Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha, this is simply a fan-based piece of fiction. Please enjoy~

The Beauty Who Became the Beast

Chapter One

Silver hair shone in the moonlight ahead of me, from where I stood facial features were blurred, the traditional white hakama was the give away as to who the figure is. His younger brother somewhere in the vicinity which is where I was headed before being stopped by the arrogant demon in front of me, having moved faster than my eyes could see, and glared at me steadily until I had no choice but to halt directly in front of him. Placing my hands on my hips, an annoyed expression already donning my face, I prepared to snap, but he held his hand up before I even had the chance to start.

"Miko, before you start screeching in that annoying shrill voice of yours, this Sesshomaru needs you to listen, for your sake do not chase my brother. He is no longer the half-breed you know and if you perish the jewel shard would suffer, Naraku will undoubtedly succeed in killing us all." He looked disgusted as he spoke, his pride obviously taking a hit in admitting that he too would perish right along with the rest of us.

"What do you mean he isn't the half-breed I know?" Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously but he did not speak, it was as if his aura radiated warning vibes even if he refused to say what was so dangerous out-loud.

"What could have the big bad aristocratic assassin so riled up, eh?" Still he didn't speak or look like he was remotely interested in answering me so I stepped around him, his hand reached out and grabbing my arm before I could continue my search.

"Woman! You must be deaf or stupid to not heed my warning." Gently disentangling my arm from his grasp I shook my head, he didn't understand... it wasn't bravery or stupidity keeping me from listening to his advice, it was love.

"I have to make sure he is okay, you may not care about what happens to Inuyasha but I sure as hell do!" He didn't move to stop me again and I couldn't feel his aura anymore, he had gone, leaving me to stand there alone contemplating the very strange interaction before starting through the forest once again.

The darkness of the night intensified as I walked deeper, the density of the tree's cutting off the small amount of light I had been recieving from the moon, making my journey much more terrifying than need be. Hearing a loud moan and not expecting it I jumped six feet into the air, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as it had been Inuyasha's voice I'd heard. A strange male's voice ordered Inuyasha to turn around, I only knew it had to be him because there were only two aura's besides mine and he definitely had not been speaking to me. Making my way silently to where I'd heard them I crawled on my belly until I reached a very small clearing, Inuyasha laid underneath this man, his back stretched out in ecstasy as the green haired- what I assume is a demon, shoved his hips back and forth against him. My eyes widened in surprise as I watched them, Inuyasha mewling and moaning as if he were a woman while the green haired one pleasured himself inside the half-demon who would have been my mate a few months from now.

"What the hell?!" Two pairs of eyes snapped to my direction as I crawled to my knee's then stood until they could clearly see me, Inuyasha blushed wildly as he pulled his red armored fire rat robe to cover himself, his face almost matched his clothing. That's when the male green haired demon stood defensively in front of him before snarling at me, his body language warning me not to step closer.

"K-Kagome? What are you doing here? Ain't you supposed to be home till the new moon?" The stupid half-breed didn't even realize that tomorrow was the new moon and he would be changing in a few hours.

"You son of a bitch! How in the fuck could you cheat on me with him! Kikyo I kind of understood, more or less anyway, but this? This is preposterous and down right evil.
We had an agreement to be mated and this what you do while I was home preparing to leave my family forever?! Why even keep me around, huh? Only to be your jewel hunter is that it?" How many times had I had this conversation with him but over Kikyo... how many times would I have to have it if I continued to chase after this UN-loyal piece of shit half-demon scum?

"Inuyasha? SIT!" He went face first crashing into the ground, the hole around him so deep I had to take a step back to avoid going with him, almost tripped over the brush behind me but somehow managed to stay upright. That was before Inuyasha's lover attacked, his hand swiping my chest so fast I was sure I'd be ribbons but when I opened my eyes- not even realizing I had closed them, I was surprised to see that I was not only unharmed but in the arms of someone I never though would come to my rescue.

