Disclaimer: I see no evil... I hear no evil... I speak no evil... if that is so, then I cannot say what needs to be said... so just assume that I said it...

The Devil's Rule

Chapter Three: Foray

Inuyasha lay his head back against the furthest wall in his little abode, eyes staring sightlessly ahead of him his mind wondering through many thoughts. So far he has stayed at this shrine, for a reason unknown to him, for about a well over a week, which was more like years, yet this seemed to last longer then all the others. He didn't know why it was, but had a feeling it was something to do with the fact that the two runts leaving him to his own devices the whole day. He would have never thought they would take him seriously!

For the last couple of days he had been complaining about the lack of time alone to think every time they visited, and that was about four times day. Sure he may have been annoyed a bit about their over obsessive need to make sure that he have his every need met and that he was still there and not half way in to town, but now that they were gone... he kind of missed them. Inuyasha was never one to socialize, never went out of his way to speak with another living soul, but he always had his brother around to keep him company when boredom hit. Right now he had no one, and the heavy silence of the room was threatening to crush him with the sheer weight of it all.

Inuyasha let his body slump forward, catapulting to the ground with a thump. He did nothing to right his position on the floor, not caring that his upper half was flat against the floor while he was still in a sitting position. He was sure to have back problems in the near future, but this thought was quickly ignored and the subject of the priestess not to far from him took its place.

He must of a death wish or something, as least somewhere deep in side his subconscious mind. Why else would he, a hanyou, stay at a shrine with a priestess nearby whose soul purpose is to kill his kind? Yep he definitely had one of those. His brother would be calling him an idiot half-bread right about now, that, or inquire if it had to due with the fact the she was a pretty girl and had a nice figure. He groaned mentally, did he just call her pretty with a nice figure!? Well it had been a long time since he last even looked at a girl other then to order some food from a tavern, and that was about a couple decades ago, so maybe it had to deal with his lack of women? Well whatever it is he's truly signing his death by not picking up and leaving like his mind so wished him to do... his eye shot open wide. He sure hoped she wasn't the kind of miko that could do that mind reading stuff. He surely would find himself purified then. To humans it was consider a sin to have any less then pure thoughts of their beloved priestess, while to demons it was just sick and disturbing. He usually felt the same way, as the demons that is, but there was just something different about this girl.

Fingering the picture, she began hoping that it did not bring her mother sad thoughts as well. "Am I a murderer, haha-ue?" She asked. "I know that you would tell me I am not, that I am only performing my duties as a shrine madden, but I feel like one." She confessed. "Why must my job consist of exterminating entire the demon race? Not all demons are bad, like not all humans are good..." She mumbled the last part out. "Just don't understand... I know that sometimes I must kill to keep those safe from harm, but there are those like Shippo, and I know that he could never hurt anyone. His parents would've never either, they lived peacefully out in the woods."

"I just can't bring myself to understand it...." She sighed in frustration. "I told you this before, I know, but I feel like speaking of it again. Remember when I said that right before I ran form the over lord he requested that I hunt down a few demons and slay them?" She questioned, waiting a few moments as if waiting for the dead woman to answer in reply. Acting as if it were so the young miko continued on. "He wanted me to hunt down a few demons because they were simply that, demons." She shook her head disdainfully a frown marring her, what most would call beautiful, features upon her face. "They did nothing to warrant such an act on my part and so I refused...." She trailed fisting her hands into her red nagamaka, so enmeshed were they that her hands began to pale so a deathly white as she forced her eyes to stay dry. Memories began to over take of that day, and she bowed her head low wishing not to remember.

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut as he recalled her words that day about half a week ago. He wasn't sure if he believed them or not. What reason would she have to lie when she thought herself to be alone with just her dead mother's ashes? Still it was a little hard to comprehended, as the fact still remained... She is a priestess. He is a demon, or at least part. They were considered to be natural mortal enemies. It was enmeshed into his very being, these beliefs, and her stupid words were screwing them up making him question if everything he thought to be true actually was.

