Author Notes: This is my first Inuyasha fic, so reviews are much appreciated. "Lex Talionis" is part of a larger series, which probably place it into epic status by the time it's done... but do not fear, everything has been thoroughly plotted out. I promise, dear readers, I will not leave you hanging while I try to figure out an ending - that much has been determined before the first page was written. ^.~

I will often slide in and out of Japanese/English translations of the same thing - honestly, it's how I think, but if it's distracting, please let me know and I'll work on it.

Disclaimer: Rating is R for some language and violence. This particular chapter's probably PG-13, but I think overall it's gonna be "R". I am not a fan of spoiling the endings of my stories before they've started, so I will state the suggested pairings – for the entire Enchanted Rose Series - but you'll have to read to find out when and how in depth these pairings become! (Naraku/Kagura, Inuyasha/Kikyou, Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango)

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The Enchanted Rose Series

By Scripted Muse

Lex Talionis - Prologue

"Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot..." (Deuteronomy 19:21)

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"KAZE NO KIZU!"

Blinding light flashed as the hanyou unleashed his powerful attack, weaving with inhuman dexterity between the squirming bodies of his many foes.

Inuyasha! Be careful... The young girl's brow knit in concern, marring her otherwise pretty features as she watched the battle closely, standing out of harm's way where she had been solidly placed moments before. Aware of her tendency to worry, the girl snuck a glance at her companions - they were usually better at gauging when the situation merited help. The stoic expressions of the monk and youkai hunter told her little...

He's going to be surrounded soon... Biting her lip in indecision, the youkai hunter turned to their male companion in concern, catching the worried glance of the other girl. "Miroku... should we help?"

Aware of the women's stares, the monk sighed, standing up straighter as he came to a decision. He was loathe to leap into a battle unless it was necessary, especially with low-level youkai - but their headstrong friend had placed himself in an undefendable position in the midst of so many foes. "These pony demons don't seem too formidable... but it's probably best if we did," he responded, nodding to the woman on his right. "We don't need another setback when we are so close on Naraku's heels."

The women nodded unanimously, readying their weapons. Flashing a look to the girl at his left, the monk shook his head. "You stay here with Shippou, Kagome. Let us handle this."

The girl frowned at him, resisting the protective distance her friends so often employed with her. "I can fight! I want to help Inuyasha."

"We know you can - but you don't need to. There are too many of them out there," he continued, gesturing towards the hillside where nearly a dozen youkai writhed around Inuyasha's form, replacing those he had already defeated in an endless stream of bodies. "It would be too easy to get lost in that mess, and then Inuyasha would get distracted."

With a resigned sigh, Kagome nodded her acceptance, her small hands curling around her wooden bow as she watched her friends dash off towards the battle.

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What is this feeling?

The wind whistled through the tall grass, playing a faint, lonely melody. A woman stood among the reeds, her face pressing into the wind as she listened, silent. Her form was eerily still, implying a level of concentration that bordered on meditation.

The spirits are restless today. Why?

The blinding white and red of the woman's miko's robes stood as a sharp contrast in the field of green and yellow growth. The stillness of the woman's body was accentuated by the surrounding waves of flapping grass, making the lone figure visible for nearly a mile.

Ignoring her physical surroundings, the woman continued to contemplate the spiritual currents. There was something she was on the brink of understanding, she was sure of it... but what? What realization would come upon her today, of all days?

The woman's intense concentration made her easy prey.

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"What are they?"

The young fox cub looked up at the sound, tearing his eyes from the mesmerizing dance of the battle below. "Miroku said they were pony demons." Turning his gaze back to the fight, he watched the crimson-clothed hanyou as he slashed open an approaching opponent, deftly twisting on his heel in time to meet another rushing his back.

The cub made note of the agile moves, unconsciously aspiring to model the technique when he would one day be ready for hand-to-hand combat. But not now. Now was a time for watching, and learning.

"They certainly don't look like any pony I've ever seen." Wrinkling her nose in disgust for the tiny, slimy, four-legged youkai, Kagome tightened her grip on her bow reflexively as she watched the steady stream of miniature youkai surround their friends. If only I could get a clear shot...

A confused shrug punctuated Shippou's response. "I dunno. I've never seen anything like them, either. There certainly are a lot of them, though."

They just seem too… evil to be called something like "pony." Maybe a horse demon? The girl mused over the name as the pair watched the battle, each longing to be in the thick of it for different reasons.

If I were a little older… I could defend my friends with all the power of a full-fledged demon. The fox cub's eyes remained glued on the fighting hanyou as he unleashed the bakuryuuha, wiping the battlefield around him clear momentarily. Not that Inuyasha's doing a bad job… came the silent amendment a moment later. It had become second nature to correct the often-racist comments he uttered, comments that came from his clan and a time long gone. THIS is my life now. This is where -

"Horses must in general be pretty evil creatures."

