Disclaimer: I don't own either Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

Lost City

Chapter Six

The trees rustled softly in the wind, the branches swaying, rubbing gently against one another. Moonlight seeped through where it could, shining down and pooling certain parts of the surrounding in light, though most of it was blocked by various trees. Crickets chirped and traces of small animals could be seen and heard, if one opt to focus on them. The fire crackled as the wood burned into ash, the small embers flying into the night air.

Quiet. Normal.

"They call this a deadly forest?" Yusuke said, his voice seeming overly loud in the silence. Some turned their gaze to him; others didn't even bother. "I've seen bunnies deadlier than this."

Sango shook her head. Somehow, she was not at all surprised at his words. "Again with the bunnies," she replied a bit softer, stretching her arms above her head.

He watched her as she stood. "You started it," was his childish response.

The fighter opened her mouth to argue, only to realize he was right. Without a word, she walked away and lay down between Shizuru and Kagome, sparing a glance at the deep-sleeping healer. She could almost be envious of her. Almost. Poor Botan had exhausted herself so much between walking and healing her sore muscles all day.

"This is only the beginning," Kurama stated in response to Yusuke's initial comment. His voice was so sure, there was no room for argument if any of them had wished to.

In all truth, some of them were worried. The forest was so ordinary. It was such a disappointment that it wasn't the fearsome place they had heard tales about. If the forest didn't live up to their expectations, if it didn't hold any deadly traps like they had thought, what about all the tales about the Lost City? Would there even be a city at all? And even if there was, would it hold what they were searching for? There were so many questions, and no answers in sight.

"The deeper we get into the forest…" Sango said sleepily from her spot on the ground, closing her tired eyes. When she didn't continue, Shizuru finished for her, "The more dangerous things will get."

There was a brief silence before Hiei responded, "I'll believe that when I see it." The comment abruptly ended all conversation, except for one comment Sango managed to say even in her tiredness, though it was half yawned.

"…you always have to argue, don't you?…" She was so out of it when spoke, the others were unsure if she was aware she said it, or even if she meant to do so aloud. On that ending note she drifted off, making it impossible to argue with her. The fact that Hiei would have only proved her point more, much to his annoyance. Instead of making any remark even if she couldn't hear, he looked away with a soft, "hn."

Yusuke was the last to retire for the night, finding a decent spot to sleep. Kurama was the only one that stayed awake, telling the others that he would keep watch for the night. Even if they hadn't encountered any trouble yet, they didn't know what would come. It'd be safer to have someone look out and if nothing happened… well, no harm done.

Whether Hiei remained awake or not was uncertain, however. They had thought he was asleep before, sitting on a low branch of a tree (though the safety of that puzzled some), but his sudden comment in their conversation proved them wrong. His whole presence in their group and why he was there remained a mystery to all, except Kurama who seemed to know things others didn't. He was another enigma in the group, though his presence wasn't as unsettling as Hiei's.

Kagome was still awake during the time the others talked, though in half-sleep state where she could hear them, but was not awake enough to respond. She just couldn't drift into a deep slumber and become blissfully unaware. It was not that she wasn't tired, she was utterly exhausted from a long day of walking not to mention her sore muscles that were never able to rest. No, as pampered as it sounded, she was accustom to sleeping on a feather-filled mattress. The grass she had slept on before she could get used to. The assortment of twigs and small stone under her, she could not.

She shifted for the umpteenth time, bringing her blanket more tightly around her, making sure her face was covered by it so any insects couldn't bite at her. She curled in more tightly around herself for the little warmth it did her, when she suddenly heard a voice.

"If you are still awake, you might as well come by the fire," she heard the smooth voice say. "It'll be warmer."

She stayed absolutely still. Was he talking to her? Or was there someone else awake? Kagome peeked out from under her blanket, but saw that Kurama was not looking her way. Hesitantly she sat up, the blanket pooling in her lap. She gathered it up in her arms and walked over the fire, taking a spot near Kurama. She didn't sit next to him, but neither did she sit across from him. She left just enough room between them so that a person could sit comfortably in the space.

He did not speak and she could think of nothing to say, leaving them in an awkward silence—at least on her part since his thoughts were unknown. But what could be said?

Kagome shifted again, not even comfortable in her seat by the fire, making Kurama glanced over to her. "You'll get used to it," he told her. "The human body can adapt to almost anything, given the time." She looked visibly surprised by his word, which made a small smile appear on his face. About to ask, he continued, "you have a very expressive face and I'm very good at reading people."

