Anything for You
I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. Hope Everyone Enjoys ^_^
Chapter Three: Accidentally On Purpose
Kagome held her ribs as she tried to finish coughing. Each cough felt as if someone was stabbing her in the chest or trying to pull her ribs out one by one. She noticed several worried glances sent her way but brushed them off. It had been two days since Inuyasha nearly killed her and she was barely able to convince Yusuke to let her walk on her own two feet. The puncture wounds on her ankles were completely healed and didn't hurt anymore. Her arm was almost completely healed and no longer required a sling and her lungs and throat were near perfect but her voice was still slightly raspy.
Aside from that, her ribs and back were the worst. The claw marks on her back were healing slowly but much faster than they would have if she was still fully human. Kurama said her ribs would take the longest to heal. Her flesh wound would heal over within the next day or so but her ribs would take at least four days to repair themselves fully. She could feel the bones rearranging themselves and decided it was one of the most uncomfortable feelings she'd ever experienced.
Even though she was injured two nights before, Kagome insisted that they travel the next day. Everyone, even Hiei, refused to allow her to walk in her condition so she suggested that Kirara could carry her. As long as Kagome promised to remain on Kirara's back, especially during a battle, they agreed to continue traveling. By some miracle, Kagome was happy to find out that her power to sense the jewel shards hadn't been affected by the merging of her demon and miko blood. The previous day, she sensed three shards and the guys were able to find and destroy the demon so Kagome could locate the body part that housed the shards before it could regenerate.
Today, Kagome was able to convince them to let her walk without Kirara's help. The only problem that bothered the living daylights out of the miko was that they were all watching her like hawks. Each wince or groan of pain she made had them rushing to her side to be sure she was ok. The only member of their group that left her alone for the most part was Hiei. She was glad that he had enough kindness in his evil midget soul to not pick on her while she was in pain. She had expected him to insult her and call her weak but he kept his mouth shut and left her alone. The only attention she received from him were the random glares he'd throw at her when she tried to push herself too hard.
Yusuke was the most annoying. He was worried about every single sound or sigh that came from her. Kagome had stopped for a moment to drink some water and before she even got the chance to bring the bottle to her lips, Yusuke was asking if her throat was sore. Kagome finally had enough by the middle of the day and snapped at her poor worried cousin. She didn't mean to hurt his feelings but she wanted him to know she wasn't a complete weakling. She needed him to give her some space instead of overwhelming her with his worries.
After giving him a good and long talk, Yusuke finally backed off a little but still kept a close eye on her. While they traveled, Kagome asked what happened to Inuyasha and she felt her heart sink into her stomach when Yusuke growled and Kurama and Hiei glared into the distance. Kuwabara told her the hanyou escaped only because everyone was more worried about her surviving than hunting him down and killing him. Now Kagome understood why Hiei and Kurama were walking ahead of her and Yusuke and Kuwabara behind her while Kirara traveled right beside her. They were making sure she would be safe since Inuyasha was still out there.
"You guys think Inuyasha is bad… wait till we first encounter Naraku. He's ten times worst." Kagome muttered when Yusuke once again growled about letting the bastard loose.
"He can't be worst than that back stabbing dirty hanyou." Yusuke growled.
Kagome turned a glare toward her cousin. "Just because hanyous are half human and half demon doesn't mean they're 'dirty'. Don't insult all hanyous just because of Inuyasha and Naraku."
"What's gotten into you?" her cousin grumbled.
"I've met several very nice hanyous. I just hate to think of Inuyasha and Naraku put in the same category as them. It would be like categorizing Hiei with other half bloods." Kagome said, glancing up at Hiei who was walking ahead of them with Kurama. "It's not their fault they have different blood… and since I'm similar to Hiei, it's like your insulting me as well…" Kagome said. She thought back to when she used to defend Inuyasha when Kouga would insult his tainted blood. To think that she actually loved Inuyasha at one point… and now he was out for her blood.
"I get what you mean… that bastard just pisses me off." Yusuke growled.
"I know… imagine that hate you feel toward Inuyasha ten times stronger. That's how my group felt against Naraku. He's killed so many innocents and destroyed so many lives… He doesn't deserve to live any longer."
"Is Naraku seriously as strong as you say?" Kuwabara asked.
