Chapter 9: Spring Break:

"Mi-lord. Please excuse the intrusion." A young phoenix youkai bowed politely as she entered her lord's office.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru questioned while continuing to look over the business papers from that morning.

"News has reached us of the Kamikiri clan in America. They are claiming to have killed the Shikon Miko in combat."

Sesshomaru hesitated for only a moment before blithely commenting, "The miko would not lose against those bugs. Do not believe everything you hear."

"A priestess using a dual bladed fang fought against the dragon general who was employed by the Kamikiri clan a week ago. The general is dead, and while no body has been secured, it is believed the woman died of her wounds."

Sesshomaru looked up at this, scrutinizing his attendant. "You are positive this information is accurate?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"The information comes from our spy in the east and was corroborated by a wolf that was spectating the fight." The young woman stated, head still bowed in polite deferment.

"Tell our spy to search for the miko. I will do my own investigation here in Japan. Call Shippo back from Europe. I want him close in case the miko is found."

"Yes, my Lord." She stated firmly before leaving to do her master's bidding.

It was still too soon for the miko to have finished their travels in the past and yet hope welled in Sesshomaru's breast all the same. He had spent too many years without his alpha female by his side, lost too many members without an equal to share the burden. With these thoughts in mind, Sesshomaru quickly left the office for the bone eaters well. He would stay out of sight until he had proof of the Miko's return. He could not change the past and risk altering the end of the war. Sesshomaru hid among the trees just beyond the well. He was close enough to hear the humans the Miko called family, but far enough that none would notice him. A couple of hours passed like this before anything of interest happened. In the early morning the phone rang shrilly through the quiet household. The phone rang three times before Mrs. Higurashi answered with a confused "Hello?" Sesshomaru listened closely. He could just barely hear the voice of the woman on the other end if he strained.

"Mama? It's Kagome." Sesshomaru immediately left his hiding place for the roof of the house so he could hear more clearly.

"Kagome! Are you ok? Karen called and told me you're really sick and that they're not even allowed to see you. What really happened?" Mama Higurashi exclaimed.

"I'm fine, mama. I had a run in with a youkai, but some new friends of mine helped me. I'm safe and feeling much better." Kagome replied quickly.

"Why didn't you call sooner? I've been worried sick."

"Sorry, Mama. I've been sleeping a lot and was never awake at a decent time to call."

"I don't care what time it is Kagome. I just want to know that you're ok." Mama Higurashi chastised her daughter.

"I really am sorry. I'll make sure to call more often." Kagome replied sincerely.

"So, how are you enjoying Forks?" Keiko changed the subject for her daughter.

"I really like it here. I've made some new friends and Angela is amazing. You'd love her." Kagome gushed excitedly.

Sesshomaru stopped actively listening at this point. Kagome was alive, in a place called Forks, and had recently fought against a youkai. The information his spy attained was correct. If Kagome was no longer in Japan, then the war must have ended for her. He had a pack member to reclaim.

Thursday began their spring break and Kagome had promised to go on a shopping trip in Seattle with Angela. It would be their first time going out just the two of them and both were extremely excited. Kagome used to shop with the best of them and was slowly getting back to her old self now that the two worlds she had lived in were melding together. The supernatural world and the modern world no longer felt like two opposite realities and it was doing wonders for Kagome's mental health. Of course, her increased health was also due to having a wolf pack and a vampire family that would gladly reem her out if she did anything stupid like train until she dropped or go into enemy territory without backup. She no longer felt alone. It had been three weeks since her battle against Ryukotsei's son and on top of being smothered by the vampires she had also been scolded by Sam and the rest of the ever-increasing pack. Sam thought the increase in members was because the Cullens had returned but Kagome wasn't so sure. The Cullens had been in Forks for a couple of years already, but the wolf pack hadn't seen a spike in members until just recently. It didn't completely add up. There had to be something more to it. She'd figure it out eventually, but for now she just wanted to focus on spending time with her cousin.

"Kagome, hurry up!" Angela called from outside. Their bags were already packed for their four-day trip.

"Coming!" Kagome replied quickly, rushing out the door after grabbing her purse. The car rumbled as Angela started up the engine. Kagome jumped in the car and the girls left, waving their goodbyes to the rest of the family.

