AN: Oops, was this late again? Sorry! Let my normal excuse be life, and a long, hard struggle to get motivated over this story again. But I'm throughly back in TSAM and I've missed you all! Send lots of reviews my way on how you miss me/hate me.

Good news! Chapter 33 is done and I'm on page 6 of chapter 34. So you can expect at least ONE more update before I disappear again, lol. (Or you can review lots so I feel guilty enough to keep going, hint hint)

Breeze-of-flame: If it was that easy, you wouldn't have had to wait this long.

Appletart:Here it is! Sorry about the wait.

Lavender7795: Thank you! I'm really glad you like it Don't worry, we'll get to the lemon eventually. Let's let Kag and Inuyasha save the world first, lol. Sorry about the 'short' break again. I can't seem to help it :( Thanks for reading anyway though!

Purplediamon: Oh wow, thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate it. :) You make me blush, lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Sqeezie101: Right on Kikyo, but I won't be able to comment about Kagura since clearly, I love her. ;) Thanks for the review!

Blank/left no name: Not as much as I enjoyed your review ;) Thank you! If I'm allowed to have favorite characters, it would totally be Kagura, lol. I'll see how many times I can fit in killing Kikyo, lol. And don't worry, there's going to be lots of Inuyasha/Kagome fluff coming up! Pretty soon anyway. Let's get them to safety first, lol. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Kyria: Thank you! I hope I'm still awesome after taking so long to update though...sorry about that. But thanks for reviewing anyway!

Apocalypsefantasy: I figure you have to cut Miroku a tiny bit of slack, he's desperate he's about to lose Sango. Hopefully he won't do anything too stupid. As for Naraku's role and those weird ribbons, you're going to find out soon enough. Promise. Thanks for the review!

CrescentMoonSamurai: Sorry for making you wait. I suck at writing on time. :( Thanks for sticking with me anyway though.

Blank Review: Here you go!

Kenkyo-kun: Thank you! I'm really glad you like it so far :) Thanks so much for the review!

Come On: Oops, sorry. Can I use the normal lame excuse that life got crazy and I'm really sorry?

PLEASE: Sorry, really. It's nothing personal, life just got insane and I didn't feel much motivation to write. I promise I'm working on changing that so I can get to the end of TSAM.

Doesn't Really Matter: (Though of course it matters ;) Thank you! (Blush) I'm really flattered. And you're right, I have no intention of giving up on this story. I just take really, really long to finish, lol. Thanks so much for the lovely review :)

Crystal: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it that much :)

Chazziegirl101: Thanks. She's taken it down since then, so everything's back to normal. I actually have some trouble with Inuyasha. I'm always worried I'm making him too girly or too smooth when he talks to Kagome. In the beginning, that was right because he was presenting the persona Kikyo had helped to make. As Kikyo's influence faded, he got to be more like himself. I love him gruff, blunt, and wicked. He should be more action and emotion-motivated than verbal. He's not one to sit down and discuss, or play with words. Unless he's playing with Kagome, anyway ;) So I'm always careful with his speech.

-Thanks for the second review by the way. :)

Gamehead64: Then get ready for the theatrical adventure to begin ;)

Evelyn: Without people sneaking around and having hidden motives that get drawn out over multiple chapters, where would the drama be? ;) Glad you liked it. 31 was a chapter I actually had to rewrite because I hated the first version so much, lol. So I'm happy I spent my time wisely rewriting rather than pushing ahead. And in real life, you probably can't inject ash into someone without them seriously dying or wishing they were. But this is fanfiction, Kikyo is evil, and I get to do whatever I want, mwhahaha. I realized I hadn't had a chance to make fun of Hojo yet. I took full advantage of it before we got caught up in the treasury. Kikyo's motivations are going to be discussed in the next chapter. Hope that cures you of some of your curiosity.

Adam: First, you're super sweet for the two reviews. I'll have to see if I can't find something for Kagome to kick over. And no, I'm pretty sure Shippo, or Rin won't be appearing in this story. I'm considered roles for them if I ever write a prequel, but there's not enough time for them here, and I'm not even sure where I could have put them. And don't worry, I pass happy endings out like candy. Except for villains like Kikyo of course. Thanks for the reviews!

