Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Time seemed to slow. Kagome didn't even notice the fangs that had just ripped open her back, she was intent on watching Rin. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. In a flash, the claws fell. Kagome looked around, fully expecting to see Rin's mangled body. But she saw nothing. There was nothing in the ground but the furrows left by the claws.

She looked around, confused, when she saw it. There was Shippo, letting go of Rin's hand. He had, in a blink of time, raced forwards, grabbed Rin's hand, and pulled both himself and her away from the danger. He and Rin were a good distance away when Kagome brought her blade up and sliced through the youkai. Kagome looked once more at Shippo, blinking. There it was.

She replaced her blade as she realized that the rest of the youkai had retreated.

"Waaaa! Kagome, you're hurt!" Shippo's high pitched wailing cut through her thoughts.

"Don't worry Shippo-chan, I'll be all right. Let's get back to the others," Kagome picked up the two little ones and tucked one in each arm. She picked up the back of Jaken's shirt with one hand and she leapt forwards, back to the others.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile.

Inuyasha was lounging in his tree, his thoughts were almost as confused and puzzled as Kagome's own. But for different reasons. He was jolted out of his musings when a voice sounded quite clearly in his head, 'You should stop doing that you know.'

Inuyasha started and nearly fell out of the tree. He looked around frantically. 'You won't find me no matter how hard you look Inuyasha.'

"What the hell is this?!" He thought, trying to locate where it was coming from.

'Silly hanyou. I'm in your mind,' the amusement in the voice was unmistakable.

"Well get out of it then!"

'No need to shout, I can hear you fine.'

"Who the hell are you and how the hell did you get into my head?!"

There was a soft chuckle, 'You never learn do you Inuyasha, I don't have time for this chatter though, I'm here to tell you to stop doing that to her.'

"Stop doing what to who?"

'You know very well who I'm talking about.'

"Explain to me."

'Kagome. It should be obvious, even to your inferior knowledge.'

Inuyasha started bristling at that comment, "What should I stop doing to the bitch?"

'There, you see, you're doing it again.'

"Doing WHAT?!"

'You know it hurts her when you insult her and call her that.'

"What should I care?"

Inuyasha felt something that seemed almost like a slap to the face, 'You care Inuyasha. I'm in your mind remember. I know what you think. I'm running out of time. You need to stop hurting her. She needs her strong will and heart during this time the most. There are challenges ahead that she will face by herself, ones that will challenge her very existence. You know that the only reason that she was hurt fighting the Child of Dark was because of you.'

"What the fuck do you mean by that?"

'She could have left at anytime, she could have left, unharmed, but that would have meant that the undead miko would have won. She chose instead, to fight for you. She was ready to die. And she would have, had not the Huntress come to save her. Think about it Inuyasha. And you really should tell her, you know.'

And with that, it was gone, leaving Inuyasha to his thoughts, more confused than ever.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome fought violently against the darkness rising in her mind, knowing that she had to get them back to the others before she could slip into the soothing void.

Inuyasha knew before the others, her scent was approaching fast but it was heavily tainted with the coppery stench of blood. He grabbed the blur that zipped in front of him, holding Kagome upright as she panted. She carefully placed Rin, Shippo and Jaken down before she slumped against him, fainted.

***

Kagome woke slowly, pain and exhaustion making her sluggish. She could feel her injuries miraculously healing themselves, even at that moment, in an instant, they would be only thin white lines. She winced when fresh pain struck her. She sat up quickly, reaching behind her to the three newly healed scars down her back.

'Dammit,' it was Inuyasha who the voice came to.

'Eh?' Inuyasha asked curiously.

'She was poisoned.'

Nani?!?!' Inuyasha stood suddenly, surprising his friends but ignoring them as he went from the hut.

'She was poisoned.'

"Is there a cure??" he asked frantically.

It was silent for a few moments. 'Yes,' it replied at last, 'But it is difficult to get.'

"What is it?"

'You must take the poison from the claw and mix it with the same amount of water. It must be boiled for exactly five minutes time and then she must drink it.'

"Eh??"

'It will reverse the effect?'

"Where is the youkai?"