"I'm so happy you could come with. I was worried you'd be called down to La Push." Angela remarked.

"The pack is increasing in numbers. It's not always a good idea to crowd people that are new to the supernatural world. I'll help when they ask, but until things calm down, I'll likely be staying in Forks."

"Why isn't it a good idea for you to be there?" Angela questioned. She'd been trying to learn as much as possible about the world her cousin lived in since Kagome finally gave in and told her about youkai and other such creatures. She still didn't know exactly what the La Push pack or the Cullen family was, but she was figuring it out.

"People new to the life have less control. They could get too stressed and end up hurting someone on accident. It's why they take time away from school and the rest of their family when they first change."

"That's sad. How long before they can return to their family?"

"It depends on the person. Some take to the change quickly; others will struggle most of their life. For instance, Jake has a lot of control. Paul on the other hand will likely have trouble for many years yet. He's too emotional and that makes it dangerous for others not like him to be near." Kagome answered her cousin.

"What about you? Did you ever have that problem?"

"I had a lot of trouble with my control, but I was lucky that my powers can't hurt humans. I would purify objects just by touching them without realizing it. It made me useless in battle though. It took me a long time to figure out how to infuse my weapons with power. Without control, I was useless in battle and could hurt my youkai friends and family." Kagome's voice sounded far away as she answered, reminiscing about the days she couldn't infuse an ofuda but could singe Sesshomaru when pissed off.

Angela and Kagome continued talking throughout the trip. Starting with a Q and A session about the supernatural world followed by high school gossip and drama. Both girls were happy spending time together and the 4hour drive passed quickly. It didn't take long before they were signing into the Four Seasons Hotel, a high-class accommodation assigned to them by Alice once she saw where they were going shopping. Angela fidgeted nervously as Kagome signed them in, looking around at the expensive furnishings.

"Is it always like this?" Angela whispered. Kagome looked at her questioningly.

"Having supernatural friends?" She clarified.

"Yes." Kagome answered. "There's something about the long-lived that make them enjoy showing off their insane wealth." She half complained. Angela giggled at Kagome's long-suffering expression.

The girls gaped at their room. The window overlooked the city, and the bathroom had a beautiful marble soaking tub. Once their suitcases had been brought up to them, Kagome's phone beeped. Checking her phone, Kagome sighed in exasperated fondness.

Alice: Hope you like your room. Don't forget you have a reservation at the Goldfinch Tavern at 7. Don't worry about cost, they have our card on file. I packed outfits for you and Angela.

Kagome: I told you not to…

Alice: But I know you'll enjoy it anyway. And tomorrow morning I've booked you both a message. I'll know if you skip.

Kagome: Fine. If I do these two things will you stop spending money on us?

Alice: Nope. Enjoy

Kagome groaned at the chipper voice she could just hear Alice using as she dropped her phone on the bed. She opened her suitcase to find the outfits Alice had mentioned, gasping as she found hers. It was a beautiful white long sleeved silk dress that ended just above her knees. On the back was the deep blue crescent moon that claimed her as part of Sesshomaru's pack. The sides had extra material to tie in front of the dress to show off her curves. Kagome both loved the gift and was aggravated by it. She disliked when people spent so much money on her, but the dress was simple and beautiful while showing off her pack affiliation. Alice had packed dark blue heels to go with it. For Angela she had bought a simple yet flattering dark green dress that went down to her mid-calf. The material shimmered in the lighting creating a waterfall affect. Each dress had to have cost a fortune.

"Oh my God, where did you get that?!" Angela gasped as she saw the dresses laid out.

"Alice." Was Kagome's simple answer. "We apparently have dinner reservations tonight as well and a message at the spa tomorrow morning." Angela gaped, having no clue how to respond.

"How…How do we repay her?" Angela finally asked. Kagome just shook her head in exasperation. "We go and do what she wants us to."

Angela looked at her incredulously. "That's it?"

"That's it."

