Starting with this chapter if you have any music from Inuyasha, be it English or the Japanese version, I will clue you in to what to play for the upcoming passage.

Anyway I will address all comments at the bottom of the stories, since I hate reading stories or writing stories with the comments at the top… Thank you…

Enjoy

Chapter 9: Strange Powers Arise; the Power of Scent

Approaching the top of the hill, she could see the village down below. The wind blew strongly as it started some time ago, blowing her hair around her face. She moved a hand to restrain it from her eyes. She known for some time now that she was being followed. She was not sure whom it was, but she would not let on that she knew. Now looking at the village in the distance, she began moving towards it once again.

He watched her standing there, the winds were high and he doubted that she could smell him. He'd been watching her since her departure and couldn't help but think more about her. Yes she was really remarkable; he could start seeing why the hanyou mated with her. Still she seemed a little naïve of the situation she'd been in. If she only knew that the wolf had gone and reported to his mistress and was sent back to mate and kill her. She was lucky that she had arisen and left the den. For if the wolf had not returned the pack would have killed her for his untimely demise. Standing there in the breeze she was lovely, the robe she wore blew around her along with her hair. He just couldn't take his eyes off her. But now he had a mission to accomplish, and now knowing that his brother was more than he could really handle, the plan had changed. Still he would get his revenge for his arm, Tetsuiaga and his father. Yes when the time came he would strike, and when he did no one would survive, not even the dirt woman he called Mistress.

As the sun began to rise, they entered into the western lands, the youkai lost in the distance. Sango was the first to awake and notice that they all went to sleep. Luckily enough they were not attacked. Kiara began to slow down, from the exertion of the travel. She moved to pet her, while looking at her surroundings, she knew they entered the western lands finally. She turned to look at the ground, there were no youkai following them now. She was right in he assumption about SesshoMaru; no one would follow into his lands without sure death upon him or her. The others began to stir now, and noticing that Kiara was slowing down, knew they had made it to their destination. After a while, Kiara landed and they dismounted. Kiara changed back into her smaller form and climbed into Sango's arms. They proceeded to walk further into the lands just to be safe. Finally after an hour of walking they found a place to set up a camp and look for food. As Kaede made a fire with Kiara resting beside her, while the others hunted, Kaede began to think over the last few days. She prayed that Kagome was ok, and that maybe she had a cure for Inuyasha, for she could think of none.

Shippou awoke to the sounds of the birds singing he began to remember the events of the night before. He opened his eyes to look around him, and began to get a little scared. What he saw terrified him, there was Inuyasha sleeping but in dog form. He knew when Inuyasha was like that he was a killer and nothing could stop him but Tetsuiaga, yet there was the sword at his hip as always. What happened while he was gone that caused this transformation in him? If he ran then Inuyasha would know it and chase him down. But the biggest question was where were the others?

As he continued to watch him, Inuyasha awoke and looked at him, his fangs showing in his toothy grin. He began to rise and could smell the fear coming from the kit that in someway worried him, instead of making him happy. Then he began to realize he was standing on all fours and not his humanoid form. The sword was strapped around his body; he moved a paw to move it off him. Upon contact he began to transform back, still as Shippou looked on he noticed that his eyes were still the same. Not amber as they had always been but almost pure golden. No mistaking Inuyasha had changed, yet he was not like SesshoMaru in his dog form, he was different. Inuyasha walked over to him still looking at him, Shippou fear increased, knowing that even in this form Inuyasha was still dangerous. He wanted to run, but if he did he would be dead. So he sat there waiting for him to get closer, not sure what to do.

Inuyasha stood directly in front of him now, thinking about why he saved this kitsune, some memory told him he must do so. Yet his instincts were to kill this weak being before him. He knelt down in front of him, sniffing him; something was familiar about this youkai. He felt like he needed to protect him, yet he couldn't remember how they both ended up together. The only thing he could remember was his name, Inuyasha, he was the son of the feared InuTaisho and he had a brother SesshoMaru, he wanted to kill.

