Enjoy.

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Heat. Pain. Dampness. Panting. Fear. Terror. No escape.

She jerked awake, sitting up straight, her eyes wide, but glazed. Her breath was ragged, pain shot through her with every intake of breath. She whinned slightly as she grasped her chest in pain, as fire seemed to consume her lungs and heart. Agony spread across her face as she doubled over in pure terror and pain.

"Inu...Inuyasha," she whispered before she fell backwards on her sleeping bag. Suddenly, everything was a stir. Her friends awoke to the sound of Inuyasha jumping down and whinning a little at her condition.

"She's getting worse," she heard Sango say.

'What does she mean I'm getting worse?' She asked herself before she was flooded with memories of what had happened.

Flashback

"Inuyasha!" She screamed as a clawed hand struck out at him. He dodged and tried to use the wind scar. It missed by a hair. Kagome knotched an arrow, aimed, and let it loose. It hit its target, blinding the demon. Inuyasha used the wind scar and finished it.

Walking to it, Kagome bent down to get the two jewel shards. As she did, the tail slid up and struck her in the chest. She hissed in pain, but made no other sound as she got the shards. The demon disentegrated as she pulled the shards from its body. Wincing, she stood up, and knew that something was wrong. She held her hand to her chest and pulled it back. Warm, thick blood coated her hand, looking down she saw that it stained the front of her shirt. She put the shards with the others and moved a little ways away from the demons ashes. The wind blew her hair back and Inuyasha was instantly at her side. Concern conquered his face as he looked her over. She smiled at him before she collasped into his arms, lost in the darkness.

End Flashback

She screamed out in pain as the fire swept through her body, engulfing her from the inside. A cool cloth was laid on her head as she whimpered as the soothing touch. Opening her eyes, her vision still a little blurry, she saw a worried face above hers.

"Inu..Inuyasha?" She whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse.

"Shh..Kagome...I'll take care of you." He whispered softly, running his cool hand across her cheeks. She leaned into his touch and sighed in thanks.

She felt the darkness closing in, knowing that she wouldn't wake for awhile, she looked straight at Inuyasha. Her eyes fought the urge to close and let the darkness take her; she had something to say.

"Please, stay with me, don't leave." She told him quietly.

He nodded and she took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. She smiled at her worried friends before looking back at him. She smiled at him warmly as her eyes closed. Her head fell to one side and her hand went limp in his. Sango gasped behind him, but he could only look at her as he moved her hair out of her face.

"Is she..?" Sango couldn't finish

"No just resting." He answered, Sango sighed in relief.

"We have to get he back to Kaede's, quick." Miroku told them. They nodded and agreed to leave before dawn.

Morning

Kagome still hadn't woken up. She cried out in pain every once in a while, but did not stir. Inuyasha cradled her against his chest, protecting her against the wind as he sped along. It was around midday when they reached Kaede's hut. They found the old woman inside making tea. Seeing the scared and worried face of Inuyasha and the other's except Kagome, she looked at the bundle Inuyasha held protectively to his chest.

"Lay her down, please." She ordered as she went about finding the right herbs to bring her some comfort and prevent a fever. She turned and bent to kneel next to kagome. She felt the effects of the poison as clearly as if she had been poisoned.

"What kind of demon attacked her?" She asked quietly.

"We don't know. It was abnormal, I mean it wasn't anything we could recognize." Sango answered. Kaede sighed before laying a cloth soaked in herb water on Kagome's forehead. She could feel the relief coming from Kagome and in herself.

She motioned for the gang to follow her outside. As she got outside she dropped heavily to the ground and sighed in relief.

"What's wrong, Lady Kaede?" Miroku asked as they sat around her. She waved her hand inpatiently, trying to steady herself from the impact the poison had on her.

"The beast you fought, can you describe what it looks like?" She asked. Sango nodded.

"Its face looked like a gryphyns, but its body was like a bulls, but it stood on two legs. It had a long scaly tail with a stinger at the end. It was the color of gold and brown." Sango described to Kaede.