The girls had fun getting dressed up together. They did each other's hair and makeup, taking selfies with the city scenery behind them. Kagome's blue crescent necklace matched the dress perfectly and made her feel like she was going to a party at Sesshomaru's castle. Both girls smiled happily, enjoying their girl time. They laughed and joked as they walked to the restaurant. Angela had never been to such an expensive restaurant in her life. Kagome hadn't either, but political dinners had gotten her used to high end dining. Many customers were wearing dresses though there were also many who wore casual clothing. 'Alice didn't have to buy us new outfits for dinner here', Kagome thought. Towards the end of their dinner, Kagome got up to go to the restroom. She easily slid between the tables but accidently bumped into another customer.

"I'm sorry, sir." Kagome quickly apologized, bowing her head before turning to walk away. As she did, she heard a familiar male voice question "Sister?" Kagome snapped her head toward the man she had bumped into at the question, taking in his shaved head, grey suit, and piercing blue eyes.

"Hakkaku?" She gasped, eyes widening as he dropped his control over his youki ever so slightly so she could sense him.

"It is you, Sister!" He exclaimed excitedly, grabbing her in a bear hug and twirling her around in a circle. Kagome's eyes misted with tears as she clung to her old friend.

"It's so good to see you! How have you been? I didn't know Sesshomaru had sent a pack member out here." Hakkaku spoke quickly.

Kagome laughed quietly at his exuberance. "I've been well. I wasn't sent here by Sesshomaru. I'm actually here with my human cousin. I've been separated from my pack for a while now. I'm trying to find them." Kagome explained, a few tears falling free as she vaguely explained her circumstances.

"I heard about that a couple hundred years ago. What happened?" Hakkaku's eyes betrayed how sad he was for her. He had lost most of his pack to Naraku and fully understood how devastating being separated from your pack could be. He at least had had Ginta and Kouga during the hardest times. Kagome looked down, hiding her expression as she thought over what to say. Kagome had given a short overview of how she had been traveling through time before Angela came over, worried.

"You didn't come back to the table." Angela explained, looking questioningly first at Kagome then at Hakkaku.

"Angela, this is an old friend of mine, Hakkaku. Hakkaku, this is my cousin Angela." Kagome introduced them.

"It's nice to meet Sister's family." Hakkaku stated, giving a friendly smile and waving for another chair to be brought over.

"Sister?"

"I saved their alpha from dying. He tried to claim me as his woman. Even though I refused, the rest of the pack took to calling me sister." Kagome briefly explained. Angela gave a light "Ah" of understanding despite the confusion still lingering in her gaze.

"Speaking of, how is Kouga?" Kagome asked.

Hakkaku lowered his head and shook it sadly. Tears misted Kagome's eyes as she covered her mouth in quiet shock.

"What happened?"

"Naraku."

"But he was still alive when…"

"He was poisoned by Naraku's miasma. We tried to find you to purify it, but by then you had already been forced away. No other Miko would heal a youkai. He died a year later."

"I'm so sorry. If only I could have stayed longer. I could have healed him." Kagome choked out, trying not to cry openly in public.

Hakkaku pulled her into a tight hug, holding her there as she took in the news. Angela slipped away unnoticed, telling the waiter to let Kagome know she had gone back to their room for the night. It looked like the two of them had a lot to catch up on.

A few minutes later Kagome pulled away with a murmured "thank you."

"How have you been doing?" Hakkaku asked.

"It's been less than a year since the war for me. I'm doing better now though. I've spent time with the wolf pack in La Push and met the Vampire family that lives in Forks. I wasn't doing too good before that."

"Why didn't Sesshomaru pick you up?"

"When I returned from the war it was the same day I had first fallen in the well 8 years ago. I had no way of contacting him and hadn't found a single youkai before moving to America. Sesshomaru was told the date in my time before the battle in case I was forced back to the future."

"I see. Well, you've found us now. We'll let Sesshomaru know where you are when he flies in. He is supposed to come for a business trip in a couple of days."

"Really!" Kagome said louder than she meant to in her excitement.

"Him and Shippo both I believe." Hakkaku answered.

Kagome's hugged herself as she took in the information. Not only would she soon see her alpha again, she'd also be able to see her son again. The son she had had to abandon due to the jewel. Once again Kagome felt tears trail down her face, though this time they were happy tears. When Kagome came back to the present a glass of water lay in front of her. She gave a nod in thanks to her friend before downing it.

"So, you said you met a wolf pack in La Push?" Hakkaku questioned.

