Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! It really is very much appreciated.

Inuluvskags1- Your reviews make me smile ridiculously! I am SO grateful! Ugh, I despise when people write off Kuwabara as an ugly brute. I adore his character and even though he isn't as attractive as his teammates, he certainly makes up for it with his sweet personality! And no worries, I have NO intentions of having our Kagome raped. She will be put through quite a bit of torture but it will never reach actual rape. Your questions will be answered as the chapters progress!

Foxluna: All questions will be answered in due time! I thank you SO much for the review. The jewel, in a sense, did disappear. It resides in Kagome's body, dormant for the time being because it is sheltered by the host. I've made it so that when the jewel is actually touched, the holder is able to make a wish on it. Although Kagome's wish was selfless, it was still a selfish wish in a way because it is something Kagome wanted from the jewel. She phrased it as desperately wanting her friends to be happy, thus, granting her selfless/selfish wish. From the wikia, it explains that the jewel has been used countless times, but never for a good wish, which leads me to believe that even after it's been used, it can be used again by whoever possesses it. Kagome's actual wish (in the manga) was for the jewel to be destroyed but I'm not including that little tidbit in my fic. Hope this clears some stuff up!

To everyone who has reviewed thus far, I thank you again! Enjoy the chapter.

-'These are Kagome's memories'-

Warnings for chapters: Implications of torture, implied dark sexual fantasies (not actual happenings), cruelty, angst.

Chapter 3: A Tale and a Visit from the Past

Hiei walked silently through the shadows of the temple, his eyes narrowed with intensity. The entire grounds smelled thickly of the hanyou and the disgusting human club that inhabited the building. Still though, he could smell sweetness in the air. He zeroed in on it, following the pleasant smell down to the cellar.

'The air down here smells much cleaner,' His eyes darkened. 'However…' the smell of her blood also permeated. He stepped close to the bars of a cell, staring in at the priestess.

She was shackled, her front facing away from him as she dangled from her chains. Although her hands were manacled above her, the bastards had at least been kind enough to extend her reach, seeing as she was able to kneel on the ground without having to stretch much.

His eyes trailed down her body. Her upper body was bare, her shoulders and toned back littered with deep lacerations that were still dripping slightly with blood that disappeared into red hakama's. He watched as her head tilted just slightly, her eyes staring at him from her over mangled shoulder.

"Hello, Hiei-san," She gifted him with a small smile before she turned her head back to the walls in front of her. "Do you not wish to rest for the upcoming fight tomorrow?" She didn't even seem to notice the macabre picture she made.

Ignoring her question, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are you not healing yourself?"

"I am," Kagome glanced back at him again, "It just takes me a little bit longer to heal. I can fix anyone up in seconds but once I'm the one in need of some aid, it takes me a good while to heal completely." She chuckled, "A blessing and a curse."

Hiei was silent for a few minutes. He glanced around, noticing the bloodied whip dangling from a hook at the far end of the cell. "How often does this happen?"

"Does it matter?" Her voice was soft. "I will always heal. Kizuato could whip me for days and my body will always be ready for more." She straightened her back a little, the chains loud with her movement, "these are what really irritate me, though. They are quite heavy and the smell of the iron combined with my blood isn't pleasant."

Kagome sighed softly, turning to stare at him. "I apologize, Hiei-san." Noticing his eyebrow rising in confusion, she spoke again, "Naraku has no right to spew such slurs at your for your heritage. I could feel that it bothered you immensely and for that, I am truly sorry."

Hiei stared into her gentle, blue eyes before lowering his gaze. "Why have you let yourself be caught?" He turned his back to her, leaning against the rusted bars, "You have the power to destroy everyone in this temple and yet there you hang, like a marionette strung up to display."

Kagome blinked, tilting her head so that her temple rested lightly on the chain binding her, "I…it was something that I needed to do," she closed her eyes, "Hopefully…if someone with good intentions wins the tournament, they will make the ultimate wish and I can finally suffer on my own, instead of having people brought into my problems."

Hiei registered her words, hearing no lies in the statement, only sadness. "If you had wanted to suffer alone, then you should have not have become a guard dog for the Rekai." He scoffed.

