InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Prismatic ❯ Perchance ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Under any other circumstances, Kagome might have enjoyed her first sleepover with Usagi. It had been a long time since she had been able to indulge in something so normal as a sleepover with a friend.

Bless her mother, the woman had taken one look at their bedraggled state when they had finally returned the night before and called the Tsukino household herself.

Kagome didn't know what her mother had said to Tsukino Ikuko, but the announcement that Usagi was cleared to spend the night so long as she did not miss school the next day had been a relief. She didn't ask what had transpired on that phone call, but judging from the uncharacteristically cool expression on her mother's face, she decided very quickly that she did not want to know.

She was far too worn out to process her own temper with the semblance of restraint that it would surely have needed.

It wasn't because of the howling wind outside, or the patter of the rain and the tap of the Goshinboku's branches against her window, or even Usagi's quiet snores through the night, but Kagome simply hadn't slept well. It was no small miracle -and the grace of her dear mother once more- that she and Usagi had made it up and out of bed in time to have breakfast and make it to school in time.

Kagome felt slightly guilty for the relief she felt to find that many classes had been canceled as a result of how many students and staff had stayed home, victims of either the pet store incident or the scene at the plaza. For the students who did turn up, there certainly wasn't any focus on academics that day. Even their teachers didn't bother to quell the whispers and gossip over the incidents.

The news stations were reporting a gas leak and an electrical fault respectively.

Kagome wasn't certain whether to be thankful for Souta's quick thinking or to feel guilty that she knew it was her fault he had learned how to lie so seamlessly. She felt a more familiar sort of guilt when her classmates, the three girls she had once thought her best friends, crowded her desk to question how she'd been after missing the rest of the week. Her mother had tried to tell her to stay in, and perhaps she should have listened, but she hadn't wanted Usagi to be the only one facing the day alone and Souta had picked up her schoolwork enough already.

There was a certain irony in that the one day she managed to attend, there was no classwork to be done, much less return home with.

So, she only plastered a grin on her face, appropriately weary for the cover story the trio were bound to have received, and assured them that she was perfectly fine. The school day, if it could have even been called that much, finished by late morning. At least as she neared the gates to leave she found that she did not have to wonder on whether Usagi's class had also let out early when she saw two blonde buns peaking over the fence line.

Usagi brightened when her eyes landed on her through the bustle of students chatting about the courtyard, and Kagome felt a little lighter herself. There was a little weariness in Usagi's eyes when she reached the other girl's side, but Kagome didn't need to ask why. Instead, she simply inclined her head, waited for Usagi to sidle up beside her, and they walked back to the shrine in a companionable silence.

---

There was a familiar peace to be found on the shrine grounds. It was quiet in a way that was comfortable, and Kagome could not help but to close her eyes and appreciate the little sounds of life that filtered through the air around them.

The sounds of her mother cooking in the kitchen drifted in first, the sound of something sizzling in a pan drowned out by Souta's sudden laughter outside and an indignant shout from their grandfather who had likely narrowly missed being hit by a wayward soccer ball. Nearer, there was the quiet sound of Usagi turning a page in one of the books sprawled out between them and the warmth of Luna's body from where the cat had curled up in her lap to purr.

When she opened her eyes again, the sound of rustling paper had ceased and she found Usagi looking at her instead. Kagome grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, sorry Usagi-chan…I drifted off a bit there."

"It's okay. I'm not really- I just keep thinking about…" Usagi didn't finish, only setting her chin in her palm as she leaned over the living room table with a huff.

"Yeah," Kagome sighed and shut her own book, deciding that their study session was a bust this day. "I can't really focus on school work right now either. I keep wondering who it could be."

Kagome felt the quiet rumble of Luna's purrs fade and realized the discussion couldn't be put off for much longer. It was Saturday already so Inuyasha would likely come looking for her if she didn't head through the well soon enough. 'But I don't want to leave Usagi-chan on her own with another demon on the loose, especially if they're already hunting another human.'