"Ss-sesshomaru?" He glared down at me from our vantage point above Inuyasha's snarling, savagely enraged lover, his eyes bright green as he stared me down- paying no mind to the powerful inuyokai that held me. His demon cloud glistening beautifully below him as he moved my face from it to face him, his eyes locked with mine sending electricity up and down my spine.

"Ah-un!" He called moments before the two headed dragon appeared, bowing mid-air as they stopped to the side of us, Sesshomaru deposited me gently on their back before turning his attention towards the pair below us.

"I told you not to come woman, why do you never listen?" At this point I was surprised he even cared enough to keep me from becoming mince meat, not that I wouldn't have deserved it, I knew what would happen and I sat Inuyasha anyway.

"Wench! I will slaughter you!" He roared in my direction but was hit by Sesshomaru's poison whip before he could leap after me, Ah-un flew several feet higher before looking towards his master obediently waiting for orders.

The green haired demon turned his attention to his lover's elder brother seconds before Inuyasha shoved him out of the way, taking Sesshomaru's poison claws to his chest instead of the nameless demon now standing shock-still as he watched his lover barrel through a tree. He turned towards Sesshomaru again but not with rage, this time he looked upon him with fear. Inuyasha stood from the tree, one eye winced closed in pain as he limped in front of the green haired demon protectively, Sesshomaru turned towards me with questioning eyes... he was giving me the choice of whether or not he let them live. Looking at the pair below me I felt nothing but rage, so intense I was about to let Sesshomaru do what he clearly preferred but instead I shook my head. I pitied the fool who would end up with such a disloyal creature, in my eyes he could choose someone else's life to ruin because he would no longer be in mine.

"Good-bye Inuyasha, this time I will not be returning to you. May you find happiness with whomever this is and joy in knowing I shall never pester you with my presence again. It should be a breath of fresh air knowing you won't have to sneak around on the girl who loves you anymore, because I no longer do. I only let you live now because once I'm gone your journey to find and eradicate Naraku will come to an end, soon, I'm sure, your life will as well." His yellow eyes widened in shock, pain, and of course his trade-mark temper. Anger pulsated from his very essence but I couldn't bring myself to care, much of what I should be feeling was numb, leaving only anger and bitterness in it's wake.

"Yeah and what'er you gunna do? Eh, Kagome? You're just a human and you know damn well your family will never be safe without putting an end to this! Who will help you get rid of Naraku and reposes the sacred jewl? Him?" He pointed at Sesshomaru, who for his part re-sheathed his sword and looked calmly towards his younger brother before speaking words none of us thought we would ever hear.

"In fact I believe I will, she will be a strong edition to my army once we find and can end that snake. If she agree's of course, this Sesshomaru has learned many things as of late and you are a fool to have driven the miko away." Both his younger brother and I turned towards Sesshomaru with shock laden expressions before I felt myself begin to nod reluctantly.

"You've got to be shitting me? You can't possibly be serious Ka-go-me!" The angry drawn out way he said my name sent me over the ledge I had already been teetering on,
and as I began to smile his eyes changed from outrage to fear. He knew what was coming, he knew it would hurt, and I hope he knew how much I was about to enjoy the pain that I was about to inflict on his very being.

"SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT!" By the time I had finished subduing him the hole in the ground he had once stood was so deep he wasn't visible even from my ascended vantage point. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as did green haired demon's, at least Inuyasha's lover had been smart enough to leap out of the way in time, he had pretty good instincts for someone who would have died moments ago had Inuyasha not stepped in to save him.

"You, mate-thief! Keep him. Just remember if you come after me like that again I can and will purify your ass all the way back to the hells you crawled from, do I make myself clear?" He narrowed his eyes as I pointed my hand towards him palm open wide, already feeling the tingle of holy energy shoot through my finger tips I concentrated on making a ball- visually manifesting it slowly- I was more than impressed with myself when it finally appeared. Having been continuously training alone for this moment it was a relief to see the hard work paid off after so many months of mostly error.

"Okay! I'll not come after you. He is mine though, do you understand?" I threw the ball at the ground a few feet from where he stood and watched as the residual energy slightly melted the skin off of his left side, family jewels included.

