Be there for me

Kagome looked back the way she had come, and let out a little growl from deep inside her throat. 'Great, just great. Now I'm lost.' she thought to herself as she took stock of her surroundings. At least she wasn't being attacked by any demons or roving gangs of bandits. Without her bow, the best she could do was try to purify her attackers, and she was sure that her fate as mincemeat would be served before that could happen. Sometimes she just felt so utterly helpess and stupid.



'Come on Kagome, think positive. Positive. Ok, so your lost. Just sit down and wait for Inuyasha or someone to come find you.'



Letting out her frustrations with one long sigh, the miko settled down under a tree and leaned her head against the hard trunk. She was about to nod off when something sent a chill down her spine. She didn't know how she knew, but somehow Kagome knew that she was being watched. A slight breeze touched her, doubling the low temperature of the chill that she felt. Standing now, looking around her nervously, Kagome sought a stick or branch, something to defend herself with.



Spotting an idea stick about three or four feet away, she headed over and bent down to pick it up. Her hands settled around it, then she just froze. There was something, or someone, standing directly behind her, mere feet away. She could feel the demonic aura swirling around this person, or demon. It was very strong, very familiar, and very scary at the same time. She took a calming breath to steady herself, then turned around to confront whomever it was that had sought her. Whatever breath she had managed to inhale escaped her in a sudden gasp, leaving her breathless.



His purple barrier was the first thing she noticed, basking him in a warm, and at the same time, cold glow. Then it was his white, cotton like hair, followed by his short stature, and the simple white outfit he wore with the buttons, and his pale skin and face. Finally, his eyes, matching the color of his barrier, round and menacing. Although by physical apperance along he seemed less intimidating than Naraku, somehow Kagome always found Hakidoshi to be much more fear inspiring. Perhaps it was because of his lack of physical intimidation that she feared him more than Naraku, for with the past experiences, he was just as strong, if not stronger, than his master.



Hakidoshi remained impassive as he watched his prey react to his presence. She seemed frozen to the spot, unable or unwilling to move. He could see the beginning of sweat forming on her head, and he decided to break the moment of meeting. He did have a limited amount of time, after all, in which he could act.



"Kagome Higurashi. It's been far too long, my dear priestess." he greeted her, addressing her with full name and rank, in his tinny child-like voice. He could see that the miko shivered slightly as he spoke.



Kagome felt suprise that the little demon monster actually knew her full name, but there were more..errr...important things going on at the moment than to worry about such a trivial detail. She summed up her courage and decided to reply to his statement.



"Hakidoshi. What, pray tell, brings a slimeball like you to these parts?" Kagome shivered, suprised that she would speak such words to him without her bow and arrow present. She almost wondered whether or not she had a deathwish or something of the sort.



He wondered the same thing as he internally glowered at her question. As much as he would have liked to, he didn't have the time to break down her defiance and will. Casting her with an almost regretful glare as he thought about the fun that he was tossing out the window, he pointed a single finger in her direction.



Moments later Kagome felt herself flying backwards through the air, landing back first against the hard trunk of a tree about ten feet away. Stars exploded in her vision as her head rebounded off the trunk, and she slid down the bark to rest at the base of the tree. Taking a moment for her mind to partially clear, she looked up through heavy eyelids to see the little brat coming closer to her.



She had to do something to stall for time, perhaps to give her a chance to run away. It was at that time that she remembered that the stick was still in her hand. Charing it with her spiritual energies of purification, she threw it as accuratly as she could at the little brat. It merely hit his barrier though, and dissolved without any apparent effect.



"Oh, a game is it? My turn." said Hakidoshi. Smiling, he summoned to himself his own little branch, and charged it with a special energy of his own. Kagome stood up, and started to run away. Still smiling, he threw the stick at her.



His aim was good and true, and the glowing stick connected with the miko's back, discharging it's electrical energy through-out her body. Kagome screamed into the forest as her nerves reacted to the presence of the elecricity within her body. She hit the ground rough and hard, and laid there for a few moment, twitching uncontrollably. She could also feel her breaths coming in ragged gasps as her internal organs were also affected. If not for the pure pain and sensations in her system, she would have blacked out immediatly.



Instead, she just lay there, looking at the base of another tree, her hair layed out about her head, her body stretched out behind her, some parts of the skin looking sunburned and tanned, while other parts remained pale, with a bed of steam rising from her skin.



Hakidoshi looked pleased with himself. The miko's brain was scrambled, but not damaged. Any moment now the pain would subside and she would black out, leaving him free to take the girl away to his lair.



* * *



Inuyasha lifted the tree off his body tenderly, and proceeded to stand up out of the crater. He was getting awfully tired of her using these goddamn beads all the time. He didn't like being treated in such a way, and he damned sure didn't like being tied around anyone's little finger. For one of the very few times that he ever thought so, he cursed Kaede for what she had done to him. There were times, he admitted, that the beads did good for him, but more often than not, they were used as a means for Kagome to get her way with him. To either shut him up for the win to their arguement, or to punish him for something he had done, or simply because she felt like it.



