. She sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry to have caused you distress, Sango." There was true sincerity in Miroku's purple eyes. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wh-what?" Sango stammered, glad that it was night so that no one noticed her blushing. "I was just yawning because I'm tired. I haven't gotten much sleep." She hurried away to her bedroll.

Miroku sighed, a rueful smile curling the corners of his mouth. He nudged Inuyasha as they entered their campground. "I made her blush. Is that a good or bad sign?"

"Leave me alone," Inuyasha grumbled, rubbing one white ear. "I wanna sleep." He hopped into a tree nearby the others and stretched out.

"I've always wondered, Inuyasha," Miroku continued. "Why does a dog demon sleep in a tree?"

"Being possessed must agree with you, or something," Inuyasha grumbled. "And why do you care, anyway?" One amber eye opened and glared down through the foliage at the monk.

"I was just curious." The monk shrugged and sought refuge underneath another tree. Grimly, he rubbed his palm. The tunnel had widened again…

_|__|_

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--( • )--

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Back at the clearing, the little fragments of bone shriveled into dust around the arrow that Inuyasha dropped. A soft breeze blew, gathering the dust and blowing it away. Some of the powder clung to the arrow, some settled on the forest below. Most of it was airborne and scattered. Two of the three were destroyed.

The third lurked far from sight, clinging to dewy green leaves, riding on the feathered backs of birds as the sun rose. Under its influence, flowers bloomed and grass grew, long leaves reaching towards the rising sun. People rose from their beds, feeling invigorated and bursting with energy. Parents set off to work in fields, small children ran to and fro, whooping with laughter over nothing.

In the nearby forest, a rabbit tugged up a long stem of grass and devoured it, long ears twitching as dark eyes gleamed brightly with vigor. An ear turned and caught a sound. The small animal froze, a grass stem still hanging from its mouth.

The wolf pounced and the rabbit dashed, white tail flashing and eyes wide. All throughout the forest, animals and plants alike struggled for survival with renewed vigor. Nestled deeply within a bush, a small, intricately carved wooden doll hid within the shadows, the kanji inscribed upon its' surface glowing faintly.

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(0.0)

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Returning to her sleeping bag, Kagome sighed and tried not to brood. Inuyasha's remarkable and insightful words from before echoed in her head.

"The only thing you can do is accept it. Adjust, and try to overcome your difficulties. Everything will work out in time. Life isn't over."

She knew he was right. Give it some time. There was nothing that she could do to change things, except get over it and learn to move forward. Plenty of people around the world were blind, and now she was one of them. One of her hands found the pair of sunglasses next to her sleeping bag. She fingered them carefully, tracing the bridge of the nose and the lenses. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.

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AN: As usual;

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