Inuyasha 1. Chapter 1: A Formidable Foe

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. If I did, Kikyo would still be dead and Inuyasha and Kagome would've been together a long time ago.**

**This takes place before Inuyasha beat Ryuukotsusei and the Tetsusaiga was made lighter. He's still having problems keeping control over his demon half. **

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Claw Marks On My Heart

_Chapter One – A Formidable Foe_

"Dammit…." Inuyasha cursed, dragging the back of his hand over his mouth to wipe away the crimson blood that dribbled from his split lip. "Bastard doesn't want to die."

"Inuyasha!"

White, triangular-shaped dog ears angled back at the sound of their owner's name, and his golden eyes located the figure clothed in black and violet robes, rushing in his direction.

"Miroku, what – ?"

The monk pointed. "Watch out!"

"Huh?" The silver-haired, half-demon snapped his attention to what the priest had been indicating to, and leapt out of the way mere moments before the earth beneath him buckled and cracked from a tremendous blow. Immense slabs of hardened dirt and silt, sprinkled with yellowish-green blades of grass were dislodged or thrust upright, standing erect like a row of pointed teeth around the scarred ground. A russet cloud of dust, dirt and debris – kicked up by the force of the impact – hovered over the blast radius, gradually descending back to the terrain.

Inuyasha's jump had transported him to the very outskirts of the forest that bordered the vast plain he and Miroku now stood in. Falling with utmost grace, he perched himself on a sturdy branch of a towering oak tree, crouching cat-like on the wooden limb. With a huff, he blew the shock of silver-white bangs out of his molten eyes to glower fiercely at his opponent.

There was a colossal rumbling of shifting earth and stone gnashing together, and the dust that had just began to settle was whipped up anew. From the deep gash in the land rose the cause of the wound. A tail. An enormous tail that was thicker than a tree trunk with fearsome spines lining the tip.

The tail withdrew, and as the dust cleared, its owner became visible. Looming well over the forest canopy, a massive snake demon swiveled its head slowly from side to side, searching for its prey. A terrible hissing issued from its gaping maw. Rows of needle-thin, razor-sharp teeth were scarcely perceptible through the gap between its scaly lips. Two fangs curled down from its top jaw, much like that of a sabertooth tiger. Each incisor was easily the length and width of a human arm, and sharpened to a deadly point. From the center of its forehead was a single, reptilian slitted eye that pulsed with a sickly yellow light. The demon's blood-red scales were coated with a thin layer of putrid black sludge. Whenever it shifted, a fresh supply of inky pus oozed from hidden pores beneath the burgundy scales. The reeking stench of rotting corpses, blood and acid was enough to turn Inuyasha's stomach, even from this distance.

"You are one ugly son of a bitch," he murmured, his voice low and deadly as he stared down the demon.

_And dangerous_, he added mentally.

He knew he had to kill this thing, and fast. But how he was intended to go about that was beyond him.

Only a few weeks had passed since Naraku's incarnation, Goshinki, had snapped the Tetsusaiga in two. Totosai had been forced to restore it by forging the sword out of one of Inuyasha's fangs in addition to his father's. This had led to an unforeseen consequence.

The Tetsusaiga was now too heavy for Inuyasha to wield effectively.

Totosai had explained to the infuriated half-demon that this was caused by the use of his fang to repair the sword. Before Tetsusaiga was fractured, the sword had been fashioned from the fang of his father, Inutashio, triggering the young half-demon to rely on the strength of his father to shelter him. However, now that his own fang was added to the blade, Inuyasha was now protecting himself. The Tetsusaiga would become manageable once again when Inuyasha either mastered his own power or surpassed his father in strength.

The problem was, the dog demon still didn't know how he was supposed to achieve such feats and was left with a cumbersome weapon that slowed him down. What had once been his key to quick, victorious battles was now practically useless to him.

A low growl rumbled forth in his chest at the thought.

As usual, he and his five companions were out roaming the countryside, searching for Jewel shards and Naraku's whereabouts. They had just set out from a nearby village when they had sensed a powerful demonic aura. Thinking it was Naraku, Inuyasha and Miroku had raced on ahead, leaving Kagome and Sango behind to catch up later.

Though, while he and the monk had been thoroughly disappointed to determine that the demonic aura did not belong to Naraku, they still had a problem on their hands. This snake demon was formidable, and the girls – along with Shippo and Kirara – would soon reach the edge of the forest.

And Inuyasha didn't want Kagome anywhere near danger.

But the half-breed had quickly discovered that he would not be able to dispatch the snake demon as swiftly as he originally thought. His claws were next to useless against its diamond-hard scales. Half the time, Inuyasha couldn't even land an attack on it. Few would've expected a demon of that girth to possess such speed and agility.

_Regardless, _Inuyasha thought, _it has to go._

Flecking his claws, his knuckles cracked in a rapid secession of pops, and he crouched low on the tree branch, preparing to spring at the demon.

"Wait, Inuyasha!"

Whipping his head in the direction of Miroku's voice, he glared, his silver hair cascading over his left shoulder. "What now?" he snapped, fangs flashing.

"Do not be so hasty with this demon!" the monk called from where he stood, ten yard away from Inuyasha's tree. "Its demonic aura is extremely potent!. It may be drawing the power of a Shikon Jewel shard in order to intensify its strength!"

"You think I haven't given that any consideration?!" Inuyasha barked. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?!"

When the Buddhist priest didn't respond, the half-demon snarled in irritation. Annoyance colored his tone, making it rough and harsh as he continued, "Besides, we won't know if it's holding a shard until Kagome and the others get here, now will we?"

Averting his gaze from the monk, Inuyasha faced the snake demon and a cruel, half-smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "And this sucker will be dead long before they arrive."

"Don't be foolish, Inuyasha," Miroku exclaimed. "Your claws didn't even leave a scratch on him! You cannot fight him barehanded!"

"Then what do you suggest I do, since you seem to have all the answers?" Inuyasha yelled, scowling gruffly at his friend.

"Use Tetsusaiga!"

A muscle jumped in Inuyasha's jaw as he gritted his teeth, his blood boiling under his skin. "Where the hell have you been for the past few weeks?!" he exploded, every inch of his sharp teeth bared. "In case you haven't noticed, I can't swing the damn sword! It takes every ounce of my strength just to lift it!"

"What other choice do we have?" the monk called. "Your claws don't do anything against it. Surely the Tetsusaiga will."

_I suppose it can't hurt to try, _Inuyasha mused.

"If this doesn't work, monk, I'm comin' after you!" the half-demon warned.

His leg muscles bunched as he crouched low on the branch, then sprung like a coil as he dove from the tree. The second his bare feet touched the cool, prickly surface of the grass, he took off running. Wind whipped through his silver hair and flattened his ruby red haori and hamaka against his body, the fabric clinging to every inch of hidden, chiseled muscle. The world flew by in a blur of colors as Inuyasha raced towards the snake demon at breakneck speeds. The creature's size became all the more intimidating the closer he got to it.

A clawed hand fell lightly to the scabbard at his hip, loosely curling his fingers around the Tetsusagia's handle, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

When Inuyasha was near enough to it, the snake demon let out an earsplitting roar, one that made the earth tremble and quake. The young half-breed could feel the vibrations of the bellow in the soles of his feet.

"Feh. You're gonna have to do a lot more than snarl in order to scare me," he murmured as his feet carried him to the enormous snake.

Faster than a lightning strike, the monster's head lashed out, its rapier fangs aimed for the streak of red and silver that was Inuyasha. Digging his feet into the soft soil, Inuyasha jerked to a stop and then propelled himself backwards, narrowly avoiding the strike. The demon swung its tail at him and he sidestepped the crushing blow, only to leap out of the way as its fangs imbedded into the ground where he had stood. Ducking, rolling, bending and jumping, Inuyasha evaded every attack thrown at him.

"Nice moves," he commented, ducking under the thick tail that at was aimed at his head. His hand closed around the Tetsusaiga's handle "But now it's my turn, hotshot."

In a flash, Inuyasha drew his sword, and for a brief moment, all one could see was a thin, battered, rusty old sword. To most eyes, one good clash with another blade would be the end of it. But before even a second had passed, there was a brilliant flash of golden light that encompassed the sword. When it faded, a new sword stood in its place, one that lived up to the name "Tetsusaiga."

The Tetsusaiga stood tall and proud for a fleeting instant before its newfound weigh dragged down the arms wielding it.

_Damn. It's still too heavy, _Inuyasha thought, glaring at the sword.

However, he pushed aside any concerns on his blade's mass and dove recklessly at the demon, swinging the Tetsusaiga at its fleshy body. With incredible speed, the creature twisted out of harm's way with hardly any effort. The mighty sword clanked solidly against the ground.

"So that's how you want to go down, ehh?" Inuyasha scoffed, heaving the Tetsusaiga up to balance it against his shoulder. "Fine by me. It'll just make victory all that much sweeter when I kill you!"

The half-breed flung himself at the snake demon, thrusting and slicing the Tetsusaiga every which way. Had it not been for the enormous creature before him, one would've thought Inuyasha was battling with the air. Every time he made an attempt to wound the snake, it wriggled away from him, the sharp end of Tetsusaiga's blade only a hair's-breadth from its scales. The demon seemed to be dancing the way it whirled and spun and veered away from Inuyasha's advances.

None of the young half-demon's battle tactics were successful on it. He tested every last move he had in his arsenal from attacking with extreme speed and aggression to leaping high into the air in effort to strike the creature from above and take it by surprise. Not even the Wind Scar would aid him in this battle, for Inuyasha could not lift the Tetsusaiga high enough to slice through the demonic winds.

After each attempted assault on the demon, Inuyasha would have to pause for a moment to catch his breath before plunging into battle again. The unfamiliar weight of Tetsusaiga was beginning to wear on his strength and energy, decelerating his speed and agility, and causing his movements to become sluggish. He suffered from an increasing number of wounds as he grew to be too slow to evade the demon's vicious attacks with its fangs and tail. Multiple shallow wounds and rapidly growing bruises marred his ivory skin. His breath came in quick, rapid successions as his heart beat frantically to pump more oxygen into his blood.

Golden eyes narrowing, an irritated growl rumbled deep within Inuyasha's chest, and his conical ears flicked in aggravation as he panted.

"Stay still, dammit!" he roared, jumping at the demon as he raised the Tetsusaiga over his head. With an almighty yell, he brought the sword slashing down against the demon's slinky body.

The blade connected with the snake's hard scales. Inuyasha grinned triumphantly….

Only for it his exultant beam to melt off his face a fraction of a second later. Instead of slicing through the ropy body – through scales, flesh and bone – there was a grating metallic sound and a shower of sparks as the great sword glanced off the blood-red armor-like skin.

Inuyasha's amber eyes widened in shock as the Tetsusaiga bound back at him, catching him forcefully in the chest. The power of the recoil sent him crashing to the ground with a pained grunt, clumps of dirt and blades of grass scattering around him.

The silver-haired demon raised his head to gap dumbfounded at the snake demon.

"What the hell?!" he bellowed, his fangs flashing.

_Its scales deflected a direct attack from my Tetsusaiga. How is that possible?_ he wondered frantically, springing to his feet.

"Inuyasha!"

The hybrid threw a look over his shoulder, and felt his growing concern reach its highest point.

A small group – comprised of two women, and a cat and young fox demon – were hastening towards him. The older of the females, Sango, securely clasped the fox demon kit, Shippo, in her arms with her Hiraikotsu strapped across her back. Kirara ran alongside her, her tiny legs straining to keep up. Kagome was straggling at the back of the group, adjusting the quiver of arrows that was slung over one shoulder and tightening her hold on the masterfully crafted bow in her hand. Her brown eyes were focused intently on Inuyasha.

_Couldn't have waited until I killed this thing, could you, Kagome? _Inuyasha sighed to himself as he met the young girl's gaze.

Killing the demon would be even harder now that he would have to protect Kagome from danger.

A menacing hiss came from the snake demon as it leered down at the new arrivals. Its mouth stretched back into a horrendous grin, its rows of narrow, pointed teeth placed on display for all to see. Eyeing the small group, the demon's sneer widened, its single eye pulsing brighter. A slimy, forked tongue darted past its scaly lips and ran over the front of its teeth, wetting them.

