The Celestial Tiger's Notes: Well! After a year of chronic illness, I finally had my gallbladder surgery. I'm still kind of reeling and my body is taking longer than I'd hoped it would to adjust. I have good days and bad days but up to this point, even the good days aren't as good as I'd like. I'm sick of being sick! Anyhow, the creative juices are flowing more slowly for now and I don't have the stamina for avid writing so chapters are still going to be a while in coming.

I do need to address a question that's been asked multiple times. There is some curiosity as to whether or not the gang will encounter Youko Kurama or Hiei of the past. The answer is no. I'm not entirely sure Hiei is even that old. I thought he was 300 or so but I'm not in the least certain. Still, no matter his age, I am of the impression that he spent most of his life in the Makai. He would have absolutely no reason to be in the human world in that point in time. The same goes for Youko. Now, I've read all sorts of varying accounts of his age...some say no more than 300, some say over 1,000 while others say over 3,000. For my purposes, since I think that 300 is not nearly old enough to befit a demon of such power and cunning, I'm going with over 1,000. That could mean anything beyond, so I'm covered even if he is several millennia old. Having said all of that, I am of the belief that he, too, dwelled mostly within the Makai, making thieving runs on the Spirit World when it suited him. I don't recall any accounts of his presence within the human world prior to the time that he entered Shuuichi. If anyone knows something that I'm not aware of, please let me know and tell me where I can find it! Otherwise, I'm going on the assumption that neither Youko nor Hiei were present in human history. I'm sure this is disappointing news to some, but it just wouldn't fit in with what I want to accomplish. However, don't despair, you Youko fans...he will not be neglected. Just have patience.

Now...the chapter that has probably been the most anticipated scene for months...geez...it has been months, hasn't it? Sorry guys! This must have gone through at least 5 MAJOR revisions before I posted it. I'm still not entirely sure I'm happy with it but I couldn't obsess over it any longer for fear that you'd all fossilize waiting around for it. Enjoy!

Chapter 9: The Gang's All Here

Late afternoon brought about a pre-sunset ambiance, the air cooling a bit as the sun drifted slowly closer to the horizon. A light breeze also helped clear the air of the remnants of the slight haze that had formed during the peak of the day. It was very late summer/early fall but the days were still warm.

Despite the cooling that accompanied the onset of twilight, there was still a somewhat lethargic, heavy quality to the air as the songs of day birds slowly transitioned into the lulling hum of evening bugs as they emerged to greet the end of the day. Other than that, however, all else was quiet and calm.

Kagome and her entourage had reached the path to the village and were walking along it, Kagome chatting with Keiko about school and movies and music and other such "getting to know you" type subjects. The two girls discovered that they had quite a lot in common and struck up a fast friendship. The rest of the group was silent and preoccupied with their own thoughts, save for Yusuke, who was listening to the girls' gossip so that he could roll his eyes and groan at them.

Kuwabara strode casually, hands in his pockets as he looked about, noting how different it was in this time as opposed to his own. There were no cars...no skyscrapers...no urban hustle and bustle...Kuwabara felt like he was in one of those medieval movies he liked to watch. Thoughts of ancient and noble samurai filled his mind as he ambled along and he decided that perhaps being here might not be so bad after all.

Kurama was also taking in the atmosphere, though a great deal more comprehensively than Kuwabara. The air was free of smog and the landscape was refreshingly wild and clean from trash and pollution. He breathed in a deep, cleansing breath and smiled, closing his eyes and welcoming the almost feral feeling that such untamed wilderness stirred within him. It had been a long time since he'd seen such unadulterated lands. He suddenly sorely missed being able to take on fox form and run wantonly through the forest. Still, despite a slight bitter acceptance of his current limitations, he still enjoyed the wellspring of sprightliness and vitality that this era seemed to be drawing out from his former nature.

