Standard Disclaimer - * Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi.

Rated: PG-13 / R - for Inuyasha's potty mouth.

Summary: Inuyasha gumi encounter a different kind of enemy, one that even Inuyasha can't overcome. When Kagome is kidnapped and taken, his worse fears grow and now he must embark on a hunt that will take him through generations..

Genre: Romance/Action Adventure/Angst/Fantasy

Listed Characters and Time Frames:

Inuyasha characters -> Past, Present and Future

Inuyasha - All
Kagome - All
Shippo - All
Miroku - Past
Sango - Past
Myouga - Future
Kouga - All
Sesshoumaru - Future
Adult Rin - Future
Naraku - All
Kikyou - ?

Other and Original characters -> Past, Present and Future

(OC) Count Marcus Lee - All
(OC) Bolzen ('Countess' Kagome's bodyguard) - Future

(OC) Wolfgang ('Countess' Kagome's bodyguard) - Future
(OC) Kago (Miroku/Sango descendent) - Future
D (Vampire Hunter D) - Future
Left hand (VHD) - Future



------------------------------------------------- ->

Salvation - Prologue

Feudal Japan

Between the darker then usual moonless night, and the dense fog, Inuyasha's usual 'human night paranoia' was ten times worse. He glanced around at his sleeping companions, mostly sleeping anyways.

Even with human eyes, he could see Miroku's hand slowly creeping toward Sango's turned back.

He smiled, before being alerted to a small feminine grunt from his left, and noticed Kagome attempting to crawl from her bag. He frowned at the strange stiffness in her step, but pegged that down to sleepiness.

"Oi, where are you going, you know better then to go off on our own?"

"I have to pee, unless you want to come hold my hand?" She replied sarcastically, but her voice lacked her usual emotion.

He shivered at the similarity between her voice and Kikyo's just then, but again shook it off, putting it down to sleep induced grumpiness.

"Feh, fine. Call if you need any help."

*BAM*

"Hey! You said yes remember!" Miroku voice suddenly carried from across the dieing campfire.

"Yes I did, but NOT before our wedding," Sango yelled, scooting like a caterpillar away from Miroku, giving the monk with a handprint on his cheek, and a death glare the whole way.

"Hope you know what you're getting into, Monk," Inuyasha muttered under his breath. Even in his Hanyou form, he'd never admit it, but here fully human he couldn't help but be amused by the couple's antics.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo pounced from inside Kagome's sleeping bag.

"Don't you smell that?" He quickly added, receiving a small 'Keh' in reply.

The dark haired boy glanced down at the small demon cub, "Forget something, brat?"

"Something's out there," Shippo whimpered, "and it doesn't smell like a nice thing either."

Inuyasha's hackles rose at the mention of it and stood up, gripping the handle of Tetsusaiga instinctively.

"Which way?"

"That way!" Shippo's trembling finger pointed in the exact same direction Kagome walked off.

"Shit, Kagome!" Inuyasha's eyes widened before turning to his other two companions.

"Hey, you two, get up! Kagome might be in trouble!"

Miroku was the first to react and grabbed a large stick from the fire and held it up as a torch. "Inuyasha, you should stay here," he said as he and Sango readied themselves before following the trail Kagome traveled down.

"Like hell I'm staying here!" Inuyasha barked angrily, drawing the rusty-bladed Tetsusaiga as if it was an intimidating sight.

"Suit yourself, lets just get moving." Sango replied, as the three, four if you count Shippo still clinging to Inuyasha's arm, ran down the barely traveled trail.

Upon the Kitsune's directions, the group finally discovered a large open clearing.

"Kirara?" Sango alerted as the massive transformed demon cat stood between a seemingly entranced Kagome and a towering man cloaked in darkness, but still noticeable. His attire was of a nobleman's, from the look of his fancy suit to the long flowing cloak that draped over his broad looking shoulders.

Kirara, with a angry roar dove at the man, but seemed to hit a visible wall before flying backwards several feet, splintering a tree on impact.

"Pathetic beast!" The man said dully, not taking his eyes off Kagome.

"Kagome, get away from him!" Inuyasha ordered, glaring daggers at the stranger.

"Kagome shall do as she pleases, halfling." The stranger sneered, finally looking up at the group.

"What the hell do you want?" Inuyasha growled lowly, drawing the man's attention away from Sango and Miroku as they attempted to flank him.

"Where are my manners, allow me to introduce myself. I am Count Marcus Lee of the noble House of Lee." He smiled with a small bow.

"And you.. You are all trespassing on part of my lands. So you must now pay a price for this."

"Sorry, we're kinda running low on funding," Inuyasha smirked, and risked a quick glance toward the Count's left and right.

'They're almost there, just have to buy a few more seconds.'

"Think you can let us go or maybe let us set up a payment plan or something?" He continued, never letting down his guard.