"Oh," was her simple response while she felt herself frown slightly. Was that a bad thing? Should she try to conceal her thoughts and feelings so they weren't so obvious to anyone who might see her? She supposed she could, if she worked at it, but… Kagome mentally pushed the thoughts away. They were silly thoughts anyway. She could be no one, but herself. If she had an expressive face, than so be it.

It grew quiet between them again, but it was more comfortable than before, making both of them content to just sit in the silence. Kurama, however, was slightly worried. Something was wrong. He listened intently to the sounds around them, hearing the few animals that crept through the night. What disturbed him was the sound became less and less as the night went on. What did they know that the group did not? What was coming to frighten the animals away? Or perhaps he was worrying too much and they were moving because of the group's presence. All the while he thought, he was aware of Kagome's gaze.

The fire gave his hair an orange look as well as his skin, though not as dark. His gaze was directed at fire, but his emerald eyes were unfocused and Kagome was sure he wasn't actually seeing the flames, instead lost deep in thought. Unlike most of the others, his clothes didn't show the signs of travel. His white shirt was devoid of any and all blemishes, not even the smallest hint of a grass stain. His brown pants lacked any holes, which none of the others could say after a day of branches snagging onto their clothing. He wore the standard clothes for the lower class, like the other men there, beside Hiei who was still clad in all black. Relatively new boots were on his feet, looking much more comfortable than Kagome's own.

She didn't even realize she was staring until he shifted purposefully, probably trying to throw her out of her trance without actually having to point out she was staring. Kagome was certain he was trying to save her the embarrassment, but she blushed anyway, her cheeks heating up. To hide it as best she could, she spoke to distracted him and herself as well.

"What's that?" Kagome asked, pointing to the weapon coiled at his side. A part of her scolded, It's a whip, stupid. What do you think it is?, but that was the little part of her that thought like Inuyasha. It was bound to happen after spending so much time with the arrogant prince. She rephrased her question. "I mean, I know it's a whip, but why are there little spikes on it?"

Covering the entire weapon about an inch apart from each other were little pointy objects that reminded her of thorns, though she knew they were not. The noble reached out a hand to touch one, but he caught her wrist lightly, dropping it almost as soon as he captured it.

"Careful, they might prick you," he cautioned. She held her hand close to her, holding her wrist where he had held it in an almost protective gesture, though protective against the threat the thorn-like spikes presented or against him was uncertain. He went on, explaining, "they make it a more efficient weapon. With the right angle and speed, it could tear through the body."

"That sounds… deadly," Kagome responded, her mouth twisted into a half-smile.

They talked a bit more during the night about anything that came to mind. His eyes seemed to soften when he saw her laugh and smile, making her feel entirely comfortable in his presence, while he enjoyed the company. She usually started the conversations to which he gave a soft response and they went on a bit before the words died between them, but sometimes words weren't needed for them to understand one another. When the time came along when he began, she was pleasantly surprised. Though the topic he chose, she suddenly became less happy.

"Why is it that you wish to go to the Lost City?" He watched her closely as he asked it, meeting her eyes and holding them.

She didn't want to lie to the group, she really didn't. They were helping her, possibly risking their lives to do so and yet… she had to remain quiet. Too many people despised nobles and loathed the monarchy. She was afraid of what their reaction might be. If she told them, would they hate her? Or worse, would they no longer help her?

She tore her eyes away from his, not able to lie straight to his face, though she hoped he didn't realize that was why she would not meet his eyes. Instead she looked down at one of her hands, fisted in the material of her skirt, while the other clasped her necklace. "Well… my…" she hesitated, "my friend is very sick and I though that maybe if I found the city…" She left it there, knowing he would understand. Now all she had to do was remember what she told him so she wouldn't be caught in her fib later on. Well, at least it wasn't too far off from the truth.

He watched her for a good deal longer and whatever he saw must have satisfied him because he finally looked away. Kagome let out a silent breath she didn't even know she was holding. She really did not want to have to deal with any other question she didn't know how to answer, so it was only a few minutes later that she took her leave. She said a quiet goodnight to Kurama before going back to her spot on the ground, exhaustion from a long day pulling at her.

This time her mind was too preoccupied with thoughts for the hard, bumpy ground to give her any trouble. She fell into a deep slumber, her thoughts plaguing her dreams.

