Kagura breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Everything was over at last. No more Naraku, her heart back in her own chest where it belonged, the jewel was restored to its original glory and in the hands of the forgiving miko from the future. She'd caught a rumour on one of the breezes though, that some great power was planning to raise a barrier between the humans and the demons, sending the more powerful to live in a world of their own. She wasn't sure whether to be amused or disgusted. Without demons around, the humans would have it far too soft. Without adversity, how would they ever grow?
There would be ups and downs to both sides of the argument of course, but what did it matter to her? Wherever she went, as long as she was free as the wind, then what did it really matter?
~oOo~
"Well, bless my soul, if it ain't the most beautiful creature I've ever been blessed to see says I," a voice said from her left as she stepped into the world of demons, the barrier being risen behind her.
Kagura kept walking.
"Oh how you wound me lady with your indifference!" the voice piped up again, and Kagura halted as a male demon with bright red hair and blue eyes stepped in front of her.
"Please excuse this old fool of an Irishman, but I should like to be given the chance to know you miss," he said. "My name's Leap."
"Kagura," she answered, politely though confused with this demon's attentions.
"You'll excuse my forwardness I hope, Miss Kagura, but you smell like the fresh winds, my own dear element," Leap said, smiling fondly.
She nodded. Another demon who worked the winds? Well, who knew.
Leap's grin grew wider.
"Well fancy that! I don't suppose you're lookin' for a man in your life at all? I'll even build ye a house without walls so that the wind can blow through if you like," Leap offered.
Kagura blinked. Well, that was certainly sudden. She just met this demon, and already he's thinking that far ahead? Then again, he was nothing like Naraku, and was offering her a very free feeling sort of life, with company.
"Sure, why not?"
Leap's grin went from ear to pointy ear, and Kagura laughed to watch them wiggle as he bounced with glee before her.
~oOo~
Life with Leap was not what Kagura had expected, with his crazy Irish ideas and his infectious sense of fun. She wasn't going to deny that she enjoyed it though. The crazy demon made it his personal mission to make sure she smiled at least once every day, and seemed to award himself bonus points if he could get her to laugh.
The sex wasn't half bad either.
The eventual pregnancy on the other hand, she wasn't so pleased with. The last baby she had held had been one of Naraku's incarnations, a real bastard of a kid. This one inside her was just making her ill. Leap had promised that he'd do the dirty business of the nappy changing though, which was very thoughtful of him, and Kagura was beginning to look forward to the child just as she got so heavy on her feet she had to use her winds if she wanted to move at all.
Then, some hundred and fifty years after meeting Leap at the closing of the barrier, and after nine long months of discomfort, the baby came.
Kagura laughed happily, once all the pain was over, to see that their son looked just like his father, all the way up to the small white horn on his head, and the way his round ears became pointed and then wiggled when he was happy about something.
Leap held her and their child together in his loving arms, and Kagura felt free there.
"What will you call our son my beauty?" Leap asked.
Kagura smiled at him, then their child. "Jin," she answered.
Leap chuckled. "It suits the wee lad," he said fondly.
~oOo~
"Get back here Jin!" Kagura yelled, chasing after her son as he flew around their mountain top house, weaving in and out of the many openings in the walls – the openings that allowed all the air to come in and out freely, while still being able to hold the roof up and divide the house into sections.
Jin just laughed and flew faster, swerving around happily as he dodged his mother, doing his best to get out of having his bath.
"You asked for it mister!" she called, and suddenly Jin was buffeted by a strong gale, one he wasn't big enough yet to resist or control, and he found himself flailing towards his mother and the bathroom. "Gotcha! You crazy little demon!" Kagura scolded fondly.
"Don't every try and outsmart your mother, Jin," Leap chuckled, landing at the other end of the hall, a half-way butchered demon pig hanging over his shoulders for their dinner. He'd finish getting it ready for them to eat in their kitchen. He just did most of the messy stuff when he caught it. "It won't work."
The small family of wind demons all laughed, and Jin behaved as his mother washed him, then watched in awe as she used the wind to manipulate his bath water into a waterspout, which he tried to copy with only very slight success.
"Alrighty you," Leap said, stepping into the bathroom. "I'm filthy and want cleanin', so either you be done and get out, or be prepared to share that there tub with your old man!"
Kagura smiled and stood up, knowing their son enjoyed his baths better when he got to share them with his father.
~oOo~
Jin was coming up on one hundred years old when Leap and Kagura realised they had nothing fresh to teach their son, and that if they allowed his training to stop so early, his great talent would be wasted. Their dear, precious boy had become as powerful as them already, and had it in him to exceed them.