What? Shippou blinked, turning to stare at his companion in utter confusion. "They are?"

Kagome felt the beginnings of a blush warming her cheeks as she realized she'd voiced her thoughts. "Uhh… that is…" Her free hand flew to her cheek. Yep. Red.

"I don't know why I said that. I just meant… well, we had this test in world history the other day, and there was this whole section on Greek and Roman – "

"A TEST, Kagome? What does that have to do with the demons?"

" – myths, including the Trojan… Well, nothing, really. I guess it's just been on my mind."

"How can you think about your test-things when our friends are out there fighting?" Shippou leapt onto her shoulder to place a tiny hand on her forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

Kagome felt a large bead of sweat slide down her brow at the question.

Well, aside from being driven crazy by ancient Greek and Roman mythology while fighting youkai in feudal Japan – yeah, I'm great!

Shippou sighed and shook his head pityingly at her expression.

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She could feel the heat of the hanyou's gaze upon her before he approached. Ignoring his presence, she continued to concentrate, filtering out the piercing sound of his shifting form slicing through the air, aiming for her.

It is like…

The hanyou's eyes narrowed as he approached, seeing her defiant stillness as a dismissal of him. Stupid bitch. I'll make you pay for underestimating me…

She focused. It is like… the winds of change. Change. That is it. But for who?

Long, rope-like limbs slithered out, preceding his form as he descended upon the beautiful miko. I should kill her for her defiance. I COULD! I WILL!

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Kagome twitched as her eyes returned to their friends, watching the graceful swoops of Kirara as she dove in and out of the hordes, faithfully carrying her human companion through battle. Sango's triumphant yells echoed over the hills and up to where they stood, wistful onlookers. She is so strong and brave… I wish I could be like that. Then maybe everyone wouldn't have to worry about me.

Pushing that thought away forcefully, she took another step down the hill towards the swarm, noticing the circular pattern in which the demons seemed to move. Unbidden, the memory of the glaring red "F" that had been given for her last history test – usually her strongest subject – appeared, clouding her vision.

What the…? Get ahold of yourself, girl! You're not in the classroom right now!

"They just keep coming! Inuyasha and the others are going to get tired," Shippou observed with a frown. "They may be weak, but there's so many of them!"

They were deceptively harmless looking… Kagome didn't know what to say. The fight seemed to rotate in two circles, moving in opposite directions. Inuyasha remained somewhere near the middle, with one of the larger "pony" youkai dancing around him in the vortex, while a steady stream of smaller demons poured forth, leaping around and at the hanyou in any opening they could find. Sango and Kirara continuously worked at cleaning off the second, larger circle, which had opened up to face their outside opponents. However many Sango and her Hiraikotsu managed to herd away from the larger group, Miroku made short work of with his Kazaana, but he struggled to keep from unleashing it on his friends.

Kagome suddenly snapped as the likeness occurred to her. "That's why I thought of my test!"

"Huh?" The youkai cub did not tear his eyes from the fight as he humored her continued discussion of her modernistic worries. Tests? Who cares?

"The ponies! They looked so innocent at first, and now it's like – like pony soup! It's like how Troy was taken, with the horse statue that had all the soldiers inside! Man, why couldn't I remember all this stuff during the test?"

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The tentacles wrapped around the slender body of the miko, crushing her as they lifted her up to the hanyou's level, who was levitating mere feet away. Rage discolored the flawless human features as he glared down at the woman, who despite the lack of air was smiling. Her smile was bright, triumphant…

…and beautiful…

An angry spasm squeezed breath out of his victim and his own lungs as the unwanted thought surfaced. Shut up, you pathetic nothing. This is MY body now.

"Release me, Naraku. You and I both know you aren't going to kill me, and I have many things to contemplate."

"Such as…?" His silky voice belied the rage boiling underneath the surface.

"It is time."

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"Kagome, what are you talking about?"

Wait a second… The girl's eyes narrowed as she turned back to the fighting.

Down below, Sango panted from exertion as she swung her weapon again, laying flat a whole row of youkai. Miroku fingered his prayer beads while nervously eyeing the distance between himself and his friends. And in the eye of the storm…

…Inuyasha stood, feet planted in the dirt, meeting each new foe with a sneer on his lips. His movements, unlike his friends, were just as strong and swift as the beginning of the fight – his energy seeming to be fueled by frequent glances given to the horizon, where the outline of a girl and a young fox cub could be seen. He leapt easily away from attacks, twisting his torso to make a slash at several bodies he passed by before landing easily on his feet several yards away.

"They're all coming out from the middle. Inuyasha needs to strike there -!"

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Flinging the body of the woman away in disgust, the hanyou felt his tumultuous insides churn. He still couldn't, and he'd rather continue on the mission that had brought him over this field before he'd spotted the helpless miko, than draw out the inevitable and humiliating end.

