Disclaimer: I do not own the character of the shows of YuYu Hakusho and InuYasha

Chapter 15

Akubi's grandfather came and retrieved him, walking him back to the hut listening to what happened. Daichi continued his hunt of the bandits, he had two left. He walked silently among the trees tracking them down. Two of them fled together while he killed the one that tried to flee. Kagome's blood was on the wind. He sped up his pace and found the two who thought they could escape him. They barely had a chance and now that they were disposed of he could backtrack to Kagome, worried as he felt the rise of holy powers.

Kagome kept trying to keep a steady pace and follow Daichi's scent but she knew her pace was like that of a snail. She was walking on three paws the left front was unbearable to step on. She whimpered when the dagger cut into more tissue. She knew she could get the dagger out but time was against her. She felt the pain near her left shoulder blade deepen. She guessed one of those star things were lodged in there too. She could hear the footsteps gaining on her, it was the taijiyas and monk she knew it. She kept trying to speed up her pace knowing that she must be making a trail of blood for them to follow.

Daichi appeared in the distance and within a few seconds he was kneeling next to her. "Wow Kagome, you sure do get yourself into trouble a lot." She whined at him. He heard the footsteps and hurried with taking out the blades. He pulled out the last one, Kagome whimpering in pain. The monk and taijiya's caught up to them. They prepared themselves for battle as Daichi picked Kagome up. "Demon, hand over the miko." The monk demanded and Daichi narrowed his eyes. "Why would I do that?" The monk prepared his staff. "Her soul needs to be saved from this torment. She is suffering demon and needs to be laid to rest. Set her down or you will be killed."

His cold reply almost caught them off guard, "she is fine, and her soul only hurts when others treat her so ill. She is fine with being a demon and will not be so quick to let another bring her demise. You speak with your lessons not your heart. Any justice she needs will come when she can complete her duty to the jewel and rid us of Naraku. If you continue to hunt her then I will hunt you down." He jumped into a branch to leave.

The taijiya's and monk raced along underneath him but couldn't keep and soon he was out of sight. "The healer north of this village can help; we will be safe up there." Daichi changed directions to go north. Kikyo had left a cave to feel the jewel going south east till it was out of sensing range. Youko came across what was there camp and followed the kitsune's trail down another passage leaving the mountain. They all met up where Youko stood outside another cave for the last couple hours. "He moved," Youko informed them. Kikyo spoke up then, "They went south east. That's where I could feel the jewel." They all left again. The kitsune didn't hide his scent or anything. They reached the beach past high moon. They could slightly see their tracks in the sand; it looked like Kagome was walking alongside him.

It was dawn when they made it to where the scent of wolves came. The scent then headed back up the cliff. They followed it to the well and Goshinboku then to Kaede's hut in the village. Miroku stood up and walked outside to greet the others. "So, I see you are finally catching up but they left this morning at dawn. Daichi seemed fine; I doubt he would hurt Lady Kagome after going through all that trouble to make her well again. He taught her how to talk to other kitsunes through the mind. He talked for her and I guess she mentioned an alternative way to sit InuYasha since she can't speak it."

InuYasha gulped and watched Shippo snickering. "Daichi was a friend of my father. If he knew my father then I'm sure he wouldn't be of any harm to her. She was real comfortable, more like spoiled by him."

Youko had enough but InuYasha beat him to it. "What do you mean brat?"

Shippo laughed. "Oh nothing..." InuYasha took chase after Shippo who realized Kagome wasn't here to save him so he jumped on to Kuronue and stuck his tongue out at InuYasha but Kuronue had other ideas and grabbed him by the tail and looked him straight in the eye.

"What all did they do?" Shippo put the 'uh oh' face on and threw one of his screaming mushrooms. Kuronue gave him a deadpan look. "So, how comfy did they get?" Of course they were jealous, after all they discovered Kagome, they took care of her, and she is theirs and no one else's. If the kitsune was touching her so inappropriately then he will suffer for the mistake.

Miroku intervened. "What Shippo really meant is we had a live demonstration of Kagome's weakness for her ears being rubbed. I warned her not to let Naraku use this weakness against her but I don't think she took that too well."

