A Hearts Choice by Cleopatra Acard

Chapter 1: Saarae the black wolf demon

The moon was the only light that she had as she ran through the dark forest. She knew what she had done was wrong but she had no choice if she wanted to become human she couldn't allow them to get her shards that she had used her tracking powers to find. He was close the sound of him rustling through the leaves was everywhere. Her legs were starting to shake she had been running from him for about an hour now could not go on any more. The tree branches scratched at her face and the vines attempted to trip her. He was fast but not fast enough to out run her. She knew this forest well; she grew up in it, at the end of this path there was a great cliff about as tall as a six story building. She would jump it that should loss him. The forest was ending and light was seen just ahead of her, he was coming closer and he would be cot up with her in a matter of seconds, but because he was only half demon she could jump the cliff and he wouldn't be able to. She couldn't see but she could sense the start of the cliff and with all of her strength she jumped into the night sky. Consternating on landing she didn't bother to look and she if he was even attempting to jump. As she jumped her tail moved back and forth in the wind. She heard a small swoosh and looked around to see him attempting to follow her, his red kimono looked almost black against the moon. How could it be he is only half demon and how did he know about the cliff? A strong gust of wind knocked her off target and instead of landing on her feet tumbled to the hard ground head first. Luckily she had made it to the other side of the cliff. When she landed on her head her eye sight went blurry and had not heard him land. He came up to her and stared at her with unforgiving eyes, what was she to do!

She couldn't just give him the jewels that would get rid of every hope of her becoming human. But he looked really mad so she pulled the jewels out from under her shirt and held them out to him, she would find more just as she did many times before, besides that was not all her shards she had many more back in the den, she had about half the entire jewel already. He looked at her surprised but he took the jewels from her hand and looked off toured his group who had just cot up to them. I know this group of people they have been looking for the shards for a long time now. She pushed her slightly bruised body up from the ground and walked away from them.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha with evil eyes, "Inuyasha how rude are you! She hands them over to you with out much of a fight and you don't even say anything to her!" Inuyasha looked to Kagome, "What am I suppose to say! Thanks for the jewel shards even though you had me run for about an hour before you gave them to me!" "Well at least offer to help her! She is hurt can't you tell by the way she is walking!" The girl turned around to face them, "I'm fine I just need some rest. I'm sorry I made you follow me all this way but I didn't want to give up the shards with out a fight," she smiles and sits down she was getting dizzy, "I have a need for the jewel shards too you know." Inuyasha looks at her, "Doesn't every body, let me guess you need the shards to become a powerful human." She looks up to meet a pare of large yellow eyes that belonged to the cat that was with the demon slayer. "Funny thing, I'm not human."

They all stared at her wide eyed, even Inuyasha. "What do you mean you are not human! You sure look like one." She looked up to him and put her long black hair behind her pointed ears. Miroku smiled, "I should have known that no human could jump this cliff." Shippo jumped out from behind Sango and stared at her for a while, "So what kind of a demon are you?" she smiled at him and pulled out of the back of her dress a long black tail. "I'm a wolf demon." Inuyasha's eyes grew wide, "You're a wolf demon! Then how come I couldn't smell wolves on you?" She looked away from him, "I'm an out cast and no wolves are allowed near me." She slightly sniffled at being reminded she was alone. Kagome went to her and noticed a small bit of a tear standing in her eye, "So that means you are alone?" The girl whipped the tear from her eye and nodded, Kagome looked to Shippo who looked as if he was going to cry, "We will be your friends." Inuyasha picked Shippo up by the back of his shirt and stared at him, "Shippo we don't even know who she is or why she had the jewel shards, and she could be one of Naraku's minions!" The girl looked up at him shocked, "I swear to you I'm not a minion and I don't even know who this Naraku is." Inuyasha dropped Shippo but before he hit the ground the girl cot him and held him in her arms, "That was extremely un called for!"

Shippo and the others stared at the courage she had shown in yelling at Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't say a word only turned away from her and sat down. Kagome again looked to Shippo who was still in the wolf demons arms; he smiled and closed his eyes in her warmth. Sango looked at the girl who seemed to be trying to comfort Shippo, "Well if you are not a minion who are you?" The girl smiled, "My name is Saarae, I used to live in the North Mountains with my grandfather, he is the leader of the black wolf tribe, then he found out my secret and the tribe forced him to make me leave, and I'm not allowed to come back until I except what I am." Kagome looked at Saarae a little confused, "Why did they banish you?" Saarae looked down at her clawed hands and seemed to growl, "I didn't want to be a wolf demon." Shippo's eyes opened and he met Saarae's crystal blue eyes, "Why would any one not want to be a demon? We are strong, brave, and powerful." Saarae looked as if she was going to cry again, "I don't care about those things. You see, I feel in love with a human, we met each other at a young age and he loves me too but when he took me to meet his parents they wouldn't allow him to see me anymore because I was demon. I was engaged to marry the leader of the western wolf tribe, but I refused to marry him for I was in love with another, anyway when the tribe found out who I was in love with they forced my grandfather to banish me, and now I'm not allowed to go back to my home till I except what I am and marry the western tribes leader."