"I'm so proud of you!" Kagura told him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, already broad and muscular.
"I've found you a master, me lad," Leap said. "One who's got a different set of tricks that either of us, and it may even be you'll learn something of discipline, dedication, and good ol' fashioned hard work while you're with him."
~oOo~
Jin returned to his home when he was two hundred years old, bringing with him a friend he had made through his master.
"Touya, it is wonderful to finally meet our son's friend. He writes to us about you," Kagura said, welcoming the fine-boned ice demon.
"I don't know if I should be flattered or worried," the boy answered.
Leap and Kagura laughed, and welcomed them both in, a line of ten skinned hares roasting over a fire on a slowly turning spit.
"I think they're ready," Kagura said, and with a wave of her fan removed the spit from over the fire.
"So, how's being apprenticed to the shinobi son?" Leap asked, looking from Jin to Touya and back.
"It's great!" Jin enthused. "Master said I'd be finished with me training real soon, and then I'll be getting hired by eejits with swabs of cash to take care of trouble makers, cuz they're too lazy or bored or busy t' do it 'emselves. Sounds like it's gonna be great fun!"
Leap laughed.
"And you Touya?" Kagura asked, floating a platter with three of the hares on into the apparition's lap, just like the ones that settled into her mate's and her son's laps. She only took one animal for herself. She had to keep her figure after all.
"My master's lessons are challenging, but I confess, I enjoy them very much as well. Someday, I hope to be as skilled as he is, and as wise," the boy answered.
Kagura smiled at the boy. He was solemn, and somewhat poetic, but forthright.
"Wisdom is a difficult treasure to hunt for," she said, kindly. "As soon as you get a little, you realise how much more there is that you don't know."
Touya smiled, and blushed a little, ducking his head to begin eating his meal.
Kagura lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I don't know how it happened, but thank you for befriending my son. He needs someone sensible to balance him."
"How did you manage with him growing up?" Touya asked.
"Don't let the pretty face fool you," Kagura answered, "I learned how to be craftier than most foxes by the time I had been around only a few months."
"Aye," Leap said, sliding his arm around Kagura's waist. "She's a sly one is my beauty, an' I reckon she's got more secrets to her than she's shared with me, and more layers to her than the clothes she wares."
Kagura smirked and slapped Leap with her fan, which made Jin laugh, which led Touya to quietly do likewise.
~oOo~
"Leap, Jin's latest letter says that he's going to participate in the Dark Tournament in the Human World with a few of the others in the Set," Kagura called out, having just opened the letter from their son.
"Hmm, wonder what the boyo is wantin' for his prize ifn he wins? Di'n't think he was wantin' of anything," Leap answered.
Kagura sighed. "Well, if there's a hole we can get through, shall we go and watch our son? It's been a long time since we've seen him after all," Kagura pointed out.
Leap smiled at his mate and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"That sounds like a grandiose ol' idea love," he answered, kissing her neck gently.
~oOo~
Kagura and Leap took themselves to the VIP box – they hadn't spent their years in poverty after all – and soon met the human who was sponsoring their son's team. Deep disgust slowly began to mar Kagura's features.
"I swear Leap, if that wretched man starts interfering with the fights, I will remove his fingers with the blunt edge of my fan," she growled.
"Well, Jin's no' fightin' today, so we'll threaten him nice and proper, then go and see the lad, and he can introduce us to his team," Leap suggested.
Kagura smiled thinly. "You always know how to cheer me up."
Comfortably entwined, they sat down to watch the first match of the Tournament.
"Damn," she said, seeing the Darkness Flame. "Of all the times for ... damn."
"What's the matter love?" Leap asked.
"Who is that team's sponsor?"
"They're the guest team, we give them to Koenma, not that he really has much to do with the Tournament, it's just a courtesy thing," answered the fat, sweating man who was the sponsor of their son's team.
"Then I will be their unofficial sponsor," Kagura declared, standing sharply. "No one screws with them, or they answer to me. They'll get knocked out of this in the ring and nowhere else."
"Kagura love?" Leap questioned, following her as she left the lounge.
"Can you keep an eye on them? I think that Urameshi kid and our Jin are going to get along very well, I'd like them to get that chance. I'm going to fetch someone who will be able to help with their injuries," Kagura said, privately wondering how she would get the priestess to co-operate.
Leap nodded. "Anything for you love," he said, kissing her and going back in.
~oOo~
Kagome sighed and ran a gentle hand down the back of the two-tailed cat. Kilala was the only one of her friends from her time in the Warring States Era that was left to her. InuYasha had killed Naraku, with help from Sesshoumaru of all people, but of course once that fight was over they had to settle their own differences, and Sesshoumaru had won of course. Miroku had finally asked Sango to marry him, which she did, and Shippo had met an older fox who was willing to teach him more of the things he needed to know. Kilala was the only one who had stayed with her, and then had somehow been able to come through the well with her – which was sealed now.
