Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Fire Within ❯ Never Forgotten ( Chapter 5 )

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

By: Hawaiianhoney2030

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Chapter 5: Never Forgotten

Kagome sighed as she stared off into the distance. They, including their newest group additions Hiei and Youko, had been searching for the last of the shards for weeks now. Kagome was finally able to relax and escape Hiei's harsh training and the relentless traveling and was currently soaking in a hot spring they happened to find before setting up camp for the night. It was also the first night she was able to convince Inuyasha, Youko and Hiei that she would be fine on her own for an hour while she bathed.

Ever since Naraku's threat of returning for her and the shards, no one allowed Kagome out of their sight, or reach for that matter. Her kitsune, hybrid, or inu guards were always somewhere near her and she was beginning to feel like a child. Sure, Naraku was strong and she had no chance in hell against him if he appeared before her while she was alone but Kagome was more than positive that she would be able to fight him off until someone could assist and/or save her. She was a gymnast, trained in the fighting styles of a Taijiya, was gradually getting the hang of her miko powers, and was only growing stronger with the training Hiei was helping her with. It would be damn near pathetic if she couldn't at least hold Naraku off for a decent amount of time.

Speaking of the spit fire hybrid, Kagome thought about how much closer they had grown over the last few weeks. When she had first met Hiei, he was quiet most of the time and seemed to hate the world. He had closed himself off from civilization and the miko didn't really blame him. Being a forbidden child, Hiei had an even harder life than Inuyasha. She wasn't completely aware of the details but once the hybrid grew to understand that she wasn't going to betray and turn on him like so many others had, he slowly opened up to her. Kagome was still careful of what she asked him but according to Youko, Hiei held a surprising amount of respect for her so she didn't really have to tip toe around the hybrid.

They continued to sneak off during the night while the others slept to continue their training. No one was aware of their secret yet and Kagome hoped to keep it that way. She wanted to be so quick that she could take her opponents by surprise. Hiei was by far the fastest demon she had ever met, even faster than Kouga with his shards. She knew that if she could train her senses to keep up with Hiei's speeds, she could perhaps become quite a force to be reckoned with in battle. With the continued training, Kagome also began to realize she was gaining more control of her miko powers. The stronger she grew, the easier her powers were to wield. To top it off, her amazing flexibility and quick reflexes that she had gained from gymnastics helped her move and dodge quicker than Sango.

With Kagome's skills and powers increasing, her senses were as well. She could now throw her senses as far as a few miles and sense how powerful a particular demon was and if he possessed a shard. Since they were training in the dark, Kagome's eyes were growing sharper. She could see in the dark almost as well as a demon, it just took her human eyes several minutes to adjust. Her hearing was also improving, giving her the ability to tell exactly where Hiei was if she couldn't see or sense him. After the past several weeks of training, Kagome could almost beat Hiei in battle… almost.

Huffing in irritation, Kagome swam to the shore of the spring and got out of the water. She was frustrated that after all her training and hard work, Hiei could still beat her without breaking a sweat. She knew that since he was a demon it was practically impossible for her to train her senses to be as sharp as his but it didn't stop her intense dissatisfaction. Though if they were in a true battle, Kagome wasn't sure how that would turn out. She had trained her senses enough so that she could counter and block every single one of Hiei's attacks, no matter how unpredictable they were.

So his speed wouldn't help him in a real battle but his strength definitely would. But Kagome had her purification… so it was hard to decide who would win. Then again, there were many powers Hiei possessed that she wasn't aware of. For instance, she knew that he had strong fire powers and could most likely produce a flame from just his ki. She was aware of his ice powers as well but what had her baffled were two things he had yet to completely explain to her… what was hidden under his headband and what was concealed under the wraps on his arm.

Deciding to question the hybrid about it later that night when they started their training, Kagome dried herself off before slipping into a pair of dark grey sweat pants and a green tank top. She had to hurry because she could practically taste the worry and impatience rolling off of three particular males awaiting her return from her bath. Sango had been recently injured so couldn't come with her and Shippo was responsible for making sure no one disturbed or peeped on her during her bath. Shaking her head clear, she gathered her things and quickly headed back to camp.