"Yeah, they're part human and part wolf though. They didn't know anything about youkai before I told them."

"I believe they're a group of shifters. They could technically take any form they want but have been turning into wolves for so many generations now, I doubt they'd be able to change." Hakkaku explained.

"You know about them?" Kagome asked, surprised.

"Of course. We know about all the packs in our territory. Our pack merged with the pack that owned these lands a couple hundred years ago. The eastern pack now encompasses much of Canada, and northwest America."

"Anyone else we know live nearby?" Kagome questioned hopefully.

"No, Ginta decided to stay in Japan with his mate and pups. Ayame died a couple hundred years ago protecting her pups during one of the wars between humans and youkai."

"I'm sorry. I should have been there for everyone."

"If you had stayed in the past, you wouldn't be here now though." Hakkaku replied.

"I'm not so sure of that." Kagome replied, fiddling with her empty glass. Hakkaku looked at her questioningly.

"But you're human."

"The jewel forced me back to this time and merged with me. I don't know what all that means, but I should have died from the wounds Naraku inflicted and I did die for a couple of minutes after defeating Ryukotsei's son before the jewel brought me back. I don't know if it will ever let me die."

The two sat in companionable silence after that, enjoying being in each other's company.

"Kagome, there is one thing I should let you know." Hakkaku started slowly. "Something strange is going on here in Seattle. There have been a couple of disappearances. We don't believe it's a youkai, but we're also positive this isn't a human either. The human police are trying to keep it low profile for now but be careful while you're here. We don't know what they're after."

"I will. I should probably get back to my cousin too. It's getting late." Kagome said as she stood up from the bar.

"Wait, take this." Hakkaku stated, shoving a small piece of paper in her hand with his phone number and email on it. Warmth blossomed in Kagome's chest as she took his contact info. "Thank you." A large wolfish smile was her response.

That night before she slept, she sent a simple text to Alice: I know you saw what happened tonight. Thank you

The spa was beautiful and the jacuzzi and steam room were heaven on both girls' bodies. They talked excitedly about their plans for the next couple of days. From sight-seeing to shopping and food they wanted to eat.

"Miss Kagome? Miss Angela?" A young female asked kindly.

"That's us." Angela answered.

"Please follow me. We're ready for you now." The woman explained, waiting patiently for them to dry off before taking them to their treatment room. When Kagome took off her robe however, the young masseuse let out a short scream at the sight of her scars. Before 10 minutes had passed, Kagome sighed and asked for a different woman to help her. The masseuse would barely touch her and continued to be skittish whenever Kagome spoke.

"What seems to be the problem, ma'am?" An older lady asked.

"I would like a massage by someone who isn't afraid to touch me." She explained simply. The older lady sent a look at the younger one before seeing what Kagome meant. Her newest employee had a look of pure terror on her face when she looked at Kagome. The two workers spoke to each other shortly before the elder sighed and sent the youngest out of the room.

"I'm so sorry about that, ma'am. She's new and has never seen someone that's been to war before. My name is Anna, and I'll be taking care of you today."

"War?"

"You are the priestess that fought against the Kamikiri clan, yes? I am a salamander youkai. Those markings could only be made by youkai."

"I see. It's nice to meet you."

"It's an honor to help the Shikon Miko, my lady."

The rest of her time at the spa was perfect. Anna knew just how to work her muscles and the unnatural heat from her hands felt amazing on her tightened muscles. Both girls left in high spirits for lunch at a simple café. That afternoon they enjoyed sightseeing. They saw the space needle, enjoyed an underground history tour, and ended their day at Pike Place Market. The market was really busy. People converged on all sides and the two decided to hold hands so they wouldn't lose each other. They enjoyed the fresh foods and intricate art shops. The atmosphere was spiked with happy energy from excited tourists and locals alike. Yet Kagome felt on edge. She kept looking behind her, spreading out her senses in hopes of finding something that would explain why she felt so off. There was something there. Just far enough away that she couldn't figure out what it was. Hakkaku's warning urged her to be cautious.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Angela questioned, worried about her cousin who had gone from laid back to serious within a couple of minutes.

