Disclamer: I don't own Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho. Only this story belongs to me.

War Of The Worlds

IY YYH crossover. What happens when a whole lot of demons come after Kagome for the Shikon shards? Kurama falls in love with Kagome while protecting her. Will Kagome remain faithful to Inuyasha or will he risk losing her forever.

Chapter Twenty Eight When Darkness Strikes

"Sirens are screaming and the fires are howling

Way down in the valley tonight

There's a man in the shadows with a gun in his eye

And a blade shining oh so bright

There's evil in the air and there's thunder in the sky

And a killer's on the bloodshot streets

Oh and down in the tunnel where the deadly are rising

Oh I swear I saw a young boy

Down in the gutter

He was starting to foam in the heat"

–"Bat Out of Hell" – Meatloaf

Kurama couldn't help but let thoughts of Kagome dominate his mind when they were running across the forest to where Hiei was. Who were they? This group of people? There was a hanyou, Inuyasha. A demon exterminator, he recognizes the weapon that has been used for centuries defeating demons in the olden days, Sango. A houshi, the staff is the obvious clue, Miroku. There's even a miko among them, he is sure of that. He is very sure that Kagome is a miko, the powerful pure energy practically flows out from her, and the bow and arrows slung on her back is the favorable weapon of a miko.

Beside him, as they ran along the branches of the tree, is Kuwabara and Yusuke, both too had frowns on their faces, and Kurama smiled a little as he saw the look of concentration on Yusuke's face. It is clear that the leader of their group is also thinking of these strange students that had arrived in that school just as they did. Were they in league with the miko that they were supposed to find?

His thoughts were cut short as suddenly Kagome cries out. "Stop!"

Inuyasha skidded into a halt and jumped to the ground as the others follow his movement. Kirara landed smoothly on the ground behind them, carrying Miroku and Sango. "What?" Snapped Inuyasha irritated as Kagome climbed from his back.

"There's a strong barrier surrounding this place. I have to break it before we pass through it. It's strange.." Kagome murmured almost to herself as she slowly walked in front of Inuyasha, hand held in front of her as she seemed to feel something experimentally.

"What's strange Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked out as he too got down from Kirara and walked closer to Kagome.

He too frowned after a moment of letting his senses out. "This barrier has Naraku's stench." Inuyasha announced unexpectedly, just as Kagome said, "But it's not the same, there's only a hint of Naraku's powers, and yet, there is a strange pulsing of power n this kekkai. The castor has placed part of her soul in it, and to me, it feels as if the soul is stuck between a region of living and yet dying." Kagome trailed off.

Inuyasha moved forward, but stopped when Kagome shot him a glare. "Don't move forward, it has a very high power to exterminate any demons or humans that passed through. It is not an ordinary barrier to prevent anyone from going in, instead it kills."

"I'll handle it." Immediately Yusuke held out his hand and the words "Spirit gun" were almost out from his mouth when Kagome shushed him which he thought was rather rude.

"I'm going to break the barrier, move far away," She commanded, and Yusuke was pissed to take commands from a woman, barely a woman, a girl, but he did as she said. A puny looking one at that. She reminded him a little of Keiko.

Kagome held the bow in her hands like an expect and expertly notched the arrow in a swift graceful movement. Kurama caught the look of pride that momentarily flashed past Inuyasha's face and he scowled openly, feeling grouchy suddenly. He realized that he knew nothing of Kagome, and he resolved to change that.

She released the arrow then, and Kurama was shocked to see that it was suddenly engulfed in a bright whitish pink light that sliced through the air with a slightly shrill sound. It struck the unseen barrier and the bright light seemed to swallow the barrier before disappearing.

"Inuyasha, hurry." Kagome murmured as she once more climbed onto Inuyasha and they sped off without a backward glance, much to Kurama's chagrin.

Youko seemed strangely silent as Kurama trudged on forward. He was compelled to ask what was wrong with the kitsune but Youko only kept quiet and did not answer. After insistent mental prods which were unexpectedly allowed for quite some time, did Youko answered cryptically.