Kuronue set Shippo back on his shoulder. "What else happened?" Sango joined them. "I think you guys should calm down, most of her wounds were already gone only a few remained she was quite comfortable in his presence. She had him tell us where she was headed and he said he would stay until one of her companions came. They went back south, she's worried that Naraku could have attacked one of the villages and said she promised to return. In the meanwhile he is going to try and help her back to human form. Stop worrying and come in and eat, she will be just fine."

This was a stab to their pride but they let it go. Sesshoumaru however was still pissed at the chase just for the kitsune to bring her back here. He joined them in the hut discussing plans now that his training will be delayed till she is in human form again. He soon left back to his lands. Kuronue and Youko stayed to eat and then gathered up the bundle from the old man they had yet to give to Kagome. They left when the moon was already out. They walked with Youko tracking them down. Whenever a demon crossed their path they killed it, still frustrated at the events that have taken place. When they reached the borders of the village of the old man and his grandson they could smell her blood in the air and that of other demons. They walked till they found Kagome's blood, the scent of the boy, and the dead body of a demon, and the blood of another demon. Youko could smell unfamiliar human scents.

They checked the village. It had already been a couple days since they were at Kaede's village. The scents were a day old and when they entered the village they were shown the Lord of the land, his men, taijiyas and a monk. They looked to the old man to see him embracing his crying grandson. Youko appeared behind the villager he planted the seed in. "I gave you my warning and now you shall suffer." The villager turned around and looked at Youko Kurama; he screamed for, "help!" But the plant sprouted and his body was consumed in flowers, cutting off his life. The monk and taijiyas rushed to see the silver kitsune leaving from a bunch of flowers. "Demon, what is the reason of this?" the monk demanded.

Youko looked at him from over his shoulder, his crisp voice cutting through the tension as he spoke. "I gave him my warning to not harm my female and he did not listen. She would have saved him if she was here and he did not realize the truth in my words. Continue your hunt for her and you will not live much longer and that is your only warning." He then disappeared.

Kagome couldn't fight the black from her vision and fell victim to unconsciousness. Daichi took her to the healer in the next village. He had entered and noticed the villagers looking at him wearily until they noticed the black kitsune in his arms. The woman healer ran up to him. "Is this Lady Kagome?" He nodded. She signaled for him to follow her and they walked right into her hut where she quickly started on cleaning the wounds until he stopped her hand, "allow me." She gave him a nod and set to work with getting her paste and bandages ready. Within a few minutes she was bandaged and resting peacefully. "If you wish you can return later if you have other things to do." He shook his head. "I do not trust this village to ensure her safety."

The woman seemed a bit taken aback and hurt by it. She pressed further. "Did something happen at another village?" He looked at her only detecting worry. "Some of the villagers betrayed her in a village south of here now taijiyas and a monk seek to 'save her soul.' She is perfectly fine and happy; there is no need for their interference." The woman gasped. "Will they come this way then? I and the villagers here welcome her with open arms." He glanced back at her then to Kagome. "The monk seems hard pressed to lay her to rest. The lord of this land was among them. They do not understand that she is happy the way she is." The woman nodded and took a seat next to Kagome, looking at the animal form and silky fur. "She told us that she is happy and sees it as a gift. That she is now able to protect the jewels and her loved ones better. She was afraid we would see her blood as evil and reject her. Her smiles warmed our souls and her gentle nature gave us peace. I wonder though, why is she not in her other form, I know she left for battle but did she save Lady Kaede's village?"

He stared into the fire as he replied, "yes the village was safe. I felt the auras of battle at high moon and then again later in the morning. I did not know her till I found her kit wandering off chasing a butterfly. Kagome came looking for him in the forest and you could see the bandages from underneath the kimono she wore. She battled a demon that had trapped Shippo and it ended at a river. That's when I intervened and have been looking out for her. During battle her wounded shoulder was pulsing and it transformed her into this. This could be permanent but we are not sure." She nodded. She gave Kagome one last glance and left the hut.

It was the next day and Kagome woke up, her wounds were mostly healed but her paw was still recovering. Daichi felt Kuronue and Youko's auras but he just sat in the hut waiting for them to appear. He would not leave her alone. Kagome nudged his hand, he knew she wanted her ears massaged so he let her be pampered. That is how Youko and Kuronue found them. "It's been a while Youko Kurama."