"I'm not sure. Something's here, but I don't know what." She answered. Whatever it was continued to dance on the edge of her senses. In and out of her notice, never staying still, moving quickly.

"We should leave for today." Kagome decided. Angela agreed and the two left a little earlier than planned.

Two days later the girls were enjoying their shopping when Kagome noticed the sign for a boy named Riley that had gone missing near the Pike Place Market about a month ago. Kagome frowned at the coincidence. If only she had been able to sense what it was that was by the market, she'd have an idea as to what happened. The only thing she was positive about was that Hakkaku was right, it was not a youkai.

Kagome kept her thoughts to herself, allowing Angela to enjoy their last full day in Seattle. They had both bought many new clothes and gifts for the family. Kagome had even found a keychain for Souta, a new compact mirror for Mama, and small dream catcher for Grandpa. This break had been wonderful. Not only had Kagome found Hakkaku and found out that Sesshomaru would be here within the next week or two, but she had also been able to just enjoy spending time with Angela. No attacks had happened to worry her cousin and she had gotten a much-needed break from training and patrolling.

A phone ping brought Kagome back to the present. It was from Hakkaku.

H: It's hunting now. Get your cousin to safety.

K: I felt it the other night, but it didn't get close enough for me to figure out what it is.

H: Stay safe. I'll keep you updated when we learn more.

K: You too.

With that, Kagome put away her phone and began the task of getting her cousin to agree to leave early without worrying her. Of course, that was a complete failure. The moment she brought up the idea of leaving early Angela wanted to know what was wrong. It was already early evening and the sun had started to set. Leaving now would mean driving in the dark the whole way, but Kagome didn't want to put Angela in danger any longer than she had to.

"I told you not to hide things from me anymore, Kagome." Angela stated angrily, glaring at her cousin for once again trying to keep her in the dark.

"Look, all I know is that something is hunting in the Seattle area. I don't know what it is, and I don't know how it's choosing its victims. If I knew more, I'd tell you. Right now, we need to get out of here before it notices my power and decides to attack because of it." Kagome explained.

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"I don't want you to worry. For now, we're safe. I just don't know how long that will last."

"Promise me you'll tell me what's going on." Angela demanded, not budging from her location until the promise was made.

"Fine. I promise I'll keep you updated. But you have to promise to stay out of any conflict." Kagome responded, glaring right back at her cousin.

"Fine."

With that, the two girls quickly returned to the hotel to pack their things. Ten minutes later they were out the door walking quickly to their car. The walk was short, but the darkness and urgency heightened Kagome's battle instincts. Once again, she felt that flickering. It was stronger this time, wrong, vicious.

"Angela, get behind me!" Kagome yelled, diving in front of her cousin, instantaneously raising a barrier to protect them both. Four people with blood red eyes hissed as they collided with the barrier. Kagome crouched into a fighting position, finally realizing why they felt familiar. They had the same inside out feeling as a vampire, though they seemed different somehow, stronger. The vampire right in front of her was the missing teen from the poster, Riley. The other three were females anywhere from 15 to 25. All four vampires growled angrily, attacking the barrier in hopes of gaining a meal.

Riley backed away, staring at her in confusion as he allowed his compatriots to continue their futile attempts to get to their meal. "You smell different, powerful." He stated.

"What do you want from us?" Kagome responded, ignoring his unasked question. Instead of responding he looked to the others, "Don't kill that one, I want her."

Kagome growled, raising her reiki in preparation for battle. They jumped away before they turned to ash, but now looked wearily at her, hunger forgotten for the moment.

"What are you?" A tall female who looked to be in her early 20's with long, curly blond hair demanded.

"Human." Kagome answered as she grabbed her swords. "Angela, stay in the barrier." She whispered, briefly looking at her cousin.

"What about you?" Angela questioned, voice trembling as badly as her hands were.

Kagome brought her attention swiftly back to her enemies. "I'm going to kill them." Angela gasped. She had seen the scars on her cousin's back and been told some of the stories of her battles in the feudal era. When she heard those stories, it sounded amazing; like a fairytale where battle brought you closer to your friends. But this, this was terrifying. They couldn't run away. It was either fight or die and she couldn't even stop trembling enough to move. How could Kagome be so calm? How many battles had she been in to not be horrified at the idea of killing four people, even if they weren't human? All these thoughts raced through Angela's head in quick succession between the horror and adrenaline of facing something that wanted to eat her. Angela's legs gave out on her and she slumped to the ground, unable to leave the barrier even if she had wanted to. She knew she was useless in this type of situation. The barrier hadn't so much as budged throughout the vampire's first attempts at getting through. Did it even affect Kagome, Angela questioned vaguely?