The cat-like pupil focused then on Inuyasha, and almost as if it sensed his distress, it let out a long, spine-chilling hiss in the form of a word:

"_Lunnchhhhh….."_

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**Just a fair warning, I love cliffhangers. Any multi-chapter story I write will more often than not contain cliffhangers at the end of every chapter.**

**Please inform me if there are any mistakes and I will fix them with my next update.**


	2. Chapter 2: A Desperate Situation

**Disclaimer: I do not Inuyasha or any of its characters. If I did, Kagome and Inuyasha would've been together a long time ago and Kikyo would still be dead.**

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Chapter Two - A Desperate Situation

_Eyeing the small group, the demon's sneer widened, its single eye pulsing brighter. A slimy, forked tongue darted past its scaly lips and ran over the front of its teeth, wetting them. _

_The cat-like pupil focused then on Inuyasha, and almost as if it sensed his distress, it let out a long, spine-chilling hiss in the form of a word:_

"_Lunnchhhhh…."_

"Stay back, Kagome!" Inuyasha warned, his voice harsh as it carried across the field.

The raven-haired girl halted in her tracks, and Sango paused a few feet ahead of her. The two girls ogled at the snake demon with shared horror, taking in its immense size.

As if to remind him where his attention should be directed, the monster struck out at Inuyasha with its tail, forcing the young hybrid to dart to the side. The small group cried out in surprise, and covered their faces with their arms as they were sprayed with dirt. A fog of tan and brown dust obscured their line of sight like a smokescreen. The tiny grains of silt and soil found wormed up through their nostrils and mouths, bringing on coughing fits.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, covering her mouth as she coughed on the dirt particles and squinting through the dust. "Inuyasha, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine!" he called out. She could faintly make out his shape as he darted about, deflecting the demon's attacks with the Tetsusaiga. From over his shoulder, he yelled, "Kagome, I don't want you to move an inch from that spot! Stay out of danger!"

Through the dust cloud, a shimmering glow caught the young girl's eye. Kagome lifted her head, straining to get the lavender colored radiance in focus. She followed the thrashing light as it bobbed back and forth, fighting to keep her eyes on it while ignoring the metallic clashing of sword and scales. As the filth cleared, Kagome was able to pinpoint where the miniscule aura was situated.

The snake demon lifted its head, puffing its neck out menacingly, much like that of a cobra, and Kagome saw with perfect clarity that a Shikon jewel shard was embedding into its one, enormous eye.

Cupping her hands around her mouth to make her voice heard over the tremendous roars of the demon, she cried, "Inuyasha, wait! There's a –"

Too late. The silver-haired half-breed had already begun to sprint towards his terrible opponent, dodging its tail and fangs, intent on drawing the demon's attention away from his friends.

"What's the matter, Kagome?" Sango asked her, watching out of the corner of her eye as Inuyasha swung his blade unsuccessfully at the demon.

"That demon is drawing on the power of a jewel shard," she answered. The girls cringing as the demon let out another monstrous shriek while swinging its tail at Inuyasha, aiming to crush him. He only narrowly missed the attack.

Shippo trembled and shrank back into Sango's arms, hiding his head in the crook of her elbow.

"T-that's one nasty demon," he whimpered, his tiny body quivering in terror.

The demon slayer nodded in agreement, her full attention now on the ongoing battle. "And with a demonic aura potent enough for us to mistake it as Naraku, it must've been extremely powerful to begin with. Now the shard is only enhancing that strength, making it even _more _dangerous."

Panic stung Kagome's heart. Clutching her bow to her chest, she anxiously watched Inuyasha viciously clash with the snake demon. There wasn't a single sign of him making even the slightest bit of headway in defeating it.

_Oh, God. Please be careful, _she silently begged, her body lightly shivering in fear.

"Sango! Kagome!"

The two girls' heads twisted at the sound of their names, their eyes locking onto the figure hurrying towards them.

"Miroku!" Shippo called out gleefully. "You're alright!"

"Barely," the monk responded, panting lightly as he leaned against golden shakujou in attempt to regain his breath. "I've had a few close calls myself. Every time I've seek to aid Inuyasha in battle, the demon forces me back. I can't get near to it. To be honest, I'm surprised Inuyasha can even get that close. Although why he's even trying, I do not understand."

Kagome glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

Frowning, Miroku completely turned his back on the raging battle to stare the reincarnated priestess directly in the eye. "Do you not see it?" he asked in surprise.

The fox kit and girls glanced at each other. "See what?" they asked in unison.

Miroku pointed a finger at the burred red figure of their companion. "The Tetsusaiga. Putting aside the unsettling detail that it is too heavy for Inuyasha to effectively wield, the few times he has actually landed a strike on the demon, it has been completely ineffective."

"What?!" Kagome gasped.

The monk nodded gravely. "That creature's scales are like a solid sheet of iron. Not even the mighty Tetsusaiga can pierce them, and Inuyasha cannot lift the sword high enough off the ground to perform the Wind Scar."

"So he's virtually powerless!" Sango cried in alarm, looking to Miroku.

He closed his eyes, having no desire to admit it either. "Unless Inuyasha discovers a weakness some time soon, I am afraid his strength will not last much longer. Inuyasha is strong, but even he cannot continue fighting forever with a weighted blade."

Before anyone could respond to this bleak sentiment, a skin-crawling hiss split the air. The group instantly snapped their attention back to the snake demon. Kagome felt her heart plummet into the pit of her stomach when they discovered that single, mammoth eye targeting them.

The snake demon had diverted its interest from Inuyasha to his friends.

Its thin lips stretched into a terrifying, toothy sneer.

"_Hungreyyyy..."._ it hissed.

Faster than bullet, the demon's head lashed out at them, its mouth snapping open wide.

Kagome, paralyzed with horror, could only stare at the black void of the demon's throat and the countless rows of dagger-like teeth as streaked towards them with incredible speed. Suddenly, there was a great blaze of light and heat, and she was hit hard from the side.

The monster suddenly vanished. Brightness permeated her vision, not the dark, reeking stench of the inside of the demon's mouth. Completely disoriented by the bright colors, Kagome blinked in astonishment and shook her head, hoping to clear her mind. When she opened her eyes again, the colors swam into focus and she realized she was staring at the vast expanse of the meadow. As her other senses returned, she blearily became aware of the fact that there was wind blowing through her hair and she was soaring well over the treetops.

Feeling her stomach sink to the deepest pit of her gut, the beginnings of an alarmed scream was building up in her chest. However, before she release it, a familiar gruff voice growled, "Damn, that was way too close for comfort. Filthy snake."

Craning her neck back, Kagome glanced up. Her heart swelled in elation at the sight of tanned skin, silver hair and golden eyes.

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed. "It's you!"

His eyes darted to her face. "Feh. Of course it's me. Who did you think it was? That mangy wolf, Koga?"

Without giving her the chance to respond, the dog demon averted his concentration to the flying ivory and black form to his right.

"Hey, Kirara, are they alright?" he called out

The now tiger-like neko roared quietly in response, twisting her head back to check on a very shaken up Miroku, Shippo and Sango. The two humans were clutching her fur in a manner that suggested they had been flung onto her back unexpectedly. Shippo was sandwiched between the demon slayer and her pet's back.

All of a sudden, everything became clear to Kagome. Moments before the demon swallowed them whole, Inuyasha had arrived just in the nick of time and swept her away before she could be harmed. The unanticipated flare of luminosity and warmth was the fire that appeared when Kirara transformed. The cat demon must've then plowed into Miroku and Sango, forcing them to grab onto her, and then flew into the air.

As Inuyasha leapt from treetop to treetop with Kirara soaring above him, the snake demon roared in frustration. It whipped its tail out at the forest, striking and felling several trees.

"Take them as far away from that thing as you can!" the half-breed yelled up to Kirara. "The deeper into the forest they are, the safer they'll be."

The cat demon growled in answer, pumping her flaming legs faster, flying toward the heart of the dense forest. Inuyasha followed her from below, tightening his grip on Kagome.

Something warm, sticky and wet touched Kagome's arm through the fabric of Inuyasha's haori. Withdrawing from the heat of his body, Kagome glanced at his chest. Panic rose in her throat at the sight that met her.

From his neck, shoulders, arms, chest, and stomach – his entire upper torso in fact – was drenched with dark crimson blood. Rivulets of maroon dripped like ruby rain off the edge of his sleeves. Deep, angry incisions poked through the numerous tears in his clothing. Many of them were still sluggishly oozing blood.

Worst of all, she knew that every last drop of it was his.

"Inuyasha…." Kagome breathed, realizing that both her hands and clothes were stained with his blood.

The dog demon glanced down at her. When he detected her eyes on his injured body, he merely shrugged it off. "Just a few scratches," he murmured.

Before she had a chance to protest, Kirara descended and disappeared under the green shade of the trees. Following her example, Inuyasha propelled off one branch and elegantly fell to the earth, alighting beside the cat demon.

Gently, Inuyasha situated Kagome on her feet as Miroku and Sango stiffly slid from Kirara's back. The demon slayer leaned against a tree, her legs uncharacteristically wobbly and Miroku had to sit down. Shippo couldn't seem to get his legs to move. With no effort to stop himself, he simply fell over Kirara's shoulders onto the ground, where he gratefully remained.

"Normally, I'm not one to complain about flying," Miroku began, rubbing his forehead with his hand, "but next time, Kirara, a little head's up would be greatly appreciated."

The neko rumbled at him before transforming back into a harmless kitten.

Another enraged roar brought them back to reality as the crashing of several more trees echoed throughout the forest.

Inuyasha stared off in the direction of the disturbance, his golden eyes narrowed. "That thing is gonna tear the entire forest apart looking for us," he snarled. "I'd finish it off if only I knew how. It has no weakness!"

The young priestess peeked at him. "I don't think that's true," she disagreed. "When we were back in the field, I got a good look at the demon. There was a pretty big jewel shard imbedded in its eye, and as far as I can tell, that's the only place on its body that's not hidden by scales. That may be where it's vulnerable. If you strike it there with the Tetsusaiga, you'll destroy it."

The dog demon seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "You sure about that?" he asked thoughtfully, scratching one pointed ear.

Kagome flushed and averted her gaze. Shuffling her feet sheepishly, she timidly clasped her hands behind her back and admitted softly, "Well, no. It's just a hunch."

It took a second for him to process what she had said. When it dawned on him, he rounded on her. "You would send me into battle on nothing more than a hunch?!" Inuyasha yelled, flabbergasted.

"You've gotten into fights with less to go on than that," she recalled defensively.

"Yeah, but I'm injured here! What if you're little _theory _got me killed, huh?! Then how'd you feel?" he snapped.

"Ten seconds ago you told me you were fine!" Kagome reminded him, feeling aggravation flickering within her.

"Whatever! The point is I'm not putting my life on the line for something you're not even sure of!" he barked.

"You got any better ideas, you jerk!" she shouted, stabbing a finger at him.

He snorted. "No, but if I did they'd sure as hell be better than yours!" he retorted.

"Ha! That's a laugh! When do you _ever _use your brain?! You just rush blindly into things!"

"That's because if I didn't clear the path of danger for you, some demon would capture you and then I'd have to waste my time saving your skinny ass, bitch!"

"_Bitch?!_" Kagome shrieked, her face beet red with fury. "Don't you dare call me that! Let me tell you something –"

There was collective sigh from their friends. Raising her head to the sky, Sango groaned, concealing her face with the palm of her hand. Meanwhile, Miroku shut his eyes and propped his chin up with his fist. Even Shippo raised his head from where he lay to inspect the source of the additional clamor.

"There they go again," the monk intoned dryly, getting to his feet, placing his shakujou against a broad trunk as he dusted off his robes. Deliberately, he kept his back to the bickering couple.

"At this rate, we might as well slay the demon ourselves," Sango added as another thundering crash of trees resonated throughout the woods. The monstrous snake was livid that it couldn't find them.

Shippo scampered up Miroku's robes, and perched himself on his shoulder to get a better view at the argument that was unfolding between the half-breed and the human girl.

Their voices were becoming progressively more agitated. Increasing in volume, their dispute was threatening to drown out the snake demon's roars. Kagome's shrieks were shrill and earsplitting, and Inuyasha's bellowing was rough and brutal. One glimpse at the two was all anyone would need to see how their bodies were coiled with tension – tighter than a spring – as if they would snap and go for each other's throats at a moment's notice. Practically nose to nose, screaming at the top of their lungs, they never once noticed their close proximity to each other.

