Title: Evening the Score

Author: landofthekwt

Genre: Action

Prompt 1

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kikyou

Universe: Canon

Word Count: 755

Warning: Spoiler for Anime Episode "The Tragic Love Song of Destiny" #147

Feual Tales Week 15 Prompt 1

Summary: A follow up to their first meeting.

Prompt 1. InuYasha stood defiantly in the stream, the water running red around his ankles. He growled and spat out the tooth that had just been knocked loose by the enemy before him.

The oni was still nearly unscathed while the hanyou was sliced to ribbons. He knew that he must either kill it quickly or find somewhere to hide where the monster could not get at him. Maybe it was the extra thumps to the head that he had taken from the monster's club. Something made him stand up to the beast.

The beast stood twenty feet and the ground shook when it walked. It had a large humanoid shape with the required fangs, claws and horns that so many oni knew of such beasts, but usually avoided.

Today somehow he had been surprised by the beast. He had been sitting in his favorite tree the night before contemplating the miko who reeked of blood lying in the mud last night while he was in his human form. She had surprised him too. Her warning about the sacred jewel intrigued him.

If he had the sacred jewel he could become a a full youkai. As a full youkai beasts of this sort could be beaten with brute strength rather skill and perseverance. His mother had reveled him with tales of his great and glorious father and all of the beasts that he had vanquished with his mighty sword. Maybe with the jewel he could be the youkai that his old man had been and youkai that his brother was.

The surprise had been complete. The beast had knocked him off his perch with one swing. He could not avoid the club hit to his head. After that he had been unable to avoid the claws which continually slashed at his stomach.

His hand went to his open stomach wounds. Gathering the blood he leapt toward the oni invoking the attack with his cry " Blades of Blood". The blades seemed to knock the monster off staggered for a moment. Then it returned with even more rage.

It was time for his last ditch attack. This attack would most of his remaining youki to produce. He gathered himself and surged forward. His youki flared as the attack commenced. His battle cry of " Soul Shattering Iron Claw" rang out throughout the forest.

At the same time a group of arrows with a strong pinkish glow crashed into the monster. The attendant explosion of youki and spiritual energy caused the oni to disintegrate. The hanyou fell back unconcious onto the bank of the stream.

A woman with a bow wearing a white tabi and red hakama rapidly crossed the stream. Nothing remained of the oni. One less seeker of the sacred jewel. When she reached the far bank she gazed on the hanyou.

It was indeed the creature that had hid from her. She still wondered why it had not killed her when it had the chance. She had been unconcious face down in the mud. Her clothes had been covered with blood and she had been totally exhausted from killing youkai.

"Master hanyou. I see that you are still alive. Since you did not kill me when I was in your position., I will return the favor. Consider the score evened and my debt to repaid. Mark my word however, if you seek the sacred jewel I will be forced to kill you just as killed this oni. No further mercy will be shown to you. Consider yourself warned."

Inuyasha awoke much later. He was alive and the oni was dead. The smell of the miko whom had encountered on his human night hung in the air. Somehow she had destroyed the oni and yet had spared his life. This intrigued him. Definitely, a woman worth meeting again.

When she reached her home, she put away her bow and arrows and began to cook dinner for her sister. First, she had warned the hanyou when he had been in his human form. Then she had warned him again when he was helpless on the riverbank.

Usually she shot first at youkai and asked questions later. What was it about him that caused her to stay her hand. Knowing youkai she would probably meet him never took no for an answer. When they met again she would see what kind of threat he posed to the sacred jewel. Until then he would haunt her dreams.