Youko remained as patient as he could while he waited for Kagome to finish her bath. He was leaning against a tree and had his aura spread all the way to the spring so he could be sure she was safe the entire time. Everyone had been on edge since Naraku escaped, threatening to return for Kagome and the shards. After that morning, everyone refused to let the miko out of their sight. Youko was sure Kagome could hold her own in battle but Naraku was a different story. It took Inuyasha, Hiei, and her to only keep him occupied. She certainly had no chance of escaping if Naraku caught her off guard.

The kitsune had to admit he was impressed by her newly shaped and acquired fighting skills. She had learned Sango's style of fighting quickly and was gradually gaining more control of her powers. Her odd gymnastic moves also proved to be quite useful. But even though she was far more of a threat than she was when he first met her, Youko was still fiercely protective of her. He had placed his claim mark on her because he intended on spending the rest of his life keeping her safe and to have her for himself… speaking of the keeping her to himself, Youko's thoughts wondered to a certain hybrid.

Even the other members of the group were beginning to see the change of attitude between Kagome and Hiei. Sango wasn't as tense around him as she had been when he first decided to tag along with their group. From the mere way Hiei looked at Kagome, she could tell he would never harm her and would protect the little miko with his life if the need arose. Youko had been at first surprised by the obvious acceptation his bandit partner held for his vixen, but over the span of the next few weeks, he quickly realized that Hiei was slowly growing to like Kagome more than a mere friend. It was quite obvious that Kagome was beginning to feel the same for the hybrid as well.

The kitsune's first reaction was anger and slight jealously but once he realized that Kagome's emotions weren't shifting from him to Hiei but instead adding the apparition into the mix, he was able to calm himself. It was quite common for demons to have more than one mate but Youko wasn't sure about humans. He was almost positive that humans remained with one male or female at a time but perhaps Sango had explained the normality of multiple mates to Kagome. If that were the case then it made more sense as to why Kagome seemed to be trying to hold affections for both him and Hiei… even though she was obviously attempting to conceal her feelings for the fire demon.

Youko didn't mind sharing Kagome with Hiei, but he did mind who would have her first. He courted her first, therefore held the right to mate with her first. Not to mention Hiei hadn't even really shown an interest in the miko. Youko learned that Kagome was almost ridiculously oblivious when it came to other's interests in her. She was aware of his attention simply because he openly declared his attraction and desire for her. Hiei, on the other hand, did not show any obvious signs that he liked the miko so it was clear that she had no clue of how the hybrid truly felt.

Youko's ears perked up when he realized Kagome's aura was heading toward them. Turning his gaze to the others, he noticed Hiei and Shippo had also picked up the miko's approach. Inuyasha either didn't care or couldn't tell since he was still resting in his tree undisturbed. Youko rolled his eyes at the hanyou. Of course, since he was only hanyou, he wouldn't be able to sense what full demons could. Not to mention kitsune's sense of smell were far more enhanced than inus. As for Hiei, he was powerful and very in tune with his surroundings so it wasn't a surprise that the hybrid noticed.

Unable to wait any longer, Shippo dashed off in the direction he could smell his adoptive mother. Running at top speed, Shippo grinned as he saw Kagome in the distance. His excitement grew when he saw her smile but his joy quickly disappeared as suddenly her smile faded into complete horror. He panicked as Kagome dropped all of her things and began running toward him. He didn't know what to do… or what was happening so Shippo stopped in his tracks and covered his head with his arms as he crouched low to the ground.

“Shippo, NO!!” Kagome cried out as she tried desperately to reach her kit before Kagura could. She barely got within five feet of Shippo when Kagura swooped down on her feather and snatched Shippo from the ground by his tail. He began to wail loudly as the wind witch flew back up into the air, completely out of reach. Tears slowly trailed down the miko's cheeks as she changed direction and began running after Naraku's detachment.

Suddenly a pair of strong arms grabbed her, stopping her in her tracks. Kagome tried to escape the hybrid's grasp and continue following Kagura but he wouldn't budge. Tears flowing down her cheeks, she gave up and buried her face in the little demon's shoulder, fisting her hands in the material of his cloak. Unsure of what to do, Hiei just held her close and allowed her to cry. Youko, who had dashed ahead to see the direction of Kagura's destination, had returned and felt his heart clench at the sight of Kagome broken down in a mess of tears.

