Chapter 3

A Light in the Dark

Kk, here is chapter 3, read on and enjoy!

Dark-Demon-Girl: I'm sorry bout the cliffy, but I wanted to keep all of you wanting more. Hope that's ok. I'm tried my hardest to finish this chapter quickly, but swimming and studying for finals in school took up a lot of my time. Hope it's worth the wait for you!

Sisana: Don't worry about the hanyou thing, it's all good! I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I'm glad you're not distressed anymore. Hmmmm, Inu-Yasha doing something stupid in grief… that doesn't sound familiar. He he. I hope this new development will make for another interesting chapter for you. Let me know!

Readingfreak742: Thanks, like I said before, I wanted to make sure you were left wondering at the end of that chapter. Here's an update, Yeah!

Nicole: Tell you more about what? Do you mean that you want another chapter? Well, if that's it, here it is.

Nekura the nekoinu: thanks for the review, I have no intention of not finishing this fic, so don't worry.

((And on with the story again!))

"Alright Sorano, it is time for us to leave." Ashura said as she slowly picked up her sword from off of the ground at her feet. Dark orbs slowly moved up and then back down the blade as the handle became level with her face. "Damn girl bled a lot." The female youkai muttered as she put the sword back into its sheath. Sorano nodded respectfully at his mistress' words. Ashura turned back to him. "Do you know where the hanyou went?"

"South, My Lady."

"Then that's where we'll go." A grin gazed the youkai's lips as she spoke.

((Insert a break here…))

Shippo wandered around Kaede's village for a little while, thinking about only Kagome. Where are you now? The thought crossed his mind. The kit stopped and turned his face up to the bright blue sky.

Shippo watched as two brown birds darted at each other playfully. His attention moved up to the white, fluffy clouds that lazily moved across the sun. The kit sighed and lowered his head. "I whish you were here Kagome…" He muttered as he shook his head and walked off into Inu-Yasha's forest.

((:rustle rustle:: Shippo?))

"What would she think about…?" Inu-Yasha whispered again as his hand came to a stop on the Sacred Tree.

"What am I doing here… Inu-Yasha is in love with Kikyo…" The hanyou recognized that voice.

"Kagome—?" Inu-Yasha gasped.

" I'm nothing more than a jewel finder to him…" Kagome's voice again, but it was slow, and it seamed far away.

"NO, Kagome! You're not just a jewel finder! You're more than that… so much more…" The hanyou whispered his last words.

"I should just go home… They don't need me here…" Kagome's voice was fading.

"No, don't go! Kagome!" Inu-Yasha yelled as his hand clenched into a fist on the Sacred Tree's trunk. Don't go… Inu-Yasha rested his forehead on the trunk; just above his fist.

Something moved in the bushes behind the hanyou.

Inu-Yasha whirled around, his hands shooting to his Tetsusaiga. "Son of a—" He muttered, but something flashing out of the bushes stopped his words. The hanyou gasped through gritted fangs as his right leg collapsed under him.

((Man, Inu-Yasha just can't catch a break, can he?))

Kagome wouldn't stop running until she found what she was looking for—

'Inu-Yasha!' She knew the hanyou couldn't hear her, but she wasn't going to stop to think about that now. I don't know what's going on, but I will not let anything happen to Inu-Yasha… Kagome thought as she ran.

"Come out and fight you coward!" Inu-Yasha yelled. Kagome stopped at his voice. He knew that he was in danger? The young spirit slowly crept through the trees and watched through the bushes as the hanyou, still in the clearing around the Sacred Tree, stood on guard.

'Inu-Yasha…' Kagome whispered as she noticed his limp leg. Something moved behind Inu-Yasha; and he didn't realize it. Kagome gasped as she recognized the sharp, light blue, barb among the leaves; and the point was aimed at the back of Inu-Yasha's neck. 'No!' Kagome yelled as she suddenly ran from the cover of the bushes, toward the shadow holding the poison barb.

'Inu-Yasha!'