"Would I exaggerate about such a serious situation? He has more than half the jewel and uses it to enhance his powers. He also has Kagura and Kanna fighting at his side which makes things even more complicated." Kagome explained.
"Are they strong?" Kwa asked.
"Kagura is a wind demon and Kanna… I'm not sure what she is but she has a mirror that can steal souls. It can also absorb any attack and reflect it right back at you. So whatever you do, do not use energy attacks or weapons like arrows on her."
"And what about Naraku? What type of powers does he possess?" Kurama questioned, bringing himself into the conversation.
"He has many powers… he can create puppets to do his dirty work. He can make incarnates of himself, which is what Kagura and Kanna are. He once had a demon child that could find darkness in an individual's soul and use it to control that person. Naraku tried to use it on me so he could use my power to see the shards but there wasn't enough darkness for the child to hold complete control over me."
"Damn Kags, you didn't tell us that." Yusuke said, glaring at her slightly.
"There's a lot I haven't told you…" she murmured, even though she knew they heard her. "Naraku has nearly broken my soul in order to control me. He's tried many things in his attempt to either use me or rid of me but nothing has worked so far. Even Sesshomaru hasn't figured out how to permanently kill me yet."
"If I frickin knew about all this, you wouldn't be allowed to go back here." Yusuke growled.
"And that's why my family doesn't know the complete details. I'm sure mama knows I'm in serious danger when I come here but I make sure to heal up completely before going back to visit so she doesn't worry." Kagome grinned.
"Baka onna." Hiei snorted.
"Oh are you done being nice to me now? I'm still injured you know." Kagome mocked the hybrid.
"Hn." he glared at her for a moment before turning his back to her once more.
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what we mainly have to worry about is Naraku's miasma and his tentacles. Those things can pierce through practically anything and only a few minutes in his miasma and you're done for. If you stay close to me, my power will automatically purify the miasma but if I'm not there, get the hell away from it."
"Anything else? Any weaknesses?" Kurama asked.
"Aside from purification? Not that I know of. He regenerates quickly because of all the shards he has in his possession."
"Can he move almost as quickly as Hiei?" Kurama asked, staring off in the distance.
Kagome stared at the avatar in confusion. "No why?"
"Because there is a strong demonic aura approaching quickly." Hiei growled as he rested his hand on the hilt of his katana. Seconds after the presence of the demon was announced, Kagome felt two jewel shards racing toward them and she groaned.
"Why now?!" Kagome whined as she buried her face in Kirara's fur. "It's just Kouga, relax." the miko complained.
The group relaxed but not completely. They hadn't met the wolf prince yet and therefore didn't trust him. In the distance, a small dirt devil could be seen. Moments later, it flew by them and suddenly disappeared. Everyone stared at the wolf standing before Kagome holding her hands and staring down into her eyes as if they were madly in love. His love stuck gaze quickly broke and turned to confusion as he caught sight of her long black tail swishing behind her and her ears pinned back slightly.
"Kagome? What happened to you? I've been searching for you everywhere!" Kouga growled, though it was in worry, not anger.
"I was injured for quite some time and had to stay in hiding before I could travel." Kagome said, bending the truth.
"I always knew that damn mutt couldn't take care of my woman like I could. Did he harm you?"
"I'm fine Koug-"
"You're wounded… he did this to you didn't he?! I'll kill that damn mutt!" he snarled, still ignoring the guys glaring at him intently.
"Kouga, I'm fine!" Kagome growled, gaining his attention.
The wolf smirked down at her as his eyes traveled down her body. "I have to say… you're sexier as a demon…"
"Ok back off weasel." Yusuke growled as he stepped toward his cousin.
"And who the hell are you?"
"I'm Kagome's older cousin so if you want to even dream of getting with her, you better show some damn respect." he snarled, knowing that demon law stated that if a male wanted to court a female, he needed the permission of any older member of her family that she resided with.
Kouga growled softly but backed away from Kagome a bit. "You never told me you traveled with your cousin."
"You didn't ask." Kagome replied in boredom.
"What has that mutt done to my woman? She's not as full of life as she used to be!" Kouga snarled, turning his attention to Yusuke and Kurama, who was now standing beside the detective.
"She's not your woman!" Kuwabara yelled in irritation.
"Yes she is, human, so back off or I'll kill you!"
"Not before I rip your throat out." Hiei growled.
"I'd like to see you try shrimp!" Kouga argued back.