"It's forbidden. No one was to know. It was supposed to be forbidden. How could it be let out now?" Youko spoke aloud to himself, seemingly unaware of Kurama, unaware that he was only a presence in Kurama's mind. With that, Youko lapsed back to silence and Kurama was left to ponder on Youko's words.

xxx

They finally reached a clearing in which Hiei's presence was the strongest felt, the middle of the forest seemingly. Kagome surveyed the clearing apprehensively. There was nothing here; it was only an empty space of land, with tombstones. Something was very wrong here. Kagome could sense it. The presence from which the jyaki was coming from kept flicking from life and death.

"It's a graveyard." Kuwabara voiced out with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Way to point it out genius," Inuyasha said snidely. Yusuke glared at Inuyasha, whom glared back, he was the one, besides Hiei, only fit to comment on Kuwabara's idiocy at times.

"Shush." Sango said as she too eyed the isolated area full of uneven stones with wordings on them. Miroku covered his mouth with his hand, covertly smiling.

The area seemed liked it was not taken care off. The tombstones had mosses covering it, and most has broken into two. Weeds surrounded the area, and only small white flowers could be seen covering the area.

"Where is he?" Yusuke said exasperatedly as he strode in front, casting his senses about. "I can feel his aura here somewhere. I can't really place it, but it's obvious that we're standing at the heart of where the jyaki is coming out from in huge waves. But I can't see anyone!" Yusuke exploded out.

"Wait," Kurama said as he crouched down and eyed the gorges on the ground. "Look, these holes, they aren't natural, and the soil is still wet and loose. This hole made by some powerful blast."

All of them moved closer to where Kurama was examining the holes. "Look! Hiei's sword!" Kuwabara yelled out suddenly as he spotted a glint at one end of the clearing. He rushed towards it, picking it up and ran back to where both groups were. It was broken into two, and the trio knew how much Hiei really treasured his sword.

"Shit," Yusuke swore as the others kept silent. "Where could he be?"

"Are you looking for someone?" An almost childlike voice reverberated around them, causing all of them to tense, and Inuyasha and Kirara growled openly.

"There, there, no need to be afraid. I just want to play… It gets so boring sometimes, all by myself." The voice continued, with a tinkling laugh, an innocent laugh like a child's.

"Who are you!" Yelled out both Inuyasha and Yusuke at the same time. Kagome pushed to the back of her mind the unneeded knowledge that Inuyasha and Yusuke were far too alike as they glared at each other.

"Me? I am Kari." The voice continued, "And I know where your friend is…" The soft voice said and laughed. Kagome winced, that was an evil laugh if she ever heard one. "I had a lot of fun playing with him.."

"Let him go!" Kuwabara yelled.

The voice seemed to pause. "Are you that annoying orange light that flitted around my toy then?" The voice raised in crescendo as she questioned Kuwabara.

"Yes!"

"I haven't finished playing. I didn't have enough toys to have fun then." The voice murmured and they shivered as it seemed as if the voice was being whispered deliberately in their ears.

"Come out where we can see you and fight you! Don't hide like a coward!" Inuyasha yelled out.

"Yeah! And we're not playing here!' Yusuke added, he clenched his hands into fists.

The laughter continued to surrounded them. A soft musical tinkling before rising to a shriek that caused them to cover their ears in pain before silencing.

The ground suddenly lurched and Kirara flew up in shock. The ground shook as it would during an earthquake.

Kagome reached out for Inuyasha and held him tight, her face unnaturally pale and pallid. Immediately, they jumped out of the way in which the ground was rising up and breaking.

"What the hell.." Yusuke swore yet again.

They quickly ran towards the far end of the clearing where it was not shaking. Only the middle of the clearing was shaking and breaking up, the ground rising dangerously, like a small mountain forming and breaking in front of their eyes.