"Hai," Kagome agreed, voice still soft, "but I knew that the realms would need protecting from Naraku. I have many debts that I need to repay and becoming a guardian will hopefully help me clean my slate. At least a little bit."

There was a pause for a short while, before she spoke again.

"Forgive me for being rude, Hiei-san, but I am going to pass out at any moment. I am sorry that I haven't been much help to you, yet. I will try to remedy it soon." And that was it.

Hiei turned his head, noticing that she had slumped over in her chains. Her chin was tucked against her chest and her lips parted just slightly as she breathed. Turning to stare at her completely, he narrowed his eyes when he noticed that he could not break through the barriers of her mind, even as she slept.

'Foolish woman.'

Turning on his heel, he walked out of the dungeon, his footsteps making no sound.

-zZzzzZ-

Kagome stared out at the land, her hair tousling in the wind. This realm…Makai, Demon-World…it was so different than how it used to be so long ago during the Jidai period. 'Then again,' Kagome mused, smiling slightly, 'these are far different lands than those I traveled back then.'

When Botan would gently try to convince her to go back, she often considered it but never dared. Now that she was here, Kagome wondered exactly where it was that she currently inhabited.

'We are nowhere near the Eastern or Northern Lands,' she decided, looking around at the ragged terrain. The mountains were jagged, and miles away from the tournament grounds, there were trees that extended far beyond what she could see, and forests that stretched on for miles. "We must be somewhere deep in the West," she murmured to herself, shackled wrists coming up to brush the hair out of her face.

"You would be correct." The smooth voice caused her to turn, and when she saw charming kitsune avatar, she greeted him warmly, although her smile not quite reach her eyes.

"Good morning, Kurama-san," Kagome bowed as he did before they both straightened and stared out into the vast area, "You have been here before then?" she knew that he was probably here to drain information out of her, but any company other than the committee or Naraku was always welcomed.

"Please, just Kurama will suffice and yes, in my past," he nodded, "This is not territory I knew well, but I have been here before."

"Incredible," Kagome said softly, "The kitsune inside…Youko, correct?" she waited for him to nod, "How did he come about to reside in your body?" She smiled pleasantly at him when he tilted his head at her, "Forgive me; it has just been so long since I've met such an intriguing group of people. If you do not wish to say, you do not have to."

"It's not that," Kurama grinned back at her "I am just rather surprised that you do not already know of us. Did Koenma never inform you of our group?"

"No," Kagome replied honestly, "I was usually just called in whenever a problem came up. I was curious about who was guarding the realms before I accepted Lord Enma's offer to become a detective, but I was never really told much." The chains made a lot of noise as she shrugged her shoulders, "Botan sometimes made references to Yusuke, and I remember her being extremely happy when she found out that someone named Keiko was pregnant, but that's all really."

Kurama hummed, eyeing the chains on her wrists. "Yusuke is our leader, I suppose. He was the first one in our team to become a detective. Kuwabara joined him second and shortly after that, Hiei and I joined as well. Keiko is Yusuke's human wife."

"Are they mated?"

The question caused Kurama to blink. Her blue eyes were so bright as she stared up at him, full of wonder and hope. He found himself shaking his head, "I do not believe so. I have never seen a mark on Keiko, although I suppose the ring on her finger is enough for the both of them."

"It makes sense," Kagome agreed, "He is not a full youkai, though he does have demon blood running through his veins." Her next words were soft, longing, "Sort of…like a half-breed."

They were quiet for a moment, Kurama surreptitiously glancing at her every now and then. She really was gorgeous, but the looming sadness weighed her down. He wondered what she would look like if she were happy…

"So…you going to tell her about me, or what?"

Kurama chuckled, shaking his head before he turned to Kagome, eyes twinkling, "Are you sure you want to hear about my past? It is a rather long tale."

Her eyes bright, she nodded happily and so Kurama ended up telling her everything, including how the detectives formed, and how they had gone their separate ways for a little while after they retired.

"Oh, Kurama," Kagome sighed softly, "I'm so sorry that you all were pulled into this life again. I'm sure it must have been hard for your mother to accept you being gone so much again. She sounds like such a lovely woman…I'm sure my mother would have gotten along with her."

Kurama could practically feel her hurt and longing and he couldn't help but reach his hand out to rub her shoulder comfortingly. 'Do you remember what Botan told us, Youko?'