"EVERYONE STOP!" Kagome yelled, her ears completely pinned against her head now as her tail whipped around in irritation. "Shut up before Ikill all of you!"
"Like you could." Hiei snorted.
"Don't test my patience hybrid!" Kagome snarled.
"Leave my woman alone!" Kouga yelled, turning to bare his fangs at Hiei.
"I'll harass her when and how I please." he growled, glaring at Kouga.
"The hell you will, I'll purify you straight to hell where you belong you miniature spawn of Satan." Kagome threatened.
"Can we please stop arguing?" Kurama questioned calmly, surprisingly gaining everyone's attention. "I'm sure all this tension is stressing Kagome and slowing down her healing process, so if we could try to keep this civil, I'm sure everyone would appreciate it."
"Thank you Kurama." Kagome sighed. "Was there any other reason you came Kouga?"
"Yea, to inform you that Naraku has the rest of the shards. You and I have the only shards that he doesn't possess and now he's after me."
Kagome nodded. "So the final battle with be soon. I guess we should find Sesshomaru and see if he'll fight by our side." Kagome murmured.
"There's more bad news Kagome… the mutt is on his side." Kouga announced softly.
Kagome stared at the wolf demon for a moment before shaking her head. "Ok so we really need to get Sesshomaru on our side."
"So we need to head west now?" Kuwabara asked, spinning in a complete circle as he attempted to figure out which way was west.
"Yes, you'll be coming with us Kouga?" Kagome asked, turning her attention to him for a moment. The wolf grinned and nodded and Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
For the next few days, the group traveled at a decent pace toward Sesshomaru's land. The spirit detectives were constantly irritated with the wolf prince that refused to leave Kagome's side, even when they slept. He would lie on the ground beside the miko's sleeping bag the entire night. Yusuke was able to sleep on the opposite side of his cousin but it irritated him that the wolf had practically attached himself to Kagome's hip.
To everyone's relief, Kagome showed no form of interest toward Kouga at all. The only unfortunate part about it was Kouga didn't seem to notice that Kagome wasn't interested. He still insisted on calling her his woman and it was slowly grading on everyone's last nerve. Kagome was completely healed by the time they entered Sesshomaru's lands and now the entire group were on their toes. Kouga encountered the demon lord in person before and knew Sesshomaru was one of the demons people purposely avoided.
Suddenly a small dark haired child emerged from the bushes and accidentally ran into Kouga. Since he was already on guard, he was caught by surprise and snarled down at the girl. Rin stared up at her worst nightmare in complete horror before rushing to the only familiar person she could find. Grabbing onto Kagome's leg as if it were a life line, Rin hid behind the miko, hoping she would protect her from the scary demon. Kagome glared at Kouga as she turned and wrapped her arms around the terrified girl.
"Aunty Kagome… please don't let him hurt me…" Rin whimpered as she buried her face in the miko's stomach. Kagome smiled and wrapped her tail around the child's waist protectively.
"It's ok Rin; no one's going to hurt you." Kagome reassured.
"You know this kid?" Yusuke asked, peeking around his cousin to get a good look at the child.
"This is Sesshomaru's ward." Kagome explained, surprising everyone. "She's another reason Sesshomaru hasn't gotten rid of me yet."
"She called you aunty?" Kuwabara asked.
"Her family was killed and I'm still not sure why but Sesshomaru took her in. Every time Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would fight, Rin would end up in my care and Sango and I would protect her until the battle was over."
"What an odd arrangement." Kurama mused.
"Perhaps but Rin's just an innocent child, it's not her fault her lord gets into battles with his half brother all the time." Kagome shrugged.
"Where's aunty Sango and Shippo?" Rin questioned innocently.
Kagome held back her tears as she smiled down at Rin. "They don't travel with me anymore."
"So I've heard." Everyone turned their attention to the tall inu youkai standing several feet away. The entire group tensed as Rin grinned and ran to her lord's side.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Look! Aunty Kagome's here!"
"I see, what is the reason for your visit." he demanded more than asked.
"We need your help in the battle against Naraku." Kagome answered quietly.
"And what of Inuyasha?"
"That bastard is on Naraku's side." Yusuke growled, earning a curious glance from Sesshomaru.
"I've heard of his betrayal toward your group, miko, why have you allowed my half brother to live?"
"It's not a matter of my allowing him to live… I'm not powerful enough to defeat him." Kagome admitted shamefully.