"Priestess!" a voice called from above. A familiar voice.
"Kagura!" she yelped in shock, jumping to her feet, while Kilala grew to her larger size, hackles raised.
Kagura descended, landing gently on the ground before her.
"Are you still after the Jewel?" Kagome demanded.
"I have no interest in it," Kagura answered, shaking her head. "I found my contentment in these five hundred years. I've come to ask for your help."
Kagome relaxed while Kilala calmed – though she didn't resume her small stature just yet.
"What could you want my help for?" Kagome asked.
"Your healing abilities. Please, I need for you to come with me. Some idiots got themselves wrapped up in something which could be their deaths, but I would like for them to survive and meet my son, who is also there," Kagura said, plainly, and without the emotion that such word were normally accompanied by.
Kagome blinked in shock. Kagura had a son? Well, that settled it, she wanted to go just to meet this guy.
"Sure, life was getting a bit dull just being a shrine maiden," she said. It was great to be finished with school at last, but the family shrine was her occupation, and it was kinda dull without the demons of the Edo Period to defend it against.
"Thank you Priestess," Kagura said, then hopped onto her giant feather and led the girl and flying cat demon to Hanging Neck Island.
~oOo~
"What's this?" Hiei demanded at the sight of two unknown females at the door of their rooms.
"K-Kagome?" Kurama whispered, his green eyes growing wide at the sight of the younger woman standing there. "W-what are you doing here? With... with Kagura?"
Kagome blinked a few times as she stared at the red headed boy who knew her. "How did the little Shippo I knew grew up to be this handsome young man?" she asked, stepping forward to take his face in her hands tentatively.
"Kagome!" Kurama exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in his shoulder.
"Kagura said there was a party of fighters who would benefit from my assistance, and she wanted you all in top form when you got around to fighting her son, so here I am," Kagome explained, looking around the group of shocked young men and one small masked person. Though if they were shocked by her or Shippo's behaviour she didn't know. "It's a really nice surprise to see you again Shippo, you're going to have to catch me up on what you've been doing these five hundred years."
"Human, you do not look that old, nor to I believe you can be," Hiei snapped.
"I'm not," Kagome answered with a smile. Oh, Sesshoumaru's attitude came to mind. "I was a bit of a time traveller in my youth though," she added with a wink. "Now lets get you all inside and I'll have a look at all of you."
"Hn, you will not be 'looking' at me, human," Hiei grunted.
Kurama growled. "You will let her Hiei," he said.
Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei all blinked in surprised at Kurama's reaction as he slowly drew himself away from the woman.
"It's alright Shippo," Kagome said gently, patting him on the head fondly.
"I will leave you to it Priestess," Kagura said, bowing slightly and leaving them.
"Uh, Priestess?" Kuwabara asked.
"Miko, shrine maiden, priestess, whatever," Kagome said. "The important point is that I can fix you all up like new, so lets get out of the hallway and I'll start by fixing the small stuff. Hiei's arm is going to take a while."
The short, gruff demon pulled his arm behind him and scowled.
"How do you know Kurama exactly?" he demanded. "And why do you call him something as weak-sounding as 'Shippo'?"
Kagome looked at the red head. "Changed your name, huh?" she asked, tapping his nose lightly.
Kurama blushed and nodded before answering Hiei himself as they entered their suite.
"Kagome knew me when I was a kit, before I became Youko Kurama. She was a mother to me," he added, nuzzling close to Kagome again, making her giggle at the way his hair tickled.
"Aw, did you get a new one to replace me?" Kagome teased with a fake pout.
"I'm in a human body Kagome," Kurama pointed out.
A sad softness took over Kagome's face. "Yeah, I noticed that. You'll be explaining yourself I hope."
Kurama nodded and began his tale while she used her powers to heal first Kuwabara and then himself. She was just cleaning the last cut on his cheek when he was done.
"Quite the interesting life you led, and all without me to watch," Kagome lamented, giving him a motherly kiss on his forehead before getting up and moving on to Yusuke.
"Well, now if that isn't the most interesting aura I've seen for some time," she stated before she sat down.
"What?" Yusuke demanded, even as she pulled his bloody foot into her lap to take care of.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually," Kagome chuckled. "I'd hate to spoil the surprise. But when you meet your ancestors, Yusuke Urameshi, tell them 'hi' from me."
"How the hell would you know my ancestors?" Yusuke demanded.