She ached all over. Well, not all over, but the majority of her body. Muscles she didn't even know she had were feeling sore. But through that, Kagome refused to give up or even show any sign of her suffering. If the others could keep going, keep walking endlessly, then so could she. Besides, Hiei looked down on her already, she didn't need to give him more reason to. Maybe if she stayed on his good side long enough, he wouldn't be so hostile toward her anymore.

It wasn't just the walking either. Oh no, Goddess forbid it be that easy. There was no beaten path, no one having dared enter or journey far enough in to even think of making one. Meaning they had to constantly push branches out of the way as they tried to snap back and hit them, step over fallen trees, watch out for sudden declining slope that the brush often hid, and other such obstacles that furthered their sudden hate of nature.

A few feet ahead of her, Yusuke abruptly stopped and half-sat, half-fell down, leaning back heavily against a tree. "There's no way I can walk anymore. I'm in good physical condition, but walking three days straight is crazy." He stretched out his sore legs and gave a small sigh of relief as he began to work the tension out.

"We need to keep moving," Hiei informed him, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Ten minutes of rest could do us good," Miroku responded, backing up his friend.

"You giving up too?" Botan asked, turning toward him. She was as agile as ever and he was certain she could walk another three days without a single problem.

"Ah, but see, my lovely friend, we don't all have your ability," he informed her. She'd been using her healing ability to keep her body from hurting under the strain. "And while I would ask you to share, you'd be too exhausted to heal us all and keep our canteens filled. Besides, if someone got hurt…"

"We'd be screwed," Yusuke concluded, making Miroku give him a look and say, "to put it vulgarly, yes." Yusuke rolled her eyes.

The healer didn't look swayed by his elegantly placed words. "Still, we should keep going, we can't waste time…" Botan began. She didn't finish on why time was such a factor, though a few of them understood her meaning, especially Kagome and Miroku. The longer they took, the more likely the chance that Inuyasha could… fade away.

Miroku leveled her gaze. He knew the full importance of their mission, more than others did. "But surely a few minutes wouldn't make that much of a difference."

"You can't know that," Botan declared, hands on her hips while she glared.

The two began arguing back at forth, though surprisingly neither ever raised their voices and while Botan was tempted to, she matched his tone. Though the quieter their words got, the more angry they were. There were a few interjections from Yusuke as well as one or two from Hiei, who was fed up with them all, wondering exactly why he had agreed to any of this…

Sango spoke just loud enough for her voice to be heard over the fighting and the one word she said brought their arguing to an end. "Kagome?"

The group glanced at her, waiting expectantly. It was her journey after all and it made her the unspoken leader, at least at this point. She just wasn't sure she wanted the job and she was certain some of the others didn't want her to have it or didn't know if she could handle it. Kagome herself wasn't sure.

She looked at each one of them in turn, her mind racing, trying to figure out what to do. No matter what she said she couldn't make everyone happy. Her gaze found Kurama's last and held it the longest. Her eyes were pleading, looking for guidance.

"It's only ten minutes," was all he would say. It wasn't much of an answer, but it would do. He wanted her to make her own decisions, but his words were enough to help her decide.

She nodded, mostly to herself, and declared, "let's rest for a bit."

"Thank the Goddess," Shizuru muttered as she slid to the ground and her cousin joined her. Sango sent Kagome an approving smile, which Kagome sent back tentatively. What did she approve of? Her decision, or the fact that she had come to it on her own?

"Fools," Hiei muttered under his breath, though his body was tense. He looked over to the side, gazing into the depths of the forest. Kurama noticed his gaze and looked at him curiously when he finally glanced his way. Hiei inclined his head the slightest bit toward the direction he had been looking, a movement that only the people that knew him well would even have noticed. Kurama looked off into the direction as well, a sudden uneasiness building within him. No one else saw the exchange.

The time passed all too quickly it seemed because what felt like only moments later, they were forced to rise to their feet again. They began walking and those that complained could no do so any longer since they gotten what they wished for.

It was only a few minutes after that Yusuke spoke up. "Damn it, this is so dull!" he declared as he kicked a stone in his frustration. It went flying through the air and hit a small notch in the tree, what he had been aiming for. Yippee.

A sudden cry was heard in the distance, making the group stop abruptly in their steps, turning toward the noise. It wasn't a human sound they heard. Botan sent Yusuke a glare, clearing blaming him, while Kagome asked the question everyone was pondering. "What was that…?"

No one dared to move or even breath too loudly. There was silence for a long time… until the cry was heard again, closer than before. The sound vibrated around them and sudden trampling was heard coming toward the group.

