Summary: A foreboding aura lingered in that town, saturating all it touched. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ignore it. Horrible visions plague her, the impact growing worse with each one. She can't escape it, but she certainly didn't expect some of the kids she tutored to be directly involved, either. Kagome can't help but feel in over her head this time around…

Pairing: Billy/Kagome

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners!

Prologue

A rumble of static caused her head to spin. A splitting pain stabbed into her mind, and she lifted both hands to instinctively clutch at her head. The pressure doubled as the jewel hanging around her neck began to shine with an uncanny brightness.

She crouched on the ground, back pressed against the wall behind her. She felt something trying to claw its way into her mind, trying to burst down the multiple barriers she'd put up to guard herself. It was like nails puncturing deep, growing more feverish when another barrier replaced the one torn through. She reeled her breathing back under control, and, once she had, she forced the pressure away.

Her eyes opened, dark lashes giving way to eyes the color of precious gemstones. Silver flakes lingered in pools of blue. The world around her was distorted. She looked up at the sky. It appeared the same, but it was far from it. It was dark, much darker.

She closed her eyes, and, when she opened them again, the world was back to how it was supposed to be. The ache finally faded, and she felt like she could breathe again. The shine around the jewel faded. She let her hands land on the ground, chest ratting in a shaky breath as she felt his gaze fall to settle on her. The heat behind it was impossible to ignore.

"It's happened again." It was no question, nor was it meant to come across as one. Kagome couldn't find the words to say, so she wordlessly nodded in response. The unease she felt was slow to fade, even as she met his golden eyes with her own. They were cold on the surface, but beneath them, she could see the faint presence of concern. It was far easier to place in his aura than it was to see. "How long did it last?"

At once she knew what he was asking. She looked down when she realized that she didn't have an answer for it. She had no idea how long she'd endured it this time. "I'm… not sure," she responded automatically. "It started with the static and it just got worse."

It always started with the static, and then it grew in waves. The pressure increased little by little until it felt like hammering within her skull. She didn't know the reason behind it, but she knew what it wanted.

It wanted access to her mind. To her memories. To the shadows she kept locked away. To both her and the jewel.

It hurt far worse than ever before. It was getting more persistent, and she couldn't anticipate how heavy it would be anymore. She expected the worst, but each time was far worse than the last. She couldn't prepare herself when it grew in urgency each time, and she was left even more unraveled after every time.

"I know if…" If she were to lower her barriers, then the being behind this would be revealed. She would be able to see them; to hear them; to touch them. The thought made her stomach flip. She didn't want to risk it though. She didn't want to risk letting whatever it was have access to the recesses of her mind. If she did, and it overpowered her, there was no telling what the aftermath would be. She wasn't willing to be the one who figured it out, either, so that left her with the solutions at hand.

They weren't ideal, but they were all she had.

"..." Her thoughts went to the jewel, and her frown deepened. She knew, very well, the likeliness of it being after the jewel and that it was attempting to use her as a way to hone in on its location. She didn't like how it'd react when these assaults happened, either. It was almost like it was calling out in response, but not quite. It brought about a new reaction from it- one she wasn't familiar with. It left her feeling uneasy.

"Can you stand?"

At first, his question seemed as if it had merely fallen on deaf ears. She didn't move- she didn't even seem to react until a few long seconds dragged by. She blinked once, twice, thrice, before she slowly picked her head up. A faint nod followed as she pushed herself up onto shaky legs. She reached to dust the back of her pants off, a sigh falling from her lips. Not long after she was back on her own two feet, the school bell rang. At once, she darted her attention up to Sesshoumaru.

"It's already this late?" she asked, taken aback by the realization. Just how long had it been?

As they stood in the empty room she'd ducked into to hide during the onslaught in her mind, the hallways grew louder as the school day came to its end. Though the door was still shut, it was impossible to ignore the bustling hallways. A grimace stained her expression.

She dreaded the thought of finally going out into the mass of bodies swarming the halls. Her lack of eagerness was swiftly noticed by her silver-haired companion. She glanced at him, shoulders heaving slightly.

"I've got a major headache after all that," she stated. She saw no reason to lie, after all. Not only that, but she was wary that another wave of it would wash over her at any second. She didn't think she could take it right now. Sesshoumaru nodded, seeming to understand her reaction and blatant hesitation.

He didn't rush her. He leaned against the closed door until the sound on the other side faded to nothing but sporadic waves. Once the majority of the noise had drifted out, he reached to open the door. At the same time, he glanced her way.

"Come," he stated. It was a demand, and she fell into step behind him. Something g persisted within his aura. Amber eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he turned away. Even after he had, she knew he was focused on her. "I have things to do, but I'll see to it that you get home safe, at least."

Kagome stepped out into the hall, half a beat behind him. Her head tilted in a slight nod. Her long, raven locks partially fell over her shoulder, providing her face with some sort of shield. It wasn't perfect, but it helped to block out some of the buzzing overhead lights.

Fresh air hit her the moment they stepped outside, and she paused to savor the caress of it against her face. She hadn't realized it while she was inside, but her skin had warmed. The cool air hitting it made her realize just how hot she'd gotten.

After a moment, she reemerged from her mind to note Sesshoumaru waiting for her at the end of the sidewalk. She caught up, and they soon reached the parked car. She circled around to the passenger's side, pausing with her hand lingering on the door handle.

Eyes glued to her turned back stole her attention swiftly. She gave it a second or two to try and brush it off as a coincidence, but after giving it plenty of time for it to fade away, to no avail, she felt a frown pull at her lips. She turned to search out the source of the stare. It didn't take long to find it- not when the parking lot had emptied considerably already.

Her eyes met a pair that watched her over the distance. When she made eye contact, he still didn't look away. He was leaning against the driver's side of his car, arms folded over his chest as he stood there. If not for her senses, she would have assumed he was looking at something behind her, but…- She knew that wasn't the case.

His hair, a color close to dirty blond, fell to his shoulders with faint curls. He was dressed mostly in denim, with jeans and a denim jacket over a plain white shirt. She recognized him, but he was someone she'd never spent a day in her life interacting with.

Kagome allowed herself to hold his stare for a few more seconds before she finally looked away. Sesshoumaru had noticed her hold-up, but she moved before he could so much as mention it. She turned from him, opened the door, and slid inside.

She pushed the thoughts of him away, closing her eyes and resting the back of her head against the headrest, exhaling softly.

She was exhausted, and a nap was desperately calling her name. They hadn't even made it out of the parking lot before her consciousness faded from her.

Auroua-chan: I've been working on this for a while now so I'm happy to have it ready to post.

Kagome and Billy will make for an interesting pairing, but she can balance him out well. At the very least, it won't be a dull dynamic between them.

That's all for now! Thank you for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~