As the afternoon sun set high in the sky, Kagome made it to the hot springs, knowing that her follower stayed behind. She was a little shocked but relieved to know he wasn't a hentai like Miroku. AS she made it to the shores of the spring, she sat down the items she brought from the hut and disrobed. Slowly making her way into the waters depths but not too far away from the shore she began to relax. Lying there in the warm waters with the warm rays of the sun on her face, she leaned further against the rock in the springs. She recalled the events of the last few days and was a little worried about her friends. Yet not too much so to immediately go look for them. Something told her while she slept back at the den that they were ok. What it was she was not sure, maybe it was her new power from the jewel. At that thought she opened her eyes and began to inspect her body. Looking t the areas she knew the jewel shards had merged into. There were no signs that it even happened. The rest of the jewel rested on her chest dangling from its chain. To anyone not looking closely would never notice the few shards missing from the whole.

(A/N: Good time to play Demon SesshoMaru from InuYasha OST)

After another twenty minutes relaxing in the waters, she began to do her final wash and wash her hair. She could sense that her follower was getting impatient and was about to check on her. She had a pretty good idea by now whom it was. Yet she wasn't really sure as yet. She hurriedly dried herself and dressed in the sky blue kimono she found in the hut. It was decorated in a sky scene depicting birds in flight and a meadow along the bottom. It was a lovely piece, which Kagome thought she might be able to use to her advantage one day. Packing her belongings, she knew her follower was there watching her. She smiled for the briefest of moments, she knew instantly who it was how she was still not sure. But she could smell him and feel his presence more than before. When she got to Kaede she really needed more answers about the jewel than they all had previously found out.

He couldn't take it much longer, why did it take her so long to take a bath. If he wasn't spying on her he could have called to her earlier to leave that place and hurry for making him wait. Yet here he was sulking in the forest, trying to spy on his brothers mate. Yet he really wanted to watch her bath, but why would he, SesshoMaru, Lord of the Western Lands, indulge in looking at a simple human. But she was more than a human; there was something else to her. He always sensed it in his battles with Inuyasha, yet she hung to the human appearance and restrictions. Well that was not really so, she was a miko, even untrained, more powerful than any he ever met. This mental battle was giving him a headache, and the sweet smell of Lavender that was her scent was enticing him. He had to go and see her, and without a second thought he headed in her direction. As he arrived outside the clearing he saw what looked to be her deep in thought. She was drying herself and, the Demon Lord for the first time, felt constricted in his armor. He watched her slowly dress and adorn the sky blue kimono that seemed so perfect for her. It showed her ties to nature, her peaceful, calm and graceful beauty. At that moment he had to have her. As he was about to step into the clearing he saw the briefest of smiles cross her face. 'What was that for, did she know he was there all the time?' Hmm, this human was very interesting, before he make his presence known he watch her just a little longer.

(A/N: This would be a good time to play Fox Demon Shippou of you have it.)

Night had finally fallen upon the youkai as they trekked closer to what Shippou knew to be the western lands. Inuyasha had commented earlier that he smelled something familiar in that direction. Now Shippou worried if he were to run into the Demon Lord again. So wrapped up in thought he never noticed that the hanyou or youkai before him had stopped. As he bumped into his hind legs and heard his growl, he looked up to see an angry hanyou staring at him.

"Did you even hear me at all kitsune?" he paused looking at him. Knowing from the look on the kit's face, he would have to repeat himself. Something he knew he didn't like to do but did not remember doing. " Kitsune I asked you, do you know who these people are that seem so familiar to me?" He said to him more like a bark than speech. Shippou jumped in fear and looked at the inuyoukai. He wasn't sure what to tell him, so he would not try to kill the others. Yet he remembered Kagome and she always said the truth was best no matter what.

"Well InuYasha those people are a part of our group, they are friends of ours that help us fight bad youkai. They have protected you many times and you have protected them also. The smell of many herbs is the elder Kaede who is the wisest of the group and our mentor. You have known her longer than any of us. The one with the smell of lust is Miroku the houshi, which we call the hentai houshi or lecher." Before he could finish the sentence Inuyasha grabbed him by his collar and held him at eye contact "Why do we call him that? And do not lie to me kit." He growled for emphasis.

"Well Inuyasha we call him that because every good looking woman we meet he asks to bear his child or gropes, especially the one with the scent that carries the scent of possibly a hanyou. That is Sango the Demon Exterminator, and by the smell she was in a battle not long ago, yet later she will return to her scent of what Kagome calls Vanilla." With that explained Inuyasha dropped the kit to the ground and continue to move towards them.