Hiei was alert as always, his senses ever outstretched to give him a perfect conceptualization of his surroundings, down to every sight, smell, noise and stirring that he could sense at length. He was always guarded for danger and from the moment they had all stepped out of the well, he had been aware of the vast numbers of demons that inhabited the area all around them. Not since his last visit to the demon world had he felt so thoroughly inundated with the presence of so many other demons. It was unusual to feel such a strong demon presence within the human world. This time period really was infested, as Koenma said. He walked vigilantly, ready for any manner of battle that this era might present to him.

Genkai glanced at each member of her party, seeing how this strange new circumstance affected each one differently and uniquely. She noted Yusuke's avoidance to acknowledge his surroundings...a defense, she knew, to mask his deep apprehension over their very grievous task. He was stalling letting the reality sink in. At least the others were exercising awareness. But then...perhaps Yusuke was more aware and prepared than he let on. He had a knack for doing that. She could only hope that this was the case, as they were counting on his power most of all.

Suddenly, all thoughts were cut short. Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara and Genkai suddenly stopped and tensed, their eyes all focused to a point somewhere on the path ahead as they dropped their luggage and readied themselves for an impending fight. Kagome and Keiko stopped talking and Keiko, seeing the warning signs, ran behind everyone so as not to be in the way.

Kagome remained where she was, finding it hard to believe that there could be anything too dangerous around Kaede's village since she was certain that Inuyasha was there. "What is it?" she asked, sounding more curious than worried.

"Somethin's comin straight at us," uttered Yusuke. "And fast."

All of a sudden, an aggressive shout shattered the lazy silence of the late afternoon. Then, a figure leapt over the horizon with a massive sword drawn in attack. This figure was clothed in red, its angry golden eyes flashing and its sharp fangs bared in fury. Canine ears were set atop a head of silvery-white hair.

"A demon," Kurama said quickly. Everyone was prepared to fight and it appeared as if a battle were inevitable.

"Oh no!" gasped Kagome, seeing that the so called demon was Inuyasha. "No! I gotta stop this...but how?" She looked back and forth quickly between Inuyasha and her party, desperately trying to figure out how to prevent them from engaging each other in combat. Just as Inuyasha was descending on them, Kagome resorted to the only thing that she could think of.

"SIT!"

Suddenly, the graceful leaping figure fell unceremoniously to the ground in front of them with an earth-shattering crash. Kagome cringed and everyone else looked on in astonished bewilderment. When the dust finally cleared, a muffled but very agitated voice rose up. "WHAT...IN...THE...HELL?" Inuyasha garbled out through a mouthful of earth.

Yusuke took a step forward and peered incredulously at the creature planted in the ground. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, gazing at the crater that the collision had created.

Kagome opened her mouth to explain but Inuyasha suddenly recovered and sprang up, practically foaming at the mouth with anger. Yusuke quickly jumped back and everyone tensed defensively in uncertainty as to what this demon might do, eyeing him dangerously and ready to fight if necessary.

Inuyasha placed himself between Kagome and the strangers, his eyes narrowed and his ears flat in hostility as he uttered a growl that bore both human and canine qualities. "WHAT IN HELL'S GOING ON HERE?" he then shouted angrily back over his shoulder at Kagome, though he kept his gaze on the unfamiliar people. "I CAME TO SAVE YOU AND THAT'S THE THANKS I GET?"

"You know him?" Yusuke asked Kagome in shock. Everyone else seemed just as surprised.

Kagome laughed uneasily. "Yeah...heh heh...um...this is Inuyasha...he's a friend." She then placed her hands on Inuyasha's shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Calm down, Inuyasha...I don't need saving. These people are with me."

Inuyasha nearly fell over and then spun on Kagome in utter disbelief. "What in hell's the matter with you?" he sputtered. "Did you even realize that one of them's a demon?" he demanded, pointing accusatorily into their midst.

Kagome blinked in surprise and looked back at Yusuke and company. "Well...no...as a matter of fact, I didn't," she said in a skeptical tone.

Before the spirit detectives could address the issue, Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Shippou all came racing up, battle ready and prepared to help Kagome. "Get down, Kagome!" Sango shouted at her as she readied her weapon.

