Deal With Danger
Ages: Sesshomaru-(very old, but we'll say)26 Rin-20 Shippo-5 Inuyasha- 24 Kagome22 Miroku-24 Sango-23
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing…well, maybe the plot but that's debatable(…not really).

Chapter 21

It was eerie. The second trip down into the cave was no more enlightening than the first. The darkness was still there, the overwhelming sense of dread, and the mounds of demons surrounding a single priestess still stood as though carved from stone in the middle of the large cave.

Kagome, having led the trip into the cave once more, sighed heavily as she positioned herself before the priestess. Immediately, Inuyasha moved to stand beside her. Sesshomaru, Rin, Sango, and Miroku fanned out behind them, each of their weapons drawn and ready for battle.

"Once I place the jewel back in her chest, everything will happen quickly. The priestess and the demons will come back. Inuyasha," Kagome said turning to him. "Your first priority is to remove the priestess from the demons mouth before it fully awakens and devours her." Inuyasha frowned as he glanced up at the marble priestess with the sword in her still hands, her face showing no fear even as she had been on the brink of death.

"And leave you here to face it?" he asked Kagome, clearly unimpressed with her idea. Kagome shook her head slightly.

"I'll be fine. She is priority if we're to win." Inuyasha's frown did not recede and Kagome sighed yet again, intent on continuing with or without Inuyasha's approval.

"Here goes everything," she muttered stepping forward and placing the jewel in the gaping hole that should have been Midoriko's heart. A blinding light and blast of energy forced Kagome off her feet and threw her towards her companions. Sesshomaru moved quickly and caught Kagome with ease. Her sisters had been standing further back and were pushed, along with Miroku, a few feet back but managed to stand upright.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. She watched, horrified yet entranced as Midoriko reawakened and the demon that was halfway up her body began slowly moving as it too awoke. At the sound of his name, Inuyasha snapped into action and quickly removed Midoriko from the demons jaws.

"Wha-what is going on?" the priestess asked groggily as Inuyasha landed safely in front of Kagome's sisters. He helped the unsteady priestess to her feet.

"You have been freed," Sango said quickly her eyes on the many demons beginning to stir. At her words the priestess seemed to remember.

"Yes," she said quietly her gaze unfocused as it all came back to her. She stepped away from Inuyasha, not seeming to find his or Sesshomaru's presence unusual. "Yes," she said again, this time her voice was steel and her gaze narrowed on the largest demon in the cave. The one that had nearly devoured her. "It has been a long time," she said stepping forward. She glanced around the cave quickly taking in the various demons returning to life. Seeing her sword sticking with the hilt up, as if waiting for her, Midoriko pulled it from the ground it had stuck into when she had been freed. Her fingers curled around it with the familiarity Sesshomaru recognized as one who had seen many battles.

"We have battled for ages inside of that jewel, Maradon," Midoriko said stalking slowly towards the large demon. Her voice was quiet, but strong. She was not yelling, however, she was clearly heard above the newly writhing bodies. "Neither could stay the victor for long in that eternal void. Death could not touch us." Midoriko stopped in front the large demon, Maradon, she had called it. It was fully awake now and snarling back as if to answer her. "I think it is past time for Death to know you!"

Sango and Rin stood back in a kind of surprised awe. Midoriko had been marble only minutes before, but here she was jumping in on the biggest problem in the cave with the fearlessness of Inuyasha. The two sisters grinned at each other and ran to back the priestess up. They stayed far enough away so as not to distract her, but close enough to fight the lesser demons that had awoken and were attempting to interfere.

Sesshomaru watched with narrowed eyes as the fight began, he still had Kagome in his arms. He could hear her shallow breaths and quickened heartbeat as she watched the Priestess return to life…to power. He could see she was invested in this fight. The priestess had suffered under a great weight, something she obviously sympathized with, enough so that she was willing to reawaken hundreds of demons with the purpose of freeing one unblemished soul. The Inu-youkai would have sighed with annoyance, but such things were Inuyasha's way of handling things. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, liked to get involved. So it was with ease that he bounded over to Kagome's sisters and let her down.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly as she drew her weapons and ran off to join her sisters in aiding the priestess. Sesshomaru said nothing, but made sure to see that Rin was safe before joining his brother and the monk to do the damage only an Inu-youkai of his stature could. It was only fitting that he be 'involved'.

Inuyasha growled angrily as he cut through five small demons with one stroke of his tetsaiga. He would have been able to clear the den out easy with his wind scar, but too many of his comrades in the kill-zone made that idea impossible. Since his wind scar was out of the question, Inuyasha found himself making due with his claws, brute strength, and speed. Between his blades of blood, Miroku's wind tunnel, and Sesshomaru's poisoned whip the den was thinning out a bit faster than expected.

During a short moment he had taken to gather his bearings, Inuyasha noticed the big demon was still alive and fighting…and he also looked to be the one in charge. Whenever it snarled at other demons they attacked accordingly. Midoriko was fighting it whole heartedly with a sword in her hand and power cackling around her. Her viciousness surprised even Sesshomaru who had taken a moment after killing a group of twenty to watch her light-footed movements as she attacked at various points of weakness. Maradon, although returned to his strength as Midoriko had been, seemed to be unable to keep up. He was beginning to fall at the hands of the priestess he had sought to devour and with her, her power.

Behind her, or surrounding her protectively rather, were the three exterminators. Their faces drawn in concentration as they efficiently disposed of the demons attempting to get to Midoriko as well as the few attempting to escape their fate. They were in work mode and Inuyasha could see for the first time, why they worked so well. They moved in tandem; even Midoriko seemed a seamless part of the team. She held her own against the largest demon while the exterminator sisters watched her back. She clearly trusted them as she had not turned once to make sure her back was safe.

