The Wild Rose

Synopsis: The Yasha gang is still searching for Naraku, until the presence of a strange youkai sets them off course. This youkai wants to kill the miko that sealed her, is it Kikyou? But why is she after Kagome!?! And wait, she knew Inuyasha's father?! Inuyasha's past may soon be revealed, along with his secret of the Moon!! Very slight Inu/Kag. Rated PG-13 for mild language and violence (only as much as what is already in the series!) ..

This story takes place in Manga Vol. 34 or after Anime episode 160. This is my very first fanfic ever and feedback would be greatly appreciated! Arigatou!

Japanese Lesson

Sakana: fish Youkai Taijiya: Demon Exterminator Youkai: Demon Jyaki: Evil Aura (Demon aura)
Shouki: Miasma Shakujou: Miroku's staff hamaya: purity arrows

Chapter I

The Yellow Haired Youkai's Search

The waning moon sails high over the small village. Clouds pass through the sky over the light of the sickle moon. In her small hut at the foot of the hill to the shrine, Kaede, the village miko, sets down behind her cooking fire about to eat some rice. The old woman takes the bowl in her left hand and places the bamboo chopsticks in her right. She tilts her head towards the bowl as the two sticks catch a few steaming grains. A sudden wind picks up blowing the grass covering of her door aside and extinguishing her cooking fire. Kaede looks up from her rice and peers with her one good eye towards the door. The shadow of a figure whose face is obscured by the moonlight fills the doorway.
"Who-? Who are you?!" Kaede demands, dropping her bowl and utensils. The bowl rolls in circles on the plank wood floor, spilling some moist grains.
"No. Her presence only lingers here now," the figure states thoughtfully, not acknowledging the miko's presence. "You are the connection to her I sensed."
Feeling confident Kaede quickly turns to grab her quiver and bow. When she turns back the figure is gone. She quickly rises and runs outside, bow and quiver in hand. She stands before her hut, bow drawn and her eye searching. The wind blows past her and she follows the breeze as she desperately looks around for the mysterious figure that vanished in the moonlight.
"That was a youkai, I can still sense its jyaki," she remarks as she looks down through the end of the village towards the woods. Sensing which direction the youkai went, but knowing it was already long gone.
"Connection?" she ponders, lowering her bow. Her eye suddenly widens as she realizes. "Did they mean Kikyou?!"