Usagi suddenly perked up, a happier light flickering through her eyes as her lips curled in a smile. "Oh, I got to see Naru-chan today. She had to stay home after…after yesterday, but she's not mad at me anymore."

Though she wondered what had happened for there to be friction between them in the first place, Kagome wasn't cruel enough to derail Usagi's happy ramblings as the girl described their reunion.

"Oh, and Naru-chan leant me a tape she just got!" Usagi paused to fish around in her bag for a moment before hopping to her feet with a triumphant shout. Kagome watched as she pursed her lips together to look around the room before brightening at the sight of the radio perched beside the window. "Naru-chan always has good taste in music. Let's listen to it!"

Kagome wasn't sure what she had expected from Osaka Naru's taste in music, but the quiet jazz that filtered into the air was not it. Usagi, on the other hand, was perfectly content to drop herself onto the sofa with a dramatically pleased sigh, mumbling something about needing to relax that made Kagome's heart ache.

"Oh, I recognize this track." Her mother's voice carried over the music and Kagome perked up curiously as the older woman smiled fondly. The smell of freshly cooked food drew her attention to the platter that her mother set on the table, along with Usagi's as she popped back off the sofa with a cheer. Undeterred by the blonde's exuberance, Kagome smiled a little as she watched her mother only take a step back to allow Usagi to delve into the snacks. "I went to high school with that man. Amande Yuusuke had a distinct sound even back then."

Usagi giggled around a mouthful of gyoza and shook her head as she swallowed. "Well, that just means we must be mature to like it too, right?"

Luna's warmth left her lap and Kagome glanced down at the cat. The feline seemed to struggle with a guilty expression on her face before finally heaving a sigh. "Usagi, I'm afraid we really need to focus. The enemy is still at large and-"

Usagi puffed out her cheeks grumpily, clearly not wanting to think on the still looming prospect of more fighting being so imminent. "Ohh, Luna! You're such a killjoy!"

"Luna's right though." Kagome offered Luna a comforting stroke of the back and Usagi, despite her clear reluctance, plopped back onto the sofa.

"Do we really have to right now?"

"Usagi-chan, please." Luna heaved a sigh and Kagome didn't know whether to feel worse for her or Usagi. "We have an enemy at large and a hapless human carrying a dangerous item of theirs. This tape, whatever it is designed to do, must be found."

"W-well, how are we even supposed to find it?!"

Usagi huffed, arms crossed over her chest stubbornly, and Kagome tapped the table thoughtfully. "I could probably sense it if I got close enough…but that doesn't really help in finding it in the first place."

Usagi groaned and flung herself dramatically back onto the sofa. "We don't even have a way to track it down! Why can't we at least relax until we have a lead or something?"

"Usagi-chan, please! We have to start searching. This tape isn't very well going to bring itself to us!"

Whatever Usagi's retort might have been they would never know because a guttural scream cut through the air.

Usagi dove off of the sofa with a cry of fright and Kagome leapt to her feet so suddenly that she sent Luna tumbling from her lap. The sound was so sudden and carried such a tone of feral terror that Kagome almost thought they'd fallen into the feudal era for a moment. Her mother's concerned voice as she peeked back out of the kitchen brought her back to reality just as Usagi pulled herself up, a bewildered look on her face, and the two exchanged a look.

Another scream, quieter, more winded this time, sounded and Kagome sprinted for the door. It sounded closer now. Behind her, she heard Usagi's footfalls following her as she flung the door open. At a glance, nothing was wrong. Save for Souta's baffled expression as he looked back at them, clearly just as alarmed, the courtyard was empty.

"Girls? What in the world-?"

Her mother didn't get the chance to finish before a man, looking weary and alarmingly disheveled, stumbled up the top of the shrine stairs clutching something in his hand to his chest, eyes wide with a deep-seated and primal look of fear that Kagome was not used to seeing in her own era. It was unnerving.