"You speak in riddles, Kikyou. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to spare to figure them out, or properly destroy you right now. I suppose you can call yourself lucky for this respite." He eyed her form malevolently as the slithering tentacles retracted back into his body.

The miko merely pulled herself up from the ground, her eyes brimming with amusement over the shallow façade. For now, she would let him play it out. Her cold smile was the only response she gave his meaningless words, and with a nearly silent snarl, Naraku rose and shot off, speeding through the air and away from her soulless smile.

For now, she could continue this cat-and-mouse game with him, because she knew now that finally, finally, it was time.

Now was the time for her revenge.

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"INUYASHA!" She called out eagerly, trying to reach him over the dull roar of battle. "THE MIDDLE! HIT THE MIDDLE!"

The hanyou's golden eyes turned towards her quickly as he dodged a weak attack, cutting the youkai in front of him cleanly through the middle. "WHAT? IS IT A JEWEL SHARD?"

Kagome sighed, frustrated. Is that all I'm good for? I mean really!

"NO!" She began to run down the hill, knowing her voice would never reach him if she remained at a safe distance. Excitement pulsed through her veins as the realization swept through her – she could help! She wasn't useless, she'd figured out how to defeat these enemies, and she'd even done it using her textbook knowledge! She was amazing!

"Good job, Kagome! Now pick out your gold star…" Kagome's mother's voice echoed in her head as she ran down the hill.

Okay. Maybe not AMAZING, but still pretty good! She amended her thoughts while Shippou groaned in her ear, clinging to her shirt as she bounded into battle.

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I knew it would come to me if I was patient.

Kikyou's beaming face was lifted to the sun as she spread her arms open, feeling the closest thing to joy she had experienced in well over fifty years. Her revenge on Naraku has always, in her mind, been a given. But foiling his pathetic plots, or simply killing him, would in no way make up for what he had done to her.

Or Inuyasha.

Her revenge had to be equal. Eye for an eye. She needed a level of sadism to her plot, a sophisticated level of planning that would bring him to his knees, where she would spit on him before finishing him off.

Or watch him get finished off…

Yes… watch.

And that was the beauty in her plan.

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"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried out in alarm as he watched her run towards him, leaving her safe perch on the hilltop. Immediately his tactics changed as he fought to make his way out of the circling demons, and towards the foolish girl. A pained grunt announced his intentions to the other fighters as he received a jarring blow to the back in his desperate attempt to reach her in time.

"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome skidded to a stop, flinching as she watched the blow land on his back. Belatedly, Miroku's words came back to her… "It would be too easy to get lost in that mess, and then Inuyasha would get distracted."

Kagome waved her arms to try and signal to him that she was not moving any closer, but all she got was a confused quirk of the hanyou's black brows before he turned his attention towards his immediate danger.

Cupping her hands over her mouth, she tried again. "The middle, Inuyasha! Strike the middle! The bigger demon is controlling the others!"

A flash of understanding swept his face before the hanyou gave a curt nod to the hilltop, telling her quite clearly that if he was going to go back in there, she'd better remove herself from danger. Kagome gave him a happy smile before spinning around to return to their vantage point, no longer worried for her friends. Inuyasha would take care of it.

"Kagome, how'd you figure that out?" Shippou's confused voice was loud in her ear, reminding her of his presence perched upon her shoulder.

"It's called good old-fashioned book smarts, Shippou." She smiled proudly to herself as she finally reached the top and spun around.

"Huh?"

"I figured it out from a book on ancient history. It's a tactic that was used to defeat the city of Troy."

"Book? Troy? Tactic?" Shippou frowned, watching as Inuyasha leapt into the air with a fierce cry of "Bakuryuuha!" He was confused - winning battles is about being strong, not reading BOOKS.

A piercing scream erupted from the youkai as the mother was struck, and destroyed, in a flash. Inuyasha landed easily, watching the body parts fly around him into heaps of bloody, slimy gore. A primal smile of pride and accomplishment revealed ivory fangs as the hanyou turned, and looked up at the top of the hill.

"It's called 'deception from within' Shippou," Kagome replied. She looked down over the mass destruction, placing a hand over her heart at the queer fluttering sensation she felt, seeing Inuyasha smiling up at her.

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I don't know why I didn't think of it before… but now that I know… perhaps, some day soon, I can finally rest.

Kikyou turned to face the mountain in the distance. It wouldn't be too long of a journey. And it would be worth it.

The miko's empty laughter bounced over the grass, lifted up by the wind as she stood in the middle of the field, reveling in the realization – the plan of attack – that had come to her today. The tactic so perfect, so suited, for Naraku's demise.

Deception from within.

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Questions, comments, snide remarks welcome. ^.^