'With Kikyo.'

Inuyasha sat, gawking. He could think of no response but the voice was not finished.

'If she does not get it within a week's time. She will die. Tell her not to use her miko powers until she is cured.'

Inuyasha felt the strangest tingling sensation in his mind. The voice left.

***

Inuyasha had gone back and explained what they must do to the others. His mind was a whirl. There was no chance that Kikyo would just let him take the claw. They would have to fight. But he was not sure what side he was on.

Kagome was in torment, the poison was slowly spreading through her blood stream. She wanted to scream, to vocalize the agony that she was going though but she refused, clenching her teeth and bearing it, curled up on the ground.

'No.' the word hit her with a force that she had never known, 'No. I will not lose. I will not lose to this. I promised that I would finish this. I can't die now. I won't. No.'

Inuyasha stopped the hand that had been reaching for her in surprised when she stopped shaking.

"No . . . " she whispered.

Inuyasha had only a few seconds to contemplate what she could mean when he saw her move.

"No." the word was stronger now and she raised herself up on her arms.

Kagome lifted herself and moved into a crouched position, pain hummed through her but it was not completely unbearable. She stood on shaky legs and fell back down. Inuyasha once again extended a hand to her, about to protest her moving, but a look in her eyes had stopped him. Kagome stood again, this time bracing herself against the wall and stumbling to the door. She turned back to their stunned faces and raised an eyebrow at them, "Are you coming?"

"O-Oi where do you think you're going, bitch?"

"Inuyasha is right Kagome-sama, you are in no condition to travel."

"Please lie down Kagome-chan, you need to get better."

Kagome looked at them incredulously, "I will not get better."

"WHAT!" All three looked at Inuyasha, startled by his sudden outburst. Inuyasha ignored them and continued to glare at Kagome.

"I won't get better Inuyasha. You should know that. The spirit is the one that told you. The poison will work through my blood and kill me slowly."

Inuyasha muttered, "But there is a cure."

Kagome's eyes softened slightly, "I know what it is Inuyasha and I know what it would cost you to get it. I would not put you through that for me."

"But-"

"There is no but Inuyasha. I know what I have to do. I cannot die until my task is complete. I would not see the world taken over by darkness, no matter what."

"Kagome-sama . . . " "Kagome-chan . . . " two voices whispered in unison, staring at her sudden change from the behavior they were used to.

"So," Kagome continued as if they had not spoken, "I will not let this kill me. Even if I am at death's door by the final battle, I will fight. For this world and the next." Kagome smiled suddenly, "I would not have your heart hurt while trying to find a cure Inuyasha, so I will make it to the end."

Kagome's face contorted with pain once again, "I will deal with this. It is nothing compared to the pain that everyone will be in if I fail."

Sango and Miroku were looking at her in almost awe.

Miroku cleared his throat suddenly, jolting everyone to look at him, "Let us at least wait until tomorrow, Kagome-sama, Sango is still tired from spirit traveling. We should let her rest."

Kagome nodded and sank into a corner, sitting in a cross-legged position and closing her eyes.

Sango turned to the monk, "Why did you say that houshi-sama? I am completely fine."

Miroku looked sadly at her, "Can you not tell Sango? Inuyasha is in a great deal of pain. He knows that she will die if the cure is not made, and soon, but his heart will not allow him to attack the one that it still carries love for. We must give him at least this one day to decide what he will to." He sighed, "Does it not pain you Sango, to see Kagome-sama speak so lightly of dying?"

"It is almost as if she does not care if she lives of dies anymore. She is like a different person now."

Miroku sighed sadly and stood, "It is not up to us whether she lives or dies Sango. It is up to Inuyasha."

He walked out the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha was in a state of inner turmoil. He was in denial. Kagome wouldn't die. She wasn't dying. Kikyo didn't sent it on purpose. Kikyo did not have the cure. But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself of this, he still knew. He still saw her as she was on the ground, in agony. He still saw her as she bravely told them all that she would live until her task was complete, how she would live to save the world from torment. He saw her as her face contorted in pain and she told them she would deal with it and spare him of even more of the pain that she knew would hit him when he once again saw Kikyo.