Kagome lunged at the closest vampire, surprising it with her heightened speed and strength. The woman stared in stunned disbelief as her arm was cut off, the appendage splintering like stone as it hit the ground. A delayed scream of pain and horror echoed through the alley.

"You bitch! I'll kill you!" She yelled, attacking in tandem with Riley and another female with short brown hair. Kagome blocked the punch from the angered vamp, ducked under another punch, but grunted in pain as Riley kicked her leg, fracturing the bone as he did. Kagome quickly healed herself, jumping out from the middle of their combined attack and taking off the head of the short brown-haired girl. Kagome quickly sent a wave of purifying energy at the corpse so it couldn't pull itself together, turning it to ash. Killing intent smothered the atmosphere at the death of the girl. The smallest vampire that had been staying out of the fight roared in agony at the loss of her friend. Blinded by her rage, the young vampire lunged, rapidly punching, biting and grabbing at Kagome. Kagome had to focus all her attention that wasn't on the barrier protecting Angela on the attacking teenager. The girl grabbed Kagome's shoulder, squeezing it until it shattered and throwing her into the side of the building. Ruble crackled to the ground, obscuring Angela's view as she craned to see if her cousin was still alive. A broken sob choked its way out of her throat.

Kagome gasped in pain as she hit the wall, using her reiki to heal her shattered shoulder and broken ribs. She couldn't heal them all the way or she risked running out of energy to fight them off. Before the dust cleared Kagome created her bow and shot off three arrows, piercing the young vampire in both shoulders and the stomach, purifying her instantly. Kagome's eyes glowed pink as she raised her reiki. Her head was pounding, making it hard to hear her attackers.

Riley's eyes were wide at the sight of the human that glowed pink and could kill his kind. He'd never seen such an amazing creature before. The scent of her power was intoxicating to him. He needed this woman on his side. She'd make an amazing vampire, one more powerful than any had seen before. Victoria would love him for bringing her such a rare species. With this in mind, Riley crept into the darkness, hoping to find the right moment to strike. Olivia, the only newborn left was furious. The three woman who had come with him tonight had all lived together at the orphanage when they were younger and were as close as sisters. He could take advantage of her revenge fueled rampage and bite the strangely enticing woman before she saw him coming.

Olivia was smart. She could see how tired the human was getting. Sweat dripped down her forehead just like the blood that was leaking from her temple. Kagome's breath was coming heavier, and pain could be seen in her eyes. Olivia sped towards her target, running in zigzags so the woman would have a harder time hitting her with one of those strange energy arrows that had killed her sisters. She punched the wall next to Kagome with her one remaining arm, sending sharp debris raining down. The brick sliced into Kagome's tender skin, leaving thin cuts all over her arms which she ignored. The real problem was how the debris blocked her vision. Kagome closed her eyes, focusing her senses on her enemies so she knew their location. Using this skill, she blocked and evaded the oncoming attacks. She felt when Riley left his hiding spot, twisting out of the way as he tried to bite her, creating a small cut on his torso with her bow as she did. Less than a second later, Kagome felt like a bus had hit her going down the highway as she was tackled to the ground by Olivia. The female bit at her, trying to take off Kagome's head but was held back by the bladed bow. Olivia growled, grabbing Kagome's arms, pinning them to the ground above her head, forcing her to drop her weapon. Kagome grit her teeth in pain as she forced her reiki to pool within her before expelling it in a small cloud of purifying energy. Olivia screamed as she turned to ash. As Kagome shakily rose from the ground, Riley quickly bit her shoulder. Only staying long enough to inject his venom before running away, too scared of being killed before the change could take place in his newest victim.

