The Forbidden Ones

by Reflection of a Broken Dream

The Forbidden Ones Kagome's life is being turned upside down. Her reiki is attacking her own body at regular intervals, wearing her down. Her mom and Ji-san know what's wrong, but they're not telling her. In fact, there are a lot of things they aren't telling her... Kagome x ?

1. Chapter 1

The Forbidden Ones

Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream

Pairing: It's a Surprise!

Quick Note:

- This is a different style of fanfic from my other ones...but I hope ya'll enjoy it nonetheless. :D

- This is a crossover, but it's going to take a little time to get to the actual crossover part.
(Inuyasha x Yu Yu Hakusho)

- Please Review!

- Hikari = Kagome's mom
- Kurogane = Kagome's Ji-san or Gramps
- Kyota = Kagome's deceased dad, Hikari's late husband, Kurogane's deceased son

Japanese Words:

Reiki - Spirit Energy

Rekai - Spirit World

Kami - God

Youki - Demon Energy

Youkai - Demon

Inu - Dog

Nekomata - Mythical Two-Tailed Cat

Kitsune - Fox Demon

Kit - Kitsune Child

Makai - Demon World

Hanyou - Half Demon

Ningen - Human

Ji-San - What Kagome Calls Her Grandpa

Ningenkai - Human World

Taijiya - Demon Slayer

Monk - Priest

Miko - Priestess

Edo - Fuedal Era Tokyo

Ikadekimasu - Thank You For The Meal

Udon - A Japanese Noodle Dish

(Udon usually consists of Udon noodles, a dab of wasabi, shredded nori, and thinly chopped green onion. There are many variations of it including kitsune oden, which has a square of fried and simmered tofu on top of a bowl of hot udon, and tsukimi (moon viewing), which has an egg in it. I used a basic version for this fic so it's easy to re-heat.)

(I had Oden down, but I didn't research it like I should have and I got it way wrong. Deebeth89 left an informative review- thank you so much deebeth89!- that set me straight and I did the research I needed to do. I read up on recipies and decided on Udon because, as I wrote above, this one is easier to re-heat. I'm a very basic home cook, and I know little to nothing about sea food, so I have no idea how to treat it to re-heat it. Thank you again, deebeth89, and I'm sorry for any inconvieniences!)

Disclaimer:

I Don't Own Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, the characters, plots, owners, etc.

The only thing I own is this story line...and that's just fine. :)

The Forbidden Ones

Chapter 1: When Reiki Attacks...

It was happening again.

Kagome let out a shudder as a ripple of her own reiki washed over her. It was accompanied by a frosty chill...that slowly fazed into scorching heat. Then, just as quickly as the odd sensations had come, they faded away. Her reiki went back to normal and she felt completely fine. 'Five minutes,' Kagome noted to herself with worry as her bright blue eyes upturned from her heavy duty black wristwatch. 'It's getting longer...' Wary blue eyes shifted to Miroku, who quickly turned his gaze away from her, then to Inuyasha. Her half-breed friend was openly staring at her. A darker blush painted her already heated pink cheeks as she turned her gaze to the ground as they continued to traverse the plain that they were currently travelling through.

It had all started about a year ago, when Kagome had started having random fluxes in her reiki (the energy that was teeming just beneath her skin). It was slight at first, just a quick spike of her reiki when it passed over her body...but then the fluxes became stronger and longer and had added...side-effects. Sometimes it was the feeling of being hot and cold (one fazing to the other) and other times it was the heightening of her senses...like her ability to sense youki, her sense of smell, her sight, hearing, taste, touch... It was strange, to say the least...and she had no idea why it was happening. Nothing had changed... She hadn't trained with her reiki...at least, not in the beginning. She had started about six months ago, learning some tricks from Miroku and Kaede to keep her energy under control...or at least as much of it as she could manage. And she hadn't re-absorbed Kikyo's half of the soul, so it's not like she was suddenly given a bunch of unstable energy to deal with. Naraku hadn't messed with them at that point in time and she was sure he hadn't messed with her- he would have made his move by now. So...Kagome was clueless. She'd done research into the issue- extensive research- both in her time and in the Fuedal Era. Kaede and the others had never heard of such a thing happening...neither had her mother or her Ji-san. She'd scoured through countless books and scrolls and had asked countless mikos and monks in both time periods...but her search had been fruitless.

