"What the hell!" Yusuke demanded when he finally reached the camp site behind Shippo. "You're even more twisted than the old hag!"

Shippo grinned wickedly before going to sit with Kagome, tearing a leg off one of the rabbits still over the fire, not even bothered by the flames licking his skin. "It's ready to eat now Kagome-Kaa-san," he said.

"Ah! Your arm! Doesn't that hurt?" Keiko asked, moving away from what she was sure should have been burned flesh, and was even more frightening because it wasn't.

"Kurama's speciality is plants and puzzles," Shippo said, biting into his first helping. "Mine is illusions and fire. I lit this fire, it's not going to hurt me," the fox demon said.

"I don't get it," Keiko complained, on the verge of panicking. "I thought you were a normal human."

"Maybe you'd better drop your disguise Shippo," Kagome suggested. "Besides, I haven't gotten to see your tail since that day at the well five hundred years ago. I want to see if it's still as cute and fluffy as ever."

Shippo sniggered, quickly stripped the bone of its meat, swallowing it down, then stood up, the illusion fading from his head to his feet.

His ears didn't move to the top of his head like Kurama's did in his fox form, but they did become pointed, and his feet changed into nimble paws. His tail, once a short puff of fur, was now long and elegant, and his hair grew an extra few inches. Shippo then took off his haori, revealing his fox pelt worn underneath as a vest – as well as some very toned musculature, as he didn't wear any other under-shirt.

"I don't ever remember actually saying I was human," Shippo said, flashing an extended canine in a cheeky grin.

Keiko passed out.

"You're just too handsome for her mind to comprehend," Kagome teased. "Put your shirt back on."

Kurama, Shippo and Hiei laughed quietly, even as Shippo re-settled the folds of his garment back in place.

"Okay, so the only ones human here are you and Keiko?" Yusuke asked, looking at Kagome.

She nodded and fished out the smelling salts from her first aid kit. "Wake her up, it's time you two had a history lesson," she said, handing them over to Yusuke.

While he waved them under the girl's nose, Kagome drew her quiver nearer to her, and pulled something out of it that was neither her bow, nor her arrows.

"Uh," Keiko moaned, sitting up in Yusuke's hold and looking from face to face of those sharing the fire with her. Even Hiei was sitting nearby on the ground, rather than up in a tree.

"Are you going to explain now, Miko?" Hiei demanded quietly.

Kagome nodded, and lay the sword she had just taken from her quiver across her lap, tugging away the cloth it had been wrapped in.

"This is an old story. Boy and girl meet, fall in love, end up dead as a result," Kagome began. "Of course, there's more to it. The boy was a half-demon named InuYasha."

"Like I'm a half-demon?" Yusuke asked, pointing to himself with one hand while he grabbed a handful of food with the other.

"His father was a demon, and his mother was a human. It wasn't a recessive gene like yours, so he was a half-demon from the day he was born. Otherwise, pretty much the same. Shippo?" Kagome said, turning to the fox. "Can you show them InuYasha?"
Shippo nodded and transformed. Silver hair, in even greater quantities than Kurama had in his Yoko form and somewhat tidier than Yusuke's massive mane, small dog ears on top of his head, gold eyes, fire-rat clothing, claws on hands and feet, and a deep scowl on his face.

"His mother was a noble woman, and his father was the Lord of the West. Unfortunately, his father died protecting them the day he was born, and he and his mother were ostracised because of what he was. He grew up knowing the hatred and disgust of all those around him, because he was different. As he became older, InuYasha sought to make himself stronger, and sought a power that could give him full demon heritage. That power was guarded by a priestess called Kikyo," Kagome said, nodding to Shippo then to show them what Kikyo looked like.

Gasps and wide eyes came from every direction.

"She looks like you, Miko," Hiei said.

"But sadder," Keiko added.