Shippo clapped his hands over his ears with a wince as Kagome's high-pitched screech stuck its highest peak. Fury dripped like acid from every word she screamed at Inuyasha, using every ounce of muscle power she had in her lungs. The earsplitting shriek had Kirara whimpering in pain and her fur stood on end. Even Miroku and Sango – whose ears weren't as sensitive as the demons' – were displaying signs of discomfort at the racket. Inuyasha's ears were tilted as far away from her as they could and were plastered flat against his head, his facial features twitching in pain.

"Oh, boy," the fox kit intoned, squeezing his eyes shut at a particularly strident shriek. "This can only end in one way."

"Inuyasha! You are a rude, arrogant, cruel, selfish, stubborn, heartless, filthy, two-timing _DOG!!_" Kagome screamed, her voice cracking on the final word and Inuyasha visibly jerked.

For several, century-long moments, neither girl nor demon breathed a syllable. An uneasy silence stretched between them and their spectators. The humans and demons gazed warily at the two, taking in the sight of their enraged, resentful expressions. Cautiously, Shippo uncovered his ears.

Then, Inuyasha's golden eyes narrowed, his fiery temper winning over the shock and hurt he'd felt after Kagome's cutting barb. Scowling sternly, he took a deep breath to muster up a good thunderous yell and carry on with the argument. His breath sudden froze in his chest when he caught the sparkle of tears in the priestess's eyes. All the air rushed from his lungs as if he'd been hit square in the torso and had had the wind knocked out of him. The half-formed, harsh words were choked off with a gargle before he could get them out. With the speed of an evaporating droplet of water on a boiling summer day, Inuyasha's expression melted from infuriated to horrified.

Recoiling away from the girl, Inuyasha could only stare wide-eyed at the silent stream of tears that rolled down Kagome's face.

In attempt to masquerade his shock, he spoke brusquely as he asked, "Wh-What're you crying fo –"

"Inuyasha, _sit boy!_"

The violet prayer beads around the half-demon's neck glowed, and the next second, he crashed to the ground with a startled cry.

"Sit boy, sit boy, sit boy! Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, _SIT!_"

Inuyasha was consecutively slammed violently into the ground as Kagome chanted the word that triggered the charm over the prayer beads. With each "sit" the dog demon was forced a little deeper into the earth from the powerful magnetic-like force. Pain shot through him as every collision with the hard ground reopened his wounds and added new bruises to his body.

As Kagome's last reverberating scream faded, no longer echoing off the trees, the raven-haired girl whirled around and stomped off, away from the half-breed. Irate, humiliated tears spilled down her face.

"I told yah this could only end one way," Shippo muttered in Miroku's ear.

The monk nodded in agreement and nonchalantly backed away as Kagome approached. Sango draped a comforting arm over the girl's shoulder and guided her farther away from Inuyasha.

"Kagome's scary when she's mad," the fox demon whispered.

"Indeed she is," Miroku agreed, idly watching the retreating backs of the two girls. "I suppose I should be thankful that Sango's fits of rage aren't nearly as violent as Kagome's…. Although…" He absently rubbed a much-abused cheek, "those slaps of hers are quite painful."

Walking away from the women, Miroku knelt by Inuyasha's motionless figure. He was still sprawled out, lying facedown in a dirt ditch several inches deep and molded into the shape of his body.

"What… did I… do… wrong…?" a pained, muffled voice grunted from the silver-haired half demon.

"Where do I start?" Miroku deadpanned, gently prying Inuyasha's battered form up from the forest floor.

Inuyasha groaned and winced. Fresh blood was seeping out from his unhealed wounds, further staining the red haori and hamaka. Mud smeared his face amid the newly obtained scratches and bruises. Grasping his shoulder, he rotated his left arm in a circle to make sure that he hadn't dislocated it.

"Damn that wench," he cursed, throwing a venomous glare in Kagome's direction. "Why is she always doing that to me?"

"Because when it comes to women and how their minds work, you're _completely_ clueless," the monk sighed.

"Oh? And you're not?" Inuyasha countered, eyeing the ebony-haired man. "Tell me, Miroku, if you're so knowledgeable about the behaviors of women, then why are you always getting whapped upside the head by Sango whenever you throw yourself at the nearest girl or whenever you feel her up?"

"That's beside the point," Miroku said dismissively, waving his hand and pursing his lips as a slight flush colored his cheeks. "At least I know when not to pick a fight, what not to say, and when apologize gracefully and serenely when I make a lady cry."

Inuyasha blanched, then cast another look at Kagome. She still had her back to him, weeping softly against Sango's shoulder. The demon slayer had her arms around the girl, holding her close. The force of Inuyasha's gaze attracted her attention, and her eyes met his in an accusing glare.

"You should say you're sorry to her, Inuyasha," Shippo scolded, his lower lip pushing out into a pout.

"Feh. It's not my fault she's overly sensitive," the dog demon sniffed, sticking his nose in the air and defiantly crossing his arms over his bloodstained chest. "And besides, if anyone should be making amends, it's her. I'm gonna be aching for a week after those six 'sits' in a row. Not to mention all the wounds she opened up."

"You hurt Kagome's feelings and you won't even apologize?!" the fox kit exclaimed, his green eyes opening wide. "You made her cry! Kagome's right, you _are _heartless!"

A fist collided with the top of Shippo's head, accompanied by an irritated growl of, "Shut up, runt!"

"Whadjah do that for?!" he yelled, rubbing the sore, offended area.

"That's enough you two," Miroku intoned calmly, holding a thrashing, protesting Shippo away from Inuyasha. "We have more pressing matters on our hands, namely the snake demon that's destroying the forest."

Almost as it heard him, the demon bellowed somewhere in the distance and knocked down several more trees. The crashing timbers were closer and more tremendous than previous ones. The vibrations they caused were forceful enough to be mistaken as a small earthquake. It was honing in on their hiding place.

"But we still have no clue how to kill that thing," Inuyasha reminded the monk bitterly.

"Kagome's theory is the best idea we've got."

At the half-demon's blank stare, Miroku and Shippo sighed in harmony. "About attacking its eye where the Shikon jewel shard is," Miroku droned dully. "You know, the whole reason why the two of you got into that pointless quarrel in the first place."

"Oh. Right." Inuyasha peeked back at Kagome, but she was refused to return his gaze.

Sighing, he plucked the Tetsusaiga up from the ground and sheathing it, he said, "I suppose I have no choice."

"We'll be right behind you," Miroku told him as Kirara morphed into her true demon form.

"Don't get too close," Inuyasha warned. Casting a fleeting look at the reincarnated priestess, he murmured quietly to the monk, "Keep her safe for me."

"I will," he vowed.

Without another word, the silver-haired dog demon leapt between tree trunks like a pinball machine, making his way up to the top. When he broke through the leafy green canopy of the forest into the bright sunlight, he saw with perfect clarity the enormous shape of the snake demon. Bounding over trees, Inuyasha flew towards the demon, ignoring the pain of his injuries.

"Oi! Ugly! Over here!" he yelled, attracting the demon's searching gaze.

The monstrous snake roared and lashed out at Inuyasha with its tail. Anticipating the blow, he vaulted into the air and captured one of its tail spikes in his clawed hand. Holding on with all his might, he delayed moving until the demon had settled. When it was stable enough for him to move, Inuyasha heaved himself up onto the writhing, scaly body.

The black sludge the secreted from the demon's scales squelched sickeningly as his bare feet sunk deep into it as he sprinted up the length of its body. There was a sizzling sound and the putrid scent of burning flesh before Inuyasha felt the pain in his feet. Glancing down as he ran, he saw that the flesh of his skin was bubbling. Enormous blisters were sprouting up around the enflamed area and blood was seeping from the soles of his feet. The world faded in and out of focus as his vision grew hazy as the venom soaked into his body through his feet.

_Dammit,_ Inuyasha cursed, driving his legs faster over the snake's body. _Venomous acid. I've got to kill this thing quickly._

The demon bucked and twisted, attempting to dislodge him, but Inuyasha held fast, despite the slippery, acidic slime. He dashed up the demon's body, racing straight towards its head. Unsheathing the Tetsusaiga, it transformed with a flare of light. The sudden weight of the sword nearly unbalanced him and dragged him over the edge.

"Heh. You've been a real pain in my ass," Inuyasha snarled at the demon, propelling himself off the snake demon's body and launching high into the sky. "Too bad I'm going to have to cut your life short!"

Raising the heavy weapon as high as his fatigued muscles would allow, he focused on the demonic winds between them, calling upon and locating the Wind Scar. It appeared as gravity began to tug on Inuyasha, bringing him closer to the demon's enormous eye.

"Here goes nothing!" Inuyasha roared. "Wind Sc – !"

Inuyasha's battle cry was cut off when the demon's tail crashed into his chest. Pain lanced through him as its tail spikes drove straight through the flesh of his right shoulder and leg and slashed against the side of his face.

The force of the impact jarred his grip on the Tetsusaiga. The collision, along with his exhausted body, torturous wounds, and the trace amount of poison that was now in his bloodstream, cause the sword to be ripped from his hand.

"No!" the half-breed cried, snatching blindly at the air. His fingers just barely clipped the hilt of the sword before it spiraled out of his grasp. It plummeted to the ground with a clang. Light flared around the blade and it reverted back to its rusty, battered form.

Fear unlike anything he'd ever known shot through him. The Tetsusaiga was the only thing keeping his bloodthirsty demon-half in check. Without the sword in his hand, there was nothing preventing the beast inside him from breaking through. He changed only when he did not possess the Tetsusaiga and his life was in mortal peril.

He could remember flawlessly the last time he had transformed. His demon half had ruthlessly slaughtered an entire band of thieves, showing none mercy even when they had begged him for their lives. While Inuyasha himself could not recall the event once he had turned back, the scent of their blood had lingered on his claws for weeks afterward, no matter how many times he washed his hands. The smell remained, reminding him that he had morphed into a murderous killing-machine. And he knew that he could turn on his friends and kill them without even knowing it or being able to stop it.

He wouldn't allow that to happen.

He needed the sword back

The silver-haired demon growled in frustration and seized the spike piercing his shoulder. Jerking himself free of the monster's spines, regardless of any further injuries, he crashed solidly to the ground. White-hot pain slashed through him as the heavy landing sent shockwaves through his raw, bloodied feet. Gasping, Inuyasha swayed precariously. Shaking his head to clear his vision, he quickly locating the fallen Tetsusaiga and dashed towards it.

Every step was agony. The acid had eaten through most of the flesh on the bottoms of his feet. Blood flowed at a steady rate from his soles, staining the grass with crimson footsteps. But Inuyasha pressed forward through the pain, zeroed in on his sword.

A mere foot away from his weapon, he caught a glimpse of Kirara soaring over the tops of the trees, the three humans and fox kit on her back. But that moment of distraction cost him dearly as a rope of red scales landed in front of him, barring the way. Caught off guard, Inuyasha couldn't move fast enough to jump over it before the demon's tail encircled him. He grunted in pain as it wrapped tightly around him, pinning his arms to his sides as it trapped him within its coils.

There was a chorus of horrified yells from his friends.

"No! Inuyasha!"

"He's not holding the Tetsusaiga! His demon half could take over!"

"Kirara, take us down! Now! We must help him!"

Grumbling, Inuyasha thrashed about, his fangs bared. "Let go of me, you bastard!" he yelled, struggling to free his arms and legs. The black sludge was now sliding over his entire body.

The demon let out a series of short, choppy hisses, laughing snake-like at him. The coils constricted around Inuyasha.

He snarled. "Laugh now while you still can. When I get out of here, I promise you, I'll be the one with the last laugh!"

As the snake's body tightened around him, the slimy obsidian acid steeped through his clothes. He cried out in pain as the poison singed his exposed skin, scorching his flesh, eating away at it. His clothing sizzled as the acid consumed the fabric, burning straight through it. The acid covered his open wounds, searing them like placing a red-hot poker over them. Worse yet was that Inuyasha could feel the poison entering his bloodstream as the acid burned more wounds into his body.

_My strength is draining, _Inuyasha panicked, feeling the agony sap his power. _I've gotta get out of this._

"You are not taking me down without a fight you son of a bitch!" he shouted, kicking and squirming as much as the tight coils would allow him.

But he knew things didn't look good. The venom was already in his body. The more he struggled, the more it spread. At the same time, he knew that if he stopped moving, the snake demon would squeeze him until he was dead.