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Kagome swiftly dove into a back flip to dodge Hiei's attack that was aimed for her legs. Once she landed on her feet, she threw her leg up to kick him in the side only to miss as he side stepped quickly. Disappearing once more, Kagome concentrated on exactly where he was as he darted around from tree to tree. The miko could feel her miko energy boiling in her veins and she knew why. She was pissed… beyond pisses actually. For the past hour, she had been sitting on her sleeping bag mentally blaming herself for Shippo's kidnap. If she had been paying closer attention, or could have moved faster, she could have saved her kit from being taken.

Feeling him closing in on her, Kagome threw a powerful barrier around herself just as Hiei was about to deliver his attack. He was shocked out of him mind when the shimmering pink barrier appeared before him but reacted quickly and darted back up into the trees. The sheer power of the barrier made the hairs on his arms stand on end and he wasn't sure if the barrier would purify him or not. Knowing Kagome wouldn't harm him on purpose, he decided to test her barrier. Unsheathing his sword, he attacked the pink obstruction.

He watched Kagome's expression very carefully as he continued to assault the barrier with his sword. After a short time, he could see that it was taking a toll on the miko to merely hold the barrier up, much less keep it strong so he couldn't break through it. Though the harder she tried, the angrier she seemed to get. He dove in to attack it once more and suddenly the barrier disappeared before his sword collided with it. Ducking to avoid the hybrid's sharp katana, Kagome glared angrily as she drilled her fist toward his stomach.

Her anger had been building so much that she didn't even realize the blue flame that engulfed her fist just as it slammed into Hiei's stomach. The apparition was thrown back with such force and power that he was momentarily paralyzed. He pounded against a tree and hit the ground painfully. He coughed for a moment as Kagome seemed to clear her head enough to realize what had just occurred. Her eyes widened as she ran to the hybrid slumped to the ground. There was a burn mark on his blue shirt where she had punched him.

“Hiei! Oh I'm so sorry, are you ok?!” Kagome panicked as she dropped to the ground beside him. Her heart began to race as she watched each of his muscles shutter. She was about to leap to her feet and retrieve help when he slowly lifted his head to stare at her with amused crimson eyes. He chuckled softly and Kagome began to worry further. Kagome had never seen Hiei laugh before, much less smile in true happiness. Great, she hit him so hard that the hybrid lost him marbles… or she purified him partially and completely messed up his emotions.

“Miko, you surprise me time and time again.” He said as he calmed his laughter.

“Hiei lets get you to Youko, I'm sure he can fix whatever I did to you…” Kagome said, worry flooding her eyes as she began to stand. She helped him to his feet as Hiei rolled his eyes.

“You are growing stronger onna and I believe we now have a secret weapon against that vile hanyou.” Hiei stated as he began making his way to camp, Kagome following at his heels.

“What secret weapon?” she asked, completely confused.

“You.” Hiei smirked.

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Youko watched Kagome in confusion and slight worry as they began their search for Shippo. For several hours now, Kagome had been under complete concentration in her hunt for her kit but that wasn't what had everyone staring at her… the fact that she was performing this action with her eyes closed is what baffled them all. The miko was walking at her usual pace with her eyes closed. It was surprising how accurately aware of her surroundings she was even without her sight. What was even more shocking was the fact that she knew exactly where the rest of the group was even though her complete concentration was centered on finding Shippo.

After some time, everyone eventually grew used to the miko's odd method and concentrated on sensing Naraku. They traveled for half the day and were beginning to worry about Kagome seeing as she hadn't asked to take a break or even spoke once throughout the entire time. Sango was about to say something but Youko shook his head. The kitsune knew that Kagome was desperately searching for any traces of Naraku or Shippo and had a feeling that her senses reached twice as far as any of theirs did.

“Shard, weak lizard demon, in its tongue, two and a half yards northwest.” Kagome muttered as she continued walking. Inuyasha turned to look at her in confusion before glancing toward Miroku. The monk shrugged his shoulders and headed in the direction Kagome had said the shard was. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed after the hentai muttering under his breath. Sango remained with the group and laughed slightly as they continued walking in the direction they were headed.

“Her powers have grown… she can actually locate a shard's exact location in a demon and determine how powerful the particular demon is?” the slayer asked.

Youko smirked and nodded, obviously proud of his future mate. Moving slowly and carefully so as to not startle her into accidentally purifying him, Youko loosely wrapped his tail around her waist and pulled her to walk a bit closer to him. Kagome opened her eyes for a moment and smiled up at Youko before returning to her concentration, though she brushed her fingers through the soft fur of his tail. Kagome found herself far more relaxed with Youko's tail around her waist. It made her feel that he was there for her and ready to help when the need arose.

