Chapter 6- Demon

They had been standing, as they were known to, up on the rooftop in a loose kind of circle. Kuwabara and Yusuke eating wildly and laughing, Kurama smiling while he ate at a slower, surer, pace and Hiei resting on the ledge of the stairway entrance ignoring the world and everyone in it. None of them had any clue of the ferocious monster headed their way, one so angry, so terrifying, so uncontrollable that their defenses would be decimated in its path. Because Kagome Higurashi had had ENOUGH. She blew through the school like a tornado on a war path, leaving no classroom untouched. By the time she reached them on the roof her anger, her anxiety, and her hope (along with a good amount of the sadness that clung to her heart like a disease that she would never fully recover from) had risen and mixed together until even Sesshomaru would have been forced to stay clear of her or suffer her wrath. Shippo would have laughed, Inuyasha would have been forced to sit so many times that a crater the size of Tokyo would have been made. She crashed through the door with enough force to knock Hiei right to the ground, her chest was heaving, her hair wild, clutched in her hand so hard it might as well have drawn blood was the letter the children had given her.

"If this is some sick joke tell me now so I can kill you and be done with it." She snarled, her normally sweet voice low and cutting.

She had been this angry only a handful of times: When Shippo had told her of the crime on his parents, Naraku's devious plot to harm Sango by reviving her brother with a jewel shard he had known someone would eventually take, Inuyasha's stubborn refusal to make peace with his brother and vice-versa… when she saw her friends lying dead on the grass around her, drenched in blood with the rain falling so heavily against their shredded forms. This anger was of a different sort. It wasn't anger over injustice, or idiocy, or even the pain of friends lost. This was the pain of having all your most precious dreams and wishes dangled in front of you and knowing the moment you reach for it they will be cruelly and mercilessly ripped away from you. Knowing this she watched them all warily. Yusuke and Kuwabara were gapping at her, Kurama looked confused, and Hiei looked pissed off as he rose from the ground brushing the dirt off his clothes. She was beyond caring, beyond her sadness, beyond everything and the repercussions of that instant would change them all but that would come later.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei growled, striding towards her and literally ripping the letter from her hand. He was worried, though he would never have admitted such a thing, worried because she was angry and her anger transcended her pain. He had come to view her as someone very much like his sister a kind person who would stand any pain and not let anger rule her, how he had come to this conclusion was still foggy in his mind but he supposed it had a fair amount to do with his nightly visits to her home. He had noted that her temper got the better of her, he had seen and felt the sadness and the aches that encompassed the whole of her being making her seem cold and callous, he had met the son that she would destroy the world to protect and he had, perhaps, in a brief instant seen exactly what it was that she had lost. All those pictures and only three remained. What happened to you priestess? And, more importantly why should I care? Why DO I care so much? Forcing the thoughts from his mind (because those thoughts made him different than who he was. He was a callous, cold, arrogant fire demon and he was happy to be so but since meeting her he was acting out of character and he could not understand why.) he read the letter as she had done: Once, twice, then a third time before handing it to Kurama.

"Hey what's going on guys?"

"Shut up Yusuke. Priestess where did you get that?"

Kurama was still looking at the letter and Hiei could note from his friends very stance that he was in shock and confused beyond belief. Yusuke and Kuwabara rushed to their feet and huddled around Kurama for a moment, reading over his shoulder. Kagome stared at Hiei, unmoving. But…She is moving before their eyes Kagome's eyes starting swirling, as they had the first time they had encountered her, a devastating prism of colors with pink as the brightest. The tattoo on her forehead began to glow and her whole body shook as if she was holding back some tremendous force. Purifying energy was pouring out of her. He could feel it already, burning him.

"This is no joke priestess. We have also been invited to this tournament."

"Right the Shikon tournament huh? To grant entrance into the western lands? I don't believe it."

"Believe what you will but we did not send this to you."