"AaaaHhhhhhhhhh-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh" He screamed and dropped to his knee's, pain so intense it caused his eyes to roll etched into every fiber of his being, hopefully teaching him it's nice wise to steal someone's man then have the audacity to attack them. I know he smelled my scent all over him, he knew and he still slept with him, for all I know they could have mated already... but I did know.

"I understand, you've mated him haven't you?" He nodded, pain still racking his body but he was stubbornly holding on, his body shaking as he crawled towards Inuyasha's hole and my heart twinged with waves of pain.

Tears rolled down my eyes as I silently grabbed Ah-un's reigns and guided them away from where the lover's crawled to each other, Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow in my direction- which I caught out of my peripherals, but said nothing. Instead, he followed silently behind for a long while before suddenly ordering Ah-un to stop- which they did, almost causing me to go flying from their back. He flew his nimbus until we faced each other, amber eyes held mine for so long I felt as if we were almost having a staring contest, accept it felt like he was trying to tap my mind instead of make me blink. He held his hand out towards me but I didn't move to take it, it didn't seem like that's what he wanted so I waited. He traced what felt like four lines on my forehead, up-down-left-right, before his eyes narrowed behind me, someone was coming and they were coming fast.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Good to see ya, may I ask what you think yer doing with lady Kagome there?" Totosai's voice rang through the air like nails on a chalkboard, the concern in his voice loosening my annoyance at the interruption.

"Why do you assume old man I am the one who was harmful? Have you no respect geezer or did you get bonked on the head too many times to remember your manners." He grinned sheepishly before rubbing the back of his head.

"What do you mean? I wasn't interrupting anything... was I?" Turning towards the old man I saw his eyes widen to what seemed an impossible shape, his wrinkled skin gained deeper grooves as he frowned at my forehead.

"What's this?" He moved to touch the lines as Sesshomaru had but just as he was about to connect his hand was roughly jerked behind his back, Sesshomaru growled close to his ear before shoving him to the side.

"Oweee! Why would you do that Sesshomaru? It hurts when your rough like that ya know? Stop being such a bully, I wasn't going to hurt her. Besides why would you even care? Where is Inuyasha?" We looked at each other before Sesshomaru shrugged, his expression neutral as he flew to stand to my left but still slightly in front of me so Totosai couldn't touch me without going around him.

"She is the new one huh? Poor girl, you know how this ends don't you?" Sesshomaru began to growl, this time his eyes bled red as he warned the old man to stop speaking,
his temper almost breaking the surface completely when Totosai spoke again.

"With that compass on her forehead she is destined for great things, yes, but also a horrible death... you can't save her son of Inutaisho." Before Sesshomaru had the chance to put his glowing fingers around the old mans throat I gently grabbed his arm.

"Don't..." He looked at me, red fading back to amber as he focused on me, Totosai taking the opportunity to escape which was wise considering what was about to be a very bad predicament for him.

"What did he mean by that Sesshomaru? Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden and why is there a compass on my forehead?" He looked pissed again but his eyes stayed their beautiful yellow-gold hue, taking my hand in his he shook his head.

"I cannot answer any of your questions miko as it is not my place, soon you will have your answer but only if you agree to come with me. The choice is and has always been yours, I was too blind before to see but now I know what my responsibility is. Whether you allow me to or not I must protect you, something is coming miko, something more powerful than Naraku and all of my armies combined... you will be the one to tame or be tamed by it." The confusion must have been evident on my face but he refused to explain further, instead I nodded slowly.

"I'll follow you. Take me to where I will learn about this beast." Turning towards the rising sun he motioned Ah-un to stay at his side and off we flew, to a direction only Sesshomaru knew but one I hoped was full of information leading to an explanation. It's kind of weird to have something on your skin that you weren't born with or got tattooed on, life in this era could be nerve racking to say the least.