((Just switching POV's here))

"Come out and fight you coward!" Inu-Yasha yelled toward the movement in the bushes. His nose twitched as a foreign scent reached him. Something wasn't right, his whole body was telling him that.

The leaves rustled again in a reply.

Inu-Yasha growled as his grip tightened on his Tetsusaiga. Who is this…? This scent is almost familiar… The hanyou thought as the wind shifted toward him again. Silver ears twitched backward suddenly. "What the—" Inu-Yasha growled as he whirled around. He knew that he knew that scent "That woman—Ashura."

A laugh echoed in the clearing. "You've remembered my name and scent, I feel like I've left an impression." Inu-Yasha grinned darkly at the female youkai's words.

"Oh, you left something alright…" The hanyou took a fighting stance; his Tetsusaiga still in its sheath. I killed her…didn't I? Another deep, angry growl rumbled from the hanyou's throat.

"I'm sorry—" a chuckle broke off her words. Inu-Yasha almost hissed as the youkai regained her composure. "Sorry about the—" Snicker "That girl, your lover right?" Ashura again erupted with laughter.

"Shut-up!" Inu-Yasha roared, finally unsheathing his Father's Fang. The Tetsusaiga pulsated with its owner's anger. She laughs at Kagome's death. I will not let the bitch leave here alive. Inu-Yasha smirked at Ashura, who was still hidden in the bushes, just out of the hanyou's view.

Ashura sharply stopped her laughter. "Do not tell me what to do mutt." He didn't notice the youkai reach into her hair once again, but someone else did.

'Inu-Yasha!' A young, female, spirit cried out at the sparkle of now two poison barbs aimed at the hanyou. 'Move Inu-Yasha!' Can't he see the danger?! Kagome was frantic, how could she help Inu-Yasha if he couldn't hear her? And I don't think me attacking Ashura is an option either. Kagome was brought out of her thoughts by Ashura's snicker.

"Now you die mutt." And with that, both poison barbs shot from Ashura's fingers, straight at Inu-Yasha's wide open chest.

'Inu-Yasha!' Kagome screamed, running in between the danger and her Inu-Yasha upon mere instinct. The spirit threw her arms up from her sides and closed her eyes as she came to a dead stop right in front of Inu-Yasha.

Kagome gasped and opened her eyes when pain suddenly shot through her mind. The spirit stared in shock at the two light blue barbs that Ashura had thrown at Inu-Yasha as they slowly dug into her own spirit body. Kagome's mouth moved, opening and closing soundlessly as she watched in a mix of surprise and horror as the barbs stopped and began to glow.

The white light began to brighten and then turn to pink as the miko power still with Kagome began to fight back. Kagome gasped silently as she looked back up at Ashura slowly. 'Wha—' "What's going—" 'on?' Pain filled her mind again and the spirit screamed with the pain, but she could not fall to the ground. Tears welled up in her eyes.

'Why…' She asked slowly turning around to face the silver haired Inu-hanyou, whose face was filled with shock. 'Help me…' "Inu-Yasha…" Kagome muttered as pain made her black out.

((Aren't I forgetting someone…))

Sorano watched as the hanyou dressed all in red turned away from him. Lady Ashura had told him to keep the "mutt's" attention from her, and he had failed.

The youkai slowly crept around the clearing, toward the place Lady Ashura was lying in wait for the hanyou. Sorano had no reason to be here, and he knew it. Lady Ashura could take care of her self, and in reality, Sorano would more than likely just get in his mistress' way. The male youkai stopped directly across from the hanyou.

It wasn't that Sorano wasn't a strong and deadly youkai, no, it was just the fact that Lady Ashura was so much faster and more powerful then he. Sorano laughed under his breath. And this half-breed thinks that he can defeat Lady Ashura. The red haired youkai had to keep himself from laughing out loud.

Sorano suddenly snapped back to reality as a young woman's scream reached his ears.

((Back to our favorite hanyou))

Inu-Yasha's rage was building. "Don't tell me what to do mutt." The youkai growled. Inu-Yasha didn't back down.

"I just did." He snarled. Ashura had to control her furry at this "half-blood." Hiding her true anger, the dark haired youkai snickered again.