"She still remembers them," Youko replied, voice quiet, "None of the people she grew up knowing, none of her friends, her family…they have no idea she exists. That's rough."

"Kagome-"

"Hey, don't you go feeling bad for me," She teased, smiling softly, "I'm sure that the lives I left behind are all so much better now. My family is doing very well. My mother and father are together. Before I made the wish, he was killed when I was 5. He was on his way to pick me up from school…and then there was a crash." She bit her bottom lip before she exhaled softly, "but he's alive and well. My brother is growing up to be a really good student with high hopes and ambitions. It's great, really."

"You have visited them but not your family in the past?" He asked curiously, head tilting.

"It was…easier to see my family in my time. My family in the Jidai period is so important to me and sometimes I'm afraid of thinking about them. How they lived without the threat of Naraku, if they were still drawn together in some sort of way." Her voice trailed off as she turned her head.

Kurama followed her line of vision and smiled as his teammates walked over to them, all but Hiei looking slightly ruffled. "How did you all sleep?"

"I didn't sleep for shit," Yusuke groused, rubbing his shoulder with a grimace, "Damn Kuwabara kept me up all night with his paranoia. Any time I managed to close my eyes, all I could hear was his heart damn near pounding out of his chest."

"Shut up, Urameshi," Kuwabara muttered, without heat. He looked just as exhausted as Yusuke, but he managed a smile for Kagome before his eyes trailed down to her wrists, "Those look like they hurt," he said sympathetically.

Kagome smiled gently at him, shrugging her shoulders a bit, "I forget they are there sometimes. I'm sorry to hear you did not sleep well, perhaps some food will perk you up?" she laughed as Yusuke and Kuwabara's eyes brightened, "I'll take that a yes." She looked to her Sensei and the demon detectives, "Will you join us? I may be bound but I can still whip up a pretty good omelet," she winked playfully.

"This onna is ridiculous. Those shackles are obviously murder on her wrists yet she still offers to cook for us."

"And I'm not stopping her. Food prepared by a beautiful woman? Hell, all we need now is a way to get close enough to see if she tastes as good as she smells."

"Do not start, Youko."

Tamotsu smiled as they walked back into the temple, "She really does cook very well. Kagome would always prepare quiet a dinner for us whenever we would get through a harsh training session."

Kagome beamed at the praise, "Growing up an older sister had its perks!" She exhaled softly, "and to be truthful…I do not trust to committee with your food. Naraku is powerful, but I'm sure even he knows that you all are very strong and Kizuato has an obvious disdain for all of you."

And so, they all gathered together in the room provided for them by the committee. It was spacious, sure, but that thick smell of miasma bled into the walls. Kuwabara eased closer to Kurama as they waited for Kagome to bring them in their breakfast and since it was taking quite a while, he decided to speak up.

"Has she told you anything?" the gentle giant questioned, "You know…about why she let herself get caught?"

"No," Kurama answered honestly before looking to Hiei. "Have you figured anything out?"

A short shake of the apparitions head was his answer.

Tamotsu sighed, his shoulders dropping a bit, "I will try to speak to her about it. Whatever it is, she needs help. If Naraku grabs a hold of the jewel…"

"Naraku will not have the jewel."

They all looked up as the door opened, Kagome walking inside with a cart full of several trays. She didn't seem upset, but she also wasn't smiling the way she usually did. She wheeled the cart over, lifting the covers off of several dishes. "You will get your answers," she looked to Hiei, who stared her down with narrowed eyes, "I have promised you this. I just need a little bit more time."

Kuwabara accepted the plate of food, feeling embarrassed about having been caught discussing the miko, "Thank you," he whispered, his mouth watering at the smell of the omelet, delectable looking rice balls, a bowl of miso soup, and the large assortment of fruit she had prepared for them in a large bowl. There was even a large kettle, with several tea mugs surrounding it.

"You did not have to go through so much trouble," Kurama eyed the large helpings of food with widened eyes. He looked to her wrists but glanced away quickly when she smiled at him.

"You will be fighting today; it is a good idea for you to have some energy for it." When she came up to Hiei, she tilted her head to the side as she offered him the food, "I'm not sure if you eat ningen food, Hiei-san…but some of the fruit I have brought is well-known in the Makai, and I have picked some for you if you'd rather have that."

