A/N: Since I am OBSESSED with movie 3, people who have seen it will recognize parallels from a scene in it to this chappie…(I LOVE MOVIE 3! ONLY ONE MORE WEEK, WOOT!) And…to begin…

Chapter 17: The Manipulator of the Shadows

Ever since Kagome's nightmare, Inuyasha and Kagome had hardly spoken to each other. She felt terrible for having these dreams, and he felt worse knowing he was the one hurting her. Even Kuro could sense that there was something wrong. He wasn't as feisty as usual; he would observe the situation with questioning eyes.

I feel so guilty. Kagome thought, as she held Kuro late the next night. Inuyasha was sitting on the other side of the hut, pretending to be checking Tessaiga. I know he'd never…but…I just can't help these dreams…I don't want them, I only want to see Inuyasha as he is…not as…

And now, he won't talk to me…is he…?

"Inuyasha," she asked quietly, breaking the silence. "Are you mad at me?"

He stared. "Mad? Why would I be mad at you?"

She looked down. "Well, because of those dreams…"

He came closer and sat down by her. "You think I'm mad at you because of that?"

Kagome didn't look at him. "Well, you won't talk to me, and you were upset when you found out about them…and I really wish I didn't have them, because I don't think of you like that…I really don't! Inuyasha…I know you'd never do that. Please believe me."

"I believe you." He said. "I know you don't want them. I'm not angry. But…" He said, putting his hand under her chin and guiding her face to look back at him. "It just hurts me, knowing that I'm the one hurting you. It hurts me, because I want to protect you, but I know I can't protect you from these dreams." He didn't want to mention the other reasons he was upset, he knew they would just upset her.

"But its not you hurting me." She said, "It's your youkai form. I know you in your hanyou and human form, and you'd never do that."

He paused. "Kagome…are you afraid of me as a youkai?"

She also paused. Afraid of him? As a youkai? "I…guess I…"

Before she could finish, they heard a noise outside. They both turned, and saw a shadowy figure heading away from the doorway. It only took her an instant to identify it as the youkai she had seen while she was still pregnant.

"Inuyasha! It's—"

"I know!" he said, pulling out Tessaiga. "You stay here!" he ordered running out of the door to see the figure floating away across the fields.

He chased after it, holding Tessaiga above his head. "COME BACK HERE!" he yelled, as the chase led him into the forest. As he gained, he could see it closer. It was like a mass of grey shadows, and it floated like it was made of air, but he could see that it had limbs like a human, and the shadows were only a cloak, but it was enough to make it hard to see whenever it passed under the shadow of the trees. Sometimes it would blend in with the darkness, the only way Inuyasha could tell it was there was by its scent.

The hanyou took a great leap, and jumped in front of it. From the front, he could see it was wearing a cloak of shadows, with a dark hood that covered his face. It looked around for an escape, but Inuyasha made sure it had no escape. "Heh, I got you now." He said, pointing Tessaiga at it.

"An accomplishment for such a hanyou." It said, in a voice that was airy, almost like the wind.

"Keh. Yeah, that's right." Inuyasha said, flexing his claws. "You have one minute to tell me what you're doing here, before I attack."

"Such a feisty one, aren't you hanyou?" It mocked.

"Hurry up, damn you!" Inuyasha yelled.

It gave a small laugh. "Why should I? You wish to fight, do you not?"

Inuyasha's hands shook while he held the Tessaiga. "I want to, but I've learned its better to get information out of someone before you slice them to bits."

"All you need to know, hanyou is that I am the Manipulator of the Shadows. I'm here only to fulfill my revenge."

"Revenge?" Inuyasha asked. "Keh! Don't make me laugh! We've never met you!"

"I believe you have." It said, in an amused tone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha demanded.

"My revenge will not be complete until my vengeance is wreaked on you, and your miko."

Inuyasha growled. "You do anything to Kagome and you're DEAD!"

"Such a soft spot for your mate. Might I add that this revenge includes your offspring as well?"

The threat towards Kuro made the youkai side of him boil, demanding the head of this creature who dared to threaten his family. Without warning, he lunged towards it, his mouth twisted into a snarl. In one swift movement, He sliced of the Manipulator of the Shadow's head.

When he landed back on the ground, he said, "Baka. He talks big, but he couldn't even handle a single strike."

But to him it seemed, too easy. Way to easy. He turned around. Instead of seeing a dead body on the ground he saw…

"A…This was a puppet? That means that…" He turned around and saw smoke coming from the village. "KAGOME!"

Inuyasha had just left when she felt an incredible Jyaki. Oh no…He must be stronger that we thought! I hope Inuyasha can handle it…

Suddenly, she realized something. Wait…this Jyaki is close…that means that…

All of a sudden, the figure she had seen burst into the hut. She screamed, and backed away to the end of the hut, holding Kuro protectively. Her hair fell into her face as she scrambled up, covering all but her eyes.