"Mercy! Please!"

Then she sensed the demon. She felt its energy only seconds before it soared up over the torii gate, wings spread and maw bared threateningly as it took a swipe at the frightened man. Her heart rolled when he tripped over the last step, luckily falling forward onto the cobblestone pathway beneath the gate instead of back down the staircase to what would surely be his death.

Usagi stumbled to a stop beside her just as the man hit the ground and the object he had been clutching was flung from his grasp at the impact. It skidded noisily across the cobble, drawing Usagi's attention as it came to a halt at her feet. The blonde looked down at the item with a blink and then back at the man on the ground a few times before she spun on Luna as the cat caught up behind them and set her hands on her hips. "Ha! You were saying, Luna?"

Kagome wanted to laugh. She really did. The entire affair was simply ridiculous. 'Really…what are the odds?'

They didn't have the time for that though. The demon dove at the man with a snarl, declaring all manner of cruelties it would show him for his supposed theft, and Kagome's heart rolled. The man covered his head with his hands and curled in on himself with a whimper of fright.

"Back, evil spirit!"

The creature leapt back, looking just as surprised by the interference as the rest of them and Kagome could only gape. Her grandfather, broom in one hand and an ofuda in the other, stood between the fallen man and the demon. If the situation hadn't been so serious it might have been a comical sight.

"You dare interfere?!"

Of course he did. This was her grandfather. As if to prove that point, the elderly Higurashi only took another swipe at the creature's face with his broom. "You'll shed no blood on this land, demon!"

Beside her, Kagome heard Usagi's sharp intake of breath and saw her hand dart upward to clutch her broach. The demon's screech of anger drowned out the incantation and Kagome shoved her hand into her pocket, her fingers wrapping seamlessly around the length of the pen as she hastily muttered her own.

The sensations of transformation and disguise magic faded far too slowly for Kagome's liking. As soon as the, now familiar, feeling of her conjured gloves covered her hands, she dove for the front porch where her bow sat beside her overstuffed yellow bag, readied for the feudal era.

Usagi at least seemed to understand her intent and haphazardly flung her tiara towards the demon to distract it from its prey. "Hey, ugly!"

Kagome felt her fingers wrap around the length of her bow just as the monster emitted another angry screech. Her fingertips found an arrow just as the sound of an explosion followed. She pivoted, her hands knocking the arrow without thought, the sound of her pulse roaring in her ears as she saw the creature dive for her grandfather, claws outstretched to decapitate him. The arrow left her grasp and the shot went wide, missing the demon but streaking between it and its target with a burst of purity that forced it to lurch back.

Then its eyes turned on her.

---

No matter how many times he reviewed the battle from Shan Shan Plaza, Jadeite found himself uncertain what to make of it. At first, he had intended to face the soldiers himself, but when Sailor Moon had run in on her own he had decided it was likely unnecessary. Derella was certainly capable of handling that one on her own.

He hadn't been surprised to lose the pet shop. It was more of a surprise that it had lasted as long as it had, if he were to be honest. The chanelas were not a particularly subtle operation given the behavioral effects the pheromones had on their victims. And yet, it had lasted nearly a week. He had almost worried at the time, that the nameless soldier had not made it out of the debacle at Shapely after all.

Queen Beryl certainly wouldn't have been pleased to hear that.

So when he'd suddenly sensed the disturbance, felt the channel of energy rapidly sever, Jadeite had almost been relieved. He'd thought to approach her then, when she had burst into the auditorium behind Sailor Moon but decided against it and opted only to observe. 

The impulse proved to be a fruitful enough one. His previous observation of her hadn't been wrong, but it had certainly been incomplete.

Jadeite rewound the footage and played it again. That nameless soldier was a contradiction both fascinating and infuriating. The girl moved with more confidence than Sailor Moon, though the blonde soldier was coming into her own to an extent, but there was still the hesitation of inexperience that spoke to her own newness to the battlefield.

