Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Future Girls ❯ Matter of Time ( Chapter 8 )

*~Future Girls~*

 

Disclaimer:

I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho!! Even though I wish I did!

 

*Youko*

~Hiei~

-Kurama-

`thoughts'

 

Chapter 8: Matter of Time

 

There in the doorway of the kitchen stood the four nekos and a brightly shining object. The black neko had the ruby broach between his fangs and the jewel at the center of the antique was glowing vibrantly. The nekos mewed before making their way to Aki and standing in front of her. Placing the glowing broach on the ground, the black neko pushed it at her feet with his small nose.

 

“That noise… is coming from this thing…” Aki said softly as she slowly bent down to pick up the piece of jewelry. Once her fingers touched it, the bright glow disappeared and Kagome literally smacked herself for being so blind. Sango shook her head and began laughing, gaining everyone's attention.

 

“How could we have been so stupid?!” Sango laughed.

 

“I don't know Sango! It couldn't have been more obvious to us.” Kagome said, shaking her head in disbelief.

 

“So they were digging in your closet of the other broaches?” Sango asked.

 

“I guess so… I put them in a box at the top of my closet. I hope they didn't make too much of a mess.” Kagome groaned.

 

“Hold up a second here! Would you guys like to fill the rest of us in on what apparently only you two know?” Yusuke asked in irritation.

 

“Aki… Aki is Demon Ruby.” Kagome announced and everyone turned wide eyes toward the purple haired woman.

 

“The nekos knew the entire time.” Kurama said, laughing softly.

 

“And don't tell me, Demon Ruby has fire powers.” Yusuke snorted. “Damn… the next Jewel has been right under our noses this entire time.”

 

“Wait, how do you all know that I'm a Forbidden Jewel?” Aki asked in confusion.

 

“The broach, it reacted to you just like Sango's did to her.” Kagome explained.

 

“If you don't believe us, all you have to say is `Forbidden Ruby Power'.” Sango informed.

 

“It's alright… I believe you guys.” She hesitated, staring down at the broach she held.

 

“There's no need to be afraid Aki. Kagome and Sango are here to help you the entire way, as well as all of us.” Kurama said, smiling to the nervous girl.

 

“Thank you, but I think ill just wait a little while before transforming for the first time.” She smiled before taking her seat and shoving a pancake in her mouth.

 

“Before we get off the subject,” Kagome said, lifting the black neko into her arms and standing beside Aki. “He is your guardian, just like Haru is mine and Kirara is Sango's. He doesn't have a name, so you get to name him whatever you like once you're ready.” Kagome smiled, placing the neko in Aki's lap. The girl smiled happily and scratched the neko's ears softly.

 

“I'll name you Koro.” Aki grinned as she kissed her new neko between the ears.

 

“Finally he has a name! Now we just need to find Demon Sapphire so she can name her neko; it's irritating trying to call for them when they don't have a name.” Sango laughed.

 

“The only problem is finding our last sister…” Kagome murmured quietly.

 

“Well at least now we know our pendants react to us. We can just carry the last broach around with us until we find her.” Aki smiled reassuringly.

 

“Even with that to help, this could take weeks… perhaps months.” Kurama stated.

 

Suddenly everyone's communicators began beeping loudly. Kagome grabbed hers off the counter and flipped it open to see Koenma in a complete panic.

 

“Koenma, what's the matter?” she asked in worry.

 

“There are TWO rips! In the same location! Botan is on her way, you guys have to close them quick before the demons reach the city!”

 

The screen went blank and everyone leapt out of their chairs when the black portal formed in Kagome's kitchen. Yusuke dashed back to his apartment to change clothes while the girls remained in their current state of dress seeing as they were going to transform anyway. Halting before the portal, Sango dashed to Kagome's room and grabbed the last broach and shoved it in her pocket. Kagome turned to Aki and smiled at her reassuringly.

 

“Don't worry; you know how to control your powers already. We'll stick close to you since this will be your first battle.”

 

The grey eyed girl nodded and followed everyone through the portal. The nekos were following at the girl's heels, refusing to be left out of yet another fight. Not to mention Koenma demanded that they tag along with their mistress's everywhere they go. Once they reached the other side, it disappeared and everyone turned in the direction they felt the demons were gathering. Turning to each other, the girls nodded.

 

“Forbidden Crystal Power!”

 

“Forbidden Aquamarine Power!”

 

“Forbidden Ruby Power!”

 

The guys watched in fascination as the Forbidden Jewel's transformed into their demon forms and enticingly sexy clothing. Kurama handed power over to Youko and the kitsune pushed forth, changing red hair to silver and green eyes to gold. His white tunic replaced Kurama's sleep clothing and the kitsune turned his gaze to Kagome, who was staring at Aki's demon form.