Kagome sighed as she peered up at the cloudy September sky, a chilly breeze wafting through the travelling group. She would have shivered six or seven minutes ago, but now it felt good to her cooling cheeks...

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Sango asked softly as she quickly moved to stride beside the surprised girl.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Kagome asked in return, putting a smile on for show.

"You went so pale that I thought you were going to pass out...before you went bright red, like you had a fever," Sango elaborated, her dark gaze holding worry for the miko. "Like when you have those attacks of yours..." That's what they decided to call her little episodes when her reiki decided to act up...all because Miroku had commented that it was like her reiki was attacking her body...which was an impossibility in itself. She had nothing within her that needed purifying...unless maybe her body was reacting to the taint of the jewel and was using a new method to keep it purified. That was always a possibility...one that had been spoken of, but couldn't really be researched due to an unfortunate lack of material and knowledge of the previous owners (mikos and monks, that is) of the jewel.

"I...," Kagome hesitated, shifting her line of sight to the ground. She kicked a rock as she sighed. Sango couldn't sense the changes in her like Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippou, and Kilala could...but she was becoming more observant. "I kinda had one..." Kagome's voice was but a murmer when she admitted it. She always felt oddly ashamed of her little...attacks.

"Why didn't you say something? We could take a break if you need it," Sango offered, worry seeping into her voice.

"I-I'm fine," Kagome waved off as she stammered slightly. "I've gotten used to it, so it's not so bad. I can keep going." The first few times she'd had the attacks with side-effects, they were crippling. She literally couldn't continue marching on...but she was stronger now. Kagome could handle the side-effects with little to no difficulties...and some of the after-effects, too...fainting disincluded. She couldn't get around that one... The after-effects included: fatigue, headache, dizziness, vertigo, heaviness of the body, nausea, crankiness, and, sometimes, fainting. (Not limited to those things, but not all of them happen every time.)

"You sure?" a voice shot at her. It took her a moment to figure out that it had come from Inuyasha, the man eying her warily. "You're not going to pass out on us or anything, are you...?"

"No, I'm fine," Kagome reassured more firmly, her cheeks heating again as she remembered the last time she'd had an attack. The pain was so bad that she'd blacked out right after it... "A little tired, but I'm perfectly fine." He slowly nodded but kept an eye on her, she noticed. He didn't believe her. Kagome couldn't help the tick of irritation she felt at the hanyou. "I could always go home if you don't believe me. We're pretty close to Edo..."

"Feh. Do what you want, wench," Inuyasha snorted in reply, finally turning his golden gaze away from her form. Kagome felt anger bubbling beneath her skin as she tried to remain calm.

'That's fine,' Kagome snapped back in her mind. She'd meant to irritate him with the offer to go home...but it had backfired. She might as well go on home now... 'Mom always wants to know when these attacks happen, anyway...' Her mom had been progressively getting more and more worried about her attacks; she would even tell Kagome to come straight home when they happened...but she couldn't always do that. She just got lucky this time...

"May I borrow Kilala?" Kagome asked Sango with a strained smile as she quickly turned back to the older girl.

"Sure," Sango nodded, a pitying look in her eyes that made Kagome feel all the worse about the whole thing. 'She thinks I'm using the fight as a cover to go home and rest,' Kagome silently sighed in frustration. Sango turned back to Kilala, the nekomata trotting behind them, her two tails swishing animatedly behind her. Atop the large cat's back, Shippou lay fast asleep. Kagome was grateful- she couldn't handle another person thinking that she was incapacitated when she clearly wasn't... "Here..." Sango gently transferred the sleeping kitsune to her own arms, the boy only slightly stirring before nestling into the taijiya.

"Are you really leaving?" Inuyasha asked, disbelief in his voice.

"You said I could go," Kagome countered as she gently ran her hands through Kilala's soft white fur before she boarded the firecat.

"I was being sarcastic," Inuyasha shot back at her as her angry blue orbs caught his irritated golden eyes. "You can't go. We've got to resupply at Kaede's and head out again tomorrow."

"That's fine. I'll be back in the morning, then, Inuyasha," Kagome smoothly argued. "I'll resupply my backpack at my house and be back as soon as I get up and get dressed tomorrow morning." She may not have wanted to go home just yet, but her backpack did need refilling...

"But-!" Inuyasha started, not one to drop an arguement.

