AN sorry people, but I've been super busy! I finally got my monitor *does happy dance* but now I'm sick. I can't win! I know I left you guys at an interesting spot! Just remember that this story is still beginning, so YYH people are still in the background, but they will be coming in soon, there is just one thing I have to do first ;) I'm not going to tell! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, and O.O I was surprised to see my beta reader leave a review. She needs a hand ^_^ Hey everyone who reviewed my story needs a hand, and if you only read but don't review, I want to hear from you! Okay so I'm warning you if this chapter isn't as good as the rest it's cause I'M SICK, so enjoy the story ^_~

"Another day nearer the battle,
So drink up my lads and look brave,
'Cos every day nearer the battle
Is another day nearer the grave."
~A warriors' song of the Imperial Guard

Chapter 9

***Last time***

Now was a good time to leave before he went for her head mantled on his wall. She kissed him on the forehead, which was another nail in her coffin; hell, if she was going to die she was going out with a bang. Besides, only the good die young. Oh, crap she was good, and she was young. At least her death would be a bang...right?

***Now***

She found Yukiro back in her room awaiting her arrival. She told him that they had to leave now. Sensing the urgency in her voice, he flew out the window and transformed. She grabbed her backpack, and slung it over her shoulder. She was just about to jump on Yukiro when the door flew open, and Sesshomaru stood there panting. Despite the weakened state of his body, his eyes glared bloody murder.

Kagome said goodbye, and before he could stop her, she was on Yukiro and they took off to the sky. When she was at a safe distance, Kagome looked back and saw him staring at her. She waved him goodbye and blew him a kiss. She shouted over her shoulder that they were now friends, and friends held no ill thoughts towards each other. She laughed knowing that he could hear everything. Okay so maybe the good didn't die young today. Then of course, today she wasn't exactly good.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Yukiro landed far enough away not to attract attention to the group. Yukiro transformed into a humanoid form, and walked with Kagome hand in hand back to Kaede's hut.

Inuyasha smelt Kagome's scent and that of an unknown demon's. He took off towards them. It was Inuyasha's growling that made the others follow.

Yukiro was telling her of how the kitchen staff tried to cook him for dinner and wasn't paying attention when Inuyasha bounded over the trees and stopped right in front of them.

The dog demon did not like what he saw. His Kagome was with another demon, and not only that, but they were holding hands. It pissed him off that he had no clue who this demon was or why they were being so friendly towards each other. Kagome wasn't even that friendly with him. Okay so he never tried to be that friendly, but that wasn't the point!

He wanted to tear the demon's head off. He was about to when Kagome looked at him and smiled. All thoughts about murdering the intruder left his mind. She had given him a smile meant only for him. He couldn't help himself, he growled at the demon informing him that Kagome was off limits. The demon only smiled in response.

Inuyasha made a big fuss at how Naraku was getting so many shards while she went out gallivanting with demons she didn't know. She softly told him that in the few hours she was gone she had acquired three shards.

Everyone in the group was impressed again and wanted to know how she did it. Shippo was cradled in her arms, and she spotted a few new bruises, which would be dealt with in a few minutes. She told them how she came across a Chimera, and how she had help from a few demon lords. She didn't name them, but they all looked at her with new awe.

Kagome turned the tables and the subject demanding to know where Shippo got all his bruises. Shippo started crying about how Inuyasha was beating him up for tricking him. The half demon's ears were pinned flat against his head, and he waited for the million sits that would punish him, break every bone in his body, and create a new crater in the ground. They never came.

Kagome apologized to Shippo for placing him in such danger, but he was a brave fox. It was her idea in the first place to get Shippo involved, the least she could do was hone up to it. The demon took delight in her words, and puffed up in pride.

Everyone laughed at the young child's antics. Kagome tensed up. She looked towards Inuyasha, and the dog demon looked at her. He gave her a blank look. Kagome would have liked to ponder the reason why she could tell one of Naraku's detachments was heading towards them, and only she felt it, but it was fast approaching. She would have to be on her guard.

She felt the evil that was Naraku's miasma. She felt Kagura's presence before she saw the giant feather descend from the sky. It was only when she knew it was Kagura did Inuyasha pick up on her scent.

The wind demoness stopped a few feet in front of them. Before Inuyasha could attack, Kagome called out to her and asked her why she was here. The wind demoness told them that she was only here to deliver a message; the end has come that all of the shards were in either of their possessions, and that a final showdown was needed. Kagome did not feel the wasps' energy, and she asked if she was followed.

Everyone looked at her as if she lost her marbles, but Kagura understood perfectly what she was asking. The demon shook her head, and told them that she was not being watched. Kagome enquired as to the direction of Naraku location and she pointed north. Inuyasha growled fiercely saying that the wench was lying, but Kagome knew better. She could feel the hate Kagura had for Naraku rolling off her in waves. She felt as if she could 'trust' Kagura in the upcoming battle.

Kagome told her that when the battle came, she would have to pick sides. She could fight for either the side of freedom or the side of death. An unspoken agreement was made between the two, which made the group look at Kagome as if she has grown a second head. Kagome told Kagura to tell Naraku that in one week she was to come and personally escort them to the battleground.

Kagura nodded her head and got back onto her feather and left. They had a week to prepare for the end. One week. After two years, everything would be over. The thought was stomach clenching.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Later that afternoon, Kagome asked Yukiro if she should go and get the spirit detectives, but Yukiro believed that they wouldn't be able to pass through the barrier. Kagome wanted to know how he knew that.

He told her that the forest demons, which had merged with him, had been alive during this battle. It was their forest that Naraku had invaded, they had no choice but to stay in the shadows and watch. Yukiro took Kagome far away from the others, but Inuyasha was still following. It seemed that Inuyasha didn't trust the newest 'member' of the group.

