Twist of Fate

His claws gleamed in the moonlight as he approached the sleeping couple, the expectation of murder shining deep in his scarlet eyes. He towered over Kagome, his claws bared inches away from her face. 'How foolish to fall asleep.' He paused mid-strike, his sights turning on the hanyou. "I could kill you now with ease, then I would have no use for this girl." Stepping gracefully across the still forms, he watched the pulse throb in the hanyou's neck, yearning for a taste of his blood. Desiring to seal his fate for destroying his master. He flexed his claws, finding himself hesitating before a malicious voice echoed in his head.

'Kill him!'

Shaking clear his subconscious, he glared steadily at the sleeping boy, his hand lifting in preparation for another strike. Again, he found himself reluctant to end the hanyou's life. It would be so easy. One strike. That's all it would require. One strike and his vengeance would be satisfied.

'Kill him! Kill him, now!'

"I...I cannot..." 'What is wrong with me? My purpose in this new life is simple, yet....yet, I find it so wrong...' He lowered his hand, backing away slowly until he bumped into a tree.

'You dare to defy me!'

"I do not! I only wish to understand!" He raised his head to the sky, screaming in answer to the person who only existed in his own mind.

InuYasha jolted awake, sitting up to look around wildly. The only movement was that of the trees blowing against the autumn wind. His brow knitting, he leaned to rouse the girl at his side. "Kagome. Kagome, wake up."

"Huh? What?" She raised to his equivalence, rubbing lazily at her eyes. "What is it?"

"I don't know. I think we should get back to the village." The uneasy feeling he had experienced over the past few weeks had multiplied in only a matter of seconds. Tossing her clothes into her lap, he stood, leaving a ready hand on the hilt of his sword. "Get dressed."

"Well, you don't have to be such a grouch about it!" She sneered, disappearing behind a tree. InuYasha narrowed his eyes in her direction as if the glare were to burrow through the bark to her.

"It ain't my fault you gotta get naked to take a bath!"

"I didn't see any clothes on you!"

"Ah-ha! So, you were looking!"

"You're getting as bad as Miroku!" She stomped out from her makeshift changing room and tossed him his kimono.

"Hey! There is no one on earth that bad!"

Kagome laughed loudly, grabbing his hand in passing. "Get a move on, you old crow." InuYasha bared his fangs in a sarcastic giggle, glancing back into the tree tops before moving on.

The demon watched from high in the tree, attempting to revise his method of attack.

'Why do I have no desire to kill this hanyou? He dispatched my creator. I should loathe him by every right. Yet, I do not.'

'You fear him, then?'

His eyes narrowed at the eagerness of the subliminal voice.

'I do not fear him. I fear what it is I do not...cannot remember about him. He is vaguely familiar, but I fail to recall.'

'You were not summoned to think! Now do the deed you were revived for!'

He felt a jolt run through his body, sending him crashing from the tree. His entire being writhed in pain as his mind was emptied of all thoughts and assumptions. He could not think anymore. Only his purpose was wedged in his brain for the time being. His many bones cracking and shifting, he transformed painfully into his true demon form. Saliva began to drip from his lips as he grew larger.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The energetic miko danced and twirled in front of the amused hanyou, sending an undying smile across his face. He silently envied her freedom and carelessness. He wished to be as at ease as she, fear being the only obstacle. He refused to let his guard down for her safety and his own. What had transpired between the two only hours earlier still lingered in his mind, conveying the fact that they had undoubtedly grown closer. He could still feel the wetness and warmth of her bare skin against his, forcing him to shake his head vigorously to clear it of all perverse thoughts. Still, the fact remained. She was his. He was hers. One day, when the time was right....when things were not so dangerous, they would seal that bond.

"InuYasha..." She ceased her whimsical movements, pausing to share a smile.

"What?"

"What do you think the future holds? For us, I mean."

"I don't know. Why?" He walked past her, nonchalantly taking hold of her hand and pulling her with him.

"Well, I was....do you think we'll always be together?"

"No."

His simple answer was enough to stop her until he jerked her back to his side, releasing her hand to drape his arm over her shoulders.

"I know we will. Why are you askin' stupid questions like that anyway? You already know the answers." He threw up his tough shield just to watch it melt away at the whisper of his name.

"InuYasha....thank you. I needed to hear that."
"What? That your questions were stupid?"

"You know what I mean!" She nudged him hard, pleased to her him yelp on impact.

"Okay, okay. I surrender!"

"I thought so. You know, I have to say, things have gotten so much..." She stopped, looking at her empty hand and then to the hanyou, standing frighteningly still, a few feet back. "InuYasha? You alright?" She watched his ears lay back onto his head, his lips curling up into a fearsome snarl. She knew something was coming.