She felt the wind brush against her slightly and felt Hiei's aura beside her and smiled once more. It comforted her to know they were there beside her the entire way. Clearing her mind, Kagome turned her senses away from the group and farther off into the distance. She could sense the demon that Inuyasha and Miroku were after was slowly growing weaker. It wouldn't be long before the two of them returned with the shard she detected from the lizard demon. Averting her attention away from that location as well, she spread her powers as far out as she possibly could.

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Three days… that's how long they've been searching for Shippo and Naraku. By the end of the third day, Kagome was beginning to panic. Youko and Sango had to literally force the miko to sit down and eat dinner before they rested for the night. Kagome didn't want to eat… she didn't want to sleep. How could she when her kit was out there somewhere with the worst possible demon in all of feudal Japan?

How could she eat when her kit wasn't sitting right there next to her to eat with her? How could she sleep when he wasn't there to lie on her chest for the night? Naraku hadn't just taken her kit… he had taken a part of her heart. She considered Shippo a son to her and loosing him was almost too much to bear. She had no way of knowing if he was alright… or even alive for that matter. If only she could receive some kind of sign that he was still breathing then perhaps she could rest for a few hours to regain some of her strength.

But that wasn't the case. All she could do was lay there on her sleeping bag and stare at the sky. There was no way she could fall asleep… not while Shippo was in danger. Not to mention it was all her fault. If only she was faster, she probably could have reached Shippo before Kagura. Or if she were stronger, she would have sensed Kagura concealing her aura before she got close enough to kidnap Shippo. Kagome held back her tears as she fisted her hands in the material of her sleeping bag. She couldn't just lie there and do nothing… this time could be used to cover more ground and could possibly help locate Shippo faster.

Turning her gaze to the others that slumbered around camp, Kagome quietly crawled from her sleeping bag. Leaving everything as it was, she grabbed one of Sango's concealed daggers she kept in Kagome's pack before turning back to everyone. They were all fast asleep, or so she thought. Moving quickly but quietly, Kagome spread her aura out across the surrounding area before heading off in the direction that they had been traveling.

Hiei sighed from where he rested in the tree directly above Kagome's sleeping bag. He easily heard her leave camp and wasn't about to let the miko skip through the forest by herself. Leaping down to the ground, the apparition flicked Youko's ear. The kitsune twitched and whimpered at the slight sting before turning a glare up to his comrade.

“The miko left.” Hiei said quietly before heading off in the direction she disappeared to.

Youko leapt to his feet and quickly made his way to Hiei's side. How did he not sense her leave the camp grounds? He had been that tired? It was a relief that at least Hiei spotted her and had thankfully woke him as well. Before they allowed themselves to get anywhere near Kagome, they concealed their auras, scent and power very carefully so that she wouldn't detect them. It didn't take them long to catch up to her and they soon realized that the miko wasn't even bothering to spread her aura behind her like she had the previous day. Instead, she used the extra power to throw her senses even farther than before.

The only reason Youko and Hiei decided to remain hidden from the miko was because of they're curiosity. They wanted to see how Kagome would fair on her own, with no one there to protect her. Hiei decided this was one of the only ways to truly see how far she improved in her training. If she couldn't protect herself then she wasn't ready to wander by herself, especially after Naraku. Hiei informed Youko of the late night sparing him and Kagome had been working on for the past few months and the kitsune wasn't surprised. He could see she was growing stronger and faster and that couldn't have been gained from training with only Sango.

After several hours of following and watching over her, Kagome was finally attacked by the first demon brave or stupid enough to seek her out. They were worried the miko would need assistance since she was once again traveling with her eyes shut and in complete concentration but their worry was thrown out the window when they saw her lift her hand just as the demon leapt at her. Not bothering to stop, the miko continued walking as a blue flame blasted the toad demon away from her. Its screams of agony were soon silenced as its entire body turned to ash. Youko nodded his head slightly in approval, glad to see the miko was indeed paying close attention to her surrounds as well as searching for Shippo.

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Sango woke with a start when she heard Inuyasha yelling. Leaping out of her sleeping bag, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and focused on the hanyou that was frantically sniffing around the camp.

“Inuyasha, what's wrong?” Miroku asked, stretching.

“Kagome's gone! And so are the weasel and apparition.” he snarled.