Kagome became tense and clenched her fists. "I DON'T NEED SAVING!" she yelled in frustration. This stopped everyone in their tracks and made Inuyasha cringe since she had practically screamed right into his ear. Sango and Miroku then lowered their weapons and dismounted from Kirara, approaching with caution. Kirara remained in her larger form and stood beside Sango. Shippou decided to stay hidden behind them until he could be certain it was safe.

"Are we to assume that these people are with you, then?" Miroku asked Kagome dubiously.

"Yes!" sighed a flustered Kagome as she slumped over. "Well, this could have gone better!"

"Are these people from your time?" Sango asked, eyeing their odd clothing. This question seemed to startle the strangers.

"They know about that?" Kurama asked in surprise.

"Yes," Kagome nodded, "...to both questions."

Inuyasha balked. "Well, that's just great!" he snapped acerbically. "While you were at it, why didn't you just invite everyone from your era? Damn it! You didn't even have enough sense to know you brought a demon through!"

"Demon!" Miroku and Sango exclaimed together, tensing slightly as they scanned the new faces warily.

"Yeah..." Inuyasha said in a low, dangerous voice and then he pointed a clawed finger straight at Hiei. "There." Hiei narrowed his eyes, his gaze hard and cold as he unflinchingly exchanged glares with Inuyasha.

Yusuke suddenly started waving his arms up and down manically. "Whoa! Chill!" he yelled. Then he pointed a finger of rebuke at Inuyasha. "You're a demon too, punk, so you got no right to wail on us!"

"Your speech...is very strange," Miroku stated with a bemused expression. "Still...your point is well made. Perhaps we should all calm down and discuss things."

Inuyasha growled impatiently, tightening his already clamped fist. "Yeah...like what in the hell this is all about and what in the hell Kagome was thinking bringing strange people into our business!"

Miroku suddenly cracked Inuyasha over the head with his staff. "Behave, Inuyasha. If Kagome brought them, then we can assume there's a very good reason. But that can wait for a bit. We should introduce ourselves first as a show of good faith." He then stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry we got off to such a rough start. My name is Miroku."

The strangers still seemed a bit hesitant, still under the sway of suspicion. After a moment, however, the short elderly woman among them finally stepped forward and returned the bow. "I certainly hope that we can over come this distrust," she said diplomatically. "Believe it or not, we are all on the same side." She then eyed Miroku discerningly for a moment. "You have an impressive amount of spiritual power, young man."

Miroku smiled at her. "I am a monk. Spiritual matters are my calling. And who might you be, that you sense spiritual energy?"

She smiled slightly. "My name is Genkai. I'm more or less what you might call a priestess."

"She kicks serious ass too," Yusuke added.

"Yeah...usually yours, Urameshi," Kuwabara jeered.

Yusuke shot Kuwabara a dirty look. "Ha ha...you're a real comedian."

"Alright, both of you knock it off," Genkai ordered.

"So...you're also a fighter, then?" Sango asked Genkai, trying to direct the conversation back to civility.

Genkai nodded. "Yes," she answered simply, and then she eyed Sango's weapon. "And you must also be a fighter...with a great deal of skill, to wield something like that."

Sango nodded and then bowed. "I'm Sango, the demon exterminator...and this is Kirara," she said, indicating the giant feline. She then looked back at Genkai. "I'm pleased to meet you."

Kuwabara perked up at that. "Hey! Hear that, shorty?" he teased Hiei. "Better watch out!"

Hiei spared Kuwabara an icy glare. "I fear no one, least of all a human," he said in a quiet but razor sharp tone.

"I would never attack an ally," Sango offered quickly, looking at Hiei with great uncertainty as to whether or not he even could be an ally.

"Oh, I'm sure you wouldn't. I was just kidding," chuckled Kuwabara. "By the way, the shrimpy little demon is Hiei," he announced, jerking his thumb in Hiei's direction. "I'm tellin' you because he probably won't introduce himself." Then he cupped his hand to the side of his mouth as if he were going to tell a secret. "Don't let the nasty act fool you. He really is on our side."