He slammed his head into the wood planked floor, his sliver hair spilling over and blocking everything from view, digging his claws into the floor in his aggravation. Stupid girl was making him think too much! Normally when he was alone he sat in silence, and that meant his mind too and for some reason some unforeseeable force decided that thought's needed to invade his mind during his unwanted quiet time. If someone out there thought that he needed to be occupied then why not send one of the runts crashing through, or even better yet, some fool of demon to try and attack what he claimed as his to protect. He could really use a fight to help release the pent up energy surging through his veins making him just a tad bit to antsy.

Inuyasha grinned as loud crashes reached his ears along with a feminine scream, jumping to his feet with renewed vigor, he thanked whatever being decided to answer his thoughts and send him a good battle. Cracking his knuckles as he made his way to the exit, his grin turned feral as his body shook with the anticipation of the fight. Oh this creature was so going to pay for attempting to harm what he had claimed to protect, he would make sure of that. Too bad his brother wasn't there; things would have been a bit more interesting. With a shrug he bolted off to slowly kill the intruder.

~*~

Stepping out of the bath Kagome hastily wrapped her robe around her naked flesh, shivering a bit when the cool air of the evening brushed across her face, chilling her wet hair.

These past few days have been uneasy for her, nearly jumping at her own shadow when it moved. Nearly a week and a half and still she had yet to see any signs of the demons that had managed to bypass the barrier, had managed to surpass her own power. Over the past couple of days she had felt demon aura's two only a few miles away, and another very close by, but as soon as she felt the brush of aura upon her own it was gone. This unsettled her. Normally a demon was unable to hide from her and yet there were three out there who managed to do just that. With a sigh of helpless aggravation, Kagome un-shouldered her robe in favor of the traditional priestess grab. She may have hated what it represented, what it meant, but she loved it all the same. For it made her feel closer to her deceased mother.

For these past days she had refused the boys the freedom the forest seemed to offer for the young soul, telling them, finally, of her fears. How they had reacted surprised her, she had thought that they would be upset with the news of no longer being able to traverse outside the shrine and complain about it. Kagome nearly smiled to herself when she thought of their reactions to the news.

Kagome pointed towards the stools located around the island of the kitchen, before she herself seated directly in front of them arms resting upon the back of breakfast stool. She watched them awhile, her mind going over possible ways to explain the situation to them. She could tell they were growing uneasy with her prolonged silence and unintentional scrutiny.

With a sigh she straitened herself to sit taller, arms still resting upon the stools back, she began her explanation of the long needed to be discussed situation. "I want you guys to stay one the shrine grounds, no more going out into the woods for a while. It's not safe." She commanded sternly, her gray-blue eyes daring them to say differently.

"But why?" They both questioned simultaneously, crossed arms, and a petulant pout fixed upon their faces. She would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. If it weren't for the fact that both boy's appearance and blood were completely different she would have assumed they were twins with how they nearly always act like one. She guessed it was true what they say, the more time you spend with a person the more you end up acting like that person.

Kagome gave the twosome her don't-question-me look, before replacing it with something a bit softer as she went to explain her reasoning behind the order she gave them, hoping that they would understand. "I sensed something a while back and it seems to be getting closer, I just don't want anything to happen to you guy's alright." She whispered softly, her mind playing the events of five years ago. "I don't want you loose you guys too." The words were so softly spoken under her breath from her lips that Souta did not catch them, but Shippo did.

He studied her a minute noticing the sad cast to her eyes and instantly knew what she was thinking about. The kit never knew his grandmother, but Souta had always sad that she was nice, but more importantly whenever his Haha-ue got that look her in her eyes she was thinking about how she died. Souta had always said that haha-ue blamed herself for his grandmother's death. "Is it a demon?" He finally questioned, after a moments study and thought.

Her shoulders slumped, her head coming to rest upon her loosely crossed arms over the back of the stool. "I'm not completely sure, but yeah, I think so." She informed. "Two of them are a bit far off, but one of them is very close to the shrine, so please be careful." Kagome pleaded as she stood from her chair, but not before giving the two a sidelong look. Why did they look so nervous? With a shrug she played it off on her lack of sleep, as her mind had been to busy with thoughts of the demons making they're way towards their shrine.

Both Souta and Shippo shared a look before jumping to there feet with a strong voiced declaration. "Don't worry haha-ue "Ane-ue" we'll protect you from the evil demons!" The shouted out in unison thrusting their fists into the air. Making a grab for the kit's hand, Souta shouted over his shoulder to his sister. "We'll be right back Ane-ue, we're gonna put up some of grandpa's old sutra's to ward off evil!"

