Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ You Lose, Miko! ❯ A Few Gentle Conversations ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five: Yukina and Kagome have a little talk about their favorite fire youkai, and Hiei finds out Kagome is more than she seems to be.

 

 

Genkai waited at the top of her stairs for another Higurashi. `They seem to be coming out of the woodwork.' Genkai thought. Mama Higurashi chose a Wednesday to visit. She sent her a note asking to visit to discuss Kagome's training. Genkai was so surprised a parent was interested in her training she didn't think to say no. Yusuke's parent had barely noticed if he was dead or alive. She certainly didn't care to interview Genkai to see if her son was safe in her care. Mama arrived midmorning and sat down with Genkai and Yukina over a cup of tea. This time Genkai served a Gyokura from a fine single estate. The bushes had been shaded from the sun to intensify the sweetness of the leaf by increasing the chlorophyll and decreasing the tannins. She decided if Kagome's mother came to visit, the least she could do was to honor her with a fine cup of tea.

 

They chatted over a few trivialities and discussed Grandpa Higurashi a bit before Mama came to the point.

 

“I am worried about Kagome. I know it is in her best interest to train, but I'm worried about that youkai. He doesn't seem like Inuyasha.”

 

“You knew Inuyasha?” Genkai sounded surprised.

 

“Oh, yes. He was constantly coming through the well to chew on her to come back, or to sit around the shrine and pout while she was at school,” Mama said.

 

“An inu hanyou as strong as the one Kagome described pouted?”

 

“Yes, he certainly did. Personally, I think he missed Kagome deeply when she wasn't with him in the feudal era. The problem was he was very immature and didn't know any way to show it, so he'd come and complain she was spending too much time on school, or he'd make her mad somehow. At least when she was mad, her attention was completely on him. I felt so sorry for him. He had had no father and had raised himself almost completely without a mother. So I never got mad at him, even when he did silly things. I just smiled and fed him dinner. Ramen always went over well.”

 

Genkai looked at Mama. “I don't know many women who would not only let their 15 year daughter jump back and forth 500 years to the past, but would let them befriend a male hanyou.”

 

“It's what a person is inside that matters. To me, Inuyasha was just a regular boy with unusual ears. He really had the cutest ears.”

 

Hmmm, Genkai thought. I begin to see where Kagome got her ways and attitudes.

 

“What happened at the end. Kagome didn't say.”

 

“Somehow she and Inuyasha killed Naraku and destroyed the Shikon jewel. She still doesn't talk about it much, but I know she was trapped in the Shikon with Inuyasha, Lord Sesshoumaru and all their friends. At the end she apparently made `the right wish' and wished the jewel to disappear. Grandpa, Souta and I were down in the well house. I was so scared. Kagome appeared but faintly, as though she were a ghost. Then she and Inyasha appeared together and I just grabbed her and hung on. Suddenly there was noise and I looked to see Inuyasha fading. I didn't think about it at the time, but he looked as though he was happy and despairing at the same time. You know the western story of Adam and Eve?” Genkai nodded at her. “He looked as if he was being expelled from paradise. It was tragic, but I couldn't let go of my daughter. She had returned to me and I was so relieved.”

 

“Did Kagome love this Inuyasha?” Genkai wanted to know. This girl was just so unusual for a ningen, much less a miko. She certainly wouldn't put it past her to fall in love with a hanyou.

 

“I think she did. It was a first love, perhaps not the full love we hope to find that lasts forever. He really was very immature and didn't know what to do with his feelings. They were thrown together in a life or death situation. It was very intense. It might have developed into a forever love if it had been given a chance. There were complications I won't go into if Kagome has not discussed them with you. Instead she is here in the modern era, he is back in the sengoku jidai and 500 years separates them. After close to 2 years I think Kagome is ready to move on, but none of the boys in her high school interest her. How could they? She has experienced things and done things that are beyond their ken. How could any of them compete with an inu hanyou with cute ears, a special sword and a romantic past who protected her in real life or death struggles.” Mama took another sip of tea.

 

There was quiet for a while as Mama, Genkai and Yukina sipped their tea. Genkai and Yukina thought about what they had learned about Kagome. Finally, Yukina spoke up.

 

“You needn't worry that Hiei kun will hurt Kagome san. He can be violent, but he understands this is just for practice so Kagome san will learn better control over her abilities.”

 

“Are you sure? When he attacked us together, he struck her shield until it collapsed. Then he came and hit her with his claws, and then struck her with some kind of energy that made her collapse. I was frightened he would kill her,” Mama said.

 

“Hn. If I wanted the miko dead, she would be dead” a flat voice stated.

 

Everyone turned around to see Hiei standing in the doorway. He eyed Mama Higurashi who stared back at him.

 

“You come here to ask the old woman if I mean harm to the miko.” Hiei had heard enough of the conversation to know exactly what was going on.

 

“Yes.” Mama said bravely to him. Despite what Kagome told her, he didn't seem in the least like Inuyasha. Inuyasha was an insecure, brave, strong boy. The male standing in front of her was clearly a man.

 

“I haven't hurt her yet, have I? She is still alive.”

 

“Do you think that matters? I won't let you play this `training game' unless you promise me you mean her no harm and won't really hurt her.”

 

“Do you think you can stop me?” Hiei smirked at the ningen who seemed to think her threats meant anything. Genkai just watched the two of them. She thought Hiei had more to learn from this encounter than Kagome's mother.

