---The Prophecy That Was Destined To Join---

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha. Wahh!

Chapter 19: Strain Yourself, But Don't Show It

The Way To Midoriko's Cave…

A rustle was heard in the bushes beside them and a black blur screeched to a stop in the front of the path.

Kagome and the others stood, waiting for any danger.

"Hiei?" Kagome asked, confused, "I thought you were looking for Kurama?"

"Hn. The onna remembered that you needed a slayer for the cave"

"OH! That's what I forgot!" she pointed out, walking up and talking Sango from his arms. Kagome then gently lay here on the now transformed Kirara.

"Let's keep going," commented Yusuke. The faster this was done, the quicker his cousin would get better.

Genkai, Kuwabara, Kagome, and Shippo nodded in agreement.

Kagome took out her communicator. Yusuke raised his eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

"I need to contact Koenma that there isn't a party searching for Kurama anymore"

"Ok then"

She flipped open the contraption and Koenma ((Who woke up, finally)) answered on the other line.

"Hello?"

"Koenma!"

"Oh! Kagome, what do you need?"

"Sango remembered that we needed her to go to the cave, so she's with us now. There's no one searching for Kurama then. Hiei's not needed, are you ok there?"

Koenma seemed to brighten at that last sentence, "I'm fine, and can I get Hiei? I need him to fight off some stray youkai!"

"Sure"

"Ok, thanks! Get him to come over here!"

With a click, the conversation was over. Looking up at Hiei, Kagome saw that he was glaring at her.

"What? Get going!"

The demon glared at her for one last time before taking off.

A while later, Sango woke up. They walked, chatting for a bit, before the finally reached Midoriko's Cave.

Yusuke pressed his head by the side of the large 'boulder'.

"Hey, Urameshi, why are you listening to a rock?"

"Uh, Kuwabara" Kagome hinted, "We think this is Midoriko's Cave, and we're trying to find a way in"

He blinked, "Oh"

"What's this?" Sango called out.

They ran to Sango and where she was examining 6 round holes in the side of the cave. Curiously, she used her index finger and slid it inside the hole for inspection.

To their alarm, there was a shuffling noise and her hand was jerked right into the wall. Sango screamed.

After their futile attempts to get her hand out of the wall of the cave, Kagome sighed in defeat and just experimented without a word by repeating the same process as Sango and getting her hand stuck into the wall.

"You guys, I think the people that they mentioned in the book should all do this. Maybe this is how we open up the cave…?"

"This is very risky, what if it isn't?" Genkai suggested.

"We'll just have to try then" Yusuke finished off for Kagome and stuck his finger into the 'wall'.

Shrugging, Kuwabara did the same thing, "There is nothing that Urameshi can do that I can't!" he declared.

Everyone else sweat dropped at this and Genkai hesitantly did the same thing.

"A demon …try Kirara" Sango told them.

With his other hand, Kuwabara gently cooed at Kirara and placed her in reach of the last hole. Sticking her paw in, the boulder suddenly rumbled. Their arms were released from the imprisonment and a section of the 'rock' cleared up.

"Be careful, you never know what could happen, even in a cave that's meant to be pure," Genkai advised.

Following her advice, Sango took out her Hiraikotsu, Kagome unsheathed her sword, Yusuke and Genkai readied their finger, Kuwabara created his spirit sword, Kirara transformed, and Shippo stood on Kagome's shoulder in the 'fox-fire' stance.

Kuwabara cautiously took the first step in, "Acckkk!"

He jumped back and thousands of demons trampled out of the cave. From where they really came from, no one really had any idea.

And with that, they engaged in a fight.

"Hey Kagome!" Sango shouted out from the roaring battle cries.

"Yeah!"

"You know what this reminds me of?" she yelled back, successfully slicing a youkai head off cleanly in the process.

"What is it?" Kagome wondered, stabbing her sword through a nearby offender's stomach.

"Like the time when we fought Naraku! Except this time, we're not going for the Shikon no Tama, we're going for a prophecy scroll!"

Strangely, even from what was happening then, they laughed, pushing themselves farther into the jumble of bodies.

Yusuke wasn't having too much trouble. He fought with his fists, dodging the weapons sent flying at him and doing a spin kick to an oni's face. Holding his hands in a gun position, he shot.

"SPIRIT GUN!"

"Oi! Dimwit! You should aim before you shoot!" Genkai cursed.

Thankfully, Shippo quickly dug into Kagome's pack and tossed a quarter and the very off ball of energy. It collided and the blue orb dissolved the coin and a quarter of the demons they were fighting.

"Thanks, Urameshi!"

He continued fighting as if nothing happened.

"SPIRIT WAVE!" Genkai yelled out. A huge blast of wave-like energy washed over the demons. Only a few more were left now. They were tired, nonetheless.

Kuwabara slashed back and forth continuously with his spirit sword, sort of 'melting' whatever it came in contact with.

Kahyi blocked with his staff and shoved them away. Using some sutras he had made, the monk plastered them roughly on their foreheads, trying to block off their screams as they were purified.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the youkai finally dispersed. Sweating and breathing heavily, the large group continued on deeper into the cave, keeping an eye out for any signs of the scroll.

Kagome was doing fine, actually, she was deathly tired, but she didn't show it, and did a pretty good job hiding it from everyone. If she was willing to, Kagome would of collapsed onto the ground hours ago.

Sango glanced over at her sister-like figure. She could tell Kagome was straining herself for this journey, but didn't push it. It was a hard trip, but she had convinced herself that this was for Kagome. Kagome was even doing ok by herself there. Hopefully, she could hang in there for a couple hours, at least. After today, she'd have tomorrow and the next day to live. That was all. And they were not even sure how she would die.

Somewhere in Underground Makai…

Kurama finally got out of the horrid cage he had been slumping in for more than a month. He had his energy, but hardly a lot. It appeared that the cage had been throwing the energy away, piece-by-piece. That was why he wasn't that great. It would take overnight to replenish what he needed.

Staring at his arm, Kurama began searching his pockets for something he could use to patch it up. After finding a seed, there was now a vine-like bandage around his upper elbow.

Karasu must have been overconfident, because he had not once checked on Kurama, and he even left the door to the hallway slightly open.

This was triumph. But Kurama would have to stay another night, outside of the cage. If he attempted to escape now, he wouldn't have the energy to travel back to Ningenkai safely. This was cursed. You just had to hope that Karasu wouldn't be coming anytime soon.

With that, he promptly fell asleep.

Heya! It's so late at night! I need some sleep now, so Ja-ne!