"Hiei is correct, Miss Kagome, we have been invited to the same tournament and have only been waiting for our employer to find a fifth member so that we will be ready to depart."

"Explain."

"You first." Yusuke shot out right before a blast of purifying energy blasted towards him, literally forcing him to jump away before being burned to a cinder.

Energy swirled around Kagome as she forced herself to calm as much as she was able to. Those simple words were burning in her minds. Western lands and Shikon tournament. Were her friends alive? Was there hope? She knew that Shippo was sad, but he had no idea the truth depths of her own despair. She had lived for three years in a magical world and she had had every intention of spending the rest of her life there. She would have returned home only long enough for farewells and then she would live in the past with her friends. Then they had all died and the jewel had brought them back at the low cost of her immortal soul. She was no longer Kagome, not really, and that was something she might have been able to cope with if she had been allowed to remain with her friends. With wise Kykio, understanding Sango, hilarious Inuyasha, indomitable Sesshomaru, empathetic Miroku, and always her son Shippo. The choice, and the peace that would have come with it, had been taken from her the moment the implications of what had happened had hit them all. She WAS the jewel of four souls now and if, IF, she was killed what then would happen to the jewel? Would it be destroyed? Would it scatter? Would it live on in her descendants? Or, and this was the worst possibility, would the creature that killed her gain all of its powers? There could never again be a Naraku and as long as she remained in the past she would always be hunted and her friends would always be in danger. In the future she was alone, bereft, confused, and so saddened and without hope that she was barely a fragment of the person she had once been but she was safer. The jewel was safer. It was too high a price to pay. If it hadn't been for Shippo and Kilala she may well have lost herself completely but they gave her a focus, they understood her pain at least a little. And so does Hiei... he hasn't lied to you yet.

Hell Kagome he even told you that he'd prefer you dead right now so you know he isn't lying Inuyasha!

Not all those you encounter will be enemies Sesshomaru!

You are a miko, control yourself Kagome lest you repeat my mistakes Kykio?

The voices in her mind (where they in her mind though? She felt them against her cheek as if they were whispering in her ear. ) brought tears in her eyes and her powers slowly began dying off, much to the shock of those around her. It was Hiei, of course, that approached her first. The others looked at him with wonder but none interfered when he put his hands on her shoulder while she rocked back and forth on her knees from the force of her tears. His hands there shook her out of her confusion, her despair, and who could blame her for her despair? Few who have ever lived have made as many sacrifices as she had, and had lost so very much. Her eyes, blue now he noted, were clear and Hiei studied her for only a moment before helping her to her feet. He remained beside her but when Yusuke tried to close the distance, the pain he had seen in his cousins eyes too much for him to ignore, the look on Hiei's face made him pause.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it there for a second."

"We understand, Miss Kagome, we are a little shocked ourselves to tell you the truth. Now, please, tell us where did you get this."

"Three kids gave it to me, a few minutes ago. I was eating and then there they were."

"Describe them, if you can."

"A boy and two girls. The boy taller than the others, one of the girls was really shy and the other one bold but I got the feeling that the shy one was the older gir…." Her eyes opened wide. How had they been dressed? The boy like a monk, the girl like Sango with her battle gear on, and the third…the third had been dressed as a miko.

We promise you that you will not be lost to us throughout the ages. The first daughter born to us will be named after you Kagome so that, one day, in the future you will now that not everything you loved will be lost.

We'll be there for you Kagome, along with Inuyasha and his brother, even if only in spirit.

"Oh god, Sango and Miroku. They looked like us. They looked like me and my friends. That's what they looked like." I haven't lost everything after all was the thought that bloomed forth in her mind, knocking aside all doubts and pessimistic thoughts. Sango and Miroku's children had survived through the centuries. Maybe Sango and Miroku were dead, maybe Kykio and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru and Rin were too but perhaps they weren't. And IF they were dead maybe, like Sango and Miroku, their children lived on. Maybe she could gain a bit of the magic back, and be with her friends helping them and working together with them one way or another.