 

The purple haired girl appeared to be a dog demon. She had black ears atop her head but oddly no tail like most inu demons possessed. Her outfit was exactly like Sango's and Kagome's but the material was a blood red color and her armor was black. The last detail of her transformation was that her grey eyes changed to a deep red color similar to Hiei's. The newest member of their team grinned in excitement and twirled in her outfit.

 

“This is going to be fun.” She giggled. Kagome and Sango laughed at her for a moment before grabbing her arms and dragging her off toward their upcoming battle, the guys following behind quickly. Once the hordes of demons spotted them, they charged. Stopping in their tracks, Kagome and Sango stood at Aki's sides. The girl took a deep breath and formed twin fireballs in the palms of her hands.

 

The nekos changed into their larger forms and roared loudly. They leapt ahead to stir things up and attacked any demon that dared to get near. Their attacks were swift but powerful, taking out their opponent in one strike of their claws. Sango sighed as she watched Kirara mess with her prey. The cream colored neko had an odd tendency to tease her prey before tearing it to pieces.

 

“I finally have a reason to use my power for good.” She smirked and leapt into battle, Kagome and Sango sticking close to her. They soon found the inu demon didn't quite need their assistance. She simply engulfed her entire body in flames and no demons could touch her without burning or catching fire. She even seemed to be having fun, throwing fireballs at any demons that came her way.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes in amusement and threw a purification blast at a large group of demons while manipulating the roots below her to attack anything behind her. Sango worked with her water and ice powers to either drown her enemies or freeze them to the point of shattering. The Spirit Detectives, minus Kuwabara who probably wasn't contacted in time, were faring quite well too. They didn't need to put much effort into defeating their enemies despite the fact that there were two tears in the barrier this time.

 

Kagome felt uneasy as she continued to fight. Why did this battle seem so much easier than all the others before it? Hakudoshi has become powerful enough to open to rips in the barrier so there is no reason this battle should be effortless. If anything, it should be far more difficult than any of their previous encounters. Perhaps Hakudoshi had something planned and was holding back his army? Feeling sudden panic, Kagome spread her miko powers across the battle field and as far into the rips as she could push. Feeling her power, everyone turned their attention to Kagome while still defending themselves. They could tell she was searching for something… but what?

 

Suddenly, waves of demons poured out of the tears in the barrier. Everyone held their ground and waited for dozens of demons to come at them at once but instead, to their surprise, every single demon fled off in different directions. The demons completely avoided getting anywhere near their enemies but three slammed into Sango. She growled in anger and was able to freeze one of them but the other two escaped.

 

Kirara was about to dart after the demons that dared to attack her mistress and run but the wolf called her back. The demons that they were fighting also retreated, running off in various locations. Everyone swore under their breath… the damn demons had tricked them. They used the first string of demons as a distraction so the second string could escape and disappear into the city.

 

“Damnit! Do you guys have any idea how long it will take us to track down every single one of those demons before any humans are harmed?!” Yusuke fumed.

 

“We need to hurry and close these openings and start hunting.” Kagome said, rubbing her temples in frustration.

 

Sango sighed and reached into her pocket to take out the sapphire broach only to realize it was missing. Going into complete panic, the wolf demon searched desperately for the pendant. “No, no, no! THAT DAMN DEMON!” she snarled in anger.

 

“Sango?” Aki asked in worry.

 

“I took the sapphire broach with me and planned to search the city for our last sister but those damn demons must have taken it when they slammed me!” the slayer growled, clenching her fists.

 

“Only women are so stupid.” Hiei snorted.

 

Sango turned a deadly glare toward him and he rolled his crimson eyes at her. The wolf was about to tackle Hiei to the ground and beat the living shit out of him but Kagome grabbed her forearm, shaking her head sternly.

 

“You two can have your cat fight and bicker later; right now we need to close those rips.” The miko ordered, turning to Yusuke, Hiei and Youko. They sighed and made their way over to finish their jobs. Once that was finished, everyone split up to different directions. Both Koro and the purple neko went with Aki in case of emergency while Haru followed Kagome and Kirara chased after Sango. Their top priority was to keep the humans safe and find the sapphire broach…

 

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Kuwabara yawned as he made his way to the apartment building that all his friends resided in. He felt slightly left out since he lived down the street and away from everyone while they all lived right across the hall from each other. Maybe he should move in with Yusuke? But then his sister would be all by herself… would she be alright with that? The boy's thoughts were interrupted when he was suddenly attacked by a demon.

