Needless to say, even though InuYasha had agreed to the alliance, and let Sesshomaru and Koga's respective packs join his, he wasn't entirely thrilled when they all actually showed up. For the next few days, there was much growling and snapping and challenging-of-dominance type things going down, as Koga hit on Kagome, Rin and Shippo discovered a shared love of pranking people, Jaken complained about the base level of humanity that his precious lord was associating with ('As if that Rin wasn't enough…'), Sesshomaru made thinly veiled threats-slash-insults because of-slash-at InuYasha's human blood, InuYasha took offense to pretty much everything out of everyone's mouths, and everyone else watched on in amusement.
And then, something happened which most of them were not expecting.
"Yo. Can we join the party?" Kagura asked, emerging from the trees, with Kanna and Kohaku in tow.
The effect on the unlikely group was instantaneous. The only ones who hesitated were Kagome and Sesshomaru, though for different reasons.
Kagome was remembering that they were traitors to Naraku.
And Sesshomaru…well, he really didn't want to have to kill the stunning wind witch.
If he finds anyone spreading this rumor, your death's will not come swiftly or easily.
But everyone else had their weapons out and trained on the intruders.
"Woah, hold up." Kagura said, holding up her hands. "We're with you guys."
Naturally, this remark was met with suspicion.
"Feh." InuYasha scoffed. "All you're here to do is spy on us, and report back to Naraku."
Sango avoided looking at her dear, deceased little brother, until he spoke her name.
"Sango…big sister…" he said quietly.
She turned her head away from him, as Miroku hugged her encouragingly.
"We got sick and tired of Naraku ordering us around, so we figured we'd come join you." Kagura, apparently acting as the spokesperson for defecting members of Naraku's clan, said coolly. "If we wanted to kill you, or tell Naraku about your cute little alliance, you'd be dead already. We've been watching you for days."
Koga stopped growling at her, and Kirara turned back into a kitten and trotted over to Kohaku, purring. "I still don't trust her, but there can't be any harm in keeping them where we can keep an eye on them." he said, Ginta and Hakkaku nodding in agreement.
"This Sesshomaru sees no reason that they should not join our ranks." the taiyoukai agreed. Kagura eyed him in speculation.
"Wait a minute, all of you!" InuYasha snarled. "You, Kagura. Doesn't that bastard still have your heart?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, so? Father is getting weaker and weaker. Someone's going to do him in soon, and it's probably going to be you. I like to side with the winners."
"Yeah? What about Kanna? What's she getting out of betraying him?" InuYasha shot back, unwilling to let it go.
"Like I said, he's weakening. He knows it, too, and he's started absorbing his 'children', conserving what little power he has left. Hakkudoushi's already gone, and Kanna was next in line." Kagura replied.
"I like living." Kanna said softly, which surprised everyone.
"Well…uh…What about Kohaku?!? Huh? He can still be controlled by that tainted shard, can't he?"
Before Kagura could reply, Kagome spoke. "Actually, InuYasha…I had an idea about that." she said. "Kohaku, could you come here a moment?"
Kohaku walked over to where Kagome stood. She knelt down to eye level with him. Fingers barely touching the cloth of his shirt, she asked. "May I?"
Seeming to know what she was going to do, he nodded curtly, yanking off his shirt, baring the twisted scar tissue that lay beneath.
Kagome placed her hand directly on that, and closed her eyes.
At first, nothing happened, but then…
"Oh…" Kagome whispered.
"Please…" Kohaku's voice begged. "Take it away. It's evil, tainted…wrong."
Tears began to stream from her closed eyes. "You poor child. No one should have to live with that kind of evil inside them."
There was a blinding flash of light, and both Kagome and Kohaku cried out. When everyone's eyes cleared, there were two figures, unconscious on the ground.
"Kagome!" InuYasha yelped in worry, rushing over to her.
"Kohaku!" Sango cried, doing likewise.
When she reached his side, his eyes flickered open. "Big…sister…" he whispered. "It's…gone. All the evil inside me…she took it." As Sango looked into his eyes, all she saw was the brother she'd thought she'd lost to Naraku forever. "Your friend…" Kohaku said, glancing over at Kagome, who was still out. "…is she an angel?"
Sango, too, looked over at Kagome, tears in her eyes. "Yes, little brother. She's an angel." She hugged him tightly.
InuYasha, Miroku, Koga, and Shippo were on the ground by Kagome's fallen body. She was pale and sweating.
"Please, Lady Kagome, open your eyes."
"You can't die! You're going to be my mate!"
"I don't wanna lose another Mama!"
And Kagome's eyes opened. "Hey guys." she said in a raspy voice. "Why're you all so upset?"
"Kagome!" Shippo cried, throwing himself at her.
"Wench, what did you do?"
"I purified the shard." she replied. "He had so much darkness in him…Naraku has so much to pay for…" she sighed.
Kagura, watching from the sidelines, with Kanna and Sesshomaru, commented. "You've got quite the special miko, there." she told Sesshomaru.
"Hn." was the only response she got from him.
There was something about the miko that made him uneasy.
He had once seen a flood destroy a ningen village, on his father's lands. InuTaisho had felt it coming, and moved all the inhabitants out only hours before the dam broke.
Later, he'd told a young Sesshomaru: "It's animal instinct, Sessho. Even normal creatures have it. Sometimes, ningen feel it, as well. You should never ignore it, because it's your beast telling you that something is not quite right. And it usually turns out to be a disaster, or something catastrophic like that."
Sesshomaru had that feeling now, as he watched the miko.