After what felt like hours of flying my legs were starting to get stiff and my butt hurt from sitting on the harness for so long without any cushioning, the leather was worn- in fact it was so old it should have been soft but wasn't. I wanted to complain but it didn't seem right considering who's presence I was in, would he react to my whining like Inuyasha or would he get angry with me for being petulant? It's like he sensed my thoughts or something because he suddenly came to a halt, looked in my direction, his eyes appeared worried but his expression aloof, even uncaring, said otherwise, and pointed down.

"We are going to stop and rest, my dragon flew more than he usually does with weight he normally doesn't have to carry." I blushed before nodding, was he really insinuating that I'm fat or something? Ah-un cocked in head what I took as confusion but Sesshomaru half-halfheartedly glared at them before leading us all to the ground,
leaning up against the trunk of the largest tree in the small area we were apparently to camp at for the night.

The smaller bag I started carrying around felt weightless as I slung it off my back, having already dropped off the yellow one at Kaede's before going in search of Inuyasha, I had only brought a book, some food, and a small reading light. The cold for some reason hadn't really been bothering me as of late so I hadn't packed a blanket, always carrying a small lighter with me I made a quick fire before pulling out the tin-foiled fish and small rice pot. Skewering the fish through thin sticks I found lying around I placed them sticking face up in the fire, placing the rice pot on a smooth stone slightly elevated in the small fire. The scent of cooked food filled the air and I turned to offer one to Sesshomaru but he was already shaking his head.

"I don't eat human food." I shrugged before picking one up after it had turned golden brown and taking a huge bite, opening the rice pot and placing it in front of me I reached for the chop-sticks I kept in the one of back-packs smaller pockets. The other held tampons and travel sized bath items, those were always a must no matter where I went these days, even in my era, probably out of habit from always being here.

"So what do demons eat then? Other demons?" He looked up and his eyes met mine, his body language clearly stated I should stop asking questions I probably didn't want the answers to.

"Mortals." My eyes widened partially because he answered me and at the answer he had given, of course that's what they ate! How could I have been so naive all this time considering how many demons attack human villages? It was never simply because they were an annoyance, it was because we are their food-source, Inuyasha must not have to because of his human side.

"What if you get hungry? Would you try and eat me?" He looked at my expression and I could see his lips twitch, not that I could decipher what expression he was trying to make but my curiosity got the better of me anyway. So I reiterated with my hands, hoping he would pick up the silent gesture as it was intended instead of it coming off as rude and impatient.

"You are not human, therefore I wouldn't eat you." My eyes widened as they once again locked with his, I could feel myself start to shake as I took in what he said, his words holding an answer for me but additionally created more questions.

"What?" He didn't have to do much to make it clear he wouldn't be answering any more questions and unlike Inuyasha I couldn't get information out of him by simply being annoying.

"Why are you so stubborn? It's as if you like making me suffer..." I pouted at him but his expression didn't change, instead he leaned against the tree and closed his eyes, successfully ignoring me.

Choosing not say anything else as I might actually annoy him which would most definitely result in no future inquiries being answered I focused on the pre-prepared meal in front of me savoring the marinated flavors of the fish. The sweet rice was a great balance to the fish and before I knew it I had devoured the food in front of me, only once I had some water from the thermos in the small backpacks water bottle holder did I realize my almost ravenous inhalation of the generous sized meal. Sighing contently I grabbed for the book I'd brought for entertainment during the long nights I spent travelling with the gang, now to be continued with the stoic and silent demon currently "sleeping" against the tree to my left. The novel I'd chosen to bring this time was written by an American Author, just recently published, and it's her first book but it's really well written. Tracing the title and author's name I marveled the feel of the slick cover, Valley of Shadows written by C.J Sereda is a book about Greek Gods as well as Goddesses. It's story-line pretty captivating and knowledgeable considering I had a pretty intense obsession with Greek mythology growing up,
which meant I hated when people screwed up their stories for entertainment purpose like some of the other authors who chose to write the genre. I'd been about a hundred pages in when I heard Sesshomaru's voice, causing me to drop said novel and look at him as if I'd been in a trance.