"I knew Shippo when he was only one foot high and eight years old," Kagome pointed out.
"I'd really appreciate an explanation for that as well," the Spirit Detective said.
Hiei and Kuwabara nodded their agreement.
"Okay, so there's this well in my family's shrine, and one day a centipede demon erupted from inside, breaking the seals and pulling me down. When I hit the bottom I was in the Warring States Era of Japan's history, before the barrier between the human and demon worlds went up. Met a bunch of people, killed a really bad guy, put a precious gem together again, jumped back down the well to get home. That's the short version of course," she said, nodding to herself as she finished healing Yusuke. "Last but definitely not least, time for that arm to get fixed," Kagome said, fixing her eyes on Hiei.
~oOo~
Kagura was on her way back to the VIP lounge and viewing box when she saw what looked like a toddler being followed by a blue ogre. If the rumours were right, then this had to be Koenma, the official sponsor of the Urameshi Team.
"Excuse me, but would you be Mr Koenma?" Kagura asked politely. She was talking to a god after all, and one not too proud to admit to being something of a baby. She had to respect that at least a little.
"Yes, I am. But I haven't met you before," Koenma said.
"My name is Kagura, my son is taking part in the Tournament," she answered. "My attention was grabbed by your team however."
"Indeed. Team Urameshi seems to have caught the attentions of many demons," Koenma said.
"Well, mine are more benevolent," Kagura assured. She had been able to hear the chanting of 'kill Yusuke', even in the box.
Koenma looked up at her sceptically. "You will excuse me, I hope, for not being completely trusting," he said.
Kagura just smiled and nodded. "Story of my life," she answered. "I brought an old -" she caught herself and chuckled. No, definitely not an 'old friend'. "And old enemy of mine to help administer healing to the team."
Koenma's scepticism only increased. "An old enemy?"
"Well, we were on opposing sides of an important fight some five hundred years ago, but fortunately for me she is very forgiving, and I wasn't exactly happy about my position in the first place. They are in their hotel suite, and probably shall be completely healed by the time you get there," Kagura said, and with an incline of her head bid the god good day.
"Hmm," Koenma mused, rubbing his chin as he watched Kagura go.
"Koenma sir?" George asked, "Do you want to trust her?"
"I'm not sure. If her son is in the Tournament, she'll have an agenda. I'd feel better knowing what it is, as well as meeting this healer she brought for the team," Koenma answered. "Come on Ogre, we're going to meet this person and check on the team."
~oOo~
"Oh, hey Koenma, you got taller," Yusuke observed when Koenma entered the suite.
"Never mind that Yusuke," Koenma said, raising a delicate eyebrow of his teen-aged form at his current Spirit Detective. "I would appreciate an introduction," he added, indicating Kagome, who was working on Hiei's arm – which was looking distinctly less charred.
"Kagome Higurashi, miko, priestess, shrine maiden, whatever," the woman stated for herself, not looking up. "And almost done, so gimme a sec," she added.
Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama all stifled their laughter behind their hands so that they wouldn't distract the woman, while Botan, Koenma and George all just stared at her. Hiei, on the other hand, was too busy focusing on, well, his hand.
Kagome suddenly sat back. "Done," she declared, "and I'd say to stop playing with fire, but I get this funny feeling you wouldn't listen, so I'll just ask you to be more sensible with it. Now, do you want me to check your Jagan or is it fine?"
"It's fine," he answered. "How did you know?" It had been covered the whole time after all.
"Miko," she reminded him, pointing to herself.
"Aw, what a cute kitty!" George said, noticing the two-tailed feline sitting in Kurama's lap and approaching it.
"She's also an accomplished fighter and is used to disembowelling different types of demons," Kagome said, standing up and turning from Hiei.
Kurama smiled up at her and gestured for her to sit beside him. "I think Koenma has a few questions, Kaa- ... -gome," he said, having begun to say Kaa-san, but catching himself. She wasn't his mother any more, though he still loved her as though she were.
Kagome smiled, having caught it, and ruffled his hair fondly as she sat down beside the fox she had once cared for as her own son. "I don't mind Shippo," she reminded him softly.
Kurama blushed a little, stroking Kilala to distract himself from being caught out.
"Ahem," Koenma said, successfully grabbing Kagome's attention. "I would very much like to know who you are ma'am, as well as the credentials you have for-"
"For dealing with demons and their injuries?" Kagome interrupted with a quirked smile that could almost be called a smirk, except that it was far too friendly. "Let me guess, you saw Kagura in the hallway."
Koenma nodded, his expression one of displeasure and slight confusion, and very solemn. "If you please."
