A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!!! HOPE YOU EAT A LOT OF CANDY! MUAHAHA!

I was thinking of this story when I was listening to the song, Lies by Evanescence the other day. Besides, no one can disagree that most of the things happen to Kagome in the series. Gotta give Inuyasha some credit too, the show is named after him! So Inuyasha, this is all about you!

Disclaimer: I DONT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MAYBE A HUT AND MADAME KYOKO UNFORTUNATELY! PLEASE DONATE AND GIVE ME CUSTODY OF INUYASHA! Awww, it was a good try though...

Darkness Within

He felt restless. He didn't know why he did, or maybe it had to do with the fact that the startling nightmare he just had...was disturbing. No, it wasn't about Kagome, or anyone else for that matter. It had to deal with him...him alone...or that's what he thought.

His silvery white bangs were matted to his lightly tanned forehead that had suddenly gone pale, which was also covered in a light sheet of sweat. He thank the gods he was in a tree, for if he were down with his friends, they would have surely woken up to this sight of...him. He couldn't have imagined how he might've looked like right now, panting and dripping wet with sweat, but he didn't have time for humor.

Suddenly, something whispered to him and he jumped slightly on his tree branch, his golden eyes darting all over the dark forest that he was in to get a closer look at what was speaking to him. The graceful shadows of the swaying trees danced in his vision and he could only will his thundering heart to relax. There wasn't anything out of place, so that was good, right? However...his still fresh nightmare came back to mind, yet the events in it couldn't have been true...no, he still refused to believe such a thing could be true or even possible as a matter of fact...

But there it was again. It was more of a lulling whisper than anything else...but whoever it came from had a rich voice filled with something more like...darkness or malice. He didn't know how to describe it, but it called to him in a manner that had him itching to fall asleep...like in his dream...Oh no...was he going insane? He was...he most likely was going insane because the voice sounded like his own for a second...and the one from his dream...

He had to be insane...this couldn't be true...that old fortune teller was telling him a lie god dammit! Now she put a spell on him or something...yes...that was it...no it wasn't it.

The old fortune teller was right...

...because the third time he caught the whisper, he knew it wasn't around him. It came from him...from his mind...and it sure as hell wasn't him thinking...oh gods...

The fourth time was much clearer than the rest...and he could make out clear words...

...and he wished he hadn't...

...for it whispered in that eerily, haunting rich voice that sounded so much like his own...

...I'm awake...the darkness within you is awake...

...Inuyasha...

How...how...how the hell could t-this be?! His hands lightly trembled as he gripped his head to get the dark voice to stop...but it wouldn't. It just kept getting louder and louder...firmer and firmer...darker and darker...

What the hell was he doing?! He had to be strong, the only reason he could hear that voice was because of his own idiotic fear! He had to get a grip on himself. Dreams, nightmares much less, were never true. They will never be true. So he had nothing to worry about. Right?

Right.

...you're wrong...I'm just as real as you are...didn't I tell you?

Oh no...oh hell no...that time was so clear that it made him actually tremble with fear. If that fortune teller was right...then she was right about everything else...no...not that. It was hard enough to handle the times when he transformed...the feeling of not knowing your body anymore, the feeling of no self control...he never wanted to feel that way again...

Yet, didn't he just feel like a total stranger in his own body right now?

Like he was suddenly unwelcome...

...suddenly not him anymore...

With that realization, he couldn't be on the tree anymore, he had to get off. He needed air, he needed to breathe! The air around him wasn't enough, it was thick and humid and tense; the list could go one forever. Gods, the voice was laughing at him, laughing the way Naraku had with such malice...no this was worse than Naraku's taunting, cackling laughs...

...much worse because...

...that was himself laughing.

It was a bright spring day in the Feudal Era and the Inu-Tachi was just a day and a half away from returning to Kaede's village. The sun was shining its normal, brilliant golden yellow, the young, happy birds were chirping their beautiful morning tunes, and everything within their path was filled with joy and happiness.

The five hunters, however, were feeling a little down since it had been raining cats and dogs--as Kagome had lightly put it--the whole time they were searching, and just when they decided to go back to Kaede's village it was bright and sunny again.

Talk about the irony.