"I thought you required rest woman, why are you not asleep?" Picking up the lavender colored novel I showed him the cover before doggy-tagging a page so I could pick up where I'd left off at a later time.

"Is that a book?" Smiling as I nodded and reluctantly placed the book back in my bag, not really wanting to stop reading as I'd just gotten to an intense part in the book where the protagonist was faced with a difficult ultimatum.

"Indeed it is." He gestured for it but I shook my head, the book being from America meant he wouldn't be able to read it not to mention the fact it's written in a different language would mean I'd have some explaining to do.

"Give me the oddly colored book woman. This Sesshomaru wants to observe it closely, how have you come to posses something such as that?" Oops... it would seem I'd have to answer some questions anyway, how could I spin this so he wouldn't want to locate exactly where it came from?

"It's a book used for miko training, if you touch it, the book will burn you." I felt as though that was a great save, that was until he rebutted with another sensible question that I didn't really have an answer for.

"Then why was there an image of a woman and two men on it's face? Hand it here." Printing and photography didn't exactly exist in this era so it would be hard to explain why the picture didn't look painted.

"I'd rather not, how about this? You answer my questions about this supposed compass on my forehead and I'll let you see the book." He snarled, obviously conveying with fangs that he could just snatch it from me but something told me he wouldn't. When I didn't turn my eyes from his he leaned back against the tree, mumbling I need to rest before once again falling into what he expected me to think was sleep himself, so with a frustrated sigh I leaned against my back-pack as if it were a pillow before closing my eyes and forcing myself to drift off.

Something soft to the touch wrapped around my body restricting my movement as I tried to stretch, the sun's bright rays cutting through my closed eyelids like butter while the sounds of wildlife acted as an impromptu alarm-clock. Holding my head in my hands I slowly sat up, the fuzzy thing wrapped around me loosened slowly until it slid from lap. Once I was able to open my eyes I realized it was Sesshomaru's moko-moko as it slid back across his shoulder's of it's own accord, garnering my curiosity as well as my undivided attention. Crawling slowly over to it I hadn't even realized what I was doing until I heard the irritable silver haired demon growl his annoyance at my intrusion of his personal space.

"Can I help you miko? This Sesshomaru seems to have given you the impression it's okay to touch his person without permission, if you continue stroking my pelt I will have no choice but to forcefully rectify that." Snatching my hand back as if he were trying to bite it off I gazed at the tree behind him trying to hide the all consuming embarrassment currently rapidly making itself known by the heat of my skin, basically? I was positive my face was redder than Inuyasha's armor.

"I-uh, it just moved on it's own!" He quirked his eyebrow at me before abruptly standing, his hair whipped against my face as he formed his cloud so fast I barely had time to back-up before the force of it catapulted me into the nearest tree.

"Hey!" Not giving me time to continue what would have been a tirade on his manners he wrapped his arm around my waist, effortlessly bringing me to stand beside him on the sparkling golden cloud that was to be our transportation as I had no longer sensed Ah-un's aura. I hastily grabbed my small pack before righting myself on the surprisingly solid nimbus, didn't want to leave my book or worse... my bath supplies- behind, I would smell for Kami knows how long.

"Where did your dragon run off to?" Not bothering with a reply we took off, his hand pressed firmly into my hip sending sensations I'd never experienced even when his younger brother touched me and I was supposed to have been in love with him... wasn't I?

"Why are you even bothering to help me Sesshomaru, what's in it for you?" He looked at me and the heat from his gaze made my heart skip a beat, his expression so intense I was almost sorry I asked- almost.

"It is my duty as Lord of the West to protect The Seeker, now stop asking questions as that is all I am allowed to reveal. Any other information you require will have to be by those entrusted to tell you." My eyebrows shot up at his response, in all my years of reading mythology, fantasy, and novels concerning the occult I had never come across such a title.

"Oh..kay?" His moko-moko shifted again util it twisted itself around both of us, the humming of the cloud beneath our feet momentarily distracted me from my thoughts, good thing too, Inuyasha was dead-ahead of us crouching atop a tree branch waiting for us to close enough distance to strike.

