A New Beginning

Chapter 4

A cold wind seemed to sweep over the area, Kagome's complexion a pale. How could this happen? Was Kikyo controlling the demon or was Inuyasha trying to save hr from one? Mika growled lowly, "We have to go if you want to save him." Mika said, Shadow meowing loudly as if to back her up.

Kagome shook her head and ran to catch up, Mika took off again and this time the miko didn' stop. They ran for another ten minutes before Mika could catch the scent of blood and the distinct odor of a demon. The dead miko just seemed to vanish all together, there was only two aura's, her brothers and the demon.

A huge cloud of dust rose over the tree line followed by a crash. Smaller demons running from the sight of the crash.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried and ran ahead.

Mika easily followed when the demon was just on the other side of the trees, she grabbed onto the miko's arm, hand snapping over her mouth before she could yell again. Moving silently around the trees, seeing a huge white and blue snake demon, long body having small barbs all over it, the end of the tail like a small blade. It was close to the size of the dragon they had killed earlier. Most snakes weren't all that powerful but this one was different. Kagome's eyes scanned wildly until she saw a set of white and red miko garbs. When a hiss was easily heard and several much small black snake creatures flew past, "Oh kami..." she thought, "That is Kikyo!"

Both snapping around hearing a cry of pain, Mika could catch the scent of poison, it was a strong one too. "Listen, we have to get Inuyasha outta here, he's poisoned. If we can kill this thing quickly then fine, if not we have to immobilize it and then run."

"That's not a demon! That's Kikyo!" Kagome hissed

Mika looked confused at first, then it started to make some sense. The miko could have easily sold her soul or even had someone use a dark spell to do this, with no body to sacrifice it wouldn't be hard at all. "That explains the mix of energies, one power has to win out or else it'll eat the sucker alive."

When seeing the tail about to strike down, eyes darting over and saw Inuyasha beaten up pretty bad with a gash to his side, then a deep fang mark on his arm. He wouldn't be able to move. "Shadow!"

The demon cat roared and pounced, effectively distracting the snake. Letting Kagome go and ran towards her half brother. Grabbing him around his shoulders and jumped away to leave him by Kagome, "Watch him."

The snake threw Shadow off but the cat landed without so much as a hair out of place, "Who are you?" the snake hissed, voice feminie still but now a darker edge, "Who dares interfere!"

"What's it to you?" Mika smirked, "I miko turned snake, not much of an improvement."

Jumping before the snake bit down when a sharp white light caught her attention. Cursing lowly when several large white energy balls shot towards the snake, grazing her arm. Landing on the other side saw it burn a hole threw the wraps on her wrists. Kikyo yelled in pain, "How could you do this to yourself?!" Kagome yelled, sword out now, "How could you hurt Inuyasha like that!"

The snake coiled around, deadly red eyes set on the miko from the future, "Silly girl, I couldn't just let him get away now could I?"

Mika growled lowly, while they went back and fourth Inuyasha would most likely not make it. Signaling Shadow the demon cat got the inu hanyou on her back and shot over to her. The snake didn't seem to notice. She pulled her brother off cat demon, seeing the bite to his arm. Deep purple veins where spreading. She ripped the edge of her shirt and tied it tightly around his upper arm.

Shadow roared harshly. Mika jolted up and saw the snake coming at her. Mika quickly grabbed her brother and jumped out of the way. Hissing threw her fangs when the fang nicked her. Hardly dodging several small orbs of light that shot threw the air, one grazed her arm. The snake cried in pain, it sounded like she got hit harder. Landing on the other side and saw the snake with several holes.

Kagome smirked a little in triumph, "You're problem is with me!" Kagome yelled

Slim blade glowing again, it looked like hundreds of small fire flies flying around the blade. It was small orbs of miko energy in a highly concentrated form. Kikyo coiled around, "What is this?" she hissed, "You cannot defeat me!"

The large white blade like tail slammed down and she hardly jumped out of the way. Hissing threw clenched teeth when the tail sliced her arm. Suddenly the blade pulsed with white light, "Hakunetsu!"

A huge white ring circled her and shot around like a huge fire ring. It hit Kikyo head on and it set a fire to her form, white flames setting to her snake body. She cried out in pain raging threw the area trying to put out the flames. A swarm of white soul stealer's circling her form, "I won't give up so easily, brat!" Kikyo yelled, "I'll kill you, I swear I will."

In a blast of black smoke she was gone. Kagome cursed lowly and put her sword away. Looking at her left arm and saw the deep gash, that would hurt later. Hearing Shadow roar loudly, "Inuyasha!"

Running over to the fallen hanyou's side, seeing the cloth tightened around his arm. Mika looked at her, "How far is this village?" she asked, "If it's more then twenty minutes away, I'm gonna have to try and get rid of some of the poison."

Kagome paled, "It's 30 minutes away..."