"I am her reincarnation," Kagome answered simply. "Kikyo's life was dedicated to her calling completely as it was practised in that time, and she guarded the Shikon no Tama against many demons who sought its power. She never lived as a normal woman because of this. When InuYasha came to her village, wanting that power, she fired at him, but missed, and told him to leave. He didn't of course, and eventually, after his simply following Kikyo for some time, they became friends, and then desired to become more. Kikyo suggested using the power of the Shikon no Tama to make InuYasha a human, rather than a demon. Such a wish, she thought, would purify the jewel into non-existence, then she would be relieved of her duty to it, and they could marry."

"That sounds so romantic," Keiko said dreamily.

"Why do I get the feeling this doesn't have a happy ending?" Yusuke asked.

Kagome held up her hand to halt any further comments, and continued with her story.

"At this time, Kikyo was also caring for a man who was burned so terribly that he could not move. His name was Onigumo, and he was a bandit. Not one like Kurama used to be, who stole for the challenge of stealing, of proving that he was smarter than the one who had the treasure, but Onigumo stole because he coveted that which was not his. He wanted things, so he made up his mind to take them. In the care of Kikyo, he decided that he wanted her as his own, though he knew she cared for the half-demon. He also coveted the Shikon no Tama, wanting to see it tainted and glowing with hate. Onigumo made a bargain with several demons, selling his body to them so that he would have the strength to do what he wanted."

Shippo didn't transform into Onigumo, but back into himself and sat down.

"For this transaction, they ate him alive," Kagome said.

"Okay, that's really gross," Yusuke said, flinching at just the idea that someone would do something like that. "Did it work?"

Kagome nodded. "Onigumo became the demon Naraku. He was once human though, so he was only a half-demon as well. Disguising himself as Kikyo, he shot at InuYasha, which broke the fragile trust InuYasha had in Kikyo. Disguised as InuYasha, he attacked Kikyo and stole the Shikon no Tama, breaking the even more fragile trust that she had in him. His plan was not yet complete though. He returned the jewel to the shrine and hung it in its place, then watched as InuYasha invaded the village and stole the jewel, his own plan to become a full demon returned once more to his mind. The villagers chased him, and the injured Kikyo shot him down, pinning him to the Tree of Ages."

"That's the one in your shrine, right?" Keiko asked.

"Yes," Kagome said. "InuYasha was pinned to the Goshinboku for fifty years, never knowing about Naraku, or that Kikyo had died shortly after binding him. Both believed that the other had betrayed them, and the love they had shared turned to a deep pain in InuYasha's heart, and something very much like hate in Kikyo's. The Shikon no Tama was burned with her body, and disappeared from Japan."

"That's terrible," Keiko said, cowering slightly from the story. "And Naraku just got away with that?"

Kagome's smile was humourless, and mirrored on Shippo's face. There was a shadow of the same smile on Kurama's as well.

"On my fifteenth birthday, Buyo, our cat, ran into the well house on our shrine. The well had always been sealed, and we were forbidden from going in there. Honestly though, I believed it was harmless, just old and spooky, but when I went in to retrieve our cat, a demon who called herself Mistress Centipede broke through the seals and dragged me down. As she held me, her lower body, the part that was actually centipede, and had looked wasted away, began to regenerate. I escaped from her, accidentally blasting off one of her arms with a power I didn't know I had at the time, and climbed out of the well. I wasn't at my family's shrine any more, but actually five hundred years in the past. After some initial confusion, I spotted the Sacred Tree and headed for it, as something familiar. Reaching it, I found a dog-eared boy who looked about my age, pinned there by an arrow and with the tree beginning to grow over him. It wasn't long after that I met the villagers, and the younger sister of Kikyo, who had also become a miko, and was well into her fifties by that time. In the village, Mistress Centipede attacked, searching for me. I ran of course, and of all the places I could have run to, I ran back to where InuYasha was pinned. I didn't know his story at the time, and he mistook me for Kikyo when he was woken by the smell of my blood. Mistress Centipede attacked me then, and ripped this," Kagome pulled the Shikon no Tama out of her shirt, "from my side. The same jewel that had been burned with Kikyo's body. Once I had freed InuYasha and he had killed the centipede, he turned on me, wanting the jewel for himself. Long story short he didn't get it, the jewel was shattered into a few million pieces, and along the way of collecting them all back up, InuYasha and I became friends, as well as meeting Shippo, a monk called Miroku who was cursed by Naraku, and a demon slayer, Sango, who's whole town had been destroyed by Naraku's plot, and her family killed before her very eyes by her little brother, controlled by Naraku."