Hiei glared ruthlessly at Kuwabara while Kurama covered his mouth to hide his amusement. "Keep your mouth shut, ape," Hiei hissed.

Kuwabara wasn't daunted in the least and he continued talking, pointing at himself with a jovial grin. "And my name's Kuwabara...I'm a..."

"Moron," Yusuke interjected. Hiei seemed to approve of Yusuke's assessment.

"You punk!" retorted Kuwabara stridently. "Don't go trying to make me look bad in front of strangers!"

"I don't have to...you do it yourself," remarked Yusuke coolly.

Kuwabara started to turn red in the face. "Shut up, Urameshi!" Then he drew in a deep breath and to make sure that Yusuke didn't interrupt him again, he said all at once, "I'm Kuwabara, I'm a student and a fighter and I can use my spirit energy to form a really cool sword!"

Miroku and Sango were wide-eyed and blinked in surprise a couple of times. These new people from the future were very peculiar. "Nice...to meet you," Miroku stumbled out with a slightly baffled half-smile.

Kuwabara smiled and nodded and then returned his gaze to Inuyasha, his expression suddenly shifting to curiosity. "Uh...I don't get somethin'. How did you know that Hiei was a demon?"

"Oh please," Inuyasha scoffed. "I could smell it a mile away!"

"You're a dog demon," Kurama stated matter-of-factly. "That would explain your keen sense of smell."

"Inuyasha's actually a half-demon," Kagome interjected with an unassuming smile. Inuyasha rewarded her with a glare and a growl but she pretended not to notice.

Kuwabara started tapping the tips of his index fingers together uncomfortably. "Uh...I'm assuming the other half is human," he said somewhat stupidly as he stared at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha gnashed his teeth in annoyance but it was Yusuke who responded, rolling his eyes and smacking his forehead with the base of his palm. "DUH! Geez, you're a friggin dumbass!"

"Hey! It's new on me!" Kuwabara defended. "To tell you the truth, it's kinda weird to think about demons and humans...you know...being...together...and stuff." Kuwabara began to fidget, his face turning red just having made the implication.

"It's like Koenma said," Yusuke responded impatiently. "Demons are more a part of human life here than in our time...so get over it. Hey! Wait a sec! What about you and Yukina?" At this, Hiei gave Yusuke a dangerous look.

Kuwabara suddenly froze and blushed. "Oh yeah..." He often conveniently forgot that Yukina was a demon. "Ok, so maybe it's not that weird," he conceded.

Inuyasha gave Kuwabara a strange look. This guy liked a demon? What Inuyasha found even harder to believe was that a demon...or any woman for that matter... actually liked him. He was a fool!

Yusuke cut the topic short, however, by making rolling gestures with his hands. "Now that that's settled, can we get on with the next introduction? It'd be nice to have this done by bedtime."

"Yusuke!" Keiko scolded, stepping forward and shoving him. "You're not exactly making the best first impression, you know!"

Yusuke stumbled forward a bit and then turned around to give her a dirty look, but instead found himself staring at the back of Miroku's head. He hadn't seen the monk move! How did he manage to get in between them so quickly?

The funny thing was that no one else was really sure how Miroku managed it either, but there he was, standing right in front of Keiko with a suave and charming smile on his face. "Well, hello there!" he said in a silky tone. Then he leaned toward her, grabbing both of her hands and gazing meaningfully into her eyes. "Would you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

Kagome and Inuyasha groaned while a practically tangible dark cloud of anger built over Sango's head. The strangers all looked appalled and Yusuke was too stunned to react at the moment.

Keiko's eyes went wide and she forcibly pulled her hands out of Miroku's grasp, taking a step back away from him. "What?" she gasped in shock. "Are you nuts?"

Miroku stepped forward, rounding to her side. "Now, now," he cajoled. "Don't be shy."

"Look, buddy...I don't know what your customs are in this time, but..." Suddenly, her breath caught and her eyes went wide again. This strange man now had his hand on her posterior! And he was stroking it! Her hand instinctively flew upward and connected squarely with the side of his face. Then she backed away from him quickly, looking both disgusted and embarrassed.