Mika cursed lowly, eyes darting around and found a small herb. A dark glow came around her hand and the plant liquidized. She spread it over the wound making him cry out in pain. "What did you do?" Kagome yelled

"It's gonna sting, it's not gonna hurt him." Mika growled, sounding somewhat annoyed, "It'll slow the posion but that's it, we have to get moving."

Shadow ran over and laid on her stomach. Mika picked him up and set him down on the cats back, "She won't drop him don't worry." Mika assured quickly, "What direction is the village?"

"North of here." Kagome said quickly

"Head out Shadow." Mika said quickly. Shadow couched down and jumped up into the air. Mika turned to look at her, "If you promise not to use your powers I'll carry you back, it'll cut time in half. You might be fast, but not that fast."

Kagome just wanted to get back to the village, she didn't like it but would deal with it. Suddenly swung onto her back and she was flying threw the canopy. If she could judge well it seemed that Mika was going faster then Inuyasha ever did.

Shifting uneasily in front of Keade's hut, what could be taking them so long? Shippo broadly kicked a rock in front of him, Sango and Miroku couldn't pinpoint their location but a barrier was throwing them off. Kirara looked up at him and mewed, "I know, I'm worried bout Kagome too." Shippo said

Miroku and Sango had went to go and warn Kaede about their new hanyou and cat demon companions. With the hanyou's aura, well it would scare anyone. Kirara suddenly shot up, eyes towards the sky, "What is it Kirara?" Shippo asked

A huge black form came from overhead, a huge blade saber toothed cat standing there with Inuyasha passed out on her back. Suddenly a much smaller back from shot from the tree line and landed next to the cat.

"Sango, Miroku! They found Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled, jumping up and down

Kagome got off Mika's back quickly though looked a little bit disheveled. Shippo bounced over and into her arms, "We were so worried about you Kagome!"

Mika snorted at that, "Forgetting something here?"

"Kaede! Inuyasha's been poisoned!"

The old miko stepped out, bow and arrow drawn. "Kaede?"

The old miko's one eye glared at Mika, "Why ye bring such foul beings to my home?"

Shadow hissed at that, "So fast to judge, old one."

Shippo jumped when Shadow started talking, "Please we just need to help Inuyasha!"

Miroku ran out first, "Kagome, you're injured"

"Please just get Inuyasha inside, Miroku." Kaede said, never taking her eyes off the hanyou, "You don't move."

Mika snorted, "For one who harbors a demon and hanyou, why so quick to judge me?"

"For ye hold the mark of darkness, only darkness resigns in ye heart." Kaede stated

Shadow growled again, Mika put a gentle hand on Shadow's head, "Calm down girl."

"But Mika..."

"Send the slayer out to watch me then, if you don't act quick my brother will die." Mika stated simply

Sango came out right away, "Kaede, you don't have to worry about her, she's a friend."

"Not here! Watch her."

Sango had never seen Kaede so hostile with anything before. The old miko tuned on a heel and hurried inside. Sango looked confused, this had never happened before. Sure she had heard legends and stories about shadow demons, or in this case hanyou, they where powerful. Their powers where fed but hatred, fear, pain, death, and heart-break. Demons revered them, humans feared them. The more black the heart became the more powerful the demon. Only problem was they hadn't been seen in hundreds of years so here was little known about them with recorded history so it was all based on oral history.

"Guess the legends are the only thing that remains." Mika snickered sadly

Carefully setting Inuyasha down on the futon on the floor, feeling him shift uneasily. Kaede grabbed several dried herbs and started to grind them up into a fine powder. Inuyasha started to struggle which wasn't all to surprising. Eyes fighting to open, "Inuyasha!"

Seeing Kagome looking worriedly over him, amber eyes narrowing seeing her arm covered in blood. Crying in pain when the old bag put something on his arm. Kagome grabbed onto his hand and his fingers instantly clamped around hers.

Kaede wrapped up the wound and hurriedly started making the final antidote just to be sure that the poison was gone. Inuyasha felt the strings of reality slowly cut and was plunged into darkness.

~Flash back~

"So you will not honor your promise to me, Inuyasha?" Kikyo spat

Inuyasha shook his head "No, my place is here, not with you anymore."

Suddenly the wind picked up, whipping his hair around him. Looking up seeing Kikyo's usually cold grey eyes turn blood red, a swirling red aura surronding her. His eyes widened, how could this be?

"What happened to you?" Inuyasha yelled, "How are you doing this?"

Kikyo laughed sinisterly, "You will regret this, Inuyasha."

Covering his head when the wind picked up again, pushing his head up and saw her slowly changing form. Skin turning pale white, arms and legs dissappering. Watching in horror as her body stretched out to a snake like from, blade at the end of her tail, eyes ruby red.

"She sold herself to the demons, just like Naraku." he thought, "How did you do this to yourself."

The huge white snake laughed, "It was a gift, so to speak. Naraku's present after the mating ceremony."

Inuyasha's eyes shot open like he had been kicked in the gut, "Y-you and Naraku are mates now?"

For some reason it hurt, it hurt to know she went with that evil bastard, that she turned her back on him. He shook his head again, no, she had turned her back on him years ago. This was just stabbing the knife deeper into him.

