Aye!

I got a little sick, so this is a little later and shorter than I meant. But next one is already being written and should be out in no time!

Anyway, on to writing the next chapter!

.Rilore.

Kagome awoke to light knocking at her door. A few moments passed before a feminine face poked her head through the second door to Kagome's room. A second later the door and the young girl were shoved aside and the prickly yokai was barging his way in.

"Lord Sesshomaru has ordered you to report to the chambers where the witch is being held. Hurry up before I drag you there," he ground out.

"Fine, but I need to change," Kagome sat up with a yawn. She looked over to see the yokai still standing in her room. "That means leave. Now."

His rage flared as he started taking stomping steps toward her. Asahari quickly ran to intercept.

"Come, Haru! Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't want his guest treated this way. I will take her when she is dressed!" The brash demon gave Kagome one last glare before turning on his heel and walking out.

"What is his problem?" Kagome asked as she began rifling through her new wardrobe.

"He lost his parents to human villagers. I don't think he'll ever see a human as more than the murderers of his family," she said low. Her bright eyes found Kagome. "I'll be waiting just outside!" She bowed and rushed away.

Kagome settled on a pale green kosode. The pattern seemed familiar and she figured it must be a popular design—perhaps a traditional one that made it to the modern era. She looked over the pieces of fabric and thought to call the girl in to help, but her pride won out. She could handle this. Most likely. It took her a minute to understand the differences of what she'd been used to, but she eventually figured it out. She thought back to that young demon as she dressed.

She couldn't say she understood how one single incident could make someone hate an entire species. Although, she's been around that type of thinking ever since she got to this time. And it was always driven by fear. The humans feared for their lives from the demons and vice versa. It was such an awful way to live—always terrified. And there were so many of both, demons and humans around. So much fear just bouncing back and forth between the two.

Can there ever be anything to help them get along? She tied the obi as best she could and made her way to meet Asahari. True to her word, she was right outside the door, patiently waiting with a smile.

"Lady Kagome!" Asahari clapped her hands as she looked the Miko up and down. "You look amazing!"

"Thanks. I'm not really used to this stuff," Kagome answered a little embarrassed. She knew it was crooked in some spots and the sash was definitely a little off.

The young woman just giggled, but before they started walking, she bent over to straighten the sash. "You did great. I think this just needs to be a little tighter is all. Wouldn't want it opening suddenly." That made Kagome's cheeks don a very embarrassed pink.

"I would dig a hole and bury myself in it if that happened."

"Lady Kagome!" Asahari scolded with a friendly tone.

After her sash was melded to her waist, they set off.

"Do you know what happened to the witch?" Kagome asked.

"No. I'm not given such information. I am only in charge of tending to the spaces I'm assigned." Kagome nodded at that. As they descended the stairs, she could feel her nerves start to fray. What was she walking into? Would Sesshomaru expect her to help with the interrogation? He did say they would do it together after all. Could she somehow avoid it?

As soon as they rounded the corner to the main entranceway, she could see Sesshomaru talking with the older yokai she had seen the day before. He was nodding along to whatever Sesshomaru had been saying. As she approached, the older yokai gave her a short bow before leaving.

"Kenjiro will be the one to inform Inuyasha of your presence. We, however, will be departing earlier than expected," Sesshomaru said as he turned to her. His gaze stiffened. Kagome felt her embarrassment hit her all over again.

Next time, she'll just ask Asahari to help her put the thing on. It's not like she never put a kimono on before, and the kosodes weren't all that different. She just normally had her mother to help her out or her friends. They'd help each other. It was a precious moment amongst women to tie and pull and fix. She felt a small pang at the memories. It wasn't just her mother that she lost, but her friends from school, too. She knew she didn't see them much, but they were her connection to her own time.

It was a difficult reminder that she was lost to the future forever. She'll never know if they got married, had children, or accomplished their dreams. Have they thought about her? Do they miss her just as much as she missed them?

Kagome closed her eyes to the onslaught of emotions that threatened to pull her under. She will not fall to them. Not now. Toga's admonishing gaze played across her whirling pain as she began to center herself. A breath later the misery was gone. She gave a mental thank you to her former teacher before finding the cold gaze of his son.

Sesshomaru was definitely going to have a talk with whoever supplied her with the clothing. He expected them to rifle through his mother's things or even some of the women who worked here. He never expected them to bring Izayoi's clothing out from its storage. He still wasn't even entirely sure why he kept it, but it wasn't for this. Did they assume that she was this close to Inuyasha to wear his mother's clothing?