 

`What the hell is a demon doing in the city?!'

 

Deciding to ponder this further after he killed the demon before it could harm any humans; he quickly disposed of the attacking demon only to be attacked by three others afterward. Groaning in irritation, he produced his spirit sword and killed the demons in one swipe. After killing the demons, a round shiny object hit him in the head before falling to the ground. Not quite paying attention to the object that hit him but more to the pain that now assaulted his head, he continued on his way to the apartment complex.

 

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“Hmm, what is that sound?” a girl with dark brown short hair muttered under her breath as she searched for the source of the pulsing sound that filled her ears. Continuing on the sidewalk she was walking along, she spotted something glowing in the distance. As she got closer, she realized it was a broach… and it was shimmering so beautifully.

 

Picking up the stunning piece of jewelry, she placed it in her pocket and decided to turn back from where she was originally heading and return home to show her mother her new gorgeous piece of jewelry.

 

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Kagome groaned tiredly as she returned to her living room to join the others. Handing Yusuke his requested glass of water, she turned her attention to Youko, who was sitting on her couch.

 

“You're sure there were no more?”

 

He nodded. “Hiei and I did a complete sweep of the city, there are none remaining.”

 

“And we searched throughout the surrounding forests; there are none left alive there either.” Sango added.

 

“Thank god! I was sure it was going to take longer than just a day.” Yusuke sighed.

 

“It's late… Sango can we go to sleep?” Aki asked as she yawned and nodded toward the door. The slayer nodded and they both said goodnight to everyone before leaving to relocate themselves to Sango's apartment. Kuwabara had arrived several hours ago and went along with Yusuke to kill demons and was now out cold sleeping on the detectives couch.

 

Yusuke waved to everyone and left to his apartment as well and No one really noticed when Hiei had disappeared. Kagome sighed and made her way over to the couch when Yusuke closed the front door. Collapsing onto the cushion at the opposite side of the couch that Youko was sitting on, she leaned down and rested her head on his thigh. He raised one of his eyebrows down at her as she gazed up at him.

 

“Today was so tiring… and we didn't even find the broach.” Kagome whined.

 

“We'll find it, don't worry yourself over it. Get some sleep.” Youko said softly as he moved his hand to rest on her forearm, squeezing it gently.

 

“You're more comfortable than my pillow, I could fall asleep right here…” she murmured, her eyes drifting closed, enjoying the feel of his claws gently brushing up and down her arm. Feeling cold, she moved her tail so it covered her bare legs. Noticing the motion, Youko handed control back to Kurama and the human pushed forth. Once he was in complete control, the avatar unzipped the sweater he had worn to sleep the night before and draped it over the miko turned kitsune.

 

She smiled softly and cuddled into the material, inhaling deeply before quickly falling asleep. Youko was practically going insane in their mind. He had been tired just moments ago until the vixen had to rest her head on their thigh. Now all he could think of was how amazing it would be if she would turn her head slightly and undo their pants… Kurama sighed in irritation as he tried his best to ignore Youko. He soon fell asleep as well, comforted by the miko's amazing scent.

 

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Yawning, she crawled into bed and smiled over to her new trinket that sat on her nightstand. Pulling her blankets up to her neck, she fell into a deep peaceful sleep. It wasn't long before a dream invaded her blank slumber and there standing before her was a tall woman in robes. She stared at the dream woman in questioning confusion

 

“We have finally found you Demon Sapphire…” the woman smiled warmly.

 

“Excuse me?” she asked in confusion.

 

“You fate has been entwined with the Forbidden Jewels. You are the last and final sister demon they are searching for, you are Demon Sapphire.” The woman said.

 

“You've lost me… who are you anyway?”

 

“I am Midoriko, but that is of no importance. You must fine your fellow Jewels. You're purpose is to protect the human realm from demons.”

 

“From demons? But I'm only human! How do I protect the human realm when I'm powerless!”

 

The woman smiled. “You are not powerless. The broach you found today is the source of your power. All you must do is hold it and recite the transformation words.”

 

“Transformation words?”

 

“All you must say is `Forbidden Sapphire Power'. You can sense demons in your demon form… you must fulfill your destiny and destroy the demons that tend to take over the human realm.” Midoriko said as she began to fade away.

 

“No! Wait! I don't understand, don't go yet!” she called out.

 

“Find your sisters… protect the human realm.”

 

With a gasp, the brown haired girl was startled into the waking world. Slightly confused about her dream, her gaze traveled to the broach that sat on her night stand. Reaching for it, she turned it in her hands several times, trying to see if there really was anything special about it.