Yukiro needed to get the half demon away from earshot. What he had to tell her was not something he could let the half demon overhear. He found the perfect excuse; it was cruel, but necessary. It would save lives in the future. Yukiro stopped and told Inuyasha that Kikyo was waiting for him at the other side of the town. Both Kagome and Inuyasha stopped.

Kagome knew that what Yukiro had to tell her was important, because she knew that Yukiro would never play a trump card like that for any reason. She felt her gut telling her to let Inuyasha go to the dead priestess; she reminded herself that she was going to listen to her gut feelings from now on. It killed her on the inside, but she was going to let him go to her. She nodded to his unanswered question. The half demon turned and took off towards his first love.

It broke her heart into a thousand pieces, but this wasn't about her anymore. It was about the beginning of the end. Once Inuyasha was out of his demon hearing range, Yukiro got right down to business; he didn't know how much time they had together before they would be interrupted.

He told her that Kikyo would betray them all, steal the jewel, and give it to Naraku in hopes of purifying him, but he kills her in the end. Kagome fell to the ground. So many thoughts went through her head, but the one that was at the front was the sorrow she felt for Inuyasha. No one deserved to die at the hands of that merciless freak.

She hated the dead priestess for trying to kill her; for trying to bring Inuyasha to Hell with her; but she hated the thought of more people dying at Naraku's evil hands even more.

He continued to tell her that Inuyasha would be killed in battle, and Kagome started to cry. He was undefeatable he couldn't die. He was her knight in shining armor; nothing in this world could bring him down. Yet here Yukiro stood telling her different.

Kagome started to rant that she would stop it. Yukiro told her that it was hopeless, that she too was killed in battle. Kagome became fearful letting her mind wander, and Yukiro shook her telling her that she had to pay attention.

Miroku took the completed jewel and wished in the heat of the moment and despair that none of this would have ever happened. The wish he made created a loop and for five hundred years, time kept repeating itself. Only the forest demons were unaffected by it, just like they were Yukiro's time spell.

He told her that now she knew, there was a way to break the spell, and that new events happened that weren't meant to. She was never supposed to go through training; she was never destined to meet him or the spirit detective team, or even the forest demons.

Time was faltering, and this time Naraku was going to be defeated. He told her that if too much was changed, then everything she knew in the future was going to be changed as a result.

He told her that Kikyo had to die and Inuyasha as well, but her death could be prevented. Kagome's mind was spinning from all the new information. She didn't know what to think or what to do. She didn't want her best friend to die so that she could live in the world she had grown up to know. It seemed like it was a selfish thought.

She looked to her new friend for some guidance. He told her to spend all her free time with Inuyasha, for it would be her last, but she was not to tell anyone what he had told her. He wanted to end the time loop, and he wanted to live past that fateful day. Changing too much would end the world as well. It was a catch 22.

This was the last wish of the forest demons. They wanted to see what was beyond the loop. This was their dying wish, how could Kagome not to some degree honor that? After all, they were the ones that trained her, that helped her grow into the person she had become.

Kagome asked who was there to fight, and Yukiro told her that everyone close to her. Kagome had an idea come to her, it would take a few days, but she hoped secretly that it would save Inuyasha, and give them more time together in the end.

She grabbed Yukiro's hand and ran back with him to the camp, with new hope. Kagome told Sango and Miroku that she would be gone for a few days to gather allies for the fight, and Miroku inquired as to where Inuyasha was since he had followed them, to which she told them nonchalantly that he was with Kikyo.

Everyone looked at each other, and looked back at Kagome blinking trying to decipher what she said to them. Shippo, in his childish way, asked if she was returning to her time. Kagome shook her head and said with a smile that the people she was going to talk to now were here in this time.

She told them to say here in the village so that she could find them easily upon her return. She told Yukiro to transform and took off on him. Once in the air she told him to go to the Eastern lands. She remembered how Soun and Genma were to be celebrating tonight, and figured that they would help her to get rid of the evil that would plague their lands. She did after all help them with the Chimera, and she would rather take their help against Naraku over an invited invitation into their lands anytime.

Yukiro had to admire her forethought. Those two were never present during the last battles, so that just might help change the time loop. Yukiro flew towards the sounds of celebration that any demon could hear a few miles away.

Kagome made her way to where the two demon lords were talking, watching their men celebrate their victory. Both demons stood up as they watched Kagome approach. She told them that she had to talk to them in private.

She advised them about Naraku's plans, and as soon as she mentioned his name the two demons spat on the ground cursing his very existence. Seemed as if the half demon had been making quite a name for himself. Both wanted nothing more than to see the demon dead.

Requesting their help was too easy in Kagome's mind. She told them that in seven days they were to meet them in the North territory. The demons were worried about how the Lord of the North would take to having two demon armies invade his territory. Kagome asked who the demon lord was, and she almost fell over with laughter when they told her. This was becoming too easy.

Both gave her a weird look when she told them that she had a history with Kouga, and that there would be no problem. If there was, they should let her deal with it.

So a new alliance was made, and an evil was going to be destroyed. If that was not a new cause for celebration, then Kagome was not sure what was. The two demon lords stopped the celebration long enough to tell them that in one week the two armies were going to defeat the demon called Naraku. Most demons had spit on the ground at the mention of his name, but the cheer that roared at the mention that the demon was going to be defeated was heart warming.

Yukiro and Kagome took part in the celebration. Kagome sat next to Soun, who told her that he was defending her honour, and that some of the demons could get a little frisky after drinking some sake. Kagome laughed and told Yukiro to go and enjoy himself while he could. He got up and joined in the festivities. Kagome sat back with the two demon lords lost in her own thoughts as the celebration went into full swing.

In the morning, they would go and talk to Kouga.

AN: and the plot thickens, remember to R&R