Sango turned her gaze to where Kagome had been sleeping the night before and surely enough, her sleeping bag was empty. Sighing, Sango stood and began packing their things. Inuyasha stopped for a moment and turned to stare at the slayer in question.

“What are you doing?! You should be helping me find Kagome!”

“Calm down Inuyasha I know exactly where she is and she's safe.”

“Would you like to share the information you hold with us as well Sango?” Miroku asked, worried about their miko friend.

“She must have left last night to continue searching for Shippo. I'm also guessing that Hiei or Youko heard her leave and they both followed her to keep her safe.” she answered.

“How would you know?!” Inuyasha barked.

Sango rolled her eyes. “It's quite obvious that both of them desire to claim Kagome. Do you honestly think they would let her run off after Naraku on her own?”

Miroku sighed and began helping her pack everything. “I agree. So we just have to catch up with them. Too bad Kagome couldn't have taken her things with her.” he whined.

“But I don't get it. Why couldn't Kagome wait for morning? Why couldn't she wait for the rest of us?” Inuyasha asked, confused and worried. He knew that Kagome was tired last night and if she left while they were sleeping then that meant she got no sleep at all.

“When I first learned that Kohaku was still alive, I searched for him nonstop. I refused to sleep for days and sometime barely ate. When someone you love as dearly as Kagome loves Shippo disappears or is kidnapped, nothing can stop you from finding them… not even exhaustion.” Sango said quietly as she loaded everything in Kagome yellow bag and noticed her twin dagger were missing. She snorted. “Hmm well I'll be damned.”

“What's wrong Sango?” Miroku asked.

“Kagome's even smarter than I first expected. She took my daggers with her.” Sango chuckled, proud of the miko's quick thinking. Kagome now not only fought like a taijiya but also thought like one as well.

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They had been following Kagome for the entire day and never did her pace slow. She didn't seem exhausted or hungry and she hadn't taken one break since leaving camp the night before. Hiei and Youko were seriously beginning to worry about the miko's health as she continued to travel through the night. Throughout the day, she had been attacked by multiple demons but all of them were weak and no match for her purification. She didn't even bother to spare any of them a mere glance as she threw her purification at them and continued walking.

It wasn't until morning that the miko finally stopped at a shallow river for fish. They were impressed by her survival skills and her ability to catch fish with the daggers she had concealed in her clothing. They hadn't even been aware of the weapons until she pulled them from her clothing. She made a fire and cooked the fish before eating as quickly as she possibly could. Hiei ran off to dispose of a demon trailing them from behind while Youko remained near Kagome to watch over her when he saw her stiffen suddenly. She stood and closed her eyes for a brief moment before dashing off into the trees.

Youko leapt into action, knowing that Hiei could easily catch up to them. Kagome was faster. Much faster. Youko was surprised by the little human's speed as she darted through the trees and eventually came to a clearing completely clouded over in miasma. Youko remained at the tree line, though stayed as close to Kagome as he possibly could. Several seconds later, Hiei appeared at his side and was staring out at the clearing with narrowed eyes.

“Naraku is here.” Hiei growled.

“So is his entire army…” Youko muttered as the miasma slowly began to clear. Once it was completely gone, hundreds of low level demons could be seen standing in front of where Naraku, Kohaku, Kagura, and Hakudoshi stood. Kagome stood by herself against the entire army and she didn't seem the least bit scared.

“Where is Shippo!” she yelled angrily.

Naraku chuckled darkly and lifted the kit high in the air by his tail. “Are you referring to this little trouble maker?”

“Kagome! Run, save yourself!!” Shippo cried, tears trailing down his cheeks. His words were silenced when Naraku drowned him in miasma, causing the kit to fall unconscious. Kagome felt her heart drop into her stomach. If she didn't get to Shippo soon, the poison would kill him… But how could she save him? She couldn't take on a whole army and then deal with Naraku's detachments and live to see another day. Shaking those thoughts from her mind, Kagome glared at her enemies coldly as a shimmering pink barrier formed around her like a bubble.

Examining Naraku's entire army and his detachments, she realized that Kanna was missing… and so was the baby that was Naraku's heart. Kagome spread her aura beyond the clearing and easily located the albino child and infant. She knew Naraku wouldn't go anywhere without keeping his only weakness somewhere close to him to keep it safe. If she could just destroy Naraku's heart, then his powerful barrier would be no more and he could easily be defeated in his greatly weakened state. Only problem was that the heart was located a few feet directly behind Naraku… so that meant Kagome would have to get past the army, his detachments and Naraku himself…

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“Kuso…” Inuyasha snarled as he picked up Naraku's scent several hours away.

