A/N: After what happened last chapter, I have to give congrats to orangepencils, who figured my evil plan out before I wrote it.

I'm not going to say much about what happened at the end of the last chapter, because truthfully, it hurt me as well. So, I hope you all have your tissues, because it can only go downhill from here.

And just because I know someone will ask: Kagome IS NOT pregnant!

Part III

Chapter 16: Winds of Change

The leaves against the trees swayed in the wind with the morning air. The woods, just waking up, were silent except for the three travelers.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the green imp Jaken asked. "Why is it that we changed direction so suddenly? I thought we were going after Naraku?"

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes slid over to his dumb servant, who dare question his motives. He didn't reply to Jaken; the imp didn't need to know. Over the past couple of days, Sesshoumaru had felt that something terrible was about to happen. All the youkai he had seen had felt it, and many had started fleeing the Musashi region.

Wind blew through the trees, this time carrying a scent that Sesshoumaru recognized. He stopped walking, and turned his head sharply in that direction, pausing to clarify the scent.

His sudden stop did not go unnoticed. Rin walked up to him, a usual smile on her face. "What's wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he had no doubt as to who the scent belonged. Inuyasha…

The daiyoukai turned back to his servants. "Jaken, Rin, stay here." Sesshoumaru commanded, and then took off in the direction of the scent.

As he ran he thought, For once, even I, Sesshoumaru, hope that nothing too serious has happened…

Kikyou kneeled down by a burnt out village, picking up a piece of a charcoal-black timber from the ground.

Inspecting it, she thought, If that man's story is to be believed…than this place is—

She stopped her thought when the wind blew from the north, making her hair and clothes sway with its breeze. All of a sudden, Kikyou had a feeling that she hadn't felt for a long time. A terrible, sinking feeling, like something horrible has happened.

Standing up, with a hand over where her heart would have been, she looked in the direction where the wind came from. This feeling…she thought. I haven't had a feeling like this since…she gasped as she remembered.

Not since fifty years ago…

Kikyou looked back down at the burnt timber in her hand, and back towards the north, her eyes calculating, but then setting into resolve as all the pieces fell into place. Inuyasha, you baka.

Back near the hot spring in the village, Kagome continued in her ignorant sleep. Her dreams were filled with pleasant memories, of when she first met Inuyasha, when the both fell in love, andwhat hehad finally said to her the night before, "I love you…so much…"

Kagome felt herself waking up before she opened her eyes. She kept them closed, but a small smile crept on to her face. Inuyasha…

She rolled over, so she might roll into his arms, but she felt nothing. "Inu...Inuyasha?" she asked sleepily, her eyes still closed, as she felt around for him with her hand. Surely he was right there, where he was the night before, wasn't he?

"Inuyasha?" she asked again, opening her deep brown eyes slightly, and then gasping and raising the top half of her body off the blanket she had been lying on. "Inuyasha?" she asked more urgently, but he was no where to be seen in the clearing.

Kagome sat up, keeping Inuyasha's haori covering up her chest and the rest of her body as she looked around the clearing. He was no where to be found, and she couldn't help notice that his hakama and his undershirt were gone. But he seemed to have left his haori wrapped around her.

Her eyes darted around again, as she crossed her arms across her chest, and let out a shaky breath she didn't know that she was keeping in. He's gone…why isn't he here?

She had imagined him waking up beside her, his face smiling, and speaking to her as gently as he did the night before. After all, she thought, looking down at the scar across her left hand, the scar that mixed their blood and allowed their souls to entwine. We are mates, aren't we?

A small blush lit up her features as she remembered the night before. Inuyasha had never been so loving with her...so gentle...not doing anything before asking first, most of the time. It was such a contrast from the arrogant, spoiled, haughty way he usually acted.

She remembered how once in his arms, it was impossible to resist. She wanted him that badly. Maybe we did get a bit ahead of ourselves…and shouldn't have done that, but…Inuyasha's sweet words echoed in her mind. We're in love…and we thought we might die…

And mating…is almost like getting married anyway, so its not like we did anything wrong. She mentally justified herself. And I'm not in any danger of getting pregnant…she remembered her last monthly cycle had just finished.

She hugged her knees to her chest, Inuyasha's haori still covering her. She looked down as she thought, Then why do I feel like something's wrong?

Kagome looked back to the empty spot where Inuyasha would have been. Where did he go? Did I do something wrong? She gulped. Was I…not good enough?

She banished that thought immediately, shaking her head. No, he wouldn't leave because of that. But…what else could make him leave?

Her brown eyes darted around the clearing again, half expecting to see Inuyasha coming back to her, with a smile on his face, and give an excuse for leaving her. But, no matter how long she waited, he wouldn't come.