Hiei's aura could clearly be felt now, and Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara felt a fear coiling in the pit of their stomachs as they await what would happen next. They had all their weapons ready. Kagome had already notched her arrow, and it was glowing with her power. Inuyasha held his transformed sword which Yusuke had looked at with appreciative eyes, not that he would mention it to the hanyou. Kuwabara held his spiritual energy sword, and Sango ad her boomerang. Miroku had ofudas ready along with his staff in one hand. Kurama with his rose whip and Yusuke held his hand out, ready to blast any demon that was carrying Hiei coming out from the ground.

They waited. It was time.

xxx

Inuyasha didn't like this. He didn't like this situation they were in. The laughter had hurt his ears and he knew that this enemy would not be easy to defeat. She was undeniably strong, even more powerful than Naraku and Inuyasha was quite pissed at that fact

Not only did they have to deal with an 'unable-to-die' hanyou in the past, and just when they thought they could rest in the future, another demon or human he could not identify appears with even freakier powers than Naraku.

He could sense souls very well, unlike Kagome nor Miroku, but something about this presence that did not have any scent and only identifiable youki was beginning to bug him. What creature in existence that did not have a scent?

Tetsusaiga pulsed in his hands and he gripped it even harder. Inuyasha took a glance at Kagome who stood beside him her delicate features poised confidently, her hands holding the bow and arrow steadily, her eyes grim and wary, lips thinned in anticipation. Her whole stance said that she was ready to face any challenge and Inuyasha felt proud of her. Proud of the person she had become.

It was an unusual emotion to feel at an upcoming battle and yet, he could not help but feel proud of Kagome, who faced her challengers with spunk and courage.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the centre of the clearing that was slowly opening up. He had to be aware of the dangers of the impending battle that he knew would be tough. He had to think before he acted and not use the usual plan of his, 'Tetsusaiga-thinks-for-me-as-I-attack'. He had to ensure Kagome's safety.

She was his and he would protect her with his life.

The ground cracked. Kagome flinched and her scent floated over to him. She was scared.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said, his amber eyes catching her unique blue and grey eyes. It was only a word, her name, and yet it carried a world of meaning. She understood, and she smiled. She nodded, and Inuyasha noted with relief that she no longer felt afraid.

"Time to play," came the voice again. Sweet and melodious, seemingly not belonging to the inhuman shriek earlier.

The silence that descended after the voice rang out only made the situation more eerie and more tensed. It seemed like every miniscule sound they made was magnified ten times. Only the cracking sound of the ground could be heard.

With a loud bang, the ground finally split open, releasing what was inside that held the hybrid captured. What had come out however, was something that he did not expect, and as it lunged towards them, Inuyasha could only watch almost fearfully.

xxx

The blood that had splattered on his uniform was soaking quickly into the white cotton fabric, and it broke him out of his reverie. He shook slightly at the sight before him, and as the stench of rotting and burning flesh hit him, he doubled over, struggling hard not to retch.

Miroku had traveled far and long, always witnessing deaths on his journey. Dying was inevitable. Countless lifes had been taken by Naraku, and he had seen enough deaths to last him a lifetime. And yet, as that thing loomed before him. Miroku could not help but feel nauseated, sick and horrified.

He numbly realized that he had been standing still, ofudas clutched in one hand, staff in another, when Minamino, or Kurama as he had heard his friends call him, when he had been hurt by that thing.

It was a youkai definitely, as was the indication of the thing's soul but his body was a mangled mass. He reminded Miroku of Naraku, but this youkai was even more hideous and his body even more deformed.

It was Minamino's blood that had splattered on him. Inuyasha's yells of rage seemed to spark some life in that demon and Miroku forced himself to turn and fight that demon.

He caught sight of Sango on the ground, knees tucked beneath her, and she was shaking, out of fear of that deformed demon. Hiraikotsu lay forgotten at her feet. Miroku snapped into attention and he rushed towards her, hugging her, gently consoling her with his presence.

"It's going to be alrite."

Sango gulped down her fear and she too stood, guided by his hand. He watched as she hoisted Hiraikotsu up and smiled at hi. Courageously showing a thumbs up, a silly trait they picked up in this time and he responded back, imitating her. She was shaking. He didn't comment.