Elsewhere that night in the Sengoku Jidai, six weary companions set down for the evening. While sakana on skewers cook over the fire, the inu-hanyou, Inuyasha sits quietly on a rock looking up at the sickle moon and dreading the night soon to come. Kagome, the modern schoolgirl, desperately tries to study for a science exam and has her nose crammed into the pages of her text book. Miroku, a houshi, sits deep in meditative thought, holding his shakujou against his shoulder the slight breeze making the rings on it gently chime. The youkai taijiya, Sango, kneeled beside him in her pink and white yukata with green apron, tending to the sakana. The young kitsune, Shippou, plays with the small neko-youkai, Kirara, in the firelight.
"Ha!" Sango exclaims retrieving a skewered sakana from the fire. Miroku looks up from his contemplating and takes the sakana offered to him. Sango smiles and quickly grabs two more for herself and Kirara before announcing, "It's ready!" She then takes another skewer from the fire and hands it to the unmoving Kagome. Kagome does not look up from her book but takes the skewered sakana handed to her from Sango. Shippou and Kirara run over eagerly and Inuyasha sees his chance. He leaps in from the rock to grab a stick for himself and Shippou's stick as well.
"Hey! That's mine!" cries Shippou, as Inuyasha holds him down with one hand and greedily munches on the sakana. "Kagome!!!"
"Inuyasha." Kagome states calmly setting down her textbook. Her face full of annoyance as Inuyasha's body goes rigid.
"Osuwari!"
"AACK!!!"
Inuyasha crashes face first down into the ground being pulled down by the prayer beads around his neck. Shippou's sakana goes flying and he happily catches the flying sakana and eagerly eats. Nearby Sango and Miroku just roll their eyes.
"You'd think he'd learn," Sango whispers to Miroku as she gives Kirara her sakana and takes a bite of her own.
"I think 'learn' is the operative word," Miroku whispers back at her.
"Nani!!!! What are two whispering over here!!!!?" Inuyasha jerks up and yells at them threateningly.
Miroku smiles timidly and waves Inuyasha away.
"Nothing, Inuyasha, nothing."
Inuyasha clenches his fists and growls, then storms out of the firelight.
All five watch him walk away. They sit silently for a moment until Sango speaks.
"Kagome-chan, do you think Inuyasha is all right? He normally doesn't storm off so quickly," Sango asks nibbling at her sakana. Shippou finishes his sakana and tosses the skewer and lies back patting his full belly.
Kagome continues to watch Inuyasha storm off out of the firelight, his silver hair all that could be seen illuminated in the moonlight. Her face is thoughtful and slightly worried for her friend. She then looks up at the moon and returns to her dinner.
"Yes, Sango-chan, he's fine. The moon is waning."
Sango and Miroku look up at the sliver of moon in the sky.
"I wonder why I did not notice it before."
Kagome finishes her dinner and walks over to where Inuyasha sulks. He is sitting cross-legged with his hands folded in the sleeves of his crimson haori, staring into the darkness. He senses Kagome near by and watches her with gold eyes as she walks up beside him and sits down drawing her knees to her chest.
"You should be nicer to Shippou," she tells him watching the stars and knowing what she said won't make a difference.
"Keh!" Inuyasha replies turning away.
His gesture makes Kagome look over and she smiles.
"Y'know Inuyasha, everyone knows you get more agitated when the moon wanes but you should really begin to trust us more. We would never let anything hurt you."
"Keh! I don't need your protection!" he states nonchalantly. Kagome smiles slightly. She knew that would be his response, but she also knew that he appreciated what she said. She looks up at the night sky and sighs. Inuyasha looks down but his eyes move towards her.
"Arigatou, Kagome," he thinks as he smiles slightly without her seeing.
"Look!" she exclaims pointing above them into the sky. Inuyasha follows her finger into the night sky. She smiles excitedly illuminating her face. "Those stars are called the stars of Orion! I just read about those stars for my science exam!"
"Kagome," Inuyasha thinks tenderly, watching her lower her arm and wrap it around her self. He then looks away again. Kagome suddenly feels a chill and instinctually nuzzles toward him.
"Nani?" He responds, looking at her shocked. He then sees her shiver.
"Baka, it's cold out here tonight," he says teasingly taking off his crimson fire rat kimono and draping it over her shoulders. "You should get back to the fire, come on." Inuyasha helps her up and they walk back.
The others see them suddenly walking back and quickly act like they are sleeping.
Kagome gets back to her sleeping bag and climbs in handing Inuyasha back his crimson kimono.
"Arigatou, Inuyasha," she whispers with a smile and closes her eyes to sleep. Inuyasha watches her fall asleep for a moment before pulling his kimono back on. He walks over to other end of the fire and restlessly sits across from the group to keep watch.

Somewhere near, the mysterious figure stands upon a cliff, silhouetted in front of the sickle moon.
"I sense her, that miko is near."
The figure holds something up in their left hand and their head turns down to look at it.
"And you shall help me," the figure says, a smile stretches across the shadowed face. The right hand rises holding something between its thumb and forefinger. The object glints in the moonlight, to reveal the sharpened tip of an arrowhead.