"You're not making any sense Kagome."

"I know. I know. You said you were spirit detectives and you said you got the same invitation. Tell me, I need to know. Explain everything."

As Yusuke opened his mouth to do just that a series of loud, piercing, screams ruptured the silence around them. Kagome blinked as she felt the jewel within her respond to those cries. A demon, a huge one, was tearing through the streets straight towards them and in its path of destruction it would decimate not only most of downtown but Shippos school aswell. Her face paled and she turned away from the boys.

"Demon, it's a big one… Shippo." Her words were a whisper, the first part said strictly out of habit. Then she was running past them, lightning quick, to get out of the school and get to her son.

"What the hell was that Urameshi?"

"I don't know Kuwabara."

"Yusuke thank god I found you."

"BOTAN?" The blue haired grimm reaper looked completely out of breath, a difficult thing to do considering she was riding her broom. However, like Kagome, her face was pale her eyes wide and terrified.

"Boys you have to hurry there's a demon running loose, he broke through the border. He's huge and you guys have to stop him. He's heading straight for an elementary school."

"Her son." Hiei murmured to himself and was off, like a flash, right behind Kagome. Kurama quickly followed, Yusuke and Kuwabara remaining behind only long enough to get directions.

She was moving as fast as she could but it would never be fast enough to reach the school in time. The demon was huge and fast, a centipede demon but a huge one. A little smaller than a subway train probably surviving by staying deep underground or in abandoned subway tunnels, feeding off of the occasional human that wandered into its domain. But why was it out now? And why was it headed straight for her son and her school? She knew though, of course she knew. She had lost control for just a second and the jewel had pulsed with power. The chances of a demon, any demon, realizing that that power could be obtained was one in a million and yet here it was and now that one knew they all would now. Demons would reign down on her life once again so long as she continued to lose control but to control it she needed either to abandon all emotions in which case she would become something much more terrifying than Naraku ever had been or she had to learn how to control them. Only problem was that control was nearly impossible without understanding, without training. Sesshomaru and Kykio's training could only take her so far considering neither had had the chance to finish said training. One thing was for certain though, she would never make it in time. With all the powers the jewel had bestowed upon her she still did not have the speed of a demon, at least not outside of direst combat.

"Come on Priestess."

Hiei's voice shocked her from her thoughts and she was surprised because she knew she should have expected to hear Inuyasha's voice but she wasn't surprised to hear his. They had shared pain and it had changed nothing but she was starting to see that it may have, in fact, changed everything. Without a word she moved towards him and he scooped her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style while running at top speed. They would make it but barely. For his part Hiei tried, and he tried hard, but he could not ignore the warmth of her body in his arms, or how good she felt. His demon strength made her light as a feather in his arms and yet he doubted she weighed much of anything at all. She smelled wonderful, of course, but his senses would have to wait for another time. He was moving as fast as he could, Kurama and the others were surely not far behind but hopefully he would get there and the girl would be back on her own two feet before the others saw.

"You tell anyone about this priestess and I'll kill you myself."

"Deal." She hid a smile, surprised she could smile when the situation was so dear.

"Something's wrong with your cat."

"Huh?

The little girl pointed at Kilala. So far Shippo was having a blast at school, all the kids were nice and the few that tried to bully him ran away when Kirara let out a small cough, flames shooting discreetly from her mouth. He had made friends easily, Kilala was a huge hit and it had been decided she would be the honorary class pet. He was even enjoying learning all the new things like math, though he thought recess was the best thing ever. He and his new friends had been building a sand castle when one of the girls had caught his attention. He looked at Kilala, her tails were straight up and she was hissing loudly. Her whole body was shaking. Shippo knew what that meant, knew what was coming, and suddenly he couldn't be a child anymore. His honorary uncles (aka Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and even Kouga) had trained him not just for that final battle but afterwards when he and his mother would be all that was left. He had learned everything he needed, for now, and rushed to scoop Kilala up.