"You are now demon are you not?"
"Only half. I still possess my miko powers."
"How is that so? There has never been such a being that can possess such opposing powers."
"I am the first of my kind; a mikodemon." she explained.
Everyone was curious as to why Kagome so openly gave Sesshomaru any answer he asked for. They would have to ask her later because the miko wasn't usually this trusting but here she was telling the lord all the information he desired.
"I expect more of an explanation while we are in search of Naraku." Sesshomaru stated, causing a small smile to grace Kagome's lips.
"So you'll join us?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes miko."
Kagome's smile widened as she bowed slightly. "Thank you lord Sesshomaru."
"Do I get to spend more time with Aunty Kagome?" Rin asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Yes."
The child cheered and rushed the miko, hugging her leg tightly. "Isn't this exciting?!"
"Of course Rin!" Kagome smiled as she lifted the girl into her arms. Kirara, who was perched on Kagome's shoulder, mewed at Rin and licked her face playfully before leaping onto her head. The girl giggled at Kirara's antics as Kagome placed them on the ground so they could play. Kagome turned her gaze back to Sesshomaru. "Naraku shouldn't be far behind us; maybe a day or two."
"Then perhaps we should find a suitable location to await his arrival." the lord suggested.
"We can set up traps and all that." Kuwabara grinned.
"If Naraku is stupid enough to fall into them." Yusuke snorted, shooting down his comrade's idea.
"No wait… That's actually a great idea Kuwabara. If we can lead majority of Naraku's army into traps, that will help us a great deal." Kagome mused.
"And perhaps we can separate Kagura and Kanna from Naraku and attack them individually." Kurama added.
"What about the mutt?" Kouga asked.
"He's mine." Hiei growled.
"Why does the shrimp get him?!" Kouga argued.
"Because no one has ever escaped Hiei with their life and our little fire cracker needs to keep his reputation." Yusuke explained.
Kagome stared at Hiei for a moment. So he had the chance to kill Inuyasha but turned his back to help her? That must have been one hell of a blow to his pride. She didn't know many male demons that could let their enemy get away with their life and if Kagome was correct, Inuyasha had escaped Hiei twice already. There was no way the hybrid was going to let Inuyasha escape alive a third time.
"I'll take on Kanna, since I'm the only one that knows how." Kagome announced.
"Say what? I didn't just hear you say you were going to take on the soul stealing demon did I?" Yusuke asked, glaring at his cousin and daring her to tell him otherwise.
"You heard correct Suke. I just need a bow and quiver of arrows. I'm the only one that Kanna has ever had trouble with. She can easily kill all of you without breaking a sweat but I know how to destroy her mirror. Once her mirror is gone, she's useless." Kagome explained.
"Didn't you tell us not to attack her with weapons like arrows?" Kuwabara asked.
"Yes but those instructions were strictly for all of you. My purifying arrows are her weakness." Kagome stated.
"And if your purification does not bend to your will? Just as the rest of your powers aren't?" Hiei piped up, glaring at the mikodemon.
Kagome averted her gaze and stared at the ground blankly. "Then I will figure out some other way to defeat her. Her mirror isn't powerful enough to steal all of my soul… it couldn't even steal half of it."
"Alright then, Kagome will take care of Kanna, who will fight the wind demon?" Kurama asked quickly, not wanting an argument to break lose.
"She's mine… that bitch has to pay for killing my tribe." Kouga snarled.
"Right so then Kurama, Yusuke, Sesshomaru and Kuwabara will fight Naraku and the army while Hiei, Kouga and I take care of the allies?" Kagome clarified.
"Correct. Once you are finished, join the battle with Naraku. Our primary goal is to get his shards from him." Kurama stated.
"And I'll be able to find them. You guys just have to be careful of any puppets he may use." Kagome pointed out.
"Thanks for the reminder." Yusuke nodded. "So that's the plan? Can we eat now? I'm starving."
Kagome groaned as she glared at the knee deep water. With Sesshomaru's permission, the miko was able to visit a nearby pond to catch fish for dinner. It was no surprise to her that her four body guards refused to let her leave without someone with her. They didn't want a repeat of what happened the last time she was supposed to catch fish for dinner. Since Yusuke and Kuwabara were arguing over who would be stuck with collecting wood and setting up camp, Kagome asked Kurama if he would accompany her. He smiled politely and followed behind the miko, not surprised that Hiei also decided to follow.
