Under the Pale Autumn Moon

---


"Who are you!?" Kagome practically yelled at the baboon clad man, "What are you doing here? What are you talking about?"

The man smirked, but it wasn't a playful smirk like Inuyasha's, it was more of an evil smirk, and it was very unnerving.

"Who are you? Answer me!"

"I am Naraku," his voice came out like an icicle, and it made Kagome shiver, "And you are Kagome."

If Kagome was shivering before, it was nothing like now, she felt her whole body go cold and she seemed rooted to the spot.

"How did you know that?" she demanded.

Naraku smirked again, "I know what you want, and I can give it to you."

Inuyasha lay on his bed, in a restless slumber he was having a dream.

There was a girl, though he couldn't make out her face, and she sat in a field, with her kimono billowing out behind her, she held a basket of herbs and little children were dancing around her, collecting flowers and presenting them to the woman.

The woman moved slowly but he could tell she was smiling.

She looked off to the left and her mouth moved, though no words came out, this world was all black and white, very confusing to Inuyasha.

Suddenly, a man with a wolf tail and long hair in a high ponytail came charging out of the woods and stopped in front of the woman. His face was blurred, but he could tell he was gasping for breath but still smiling.

The woman leaned into the wolf youkai. Inuyasha could tell that's what he was, and the woman was human. They kissed while the children all giggled and ran away. The two lovers wrapped their arms around each other and their kiss grew more passionate.

Inuyasha suddenly felt dirty and turned away, when he did he noticed a figure behind a tree, her face was blurred as well, but she wore a kimono similar to the other woman, and their hair looked similar as well.

He could feel the dark aura radiating off her as she spun around, her lips moving but no sound again, and she stormed off towards the village.

Inuyasha blinked and drew his attention to the now walking couple, holding hands they walked in the direction as the other woman.

Suddenly the whole world blurred and he found himself in the village. There he found the same wolf youkai presenting the priestess (he'd decided that's what she must be) with white roses. The girl opened her mouth in what Inuyasha guessed as a gasp.

The wolf youkai smiled, kissed her on the cheek and sped off with unnatural speed. The girl just stood there and then she started jumping up and down, squealing, it appeared to him.

The same woman behind the tree stood down the street, her aura sparked and became the same dark one.

"This is fucked up," Inuyasha said out loud and he gasped at how distant and faint his own voice was, but obviously he was the only one who could hear it because the two priestesses kept on with their daily businesses.

The world blurred again and Inuyasha found himself in a hut, with the innocent-looking priestess speaking to another older priestess, he could hear them speaking again.

"Kaede-Sama, have you seen Kouga-Kun?" she asked, her voice clear and beautiful.

The old lady, undoubtedly Kaede, turned and shook her head, "Nay, child, I have not seen Kouga-Sama all day, I assumed he was with you."

"Oh, well I was going to pick herbs for my potions so I was hoping that he'd want to come, I guess I'll have to go with Kikyo-Sama," the young priestess looked around, "where is Kikyo-Sama anyway?"

Kaede shrugged, "I haven't seen her all day, I figured she was already collecting herbs. Perhaps she is already there? You should go check child."

The young priestess nodded and walked away, leaving the mat door swinging slightly. Inuyasha stood in confusion and turned to the old lady.

The old lady was cackling evilly and she began to transform, she grew taller and her white hair turned gray. Then black. Her wrinkles faded and it revealed the young priestess with the dark aura.

The woman smirked, "Foolish Miko, now it's my time to take my Kouga-Kun back, I shall not fail in making your life miserable."

Inuyasha blinked as the miko strolled out and towards the forest.

And then the scene faded, sighing, Inuyasha awaited his next destination. He landed in the small clearing where the miko from before was picking herbs.

She stood there now, hands on her hips, she searched around franticly for Kikyo or Kouga, Inuyasha wasn't sure, but he kept wondering who on earth it could be.

Hell, he wondered who these people were.

The miko continued to walk into the forest and Inuyasha followed; she walked timidly around the trees, searching.

"Oh Kouga-Kun..."the young miko gasped at the sound coming from the left, she and Inuyasha ran around the bushes to see Kikyo and Kouga together.

"Kouga-Kun!" the young miko Inuyasha had been following gasped out.

Kikyo and Kouga broke apart and looked at her, Kouga looked confused whereas Kikyo looked rather smug.

"Oh hello!" Kikyo smiled and waved at the miko.

Kouga nodded his acknowledgement.

The young miko gasped again and fell to her knees, "Kouga-Kun how could you?"

"Silly little miko, don't you see, Kouga is mine?" Kikyo laughed bitterly and stabbed Kouga with a knife; he was dead before he hit the ground.

"NO!" the little miko grabbed her stomach and sobbed, her shoulders shaking.

Kikyo smirked and laughed, "Silly, silly, silly, it wasn't fair that you got to marry the man I loved, so I had to get rid of him, if I couldn't have him, no one could."

"You monster!"

"Now, now, that's no way to treat your superior."

"I was the head miko before you came, you ruined my perfect life," The young miko pulled out an arrow and pointed it at Kikyo, "I can't let you live."

Kikyo laughed, "You dare to challenge me? I am so much stronger than you, I shall rip you apart little miko!"

Kikyo's hands glowed a grayish, though Inuyasha wasn't sure what the original color would be.

The other miko's arrow began to glow at the tip, a bright white. She shot the arrow but Kikyo caught it with ease. It snapped in half and then vaporized into the bright gray light. She laughed again and then she started to become surrounded by the dark aura for what seemed like the millionth time.

Kikyo sprung into the air and dug her hands into the miko, who cried out in pain, her eyes glowing.

The world suddenly started to blur and now Inuyasha could only hear the voices of them.

Kikyo's voice penetrated the darkness, "I put a curse on you girl, from now on, only those with spiritual awareness will be able to see you, and only they can break the spell, until then, you can never become human or die. You will never be able to leave the shadow of the forest until you are released, may this be a lesson, never underestimate me, girl."

The young miko's voice rasped out as she cried out in pain, "o...one day!"

Inuyasha jolted from his dream and stared around the room wide-eyed, he wiped the sweat that was collecting on his brow as his now violet eyes scanned the room; he had to tell someone about that dream, and not just anyone, Kagome.

He sprung from his bed only to be hit in the head by a lamp, knocking him unconscious for the time being.

Inuyasha peered at the large house that looked remarkably like the one he was currently living in; only trees surrounded it. There were many roses all along the sides of the house, all collecting into the back, he could smell something burning, and he felt his legs move without his permission.

He moved inside the house and peered around. There was a girl without a face floating in air, burning roses, yellow, pink, red, and white. He blinked, noting that this world was in color.

The flames subsided as the roses wilted in the sudden heat, the floating girl paid it no heed as she picked up another and held it over the candle.

"Kouga, you bastard," he voice rang out, rich and filled with venom.

---

Kagome stared at Naraku in confusion; she could feel a bad aura surrounding him, an advantage to being a miko.

"What do you mean?"

"I can give you the body of a human, of course, it's only temporary, you'll still be cursed," he stated simply and smiled that cold smile again.

Kagome gulped, "You're lying."

"I would never lie to you, Kagome-chan," Kagome cringed at the new name.

"Just consider my offer, sweetie, I'll return at sunset."

Then Naraku's baboon pelt collapsed the ground but no man underneath.