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

Confusing ish chapter. Sorry about the lack of battle scene, but the battle isn't that important right now, just how it comes to be and how it ends.

Chapter 4 - Decimated

Yusuke shifted his weight, the soft earth beneath his feet easy to move swiftly over as the majin turned, half expecting a threat. Instead, the footsteps, just loud enough to make sure he'd notice, belonged to someone he hadn't quite expected to see yet. "Kuwabara?"

A chill traveled down his spine and brown eyes met the pained and honest eyes of his best friend. Yusuke tried to shake off the feeling that something was very wrong, but even in his most oblivious he couldn't have ignored the way his friend seemed a bit too pale and how his mouth was drawn in a tight worried line. "You weren't supposed to be back from your vacation so soon. The world ending?"

Despite the light words, Yusuke was fully expecting that it was something of that nature. But when Kuwabara still hesitated, his patience started getting thin. "Damn it, just tell me, what the hell is going on?"

Kuwabara blurted it out before he could give any more thought to the subject. "Keiko's been kidnapped. By demons."

The words didn't register at first and Yusuke gave him a befuddled look. Keiko, kidnapped? The girl who was his on and off again fiancé, depending on what grievances they had dredged up that week? His mouth worked. "Because of me? We haven't heard about it."

"No. That's the weird thing." Kuwabara was studying him, waiting for the explosion that would have to come. When it didn't Kuwabara almost wanted to run for it. A quiet Yusuke was worse than a loud one.

"How?"

"No one really saw anything. It wouldn't have really made me think it was demons if there hadn't been a few stories of someone seeing a man with a tail come in and scoop her up. They were attacked by wolves." It sounded insane. The demon part sounded fine, but the wolves' part sounded crazy to Yusuke. By the grimace that Kuwabara used it didn't leave a good taste in his mouth either.

"Wolves? They weren't in the middle of nowhere! Why the hell would wolves have attacked them? Were the wolves demons?" Yusuke's voice was rising now and Kuwabara was almost relieved.

"I don't know, Urameshi! I wasn't there, only heard about it! There were wolves, probably demons, and a guy with a tail. It was dark when it happened, and her parents are dead so they can't say anything!" Yusuke stared at him as the shout faded into the forest.

Yusuke felt the blood drain from his face for a moment and the world tilted. He realized he was sitting a moment later when Kuwabara put a hand out to help him back out. He took it absently and kept on his feet this time. His eyes slid closed before he asked, "Keiko's parents are dead?"

"Yeah," Kuwabara returned quietly.

"Shit," Yusuke muttered, and stomped back toward the main shrine.

Kagome and Souta tried not to listen to the sounds that came through the walls over the rest of the day. They both sat on Kagome's bed, quietly talking and making plans. Kuronue was actually leaning back against one wall. He didn't bother to pretend he wasn't listening. He had one large ear tilted toward the wall, and one toward them. Both conversations were frustrating him.

"We aren't getting anywhere," he said finally. "Planning to battle Sesshoumaru won't do any good. Our plans will fall through anyway. Let's just leave and get to it. This is as good of a time to run to our deaths as any."

"We could win," Souta protested feebly. He knew that it was almost impossible. Sesshoumaru was too close to undoing what Rin had done, and they were too far away.

Kagome closed her eyes and didn't say a word. She couldn't tell them yet that she had a different plan. The jewel around her neck hung heavy on her conscience. It was a weapon. It would bring them hope, but it would never deliver. The Shikon no Tama never delivered anything except destruction. That was what Kagome wanted. As long as they were safe, did it matter who else died with Sesshoumaru? He was the one she needed to kill. If she could even pull power from the useless weight choking her, chaining her to a lifetime's service, it would be a blessing.

"Don't kid yourself," Kuronue said in a low, angry voice. He stared out the window at the darkening sky. It was time. They all had one goal in mind and would do anything to get it.