Kurama was curious of his companion's behavior lately. Hiei barely cared about anyone but himself and maybe his comrades on rare occasions but lately he seemed to be protective of Kagome. He couldn't be sure of the exact reason just yet but he was almost positive it was because he respected the little miko. Not only that but also because she was currently his only source of entertainment and if Kurama knew his friend at all, he knew that meant Kagome belonged to Hiei. She was his personal property because she was his entertainment while they were on this mission so if she was harmed, he would get pissed that someone dared to touch what was his.
Kurama highly doubted that Hiei was attracted to Kagome in any way. He had never shown any form of interest since he met her so he was left with the conclusion that he respected her as a person and perhaps even felt it was his job to protect her because she was weaker than him. With that in mind, he definitely wasn't surprised the hybrid followed him and Kagome to the nearby pond. Ever since Inuyasha had nearly killed the cougar demon, Hiei kept her in his line of vision at all times. Kurama hoped he was reading his friend correctly and if he was, then Hiei was almost acting like a big brother toward the miko. He would get irritated with her when she pushed herself too much but made a hobby of irritating the living hell out of the poor miko. He seemed to absolutely love pissing her off and riling her up.
Once they had reached the pond, Kagome stepped toward it without hesitation and began removing her shoes and socks. Before stepping into the water, the miko decided to dip her toe into the water to check the temperature and surprisingly found that her cat instincts refused to let her touch the water. She was greatly disappointed with the discovery because she loved the water. If it meant she couldn't take hot baths anymore, she didn't know what she was going to do! Glaring at her reflection in the water, Kagome tried once more to step into the water but found her body frozen in place.
"What's the matter Kagome?" Kurama questioned, growing alert once he noticed her stiffened posture.
"I uh… I can't get in the water…" Kagome murmured.
Confused, Kurama made his way over to her, Hiei right behind him. "What do you mean?" he asked once they reached her side.
"My body won't go into the water… my feline instincts won't let me." she pouted, turning her sad expression to him.
Hiei snorted and rolled his eyes at the miko before swiftly pushing her into the water. What happened next was definitely not what anyone had expected. The cougar demoness fell into the water for only several seconds before her instincts took control and she shot out of the water and straight into the air. That wasn't the interesting part of the situation though because while in midair, the miko instinctively clung to the nearest branch. Her claws dug into the bark of the tree and she hung there like a terrified cat.
Kurama did his best to keep from laughing but failed miserably. Even Hiei chuckled slightly at the sight of Kagome clinging to a tree for dear life and every hair on her tail standing on end as she stared down at the water with wide eyes. Once she calmed down some, Kurama again burst into laughter when the miko turned a deadly glare directly at Hiei. She looked prepared to paint the entire surrounding area with his blood.
The hybrid smirked cruelly up at her before the branch she was clinging to suddenly burst into flames. Without time to formulate a plan, all Kagome could do was let go of the branch, causing her to fall directly into the pond with a loud splash. Kurama and Hiei chuckled as the cougar demoness lifted herself out of the water and stomped to shore. She ears were pinned down against her head and her long tail whipped from side to side angrily as she growled at Hiei. Before the miko could attack, Kurama hooked his arm around her waist and dragged her back toward the pond.
"Please calm down Kagome. Hiei solved your original problem. Now you can gather the fish we're here for and return to camp." the avatar smiled, gently pushing Kagome toward the water. As he watched the pissed miko tread back into the water, he couldn't help but realize that she indeed looked quite attractive soaking wet and beyond pissed.
After only a few minutes of waiting, Kurama and Kagome were gathering fish in their arms and heading back to camp. Apparently Kagome's feline instincts helped her hunting skills as well. She was lightning quick at catching fish and easily gathered several dozen within minutes. Kurama couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Kagome standing stalk still, waiting for her prey to approach. Her tail was the only part of her body that moved as it swayed from left to right, signaling that she was enjoying herself.
For the past few days, the group had been observing Kagome's behavior and they all agreed that she acted very cat like. It wasn't much of a surprise seeing as she was a cougar demon but it was quite entertaining. Her tail and ears could practically tell everyone what type of mood she was in. If her tail was whipping from side to side, she was irritated, angry, or frustrated. If it was tapping on the ground it meant she was bored, impatient, or trying to get attention, where as if her tail was swaying from side to side slowly, she was either highly entertained, content, or in any type of happy mood.
