The battle was fierce. Kagome was barely able to hold her own against the lesser demons of the hanyou, trying desperately to keep the masking spell she had over the few shards of the Shikon No Tama. In the past she would have been able to go back to her time with one shard, but she had just recently found out since Kikyo had dragged the rest of the Shikon No Tama down to hell with her, if she returned to her own time then the past would be sealed off for good to her. She would have no means of protection against the few demons in her era that would want the shards for themselves. She stayed for her own protection and the protection of the family. She hoped they would understand when she didn't come back.

Kiagami was also fighting showing off his control over the growth of plants and trees. The trees bended in to elegant shapes striking down on the youkai below them, and the poisonous plants twisted around weaker demons killing them with a potent poison. Kiagami was also battling with his claws trying to keep demons away from Kagome. She was holding her own against the demons that managed to get past him; purifying them into a light blue dust. The effort she put into her purification was starting to exhaust her, quickly draining her energy.

"I can't keep this up much longer…"

When she uttered those words even Sesshomaru had been distracted by her weak voice, allowing the hanyou he had decided to fight on his own get a couple of scratches in. He then put his focus back into his battle and started to fight even more fiercely easily destroying the hanyou he was fighting. He fought through the youkai that were attacking Kagome and Kiagami. He growled when he realized that it was Kiagami holding Kagome.

"I can take her now. You do not need to hold her like some fragile piece of glass."

"Her magical energy is drained, putting a visible physical strain on her body. She could catch a fever very quickly considering that some of the youkai we fought were not exactly the cleanliest of people." His voice was void of emotion, he was putting an effort no to drop Kagome now, and wound Sesshomaru for being so inconsiderate of Kagome.

"She is strong for a human; she will be able to survive an illness." Inside he was growing more and more worried for Kagome. What if she wasn't strong enough to survive a possible illness? Rin would loose her playmate… but was that all she was to him? A caretaker to his ward Rin? No; she was much more. Should she die, he would be devastated; his only reason to live would be for the welfare of Rin. It was then that Kiagami voiced a thought he didn't want to hear.

"If she dies, she won't come back you know."

"…"

---

It had been two days after the battle with the hanyou. Kagome had only woken up for brief periods of time; showing signs of cough and fever. Sesshomaru would stay be her side constantly; he even stayed up the whole night; never leaving her side.

Sesshomaru prepared the healing herbs necessary to combat the fever Kagome had; after Kiagami telling him what herbs to collect and how to prepare them. Sesshomaru had noticed that Kiagami had put a strain on how clean the herbs should be before Sesshomaru had crushed them into a potent smelling mixture. Kiagami was now boiling the herbs into a soup for Kagome to drink.

"Put more water in." Sesshomaru voice was commanding a voice that few dared to defy. It was unfortunate that Kiagami was one of those chose to go against his orders.

"No."

"Why not?" Though it was a question, the tone of Sesshomaru's voice seemed to suggest otherwise.

"The more water I add to it, the weaker the healing herbs get. I want to get the strongest healing potion I can possible get."

"Her illness is not that serious."

"It could turn serious."

Kiagami then ripped some of the fabric on the bottom of his kimono and used the fabric to filter the potion into another pot, and set it to boil again.

"You should go to sleep; you've been watching Kagome all night."

"I do not need the rest."

"Then go off and do something else. I can take care of Kagome in the meanwhile. It's not good fore you to be worried over all the time."

"You had better take good care of her." With those words he took off into the clearing up ahead. It was close enough that he could be back at the campsite if the need arose but out of hearing distance.

Meanwhile Kiagami was doing his best to wake Kagome up.

"Lady Kagome… Please wake up; I have something for your fever."

She awoke slowly, her bleary eyes taking in the blurry form before her.

"…Kiagami?"

"Yes it is me. Now drink up." He pushed the bowl toward her face, trying to get her to take a sip from the bowl.

"I have something that will work better than the healing potion you prepared. It is in my pack." She weakly pointed to the ragged yellow backpack that she never traveled without. He remembered her asking for a needle and thread to sew up the tears in it before they left.

Kiagami was curious now. Better than the healing soup he had made in which he had gathered some of the strongest healing herbs and mixed them to make a healing soup better than any healer could? There was no way she could come up with something better. He had worked hard to prepare the soup!

Kagome took the book bag and rummaged through it until she had found a small bottle with thick red liquid in it. She looked around her pack more until she found a tiny measuring cup. She then opened the bottle. Kiagami almost retched at the smell of the curious red liquid. Surely this foul smelling liquid was poison!

"Lady Kagome! That is poison you are about to drink! Surely you do not want to worry Sesshomaru anymore than he already is?"

"Sesshomaru… Is worried about me? He never really showed any indication of it…"

Kiagami hid a smile. So she did have feelings towards the cold youkai! A match made in heaven. Now if only those two weren't so stubborn, they could be happy for years to come!

"Why he stayed up all night to take care of you. I had to practically chase him away from camp to get him to take a break. He's probably thinking of you right now…"

"Sh-shut up!"

"Shut what up?"

"Your big mouth!"

Kiagami laughed while Kagome's face was slowly turning the color of a ripe cherry. It was so much fun annoying her like this. He could see the spark of life in her eyes while she regained her intenseness, her fire. He could see the woman described to him by the servants of the palace. This was the true Kagome. A Kagome that could melt the heart of the cold western lord.