"Let it go, Inuyasha," Miroku advised, shaking his head as he caught the hanyou's sleeve. Kagome blinked in surprise at the monk. "Letting Kagome go now will save us time- we'll be ready to go sooner in the morning than if we were to let her go home a few hours tomorrow."

"Feh," Inuyasha grumbled as he snatched his sleeve back and turned away from Miroku, his point actually a good one. Kagome couldn't help but feel grateful for his help.

"Rest well tonight, Lady Kagome," Miroku spoke up again, turning back to the surprised miko. His violet eyes held sympathy and an odd sense of understanding. Beneath all of his perverseness...he was pretty wise. Kagome got the feeling that he might just understand what she was going through... "We'll need you in top form tomorrow, resuming the search for the jewel shards."

"...Right...," Kagome agreed slowly with a nod as the surprise wore off. "Thanks, Miroku." She smiled at the monk. "And Sango and Kilala." She ruffled the firecat's fur as Kilala purred back at her. Miroku gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"You're welcome," Sango nodded to her with a small smile. Kagome nodded back to the taijiya, a bit more at ease than before.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Kagome spoke to all of them, getting a polite farewell from both Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha stayed silent, but that was fine with her. She didn't care so much for his input at the moment... With a soft growl and a leap, Kilala had taken to the cool blue skies and Kagome gripped her fur a little tighter, her backpack pulling her backwards a little with the gravity of the leap. It didn't take long for the little group to escape the sight of the airborne miko.

"I still say she should have stayed," Inuyasha harumphed as soon as she was well out of sight and earshot.

"Idiot!" Miroku chided, keeping his voice soft enough that Shippou wouldn't wake from the insult. The softness of his tone made the remark no less sharp, though.

"What-!" Inuyasha started and stopped, interrupted.

"She's probably suffering from the attacks more than she shows," Miroku scolded with a deep frown. "Her spiritual energy, her reiki, is physically attacking her body. Each time it happens, it spans for longer periods of time and it seems to attack her more frantically. It drains her power and leaves her physically and mentally exhausted." He paused, letting them absorb the information. "Imagine your body being attacked by your own youki, Inuyasha. You can't fend it off, and it saps all of your energy while also causing you bodily harm. That is what Kagome is going through."

"Don't you think I know that?" Inuyasha growled back at the monk, his golden eyes narrowed and showing a hint of worry alongside his frustrated anger. "I just...don't know how to make it better. We've searched in this era and she's searched in her era, but nothing is coming up; no solution for her attacks. ...Making her angry is better than watching her waste away until she falls asleep..." There was a long moment of silence that followed Inuyasha's arguement, both Sango and Miroku understanding the helplessness of the situation that he was feeling. After every attack, they all noticed that Kagome would become progressively wearier and wearier until she took a nap or went to sleep for the night...and she would always wake up in much better shape than when she went sleep.

"I understand why you angered her, but that's not exactly a good thing, either," Miroku gently consoled. "It makes her wearier...and in more of a foul mood."

"...Mnnn...I know...," Inuyasha sighed, his ears bowing slightly with his sorrow and worry. Another silent pause wore on the weary group.

"Well...standing here worrying about her isn't helping anyone," Sango finally spoke up, shifting the sleeping kit in her arms a little. "Let's get back to Kaede's hut- we've still got a little ways to walk before we reach Inuyasha's Forest." With that, Sango started walking forwards again. Miroku smiled warmly before a more mischievious grin took residence on his face. He moved so that he was in-stride beside Sango and Inuyasha quickly walked to the head of the group, knowing that smirk. It didn't take long for Inuyasha to hear the tell-tale rubbing of fabric that indicated that the monk had molested the taijiya...again...and then a loud smacking sound reverberated loudly through the open plain.

'How can he sleep through that?' Inuyasha asked himself silently, referring the snoring kitsune kit in Sango's arms, the taijiya and monk arguing over the little 'mishap'.

"Stupid monk...," Shippou uttered softly in his sleep as Inuyasha looked back at the kit in surprise, the boy turning over in Sango's arm. The taijiya was unaware of the utterance and barely aware that he had turned to get more comfortable in her arms. After listening to Shippou breathe a moment, Inuyasha deduced that the kit was still dead out. He couldn't help but smirk- despite his worrying over Kagome- as his golden eyes found the road ahead of them again, the forest just coming into sight.

