Midnight: boo. looks at scared readerswasn't expecting me, were u?

Disclaimer: checking closets all over her house nope, i don't own them. shrugs not yet anyways...chuckles evilly than see's lawyerseeeehhhh! who sent u guys!

Chapter 10: Apple Blossom

AKA

The Meeting with Kikyo

RECAP

"Ready to forsake Inuyasha so quickly. I thought you would be a whore." The chilly voice caused shivers to go down everyone's spines and Kurama to growl and tighten his grip on Kagome. Only one person had the courage to actually say who it was.

"Kikyo."

Back at the Higurashi Shrine, Kagome's Time period

Kurenokuro Kenbu Aozora, slowly swept the front of the Higurashi shrine, getting rid of all the leaves and dirt that came from being a public place. Kagome had informed her of what was going on when she had disappeared down the well, of course offering for her to come, but when she heard who was going, she couldn't go. She didn't want him to find out who she was. The more time spent around him would cause him to notice.

"Kurenokuro-san! Kureinokuro-san!"

And she didn't want him to get hurt because of it.

"Yes Yukina-san?" she smiled gently at the blue-haired girl running up to her. Waiting patiently when she stopped to catch her breath.

"I need you to give a message to Kagome-san."

"Of course Yukina-san, what is it?" Kuroi gently touched the Shikon shard hanging around her neck in a vial, given to her by Kagome, so she would be able to pass through the well if something came up. It was also for safekeeping so if they were killed by Naraku, he would be unable to finish the jewel he so greatly desired, at least for five hundred years.

"Genkai-sama wants to give a message to Yusuke-san. She didn't tell me why, just that I had to give it to him as soon as possible."

"I see. I will give them the message." Suddenly, picking up on rather small hints and clues, she looked Yukina straight in the eye. "What do you know about Hiei-san?"

"Not a lot really, but I feel safe around him, but it's like he's keeping something from me. Something important." Shrugging she handed an addressed envelope to Kuroi and turned to go.

"I see. . .well. . . goodbye Yukina-san." Turning to the house she informed Ms. Higurashi and grabbed some much needed supplies for the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Walking to the well, she jumped in and arrived in the Sengoku Jidai. Breathing the fresh air Kuroi jumped onto the rim and found the scent she was looking for.

What took them hours to walk, she run in one. Arriving at the campsite she saw a pile of ashes at the far end, and an unconscious Kagome in half transformed Kurama's arms.

"What happened to Kagome-san!" Kuroi jumped from the tree to question her friends companions.

Walking back from the spring, Hiei had the urge to cover his ears as the little kitsune chattered unawares, including sound effects in his monologue.

"!,buthedidn't!Hejustdisappeared,weallgasped,"he gasped at this point, just for effect. "AndTHEN..."

Hiei had long lost interest in what was being said, it was only when the small fox kit yipped, and yelled one word as he raced ahead of Hiei, that caught the Kooromie's attention.

"MOMMA!"

Their game of Truth or Dare abruptly ended as the long dead miko Kikyo entered the clearing, arrow notched and aimed for the one that Kurama was now holding protectively against his chest. Sango instantly grabbed hairakotsu and stood ready to throw it, Keiko and Botan both stood ready to attack, with oar and fist. Gently pushing herself off Kurama, Kagome stood still facing Kikyo.

"What do you want?"

"To avoid being unoriginal, I will kill you to complete my soul."do u guys get the joke? huh huh? Snapping out the the last few words, she released the arrow. All the young girl did was put her hand up to stop the arrow, a pink shield stopped the projectile and held it in place. Meeting eyes with that of the enraged preistess Kagome spoke to Botan.

"Botan-san, if Kikyo killed me to retrieve her full soul, what would happen?"

"Well, considering she stole your soul, she would still have to steal the souls of innocent victims. The only reason your portion of her soul still thrives and gives her life is because your still breathing. If you were to die, it would slowly fade to join the rest. The same rule follows if she stole the rest. It would slowly fade out of her body." The ferry girl responded promptly to the question. that didn't make much sense, I'll explain better at the end of the chapter in the A/N.