Complete fools.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome stared at his unblinking glare. Was he irritated that she didn't know how to dress herself?

"The witch gave us the ritual location," he began, ignoring her questioning look. "You were not here so I gathered the information myself. She informed me that the others would already be there. We need to leave now."

"Oh," she mused, looking over at the demon lord. "Shouldn't you be able to take them out on your own?"

"You will be useful," he replied before taking off. Kagome fell in step behind him, a little stunned by his honest admission. She hadn't been expecting that. If she was looking at the situation as a whole, she hadn't been expecting any of this. She was completely out of her depth amongst the demons and the Lord of the Western Lands himself.

Kagome caught up with him easily which made her wonder if he had slowed his pace for her or not. He pointed to the space beside him once more.

"Can't we take Ah-Un?" She pleaded. Her feet didn't move, much to Sesshomaru's annoyance. He had noticed her discomfort earlier as he lifted them further into the air, but he thought she had grown accustomed to the mode of travel. Perhaps not. But, if that was so, then she was going to make things quite difficult for him. Jaken had left that morning under his orders. A task very different to the one he had originally been planning for him.

"We do not have the time. Would you endanger more humans by delaying us?" That got her attention. Her eyes took on a sudden glowing resolve as she glided towards him. Her feet settled next to him and he urged his yokai out to form his cloud. She felt the sudden urge to sneeze the moment she straightened.

They lifted into the air at a faster pace than before. Her eyes closed as her nose began to sting. She tried to hold it in. The wind seemed to push against her skin more violently than before.

Kagome felt the jolt of the cloud she stood on as they shot through the air. The stinging in her nose sent a shiver down her spine. She felt her body lurch to the side as she threw her hands up to finally give in to the torturous sneeze. The sensation completely left her as she realized she was bounding over the side of the cloud.

Her hands immediately grabbed at the nearest thing she could get a hold of. Her fingers slid around something hard before it loosened entirely with a loud metal whoosh and Kagome was tumbling away from Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru felt his side being tugged a moment before the human woman went barreling toward the ground at an impressive speed—with the Bakusaiga. He moved to obtain the woman, but as he watched her fall, he decided against interfering. She flailed like a beheaded yokai. Her grip did not loosen around the sword, though.

He paused his ascent to watch her tumble in the air. She was screaming at a demonic volume as her legs flipped over her face yet again. Huh.

It was almost entertaining. She was now mere seconds from the forest floor as she continued yelling incoherently. He waited for her reiki to burst forth, but it didn't happen. His eyes widened briefly she was only a breath away from her sure demise. He was so sure she'd catch herself. His hand flexed as he prepared to form his cloud beneath her form. It would absorb the majority of her impact—barely.

A green light flashed around her. Her descent faltered until she was lying on her back in the dirt. Her hands clung to the glowing sword as it hummed with life. Her body hovered and then began to float back toward the weapon's creator. Sesshomaru watched in pure disbelief.

Bakusaiga saved her. He glanced at his hand. Was it him? Or, was the sword acting of its own accord?

A dazed Kagome gently floated toward the cloud and was deposited next to a stony-faced demon. She looked up at him and smiled despite the fear that still rattled her bones from the fate she had been so close to.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru," she said hoarsely. She hadn't screamed like that in some time. She was so certain that she was going to be a Miko pancake, but then the sword whispered to her. It wasn't words exactly, but a thought, a feeling. It told her that Sesshomaru wouldn't let her die. It was calming.

His clawed hand reached out with an unreadable expression. She almost put her hand in his before she realized what he was asking for. She shoved the sword in his palm and he resheathed it in one graceful motion. The cloud beneath her took off, but there was no jolt this time. It smoothly skitted along, allowing her to stand easily and gain a sense of balance.

She had no idea that his sword could be used like that. It had used one of Sesshomaru's abilities with her as if it was a true extension of him. Although, she guessed that was probably an understatement. The sword was literally made from his body. She glanced over at him, but his eyes were steeled on the distance ahead.

Kagome had no idea how close she truly came to perishing, for the Great Demon Lord had no idea the sword from his own body could react in such a way. She tried to use her own powers to save herself, but they didn't listen. Her reiki had taken a sudden holiday as she was falling to her death. It was a mystery that she'd have to ponder later.

For just a moment, Sesshomaru allowed himself to wonder if he would be able to save her. He was sure that she would have saved herself. The limits of her powers are perhaps greater than he expected. He will have to refrain from further experiments until he understands her further.