Hiei stared at her, wordlessly accepting the tray of food she held out to him. He ignored the looks from his teammates, frowning as the priestess then moved on to serve her Sensei.

"I think she has a fondness for you, Hiei," Kurama smiled behind one of the rice balls at the harsh look his friend sent his way.

"She is an enigma," Hiei stared down at the tray he had settled on his lap, "The foolish woman cares too much."

"Damn, Kagome," Yusuke muttered, inhaling several rice balls at once, "You have skills. How the hell you managed to make all this with your hands tied is beyond me." He swallowed thickly, patting his chest to make room for more.

Kagome smiled at him, handing him a tea mug filled to the brim, "I must say, it is nice to have someone other than my Sensei compliment my food. Inuyasha only ever cared about those ramen packs," she giggled, "I once made a huge lunch for him and our friends, and after eating nearly everything I had made, he still preferred the ramen."

Kurama had been sipping his tea slowly but at the mention of someone from her past, he quickly lowered the cup, "Inuyasha?" he repeated, "Is he someone that you knew from the Jidai period?"

Kagome blinked owlishly at him and then her eyes softened, "Hai. I'm sorry; I suppose I shouldn't speak about them since you do not know who they are. Would you like me to tell you about him? And my other friends?"

Tamotsu glanced at his student in surprise. This was a very sensitive subject for Kagome. When she had first told him about her companions, her heavy heart hadn't allowed her to sleep for a few nights. To see her so willing to share information with the detectives was quite interesting.

Kurama picked up on the stunned expression on the Master's face, "You do not have to, love," he murmured gently, "We wouldn't want to reopen any old wounds."

Kagome inhaled deeply but shook her head, "No…it is okay. I want to share it with you all;" she smiled, "Who knows…maybe one day it would benefit me that I have told you."

Hiei and Kurama shared a glance after the ominous statement.

At the end of the story, Yusuke and Kuwabara were unusually quiet, both of them staring at Kagome with sympathy. Kuwabara stood and walked towards Kagome, who gasped in surprise when he pulled her into a loving embrace.

"You are so brave," Kuwabara said, "to have gone out the way you did and continue to fight this bastard time and time again. I…I don't think I could ever do it. To have my family, my Yukina, my friends," he looked back at his team, "to have them just forget about me…I don't know how I would be able to go on."

Yusuke snorted, crossing his arms in an obvious attempt to keep his emotions inside, "Like we'd be able to forget you, you idiot." He rubbed his nose after sniffing, looking away from Kagome when she giggled.

"How I long for it," Hiei sipped his tea, completely ignoring the playful grin that his teammates sent his way.

"It is a truly selfless and courageous deed," Kurama smiled at her, "and to have all that happen to you and then for you to accept a position as a detective under Enma's rule…incredible."

Kagome blushed, sipping the last bit of her tea quickly, "Oh, no. I'm sure anyone would do it!"

"Her humbleness is certainly refreshing," Kurama mentioned, leaning back against the wall.

"That…or she just truly believes she's done nothing spectacular."

"Oh? Spectacular, Hiei? Aren't you being rather generous to the miko?"

Hiei stared at Kurama, who chuckled at him.

"I didn't say it."

"Yes but since I can't glare at his face, I'll settle for yours."

"Ch, there's just one thing that bugs me," Yusuke spoke up, refilling Kagome's tea cup. He waved off her gratitude, "I can't believe this Inuyasha guy willingly chose to chase after a dead chick when he had you waiting on him the whole time."

A sinister chuckle caused them all to stand in surprise, and looking towards the opened door, they found Naraku staring in at them with his ever faithful pet, Kizuato, besides him.

"Having heard the tale from Naraku before, look at it this way, Yusuke," Kizuato drawled, eyes bright with depraved happiness, "Why would a man settle for a cheap copy when he's already had the original?" His eyes closed, smile widening, "although I will say that the idea of bedding a pile of walking dirt and clay is rather disgusting and from what I was told, her power compared to what Miss Higurashi's is now was quiet pathetic."

The sound of glass breaking caused Kuwabara to jump slightly and they all turned to stare at Kagome.