Where's he gone? She looked up at the sky, as a breeze came through, making the trees sway, and causing the leaves to sound like waves, beating upon a rock in the sea. Her black, tussled, hair flew across her worried face as it went by, and then settled as the wind continued on, like a messenger of warning.

Sighing, Kagome stood up, keeping the haori around her, and walked over to her clothes, folded in a pile near the hot spring, where they were the night before. I won't find him sitting around here…maybe he went back to the village…yes, that'd be it…he would be too embarrassed to be caught here with me…he went back before me, and I'll find him, and everything will be all right.

But as she dressed, she couldn't help but feel that the tables had turned, and that everything had changed since the night before.

It was late morning by the time that Kagome was able to sneak back into the village. She already had a plan in mind of how to find Inuyasha. I'll just walk into Kaede's hut, and act like I had gone out for an early morning stroll and got lost…and he'll be right there, no doubt pretending nothing went on…

But then, at least, I can stop worrying, and get this terrible feeling that something happened to him out of me…he's just fine, but somehow, it feels like he isn't…

Unfortunately, when she walked into Kaede's hut, everyone was there, awake, except Inuyasha. They all stared at her as she walked in, causing a blush to come on her face. What's going on? Do they know?

But Shippou the kitsune answered her question when he jumped up into her arms. "Kagome! We were worried! You weren't here when we woke up!"

As she sat down on the mat, a small sigh of relief escaped her. Good, they don't know. "I just went out for a morning walk." She lied.

"And did Inuyasha go with you?" Sango asked, curious.

Kagome's heart stopped again, with fear of being found out. "Um…well, I saw him once, I guess." Inuyasha wouldn't want me to tell them…not now, anyway. And also…I don't want to tell them right away…It's personal. Her face blushing slightly, she made sure to keep the scar on her left hand well hidden.

Miroku, after listening to her answers, once again jumped to conclusions. "So both of you were out this morning." He chuckled. "He gets all the luck. Sometimes I envy him."

"Houshi-sama!" Sango screamed, smacking her betrothed upside the head. "Keep your lecherous thoughts to yourself!"

Usually, in this situation, Kagome would laugh, knowing what he was suggesting was ridiculous. But this time…when it was true, it just made her more wary, and more willing to keep up the façade.

"Baka." Shippou muttered, looking at Miroku, pleading for mercy from a furious Sango. He turned back to Kagome. "So, where is Inuyasha?"

That question surprised her. "You mean he's not back yet?"

"No," he replied innocently. "We thought he was with you."

A breath caught in Kagome's throat. "W-with me?"

"Yeah, on your walk, remember?" he replied.

"Oh…right…" she remebered her lie, sighing once again in relief.

Shippou suddenly sniffed her. "Hey, Kagome, did Inuyasha hug you on your walk or something? His scent is all over you."

All the noise in that room stopped as everyone heard the last six words Shippou had said. Kagome felt her face getting redder and redder before she gently pushed Shippou out of her lap. "I've got to go find Inuyasha!" she said, with a false cheeriness, vanishing out of the hut before her friends jumped to more conclusions.

She picked up the haori which she had hidden outside of Kaede's hut, not to make herself even more suspicious, and she walked over towards the fields, and sat down, leaning against a tree.

Kagome help Inuyasha's haori against his chest, and closed her eyes. A gentle breeze brushed against her face, toying with her long hair. Inuyasha, wherever you are…hurry back…

Inuyasha stood on a cliff overlooking a simple village in the valley. He wore his hakama and white undershirt, but his haori was absent. His ears flicked back and forth as he heard the children playing in the dirt covered streets, the women gossiping, and the men laboring in the fields.

He had traveled far away from where he had been, in search of something new. And he had found it. A village full of humans…alive and healthy. A grin lit his face, broken only by the long fangs protruding from his mouth, came to his mind as he thought, Fresh for the killing.

He cracked his long claws as his red eyes, centered by blue pupils, seemed to light up with the thought of killing. He was a youkai, purple stripes on his cheek and all, and if there was anything youkai liked better, it was killing humans.

There were no more silly compassionate feelings. No more feeling sorry for those weak creatures. No more having those human emotions, or possessing that human heart that his filthy mother gave to him. Youkai felt nothing for humans…Only joy at seeing their blood run on the ground, a river of death.

A malicious laugh escaped him, his body rushing up with blood lust. The wind rippled through his silver hair, the trees singing a tragic melody. Inuyasha's eyes flashed red with desire…desire to destroy. Time to have some fun.

A/N: I know. Horrible of me to end it there, but I did warn you, tissues are required. Throw sharp objects if needed.