Shippou returns deep into thought, as to why they all were separated and Inuyasha change. He figured they were separated because of the change, but did not explain the absence of Kagome's scent, and the faint lingering of it on Inuyasha. Then as the thought occurred to him of how the scent was, he knew the truth about his adoptive parents. Yet where was his mother and what could happen to make Inuyasha lose his memory and Kagome not be there. He needed to move faster, and for the first time he really cursed being so young, moved sped up closer to Inuyasha and tugged on his pants leg. Inuyasha looked down at him still walking, almost dragging the kit with him.

"Can I ride on your shoulders for now so we can move faster?" he asked and then ducked his head waiting for the hit. Inuyasha stopped moving and for a moment, Shippou thought he was going to get a beating worse than usual. Until he felt the claw hands under his arms and lift him into the air. Next thing he knew he was on Inuyasha shoulder and the hanyou turned youkai was soaring through the air at top speed heading to the group.

Kagome lay there knowing that he was watching her, he would have to sleep sometime. She kept her eyes close incase he could make them out through the window. When would he go to sleep? It would be her luck if he were just like Inuyasha and did not sleep. Then just as she was about to sit up and yell at him, she felt him move off towards the forest. She waited another five minutes before she opened her eyes and looked around. The room had gone dark now, the fire had died some time ago, and there were not that many hours left before morning came. She had slept at first, knowing she would need the rest before she attempted her power. So she slept and hoped that when she awoke he would be sleep as well. Unfortunately he was still up until just a short time ago. Now sitting up in the futon, she concentrated her power as before and searched for her friends. She could feel her power and the jewels becoming one and something strange happened on this occasion. She could see the jewels' essence search amongst the countryside. She could see the people and youkai alike and in the various actions. Finally after almost ten minutes of searching she saw the power reach across the borders to the Western Lands after searching the East and South. There they were not too far into the lands. If she traveled by foot it would take her several days t o reach them in the location they were already. In that time they would come upon SesshoMaru's castle. SO if she were to reunite with her friends, she would need to great Demon Lord to take her hostage. So in the morning she would let him, take 'his prey'. With that she smiled and laid back in the futon.

As the night went on she had strange dreams of the jewel coming whole again and re-immerses itself back into her body. When that occurred she changed, her senses were better, she increased in speed, and she was like a demon, with all a demons power and the powers of a miko. She stood outside of her body watching the change take place, slowly it occurred until completion, once done she knew she could fight. Yet in the distance there was another light coming towards her followed by Kikyo. 'Why is she coming at me so fast, I must move.' She thought, yet she was too slow and the light and Kikyo slammed into her. They merged into her and she could feel the rest of her soul return. Then the power from the jewel and the strange light came together as one. She knew that now she had to the power to destroy or heal the world. Then a voice spoke to her ' Use the power wisely for ye know what to do. If not you will bring about the destruction of the world.' With that the voice was gone and her body began to glow brightly until the light too slowly faded and she returned to her body.

Kagome sat straight up in the futon and looked around, daylight was starting to filter in. That dream was weird and draining to her, she felt as she was drained of all energy. Yet right now she could not worry about a dream or energy. She needed what she had to make the smartest and deadliest youkai alive capture her. With her newfound determination, she began to dress for the day and wake the unsuspecting youkai lord.

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Thanks everyone for being so patient and waiting for the updates since I have been going to writer's block and family crisis. Just to let everyone know I will possibly be slower on the updates from now on until I have things settled. Until then thank you for the encouragement and support. Plus all the great reviews.

To all my regular reviewers: THANK YOU

To my new reviewers or occasional: thanks for the inspiration on the story. I have pretty much changed some of the outcome of the original idea.

TO LET ALL KNOW I HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF THE STORY FOR LATER CHAPTERS, SO PLEASE DON'T HATE ME FOR WHATS TO COME… I THINK SOME OF YOU WILL REALLY LIKE THE CHANGE, ENJOY

ALSO FOR ALL WHO WANTED TO KNOW THE LEMON'S ARE RETURNING ALONG WITH SOME LIME AND WHATEVER ELSE SPICY FRUIT I CAN FIND, SO FOR MY FRUIT PEOPLE PLEASE READ THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW…

FOR ALL YOU HENTAI'S SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I WILL FROM THIS MOMENT ON POST MY LEMONS ON MY WEBSITE WHERE THIS STORY IS ALSO POSTED. YOU CAN FIND THE LINK ON MY PROFILE. I WILL ANNOUNCE IN THE STORY WHERE I FEEL WHERE THE TRUE LEMON BEGINS SO YOU CAN MOVE TO THE SITE AND READ IF YOU LIKE…