Yusuke's shock finally dissolved and he clenched his teeth in anger, roughly gripping Miroku's shoulder and spinning the monk around to face him. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled, shaking a very tight fist in Miroku's face.

Miroku raised his hands unassumingly and offered an innocent smile. "No need for aggression," he said pleasantly as he wormed his way out of Yusuke's grasp. Then he quickly skirted around Yusuke and retreated back into the ranks of his friends.

Yusuke turned to pursue the offending monk but before he could attack Miroku, Sango beat him to it. She grabbed Miroku and smacked him hard in the back of the head with her Hiraikotsu. "Miroku! You lecher! I can't believe you!"

"Ow, Sango!" Miroku protested as he rubbed the back of his head. "You know I can't help it!"

Sango growled in frustration. "Don't give me that! You're the one who made the speech about showing good faith and then you decide to be a pervert! How are we supposed to build trust while your hands are roaming?" She then offered an apologetic expression to the still seething newcomers. "I'm really sorry about that. Miroku comes from a long line of incorrigible lechers."

"Is that his way of saying hello?" Keiko asked cynically.

"I'm afraid it is," Sango replied. "At least when it comes to women."

Yusuke cut his eyes dangerously at Miroku. "Well, if he knows what's good for him, he won't ever do it again."

Keiko gave Yusuke a wry look. "Why are you so bent out of shape? You've done stuff that's just as bad."

"That's not the point!" defended Yusuke. "He doesn't even know you!"

Keiko sighed and then cleared her throat. "Well...in the interest of...good faith," she said with a sarcastic emphasis, giving Miroku a withering look, "...I'm willing to overlook that little incident and move on. My name is Keiko Yukimura. I'm not a fighter or anything, really. I'm just along to help when I can." She then bowed courteously.

"Nice to meet you, Keiko," Sango said with a smile and a bow in return. Miroku also bowed, but a side-glare from Sango ensured his polite silence. Inuyasha still seemed impatient but he at least spared Keiko a nod of acknowledgement when her eyes glanced over to him.

After Keiko had stepped back, Yusuke sighed. "Guess I'm next." He then took one more arrogant step forward. "Yusuke Urameshi...strongest fighter in the world," he boasted.

"Maybe in your time," Inuyasha muttered.

"What was that?" Yusuke retorted sharply. "Was that a challenge, dog-boy?"

Inuyasha growled and stepped forward but then suddenly stopped, his ears perking forward and his eyes growing large with a curious expression. He took another step toward Yusuke and started sniffing, looking keenly interested all of a sudden. "You smell really funny," he remarked, seemingly having forgotten his antagonism for the moment.

Yusuke's expression shifted from agitation to surprise. He stopped cold for a moment and stared at Inuyasha with his mouth slightly open. He then lifted his arm and sniffed his own armpit discriminatingly. "I'm not that funky!" he defended.

"Maybe it's that Dollar Saver cologne, Urameshi," Kuwabara chimed in. "Or your breath! Or maybe you stepped in something! Hahahahahaha!"

"Shut up, asshole!" Yusuke yelled back at Kuwabara.

"No!" Inuyasha grumbled. "I mean your overall scent. I've never smelled anything like it before. It's..." sniff "...mostly a human scent, but there's something..." sniff "...different."

Yusuke finally shrugged. "Look dude, I'm 100 percent human...bellybutton lint, toe jamb and all."

"Yusuke! That's gross!" protested Keiko.

"Well?" Yusuke shrugged at her, as if that were all the justification he needed. He then turned back to Inuyasha. "Hey...would you mind not sniffing me anymore? It's just kinda...weird."

Inuyasha frowned and responded with a, "Hmph!" but he did step back.

"Ok!" said Kagome, who had not spoken in quite a while. "Who's left?" she asked, looking around.