There was a knock at their door and all three turned suddenly wary glances to it. Kuronue shifted slightly to bring his hands in front of him and Kagome and Souta slid their feet to the floor. Kagome cleared her throat and let her eyes flicker to all the objects in the room, cataloguing their different uses as a weapon. "Come in."

None of them moved a muscle as the door opened and they looked perfectly casual, just as if they had been talking about the weather, not becoming ready for a battle. Red eyes looked at them from beneath green bangs. Yukina's eyes were downcast and Kagome's heart clenched at the lost and helpless look on her face. She had worn that look too many times herself.

"We were wondering if you wanted dinner," Yukina said halfheartedly. The three glanced at each other skeptically. Dinner would be a tense affair if they went, and none of them really felt hungry. Kagome knew she would just throw it up if she ate. Her nerves were too jumpy. She smiled at Yukina.

"Sorry, but I don't think any of us are hungry. We'll see you at breakfast." The lie slipped out of her mouth naturally. She wouldn't see her at breakfast. They were leaving tonight.

Souta kept his eyes on his shoes and he wondered if he looked as guilty as he felt. He had been hearing the things they said through the walls, and he knew where the girl they were missing was. But he couldn't tell them. He couldn't even tell Kagome and Kuronue until they left. The girl was in danger, but he couldn't have these people, innocents in this affair, stumbling into a situation that they weren't prepared for. He wouldn't be responsible for the deaths of that young woman's friends. He was probably already responsible for hers.

He knew Kagome would feel obligated to tell them if she knew. Kuronue would tell because he was a friend with one. They didn't need the extra baggage, no matter how strong these guys were. This wasn't their fight. Kagome hadn't even wanted it to be his. The boy wanted to bury his head into his hands. He had been such a stupid teenager, thinking that adventures would be fun, that battling demons was exciting. He hadn't thought about the blood on his hands or the shrieking bodies that hadn't quite purified, or the smell of ash that choked him and brought him to his knees. He just hadn't thought.

Souta wanted to be able to go back to his home and step up to their mother and tell her that he was done fighting and that everything would be all right. He wanted to be comforted in warm arms and he didn't want to have believed Sesshoumaru when he said that he could be an essential part of something bigger. He had only wanted to use their power to keep his enemies at bay and make sure that Kagome, his greatest threat, would be kept in check.

So Souta would keep quiet. He would stay still and pretend that those people next door had nothing to do with the girl who was going to be bled for Sesshoumaru. He looked up at the others and tried a hesitant smile. "We should try to get a few hours of sleep before we go."

They both looked at him in surprise and he wondered if something in his voice had given him away. Instead Kagome nodded and Kuronue gave a tiny proud smile. Kagome spoke, looking tired herself. "That's a good thought. It doesn't matter what we plan if we're dead on our feet when we get there. Midnight sound about right?"

Souta nodded immediately, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. Kuronue didn't answer except with a nod as he flipped himself onto the ceiling. Souta moved over to the bed that would have been Kuronue's if he didn't sleep on the ceiling. Kagome stretched out along her bed. The three of them all looked at each other one more time before Kagome ducked her head, and proceeded to force herself asleep, relaxing her muscles and letting her conscious mind drift. The boys followed her lead.

Kurama wasn't stupid. When he woke up to the slightest sound and what sounded like someone had just bit off a curse - or had their mouth covered - he sat up and began to get dressed, a slow simmering anger developing as something primal and golden snarled in the back of his mind. The three moving scents tempted his nose and he almost growled. He should have expected this. He had in fact, been expecting this. But not today.

He hadn't thought they would sneak out when the rest of his friends were too spent emotionally to even wake from their deep slumbers, never mind stop them or do the smarter thing he was doing. He was following them.

It wasn't particularly hard. They were so focussed on what they were doing that a bomb could have exploded behind them and they wouldn't have noticed as long as they were still intact. It was terrible tactics, but it worked for him. He still followed from a distance, keeping Kuronue's scent in his nose, and his curiosity in check. It perhaps would have been better to at least take Hiei with him, but finding the fire apparition would have taken too long. Who even knew if the fire apparition was still in Ningenkai?