"…I think we just found you some excitement, Yusuke," Sango told him. The ringing of metal was heard as she took out her sword, followed by others. She glanced over at the pickpocket. "Are you ready for it?"

A sly smile appeared on his face. "Hell yeah," he responded, changing his stance to get ready for a fight.

The sound was coming closer and getting louder, the trees swaying with the force. The more sensitive among them could feel the earth begin to tremble under their feet as whatever thing it was came toward them.

"Well, I'm not," Botan said haughtily, taking a step back from the fighters. As long as she talked she could distract herself from the nervousness she was feeling.

"If you can't stand the fucking heat…" Yusuke started.

"Get out of the kitchen," Miroku said, knowing it as a phrase his friend liked to say.

Everyone could feel the way the earth shook under their feet, so much so that the small stones and twigs on the ground bounced up and down at the force it held. The sound, the crying of whatever thing it was kept making, was nearly deafening.

"Got directions to the nearest exit?" Sango inquired of Yusuke, making her voice loud enough so he could hear it over the noise.

He gave her an odd look with a scornful hint to it. He thought she was a fighter, so why was she seeking a way out? "Why? Looking to back out?" he scoffed.

"Actually, I was asking for you," she replied with a smirk. He gave her a nudge with his arm, annoyed at her assumption even if she had been joking, though couldn't help but smile back.

Kagome watched them joke around, envious of their calmness in the situation. They were fighters, this was just an everyday event for them, attacking and defending themselves with weapons constantly. They had the comfort of the knowledge that they could take care of themselves no matter what was coming at them. Kagome, herself, was much more distressed. She suddenly felt naked without something in her hands, a weapon of some sort.

She took an unintentional step back, her arms hugging herself. She wanted a weapon to hold onto, something that could protect her, keep her safe. It was so loud she couldn't hear herself think. Her mouth felt parched and her heart was pounding. The noise was getting louder… and closer… and she had nothing to aid her… and, oh Goddess, it was here…

Something burst through the trees and weapons were raised…

…only to be stopped midair.

The noise had abruptly stopped, leaving them in a loud silence as the man froze in front of them. They looked on in surprised, but were no where near as flabbergasted as he was. He shook his head, however, snapping out of his daze and ran toward the nearest person.

"Sorry, Sango, need to borrow this," he said, taking her sword from her. She was too surprised to give up much of a fight, letting him take the weapon from her. Then he abruptly began running again, away from the group while they watched him go. Just suddenly as he had started running, he stopped and turned around. "Get down!" he yelled to them.

No one moved. By the time Kagome was able to actually process his words, she had already become too stunned to move. Without warning, a large shadow had appeared above the group, covering them all. Kagome glanced up to see a huge object—no, not an object, a monster—flying above them.

Someone pulled her down to the ground with their arms around her, but she didn't even take the time to glance at whoever it was, her eyes on the huge monster overhead. The shadow was gone as it descended from it leap, landing gracefully on the forest ground with so much force that those that hadn't listened to the man's warning had their feet fly out from under them and fell hard to the ground.

A low growl from deep within the monster's chest was heard as it stalked toward the man, causing the trees to tremble around them. The man had managed to stay on his feet by jumping just as the monster landed, a trick he had learned after being thrown to the ground too many times before.

Sango saw it was about to attack, its fangs dripping with salvia in anticipation of its meal. One sword wouldn't do any good against the giant monster, what with its thick, brown fur. She quickly triggered the knives in her wrist sheaths, the blades slipping into her waiting hands. Letting her shock at such a monster even existing slip away, she ran forward and began attacking one of the monster's six legs. All other thoughts were banished as she switched to her fighter's mode.

She had to use a great deal of force to even penetrate what lay under such a thick coat, but she managed to grab his attention (and she knew it was a he because of certain… male parts it had) with the pain she caused. He roared and turned Sango's way, giving the man a perfect opportunity to slash at one of his four eyes. Blood gushed out and the monster went up on its hind legs with an even bigger roar, startling what little creatures were left around out of their habitat.

His tail whipped around and with a sudden jerk began heading toward Kagome and Botan. The arms that were still around Kagome left and Yusuke was suddenly in front of them, kicking the tail away with an audible snap. The other four legs flailed about in the air until a snap was heard and Kurama's whip wrapped around one of the moving limbs. With a jerk he pulled with all the strength he had and the monster began to fall.