"I better go take her to teacher." He called running as fast as he could without seeming inhuman. Once out of sight of the humans Kilala transformed and Shippo did with her. Sesshomaru had taught him how to use his shape shifting abilities to make himself look much much older. From seven year old child to sixteen year old boy. It was something he had yet to show his mother because he hadn't perfected it, but he knew how much she wanted him in school and he wasn't waiting seven hundred years to be old enough to go. Especially now that he knew how much fun it was. His long red hair, streaks and all, became longer, a little longer than Inuyasha's had been, and straight. Strands of black melding with the red and gold. His eyes remained the same bright green but his baby face matured instantly: His face was leaner, cheekbones high, eyebrows straight and sharp, his mouth was thinner, serious. His body was lean, muscled, graceful. His clothes were identical to his usual clothes, the ones Kagome had insisted on bringing from the past, and with those clothes came a weapon forged not just by totosai but by Sango as well. It was a sickle and chain, very much like Kohakus, but it was more whip-like and its edge was forever tainted with miasma so even a small cut would eventually lead to death. Only Kagome and Shippo himself had the cure to miasma now so only they could save you. Jumping onto Kilala he sensed more than felt his mother near, she would be shocked but she would accept this. More, he knew, she would accept it because he was her son and she loved him above everything else. As he did her. She would never again fight alone.

"Put me down that's Shippo!"

"What?" Hiei dropped her and she only just managed to land on her feet. She had been right, the demon was huge. It was also fierce and a path of destruction lay in its wake. So many dead, but when she had seen Kilala and the fiery haired rider on top of her she knew who it was. Sesshomaru had warned her that Shippo would surprise her but her son looked nearly as old as she did in that moment. Panic set in, one that almost made her heart stop but she couldn't let it, wouldn't let it. Her son's transformation would have to wait, for now they had bigger problems. Kurama and the others appeared within seconds.

"How the hell do we fight that?" Kuwabara

"Like we always do."

"Is that your son?"

"What?"

"Your son, it seems as though someone has taught him the finer points of bodily transformations. My kind are not very good with such things, I must admit, but his species was renowned for being able to appear as themselves in any form and any age. He needs more training, though, his hands are a little too small, he retains his tail, and his features are not correctly proportionate."

Kagome blinked, dumbfounded.

"Uh guys can we discuss this LATER?"

"Right. Ok guys Yusuke, Kuwabara distract it. Hiei I need your help. Kurama…Protect my son."

The natural urge to argue did not appear in any of them. For all the battles they had been through it was nothing compared to her knowledge, her tone. Completely calm, totally in control, and under it all there was a steel that warned them that now was not the time to argue. Kurama raced off, whip already in hand, and leaped from one height to another until he and the fire cat and Shippo were all working together, dogging and twisting and blocking each attack though a few got in and that broke her heart. But they were trying to cut off its legs, only problem (other than the fact that it had about two hundred or more) was that they kept growing back. Kuwabara and Yusuke went head on, Kuwabara with a sword in hand made up of what looked like pure energy. That was something she hadn't seen before, especially since it wasn't demon energy.

"Spirit gun." Yusuke literally blew a huge chunk out of the monster, it healed slower than its legs but he wound stayed long enough for a few more blows. Well that certainly got its attention.

"Hiei use your fire."

"With pleasure."

Hiei moved towards it and, now, without her weight hindering him Kagome realized that the fire demon was fast. Really fast. He's as fast as Sesshomaru…Maybe faster. His sword was drawn and he managed to land on its head, stabbing deep.

"Sword of darkness flame." He whispered softly, but she heard him. She heard everything that was happening. His sword burst with black fire and the demon cried out in pain, for a moment it slumped but not for long. It was an old demon, really old to be able to heal so quickly. They were strange, they were all so strange. Then the demon spotted her and its eyes blazed red.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" The monster lunged.

"RUN KAGOME!"

"MOMMY!"