The next morning the six companions are once again on the road in search of the evil youkai, Naraku. All are walking, with Kirara on Sango's shoulder as she walks with Miroku. Kagome carries her quiver and pack with Shippou in her arms. Inuyasha leads the troop with arms folded in his kimono. On a road between some high cliffs above them and woods to their side, their journey is suddenly interrupted. A great crash echoes in the woods nearby and everyone startles as a large snake-like youkai suddenly rises above the trees and hisses menacingly.
"Youkai!" Miroku exclaims holding his shakujou instinctively before him. Inuyasha's gold eyes glimmer as a confident smirk crosses his lips exposing his fangs. The snake-like youkai quickly spits out some red shouki at them. Inuyasha and the others quickly dodge the attack. The youkai then turns and flees.
"Wait here, Kagome," Inuyasha gallantly calls as he rips Tessaiga from its scabbard and leaps into the fray.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome tries to call after him but is too late.
Sango quickly removes her yukata to reveal her youkai exterminator regalia and is upon the back of a transformed larger Kirara. She replaces Hiraikotsu, her bone boomerang weapon, on her shoulders.
"Don't worry Kagome-chan, Kirara and I will follow to make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble," she assures as she pats Kirara affectionately as the monstrous neko-youkai bounds after Inuyasha.
Kagome nods in response. As she watches Kirara and Sango fly off to follow the eager Inuyasha, Kagome realizes something and turns to Miroku who senses her look.
"Do not worry, Kagome-sama, I do not sense Naraku. Just a moderately strong youkai, Sango and Inuyasha should be able to handle it just-"
"Kagome-sama!!"
Miroku suddenly becomes startled and quickly pushes Kagome down, falling on top of her.
"Huh? What's wrong Miroku!?" Shippou cries, flying forward as Kagome catches herself on the ground. Miroku quickly climbs off of her and turns on his knees to look back to where they were standing. There an arrow stuck firm into the ground. The arrow glows red for a moment until the light fades and smokes. All three search the nearby cliff to see a woman in blue kimono and hakama with long yellow hair pulled away from her face. The wind blows the folds of her clothes and tosses her yellow hair behind her as her pale blue eyes narrow. She stands above them on the cliff, bow drawn. Miroku looks at the now normal looking arrow.
"That arrow," he thinks. "I sensed it, for a moment. A strong jyaki?!"
He quickly rises standing between Kagome and the yellow haired woman. Kagome quickly gets up holding Shippou and stands behind Miroku.
"What business do you have here?!" Miroku demands holding his shakujou defensively before him. He suddenly realizes the woman's true nature. "This woman is a youkai I can sense strong jyaki from her," he tells Kagome who gasps in response and watches the youkai above. The youkai pauses for a moment, bow aimed and then calmly states.
"Remove yourself, Houshi. I bear no grudge against you. Stop protecting the miko, for my arrows never miss after I give a warning shot."
"Miko?" Miroku looks back at Kagome. "Kagome?"
Kagome comes up behind Miroku.
"What do you mean miko? I am not a miko!" she demands.
The woman's eyes narrow with anger.
"Lies! I know you are the miko, Kikyou!" She shouts pulling further back on the bow.
"Kikyou!?" Miroku, Shippou and Kagome exclaim.
"Keh! Die Kikyou!" she asserts as her arrow is released.

Inuyasha swings Tessaiga cutting off the tail of the snake-like youkai. The youkai turns and spits shouki at Sango on Kirara. They had finally cornered the youkai after chasing it several miles.
"Kuso," Inuyasha curses as the tail grows back and forks in to another tail. "No matter how much we cut it, it grows back."
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango calls as Hiraikotsu takes off and cuts of the youkai's head. Hiraikotsu returns to Sango. "We got it- huh?"
The neck and head regrow with a new head creating a two-headed snake. Inuyasha goes to cut it again, until Sango realizes something.
"Of course, why didn't I sense it before?"
 "Inuyasha!" she calls, steering Kirara away from another attack. "This is not the youkai we sensed! This is a puppet! There on the forehead, I can sense a strong jyaki!" Sango points towards the first and larger head. Inuyasha leaps and quickly adjusts his strike to hit the first larger head right between the eyes. Tessaiga hits and Inuyasha is suddenly thrown back. Tessaiga is rejected.
"Inuyasha!" Sango exclaims as she diverts the two-headed snake's attention while Inuyasha gets up. He looks at Tessaiga which has returned to the old rusted blade that he retrieved from his father's grave.
"Tessaiga.....it was transformed by a youkai?"
He gazes at the sword amazed. A growling hiss returns him to the task at hand and he sheaths Tessaiga and cracks his knuckles. "At least I still have these," he wagers as he leaps towards the larger head of the two-headed youkai.
"Senko Tessou!" he exclaims as he uses his claws to slice at the top of the first head. A blast of energy erupts and the second head vanishes. The youkai snake shrinks down, smoking. A red glow covering its body until it is the size of a small garden snake as a flake of metal falls from the snake's forehead and lands at Inuyasha's feet. The now normal snake quickly slithers away and disappears. Inuyasha bends over to pick up the fragment. The fragment glows red for moment then fades to reveal an arrowhead. Sango lands behind with Kirara and he shows her the metal tip.
"An arrowhead?" She ponders. "Someone was using this to control that poor snake. Why?"
"This was a decoy," Inuyasha states, grasping the arrowhead in his fist. His head suddenly jerks and turns back in the direction where they left the others.
"Kagome!!"