Babiigurl775: Thank you! Hope it's ok that I updated this late though. Especially compared to 'now' ;) And I'll consider your suggestion about not cutting Inuyasha's hair. I haven't really decided yet, if I'm being honest. Thanks for the review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no money off this story.


November 17: 6:54 PM

"Rise and shine chickadee!"

Kagome jerked awake, nearly falling out of her seat. Her eyes shot wildly around the car, looking for Kagura but only finding Sango and Miroku silently staring at each other. Still.

Her ear ached, feeling sore and open. She gently touched the lobe, strangely surprised by the hard piece of plastic lodged inside. Had she actually fallen asleep with the mic stuck in her ear? "Kagura?" she croaked, her voice rough after her nap-induced coma.

"Hey, hey, chickadee. Nice sleep? Feeling all good and rested and ready to kick ass?" Kagura asked more cheerfully than she should.

Ah, no. No way in fucking hell was she ready to wake up from her nap and go off to face certain death. But did she have a choice about it? Nope. "Sure." she said instead, slowly stretching her arms out, savoring the crack her bones made as they realigned. Half heartedly, Kagome tried to reach out to Inuyasha, hoping that somehow her powers had broken the barrier down in her sleep.

Kikyo's barrier snapped at her, sending a painful jarring down her spine. Well, that answered that question. Resisting the urge to push back for now, Kagome focused on Kagura again. "How did you know I was asleep?"

"You make the cutest snores when you're asleep. They're like a cross between a rhino squeezing and a hyena getting a tooth pulled." ...Somehow, it didn't surprise Kagome at all that Kagura knew exactly how those things sounded. "How is the rest of the team feeling?"

Kagome stared enviously at the other two ear mics resting in a cup holder. Miroku and Sango might have been in a weird mood, but at least they still had some common sense. They had taken the long car ride to change into their new clothes, deck themselves out with Kagura's presents, pop out their mics, and silently stare at eachother like creepers. Unlike her. But then Kagura's new gadgets had seemed like a good idea at the time. "They took out their ear mics."

"Well tell them to put them back in since by my estimate you guys should be pulling in right about...now."

As if on cue, the car turned and slowed, the smooth feel of pavement underneath the wheels turning into the bumpiness of gravel.

Kagome ran her hands over the top of her head, making sure her ponytail was still in place. The clothes were fine, no chance of wrinkles there. "Hey guys, Kagura wants to talk to you."

Sango finally broke eye contact first, reaching over to easily twist her set into her ear as if she had been doing it for years. "Good evening Lady."

"It won't be a good evening until we get to put Kikyo's head on a pike." Kagura reported back crisply. "Is the asshole I hate on the line now?"

"Present."

"Ugh." Kagura didn't sound too thrilled about it. "Anyway, welcome to Lord Sesshomaru's super secret treasury! Here you'll defeat Kikyo, rescue Kagome's family and mate, and race back to our headquarters just barely in time for Inuyasha's trial so he can clear his name and live happily ever after with Kagome. Any questions on our objectives?"

That all sounded good to Kagome. "How much time do we have?"

"Daybreak is scheduled for 6:46 tomorrow morning. As long as you leave the treasury by 4:00 AM you should be good to get back in time, and no one will be the wiser on Kikyo's soon to be ended existence." Kagura explained. "If need be, I can try to stall with some kind of super important demon business I'll make up on the fly. F.y.i, if I get desperate, I'll probably start miming the news. Please be on time so I don't embarrass myself in public."

"I won't need that much time to kill Kikyo." Sango stated, checking the bandages around Kiara's leg one last time. She had shook off the worst of the injury, but the little cat was still favoring her back paw.

Kagura groaned. "Quick, knock on wood or Miroku's head. Statements like that are going to jinx us all."

Sango scratched Kiara's chin before adjusting the ties to her own armor, checking and double checking the snugness, "it's not just a statement. It's a fact."