At the same time the sisters managed to cover one another rotating, flipping, and shifting positions so easily that they almost seemed to be dancing instead of defending themselves. The ground was finding itself soaked with blood. Kagome made a mental note to bless the cave after the battle was over, if she survived. The tainted blood could not just be left here to fester in ill will. It would be a disaster waiting to happen. Having gotten an idea Kagome yelled across the room to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" she called while using a short sword to slice open a small demon advancing on Midoriko. "You and your brother need to leave the cave. Get back to the village and take cover, I've got an idea."

"And leave you here alone?" Inuyasha said suddenly appearing next to Kagome. He looked incensed at the mere thought of leaving her to do the fighting. Kagome rolled her eyes, realizing she was becoming use to his overprotective behavior.

"I won't be alone. I need to purify Maradon before he can be completely destroyed. Because of you, Sesshomaru, and Miroku I can do so without losing my life. I can't however, do it with you and Sesshomaru still here. You could be hurt or killed if the blowback is powerful enough. Just please, get out of the cave," Kagome said her eyes drilling into Inuyasha's gold ones. He found himself startled to see genuine concern on her face.

"But-," Inuyasha started only to be silenced as Sesshomaru landed next to him suddenly. He grabbed Inuyasha's collar and, with no effort, began to drag his brother from the cave.

"Come, whelp." Kagome schooled her face to not betray the shock of Sesshomaru's clear agreement with her plan. Nor did she wish to incense Inuyasha, who was yelling at the top of his lungs as Sesshomaru drug him out of the cave like a parent would their tantrum throwing child from a candy stand.

Moving her attention from the admittedly hilarious sight of Sesshomaru dragging his younger brother around like a rag doll, Kagome refocused on the battle in front of her. She withdrew her bow and arrow, noticing when Sango and Rin closed ranks a bit to protect her while she focused her long range weapon. Midoriko, sensing the end, charged at her prey.

"Maradon!" she shrieked suddenly as she ran towards the massive demon. She raised her sword and jumped, landing on the demons large skull and sending her sword straight through it. At the same time Kagome released her purifying arrow and watched as Midoriko jumped away to watch Maradon turn into purified ash. The light was bright and blinding causing everyone to shield their eyes.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as the felt the blowback of her purification spell neutralize the tainted blood in the earth. She glanced to Midoriko once the light had receded and found that she was standing in the lone spot of sunshine that had made it into the cave, her face tilted upward as she felt the warmth on her face. Kagome stepped forward, unsure of what to do or say next.

"Thank you," Midoriko said suddenly. She trained her gaze on Kagome and the others. "Thank you for freeing my soul, for stopping this madness." Her eyes focused on Kagome and she smiled. "Remember to love. It was the one feeling I could hold onto inside that jewel, the one thing that kept me fighting, even though I knew I could never win forever, trapped as we were."

Midoriko smiled again and Kagome noticed she seemed to be sparkling. Then, as if she had been waiting for it her whole life, Midoriko opened her arms wide, smiling as if welcoming an old friend, and faded from existence leaving a faint trail of sparkling dust and a feeling of lingering love. Kagome let out a rush of air as she realized Midoriko had hung on just long enough to help them win. She hadn't given up saving people even after all that time spent seeing the worst of hearts trapped in the jewel. She still believed in love.

"I see that you are all still alive," Sesshomaru's dry observation drew all attention to the entrance of the cave where Inuyasha stood next to his brother with his arms crossed. Miroku rolled his eyes, recognizing that Inuyasha was in pouting mode.

"Yes, glad to see that you are unharmed as well," Miroku returned in the same vein. He would never admit it, but he rather liked Sesshomaru's dry wit. His stoic behavior made it rather hard to know if he was joking and, had it not been for various pranks and snippy comments Miroku had been privy to between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, he would be inclined to believe Sesshomaru wouldn't even know how to spell humor let alone have it. Sesshomaru did not respond, but Miroku could have sworn he saw a twinkle of amusement in the elder demons eyes.

"Come," Sesshomaru said after looking them all over. "It is time to return home." He turned and began leading the way back out of the cave. One by one they filed out silently, no one glancing back.

Kagome watched the others as they started the track back out of the cave. She turned away from the sight, back to where Midoriko had last stood. Her time here was long over, but Kagome could not seem to stop herself from tearing up. The priestess of the jewel had fought so long and so hard. Her spirit had been so unbreakable that when freed, instead of passing on immediately, she used the last of her strength to destroy all the evil she had known.

"Thank you," Kagome whispered as one tear made its way down her cheek. Another quickly followed, and another. Before she knew it, she was sobbing. Knees in the dirt, unable to catch her breath as sobs wracked her as she grieved for the loss of Midoriko, the woman who had kept the world safe with no fanfare, no great stories in her name, and no famous legacy to leave behind. She would be forgotten and it broke Kagome's heart to think that her bravery would mean nothing to the people outside this cave.

Caught up in the loss of Midoriko's legacy, Kagome did not notice Inuyasha until he had her in his arms wrapped in a warm hug. Kagome said nothing but allowed him to pull her close, reveling in the safety she'd come to associate with his company.

"She will be remembered," he said gruffly. Kagome looked up in surprise catching Inuyasha's eyes. "Sesshomaru was impressed with her before this even happened. He does not impress easily. She will be immortal in the house of Inu, and love is her legacy," he explained. His cheeks flushed a bit as he finished, he fidgeted as Kagome stared at him in silence. Finally, she smiled.

"It's a wonderful legacy to have," she said softly before allowing Inuyasha to lead her out of the cave. If Midoriko was to be remembered for one thing only, Kagome was sure that she would have chosen love.