Kurama blinked, his only expression of shock as the scent ended near a portal. He had expected that it would take longer. How did they even know this portal was here? No one was supposed to know about that portal. It was almost always opened, but considering it led here, to Genkai's shrine, most turned right around and went back to Makai rather than risk the wrath of those guarding it.

It was too late to turn back now. Kurama plunged in, his nose picking up the scent again quickly, but he stopped for a moment to get his bearings. Narrowed green eyes surveyed his surrounding. He was on the edge of a forest, with a plane stretching out before him. In the distance, he could see another forest, the trees tall and beckoning. Their scent headed towards it. Obedient to his curiosity and his anger at his friend, the kitsune in a human body set off toward it.

Shippo hadn't even looked up when the guards had come. He had simply set the girl to the side and lunged for them. It hadn't done any good in his weakened state, but he had managed a few burns and scratches before they knocked him to one side in a dazed state. His brain was sluggish after taking too many hits to the head, and he could barely move. He felt the chains go around his wrists and legs and he snarled. That wouldn't keep him once he was fully conscious and out of this containing magical web.

The girl was sobbing and he realized that he really couldn't do anything. They were dragging him along to watch and he wouldn't be able to do a thing. He growled as they half dragged him out of the dungeon and out from under the suppressing web. He would kill them all when he was free. He would kill and murder and destroy until he couldn't destroy anymore. Until Sesshoumaru killed him.

He watched through fogged senses as the room appeared. The girl was screaming and fighting every step of the way. She dragged her heals and scratched at her captors. They laughed at her and Shippo felt something burn inside him. That burn quickly blossomed into flames outside as things began lighting up with bright blue fire. Their captors screamed and Shippo snarled as more feeling came back. He pulled the chains apart and smirked, blue fire dancing on his claw tips.

"Don't even think about it kitsune," One not-burning demon snarled. "You won't last long against us, traitor."

Shippo didn't say a thing. He smiled coldly and stepped smoothly in front of the girl the two burning ones had dropped. They were currently beating the flames off of each other. In a neutral voice, he asked the girl, "Since it's almost over, I thought I'd ask, what is your name?"

He could sense the surprise from behind him. Finally he sensed a bit of warmth from her, and cherished it and his it away in his mind. He needed that bit of strength it would give him. "My name is Keiko. Yours?"

"I'm Shippo. You might want to close your eyes." He risked a flicker and saw she had. He went to work. He knew she might have seen worse than this, but he didn't want her seeing him do this. He didn't want her seeing the killer in him. His claws flickered with fire as he ripped through their captors and the whole hall soon danced in flames as Shippo didn't bother containing any of it except when it came near Keiko.

The last one dropped dead when a sudden wind buffeted him. He was thrown through the air and skidded to a stop several yards away. He glanced up, unsurprised to see the two pairs of angry glittering eyes. "So," he said casually, "you two finally showed up. I was wondering if you two weren't going to show. Can't really throw this party without you, can we?"

Golden eyes glittered at him and Shippo glared back. "It doesn't matter what you do here. Naraku will still have managed to kill those you couldn't, and you'll still have killed the one person you would have given your life for. This is pointless. You're whole life is pointless."

"We will see," was all he said before turning to Kagura. "Keep him there for as long as this takes."

Kagura pursed her lips angrily at the order, but the wind holding Shippo down didn't lessen. Sesshoumaru reached down to the quivering human near the chamber and dragged her in. Shippo realized that from here, he was too far away to do anything, but they had made sure he could see everything. "Bastards," he spat.

Kagura gave him a chilling smile and he glared at her, his eyes frustrated. He concentrated, trying to light her clothes on fire, her hair, her skin, and her very brain. It didn't work. She lifted one cool eyebrow. "Did you think the wind was flammable?"

"You aren't the wind. The wind is free." Shippo sneered as her eyes flickered. He knew their emotional soft spots by now. Sesshoumaru had closed his off, but some of hers were still open.

