Under the Pale Autumn Moon

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Inuyasha awoke to the burning at his fingertips. This always happened when he couldn't control himself, when the spell failed, the feelings and abilities would come back to him gradually before it would consume him completely.

He stood up quickly and landed with youkai grace atop the couch, he sniffed the air and discovered that Kagome was still sleeping.

'Didn't know she slept' he mused to himself before jumping nimbly to the door and clicking it open, he shot a look over his shoulder at the snoring Kagome before leaving the room, padding along down the hall with increasing speed, yet not making a single sound.

The sun had yet to rise as he burst through the front doors and bounded off into the only place he knew he wouldn't be found, into the forest.

Dodging all the trees that sprung in his way he finally made it to a clearing, collapsing there he leaned against a tree for support, the pain was almost too much.

He looked in horror, as his human nails grew longer and pointed, becoming claws. His human ears grew pointed like an elf's, before they slid up his face becoming dog ears, twitching madly as they greeted the now much louder sounds of the forest, his hair seemed to spring to life as it burst from the pony tail it used to reside as, flying all around him, making him appear to have snakes for hair as the silky blackness of night became a soft silver white, rougher too as it finally stilled and fell upon his back. He couldn't see it but he could feel his eyes start to burn as the deep purple soon became an amber golden. He blinked his eyes open and greeted the world as a new man.

He stared at his nails and flexed his fingers, making his knuckles crack in the process, he sniffed the air again, and the smell of the forest filled the air.

And the smell of roses.

Roses?

Why was there a smell of roses in a forest, he stiffened and turned around to face the girl, Kagome.

She gasped and placed a hand on her racing heart, he could hear her heart beating, even from the distance between him. She looked utterly confused and frightened, like she didn't recognize him. He didn't blame her, he looked completely different.

"Inu...Inuyasha!?" she gasped again and looked at Inuyasha. He blinked in confusion, she recognized him? That confused him to no end, he wouldn't even recognize himself if he looked into a mirror in this form.

"What happened?" she walked towards him, he stiffened. What was she going to do? "You don't look human anymore."

Inuyasha sighed and shook his head, "That's because I'm not human, well, not all human anyway."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her curiosity shinning through her fearful voice.

"I'm a hanyou."

"A hanyou?" she blinked and then broke into a small smile. "Wow...that's amazing"

Inuyasha blinked in confusion again and then smiled back at her, "Really?"

"You're part demon, that is so cool!" she smiled and flung onto him, he gasped again but gripped her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped, Kagome jumped and released him, blushing madly.

"Sorry! I just, got caught in the moment, you know?" she laughed nervously and looked at him seriously, "How come you didn't tell me?"

"Didn't trust you," he said simply, folding his arms across his chest, blocking his claws from her view.

His ears twitch. She felt a pang of disappointment shoot through her but waved it aside, "Understandable."

Inuyasha nodded and felt his ears twitch again. Kagome's eyes suddenly got huge and he gulped in response, "Are those real?"

Inuyasha felt his ears plaster against his head, "Maybe."

"They're so kawaii!" she giggled and rushed forward latching herself onto Inuyasha's ears; she tweaked them and giggled when they made a noise.

Inuyasha felt himself blushing again as he started to purr.

Kagome floated above the rose garden, watching the petals float in the wind, she giggled to herself, "He purred!"

After the little ear incident, the two had returned to the house and Inuyasha was currently taking a shower, making Kagome have to spend her time alone. She hated being alone, after all these years, she had finally found someone who could see her, even in this cursed form.

'That damn curse. That damn Kikyo.

'Damn Kouga, had to fall for it.'


She sighed again and floated down landing softly in the pink, yellow, white, and red roses. She'd always loved roses, because Kouga had given them to her.

Yellow came first, to represent their friendship. Then pink to represent how they were becoming closer, Red for when they'd gotten more romantic, and white. He'd given her white when he'd asked her to marry him. White represented weddings. Kagome had been thrilled that Kouga wanted to marry her and had of course accepted.

Then Kikyo had come along.

After that, she had burned all the dried roses she'd saved from all the times Kouga had given them to her. She still loved the roses though; they smelled heavenly, like heaven. A place she'd never be able to live, much less visit.

Kouga had long since resided in heaven...

Her life had seemed so perfect before Kikyo came and cursed her, it sickened her that a woman could become so jealous as to try and kill another. Though, she'd failed and only ended up cursing Kagome for eternity.

It was a real shame, wasn't it?

She sighed and stood again, peering around the garden, she'd do anything to be human again.

"I could fix that." Kagome peered behind her and stared at a man, or what she guessed was a man, since he was underneath a large baboon pelt.