"Well, with me being the fact checker I am, let's just go over everything one last time. The building the treasury is stored in is closed for the day, so it's empty. You'll have to break in, but we've turned all the alarms off so there won't be any more run-ins with the police." On Kagura's line, a chair squeaked, Kagome getting the sense that Kagura was leaning forward. "And when I say the alarms are off, I mean all measures to protect the outside of the treasury is off. Security cameras, heat sensors, floor triggers, etc, etc are all shut off. Sess does not want any proof this little operation took place, so you're going in blind. The only way I can guide you is through the ear mics, and the GPS set, but even that will only get you so far. The signal will cut out 100 feet into the main part of the treasury, and you're on your own from there." Kagura warned.

Kagome nodded in understanding even though Kagura just explained she couldn't see them. "We've got the blueprints and Sango still remembers the layout of the treasury."

"Good. Now, Kikyo's had about an hour head start on you guys, but while we disabled the alarms around the treasury, she's still gotta get past the fun little traps inside. I don't know where she is, but I guarantee that's slowed her down."

Kagome appreciated that Kagura didn't mention that Inuyasha and her brother were probably slowing Kikyo down as well.

"Plus, she has no way of setting those alarms back into place once she's crossed them. So unless she plants her own surprises for you, you should have a straight shot to the section of the treasury where the jewel is stored. Now, the driver will wait for you however long it takes. You don't need to speak to him, he knows to take you straight to us for the trial." Kagura continued.

"Any more orders?" Sango asked.

Kagura paused, thinking it over. "I think we're good. Ok team, break! ...I don't suppose I could encourage one of those 'hands all in' things? Or even a show circle?"

Sango rolled her eyes and reached for the door handle, ignoring Kagura's suggestions for team spirit. She leaned out first, carefully looking around before stepping aside so Kagome and Miroku could follow.

Tree branches stretched across Kagome's view of the dim sky, the air clean and fresh outside of the car and away from the city. Sesshomaru's car was parked on the side of a long, gravel-filled road, dozens of trees blocking their view of the main road. Only one building sat in the middle of the trees, a single car parked hastily in front of it.

Kagome blinked, not sure she was reading the sign above the door right. "Sesshie's Pies," and in smaller print, almost as an add on, "(And Other Treats You Want to Put in Your Mouth)?"

Kagura chucked in her ear. "I'll give you one guess on who picked the name."

Staring in amazement at the pretty, white and pink striped building with a mural of a man who looked suspiciously like Sesshomaru holding a tray full of pies, Kagome realized she could learn a lot from Kagura. She knew the fate of the world and her family depended on them but still..."You have got to teach me how to wrap men around your finger like that."

"Another time definitely, chickadee. But see, anyone who can get the Great and Terrible Lord Sesshomaru of the West to pose for a painting like that, can't lead you wrong, right? So get your head in the game! Let's bring down Kikyo."

Kagome was still the teeniest, tiniest, bit terrified. But Kagura made a very good point.

"Thank you Kagura." Kagome said suddenly. "We wouldn't be able to do this without you."

"Eh, I only helped a bit." Kagura dismissed, uncharastically modest. "Let's get going before we waste anymore time."

Sango stopped next to the lone car, considering it. "This is probably Kikyo's car, right?"

"It better be. We insisted all the employees were to go home early today so we could do a radiation test." A keyboard clicked away in the background, "Yep, all our workers signed out. It has to be Kikyo's."

Suddenly unsheathing her sword, Sango plunged the blade into the tire, the air escaping in a long hiss. That not enough for her, she flipped her sword over and smashed the hilt against the glass, shattering Kikyo's windshield.

"Feel better?" Kagura quipped.

Sango replaced the sword, flicking off little pieces of glass. "Just a little insurance."

Miroku kneeled at the front of the pink door, a half-moon window showing an empty bakery. He fiddled with the doorknob, his ear pressed against the wood. "Does this bakery get many visitors, Lady Kagura?"

"Nah, it's in a terrible area. Sess really only has this place for when he needs to bribe his way off the couch." Kagura said absently, hardly paying attention to Miroku. "Once you get the door open, you're going to want to go into the kitchen and find the supply closet, second door on the left."