Well, at least Naraku had already been defeated, so that was something less to worry about. But stupid Naraku had forseen his death and rescattered the chunck of jewel shards he had possessed. But there weren't many left, maybe about five give or take. Now all they needed to do was find the rest of the shards to complete the jewel and they could live the rest of their aching lives in peace!

Yeah right.

Right now, the group was passing by a small village that was on the outskirts of their destination. The village seemed like a normal poor village that was, however, more self sufficient than the others the group had seen. For some reason, the villagers of all ages seemed very happy and were running around bustling with their pent up energy. They wondered what the commotion was all about, but received their answer when one villager shouted something among the rowdy group of eagerly awaiting villagers.

The one villager stood up on an abandoned crate in order to further address the group of villagers equally. "Gather around for the festival's in town, free of any cost! Come, relax, and retrieve the childish joy you have once lost!"

"A festival? Can we go?" Shippo immediately asked, putting on the puppy dog look on Kagome, complete with the wide eyes and pouting lip. The raven haired miko smiled and looked questiongly at Inuyasha, who just huffed and crossed his arms, slightly draping his long crimson haori sleeves over each other.

"Keh, festivals are a waste of time. We still have a long way to go to Kaede's village," the hanyou replied in his usual gruff tone, and Kagome only rolled her chocolate eyes, seeing through Inuyasha's act with great ease.

Even though Inuyasha had grown a little--or even just a tad bit--more open with people since the three years she had known him already, he still didn't like to agree with anyone no matter what. He always used excuses before he made it seem like he grudgingly accepted, yet he always agreed right from the beginning.

Could save his energy if he just did so without such a fuss, Kagome thought, almost laughing out loud, but then again that wouldn't be my Inuyasha...

"Hmm, a festival like this is pretty rare around this area. I think we should go." Sango already seemed to like the idea. Now it was three against one. Everyone looked towards the last person who had yet to say anything for or against the matter. But he was too entertained in staring at the supposedly luscious rear of one of the passing village women...

SLAP!

"Pay attention you lecherous monk!" Sango semi shouted as to not rouse the unwanted attention of passing villagers already staring at them.

Miroku cleared his throat loudly and stated his answer in the most dignified manner that a freshly slapped monk could have said in, "Yes, I agree with my lovely Sango. We could also use this time to relax from our very long journey." Sango blushed, but hid it well, and glared at Miroku, threatening to slap him again if she needed to. The monk in question only held up his hands in a surrendering pose.

But still, great, now it was four against one. The damn monk just had to agree, didn't he? Inuyasha couldn't believe his luck. Everyone was always against him...it was his silver hair wasn't it?

Oh well...

Inuyasha lightly growled to himself and gruffly answered, "Fine! You all got two hours to relax and then we're leaving, got it?"

Shippo cheered and started running off to look at the festival with Kagome behind him, as she also tugged along a very reluctant hanyou with her. Miroku and Sango both shook their heads, albeit smiled at the trio and followed closely behind them towards the exciting ambient of the festival.

Exciting, wow.

"There, now can we go?"

Two hours passed and the group had pretty much already relaxed, ate, and enjoyed themselves in the festival. It had been a very pleasant day for the group, even Inuyasha couldn't deny that to himself. They had goofed around, laughed at each other, and pretty much settled down after such a long, tiresome journey. The brightly colored decorations added to the beauty and spring ambience of the festival, and all couldn't help but wonder how it would look like at night.

Yet, now that Inuyasha felt that the time was up, he wanted to go. However, it seemed that the others were against the thought by the way they were longingly staring at one more attraction in front of them. Outside, the attraction looked like a regular hut, but it had a wooden sign hanging on the door signaling yet another attraction.

One that seemed worthy of going to...or at least the majority of the group thought so...

"Inuyasha..." Kagome trailed off, suggesting something while glancing from him to the attraction with a longing deep within her eyes. Inuyasha knew what that meant, but as stubborn as he was, he refused to accept it.

He only growled and crossed his arms defiantly. "No way in hell!"

"Please--"

"No!"

"Come on--"

"No!"

"Inu--"

"Are you deaf wench?! I said no!"

"Just this last one! Dont make me s-i-t you!"

At this, Inuyasha uncrossed his arms and glared at Kagome with slightly wide golden eyes. "You wouldn't dare!"

Kagome, however, crossed hers and glared back at him. "I'll prove it! Si--"

"Fine dammit! But that's it!"

