It all started with a Nameless Beauty

~~~^~~~^~~~ A/N: ENJOY! ***^***^***

~~~Chapter 8~~~

Youko sat upon a branch, high up in the forest. As he looked at the endless amount of trees, a nagging feeling persisted in the back of his mind. It was always the same tingling as if he had forgotten something.

Breathing in the cool crisp air of nature around him, he finally decided to go check up on his "catch." He easily jumped from the tree and started off towards his lair.

On the way there, he reached inside his pockets only to discover his keys were missing. His eyes widened and he mentally cursed himself. With this newly developed information, he sprinted top-speed toward the cave, where he found his clan scattered all over the grounds.

"How in the WORLD did this happen!" He yelled.

He knew his men were not the best of fighters, but he also knew they were not easily overpowered. Was it because he told them not to harm her? He stalked towards one of his more coherent men, and grabbed him by the collar, "What happened here?" He tried not to yell.

"It was that girl you brought back. She just came out of the cave, and we tried to keep her inside. B-But she wouldn't listen!" he stammered, "She just started charging at us! N-No one could stop her without hurting her!" he paused again looking at his leader's face. Trying to placate his rage, he continued, "No one was killed though. She tended our wounds and made sure everyone was well before leaving".

Youko digested the information and asked very slowly, trying not to lose his temper any more. "Do you know," he breathed in, "where she went?"

"She headed west I think; she seemed like she was looking for someone. She sniffed the air before she left."

Without another word, Youko dropped his comrade and scowled, heading towards the setting sun. God damn it! He shouldn't have just made HIS room Miko-proof. He should have done it to the whole cave!

Inuyasha sped across the forest floor, catching the scent of his companions. He had gotten a little side-tracked earlier.

An aroma lingered in the air, an aroma that enticed him. "Kagome's back!", thought Inuyasha. "Finally!" But as he followed the trail, he came upon another scent not nearly as nice as the first.

Arriving upon a clearing in the middle of the forest, his eyes rested upon a lone figure in white. There stood his half-brother with his back towards him, as if he was ignoring for him.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled. "Why the HELL do you smell like Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru simply glanced over his shoulder, and returned his head back to its original position. "It is of no concern to you."

Inuyasha stared back, and retaliated. "What do you mean 'of no concern to me'? Anything that has to do with Kagome, has to do with me!" he yelled.

"I don't see a mark on her, Inuyasha. She is not yours, and she is not mine, but I will be sure to change that."

Inuyasha's eyes flashed red with rage that threatened to spill over. He then unsheathed Tetsusaiga and swung it full force at Sesshoumaru, determined to slice him in half. "Kagome was HIS," he thought, "and no one would take her away."

His attack was easily blocked my Sesshoumaru's Toukijin. The swords clashed, over and over again. It looked like there was no end to their fight, or at least until Sesshoumaru took to his cloud and floated away. He left partly because of boredom and partly because he smelled a certain someone nearby. He cursed at himself for being such a fool, fighting with his brother like a pup. It made him lose track of his surroundings.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was not as calm as his brother. He stood there, sword in hand, staring at Sesshoumaru's shrinking form. "Come back here and fight me! Are you a coward?" he yelled. When his brother paid him no heed, he scowled. 'Why did he want Kagome? She was human! And why did he leave so suddenly?' Not until he was out of sight did Inuyasha start to calm down. Taking deep breaths to recuperate his strength, he noticed something in the air, Kagome was near!

She was prepared for anything that would come out, boar, rabbit. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins. She needed to hunt. Her animal instincts were taking over. The thought of a predator chasing its prey was more exhilarating than she thought possible.

She waited silently in the shadows until she heard the rustle again to her right.

But just as suddenly, another was heard to her left, and another in front of her. Her head spun from paranoia, and also in confusion. Was she the one being hunted? Did youkai even hunt in groups?

Her thoughts were shoved out of her mind when instinct told her to run. She had learned her lesson and knew she needed to listen to them. Hopping into the trees, she ran at full speed. Her fear seemed to have dulled all her senses. She couldn't think straight. With panic blurring everything, she ran with three figures following closely behind.

She knew it was the wrong decision, but she did it anyways, she turned her head to see who or what was behind her. But as her head turned, her foot missed a branch and she fell to the floor.

She lay, belly-up, staring at the sky. Nothing was registering in her mind. Why wasn't she running? Wasn't she being chased? As if on cue, the three pursuers surrounded her.

Kagome lifted her head off the ground, trying to regain her sense of surrounding and balance. As soon as her eyes focused, they widened slowly with surprise. "WHAT!"

She reached for three rocks nearby, threw one at each of them and abruptly stood up. Charging at the one in white, she yelled, "What the HELL are you doing scaring me like THAT!" Anger was clearly written on her face. She punched him in the face and proceeded to the next one, the one with armor. With adrenaline and miko powers still pumping in her veins she hit him in the gut, "And YOU! What the HELL are you trying to do! Kill me? You guys scared the SHIT out of me! I thought you WANTED me! I didn't think you wanted me DEAD!"

Last but not least, she stepped towards the one in red with a finger pointed, "And YOU!" her tone softened, "How are you?"

"U-um, I-I'm fine." Inuyasha replied. "Anyone who can beat Sesshoumaru is on my good side!" he tried to add some humor to impress her, as well as calm her down.

Youko clutched his face and leaned against a tree for support, while Sesshoumaru was kneeling on the floor holding his stomach. 'Boy did that girl have a punch! How did she even touch this Sesshoumaru? Let alone harm me?'

Inuyasha just stared on at the girl that just beat the shit out of his brother and another youkai. She was beautiful and a hanyou to top it off!

"That wasn't very funny, Inuyasha." She replied.

Inuyasha stared in disbelief, just as Sango and Miroku did earlier that day.

"Wait, what?" he sniffed the air around her, "Kagome? Is that REALLY YOU? But you're a hanyou! What happened?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when I have time. Or I could tell you when we go hunt. I told the others that I would go get food."

"Hold it! How do I know you're REALLY Kagome. You could be a fraud and lead me into some sort of trap."

"Um…" she thought with her finger tapping her mouth, drawing the three pairs of eyes to her luscious lips. "Ah-ha!" she exclaimed. Her finger now pointing at his neck, "I could always say the command for those rosary beads…" Kagome smiled.

Inuyasha gulped, "That's alright. I believe you… hehe…."

Before they walked away, Kagome said out loud to no one in particular, "I am my own being, and belong to no one. And NO ONE will change that." Inuyasha looked on at the two defeated youkai, then back at Kagome, who had already started walking back to camp. Together, the two hanyous walked side by side chatting about recent events.

Little did the pair know that the two full demons had recovered and would not be refused. Kagome, too preoccupied telling her story, and Inuyasha, too confused about the sudden changes, did not notice the approaching demons.

One of Kagome's slender arms was suddenly seized by the clawed hand of a kitsune, and the other by an inu youkai.

~~~End of chapter~~~

~~~*~~~*~~~ Author's note: Sorry for the delay! And for such a short chapter. Also, did you notice the "no one in particular" in there? THAT WAS ME! Hahaaa. XD ~~~*~~~*~~~