An Unlikely Pair

Eleven

Kit followed Kagome into the hut where Sango sat watching Kirara and Shippo play. Kit's eyes widened when she saw Kirara. "What an adorable kitty~!" she squealed, sitting on her knees and watching the twin-tail run around.

Sango looked up at Kagome. "Don't mind her," Kagome said. "She's a good kid."

Kit sat up for a second to reply. "I'm a demon, thank you."

"Where did you find her?" Sango whispered.

"She was in the woods right outside," Kagome replied. "She'd rather not work for a certain someone we had a run in with."

"She worked for Waru?" Sango's eyes widened.

Kagome nodded. "She apparently also came across Kikyo and someone else earlier. She told me she found them in a cave."

Sango glanced over at Kit. The little demon girl was curled up on the floor watching the smaller demons play. "She doesn't seem harmful," Sango commented. "What's her name?"

"She goes by Kit," Kagome replied, laying out the medicinal herbs she had collected. "I think she's just a little girl needing someone to take care of her."

Sango looked back at the demon girl. Shippo was tugging on one of her ears. Kit was smiling like a child should, having a good time playing. Sango smiled. She looked up when she sensed a dark aura. Kagome looked up too. The three playing on the floor stopped. Kit scurried away from the door. She backed herself into a corner and trembled.

Sango reached over for her Hiraikotsu. She stood up and held it over her shoulder. "This isn't right," she said quietly. "This aura is too strong."

Kagome grabbed her bow and arrows which sat right by the doorway. She used the end of her bow to move the mat that hung in the doorframe enough so she could see out. Purple mist was gathering around the bases of the trees. She turned to Sango. "It's Naraku, I'm sure of it."

Sango pulled out her mask and put it on, tossing a spare one to Kagome. "You three stay here," Sango said to Shippo, Kirara and Kit. "Kirara, you know what to do if anything happens."

The twin-tail mewed. She stood bravely facing the doorway in front of Shippo and Kit.

Sango and Kagome went outside. Kagome took an arrow and held it alongside the bow, ready to draw it back. Sango was prepared to attack with her Hiraikotsu when the time came. "The miasthma is coming from all sides," Sango said. "I can't tell where the source is."

Kagome looked around carefully, making sure she didn't miss anything. She stared at a spot in the trees where she thought the miasthma was thicker than anywhere else around them. She drew her bow back and fired her arrow which instantly parted the miasthma. When the arrow hit something, it sent off an orb of light which both girls went toward at running speed. They stopped as soon as they saw what Kagome's arrow had hit.

A demon was struck on the head. It writhed around a bit, but the girls could see that this demon was protecting someone. The wind sorceress turned around slowly, the tip of her fan against her bottom lip.

"Kagura," Kagome said, drawing her bow back again.

"You are the source of this miasthma?" Sango asked, gripping the strap on her weapon tighter.

Kagura laughed once. "I'm not the one that created it," she said, closing her eyes. She looked back up at them. "Naraku is."

Kagome and Sango looked upward when a white fur coat leapt from branch to branch in the trees above their heads. He didn't go in one continuous direction, so it would have been impossible for Kagome to hit him with one of her arrows or for Sango to knock him down with her Hiraikotsu. He eventually landed on the ground behind Kagura. Sango saw instantly that Kagura was about to attack.

"Kagome, get back!" Sango threw her weapon over her shoulder and stuck it in the ground, using it as a shield. Kagome stood behind it as well, shielding her eyes from the bright light of Kagura's attack. The force of the attack was so strong, it nearly knocked them off their feet. When it subsided a little, Kagome was able to try to make a counterattack. She aimed near the bend in the Hiraikotsu and shot her arrow as best as she could in the direction of Naraku and Kagura. She pulled back behind the shield before she saw if it hit one of them or not.

"This is impossible," Sango said above the noise. "We aren't going to be able to take them on by ourselves."

"We can at least try," Kagome replied. She was about to fire another arrow when something white flew past her. She stepped backward. She was shocked, as was Sango, when the attack stopped suddenly. Sango peered around her weapon to see Sesshomaru standing there, his hand around Kagura's neck. He had her pinned to a tree.

"Where's Naraku?" Sango muttered under her breath.

Sesshomaru let Kagura go. The wind sorceress didn't move or speak. She stared blankly ahead.

Kagome and Sango walked over, slowly. Kagura made no acknowledgement of them. It was as if she was dead inside, like she was no more than a puppet.

"It's possible her 'dance of the dead' was used on her," Sango commented. "But who could have done it?"

Kagome thought she saw Kagura's eye twitch. It was a barely visible movement, so she wasn't sure. A split second later, she sensed someone moving around in a quick manner behind them. She turned and shot her arrow immediately. It narrowly missed Naraku. He was going right for Kagome.

Sesshomaru stepped in front of her and lashed out his poison whip in Naraku's direction. The cloaked demon dodged and moved so quickly, it was unbelievable. He managed to slip past Sesshomaru and snag Kagome before he disappeared into the trees once again.