For The Love of a Hanyou

Chapter One: Mystery and Beauty

Kagome and Inu-Yasha – along with their friends Sango, Miroku, and Shippo- stopped in front of Inu-Yasha's cabin. Inu-Yasha softly brushed the wooden wall with his long-nailed hand, as if reliving memories.

"Inu-Yasha, we're going for a walk." Kagome pulled Miroku after her. Once they where out of earshot, she turned to Miroku. "Inu-Yasha's been acting weird."

"How?" Miroku replied with a sly look away from kagome that said he really knew.

"He's been . . . . well, happier in a sense, since we decided to come to his cabin."

"What's wrong with him being happy?"

"Nothing - but ..." kagome drifted off.

"It is a confusing emotion coming from him, isn't it?" Miroku replied, moving to place his hand on her shoulder, as if to comfort her. But kagome knew all too well where that hand was going, and slapped it away.

Miroku looked ahead and smiled. "Isn't that the bone eaters well?" he said and pointed.

"Don't change the subject!" Kagome snapped. "But yes, it is." she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a moving figure in the trees. "Wha...!?" she gasped, and pulled Miroku behind a bush.

"Oof...,"he let out a breath, "is it a yokai?" he whispered. They had both had enough of demons.

"I don't know." kagome whispered back. The figure appeared at the end of the clearing.

She was barely smaller then Inu-Yasha., and simply robed. She wore only a white shift like dress belted with a wide sash spreading from chest to hips. but her hair made up for it; Such a wild mane of gray and black hair that made her young rather then old, that gave her beautiful face a striking companion. Her ears, as well as her height, were Inu-Yasha's. They had a black wolfish look that made her yellow eyes, Inu-Yasha's again, stand out to the point that every blink in your direction felt as if the sun had gone out and would never come back. Miroku was suddenly possessed by the urge to caress that heavenly body and stare into those sunlit eyes.

Kagome, on the other hand, felt ugly next to such great beauty, and thought wistfully of shampoo.

The demon girl paused five feet from the opposite side of the well and bent down.

"WHERE????" Kagome shouted, making Miroku jump before he answered her.

"Into the ground." He gripped his staff tighter. "Just watch for a moment. And be wary."

The ground yawned open as a trapdoor swung up on their side of the well. The girl-demon sighed.

"This isn't right. What will I do for water?" The rest of her body appeared as she climbed up, clutching a pail of water. This spring is almost dry trees. If 'Maru or 'Yasha were here I would have a real well. We need the rain. 50 years is too long for a spring to sustain a forest." She began to leave.

"Wait!" Miroku called after her, and walked out of the bushes, followed by kagome.

"Who are you?" the girl demon threatened as she turned to face them with hooded eyes. Bending down, she reached under her skirt and pulled out a silver dagger that transformed into a wild blade that flamed blue. "And why do you smell of Inu-Yasha and Kikyo?"

Kagome rushed behind Miroku, who lifted his staff in both hands.

With a tremendous amount of battle energy, the girl demon screamed. "Everyone who trespasses Mar-Arimi's grove is punished with their life!"

Mar-Arimi charged.