Kagome laughed silently to herself as she recalled the memory. Their grandfather's sutra's, now that was pretty funny! She doubted that those sutra's that the boys plastered all over the place were actually going to work, but decided against saying anything. She thought it was rather sweet they would want to protect her, even going as far as to spend the better part of the day plastering wards all over the shrine grounds, not matter the fact that the wards were a bit useless. Her grandfather was a bit eccentric, going on and on about legends -that he claims to be complete and utter truth- and always insisting she and Souta learn his amazing priestly powers. No one ever had the heart to tell the old man that he held not an ounce of spiritual powers with in him.

With the gentle shake of her head, Kagome pushed the thoughts to the furthest recesses of her mind as she slowly made her way down the steps of her home. She froze, her hand hovering above the banister of the stairway. Within the back of her conscious she could feel the cold tingle, before it consumed her whole entire body. She shuddered violently before retreating toward her bedroom for her bow and arrows. Once retrieved Kagome rushed outside her home to be standing at the foot of the steps that lead up to the shrine. Retrieving an arrow from her quiver, Kagome notched it drawing back the bowstring; aiming the point of the head toward the direction she felt the evil aura coming from.

It wasn't a long wait as she could see what looked to be a bouncing white ball coming towards her at an immeasurable rate, but she did not release the bow string, instead reading the aura to find out if in fact this demon's intent are less then pure. It was then that she felt the aura behind her.

It was then that time seemed to slow.

As Kagome turned her head to see the source, her eyes widened. There behind her was a hulking giant of a demon; purple in color, and menacing snarl gracing it's lips. She watched as it pulled back it's massive arm, palm flat out, and she had no time at all to reposition herself to defend against its attack.

The palm slammed against her sending her sailing clear across the shrines courtyard, her head slamming into the cement of the ground, stars exploded her vision as a scream came unbidden to her lips. The pain that coursed through her head and body immeasurable that she had to fight for her consciousness. Forcing her body to at least kneel, and her head to move about despite the pain it caused. Panic welled within her chest as her gaze came to rest upon her broken bow and scattered arrows. Forcing calm upon herself she stood despite the dizziness that took her and the pain that threatened to consume her till she only wished for death.

If she could get close enough to the larger demon then she only need to touch him before she lost herself to the wonderful oblivion of unconscious sleep. Kagome only hoped that her brother and adopted son were well away from this part of the shrine as she didn't believe in her current state that she would be able to protect them from this new threat.

She took a step forward, before pausing to regain herself, but it was only short not enough to give the demon a chance to notice it, at lest she thought so.

With the speed and grace no hanyou should be able to accomplish, Inuyasha landed between the threat and what was his to protect now. He had made a promise to that boy, Souta, and to this day he hasn't broken a promise sealed by his own words yet and he didn't intend to start now even if the girl under that protection happened to be a priestess. Hunched over, claws and fangs bared menacingly Inuyasha stared down the ones whom dared to harm what was his to defend. Pathetic excuse for a youkai didn't even heed his scent markings around the place. Idiots.

The hanyou watched warily as the a little cotton ball look-a-like hopped up to his companions shoulder staring him down with bewildered eyes. "I never thought a youkai would ever defend a priestess, I thought my nose was playing tricks on me. Your a hanyou, wouldn't you bare an even greater distaste for her kind?" He questioned, fully expecting an answer in turn.

Seeing this Inuyasha grinned. "You got me there, I can't stand 'em, but a promise is a promise." With sniff of the air he took in the miko's sent to accesses her injuries. Blood. There was lots of it; Inuyasha didn't understand how the girl was still conscious with the amount he smelt on her. A low rumble began in his throat only to rise in sound until it was heard by all; for some reason her blood scent angered him. He didn't know why but he could feel the youkai in him stir with unparallel rage. Unaware his eyes flashed red for a moment. He grinned at the unease that seemed to take over the intruders, they must sense the blood in him stir as well he concluded. "And you will soon regret messing what is my to protect." His voice to on the resemblance of steel being bared, and it caused the other two youkai to wince invisibly, but wince never the less.