Kagome threw her arms around a nearby trunk, steadying herself for the trembling she knew was to come. Those that were standing followed the man's example and jumped, though Miroku's timing was off a bit, making him stumble, but he kept to his feet using his staff to support him. He then took his staff in both hands and with a small twist at both ends, two blades suddenly appeared out of either side. With an expert twist of it in his hands, he went to attack one of the monster's many limbs.

Hiei with little effort and speed that went unmatched, jumped onto the monster's back and from there onto its head. He tried to go on its back legs again, but Kurama kept him down as best he could with his whip, his arms trembling with the strain. With one quick movement, the assassin brought his sword down with force into the monster's skull, passing through the bone and into what lay beneath. The demon shuttered and convulsed for a few moments before he fell limp on the ground.

The ground silently drifted together for a lack of anything else to do. No one knew exactly what to say, most of them still half-dazed by the presence of such a monster. Shizuru, however, did not join the group, instead going over to the strange man, who was sitting on the ground, still breathing hard after his ordeal. He glance up at the girl hovering above him and said with a sheepish expression, "hey, Shizuru," to which she smacked him in the back of the head, any angry look on her face. "Ow!"

"Are you an idiot?" she snapped. "I thought you were dead." To others her words might have seemed overly harsh, but to those that knew her, they could hear the concern in her words. The man's face turned guilty as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

Shizuru glared and crossed her arms while Sango walked over. She offered him a hand up that he accepted. "You had us worried," she informed him quietly before turning back to the group. "This is Kuwabara, Shizuru's brother and my cousin." The three of them moved to join the others while Sango continued on to introduce Kuwabara to the others in their party, for lack of anything better to do. "…she's a healer. And that's Hiei. He's basically here to fight and insult us by calling us all idiots," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, though she had to try hard not to smile.

Kuwabara bent down to put them on eye level. "What's the matter, shrimp? Not a people person?"

If he'd been a dog, she could have sworn Hiei would have barred him teeth and growled at her cousin. As it was, he just glared coldly at him. If looks could kill…

"…and now you've made his list of people he doesn't like. Which includes everyone here minus Kurama." At his puzzled look, Sango reminded him, "the redhead." Kuwabara glanced at the person in question, but the thief only stared back blankly, his face not betraying any of his thought.

Yusuke interrupted the conversation, annoyed with the whole lot of them. Why was no one asking the questions that matter? "While this is all great, what I wanna know is what the hell is that?" He gestured wildly at the carcass of the monster they had fought.

"It's a demon," Hiei answered before Kuwabara could open his mouth, causing him to glare at the short man. He had been about to say that, but he'd gotten there first.

"Demon, a real demon?" Botan questioned. "Did we know they existed?" Sure, she'd heard some of the people she'd healed ramble on about them, but she always had thought the ones that were sick were delusional and the others were making up stories. But now they were real?

"I don't know about you, but I sure as hell didn't," Yusuke stated.

"I knew," Kuwabara said, puffing his chest out with self-importance.

Yusuke gave him a jab in the ribs, deflating his air of notability. "Ah, you don't count, you've been here longer." Kuwabara was about to argue with the punk, but abruptly stopped when Kagome spoke.

"I knew," she told them, while most of them stared at her in surprise, to which she shrugged with a half-smile. What could she say? After so much time spent at Inuyasha's palace, there had been numerous attempts on his life and hers. People sent demonic things to kill the heir in hopes of taking the throne for themselves after he was dead. It was one of the things that helped her make the decision to go on this quest. If demons were real, then maybe, just maybe…

She sighed at the mere thought. At this point, all she could do was hope and keep the determination on her face, even in the face of demons. She'd seen enough of them to know that she wasn't hallucinating and that they were genuine. Then again, there had also been her rescuer that one night…

Kurama watched Kagome as the others did, his face as unreadable as ever. Their attention turned to him when he said, "as did I. And Hiei, for that matter."

Shizuru and Botan had sat down sometime during the conversation, knowing it would be a long one. What was the point in wasting energy standing when they could be sitting? Sango sat heavily down next to the healer, letting her weapons lay on the ground in front of her. Kagome soon followed Sango's lead, letting a soft, satisfied sound escape her as she let her body relax. Sango glanced at her with an amused half-smile.