"What are you going to do about it?" Inuyasha nearly fell from the branch he was sitting on when the voice pierced the silence. He glared at the monk that had came upon him so suddenly that he had no warning that he had been there.

"What are you going to do about it Inuyasha? She dying you know. She doesn't want to die but she will if it will help you."

"I know," Inuyasha's voice was so soft that Miroku almost didn't hear it, "But what can I do?"

"You could go and find the cure for her and save her from any more of the pain that I know you can see her carrying."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. You could go and find Kikyo and kill the youkai that poisoned her and bring back the claws so Kagome-sama can be healed."

"Easy for you to say."

"Yes it is, because I do not wish to see a brave young miko, like Kagome- sama, die. We only have less than one weeks time to find the cure, Inuyasha. Sango and I will go to find the youkai ourselves, if we must. From what the spirit said about the Child of Dark, we need your strength or we will die as well. You are the only one that can find her and the youkai."

"I know."

"You do? Then tell me Inuyasha, do you care about Kagome-sama at all?"

Inuyasha couldn't answer. He wanted to say 'no' but something stopped him. He kept hearing the voice in his head, repeating over and over, "You really should tell her you know."

Inuyasha jumped from the tree, running off through the forest. Miroku shook his head sadly after him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha didn't have the slightest idea how he knew where he was going. All he knew was that Kagome needed the cure soon. He was following what seemed to be a tug on his aura and before he knew it, a familiar scent reached his nose, along with many more unwanted ones. He came to a halt at the edge of a small field, creeping along carefully. He saw Kikyo sitting on a large boulder, talking to a youkai that he knew was the one that had poisoned Kagome.

He made no movement but suddenly Kikyo raised her bow and pointed and arrow straight at where he was, "I know you're there Inuyasha. Why don't you come out?"

Inuyasha moved slowly out into the open, all nerves strung and ready to attack at any sign of an attack.

"Why have you come?"

Inuyasha said nothing.

"You have come to gain the cure for my reincarnation haven't you?"

Still nothing.

"Are you prepared to fight me to get it?"

Inuyasha remained still, staring at her.

"I didn't think so. I will not offer the cure to you. You will not get it if I have anything to do with it. This youkai is my servant. I will not have him killed to see my rival healed. Oh and that reminds me." Kikyo pulled a small mirror pendant from beneath her shirt. It dangled from a chain. Reflected from it was-

"Kagome." Inuyasha whispered.

"Yes it is Inuyasha. I hold her life here. At my will, the poison will become stronger and stronger, killing her, a much more painful rate. How will she react then?"

Inuyasha shifted his gaze to the youkai behind her and without warning, ran at it, claws extended, only to be repelled by an invisible shielding. Kikyo laughed as he lay sprawled on the ground in front of her, "You will join me in hell Inuyasha."

Kikyo raised her hand, ready to strike with the power that was building up on her hand.

"I don't think so Kikyo," the unexpected voice stopped her and all turned to face the one that had spoken.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome had opened her eyes as soon as Miroku had re-entered the small room, "What did you say to Inuyasha, Miroku?"

Miroku refused to answer her question, instead saying, "Inuyasha had something to take care of, I assume he will be back soon."

"Where did he go, Miroku? Tell me." Kagome's eyes had turned downright steely as she regarded him with impatience. Her face paled when he refused to answer, "You didn't . . . please tell me you didn't . . . you did . . . What were you thinking! He will be killed. He won't stand a chance against the powers of dark."

Kagome shot to her feet, wincing as she pulled some of the muscles in her back.

"Kagome-sama! Please rest!"

"HOW am I going to rest Miroku? You just sent Inuyasha to an almost certain death. I'm going after him. You can follow if you want."

Kagome shrugged off the restraining hand that he held her with.

She walked very slowly through the doorway, saying without turning, "If you mean to follow, hurry up."

Kagome shot away. Sango swore and glared at Miroku, "Kirara! What did you do this time houshi-sama? Don't just stand there, get on or we leave without you."

Miroku got on Kirara's back, behind Sango and they were off, after Kagome.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note: No new Japanese words, at least I don't think so.