For the first time since they'd known her, her blue eyes were lit with true fury. She'd broken the tea cup in her hand, her palm quickly filling with blood before it dripped from her pale fingertips to land on her hakama's.

"Speak ill of me if you wish, Kizuato," Kagome began, tossing the shattered remains of the cup onto the floor, "but you will not smear Kikyo's name." The feel of her power rising quickly had Naraku's attention, and he narrowed his red eyes in her direction, his own power flaring.

"I may not be able to harm you," she continued, her voice unwavering and cold, "but I can assure you that I will find a way make you regret it if you ever say such disrespectful words against her ever again."

Tamotsu placed a hand on her shoulder, kissing her temple, "Do not work stress over such filth," he lifted her hand, narrowing his eyes to search for any shards of glass and began to pick them out, "He is never going to be worth it."

"I believe this calls for punishment," Kizuato turned to Naraku, a hopeful smile on his face, "Shall I prepare her?"

Naraku shook his head, "No. Take them all down to the arena. We will begin soon." Ignoring the human's disappointed frown, he stared at Kagome, "Come with me." And that was all he said as he turned, exiting the room.

Once he was gone, Kagome's shoulders lost their tension and she smiled thankfully at her Sensei. "Arigato, I will heal in no time." She turned to the rest of them, bowing low, "You are aware that this fight will not be in teams…you must fight each other if it comes down to it but I truly wish you all good luck in this first round and in others to come," she straightened, smiling sincerely at them.

{Hiei-san?}

The hiyoukai blinked in surprised, staring at her face even though she wasn't looking directly at him. "What is it?"

{Gomen for speaking to you like this…but I wanted to let you know so that you could tell your teammates without having Kizuato listening in. Naraku has no intentions of competing today, but he also has several of his subordinates that will be fighting on his behalf. There are seven of them in total, and I will let you know who they are so that they can be dealt with. It is extremely important that none of them make it to the final rounds. If they do…Naraku's chances of having the jewel increase.}

Hiei watched her as she bid them a final farewell before she left the room, heading in the dame direction Naraku went. "And what will happen if they find out that you are telling me all this?"

She didn't pause in her steps. {You let me worry about that. Good luck, Hiei-san.}

Hiei truly disliked the honorific that followed his name whenever she spoke. He'd noticed that she didn't use it with Yusuke or the buffoon and he was sure that Kurama had already told her that she could drop the suffix for his name. "Do not call me that again, onna. My name is Hiei."

She turned her head to look back at him and her bright smile caused him to tilt his head in his confusion. {Very well. Good luck, Hiei.}

He felt the fox's eyes on him and he turned his head to glare at the smirking redhead. "What?" he grunted.

"Oh, nothing," Kurama chuckled, biting down on his thumb, "nothing at all, Hiei."

Kizuato, still upset about not being able to punish Kagome, gave them all a sour look, "Follow me, then. The tournament will begin shortly."

"You know, Tarukane, you're a real piece of shit," Yusuke pointed a finger at the human, "When this is all over, I'm going to kick your ass real good for the torture you've been putting our girl through."

"Your girl?" Kizuato repeated, a short laugh following, "Growing fond of her, are you? How come? Has she spread her pretty thighs open for any of you? Or…for all of you?" he jerked back in surprise when Tamotsu lunged for him, barely held back by Kuwabara.

"I'm not even going to stop him next time," Kuwabara warned, eyes unusually dark, "Hell, I'll even hold you down while he goes for you." He slowly let go of Tamotsu when the man seemed to calm down.

"Take us to the arena," Hiei growled, "and do not give us the displeasure of hearing your voice on the way."

Sneering, Kizuato turned, walking out of the room, knowing that they had no choice but to follow.

-zZzzzZ-

"I am sure you have felt the power approaching us in a rapid pace," Naraku made sure that Kagome was listening, staring at her calm expression. "Do you know who it is?"

"I do not," Kagome broadened her senses, trying to distinguish the energy. It wasn't far, and it had seemingly appeared out of nowhere but she truly had no idea where or who it was coming from.

Naraku was concerned, Kagome could tell. He paced along the room, face blank but his aura leaked with uncertainty. She smiled, "What is it, Naraku? Are you afraid that perhaps a third party has figured out what you've done?" her eyes darkened, "are you worried about them knowing about what you've taken?"