* * *

"Hurry!" Miroku yelled, vaulting over the side of Kirara's shoulder the second she landed, shakujou in hand. "We've got to save Inuyasha!"

"You stay here, Kagome," Sango ordered as Kirara and Shippo took off with Miroku.

She nodded in agreement, taking up her bow. "Okay."

Then Sango sprinted after the monk, ripping her Hiraikotsu from her back and flinging the enormous boomerang-like weapon at the demon. It spun through the air and clipped the side of the demon's neck. Harmlessly, it glanced off its scales. The demon slayer caught it as it flew back toward her.

Nocking an arrow, Kagome fired at the demon's eye, but it ducked out of the way. Shippo shot his blue fox fire at the monster from his perch on Miroku's shoulder. The demon shifted in discomfort, but it made no real difference. The kit cried out in surprise as it swiped its tail at them. Kirara flew overhead, attacking the maroon body with her fire, talons, and fangs.

"Aim for its eye!" Miroku called out, dodging another attack. Throwing an anxious glance at the half-breed trapped within the demon's coils, he yelled. "Inuyasha, hang in there!"

* * *

_I can't move. _

Inuyasha's breathing was labored. His heart was pounding erratically. Pain was turning his world dark. His skin was bubbling and boiling, melting off his bones in a bloody mess. Blood loss and the poison were clouding his vision, fogging up his head.

The snake was constricting him slowly, hampering all movement and crushing his lungs against his chest. Breathing became impossible. Inuyasha's bones cracked and popped as the coils tightened. The venom was eating him alive.

* * *

"If he doesn't get free soon, he's going to transform!" Shippo cried fearfully, sending another blaze of foxfire at the demon's eye.

* * *

Inuyasha stopped struggling. His breathing stilled.

* * *

An arrow dropped to the ground.

Kagome's head snapped onto Inuyasha.

* * *

Darkness erupted around the half-demon, enshrouding him, twisting and corrupting his aura.

* * *

The priestess's brown eyes widened.

Her bow clattered to the earth aside the fallen arrow.

"No," Kagome breathed, then screamed, "_Inuyasha!_"

* * *

The dog demon's head slowly lifted at the sound of his name.

Suddenly, his lids flew open to reveal not gold, but fearsome ice-colored irises that were surrounded by a sea of red where the whites of his eyes should've been. His silver hair blew around his face without the aid of the breeze. Jagged, purple streaks ran down the sides of his cheeks. His fangs elongated and thickened, protruding from his upper jaw. A wild, unruly and deadly snarling was emitting from deep within Inuyasha's chest.

* * *

Kagome gasped.

It was too late.

Inuyasha had transformed.

His demon half had taken over.

* * *

**The next update may take a while. I've got a lot of projects to work on, and am going through a bit of an emotional situation that is has been very hard on me. Please be paitent. I will get around to updating.**

**As always, let me know if something can be fixed.**


	3. Chapter 3: Transformed

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. If I did, Kikyo would still be dead and Inuyasha and Kagome would've been together a long time ago.

**A/N: I'd like to appologize for the long wait and thank all of you for being so paitent with me. And to all of those who sent me reviews, thank you very much for your comments. They encouraged me to keep on writting, even as I was struggling through my grief. As a little thank you gift for all those who waited so paitently for me to update, I have completed writting the final chapter of Claw Marks On My Heart. I'll have it posted as soon as I finish typing and editing it. Hopefully it'll be up within a few day. Again, thank you all. Now on with the story. Enjoy - Desdemona**

* * *

Chapter 3: Transformed

_Kagome gasped._

_It was too late._

_Inuyasha had transformed._

_His demon half had taken over._

The young priestess could only gape in horrified silence at the snarling face of the transformed Inuyasha. His pale hair whipped around him as a foul wind stirred. Wild, feral garnet and cerulean eyes were overflowing with hatred, vehemence, and bloodlust. Oversized fangs gnashed at the air as his lips curled back over his teeth. Animalistic snarling erupted from his chest, hair-raising and fearsome.

The creature trapped within the coiled of the snake demon was entirely different from the Inuyasha that Kagome knew and loved. In his demon state, Inuyasha was turned into a murderous beast. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, he took pleasure in slaughtering anyone or anything that got in his way.

_This is bad. This is __really__ bad, _Kagome thought frantically.

She knew of only two ways to snap Inuyasha out of his demon state. Either use the "sit" command on him or bring the Tetsusaiga to him and allow its powerful magic to contain the demon. However, given the current situation, tapping into the subduing charm on the rosary he wore wasn't the best of solutions. The last thing she needed was to thrust Inuyasha deeper into the snake's coils. That only left Kagome with one option.

Casting her gaze quickly about the field, she took note that her companions were all vigorous attacking the enormous snake demon in hopes of freeing Inuyasha from its grasp. Not one of them was near enough to the fallen Tetsusaiga. And so, the responsibility fell to her.

Squaring her shoulders in determination, Kagome swallowed her fear. _I have to get the Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha! It's the only way!_

Breaking into a run, Kagome dashed across the field. The glint of the sword was her main focus, but as she sprinted over the grass, she kept one eye on her friends.

_I've got to hurry or I won't be able to snap him out of it._

A petrifying roar split the air, causing the very ground beneath her feet to ripple with the force of an earthquake. Kagome skidded to a halt and spun in the direction of the earthshaking bellow, her black hair striking her face. With another ear shattering howl, the priestess's chocolate eyes widened in terror as the demonic Inuyasha slashed free of the snake demon's ropy coils.

Landing with a thud, the half-breed hunched over apelike, his claws extended. His clothes hung in tattered, burnt rags around his body from where the acidic poison seared through it. Every inch of his skin was covered in angry, red burns, painful sores, and shallow cuts.

The monstrous crimson demon unraveled its slinky body, its single, colossal eye flashing in annoyance. It hissed in displeasure.

Kagome started as she heard a round of triumphant shouts coming from the four tiny figures surrounding the creature. It took her a moment to remember that those minute specks were Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo.

Even from where she stood, she could hear their merry cries.

"He got loose!" Sango exclaimed joyously, catching her Hiraikotsu as it swung back to her.

"Way to go, Inuyasha!" Miroku cheered.

An icy ball of dread hit the pit of her stomach. _They don't know that Inuyasha has transformed! _Kagome realized with panic in her heart.

Sucking in a lungful of air, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Miroku! Sango! Shippo! Get back here! Now! Inuyasha's entered his demon state!"

The trio froze, studying the shape of Inuyasha's back.

The half-demon glanced at them over his shoulder. Growling warningly, his eyebrows drew down over his crimson and ice eyes as he flexed his claws. They balked, and Shippo darted behind Miroku's legs, using the monk's robe as a shield when Inuyasha bared his fangs at them, twisting the violet streaks lining his cheeks.

"Don't just stand there gawking at him!" Kagome shrieked. "Run away from him!"

But they wouldn't budge with Inuyasha's deadly stare fixed on them. Fright had them rooted to the ground. Any little movement could encourage an attack from the silver-haired dog demon. And none of them were willing to take that risk.

Snapping his teeth at them one last time, Inuyasha tore away from them to attack the snake with a roar.

The second Inuyasha was out of the way, Kirara shot out of the sky and alighted in front of the trio. Without hesitation, the three clambered onto the tiger-like cat demon's back, clinging to her ivory fur with shaking fingers. After a moment's glance back at the battling demons, Kirara's leg muscles bunched together and she launched herself and her passengers into the sky.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief once they were safely up in the air, soaring away from Inuyasha and the snake monster. She followed the path the cream and black colored demon took with her eyes. When Kirara touched down on the hill behind Kagome, the girl turned to face them.

"When did he transform?!" she heard Sango exclaim as she slid from Kirara's back.

"Just now," Kagome responded, flinching as something heavy crashed behind him. Twisting around, she gazed off in the demons' direction, but only their outlines were visible through another cloud of dust.

Stroking his chin thoughtfully as he strolled up to Kagome, Miroku mused, "It must've been a very rapid transformation. Even I didn't feel the change in his aura."

"Neither did I," the older woman murmured, nodding her head. "That snake's evil power must have masked the exact point of Inuyasha's change."

Shippo shivered as Kirara shrunk down to her normal, kitten-like state. "This is bad," the fox kit whimpered, his sweet, high voice trembling. "If he keeps transforming like this, we're not gonna be able to revert him back to normal."

Beside him, Kirara meowed in agreement.

"That's why I've got to get the Tetsusaiga to him! I need to reverse the transformation!" Kagome exclaimed. Before they could stop her, she whirled around and hastened toward the Tetsusaiga.

"Kagome, he'll hurt you!" Shippo called, his voice growing fainter the farther the modern-day girl got from them. "Miroku, stop her!"

Throwing a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw both the demon slayer and monk chasing after her. Kagome twisted her head back around and redoubled her efforts to outrun them. Her feet carried her over the hard earth faster than she could've ever imagined. Determination and fear kick started her adrenaline rush, fueling her with the energy and speed needed to carry out her mission.

Spotting the Tetsusaiga laying futilely among the tall grass, Kagome stooped down and scooped the sword up into her hands without missing a beat or slowing down. Clutching the ancient, powerful blade to her chest, she dug her sneakers into the ground and sprung to the right, redirecting herself towards the demons. With the Tetsusaiga now in her grasp, hope was added to her adrenaline rush, powering her enough to leave Miroku and Sango far behind her.

As she sped over the field, aiming for the blood-red monster, Kagome watched Inuyasha fight with growing horror. He clawed and swiped at the snake demon, his fire and ice eyes blazing in fury. His talons and fangs raked harmlessly against the armored scales. The more he fought, the more injuries he obtained. The spines nicked his skin, opening more and more wounds. Teeth and fangs slashed over his body, and yet Inuyasha plunged on, fearless and bloodthirsty. Pain did nothing to stop him.

_If he keeps this up, he'll end up killing himself! _she thought frantically. _I __must__ save him!_

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, ducking under the demon's tail as it swung it at the half-breed. "Stop it!"

Coincidentally, the dog demon crashed to the ground a mere foot away from Kagome. Before he could spring away again, Kagome rushed to him, holding out the Tetsusaiga to him like an offering

"Inuyasha, take Tetsusaiga!" she called. "Transform back! Inuyash-"

Inuyasha whipped around, fiendish eyes blazing and fangs bared. Faster than the eye could see, his hand lashed out at her, claws fully extended. Kagome cried out in pain as his dagger-sharp claws raked over the left side of her face and chest, tearing away the front half of her shirt. She backpedaled, frantically trying to keep her balance. But the force of the attack was too powerful for her stand up against. Losing her grip on the Tetsusaiga, it swirled away from her and she fell back onto the grass. Her bow was dislodged from her back and her quiver shattered as she landed heavily on it. Clutching her chest, blood seeped through her fingers and gushed out in crimson waterfall from her cheek.

Laying there in numb shock, she didn't see the dog-eared shadow fall over her. She yelped, her eyes watering at the pain as a clawed hand fisted in her hair and jerked her head back, arching her throat.

Maniac laughter sounded above her, and she cracked a brown eye open. Crazed eyes the color of frost and flames stared down at her. Sharp, white teeth pulled back into a menacing sneer.

"You smell good," Inuyasha purred, his voice harsh and deadly. He released her hair and brutally shoved her to the ground, snickering sadistically as she whimpered. Dropping to his knees, he planted one arm on the other side of her body to brace himself over her. His hand found her hair again, digging into the thick ebony locks and yanking her head back again. Leaning close to her, he whispered in her ear, "But I bet you taste even better."

His tongue slid over the bloody scratches over her cheek, the very tips of his elongated fangs grazing her flesh. Kagome sobbed in agony, fresh, salty tears leaking from her eyes as his fangs dragged over the raw wounds.

Closing her eyes, she struggled to get away from him, pushing on his shoulders. "Inuyasha! Snap out of it!" she screamed. "Think about what you're doing! Quit saying those kinds of things! You're not yourself!"

"Heh," the dog demon sneered, his demented eyes flashing. He drew a long, taloned finger down the uninjured side of her face. "What're you yappin' about, bitch? I've never been more honest with you than I am right now."

Inuyasha's demon eyes fell to the warm, wet blood blossoming from Kagome's chest. His vicious leer widened.

"I'm feeling a little vampiric today," he snickered, licking his lips. "I think I want another taste."