"Kagome! Run!" He didn't wait for her to comply, sprinting by and snatching her onto his back just as the enormous dog crashed through above the trees. He dodged from branch to branch, weary of its gigantic claws slicing through the bark like paper. He peered over his shoulder, chancing a better look at the beast. 'What is this thing? He looks so...'

"InuYasha! Watch out!" Her warning came too late, the branch catching him on the forehead. Both tumbled to the hard ground, colliding with sharp twigs and limbs all the way down. "Ow..." Kagome gripped her arm as she rose, ducking back down under the pile of fallen debris as the creature stepped across them. Reaching over, she placed a hand on InuYasha's head, hoping to stop the bleeding. 'Oh, man, we're in a lot of trouble....' She watched nervously as it began to bring its nose down to their hiding spot, knowing that it would soon smell the blood. 'Here it comes!'

"Hiraikotsu!" The giant boomerang sailed a few feet above the miko's head, striking the beast's leg with enough force to knock it of it's feet. "Kagome! InuYasha! Where are you?!"

"We're over here!" Kagome stood, waving her hands wildly in the air for emphasis. Her actions were immediately regretted as she felt the rage of warm air colliding against her entire backside. 'Uh-oh...' She gulped, turning just as its jaws opened and raced toward her.

"Get away from her!" Tetsusaiga came down just a few inches from Kagome, slicing through the tip of the monster's tongue. Blood and saliva flowed into every angle as it slung its head around wildly in an attempt to subdue its pain. Inuyasha jerked off his kimono and threw around Kagome and himself just as the acidic liquid fell around them.

"Kirara! Go help InuYasha!" Sango threw the small feline up, its body curving into fire cat form in the sky. Kagome peeked from beneath the red fabric as the cat swooped toward them, the dog demon making its move in that same instant. Before she could protest, Kagome was thrown onto Kirara's back, still sporting the red kimono over her shoulders.

"Get her outta here!" InuYasha waved his hands vigorously at the cat, signaling it to get to safety.

"InuYasha! InuYasha!" The young woman covered her eyes as the dog's jaws came down around the hanyou's midsection, slinging him around wildly in the air. "InuYasha!" From her spot in the sky, she could see his haori melting, leaving the skin to burn under the toxins. Without warning, its jaws opened, sending the limp body within them crashing into a tree. Kagome watched InuYasha fall helplessly into the below river, the blue water quickly turning crimson. Then, she met those eyes. "Fly higher, Kirara!" The fire cat's speed was too slow to outrun the demon's paw as it knocked Kagome clean off Kirara's back. Her screams became lodged in her throat, her eyes watering at the wind tearing at her lashes. The fall would surely kill her and she knew it.

"Gotcha!"

Kagome's eyes snapped open as two arms worked their way under her, sweeping her from the ground and to her friends. "K...Kouga?"

"In the flesh."

"Kagome, go find InuYasha! We can handle this...." Sango's reassurance was cut short as the palm of a paw connected, throwing her through one of the nearby huts.

"Sango!" A look of renewed frustration plastered to her once serene features, she grabbed for her bow, locking an arrow to target. "Take this!" A light streamed from her bow, its target being the beast's forehead. The dog demon sensed something was different with this weapon and dodged, the top of its ear getting nicked clean off. It's gigantic eyes fell upon Kagome, her purple aura radiating around her like a tidal wave. "If you value your life, demon, you'll leave this place be!" Her voice splitting, she set another arrow into her bow. He slowly began to back away, feeling as though defeat had been accomplished by one, pathetic human. No. She was more than a human. No human possessed that much power. Concealing himself behind the trees, he sank into his lower form, pressing a clawed hand to the ear she had taken.

'I knew nothing of this girl. Now, I know she must die.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"InuYasha..." She let the bow fall to the ground, signaling for Kouga to help Miroku and Sango. Falling to her knees at the edge of the water, she searched frantically for any sign of her hanyou. "InuYasha! InuYasha, answer me, please!" A rasping cough to her right snagged her attention to the figure crawling out of the water. "InuYasha!" The hanyou spit out a mouthful of crimson tinged water, rolling onto his back to catch his breath as Kagome fell at his side. "Are you alright?"

"Never been...better." He pushed himself to sit, trembling from the effort. "You?"

"A few scratches. Maybe a sprained wrist, that's all. What was that thing?" She asked, enlacing her arm under his to help him to his feet.

"I....I'm not really sure, but...he....he looked...never mind."

"What? What did he look like?"

InuYasha ignored her question, looking out in the direction of the demon's retreat, a bewildered expression plaguing his face. 'How can you be alive? Why didn't I catch you scent? No, it can't be you....can it? Father....'

*Sorry, if this chapter sucked. I have had a lot of things to deal with this week and haven't had much time for writing. Please, review and let me know what you think. Everything will become clear in later chapters, by the way.*