It Turns To Ashes

Chapter 2: Through Inuyasha's Forest.

Jin walked for miles, so it seemed to him. I was almost if he was walking over the same grounds again, and again. Some grounds were grassy while others had sand and dead leaves hiding the ground. It was as if this mystical forest had seasons of its own. He passed by many things, until he stopped dead in his tracks, only to see a glowing well. What magic did this well possess? He decided not to ask himself any further questions, he would explore later.

"For now, I am to seek the one named Inuyasha." Jin said as he looked up to the sky.

With Jin's demonic strength, he leapt upward to the sky, landing on a tall Sakura tree. Those had been rare these days, the tall ones, anyways. He scanned the area with his golden yellow eyes. He lifted his head slightly, once more and sniffed around. He began to focus on one scent, it was moving.

"Inuyasha..." Jin whispered.

Jin's half demon ears twitched once before he leapt out, landing on another tree. He continued doing this until Inuyasha could be seen. He leapt out the final time, landing in front of the running Inuyasha.

"Watch it, Kid!" Inuyasha screamed as he came to an immediate halt.

Inuyasha stared at Jin for a while. 'This… This boy. He smells like Kagome… And that of Sessho-maru.'

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked.

"I am Jin of Lord Sessho-maru and who once was Lady Kagome." Jin bowed in front of Inuyasha.

Inuyasha began to think on that, he almost pretended to ignore what Jin had said about Kagome and Sessho-maru.

'This kid speaks like an adult.' Inuyasha thought.

"Kagome…" was all that Inuyasha allowed escape from his mouth. "She was supposed to be my…"

Jin wasn't paying attention at all to Inuyasha. "I need you to train me. My father kicked us out of the west the day I was born. Only because I was born a half demon and he refused to have a half demon son. He was going to kill me; however, my mother stopped him. Doing so we were banished, never to return to the west, so I was told. I must train myself, to prove myself to him. He is the reason my mother died…" Jin trailed off.

"Kagome is dead?!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Yes. A demon attacked our village and she was really sick after… I couldn't help her… I'm only nine years old…" Jin became silent after saying all that.

"When did she die?"

"She died a few hours ago. I knew I needed to find you, you are the only one I know with greater power than that of my father."

Inuyasha had tears forming in his eyes, but he quickly rubbed them away.

"I… I don't know about that, kid. I mean. I haven't really won a battle with him yet…"

Meanwhile, far off to the west… Sessho-maru sat upon his throne.

"Milord! News from the East, Kagome has died." A small, green creature shouted.

A pain struck through Sessho-maru's heart.

"What about my son." Was all that escaped Sessho-maru's mouth at that moment.

"We haven't been able to find him, but his scent is all over the…Forest."

"All right. Jaken, Leave me be."

Jaken left the room worriedly. He feared what his lord would do if something had happened to the boy.

"Doesn't he know that now I have a change of heart? Didn't he realize he was accepted…? Or did Kagome hide this from him?"

With all these thoughts in Sessho-maru's head, he felt something in his throat. The sore feeling you get, when you haven't cried for a long time… But you realize you are going to. Sessho-maru hadn't cried for over 200 years.

He looked at his feet, and amazingly, tears began to fall.

Back to where we were.

Jin and Inuyasha had come to an agreement. Inuyasha would train if Jin would be committed to his training. It would take a few years, but he knew he could do it. He would do anything to get revenge against the bastard who banished him.

"Your training will be long and hard, you know that right…?" Inuyasha asked, still not sure if the boy would follow through with this.

"I will stay committed." Jin just smiled slightly.

The two walked off into the distance, everything almost oblivious to them… So it seemed. Jin stared at all the trees and huts and villages they passed by. Which one were they headed to? Jin had all these thoughts racing through his mind. He tried so hard to forget about his mother, but he knew that was an impossible thing to do. After a few minutes, Inuyasha had come to an immediate halt and sniffed the air. Jin stared directly at him, blankly.

"This is the village." Inuyasha whispered and entered slowly.

"It's been over 12 years since I have been here."

Jin did not speak, he just listened. They passed by many huts through the village. Some old and wrecked, some looked rebuild and others you could just tell they were brand new. Some huts were that of the poor, others that of the rich. Even huts were different if there was a demon living there. Jin had never seen so many people living in solidarity. He simply smiled and continued walking his ground.

Jin and Inuyasha entered a larger hut. Well it wouldn't be exactly right to call it that. It looked ore like a house, combined with a shrine. The shrine was made of dark oak wood and had carvings of dragons and priestess' up one side. The other had carvings of a heavenly garden and gates. The roof was made of a rich black tile. The doors were sliding doors, made with a thing wood frame and expensive rice paper. Two lanterns hung outside the front, one on the right side, one on the left side and one above the door. The lantern on the left was blood red, as the one on the right was white. The one in the center was orange.

Inuyasha lead Jin into the hut, someone greeted them half way. A woman, it was hard to tell whether she was demon, human or half demon. Jin sniffed her. 'Graveyard soil?' He thought. Could this woman be a descent of the dead?

The woman bowed her head at them.

"My name is Koyagei, the priestess' apprentice. Priestess Ai will be with you soon. Please come in, I am preparing some green tea." Koyagei bowed, placing he hands on the front of her legs. She quickly walked inside and sat at a small table. Since she was unable to sit with her legs at a proper 180 degree angle, she just crossed her legs. Jin, however, was able to sit in that position and did so. Inuyasha just did the same as Koyagei. Within an hour, Priestess Ai came out. A young girl followed her out, and left the shrine. Priestess Ai bowed her head to everyone there.

"How may I be of service to you?" was all that escaped her mouth.

"I am looking for a woman; she used to be a priestess of this village. She was sister to another priestess, who lies dead yet still alive."

For once Inuyasha was able to let out some intelligence for once.

Koyagei stood up and walked slowly over to the priestess. She began to whisper.

'I believe he's talking about Kaede and Kikyo' whispered Koyagei.

Priestess Ai nodded.

"I am sorry, but that priestess has passed on."

Inuyasha nodded his head. He stood up and grabbed Jin by the shoulder, telling him to get up and follow him.

Jin got up and looked around him as he walked through the village. He had wondered what Inuyasha had planned for him. He couldn't think much about it. All these thoughts were racing through his mind, and suddenly…

The sun was setting.

Jin suddenly felt so tired, as if he were going to faint. What was going on?

The world began to fade, and he was in a dark place. A light figure approached him. The figure seemed like an angel or a spirit of someone pure. It was blurred until it became clearer to him. This figure…

"Mother?" Jin called out.

"Jin…" the figure whispered faintly.

"Jin, come here!" there was laughter. Was this a memory? Was he asleep? He couldn't think.

Jin started to cry. "Mom..."

Once he came closer to her, she faded away.

"No!!!!—

"WAKE UP!"

Jin rose right up really fast. "Hum? Huh, wha?"

"I told you to wake up; you were crying and shouting in your sleep. I hope you woke no one near the village. " Inuyasha said.

Jin rubbed his eyes. They were wet. He hadn't cried since he was a boy, he was very surprised that his eyes were wet with tears.

"Men don't cry." Was all Inuyasha said before pushing Jin back down and telling him to sleep.

To be continued…