“What do you sense Inuyasha?” Sango called down from Kirara.

“It's Naraku… I think Kagome's in trouble.”

“She'll be fine; Youko and Hiei are with her.” Miroku reminded him.

“Not even the three of them are enough to take on Naraku and his entire army…” Inuyasha said before pushing to his top speed, racing toward the soon to be battle field.

Sango's eyes widened and she commanded Kirara to pick up the pace. They needed to get to Kagome as quickly as they possibly could or there wouldn't be a Kagome to save.

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Youko couldn't take it anymore and neither could Hiei. They had remained hiding in the trees watching Kagome fight off Naraku's entire army for almost half an hour now. Yes she was doing exceptionally well and hadn't even been touched by a single claw yet but they could tell she was growing tired. Her barrier was still in place and it was definitely helping to keep her protected from Kagura's random attacks but it would disappear if she lost too much energy.

Hiei had said it would be best for them to stay hidden for a short time so that Naraku would let his guard down. If he believed that Kagome was the only one there fighting then he wouldn't be as alert and they could catch him by surprise. Their goal was to sneak their way around the battle field and attempt to take Shippo from Naraku's grasp. Since Hiei was the fastest, he decided that Youko should stay where he was just in case Kagome needed assistance. Youko could easily reach her within seconds from where he was but if he went with Hiei to save Shippo, they probably wouldn't get to her in time.

Kagome glared in anger at the thousands of demons that surrounded her. She was getting tired but she couldn't stop… she couldn't give up. She had to save Shippo. Kagome briefly considered that it would have been smarter to bring at least Kirara with her but she quickly changed her mind. If she had taken anyone with her, she would have been putting them in danger as well and she didn't want any of her friends getting hurt… not anymore. She just couldn't take it if she lost one of them…

Gathering as all of her energy, she pushed it into her barrier and concentrated on her power. Moments later, dozens of arrows made of raw purification shot out from the barrier in every direction. No matter how many demons the arrows hit, they continued to push through the ranks, destroying anything demonic in its path. One even managed to nick Kagura and Kagome could easily see the wind witch was in excruciating pain.

Suddenly Kagome felt a strong demonic aura rushing toward Naraku and Kagome's gaze whipped toward the wicked hanyou. Her eyes widened as she saw Hiei running at top speed toward her unconscious kit and hope filled her entire being. Her aura pulsed to life with new found exhilaration and the little miko dove back into battle. She pulled her barrier closer to her body as she pushed into a front handspring step out round off back handspring step out round off back handspring full twisting layout, destroying every demon she touched as she rushed toward Naraku and his detachments.

Naraku turned narrowed eyes to the hybrid rushing toward him and ordered for Hakudoshi to kill him quickly. Hiei dove into his battle against the child as Youko leapt from the trees and entered the battle as well. Using his power over plants, he quickly disposed of the remaining low level demons before rushing to Kagome's side to assist her. She was currently fighting off both Kagura and Kohaku and was slowly losing. Youko pulled out his Rose Whip and attacked Kagura before she could throw another Dance of Blades toward his future mate.

Kagome sighed in relief when she saw Youko enter the battle field. She was able to breathe a little easier knowing that she had a little help even though she truly didn't want him or Hiei there. If they got hurt, she didn't know what she would do. She smiled her thanks as Youko took Kagura off her hands and glanced over to see how Hiei was holding up against Hakudoshi. To her surprise, he was doing quite well, didn't have a scratch on him in fact. Hakudoshi on the other hand looked like he'd been dragged through the seventh layer of hell.

Turning her full concentration to Kohaku, Kagome tried to think of a way to remove the boy's shard without it killing him. There had to be some way to keep him alive without the shard and Kagome was determined to figure it out. Watching Sango's brother carefully, she braced herself when she saw his muscles tense, preparing to attack. Once he was in motion, Kagome dodged and fell back into a standing back handspring back tuck, effectively kicking his sickle from his grasp as her legs flew up for the handspring. Now that he was unarmed, she would be able to knock him unconscious with ease.