With a small click, Miroku turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping back to Sango and Kirara could enter ahead of him.

The bakery was eerily silent. Where fluorescent lights normally shone down on rows and rows of Sesshomaru's bribes, only the red EXIT signs cast a red glow across the glass stands.

"Because I like the majority of you guys, feel free to grab what you like." Kagura offered. "Substance might be a good idea if you're hungry."

If Kagome wasn't preoccupied with worry over her brother and mate, she would have been shocked by Kagura's sudden generosity. Strangely enough, the rows of cupcakes, cookies and pie slices didn't tempt her.

It was a small biscuit in the shape of a maple leaf that caught her attention. "I'll have the maple syrup cookie in celebration afterwards." With Inuyasha. Once he was safe, with her.

"Atta girl."

"Back here, everyone." Miroku called back from where he had already wandered into the kitchen, completely uninterested in the baked goods.

With Kirara bounding along in front of them, her back leg carefully not touching the ground, Kagome and Sango headed towards Miroku, already hidden out of view in the supply closet. For the entrance to the treasury that had been so hyped up, it really wasn't impressive. It was a typical dingy supply closet, mops, brooms and ladders leaning against a wall across from a shelf of cleaning supplies.

"This is the entrance?" Kagome couldn't help but ask, not impressed.

"More like the entrance to the entrance. Now, get Miroku to push the cabinet aside since it's dusty and gross. You have to move it all the way to the opposite wall. You'll know you went far enough when you see the markings."

They studied the floor, a thick red line on the floor right up against the edge of the shelf. "I think it's already been moved."

"Well, more proof that Kikyo's passed through then." Kagura sighed, unsurprised. "Ok, Sango's turn for this. On the tile fourth from the cabinet, slam your foot down as hard as possible."

With only a shrug at the floor that was about to be ruined, Sango raised her gleaming new steel toed shitkicker and slammed it down. Instead of shattering the concrete under her demon strength, the floor groaned and slid away, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

"So there's a little bit of a drop." Kagura said cheerfully. "But don't worry, it's not enough to kill you. You might want to let Sango bring you down though, just in case."

Kagome's throat tightened. Was this a bad time to mention she had a hard time with heights? "Kagura-"

"Hurry up now before the hole closes up again!" Kagura urged. "Let's not waste anymore time."

Sango looped her arm around Kagome's waist and without a word, plunged them down into the dark.

Kagome couldn't help it. She yelped and dug her fingers into Sango's padded armor, wrapping herself around the demon like a suckerfish.

Kagura snickered. "You totally just sounded like one of those little yippity dogs."

Yeah, well it was a lot easier to be brave when she was wrapped up in Inuyasha's arms. Sango hit the ground with a hard jarr, dropping Kagome as roughly before shooting herself back up. And leaving her alone in the dark.

Immediately, her power showed itself, splashing purple light onto the walls. She was reminded again of the petals working away on Kikyo's blocks, weakening them. She still couldn't reach out to Inuyasha yet, but she could feel the barrier between them thinning. One good push and she would be able to break through. Her power just needed to break it down a little more.

There wasn't much to be seen. A plain hallway stretched down, nothing distinct or interesting about it. There wasn't even a door at the end, only what looked like a podium.

"Still good, chickadee?"

"I'm good." Kagome easily lied as Sango, Miroku and Kirara landed besides her, the concrete shifting noisily closed above them. "Now what?"

"Now you guys wander down the hall, Kag pricks her finger and the doorway opens, and you enter the treasury. And then it really gets interesting."


"Stop here."

Inuyasha halted immediately, his entire body stiff under her command. Souta nearly tumbled out of his arms, saved only by luck.

What little of it they had anyway.

Only red emergency lights washed over them, giving Kikyo a sinister glow as she slipped her glasses away in her jacket pocket. She tucked her hair up into a high ponytail, showing off the nape of her neck.

Inuyasha would have squinted his eyes if he had the power to do so. Where smooth skin should have been, tiny creases crept into Kikyo's face. Cheeks and forehead that had looked soft hours ago, were beginning to look tough and leathery. There might even have been a touch of grey along her temples.

