Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in the series, but I do own my plot and my own characters.

A/N: This is the start of that new fic I was talking about. It was going to be a one chapter fic, but I had an idea, so now I've changed it and I'm turning it into a longer one. No, my computer is still not fixed, but it should be fairly soon. Oh well, on with the fic.

Love's Return

Chapter One

Along Came A Spider

Long ago, legend foretold that a young miko with the ability to traverse time

itself would be killed out of love. When this happened, a great demon lord, long

thought dead, would return to power and bring back the demons of old. But, the

legend also spoke of a half demon who would right the wrong that love had

caused. In the end . . . the very same miko would battle the demon lord . . .

He stood there at the top of the shrine steps, gazing at her. His eyes were cold and hollow, a great contrast to the friendly smile they usually held, especially for her. He'd gone rigid, and the joy had ebbed from his face only seconds ago. The bouquet of roses he had brought her lay at his feet in a heap. He'd loved her, from the first time her eyes met his, he'd loved her. He'd been a fool to think that someday she might return his feelings. He had brought her gifts each day, complemented her, asked her out on dates, but that was never enough. Each time she stood him up, each time her thoughts returned to the violent monster she loved so much.

He hadn't thought he would have any competition from the white-haired jerk. After all, every time he'd seen them together they'd been fighting. A lot of the fights ended with Kagome bursting into tears. Oh, how Hojo had wanted to comfort her. How he had wanted to make the beast called Inuyasha pay for drawing those tears from her eyes. However, the demon had always calmed her, so the tears would cease, and they'd be on their way. Lately though, there had been less fighting, less tears, until they finally stopped all together. Gradually, they'd started holding hands and gazing into each other's eyesand Hojoknew that the feelings Kagome harbored for Inuyasha were finally being returned.

He'd lost, and he knew it, but he hadn't wanted to give up. He'd asked her out on another date, hoping to win her heart this time. Her friends had told him she'd go, but when he'd come here to pick her up, he'd found this scene waiting for him. So, he stood here now in the rain, thoroughly soaked but not caring. Inuyasha and Kagome stood nearby in the comfort of each other's arms. They had noticed neither the rain nor him, for they were absorbed in the passionate kiss they now shared. Hojo knew this was the end. He'd never have Kagome with Inuyasha around. His thoughts turned even more cold and bitter as he imagined them rutting in the forest like dogs. Then, their marriage, soon followed by the laughter of children; children blessed not with Hojo's features, but cursed with those of the beast that now held Kagome. No, Hojo thought as he turned, stepped on the crimson flowers, and glumly made his way down the steps unnoticed. The juices and color of the roses mixed with the rain and flowed down the steps like blood. No, a voice whispered in his mind, you can't have Kagome with Inuyasha around. His thoughts joined the whisperings of the voice. Clearly, Inuyasha will have to be gotten rid of...for good. As Hojo's thoughts turned to plans and continued on their own, a small, curious looking spider crept out of his ear to perch carefully on his shoulder. He wasn't like any spider existing in Japan, or at least, not the ones of modern times. Suddenly, Hojo stumbledand the spider lost his perch and plunged into a small puddle that had formed in a dip in one of the steps. It watched Hojo walk off, then scurried back up the stairs and perched atop the pile of ruined roses. Inuyasha and Kagome were already heading for the well hand in hand. The spider watched as they entered the well house, and then quickly slipped in among the petals of one of the surviving flowers as he felt them being lifted. He watched silently as Kagome's mother fussed over them, and then retreated further into the rose's core as she carried the remainder of the bouquet into her house.