Harzard to Warning

Sakura Blossom Epic: Chapter Three

By: Lady Casper

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Merely play with the characters.

AN: This is yet another chapter. I hope you enjoy. Though there is no lemon, don't be disappointed, there shall be more loving ahead.

It wasn't long before the others had found the couple. They had managed to dress in time before they ever arrived thanks to Inuyasha's sense of smell, knowing they were nearing by the scent of worry. Shippou of course was the first totackle the couple, asking questions while pushing his face into Kagome's stomach as he wondered why she smelled of the hanyou's scent. The fox child might have been just that, a child, but he wasn't a dummy. The scent of a marking was running along the miko's own scent.

They had united during their time away from the group. He smiled.

'About time.' Shippou continue to smother himself with Kagome's warmth as she stroked his russet hair, reassuring him they were both, she and Inuyasha, alright.

"Feh, like I'd let anything happen to her, you idiot!" Inuyasha threw over his shoulder as he crossed his arms and started to head out away from 'their' camp.

"I'm not an idiot!" Shippou pouted before sticking his tongue out at the back of the hanyou. One glance of golden amber eyes though shut his mouth. It seemed the hanyou was unnerved. Kagome could sense it even without her spiritual miko powers.

Everyone could sense it.

"Inuyasha what is the matter?" Miroku's hand touched the tense shoulders of the hanyou before getting it brushed away with a claw.

"Nothing!"

Truth be told though, his mind was running ramped while his heart broke into pieces over and over again. Someone had attacked Kagome while she had slept in his arms, pushing him away from her when she awoke. The look in her eyes terrified him more than the eyes he was seeing.

Whoever was toying with Kagome wanted to harm more than just her; they wanted to torture him as well. They knew all too well, taking away Kagome could be his undoing within the blink of an eye. Even he admitted that himself to the young miko last night.

They were possibly also responsible for the sudden rage of water that knocked them off the bridge. His eyes scanned over his friends. 'Good none of them are hurt.' But his mind was in no way calm.

He couldn't very well explain this to the others without them finding of his and Kagome's unison. Although he knew he could trust them, the feeling of uneasiness of someone other than the miko and himself seemed to weight heavily on him. What if Naraku were to find out?

What if he already knew and the others could be put in danger for their ignorance of the situation changing?

His mind continued to twist and turn with different scenarios until another more, gentler feminine hand touched his shoulders. This time however he did not brush it off as the monk's but seized it with his own as he continued to stare at the ground. He needed it; Inuyasha needed her strength at the moment. Even though Kagome didn't know what was running around his head, she could still sense his confusion and without batting an eye tried to comfort him, just like a mate should.

A mate…

"Hey, Houshi, Sango, Shippou, listen up! One of you may know this already but Kagome and I are mated now. It's really none of your business but with our situation I thought I'd let you know." Inuyasha inhaled a breath of air then let it out and didn't wait for a reply. Walking away, he passed the blushing Kagome and circled his arm around her waist, making her walk along with him as he took in her scent.

Spicy yet sweet, and now a bit musky with his own mixed in.

Just the way he liked it.

Within a few moments, the group started walking down a narrow dusty path that would lead to the village they were to stay at. Word was a jewel shard had been embedded inside a young mistress's head and was now being possessed by its tainted power.

Sango had discussed the situation along the way to the rest of the group after hearing of the news when they went looking for Inuyasha and Kagome. Now retelling it to the blushing couple, Sango stated only women were allowed to pass a barrier the mistress had created.

"Ha! Watch me pass it!" Inuyasha scoffed as they headed toward the village. The head chief of the place stood just outside the gate doors. It seemed to be a secluded set, left to be untouched by outsiders unless they were wanted inside the walls.

"Are ye who is to purify the mistress who lives in the mansion?" The old man's eyes squinted as he tried to make out the travelers. He could make out two males and two females and a small boy with a cat.

"Yes we are. Lady Kaede has told you of us, yes?" Miroku question the man which he nodded to.

"Come then." Ushering for the travelers to follow, he entered with no trouble. As soon as Kagome touched foot behind the gates a shiver ran up her spine. Her body felt frozen from where she stood even though eventually she shook it off long enough to start walking again. No one else had noticed luckily but Kagome could still feel it. It was a reminder to her almost, of the pain and sadness she had felt in her dreams. Of what the Inuyasha in her dreams had been fated to, once touched by her.

"Kagome what's the matter?" Sango questioned with a whisper. The demon exterminator had managed to catch her off guard as she looked up with dull eyes that shown confusion and pain. The other woman's eyes soon cast a reflection of the miko's. "Kagome, tell me."

Kagome glanced in front and noted none of the others was watching her for that matter listening and stopped walking completely waiting for enough distance to talk with the woman.

"It's something about this place," she stated finally looking around the village before looking over towards where the men were headed. The mansion could be seen even from where she stood. Eerie and disturbing didn't quite suite the look of it. Sango felt it too as a shiver ran wild up her spine making her arms instinctively cover across her chest.

Whatever it was, it wasn't friendly or pure that was a given.

"I felt this once before." Kagome had thought she said it but the words had left the young woman's beside her instead.

"Y-you have?"

"Yes. Just before Kohaku had killed my village and father, I felt this feeling, this presence of evil." The demon slayer's eyes fell down the ground.

"Do you think it could be Naraku doing all this?"

"Maybe. I'm not really sure." Sango looked back towards the young miko. "You felt this as well, haven't you? That look in your eyes is a dead give away."

It was foolish to think the demon slayer, a person who was trained to take in every detail about their surroundings and company, would not notice.