Miroku noticed that Kagome was attending to Minamino who was hurt, badly. His upper torso was gnashed by the demon's claws and he was bleeding profusely.

He took note of Urameshi and Inuyasha's position, then he concentrated in searching for the aura of their friend Hiei and of the soul which constantly flickered.

This demon was not their main enemy. It was not the one that was giving out the enormous jyaki. It wasn't the one whom had spoken to them. 'It couldn't be…' Miroku thought as he frowned. That demon had the presence of their friend, Hiei. It's as if that creature was Hiei. At a startled glance at Inuyasha to warn him, Inuyasha's solemn amber eyes told Miroku that he already knew. Must be those sensitive demon instincts and Inuyasha's brilliant nose.

"That creature may have devoured your friend." At that comment from Inuyasha, Yusuke scowled openly. Kurama stiffened but winced as he did so.

"Impossible!" Yusuke shouted over the din they made while fighting the creature. Inuyasha was fighting the sharp claws of the demon with Tetsusaiga, effectively preventing those claws from hurting the two while Yusuke blasted the demon with strong spiritual energy from his fingertips at the demon's weaker points. They seemed to be struggling not to breath in the nauseating scent of the demons. Inuyasha particularly. "Hiei isn't that weak!"

Miroku found it amazing that the two could yell at each other while fighting the demon in perfect harmony.

"Miroku, that.. thing, demon, has three shards in his forehead." Kagome said, loud and clear.

She was using her powers she had perfected over the years to heal Minamino and he looked at Kagome questioningly. Inuyasha obviously heard her comment and he changed his attack formation, slashing at the demon's forehead while Yusuke did the same.

"How did you know the position of the Shikon No Tama shards?" Minamino asked suddenly.

Miroku immediately felt relieved. They knew of the Shikon No Tama, but luckily they did not know of Kagome being the guardian of the Shikon No Tama, which meant that they weren't after her.

He smiled, and ran forward along with Sango to help the two in intense battle with the demon. Kirara flew ahead of them, and Sango jumped onto her back.

The demon roared, Inuyasha and Yusuke backed off.

"Kaze no Kizu!"

The three strikes of energy headed towards the shards, seeing this Urameshi gave a shout too, and blasts of energy sot out, headed towards the demon.

"Hiraikotsu!"

Kagome had hurriedly stood up after she had healed Kurama the best she could and shot an arrow towards the demon's head. Their combined power should have been strong enough to finish off an ordinary demon. But this obviously was not an ordinary one.

The demon slashed at hiraikotsu and caused the huge boomerang to be flung back and it slammed Sango pitilessly onto the ground. Miroku watched with relief as Kagome purified both Inuyasha and Urameshi's attack as they turned back on them.

He rushed worriedly to Sango's side as she instantly jumped to her feet. He felt a surge of joy that Sango seemed unharmed, but he knew that she was just being strong. She wouldn't let herself be pulled down by such trivial injuries.

He nodded once to her and they started off again towards the demon, but they stopped short when that demon started to roar.

That demon was clearly angry. It bubbled, sizzled and it lurched out.

xxx

Sango could not take her eyes of that creature, that youkai as it crawled out from it's home. It's blood shot eyes, red, lifeless, reminded her of Kohaku in a way, before he was freed from Naraku's spell.

The deaths of her family, the images of them dead flashed through her eyes. Hands. Hands outstretched. Bleeding. Pleading for help.

I couldn't save them.

Hands. Hands were outstretched everywhere. Trying to reach Inuyasha and Yusuke. Those hands, were rotting and they moved, crawled all over that huge thing with eyes of blood.

That thing looked vaguely human, it was huge, towering over them. It had legs, it's own arms and hands with claws, with a deformed head, a mixture of blues, blacks, and, and eyes that bugged out. A nose that wasn't there, and a mouth with sharp, sharp teeth and in it, was more hands, and bodies, and blood. The worst was that the whole thing was red with black welts, liked it had been burnt alive and had nearly escaped for some part of it was charred and yet some was red and oozed with blood. The thing was already hideous, rotting flesh showed thousand of maggots, the hands of so many haunted her.