That was the case, at least, until the moment she drew a bow.

The first time he'd watched that clip, Jadeite had not been able to help the way he suddenly sat up straight, eyes widening at the surety of her posture as she readied the weapon.  The blaze of her eyes as she suddenly glared up at the disco ball disguising the conduit was unnerving and thrilling in one. He had almost forgotten that it was not him she was glaring at when she shot the conduit down.

She was new to those damnable ofuda of hers and inexperienced in the close range combat that came with them, but this was a weapon she was familiar with.

Jadeite sighed irritably and paused the footage. It was just as well that he shifted focus. He hadn't heard anything regarding the tape that his servant had lost yet. Perhaps it would be more prudent to check in with her. He opened the connection with a lazy wave of the hand. "Kyurene. Report."

"Master? I've located the tape-"

Renewed annoyance bloomed in his chest at that and Jadeite frowned. "You haven't recovered it yet?"

A sense of hesitation filtered through the link, only serving to annoy him further.

"No, master. The human-"

That a normal human had eluded one of his servants for so long would almost be laughable if it were not so infuriating. Jadeite felt his nostrils flare as he clenched his fists, too angered to entertain whatever excuse she had to offer. "This failure to hunt down a simple human has gone on long enough, Kyurene."

Kyurene's fright at the wisps of anger he allowed through the connection nearly made him scoff. 

"I'm sorry, master. But the sailor soldiers-!"

'Well, I suppose that changes things.' His gaze flickered back to the recording he had been reviewing and lingered on the still image of the nameless soldier as she glared into the disco ball just before its demise with Derella. Jadeite hummed thoughtfully and tapped a finger against the arm of his chair. "Show me." 

The connection wavered for a moment, shifting to allow the link to deepen enough for him to use her eyes. When sight cleared to the image of a shrine, he could have laughed. Of course a frightened human would flee to their supposed holy grounds for protection. Of course the sailor soldiers would be based in such a place. Kyurene glanced down then, and he saw the lingering trail of glittering pure energy in the air, indicating his servant's near miss. When his borrowed eyes followed the trail down to a familiar unnamed soldier, he hummed. 

"Hm. You are fortunate today, Kyurene."

"But Sailor Moon-"

"Never mind Sailor Moon. That friend of hers on the other hand…" Jadeite eyed the scene with another thoughtful hum before he released the connection to her sight and rose to his feet, a portal to the human city flickering into existence with a wave of his hand. "Your orders have changed. Bring me that soldier."

---

Something about the demon was off. It had stopped attacking so relentlessly, and now it was simply staring at her. While Kagome supposed the uneasy feeling could have just been paranoia, that it was no angrier over being thwarted than any of its fellows had been, her track record insisted that was likely not the case. They were never so lucky.

As if to prove that fact, the demon's posture suddenly sharpened with purpose and rapidly descended with a screech.

Neither she nor Usagi had time to dodge the attack, and Kagome grimaced as the shockwave from it sent her to the ground, her bow flung uselessly from her grasp. Usagi was flung in the opposite direction, tossed to the base of the Goshinboku with a shriek. The impact of her own fall winded her, and her body ached as she scrabbled to right herself, dreading the sight of the demon tearing into her grandfather and the man he'd tried so valiantly to protect.

She was not expecting to see the demon only inches from her face. 

"You're mine!" Her eyes widened and Kagome reflexively lurched backwards only to land on her backside with a startled yelp. She raised a hand to shield her face as it lunged for her, but instead of the blood and pain that she anticipated the demon jerked back with a snarl when Luna flung herself between them with an angry yowl. "Pest!"

It swiped at the feline and Kagome felt her stomach roll in terror as the cat was sent flying. "Luna!"

Her breath caught and the world seemed to move in slow motion as Kagome helplessly watched Luna's body sail through the air towards the stairs.

