Welcome to the fourth installment of "Mysterious Hanyou"! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, and I would like to inform readers of something: This is FAR from over...^_^ As is my other, currently untitled, Inuyasha 'fic. These stories are probably going to go on forever, and ever...I hope you're all right with that!

Disclaimer: Kouga doesn't belong to me (sadly...), and neither do the rest of the Inuyasha cast (though I wished I did own them...). They belong to the incredibly artistic Rumiko Takahashi, the wondrous creator of the Inuyasha world!

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Mysterious Hanyou
Chapter 4: Play Time's Over!
By: Akiko
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"Kouga watch OUT!"

He turned around in time to see Taro's razor sharp whip race towards him, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid it.

His bright, blue eyes widened in horror.

'No...'

He punched Jiro in the jaw, sending him flying backwards. Kouga spun around to catch the falling hanyou, her blood spilling from the wound in her chest.

'That dumb hanyou!!' he thought, fear and anger bubbling up within him.

"Inuko..." he whispered to her, and was glad when her snow-white ears perked up to his voice. "Inuko, Inuko? Can you hear me?"

"H-hai..." she replied weakly, her eyelids feebly sliding open. "Urgh...This hurt's like a bleep!..."

The hanyou shook her head a bit, trying to clear her mind. What happened? She barely remembered what she had just said, heard or done. Why...Why was she hurting again?

Then, the recent events blazed to life in her mind's eye. Jiro and Taro. The whip that was heading towards Kouga...

Inuko's eyes widened in worry. Was Kouga all right?!

"Y-you! A-are you a-all right!?" Inuko asked, her voice wavering.

Kouga's blue eyes narrowed. After all he had said to her, after being injured for him, she still asked if he was alright? What is it with this girl...

"Why the hell are you asking if I'm alright!?" Kouga asked angrily. Really, even now this hanyou could piss him off. "Look at you! You're bleep!n' bleedin' from a hole in your chest! *I* should be asking *you* if you're alright!!!"

Inuko just looked up at him and smiled, although quite weakly. That blow had really hit her hard...even for a hanyou, these wounds would take a while to heal. Her golden eyes were sparkled with tears; she was trying her damned best not to cry, not in front of Kouga anyway. She refused to let him be right about her being just a little girl.

"You know what...?" Inuko smirked a bit, "Yeah, you *should* be asking me if I'm alright...erm...whoever-you-are..."

'That's right...I never even told her my name...'

"Kouga."

"Eh?" Inuko raised a slim eyebrow at him. What was this guy talking about now?

The corners of the wolf's lips turned upwards, ever-so-slightly. Was this guy...smiling? Or was he just smirking at her and mocking her, yet again?

"My name," the wolf paused for effect, "Is Kouga."

Realization dawned on Inuko's face. So that was the wolf's name. Kouga. Hmm...Guess it's a nice name, well, for him anyway...

"Damn it! That bleep!n' wolf!"

The shouting and cursing from behind them brought the duo back to reality. They turned around, only to see the twin youkai with identical masks of rage. Oh boy...

"That's it..." Jiro pratically snarled, "You're going to die!!"

Jiro charged forward at Kouga, his long, sharp-edged sword raised why in the air, ready to slice the wolf in half. But, Kouga was too fast, even while carrying Inuko.

Kouga dodged the blade by leaping nimbly into a tree, but he knew he couldn't stay there for long. He needed to get Inuko to safety first...

'Damn it! I gotta get her out of here...'

A surprised look crossed the wolf prince's face; these protective feelings for this hanyou...Why did he feel that way? He felt like that about Kagome sometimes, because he didn't want to leave her with Inuyasha for too long, but why was he feeling this way for Inuko?

Taro sauntered over to the tree where Kouga and Inuko were hiding. He had an odd, devilish grin on his face; his crimson red eyes were shining with cruel amusement.

"Hey! Wolf-boy! Don't let Jiro get to you!" he yelled to the treetops, the smirk never leaving his face. "He's just an idiot! Now, if you'd just hand over that hanyou-girl, then this would all be over!"

The anger that Kouga felt growing within him came to a boiling point. How could they just expect him to hand over Inuko?! Why did they think she meant nothing to him!?

'Wait-a-minute!' Kouga thought. 'She doesn't mean anything to me! Crap! Stupid dog dragging me into these situations...'

