Author's Note:

Poison

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed Word
They silently walked on to Kaede's village. Miroku walked in the back, leaving Kagome and Kagura in the middle. Inuyasha and Kouga had not argued as they both walked in the lead. Kagome began to think about had happened the night before. She had killed Kikyo and gotten away with it. Looking down at her hands she began to think if she had killed Kikyo, or it was Naraku working through her. She committed her first murder, and felt disgusted by the thrill it sent up her spine. She looked out of the corner of her eye and noticed Kagura was watching her.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at Kagura causing the wind youkai to look away. Kagura shrugged before turning her nose up and looking away from Kagome. Kagome frowned and directed her gaze at the back of Inuyasha's head. She had longed to hug and yet she had to be strong and keep her façade up. So many things had to come about to make her life harder. She longed to be able to show Inuyasha that she still cared for him, even after being gone a year.

"You seem troubled," Kagura quietly said.

"Troubled doesn't even describe it," Kagome replied.

"It's your heart that aches for him," Kagura stated more than asked.

"Even though it is not with me, it does," Kagome said with a small smile.

"Be careful, that heart can be our undoing," Kagura warned.

"I know," Kagome growled as her eyes narrowed.

"Do you sense that?" Miroku asked as he stopped walking.

"It smells like snake," Kouga commented.

"Shit," Kagome cursed before she and Kagura jumped out of the way of giant ball of green ooze.

"This youkai has venom!" Miroku warned as he searched for the snake.

"It's coming from the west!" Kagura yelled out as from her feather in the sky. Kagome picked up her bow and arrows only to be hit by the snakes tail.

She looked up and saw that it was a pure black snake with red eyes. It was taller than the trees and currently looked at her as its next meal. She knew she couldn't use much of her Miko ki or risk losing herself to her youkai blood. She did what she normally did in the past she yelled for Inuyasha. His ears perked up and he growled when he saw that the serpent had her pinned. Kouga jumped into the air and kicked the youkai in the mouth giving Inuyasha time.

"Kagome!" He yelled as he cut the snakes tail off. She held onto him as he jumped into the air and a landed a safer distance.

"Thanks," Kagome said as they quickly went back into battle.

The snake was now in a blood rage and had managed to knock Kouga out. Miroku could do nothing but dodge the various and messy attacks. Kagura had managed to use her wind blades to attack it. Inuyasha was about to attack when the snake bit into his arm. With a growl he used his claws to remove the left eye. Hissing in pain the snake reared up exposing its soft underbelly. Using the wind scar he quickly disposed of the snake. Kagome ran over to him and pulled his sleeve up and saw that the two fang marks were already growing green with black puss.

"Inuyasha we should hurry up and get you to Kaede's village," Kagome advised with worry.

"Keh, it's nothing. I'll be fine," he said before he fell forward and hit the ground.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled before she turned him around to see his eyes glazed over. She felt his forehead and bit her lower lip in worry.

"Does he have a fever?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, he's already burning up," Kagome supplied.

"I'll go get some water," Kagura said as she left.

"I have to heal him," Kagome whispered as she placed her hands above the wound.

Kagura dropped the water and took off towards the area Kagome was. She could feel the spike of Miko ki rise. She ran on the wind as she avoided the trees. Kagura was to late, Kagome had already started pouring her energy into Inuyasha. Her eyes widened in fear and anger as she kept letting her Miko ki be released. The Shikon no Tama became whole and turned a bluish-red as she healed him. Miroku watched as he noticed the youki energy rise.

Kouga woke when he felt the rise in holy energy. He then smelt Naraku and noticed that it was coming from Kagome. He then looked to see Kagura watching in horror as Kagome healed the mutt. He also began to notice the slight changes her eyes glowed a frosty blue and her hair became a shade of snow white. Her skin took on a pale bluish tint as she stopped her healing. Before anyone could do anything she passed out onto Inuyasha's chest.

"I'm so sorry," Kagome whispered as she let darkness consume her.

"What the hell happened?" Kouga demanded to know.

"I don't know," Kagura simply said.

"Don't lie! I smelt Naraku on her and felt the youkai blood of hers rise," Kouga warned as he glared at her.

"Fighting will not get us anywhere," Miroku sternly said.

"Fine, but lets make Kagome comfortable," Kouga said.

He walked over to Inuyasha and went to pick Kagome up when he heard the warning growls. He stepped back and huffed in anger.

'Even in his sleep he protects her,' Kouga thought with a soft smile.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Good, one less problem," Miroku said with a smile. Inuyasha eyed the monk suspiciously before he looked down at the pressure on his chest.

"Gah! Who's this?" Inuyasha growled, knowing that Kagome would sit him to oblivion if she saw him like this.

"That's Kagome," Kouga spat out. Inuyasha sniffed her before he began to growl.

"Why does she smell like Naraku?" Inuyasha growled.

"That is unknown," Miroku answered as he looked at Kagura.

"What do you know of this Kagura?" Inuyasha growled as his eyes narrowed at her.

"She holds my heart so feel free to ask anything," Kagura said with a smirk.

"Why is she becoming a hanyou?" Miroku asked.

"She is like me, a part of Naraku," Kagura said.

"Is he really dead?" Kouga hurriedly asked.

"No, he is in…hiding," Kagura supplied.

"Naraku holds her heart," Miroku calmly stated.

"That is an unfortunate event," Kagura growled.

"How are you free?" Inuyasha growled as he placed Kagome's stray hair behind her ear.

"Kagome is a trained killer that became Naraku's best assassin," Kagura explained. "She gained his trust and eventually got my heart."

"So why is she turning now?" Inuyasha asked as stared at her face with worry.

"That I don't have an answer to," Kagura said.