The youkai's arrow flies on the mark with incredible speed and Miroku seeing no other way, quickly removes the prayer beads from his hand.
"Kazaana!" he shouts holding the wind tunnel in his right hand before him. Kagome closes her eyes and holds tightly onto Shippou as she braces them against Miroku's back. The arrow is quickly absorbed into the blackness. Miroku's confident smile spreads across his face. The youkai ducks quickly behind an outcropping of the cliff before Kazaana can grab her. Miroku quickly swings the beads around his fist, closing the fissure before debris could follow. The yellow haired youkai emerges, standing above them, a confident smirk on her lips. Miroku notices her face and realizes too late. He suddenly falters, holding his right arm away from him. He falls down to one knee a pained and surprised expression on his face.
"Miroku!" Shippou exclaims.
"Miroku-sama!" Kagome cries, placing her hands on his shoulders from behind him as she kneels beside him. "Are you all right!?"
"The jyaki on her arrows is stronger than I thought," Miroku explains as he sneers towards the youkai who smirks. "It is covered in shouki!"
Kagome gasps, concerned for her friend as she hears the youkai chuckle above.
"I warned you, Houshi, to keep out of my affairs," her pale cold gaze looks at Kagome. "What is the matter Kikyou? Forget how to fight? Can't use your arrows to seal youkai like me?" She sets another arrow then sneers. "Like you did before."
Kagome just glares at her.
"No? Well then, sayonara," she says as she draws and fires. The arrow flames red with shouki as it approaches quickly.
"Kagome!" Shippou screams.
"I won't leave, Miroku-sama!" She answers and prepares to fire her own arrow. The shouki arrow is right on the mark and the youkai looks prematurely pleased with herself. But Miroku's shakujou is swung up just in time to strike the arrow off its course. The arrow hits the ground at Miroku's feet.
"Nani!?" the youkai exclaims in surprise, as she glares her pale eyes at Miroku. To her astonishment, Miroku slowly rises to his feet before Kagome. "Houshi, how dare you-!"
But she is unable to finish. While Miroku knocked the shouki arrow, Kagome's hamaya arrow was released and strikes the youkai's bow, causing it to reject her.
"Kuso!" she exclaims as the bow burns her and she tosses it. She glares at them, gritting her teeth and exposing her fangs. Her pale eyes widen with anger as she draws a katana from her obi. "Now you both will die!"
She leaps off the cliff towards them, katana raised above her.
"Honouikari!" she shouts, the katana begins to flame red with shouki.
"Kagome-sama, run!" Miroku exclaims as he rises to protect her blocking the fast moving youkai's attack with his shakujou. Kagome nods and runs, holding Shippou close.
"So you have recovered, Houshi," the youkai chides smiling, her fangs glinting in the sunlight. "But your attempts to protect that miko will fail." Her left-hand raises exposing her now extended sharp claws and she swings them at Miroku. Miroku jumps back just getting out of reach.
"She moves quickly, almost as fast as Sesshoumaru," Miroku realizes, as he is able only to block her attacks. With a well-calculated move, Miroku is suddenly knocked aside by her claws. Claws that burn him with shouki.
"Gaa!" Miroku yells as he is thrown aside and the cut on his shoulder smolders with shouki. Kagome stops and turns.
"Miroku-sama!"
"Run! Kagome!" Shippou urges as Kagome realizing there is nothing she can do quickly turns and notices too late the wall of the cliff before her. She had somehow run into a corner of the cliff wall. She is trapped.
"Keh, you should have listened," the youkai smirks at the unconscious Miroku as she suddenly turns on the fleeing Kagome. "Now it ends..."
 "Kikyou! Your time is over!!!" she screams leaping towards Kagome, flaming katana raised over her head.
"Honouikari!!!"

………End Chapter