He couldn't believe how submissive he was to her. When they had first met, he had wanted to kill her, argued with her constantly, and very much had a wild and free spirit. But now, three years later, he was agreeing with her right from the very start! And it was not nearly enough to make it seem like he didn't want to agree anymore! But he had a hunch Kagome knew and didn't want to expose that to the others for him, thank goodness, and that was why she only threatened to sit him, yet never did it.

Well, no one saw him complaining about that concept, now did they?

Kagome grinned brightly at him the way she usually did when she was grateful--it was a grin that held her affections for him that he knew so well of, and it always seemed to warm his heart. She made him feel like a child again with a giddy, innocent crush, and gods was it ever annoying!

But, then again, he much rather have Kagome smiling at him constantly with affection than have her glaring at him with hate. If it ever came down to that...what would he do? He didn't feel like pondering it.

Ever.

Inuyasha, seemingly very reluctant, turned around to face the attraction that the others wanted to go to, since he had turned his back to it, and read with a groan that it was a fortune telling one. What a load of bull, that stuff was never true. Why would they want to spend their precious time to get to Kaede's village on...on...this of all things!

Yet...Kagome beamed at him again and took his hand in hers, leading him inside with her...

And that was enough to shut him up...for now.

The others followed after Inuyasha and Kagome into what seemed like a regular hut, but held the sign of a free fortune telling by Madame Kyoko on the door. Who was Madame Kyoko, they didn't know not even in all their travels, but who cared?

Inuyasha sure didn't.

Once everyone was inside, they saw that there was a regular Japanese table set up on the beige tatami floor with a transluscent crystal ball on top of it. Soon after their entrance, an old woman who could rival in Kaede's age--and wrinkles Inuyasha added-- came into the room and greeted her clients.

She looked like a gypsy, with her dark blue peasant skirt and matching white shirt, and also with the dark blue head band tied to the side on her surprisingly full head of hair. It was very hard to find gypsies in Japan now a days since they were highly discriminated against, but here she was to all of their ultimate surprises.

However, for some reason, her gazed lingered around Inuyasha more than it was supposed to, and he couldn't help but notice it. He would have been sickened to death if it were a gaze of lust, he even got sick just thinking about it, but that wasn't the case. Was it because he was a half demon? He couldn't tell, but something told him that it wasn't...

The old woman, presumably Madame Kyoko, then smiled with a warmth that told of her wisdom to all of them once she snapped out of the daze induced by a certain hanyou. "Welcome all to my fortune telling attraction, free of any costs. You are all entitled to one fortune, and all you must do is put your hand on the crystal ball until it changes to a certain color."

Everyone nodded or looked blankly at her, but she assumed that they got it and gestured for someone to come up while the others took a seat on the soft, silky smooth cusions on the tatami.

Shippo was the first one to go, eager to have his forutne read, and followed the directions Madame Kyoko had given before, placing his small hands on the crystal ball. The ball turned from a transluscent white to a dark green, and the fortune teller closed her eyes and placed her own hands on the ball near Shippo's. Everyone wondered how this fortune telling thing was supposed to work, but then Madame Kyoko snapped opened her eyes, surprising everyone, and smiled at Shippo.

"Kitsune, you have had your many hardships in life, but it will now be your turn to prosper from them. You will have a great, successful future, and when there are hard obstacles in your way, be brave and do not give up. And yes, you will be a very handsome and tall young demon." Shippo silently cheered at that before deriding at a scoffing but nearly laughing out loud Inuyasha, a feat that only the hanyou could pull off perfectly, and took his seat back on his reserved cream colored cusion.

Sango went up next since neither Kagome nor Inuyasha were ready, and Miroku was paying more attention to her than to the fortune telling. She followed what Shippo had done, and once she touched the crystal ball, it turned into a soft magenta color. But supposedly there was nothing wrong with that when Madame Kyoko opened her eyes and smiled kindly, yet with an empathy Sango didn't know much about.

"Ah, you are a very tough young lady, my dear. You've had many ups and downs in life, but you can finally rest in peace knowing that your deceased loved ones are watching over you in the afterlife, as well as your brother. Do not be afraid to seek what it is you want, and most of all do not lie to yourself. What you want may be right in front of you."