"Silence," Naraku snarled, "Even if he does show up, he will never find them, and you will never risk telling him." He made his way to her, gripping onto the cuffs on her hands. He tugged her along, his words echoing in her ears.

She wouldn't risk it…because she knew that she couldn't. She was led into the arena, flinching at the sounds of all the demons chanting for the fights to begin, for a chance to see the jewel.

"Sir…we have a problem," one of the committee members approached Naraku, his body shaking.

"A problem," Naraku repeated, glaring at the member, "What sort of problem?"

"When we were setting regulations and obtaining the permission from the Lords Mukuro, Yomi, and obtaining rule from Enki, we didn't count on having to request that same permission from-" the member took a step back when Naraku and Kagome suddenly turned their heads to the immense power that suddenly swarmed around them.

The detectives could also feel the sudden shift in the air and they watched from their positions as the figure began to approach the club.

"Damn, that's some power," Yusuke muttered, watching the demon carefully, Kuwabara agreed, rubbing his arms to get rid of the goosebumps that had surfaced on his skin, "Any of you know who this guy is?"

Kurama's eyes narrowed, taking in the majestic male, "I have never seen him before," he admitted, "but if this is who I think it is…then there is going to be trouble."

"The miko knows who he is," Hiei pointed out, "Her face has gone pale."

How true the statement was. Kagome could feel Naraku shift besides her and she shared a glance with him, both of them reeling in the demon's immense power and quickly looking towards him when he spoke.

"Why was I not informed of this tournament, hanyou?" There he stood; his clothing and features as pristine as she remembered. His face was the same, as expressionless as ever, but his golden eyes were dark with fury. Ignoring the whisperings from the demon around him, Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands calmly stepped up to address the club.

Kagome felt tears sting her eyes and she brought a hand up to calm her rapidly beating heart. It was true that she and the daiyoukai had not become close until the end of their journey, but seeing him brought back so many memories and so many feelings.

"Why do you allow her to stay?"

Kagome blinked, turning her head away from Shippou and looking towards the Western Lord. He stood a few feet away, his arm supporting a sleeping Rin, and was staring across the campfire. She followed his gaze, her lips quirking into a thin smile when she noticed the couple.

Inuyasha was holding Kikyou in a tender embrace, his back resting against the broad trunk of a tree. His lips found her temple, and golden eyes closed in content as the usually cold priestess sighed softly at his affection and cuddled closer to his chest.

"She makes him happy," Kagome replied softly, rubbing her fingers tenderly across the sleeping kit's hair, "He deserves to be happy." She heard Sesshoumaru step closer to her and she tilted her head up to stare at him before giggling when she heard Rin begin to mumble in her sleep. "Would you like me to settle her down next to Shippou? She enjoyed the comfort of the sleeping bag last night."

"Do you not harbor feelings for him anymore?" he questioned, kneeling down to allow her to take his charge. He watched as the miko tucked in Rin besides the kitsune and then brought his eyes back to her.

"Mm…not the romantic kind, no." Kagome patted the spot besides her, somewhat surprised when Sesshoumaru accepted her invitation. Smiling softer now, she gestured towards the lovers, "Inuyasha is my friend. My very best friend, actually. I am happiest when he's happy and Kikyou…she makes him so, so happy."

Their attention was shifted towards Sango and Miroku at the sound of a loud squeak. The demon slayer had just knocked her fist against the monk's temple, her flaming red face a clue as to why she had just hit her lover.

Kagome chuckled, shaking her head. Sesshoumaru merely blinked.

"She has tried to kill you," The daiyoukai reminded her, turning his attention back to the miko and watching her carefully for any sort of malice or anger. None came and he was again stunned when he saw nothing but patience and love in her expression.

"Her life has been a difficult one," A slight wind brushed over the camp, and Kagome wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, "I can't blame her for what she's done…I'm certain that though she might never tell me, she truly does regret trying to hurt me." The wind picked up and her hair danced with it, several strands falling into her eyes.

Before she could brush the stray pieces away, another hand came up to do it for her and Kagome felt her pulse quicken as Sesshoumaru gently tucked the errant strands behind her ear. She blushed, her eyes widening when he quirked a brow at her.

"You are a strange woman, miko."