"Am I not? I will soon have power in my grasp, and I chose it." She smiled and his eyes flickered to the lights he could see growing behind her. With an effort, he raised his eyes back to her, wincing as Keiko screamed.

"You chose to tie yourself down. His power is not yours." It was the usual battle. Her control tightened and his head was forced to turn toward the chamber. Keiko was writhing in agony as Sesshoumaru held her over the bloodied spot on the floor. Impassively, he dropped her and watched her scream herself hoarse. He put one foot on her wrist and crouched down, balancing on the other foot. A knife flashed in his hand, glinting and glittering as it touched her arm. Sesshoumaru seemed to contemplate simply opening up her vein.

Shippo growled low in his throat. Somehow the knife was at least better than his claws. But then, Sesshoumaru couldn't risk that his own poison in her bloodstream would ruin his chances of getting that door open. The kitsune wanted to take his eyes off the scene. He wanted to close his eyes against the world and curl up in his fox form and walk in the forests and forget the last few horrible centuries.

The knife dug into skin, but the skin of her palm, not the vein. Shippo didn't know why he felt relieved. It didn't matter. They were going to die in the end anyway. It would be worse for the girl if she didn't die. But then, perhaps there was some hope. Shippo wanted to turn his head, to study the lights he knew were approaching the castle. The lights that were already too late.

Sesshoumaru gripped the human by her wrist and hauled her to the door. She was still gasping with the memories that Rin had managed to put there, in her blood that had splattered on the floor. He had never been able to get the stain out.

The human's bloody palm hit the barrier on the door and he almost felt it disappear. He dropped her to the ground and touched the door. His eyes lit up, and one eyebrow raised, the only triumph he would show. The door creaked open and he walked inside.

Shippo wanted to howl as the arrow came too late. Glowing pink, it went through Kagura and the demon blinked at the arrow in her chest. Her heart was there now, and this was unexpected. It hadn't purified her; one blow wasn't enough for that. Instead, the girl had killed her... Kagura's couldn't remember Kagome ever doing that when she didn't know the arrow would turn a demon to ash. What a surprise.

Shippo watched Kagura crumple to the ground and was up in a flash, staring at the three walking from the other end of the hallway. His eyes told them all they needed to know. Souta lowered his head and Shippo closed his nose against the salty scent of tears. Kagome and Kuronue were both grim faced and dry-eyed. Shippo waved good-bye to the last of Souta's innocence.

"We still have to try," Kagome said stubbornly, and she walked into the room.

"You really shouldn't," came a smooth voice from behind them. Kagome didn't turn. Kuronue did, to get a sword in his side and to face three demons. High levels if he wasn't mistake. Souta turned, a staff in his hand. Shippo briefly wondered where he had picked it up before the golden tailed kitsune followed Kagome.

"You've come too late. Inuyasha would be disappointed," a soft familiar voice said as they approached the chamber. Shippo darted forward and took Keiko away from the doorway, cradling her to his chest. Sesshoumaru noticed with a cruel smirk. He didn't say anything, but he let his new accessories tell them everything. Two swords were on his right side, one crackling slightly. Shippo's eyes flicked to the blood on Sesshoumaru's hand. It didn't smell like his. At least he knew how he had picked it up.

On his left side was an empty sheath. Tokijin was in his hand, thirsting for blood. Inuyasha's was no longer available, but it seemed it would settle for theirs.

Shippo tried to calculate what an S class demon with Tokijin in hand could do. With Tenseiga protecting him from death as well? "Shit," Shippo murmured. Then Sesshoumaru attacked.

Kurama had battled his way through some confused looking demons. Some simply ran in every direction, while some actually seemed as if they thought they should be standing against him. He quickly taught them otherwise. Some of them were a bit thicker than others. But the rose whip would cut through any substance, so even the thickest one caught his meaning eventually.

By the time Kuronue's scent was close enough that he could see him, the kitsune's shirt was ripped in a number of places, and his anger had turned to horror as he took in the scene before him. His friend was bleeding in a way that made him think he should be getting out of the battle and another kitsune was pushing a familiar looking girl onto the bat. The miko and her brother were swaying on their feet, but their hands were joined and he could see the barrier around them.

