A blinding white light shoots from the mirror onto Kagome's wrists. What had once been hidden was now on display, and two thick cuffs bit into her wrists.
"What the fuck was that?" Yusuke demands, towering over her. He reaches out to help Kagome up, but vines rip themselves out of the rooftop.
The vines- plant magic, she realizes- tightly trap her in her hunched and uncomfortable pose.
Above her, Kurama puts himself in front of Yusuke, his own expression thunderous. In his trembling hand is a seed, clutched tightly like a pearl against Kurama's chest.
Kagome doesn't try to sit up. Fright has never equated to weakness, and a cornered animal is vicious. Kurama is a demon who, even at this brief interaction, Kagome did not ever want to fight. The outcome would be bad no matter who won, and the guilt even worse. He has already placed himself between Yusuke and a threat- she can't afford to fight him, not when he can be an even greater ally.
"Why were you given spirit cuffs?" Kurama asks. His voice is that of a seasoned interrogator, and Kagome doesn't doubt his methods are very, very efficient. "Those are reserved for a particularly class of offenders."
Kagome smiles. "You and I both know the sentence is worth as much as the judge."
The cuffs loosen but don't fall off; Kagome looks unconcerned.
On the contrary, actually: Kagome looks excited, more animated than Yusuke has ever seen her. Her cheeks flush with color, and she seems more vibrant than she had seconds prior.
"What the fuck just happened?" Yusuke asks, still looking at her wrists. "What was that?"
"I'll explain later," she hurries, "but we have to see your mother, Kurama, now."
Yusuke looks at Kagome, confused by the sudden turn of events but unwilling to interrupt them. Especially given how livid Kurama appears.
"If she dies," Kurama says curtly, "I trust you to know that your life will be forfeited as well."
"If she dies, you will have killed her by not taking me to her faster," she snaps. "Walk, kit."
Kurama's tenseness seems to ease with her confidence, and they race to the hospital room.
They slip into the room; Kurama instinctively taking ahold of the security camera and pointing it towards the ceiling.
Kagome approaches the woman's side and places her palms over Shiori's heart. She allows her eyes to slide shut, and remembers how to heal.
Kaede's words run through her mind, and in the first time in a while Kagome hopes her mentor is watching.
Grandmother Kaede, are you watching? Kagome thinks, pushing her energy into Shiori's body and erasing any toxicity in the bloodstream.
Seek the illness...and eradicate it.
"What… is that?" Yusuke asks Kurama. This entire time, Kagome has been capable of that?
"Some strange energy," Kurama responds. He watches his mother with anxious eyes. "I'm not sure where it's from, but I'll bet it has to do with why they're in cuffs."
The light dims down, and Kagome staggers to the nearest bin she can find and is sick. The world spins around her, and she groans pitifully.
"I forgot that happens," Kagome mutters. She sits herself up, cradling her head with a hand.
"Makai mint?" From above, Kurama offers her a leaf.
Kagome snatches it and shoves it in her mouth, making sure to chew it slowly. As nausea ebbs her posture relaxes, and she sits herself up slowly.
"Thank you, Kurama. Makai mint… I'd forgotten the taste…"
Kurama blinks at the words, and Kagome backtracks hastily.
"Sorry, I'm still nauseous. Also, you phrased your wish in a way that might not have worked. You wanted your mother's health, not her happiness."
The boys stare at her, not quite grasping the nuance. In Kurama's head, so quietly that not even the boy himself hears it, a smooth voice says "Oh".
Kagome stands, dusting herself off. She goes to Shiori's side and checks her over, just as doctors burst into the room with excited frenzy. Soon the three teens gather in the hall.
"Your mother is fine," Kagome says. "I truly am sorry for giving you guys a scare. There wasn't time to explain my actions but I did it to keep either of you from dying." Here, her eyes dart to Yusuke as if making sure he's still there.
"If she had died, Kagome," Kurama says, eyes piercing, "you would have joined her."
"Of course." Kagome's smile doesn't dim. "I was completely prepared to pay that price."
"Speaking of price," Yusuke interrupts, "wasn't there a price you had to pay to use the mirror?"
"Oh, I had a favor on layaway," Kagome answers. She grins impishly at Yusuke's confused expression, and resists the urge to pinch his cheek. God, he acts so similarly to… no, there's no point in making comparisons. It isn't fair to either party- she knows that.
But there's still the lingering pride in Kagome's heart at saving Shiori. That's what she's supposed to be doing. Fighting is an effective measure and she takes pride in her skill, but it isn't until she feels a genuine smile bloom across her face that she remembers how healing makes her feel. That kind of good mood is hard to shake.
"A long time ago. That mirror's owed me a favor for years."
There's a beat of silence before Yusuke seems to implode. "A mirror owed you a favor?"
"Oh, Forlorn? He's owed me a favor ever since I stopped a legendary thief from stealing him from the vault. In all honesty, though, the guy still could have killed me had he chosen. Said something about insulting traps not worth his time?"
Kurama falters in his step, nearly tripping in what is an unusually clumsy move. Kagome laughs, and she helps him straighten.
"Remember, boys. Kindness does pay off."