"See Kikyo, killing me would come to nothing that would benefit you." Kagome was doing her best to put the other woman's anger down, and in turn retrieve her full soul. But as usual, there was always one person who prefered to fight then to talk, unfortunately, this time there were two. As Yusuke and Kuwabara charged, one word was spoken out of habit and tradition. "Sit!"

Yusuke stopped, and looked at the glowing chain around his neck that steadily grew heavier. Finally, he slammed face first in the ground and Kuwabara stopped to laugh. As Sango and Kagome stared in shock, no one noticed Kikyo charging until she yelled, and drew back her fist.

Barely dodging in time, Kagome instantly recoiled with a swift kick to the abdomen. Jumping back, the older miko glared, while holding her abdomen, and pulled a dagger out from under her haori. Kagome narrowed her eyes and went right back into her fighting stance, ready for anything.

Yusuke and Kuwabara started to head back towards the fight, to protect the girl they had come to protect, but Keiko and Sango held them back. Shaking her head, the demon exterminator looked back at the fight that was starting to heat back up. Having long since stood up, Kurama was fingering a rose, wanting nothing more then to protect her, but understood that this was her battle to fight.

They stayed like that for several minutes, Kikyo waving the dagger threateningly before her, while Kagome stood stood calmly. As she sighed, the enraged preistess charged, but not toward the raven-haired teen.

"MOMMA!" The cry rang thoughout the clearing, and the small fox kit jumped towards his surrogate mother, but was intercepted by the should-be-dead-but-not miko who caught him, and held the dagger to his throat. Instinct kicked in, and Shippo lay still, as if he was lifeless.

Kurama visibly flinched as the aura surrounding Kagome began to grow and pulse, creating a breeze to stir her hair as if the strands were the lengendary Medusa's snakes. It took everything in his power not to let his own instinct from the Youko counterpart of himself take over, but he did transform the rose he had previously been holding to the whip he held loosely. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sango's hand on Hiei's shoulder seemed to calm the irate demon, and the look of confusion mixed with concern as the smaller demon saw the look of hatred, fear, and worry all jumbled into her expressive chocolate colored eyes. The Kooromie laid one hand on the hilt of his sword in a protective manner and watched the other two women, as they glared across the distance between them.

It was then that Kagome spoke, a growl under the calm that was her voice, like the peace before a storm, held a warning to the other woman. That warning spoke of a painful death to those who do not listen and obey.

"Let Shippo go, this is between you and me." Fire seemed to smolder to life in her blue-grey pupils, but her hands remained unclenched.

"NO! Not until I have my soul back!" Tightening her grip on the small boy, a line of blood traveled down his neck. It was then that the red head decideded to become involved.

Stepping up beside Kagome, he laid one hand on her shoulder as his eyes flashed amber and hair grew longer to take on a silver tint. His grip on the rose tightened, and he glared at the miko across from him rather disdainfully. Kagome looked at him, but when she saw his half transformed state, left him alone. Finally, when he saw fear and confusion flash in her eyes, which resulted in more blood and a wince from Shippo, he spoke up.

"If you choose to involve Shippo, then you involve me Kikyo. Do you understand the predicament your in right now?" Flicking his rose whip, it hit the ground in front of her, and several rocks that had previously been buried in the ground, flung up and lodged themselves in her arms.

"I will not release Shippo until Kagome dies!" By this time her voice had risen several octaves and her hand holding the dagger, pressed even further into Shippo's beating blood vein. Kagome gasped under her breath.

'Shit! She's hit a main artery in his neck!'

#Even with demon healing, if we don't get him away, he will die!#

Get the kit away from her. It's the only logical option.

Nodding imperceptibly, the huge tree, that Kikyo stood with her back to, lowered a branch and tapped the undead miko on her shoulder. Whirling around in surprise She dropped Shippo, who ran over to Kurama.

Not the way I would of done it.