Yusuke put both his hands behind his head and seemed about to say something, then abruptly turned and walked away. He walked back just as suddenly, saying, "but demons? That's stuff of myths and legends—"

"Just like this city we're heading to," Miroku reminded his old friend, though he spared a small glance at Kagome so quickly that no one else noticed besides her. He eased himself onto the ground next to Kagome as she locked her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder after giving him a gratifying smile. He understood the importance of what they were doing and he would supply her with the hope she needed to continue on. At least she knew he would always be on her side. Kagome glanced over at the person to her right and thought, and Sango, too, for that matter.

Someone muttered, "creatures of nightmares," under their breath, but she didn't know who it was, the words being said so softly.

"So we've got a bunch of demons between us and the city," Yusuke said, shaking his head at just the thought. "No wonder no one's come out of here alive." His voice was dry as he said it, but it was obvious, at least to Kagome, that he was ready for the challenge.

Kuwabara had remained mostly quiet during all the talking, mostly because he kept getting cut off, but because he was watching the group and their interactions as well. "Wait, wait, wait, hold up a second," Kuwabara said suddenly. "You're going to the Lost City?" He shook his head in disbelief. "There's no point. I've been here for months and I've never found it."

"That's probably because you've been walking in circles, being this close to the edge," Shizuru informed him. She still seemed angry with her brother, but it was anger mixed in with concern.

"That's because I was trying to find my way out," he protested.

"If you're looking for a way out…" Botan paused for a moment, thinking. She had gotten turned around while they were fighting. Which was the way they came from again? "It's that way," she finished, pointing to where she thought she had come. Kurama reached out and redirected her hand. She grinned, only the slightest bit abashed.

Kagome glanced up at the tall stranger, tilting her head as she looked him over. "You could come with us, if you'd like," she told him. "I'd be safer in a group."

Yusuke sneered, turning toward Kuwabara. "Yeah, Mister Brave Man, want to come along? If we need anyone to run away from the demons, we'll use you."

"Hey, I was looking for a weapon! Which I found," he countered, insulted. "Youtry fighting a demon that big without a weapon and then we'll talk." He looked down at the blood stained sword and made a move to return it to his cousin. "Sorry about that."

She declined the offered sword, pushing it back toward him. "Keep it, you need it more than I do. Besides, I have these for the time being." Sango reached down to pick up the two knives, relatively clean after she had wiped away the blood on the demon's fur. She replaced them back in their sheaths, ready to be called back out when she needed them.

He looked thankful and she hadn't been lying when she said he needed it more than she did. From the looks of it, he had had a hard time in the past few months, understandably. His clothes were torn in places and his once white shirt was a dull white where there wasn't dirt. What was surprising was the fact that he had survived so long alone and without a weapon (though he did mention later on that he had started out with one). It was a mystery most of them would ponder for the rest of their lives.

"So you won't come?" Kagome asked him.

"I'd leave him behind," Hiei interrupted before he could speak. "We have no need for someone of his simplemindedness. He'd only be a burden." He glanced at the noble. "We have enough of that already."

The comment stung, deeply at that and worse, a part of her was wondering if he was right. Still, she stood up abruptly, her eyes blazing. She was about to say something along the lines of, "what do you have against me?" but Sango stopped her with a hand to her arm, keeping her from storming up to Hiei.

Sango, herself, glared at him, making Hiei turn his attention from the noble to her. Again he had made an assessment of a person's character without knowing them long, first with Kagome than Kuwabara. He saw things how he wanted to and how they fit him.

Their eyes held for a long time, indifference in his eyes, anger in hers. The only reason they tore their gaze away was because of Shizuru's words.

"Let's go," she said.

The group hesitantly began to depart, leaving a pondering Kuwabara behind. He seemed to be deep in thought since Kagome had asked her question, oblivious to the insult Hiei had given. He didn't even notice them leave.

Kagome took a few deep breaths, letting the tense out of her body as she let the air out. When she felt calm once more, though his words still hurt, Kagome gently took Sango's arm, making the fighter look at her curiously.

She glanced back at Kuwabara. "I don't feel right about leaving him here," she confided in a soft voice. "How could she say that?" Kagome asked, referring to Shizuru.

Sango shook her head, but the tension was still in her body. "She knows what she's doing. Shizuru knows her brother well enough to know that, given the situation, he'll…"

From behind them, there was a sudden cry of, "hey, wait for me!" which hurried footsteps followed.

"…join us."

A/N: This definitely wasn't as good as the first version. Oh man, the hardest part was remembering all the dialogue I had written, but I got most of it down and some new parts too. Hope you liked it anyway.

Smiles everyone!