Lowering his head, he descended upon the bloody gashes gouged into her chest, his teeth bared hungrily.

"Inuyasha, stop!" Kagome panicked, catching his shoulders with her hands in attempt to shove him away.

A blast of air buffeted them as the snake demon's tail whipped overhead, narrowly missing Inuyasha's silver-haired skull by little more than an inch. The transformed half-breed's head snapped around, his nose twitching as he caught his opponent's stench. Bloodlust sparked in his eyes as he was reminded of his quarry, and a low, rumbling snarl rose in his throat. His upper lip curled and trembled, baring his fangs and warped his face into a twisted grimace. The jagged, violet streaks across both cheeks were stretched and distorted.

With the single-mindedness of a bloodthirsty hunter, Inuyasha lost all interest in the young priestess beneath him. Crouching low, he propelled himself away from Kagome and hurtled toward the snake demon.

Dazed, Kagome staggered to her feet, wobbling unsteadily. Blood splattered down the front of her shirt, staining the while fabric of her school uniform crimson. Instinctively, she covered the open, bleeding wound with her small hand. The pain was so intense that she almost blacked out when her hand made contact with the raw flesh. Kagome heard faint yells over the tremendous noise of the raging demons, but nothing legible. Another wave of dizziness crashed over her, and the next second, she found herself flat on her back, staring up at the sky.

"Kagome!"

The anxious faces of Miroku, Sango and Shippo swam into view. Careful hands were helping her into a sitting position. Soft, gentle feet padded across her legs as the fox kit scampered into her lap and Kirara planted her front paws on her thighs.

"Kagome, are you alright!" Shippo exclaimed, his voice thick with tears.

"I… I think so…." she murmured, leaning back into Sango's comforting arms, allowing the older girl to support her.

"Gods," Miroku cursed, his violet eyes trained on the injuries made by Inuyasha's claws. "He has to be subdued! He nearly killed you!"

Standing swiftly, the monk adjusted his staff, taking it more firmly in his hand. "Sango, you and Shippo patch Kagome up. I'll see if I can snap Inuyasha out of his demon state."

The demon slayer nodded without complaint. "Be careful," she advised worriedly.

Miroku's amethyst eyes softened, and he smiled reassuringly at her. "I will. I promise," he swore solemnly.

Turning, he plucked the fallen Tetsusaiga from the ground and raced towards the warring demons, his robe flapping in the wind.

Sango watched him leave with concerned eyes, before firmly shaking her head and reverting her attention back to Kagome.

"Shippo, help me out here," she commanded. "Dig around in the bags for that roll of bandages and that jar of healing salve that Jinenji gave us."

The fox kit saluted her and dove into the bags, his little paws failing as he searched through the multiple items stuffed inside their packs. Kirara transformed with a flare of fire, and padded around Kagome's back. Nudging her master out of the way, the cat demon settled behind the reincarnated priestess to act as a means of support and a soft, warm pillow, freeing up Sango's hands.

Kagome didn't resist as her friends tended to her. The young girl's eyes were plastered to the bounding red-clothed figure as Sango carefully removed the tattered shirt from her body.

"Inuyasha…." Kagome whispered. "Please. Come back to me."

The modern-day girl wasn't the only one who was apprehensive. As Shippo spread the stinging salve onto Kagome's cut cheek from his perch on her shoulder, Sango threw furtive glances over her shoulder at Miroku. She visibly winced whenever he narrowly avoided an attack. Then she would shake it off and turn back to wrapping the white cloth bandage around Kagome's torso before sneaking another peek.

"I'll keep an eye on him for you," the younger girl offered quietly after the demon slayer did this for the seventh time.

She started, then sighed. "Thank you, Kagome," she murmured.

As Kagome watched, she saw that Miroku was making no headway in getting the Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha. Either the snake demon cut him off with its body or Inuyasha sprang out of the way, all the while she reported back to Sango and Shippo what was happening.

After darting away from Miroku, Inuyasha leapt at the snake demon's eye, his claws extended. Instead of evading the attack, the crimson monster lashed out at the half-demon with lightning fast speed, mouth open wide.

It took a second for the terror to settle in Kagome's heart.

Before she could utter a warning cry, one of the demon's enormous fangs drove cleanly through the middle of Inuyasha's stomach. There was a shower of blood, splattering the yellowed fang above him. The very tip of the long tooth was protruding from his back. A choking cough escaped Inuyasha with a spray of blood. Crimson and pale blue eyes widened. For a fraction of a second, his eyebrows pulled down over his demonic eyes and he gritted his teeth, an expression that wordlessly articulated his will to continue fighting. Then, his eyes glazed over, reverting back to their amber color before they slid shut. His head lolled, drooping languidly and his body slumped, all the spring drained from his muscles.

Time stopped.

Kagome stiffened, her mouth agape in horror and her eyes impossibly wide. From across the field, Miroku skidded to a halt, his arms falling listless by his sides and took a step back in shock. Kirara was the first to notice Kagome's numb distress. The cat demon turned her great head, following the direction of her terrified gaze. Her gentle ruby eyes widened, and she meowed mournfully. This caught Shippo's and Sango's attention, and they too refocused their attention. Sango gasped, covering her mouth with her hands and Shippo dropped the patch of cloth he was holding to stare in dumbfounded shock at the dog demon's limp body, speared by the snake demon's fang.

Shoving Sango away from her, dislodging Shippo from her shoulder, Kagome staggered to her feet, seizing her bow and an unbroken arrow. Then, the silence was shattered as she straightened, nocking her arrow and screamed as high as her voice would allow, "_**INUYASHA!"**_

Disregarding the tears that clouded her vision, Kagome pulled back on the bowstring. The arrow shot like a bullet from the bow. Fuchsia light enveloped the Sacred Arrow as it sliced through the air, aimed straight for the demon's enormous eye. Unable to defend itself against the streaking arrow, it struck the snake's unprotected eye with a blinding burst of rose-colored radiance. The monster shrieked in agony as its entire body was encased in the glow of the Sacred Arrow before it disintegrated away into ashes.

As the fang embedded in his stomach vanished, with nothing left to support Inuyasha's weight, he fell solidly to the earth.

Struggling to keep upright, Kagome pushed past Sango and Shippo, ignoring their displeased exclamations. Tossing her bow carelessly in some unknown direction behind her, she raced, tripped, and stumbled towards Inuyasha's collapsed figure.

When she reached the spot where he lay, she collapsed to her knees beside him. Kagome cradled his head in her lap, his silver hair strewn across her legs. Blood spilled over her hands and legs from the hole in his chest, but Kagome heeded no attention to it. Violently shaking, she stroked his still face with her bloodied hands. Anguish and pain welled in her heart, but her mind was still numb with shock, and she couldn't find the tears that so desperately wanted to fall.

There was a patter of feet behind her and a collective gasp as her companions beheld the sight before them. However, she couldn't detach herself from the dying half-breed to turn to them. Kirara meowed mournfully, her voice sweet and morose. Sango let out a strangled sob and buried her face in Miroku's chest. The monk lightly touched the demon slayer's back, his head bowed in regret. For once, he didn't revert to his lecherous actions, and his hand remained high on her shoulders where it belonged. Shippo bound over to Kagome, his green eyes wide in disbelieving shock.

"Inuyasha…?" he questioned timidly, gently pushing the side of the dog demon's head. When his head flopped lifelessly and didn't respond, the fox kit burst into tears.

"Inuyasha, you can't be dead!" Shippo wailed, beating on the half-breed's shoulder with his small hands. "Who am I gonna pick on if you're gone? Who's gonna teach me to be a true demon when I grow older? Who else am I going to be able to look up to as my big brother?"

Upon hearing the young fox demon's words, Kagome's dam shatter, releasing a raging river of emotion.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks and screaming sobs tore from her lips. Hunching over Inuyasha's body, Kagome wept uncontrollably and hugged his broken, bleeding body to hers.

"I-Inuyasha, you idiot!" Kagome sobbed, touching her forehead to the dog demon's. "If you had j-just stopped to think things th-through a little instead of rushing r-recklessly into battle, then you w-wouldn't be laying at my feet like th-this! How could you b-be so _careless_?! Wh-what am I s-supposed to do without you?"

She broke down into hysterical tears. Violent tremors rocked her body and she was unable to get a coherent word out through the blubbering.

Underneath her hands, Inuyasha's eyebrows twitched.

"A-And to t-think that the l-last thing you h-heard me s-say was me calling y-you cruel names," she cried, her body completely out of her control as she shook. Shippo wailed wordlessly beside Kagome, and Sango wept silently Miroku's arms.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Kagome apologized weepily. "I'm s-so sorry. I d-didn't mean any of it. I was j-just so angry I-I didn't stop t-to think. Th-this is all my f-fault! I-if we hadn't gotten into th-that stupid fight, you w-wouldn't have g-gone into battle angry! It wasn't s-supposed to h-happen like this! I d-didn't even g-get to tell you th-that I l-"

"Wench…. Stop… your crying. It's… pathetic."

Kagome's brown eyes flew open and she sprang upright, staring down in amazement at the pained, half-lidded, but open golden eyes of Inuyasha.

"_Inuyasha!_" Kagome screamed, tears splashing down her face as she crushed his blood body to hers. "You're alive!"

"Ow, ow, _OW!_" he protested, squirming frailly in her arms. "That _HURTS_, Kagome!"

"Oh! Sorry."

Inuyasha leaned back against Kagome's legs and closed his eyes. Instantly, she knew that there wasn't a light at the end of the tunnel yet. Inuyasha's breathing was extremely labored and ragged. He was panting as if he couldn't fill his lungs with a sufficient amount of oxygen. Sweat was breaking out over his forehead, making his fair skin clammy. A pale gray pallor had crept into his face, giving him a corpse like appearance. Involuntary tremors wracked his body, and his face was twisted in a grimace of pain.

Grasping for breath, he cracked his eyes open, his irises only small slivers of gold as he stared up at Kagome. He smiled weakly.

"I'm… not gonna… last much longer… Kagome…." he whispered brokenly.

"Don't say that!" she scolded fiercely, a hint of panic coloring her tone. "You'll pull through! You're awake now, aren't you?"

He rocked his head slowly right and left in her lap. It took Kagome a moment to recognize that he was shaking his head. "Doesn't matter… if I'm conscious… or not. The poison's… still in me. And a lot… of it, at that."

Ice froze her insides and chilled her blood at his words. She had forgotten about that poisonous, acidic black sludge that had secreted from the demon's scales.

A small, sad smile graced his lips as his amber eyes slid closed. "At least…." he murmured, his voice faint, "I got… to see you… again…. It's more… that I… deserve…."

His head slumped back into her lap, sending Kagome into a frenzy.

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha?! Wake up! Inuyasha!" she pleaded, lightly shaking his shoulders.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a squirrel came racing by and a recognizable, microscopic figure leaped from the animal's gray fur. It landed on Kagome's knee, and she heard someone crying, "Master Inuyasha! What's happened?!"

Miroku was the one who identified the voice. "Myoga?" he questioned, peering over the priestess's shoulder. "Is that you?"

Struck by the well-known name, the young girl glanced down at her knee. "M-Myoga?" Kagome stammered, her voice wavering uncontrollably, squinting at the tiny form through the tears in her eyes.

"Yes, of course it's me!" the flea demon exclaimed, agitatedly bouncing up and down. "Now tell me what's happened to Master Inuyasha!"

"H-he was fighting a p-powerful d-demon. O-one th-that was w-way out of his league, a-and he lost the T-Tetsusaiga in the b-battle and he t-transformed into his d-demon state. A-and he kept on f-fighting recklessly and was s-speared by the d-demon's fang. H-he was awake a s-second ago, b-but that demon was v-venomous and I-Inuyasha has a lot of p-poison in his body. I-If he wasn't p-poisoned, then he c-can recover, b-but there's n-no way to get it out…." Kagome quickly and tearfully reviewed.

Myoga puffed up his chest. "I can do more than flee from battles, you know! Stand aside, young lady. I'll save Master Inuyasha for you. Have no fear, for Myoga is here!"

And without another word, the flea demon leapt onto Inuyasha. Attaching himself to the side of the half-demon's neck, he began drinking Inuyasha's blood, drawing out the poison from his body. Kagome watched as the tiny flea grew larger and larger in size until he was roughly the same mass as Shippo. Swollen with Inuyasha's blood, Myoga rolled away from the dog demon lethargically.