"I got 'er!" Suddenly, Souta was there tackling the cat out of the air and clutching her smaller body to his chest as he landed with a grunt.

They skidded to a stop just at the edge of the steps and Kagome slumped with an exhale of relief. 

Then she was very rapidly reminded of the remaining issue of the demon breathing down her neck as she was yanked up to her feet by the back of her false soldier uniform. She stumbled into its grasp with a yelp and the ground beneath her feet suddenly seemed to fall away. "Kya!"

Her head swam and Kagome lifted a hand, glowing with the threat of purification to grasp at the arm holding her to the demon's chest. It hissed at the sting but only looked down its nose at her with a sneer when Kagome turned to glare at it. "Go ahead. Can sailor soldiers fly?"

Pausing, Kagome glanced down and her throat tightened. The city looked small below them, miles between their place in the air and the ground below that would surely kill her. Kagome gulped and her stomach churned uneasily when the demon turned and rapidly flew the two of them off towards the city center. Flying was never usually so terrifying.

She barely recognized the construction site of the new outdoor concert hall before the demon dove for it, and she shrieked. Her head swam again at the rapid change in altitude, but before she could finish processing it the creature suddenly let her go and she fell the remaining few feet to the empty stage below them. She landed hard but, though she lay there stunned for a moment, the impact was not hard enough to have broken anything. Kagome inhaled suddenly and sat up rapidly, coughing as her lungs attempted to rectify the way the fall had winded her. 

"Ooh, that hurt you…you weird jerky demon." Taking a few gulps of air, Kagome's arms quivered as she picked her head up to glare at the demon. "What do you even want from me? I thought it was the tape-"

"Oh, the tape has been secured."

Her blood ran cold and an eerie sense of deja vu twisted her stomach. Kagome barely turned to catch sight of, now unnervingly familiar, black boots before she was hauled to her feet. His fingers wrapped around the curve of her elbow, drawing her forward as the corners of his lips curled upward. She stumbled forward, eyes widening at the closeness of the man who had nearly killed her in their last encounter.

"You are a bonus."

---

When Kagome didn't return to the feudal era on her own, it was always an argument when Inuyasha went to retrieve her for taking too long. It had become especially so since she'd taken up this 'sailor soldier' thing in her own era with that new friend of hers. 'Uki? Usako? Something like that.'

Still, whatever Inuyasha was expecting to find when he came through the well though, it was not the pandemonium that greeted him. The smell of demon was the first thing he noticed and then he felt the familiar warmth of Kagome's power in the air. "The hell?"

"Come back here! Kagome-chan!"

He was expecting even less to nearly be bowled over by a girl with blonde pigtails, wearing an outfit even more ridiculous than the school clothes Kagome so often traipsed around in. Her scent matched the one that so often clung to Kagome when she returned through the well these days, so it must have been that friend of hers.

She was just as clumsy as Kagome at any rate, because she tripped over her own feet in her haste and would have kissed the ground if he hadn't grabbed her by the back of her odd clothing to yank her upright. "Whoa, geeze. Watch it."

The girl gave him a look of surprise, her wide-eyed expression looking torn between surprise and confusion in a way that was reminiscent of Kagome's first few times in his era as she gaped at him.

Souta ran up then, clutching a cat to his chest, the scent reminding him a bit of Kirara, and Inuyasha frowned at his battered appearance. "What the heck is going on here, kid?"

"Ah, Inuyasha! This is Sis' friend, Usagi- er…Sailor Moon." Souta looked back and forth hastily, looking frantic in a way that Inuyasha hadn't seen since he'd found them fleeing a cursed mask some odd months prior. The boy shifted the cat he was holding to set the battered feline more comfortably against his shoulder and gestured to her awkwardly. "And this is Luna but, well…look, a demon just flew off with Sis-"

Inuyasha heaved a breath and rolled his eyes. "Keh, of course it did."