Kaede's normally calm and serene face went pale. She sighed again and tried to regain her composure.

"From what ye have described to me, I believe that the demon ye fought was thought to of died long ago, this is why ye do not know of it. It was called many things, but its most common name was Serntor. It's a demon that usually attacks men and women with some type of spiritual power. It's worse it they're stung with its tail as is the case of Kagome, I'm guessing from the wound on her chest." They nodded before she continued, "The poison causes extreme discomfort and incredible pain, most stung will not survive." She watched their reactions asshe let it sink in. "People with spiritual power that get close to her can feel the pain almost as though they had been stung themselves. Miroku, have ye felt it yet?" She asked.

"Yes, I have, but I thought it was just from the battle that I was feeling the aches and pains," he told her.

"What can we do to help her?" Sango asked.

"You, Inuyasha, and Shippo have to take care of her, for Miroku and I can not be near her for very long. We can feel the poison trying to destroy our own spiritual powers and we can feel the pain she feels. Not as greatly as she is feeling, but enough to make us cry out or faint. " Kaede answered.

A cry from inside startled everyone and in a flash of red, Inuyasha was gone. They gathered at the hut's door and watched as Inuyasha soothed Kagome. He looked at them and they took a step back from the flash of red in his eyes.

He looked feral, almost madly wild as he looked back to Kagome. He whinned softly as he ran his hand through her hair. She sighed at his touch.

He moved so he was sitting in the corner closest to her, but only his eyes were visible. Those now red-streaked eyes seemed to hold every emotion and thought as they now gazed unblinkingly at the others. Finally, he blinked and they only held sadness and helplessness at the situation at hand. He closed his eyes and did not open them again. Kaede sighed and went into another room with Miroku to prepare some medicine for Kagome.

Shippo moved to stand in front of the hanyou and looked as him for a moment before Inuyasha cracked his eyes open at him. Shippo stepped back in fear at the still red-streaked eyes, but as he looked, he couldn't find any danger in them or on his face.

"Want to sit with me, pup?" His voice was gruff and raw. Shippo could only nod at the question. Inuyasha smirked slightly and picked Shippo up, setting him on his lap, Shippo made himself comfortable. Inuyasha wrapped an arm around him and Shippo wrapped his tiny arms around Inuyasha's arm and laid his head on it. Inuyasha looked down and smiled kindly at him before closing his eyes again.

Sango watched in awe as the scene unfolded before her and she smiled at the hanyou all the while thinking that if Kagome had seen it she would of been proud at him for doing it. She turned her attention back to Kagome. She dampened the cloth and laid it back on Kagome's forehead. She could feel Kagome's relief as the soothing mosture touched her skin.

Sango leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She thought back to what Kaede had told them about Serntor and a spark of rememberance came to her.

"Kilala!" Sango called to the two-tailed cat.

"Meow?" was her answer as Kilala walked in.

"Kilala, do you know the books of legend we kept locked up at the village?" She asked.

Kilala looked thoughtful for a moment before she bobbed her head once and meowed.

"Can you go to the village and retrieve them for me? I believe they may have something in them we can use to help Kagome." She asked quietly into the cat's ear so Inuyasha wouldn't know and get his hopes up if there wasn't anything.

Kilala meowed in reply and Sango hugged the cat gently. She stood with Kilala still in her arms and went to get something in her pack. She pulled out a bag and walked out of the hut.

"Put the books in this and put the strap in your mouth. That way it will be more comfortable for you." Kilala only bobbed her head in thanks as she transformed into her larger form. She took the bag from Sango and meowed a goodbye to her before taking off.

Sango went back inside and again sat against the wall by Kagome's head. Her thoughts wandered back to her friend and the pain she was experiencing. She absently changed the cloth on Kagome's forehead as she was lost in thought.

She didn't notice Kagome's eyes shoot open, even though they were cloudy gray, and see the spark that flew through them as though something bright had been reflected in them. They sparked once more before her eyes closed.

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. You'll get more when you review. Thanks.