Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and other characters.


The Wolf and the Hedgebat

Chapter 4: Unleashing the Demon Within

Everyone could only scare disbelievingly at Isis as she slowly starts to transform – her crimson highlights and eyes changed to lavender, her fingernails turned into razor-sharp claws, her wings had metal on the tips, and a fiery aura surrounded the entire hedgebat. Within seconds, she had fully transformed into Demon Isis right before their eyes.

Isis smirked, and speaking in a demon-like voice, she said, "I'm no ordinary hedgebat." She then flew into the sky, destroying the entire swarm of youkai with her claws as she flew through them, laughing evilly. Inuyasha could smell the blood seeping from the wounds on her stomach, realizing that it didn't smell the same as before – it…changed in a way. What the (beep) is going on?he thought. "Interesting…" said an intrigued Naraku, "A creature that transforms into a youkai when agitated." He then strengthened his barrier as she tried to claw him, deflecting her. "Not strong enough, are you?" he mocked. Miroku stopped Inuyasha from using Kongosouha, saying that he'll hurt Terios if something goes wrong; the hanyou had no choice but to agree on his terms. Isis suddenly disappeared and reappeared inside Naraku's barrier. "Isis, are you crazy?" screamed Inuyasha. Isis didn't seem to hear him and she slashed him countless times with her claws, only to growl as she watched him reform quickly. "It's useless, Isis! You can't kill him that way!" shouted Kouga. "Get out of there! You'll be killed!" screamed Kagome. "Shut up, Kagome!" yelled the demon hedgebat, "I'm not leaving without –" but she was cut off as Naraku dug his nails into her neck, injecting a huge amount of miasma. "You may be a youkai…" he told her as he watched her lose consciousness and detransforms, "But you're nothing like one." Isis laughed weakly. "You have no idea," she added before being thrown out of the barrier as she fainted. "Get back here!" shouted Inuyasha as his nemesis turned away. "Damn it!" he cursed as he missed his target with Kongosouha. "Guys, get over here!" ordered Shippou. Everyone runs up to him. "Look," he added, pointing at Isis' neck.

To their surprise, they watched the miasma flow out of her wounds and assemble itself into a shadowy illusion of Isis' demon transformation which they saw earlier. Kagome gasped as the miasma flowed back into the hedgebat, closing up the wounds in the process. Shippou knelt close to her and checked her pulse. "She's still alive," he said, "The miasma should've killed her by now," and backed away a bit as Isis opened her eyes.

"Are you okay?" asked Sango as Isis sat up, "Why didn't you tell us that you could transform?" Inuyasha didn't look happy – or even relieved – either. "I can't believe you lied to us about not being a youkai," he said, "The scent of your blood smelled so different earlier." Isis stayed silent and stood up. "So what's the deal of hiding it?" he pressed on. Isis didn't reply and simply turned away. "Hey, where are you going?" asked Shippou as she began to walk away. Apparently, everyone seemed to have questions for her. "I need to be alone…" she finally replied, looking at them as she shed a tear, "It's obvious you don't want a monster like me." Inuyasha suddenly felt guilty. "Are you…crying?" he asked, only to have Isis turn her back on him. He started to apologize, but then she told him, "You don't need to apologize, Inuyasha. Besides…there was one other reason why I can't stay with you." Kagome asked what she meant by that. Isis looked up to the sky, and had a sudden flashback of all the terrible events she had been through in the past. "The answer is in your backpack," the hedgebat finally replied, "I hope you'll understand." She then spread her wings and flew away without another word. Miroku commented that Isis looked pretty upset; looking at a guilty Inuyasha, he said, "Hey, it's not your fault." The hanyou knew that, but he still felt sorry for her. Kagome, meanwhile, was searching through her bag for the 'answer' Isis told her about. Kouga sighed, admitting that he felt the same for Isis. "I can't believe she was blaming herself," he pointed out. "Maybe this is why," said Kagome, holding up a folded piece of paper.

As they leaned closer as Kagome unfolded the paper, they saw four pictures with written descriptions:

Pyro the Hedgehog (GUN computer hacker), killed by Mephilles during an attack at GUN HQ

Frost the Hedgehog (Pyro's older brother), killed by Mephilles during an ambush at Central City Park

Nina the Hedgebat (ancient Egyptian sorceress), killed by Mephilles during the war at Westopolis

Mona the Hedgebat (my twin sister), killed twice by my own hands – both clone no. 1 and clone no. 2

"She intentionally killed her own sister?" said Kagome as she sheds a tear, "That's…that's awful!" Inuyasha hugged her tenderly as she sobbed; he feels the same way as she does. "So that's it…" said Miroku, "She's afraid she might kill one of us, just as she killed Mona," and comforted a sobbing Sango. Kouga, refusing to believe those words, ran off in Isis' direction despite Shippou's attempts to stop him.