"That would be me," answered the red-head as he stepped forward. "You may call me Kurama," he said politely with a graceful bow. He didn't offer any additional information about himself but his manner was sincere and he seemed extremely likeable. Sango and Miroku bowed back while Inuyasha merely nodded, glad that the introductions were wrapping up.

"Hey!" said Kagome abruptly. "We're forgetting someone!" She then smiled sweetly. "Come on out, Shippou. It's perfectly safe."

A tiny face peered out from around Miroku's robes and then Shippou finally emerged from hiding with a nervous smile. Kurama's expression instantly shifted to surprise.

"Aw! How precious!" cooed Keiko.

"Hey! It's a little raccoon demon!" Kuwabara chirped with a goofy grin.

"I'm not a raccoon! I'm a fox!" Shippou shouted in indignation.

Suddenly, all the eyes of the newcomers shifted to Kurama. "Anybody you know, Kurama?" Yusuke asked half-jokingly.

Kurama cleared his throat uncomfortably and frowned. He hadn't intended to divulge his little secret quite so quickly. But it was apparent that Yusuke wasn't going to allow him a choice.

Shippou looked at Yusuke and then at Kurama in confusion. "Why would he know me? You guys are from the future."

Yusuke grinned, completely unaware of the glint of displeasure in Kurama's eyes. Hiei saw it, however, and frowned as well. He'd seen that look before...it could be very dangerous. As Hiei had testified to many times, Kurama was not someone to cross. He would almost have pitied Yusuke if the boy hadn't been so obnoxious.

"Kurama's a fox, too!" Yusuke spouted unabashedly.

Kurama, contrary to what the look in his eyes had promised, merely sighed and resigned himself to get it over with. It wasn't like he was somewhere where his true identity would haunt him. If anything, being here meant not having to worry about the consequences of Youko's reputation...after all, no one here would even know him.

Shippou looked at Kurama dubiously, as did Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango. "But...he's a human," argued the tiny fox. "He certainly smells like a human."

Inuyasha nodded. "Shippou's right."

Kurama smiled jadedly and then nodded. "My body is human but my spirit is that of a demon fox. I took this body in refuge. Now I'm...permanently attached to it."

Miroku squinted slightly at him. "You know...your aura is very unusual. But I've seen demon possessions before. Yours isn't the same."

Kurama smiled slightly. "Well...this is far more complicated than a possession. You might call it a...demon integration."

Shippou, who's eyes had been growing wider and wider as the conversation progressed, finally beamed at Kurama. "Then it's true!"

Kurama nodded. "Yes. It is true."

Shippou's eyes sparkled as he looked up at Kurama. Kagome couldn't resist uttering a muffled squeal in the back of her throat. 'Shippou's found a new friend!' she thought happily. Though she was surprised to learn that this boy she thought was a charming gentleman was really a demon underneath, it didn't really bother her. If only all demons came in such comely packages!

"Well!" she finally said with a bright smile. "Now that we've all met, let's get to Kaede's! I'll explain everything there and then we can get to know each other better after that!"

Yusuke and company all gathered their luggage back up and fell into place behind Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango. As they began to walk, Shippou hopped up onto Kurama's shoulder and smiled admiringly at him.

Kurama was surprised at first but he found it impossible not to smile back. There was a time when a child's affections would have been of no consequence to him. But now he found himself warmed by this little kit who seemed so much more innocent than he ever remembered being in either his demon or human childhood. He walked silently, but with a tiny smile that did not fade even after he had turned his eyes forward.

They all proceeded onward to Kaede's village, each still filled with a ton of questions but at least prepared to discuss where to go from here. Kagome hoped that Inuyasha would lighten up so that the spirit detectives wouldn't hate working with him. Much in the same manner, Keiko hoped that Yusuke would behave himself so that these new people wouldn't find him intolerable. Still, despite uncertainties on both sides, the groundwork had been laid for an alliance that promised to be devastating to Naraku.

Additional notes: Again, I apologize profusely for this chapter being so long in coming. I do hope that you found it worth the wait. Eventually I'm going to start adding story-related drawings to my website. I can't wait to illustrate some of this stuff! It'll be great fun!