A twinge of what could only be irritation shot through him. She should have saved herself. After training with his father for years, she should have been better equipped to handle that situation.

Although he hadn't expected much from her, he assumed she was stronger than she was letting on. Perhaps it was the opposite. Her comment on training with Toga had to have been misleading. Toga could have felt sorry for the human woman and offered a handful of training encounters, but nothing more.

Although if that was what happened how did she become so familiar with his personal philosophies? He didn't like these unknowns. As soon as the witches were dealt with, she was his next priority. He'd get her to tell him everything. And if she tried to keep any secrets from him, he'd employ every method possible to pull them out of her.

A darkened energy licked its way against the edge of his senses as they closed in on the ritual location. This must be the dark magic at play, pushing everything away. As they neared, a familiar sight began to take hold.

"A barrier?!" Kagome gasped as she saw the dense ooze of energy encircling the land just ahead. Fog rolled around the area in heavy blankets, obscuring the forest they traversed. He slowed their trek and raised the cloud higher, but the fog seemed to only follow them. He continued to fly, but it wouldn't budge.

"Lord Sesshomaru. Take us closer if you can. I should be able to break the barrier."

"The fog is clinging to us," he commented. "Prepare your arrow. I will bring us down. We should have a better view from the ground." Sesshomaru maneuvered them toward the ground as Kagome readied herself. They began their descent.

Time passed slowly as they continued to close in on the forest they just entered. Minutes passed, but there was still nothing in sight besides the fog.

"Something's wrong." Kagome looked around with furrowed brows and thinned lips as she tried to make anything out in the dense fog surrounding them.

"Maybe we should try an overhead approach," Kagome mused aloud. Sesshomaru seemed to take her suggestion to heart as she felt the shift in air on the cloud. They began to rise. And rise. And rise. More time passed and they weren't any closer to seeing the sky, or the barrier.

"Hn," a noise came from Sesshomaru as he contemplated their current obstacle. What would happen if Kagome simply shot an arrow in several directions? Surely she could hit something at a certain point.

Kagome knocked an arrow and aimed beneath them.

"What are you planning?" He asked.

"I can sense them. If I aim toward them, the arrow should hit the mark," she explained.

"And if the humans are nearby?" Sesshomaru mentioned.

"The arrow won't hit them," was all she said. He eyed her warily. She was not advanced enough to utter such promises, but he couldn't help the instant spell of trust he felt over her words. It was the confidence that lay at the foundation of her comment.

She pulled back and the wood bowed with her strength. She felt the tug of her reiki answering her call. Where were you a little bit ago, she wondered but drew her focus back to the task at hand. She released the arrow as the string snapped back into place. It whipped through the air spreading a pink haze with it. It shot through the fog finally showing the edge of the dark barrier. It oozed with evil energy.

Her arrow stuck itself halfway through the rippling waves and for a second, she thought she had failed. A flash of pink split down the shell, sending cracks across the barrier surface. It shattered ahead of them, taking the greedy fog with it.

"Nice!" Kagome squealed with joy. She actually did it! Sesshomaru began to drift toward the ground. The moment it was close, she lept off of his cloud, using her reiki to slow her descent. It was a test, but she could feel her reiki just under the surface, waiting to be used. She floated down the last couple of feet easily. So, what in the world was up with her powers earlier? Maybe her fear just got in the way?

"This way," Sesshomaru said. He was already walking toward the location of the witches. Kagome rushed to fall in step beside him as they trudged through the thinly forested area.

Soft humming sounded just ahead as they saw the group of humans. They were huddled at the side of a rocky hill. A nearby rock, just in front of them, was smooth and held a crystalized form. It was massive with shadows jetting around inside as if it held evil spirits. It didn't feel evil, but there was something off about the thing. Kagome turned to Sesshomaru who hadn't stopped. He stood before two women now.

They looked nearly identical to the other witch besides minor age differences. Were they all sisters? Kagome stayed a few feet behind Sesshomaru just in case. She didn't doubt he would be able to handle the situation, but she would be able to take care of any surprises.

"You have drawn blood unnecessarily in my lands," Sesshomaru began icily. "For this, you will both die."

Man of few words, and even less patience, Kagome mused to herself.

"Too late," the older-looking witch chuckled.

"Far too late," the other one mimicked. Her empty eyes found mine as a grin took over her features. Any thoughts of her beauty vanished with one motion. Her face twisted into a mask of pure hatred—a gleeful anger of a being.