Kurama ignored him, and caught the fox kit, grabbing a seed from behind his ear and infusing it with his power, placed it to the wound that was still bleeding. As it finished growing and covered the cut, both boys turned their attention to Kagome, who was currently running at Kikyo, previously forgotten arrow in her hand.

The miko turned around a second to late, her screams seemed to rocket off the trees as the arrow plunged into her chest. It was filled with purifieing powers, and no matter what she did, the woman made of ash and clay, slowly turned to dust. The many souls she had ever stolen flew to their rightful place in the spirit world, or to their bodies that were not dead quite yet.

It happened so suddenly, one minute Kagome was turning around to say something, when a bright light filled the air, blinding everyone, and when it disappeared, Kagome was in Kurama's arms, who was now kneeling, unconscious. Shippo was standing by him, looking at the two teens in worry.

"What happened to Kagome-san!" Rang throughout the small clearing, as a girl with green eyes with red tipped, waist length, brown hair jumped from a nearby tree and rushed to Kurama's side. Noone except Shippo and Sango seemed to recognize her, and they joined her and started telling her, "One at a time, please! Shippo you start."

KagomekilledKikyoKurenokuro-san!Andnowshehasherfullsoul!" As the girl's eye twitched, she looked at Sango.

"Translation please, Sango-san."

"Well. . .Kagome killed Kikyo, and now she has her full soul." The demon exterminator looked slightly confused as she looked at the still blabbering Shippo.

"So that's it!" Looking at Kurama, who glared at her, she smiled sweetly and spoke softly to placate him, "I'm Kurenokuro Kenbu Aozora, a good friend of Kagome's and the shrine maiden for the Higurashi Shrine. I expected this would happen when she told me about Kikyo, so all that really needs to be done, is time for her to become readjusted to having her full soul again. Nothing to worry about. Are you Kurama? Right now you look more like the greatest theif Youko Kurama." This seemed to calm Youko, and he relinquished the hold he had over their combined actions, and physical appearance.

"Yes, I'm Kurama." The hold he had on the girl in his arms lessened, and the strange one just smiled knowingly.

"Kurama?" The weak voice emanated from the teen who had just done the greatest thing she would probably ever do besides kill Naraku, or complete the Shikon no Tama.

"KAGOME!" Wincing, everyone with demon hearing covered their ears as the girls yelled and jumped onto Kagome, who had sat up and allowed Kurama to back off.

All except Kurenokurowho went to Yusuke, handed him the envelope, dropped the bag of supplies by the big yellow back-pack, and walked to the pile of ashes. Kneeling down by it, she didn't seem startled when Hiei spoke to her.

"Who are you, and what do you want." She stood up and pleasently smiled at him, hiding all emotions in her eyes as she answered.

"I am who I say I am. Kurenokuro Kenbu Aozora, shrine maiden and friend of the Higurashi family. And what I want, is the best for Sango, Kagome, and Shippo Hiei-san." Ignoring the schocked look on his face as Kagome walked up, she smiled.

"Kuroi-kun! What are you doing here?" A grin accompanied the blush(probably because Kurama was right behind her, a worried look on his face).

"Yukina-san had a message to give to Yusuke-san from Genkai-sama. And Higurashi-san had me bring some supplies, and Souta-san says hi, and to tell Sango and Shippo to come home with you soon," looking back at the pile of ashes Kurenokuro asked a question in puzzlement, "Did you really kill her?"

"No Kuroi-kun," Kagome replied in amusement, "I sent the souls she had killed back to where they rightfully belonged, thats all."

"And retrieved the other half of yours, I see." She chuckled in response to the others amusement. But as soon as her savior looked more serious, she couldn't help but allow her face to follow the same motions.

"Have you told him?" A small smile instantly took up residence.

"Kagome-san, we've been over this so many times. I'm not going to tell him. It's too dangerous for the both of them."

Sighing, she responded, "Well, all right Kuroi-kun, if that's what you really want. And I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything Kagome-san, after what you did for me, I would do anything."