"Don't forget Kirara!" Shippo said.

"And Kirara," Kagome added, "a two-tailed cat demon, and a very good friend to Sango the demon slayer. We also met InuYasha's older brother Sesshoumaru, a few dozen incarnations Naraku had created, and a whole lot of other enemies and friends. A witch revived Kikyo using her ashes and grave soil, then kidnapped me so that my soul, which had once been Kikyo's, could be removed from me and replaced into the clay recreation of the dead priestess. She half succeeded, and Kikyo's feelings of betrayal were still very raw. InuYasha and Kikyo both learned that it had been Naraku who tricked them, and Kikyo, one of the dead, determined that she wanted to take InuYasha to hell with her. Painful as it was for us at the time, he eventually did go with her. Later, I killed Naraku with some help from my two favourite foxes, and all was right with the world once more."

"So what's with the sword?" Yusuke asked. "You've been stroking that thing pretty much the whole way through the story."

"This sword belonged to InuYasha," Kagome answered. "It is called the Tetsusaiga, and with a single stroke is able to level one hundred enemies. It was forged from one of his father's fangs. Another sword was forged from a fang of the great dog demon, and was given to his first son, Sesshoumaru. He wasn't too happy about it though, getting a sword that could save one hundred lives with one swing, and could kill only the un-dead. There was reason behind the great demon's decisions though," Kagome said, smiling fondly at the memory. "Sesshoumaru learned compassion because of his sword, and InuYasha's demon blood was held in check as long as he had his sword, this sword."

"Whoa, back up. You mean like when I blacked out and nearly killed Sensui? Other half-demons had that too?" Yusuke asked.

Kagome nodded. "InuYasha, separated from the Tetsusaiga, and in a life-threatening situation, was overcome by his demon blood. He lost control as the raw power, the base animal instincts of him, took control in order to preserve his life. He did things when he was transformed that, when he came too, he was disgusted with. The transformation ate away at his soul every time it happened."

"You sayin' maybe I should hold onto the sword and it'll do the same for me?" Yusuke asked. "I don't much like the idea of blackin' out again."

"If you can hold it," Kagome said, grabbing the scabbard just below the hilt and holding it out to the boy. "It can be held by any human, but it requires the energy of a demon to cause it to transform and actually become a fearsome weapon, and even then there's still a trick to it. When InuYasha first acquired the sword, he couldn't make it transform, and it was only by chance that we learned what it was that made it work."

"And what's that?" Yusuke said, glaring, though his gaze shifted from the sword to Kagome and back again.

"Another reason that Inu no Taisho didn't give the Tetsusaiga to his eldest son Sesshoumaru was because of the answer he gave to a certain question," Kagome said, almost as though she hadn't heard Yusuke's question.

"Don't make me use the running vagueness gag," Yusuke said.

"Do you have someone to protect?" Kagome asked.

Yusuke recoiled and blinked. "What the hell kinda stupid question is that?" he demanded. "I'm the saviour of the whole damn world!"

"Then see if you can draw the sword," Kagome said fiercely.

"Alright I will," Yusuke said, standing up and walking around the fire. He took the sheath from Kagome, no problem. The handle crackled a bit when he grabbed onto it, but that soon calmed down.

"He got past the barrier Kagome!" Shippo whispered excitedly. He wanted to see Tetsusaiga again after five centuries.

Yusuke drew the sword from its sheath.

"Wow, it's a piece of junk," he commented.

Shippo sighed, dejected. "How did that not work?" he whispered.

"He hasn't figured it out, that's all," Kagome answered softly.

"Kagome, Yusuke, may I have a look at that sword?" Kurama asked.