Inuyasha sulked around the base of the fallen tree for a while longer before clearing his mind. He intended to make his way back to camp and wait for a while. If Kagome didn't make her back, then he would go out to look for her. If nothing else, the time alone should give her the chance to clear her thoughts, and let her change the attitude she exhibited towards him.



His left ear twitched up, just then, as he detected a subtle yet present sound vibration in the air around him. He went perfectley still as he tried to determine the source of what he was hearing. The sound had a distinct metal clack to it, and seemed to be coming somewhere from above him, in the branches of a nearby tree. The danger sense that he had in the back of his neck screamed for his attention, and he dodged as a scythe sliced through the air that he had just vacated. Whirling around to look up the direction from where it had come, he sighted the predator as his right hand dropped down to rest on the hilt of his sword.



Inuyasha's eyes widened as they recognized the figure that was standing there on the tree branch next to the trunk. The boy was no more than perhaps twelve or thirteen years of age, his brown hair tucked up into a slight ponytail, his eyes round and devoid of life. The slayer's outfit that he adorned was a classic black with yellow padding.



Inuyasha stayed his hand from his sword. He would not kill Kohaku, even if the boy threatened his life. Growling low in his throat, he cracked his knuckles. He would just have to avoid being sliced up by the scythe on chains while he decked out the boy. Maybe this time he would be able to save Sango's brother though from the clutches of Naraku and his damnable mind control abilities.



* * *



Sango and Miroku were sitting around the diminishing fireplace, with Shippou cuddled up with Kirara. The kit was sound asleep, and the kitty was about to join him in restless oblivion.



Miroku looked over at Sango's form, admiring her curves and figure. The slayer caught him staring, and blushed as she looked away. He smiled at her, as his more...."mischevious" emotions made their way to the forefront of his thoughts. Moving over to sit down next to her, he continued his smile, widening somewhat as his right hand reached behind her body for a feel on....



He awoke a moment later, a rather large spot on his head swelling out from where her Hirakotsu had impacted. His hands had almost come into contact with her rather well filled out posterior when she had detected his motives and had reacted swiftly.



Dammit.



The kit had startled awake at the sound of the giant boomerang coming into contact with the human skull, and he looked around to see Miroku lying on the ground and Sango having an amused look on her face. Guessing that nothing untypical had occured, he started to go to sleep again, but sat up instead as he realized that Kagome and Inuyasha hadn't returned yet. It was getting late, and although the little dog demon could rot in hell for all he cared, he liked Kagome.



"Miroku, Sango, where is Kagome? Is he okay?" inquired Shippou.



Sango realized herself that they hadn't returned, and stood up from her place on the ground. She was about to ask Kirara to take her out looking when a cold breeze rustled through the campsite. She happened to look up and saw a large group of demons headed directly for their camp.



Sango called out the attack warning and hefted her boomerang. Coming instantly awake, Kirara transformed into her battle mode as Miroku recovered from the ambush earlier. He started to raise his right hand to use the air void, when a buzzing sound stopped him dead in his tracks. He squinted, and noticed that accompayning the demon swarm were the Saimyosho. Grimacing, he placed the beads of sealing back around his hand. He may not be able to use the wind tunnel now, but at least they knew who was behind this attack. They would have their hands full here, but Miroku could not help but feel worry for the safety of Kagome and Inuyasha.



* * *



The miko was now laying still inbetween the trees. Hakidoshi looked a little sad as he realised that his fun time was over. He moved forward to collect the body of the girl, when a flash of light caught his eyes. He put up his barrier just in time, as a glowing ball of energy struck him, exploding into the forest, sending little critters and leaves scattering around the place. He squinted to see who it was, then recoiled in suprise as he saw who was coming to the rescue.



Running in a full sprint, Tokijin in his right arm, Sesshomaru quickly closed the distance and attacked the barrier with his sword. Hakidoshi backed away in suprise, and summoned to him the pike that he normally used as his weapon of choice. The sounds of metal clashing echoed throughout the forest as the two dueled.



Following her master to wherever he went, Rin came upon the forest clearing that the servant of Naraku had occupied a few moments ago, that is, the recently created forest clearing. Eyes scanning around, the little girl spotted Kagome laying a few feet away. Running over to her side with a gasp of suprise and concern, Rin held up Kagome's head and stroked her hair, trying to find some sign of life within the miko. She was breathing, that much the little girl was able to tell.



Having followed at a more discreet and safe distance, Jaken arrived to see his lord dueling sword to pike with the man-servant of Naraku. Eyes wide at their clashes of steel blade, he didn't spot Rin until a moment later. The little toad was chagrined to see the girl bothering herself with the one known as Kagome.



Hakidoshi narrowed his eyes, and used a spell of fire to seperate himself from Sesshomaru.



"What are you doing here, Lord Sesshomaru?" asked the little boy in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Don't tell me you've fallen smitted with your brother's bitch?"



"Hardly" replied the lord with few words to say. The two faced off, ready to resume the duel at a moments notice.