"Just take her, damnit. You have a broken leg and you'll bleed to death if you stay here! Save her, and damn it, save yourself. One of us should live!" The golden tailed kitsune cried, and shoved Kuronue away.

Kuronue stiffened in shock as a different hand supported him before he fell, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from howling from the pain in his leg. "You should listen to him. Your wings will get you there quicker than anyone's legs, and I do believe Yusuke will be relieved to see Keiko alive."

A number of surprised eyes turned to him. The brother of the miko didn't look at all surprised, just guilty. Kuronue's mouth opened in surprise and he swallowed thickly. Duty overcame his stubborn pride and he looked back at Kagome for a long moment before he turned and opened his wings. With another apologetic glance at Kurama, he dove out the nearest window.

"You shouldn't be here," Kagome said immediately.

The barrier cracked before Kurama could say anything and all three of them in front of it cried out as power from a sword smashed into them. The miko dodged the best, with only a slight slice. The fatigued boy and the already injured kitsune were much worse. Blood dripped onto the floor, red and ugly.

"Neither should you," Kurama responded. He was shifting and turning and his eyes were suddenly every bit as golden as his new opponent's. The rose whip stopped another sword slash and the demon appeared surprised.

"Die," Sesshoumaru hissed. Kurama's eyes widened at the speed. The miko was worn out, the other two were barely conscious, and he didn't know what kind of barrier or plant would stop that sword.

The sword rebounded with a clang. Three sets of surprised eyes turned to the miko. The barrier was not her pink, but a light pale pink that was emitting from her hand, that was clutched around the end of a necklace. The other kitsune's eyes widened. He whispered, "You lied..."

"You're all in over your head. I insist on a retreat where we will reevaluate this opponent," Youko's silky voice commanded. Surprisingly, no one argued. This could be because one was unconscious, one was focused on controlling unfamiliar energy, and the other was too shocked and wounded to do anything but numbly grab the unconscious human and automatically agree to the older kitsune's request.

Youko Kurama waited, but the miko didn't even appear to notice. Sesshoumaru was snarling on the other side and his sword was cracking the barrier slightly. Another burst of energy smoothed it over and the dog demon stopped to stare. Youko took the opportunity to grab the human and drag her backwards. He didn't even stare when the barrier moved with them.

Behind him, slightly insane laughter sounded and the dog demon stared at them with gleeful eyes. "You should have destroyed it miko. More power that belongs to me, your Shikon no Tama... No one shall oppose me when I have it..."

Youko's eyes went round as he pulled her away and the barrier continued glowing. He peaked at her hand and managed to see part of a light pink curve through her fingers. As if she was holding an orb. Or an orb-shaped jewel.

"The Shikon no Tama..." Youko Kurama said thoughtfully. He looked at the miko. He glanced ahead of him where the portal was far from the castle they were exiting. Finally he glanced back. Then he looked at the miko in his arms, and smiled. Fangs showed and eyes narrowed. All the demons in the area thought better of approaching him. A smile on Youko Kurama was a scary thing indeed.

It was morning when the six stumbled back into the shrine. Kurama was himself again and he ignored the shocked gasps from those who had been about to start in angrily on them. Instead he thrust a severely injured human at Genkai and Yukina, and then tilted his head at Kuronue, whose eyes were glazed despite the fact he was still managing to hold Keiko. "Fix them."

The other kitsune simply sat where he was and seemed content to weakly glare at the narrowed eyed stares he was getting from a brown-eyed young demon. He now had Kagome in his arms. She was mostly uninjured, but she had collapsed the instant they stepped back into Ningenkai and when Youko had turned back into Kurama they had switched humans.

"We should call Botan as well," Yukina murmured as she swept back the hair on the boy's head before taking him from Kurama's arms. She smiled at the looks she was given. "I am stronger than you think I am," She answered to their thoughts.