The girl's posture rapidly changed, and Inuyasha glanced at her when her scent shifted, the fear in it waning as she stared at him with a scrutinizing gaze that did not seem to fit her face. Her shoulders were taut and her lips curled into a frown that made his hackles raise. "Wait, Inuyasha? This is Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha eyed her suspiciously, lips curling into a frown as the muscles in his shoulders tightened. "Yeah. What's it to you?"

He wasn't prepared for the strangely dressed blonde girl to hunch her own shoulders as her face flushed, from anger or exertion that she was not used to he couldn't be sure, and her cheeks puffed out. The girl pointed the tip of a gloved finger into his face, inches from his nose and he blinked.

"If Kagome-chan didn't need help right now I'd…I'd…ooh, I don't even know but it wouldn't be nice!" She stomped a foot childishly, a gesture that reminded him of Kagome, and Inuyasha could only gape at her, baffled as to what he had done to anger a girl he had never met when she turned her back to him with a huff. "Just you wait till we get her back!"

"Sailor Moon, focus! We need to hurry before we lose them!"

Inuyasha looked down and saw only the small figure of the black cat now perched on Souta's shoulder, but no one else. The cat spoke. Of course it did. Then the girl, Usagi, paused at the top of the stairs and looked back at them. Her eyes shimmered and Inuyasha grimaced at the scent of saline that warned she was about to cry.

It was bad enough when Kagome cried.

"Geeze, alright already." Striding forward with a huff, Inuyasha crouched down and inclined his head at the girl. At least the gesture seemed to confuse her enough to distract her from crying. "Get on. I can follow that things' stench easily enough."

The girl eyed him for a moment, her face scrunched up with clear hesitation. He was about to just leave her there, unwilling to waste time that could be spent tracking the demon, before she huffed loudly and stomped over to him. 

"Alright, fine! But no funny business!"

---

As quickly as fear had gripped her heart it was very rapidly replaced with a familiar swell of anger. Kagome jerked back from him and grit her teeth when his grip on her arm did not waver. "Let go of me!"

He raised a brow at her and Kagome felt her cheeks flush with a heated blend of embarrassment and anger at the condescending expression. "When Kyurene went through all the trouble to bring you to me? I don't think so, little soldier."

Kagome nearly shrieked in frustration, but only opted to narrow her eyes at him instead. Her bangs fluttered in her face with a huff and she hunched her shoulders, her free hand balling into a fist at her side. "What do you even want?!"

He looked her over then, and Kagome felt oddly exposed at the way his eyes raked over her. She had to glance at her hand briefly, to be certain that the familiar gloves of her disguise were still in place, to be sure that he didn't really see her. 

"You are an oddity." Recognizing this particular spiel, Kagome felt a fresh rush of anger surge through her and swung at him with her free hand. He caught her fist in his palm seamlessly, looking entirely unconcerned and only humming thoughtfully, as if she hadn't just attempted to punch him in the face. "You're still quite green without that bow of yours, though."

"Excuse me?!" Kagome jerked back to look up at him, her anger flickering under the weight of a fresh sense of dread. She hadn't faced him with a bow yet. 'How much has he been watching me? How much does he know-'

"Your energy was quite a feast for our Great Ruler, you know." His unconcerned drawl snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts, and Kagome stiffened when he suddenly gripped her chin, turning her to face him as he looked her over. "I am intrigued though. The amount that was siphoned should have killed you, even if you are a soldier and yet you stand here ready to fight me, one of the Shitennou."

She felt the tendrils of dark energy slither over her then, and Kagome suddenly realized his angle. She jerked her head out of his grasp, a flicker of her own energy rushing to the surface to ward off the influence of the darkness he commanded. "You'll have to try harder than that to get to me, Jadeite!"

Jadeite looked surprised for the briefest of moments and then his lips curled upwards. "Hm. Noted."