Hiei snorted in disgust as he drove him katana through his opponent's chest. Hakudoshi stood staring up at him with shocked eyes before stumbling to the ground with his last breath. It had taken Hiei a lot longer to dispose of the irritating demon than he had thought but now wasn't the time to ponder over such thoughts. Now he needed to rescue Kagome's kit and get him to safety while they defeated Naraku once and for all. Just as the hybrid was turning toward said hanyou he was intending to destroy, a tentacle stabbed him through the stomach, causing him to snarl in pain.

Hearing the familiar sound of tearing flesh, Kagome turned her attention away from the now unconscious Kohaku to Hiei only to feel her heart stop. There Hiei stood with a tentacle protruding from his stomach. His face hid any and all emotion but his eyes gave away the true pain he was experiencing. Kagome placed a barrier around Kohaku before quickly running to the injured hybrid as he cut the limb and pulled it out of his stomach. He winced slightly but remained standing. Growling in irritation, he turned a deadly glare toward Naraku, who was still holding the unconscious Shippo.

“Hiei! Are you alright?” Kagome flustered as she reached his side, resting her hand on his back as she briefly examined the wound.

“Stop worrying about me onna, our goal is to get the kit.” Hiei growled, though no as intensely as before. Kagome nodded and turned a fierce glare at the vile hanyou. They didn't have much time left before the poison would start taking the kit's life so Kagome knew they had to work quickly. With her hand still on the hybrid's back, she used her fingers to order him to attack from the right while she rushed at him from the left. Youko was finishing off Kagura with ease and Kagome was sure that the kitsune would figure out what they were doing and eventually jump in to assist.

Just before they were about to attack, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Kirara entered the battlefield. This meant she could change up the plans. Inuyasha was at their side in seconds and Youko joined them as well while Sango and Miroku ran to Kohaku to check his wounds. Kagome told the guys to detract Naraku for as long as they possibly could but gave no reason why before she ran off into the surrounding forest. She whistled sharply and smiled as Kirara came running.

Leaping onto the neko's back, Kagome directed her to run toward where Naraku's heart was with Kanna. Kagome leapt off the fire cats back once she spotted the albino demon. She ordered Kirara to leave because she didn't want to take the chance of her soul being taken. Turning her full attention to Kanna, Kagome formed a barrier around herself as she slowly approached. Kanna's emotionless face remained blank as she held the baby that was Naraku's only weakness… his human heart.

“Kanna… I can help you if you help me. I can set you free from Naraku's grasp.” Kagome said as she slowly made her way closer to the demon. A flicker of hope appeared in the child's eyes as she turned her gaze from Kagome to the infant in her arms. Without a word, Kanna placed her mirror on the ground and stepped toward the miko slowly. Kagome smiled her thanks as Kanna handed the baby to Kagome with slight hesitation.

“Now we'll defeat Naraku and free you from him. Thank you Kanna.” Kagome said quietly before slowly backing away.

“Thank you miko…” the girl whispered silently but loud enough for Kagome to hear. The miko smiled softly before running back toward the battlefield with a smirk on her face. Once she entered the clearing, everything seemed to freeze. Naraku stared at her with slight horror as everyone else seemed surprised and relieved.

“Release Shippo and I won't purify your heart.” Kagome threatened bravely.

Naraku snorted and threw Shippo hard into a nearby tree. Youko rushed to the kit as Kagome let out a cry of horror. “You bastard! You'll pay for that!” Kagome snapped as she pushed her purification into her hands. Within seconds, the infant that was Naraku's heart was mere ash that was falling between Kagome's fingers. Naraku cried out in agony. Without hesitation, everyone attacked him at once. Sango combined her Hiraikotsu with Miroku's staff while Inuyasha threw his Wind Scar. Hiei released a black dragon from his arm and to finish him off; Kagome threw the last of her purification directly at him and didn't even bother to watch his death as she rushed to Shippo and Youko.

Kagome dropped to her knees when she reached them and was confused to see that Youko was just staring down at Shippo and not making an antidote. “Youko, why aren't you…”

“I'm sorry Kagome…” he interrupted her, refusing to meet her gaze.

Kagome's heart stopped as her mind realized what Youko was saying. Shaking her head furiously, Kagome felt tears sting her eyes as she stared down at her kit. “No… no no no.” she muttered as she placed her ear to his little chest, expecting to hear a heartbeat… but there was none. Her vision blurred as she shook her head once more in denial. Pulling the kitsune into her arms, she held his head in her hand and shook him slightly.