Kikyo ignored his starring, rooting through the giant shoulder bag she carried instead. "I slowed your mate down, but she's a stubborn little bitch. More powerful than I thought she would be." A better person then Kikyo would have grudging respect. She just sounded annoyed. "At least we have the head start. I'll just have to make up something as I go along."

She scowled suddenly, wincing when her frown disturbed the long scratches down her face. "I hate being unprepared though." Finally finding whatever she had been looking for, Kikyo drew out a wrapped syringe.

Inuyasha wanted to spring back when she headed towards Souta with that long needle, eyes firmly on his arm. He could only stand, completely still. "Leave him the fuck alone, Kikyo."

"I'm not killing him." she snapped, yanking Souta's sleeve up. She wiped his arm clean, dropping the antibacterial wipe carelessly on the floor. "If he stays under much longer; that'll kill him before I could." With more care then Inuyasha expected, Kikyo pushed the needle into his skin, injecting him with whatever was in the container.

He was going to kill her. It wasn't enough that she had screwed with him and his mate, she had brought Souta in this. Someone she was supposed to protect by the nature of her job.

Slitting her throat was too quick, but if he could have managed it, he would have settled.

Inuyasha's knees went weak with relief when Souta's eyelids started to flutter, Kikyo's spell the only thing holding him up. Kikyo dove back into her bag while Souta let out a little moan, his head rolling against Inuyasha's shoulder.

Kikyo held her arms out. "Give him to me."

Without hesitation and hating himself for it, Inuyasha passed Souta off, his eyes burning as they flickered back and forth between gold and red. Kikyo settled Souta against her hip, his legs around her waist and his head resting on the curve of her neck.

She bounced him once for better support before dropping something on the ground, Inuyasha only able to hear it thud down. "Let's get moving. Come along, Inuyasha."

"...Inuyasha?" Souta mumbled into Kikyo's neck. His eyes slowly opened, hazy from the drugs. "Dr. Saito?"

Kikyo grinned brightly down at him. "Hey little man."

He blinked, looking confused. "Dr. Saito...what's going on?"

"We're taking a little trip, buddy. Inuyasha's helping me get something that I've been looking for a long time now." Kikyo explained, her tone friendlier then Inuyasha had ever heard it.

Souta smiled against Kikyo's skin. "See, Dr. Saito? Didn't I tell you about how awesome Inuyasha is?" He yawned. "Where are we?"

"This is Inuyasha's family's treasury. See all the cabinets lining the wall? They hold all sorts of treasures."

The neat set of locked drawers lining the walls from wall to wall, floor to ceiling had surprised Inuyasha. He had been used to unorganized heaps of gold and wealth sprinkling the cave floor. Now Sess's treasury looked more like a bank vault, with Kagura's careful handwriting spelling out what each box contained in yellowed paper.

"Do one of them have what you're looking for, Dr. Saito?" Souta stared at the walls, curious about what was inside of them.

"No, what I'm looking for is in a special room, all by itself."

Souta yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. He kept his arms trustingly around Dr. Saito's neck, completely unaware she was carrying him off to his death. Damn it, there had to be some way Inuyasha could get Souta away from her. His mouth still worked, but with Souta in Kikyo's arms and groggy from the drugs, he didn't think it was smart to warn him away. It was better not to alarm Kikyo yet.

"So what am I doing here, doctor?" Souta asked, sounding completely unconcerned with it all.

Kikyo hesitated, looking slightly uncomfortable since the first moment she had shown up for him. Good. Let the bitch try to explain to the boy she had been counseling for the last eight months why she was about to kill him. Maybe she would finally feel a twinge of guilt over that.

A long slender hand stroked Souta's back, Kikyo beginning to slow her mad strides ahead. "Well Souta, you're going to help me too."

Souta looked a little impressed. "I am?"

"Sure are, buddy." Kikyo said cheerfully, sounding a little more like her old, evil self. "If Inuyasha can't help me get my jewel, I'm depending on you to get it for me."

Souta's eyes widened at that. "A jewel! Like treasure? Is it worth anything?"

