She was neither human, youkai nor miko at that moment. As the creature levelled her gaze on Sesshomaru Inuyasha could sense the strain on the hold of his half-brother's inner beast, which wished to either compete against the threat or protect itself from it.

Sesshomaru frowned at what he saw before him. The girl was clearly no weak human any longer, but then what was she? Was THIS the reason for his father's interest in her wellbeing? Was his intention to protect her or rather shield those around her from what she could become? That this Sesshomaru was impressed with such display of raw power he couldn't hide. However, he was concerned that her power will attract someone or something far more dangerous than what lay at her feet at the moment. He was torn between the feeling of disgust and curiosity and decided finally that the later will be better. He released the hold on his beast slightly and snarled at the girl before him, telling her to submit to her superior. He did not know whether it would be in her nature to do so, but could trace certain amount of youki in her scent, meaning that she could posses some of the inu instincts.

She didn't react at all at first, making him wonder whether this form of communication was beyond her, when he saw her straightening her back and looking straight into his eyes. His crimson orbs held her heated white gaze for some time, until finally he got what he wanted. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she exhaled, her mouth opening enough to reveal the undersized yet clearly razor-sharp fangs. As the white fire left her eyes and their colour was restored to its usual molten gold, Kagome fell slowly to her knees.

Inuyasha rushed forward to hold her weak body up and asses her for injuries, of which none where more than a scratch. Even the blow he delivered to her stomach was, surprisingly, nearly heeled. All that could have given away that there was a gash at all was the redness of the scar.

He shook the now fully human girl's head slightly, trying to help her regain consciousness, but her eyes remained closed. Kagome's steady and peaceful breathing showed that there was nothing to be concerned about, so he picked her up and carried her away from what was clearly a battle site, Sesshomaru following close behind.

An elegantly dressed man watched as the three departed, unseen by the party. After all, he was over one thousand miles away, so how could they have known that they were being watched? He smirked in satisfaction and sipped some more of his wine, savouring its flavour. It didn't matter to him even if they did. Now that he finally located the keeper of the Shikon no Tama, nothing in this world would stop him from obtaining what he desired. He looked at the raven haired girl in the hanyou's arms and traced her image slowly with his finger, before laughing maliciously. It was a shame of course that she killed his best scouts; they would be terribly hard to conjure and replace.

They ran into her completely by accident. The swarm of vile vermin fed on fears as well as other children's emotions considered unpleasant and the scent of her panic must have been near impossible to resist, which was why they pursued her, especially considering how young the girl is. His scouts didn't have a body enough to be able to nourish themselves with adults' emotions, for as humans and youkai grew up, more often than not they became too complex and suppressed in nature. The girl was nearly blinded with horror, the base emotion making her state perfect for the consumption of the creatures.

Upon starting the feed they must have paralysed the girl's body, so the banquet would go uninterrupted. This was when the girls powers were unlocked in order to preserve their keeper, blasting the first swarm away just as they were about to sink their teeth into the delicate skin of her neck. As the second part of the beings watched her disintegrate their brethren, they must have attacked, being destroyed too of course. He would have sent more forth to battle her until she was weakened enough to take her, when the inu brothers showed up.

His handsome face was marred by a scowl as the grip on his glass of wine hardened before he released the breath he was holding unintentionally and smiled at his thoughts. After all, it wasn't as if he didn't know who she was, or more importantly, with whom she was. Fame and power had always come at a price. You can never run nor hide.