Kurama's line of thought was interrupted as they entered camp. Once they were in sight, Kouga was at Kagome's side in moments, checking if she was alright.
"What took you so damn long?!" Yusuke complained.
"There was a slight…. complication." Kagome growled, turning a glare toward Hiei.
"Why are you soaking wet? You do know you don't need to be completely in the water to catch fish right?" Kouga asked, his eyes raking over her soaked form.
"Yes, I am completely aware of that. Thank you very much." she snapped, obviously irritated.
Angry that his woman was in a bad mood, Kouga immediately turned a glare to Hiei and Kurama. "What the hell did you do to my woman." he snarled.
"We haven't done anything Kouga, please relax." Kurama sighed, not in the mood for an argument.
"Don't you tell me what to do kitsune." the wolf growled. "What did you do to piss off my woman?!"
"Back off before I remove your tongue from your foul mouth." Hiei growled, his hand now resting on his katana.
"You couldn't lay a hand on me if you tried forbidden." Kouga snorted.
"That's ENOUGH!" Kagome snapped. Glaring at everyone, she stomped over to Kouga and snarled up at him. "I don't want to EVER hear that damn word again."
"What are you talking about Kagome?" Kouga asked, trying to take her hand in his to comfort her.
"Don't touch her!" Yusuke threatened.
"I'll touch my woman if I damn well please!"
"I AM NOT YOUR WOMAN!" Kagome yelled, pushing Kouga away from her with a surprising amount of strength. "I never have been and never will be your woman! And if I ever hear ANYONE say the word 'forbidden' again, I'll gladly tear you to pieces!"
"Why are you protecting that bastard? He's always pissing you off!" Kouga argued, pointing an accusing finger toward Hiei.
"Because when you insult him, you insult me. Have you forgotten that I'm forbidden as well? Do you know how much it hurts to be called that? I sure as hell do and I've only been like this for a few weeks. I don't want to even imagine what Hiei has gone through and he doesn't need any of you making his life even more miserable! So back the hell off!" Kagome snarled.
Hiei stared at Kagome with a blank unreadable expression as she glared at Kouga in pure anger. Why was she standing up for him? Sure she was considered a forbidden because of her half miko, half demon blood but she didn't need to fight on his behalf as well as hers. What had made her snap so suddenly? For the past few days, Kouga had been calling her his woman nonstop and suddenly something caused the miko to explode and finally tell Kouga to back off. Hiei's expression softened slightly as he watched the cougar huff in irritation before making her way back to the camp fire to cook the fish. Was he really getting to her that badly? Perhaps his insults really did harm her emotionally…
Hiei's only intention when he picked on Kagome was to rile her up for his own entertainment but he never wanted to truly hurt the miko emotionally. If his words and actions really were taking a toll on her, he would take it down a notch. She was already going through enough stressful experiences as it was, she didn't need him adding fuel to her already blazing fire. And even though he would never admit it to anyone, Hiei felt a small amount of attraction toward the cougar. He refused to let it show at all though because he didn't want anyone to figure it out. All he needed was for Yusuke to get in his face because he thought his comrade's cousin was hot.
Once everyone was calm once more, Hiei leapt into a tree nearby as he watched Kagome finish cooking dinner. She cooked all the fish she had caught but as she handed out a dish to everyone, he was confused when she didn't make herself something to eat. Slowly eating his food, he watched as the cougar began to clean before crawling toward her sleeping bag. Did she not intend on eating? Especially since Naraku was only a few days away, which meant the final battle was quickly approaching.
'Eat onna.' Hiei growled, using his jagan to connect his mind to hers mentally.
'Hiei? How are you…. speaking to me?' Kagome asked, confused as she stared up at him through the branches.
'The jagan gives me the power of telepathy.' he simply explained.
'Oh… I knew it…' Kagome smirked, thinking back to when he had mentally told her to take the peppermint plant when Inuyasha had nearly killed her.
'Why are you not eating.' he demanded more than asked.
'I'm not hungry.'
'I'm only going to tell you one more time onna; eat.' he growled.
'I'll be fine. I don't feel like eating.' Kagome wasn't sure why, but she had a terrible feeling about the upcoming battle and it completely erased her appetite.