"Where the hell did you think you were going with her Sesshomaru? She is my property and ain't leaving my side till I get what I want from Naraku, give her back!" I'm his what?

"What are you talking about Inuyasha? I thought you were going after him to avenge Kikyo, that's what you told everyone back at the village! You know damn well I'm not letting you get that jewel to become a full-fledged demon and frankly I thought we were over that." He sneered at me, the dog-ears I once thought were so cute began twitching uncontrollably making it look as though they were seizing. He himself looked as though he was about to fall over, if not for the determination in his eyes I would thought he was joking considering his physical condition.

"You will not live through this encounter if you insist on testing me little brother, this woman is under my protection and I will not allow the likes of you to harm her ever again." Inuyasha roared his anger as tension so think it was almost visible filled the air between the two brothers, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up again and it was made to my attention that something was seriously off about the half-breed I once considered my intended.

"Sesshomaru! Inuyasha has a tainted jewel shard embedded in his back!" The tall beautiful demon turned his head to look at me before forcefully stopping his momentum and threw us back, the force of his movements jerked my head back which in turn actually saved my face from being viciously clawed by my ex-team mate.

"Give me that bitch or I'll eat your fucking heart!" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes dangerously at his half sibling before gently placing me on a thick branch high up in a broadly leaved tree.

Without another word between the two an epic battle began, first with a swipe to the elder brother's face followed by a thin glowing green whip to the younger's ribs, pain flashed briefly across Inuyasha's face before it was replaced with blind rage. He unsheathed Tessaiga and pointed it towards his brother but it hadn't transformed, it's old antique like formed pulsated a message to me before accepting it's fate. Sesshomaru sliced through it's hilt, barely missing the blade itself in his confusion as to why it hadn't taken it's usual gigantic appearance. The Tessaiga, initially created to protect humans, wouldn't allow Inuyasha weild it to hurt one, even apparently one who was supposedly one no longer. Concentrating on my hand I willed myself to create another orb, through the study of Wicca, meditation, and a lot of experimentation- as I've previously discovered, seemed to be paying off as a ball of pure light formed even faster than it had against the nameless green haired demon.
Letting it go I felt it glide through the air, controlling it with ease I led it to where Inuyasha hung from a branch, and since his attention, intelligently I might add,
was so focused on his brother, not realizing nor knowing he should be moving to dodge, I managed a perfect hit. The little ball of light acted like a purifying electric chair, not only sending shock waves of pain through his body but fried the tainted aspect of the jewel in tandem, leaving a very human looking Inuyasha writhing on the ground.

"How did you...?" He looked at me, brown eyes almost closed in pain but his desire to know what just happened to him kept him staring at me like he'd never seen me before,
his broken body heaving it's exhaustion as he waited for an explanation.

"I don't have to explain myself to you anymore Inuyasha, as for the effects of it? I would expect to be human for quite a while." With that his head hit the dirt hard,
with no demon blood left in his veins he would be vulnerable to attack, especially since while passing out he probably gave himself a concussion.

"If you're worried someone will attack him while he rests I assure you he will be safe, he wanted to face Sesshomaru again for you and I hadn't a clue why until you said he had a jewel shard in his back. Thank you priestess for saving his life although at one point it seemed as if you wanted to take it." Turning my head towards the green haired demon's voice I wondered how I had not sensed him and where in the hells he came from. Sesshomaru shared my reaction albeit he hid it better, I could only tell by the slight twitch in his moko-moko which seemed to want to move but was being held against it's will.

"We will be off then, shame you have to watch after a creature as pathetic as he." The demon's eyes began to glow again, green met yellow before green turned away,
apparently accepting the dominant and bent down to care for his own submissive.

"She will get you killed silver one, mark my words." This was a moment I would never forget because just as he spoke those words images so intense played behind my eyes I couldn't help but cry, the heaviness of how true the strange demons words felt tightened my chest. The vision or whatever that was- showed the beautiful silver haired demon's death... and it was indeed my fault.

Note from Author: I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! New chapters will be up with reviews~