A/N: Hey everyone! I know I have been gone for a VERY long time! Life has been... well life. For those of you still waiting for the next chapter of Standing Strong, I haven't abandoned you! I am currently working on the next chapter now that I have time to write again. I will hopefully get that out soon, but in the meantime, I couldn't get this out of my mind. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

Kagome's feet pounded against the ground, her breathing ragged. Panting in wheezing, shuddering gasps from the effort. She crashed through the underbrush, frantic to escape as the devil pursued her. Her reiki was dangerously low, and her physical energy beginning to wane. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping her going, but she knew she would not be able to last much longer.

Sooner or later, he would catch her. The fact he had not already done so, begged the question of whether he was toying with her or not.

Like a sadistic predator playing with its prey before it devoured it.

She risked a glance back, and in doing so missed a branch that sliced past her cheek right below her eye. It burned an indicator it was deeper than a mere scratch, drawing blood, which made her swear under her breath. There was no way she had lost him, he was still behind her somewhere, but knowing what he was like... the scent of her blood was bound to drive him wild. The chase wouldn't last much longer. That she was certain of.

She broke through the tree line into a clearing, but what laid before her made her come to a stumbling halt. She was standing atop a cliff. There was no way that she could escape this. She was trapped. She panted as her eyes flew around the space ahead of her, frantic in an attempt to identify some way to flee.

Before she could come up with a solution a twig snapped behind her. With a gasp she whirled around, only to see blue irises with red sclera, glowing in malicious glee. A guttural growl mixed with a chuckle escaped him as his red haori became illuminated. He stepped towards her, blood dripping off his claws, the moonlight only revealing half of him to her eyes.

She gulped and backed away, her shoes scraping on the dirt. She froze when a sudden gust of wind blew up behind her. Her only warning that the cliff was directly behind her. But she didn't dare look back, refusing to take her eyes off the dangerous youki- controlled hanyou before her.

"There's nowhere to run now..." A sickening grin twisted across his face, his tongue swiping across wicked gleaming fangs.

"Inuyasha... please don't do this..." Tears came unbidden to oceanic blue eyes. "This isn't you!" Her voice wavered, thick with emotion, as she clutched a trembling and bleeding arm to her chest. "You are under Naraku's spell... Please..." Kagome refused to think about what her companions' fates were. She had hoped she had drawn him away after the first few blows to them, but the fact they weren't chasing after her was not a good sign.

A dark chuckle escaped him. "Why would I stop? You look so..." His eyes roved from the bleeding cut on her cheek, down to a droplet of sweat that slipped down from the rapid pulse at her neck, trailing down to the sweat slicked swell of her breasts and below her blazer. "...delicious." He finished with a feral growl, eyes glinting with promise of pain. She gulped and took a step back, her heel meeting air. She righted herself before she could fall backwards, wobbling precariously, but couldn't prevent the unbidden thought that falling to her death would be preferable to being torn to shreds by her spell-driven maddened friend.

"Someone... please help me..." She whimpered, praying with her whole soul for someone to come to her rescue. Fear beginning to freeze her blood in her veins and her exhausted limbs the longer her prayer went unanswered. Her heart aching sharply that somewhere in there Inuyasha was probably just as horrified as she was by all this. Assuming he was in there at all.

The fear inducing darkness of the overcast night brought on swaying shadows, like some demon of darkness and smoke trying to reach out to her with ghostly claws. It was part of why this whole ordeal was so terrifying. She couldn't see properly with her dull human senses. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, wondering just how far behind her he had been, likely far enough to not be seen by her but to still be in control of the chase and watching her every move.

Inuyasha brought his bloodied claws up to his mouth. Licking her blood off them, his eyes almost rolling into the back of his head from pleasure.

"Your blood..." He shuddered. "So good..." he growled, his eyes snapping open, her own gaze widening at the pure bloodlust in them. And yes that look seemed to have a double meaning in this case causing her blood to run cold. She was filled with an unspeakable terror at the thought of her best friend and hopeful lover being filled with a crazed lust to eat her alive. She couldn't breathe at the feeling of pure horror that had taken root and willed her body to move. To do something. Anything was better than simply standing there waiting for death to come to her.

His knuckles cracked with promise. "Say goodbye..." he ordered her. Then he lunged.

She gasped and threw herself backwards just as his clawed hand plunged into her abdomen. A strangled cry was torn from her lips, tears ripped from her eyes that shimmered, illuminated by the pale moonlight.

Her foot hit air, her heart lurching into her throat at the sudden pull of gravity. She felt, more than saw, his claws slide out from her, as her body fell away from him. Claws that were sharp and slicked with blood slicing more damage through her organs as they were unceremoniously ripped out from her. Then her body tilted backwards as the laws of physics claimed her, like the welcoming arms of a lover as she dropped and began her plummet through the air.

She saw the spray of blood from her wound as she fell, Inuyasha's look of rage as she managed to escape him in her final moment, her eyes filled with tears as his furious image blurred in her vision.

"NO!" He bellowed, hand lunging forwards to snatch her arm, however because it was wet with her own blood, his fingers slipped, blood squelching against her sweat slicked skin as she slipped from his grasp, leaving a trailing smear of her own blood on her wrist and hand as he lost his hold on her

She closed her eyes, a faint smile on her face. At least I will be dead by the time he catches me to eat me... The kami must be feeling merciful... She thought as she closed her eyes to accept death.

"Kagome..." A serene and soft voice whispered in her mind. Her brows pinched together in confusion. "The gods have not abandoned you, their daughter, and you have yet to fulfil your destiny. Open your eyes." The voice whispered.

She opened her eyes only to gasp in shock. The clouds had completely disappeared from the night sky. What was once eerie darkness fueling the horror of the night, was now replaced with a bright full moon illuminating the night, bringing the landscape and sky into sudden focus. The full moon was bright and clear, bringing with it a sense of safety and light. It held an ethereal glow which was shining brighter by the second. A beam of light descended and shot down, surrounding her in mid-air.

A face appeared from within the pillar of light, as a glowing pale slender hand reached down towards her. She felt a soft touch capture her and grasp her, hands hooking under her knees and shoulders stopping her fall. She looked up into the vertical slit animalistic eyes that were glowing an otherworldly lavender purple. Turquoise colored bangs fluttered in a soft breeze, gently brushing across a pearlescent glowing white crescent moon on her forehead. Kagome felt strong arms lift her up.

"Fear not, daughter of the kami. I have been sent to protect you. Sleep and gather your strength." The soft and clearly female voice whispered to her. The pale moonlight surrounding them glowed bright and Kagome felt a searing hot sensation flash through her wounds so quickly she never even registered the pain, until a soft warmth settled in its place and soothed the pain radiating there, then darkness overtook her.

First chapter done! I have some surprises planned for the next chapter! Please read and review and let me know what you think of this!

~ArtisticQuill