Kikyo smiled slightly, that maniacal gleam in her eyes bright. "It's worth everything to me." She held her arm out, and Inuyasha found his arm curved out to take it, the straps hanging awkwardly off his shoulder. Her hands free, she shifted Souta against her body, holding him a little more firmly as if she had guessed the direction of Inuyasha's thoughts.

"So why does Inuyasha have your jewel? He's giving it back if it's yours, right?" Souta peered anxiously at Inuyasha, unwilling to believe his idol would steal something from his therapist.

Inuyasha forced himself to smile, not wanting to scare Souta. Right now he was awake and not tied up; he didn't want to give Kikyo a reason to change that. "That's why we're here, right?"

Souta still didn't seem satisfied. "But if it's Dr. Saito's, why do you have it?" He persisted, his sense of right and wrong warring with each other.

Kikyo patted Souta's back soothingly, "Don't worry little man, Inuyasha didn't take it. He's just been holding on to it for awhile, keeping it safe until it was time for me to come and take it back."

"And I asked Kik-...Dr. Saito if you could tag along so I can give you something. A present." Inuyasha finally spoke up, studying the walls of the treasury. It might not be organized the same, but the layout didn't seem to have changed at all. There were plenty of places he could send Souta off to hide in.

He just had to get him away from Kikyo first.

Souta gasped in delight. "A present? For me?!"

Kikyo narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha and tightened her hold on Souta. "Sure, little man. I told Inuyasha we could get it after I get my jewel back."

"But Dr. Saito-" Souta started to whine.

"After, Souta." Kikyo said firmly, still glaring at Inuyasha. "If Inuyasha is kind enough to cooperate, there will be plenty of time for your present."

"Fine." Souta pouted. He yawned once more before wiggling in Kikyo's arms. "You can let me down now. I'm not a little kid, I can walk."

Kikyo's lips straightened into a tight little line, not happy with the request. "I don't think-"

"Want a piggyback ride?" Inuyasha interrupted before Kikyo could say no, before Souta could argue back, and before Kikyo would give up her Misses Nice Girl act and tie Souta up and be done with it. He wouldn't be able to let go of Souta, but maybe he could wiggle free.

Souta's eyes went wide. "YES!" He squirmed harder in Kikyo's arms until she was forced to lower him to his feet. Inuyasha felt his body crouch down and his shoulder shrugged Kikyo's bag off as Souta wrapped himself around his back like an eager monkey. His hands tucked under Souta's knees, and his legs straightened, Souta clinging to his back like a barnacle.

"Woohoo!" Souta cheered, wrapping a length of Inuyasha's hair around his fist. "Go faster little pony!"

Inuyasha grunted. "'Little'?"

"Uh sorry, humongous? Gigantic? Godzilla's second cousin once removed?" Souta suggested.

"Better." Inuyasha didn't wince when Souta tugged on his hair eagerly, or kicked his feet against his ribs. God knew he had done worse to his brother when he was Souta's age.

And he wouldn't complain since Kikyo hadn't made him hold onto Souta too tightly. He was snug against him, but that was more because of his enthusiasm rather than any force from Kikyo. If he tried, he could probably squirm out of Inuyasha's grasp.

"Stay." Kikyo ordered, and abruptly Inuyasha halted, nearly sending Souta to the floor. Kikyo ignored them both, her face halfway down her giant bag, searching for something else now.

Inuyasha couldn't turn his head towards Souta so he cleared his throat quietly, keeping an eye on Kikyo while she dug through her bag. "Hey Souta. If you really want, I know how you can get your present early."

Souta gasped in excitement. "Really?"

Kikyo barely glanced at Souta, fiddling now with some sort of box in her hand. Inuyasha wished he had the mind meld so he could warn Kagome about it. "Yeah, but we have to be quiet about it...like that movie you showed me with the fly people." At least he could save her brother instead.

"The spy people, Inuyasha."

"Feh, whatever. Do you want your gift, or what?"

"Yes!" Souta whispered this time, bending close to his ear.

"Alright, then here's what we're gonna do..."


"So congrats on your first battle wound! When I write your bio, I'll make sure the bandage makes you look even more badass."

