I do not own InuYasha. Comments at the end, for now, just enjoy ;D

11. New Moon

Instead of crimson, pure golden eyes that mirrored InuYasha's own stared back into his. They wide, and alight with anticipation, fear... and excitement. Long ebony locks fell around her shoulders, cascading down her back.

He kept his hand on her cheek.

"I knew... I knew you were alive..."

Then InuYasha fell forward, into Kagome's waiting arms.

-xXx-

"InuYasha…"

The hanyou's ears twitched erratically. A voice was calling him, coaxing him from unconsciousness. A warm, beautiful, intriguingly familiar voice. It belonged to a woman.

"InuYasha?"

The beautiful voice sounded apprehensive and anxious. Something was troubling this woman.

"InuYasha, please… please open your eyes."

'Open my eyes?' Did he ever want to. He wanted to awake and comfort the sad voice, ease whatever doubts plagued the woman's thoughts. InuYasha wanted so desperately to arise, but there a darkness that encased him, one that kept from doing so. A scent suddenly hit his nose. Almost instantly, InuYasha felt safe and reassured of himself, like he could take on the world.

Only one person's scent had ever had such an effect on him.

"InuYasha please. Wake up, wake up and see me!" Her voice was trembling now.

The hanyou used all his will to push away the blackness that was his subconscious, forcing his eyelids to open and view blurry shapes and shadows. How long had he been asleep?

"He's awake." InuYasha recognised the deep voice as Miroku's. It surprised InuYasha that the monk's voice was so worried and wary. The houshi virtually always kept his calm.

A cool hand touched his forehead. InuYasha's golden eyes swivelled to gaze upwards. His vision was still blurry, a result of being of being unconscious for so long, but it was clearing rapidly. He could tell at least that the shape that he stared up at was that of a face. His vision became clearer and clearer, he could make out the long, glossy, ebony hair that shaped the person's face. Her pale, porcelain skin came next, followed by a pair of frighteningly enticing onyx irises. InuYasha's own eyes widened in disbelief. He reached up, grabbing the hand on his forehead and clutching it tightly, not noticing how very cold the skin actually was to his touch. The only thing that mattered to him in that moment were the soft pink lips that broke out into a bedazzling smile.

"Hello, InuYasha."

The hanyou wasted no time. There was a dull ache in his abdomen, but he paid it no mind. He lifted his head from the woman's lap and sat up straight. He placed a hand on either of her arms and studied her with wide eyes. He gazed deeply at her face, still keeping his grip on her grey cloaked arms, noticing for a moment that someone had removed his haori and under kosode. From around him, InuYasha heard the intakes of breath from Miroku, Sango and Rin, but again, he took little notice of anything but the woman in front of him.

He let go of one arm and brought a hand to her cheek, then felt her tense underneath his touch. But he had to touch her, he had to reassure himself she was real, that she wasn't just some cruel dream or illusion…

"Kagome…"

The miko gave him a small, yet calming grin.

That was all it took.

He leapt forward and wrapped his arms around Kagome's petite form as tightly as he could muster with his half demon strength; though not too tightly. He placed his chin on her head, taking in the scent of her hair and closing his eyes in bliss.

"InuYasha…?"

But he wasn't listening.

'She's here… Kagome… She's really here with me! Kagome I…'

He wanted nothing more than to hold her to him forever, to never let her go again, and he made a silent promise to never let her out of his sight again. Ever.

But then something was prying his arms off of her.

What the…?

He opened his eyes in alarm, prepared beyond anything to fend off whatever adversary was trying to break up his embrace with Kagome, be they friend or foe. His heart lurched painfully however, when he realised just who it was.

In the blink of an eye, Kagome had pushed herself out of his grip and backed herself up against the wooden wall of Kaede's hut, as far away as she could possibly be from him given the circumstances. She had a very frightened look in wide her onyx eyes, and her skin had become even paler…

…and she'd… stopped breathing altogether?

InuYasha heard the clang of Miroku's staff as the monk stepped forward, reaching his hand out in Kagome's direction. InuYasha turned his head sharply and growled dangerously, warning the monk to keep his distance for the time being.

Turning back to Kagome, the odd colour of her eyes and skin finally registered in InuYasha's brain.

Onyx eyes? Skin almost as white as snow itself? And her grey clothing… The frightened look on her face… Her entire posture screamed fear. She was definitely Kagome, InuYasha could always tell, and yet she was so… un-Kagome like.

