Author's Note: Sorry for the delay but my whole house came down with the flu. Then if that wasn't bad enough, both my boys came down with the chickenpox right as they were getting over the flu... my poor babies... their miserable but surprisingly still in decent moods. Yay for happy children!

Hope you guys enjoy and please review!

Chapter 2

The Shrine ground pulsed with energy as the Tree of Ages began dropping its green leafs in an attempt to protect the property that had served it so long and lovingly. A shimmering barrier spurted around the giant tree but it faltered.

The grounds were too vast for the might tree to protect completely. Instead it focused its barrier around its form and that of the living quarters of its caretakers. It would do its very best protect the house so long as its own life wasn't jeopardized.

Barriers shimmered into life around the house and tree as the stone wall that surrounded the property exploded, sending rubble and rust flying into the air. The old well house collapsed as the rubble shot threw the thin walls.

Several more explosions rang echoed through the air before an ominous silence fell over the ground.

Minutes passed and the dust settled before a long hairy leg hesitantly stepped over the ruined wall. When nothing occurred, the creature cautiously took another step forward… then another until it stood in the center of courtyard.

It enormous black 3-segmented body was cover in fine hairs as it quacked with some sort of pent up emotion. Its eight legs were bent, prepared to spring as it multiple eyes searched over the empty ground and its long, powerful pincher dripped with poison that sizzled on the cobblestone.

Remain still as a statue for several long moments; it relaxed some before it opened its mouth a let out a high pitched screech. Before bloodcurdling noise fully died the creature's call was answered by many more, filling the air with dread before several more similar but smaller creatures crept over the ruined wall.

They'd felt a different breeze playing on their webs, drawing them out of their shadows. Somehow, they knew it would lead them to this place that was forbidden to them. The Two of Fire resided here but not now.

Coals. Flames. Burning fields. Smoke.

That was the scent-taste of the Two of Fire and though it hung heavily in the air, it was fading. Had it not been such an oddity, the slight fading would have been over looked but the scent-taste never faded from this Forbidden Ground.

The Two of Fire would often travel from this ground; taking prey and killing their brethren. The flames had driven them into the shadows.

Now though, with a calling on the breeze and the Two of Fire's scent-taste fading the largest creature used it fine black hairs along in back to feel the direction the breeze came from as her brood claimed the land. It wasn't long before everything save two was covered in glistening white thread.

However she could not find herself care to care about the unmarred things as she turned her intelligent eyes on the archway. The summing breeze came from there.

Hissing her delight, the majority of her young of held back; guarding their newly acquired land, as she moved towards archway. Without hesitation she stepped through the archway and began her descend into an unknown, yet appetizing world.

…

"Okay," Yusuke stated. Since breakfast was over, everyone had moved outside. Yasuhiro played with Hariko, a forest sprit that lived at the Compound while Keiko and Yukina did the dishes.

"Let me get this. You guys were missing with an artifact that ended up sucking you into a different dimension. Roughly 80 years passed for you guys and you had no one but each other for company…. Oh and mindless demon-like things that that wanted to eat you," the Mazoku summarized.

When Hiei nodded in response Kuwabara looked over at Kagome.

"Man… I feel sorry for you. Short-stuff ain't that most talkative guy out there," the carrot-top joked with friendliness. "Well, I guess I can't call you shorty anymore huh?" He directed his last comment at the glaring fire apparition. Hiei now reached just below his chin.

Kagome giggled softly. "He wasn't too bad."

"What was the artifact you guys were after?" Kurama questioned with a gleam in his eye. Not everything was adding up in his mind. He knew of many powerful artifacts but none that was powerful enough to suck a person into a separate dimension without setting alarms off in Reikai.

Hiei's eyes flickered over the redheaded avatar before he growled lightly under his breath. "We never discovered the name." He knew it would be Kurama who would question their story and find any holes in it that they'd somehow overlooked. "It was destroyed when it pulled us into its dimension."

"I see." Kurama replied. "Tell me, why were you after this artifact?"

"I was not after the artifact but Kagome," Hiei glanced at his female who gave him a warm smile.

"Ah… Hiei, you were after me way back then," Kagome cooed as she slipped her arms around his chest and nuzzled his jawline. "You know how to make a girl feel special."

He glared half-heartedly at his intended but Hiei arm snaked around her body; his hand resting on her lower back, holding her to him. "Hn."

Kurama couldn't keep his eyes from narrowing slightly at the couple's interaction but he quickly hid it as he redirected his question towards Kagome. He watched as the female's eyes narrowed at him before she buried her face into the Hiei's shoulder before stepping away from him.

Giving the fox a secretive smile, Kagome answered; "I don't believe that's any of your concern." Then she was gone.

Everyone blinked.

"Where'd she go?" Kuwabara questioned as he looked around. "I can't sense her."

"Hn," was all Hiei said on the matter. "Any more questions while I'm in a talkative mood?"

Yusuke blinked before frowning. "Yeah, when did you stop wearing the wards around your dragon and eye?"

Hiei stopped himself from rolling eyes. Trust the Detective to change the subject to something more trivial. "Around 40 years ago."

"So you've got complete control over them now?" Kuwabara ventured.

"Obviously Oaf."

…

Kagome flittered through the forest heading back towards Little Edo.

She couldn't wait for Hiei. She'd waited long enough to find her family and she wasn't going to wait any longer. Hiei would catch up when he was finished.

Her brother had been 16 when they'd been forced from this world. Now he'd be 24 and all grown up. That thought her made tears gather in her eyes.

She had missed so much of his life…

Quickly she brushed her tears away. That didn't matter though; she was going to be there for him now.

Her mother would be over 50 now and she chuckled lightly. That was a weird thought considering she herself was now over 100 years old. Kagome wondered how much they'd changed.