Kagome checked the snugness of the cloth wrapped around her sliced palm, courtesy of the first-aid kit Kagura had gifted with the condition that Miroku be the one to cart around. "Does it really count as a battle wound if I had to beg Sango do it?" Cutting her own skin to get access to the treasury made her feel a little squeamish.

"It'll totally count if I'm the one writing it." Kagura promised. "Welcome to the treasury! Officially, for real this time."

Now this was a little more impressive than the supply closet, or even the Sesshomaru themed bakery. Past the entrance, the treasury ceiling soared above their heads, upheld by giant red columns. The rocky surface that Kagome glanced from Sango's memories was now smoothed over, thousands of vaults dug into the wall, stacked all the way up to the top. Banners hung from the roof, announcing what section of the treasury they were currently located in. Colorful tiles swirled in all sorts of patterns across the floor, reminding Kagome a bit of fireworks. Red emergency lights shone down, casting the entire treasury in a sinister glow.

"As you see Sango, I've taken it upon myself to reorganize." Kagura pointed out. "It's soooooo much easier to find crap now. Before, it would take Sesshy hours to choose a gift to appease my wrath, but now he can just go straight to the 'Bribes' section."

"So what section is for magical objects that can lead to the overthrow of heaven as we know it?" Miroku asked.

"The parts on the map that aren't labelled." Kagura's tone dripped with scorn. "Do you think we would announce just to anyone where they could get the valuable stuff?"

Kagome leaned into Sango, scanning the map she had spread open behind her shoulder. There was very little that Kagura hadn't meretriciously detailed. Just a single spot in the center of the crazy labyrinth that Sess had built to protect his mate. Without Kagura's voice in her ear, she might have just assumed it was an empty room, or a support column or something.

"So you've only got me for a little bit more before you get too far in and the signal kicks out. Right now you're coming in bright and clear in my Scarf section, but that's not going to last long either. So get walking and I'll fill you in."

Sango neatly folded the map up, handing it off to Miroku. "Just a moment. Is the lightening system from my era still in place?"

"Yeah, just in case of times like this when we turn off the electricity."

Walking over to the wall, Sango sliced her claws across the wall, sparks shooting up and across a protrusion from the brick. Flame burst up from the end, before racing across the wall. Similar torches raced down, lightening up their way.

"And while we're prepping, I've got one more thing for you guys..." Kagura trailed off, fiddling with something in the background. Heavy bass suddenly thumped in their ears, an awesome beat chiming in.

"Theme music! And BTW, this is totally going to be the score for your movie. You're welcome in advance. Now get walking! Slo-mo would be best."

Kagome only rolled her eyes, loving and hating her future sister-in-law. "What else do you need to tell us?"

"Right, back to business. The jewel is in the same place it's always been, so Sango knows the way. Kikyo's set off the traps as she's gone along, so you won't have to worry about getting slowed down by those. Unless she's planted something, you should have a pretty uneventful trip to the center."

Why did that sound like a challenge? It was too bad there was no wood around, because Kagome didn't think Sango would appreciate it if she knocked on Miroku's head. "Would she have been able to make it past the traps even with Inuyasha and Souta?"

"Sango, you smell blood?"

Sango took a deep breath. "No."

"Then we're good. Watch out ahead by the way, there should be some swinging axes right about now."

Kagome yelped when Sango suddenly pushed her and Miroku to the ground, a heavy hand on their backs keeping them firmly flat when a blade suddenly swung down.

"Somebody watched Indiana Jones too much." Miroku muttered.

"Somebody needs to shut up if they want to be warned about where to expect a giant, rolling ball!" Kagura snapped back.

"Hurry up." Sango grabbed at their hands, hurrying them along when she judged safe to pass.

"Now that you guys are in my feather collection territory, I would look out for some flames to shoot out, in three, two, one-"

The wall hissed as a line of flames exploded, Sango pushing them out of the way just in time.

"Don't worry about the flames, I set them on the timer mode instead of shuffle for you guys. They only pop out every thirty seconds or so. But, see! This isn't so bad so far, is it?" Kagura asked cheerfully.