Pain seared through Kagome's entire body. This pain was similar to Naraku's miasma laced tentacles slicing through her back. Kagome couldn't think straight. Half her mind was in the present, trying to focus on her crying cousin who had run to her once the barrier had dropped the moment Kagome had been bit. The other half was in a dark cell, strung up and tortured by Naraku during her two weeklong stay in his dungeons. Her reiki, while depleted, was raging against the venom, slowly purifying it.

"Kagome! Please, answer me! Kagome!" Angela sobbed. Angela tried to grab her cousin, but Kagome fought her off, not having the wherewithal to realize it was Angela that was trying to touch her and not Naraku once again trying to hurt her.

"Cu….Cullens" Kagome gasped out in a moment of clarity. Her mind returned to the present, noticing her terrified cousin and damaged alleyway.

"ok, ok." Angela replied hysterically, pulling out her cell phone. She had added Alice to her speed dial after Kagome had last gotten hurt during battle. Alice answered the phone before the first ring finished.

"Edward and Jasper are on their way. They'll arrive in 21minutes. Can she hold on till then?" Alice asked immediately.

"I don't know. I can't get close to her. This guy bit her and now she's not here. I don't know what to do." Angela spoke hurriedly, trying not to let her panic control her.

"Put me on speaker." Alice ordered. "Kagome, can you hear me?" No response. "Kagome, you're in Seattle. It's the 21st century. Naraku is dead. You killed him. He can't hurt you anymore. He's not hurting you." Alice continued, having already seen what was happening to Kagome since Riley had decided to attack.

The cell was dark and moldy. She could hear water dripping onto the stone floor. Her arms ached from being shackled above her head for the last many hours. Other than the water, everything was silent. She couldn't even hear the wind. The air was stale, her senses muted from days of torture, both physical and mental. A dark, amused laughter reached her ears just before the sound of his footsteps.

"Did you actually think you could escape, my little bird?" Naraku asked delightedly. "You are mine. Your friends can't help you here, they can't even find you." He continued. Naraku stroked Kagome's face tenderly. "You aren't nearly as pretty as Kikyo was. Not as powerful either. You're nothing but my toy." Naraku spoke gently. His tone kind even as he broke her. His miasma fused tentacles slid across her back as he spoke, leaving lines of burnt skin until he finally broke through, leaving jagged lines of burnt, poisoned flesh open to fester in the damp cell.

"Kagome!" A female voice called. Kagome fluttered her eyes open, seeing Naraku's body with her cousin's face on it.

"She's mine too." Naraku smiled. Kagome screamed in pain, terrified of what he had done to Angela. Like Kohaku or Kagura's control over the dead, Angela wasn't herself anymore. It was all just a dream; she had never left Naraku's prison. She should have known.

"Kagome, Naraku is dead. He can't hurt you anymore." The voice continued.

"Stop lying." Kagome sobbed.

"You're in the 21st century. He isn't hurting you anymore." Confusion and disbelief warred in Kagome's mind. 21st century? But wasn't she in Naraku's castle? The image of Naraku faded like mist on the wind. The stone castle slowly melted into the tall brick buildings of the modern day.

"What?" Kagome croaked, mind slowly coming back to reality.

Angela was weeping silently beside her; the voice was coming from the phone in her hands.

"Kagome, can you hear me now?" Alice asked gently.

"Yes." She answered hoarsely, focusing on Alice's voice.

"Can you move?" Kagome tried to raise her arm unsuccessfully. Her whole body felt like it was submerged in newly laid concrete.

"No." She grit through her teeth, clenching them as another large spasm of pain spread throughout her body. Kagome's mind blanked for a second before coming to once more. Her reiki was beating the venom but was having trouble destroying it completely.

"Edward and Jasper will be there in 3 minutes. Just hold on." Alice replied. Kagome tried to nod her head. When that failed, she decided to just stare at the sky. It was a dark night. The stars were blocked by the city lights. Her whole body hurt. The poisonous venom made it impossible for her to know what other injuries she had. Her vision blurred, black creeping along the edges.

"Kagome!" Angela's yell brought the world back into focus.

"I'm ok." Kagome responded weakly.

Tires skid to a halt, covering Kagome's response. Edward and Jasper appeared at her side. Jasper went to pick her up, but her reiki attacked him. Jasper moved away instantly, hissing in pain.

"Can you control your reiki at all right now?" Edward questioned.