Kagome watched the proceedings in curiosity. Why was this demon helping her if he seemed to hate her so? She never remembered making a promise with him... why was he helping her? Kagome stilled her thoughts as pain shot through her head, moving a hand up to clutched it in hopes to ease the pain. It did nothing, but at least her surroundings stopped spinning. If she weren't in such pain she would have noticed the hanyou's aura change slightly.

The cotton ball growled. "You know your betraying your kind by helping out this particular priestess. She is the reason we cannot stop the Over Lord and here you are helping her! Are you in league with him? Is that it?" He questioned furiously, venom seeping into his every word.

"What the hell is it with this damn Over Lord crap! You know your not the first to ask me that." Relaxing his stance, Inuyasha drew fourth his Tetsusaiga, but did not let it transform, and scoffed at the over confidence that seemed to be radiating off the two one the witnessed the condition of his choice in weaponry. Boy are they in for one heck of a surprise. "Before I kill you, I ask of you what province do you serve, western, northern, southern, or is it the eastern lord?" That was what, at least what he remembered as it could have changed like everything else in this warped world he created, one was to ask before ending the life of a demon. It was good to know whom you had to watch out for if the province decided to retaliate for their loss.

"The west, what's it to you?" He spat.

There's his answer. With a sigh he sheathed his sword, Sesshoumaru wouldn't be too happy if he were to kill some of his servants. Now that question was what did this girl do to his brother that would warrant her assassination. "And her I thought Sesshoumaru knew how to better pick his assassins, I suggest you stand down."

The cotton ball bristled at this. "How dare you speak in such away about our lord!" He seethed.

"Damn, you sound like that toad Jaken. I can speak of him however I please, he is my brother, and if you wish to live a moment longer you will stand down." As soon as these words left his lips and infiltrated what little brains they held, both demons scrambled into the kneeling positions heads bowed, body resting upon one knee with a hand to the heart. Though the cotton ball did have a bit of trouble with this. All in all it made for a pretty comical scene and Inuyasha had to use what control he had to not laugh out right. "Ah, so know you understand." He couldn't help the laugh that escaped with the words he'd spoken.

The cotton ball eyed the sword at his hip in new understanding. He had finally come to realize just how close he came to losing his life. There were not many that could stand up to the sword known to be able to slay one hundred demons at one, heck, even Sesshoumaru had a time to defend against such a power so therein what chance did the lowly cotton ball have? None that's what! "My lord if I may ask, where have you been all these centuries? It is strange but for some reason you seem to be not older then you were from when you disappeared from the battle all those years ago." He remarked meekly, his tone subdued.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Was knocked out during the battle I guess, and then I woke up in the middle of the forest only to find my way here. There's one thing I want you to answer me though, how's Sesshoumaru, did he win the battle?" Did he get his revenge for his mother? He added silently. Sesshoumaru never wanted the others to know the real reason for him entering a war that had nothing to do with him. He didn't want other's to know that underneath all of that stone he had a heart and wanted revenge on his mother's murders, and not because he was her whelp, but because he loved her.

The cotton ball was silent a moment, before he answered. "The lord disappeared the same day as you." He replied. "We didn't win the war, we were at first, but then the over lord showed up with his never ending army. In the end he nearly claimed all of Japan, only the Island of Hokkaido is left. Everyone thinks the lord is dead."

Inuyasha took in all of the information with disbelieving ears, clenching his fists hard enough that his claws bit into his skin. He could feel his own blood drip from his closed fist to the ground, as well as the smell assaulting his nose. "My brother is not dead, and I will not hear you say it either! You both stay out here and wait for me, I want to know more of what has happened while I was missing." Turning Inuyasha found the priestess regarding him with curious eyes. Approaching her carefully, Inuyasha said soothingly. "I won't hurt you and neither will that, at lest I won't let them, I'm going to take you inside and get you bandaged up. You're bleeding pretty bad."

"Oh, I am." Where her faintly whispered word before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her legs gave way beneath her. With a deadly grace and fast movements Inuyasha caught the priestess before she hit the ground. Gathering the girl up into his arms, he gave the two other demons a look that clearly stated 'move and die'. They held no intentions of doing that, who would want to deal with the ill-tempered brother of the two youkai? Ill-temperedness always is hard to predict.

