Chapter Nine:

Shippou had been dreading this meeting with his adopted father. Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai and Lord of the Western Lands, wasn't known for his patience. Though, to be fair, he had mellowed out substantially after the defeat of Naraku. He made peace with his half-brother, Inuyasha, and proceeded to adopt Shippou. He believed that a full blooded demon needed to be raised by his own kind and not in a village full of humans. Mostly, he recognized that Inuyasha couldn't handle the responsibility of raising Shippou on his own, with Kagome having been returned to her time.

In the last decade, Sesshoumaru had retreated from the human world entirely and lived in the Demon World leaving the Western Lands in Shippou's capable hands. Though, Shippou wasn't sure how capable Sesshoumaru would think him when he delivered the bad news.

The meeting would have been awkward enough, but both demons Hiei and Yusuke had insisted on accompanying him. He wasn't sure how they tracked him down, but they had showed up on his doorstep a few hours ago. Perhaps, Prince Koenma had given them the information. When they learned he intended to travel to the Demon World they decided to come too. They'd been unable to figure out where Kagome and Kurama had been teleported and thought he might have the best chance of finding them.

"I'll need you two to wait out here while I talk to my adopted father," Shippou said, gesturing towards the various comfortable couches and chairs in the library. "Help yourself to a book if you'd like."

"Hn," Hiei said, his crimson eyes narrowed suspiciously. He leaned against a bookcase with his arms folded across his chest. Shippou felt his skin crawl as if his mind was being read. Hiei was a telepath and there wasn't a doubt in his head that the fire demon would be listening in on his conversation with Sesshoumaru.

"Just hurry it up, the more time we waste the more danger our friends may be in," Yusuke said laying down across an emerald green couch with his feet elevated on the arm of it.

Shippou raised his hand to knock on the door of Sesshoumaru's study when it opened to the suspicious golden eyes of the mighty inu-youkai. "Why are you here?" Sesshoumaru demanded. He opened the door wide for Shippou to step inside, his golden eyes scanned the library on the other side and settled a moment on the two other two demons before he shut the door behind them.

Shippou steeled himself to face the King of the Demon World. For the past nine years, every three years there was a tournament in the Demon World to determine the next king. Sesshoumaru had participated in and won the last two tournaments. He hardly looked phased after his fights. It had been a time of peace in the Demon World and during that time Sesshoumaru, using all the resources afforded to his status, had located his missing bastard son.

Three centuries ago, he met and fell in love with a lovely silver-haired kitsune. She bore him a son, but died shortly afterwards never having a chance to tell Sesshoumaru about him. He didn't learn about his son for half a century. By that time, the boy had developed quite a reputation for himself as a clever and highly skilled bandit by the name of Youko Kurama.

He stayed out of Youko's life, but kept an eye on him from afar. Then one day, almost twenty-four years ago, he vanished. It wasn't until recently that Sesshoumaru learned that Youko Kurama had merged into the body and soul of a human by the name of Shuuichi Minamino. He had ordered Shippou, who still lived in the human world to keep an eye on the boy. When he had learned that the priestess, Kagome Higurashi, had also been found in the same time period as his son he'd asked Shippou to arrange a meeting between the two.

"It's about the mission you gave me last," Shippou explained. "I did manage to put both Kurama and Kagome on the same mission. However, there was a problem."

"Of course there was," Sesshoumaru said with a sigh. He returned to the large mahogany desk in the corner of the room. "I assume those two demons waiting in my library are involved."

"Kouga and I thought it would be fun to put them on an archeological treasure hunt. I recruited your son's old friend, Yusuke Urameshi. Kouga found a way to introduce the fire demon, Hiei, and another of Kurama's old acquaintances Botan to the mix," Shippou explained.

Sesshoumaru pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Can you skip the unnecessary details. Obviously, you wouldn't be here unless something went wrong."

"They were abducted by the last of Naraku's detachments - Byakuya. They were teleported to some location unknown by this Byakuya. Apparently, in his past incarnation, Youko stole something of importance from him," Shippou explained.

"So you're saying that my son and the woman who is responsible for saving the world five centuries ago have been abducted and you have no idea where they are?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly. His quiet voice was never a good sign. It was usually followed by his whip or poisonous claws. Kurama had come by his skills with the whip honestly, inheriting a knack for the weapon from his father.

"Your son's friends are loyal and determined. They won't rest until they find him. He's a favored friend of the Prince of the Spirit World," Shippou explained. "And you know that Kagome can take care of herself as well as can Kurama. They've beat the odds before and they'll beat the odds again, especially if they're working together."

"I had thought they would make a powerful team," Sesshoumaru admitted. "Why do you think Byakuya really abducted them? And why now?"

"That I don't know," Shippou admitted.

"I think I do. And it's not about past grudges," Sesshoumaru said. Kurama had inherited his highly intelligent and practical mind from his father. His ability to think without emotion was a trait he'd earned from his mother though. Sesshoumaru's temper used to get the better of him, though he had learned to channel his rage to become a stone cold killer when necessary. It was not a natural talent. "This is about the Shikon no Tama."

That was a cursed name that Shippou hadn't heard in many centuries. "Kagome destroyed it."

"She destroyed the one created by Midoriko and the demon horde she fought. Perhaps, Byakuya is attempting to make another one. Kagome is the only priestess since Midoriko's time that has the holy energy requirements to possibly create a Shikon jewel."

"Then why did he capture Kurama too?" Shippou asked.

"Involving the prince of Demon World, whether he knows his identity of not, would be a sure way to draw demons into the mix. However, even with just the two of them there is enough energy to create a jewel to rival the one of the past," Sesshoumaru said.