The Count did not seem amused with the hanyou's antics.

"Currency holds no meaning for me, hanyou," he calmly replied. "My previous bride was murdered by an accursed hunter."

And now, I long for a new one. I'm sure you agree, halfling, My Lady Kagome would make a fine bride."

"Stay the hell away from her!!" Inuyasha growled stepping toward them with the Tetsusaiga still untransformed and baring no threatening qualms.

Just then a small smile grew at the sudden movements of Miroku and Sango, simultaneously making their moves and attempting to tackle the stranger on both sides. But just as they made contact with his body, Lee vanished leaving Sango and Miroku to collide and fall to the ground a tangled mess or arms and legs.

"Akk! KAGOME!" Shippo cried, only his demon eyes were able to see the blur of Count Lee's movements as he moved toward Kagome.

"What? Where'd they go?" Inuyasha looked around the field in panic.

"I accept your payment, hanyou." Count Lee's voice carried several yards away, Kagome in his arms.

"KAGOME!"

He smiled and sat the girl on her feet, tilting her head to the side. A small gasp followed as the stranger's mouth made contact with her bare skin, long snake like fangs forming sharp canines sank into her slightly tanned neck.

"Bastard! I'm going to kill you!!" Inuyasha screamed, running even faster.

"Kagome, my love." The Count softly spoke and pulled away from Kagome's now bleeding neck.

"Stop him for me." His whisper awakened her as she numbly nodded in reply and pulled the bow and arrow she had taken with her for protection, and turned it upon Inuyasha.

The hanyou turned human suddenly had a painful flashback. Seeing Kagome with her bow and arrow pulled back and aimed at him, in this moment, only Kagome's clothing from the future made her different from Kikyo.

Then, with only a moment's hesitation, she let the arrow go. It shot toward Inuyasha, hissing through the air as it spiraled with miko energy.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as sharp pain pushed at his shoulder, sending him tumbling to the ground with a yelp.

"Hmm, I had assumed you would kill him.." Count Lee mused, looking at the half conscious dark-haired human who was now gasping for breath.

"Ah well, we must meet with the others in order to finish your turning, and as quickly as possible, my love. Come, let us depart." His smooth voice ushered and pulled her in as his cloak wrapped around the still entranced Kagome, before they both disappeared into the quiet of the night.

"K-Kagome …" Inuyasha breathed before unconsciousness overtook him.

---

"Miroku! Sango! He's coming too!"

Inuyasha forced his eyes to open, to see Kirara and Shippo gazing down upon him.

"Excellent timing, it's almost sunrise." He heard Sango say from his left; the young demon-huntress was checking the wrapping on Miroku's injured arm as she glanced down at the hanyou.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha gritted, sitting up, already feeling the effects of the sunlight hitting his human body.

"That Count guy took her!!" Shippo squeaked with worry.

"Now that your half demon again, you can kick his ass with Tetsusaiga!" He said with child-like pride.

Inuyasha nodded as his demon blood returned to his veins, bringing with it his animal-like senses.

"Try to keep up." He turned his attention back to his other companions.

With that said he didn't give Miroku and Sango time to prepare as he leapt into the air, with Shippo clinging to his silver hair. The half demon jumped from treetop to treetop-following Kagome's scent as best he could.

"They couldn't have gotten that far!" Inuyasha growled as he landed on a tree limb to sniff the air. It was apparent this Count Lee was in fact a vampire, so he couldn't travel by day because of their weakness to the sun.

He looked around for any signs of undergrowth, knowing that the Count would need somewhere dark to rest. His nose picked up on her scent once more and not far from where they were.

"They're in there!" The hanyou proclaimed, jumping down to an entrance of a large cave.

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" Shippo uncertainly asked from Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Keh!" The Inu-hanyou replied and drew a transformed Tetsusaiga before him, and glanced up at the cub.

"No, I don't need their help to rescue the wench."

Shippo blinked for a moment, the way Inuyasha said 'wench' made it sound more like how Sango calls Miroku 'Hoshi-sama' then how Inuyasha usually cursed Kagome.

Shippo didn't have a chance to think about it in much detail as Inuyasha made his way into the cave so fast it almost knocked him off his shoulder.

Inuyasha ran deeper into the cave, discovering it was actually a tunnel more then a cave. 'Not a problem, just follow Kagome's scent and I'll find them!' He thought and continued down the rocky corridor.

"… damn it …"

He stopped and glanced down at six separating paths, each with the same amount of Kagome's scent traveling down them.

"We'll never find her …" Shippo choked down a sob as he sat down roughly.

Inuyasha just glanced down at the handle of Tetsusaiga. "Don't say that brat!" He scolded, closing his own eyes.

"We will find Kagome … no matter how long I takes."

To Be Continued …