He might have been thinking those thoughts, but he sure didnt feel them. Kouga wouldn't hand her over, regardless of what they might offer. He...he was willing to give his life for her...even if he didn't quite know it yet...

"Kouga..." Inuko whispered, breaking into Kouga's ruminations. "Kouga...please..."

Kouga turned his bright blue eyes to Inuko; his entire attention was focused on her.

"Just give me to them..."

The wolf-youkai narrowed his eyes in irritation. Even she thought she meant nothing to him? Well, after the way he treated her, what was she supposed to think?

"Don't give me that bullbleep!, Inuko. I'm not going to give you up, especially not to those bastards," he said, his voice nearly a menacing growl.

Her golden eyes lit up, just a little, at the implication that he might actually care for her.

Down below, Jiro was not as considerate and negotiative as his elder brother. He swung his sword at the tree's trunk, sending it crashing to the forest floor.

The two in the tree hadn't expected this, but with the help of the Shikon shards, Kouga managed to get out of tree and onto safe ground with Inuko.

"Damn it..." he cursed, glowering at the twins.

"Kouga...Kouga...Put me down," Inuko commanded.

He glared at her, his piercing blue gaze telling her to stay put, but her defiant golden eyes told him to put her down, before she had to kick his ass.

When he didn't allow her to stand, she did what she knew she had to do.

Inuko slapped him. Hard. Kouga's eyes were wide as saucers in shock; how could she have done that to him?!

"Heheh..." chuckled Taro, "She's got a lotta spirit in her..."

"Yeah, she does," agreed Jiro, "But she's got a jackass for a mate."

The hanyou blushed a crimson red; there was no way in hell Kouga would be, could be her MATE!!

And with that, combined with Inuko's shocking slap, Kouga dropped her to the ground, where she landed with a muffled "thud!"

"OW! I said put me down, not drop me!" she yelled, exasperated at the wolf-prince.

Inuko stood up, gingerly rubbing her backside. That had really hurt...especially since she was wounded! "DAMN IT, KOUGA! THEY MAY BE THE ENEMY, BUT THEY ARE RIGHT! YOU *ARE* A JACKASS!"

Kouga just stared straight ahead, his blue eyes distant and unfocused. Why did that slap affect him in that way? Why did it make him feel like the biggest idiot of all time? He shook his head, and glared at Inuko. Kouga loved Kagome. This girl...this girl means nothing!

"FINE!" he sneered at her, "Go ahead and be with those assholes! See what I care!"

He turned away from her, and Inuko stared at his back, her golden eyes welling up with tears.

'I guess I was wrong. He doesn't give a damn about me afterall...' she frowned, 'Why should I care if he give's a damn?'

She walked confidently up to Jiro, her eyes ablaze with hate, anger, and determination. She WOULD do this on her own. She would beat them, and without the help of that stupid-ass wolf.

Without hesitation, Inuko raised a fist and punched Jiro square in the jaw. Jiro was stunned for a moment, and Inuko used this opportunity to swipe his sword away from him. She jumped backwards, to put some distance between her and her enemies, and pointed the sword at the twin youkai, her mouth set in a cocky, grin--it was exactly like Inuyasha's...

"Without a weapon, what're you gonna do now?" she taunted.

Damn, this hanyou's going to get herself killed...

Jiro stepped forward, his face twisted in fury, but an arm blocked his path. Taro stopped him from lunging at Inuko; he wanted to toy with this girl himself.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You shouldn't pick on poor Jiro like that!" scolded Taro. "Because if you do, you have to deal with me!"

He brought out his razor sharp whip once more, and whipped at Inuko. She nimbly dodged, but she knew she couldn't keep it up for very long, especially not with the wound she had received earlier. Her breathing was already heavy, simply from dodging that whip. She had to do something, and fast!

Then, something clicked in the back of her mind. An attack that required...

'Oh damn it! What was it?!' she thought, frustrated.

The attack required...

*drip-drip-drip*

Blood dripped out of the wound on Inuko's chest, puddling on the forest floor beneath her. It was starting to stain the ground crimson...

Kouga still stood there, pretending not to care, but he still was listening in on what was happening. He still couldn't leave, but he sure as hell wasn't going to help out, either. Let that damned dog do what she wants, his mind screamed at him, as he listened to the sounds behind him, She's just a piece of dog-turd, just like that damned Inuyasha.

