Snapping her gaze from the test at hand, the shrine maiden located the energy of four youkai, possibly at Inuyasha or Sesshomaru's level in strength and skill. Oh who was she kidding, Sesshomaru had way more skill than his younger half-brother. He never went in halfcocked, no, he was more tactical and strategic. More graceful in his attacks while Inuyasha was one to go in blind sighted. Yet her heart still yearned for his affection…

No! This is not the time for that! Snatching her test up and hurrying up to the teacher's front desk she dished the paper onto the shiny wood.

"There's an emergency going on at home." She tried to be as quiet as she could when she told the teacher, and then sped out of the room not waiting for her superior's reply. She had to get home. Her family were only safe if they stayed indoors, if they set foot outside the house they would be susceptible to become lunch for the youkai. Oh God… Sota… Her dear little brother had gone to a doctor's appointment earlier at lunch time, and it being close to one o'clock, he would be arriving home soon.

Refusing to let her brother and mother die at the hands of monsters she forced her feet to move faster. Her muscles aching as she slammed into the school doors and tumbling outside. Her feet barking at her to rest, her creamy skin becoming stained an unsightly scarlet. If the monstrosities were guarding her house then she wouldn't be able to get to her bow and arrows, but if she could just touch one of them she could purify them from the inside out. If they attacked her she could always conjure a barrier if only for a moment.

"Almost there, just a little more!" Her lungs screamed at her, burning with an insatiable thirst for rest and oxygen. Still, pushing up the stairs to the shine, she could feel the impurity of their energy collapsing around the area she called her home. Finally making it up the last few steps to the top she found them standing on her front door, with the brown haired one looking back at her.

"Guys, I think the owner is here now." Walking up to her she didn't sense any ill intent or demonic energy pouring from him. "Hey, miss, can you tell us where we are?" The others behind him stood tense for a second, almost in a daze before slowly following the pursuit of their friend.

"We? These are your friends?" Her eyes were mesmerizing, and deep like the ocean depths. Her energy swirling in a stark bright pattern, so pure and devoid of anything impure, yet her heart was damaged. Holding a deep agony within. Glancing at the youkai she found them to look just like regular humans, nothing like most the demons she had encountered on her travels.

"Oh, so you have youkai friends too? They aren't going to hurt my family?" Everyone save for Hiei was frozen. Just what was it that tipped this female off about them?

"How do you know that, girl?" Hiei's voice came off as rather demanding, his tone uncaring and indifferent to her, but the way his body tensed showed off his muscles. Kagome's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet at her insistent thoughts; the swordsman was quite handsome.

"I've… Some of my best friends are Youkai…" Unshed tears sprang up to her eyes, the memories of her loved ones lost in time and unyielding.

"Oh now look what you did. You made her cry, Hiei!" Kuwabara shouted, his glare piercing the shorter males as his arms gently circled around the maiden's small form. "Hey, please don't cry…" Wiping away a stray tear Kagome shaped up, forcing herself to stand tall.

"I'm okay… You wanted to know where you were, did you by chance come through the well?"

They looked at her in shock. She knew about the well? Had this happened before?

A/N: Hello, I know it's been a while, but I have the new chapter done and I can't wait to do the next one! I'm sorry it has been such a short chapter! I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it!

Please have a wonderful day, and please leave a comment of what you thought, what you liked, what you want more of, etc. Have a nice weekend!

Sango: Maybe me and the others will be included in a future chapter…

Miroku: I sure hope so.

Inuyasha: I miss Kagome…

Miroku and Sango: If you protected her better instead of letting her get kidnapped and Kikyo reincarnated, this wouldn't be happening!

Author: They're right. But you kept chasing after Kikyo when you have her reincarnation right there in front of you, so…. *Shrugs*