"Ahh," he sighed, patting his engorged stomach. "That's good blood. Although, that poison's gonna cause me some grief later."

"It won't hurt you will it?" Kagome asked worriedly.

Myoga brushed it off with a carefree wave of his hand. "Nah. It'll just cause a little indigestion."

"What about-?" She lightly touched Inuyasha's forehead.

"Lord Inuyasha will be alright now," he assured her. "I got rid of most the poison. His body should be able to take over from there. He'll recover, but it'll take some time. He's lost a lot of blood, but nothing that'll kill him. Now, you four better start bandaging those wounds of his if you want him to heal."

Shippo scrambled to grab the pack from atop of the hill. As Miroku moved to follow him, he paused beside Kagome and bent down, taking her hand. Something hard and cool touched her palm. When he pulled away, she glanced down to see a rather large Shikon Jewel shard resting against her hand.

"I pulled that from the snake demon's ashes before I came over here," he told her softly. "I thought you should hold onto it."

She closed her hand around it as he walked off. Glancing quickly at the now snoozing Myoga, Sango knelt beside Kagome, placing a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry. He'll be fine."

Kagome cast a glance at the unconscious dog demon resting against her lap.

"I hope you're right," she sighed.

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**As always let me know if something can be changed. The romance is in the next chapter. I promise. :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Marked

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. If I did, Kikyo would still be dead and Inuyasha and Kagome would've been together a long time ago.**

**A/N: Here it is. The final chapter. Just as I promised, this is a gift for all of those who have followed this story and were so patient with me during my prolonged absence with updating the third chapter. I'm really nervous about this one. So here you are, the last chapter of Claw Marks On My Heart. I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations**

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**Chapter4: Marked

_Sango knelt beside Kagome, placing a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry. He'll be fine."_

_Kagome cast a glance at the unconscious dog demon resting against her lap._

"_I hope you're right," she sighed._

"He's been asleep for a long time," Kagome fretted, anxiously peering at Inuyasha's face, smoothing back his silver-white bangs from his closed eyes.

The light of day had fallen behind the horizon several hours ago and the deep silence of night had descended upon the world. The diamond pinprick of far way stars dotted the navy, velvet sky. A waxing gibbous moon hung like a pale lantern above the darkened treetops. A chilled breeze whistled softly through their camp, rustling the broad leaves above and rippling through the tall grass like a wave on the ocean. Unnatural silence permeated the air.

After the day's events, they had all decided that it would be unwise to linger in the overly exposed. Miroku and Sango had tended to the half-demon's more serious wounds, then had carefully loaded the unconscious Inuyasha onto Kirara's back. Dead set against allowing the hybrid out of her sight for more than a minute, Kagome had thrown a temper tantrum worthy of a toddler until the monk and slayer had finally conceded and permitted her to guard Inuyasha, despite her own injuries. The cat demon had circled over the forest until she located a suitable spot. Once Kagome and Inuyasha were safely hidden in the forest depths, Kirara had taken off to fetch the others.

When they returned, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Sango had teamed together to clear a small patch of land and set up camp. Myoga, now back to his traditional size, had hopped over to the young priestess and perched himself neatly on her shoulder, striking up a casual conversation with her to occupy her troubled mind. For the most part, he succeeded in distracting her, but every now and then, she'd cast an apprehensive glance at the sleeping demon in her arms.

Shortly after the construction of camp, Inuyasha had been carefully laid out on a makeshift bed of cloth and blankets. Kagome had knelt by his side, anxiously clutching his cool hand.

She hadn't moved from that position since. Though the evening had grown steadily colder, Kagome hadn't left Inuyasha's side even when all the others had huddled around the small campfire, seeking its warmth in the frosty night.

"That's only to be expected," Myoga said knowledgeably, his four, miniature arms folded neatly over his chest. "Master Inuyasha may be stronger than you humans, but he still has lost a lot of blood and his body is battling the remaining traces of poison in his system. Not to mention the physical strain the battle and his transformation must've had on him. What he needs is a good long rest."

"Yeah, but still…" Kagome murmured, her small hand tightening around Inuyasha's. "He hasn't moved a muscle since he reverted back."

"Be patient," Miroku advised from across the campfire. "Thanks to Myoga, Inuyasha has a fighting chance now. He _will _wake up. He's just recuperating… what you should be doing."

Instinctively, with her free hand, she touched the cloth wrap that was bound around her breasts and upper chest. "I'm fine," Kagome assured him, smiling softly. "Shippo and Sango did a wonderful job with patching me up." She tapped the white gauze that covered the claw wounds on her left cheek.

"Mmm," was the only acknowledgement he made before dropping his violet gaze.

Returning her attention to the dog demon, Kagome's feigned cheeriness evaporated. She wouldn't admit it, but the wounds made by Inuyasha's claws were extremely painful. Once she was positive Inuyasha would live, the overwhelming fear that had numbed everything else had faded… and the pain had bombarded her. She'd held it in for the duration of the flight into the forest, but the moment Kirara had gone back for the others, the agony of it had driven her to tears.

Sango was the only one who knew of the magnitude of her suffering. When realizing that after killing the snake demon, she had sprinted to Inuyasha's side in nothing more than her skirt and bra, a mortified Kagome had sheepishly inquired Sango to bring her a fresh shirt. But the moment she tugged it over her head, pain flared on her chest as the tight fabric constricted her wound and she was forced to remove it. The demon slayer had taken the shirt from her and replaced it a spare kimono of hers. The loose fabric provided her with both the comfort and protection she needed.

Kagome tugged the kimono's neckline closer to her, staving off the air's icy chill. The original intensity of the pain had dulled somewhat, but a powerful ache remained. The skin of both her left cheek and chest was extremely tender.

No one spoke as they sat in comfortable silence around the campfire. The Buddhist monk stared off into space, his hands tucked safely within the sleeves of his robes and not inappropriately roaming over the demon slayer beside him. Kirara was curled up in Sango's lap, purring contently as her master gently stroked her fur while humming a soft tune. Worn out by the overdose of drama, terror, and adventure, the little fox child was sound asleep, nestled up under a mountain of blankets.

The only sounds were the crackling fire, the whisper of the wind in the trees, and the soothing, sweet melody of the demon slayer's song.

A particularly powerful gust of wind blew through the camp. Kagome and the others shuddered, drawing their arms around themselves as the gale beat against them. The fire wavered precariously, almost going out. As the wind dissipated, it flickered back to life, spitting embers resentfully at the disturbance.

"That was close," Sango murmured, eyeing the fire. Gently depositing Kirara on the ground, the older girl stood fluidly. All eyes fell to her.

"If this wind keeps up, we won't have a heat source for much longer," she explained. Reaching around back of the log she and Miroku had shared, she hoisted her Hirakotsu from the ground, shouldering.

Straightening up, she flicked her long, ebony hair over her shoulder, and announced, "I'm going to go out to look for more firewood. Keep the fire alive while I'm gone. I shouldn't be long." Striding into the shadowed forest, she beckoned to her pet. "C'mon, Kirara."

The cat demon meowed in answer, trotting noiselessly behind her owner. The jingling of metal on metal publicized that Miroku was getting to his feet.

"I'll come with you," he announced, brushing off the seat of his robe. "A pretty woman shouldn't be forced to carry a heavy load of wood. That's a man's job."

"Kirara can carry it," Sango reminded him promptly, facing the monk. "And besides, I think your time would be better spent searching for food. Our packs are low in supplies and I'm certain Inuyasha would be grateful for something to eat when he wakes up.

Kagome bit her lip to keep from smiling as Miroku's shoulders noticeably slumped. Wearing an adorable put-out expression, he very much appeared like a small puppy that had lost its bone. And yet, he didn't breathe a word of complaint.

"If that is what my lady wishes, then I shall see it done," he said chivalrously, bowing gentleman-like to her. However, he couldn't contain the hint of disappointment that seeped into his words.

A scarlet blush burned Sango's cheeks. "O-okay, then," she stammered, and hastened off into the forest depths, Kirara trailing behind her.

A smug smirk curved Miroku's lips at Sango's reaction. Puffing out his chest, he strutted back to the group with a little more spring in his step than before, smoothing back his midnight hair. As he passed where Kagome was knelt, she heard him say cockily to himself, "I've still got it."

Covering her mouth, Kagome giggled behind her hand and Myoga shook his head, muttering something about overly complacent youths.

Clearing his throat, Miroku proclaimed, "Though I disagree with Sango going off on her own, she does have a point. Our food supplies are severely depleted."

Myoga sprang from the priestess's shoulder and leapt onto Miroku's. "It may also be a sensible idea to build up your stock plants and herbs with medical properties. I've been spending a lot of time with our friend Jinenji, so I can help you identify plants that will be useful to you. After today, it would be wise if you had a hefty load of healing ingredients at your disposal," he advised. "I can't always be around to save the day, you know."

"Gods, isn't that the truth," the monk muttered under his breath. "Half the time you're around, you run away whenever the going gets dangerous so you're never of much use when you're needed the most."

The tiny flea demon puffed up indignantly. "Why you ungrateful excuse for a holy man! Didn't anyone ever teach you to respect your elders?! Never have I been so-"

Ignoring the agitated flea bouncing up and down on his shoulder, Miroku turned his attention to Kagome. "Will you be alright here by yourself?" he asked. "I don't like the idea of leaving you alone when you're injured and unable to defend yourself."

Glancing at the sleeping Inuyasha and Shippo, she nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine," she confirmed. "Besides, I've got my bow and a few of my arrows managed to avoid from being squashed."

"Very well. I shall be as quick as I can." Inclining his head to her polished, wooden weapon, he recommended, "Keep that close to you."

Bowing to her just as he had with Sango, the monk swung on his heel and briskly strode off into the trees, an affronted Myoga hanging onto the shell of his ear and yelling directly into it. Sighing, Miroku swatted at the flea demon, mumbling, "Give it a rest, old man." Even Kagome could hear Myoga's renewed yells of offence as he and Miroku disappeared into the forest.

_He's sure got a set of lungs on him, that Myoga, _she thought humorously.

As his shouts faded into the distance, stillness crept back into the air and Kagome was left alone with the snoozing demons. Shifting stiffly, she unfolded her legs from underneath her. Wincing, her sore, numb muscles protested the movement after sitting in that position for so long. The young priestess transferred her weight onto her butt and hugged her knees to her chest for warmth.

Without her companions beside her, the hours of darkness seemed particularly lonely and eerie as the wind swirled around her. Shivering, she scooted closer to Inuyasha, admiring the way the firelight cast a flickering ocher glow over his skin. Even unconscious, his presence was comforting and protecting. She watched his chest slowly rise and fall, catching brief glimpses at the white fabric that wrapped around his upper torso as it peeked up under the blankets covering him.

_His bandages probably need changing, _she mused, tugging the kimono tighter around her as another gust of wind chilled her.

Dropping her knees, she twisted around to reach out and clutch the pack nearest to her. Toting it over to her, she burrowed through it, searching through the multiple items that cluttered the bag. Finally, she managed to fish out a fresh roll of gauze and the jar of Jinenji's healing salve. Scooting closer to the dog demon, Kagome leaned forward and her small hands gently drew back the thick covers. Dark blood stained the bandages encircling his stomach, however, it was old and dried now. The bleeding had ceased hours ago. However, the bandages were necessary because demon or not, his wounds were still vulnerable to infection.

Unsure how she was to go about this without stirring him, she knelt once again and bowed over him. She located the end of the bandage and uncertainly began to unravel them…

…And froze when golden eyes lazily drifted ajar, then snapped open wide.

Startled, Kagome jerked away from the half-breed, compressing her hands to her chest as if she had narrowly avoided touching something repulsive.

Squinting owlishly in the light, the silver-hair dog demon propped himself up on one elbow with agonized sluggishness, his pale hair spilling over his shoulder and scowled accusingly at her. "What the hell were you doing, wench?" Inuyasha demanded, his eyes suspicious.

Kagome blinked, and said the only thing that came to mind, "You're awake."

"'Course I'm awake!" he griped as he agonizingly struggled to force his body into full sitting position.

"Hey! Don't do that!" Kagome protested, scrambling to gently push him back down onto the ground.

Bracing his hands behind him, Inuyasha effortlessly resisted Kagome's attempts to keep him in a reclining position. Though she had the sense of an impending argument, the reincarnated priestess had to marvel how the hybrid fought against her without difficulty, even when his muscles were fatigued from battle and his body was lacerated with cuts, bruises, and burns.