"Silly half breed, I have learned long ago that power is the only thing needed, he gave that to me! The Shikon no Tama won't help you, once we have it in our hands, we know how to use it, you have not the slightest idea!" she hissed, "Now, prepare to die, Inuyasha!"

He jumped out of range of the first attack, hand on his blade but he couldn't seem to draw it. "What's wrong with me?!' he thought, "Why can't I attack her?"

Several flashbacks of there past shot through his head and he cringed. Eyes widening seeing ruby red orbs coming towards him and fast. Before he could move a fang sunk into his arm. A searing pain shot threw his arm that felt like fire, "Now you will slowly perish." she hissed

~End Flashback~

Sitting back against the hut wall as Kaede wrapped up the wound on her arm, "Tell me child, how on earth did ye find such a vile hanyou?"

"You mean Mika?" Kagome asked

"I care not for the girls name only why she is here." Kaede stated sternly

Miroku stepped up, handing Kaede a few more bandages, "Mika is Inuyasha's younger have sister." he started, "It seems she has a mission against Naraku as well."

"I advise ye to get rid of that girl, she'll only bring ye trouble." Kaede almost spat out, Shippo looked confused. The girls aura was good, her eyes held no malice. Shippo pranced up to Kaede, "Why are you saying she's bad, Kaede? I'm a demon and you've never said that to me."

"The most foul of demon, kumroi's are." Kaede sneered, hatred clear in her voice, "What happened to ye two? I've never seen such a poison."

Kagome was a little unnerved by how Kaede was acting, if Mika had meant anything bad she could have already killed them. Shippo took the chance to get out of there. Miroku looked the same though, he quickly shook his head and looked at Kagome, "What hhappened Kagome-sama, soon after Sango returned I could sense Kikyo's aura but it seemed to disappear."

Kagome looked down for a moment, "Kikyo is no longer apart of the living dead." she muttered lowly

At first relief seemed to pass both Miroku and Kaede, "So ye put my sister to rest?"

"No, I wish that was the case." Kagome said, "Kikyo has given herself to the demons. From what she said, she's mates with Naraku."

Having sat back against the giant cat, Shadow growling every now and then, she was probably picking up the conversation inside. Sango was still confused. This girl could have easily run, taken out the village but she wasn't. "How is it that you can talk Shadow?"

Shadow looked at her with one eye, "Mika gave me that gift years ago, she could probably do the same with Kirara but ultimate trust is needed."

Mika scratched the cat behind the ear and she was purring away, "The old woman is wrong. She is like so many in the past, that's why I'm most likely the last one." Mika snorted, "Then again I guess that you choose who you believe."

"But how is it your Inyasha's sister then? Your a hanyou yet you two demon elements, how is that possible?" Sango asked

"My father was a full blood dog demon and my mother was a human, but she practiced in the dark arts as you might call it. Even then though, kumroi's you can't plan their birth, your parents both might be human, both might be pure dog demon but there's always a chance that the child is a child of shadows as some call it." Mika explained, "I was one of the few unlucky ones, most were killed in the wars, some killed themselves, as far as I know I'm the only one left in this country."

"So humans could be born as a kumroi as well?" Sango asked

"Yes, we're basically the opposite of miko's though. That's why when I made that barrier it sucked Kagome's energy. If she had done the same it would have sucked me dry. Miko blood runs in families, that you can predict. Miko's represent purity, light, hope, love, all of that. Kumroi's on the other hand represent darkness, hatred, pain, loss, well so people have said." Mika shrugged, "Yes our my powers feed off it, but my heart isn't a black hole as the old miko believes. I'll explain more later, I'm sure I'm going to have too."

When the small fox demon pranced out, Kirara mewed and purred around him. "How's Inuyasha doing?" Sango asked

"He'll be okay." Shippo said, "So will Kagome."

Shippo went over to Mika, head cocked innocently to the side, "You don't seem evil..." Shippo shrugged, "Not like the Thunder Brothers or anything."

Shadow snorted, "The old woman has no basis to judge like she does, kit. All will become clear soon."

"Wow! How can you talk and not Kirara?" Shippo asked, jumped up onto her head

Mika laughed a little bit, "Just a little bit older then Kirara, with age come change, now I can't shut her up."

Shadow whacked Mika with one tail, "Like that hurt." she snickered

"But you ain't gonna attack us like other demons are you?" Shippo asked

Mika shook her head, "No, though I guess that's for you to judge over time."

(Another one down =D for those new to reading this well hopes you like those that read it before, once again there will be changes. Just to details not the main plot, the characters now are more developed since I've had years to work on it and with that some back round changes. But me thinks it'll work better. Excuse some of my spelling and grammar errors, I'm better at it but not perfect.)

*And thanks so much Juusan'ya for telling me about Inuyasha kanketsu-hen coming out in the fall in Japan! YAY! Took five years, five years to long if you ask me.*

Translations:

Kurmori: Shadow

Hakunetsu: White heat

Mika: New moon