This story is a product of my imagination; however, I do not own Inuyasha, and do not claim to have rights to change the storyline in any way and call it valid. That is why this plot is a fanfic and not in the manga or any books related to Inuyasha. People just don't get it, do they...

AN-Warning: Some viewers may be appalled that I've changed the story so much. Read at your own risk..

The sun began its rise slowly and without worry over the rolling silhouettes of distant hills. The morning air was crisp at the moment, but soon it would warm up, waking the rest of the inhabitants of the forest with it as the glowing red sphere inched it's way up over the horizon. Everything had a sense of stillness wrapped around it, as if almost frozen in time; the sky was becoming lighter, but it was doing so, so slowly, that if you were to watch it, you would fall asleep again in the process. Life can be compared to such events as the sunrise; things can happen so slowly that you would not notice it, but if you were to look back after a few minutes, everything may have changed so much that you would not know what had happened to cause such change, or when that had taken place. The difference could be that drastic...

Twist

Chapter One: A New Beginning...Or Is It?

The sun had not yet risen when the chirping of the birds cut through the peaceful morning quiet. They fluttered from tree to tree, greeting each other at the start of a new day, although the sky was still a faint shade of grey, and the sun's warmth had not yet stirred the other inhabitants of the forest from their sleep yet.

As for me, I just wished they hadn't gotten up so damned soon.

I stretched my arms and prepared to-

Wait a second. I remained still for a moment, and felt around behind me. Yes, I was still pinned to the old Goshinboku...but what was I doing awake...?

A piercing cry cut through my daydream and threatened to traumatize my ears. What the hell?! Who was making that noise?! I shook my head and covered my ears frantically, but it was no use. I was just about to yell out myself when a scent caught my nose. I'd been so busying worrying about my ears that I hadn't noticed that particular smell drifting up towards me from the town. I knew that scent. I knew it well...and loathed it with my entire being.

Distant, frantic footsteps caught my attention. They were headed my way, and carried with them the intense aura of fear. Not only that, the thing reeked of sweat and dirt, so much that I wrinkled my nose without thinking. Briefly, I allowed myself to wonder at this behaviour. I was sure I knew the owner of this stench, and yet it differed so much from my previous experiences that it was cause enough for me to question my own senses...senses that I had long ago learned to trust completely, if I were to stay alive.

Forcing myself to maintain a straight face, I waited patiently for the source to reach me. Whatever questions I had could wait until she got here. Maybe she would even be surprised that I was awake. How long had it been since that wretched arrow rammed through my shoulder, pinning me to this tree like some gutted fish hung out to dry? I would make sure she knew of my gratitude for giving me the chance to have such a relaxing nap. Yes, I will be sure to thank her thoroughly, down to the last little detail.

A sudden, high-pitched wail interrupted my vengeful fantasy before materializing into a short, skinny human in white and green that fell, rather ungracefully, onto the ground some ten feet from me, bounced twice, and rolled a bit before landing at my feet. Or, more accurately, beneath my feet.

It took me a moment to get over the initial surprise I'd felt looking down at her. The creature at my feet, with the exception of that face, looked and acted nothing like the woman I used to follow around so loyally. If it hadn't been for that maddeningly familiar scent, and that unmistakable face, I would not have recognized her at all, especially not while she was still lying there with her face in the dirt when she should be getting up and recovering from the fall. In spite of myself, I found myself wondering what exactly had happened while I'd been "dead".

Curiosity ate at me, but my hatred was stronger. All I had to do was remember the searing pain in my left shoulder, and I pulled myself back together easily. I gathered all the scorn and contempt I felt at the scene before me, and let my words slide easily off my tongue.

"Playing with worms now, are we, Kikyo?"

The girl, who by this time had crawled up to her knees, looked up at me with a mixture of shock, confusion, and if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, fear. Her mouth flapped a couple of times, but no sound came out, and she wouldn't stop blinking. This irritated me, but I didn't let it show. What was wrong with her? Why wouldn't she say anything? Was my unexpected awakening that much of a shock? I amused myself with the idea that the great Kikyo could actually be taken by surprise, and let it show in my voice.

"What's the matter, Kikyo?" I sneered. "Aren't you taking a little while to kill it? You usually finish them off much more quickly than that." That last part I almost spat out, I was so disgusted. If this was what had become of the priestess who'd sealed me, then my defeat would become a mortification, for me to lose to such a pathetic creature.

The human stared up at me for a moment, not responding, complete surprise written all over her face. Then, she narrowed her eyes, stood up with only the slightest wobble to her knees, and marched over to stare up at me with this incredulously annoyed look on her face. She placed one hand on her hip while she pointed a finger at me with the other one. Before I could even wonder at her strange behaviour, she spoke.

"Kikyo, Kikyo, Kikyo! Who is this Kikyo anyway?" She paused, but not for long. "I'm not her, so if you've got a problem with her, don't take it out on me."

For a moment I was so stunned that I couldn't think of what to say. Then the anger spilled out and I lost my composure.

"What the hell are you talking about, you're not Kikyo?!" I snarled. Was she out of her mind?

"That's what I said. I'm. Not. Kikyo," she snapped back just as angrily. "I don't know who this Kikyo is or what problem you've got with her, but I'm not her, so stop calling me that." By this time she had balled her hands into fists, and were waving them around as if to emphasize her point.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "If you're not Kikyo, then why do you smell like her-"I began, then realized something. She was right. I sniffed her again just to make sure, but there was no mistake about it. This was not Kikyo. The revelation left me nearly speechless.

"You're not her," I managed. I could hear the amazement in my own voice.

"See?! What did I tell you? I'm not Kikyo." I could also hear the satisfaction in her voice, and it annoyed the hell out of me.

"Yeah, you're right. Kikyo was much prettier," I replied. It bothered me that I could mistake someone else's scent for Kikyo's, but I wouldn't let this human know about that.

"What?!"

She was annoyed, and I found myself enjoying it. I couldn't resist taunting her some more.

"Yeah, that's right. Kikyo was also far better at fighting monsters than you are, human."

"Don't call me that! I have a name, you know!"

"So what? You're all the same to me, human."

"My name is NOT 'human'! It's-"She was about to tell me who she was when out of nowhere an enormous snake-like body, with hundreds of tiny legs, wrapped itself around us several times and squeezing tight, crushed her against me and the trunk of the tree.