He released her then, and Kagome was wholly unprepared for the sudden freedom. She fumbled to catch her balance and landed on her backside with a wince when the attempt failed. Indignant, but too angry to care, she spun a glare on his back, more annoyed by how casually he strode away from her. "What was that for, you jerk?!"

He paused for a moment to glance over his shoulder at her, and Kagome followed the motion of his arm as he lifted a familiar tape into sight.

"Now seems an opportune time to ensure that you haven't damaged things too badly." Jadeite leapt from the stage then, and Kagome could only watch wide eyed as he landed seamlessly on the other side of the stadium, in a half built section likely meant to be the press box. There was a brief sound of feedback, and then his voice echoed eerily around her. "I'm sure this will be an enlightening experiment."

"H-hey wait a minute!" All at once, Kagome realized his intent, but it was too late. Kagome clapped her hands over her ears, expecting the grating screech that the demon from before had used, but what came was far worse.

The music was a quiet timber, a haunting sound that was almost soothing in a way as it filtered in through the stadium. If she hadn't known to expect the danger within it, she might never have noticed the steady pressure of dark energy as it slowly coiled around her. It pressed down on her, filling her lungs like a suffocating fog before she managed to regain enough presence of mind to hastily urge her own energy to the surface.

Her fingers brushed the disguise pen hidden in her pocket and she gripped it hesitantly, wondering if she could ward off the dark energy and conjure a bow at the same time. When she tried to shift just enough of her power into the pen the dark magic sprung forward, stealing the breath from her lungs when the energy protecting her waned. She hastily let go of the pen, allowing her energy to spring back to the forefront and push the darkness back.

She couldn't do both. It still took too much focus. 'But even if I don't...I can't keep this up forever.'

"Your endurance is impressive." Kagome wasn't sure if that was meant to be an insult or a compliment. Her head swam, a bead of sweat trickling down her brow as she wavered, the exertion of constantly channeling her energy catching up with her. One of her arms gave and she almost fell, but the music suddenly stopped with a click. Her shoulders heaved with a breath of relief as the weight of the dark energy rapidly dissipated. When she looked up again, Jadeite was standing in front of her once more, arms crossed as he looked down at her. "But you really are just a human in the end."

"So are you!" He narrowed his eyes at that, but if she had touched a nerve, Kagome didn't much care by that point. She was angry and he'd cornered her anyway. She slammed her fist against the floor of the stage angrily, righting herself enough to glare up at him as he approached her. She didn't care. She'd had enough of chasing shadows and wondering at motivations both here and in the feudal era. "What's your deal anyway?! What's the point of harvesting so much energy from people? What is this 'Great Ruler' you keep going on about?"

"Enough!" His bellow boomed around them and Kagome paused in her angry interrogation at the dangerous tone to it. She stared up at him, mouth agape and eyes wide. Just as quickly as his temper had surged, it seemed to settle once more, and his expression relaxed back into the casual air of condescension that she had grown used to seeing him wear. 

She wasn't sure which was more frightening.

"Don't worry, not-a-soldier." Jadeite tilted his head to look down at her then, and Kagome hunched her shoulders when he dipped down to grasp her by the arm once more, only able to yelp as he hauled her to her feet again. "The Dark Kingdom wants you alive."

Somehow, that was infinitely more terrifying.

"Let go!" Kagome yanked at her arm, his grip unbothered by her struggles as she attempted to pry his fingers loose. When he only gave her another amused glance, she scowled and pushed a flicker of purification into her fingertips.

Jadeite dropped her arm with a jolt, but only tilted his head to look her over as a smirk curled his lips. "Hm. Still some bite to you even after that?"

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Jadeite swore and leapt back just in time to dodge the glowing tiara as it flew between them. The warmth of light that radiated off of Usagi's attack washed over her and Kagome let out a breath.

"What kind of attack is that?"