“Shippo… come on sweetie, it's time to wake up.” she said quietly, shaking him a bit more. She hiccupped a sniffle as she continued to shake her kit. “Shippo, wake up… please wake up…” she whispered, burying her face in his shirt as her tears intensified. Tears trailed down Sango's cheeks as she dropped to her knees beside Kagome. Miroku turned away and buried his face in his hands. He could no longer sense the kit's life energy… Shippo was dead.

Inuyasha moved forward and kneed down in front of Kagome with a scowl. “He's fine, he's just playing his little tricks again. Alright runt, knock it off, you're scaring everyone.” Inuyasha demanded, poking Shippo's leg softly. He still wouldn't move. Inuyasha growled and ordered that Shippo stop messing around or he was going to take his pocky but the kit remained limp in Kagome's arms as she continued to sob into the material of his shirt. The scent of death slowly made itself present in Inuyasha's nose and he shook his head in disbelief.

“Wake up runt, this isn't funny anymore!” Inuyasha yelled, feeling tears sting at his eyes as well.

Kagome placed Shippo's body on the ground and turned her tearful gaze up to Youko. “Did we not get to him in time?” she asked through her tears.

Youko shook his head. “It was too late… the poison was slowly killing him but Naraku broke his neck when he threw him…”

At this point, Kagome completely broke down. She hadn't been strong enough to save her kit and because of her weakness… now he was dead.

“This can't be happening… why Shippo?” Sango cried, turning her gaze up to the skies. “WHY SHIPPO!? Of all people, why an innocent child!” she yelled toward the heavens, knowing whoever was up there could hear her. Miroku pulled Sango into his arms gently and sat there quietly as the slayer cried on his shoulder. He buried his face in her hair and allowed his tears to disappear among her dark tresses.

Inuyasha stood with a snarl and darted off into the forest. It wasn't long before everyone heard his roars of anger followed by a tree hitting the forest floor with a loud crash. Hiei gathered Naraku's half of the jewel and placed it on the ground beside Kagome. He wasn't sure what to do… He had grown close to the little kitsune as well and was angry that he couldn't save him in time. Hiei desperately desired to search out several demons to slaughter in order to sate him lust for Naraku to be brought back just so he could kill the hanyou slowly and painfully.

Kagome continued crying over her dead kit's body, refusing to let go just yet. Youko was finally able to remove her from the ground only to have her soak her tears in his tunic. He didn't care though… nothing mattered at that moment… Sure they defeated Naraku but at the cost of losing Shippo.

“I wish I had better control of my powers… if I did, I could have saved him…” Kagome muttered through her tears. Before anyone could respond to the miko's statement, a bright glow began to emit from not only the shards that rested in the bottle on Kagome's neck but also the junk of Naraku's jewel pieces. With a bright flash, the jewel fused itself together and gazes of complete horror flooded everyone's faces as Kagome quickly faded from view before completely disappearing from Youko's grasp.

Kagome leapt to her feet desperately as she screamed out to her friends. “NO!! I don't want to go back! Not now!” Kagome cried, dropping to her knees when she suddenly found herself in complete darkness.

“Your wish was selfish… therefore your punishment is to return to your time and never pass through the well again.” Kagome heard Midoriko's voice in the darkness and she slowly raised her head to stare at the great miko. “Your wish has been granted but you cannot return to the feudal era.” she said quietly.

“But that wasn't my wish! Midoriko I wanted to wish Shippo back if I could! I don't care if I would be sent back to my time, as long as Shippo was fine.” Kagome cried.

“I'm sorry Kagome… the wish has been made and the jewel is at peace. The jewel is no more now… you can return to your life before you were pulled to the past. You must move on and forget about the sorrows you faced in the past or they will tear you to pieces.” Midoriko said as she slowly faded away.

“Wait! Please Midoriko; I can't go back to how my life used to be!” Kagome sobbed but it was too late. She was already back at the shrine… sitting beneath Goshiboku and the shade of its branches.

`I could never forget the past… no matter how hard I try.'

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A/N:

That wraps up chapter 5. Lol so did anyone else cry when they read Shippo's death? I just wanna know cause I was crying the entire time I was writing it lol. Wow I'm pathetic. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed ^_^

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter - Chapter Six: Forgotten Fire