Kagome shrugged. "I said already, Kagome Higurashi, miko, priestess, whatever. Kagura's relationship with me is, quite literally, ancient history. I am qualified to look after this team because, frankly, what I spent most of my high school years doing was looking after another very similar team, which Shippo can vouch for himself."
"Shippo?" Koenma asked, confused.
"That would be me," Kurama said. "Though I haven't been called Shippo for almost five centuries," he added.
"I will vouch for her healing ability," Hiei stated, flexing his previously burned hand, feeling no pain at all with the motion.
"And I will vouch for her energy," the masked fighter said. "That was holy energy, and yet she has such control over it that it healed even demons, who she could have far more easily purified and destroyed."
Koenma's eyes grew wide. "But there haven't been real miko with genuine holy powers for-!"
"A really long time, I get it," Kagome said, rolling her eyes. "No need to rub it in."
~oOo~
"JIN!" Kagura exclaimed happily, seeing her son and welcoming him into a hug.
"Hey Ma, I wasn't expecting you!" he greeted happily. "Is Pa here too?" he asked.
Kagura nodded. "We wouldn't miss you showing off how strong you've gotten," she pointed out and released him from her embrace. "Will you introduce me to your team mates? I know Touya already, and I'm very glad to see that you are in good health," she added, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"It's good to see you also Ma'am," Touya answered.
Jin gave everybody a quick intro and Kagura frowned. Apart from Touya, it seemed to her that the only reason Jin was with these other shinobi was because of their position as shinobi. None of them really had anything to recommend them as individuals, but she supposed it wasn't her place to judge.
"So, who are you looking forward to fighting do you think?" Kagura asked as she excused herself and her son from the rest of the team.
"Well, everyone's keen on a fight with the champion Toguro, but there be a few other teams I think would be an interesting blow out. O'course, as long as we get our prize, we'll go through everybody in our way," Jin answered, smiling happily.
Kagura smiled as well. "Yes, the sky of the human world is very nice," she agreed, having been appraised of the prize the shinobi set would claim if they won the Tournament. "When it's not saturated with poisons of course," she added, mostly to herself, as she thought of the many times she had flown through Naraku's miasma.
"I spotted one team I think you will like," Kagura offered to her son. "I'm making sure they are in top condition for their fight against you, I know how you like a good challenge."
Jin smiled. "You'll not be neglecting your own boy just to make sure they're in good nick for me fight will ye?" he asked his mother teasingly.
Kagura laughed. "Of course not. I simply found them a miko with a good head on her shoulders, and made sure that none of those rich bastards try to pull any funny business. I much prefer to see a fair fight, even if the levels of power make it unfair by default. Outside influences have always been a pain," Kagura answered, smiling and snapping out her fan casually.
Jin laughed in agreement and kissed her cheek. "You're the best Ma," he said.
~oOo~
Jin watched the fight between Team Urameshi and Dr Ichigaki's team with his mother and father, up in the VIP room, and he had to admit to being impressed.
"Eh Ma, that the lot you're backin'?" he asked.
"They're the ones I think you'll enjoy fighting, yes," she answered with a smile.
"I reckon that if Toguro wasn't in this fight, then this one 'ere would be the team to beat. It may even be so with that muscle-bound eejit," Leap added. "No offence to your team son, but apart from you and Touya, your set's a bunch of eejits too."
Jin laughed. "Well, you'll not catch me denyin' it Pa," he agreed with a smile. "But who's that human bonnie they've allus got wi' 'em now? The one as jus' sit's there an' pats her kitty-cat?"
"That's the priestess," Kagrua answered shortly. "She goes over every team member with her healing after their fights, and probably after the fire demon's training as well."
"I don' see the demons that're s'pposed te be on the team today," Leap said, peering around the arena below them. "Think they got detained? The reptiles on the cazy doc's team are missin' too."
Kagura scowled. "I'm only defending them from the committee," she stated.
~oOo~
When Kurama and Hiei arrived to the fight with the three humans, along with the doctor's robot, Kagome had immediately sat them down and checked them for injuries.
"Kagome, the sensei of those three," Kurama said, softly, "we brought him, and I gave him the antidote for the poisons that the doctor had given him, but he's still quite weak."
Kagome nodded and let her kit show her to the old, frail man. Subtly, she washed her miko energy around, over and through the man, strengthening him, while the fight finished up behind her.
She smiled when one of them came to offer to be the substitute for the team, as a way to apologise for what they had done, but Yusuke brushed him off politely.
"Thanks, but we can only use a substitute if one of our members is dead, and the lunk-head would pitch a real fit if we gave his spot away," the spirit detective said.