'Maybe we're just overthinking this...,' Inuyasha sighed in his mind as his eyes strayed to the fluffy white clouds overhead. The lowering rays of sunlight danced off the white clouds, coloring them in many different shades of pink, red, orange, and purple. 'Everything will be fine. It always is. We'll find a cure for her little attacks and everything will go back to normal. It has to...she has to.'

"Thanks, Kilala," Kagome sighed as they reached the well, the last vestiges of sunlight lighting the darkening land. She slid her feet to the ground as soon as Kilala landed...and she regretted that move when she lurched forwards, unable to right herself. Kilala caught her before she could fall, the large nekomata's head stabling her. "Oh...thank you..." Kagome let out a shaky breath, feeling drained and dizzy. The after-effects (that she had often tried to hide from her friends) had hit her a little later than normal... Kilala let out a worried mewl, her large crimson eyes showing the emotion that she couldn't properly voice. "I'm fine, Kilala, I promise." Kagome smiled tightly at the large cat. Her whole body felt like lead... "I just need to rest." Kilala nodded but stayed close. Kagome felt grateful for the firecat's help as she unsteadily stepped over to the well with her help and slowly straddled the lip. "I'll be back bright and early tomorrow, alright? See you then." Giving the loyal cat a loving pet, Kagome allowed herself to fall backwards into the Bone Eater's Well. The welcoming blue lights enveloped her as she shut her eyes, the dizzy feeling growing as she fell down, down, down into the well. Kagome felt like she was spinning, even though she knew she was falling straight down. Her stomach lurched and it took everything Kagome had to keep her lunch in her belly. Finally, it stopped. She stopped falling and the dizzy feeling started to ebb away. Kagome shivered against the cool ground beneath her pink-jacketed back as she slowly opened her eyes to the darkness of the well in her era.

"Finally...," Kagome sighed, allowing herself a moment to fully get over the dizziness. When she was sure that she wouldn't be hit with vertigo, she very slowly, very carefully, got to her feet. "Oh..." She stumbled over her large feet and caught herself against the side of the well. "I forgot how tired I get after those stupid attacks...my body feels like lead..."

"Eh? Kagome? Is that you?" an elderly male's voice called down the well. Kagome sighed softly to herself.

"Yeah, Ji-san," Kagome called back as she looked up, unable to see the white-haired man. She noticed, however, that the ladder wasn't in the well... "Hey...where's the rope ladder?"

"Hang on a moment...," her gramps called back. After a moment of waiting and listening to the rustling sounds of him moving around, his head appeared over the top of the well. "Watch your head!" Kagome moved back as he dropped the ladder into the well, the loud sound of the ladder hitting the rocks making her ears ring as the dizzy feeling swept over her again. She gripped the far side of the well to stay steady.

"Thanks, gramps," Kagome called up to him before taking a breath and moving over to the ladder as casually as she could manage. Then she was hefting her heavy body up the ladder, towards the lip of the well.

"No problem," he called back, squinting at her, she noticed. "Are you alright? You're moving sort of funny...like you're hurt..."

"I'm fine," Kagome reassured, her cheeks heated in embarrassment that he'd found her out. When she had said 'I forgot how tired I get after those stupid attacks...my body feels like lead', she had mumbled, the sound not loud enough to even echo up the well and to his ears. Even if it had echoed up to him, by some miracle, she was sure that he wouldn't have been able to hear it- his hearing was getting pretty bad... "Just really really tired..."

"Hm...," her gramps hummed back. Kagome made it to the top of the well and he caught her hand and helped her over the top of it. "Did you happen to have another one of your attacks?" Kagome blinked at the man in surprise, the whites of his dark eyes practically glowing in the dark. 'How...how did he figure it out...?' Kagome asked herself silently. 'In the dark, no less...'

"W-Why do you say that?" Kagome asked with a nervous smile.

"You don't look quite right," her gramps spoke outright. "Your skin is far paler than normal and you move like your body weighs a ton. You look and act the same after your attacks..." Kagome mentally cursed his surprisingly sharp wit on the subject.

"Well...okay, I...I did have an attack," Kagome admitted somewhat hesitantly. "But I'm alright...just a little tired."

"Hmmm...okay," Ji-san surprised her. "Let me help you inside and then you need to eat and go right to bed. Don't bother with a bath tonight, you can get one in the morning."