 

“Forbidden Sapphire Power? What a weird dream…” suddenly the broach began to shimmer once more and she began to transform. Her clothing completely changed and she felt something push up at the top of her head as well as at her tailbone. The broach disappeared from her grasp and placed itself at the center of the purple bow that formed between her shoulder and breast armor plates.

 

Leaping off her bed and flicking the light on, she stared in awe at the purple and green outfit that replaced her pajamas. Not only that but there was also a pair of cute cat ears on top of her head and a long smooth cougar tail that whipped back and forth behind her. To top it all off, her eyes changed from their chocolate brown to a dark violet color.

 

“… What the heck is going on…”

 

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Kagome woke to the smell of eggs and bacon. Yawning and stretching across the couch, she realized Kurama was gone and probably the one making breakfast but his sweater was still wrapped around her. She smiled and pulled it closer, inhaling his wonderful scent. Sitting up, she realized her tail was gone and she was dressed in her pajamas again. She must have reverted back to her human form when she fell asleep.

 

Standing from the couch, she made her way to the kitchen and leapt up onto the counter next to the stove. Kurama turned a warm smile up to her before returning his gaze to his cooking.

 

“Sleep well?” he asked.

 

“Very well, you are surprisingly more comfortable than my pillow. Perhaps you should sleep here with me every night.” She laughed.

 

“You told me that last night.” Kurama chuckled.

 

“That you should sleep here?” she asked, blushing slightly. She hoped she hadn't said anything embarrassing…

 

“No, that I was more comfortable than your pillow.” He laughed, his eyes flashing gold for a moment.

 

“Tell Youko to get his mind out of the gutter.” The miko snorted.

 

*How does she even know what I'm thinking?* Youko chuckled.

 

“He is impressed you know what's on his mind.” Kurama told her.

 

“Well it's not hard to guess.” She huffed.

 

“Not that I blame him…” Kurama muttered, smirking as her cheeks turned a darker shade of red.

 

*She wants it… we should skip breakfast and head straight to the bed.* Youko purred.

 

-Shut up Youko, I don't want this relationship to merely be physical…-

 

*Neither do I, how else are you to show her we want her?* he questioned.

 

-Youko, we just got her back. I do not want to lose her again because we're moving to fast for her- he said sternly.

 

“What are you two arguing about now?” Kagome asked, reaching over and taking the spatula from Kurama's grasp to finish cooking while entwining her fingers through his.

 

His eyes changed completely to gold as he answered. “We are discussing how exactly would be the best method of showing you how we feel for you, love.” He purred.

 

Kagome held back her blush as she turned to stare into the golden eyes of the kitsune she was falling for. This is what confused Kagome; she wasn't sure if it was considered her falling in love with two people or one. She liked both Youko and Kurama but they shared one body so technically she loved one person right? No, because Youko and Kurama were two different people… so she was falling for two guys. Was it alright for her to be in love with more than one man?

 

“Have we shocked you into silence?” the kitsune asked smoothly as he moved to stand in front of the miko still sitting on the counter.

 

“Not at all, no one could silen…” her words were suddenly interrupted when Youko leaned up and pressed his lips against hers before giving control back to Kurama. The avatar pulled away from the miko, ending the short and sweet kiss and blushing slightly.

 

“Why do men do that? They always interrupt us when we're talking by kissing us.” Kagome asked, pouting slightly. Whether it was from being interrupted or because he ended the kiss earlier than she had wanted wasn't to his knowledge.

 

He chuckled softly. “A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop words when speech becomes superfluous.” His eyes flashed golden once more and Kagome knew those words were from Youko's mouth.

 

“So pretty much what you're saying is that you kissed me to shut me up?” she began laughing at the horrified look that crossed the avatar's face when he thought that she had taken offence from Youko's explanation.

 

They heard the front door suddenly open and Kurama returned to cooking, moving the food from the pan to a large plate. Yusuke and Kuwabara dragged themselves into the kitchen and sat at the miko's dining table. They waited silently as Kurama served them breakfast before Yusuke turned a mischief grin toward the avatar and miko.

 

“So has Kurama officially moved in yet? He's already making breakfast and you're wearin his clothes.” Yusuke wiggled his eyebrows.

 

Kagome sent him a deadly glare before throwing the nearest object she could reach, which happened to be a spoon, at the detective. He wailed in pain when it hit him in the head and he leapt from his chair to get the miko back. She squealed and jumped from the counter, dashing out the kitchen laughing. A loud crash was heard and Kurama rolled his eyes. He sure was glad both he and Youko agreed on such a feisty woman.

 

Not only did she have some fight in her but she was also sweet and gentle. Very caring, understanding, forgiving, playful, and smart as well as beautiful. She was practically perfect… not to mention she was a silver kitsune.