Kagome chuckled as she walked up to check on Kuwabara. "Besides, I'm their substitute," she quipped with a smile.
"Since when?" Yusuke demanded, shocked.
"Don't argue Yusuke," Kurama stated. "Kagome is a perfectly competent fighter as well as a gifted healer. In the unlikely event that we need a substitute, she is the perfect candidate."
"I just don't like the idea of girls fighting," Yusuke grumbled.
"Deal with it buster," Kagome stated, standing up from healing Kuwabara, a frown on her face. She did not like to be coddled or underestimated.
~oOo~
When the shinobi set stepped out for their fight with Team Urameshi, Jin saw the girl suddenly stand up straighter. The miko his mother had talked about. He wondered why there was a two-tailed cat sitting on her shoulder, and for that matter what a miko was doing at a Tournament full of demons and not trying to purify any of them.
He stepped up to make the arrangements for how the fights would go.
"One to one to one, til I'm a tower on my feet holdin' the five," he offered, and nearly laughed when it was clear that Yusuke hadn't caught up with his speech.
"What he said," Urameshi agreed.
Koto, helpful little fox commentator that she was, translated.
"Yusuke, when Jin wants to fight, you are going to fight him," Kagome said very clearly. "That's Kagura's son, and she brought me so that you would be in top condition to fight him. Give him what he wants," she stated firmly, a grin on her face. "Cause he wants a damn good fight."
Jin grinned when he saw Yusuke nod, but went to rest against the wall, allowing the skinny fella with the paints on his team to go first.
He could see from where he sat that the miko woman was very concerned for the red head, but she at least didn't interfere with his fights, though he saw her twitching like she wanted to. When he passed out, standing up, after defeating Touya, she watched in obvious horror as the committee made their decision. It was a technicality, but Kagome bowed to it without argument, and forced the rest of the team to back down.
"Once he's down, he's out. It's just because he's standing we can't take him away," she stated.
When the largest of them stepped up, Kagome visibly became tense and angry, and Jin had to wonder something about this woman. When the beating started on the unconscious body, Jin watched as Yusuke, Hiei and Kuwabara all became slowly furious, but even more interesting was the miko's reaction. She face was clearly angry, but she did not once blink or look away. She didn't stand or ball her hands into fists. Her energy began to swirl around her a little though, and he noticed the sting in the wind around her.
"Baccus, put him down outside the ring," Rishou stated.
"But our team mates!"
"We need the win, not your satisfaction."
Kagome abruptly stood and went to the edge of the ring closest to where Baccus was holding up Kurama, and when the great oaf noticed the three males of Urameshi Team all powering up to kill him for beating on their unconscious friend, he tossed the boy away from him. Kagome caught him, and didn't stagger under his weight, which Jin rather thought she should have.
"Hiei, I want you to hold him still while I fix him up," Kagome said firmly.
Hiei nodded and Yusuke stepped up to fight.
When the sweaty mist rolled in, Kagome growled. "I will not accept the place smelling like a gym locker," and promptly burned it away with her energy.
"Hey, my mist!"
"Was interfering with my treatment," Kagome growled.
Jin stared at the miko a moment, then made his decision. Picking up Touya, he walked over to the other side of the ring to see her.
"Excuse me miss," he said politely, "but I was wonderin' if when you was done treating your lad there ifn ye might consider givin' my friend a once-over."
Kagome looked up at his briefly before turning back to Kurama. "You know, you look nothing like your mother," she observed, then gestured with one hand for him to put his burden down beside Kurama. A crash sounded. "That one I'm not treating," she stated. "Enjoy your fight with Yusuke."
Jin looked over and grinned to see Baccus face-planted into the ground and twisted more than a bit out of shape. Quickly and gently he put Touya down beside Kagome and moved towards the ring.
"We're not doing so badly I suppose," Kagome said softly as she made the plant retreat within Kurama's body. "A one on one fight til five wins or the last man standing, and we've got three still in reserve, where they've only one left after Jin."
Hiei nodded his agreement. "If we had let the oaf go first, then it might look more even," he said.
"That was a sad attempt at cheering me up," Kagome said with a smirk.
"Hn," Hiei answered, a smirk of his own slipping onto his face. "You're smiling now aren't you?"
~oOo~
When Yusuke won his fight with Jin by smacking him into the stands, Kagura and Leap both smiled. It looked like their son had made himself a friend, with all the talking they had been doing, as well as the fighting. Kagura's smile grew when she saw the giant two-tailed cat Kilala fly up to fetch her son back down to Kagome, who treated him.
"A successful match," Kagura said softly.
"Even if they di'n't win their prize," Leap agreed with a chuckle. "I'd say they still won summat."