"Umm...alright...," Kagome managed to reply as he slipped an arm around her waist, the other holding onto her left arm. He gently helped her up the steps of the wellhouse, towards the slight bit of light coming in through the slits in the top of the door. 'Since when did Ji-san get so strong...?' Kagome wondered to herself as they made it to the top. His grip was firm and steadying. 'Or...is it just because I feel so weak...?' Her blue eyes turned to the focused man as he opened the door of the wellhouse and then carefully helped her onto the shrine grounds. 'It's got to be me,' Kagome concluded as Ji-san shut the door behind them and then gently took hold of her again and re-directed her towards the house. 'No way is my old Ji-san really this strong. I'm just weak from the attack...as much as I hate to admit that...' She brooded a little as they entered the house.

"Hikari, dear, where are you?" Ji-san called as he shut the front door behind them. "Kagome is back...she's had another one of her attacks."

"Ohhh...," Kagome groaned. 'Why did he have to say that?' she groused mentally. 'Mom's going to be all over me and she won't leave me alone until I go to sleep...' Just as Kagome had feared, her mom appeared from kami-knows-where and immediately took up her gramp's position, fussing over her.

"Are you alright, dear? You look pale...," Hikari, Kagome's mother, started in on her worrying. "Have you eaten? No, it doesn't matter. You need to eat again to keep your strength up. Let's get you to the kitchen and I'll re-heat a little of the leftover udon we had for supper..."

"Udon?" Kagome perked up. She didn't particularly like being fussed over...but udon would definately sweeten the deal. (It was her second favorite dish her mom made.) "Okay..." She went along with her mother to the kitchen, the girl completely unaware of her gramp's very serious gaze that followed her until they turned the corner to get to the kitchen, hiding her from view.

"Here we are...," Hikari got her daughter seated and her jacket off before busying herself with the task of re-heating the udon. She pulled the covered metal pot from the refrigerator before shutting the door. She then uncovered the pot and spooned a generous amount of noodles and vegetables into a small pot and put it on a burner on the stovetop. She turned the knob and the flame in the gas burner flickered to life. With a nod and a smile, she added some salt and water to the heating udon before returning the large pot of cold udon to the fridge. Then Hikari turned back to her weary daughter. "Are you feeling alright, Kagome? You look worn out..."

"I am," Kagome sighed out as she met her mother's worried dark orbs. "But I'll be alright. I always am after resting for a while." Hikari nodded knowingly.

"What happened when you had your attack?" Hikari questioned lightly. "Was it your senses again? And what happened afterwards? Did you get dizzy again? Nauseous?"

"Umm...," Kagome started, stopping her mother's nervous rambling. "The attack...I went from freezing cold to feeling like my body was on fire before it stopped and I went back to normal."

"How long did the attack last?" Hikari asked gently but expectantly.

"Five minutes," Kagome admitted with hesitation, watching her mother's expression of worry deepen.

"That's longer than the last time you were home...," she noted aloud. Kagome could only nod. "When was the last time you had an attack?" Kagome had to think about it a moment before answering.

"Four days ago...or was it five...?" she mused aloud, unaware that her mother's expression had turned startled. "...Mmm...it was five days."

"So close together...," Hikari noted. Kagome could only nod. The one before that had occured about a week before the one five days ago. "What happened with that one?"

"I had an increased sense of smell...I thought my head was going to explode," Kagome remembered with a grimance. "I passed out after it- it lasted about four minutes and fifty seconds..."

"And this time?" Hikari asked softly, Kagome noticing her mother's hand shaking slightly as she brought it thoughtfully to her lips. Kagome didn't want to worry her, but she knew that she had to tell the truth...

"I didn't pass out. I was really tired after and Inuyasha didn't make me feel much better. I got aggrivated and got Kilala to bring me home. When I slipped off of her back, I felt dizzy and heavy again. I probably should have waited until it passed to jump into the well because it got worse when I was falling...I almost got sick...almost. I didn't, though. Now I just feel tired...and still kinda heavy, but that comes with being tired," Kagome fidgitted as she looked back up at her mom, noticing how thoughtful and worried she looked. Guilt nagged at Kagome, but there wasn't much she could do about it... "I'm okay, mom. I promise. We'll get this figured out soon."