"Kagome," She corrected automatically, smiling once more. "We are allies now. Friends. You should call me by my name."

Sesshoumaru tilted his head before nodding. "Kagome. You are quiet strange indeed."

Feeling Naraku shift besides her, Kagome blinked quickly, forcing herself to return to the present. She ducked her head, stepping to the side along with the committee as they made way for the powerful ruler. Her heart was still battering deep inside her rib cage and inhaled deeply through her nose, trying to relax.

Naraku's surprise was evident. He frowned when the dangerous youkai stopped only a few feet away, his aura twice as menacing as it had been during the Jidai period. Of course it would be. Sesshoumaru was much older now, and much more lethal. "Well…if I had known you would have wanted to participate, I surely would have informed you, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Golden eyes narrowed. "I would never lower myself to such pathetic games." His voice was calm but eerily chilling all at once, "You are here, hosting a barbaric event, in my lands without my knowledge or consent. I have killed demons for far lesser acts against my person," his aura flared, "tell me why I should not give you the same punishment."

Naraku smiled pleasantly, "Are you not interested in the prize? Or have you not heard of what it is?" he gripped Kagome by the arm, pushing her in front of Sesshoumaru. "Can you not feel the power that she holds?"

Kagome forced herself not to look at him. She stared down at the ground where he stood, feeling his powerful aura swirl around her. She inhaled sharply in surprise when his clawed hand gripped her chin, tipping her head up so he could look upon her.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were narrowed, "What are you?" he murmured, observing her with cool curiosity, "A priestess, surely, but the power that rests inside you…" he trailed off, releasing her chin before looking towards Naraku again.

Naraku smiled pleasantly at the Western Ruler, "Will you not stay as my guest, Lord Sesshoumaru? I am sure you will enjoy the fights, if you do not wish to partake." His eyes gleamed, "I can assure you that it will be worth your time."

Sesshoumaru sneered, "I have several matters to attend to, much more important than such foolish activities." He turned to look at Kagome again, and she paled when he face her stoically.

"Your scent is clouded thick with the hanyou's," His amber eyes darkened, "I am certain it is against your morals to become the whore of a demon and partake in such dishonorable events."

Her heart froze and shattered all at once. She watched numbly as he gave her one more disgusted glare, before he turned and made his way back down the row of demons as they quickly made way for his departure.

Kagome's breathing stuttered and she wasn't even aware of the tears dripping down her cheeks until she felt a gentle nudge in her head. She closed her eyes, listening to the voice now filling her mind.

"Compose yourself. Now."

Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at Hiei. How her eyes knew where to find him, especially when there were so many other people watching her carefully, she had no idea. But she found comfort in his hard gaze.

{I'm not sleeping with him,} Her eyes pleaded with him to know this. {I've never… I would never…} She shivered at the thought, trying to control her breathing.

"Onna, calm yourself. Your power is feeding off of your emotions, if you do not gather your wits, you will kill someone."

Looking around at the demons, who were all staring at her cautiously, Kagome inhaled deeply, closing her eyes again as she fought to control herself. She brought her shackled hands up to her face for a few seconds before finally lifting her head again, her cheeks still stained with tears but no longer falling from her eyes.

Naraku glared at where Sesshoumaru had stood, his aura radiating his anger. Kagome knew why he was so upset. To be dismissed so easily, by someone so powerful who he had once done such a great damage to, it was putting him over the edge.

"We will begin" he hissed, his menacing tone echoing around the arena. "Fight hard, entertain us, and you will move on to the next round for a chance to keep the jewel."

Kagome stiffened as he grabbed her arm, pulling her in front of all the demons gazes again. As she looked down, she could see the bloodlust and desire in their eyes and it made her so angry. They would not have the jewel. She would not allow it.

Her eyes scanning, she once again found herself staring into beautiful red eyes. She held his stare, her eyes pleading. {If it is going to be anyone…I'd rather it be you.} And although he made no movement to indicate he had heard her thought, she could see his fists clench in response.

Kizuato held a microphone up to his lips, "The Demon World Tournament begins….NOW!"

Wow, this chapter was a pain in the ass.

Vocabulary:

Hai: Yes

Ara: sort of like saying, "Oh?" or, "Hm?"

Gomen: Sorry

Arigato: Thank you/thanks

Onna: Woman