"Now you die mutt." Ashura growled through her fangs. Inu-Yasha continued to stare into the bushes.

If she wants to fight she'll have to come out of there. Clawed hands tightened on Tetsusaiga as the thought crossed his mind. But wait—A gasp almost left the hanyou's lips as he remembered something…

(( Flashback))

"Yes, it's up that..." Kagome's eyes fluttered as her words stopped and her breath hissed out of her partly open lips. Inu-Yasha whirled around at her abrupt stop of words.

"Kagome?!" He caught her as she fell forward into his arms. "Damn it," he breathed as he saw something sticking slightly out of the girl in his arms' neck. A laugh echoed from the top of the tree that had been in front of the pair.

"I never miss."

(( End Flashback))

Damn! I forgot she uses poison from a distance. Inu-Yasha growled at this thought. Do I still have a chance?

A pain filled scream echoed to his ears from nowhere. The hanyou's golden eyes widened as a bright pink light began to grow right in front of him.

"Ka—Kagome?" Inu-Yasha gasped as a young, raven haired woman appeared in front of him. Her back was turned to him and she seamed frozen in place, her green skirt unmoved by the suddenly strong wind. "Kagome?" The hanyou said stronger.

"What's going—" The woman slowly turned around, her deep brown eyes locking with his golden ones. "Inu-Yasha…" She muttered before falling to the ground and vanishing into nothing.

"Kagome?!" He yelled as she disappeared. Were Shippo and Sango telling the truth? The hanyou was confused, but his anger at the youkai in front of him for taking Kagome away from him over powered his thoughts. "I'll kill you again!" He roared, lifting his Tetsusaiga over his head. "WIND SCAR!" He yelled bringing the Fang down and releasing the attack that was now always wrapped around Tetsusaiga.

Ashura had to work hard to keep from laughing. Stupid dog. As the blades of wind from the Wind Scar came toward the youkai, she easily jumped sideways and out of the deadly path.

Inu-Yasha stood shaking in rage. "And stay dead!" He yelled to the now flat line of trees that the attack had created. He was surprised, but hid it, as Ashura laughed yet again.

"I'm not dead yet, mutt." She called.

Damn it… Inu-Yasha growled as he picked Tetsusaiga up again.

"But I will let you have your pitiful life for one more day." The leaves in front of Inu-Yasha moved slightly, and like that, the youkai was gone.

((If Ashura and Sorano were in the bushes, where is Shippo?))

Shippo sat shaking under a tree. His little arms were crossed over his chest and his nose was buried in his sleeves. I should go back. He thought. Why is it so cold all of a sudden? The kit lookup up as a shadow covered the sun.

"Ah!" He yelled in surprise.

"Shut-up Shippo." Inu-Yasha growled, not looking down at the kit. Shippo frowned and got to his feet.

"What's going on Inu-Yasha?" He asked. The hanyou didn't reply right away.

"Come on, let's go back to Kaede's." With that said, the hanyou started walking. Shippo growled and jumped on Inu-Yasha's shoulder.

"Hello! What's going on?!" Shippo yelled, knocking Inu-Yasha in the head, and then cringing in response. But nothing happened. "Hu?" Shippo looked up at Inu-Yasha carefully. What's going on? Inu-Yasha would normally never let me hit his head.

"I saw her Shippo, I saw her…" The hanyou muttered suddenly.

"What? Saw who Inu-Yasha?" Shippo questioned. The hanyou shook his head as a reply.

"I'll tell everyone at once. Let's go." Inu-Yasha's left hand held on to Tetsusaiga as the hanyou began to run. They weren't making it up… Inu-Yasha slowed as he reached Kaede's hut. He pushed the door aside. Sis eyes turned to the new arrivals. Kagome really is still here.

((Author Notes))

Well, how was that for a little twist? Did you like? Please let me know, because right now, I have complete writers block, and don't know what to do for this next chapter. Ideas are welcome, though I can't promise to use them. OK, well, I've got to go to bed, school tomorrow, and a meet, so click the review button and make me happy!

Myst