Wishful thinking strikes again, Kagome thought as her fingers ran down her skirt in a fidgety motion.

"Yes, I have. Last night, I felt it when…well…after me and Inuyasha…did it." Kagome's face was beyond red but she continued. "I had fallen asleep and a dream took over. It was awful Sango, I saw Inuyasha there. Frozen dead. His eyes, oh gods his eyes…" The younger girl began to tremble from the memory.

Sango held her by her shoulders, comforting her. "It's okay."

A man dressed in red with silver hair stomped towards them, his eyes showing annoyance.

"Can we stop the girly chit chat now? We have a job to do!"

Inuyasha went back to Miroku, Shippou and the Chief before Sango could reply. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Kagome shook her head at the demon slayer. "No, don't tell him. Please."

Nodding slowly, Sango felt pain touch her heart. Her friend, one of her best friends was in pain and there wasn't anything she could do.

The miko followed after the annoyed hanyou who was now hollering at Shippou for making a remark about his rudeness, causing a nice bump mark on the child's head. It would have been a funny scene for both women if they hadn't had such thoughts dampening their minds and hearts.

Soon after, the Taijiya followed her friend back to the others, a watchful eye on the mansion.

In the mists of the mansion, feminine eyes watched at the approaching group with a feral grin.

They truly had no idea what they were getting into. Hazel swiftly melted into a swirling red vortex of evil as they caught sight of one peculiar girl dressed in strange clothing.

Yes, that was the target. The one the owner's eyes needed to gain total power.

"That young miko shall be the key for my ultimate reign."

Within moments of stepping in front of the gates that closed the mansion shut, Kagome felt it again, only this time more violent. Her whole body shook with negative energy attacking her soul.

Something evil…was inside and waiting, just waiting to devour her.

Clutching her chest instinctively to shield herself, an invisible force just about knocked her off balance, two shaky legs still managed to keep right.

What was inside that could do that!

Her eyes scanned the surroundings then her companions. They hadn't noticed her trouble and she was grateful. There was no way to explain what was happening to her so why make them worry as well?

'No real point.' Kagome turned her focus back on the mansion. She would fight this. Remembering all the battles they had went through and the powerful soul she possessed, Kagome straightened her body and moved foreword, determined to be done with this and move on.

Another wave smacked her across the face but she brushed it off. Whatever or whoever it was she was going to face it and fight back at all costs. The thought of being called stubborn ran through her memories.

"Kagome wait up!" Inuyasha was at her side within moments followed by the monk and slayer. Shippou was vouched to stay with the Chief, believing he would be better off with him for safety.

"What do you suppose it is that possess the Lady?" Sango asked the group but turned her eyes over to Miroku. He shrugged, "I don't really know. But whatever it is, the spiritual power is very weak. I can hardly feel anything."

That caught Kagome's and Sango's attention real well.

"Yeah me neither. Wonder if it's a scrawny demon that is hardly a fight." Inuyasha grumbled under his breath.

Now the women were confused.

"You mean you guys don't feel anything? At all?" Kagome questioned, looking between the Houshi and the hanyou. Both shook their heads leaving the miko puzzled.

"That's odd."

"Should we be?" Miroku asked; his pace becoming slower as he inched closer to Sango with no notice.

"Well I might have thought it being imagination taking the better but when I heard Kagome feeling the same we both knew it was real." Sango stated, her hand itched towards the long boomerang that sat on her back.

"Teh, like we wouldn't feel it." Inuyasha snorted, missing the look of hurt in the young miko's eyes.

"But Inuyasha…"

A loud "thud" was heard making the hanyou and miko turn to find Sango's weapon implanted into the perverted monk's skull.

"Keep your hands OFF ME!" Sango yelled as she trudged past the others and went towards the mansion, more determined to just gain distance from the lecher.

"Just couldn't keep your mitts off eh?" Inuyasha retorted as the man lay practically unconscious from the head wound.

It was a small hit but a feeling nonetheless for Kagome to 'sit' Inuyasha and smack Miroku upside the head at the image before her. Here she was, fighting her hardest to get to the mansion and Inuyasha insults her abilities and then Miroku and his damn hand had touched Sango as if she were nothing more than a feel.

Spinning on her heel, Kagome gritted her teeth as a low growl emitted from her throat.

'Bastards!'

Stomping quickly up to where the young slayer walked, Kagome kept her distance from the hanyou now. Let him find out on his own then, she thought as her eyes traced the center part of the building.

It was now up to the female contenders to step up, but how much could they?

The aura of evil passed over the group. Neither Inuyasha nor Miroku who followed behind the now pissed off women felt it. However, Sango and Kagome both went stiff and fought to continue up the doorway.

Gulping down something that had been lodged in her throat, Sango turned towards the younger girl and nodded. The miko nodded in response before taking off, running for the doorway. Shouts and protests for their return were ignored as they shimmered into the darkness of the mansion.

"GOD DAMMIT! KAGOME! SANGO!" Inuyasha growled as he took off after the two women. What was their damn problem? Looking over Miroku had followed close behind after the girls went in and also disappeared along side him into the pits of gloom.

A menacing laugh echoed throughout the entire mansion.

"Ahh, my plan is moving along smoothly. Who knows maybe I can take some of the other's powers for myself as well. But first the men," the female stated as a slender finger pointed to a servant who bowed before disappearing.

She would have what was wanted for over a century or so when the great priestess Midoriko died.

And there was nothing a lonely hanyou, perverted monk, or a broken Taijiya could do about it.

The smile morphed into a full fledged feral grin.