Author's Note:
I am honoured by your patience and grateful for your support. Thank you! -_-,
As usual, the note is posted at the end of the chapter...
One last thing: this chapter has some violence and action/adventure part. I am sorry for those of you who do not appreciate that kind of story, but there is no way this could be left out. Only two days have gone by since Kouga learned, you know!

Chapter 12
Of pain and love...

Inuyasha let Kagome go and cast a dark look at Kouga's direction. 'Can that fool never understand where his place in the world is?' Snarling in anger, fangs showing themselves, and a deep, dangerously sustained growl sounding from his cheast, he barked at Kouga his demand.

"You will leave this place and us when the battle's over; got it, baka?"

Kouga cast him an arrogant smirk. "We shall see who beats the other..."

That only managed to make Inuyasha's emotions flare, seathing his heart in flames. "Baka yaro! Tempt me and you will not have a chance to leave!"

Kouga's smirk was wiped out of his face at these words. "Do you think you can beat me, wortless hanyou? I will rip you in half, tear your heart out of your DEAD body and give it to my clan to feed upon!"

"Big words to come out of your mouth, lousy wolf... Forgot already you have no shards to give you the speed to defeat me?" It was Inuyasha's turn to smirk.

Only to have his own smirk wiped out after Kouga's impossibly fast charge. 'How can that be?! Kouga has never been that fast on his own!' Inuyasha run the back of his hand over his lips, blood smudging all over it.

"What trick is this, Kouga?" Inuyasha demanded. Kouga responded with a wild, feral cry leaving his mouth.

At that moment, Miroku and Sango arrived at the village, both very worried after they heard the first cries of anger.

But their initial expressions were nothing to the pale, numb look on Miroku's face as he turned his head to rest on one particular person: Kouga.

'There is a strange, strong magic flowing around him... Is it possible he had a spell cast for him?' His question was answered when Kagome came near to them, a now awakened Shippou in her arms, both startled and almost panicked. "Miroku! Thank you, Gods above! We need your help! Kouga has gotten unbelievably fast!"

Miroku cast a thoughtful look at Shippou's direction, not wnating her to see his face. 'So, that's it...' Regaining his trademark blank expression, he turned to Kagome. "Kouga is under a powerful spell. I do not know what has he done, but we must all fight by Inuyasha's side if we want to get over this without having Inuyasha beaten badly."

Inuyasha's anger didn't allow him to think clearly, making him snap at Miroku. "DON'T you DARE interfere, got it, bouzu? He had challenged me far too many times." His eyes suddenly narrowed, a hint of crimson diffusing through them, turning their amber to a light orange. "What I need you to do is protect Kagome and Shippou, ne? You, Miroku-sama and Sango-sama can defend yourselves, but they are not that good in melee battle."

Both very surprised with Inuyasha reffering to them in such a respectful tone, they could only nod and try to get the two they had under their protection somewhere safer.

Until Kouga made a sudden move. "Not a fucking chance, you hear me?" As this words reached the four retreating figures, only Kagome's eyes not turned to their path, but trying to catch a glimpse of Inuyasha, a startled gasp was heard.

Kouga was running towards Kagome.

Inuyasha run to protect her form the raging youkai, not knowing what the fool might have in mind. He could try to escape with her, or...

Not wanting to even think of what might Kouga have in his mind, he charged after him, his own bent on saving his true love from the stupid wolf. But Kouga had a plan in his head.

As Inuyasha neared him, thinking only of saving Kagome, Kouga turned his reaching, clawed hand, clencing it into a fist, and bringing it around... to connect with Inuyasha's temple.

A loud, dry crack was heard, and Kagome turned around, her body tensing at the sound still resonating through her ears. As Inuyasha staggered only for a moment, mumbling a soft "Gomen", then fell to the ground, she could not tear her gaze from his body, lips quivering, tears spilling under her panicking eyes.

An impossibly high and loud shriek, yet murky with pain and bitterness, completely incoherent because of the agony wreching her mind, rung throughout the forest, his forest. "IIEEE!!!"

