Chapter 4:

True Love's Kiss

"Inuyasha! Wake up! It's morning! Let's go!" Miroku yelled, waking Inuyasha from his dream.

He looked down at Miroku with a growl. He jumped down and looked at the whole group. Sango had switched into her slayer outfit, Shippou was sleeping next to Kirara, and Myouga was nowhere to be found. Miroku was dressed, but had a red hand print across his face. "Trying to get a hit early in the morning, eh, Miroku?" Inuyasha joked.

Miroku didn't say anything, just glared at Inuyasha. "Do you know what tonight is?"

"What?" He said.

"The new moon."

"Damnit!" Inuyasha growled. No powers tonight. Damnit all! Inuyasha couldn't fight Ashinito tonight. He'd get killed. Wait a minute! He thought. Isn't her time of the month tonight, too? I wonder what she looks like as a mostly human.

"Shippou told us that you know where Ashinito is holding Kagome. Where, then?" Sango asked, her eyes staring at Inuyasha.

"The house that Ashi lived in with her parents." Inuyasha said. "It's on the other side of the forest. You'll miss it if you fly, so we all need to take to the ground." He paused, took a deep breath, and continued. "It's probably worse now than it was when I last saw it." He stopped.

He walked ahead of Shippou and led the group. His ears twitched around him, trying to pick up any sound other than theirs. He heard a branch bend in the treetops and he stopped dead. "Don't move! Something's in the treetops. Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" He yelled as he slashed at the tree. Something black flew off the tree and landed in Inuyasha's path. "What the hell are you?"

"I am a bear youkai. My name is Yoki." The high pitched voice squealed with delight. "I guess you are on your way to see the village that Ashinito destroyed." She smiled.

"How would you know and why'd you care?" Inuyasha growled.

"She doesn't want any visitors. She never does." She snickered. "To get to her, you have to go through me, and I'm immortal!" She said.

"I'll fight you later. My girlfriend is dying, and I have to get to her! I don't have time for this or you, so get out of my way!" Inuyasha barked.

"G-g-girl-f-f-friend? You have a girlfriend? What is she? A human? Come now, Inuyasha." She mocked.

"Shut UP!" He barked back. "You talk too much! Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

"A pitiful attack." She said as she jumped out of his way. "Let me show you the better option. Mega Slash!" She said as she slashed at him, cutting his armor and shirt before it reached skin, causing a major cut.

"Damn you!" Inuyasha said. "I don't have time for you! TETSUSAIGA!"

"Ooooooh! A big katana! I'm so scared." She squeaked.

"You should be!" He said as he swung at her. Hit, damn it! He thought. I don't want to tap into its full power if I don't have to.

"Missed me!" She said with a smile and a smirk. "If you are going to use a katana, use one like this. Angel of Darkness, send me your energy katana!" She said as she held out her hands. The katana was like a regular katana, but it had a dark glow around it. "Full power!" It changed shape, similar to the Tetsusaiga's shape.

Inuyasha looked at the katana that she held and compared it to his own. It was the same size, shape and made of metal, but it looked like her's did fire tricks. "Whatever."

"Use the full power, Inuyasha." Miroku whispered.

Sango, instead, used her hiraikotsu and sliced Yoki in half. Green blood sprayed around them and doused Inuyasha.

"UGH! You cut me in half." She said. "My blood, however, is also an acid!"

Thankfully, Inuyasha's kimono is made from fire rat fur. It protected him from all of the acid.

He looked at her and could see her flow of dark energy. It collided with the wind and created the Wind Scar. He thrust Tetsusaiga into it and released it full power.

"No! What are you doing? NOOO!" She evaporated into nothingness.

"That was fast." Sango said.

"It's not over with, yet." Shippou said.

"Are you saying that she survived the Tetsusaiga?" Miroku said.

"Inuyasha-sama, go ahead and find Kagome. Time is short. I'll come with you." Myouga said. "The rest of you should stay back and fight the bear should it return."

"Okay." Sango said. "I'll fight her off."

"Good luck, Inuyasha!" Shippou yelled.

With that, Inuyasha and Myouga took off, deeper into the woods. The only sound Inuyasha heard was the sound of his feet hitting the ground.

"My lord? I didn't know that you had black hairstreaks in your hair."

"I don't. Tonight's the new moon. It's getting darker, so I must be transforming. Hopefully we'll make it in time." Inside, Inuyasha was doubtful. He hadn't made it very far, and he still had a long way to go. By the time he could get there, it would already be moonrise.

Meanwhile, back at Ashinito's house, Ashinito was beginning to feel the transformation from hanyou to mostly human. Her golden hair had huge chunks of black in it. Her fangs became human teeth, and her claws became human fingernails. Her keen wolf ears were shrinking and forming human ears. Curse it all! She thought. Why'd my time of the month have to be at the new moon? I can't fight Inuyasha like this. I'll get slaughtered.

She smiled. "He's near! What fun!" Her happiness was quickly doused. "Mother left some kimonos here, I think I'll borrow some so he won't notice me." She laughed. Just then, the last of her golden hair turned black, her wolf ears disappeared, and was replaced by human ears. Human teeth replaced her fangs, her claws were replaced with human nails, and she was now wearing a green and red kimono that was made of silk.

She laughed again. "I should prepare her body for the erasing." She held out her hand over Kagome's body and watched it glow a bluish color then fade out. "With true love's kiss, the poison will erase. With my help, of course. Inuyasha'll owe me one."

Inuyasha, now almost completely transformed, and Myouga arrived at the front curtain of the shabby hut. "Welcome to Ashi's hut." Inuyasha said as he entered the curtain.

Furniture was melted, ripped, and destroyed. Claw marks scratched up the walls, the floor had deep, dried bloodstains on it, and the walls had spatter stains. "It would seem that the bear was right. Ashinito doesn't like visitors." Myouga said as he hopped off Inuyasha's shoulder.

"She destroyed most of this hut after her mother left with that other man." Of everything he was expecting to see, this wasn't it at all. The foul scents of varies youkai told him that she was very defensive.

Roaches saw Inuyasha coming and scattered to corners and walls to avoid being squished. Skeletons lined the walls and bones, some partly melted, scattered across the floor like she carelessly placed them there.

Ashinito watched them from another room and smiled. "They've come." She whispered.

"Ashi! Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha yelled.

A woman, with a light peach face, green eyes, black hair and wearing a green and red kimono entered the room. "Through that curtain." She pointed to the curtain that led to the sleep quarters.

Inuyasha rushed into the room and saw the place were Kagome was laying. He knelt down and looked at Kagome's face. Brushing some hair out of her face, he saw her whole beautiful face. She looked like she was just sleeping. He brought his lips close to her's and closed his eyes. He felt his lips touch her's and felt a little shock.