"Why the hell not?" he snapped irritably, slapping her hands away and moving to sit up again.

"Because you're still injured! You need to relax or you'll reopen your wound!" Kagome exclaimed, firmly applying pressure to the undamaged sections of his shoulders.

"I need you to back off, that's what I need! I don't have to be coddled like some child!" he snarled, violently wrestling against her efforts to keep him still. "I'm fine! Now would you leave me alone?!"

Capturing her hands, he tore them from his shoulders and shoved her away from him. Kagome tumbled backwards with an "oof!" Clearing her head with a brisk shake, she glanced toward Inuyasha, and gasped as he threw the blankets from his body and rolled to his feet.

"Where the hell are my clothes?!" he demanded, glaring down at his bare chest. Whirling around, his long hair flinging out behind him, Inuyasha began storming about the campsite.

"Inuyasha! Would you cut it out?!" Kagome yelled in frustration, stumbling clumsily to her feet. Seizing him by the forearm, she tugged on him with all her might, striving to haul him back to his cot. "You got run straight through the stomach, you're covered head to toe in burns and scratches, and you're body is still waging war with the leftover toxins in your bloodstream! You _must _lie down and recover from your battle while I tend to your wounds!"

"How many times must I remind you that I'm not some fragile human that needs to be taken care of!" Inuyasha bellowed, struggling to wrench his arm free of Kagome's leech-like grasp. "Now, get _off of me!_"

With a powerful yank, Inuyasha managed to tear the priestess from his arm. The sudden and vigorous movement caused the ebony-haired girl's balance to waver. She teetered treacherously on her heels before she lost her footing and sprawled to the ground as Inuyasha stomped away, muttering murderously under his breath.

Huffing in aggravation, Kagome thrust herself upright and irritably shoved her bangs out of her eyes. She opened her mouth to yell at the dog demon rummaging through their packs. However, the bloodstained bandage around his middle cooled her fiery temper. Exhaling slowly, Kagome let her emotions seep from her body, and embraced the will to be patient.

With amazing serenity and calmness, she said kindly, "Inuyasha, sit boy."

The half-demon thunked to the ground, emitting a startled cry as dried fallen leaves and clothing items flew up around him. However, once he was on the ground, he didn't try to get back up.

"Better," Kagome murmured with satisfaction, standing and plucking her supplies up from beside Inuyasha's homemade bed. She made her way over to him, careful not to trod on the silken strands of moonlight hair that was cast over the grass around where Inuyasha lay, facedown.

When she was beside him, he raised his head to glower reproachfully at her. "What'd you do that for?" Inuyasha growled, gnashing his teeth at her.

"Because you were being stubborn," she responded kindly, kneeling next to him and tenderly helped him up. He shook her hand from his shoulder. Ignoring his huffy behavior, she asked, "Now will you allow me to tend to your wounds?"

"Feh," he sniffed, sticking his nose into the air. "Not like I have much of a choice. You'll put me through another fifty 'sits' if I refuse."

_I wouldn't do that you when you're like this, _she thought, but didn't express vocally.

"Alright then," she said, placing the jar and gauze by her feet. "Uncross your arms."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in irritation. His arms were folded sulkily over his chest and pouting in such a way that could've given a two-year-old a run for his money. Pulling an annoyed face at the modern-day girl, he grudgingly obeyed and dropped his arms.

Reaching over, Kagome cautiously tucked her hands under his scarred biceps and hoisted them into the air so that they were stretched out horizontally. "Keep them up like that for me," she instructed assertively.

Huffily, he pursed his lips, but kept his arms extended. Kagome unwrapped the gauze as Inuyasha glared up at the sky. The second the last scrap bandage was removed, the dog demon immediately crossed his arms over his chest.

Sighing at his childishness, Kagome picked up the salve and scooted around behind him. Throwing his mane of hair over one shoulder, she glanced down at the exposed wound.

Although his demon body had already mended the hole in his stomach, the remaining wound was still deep and extremely raw. Kagome swallowed thickly. She was amazed that he had survived. Had it been the night of a new moon and Inuyasha had been human….

Shuddering, she hurriedly pushed that thought from her head and unscrewed the cap.

Scooping up a glob of the green salve with her fingers, she warily smeared it onto a small section of Inuyasha's wound. She began counting down the time to his response.

Ten seconds later….

"_OW! _God dammit, wench! What the hell are you doin' to me?!"

"Would you pipe down?" Kagome commanded sternly. She motioned to the small bundle by the fire that was the sleeping fox kit. "You'll wake up Shippo."

"I don't give a damn! That stuff hurts!" he snapped, squirming away from her.

Kagome heaved another sigh. "Would you stop being such a big baby and suck it up?" she mumbled, gently rubbing more of the gel onto his injury. "Are you a demon or a human?"

"You put that crap onto an open wound and then tell me to suck it up!" he retorted, snatching up a twig and snapping it in his hand.

A twinge of pain pulsed in her chest, causing her to falter slightly. "I did," she murmured quietly, lightly touching her bandaged torso with her clean hand. "I was… injured in the battle as well and I needed to use to salve in order to heal my… cut." She refocused on her work, spreading the jelly-like substance over the scarlet lesion and continued on conversationally, "It stings at first, but later on it gives off this really strange, but pleasant cool, tingling sensation that numbs the pain. Just be patient."

For several long moments, Inuyasha was completely silent.

Then…

"You… got hurt?" he inquired quietly, a hint of awed distress coloring his tone. "How?"

The question caught her off guard for a moment, so much that she withdrew her hand from his back. She frowned in confusion at the back of his head. When he glanced over his shoulder at her, his golden eyes truly troubled and bewildered, it dawned on her.

_He doesn't remember attacking me, _Kagome realized with a sinking feeling.

Shrugging carelessly, she averted her attention from his searching gaze and daubed his wound with more salve. Keeping her voice light so he wouldn't pick up on the lie, she answered brightly, "Just some flying debris. Nothing important."

The dog demon snorted and twisted his head back around. "Leave it up to you to get hurt by something minor," Inuyasha sniffed disapprovingly. "Gods forbid I'm not there to protect you every freakin' second."

Kagome bit her tongue, knowing it would be imprudent to comment further on the subject for fear of letting something slip. After covering up the last untreated area of his wound with the salve, the priestess wiped her fingers on the grass.

"Well, I'm all done with your back," she announced, shuffling around so that she was facing him. "So…."

Trailing off, she motioned mutely with the jar of salve to express the words she couldn't quite say. Both of them flushed scarlet, and Inuyasha glanced the other way.

"Make it fast," he grumbled, his cheeks stained pink as he uncrossed his arms.

Nodding in embarrassed agreement, Kagome loaded her fingers up with green jelly and carefully began to smear it over the front side of his wound. Awkward silence stretched between them. Kagome's fingers were quivering uncontrollably over his stomach as she hurriedly attempted to complete her task.

While her embarrassment drove her to complete her assignment rapidly and her concern held her to be thorough and gentle, a rather large part of Kagome was taking guilty pleasure out of being able to touch Inuyasha in such a fashion. His chest and abs were worthy of belonging to a male model, and she had always attempted to sneak a peek at his bare torso whenever the opportunity presented itself to her. As her trembling fingers traveled over the toned muscles of his abdomen, she found herself wondering if the rest of him was as beautiful and chiseled as his torso. Her cheeks flared scarlet and she chased the thoughts from her head, attempting to reign in her desire.

Inuyasha wasn't fairing any better than Kagome. Though his hands were balled defiantly into two rock hard fists and he was scowling something fierce, a light pink blush colored his fair cheeks. He was overly aware of Kagome's small, gentle hands smoothing the salve over his stomach. Every movement she made with her fingers, every hesitation, every caress, he felt through his hypersensitive skin. He very nearly growled in frustration when her fingers trailed over the lower portion of his wound, tracing dangerously closer to the hem of his hamaka. Unable to stop himself, sinful fantasies about those delicate hands wandering lower drifted into his mind.

Blushing furiously, he shook his head violently, his silver-white hair flying out in all directions.

Kagome leaned away from the dog demon to avoid getting whipped with his long hair. "Inuyasha?" she questioned. "Are you in pain?"

"No," he huffed, frantically inventing a believably excuse. "There was a fly buzzing in my ear and it was getting on my nerves."

"Oh," she said, eyeing him critically. "Okay, then."

She returned to her work and Inuyasha fished around in his mind for something to distract him from those hazardous thoughts. Thinking back, Kagome had said he'd been run through the stomach. But with what, he didn't know. He couldn't remember what it was. All the could recall was being slowly squeezed to death by the snake demon's coils, the acidic, poisonous sludge burning through his clothes and skin. After that… nothing. His memory went blank until the time he woke up to see Kagome sobbing over his body.

His back stiffed as the terrible truth came to him, the only possible reason why he couldn't remember anything.

"I transformed, didn't I?" Inuyasha murmured softly.

Pausing, Kagome peered at the half-demon's averted face. Amber irises flickered toward her, capturing her chocolate gaze.

She sighed, and glanced down at her fingers laboring over his wound. "Yes," she responded faintly. "You did. Right after you passed out when the demon was crushing you. We tried to snap you out of it before you got hurt but… we couldn't get the Tetsusaiga to you on time and one of the snake's fangs went straight through your stomach. I ended up killing it with a Sacred Arrow when it hit its eye, like I thought, and then Myoga showed up and saved you."

The silver-haired hybrid didn't comment upon hearing how he'd obtained his injury, nor did he question her further. She preferred it that way. It steered the conversation away from the origin of her own injuries.

Sitting back on her heels, Kagome regretfully withdrew from Inuyasha's stomach. "Alright, you're wound's completely treated now," she informed him, cleaning her hand off with an edge of the gauze. "All that's left to do is bind it, so arms up."

Wordlessly, Inuyasha extended his arms, allowing Kagome to wrap his stomach without hassle. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he examined the pink, cherry blossom floral kimono she wore.

"By the way," he began, "Why're you wearing a kimono? Where're those strange clothes from your world that you're always in?"

Kagome nearly dropped the roll of bandages. She was treading on thin ice and she needed to step carefully or risk plunging neck-high into the freezing water.

"Uhh… it got covered in blood from when that rock struck me," she lied casually, speedily binding his wound. "I didn't have a spare change of clothes with me, so Sango let me borrow one of her kimonos so I could wash my shirt out and let it dry."

Tearing the end of the gauze, she tucked it within the multiple layers of the bandages, making sure that it was snug and wouldn't pull free on him. "There. All done," she declared. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

But Inuyasha wasn't listening. Suspicious, narrowed golden eyes were riveted to the patch of gauze taped to her cheek. Scowling at it, he reached toward her.

Startled, Kagome jerked back. "What're you-?"

Before she could stop him, Inuyasha peeled the bandage off of her face and his gold-colored eyes widened in dismay.

Very lightly, he trailed his fingers over the claw marks that were slashed across her cheek. Kagome winced slightly. Amber irises fell to the bandage covering her chest. Horror twisted his face as he tugged aside the loose kimono and tucked his fingers under the cloth to peer at the angry lacerations.

Sitting back, Inuyasha's face was ashen and aghast, his eyes wide with terror.

"Did… did I do that?" he whispered breathlessly.

Kagome averted her gaze and didn't answer him.

"Did I attack you when I transformed?" Inuyasha pressed, staring earnestly at the priestess.

She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, turning away from the dog demon's prying gaze. Growling, Inuyasha seized Kagome by the shoulders and spun her around to face him. "Answer me, dammit!" he commanded. "Those marks weren't made by any damn rock! Now cut the crap and tell me the goddamn truth! Are those injuries my fault?!"

"No, they weren't your fault because you weren't in control of your body," Kagome murmured, not meeting his eyes. "You didn't mean to. If anyone is to blame, its me for getting in your way."

Inuyasha freed her shoulders, his mouth agape with horrified shock. Slumping back, his head bowed in numb astonishment. Lifting his claws to his face, he examined with intense scrutiny, eyes wide as he inspected the dried blood under his long, sharp nails. His hands began to visibly shake. Unable to believe that he had truly committed such an atrocious act, Inuyasha tentatively sniffed his claws. The overpowering scent of Kagome's blood touched his nostrils and he recoiled violently away from his hands, his eyes impossibly wide. A powerful tremor ran along his spine.