Her eyes had been a warm brown, irises of melted chocolate. Her skin had always had a healthy glow, her cheeks always dotted with a pink hue…

And she had never, ever, looked as frightened of him as she did right now.

The hanyou could practically feel his heart breaking.

He reached out with a bare clawed hand, and took a small step forward. Kagome flinched again, but this time she brought a hand up to her nose, pinching it tightly.

"Please… don't come any closer!" She begged.

InuYasha flinched this time. What was going on? Why did Kagome seem so scared all of a sudden? Of him, no less? And why was her scent so…?

Wait. Her scent. InuYasha took a deep breath.

It was the same Kagome scent. But there something else mixed in with it, and he sure as hell didn't like it.

There was Kagome's natural, wonderful smell. Then there was him, something he had always been pleased to know, but there was also… blood… and Ketsueki's scent.

The scent of death.

Worry filled InuYasha's eyes, and he took a much bolder step towards Kagome. She inched further back against the wooden wall, as if hoping it would open up and swallow her in with it. She still clutched her nose, but now her eyes were shut tight as he came closer to her.

"InuYasha please," Kagome pleaded through gritted teeth, "don't come any closer to me! Get away!"

Yes, the hanyou and just about everyone else in the room concluded...

...something was definitely wrong with Kagome.

They could all sense the difference in her aura.

Along with the aura of death.

"Lady Kagome?" Rin asked carefully, taking a hesitant step forwards. "You… you do not have to be afraid! You remember Rin? You remember InuYasha? What is wrong?"

Kagome's head snapped to Rin's. The hairs on the back of Rin's neck stood up when Kagome's eyes turned from thirsty black looking to something more akin to lustful red…

"…" Rin was afraid now. This wasn't the same girl from the future that she had befriended!

Miroku was much more wary now too. He stepped in front of Rin, who Sango immediately came to comfort. There was something obviously wrong, but what troubled Miroku even more was that Kagome's aura had suddenly become very similar to that of Ketsueki's dangerous one. It was an aura of pure desire.

InuYasha sensed it to. He didn't step away from Kagome though. He didn't know what the hell had happened to Kagome… but she was still Kagome. Nothing could change that. Or what he felt for her.

"Kagome… it's okay. We're here Kagome. We're your friends. You don't have to be afraid."

Kagome snapped her head back around to him. She still pinched her nose, as if she were doing her best not to inhale a foul odour. Her eyes softened a little at his words, though they also became very upset.

'No. Please don't cry…'

The desire to comfort her became too great for InuYasha, and he could hold back no more. As he came forward, he could tell that Kagome was about to make a run for it. He wasn't about to let her get away from him that easily. He'd just gotten her back. He was a mere inch away from her when a new and more powerful voice yelled out.

"NO! She'll kill you InuYasha!"

Sesshoumaru.

For a mere second, InuYasha was distracted. That mere second was all Kagome needed.

Faster than any of them could blink, Kagome leapt forward towards the hut entrance and sprinted out into the night. Panicking, InuYasha called out her name, wasting no time in running out after her into the cold night, his chest bare and his torso wrapped in a blood coated bandage…

-xXx-

So, lovely people, what do you think? Please let me know and review, it would only take a couple of minutes of your time ^^.

I'll be perfectly honest with you now - I have GCSE's coming up VERY soon and desperately need to study for them. There will still be some updates, but until my exams are done and dusted with come June, there will be a serious lapse in updates. I'm really sorry, I'll still try post up the odd chapter here and there, but 'Starlight' will most likely be left alone until then. Expect updates for 'Change the World' and one more for 'Youkai Flesh' and 'Of Myths and Arrows', but for this fic, you're going to be waiting a little while. I'm really sorry - I want to make this fic as good as it can be, and it won't be if I have to rush updates and keep them short. I hope you can all appreciate this. It WILL be finished, believe me on that! Infact, I've decided to leave a small preview to make up for future lack of updating XD

Thanks so much for your continued support, it really does mean a lot to me.

Next chapter preview:

~ 12. Valse de la Lune ~

InuYasha races after Kagome, finally catching her and demanding the truth. Where has she been all this time if she hadn't been killed? And why didn't she come to find him? The answer InuYasha gets is far from what he expected, and has the potential to destroy the hanyou and miko's relationship for good. Will InuYasha be able to see past this unexpected change? Stay tuned!