Sango's dark brown eyes widened at what she had said and possibly started believing that this fortune telling was real. How did Madame Kyoko know about her family and Kohaku? She hadn't talked about any of them around the village, and it wasn't as if the old fortune teller had a book telling her about everyone's families!

The demon slayer sighed and went back to her seat, and noticed with a start that Miroku was the one sitting across from her on the table. Not that she hadn't known before, but recalling what Madame Kyoko had just said about what she wanted was right in front of her...oh great.

Soon, Miroku, whose fortune had been one of many children with whom he thought was with Sango, and Kagome, who was given a fortune to stay by the one she loved for he will need her in the near future--that had really confused her and a certain hanyou--finished their turns and it was only Inuyasha who had yet to go. But it wasn't as if it seemed like he really cared about fortune telling, though.

The others looked at him expectantly, yet he wasn't moving an inch towards Madame Kyoko. Nor was he looking at her; his gaze was directly fixed upon the opposite wooden wall.

"Um...Inuyasha, aren't you going to go get your free fortune?" Kagome asked, but the hanyou only scoffed, getting pretty irritated at this whole fortune crap.

Who cared about this stuff anyway? They would live through it sooner or later, and besides, it wasn't like it was going to happen. What if someone had a fortune of living a long life and the next day that same person was killed by bandits? Seeing into the future didn't exist, and Inuyasha wasn't going to start believing in it any time soon.

"We dont have time for this! We're wasting valuable time to get to the village on this crap?! For what, it might not ever even happen!"

"Inuyasha..."

"Oh shut up, I'm not changing my mind and I'm not doing this stupid fortune shit! Let's go."

"Hey--"

"Let's go!" Inuyasha hastily stood up and turned to leave but the voice of the second old hag, to him of course, stopped him, and he couldn't help but feel a little more than just angry at that.

Was it that no one could understand that he didn't want to see his future because he had no future? What was left for a hanyou like him in this world? Nothing. If he saw his future now he would probably see himself dead or homeless.

Homeless...he hated that word with a passion beyond his comprehension.

"Hanyou, is it that you are afraid of seeing your future?" Inuyasha stopped mid way in his tracks and stiffened, slowly turning around to face the burning brown gaze of Madame Kyoko. Why the hell did she care if he took his fortune or not? And how the hell did she know that?

Great, now the others suspected something by the way they were waiting for his answer.

"O-Of course not! It's none of your damn business ya old hag!"

"Inuyasha!" Madame Kyoko smiled patiently at Kagome, who had angrily fisted her hands together on her lap, and returned her gaze on Inuyasha. He was glaring threateningly at her, daring her to make him take his fortune.

Well...he begged her for a challenge and she was going to give it to him.

"Then prove it to us, hanyou. If you are brave enough to see what your future has instore for you, then prove it." Inuyasha growled audibly, and stomped back to the tatami, taking a seat in front of Madame Kyoko while letting loose a string of colorful choice words.

Still growling deep within his chest, he placed his clawed hands on the now white crystal ball and watched it as it turned into a blood red, almost like the color of his haori. But then to his and everyone's great surprise, black swirled into the red, clouding it over with its darkness, and soon the crystal ball became entirely charcoal black.

No one knew what it meant but Madame Kyoko, yet when eyes turned towards her, her lips were widely parted and her mahogany brown eyes widened more than just a fraction. Her skin had also gone ashen, and the others could only guess what had been so frightening that had twisted her once amiable expression.

Her current one was an expression of shock...and some terror.

"Take your hands off, take them off now!" Inuyasha quickly complied with the order, without a fuss this time, and faced Madame Kyoko again. She seemed to be contemplating something now with a grim expression on her face, and what it was no one but her knew.

"Excuse me for this, but I would like everyone but the hanyou to wait outside for a moment. I have something...to speak with him about."

Inuyasha was going to retort indifferently at that, but Miroku and Sango stood up, nodded, and dragged along a very confused Shippo and they didn't forget about Kirara with them outside the hut. Kagome glanced back and forth between Madame Kyoko and a spluttering Inuyasha while thinking of a quick decision before sighing and following after the others. She didn't want to leave him alone in there, but she had to this time.

Once everyone was outside, Inuyasha turned his golden amber gaze towards Madame Kyoko expectantly, not really fully trusting her just yet. Why the hell did she want to speak with him, alone better yet? And what the hell happened when he put his hand on the crystal ball? Well, he wanted some answers too.