A shimmer of power flew toward Sesshomaru and Kagome. It nearly knocked the air from her lungs as she took a step back. What in the world was that? She looked at Sesshomaru. He had turned slightly to stare at the crystal thing. Kagome followed his line of sight to see that it was melting at a very rapid rate. Its form oozed down the rock and pooled in a shimmering mess at the base.

The shadows within seemed to meld together.

"Prepare yourself," Sesshomaru shot her way before bounding forward. His poison whip thrashed at the witches, but they vanished. Kagome looked around, expecting to find them running away. Sesshomaru leaped away from where he had been standing and landed next to Kagome. He landed without a single noise of presence.

"They melted," he said.

"Ex–Excuse me?!" Kagome shot him a look.

"Rather instantly," he continued as if she didn't speak. "They are forming with that being. Release the humans and guide them away. I will deal with what is forming."

She was about to argue but as she looked at the group, she saw their terrified expressions.

"I thought they were going to sacrifice them," Kagome mumbled low. What exactly was happening here? This wasn't playing out how she imagined at all.

"Whatever being that was in the crystalline casket is the true leader. I believe those humans are the sacrifice for once it awakens."

"So we got here too late. If we were any sooner, we could have stopped the witches from raising whatever that thing is."

Kagome didn't get an answer. He just continued to stare at the writhing mass of liquid on the ground. She was feeling less than impressed with the oozy mess. All of the sacrifices for a gooey puddle. Sometimes demons were just plain awful.

She ran to the shaking forms of the humans.

"Hi, please don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. Is anyone badly injured?"

They stared at her wide-eyed, unmoving. A young boy waltzed forward. He was trembling and his eyes were puffy, but he did his best to look brave.

"No one's seriously hurt. Can we really leave? They w–won't come after us?" He asked. His voice was soft as he spoke.

"No," Kagome lowered her voice to match his low tones. "That guy over there is the strongest in the whole western lands. He'll take care of them. He traveled really far to save all of you. Right now, we need to get out of here. He won't be able to slay the demons if we are around to distract him."

The boy and several of the others glanced toward Sesshomaru with questioning looks.

"Is he a demon?" one of the older women asked.

"Do you know where you are? How far is your village?" She asked instead of answering the woman's question. It was obvious he wasn't human. The question only meant to argue on whose side he was on most likely, and Kagome didn't feel like standing here and debating that.

This time, one of the older men pushed forward.

"I know. We're days away from our village, but I know how to get there," he said and everyone seemed to nod along with him.

"Please, lead the way," Kagome motioned and she didn't have to say it twice. In a huge rush of bodies, everyone was nearly running away into the forest. Kagome glanced back at Sesshomaru who stood before the rippling puddle. Would he really be alright?

She brushed those thoughts away and took off after the villagers. It only took an hour before they found a main path. The dirt was smoothed and free of trees. The older man turned to Kagome as the group rushed forward, a feeling of safety seeming to finally overtake them.

"We can handle ourselves from here. You may want to return to your friend."

"Are you sure? I don't mind sticking around a little longer," she assured him.

"It's alright. The witches spoke as if the creature they were bringing to life was a huge and terrifying being. I don't doubt your friend, but I would feel better if two took on this evil," he smiled down at her. For a second, Kagome felt the rush of familiarity at his smile. He reminded her of Miroku. He was kind and gentle, but there was understanding and knowledge behind those warm eyes.

"Please take care," Kagome gave a quick nod before turning around.

"Be safe!" a small voice yelled in her direction. She turned to see the young boy waving. She returned his wave before continuing her return trek.

She did her best to remember where to go from, but even her sense of direction wasn't that good. Kagome wandered until she found the smallest whisper of Sesshomaru's yokai. She took off in that direction hoping that the threat was able to be handled easily.

His yokai seemed to be nearing her position faster than she anticipated; Which had to mean that he was on his way to her. She let out a little breath of relief. The demonic thing must have been pretty easy to deal with after all.

And then there was something else in the air. A cold, hollow energy was nearby. It didn't feel like a demon, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. It just felt wrong.

She stopped moving and closed her eyes to concentrate. It was definitely some sort of energy and it was coming right for her. Just a little further back she could sense Sesshomaru, but he was still a decent ways away. It was almost here. So close. She was going to have to stand her ground.

Kagome swallowed. She breathed in. She breathed out. And then she waited.