~*~

Inuyasha lay the priestess down upon her bed, at lest he assumed it was hers by the smell of it. Her scent was all over every thing, so much so that it nearly drowned out the stench of her blood, almost at lest. Kneeling down, he rolled the miko over a bit so that he had access to the back of her head. Using his clawed fingers to carefully move aside her hair while he inspected her skull for the damage, searching for the region that the blood seemed to originate from. Once found he parted her hair away from it, before standing to find a cloth, and he found it near a bath. Looking inside he noticed it full of water, he hesitated a moment. The water wasn't exactly clean, but it wasn't really dirty either. With another moments hesitation he dipped the cloth in, before returning to the priestess bedside.

Taking the now wet cloth be began to clean the clumps of blood away with a gentle practiced ease. He was use to tending his own wounds, but his newfound gentle approach came from his patient being a human female. They were generally pretty weak, though he had to admit he was somewhat shocked and amazed she had the strength to keep consciousness as long as she did with how badly wounded she is. Soon enough he could see the two-inch long gash along her head about a half an inch deep. He found himself growling again, and stopped it immediately. There was no reason for it. Yet for some reason as he worked on the girl he could feel the anger in his demon blood as it still stirred for control.

Suddenly he bent over to lick her wound tasting her blood, and his demon half purred in satisfaction at the sweet taste of it. As slow realization dawned upon him to what his actions meant, he jumped away from her, eyeing the prone from of the priestess like she may strike at any second. What the hell... He thought as he eyed the back of her head, and the slowly heeling wound from his own saliva. He could still taste her blood on his tongue. It set his blood on fire while making him unbelievingly he nearly shivered from it, and the taste, spicy and smooth all in one nearly made him... he shook his head. No! He shouted to himself, he would not think like this, and he should have never tried to heal her in such away. It made demons crazy and such techniques were only made for mates.

Taking his eyes from the now small gash, Inuyasha tore the sleeve of his under kimono to make a bandage to wrap around her head. Once tied he sat back on his hunches, as he let his own mind runaway with the days events.

Just what kind of strange world did his mind create? More to the point is this even a world his mind created, what if he were somehow brought here? Whatever the case may be, he needed to find his brother; there was no way Sesshoumaru was killed in that war. He was too strong and proud to be killed off in such a pathetic excuse for a war. No, there was no possible way he is dead, and Inuyasha refused to even acknowledge such a possibility.

Then there was that over lord guy, he would need to find out more about him as well. Something happened back then, and he needed to understand what and why the human was still alive even after all of these years. There should be a new lord then. Another growl began deep in his throat, if this over lord had anything to do with his or Sesshoumaru's disappearances from the war he would personally make sure the lord had a slow and painful death before he met his end to hell. He did not like being toyed with.

He faintly wondered where the runts were during all of this, but did not dwell on it for long. He knew they weren't in any immediate danger, if they were he would have sensed it long before anything were able to happen to the two. He always kept his senses alert and trained on there aura's when they were not with him. He would never admit it but the two had grown on him in the time they he bedded down at the shrine.

First thing was first though, he needed to find out the location of his brother, while doing that though he could learn more about this Over Lord guy and this strange time he has found himself in. Once Sesshoumaru was found he could truly begin to formulate a plain, the two brothers always worked best when together. Though, he would have to admit, the older youkai was a bit better a putting together plans for war and such, not that he felt things would lead up to that, at lest not yet. The only thing he had to know right now were that this guy infiltrated his father's lands, which were left to him and his brother at his time of death, and claimed them for his own. If that wasn't enough for his demon instincts to want his head, as they would want nothing less for such a blatant act, he would be happy to find another reason to kill the supposed human.

Inuyasha's musings were cut short from the soft moan emitted from the girl's throat, leaning over he peered down at the miko's face. He nearly fell backwards when her eyes opened wide, her body rearing backwards in fear as a startled gasp coming from her lips, not soon after she grabbed her head groaning from the pain. Inuyasha could smell the blood coming from her mouth and realized she must have bitten it through in an attempt to hold back the pain that wished to consume her.

"Keh, stupid girl, if you keep moving around like that your going to make things worse. I didn't save you and bandage you just so you could make things worse on yourself." He told her gruffly to hide the strange concern that welled up in him upon her painful wince and groaning, while taking in her every move watching for signs of other injuries, or signs that her head may be getting to her. "Damn humans are so weak." He mumbled lowly under his breath.