~oOo~
When Jin came to and looked about him, he recognised the hotel interior, though from the vague, soft smell of roses, rather than the pungent one of sweat, he guessed it wasn't his team's hotel room.
"Well, one of them is up," a female voice said in wry amusement.
"Damn, I thought for sure Kurama's would be the first one up!"
"I stabbed him through some vital organs Yusuke, and he lost a lot of blood, of course it's going to take him a little longer to wake up."
Jin turned his head when he heard a groan just to his left. Touya was lying there, clearly just waking up, as he himself had moments ago.
"And there's number two," the female voice declared. The owner of the voice appeared in his field of vision, and he took a moment to recognise the miko his mother had gotten so that he'd have a good fight. "Welcome back to the land of the living," she said in a teasing voice. "You've slept for about three hours."
"Priestess, would you leave us with our son for a moment?" another female voice said, one Jin instantly recognised as the regal tones of his mother. He really didn't get a thing from her except a love of the wind.
"Sure. Yusuke, help Jin sit up, and then we're going to give the family some privacy," Kagome said.
"Sorry about the beating buddy," Yusuke said as he helped Leap get Jin sitting comfortably, then moved to shift Touya as well, as he's probably prefer to be upright too.
"So what now?" Jin asked.
"Now," Kagura answered her son, "your father and I are going to go home. I'm reassured that you are alright, and I know you're old enough to take care of yourself. Kagome probably wouldn't mind if you want to stay at her family shrine in human world, though I'd suggest asking her first, and of course you're always welcome back home. The rest of the shinobi are dead, so I see no point in you holding loyalty to them."
Jin and Touya both nodded.
"How did you enjoy your fight with the boy?" Kagura asked.
Jin grinned. "He's a right crazy one, that he is! It was a grand fight, and I'm lookin' forward to a chance to go another round with Urameshi."
Leap laughed. "Me lad made himself another friend!" he declared jovially. "I'm that glad."
~oOo~
In the final round with team Toguro, Kagome did exactly as she had said that she would. She was the substitute. Genkai was gone, though she had the disgruntled feeling that it would be unlikely to be a permanent situation for the old woman. If there was one thing she really disliked, it was people coming back from the dead, but she supposed that Genkai's was a special case.
As it was, when the fox would have gotten up to fight against the dark figure of Karasu, she lay a hand on his shoulder.
"Shippo, you aren't fighting this one," she told him softly. "Please," she added, handing him a barrier charm.
Kurama bowed down, and Kagome hopped up to take his place in the fight.
"Now why did you do that?" Karasu asked.
"Because I've seen you fight," Kagome answered.
"Begin!" Jury declared.
"I suggest you stand back," Kagome told the girl. "Or better yet, hop down. I'd hate to see you get banged up."
Karasu chortled. "Banged up indeed," he said.
"Well, you do use bombs," Kagome said flatly.
Karasu's eyes widened, wondering how she could know that. They were invisible.
Kagome drew her hands back and began to chant softly. The words weren't important, only that she was focused, this wasn't a spell after all.
Kurama and Hiei smirked when they caught what she was mumbling though.
"Run little fool, run little fool, run little fool, run..."
Her energy began to spread out, and the old demons felt their hair stand up on the backs of their necks in recognition. There had been no display of miko power in centuries. The younger demons, demons like Karasu, wouldn't know what it was, or that it was so dangerous to them.
Jury ran from the energy when, upon touching it with her tail, she felt it burn. Kurama drew her over to where his team was gathered, and told her to stay put where they were huddled around the charm inside the barrier that it created – to keep them safe from Kagome's own energy.
The pink glow flowed around the ring, burning Karasu, who tried to get away from it by going up, only for it to follow him like a glowing balloon as it spread and inflated. The gentle glow spilled over the edge of the ring and onto the ground around it, spreading out to both of the teams. It went around the barrier that protected Team Urameshi, and it didn't hurt the pure human Sakyo, though he felt very strange all of a sudden. Bui and the Toguro brothers all hissed in pain however.
When Karasu eventually had to come down, gravity and all, he felt the burning of this energy, and was immobilised by it.
"What is this?" he demanded as he began to smoke.
"In previous centuries, they called it a purification," Kagome answered as her energy continued to spread and roll and burn away the pure demon before her, and leech away at the demonic aspects of the Toguro brothers. Bui also felt himself weakening, though his armour guarded him at least a little against the pain.
Sakyo began to wonder why he had wanted to open the path to the world's destruction, and considered various charities he could give quantities of his vast wealth to.