Her three companions dropped to the ground because of her shout, the ki emanating through her body reaching a level unknown for her. Sango looked with grief written allover her face from Inuyasha to her friend's tense form, Kagome running to get to his side, while Miroku looked in disbelief. 'Ohh, shiit!' Fortunately enough, Shippou had lost consciousness after he saw Kouga's fist meet Inuyasha's head.

Looking over to where Kagome knelt just beside Inuyasha, incoherent cries of pain and grief, mourning for her lost mate, he told the taijiya: "Kouga should not have done that... he is going to pay a hefty price for it!"

Sango could only cast a teary look at the houshi's direction. "How can you say such things?! And what do you mean,by the way?" Miroku smiled bitterly at her before answering her question. "You shall see..." And with that. he turned his gaze once again towards the miko whom they all cared for so deeply, who was now lost to the world...

Kouga looked at her with disgust. "You are mine, Kagome; MY woman. You will now come with me." Strangely enough, Sango thought, he seemed to tense all of a sudden.

Then he flew through the air, banging against a tree, seathed in purple, pinkish flames, as was Kagome's right arm, who looked as if it had pushed him...

A loud gasp escaped the surprised taijiya's lips. "Miroku, is that one of her miko powers?" Miroku nodded, his face more blank AND pale than ever, yet his eyes were burning with the desire to see Kouga get what he asked for. "Kagome had saved herself on one occasion or another because of them. Like when she burned the centipede's arms with nohing but a touch. Kouga is much stronger than that youkai, ofcourse, but he has..." Miroku could not utter the dreaded word. "...harmed her lifemate, her husband, and she is more than eager to kill Kouga for what grief and pain he had brought to her... Don't forget that they have only recently got to be together like a couple; would you not feel more aggarvated should you lose your love in such a short time?"

"I see your point, and to tell you the truth, I believe she's even angrier because of how many times she has literaly saved the baka from Inuyasha... I think she is even blaming herself for what happened!"

Miroku nodded as Kagome lifted from the ground nearing on Kouga. "We shall see soon enough..."

By the time Kagome reached Kouga, he had still not shaken off the hit he had received, he was rather winded, actually. He had an awful fit of vertigo, and the pink flames, dancing before his very eyes, were not very helpful either. He raised his head to look at Kagome. The only thing he managed to notice were her tear-stained cheeks, her blazing eyes and the pink-sheathed hand reaching for his head. "Kagome..."

"You will pay for what you did, you son of a bitch!" Kagome cried out, her voice loud with rage, even louder when he swore at him. Grabbing the front of his hair, she urged him to stand up, while breaking one of his claws with her fingers, pricking her finger and tearing deep through her flesh... but the yelp she got out of Kouga was as good a reward as she could get.

Smiling in a hallow, blood-curdling manner, she spoke up. "You shall live through what Inuyasha did... but there will be no reincarnation of mine to love you, you insolent, arrogant youkai. I would like you to burn in Hell, but someone else will grant me that wish. It will be wonderful to see you in agony, as you will try to release yourself from my seal..." Kouga's eyes grew large, as Kagome held him still with her powers, while wrapping one end of her napkin around his claw. When she finished, she chanted something that Kouga could not make out and dug the claw into his heast, breaking the skin.

But Kagome did not stop pushing until the claw had slightly pricked his heart.

Kouga's body tensed all of a sudden, and before his eyelids closed, he said in a shaky voice: "How could you..." And with that, Kouga fell silent, sealed leaning on a tree.

Kagome wrenched herself off Kouga, her once again frail form shaking terribly, and turned around to rest her gaze upon Inuyasha. "My love... why... why... WHYYY?"

And with that, she left the world of conscousness just like Shippou.

But Miroku and Sango could only gasp at the sight in front of their eyes:

Had Inuyasha trully moved?!

Well, sorry for scaring you to death, but I wanted this chapter to be melancholic... I apologise to all of you who didn't want to readsomething as heart-breaking as this.

Now, to answer your questions:
1. No, I do not write everything because of being requested for, it's just when I think it's right time that I actually put anything into the story; yet some requests may remind me of something I have forgotten.
2. You were right about my ne/iie mistake. I will correct any mistake I have found. I repeat I am not using any spelling/grammar correction software, and I am really sorry for the mistakes. Point taken...
3. I am Greek. Thus my mother tongue is greek. @.@ (Duh!)

See you soon!