 

*She is perfect… let's make her our mate now! While she still has all that energy to fight.* Youko smirked, imagining how crazy the miko would be in bed.

 

-Youko please, I don't need to deal with this early in the morning-

 

*Only if you promise to try making a move on her. You're so prude I swear you're bringing my reputation down.* Youko pouted.

 

-I'll think about it- he sighed, rolling his eyes. How did he possibly get stuck with the most sex addicted kitsune in all of the three realms?

 

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She could feel something dark… something evil. It was slowly growing larger but she wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps it was the demons that Midoriko had told her she needed to fight? She did say that she would be able to feel them so maybe she was feeling the demons. From the amount of darkness she could feel looming just a few miles away, she had a feeling this was going to be dangerous if she didn't do something. It was her job to protect the humans wasn't it?

 

Grasping her broach that was attached to the ribbon of her school uniform, she ran to a secluded area and transformed before running to where she could feel the hundreds of demons gathering somewhere in the forest… even if she didn't survive, it was her job to keep the humans safe.

 

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Everyone that was gathered in Kagome's kitchen groaned in irritation when they heard the beeping of their communicators. Yusuke flipped his open and was about to insult their toddler sized boss until he saw the panic on his baby face.

 

“There are hundreds of demons gathering in factions at the border of the barrier!” Koenma yelled.

 

“Chill toddler, is Hakudoshi there? Is there a rip?” Yusuke asked.

 

“Hakudoshi is there and seems to be leading his entire army! He's working quickly on creating more than one tear! If you guys don't stop him, he might be able to break down a complete section of the barrier!”

 

“Then hurry the hell up and send Botan!” Sango yelled as she skidded to a stop in the miko's kitchen. The screen went blank as Aki and Hiei made their way into the kitchen as well. The portal formed and Kagome, Sango and Aki dashed through before Botan could even exit and greet them. The SD's followed quickly, Kurama allowing Youko control of their body. As they reached the other side of the barrier, they caught the tail end of the girls transforming before turned to stare at the area they could feel Hakudoshi's army.

 

Even though they were on the other side of the barrier, the dark aura of all the demons gathered just behind the barrier was unmistakable. Suddenly a rip began to form in the invisible barrier. The black void was opening so quickly that no one even had the time to try keeping it closed before demons began charging at them. As they watched the demon rash at them, Kagome swore under her breath when she realized they forgot the nekos.

 

There wasn't much time for her to think about it as the demons attacked them relentlessly. Everyone was completely occupied with dozens of demons. Youko stuck near Kagome just in case she needed any assistance. Hiei stayed close to both Sango and Aki, though no one was too worried about the inu since she was completely engulfed in flames. Kuwabara and Yusuke stayed close to each other as well, watching the rest of their comrades while they fought.

 

The fight seemed never ending… no matter how many demons they killed, hundreds more would replace the ones they had just slain. For the first hour of battling, everyone was able to go on without injuries, but now they were beginning to lose focus. Yusuke had several cuts and bruises, as well as Kuwabara. Youko continued to avoid injury while Kagome and Sango were holding up almost just as well. Hiei and Aki were untouched of course. Who could hit a demon that moves faster than light or engulfed in deadly flames?

 

Once they were beginning to tire, Hakudoshi made his appearance along with yet another tear in the barrier. His eyes were immediately on Kagome and she snarled in his direction. Before anyone could realize what was happening, Kagome and Hakudoshi were at it. A one on one fight to the death and not even Hakudoshi's demon followers dared to get near their battle.

 

Youko watched them carefully as they fought, using his plants to keep up his defense and destroy any demon that got to close to him. It was much harder though now that Kagome was no longer killing her portion of the attacking demons because now that she was fighting Hakudoshi, her section of demons rushed at him. He had a terrible feeling that they would not escape this battle without fatal injuries.

 

Just as the amounts of demons were beginning to overwhelm everyone, a loud roar was heard from above. Sango sighed in relief as Kirara, Haru, Koro and the purple neko came down from the skies and tore through several demons while slashing at some with their sharp claws. The neko's distributed themselves across the battlefield to assist the SD's and their mistress's.

 

Kagome didn't take her eyes off her opponent. She knew that if she was distracted for even a second, he would have the upper hand and she would lose. He had only injured her slightly in their last encounter… but he might not leave her alive this time if she dropped her guard enough for him to get in a fatal attack. He was faster than she was but luckily she was able to follow his movements and block or dodge any attack he threw at her.