The stench of burning meat combined with the rotten flesh caused her to nearly faint and her legs seemed no longer to be able to support her as she crashed to the ground.

She couldn't take the hands that stuck out from the demon. Hands of the young and the old. Hands outstretched, rotting, with maggots that crawled everywhere, and hands.

It roared, an inhuman sound – it wasn't really human anyway – pierced her ears.

She sank to her knees. Somehow, that thing brought the worst in her. It reminded her, tortured her of all the times she couldn't save a life.

"it's going to be alrite." Miroku's voice cut through her depressing thoughts. And she calmed herself. His normal, softly spoken words made her feel better. He was there for her. She gripped his hand and allowed him to pull her up.

Yes. It would be alrite. Right now, she had someone to save. Hiei. And she would save him. And destroy this lump of flesh from her sight.

xxx

Kagome freaked out when she saw the demon suddenly gnashed Shuuichi-kun's chest. She was too slow. The demon was fast and darted out of reach. She immediately rushed to his side.

The wounds weren't that deep but it was still serious, and he was still weak from the attack of the earlier demons draining out his energy.

She hurriedly tore her sleeves to stop the blood from flowing excessively. Shuuichi-kun didn't look too good but he was holding up. He was even giving her a weak smile and he had a calm serene look on his face. Kagome felt that he was sniffing her by the way his nose was twitching slightly, like a kitsune, she realized, struggling not to laugh at such a dire situation.

He opened his brilliant green eyes as she suddenly placed her hands on his chest and started to pump her healing miko powers through him. The blood stopped flowing, and Kagome could see the amazement in his eyes.

He didn't speak though, and for that Kagome was grateful. She could already feel the sweat beading at her forehead, and she concentrated for the wound to heal.

When she thought that she had healed him the best she could, she gave a tired smile. She had saved two people's lifes today. But it still didn't matter much, considering that thousands had died because of her. At that thought, a grim smile replaced her features. Shuuichi-kun was looking at her intensely, and she blushed at his stare, trying hard not to notice his toned body as she wrapped the made shift bandage around the slightest wound caused by the demon.

She forced herself to concentrate at the battle. She distinctively heard Miroku and Inuyasha shouting. And Yusuke and Inuyasha were suddenly yelling over the guy, Hiei. She frowned.

"Miroku, that.. thing, demon, has three shards in his forehead." Kagome said, she was repulsed by that demon. It had so many hands.. And they reminded her of the time when a sudden landslide caused the village they had been headed towards to cave in. She saw so many hands outstretched from the soil hat engulfed them, but all were dead. She still had nightmares over it, and now, this creature, this demon was like an epitome of her nightmare.

"How did you know the position of the Shikon No Tama shards?" Shuuichi-kun asked suddenly, and she found that she couldn't look at him in the eye. She couldn't look into those green, green, depths and not blurt out the truth. Shuuichi-kun seemed as if he too had been through much, but she still didn't want to drag others into her fight. She didn't answer him.

Instead, she stood up and helped him up. With that she notched the arrow that had fallen off when she rushed to help Shuuichi-kun back again to the bow.

As her friends threw their separate attacks at the demon, Kagome added her own. She envisioned the demon being engulfed in a flame of pink and white. A fitting end. But it was not to be. She stood back shocked, as the demon just bounded the attacks back. Sango was thrown to a distance away but she hurriedly got back to her feet. Sango was a strong woman.

She was glad that her arrow managed to purify both Inuyasha and Yusuke's attacks. It would have been disastrous otherwise. She watched in anticipation and fear as the demon suddenly roared once more and changed. This was no ordinary foe. They had to get rid of it soon to save Hiei.

xxx

The demon seemed to melt. The hands disappearing. The head, melted away, revealing a figure beneath the flesh of the hideous youkai. There was someone else beneath the flesh of that youkai. Miroku had been right. That youkai was being controlled by someone else. The shards slowly melted into the quivering flesh as it moved and twisted to another shape.

