There was no doubt about it–a massive, powerful demon was approaching them.

Fast.

Kagome grimaced in dread. She was in no condition to fight, and Sesshoumaru was practically KO’d. They had to get out of here–now.

“C’mon,” she grunted, wrapping her good arm around Sesshoumaru from behind and beginning to pull.

He was surprisingly light, considering his height and build. But with her left arm injured and the rest of her aching with fatigue, she couldn’t gain much traction. Meanwhile, what now appeared to be a gigantic two-headed dragon was drawing closer by the second.

She was running through her limited list of options when an irritatingly familiar voice rang out from the vicinity of the beast.

“Milooooord!”

“Thank the gods,” Kagome exhaled, sliding bonelessly to the ground.

She had never been more happy to see Jakken’s unsightly face—a sentiment that vanished an instant later as he hopped down from his draconic mount and gaped at her in horrified rage.

“YOU,” he cried, gesturing wildly with his staff. “What have you done to milord?!”

Pushing Sesshoumaru’s dead weight off her lap, she sprang to her feet, fuming. “I haven’t done anything to him. You just got here, so don’t go making assumptions!”

Her eyebrow twitched as Jakken continued to gape.

“What?” she snapped, looking down to where he was staring.

All the blood rushed straight to her face. The inner thighs of her jeans had been burned away from where she’d sat astride Entei, the seat of her pants partially scorched out as well. It looked like she was wearing a pair of tattered denim chaps.

With a loud eep, she snatched for her backpack, which hung suspended from Jakken’s spiny shoulders, making him look like an oversized, bipedal turtle. Normally, she would have laughed–but now wasn’t the time. Digging through her pack in a frenzy, she extricated Inuyasha’s fire-rat hakama with a sound of relief.

They were too long for her, of course, but they would do. She rolled them up several times at the waist so the hem wouldn’t drag. Strangely enough, it seemed that her skin had remained unaffected by Entei’s demon fire. Perhaps her reiki had protected her.

That, or Entei-san has a sick sense of humor, Kagome mused.

Decent again, she turned toward Jakken, who had forgotten her and was now dancing around Sesshoumaru in a panic.

“Oh, milord!” he squawked, dropping to Sesshoumaru’s side and cradling his silver head in his lap. “This Jakken shall defend you from that vile, baseless wench.”

“Give me a break,” Kagome muttered, reddening again as she turned away and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Riiiin-chaaaan! You can come out now—it’s safe!”

A ponytailed figure popped into view a few seconds later, bounding toward them.

“Miko-sama, Rin is here!” Catching sight of Sesshoumaru, she froze with a gasp. “Sesshoumaru-sama…?”

“Don’t worry,” Kagome said, placing a soothing hand on Rin’s shoulder. “He’ll be all right. We’ll take him back to Edo village where he can rest and recover.”

Rin bit her lip, nodding.

“And call me Kagome, okay?”

The little girl gave her a wobbly smile. “Okay, Kagome-chan.”

Kagome smiled back.

Her expression sobered as she turned toward Jakken, who was glaring daggers at her through a sheen of milky tears. Both of his skinny green arms were curled defensively around Sesshoumaru’s listless neck.

As Entei trotted over, Kagome let loose a preemptive sigh.

“Jakken-san,” she began, in her most diplomatic tone, “we need to leave now. We have to get Sesshoumaru to safety.”

Glare.

“Er, Sesshoumaru-sama,” Kagome corrected tiredly. “Will you help me lift him?”

“Accursed humans,” she swore she heard him mutter as he reluctantly stood, raising Sesshoumaru up by the shoulders.

“…Appreciate it,” she grumbled.

---

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

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