The door to the study opened with a forceful push and Hiei stood in the frame, his fists shaking in anger. "Tell me about this Shikon no Tama," he demanded.

"I left you in the library," Shippou said with a sigh. "Couldn't you have picked out a book to read?"

Sesshoumaru laid his hand on Shippou's shoulder, his poisoned claws dug uncomfortably into his flesh. "That's enough," he said quietly to his adopted son. He directed his powerful gaze towards Hiei. "Bring your friend. I will tell you what I know."

OoO

They had seventy-two hours. This Byakuya wouldn't waste energy transporting them to this elaborate maze to save their precious ones for his entertainment. There was something more to the scenario, he just didn't know what it was yet.

"Do you remember what it was that you stole from him?" Kagome asked. She was exploring the various walls of the large room they were in, searching for a tunnel. So far, there didn't appear to be one.

Kurama had been pondering what he might have done to create a grudge with the illusionist youkai. He'd stolen countless objects during his long life. "Not particularly," he answered. He opened the pouch he held strapped to his belt and did a quick inventory of the seeds he had in his possession. If he had known he was about to be abducted for a challenge he'd have packed more supplies. "What about you? What do you know about Byakuya?"

Kagome leaned against the cave wall and slid down until she was sitting with her back propped against it. "He was one of Naraku's detachments back in the Feudal Era when I faced him last. He'd been less violent and more calculated than his other detachments."

"Okay, what was it that Naraku wanted?" Kurama asked dropping one of his seeds to the ground. Roots and vines began to spread throughout the large cavern searching for a path that might not be visible to the naked eye. He walked towards the wall where Kagome was and sat beside her. His fox ears twitched at the top of his head.

"He wanted to rule the world by corrupting the Shikon no Tama and making a wish," Kagome explained.

Kurama remembered having heard tales of the Shikon no Tama. "And what became of the jewel?"

"I wished it out of existence," Kagome explained. "And then I ended up back in the modern era, my teenage adventures a distant memory, and my friends half a millennia in the past." She stared at the growing plant, her bright blue eyes wide in concern. "What's going on?"

"It's one of my plants. I'm able to manipulate the energy flow within plants," Kurama explained. "That's part of the reason I can tell the history of a place by the flora. I can communicate with plants." His mind was busy processing her words. What exactly was the Shikon no Tama? Did it really grant the user their wish? From what he remembered in his studies of the jewel, because as a master thief he researched all treasures, even ones lost to time, the jewel brought disaster to the user. "How was the jewel created?"

Kagome closed her eyes. "The Shikon no Tama - the jewel of four souls. It's Shinto philosophy," she explained. "It consists of Aramitama - courage, Nigimitama - friendship, Kushimitama - wisdom, and Sakimitama - love. When an individual holds these four spirits at their maximum they unite to form a balance within the soul that can be used for good or evil."

"Shinto philosophy was the primary belief throughout Japan prior to the introduction of Buddhism," Kurama said. He thought of all the toriis or gates - the red arches at Shinto shrines- throughout Japan that were more picturesque tourist stops rather than objects of meaning anymore.

"The type of priestess that I am is Shinto," Kagome explained, opening her eyes and turning to him, her eyes flashed in excitement. "My predecessor, the priestess Midoriko lived during the Heian Period and she battled against an incredibly strong youkai. She was unable to defeat this demon and it was unable to defeat her. This particular demon was a hanyou created with the lustful heart of the man that loved her merging with hundreds of other youkai. After a week of battling, Midoriko sacrificed her life, taking that of the youkai and trapping their spirits forever inside of the jewel that was created. The jewel has power that is determined by either the purity or the corruption of the user's heart."

"So you're saying that the jewel was created by pitting a powerful priestess against a strong youkai with a human heart," Kurama said. He didn't want to worry Kagome, but that sounded an awful lot like their situation. He was a powerful youkai that had merged with a human. He wasn't innately evil or anything, but as Youko Kurama he'd been rather cold and calculating. He'd been responsible for quite a few deaths. Kagome was a powerful priestess that surely had the four qualities of Shinto belief in balance.

Could Byakuya's end game be to cause hostility between the two allies and create a new Shikon no Tama? Kurama would be willing to do almost anything for his mother. Surely, Kagome would be no different in regards to her little brother.

"I'm so tired," Kagome said closing her eyes and slouching against the wall.

"My plants will continue to seek a path out of here. It might take a while if you want to take a nap," Kurama offered. In his youkai body, his endurance increased dramatically. On a spirit power scale he went from eight thousand to over one hundred fifty thousand. He had decided during the first Demon World Tournament that he wouldn't rely on his youkai form, but he knew his mind was still that of Kurama and his heart that of Shuuichi. As long as his mind and heart were his, he didn't mind if his body had taken on his other form. It was strange, but when he was in his current form he didn't hear Youko's voice as a separate entity. They were really and truly merged now. "We will save our precious ones, Kagome. I promise you that."

Kagome leaned against Kurama's arm. "I know we will," she said confidently. "Right after I take a nap." She shivered as the temperature in the room began to plummet.

Kurama raised his arm and made room for Kagome to press against his chest and share his warmth. He rested his arm over her shoulders and held her close. "I'll keep you warm while we wait for our next step to reveal itself." If his plants discovered a route before she was done with her nap, he'd simply toss her over his shoulder and carry her along.

What sort of challenges would they face? Would they be forced to fight deadly foes? Would they face intellectual puzzles? Would the dark memories of their past surface to upset them? They would find out soon, because they only had seventy-one hours now.

A/N: So now you know why it was important for Youko Kurama to be 300 and not 1000 plus years! Thanks for your support! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!