Kagome swapped at dirt covering the front of her black shirt. Was it kickass to be messy, or did it just make her look like she needed a bath? "Not yet."

"Great! Hopefully, Kikyo's approach should have made the spikes drop from the ceiling already, so just be careful not to step on them or the poison in the tips will melt your feet off. Also, get Sango to leap you non-demons over the collapsed part in the floor if you don't feel like drowning in an lava pit."

Carefully edging around the pikes littering the floor, Kagome was suddenly grateful all over again for the heavy duty black boots Kagura had presented her with. And she was not going to let herself wonder how Kagura could possibly have built an lava pit with no active volcanoes for miles around. "So what's in the box?"

"Box?" Kagura parroted back, sounding confused.

"Yeah, the one in between the flames, and what looks like your pit." Kagome squinted at the black box sitting in the middle of the hall, firmly between the two traps. It was latched closed, so maybe Kikyo had already beaten it, or it was a few of Kagura's 'sparkly stuff' that had yet to be stored.

"Right on the floor? I would never leave my stuff laying around." Kagura sounded offended. "That's not my box, which means it's Kikyo's. Quick, get back-"

Fire roared out of the wall again, heat searing at their back as the lid to the box slowly creaked open.

A mass of black ooze rose up, writhing and trembling in the air as it molded into the rough shape of a giant man, its skin quivering from the strain of maintaining its form. A pale pink mask hovered over its head, cracked and ugly. Its teeth seemed to snarl at them, its black eyes flat and lifeless.

"Kagura, a giant black...ooze thing just rose up out of the box, with a cracked mask, and-"

"Does it have eyebrows that look like Hitler's mustache?" Kagura interrupted Miroku's description, not caring to let him finish.

...that actually was a pretty good description of slime man's eyebrows. "Uh, yeah."

"Then you guys are dealing with a Mask of Flesh." Kagura informed. "You'll want to kill it by slicing up the mask part into tiny pieces."

Kagome looked to the blades covering Sango and back to the mask, the cracks glinting from a sudden surge of the fire wall. "That sounds way too easy."

"Oh, it's not. If you guys touch any of the slimy bits, you risk getting your flesh melted off and absorbed into its body to make it bigger." Kagura sounded way too cheerful about the possibility of a flesh eating monster. Probably excited to include it in her future movie.

"Fleshhhhhhhhhhh. Fleshhhhhh." The mask moaned, the sound welling up from somewhere buried under the slime.

"I volunteer Miroku!"

Miroku only looked upset when Sango didn't come to his defense against Kagura. "So if Sango's quick enough-"

"Hah, quick has nothing to do with it. Listen before-"

Kagome was barely aware of a whoosh of air before Sango was airborne, the curved blade on her forearm extended and headed straight towards the mask.

Faster then slime should be expected to move, the mask retreated into its body of sludge, its face safely protected when Sango's dagger slowly sank into the black goop instead. Her momentum pushed her arm into the ooze, the rest of her quickly sinking in.

"Sango!" Miroku grabbed for Sango's free arm, yanking hard against the slime determined to drag her in.

"Miko power might be helpful here, Kag." Kagura pointed out. "Hurry before the mask starts eating her flesh and whatnot. She won't be able to slice Kikyo's head off if she doesn't have an arm, after all."

With a flash of fire that didn't come from the wall of flames at their back, Kiara transformed into her giant form, her roar shaking the support columns. She threw herself at the slime monster, the flames at her paws ripping sections of slime away, leaving it sizzling on the ground.

"Ooooo, that works too." Kagura remarked, able to hear Kiara's rage even through the ear mics. "Now while Kiara's clawing that thing to shreds, you can listen before you do anything else."

Purple light lit up Kagome's fingertips, her power rearing up. She wasn't going to refuse free advice if it meant that got them that much faster to Inuyasha and her brother. Besides, if the cracks on the mask was anything to go by, others had tried to cut it apart and failed. She wasn't going to be as rash as Sango. And the quicker they destroyed this thing, the quicker they could move on to more important things: like killing Kikyo.

"Tell me how to kill it."