"We will have to separate," she started, holding up a hand as Kagura started to protest, "and deal with Naraku from different angles. Bankotsu, you will go to the demon clans, try to negotiate as many alliances as possible. Kagura, you will go hole up somewhere and keep an ear to the ground, we need to monitor Naraku's actions. The Shikon No Tama is safe but there are other powerful relics in this time. We don't need him getting any stronger." Kagome paused. "I know this is hard, taking up the fight again after these many months of peace. We have been given no choice. We cannot return to the other side of the well, by logic, we are now over there, having just arrived via the portal. If we return to the future of this time, we will corrupt the time line more than ever. We will stay here and we will fight." Kagome waited for their responses and was greatly pleased by the ones she got.
"We are warriors," said Bankotsu.
To which Kagura replied, "We stand with you."
Kagome nodded. "Good. You have your orders...go." As they wordlessly left (Kagura dragging the unconscious Jakotsu with her to dispose of), Kagome felt first and truly alone. It had been a long time since she'd had to do anything alone. Bankotsu or Kagura had always been there, and when they hadn't even Suikotsu had been there. He, of course, was her next target. Bankotsu had told her when they first started walking away from the clearing of her former friends that Suikotsu had been accidentally brought back through the portal and halfway in and out of a mountain. It's difficult to explain how this is possible, but the easiest way is to just say that when you first come out of a time portal, you are in the time on both sides of the portal still. So as these two forces buoy you back and forth, for those seconds you're intangible, like smoke. You can be seen but you have no physical side. During that time Suikotsu managed to get himself stuck in a mountain by being half inside it when he reformed. Unfortunately for him, and thanks to Kagome, it would take several days for him to die.
Early on, fearful of poisoning or the imprisonment of her new allies, Kagome had placed wards on her friends, keeping them from starving or dying of some other accidental way. Since they'd been revived with the jewel of four souls it had been quite easy to do. The only way her three friends (Bankotsu, Suikotsu, and Kagura-her simply because it was the jewel's power that created her) could be killed was if it was done with intention and malice. Of which Naraku had plenty.
Kagome opened her senses and immediately felt a strong presence heading her way. The residual taste of the Shikon in the aura warned her that is was Koga, the pseudo-suitor who had declared his love and ownership for and of her many times. What an asshole.
Kagome waited until Koga had got into her face (the demon had no concept of a personal bubble) and then clocked him right on the chin. With the added oomph of her miko powers, the punch had him flying right into a tree mere feet away. When he managed to see past the stars and the little birdies floating around his head he glared at Kagome.
"Whad'ja do that for?" He asked, spitting out a tooth she's knocked out.
"Instinct."
"Instinct?" He sneered.
"Yeah, get in my face and I start hitting...got it?"
"Yeah...Now listen, I've been thinking," Koga shot up and wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist, "and how about we finish all this? You, me, some furs on the ground. Great."
"How about...no?" Kagome pushed Koga off of her and barely spared the just arrived, out-of-breath Ginta (the smart one) and Hakaku (he has dimples!) a thought. "I am not your mate, Koga. I never will be. You're weak and ruled by emotions. You are unsuitable." Kagome thought back. "Go find Ayame. She'll be your mate."
"I don't want Ay-..."
Kagome slammed her miko power into his mind and placed a single, strong impulse there. Mate with Ayame.
Koga blinked and the connection was lost. "Um...hey guys...have you seen Ayame?"
Ginta and Hakaku looked at each other then at Koga and finally said in sync, "Ayame?"
"Yeah."
"Uh, no."
"Well, let's go find her!" Koga said grinning. He didn't even look at Kagome again before rushing away.
"Uh, Kagome?" Ginta asked hesitantly.
"What?"
"Nothing! Um...just..." Ginta and Hakaku wrapped their arms around Kagome for a bare second before rushing after Koga. Over their shoulders they tossed a slightly panicked "Thank you!", obviously fearing her tremendously. Kagome smiled at the thought of their fear and once again opened her mind.
Other than the quickly waning auras of Koga, Ginta, and Hakaku there was little to none demon activity. Kagome put a little effort into it and widen the range of her spidey senses. A couple of kilometers to the southeast she could feel the miko presence of Kikyo piggybacked onto Inuyasha's demon aura. Not far from there was Kirara's aura and the very slight blips that were Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. Shippo's aura was spiking horribly, telling Kagome that he was still upset. Though she felt a pang of sympathy,shegot over that quickly. The others would care for him. There was no place in her life right now to play mommy to baby demon. Note to Self: Tell Sesshomaru that he has to wait for demon spawn at least a couple of years.
Speaking of Sesshomaru, there he was, a good deal farther away to the southwest. Kagome turned to that direction and sought with her mental eyes the image of him. She could see him, his aura vibrantly fuscia. Kagome sought out Rin and Jaken's but they couldn't be found. She wrinkled her brow in concentration but still wasn't able to find them. Interesting, she thought to herself. Now why wouldn't they have auras? Every living thing has an aura.
Kagome heard a rustle behind her in the forest and though she did not turn, she did turn her "eye" to it. It was a cat demon, just like Kirara but wild. The cat demon crept slowly up to the miko and lowered onto it's front paws in a playful manner. It's true that no matter the size of the kitty, it's still just a kitty. Even if it does fly. And eat elk.
Kagome turned, startling the cat into lowering it's body completely to the ground in a submissive position. Smart cat, feeling Kagome's aura and knowing to submit. Kagome studied it, admiring it's red fur, with black and white accents. It reminded her of a calico cat she'd used to have.
Kagome held out her hand and the demon crept forward to smell it. Apparently liking what it smelled the cat shrunk to it's usual (but not true) form of a small mammal cat. That done the cat jumped into Kagome's arms, earning a small laugh from the woman. It had been a long time since Kagome had held a small creature like this, so much so that Kagome decided to keep it. Not as a pet, but as a tool and form of transportation. Even mikos couldn't suddenly transport themselves great distances (a la Kanna). It would work. Kagome, like she said with Shippo, had no time to play mother but the cat demon would take care of itself.
Kagome held up the cat and looked into it's eyes. Mentally she asked it, What is your name?
Nolla, it blinked back.
"Nolla," Kagome said aloud and was answered with a purr. It was a much kept miko secret that they could speak with lesser demons mentally. It was comparable to talking with a child. "You will allow me to ride your back. We have things to do."
Nolla, transforming into her larger form, knelt so that Kagome could get on her back. Once there Kagome pointed out their direction and they took to the air, with Kagome already planning her approach. Maybe it was time for a bath, she did feel oh so icky.
Sesshomaru knelt beside Rin and tried to understand what was so fascinating with the worm in her hand. It delighted Rin but held no interest for Sesshomaru so he rose and gestured for Jaken to watch the child. Sesshomaru was feeling the most particular urge to go to a hot spring near by. Almost by compulsion.
Sesshomaru was unaware that Kagome was there and was pulling him to her. She had sent Nolla to nap in the shrubs nearby and had set her trap for Sesshomaru. As he glided through the trees she ran her handsover her short hair. It had to be done and done quickly.
As Sesshomaru stepped through the last of the trees all he saw was steam. Then he noticed a figure resting in the steam, a naked figure. A naked Kagome figure.
"Hello Sesshomaru."