Had her mother finally found a man? Was her brother an ace soccer player like he'd always dreamed of becoming?

So much time had pasted inside that other world Kagome originally thought she'd never see them again. With Hiei's support she had come to terms with that fact but now, knowing that only 8 years had passed she struggled to remember them.

Years ago she given up hope and shoved their memories to the deepest recess of her mind, letting new memories take their place. Now a deep guilt settled over her. She should have never let her family's memory fade.

Kagome's foot touched a tree branch, preparing to spring her forward when it caught. She was able to catch the branch with her hands before she complete lost her balance. A quiet cruse slipped past her lips as she glared at her caught foot.

A frown tugged at her lips. At first glance she saw nothing that should of caused her delay and she was about to continue when something caught her eye. It was a small refection of light that shouldn't be played on the bark of the tree.

With a curious frown, her fingers brushed against the bark. It was sticky yet silky and when she pulled her fingers back the substance stuck to her fingers revealing a thin string.

Her curiosity was quickly replaced with an uncomfortable realization. It was a spider's web. Looking around her, she realized her mistake. Spider webs danced all around her.

How could that be possibly? This was the same route her and Hiei had taken this morning and there hadn't been any signs of spiders.

Easily, she increased her body heat she watched as the web melted from her body, freeing herself. The webs would alert their creator of her presence.

Quickly and silently, she moved to another tree caution of disturbing any more webs. Crouching low in the foliage of the tree for camouflage, she watched the spot where she had disturbed the webs originally.

Several minutes passed and nothing happened. She was about to continue forward when she heard a rustle of leafs. Still as a statue, she scarcely breathed as a large eight-legged insect descended down the tree she had previously been in.

Its beady eyes examined the branch she had been caught on before giving a light hiss of annoyance. Finding its prey gone, it retreated back from where it came from.

Inhaling deeply before releasing it, Kagome calmed herself. She hated spiders with a passion that burned hotter then Hiei's Hell Flames.

Straightening, she couldn't help the shiver of disgust that raked her body. She needed to get back to Hiei and warn him. Moving to return to her intended, she paused as a thick, clear goo landed on the leafage in front of her before the foliage began to sizzle.

Her dark blue eyes wide as a soft hiss came from above her. Whipping her head upwards, a soft, threatening growl escaped her throat as her eyes narrowed into dangerous slit.

Above her, a large spider glared down at her. Its beady eyes gleamed with a deadly amusement.

Kagome gave the spider a cruel smile as her hand wrapped around the hilt of her Katana. "So you found me… great," she mumbled sarcastically. She recognized this creature. It had a missing a front leg that she had removed years ago.

But that led to another disturbing question. How were the creatures from the Jewel's Realm entering the real world?

Suddenly, the spider lunged.

…

"Yeah, yeah… I coming," Yusuke growled as he picked up the beeping communication device that Botan had refused to take back. Though, secretly, he felt an excited rush every time it went off. It gave him a chance to deviate from his normal routine.

Flipping open the device, his rather rude greeting fell from his tongue as Koenma's image was fuzzy.

"What's wrong?" the Mazoku demanded, catching everyone's attention.

The Prince voice was broken as he answered. "Multiple unkn… energies… your locat… somehow they're inter… communications…" That was all Koenma was able to relay before his image became nothing but white noise.

Yusuke looked up from the device and into the worried face of his companions.

Surprisingly, it was Hiei hope spoke up first. "Where's you boy Detective?"

His brown eyes darkened. "He's outside…" With that simply sentence, Yusuke's face transformed from determination to something close to pure horror. "Shit!"

Making a mad dash for the door, a terrified scream pierced the air just as the Mazoku nearly ripped the door from its track. The others followed behind him, however, it was Hiei who caught him by that back of the shirt and stopped him from jumping off the patio.

"What the fuck?" Yusuke demanded around a snarl, his tribal marks being to appear.

Hiei released him. "Look," he gestured to the area in front on him.

"I don't see anything," Kuwabara said, blinking as he looked for what Hiei was seeing.

Kurama stepped forward. "Spider webs?" he questioned before his nose twitched. "It's poisonous."

"Hn."

Rounding on Hiei, the Mazoku grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulling the hybrid closer to him. "What about my son mister-know-it-all? He's out there!" With his free hand he gestured passed the poisonous web that wrapped around the Compound.

Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously at the rough treatment. "Remove your hand Yusuke," he hissed lowly, never breaking eye contact with the nearly enraged half-demon.

Kuwabara tried saying something but Yusuke's snarl cut him off.

"We don't have time for this." Pulling out of Yusuke grip, Hiei sent him a nasty look before turning his attention to the others. "You two stay here protect the females. Don't let them out, especially Yukina, the toxins aren't good for her children."

Kuwabara and Kurama nodded before disappearing inside. Only then did Hiei look back at the now fully transformed Mazoku.

"Stay close and deal with heat. It going to be the only way to get to your boy," Hiei informed Yusuke before he raised his body temperature until ghosts of a flames dance around his form.

Unprepared for the sudden, intense heat that came off of Hiei, Yusuke instinctively cover his face with his arms and took an involuntary step back. He hadn't felt flames this hot since the Dark Tournament when he had a front row seat when Hiei unleashed the Dragon of the Darkness Flame.

It took him a second for his body to adjust to the heat and he was able to drop his arms. He expected a cocky smirk or at least a smartass remark from the hybrid so he was surprise when Hiei said nothing, though his eyes seemed to gleam with determination.

"Hn, keep up," Hiei stated before he turned towards the innocent looking yard. As he leapt from the porch, webs that were nearly invisible to the eye burst into flames. Yusuke was hot on his heels.