 

“Youko, behind you!” without even thinking, or caring, about her own safety, Kagome turned quickly after pushing Hakudoshi away. She threw a ball of raw purification at the four attacking demons behind Youko that he hadn't noticed since he was overloaded with other demons. They were dead before they could even touch the kitsune but Kagome paid for her lack of attention. Hakudoshi was able to get in the attack he needed to take the miko down.

 

With speed that only Hiei or perhaps Kouga could compare to, the white haired demon unsheathed his blade attached to his back and drive it into the miko's abdomen. To make it worst, the cruel demon twisted his blade as well, causing Kagome to grind her teeth tight to keep from screaming out in pain. To top it all off, Hakudoshi pulled down sharply, causing the end of the blade to break off and stay lodged inside the miko's flesh.

 

Wincing in pain, she fell to the ground holding her gaping wound. Haru was at Kagome's side in a flash, snarling up at Hakudoshi as he approached to take the finishing blow on Kagome. The pearl white neko was thrown aside with a mere wave of the cold demon's hand and Kagome glared up at her enemy. He raised his arm to deliver his attack and Youko tackled him down. Attacking him with his vine whip, Hakudoshi was shoved away from his miko kitsune as Youko protected her.

 

Just as Hakudoshi was going to attack them again, a strong wind blew through the battlefield, oddly only blowing down Hakudoshi and his army while it avoided touching the SD's and FJ's. Everyone turned to see a cougar demon, dressed in an outfit similar to the Forbidden Jewel's, glaring down at the demons and Hakudoshi. Kagome stared at the girl in excitement before pulling herself to her feet and smiling toward the last member of their team they had been searching for.

 

“Demon Sapphire, we're so glad you're here.”

 

She nodded slightly with a small smile but everyone could tell the girl didn't completely understand why or what was happening. Without another word, she dove into battle, taking out dozens of demons with her powerful wind abilities. Determined they could win now, Kagome pushed herself to continue fighting.

 

It wasn't long before everyone realized they wouldn't be able to win this battle… even with the help of the last forbidden jewel. With the last of her power, Demon Sapphire used all her strength to create a wind so powerful it pushed the entire army, including Hakudoshi back through the tears in the barrier and into the Makai. The SD's rushed to the rips and worked as quickly as they could to close them while the Jewel's killed any demon that tried to come back through.

 

Once the job was done, everyone sighed in relief. Kagome fell back to the ground, wincing in pain as she tried to heal her wound. She panicked slightly when she realized that she had used so much of her energy in battle that she didn't have any left to heal herself. Youko was at her side so quick that no one even saw him move. He was kneeling next to the miko and trying to examine her wound but she growled at him every time he tried to move her hand.

 

“Why isn't she healing herself?” Yusuke asked, his voice filled with worry.

 

“She must have used so much of her power that she has none left to heal.” Sango concluded, turning her gaze to the last member of their group they had been looking for.

 

“Demon Sapphire, it's so nice to finally meet you.” Aki smiled

 

“Yes, you don't know how long we've been searching for you.” the wolf said quietly.

 

The girl smiled softly without saying a word. Her eyes held great confusion as they scanned over each individual left on the battlefield. Her outfit was exactly like Kagome's, Sango's, and Aki's but her armor was green while the material was a dark purple. She had short dark brown hair with purple streaks and beautiful sapphire colored eyes. Guessing from her long short haired tail and pointed ears, she was a cougar demon.

 

She seemed to be searching for someone as her eyes scanned past everyone. She smiled slightly when she made eye contact with Hiei and Kuwabara but once her gaze landed on Yusuke, her gentle smile turned to a deadly glare. She stomped her way over to the detective and smacked him over the head quite hard.

 

“Yusuke, I know you understand what is happening here so you better start explaining!” she snarled as Yusuke rubbed his sore head and stared up at the demon as if she had lost her mind.

 

“What'd you hit me for?! I don't even know you!” he snapped.

 

Before the newest team member could speak again, they heard Youko growl in irritation.

 

“Stop your growling and let me see your wound!” he demanded

 

Her eyes squeezed shut from the pain, Kagome still managed to push a threatening snarl through her lips whenever she felt anyone touch her hand that was protectively covering her aching wound. She knew it was a fatal wound and that she was losing a lot of blood but she just needed to gain some energy back and she would be able to heal it.

 

“Stop being stubborn onna.” Hiei said, standing over the kitsune miko and staring down at her in boredom. Sure, he was worried about her but if she had enough fight in her to make sure no one touched her then she would be fine.

 

“Kagome please let Youko check your wound. We can help take the pain away.” Aki pleaded.