"Oh...," Hikari gasped as she looked up at her brave, smiling daughter. Slowly, she returned the smile. "Mmm." She nodded. "I hope so." 'I hope so, too,' Kagome added silently in the safe confines of her own mind. "What about the one before the earliest attack we spoke of?" Hikari looked stronger, braver, to Kagome as her hand left her lips and a more determined look crossed her face.

"Umm...," Kagome thought back a moment. "It was the one I had here, my sense of sight heightened. I could see dust particals in the air..." Kagome was still overly amazed by that attack. It hadn't hurt...until afterwards...

"Counting back that was...five days from the other attack," Hikari mentally added up in her mind. "It lasted four minutes and fourty seconds." Nodding when she knew she had it right, she blinked, then looked back at her daughter. "The attacks are getting longer and closer together."

"Yeah...," Kagome replied weakly, Hikari turning back to the udon quickly to stir it as it began to simmer. As much as Kagome hated to admit it, it worried her. What would happen if they started happening every day? She couldn't just stay home while the others risked their lives to complete the jewel...

"Six days, four minutes and thirty seconds; five days, Four minutes and fourty seconds; five days, four minutes and fifty seconds; five days, five minutes," Hikari listed off the days and times of the attacks. "They're getting steadily closer together and longer..." She trailed off into thought and Kagome was thankful for the silence...until gramps walked in.

"So will her next one be in five days or four?" he added to the conversation as he took a seat at the table. Kagome blinked at him from across the table. "I was listening in from around the corner." He shrugged and Kagome sighed.

"I don't know," Hikari responded softly, a hint of nervousness in her voice as she tended to the udon.

"Before that, there were three times in which her attacks were six days apart, two in which her attacks were seven days apart, seven in which her attacks were two weeks apart, three in which her attacks were three weeks apart and three in which they were a month apart...and that goes back about to the start of them," Ji-san informed them, a paper in his hand. "I went ahead and recorded her attack from this time on our time table. I think the next one will be in four days."

"That sounds about right...," Hikari reluctantly agreed with him. "When are you leaving, Kagome?"

"Tomorrow," Kagome sighed.

"Can you be home two days after that?" Hikari surprised her daughter. "So you're home for the fourth day, to see if we're right?" 'Inuyasha is so going to kill me...,' Kagome groaned silently. 'And this is really taking time away from the shard hunt...'

"I could try- no promises, though," Kagome offered up the best she could. There was a long moment of silence as Ji-san sighed tiredly.

"Is Inuyasha coming to get you in the morning?" Hikari surprised Kagome.

"Umm...no, I said I would meet them in Edo," Kagome answered.

"Could you bring Inuyasha back here for a moment, then?" her mom asked sweetly, making Kagome blink up at the older woman in surprise. "I just want to talk to him for a moment."

"Uhh...sure...," Kagome agreed slowly, a bit confusedly. What could her mom say that would change Inuyasha's mind?

"Thank you, dear," Hikari smiled as she turned back to the stove. Kagome completely missed her grandfather's amused smirk of a smile as he pulled out a newspaper and hid his face behind it, pretending to read it. 'I am definantly missing something...,' Kagome blinked as she looked between her mom and gramps. Just like that, the worrying topic was completely dropped. Kagome couldn't say that she wasn't happy about it...but it was still odd.

"You're welcome...," Kagome mumbled. "Umm...where's Sota?"

"Sora's house," Gramps informed her. "They had a date today, but he should be coming home in a little while. Maybe around eight or nine."

"Oh...okay," Kagome nodded as a small smile crossed her face. 'That little rascal,' she smiled silently. 'I'm glad he and Sora are still together. They make such a cute couple.' She sighed wistfully. 'If only my love life could be as simple and easy...' She discarded the thought as soon as it had come. While things could get confusing and difficult, she still honestly loved Inuyasha. Just being at his side would be enough for now.

"The udon is ready," Hikari called, turning the stove off. She placed the hot pot on the table and quickly got Kagome a bowl and chopsticks.

"Thanks, mom," Kagome smiled, feeling an odd sense of normalcy return. She didn't realize how much she'd missed that feeling until now... "Ikadekimasu!" Kagome clapped her hands together once before digging in.

"Do you need help up the stairs?" Ji-san asked gently as Kagome walked to the bottom landing of the flight of stairs.

"Nah, I'll be fine," Kagome waved off with a smile. "I feel a little better after eating and I'm not heavy or dizzy anymore."