"I'll try." Kagome shut her eyes, focusing as much as she could on her energy, forcing it to stay inside her body. Her eyes snapped open with a scream of pain as the venom surged through the cracks in her power. Reiki crackled through the air, forcing the vampires away from her. Kagome tried again, forcing her body to accept the pain.

"Hurry." Kagome panted. Japer promptly grabbed and deposited her in the back seat, backing away quickly before her reiki would jump out and attack them again. Once the reiki settled, Edward got into the driver's seat while Jasper took Angela to the car the girls had driven out there. Jasper calmed the hyperventilating teen once they were in the car. Her body still shuddered with adrenaline, but she could breathe easier now.

"Stop the car!" Angela yelled desperately, hand already on the door handle. Jasper braked as hard as the human could handle, bringing the car to a quick stop. The moment the lock on the seatbelt loosened Angela was out of the car puking. Unable to keep on her feet, Angela fell to the ground, panting in between bouts of nausea. Tears dripped onto the ground. Tears turned into sobs and Jasper held her gently, forcefully calming her.

"You're ok. Kagome's going to be ok. Come, you can see her at the house." Jasper spoke as her rubbed her back. It had been a long time since he'd been able to be this close to a human without wanting to feed from them, but the residue of reiki on her skin kept his hunger at bay.

Slowly, Angela stood up and got back in the car. The ride was silent, Jasper keeping Angela calm and Angela too tired to even think. The four-hour trip back to Forks was completed in just less than an hour. Kagome once again grit her teeth against the pain as she held her reiki back so Edward could carry her into the house. Carlisle's study had been turned into a doctor's room again. Angela held Kagome's hand, sitting beside the hospital bed.

"Can you help her?" Angela asked the doctor worriedly.

"I can help with her physical wounds, I'm afraid she'll have to fight the venom on her own." Carlisle replied, putting a calming hand on her shoulder. Carlisle looked to his son, silently asking him to look after Angela.

"Why don't we go to the living room, give Carlisle room to work?" Jasper prompted the girl. Angela agreed, not knowing that her calm disposition was only thanks to Jasper. Once the door was shut Carlisle turned to his patient. His hands lightly prodded at Kagome's stomach, checking for any broken bones. Her pink energy weakly zapped him, too depleted to do much else. Most of the damage had been healed, only small fractures and bruising remained. Her shoulder was worse off, broken in multiple locations though no longer shattered. Carlisle deftly wrapped her shoulder and belly before cleaning out the multitude of cuts than ran down her arms. Luckily, her healing had done most of the hard work. The rest was mostly superficial and would heal within a few days. However, Carlisle had never met someone like Kagome and hadn't a clue as to how the venom would fair against her defenses. He could tell she was in a lot of pain but didn't know how dangerous medicine would be if it put her to sleep. Kagome's eyes fluttered open again, eyes unfocussed at first.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked softly.

Kagome whimpered, the fire was losing its strength, but it would still take time before it was purged from her body.

"Is it safe to give you morphine?" Carlisle asked.

Kagome nodded, her reiki would continue its attack whether she was aware or not. A couple of minutes later Kagome was sleeping peacefully in Carlisle's study.

Kagome awoke a few hours later, weak but no longer in pain. Slowly, she moved to get off the bed. By the time her first foot touched the floor the door was open showing an irritated doctor.

"You weren't planning on leaving that bed now were you?" Carlisle chastised her, eyes piercing into her own defiant gaze.

"Ugh, fine." Kagome huffed, moving back onto the admittedly comfy bed. Carlisle gave a small smile to his stubborn patient as he checked over her wounds again. He had Kagome try to move around a little. Her body was still too weak to do much, even sitting up caused her arms to tremble with effort.

"You'll need to stay in bed and rest at least until morning. If you take it easy, you should be able to go home tomorrow evening." Carlisle told her.

Kagome nodded, laying down to go back to sleep. Her body needed time to heal itself. Tomorrow she would explain what happened to everyone.

Author's Note: Let me know what you think. I'm having trouble finding a good balance between the strengths and weaknesses of the different species. Trying to make Kagome strong, but not OP is difficult too. Can't tell you how many times I rewrote that fight scene. Thanks for reading!