Kohaku growled loudly changing into a small amber colored gryphon. With one leap Kohaku was out the door and Shippo was hot on her heels with Tora in his arms. Inu-Yasha was the next out the door followed by Kirara, Miroku, Kagome, Koinu and Sango.
Kohaku grew a bit larger while waiting for the battle to come to her. She expanded her bird-like wings to take to the air if need be. Shippo transformed into a large snarling fox that was twice as big as Kohaku's gryphon form; he looked vicious. Kagome couldn't believe that this Shippo was the same sweet little Shippo from her time. Little Tora morphed into a large white tiger with cute white feet. Her strips glowed as she snarled. She was actually quite small compared to her protectors, Shippo and Kohaku. The only thing that remained of her innocent self was the chain of her necklace and it's small heart charm. Kirara changed next into her demon cat form. Kirara was about twice the size of Tora. Sango leapt onto Kirara's back as she had always done in her youth somehow equip with her boomerang. Inu-Yasha was always impressed with her warrior skills; she is a formidable opponent for any demon… him, Sesshoumaru, or even Naraku. Miroku stood by himself ready to unleash the rosary beads that bound his air void closed. Koinu grew to the size of Kirara and knelt down so Kagome could climb on. "Like riding Kirara…" Kagome told herself aloud climbing on. Inu-Yasha drew both Tetsusaigas while Kagome readied her bow and arrows.
The wind shifted in direction. Everyone stood perfectly still. "It's coming" Sango said instructing "Kirara" to get "up" off the ground. Koinu followed Kirara's lead into the air. "What is it?" Kagome asked Sango. Sango didn't reply.
A black cloud filled the air. It had a horrible odor so strong in fact that Inu-Yasha fell to one knee and covered his nose with his robe. Shippo, Kohaku, Tora, Kirara, and Koinu scattered in all directions hoping to escape its effects. Miroku moved next to Inu-Yasha holding his robes over his nose as well. Miroku opened the air void. He couldn't see anymore but knew the others were out of reach of the air void's pull for now.
Sinister laughter arose through the town. "Where's it coming from?" Kagome asked just to see Tora jump out of the smoke snarling. She was badly hurt and under attack. "Koinu…" Kagome instructed but before she could finish Koinu dove down to help Tora. With one hit, Tora changed back into her kitten form and fell back into the smoke. Koinu circled under Tora while Kagome caught Tora in her arms. Tora will be all right, Kagome thought to herself, but she won't be battling anymore today. Kagome quickly readied and released an arrow from her bow before Koinu soared out of the smoke. Kagome was relieved. The smoke was thick and inside the haze was hard to breathe almost like Naraku's fog. Naraku had faked his death before… What if he was still alive? What if he survived? What if they had failed the first time? "SHIT" Kagome yelled spontaneously. Everyone was attracted to Kagome's unusual cursing. "Take me back in, Koinu" Kagome asked politely. Koinu dove back in without question. Flying low to the ground, Kagome spotted Inu-Yasha and Miroku both were unconscious. Thankfully, Miroku had sealed the air void before passing out. They had to have known it was coming. They probably couldn't last in this smoke. "KAGOME" Sango yelled out from somewhere above them. Kagome knew she couldn't last long in this smog either, but she was determined to find out what caused it. Kagome urged Koinu to fly as fast as possible; however, this smog was also slowing Koinu down. The kitten, Tora, was showing no changes in her condition. Kagome started to feel guilty about bringing Tora in this thick smoke when a blast of energy flew past Koinu. It nicked his wing nearly knocking Kagome off. Kagome grabbed an arrow and let it fly. The arrow cleared a path in the smoke, their first sign of victory. Kagome grabbed another arrow trying the same thing again. When Kagome released the arrow, a demon was hit.
The loud painful yell that the demon emitted hurt Kagome's eardrums. Kagome decided that one more arrow should finish it off and clear the smoke; yet, before Kagome could load the arrow on her bow, the demon retaliated. The air had become cleaner from Kagome's purification arrows suddenly became black and forceful. Before Kagome could react, she had been hit. A terrible power came down crushing her forehead. Blood began to run down her face. A gentle wind blew her hair away from the wound on the right side of her forehead. At first, Kagome was unsure of what had happened then she noticed that Koinu was falling! "Koinu!" Kagome yelled. Koinu was stuck in a downward spiral. His right wing had been damaged. Koinu was doing his best to ensure a soft landing for Kagome and Tora but he was failing uncontrollably. The speed at which Koinu was spiraling downward was increasing. He was starting to loose his balance and if that happened they would surely fall to their deaths.
Kagome did fall from Koinu's back because Koinu became unstable in the spiral and Kagome had been holding the injured Tora when she fell. Her instincts to protect the child shown though, Kagome forgot about the distance to the ground and curled up in a ball around the young demon using her own body as cushion for the child. Koinu was forced back to into his butterfly stage as he too fell to the ground. Kagome hit the ground hard. When she hit the ground, Tora was thrown off to the side into some bushes. Kagome rolled down a small hill into soft dirt, but that didn't stop a dirt cloud from burying her on impact.