"I'll give Botan a call," Kurama said neutrally when Yusuke didn't move.
Genkai was guiding Kuronue who held Keiko into another room and when Kurama left to call on the compact, Shippo and an unconscious miko were left with a curious toushin.

"Who are you?" Yusuke demanded.

"Who's asking?" Shippo snarled defensively. He didn't like this, and he didn't have to. They would have been back fighting Sesshoumaru if that other kitsune hadn't ordered them away. If Souta hadn't been so injured and Kagome hadn't proved to be a liar as well, he would have disobeyed, despite the age he could sense on the other's skin.

"Urameshi Yusuke," he said, slightly proud. Shippo snorted and gave him a cool look before cradling Kagome closer and turning his attention to her. He eyed her with worry and then narrowed his eyes at the hand still clenched over the jewel. So, that was the problem. He pried her hand away from the jewel.

Almost immediately Kagome began to stir. Shippo put her by his side and leaned her against the wall; ignoring the odd glare the toushin was giving him. He would find out what was going on later. Or perhaps it was all just territorial issues.

"I'm so stupid," Kagome said as she opened her eyes.

"I could have told you that," Yusuke muttered as he walked over. Shippo resented the fact that he had said it first.

"Shut up. You're stupider than I am." It seemed an automatic reaction and that made Shippo hate him more. Kagome didn't have the right to react that way with anyone but one of them. Shippo wished he could call up enough strength to set the guy on fire. Shippo, Kuronue, and Souta were the only males who could agree with her when she said she was stupid. No one else.

"Really? I didn't come back with my brother and friend half dead, now did I?" Yusuke said coolly. "Or with someone else's friend."

Kagome looked blank for a moment before she squeezed her eyes shut again. "Sesshoumaru should have just killed us."

"He would have. The other fox made us retreat," Shippo said, then added, snarling, "you know, right after you used that jewel, the one you said you destroyed to put up a barrier."

Her eyes flew open and Yusuke's presence was forgotten. "Oh, Shippo, I didn't mean to... I thought it would be safer if-"

"If what? If you didn't destroy it? You should have! It was your duty!" When she glanced away he grabbed her wrists harshly. "Why didn't you?" And his voice ended closer to desperate panic and hurt than he had wanted it to.

"I couldn't. I couldn't think of a pure wish. Everything seemed so tainted, Shippo! He had just died. Do you really think I could have thought anything pure at that moment? The only thing I wanted to do then was die." Shippo looked at her in stunned shock. He wanted her to be crying at the admission. She wasn't. She was looking at him with a clear gaze, full of apology and anger, and with a ring of truth.

"Do you still?" He whispered finally. Her eyes widened and they stared at each other until a rough hand dragged Shippo up.

"It's your turn to see the medics. Go in with Botan," the majin demanded. Shippo flexed his claws. Yusuke ignored him except to sneer at him. It was a look that said perfectly how seriously he took the exhausted kitsune right now.

The instant the newly arrived and very confused blue-haired girl had taken Shippo out of the room, Yusuke pulled Kagome to her feet, and let her stumble back when he abruptly let go of her shirt. "What the fucking hell is going on? Where have you been? And what the hell was that about?"

Wildly, Kagome thought he almost sounded worried. The thought made her laugh out loud. It was a strained, hysterical laugh that turned to tears as Kagome couldn't stop herself from breaking down anymore. There was no one to see. None of her friends were here, no one but Yusuke, who couldn't be more disgusted with her than he already was.

"What did you do?" She heard a mild voice ask, and Yusuke swore at him as Kagome sank back down onto the ground, curled her knees up to her chest, put her arms over her knees, and sobbed into the dark space she had created.

"I didn't do anything! Go check on Keiko and your bat, would you?" Yusuke's brown eyes glared frantically at Kurama, who looked at the miko with an odd gleam in his eyes. The red head began to take a step forward and Yusuke was pulling him back and pushing him toward another door before he realized the toushin had moved. They stared at each other in silence, one in guilty confused anger and the other in contemplation.