Madame Kyoko sighed as she stood up to get something in another room of the hut. Inuyasha wondered what it was, and when she came back, he was surprised to see that she had brought back an old scroll that looked older than the Tetsusaiga. He was even more surprised when the old hag shoved the scroll at him and demanded that he open it.

"Why do you want me to open this damn scroll?"

Madame Kyoko refrained from answering him and only gestured for him to untie the rough string holding it closed and read the scroll. Inuyasha grumbled under his breath and complied, his notrocious curiousity finally taking the best of him. Once he unrolled the scroll, he noticed that there was no writing on it, but a drawing...a drawing of what looked to be him on it...but he was wearing an entirely black haori and hakama...and were those black stripes on his cheeks?

...no it couldn't be him then...could it?

The person in the drawing was also holding some kind of weapon that he couldn't say that he had seen before...what was it again? A scythe. The scythe's silver blade was jagged and was just about the length of his Tetsusaiga. There was only one difference between the person in the drawing and himself. This person looked to be a full demon while he was only a half demon. The full demon was complete with his elven ears, black facial markings and hints of markings tracing down his lightly tanned arms, and there were no silver dog ears atop of his head. dog ears was something Inuyasha had, something that separated him from the full bloods.

This definitely wasn't him then with all that proof.

"What in the...seven hells...is this?"

Finally, Madame Kyoko decided to talk, "This scroll was passed down in my family for generations. And my family were prophetic gypsies. The seer of our village had seen that a great calamity was going to befall the people of these lands and had drawn a picture of what she had seen. That, in the drawing, is you. She had said that the person who was going to cause the calamity was a hanyou, a hanyou born of a dog demon lord and a human princess. Am I not correct in that small detail, hanyou?"

Inuyasha remained quiet, a little too stunned by the fact that some so called seer had seen what appeared to be him causing some sort of calamity. He had never heard so much bull in his life...

"You're wrong, clearly this is a full demon! I am a hanyou, not this fucking calamity befaller! You might be right about my family, but I'll be damned before I believe this is me for one second!"

"No, I am not wrong, you just dont understand is all. When you touched the crystal ball, I sensed it, this evil power inside of you. The red signified your life line, your heart and mind, but then the black clouded it...Darkness is what it is called. It is inside of you, hanyou." Inuyasha smirked and tucked the scroll into one of the folds of his haori before standing up.

He'd keep it, but he wont believe it.

"I think you've read a little too many fortunes old hag. Now you're going insane from it. I aint causing no calamities or what not anytime soon so just quit your babbling, will ya? See ya later hag."

"Hanyou, heed my words!" Inuyasha stopped, and Madame Kyoko continued, "Do not let the Darkness take over your sanity. I'm warning you, once it awakens and it takes over your heart, you will destroy everything and anything in your path. You will become sadistic to the pain of others, and it will be worse than the time you transformed into a full demon and deliberately murdered a group of bandits without mercy." How she knew about that had Inuyasha confused, and that little factor really unnerved him, but he still listened again out of curiosity nonetheless.

Fucking curiousity.

But...

Old hag knows too much for her own damn good...

"It will attack you at times when you are weak and it will make you question your sanity. Be careful, and if it comes to it, distance yourself from the ones you care about. Even your subconscious mind will stop at nothing to have what you want, be it the death of your friends...or the death of you yourself. Darkness wants what it has once lost, and it will use you to regain its full form again. That, in the drawing, is its full form. You have been chosen to hold the darkness within you, and from now on, what you wish to do about it is your decision alone. But remember this. It will never leave you alone...for it is you."

Inuyasha only kehed and scowled at the old fortune teller, having had enough of her stupid prophetic blabbering. What was the big idea anyway, she didn't even know him! "Will you shut up already! You're wrong ya old hag, nothing's inside of me excpet for me! Keh, see you later, or better yet, see you never."

The hanyou left the hut in a hurry so that he wouldn't be stopped again, and Madame Kyoko only sighed deeply. She only wished that the hanyou considered it and heeded her words, for who knew what he could do in his future rampages? Not even she could see into that, and it was only him who could see into his own future from now on.

But that was if he chose to do so.

"That is what I fear, young one. Nothing is inside of you...excpet for you."

A/N: Bet no one thought of this plot, huh?