 

“Kagome?” Demon Sapphire turned from glaring at Yusuke to stare in confusion at the injured kitsune. “That can't be Kagome…” she muttered as she stepped closer. Youko growled up at her in warning when she kneeled down next to the miko, but she ignored him. “What is going on here?” she whispered under her breath before turning her gaze to Sango and Aki.

 

“If this is Kagome… then one of you is Sango. So this is where you guys disappeared to. I was wondering why you were never at school anymore…” she mused.

 

“Wait a second, how do you know us?” Yusuke asked, confused.

 

“You can be such an idiot Yusuke. Who else would just up and yell at you and know both Kagome and Sango? Not to mention know about the existence of demons.” She snorted.

 

Yusuke's eyes widened as he took a step toward the cougar. “No way… Keiko is Demon Sapphire?!” he yelled.

 

Everyone turned to stare at the girl in surprise. The entire time… the last person they had been searching for was right under their nose. It was only a matter of time before they ended up finding out she was who they were looking for but they were glad she had found them. So the stolen broach obviously found its owner somehow. Keiko must have felt its pull and found it.

 

“We can figure everything out and explain later, but right now we need to help Kagome.” Sango said as she stared over to her friend and the kitsune male that was still trying to gently move her hand. He finally grew frustrated and pulled a seed from his hair and placed it on the ground next to him. A small flower sprouted from the ground and Youko plucked off a single petal and waved it under Kagome's nose.

 

Within seconds, the injured kitsune was out cold and Youko was able to assess the situation. After going unconscious, her body reverted back to her human form and Youko growled in irritation as the recently uncovered skin was now blanketed under the miko's clothes. Moving quickly, he tore her shirt to keep the area completely open for him to see.

 

From just glancing at the gash, it was obvious there was a rather large piece of Hakudoshi's weapon stuck inside the injury. There was nothing they could do in the middle of the forest, if anything it was making the wound worst by adding infection. They needed to get Kagome to a hospital or her apartment as soon as possible or she wouldn't make it.

 

She had already lost a large amount of blood and he couldn't be sure it there was poison on the edge of Hakudoshi's blade that he ran her through with. He couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary but that didn't mean there wasn't a different type of poison that was now slowing flowing through the miko's bloodstream. Youko growled to himself as he stood and gently lifted Kagome into his arms. He refused to let her die… she wasn't allowed to die under his watch.

 

“We need to get her to a hospital.” He said simply before taking off toward the city.

 

Everyone chased after him in frenzy. Had the kitsune lost his mind? He was still in control of Kurama's body! He couldn't let humans see him in his demon form. Moving quickly, Hiei caught up with his partner and ran beside him.

 

“It would be wise to instead head toward Genkai's.” he said before changing course and running toward the old woman's temple. Youko rolled his eyes and followed, knowing it was a better choice than running into a human hospital with ears and a fox tail. He could hear Sango and Aki right behind him, as well as three of the nekos.

 

He had no idea where Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara were, but he didn't really care. All that mattered was getting Kagome healed. He was sure Hiei sent them a message to inform them of where they were going so he didn't worry too much about it. Once they entered the familiar forest that surrounded Genkai's temple, Youko slowed his pace. He had to move smooth and careful so as not to injure Kagome any further.

 

Once he cleared the steps, Genkai and Yukina were already there waiting. The old woman led him to a vacant room and ordered him to place her on the mat. He did as he was told before lending their body back to Kurama. The avatar kneeled beside the still unconscious miko and took her hand in his. Holding it tight and entwining his fingers through hers, he watch as Yukina went to work examining her.

 

Sango, Aki and Hiei entered several moments later and waited for the ice maiden to checked the miko for any other injuries or any signs that she may have been poisoned. Sango moved to sit next to Kagome and glared down at the miko. Why did she have to be so stubborn all the time? She knew better than to avert her attention away from her opponent yet once she heard that Youko was in trouble, she didn't care.

 

Yukina sighed as she straightened and brought her gaze up to Kurama's worried green eyes. “We have to remove the piece of sword lodged in her wound before I can heal her.”

 

Just as she finished her statement, the last three members they left behind ventured into the room. She turned to Hiei and asked if he could remove the metal because she didn't trust she could keep steady enough to remove it without further injuring the miko. Not to mention the person that was doing it had to be able to continue even if Kagome began screaming in pain… and Yukina wasn't sure if she could do that.

 

Hiei nodded silently and unsheathed his katana. Moving to where his sister had recently been seated, he ordered for Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama to hold her down. Yusuke pinned her arms down while Kuwabara held her legs. Kurama rested his arm over the miko's hips so she couldn't move at all no matter what she tried. Sango and Aki kneeled beside Kagome's head, ready to hold down her shoulders it the need arose.