It was true. He'd attacked Kagome.

Squeezing his eyes shut, his face contorting in agony, Inuyasha went to bury his hands in his hair, but the second he realized what he was doing, he jerked away, digging his claws into the soil. He couldn't even stand the sight of his own hands. His ears flattened against the top of his skull, practically disappearing in his silver-white hair. Bowing forward, his long moonlight-colored mane swept over his face, shielding him from Kagome's concerned chocolate eyes.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned softly, reaching out to touch him.

He flinched away before her fingers could land on him.

"How can you even look at me after what I did?" he whispered, his voice tormented.

"Inuyasha, it's in the past now," Kagome insisted. "It's okay."

Silver hair flew as Inuyasha snapped his head up to stare at her, his expression tortured. "No, it's not okay!" he exploded, his eyebrows pulled low over his pained eyes. "I could've _killed _you today, Kagome, so don't you _dare _tell me that it's not important!

"Ever since the Tetsusaiga broke and the seal on my demon half was severed, I've always been terrified that one day I'd transform and attack you! And now my worst fear has been realized! My hands are stained with your blood! I can smell it all over me now! I don't even know how it escaped my notice before! But now that I can smell it, I'm disgusted with myself! I attacked you! How am I supposed to live with myself after that?!"

His hands clenched around the soil, digging into the earth as he growled and snarled in agony, rage, and self-hatred.

Kagome stared in complete awe at Inuyasha, her lips parted with shock. Never once had she ever seen Inuyasha so distraught.

"But I'm alive, so what's the problem?" she insisted.

"That's not the point!" Inuyasha bellowed, tearing up more clumps of earth, soil and grass. "You're not understanding! Why do you think I fight every demon we come across?! Why do you think I attack them without a second thought?! It's to keep you safe! That's my purpose! You should never have to worry whether or not I'll act you because I'm your guardian! I'm supposed to protect you, not harm you!"

Inuyasha's voice cracked on the last word and his words reverberated so thunderously throughout the forest that he scared away a flock of ravens in a nearby tree. The noise even disturbed the peace of Shippo's rest, for the young fox kit grunted in irritation and rolled over in his sleep.

"Inuyasha…." Kagome murmured.

"Just leave me alone, Kagome," he whispered quietly.

Watching him sadly, the modern-day girl said, "Alright," and got up. Plucking the discarded, bloodied bandages from the ground, she stood and hesitantly began walking toward the stream that was located on the outskirts of their campsite.

Peering back at the still demon, she informed him, "Um, I'm just going to be over here, okay?"

When he didn't respond, Kagome sighed and continued on her way. Squatting beside the cool stream, she dipped the rags into the clear water and scrubbed away as much blood as she could. While she worked, she kept running Inuyasha's words over in her head and replaying his tormented expression over and over in her mind's eye.

_Maybe it's not a good idea to leave him alone for too long, _she mused. _It might be better if I'm there to stop him from doing anything foolhardy._

Wringing out the water from the rags so that they were only mildly damp, she folded them up neatly and hastened back toward the light of the camp.

Upon returning, the first thing she saw was Inuyasha lying flat on his back, silver hair sprawled out behind him. One arm was thrown over his eyes and his head turned to the side.

Without speaking, she carefully packed away the freshly washed bandages and the jar of salve. Just as she was closing off the mouth of the sack, a soft voice reached her ears.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Inuyasha murmured faintly, still not looking her. "About attacking you."

Straightening, she angled her body toward the dog demon. "You didn't mean to," she reminded him kindly.

"I know that, but it seems to me you're always seeing that violent demon side of me," he whispered. "And… I'm not always like that. You… you bring out the human in me, and yet, you've never witnessed that side. I'm beginning to wish… that I _was_ human so it would be impossible for me to lose control over my body, so I would never hurt you. I want to prove that I'm not a monster."

"Inuyasha, I already know that you aren't a monster," she said, walking over to him. "And don't you dare wish you were something else. There is nothing wrong with being the way you are. You love being a demon. You don't have t-"

Her toe struck the edge of a protruding rock and she tripped. Unable to catch her balance, Kagome tumbled directly on top of Inuyasha with a shocked cry. For several seconds, both of them were too stunned to realize what had just happened. Blinking in surprise, the two of them stared at each other in confusion. Suddenly, realization sunk it, and they both blushed.

"S-sorry," Kagome stammered shakily, very gradually lifting herself off of Inuyasha as if she was backing away from a rattlesnake.

Light sparkled in Inuyasha's golden eyes.

Before Kagome could scamper away, the dog demon seized her by the arm and dragged her back on top of him. Chocolate irises widened and a surprised gasp escaped her lips, her entire body stiffening as one strong, toned arm encircled her waist, keeping her pinned to him. Fixing her with a deep, piercing, amber gaze, Kagome's heart fluttered erratically in her chest and her breathing picked up speed.

"I-Inuyasha…?" she breathed weakly, unable to find her voice. "Wh-what're you doing?"

"Showing you my human side," he whispered softly.

Faster than she thought the injured demon could move, Inuyasha had flipped them over so that he was now on top and she was staring up in shock at him. A fine trembling overcame her body as her heart sputtered frantically.

Kagome swallowed thickly as she gazed wide-eyed up at the beautiful dog demon above her.

Everything about Inuyasha was practically dripping with seductiveness and sensuality. His silver-white hair cascaded over his shoulders, falling around them in silky curtains. The light breeze stirred his hair, trailing it over his face and brushing it against Kagome's skin. The moonlight reflected off his fair skin, giving it an unearthly, milky glow. Every line in his sculpted chest, stomach and arms was highlighted. His amber eyes were deeply intense with an emotion Kagome had never seen aimed at her. It was something she had only ever seen when he was looking at Kikyo.

Before her brain could accurately process what emotion it was, she was distracted by the feel of Inuyasha sliding his hand against the side of her face. Clawed fingers gently entwined in her hair. Then, suddenly, his mouth had descended upon hers, capturing her lips in an extremely passionate kiss.

For several long heartbeats, Kagome's mind went completely blank. Words stilled in her mind. Thoughts of the past and wonders of the future were forgotten. Anything that wasn't concerned with the present was unimportant now.

Her brain had completely shut down. No messages were being sent to the rest of her body to react to him. She couldn't remember how to move her arms or mouth or any other part of her body. She was reduced to simply staring up at Inuyasha's face in numb amazement.

When she didn't react to his kiss, Inuyasha pulled away from her lips. He averted his gaze, his eyes downcast and disheartened.

"Sorry," he murmured, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Suddenly, everything came crashing back to Kagome. Thoughts whirled at super-speed within her head. Emotions of shock, wonder, and joy electrified every fiber of her being. The sequence of events fell into place, piecing together like a jigsaw puzzle. Everything made sense now

Inuyasha had kissed her.

And she hadn't kissed him back.

Before he could pull away completely, Kagome seized him around the back of his skull and dragged his mouth back to hers. It only took Inuyasha a second to register what was happening before his hands slid under her back, crushing her firmly to him and kissing her with every ounce of his soul.

The sheer passion and raw desire of the kiss knocked the breath right from her lungs. Clinging to him for dear life, Kagome kissed him back as best as she knew how to. What she lacked in skill, she made up with unbridled fervor that matched Inuyasha's. Fingers twisted in his hair. Gasps escaped her throat. Heat soared within her body. Her entire body shook intensely each and every time Inuyasha's his lips melded with hers.

Suddenly, he began to draw away from her mouth, and Kagome tightened her grip on him, unwilling to let him escape.

"No," she whimpered against his lips, trying to drag him back to her.

A light chuckle escaped him as he broke the kiss easily, his physical strength – even when injured – greatly surpassing Kagome's.

"Relax," he breathed, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I'm not going anywhere."

Inuyasha lowered his head to plant tender butterfly kisses all along her cheek, jaw, and neck. She sighed, clutching at his bare back as another tiny quake ran through her delicate frame.

"Why… are you… shaking?" he murmured between kisses, cupping her chin and tilting her head back so that he could nuzzle the junction between her jaw and throat, nipping at the skin there.

"B-because I've never… done this b-before," she answered timidly, gasping and tightening her grip on him as he lightly sucked on her throat. "A-and I never dreamed th-that… you would actually ever be… doing this with m-me. Well… I dreamed… b-but I never thought… it would actually… happen…."

Inuyasha chuckled against her skin. It was a low, seductive sound that vibrated sensually against her skin and sent a jolt of pleasurable heat shooting straight through her. The noise had her panting with unspeakable desire.

"So, it's a good thing that you're shaking?" he breathed, lifting his head to lightly kiss her on the lips.

She shivered as he touched his forehead to hers, gazing intently into her eyes. His fingers combed through her black tresses, letting the satiny hair slide trough his fingers like liquid ink.

"It's a very good thing," she reassured him, one trembling hand lightly stroking his face.

Inuyasha grinned crookedly, one gleaming fang slipping from the upper corner of his lip, giving him a very mischievous appearance.

"Well, then," he murmured, leaning close to her ear and whispered, "Let's see if I can get you to shiver a little more."

A pleasured shudder passed through her as Inuyasha licked down the shell of her ear, ending it with a little nibble on her earlobe. Her reaction only made Inuyasha grin wider.

"Hmm…" he mused thoughtfully. "That's almost _too _simple. Perhaps I should challenge myself a little more. Maybe I should try to make you moan instead."

Kagome blushed scarlet and Inuyasha chuckled seductively.

"I'll consider that as an invitation to go ahead," he breathed, capturing her lips.

Clutching her to his chest, Inuyasha rolled so that they were both lying on their sides without breaking the kiss. One hand pillowed the uninjured, right side of her face with his fingers entwined in her hair. Kagome's hands rested lightly on Inuyasha's chest, very lightly and timidly stroking the line of his collarbone with her fingertips. Such a simple touch made Inuyasha growl with desire and crush his lips more firmly against hers.

Using his one free arm, Inuyasha fastened her arms firmly around his neck. Breaking the kiss, he whispered huskily, "Keep your arms there. They're acting as a shield should the little runt wake up. Don't want him to see what we're doing, now do we?"

Kagome's cheeks heated up. "Wh-what exactly are we doing that would be bad for Shippo to see?"

He grinned, his hand falling to her obi. "This."

With one quick tug, the loosely tied obi fell free as he kissed her, and his hand slipped under the fabric of the kimono. Kagome gasped when his hand touched the bare skin of her hip. A tiny whimper escaped her he lightly dragged his palm up and down her side, his claws gently scratching her skin. Goose bumps broke out over every place he touched.

Breaking away from a panting Kagome, Inuyasha gently kissed along the claw marks he had made on her cheek. Rather than hurting, Inuyasha's tender kisses seemed to be soothing the pain of the wounds, and sparking a fire deep within the pit of Kagome's stomach. Gasping, her fingers dug into his thick hair as his hand crept higher and higher up on her ribs, teasingly tickling the wraps that encircled her breasts and chest. She groaned in frustration as he skirted around her breasts and shimmied up the side of the arms enveloping his neck. His fingertips traced her collarbone, then slipped under the fabric of the bandages and carefully sliced them open with his claws.

His fingers gently retraced the claw marks slashed on the left side of her chest, just over where her heart was located. Dipping his head down, Inuyasha kissed and licked his way down the girl's panting, trembling throat, working his way to the red slashes. He kissed the exposed wounds as his hand finally left her collarbone to lightly stroke her breast.

Kagome gasped, her eyes flying open, and Inuyasha smiled against her skin.

"Are you enjoying my human side?" he whispered, lifting his head to kiss her softly.

"Y-yes, b-but Inuyasha," Kagome panted, wrapping her arms tightly around him, "You're not th-thinking of ch-changing into a h-human once we complete the Shikon J-jewel, are you?"

"I've considered it," he admitted, lightly squeezing her breast, just to see her throw her head back and utter a pleasured cry.

"B-but you love b-being a demon," she gasped, tucking her head into the crook of his neck as she fought to catch her breath. "And I d-don't want you to ch-change."

Drawing back slightly to look into her eyes, Inuyasha removed his hand from her breast to cup her cheek and tilted her head up to him. "I may love being a demon," Inuyasha murmured, "but I love you more."

And he bowed his head once more to kiss her passionately.

**And that concludes Claw Marks On My Heart. I hope you all enjoyed it! **

**As always, please inform me of any mistakes.**


End file.

Inuyasha, Adventure, Romance