"Don't let her break while I'm gone," Kurama said finally. "She's an excellent weapon when she puts her mind to it."

Sometimes Yusuke forgot how cold Kurama could be. The kitsune saw what needed to be done, and he did it. Yusuke wanted to hit him, because Kagome had stopped suddenly and her eyes had gone dead and Yusuke was the only one allowed to push her that far. It had been an unwritten rule since she came here. He challenged, she responded, he did something or said something that hurt her. But never something so callous as that. Whatever he did, she could always come back swinging. It was fun. It was challenging.

The chilling blank stare from Kurama as he disappeared was not. The horror in Kagome's eyes definitely wasn't fun. Yusuke wasn't good at patching things up. He broke things. It was what he did. Sometimes from the pieces he could make something better, like forging friendships, but somehow he doubted this was going to be one of those times.

"He didn't mean it like that," Yusuke said lamely as he pulled the miko up and pushed her gently into a stumbling walk toward the kitchen.

"Yes he did," she said, and he didn't argue. This was worse than the crying had been. The crying was healthy. This was not. Too many things had gone on tonight that he didn't know about. All of it was confusing him and Kagome had been happy to see her brother and now she was worse off than the first time he had seen her, ready to face challenges she knew she couldn't win.

"Cheer up. You all lived, right?" In Yusuke's mind, if you walked away from the fight, it couldn't all be going bad. They were still alive. How tough could this Sesshoumaru guy be?

"Sesshoumaru is insane. He wants to beat us at our best. Besides, this gives him time to get full use of the swords," Kagome said, allowing herself to be pushed into a chair. She wasn't paying that much attention to what she was saying. Kurama's comment was squirming around her mind and invading every space, settling into her soul.

"Swords?" Yusuke asked, checking her arm. Her left shirtsleeve was ripped to pieces, and he simply ripped off the scattered remains to reveal the long bleeding scratches beneath. Shallow, but long. He glanced at her sharply. She was staring over his shoulder. She hadn't even noticed. That wasn't right. She should be jerking her arms away. She should be glaring at him and this should be an argument, not an interrogation.

"Three. His Tokijin and Tenseiga and... And Inuyasha's sword Tetsusaiga." A little bit of life returned to her face as she mentioned the name Inuyasha. She noticed what he was doing and scowled. "They'll heal on their own."

He already had a washcloth and bandages and was washing the dirt away. He smirked at her. "Maybe, but you don't want them to get infected, do you?"

There was challenge in his tone, an encouragement, and even Kurama's cold offhand comment didn't stop her from rising to meet it. "But it's my arm, and I should decide how it heals!"

Yusuke had already finished washing the scratches, and she hadn't stopped him, but she grabbed his wrist when he tried to go for the ones on her thigh and side. "Those will definitely heal on their own, thank you very much."

"Aw, afraid to have a man touch you? Don't worry about it, you aren't attractive anyway," Yusuke mentioned offhandedly, backing away. Kagome shook her head. She pushed Kurama's comment to the back of her mind to be dissected and analyzed and to get depressed about over later. She had work to do, and plans to make.

But it stayed there, taunting her, and she knew why he had said it. He knew what the jewel was, and how hard that power must be to control and not simply absorb it or let it corrupt. It made it a dangerous weapon. And that she was able to control it without loosing control made her a valuable one.

End part.

Thank you to Sukera, Ryukotsusei, and YAHAHEHEHEHEHE for reviewing.

Winged Knight: Nah, the white wolf isn't Ayame. Close though. 'Sides, why would Ayame talk about her grandmother, and not just tell Souta that the message was from Ayame? And now we know what was in that room that Rin decided needed locking away, don't we? Sorry I jumped around a lot.

Dark Inu Fan: I did e-mail you, right?

Foxylilraven: But if Keiko/Shippo is the pairing, what's the triangle/grins/. Remember, there is one pairing and one triangle in this.

VB: I'm not sure if this chapter makes anyone any less confused, but here it is.