Sango and Kirara had been blocked from entering the smoke by a barrier. Miroku and Inu-Yasha were still unconscious from the thick smoke. Kagome, Tora and Koinu were serious injured from the fall. The only hope left fell with Shippo and Kohaku who were trying to survive inside the barrier. Even though Shippo and Kohaku were out near the edge of the barrier, they were weakened in the same respect as Inu-Yasha and Miroku.
Shippo and Kohaku had the same frame of mind. Although the smoke had separated them, they both knew that they needed to destroy this enemy. The only problem was their physical abilities; Kohaku was a hanyou and Shippo was a demon. The smoke was thick enough to knock out Inu-Yasha and Miroku with his air void active; there were no way demons, hanyous or humans could make it near this demon to destroy it. The longer a demon is trapped in this smoke cloud the weaker any demon will become. The only person that might have a chance would be a miko or priest, one that can form a magical barrier around them self.
The demon laughed. There was no one left that could help this misfit crew except maybe Sango and Kirara who were trapped outside the barrier. Sango threw her boomerang over and over. Weak spots in the barrier became weaker, but didn't break. The magical shield bent like a bubble. Kagome who was digging herself out of the dirt on the ground picked up her bow and the only arrow that hadn't been destroyed when she fell. She had one shot. Kagome released the arrow straight up into the air. The arrow forced a hole in the bubble, a small one, but the hole was there nonetheless. Some of the poisonous gas vented out, but the hole was too small to vent all the gas. Kagome's hope to pop the bubble was not accomplished before she passed out. On a lighter note, Sango took advantage of this hole. Kirara fearlessly flew her and Sango into the gas inside. Kirara flew circles near the ground looking for signs that the others were okay. She found none. Teammate after teammate was found unconscious. Sango spotted first Inu-Yasha and Miroku both unconscious, then Shippo also out cold, next was Kagome badly injured and bleeding, followed by Kohaku. Kirara knew if they couldn't last, then neither could she and Sango. Sango leapt off Kirara's back onto the ground. Running blindly through the smoke, Sango was convinced that one of them would find this damn demon. Sango let loose her boomerang in all directions; however, the demon did not answer. It's like it's waiting for us to suffocate. Sango horrifically thought. With that thought, Sango noticed the smoke getting thicker, harder for her to breathe. It wasn't long before Sango passed out from a lack of air. Kirara beat her head against the barrier wall over and over trying to burst the bubble, but made no progress. Annoyed with her insistent pounding on the barrier, the demon energized the barrier. Kirara hit the barrier with force enough to break it only the barrier was energized like an electric fence and Kirara began absorbing the energy. Kirara mewed in pain, but no one was there to help her. The barrier surged with an energy pulse when Kirara's calls became weaker. Kirara was electrocuted. She fell to the ground joining all her unconscious friends.
The air began to clear. When the group awoke, they joined back up with each other one by one. "All right…let's do a head count." Sango suggested still trying to catch her breath. "Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Miroku, myself, Shippo, Kohaku, Kirara, Koinu, Tora. Is that everyone?" No one spoke up otherwise so Sango nodded picking up Kirara. "Everyone's alive…great…now…who needs medical attention?" Miroku commented. "Miroku we may be injured, but if you cross the line…" Kohaku warned while bandaging Koinu. "Ok, ok. I get it." Miroku responded. "I need some" Kagome said exhaustedly while smiling at Miroku's response. Miroku smiled back. "No." Inu-Yasha replied with a huff. Miroku lifted his eyebrows asking Inu-Yasha if he had some thing to share. "Inu-Yasha…" Shippo spoke eloquently while kneeling down, scooping up Tora into his arms, and holding her securely to his chest. "Look around you. We were all seriously hurt in that battle. I'm just glad everyone's alive. Now if Kagome asked for help, no matter who offers to give it, would you deny her that?" Inu-Yasha grunted in disapproval of just who offered the help, but said nothing to counter her right to that help.
Later that night, everyone slept soundly within the town. Kagome sat up and stared out the window. When she couldn't calm her mind in the hut, she moved outside. Inu-Yasha, aware of her moments, followed her outside the hut. Kohaku looked up at Inu-Yasha as he walked out, Shippo attracted her attention then signaled her that with those two whatever it was, was nothing to worry about. "Is something wrong?" Inu-Yasha asked Kagome quietly. "No…" she answered unsure of whether to tell him. "Kagome?" he asked again. She decided that he would find out anyway might as well tell him now. "It's just that…when we were in the barrier, before the smoke disappeared, I…I thought I saw Kiada. She was there. She placed her hands together and the Shikon Jewel started to glow. She moved her hands out to the sides like this." Kagome clapped her hands together out in front of her then threw her arms out as wide as she could get them. "Then a ball of light expanded outward from her self and ...She was gone as if she'd never been there…but…but the air began to clear and the demon…well…the demon was just gone. I think the light was some kind of purifying energy, but I can't be sure…and another thing, The Shikon Jewel seems to have been… weakened…by this event." "What?" Inu-Yasha asked. "How is that possible?" "I don't know." Kagome answered feeling defeated. Inu-Yasha reassured her, unsure himself. "Keep your head up Kagome. We'll figure it out. We always do." With that, Inu-Yasha held out his hand for Kagome to grasp onto and helped her back inside the hut.