"Sure," Yusuke answered, slipping the blade back into the sheath and handing it over.

Kurama lay his hand over the grip calmly, the small crackle of energy also not stopping him in any way. When he drew the sword though, it was quite different to Yusuke's result. A yellow light spiked around the blade, and it became wider as it left the sheath behind.

"That was unexpected," Kurama said, staring at the huge blade he was holding.

"It hasn't changed a bit," Shippo said with a grin.

"I don't get it," Yusuke said. "Is it because I'm the wrong sort of demon?"

"No Yusuke. The sword let you passed its barrier, it accepted you as someone who could potentially use it. You just had the wrong idea. Do you remember why Kurama stole the Forlorn Hope?" Kagome asked, apparently changing the subject, and rather suddenly.

"His mother was dying," the ex-detective answered.

"Kurama explained that he had new priorities to protect. Those 'priorities' made him powerful even when trapped in the body of a human," Hiei said, and seemed to be realising something himself, his eyes fixed upon the large blade of the Tetsusaiga.

Kagome nodded. "It's having just one or two people you want to take care of, to keep from the dangers they get themselves into."

Yusuke glanced at Keiko, who was too busy looking at the giant sword in Kurama's hand to notice the conversation.

"Hey Kurama, let me try again," Yusuke said, holding out his hand.

Kurama sheathed the impressive blade, an action which defied logic but somehow worked, and handed it back.

This time when Yusuke drew the sword, it transformed as it had for Kurama.

"What do you think Yusuke?" Kagome asked.

"I think I'm more inclined to stick with my spirit gun," Yusuke answered. "Kuwabara's the sword guy. Still, I guess it couldn't hurt to learn."

"Your training will begin in the morning," Kagome stated firmly.

"Great! Time to catch me some major Z's!" Yusuke said, smiling as he stretched then moved to settle down.

"Wrong," Shippo said, smirking. "Now you get to learn about being on guard all night, dozing lightly at the best of times so that you are alert to everything around you, able to respond in an instant and yet well enough rested that you won't tire too quickly in a fight."

"What? You can't be serious! Hiei sleeps like any normal person all the time! So does Kurama!"

"My jagan eye watches my surroundings as I sleep. I rarely sleep deeply unless hibernating to recuperate my energy, and I only do that when I am both convinced that there are no immediate threats and someone I trust has agreed to watch over my body for me," Hiei said.

"My bed is surrounded by plants, even at home. They would wake and warn me if danger approached," Kurama added.

"I don't have tricks like that, and neither do you, so suck it up," Shippo said, grinning wickedly.

"What about the girls? Do they have to stay up?" Yusuke demanded.

"Keiko's just a normal, weak human girl," Kagome said, wide-eyed and moving to wrap her arms around the younger girl. "If she's going to keep up with anything tomorrow, she needs a full night's rest. She isn't a fighter."

"And what about you?" Yusuke snapped.

"I can put up a barrier around me that will keep out everything," Kagome answered. "I can sleep as deeply as I like. I'm secure."

"So why don't you just spread out that barrier and keep everybody safe?"

"This isn't about that Yusuke," Kagome said. "This is about you learning how to survive. You aren't always going to have strong friends with you when you're out like this. You need to be able to rely on yourself, and be able to protect Keiko yourself. No Botan, no Shizuru, no Koenma or Kuwabara, none of us. You."

"Um, why do I need protecting?" Keiko asked shakily.

"Because your boyfriend here is powerful, and now that he's found out about his demon heritage, there will be more demons interested in him than before. To try and make him weaker, and break his will, they will threaten you. To try and make him angry, and stronger, they will threaten you. To try and control him, they will threaten you," Kagome said.

Yusuke's nails dug into his palm in fury. Kagome was right – it had happened before. Hiei had done it, the last of the Saint Beasts had done it, hell, even Kagome had used the threat of something happening to Keiko without him there to keep an eye on her to motivate him just today!

"Alright, I get it," he conceded. "What do I do?"

~oOo~