Everyone stared at Saarae, Kagome and Sango looked as if they were going to cry and Shippo was crying. Miroku looked shocked, "That is horrible tearing to lovers away from each other and making them marry another!" Sango stood up, "I agree! I will not stand for it! We have to do something!" Saarae stared down at her tail and slightly stroked it, "I'm afraid there is not much you can do. The only way that we can do anything about it is if I become human, that is why I was gathering the peaces of the jewel so that I could use its powers to change me." Inuyasha turned around very quickly with a look of disgust on his face, "You would give up being a full demon just so that you could be with a guy! What are you stupid or something! I would kill to have that kind of power!" That was it for Saarae she was going to pop! "Inuyasha there are more important things in life then power! You of all people should know how I feel right now considering you were going to give up your half demon powers to be with Kikyo!" Inuyasha stepped away from Saarae a little scared, "How dare you talk about that… why I ought to…" Inuyasha leaped to strike Saarae but Kagome was not going to allow that, "Inuyasha SIT!" Inuyasha did a face plant into the ground as Saarae stared to run away.

It was her demon blood that made her say that and she had been known to say things like that when anger builds up inside of her. She ran afraid that Inuyasha would ketch up to her and kill her for what she said; heck she would have if she was in his shoes. She heard a sound coming from above her, she looked up afraid that she might see Inuyasha tumbling down onto her but to her relief it was only Sango on Kirara, "Saarae please stop! Why are you running!" Saarae looked up into the distressed eyes of the demon slayer, "I don't want to make Inuyasha any madder then he already is. I had not wanted to say this earlier but now I will, from the moment he started chasing me I was scared of him and now that he is mad I'm afraid he will kill me!" Sango's eyes grew wide and she landed Kirara in front of Saarae making her stop dead in her tracks. "Saarae, Inuyasha does get mean but he will not kill you." Saarae shook nervously, "That is easy for you to say, he is your friend! But he does not know me and now I made him mad, I didn't make a very good first impression Sango!"

Saarae started running again only to be cut off by Miroku, "Saarae please stop running. We promise we will not allow Inuyasha to touch you." She didn't care what they said she knew Inuyasha was going to have her head for what she said. Why won't they just leave me alone and let me run! Kagome came running up with Inuyasha close behind, Saarae screamed when she saw the look on Inuyasha's eyes. She got down on all fours and looked down at the ground with her tail between her legs, "Inuyasha I'm sorry I said that, I have a really evil demon heart and when it gets out of my control I can do nothing about it! Please forgive me!" Inuyasha stood speechless as every one looked up from Saarae to him, "Ya ya I forgive you just stop making a fool out of yourself!"

Saarae looked up from the ground and saw Shippo staring up at her, "Saarae you can get up now." She looked down and noticed she was still on the ground, "Oh ya." She got up and dusted the dirt off her long blue dress. She looked to Sango and then to the others, "Goodbye everyone." Shippo quickly ran up and grabbed her leg, "Wait were are you going to go?" Saarae picked Shippo up from off her leg and gave him a quick hug before she put him down. Shippo blushed a bright red and hearts appeared in his eyes as he fell over on to the ground smiling. Kagome stared at Saarae, "Yes were are you going to go?" "I will go were ever I sense a jewel shard." Inuyasha's eyes grew wide, "What do you mean were ever you sense a shard!" "I mean that were ever I feel the energy of the jewel shards I will go." Miroku looked to her shocked, "You can see the jewel shards!" Saarae smiled, "No I can feel there energy, and were ever it is strong then a jewel shard is near by."

Sango looked at a very surprised Kagome, "I thought you were the only one that could do that Kagome." Kagome smirked, "No I'm the only one that can see the jewel shards she is the only one that can sense them. Big difference." Kagome looked at Saarae, "Saarae do you think you can help us. You know you tell us what direction the jewel is then Inuyasha and I will be able to do the rest." "That is a good idea, but…" Inuyasha raised his eye brow, "But what?" "How are you going to help me if I help you?" Kagome thought about it for awhile then smiled brightly, "Maybe we can help you find a way to become human or at least make you look more like one." Saarae smiled so brightly it was enough to brighten the night sky, "I would be eternally grateful and of course give you all the jewel shards I have."

Inuyasha looked at the shards in his hand that Saarae had given him, "You mean you have more!" "Of cores those are just the ones I had found today." Inuyasha went behind Saarae and stared pushing her forward, "Well then come on start directing." Shippo got up from the ground and tugged on Inuyasha's sleeve, "Inuyasha that is no way to treat a lady!" Inuyasha stopped pushing Saarae and looked down at Shippo, "Shut up Shippo stop acting like you're the only sensible person in this group." Saarae looked at Inuyasha and frowned, "Oh and Inuyasha if I'm going to help you then I don't want you to pick on Shippo." Shippo smiled wickedly at Inuyasha. Inuyasha crossed his arms in a pouting position, "Fine, but what if he is picking on me?" "Then I will deal with him. Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sango and Miroku got on Kirara and took to the sky, Kagome got on to Inuyasha's back and Saarae picked up Shippo and put him on her shoulder as they took off in a dead run toured the western mountains.