His mind told him not to care, but his heart told him otherwise. The smell of blood wafted up to his acute youkai nose; it was Inuko's blood, and it made his stomach churn.

'Blood! An attack that requires blood!'

"That's it!" she cheered.

Inuko pressed the claws of her right hand into the bleeding wound on her chest; she winced a bit at the action. She grinned at the twin youkai, who stood confused as hell as they stared at her claws soaked with crimson red blood.

"TAKE THIS! HIJIN KETSUSOU!!" Inuko screamed furiously, sending blades of blood slicing through the air towards the two demons. (AN: thank you very much to Sengoku o-Togi Zoushi...I couldn't figure out what that attack was called, so I went to Sengoku o-Togi Zoushi's translations...if anyone's noticed...that's exactly what Inuyasha said to Yura...^_~)

'EH!?' the two youkai thought simultaneously as arcs of crimson red soared at them.

They attempted to dodge, but there were too many blades of blood...One blade sliced off Taro's right hand, which happened to be the hand that wielded the demonic whip.

"GOTCHA!" Inuko exclaimed, while other blades sliced up Taro and Jiro's bodies.

"MY HAND!" Taro screamed, while his younger brother held him, his blood-red eyes glowing with hate.

"Don't worry, brother, I'll take care of this bitch..." Jiro promised, gently setting his brother down to the ground.

Even though his body was full of cuts, and even though he was bleeding profusely, he stood straight and stared Inuko straight in the eye; he refused to be killed by her. He wouldn't die until he killed her. And this desire to kill Inuko gave him power.

And Kouga sensed Jiro's change. He could feel the other demon growing stronger and stronger with the power of hate and anger. It made his hair stand on end. Kouga spun around, and watched Jiro's transformation. Jiro's muscles began to grow, along with his size and weight. His face held a crazed, infuriated expression; and by the end of his tranformation, he towered over Inuko, who gulped at the sudden change.

Jiro roared at her and threw his fist at her, and he grinned, thinking that he had hit her, but Inuko still had some life in her. She was off to his right, panting with the exertion of dodging around, however she wasn't willing to just give up either. She leaped into the air, the sword in her hand slicing through the air at Jiro.

Her golden eyes widened in horror.

"No..." she croaked, shocked that Jiro's flesh had snapped the sword in two. "No..."

She stumbled backwards in fright, nearly tripping over her own feet. If a sword couldn't pierce his skin...

'I'm going to die...' Inuko thought, tears streaming openly down her face as the monstrous Jiro looked down at her, smiling sinisterly. 'I didn't even get the chance to see Inuyasha...'

"Heheh...I guess play time's over, huh, little hanyou?" Jiro taunted, every word dripping with sarcasm, his voice booming in Inuko's sensitive white ears.

"I can't..." she whispered brokenly, trying to choke back a hopeless sob. "No...Inuyasha, I'm--"

She was abruptly cut off by a pair of arms that grabbed her by the waist; Kouga had rushed in and picked her up, slinging the girl over his shoulders. He took off in a flash, leaving behind a mini-whirlwind. Hopefully, his speed would get them to some village where Inuko could get taken care off, and then he would go take care of those frickin' twin youkai.

"NO!!! GET BACK HERE!" Jiro howled in the distance, his voice echoing across the forest.

'I won't let them get away, brother.'

'I know, Jiro, I know...but first, we should heal up. We'll follow them from a distance, and take our revenge for my hand...and for harming my little brother.'

Jiro slowly shrunk down to his normal size, his red eyes a bit softer as he gazed at the older twin. Taro was truly a great brother to Jiro. They shared a secret little smile, before getting up and limping off somewhere, preparing for their revenge.

With the help of the shards, they managed to get a good distance away from the battle site. Within a few miles, Kouga smelled a human village up ahead. But...there was something else...and Inuko had picked up on something as well...

'Inuyasha!'

'Kagome!'
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Yup, that's it! Don't worry, there's more! I don't know...I kinda of liked this chapter...*shrugs* maybe 'cause it's the longest one I've written so far...anyway, I hoped *YOU* liked it...and review, if you like please!
Stay tuned for "Mysterious Hanyou" ... will they be reunited once more? ^_~