"That's good," Ji-san nodded somewhat energetically. "Are you going to bed now, then?"

"Yeah...I'm still pretty tired," Kagome nodded. 'I'll say hey to Sota in the morning, if I can,' she added a silent memo to her mind. "Good night, Ji-san, momma." Hikari was entering the room, having just washed Kagome's dish.

"Good night," Ji-san nodded back to her.

"Have a good night, sweetie," Hikari bid back to her as Kagome smiled and ascended the stairs and dissappeared into her room around the corner, the door sliding shut behind her. They watched her door for a long moment, the strip of light flickering off from underneath her door, indicating that she had turned her light out and was in bed.

"I don't think it'll help much, but we'll have to do it tonight," Ji-san spoke softly to his daughter-in-law. Their dark eyes caught, the older set carefully guarded and the younger set weary with worry.

"Yes...I know," Hikari agreed softly, her arms hugging her slender torso. "Father...Kurogane-san...do you think...that she'll be alright...?"

"Yes...I think she will be just fine, Hikari," Kurogane, Hikari's father-in-law, nodded with a small smile on his face. Hikari noticed that, for just an instant, his face didn't hold the age that it normally did. "Kagome's a strong girl. I believe that she'll push past this rough patch with only minor difficulties. You should be proud of her- she's done so well so far. Kyota would have been very proud of his two beautiful children."

"Yes...you're right," Hikari gave the man a tearful smile. "He would be proud of them...I am, too." She turned her dark tear-filled eyes up towards her daughter's room. "I guess I'm just worried about this 'rough patch'..." Kurogane nodded in understanding. "I know that it's my own fault that this is happening-"

"Kyota had just as much fault in it as you," Kurogane added in, gaining Hikari's attention again. She nodded solemnly, a small smile still lingering on her lips.

"I know that it's our fault that this is happening, that we knew, to some extent,what we were getting into...," she started again, getting an approving nod from the man. "...but I still worry for her, for them. We were really lucky that I was even able to give birth to them. What happens if...if..." She trailed off, the words hitched in her throat. Hikari's heart was ripping apart. The tears flowed freely down her face and Kurogane gently pulled the taller woman into an embrace.

"Shh, shh...," Kurogane cooed to his daughter-in-law. "It's going to be alright. You won't lose them, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" Hikari sobbed into his robes.

"Because I won't let them die," Kurogane comforted gently. "In case you've forgotten, I've got some tricks up my sleeve and an ace if they don't work out..." Kurogane gently pulled her away and she nodded as she looked at him, attempting to wipe her tears away. He helped her with calloused hands and a tender gaze, a smile quirking at his lips. "Remember! I've got a few favors I can call in from Lord Got-A-Stick-Stuck-Up-His-Ass and Lord Stick can help, even if she has slipped away...so you have nothing to worry about, my dear." Hikari couldn't help the soft laughter that bubbled up at Kurogane's nickname for his long-time friend and ally. He grinned, happy to have cheered her up.

"I remember," she nodded slowly, wiping the last of her tears away. "I just...I'm scared. I don't want it to get to that point."

"I don't either, but bad things do happen Hikari," Kurogane replied sagely. "I just need you to be prepared in case it does happen. You have to keep calm and we'll get her to the Lord's house as quickly as we can. Alright?"

"Okay," Hikari agreed, taking a breath and renewing her strength. It surprised her sometimes just how calm, cool, and collected Kurogane could be.

"In the meantime, we keep doing what we do to help and she can endure the rest," Kurogane added, both looking back up to Kagome's room. "Sota won't be home for at least an hour. Do you want to go ahead and do it?" Kurogane's dark eyes turned back to Hikari, the woman nodding as she slowly turned her gaze back to him.

"Yes," she answered softly. "This is all that I can do to help, so I want to do it."

"Well said," Kurogane inclined his head. With a nod to each other, they began scaling the stairs, headed to Kagome's room.

- End Chapter 1 -

- CLIFFY!

- Sorry guys! I didn't want to give everything away...so you're left with a cliff-hanger. Can you figure out what's going on with Kagome? What's up between Hikari and Kurogane? Who is Kurogane's friend (that one shouldn't be too hard to figure out...)? What did Hikari and Kyota do that affected their children? Will Kagome...die?

I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out. XP

- Please Review!