Kagome straightened with a jerk at that, spinning to look upwards and her mouth falling open at the sight of Usagi -Sailor Moon- perched on Inuyasha's back as they cleared the walls of the stadium. The blonde soldier leapt off his back once he'd landed and spun a glare on the half demon as the tiara flew back to her hands. "Oh, shut up! You got something better?!"

Kagome wasn't entirely sure if she was really seeing the two, or if this was another trick. 

"Keh, sure. Sit back and watch, pigtail."

Well, that was certainly Inuyasha.

"Hey!" 

Kagome didn't need to look to see the other girl's angry expression, but she did hear the indignant stomp of her foot. That was certainly Usagi.

A quick glance over towards Jadeite showed that the man looked just as baffled by the sight as she was. He seemed to notice her gaze, however, and Kagome stiffened when his eyes shifted back to her. He took a step towards her, and Kagome hunched her shoulders.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

Jadeite narrowly dodged, and Kagome watched the shift in his expression over Inuyasha's shoulder as the half demon landed between the two of them.

"A demon?" His eyes raked over the two of them and then over the fading essence of demonic energy that hovered in the air in the wake of Inuyasha's attack. "Hm. Interesting. Kyurene!"

Kagome's eyes widened, understanding the intent but unable to react quickly enough to warn her friend. The demon rushed at them, and even Kagome had to cover her ears at the screech of the sound frequency that blared around them.

Inuyasha wasn't so lucky. He clutched his hands over his ears, dropping to his knees with a swear. "Shit!"

The demon's form shifted then, and Kagome wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry as she watched the energy in its wings swell in preparation for another attack. She certainly had to give this Dark Kingdom points for creativity.

That, however, could wait until Inuyasha was no longer in the line of fire. So, with a determined huff, Kagome forced herself to straighten, shaking off the lingering effects of the cursed music and hastily reaching for the pen once more. The familiar feeling of her bow materialized in her hands just as the demon, Kyurene, unleashed her attack. For a moment, Kagome thought she was too late, but then Usagi was there, skidding to a stop in front of Inuyasha with a determined set to her shoulders. "Sailor Moon!"

Usagi reeled back then, and Kagome saw the microphone in the girl's hand only seconds before she pitched it directly into the attack careening towards them. "Have a taste of your own noise, creep!"

Kagome hastily loosed an arrow and the explosion that resulted rattled the stadium, drowned out by the demon's scream as her own power was turned against her. There was an eerie silence for a long moment, and when Kagome looked up all that was left of the blast was the faint glimmer of purity that floated through the air.

Across the stadium, back inside the press box, Kagome caught only a glimpse of Jadeite before the flicker of dark energy told of his retreat. She slumped back against the podium that had somehow survived the fight and let out a breath. A quick glance over to her friend and Kagome saw the way Usagi’s shoulders slumped with her own relief as the adrenaline of battle seeped out of her.

"That was some quick thinking, Sailor Moon…" Usagi looked over to her at that, startled, as if she had only just remembered they were there with her and Kagome offered her a tiny smile. "I thought I was a goner for a minute there."

Inuyasha strode up to them then, looking annoyed, likely by the pain that he would never admit still lingered in his ears from the entire event. After a moment, he shoved his hands into his sleeves with a huff.

"Yeah…it was a good move, I guess." 

Kagome brightened a little, a touch of warmth blossoming in her chest at the half demon's admission, the closest to praise that she thought she had ever heard him offer.

"But seriously, that attack is just dumb."

All at once, it fizzled out and Kagome hung her head with a groan while Usagi, clearly offended, turned to scowl at him.

"Like Iron Reaver Soul Stealer is so much better?!"

"It's better than Moon Tiara Action!"

Usagi huffed loudly, and Kagome swallowed a quiet giggle when she peeked up just in time to see the girl stomp her foot and point dramatically into his face, despite the man being a full head taller than her.

"Yeah, well you still sound like something out of a Shonen!"

"I do not!"

Kagome dragged a hand over her face, a little smile hidden beneath her palm. "Inuyasha, you don't even know what that is."