"Take Kikyo's remains and give some to Keade-san, and take the rest home, for a shrine to her."

"That sounds reasonable." As Kurenokuro moved to collect the ashes, Kurama and Hiei shot Kagome very curious looks, demanding answers. Shaking her head in the negative, she indicated that she would tell them later. Walking off, the two teens left the two demons in peace. After several minutes, Kurenokuro stood up and faced the Kooromie, "You need to tell her, she's starting to figure it out, and she hurts alot already. Don't put her through much more pain." Turning, she once again ignored the look of shock and surprise in his eyes.

"Leaving already Kuroi?" Shippo tugged at the hem of her kimono, and she smiled down at him.

"Yes Shippo-kun, I'm leaving already. But you'll be back soon, and we can play again, okay?" Shippo nodded happily and ran off, leaving her to say farewell to Kagome and Sango before jumping into the tree and leaving.

Kurenokuro dropped the ashes off at Keade's hut, and jumped back through the well, her thoughts on the relationship between Yukina and Hiei. She was happy to be able to give good news to Kagome's mom, grandpa, and brother.

Yusuke tore open the envelope from Genkai and read through the message before swearing rather violently. "The old hag reminded me to train! Like she needed to do that! Oh, and Kuwabara, Yukina says hi. DAMN OLD MOTHERFUCKING OLD BITCH!"

Once again without meaning to words slipped out of Kagome's mouth, "YUSUKE! How DARE you talk like that around Shippo! SIT!" As he once again slammed into the earth beneath him, Sango stared in shock, and Kagome seemed greatly confused. Keiko instantly spoke up about her boyfriends current predicament.

"Kagome-chan? Why and how did that happen?" Noone besides her, Botan and Kurama seemed to ask, while Hiei snickered, Yusuke taught the ground some new words, and Kuwabara outright rolled on the floor in hysterical laughter.

"To tell you the truth Keiko-chan, I would like to know myself, the only person I've ever been able to do that to would be Inuyasha, and he isn't alive anymore." Sango nodded in agreement.

"Maybe he was reincarnated and the rosary around his neck stayed with him?" It was put out as a question made by Botan and Kagome shrugged.

"Maybe, but right now, lets get going. Sango, Shippo, Yusuke and Keiko on Kirara, Kuwabara on the oar with Botan. Hiei and Kurama can keep up on the ground. And I have developed my own way of travel. So, are we all ready?"

"Why didn't you do that earlier Kagome?" The red head couldn't help but ask.

"It was lunch time. So is everyone ready?" As everyone took up their positions, Sango stepped up beside Kagome.

"I'll ride with you Kagome, I want to talk to you about something." As the younger girl nodded, a small cloud of miko powers formed a cloud under their feet and they were lifted into the air, and Shippo jumped into her arms.

"Let's go everyone!" Kagome held Shippo protectively to her chest as they set off towards the west.

-san,-samahonorific, means respect when added to a name essentially.

-chan,-kunmore like terms of endearment then anything else.

Midnight: DONE WITH THIS CHAPPI! See? no major cliffhanger! sry it took so long, some really big stuff came up. Like school.

Akliko: She has a 350 word essay due in spanish on the Aztecs, Incans, or Mayans due in 22 school days, geometry takes up a lot of her at home time, and so does English and Health.

Alys: Stop giving the girl excuses!

Midnight: Well...now for those explanations...

Kagome gave the shrine maiden a few Shikon shards so if something came up, Kuroi could get her. And so that Naraku would be unable to complete the jewel if she failed. If not for 500 years at least.

My theory is that since Kikyo is only a clay pot, and has to steal souls, is that since Kagome's soul still lingers in the original body, the half that Kikyo has cannot move on unless it has the whole thing. So that even if Kagome died, and the whole soul was completed, it would eventually fade from Kikyo, like any normal soul that she had stolen. Now do you understand? in lamest terms, now that kikyo is a clay pot, Kagome's soul is a normal soul that she had stolen.

Everyone else: .

Midnight: eh...opps?

R&R PLEASE!