 

With a careful and stable hand, Hiei slowly pushed his katana into the miko's wound. She was pulled from her unconsciousness when she felt the excruciating pain and ground her teeth together when she realized everyone was holding her down. Trying to make it as painless as possible, Hiei quickly positioned the tip of his blade under the chunk of metal stuck deep inside her injury.

 

A deep growl rumbled through Kagome's chest as she tried her best not to throw everyone off her and kill whoever was tormenting her so. She knew they were just trying to help her but the pain was so unbearable she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She could feel the ice cold of someone's sword digging through her wound in search of Hakudoshi's blade tip. Each time the blade moved, it hurt a dozen times more and she had to grit her teeth to keep from screaming out.

 

Everyone shuttered as they watched Hiei search for the metal lodged in Kagome's side. Fresh blood was pouring from the injury and he knew if he didn't hurry, the miko would die of blood loss. This was the first time Hiei had ever used his sword to help someone, and he wasn't about to let the damn onna die. He finally felt his katana touch the metal and pushed in deep past where it was located. With a quick flick of his wrist, the chunk flung out of her flesh and hit the wall across the room.

 

Yukina rushed to Kagome's side and poured a large amount of her healing powers into her body. Kagome's muscles, tense from her immense pain, slowly relaxed and she released a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. Kurama sighed in relief as she released her death grip on his hand. He was surprised at her strength even through she was in her human form.

 

Once Yukina was finished healing the injury as much as she could, she proceeded to wrap the gash in bandages. Her job now finished, she smiled down at Kagome and informed the exhausted miko that she would return in a few hours to check on her. With that said, she exited the room, Genkai and the nekos following. Keiko was now back to demanding what was happening and everyone but Kurama made their way into the living room.

 

The red head remained where he sat at Kagome's side. She was conscious but so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. He smiled softly when her brown eyes opened to gaze up at him. She smiled slightly and was about to speak until he pressed a finger over her lips and shook his head.

 

“You need your rest, don't waste your energy on trying to speak.” He said, receiving a half hearted glare.

 

“I'm fine, stop worrying so much.” She argued.

 

“You nearly died.” He said quietly.

 

“But I didn't.” she smiled, trying to cheer him up.

 

“Kagome… you're nothing short of my everything. I don't know what I would do if I lost you…” Kurama murmured under his breath, staring at the ground instead of her.

 

Kagome held back her tears of both pain and joy as she pushed herself up with her arms and pulled the avatar into a tight hug. “I'm sorry I scared you…” she whispered.

 

Holding her close, Kurama was careful of her newly healed wound as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair. “Why did you take your attention off of Hakudoshi? You know that Youko and I can take care of ourselves Kagome.”

 

“I panicked… I heard Sango yell out your name and it was like a reflex. My safety didn't matter anymore, as long as I knew you were safe.” She muttered softly.

 

Kurama sighed and gently pushed her back down so she was lying on the mat once more. “You're going to get yourself killed one of these days.” He sighed before leaning down and kissing her cheek. “Get some rest.” He said before standing and leaving the room. Closing the door, Kurama sighed and made his way to the living room where everyone else was gathered.

 

“He's grown too strong for us to defeat him.” Sango stated.

 

“But there has to be a way to kill the bastard.” Yusuke argued.

 

“Not even Hiei is skilled enough to defeat him in a one on one battle.” Sango said seriously.

 

Said hybrid snorted. “I doubt he is strong enough to defeat me.”

 

Sango merely rolled her eyes. “Fine, don't believe me but if anyone would have even the slightest clue of how powerful Hakudoshi is it would be me and Kagome.”

 

“I would have to agree with Sango. She and Kagome encountered Hakudoshi in the past and according to them he was already very powerful. In this time, he has had over 500 years to increase his strength…” Kurama said.

 

“But our job is to keep the human realm safe… how are we going to do that if we cannot defeat our greatest foe that wants to destroy everything?” Keiko asked.

 

“I don't know if there is anything we can do…” Sango said softly.

 

“But we can't just give up! It's our destiny to keep this realm safe as well as the Sacred Jewel!” Aki argued.

 

“If anyone has any bright ideas, please share them.” Genkai said.

 

Hearing movement at the doorway, everyone turned to see Kagome standing there. They noticed she had removed her bandages and her wound was completely healed as she moved to sit next to Kurama on the couch.

 

“There is only one way to defeat Hakudoshi… and I know exactly how to go about it.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~

 

A/N:

 

That wraps up this chapter ^_^ Hope you all enjoy it and had/have a great spring break!

 

~*Icyfire*~

 

Next chapter - Chapter Nine: All or Nothing