'I don't care. Eat something before I force you to.'
'You couldn't force me to do anything no matter how hard you tried.' Kagome snorted as she pulled her blanket over her.
Hiei sighed. He knew if he wanted to, he could make the miko do whatever he wanted her to but that would be cruel because he'd take control of her mind and he was positive she would not be happy with him, or anyone else for that matter, if he did that. 'You must remain healthy for the battle to come. No one will be near you during your battle against Kanna so you must be prepared.'
'Since when are you so protective of me?' she asked, curious of when Hiei decided it was his duty to keep her safe.
'What makes you think I'm protective of you in any way?' he snorted.
'You never let me out of your sight and no matter where I go, you're always somewhere nearby.'
'If you are not going to eat, then go to sleep onna.' Hiei ordered, deciding not to answer her question.
Kagome rolled her eyes. 'Whatever. Just keep in mind, you're going to get a good damn beating for what you did to me at the pond… payback is a bitch…'
Kagome quickly strapped her quiver of arrows to her back as she slung the bow over her shoulder. Naraku had reached them much faster than they expected, giving them no time to set traps and putting everyone on their toes as they prepared for battle. Even though their plans were slightly ruined, everyone was still told to follow their original orders. So as Naraku and his army came into view, Kagome immediately locked on her target as Hiei glared at Inuyasha, who was standing at Naraku's side with a smirk across his face. Kouga snarled at the sight of Kagura as she made her appearance on her trademark feather.
This was the final battle… the fight that would determine who took the ultimate prize; the Shikon No Tama. The survivors would live on to tell the tale of this great battle that would definitely go down in history. Kagome stared at her two worst enemies and held back her tears as Miroku, Sango, and Shippo crossed her mind. Kirara rubbed her large head against Kagome's hand and mewed at her, telling the miko that she was thinking of their friends as well. Kagome smiled and hugged the neko tightly, demanding that Kirara survive through this battle so they could be together and live on with the loving memory of their friends.
Yusuke wrapped his arms around his cousin's waist from behind as Kagome linked her arms through Kuwabara's and Kurama's, which were both standing at her sides. The miko turned her gaze to both the avatar and human as she leaned back against her cousin. Glancing back toward Hiei, who was standing beside Yusuke, she averted her gaze when his attention turned to her.
"You guys better not die…" Kagome growled, now glaring at them.
Yusuke chuckled. "I'm way more worried about you than any of us. Even Kuwabara is going to be fine."
"Well you don't need to worry about me… I know what I'm doing." Kagome murmured.
"You may know all of Naraku's tricks but we did not find the time to train you to fight." Kurama pointed out, also showing his worry for the miko.
"I still have my instincts and miko abilities. As long as I have my arrows, I'll be fine." Kagome smiled reassuringly.
"And if you lose them?" Hiei asked, glaring down at the miko.
"Then I'll be testing my demonic powers on anyone that dares to come near me." she grinned, one of her fangs poking through her lips.
"I want you to stay away from Naraku and Inuyasha. Do you understand Kags?" Yusuke demanded, his gaze holding no room for arguments.
Kagome pulled away from all three of the guys only to turn and glare at them angrily. "Who died and made you boss? I need to get an attack in on Naraku if we want to win this battle. He will only be completely destroyed if I can use my purification on him."
"No, if we need you to purify him, you will be doing so from a safe distance with your arrows." Hiei growled.
"Still hiding behind your bodyguards wench!?" Kagome's entire body stiffened when she heard Inuyasha's snarl reach them. Turning to face the approaching army, Kagome stared directly at Inuyasha with a blank unreadable expression.
"Don't let him get to you." Sesshomaru stated, glaring intently at his half brother.
"You think just because that bastard is on your side that you'll win?! I'm going to tear you to pieces just like I did Shippo!" Inuyasha smirked at the horrified look on Kagome's face.
"I'll kill you before you get the chance." Yusuke snarled, moving to stand in front of Kagome just as Hiei and Kurama did.
"You'll see wench! You'll pay for what you did to Kikyou!"
A/N:
Let the final showdown begin! Will Kagome be able to end the life of her first love? Will the spirit detectives be enough to defeat Naraku? You'll find out soon ;) I would like you thank all of you who left reviews! You are all wonderful and continue to leave reviews please!
~*Icyfire*~
Next Chapter - Chapter 4: A Time to Kill