She scowled at that remark, but said nothing to it; he did save her after all. Watching him warily, as she did not miss the words spoken between the two demons and hanyou, she got to her knees upon her bead. She wondered faintly how he knew this was her room, before she remembered youkai and their heightened senses. He could probably smell her scent all over the room. "If you hate me so much why what you would posses you to help me, where did you come from?" She questioned bravely, congratulating herself on not stuttering on a single word. Inside she was beyond nervous, here she was in her bedroom with a demon boy whom, from what she had heard, did not like her and apparently saved her for no reason other then he could. Did he want something from her... is that it?

"So you heard that, huh?" At her nod, he continued to elaborate all the while questioning himself for telling her anything at all. What right did she have to know? "Well I haven't had the best of luck with your type, but..." He looked away. "I promised your brother to protect you while I was here. He found me out in the woods and let me stay here till I got my memory back, or at lest remember how I ended unconscious there in the first place." He explained using the excuse given to him by her brother.

She looked down. "Oh." She whispered faintly, before clenching her fist. "I need to talk to him about letting strangers in the shrine without telling me about it first." Suddenly she blushed, realizing how the words sounded. "Err, um, thanks for saving me though, and you can still stay here if you want to, you don't have to leave."

Inuyasha's cheeks colored as well, not used to being thanked especially by a priestess. "Feh." Yep, that was a good word to use at the moment. It expresses so much without having to really mean anything at all.

She raised a brow to this response. "I'll take that as an 'your welcome for saving you and sure I'd love to say!'" She smiled brightly at the gawking hanyou; it wasn't long before he smoothed his features out into his normal scowl. She watched him for a moment as he stared down the sleeve of his hoari, twirling with it between his fingers. She moved to leave the comfort of her bed. "If your hungry I can make you something, I'm going to be make something for myself and Souta and Shippo, do you some as well?" She didn't even make it to the end of her bed before she was pushed back down with clawed hands, and disapproving hanyou above her. He growled in his chest and for a moment she was afraid, that is until the emotion in his eyes became identifiable to her. It was concern, bewildered by this she allowed herself to be pushed back down when normally she would not go with out a fight.

"Stupid girl, you need to rest. Feh, you're a weak human and loosing so much blood, you shouldn't be walking around for awhile." He turned to leave. "I'll make them something and you too, but don't leave your bed." With that he left the room to first prepare food, something he new nothing about making. Normally he just hunted, placed the meat over a fire and dug in, if he ever had anything else it was usually prepared by the cooks. After that was finished he would get his information from those to youkai, and if it were sufficient enough, like he new it most likely were to be, he would not kill them for invading what was his to protect. Now for him to make a meal, hopefully.

Inuyasha shook his head at his thoughts. Damn it all, I'm going soft! He growled mentally.

~*~

A/N: So here's the long awaited chapter Four!!!! Yeah, I'm finally finished!!!

Poor me, I always get Strep-throat every year, I swear there hasn't ever been a year to where I haven't, but anyways that is why it's been a few weeks since my last up date and to make this up to you all I plan to have the next update ready in at lest two days, good, ne?

*Read and comment* Oh, one more thing do you all thing I should change the rating on this story to R, cause of the violence, language, and possible future things like Miroku's attitude and such? It's really important that I get your impute on this cause I don't want to get in trouble for under rating thing fic -k- thanks….

Review Answers:

Heart Of The Wizard- Thanks, I'm glad you think so… I hope to hear from you again, and thank you so very much for the review it always is nice to hear from the readers and it helps a lot!!! ~Zonza

Blue- Thank you!!! I racked my brain long and hard for something that's never been done, and finally I came up with this one here… I don't much like reading the same type of stories either, unless of course they're very well written, then I'll make an exception. I love long chapters too, though that's probably obvious… Thanks again, and hope to hear from you again!!! ~Zonza

Distance From Here- Yeah, you reviewed again!!! I love the cotton ball too, I think he's just so kawaii!!! And he also plays a big part in this story, or at lest one of them… Thank you, I'm glad you liked it… it's always rewarding to write a chapter and have nearly every one like it!!! Hope to hear from you again, and thanks for the review ~Zonza