"One, two, three, four," Kagome counted as Karasu collapsed to his hands and knees smoke still billowing up from him as she pulled her energy back into exclusively the ring. "Five, six, seven, eight."
Bui felt relief, but knew he was weaker than he had been, when the strange energy retreated. The Toguro brothers were each staring at their hands, as though confused with them.
"Nine, ten," Kagome counted, and withdrew her energy completely.
Karasu was a burnt out husk on the ground before her. She walked up to him and toed his shoulder firmly. There was a collapse and a gentle puff. There was ash, and the clothes remained. Karasu was, without a doubt, gone from this world.
"Is it safe?" Jury asked.
Kagome nodded, and Kurama helped the girl up to the stage once more.
"Winner by death is Kagome Higurashi!"
Hiei stepped up to fight Bui.
~oOo~
When Kuwabara wanted to get up and fight the elder Toguro brother, Kagome grabbed the back of his shirt collar and hauled him back so that he fell on his rear beside where she was going over any possible injuries Hiei might have.
"I didn't completely purify those two like I did Karasu. He would still be too much for you, let someone else," she instructed firmly, while her hands moved gently.
Kuwabara nodded regretfully and Kurama stepped up.
"Be careful Shippo," she told him fondly, though she didn't look up from her task.
"I intend to show off for you Kagome," he answered.
"Hn. Knock him dead fox," Hiei added with a smirk.
~oOo~
When Yusuke fought Toguro, and the now merely half-demon tried to power up, and steal the souls of the audience so that he could achieve that with greater ease, Kagome didn't think twice about throwing up a barrier around the arena. A column of pink glow separating audience from fight, though still allowing everybody to see through to what was happening.
Toguro growled.
Kurama had presented the unconscious remains of his older brother to the miko, and she had laid her hands over him and purified him. He'd heard them joke about how someone called Kikyo had thought she needed a jewel to do what Kagome had just done with the laying on of her hands.
He was impressed, but very displeased, and in the end, he died by the hand of Yusuke Urameshi.
~oOo~
Kagome was waiting. No one knew what she was waiting for, but she had told them that she was waiting for something, and that was enough for them to all stick around and find out what. It had confused them all when she suddenly stood up and marched off.
"Well, this is a surprise," Genkai said as she stepped out of the portal from Koenma's office onto Hanging Neck Island again. "I didn't expect you to come and greet me."
"I have issues with people coming back from the dead," Kagome stated, her arms crossed as she looked down at the old woman. "But as much as that I know as well as anybody that there can be exceptional circumstances, and you're in your own body rather than some pain-in-the-ass clay reconstruction, so I'm just going to say it the once and get over it."
Genkai smiled up at her.
"Honestly, I agree with you," Genkai answered.
Kagome relaxed and smiled. "Alright then. I think there's a dimwit who will be glad to see you again, oh, and I believe this is yours," she said, handing over a purple hat.
"Thanks."
~oOo~
Jin stood with Touya, Chu, Rinku, Shishiwakamaru and Suzuka, watching as Urameshi and his friends welcomed Genkai back into the land of the living.
"What will we do now?" Rinku asked, the question burning in all of their minds since the Tournament was over.
"I'd like to talk to that Kagome shiela," Chu said.
"Aye, there's somethin' I've been meanin' to ask her as well," Jin added.
"Well she's looking straight at us, so how about we do that now?" Suzuka suggested, pointing down at her.
Shishiwakamaru nodded and led the way down, though he was quickly overtaken by Chu, Rinku and Jin.
"Kagura's boy," Kagome said, smiling at him. "I don't think we were ever actually introduced."
"I'm Jin, Lady Priestess," he answered. "An' these are me pals," he added, pointing to everybody and naming them for her while Yusuke and the rest were still talking to Genkai. "Ma said somethin' about askin' ye if ye minded me visitin' your shrine..."
Kagome shrugged. "You can move in if you're willing to do chores," she said.
"Really? A chance to live in the great big outside and all I gotta do is house jobbies?" Jin asked, enthusiastically.
Kagome laughed. "Sure, I'm bored and lonely and I've got the room. You're all welcome," she answered. "Of course, the chores I'll be giving you might seem a bit strange," she added.
~oOo~
Kagura smiled as she read the letter from her son. It seemed that the priestess hadn't changed all that much, unlike herself, and was working all of them hard. Jin seemed particularly un-fond of the daily training she put them all through, even if it was something she did with all of them as well.
The snake pit seemed to be Jin's lease favourite thing, though he enjoyed almost regular visits from Urameshi, who would spar and train with them as well.
"How's that smile about love?" Leap asked.
"Everything is right with the worlds," Kagura answered, wrapping her arms around him with a truly contented sigh.
~The End~