It laughed at her fear. "Miko, your hanyou is a foolish one. Foolish enough to mate with a human, and even more to follow my puppet."

So it was a puppet…She looked around. Her bow and arrows were on the other side of the room, there was nothing she could do. "You had better be gone before Inuyasha gets back! He'll make you pay!" she said.

The manipulator of the shadows laughed. "You too, are a foolish one, miko." He pointed at the lamp in the corner, and it tipped over, igniting their hut. "He's not coming back. Not yet, anyway."

She started at the slowly moving fire. What can I do…If I don't get out…But…He's covering the only exit! She heard coughing. Kuro! She buried his face into her blue flower yukata, hoping it would help keep him from inhaling the smoke.

The youkai walked towards her. "Miko…you're coming with me."

"No!" she screamed, trying to keep away.

He reached out to grab her, but he was met with a pink barrier. She had used what remained of her miko powers to protect herself.

"Damnit!" he said, withdrawing his hand. It was in a black glove, covered like the rest of his body, yet it still burned him. Using his magic, he caused a bucket to fly at her, hitting her head.

She cried out before falling to the floor, still clutching Kuro. She was knocked out by the force of the blow. Her barrier disappeared.

He laughed. "And now Miko, you shall come with me."

Inuyasha ran into the village, and saw his hut was on fire. No! As he ran forward, he was repelled by a barrier that he had not even known was there. Damnit, I can't waste any time! He transformed Tessagia into the diamond Tessaiga and aimed it away from the hut but still passing through the barrier.

"KONGOUSHOUHA!" He yelled, releasing the spears. Just as he suspected, they broke through the barrier.

"KAGOME!" he yelled, bursting into the burning hut just as the manipulator of shadows was about to grab her. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" he yelled.

The youkai turned and said, "I'm surprised you could see through my puppet."

"Lucky for you, you bastard, now you're DEAD!" As he jumped at it, slicing with Tessaiga, He landed next to Kagome, but to his dismay, Tessaiga passed through him, but did not kill him. "What?" he asked.

The youkai laughed. "I am a manipulator of shadows. I am the shadows, the darkness, made of nothing but what cannot be touched. You cannot harm me with your sword."

Inuyasha heard a creak in their roof as the timbers burned. "Damn." He said, as he coughed, covering his mouth. It's getting hard to breathe, I have to get Kagome and Kuro out of here before its too late! He turned and looked at his unconscious mate and the now wailing Kuro.

"Kagome!" he said, shaking her and trying to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open. "Inu…yasha…?"

"Here," He said, throwing his haori over her and Kuro. "Get out, make one of those barriers so you can get past him."

"What about you?" she asked, as the fire around them got closer and the smell of the flames started to overpower them.

"Don't worry about me." He said, "You just get out, now."

"Inuyasha…" She begged, she didn't want to leave him.

"RUN YOU BAKA!" he yelled. "GO NOW!"

She didn't want to argue, she did what he said, creating a barrier around her and then running towards the door. The shadow youkai tried to grab her, but of course, he was repelled.

As she got to safety outside, she saw a crowd of townspeople had gathered, including Miroku and Sango. "Kagome-chan!" Sango yelled, running towards the coughing Kagome.

"Sango-chan…" Kagome said, looking back at her hut. Where's Inuyasha, is he all right?

Suddenly, they saw a smokey form dart into the sky just as the roof collapsed.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome yelled, practically dropping Kuro into Sango's arms and running towards the burning ruin.

"Wait, stop!" others tried to keep her from going, but she pushed past them.

"INUYASHA!" she cried, running into the fire, safe because she still had his haori on. "WHERE ARE YOU, INUYASHA?" she screamed, just as she heard a moan. She turned, he was stuck under two wooden beams.

She ran towards him. "Inuyasha, please get up!"

"Ka…gome…" he said. "Sorry…"

"No! Inuyasha! You won't die!" She cried, trying to pull him from under the wood.

"No…" he said, getting up, using the rest of his hanyou strength to push the beams off him. "He got away…"

She didn't even yell at him for making her think he was dead, she was just so glad he was alive.

"Come on…" he said, as he carried her to safety.

Inuyasha…She thought, as they walked towards Miroku and Sango. Why do happy times always have to turn dangerous? Why can't we ever live in peace?

A/N: Yeah yeah, movie 3 ripoff, except Inuyasha lives. Big Whoop. But I thought it was kinda a neat idea…well, give me a break! My creativity department was suffering because I just finished reading the Scarlet Letter. (Man…I LOTHE boring books!)