They tensed, sure that the voice which had been taunting them would come out. Yusuke let out his breath in a hiss as his eyes widened as he took in the final image of the quivering flesh that finally took on a form.

"Hiei, what has happen to you.." Kurama whispered out, pain in his voice. "What has that demon done to you…"

Kagome, Miroku and Sango glanced confusedly at the faces around them. They were the ones that had not seen Hiei before. Inuyasha looked horrified and a determined look took hold of his features. He may have been enemies at one point with that hybrid, but he couldn't let anyone else defeat his opponent before he had the chance. They were absolutely repulsed with what was standing there.

For what stood in front of them, was not Hiei, not technically anyway. Hiei changed. That was the only word for it. There was no demon catching hold of him. He was just standing there, with a huge grin on his face, something Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama wished never to see again.

Kurama faintly thought that Hiei's unnatural smile reminded him of this English cartoon character he had seen a long time ago. The Joker, from Batman. Kurama shuddered.

The grin stretched from one end of his mouth to another, revealing bared teeth. Hiei's eyes were too wide. He seemed as if he had gone crazy, and his face muscles were stretched to the limit. There were the three shards stuck upon his forehead.

His body was badly hurt, Kurama could see the faint trickling of blood from a wound upon Hiei's arm. What scared him the most was the obvious mutilation of Hiei's body. He had hands crawling all over him. The hands of so many others attached to his body.

"No.." Yusuke whispered out, still staring at the smiling Hiei in horror. He lowered his hands. "Hiei! What.. What happened?"

Hiei only seemed to smile wider, and his crimson eyes had a wild look in them. He cocked his head to one side, and words came out from his mouth, guttural sounding and low. He didn't sound like the usual Hiei.

"Must die. Must die. Mistress commands it. Must die." Hiei laughed. A shrill feminine shriek. Yusuke looked positively sick. This was not Hiei anymore.

The voice came again. "Do you like my new toy?" This time there was no mistaking the sneer in that voice. She was taunting them. She had changed Hiei, had tortured him to something he was not. And she claimed that she was only playing with them.

With that, Hiei started running towards them, giggles still escaping him, his original hand forming a sword as he ran. The other hands on his body failed about trying to grasp on to anything. The Jagan eye was open, and other multiple eyes were on the hands.

No one moved. No one dared.

"Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil."-- Aristotle

xxx

Well, how was that for an update? I'm tired, but I might write more. I was working at mu aunt's choc shop this last few days, and today my shift finally ended. Wow. Can't believe it's finally been a year since I started this story on a whim.

Have to warn you guys though, I'm not so good at writing romance, so if you're on a really mushy, sweet romance kinda thing, I'm sorry. But I don't know if I can do it. This is kinda like my first real attempt at writing. I am still in the process of learning, so this is kinda my experiment. I apologize for the lack of romance. I can't seem to write those. So.. erm.. Sorry once again.

And I have edited certain parts of my story on paper but I haven't quite edited it in my comp. Too lazy, sigh.

But I'm proud to say that I've finished NaNoWriMo! 50000 words! Didn't think I could do it but I did it!!! Yeay! So proud of myself…

For those who read True Love Has No Happy Ending, I have done a draft. But it's still in process as I don't know how to continue it.. Gah.

Anyone has any good Harry Potter going back in time stories? I'm kinda obsessed with them currently.

Anyway.. Thanks to all those that have stuck by this lame excuse for a plot. I know I'm not that good. I love you all!!! Late Merry Christmas wish!

Yours truly, Nicole.

P/S – Oh! I would like a beta reader, but I'm not too sure what they do, and how to find one? Can anyone explain to me the workings of a beta reader. Thanks!

P/P/S – I know that the internet connection have been down lately. And I'd like some comments on my writing.. If you're ever so hardworking, maybe you could go to my blog and post a comment at the Cbox.

http / snippetsofmine . blogspot . com /

xxx