 

Mama just glared sternly at Hiei. “I'm her mother. If you are a threat to her I will find a way to protect her from you, regardless of your power and my lack of spiritual powers. I am her mother. I won't let you hurt her. If necessary I'll just lock her in a room without windows and stand in front of the door.”

 

“I could remove you with no more than a finger,” Hiei said.

 

“My daughter came back safely from the sengoku jidai. That's enough of a miracle for one life. It was her destiny to destroy the Shikon no Tama and I didn't interfere. I will not let her get involved in something life threatening again. I will protect her by any means necessary.” Anyone who knew Mama Higurashi would be startled at the determined look on her face.

 

Hiei eyed her. This was the second ningen mother who had expressed a willingness to be injured or even killed to protect her child. He could kill her easily and she knew it. Of course Genkai would get a barrier up quickly enough and this ningen certainly wasn't worth being accosted by Koenma, but she didn't know that. For all she knew, he could dash over and slit her throat before she could move. Yet she stood there and threatened him if he injured her daughter who was way more capable of protecting herself than the mother. What was it about these ningen? It was just this type of devotion which had captured Youko Kurama and tied him emotionally to his ningen mother. Were all ningen mothers devoted to their children this way?

 

“I am a youkai. How do you know I will keep my word.”

 

Mama smiled “Oh that doesn't matter. Youkai, hanyou, ningen, it makes no difference. What's important is whether or not you are an honorable being and keep your word.”

 

Hiei just stared. Was the entire family mental? He had heard the boy asking the miko about him. He wanted to know about his sword and his powers and how many youkai he had killed. It didn't seem to occur to the boy he had killed ningen as well as youkai. Granted he had killed mostly youkai, but that was just because he lived virtually all of his life in the Makai and not out of any avoidance or unwillingness to kill ningen. The boy seemed to think it was odd his sword didn't get bigger when it was drawn. He wanted to know if Hiei had ever saved the miko's life. `Whether he had saved her life?' It was quite the reverse. Clearly the miko had never told her family he would have killed her that first day if he could have gotten through Genkai's barrier before Genkai explained the unusual situation. The boy seemed to like him, perhaps to even look up to him. What an odd family. At least the old man behaved as Hiei expected ningen to behave.

 

“Your daughter's life will not be threatened by me.”

 

“Thank you, Hiei. I feel better meeting you and hearing that. It's nice to meet you.”

 

Hiei just stared again at Mama Higurashi. He had never had someone say they were pleased to meet him. It gave him an odd feeling.

 

“Hn.” He nodded and disappeared back into the forest.

 

Mama Higurashi just smiled and took another sip of her tea. She was used to taciturn youkai. Genkai gave her a wry look. It was no more than Genkai had expected. Hiei had learned more from the encounter than Mama Higurashi.

 

-- ------ --- - -

 

The next two weeks went by much like the first. She didn't have school scheduled on Saturday the next weekend so she went to Genkai's temple on Friday night. Kagome was helping Yukina make dinner Friday night by scrubbing and then slicing the daikon radish and other vegetables for the odon. She felt this was the least she could do to contribute since Genkai had refused to take money for her training or even to cover the cost of her meals while she was at the temple. Kagome thought back to the conversation she had had with Genkai during her first full weekend of training.

 

“I don't need your money, girl. I've plenty of that to supply my needs. What I need is for you to learn well so you don't waste my time or embarrass my training by doing poorly.” Genkai told her. Privately Genkai thought Kagome was doing quite well but she certainly wasn't going to share that with her student.

 

“Yes, Genkai Sensei. I will work very hard.” Kagome told her with a bow. “But shouldn't I at least give you money for your time, as well as money for the cost of the food for my stay here on the weekends?”

 

“No. I don't need it.”

 

Kagome tried to insist that it was only appropriate. Finally Genkai took her outside and started pointing out landmarks. “Do you see that tree covered mountain to the north?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Do you see those ridges to the south, and have you been to the beach to the east?”

 

“Yes, of course,” Kagome replied.

 

“All that land belongs to me. As far as the eye can see, the land belongs to me. I really don't need the money from your training,” Genkai finished.

 

“All of it?” Kagome was shocked. It was a phenomenal, unreal amount of open land and forest sitting in the middle of modern Japan. She had assumed the majority of the property was owned by the Japanese government as a national forest.

 

“Yes, it belongs to me. I really don't need your money, girl. What I do need is for you to stop wasting time with useless talk and work harder on your barrier. It still has a pink tinge to it and you can only hold it for 5 minutes if you are under attack.”

 

Kagome reminisced as she methodically sliced the vegetables. Suddenly she giggled. “You know, Yukina, Hiei would probably be able to slice and dice these vegetables in less than a minute.”

 

Yukina laughed softly. “Yes, I am certain he could do that. I would prefer they be sliced in neat even slices, however, rather than chopped to bits. I am also quite certain that Genkai would be unhappy at the damage to her kitchen counters if he were to do such a thing.”

 

“You're right, Yukina. Besides, now that I think about it, I wouldn't want to eat anything that had been cut with that sword. Who knows where it has been?”

 

They both laughed at Kagome's comment and then Yukina looked at her a bit sadly. “I have a few ideas,” she said.

 

Kagome looked at Yukina and noticed she had a more serious look than Kagome had ever seen on her before. It was clear to Kagome that Yukina cared deeply for Hiei.

 

“You love Hiei, don't you?” Kagome said.

 

“Oh yes, I love him very much,” Yukina replied.

 

“It's obvious that Hiei likes you also. He really has been painfully obvious in his determination to protect you from `the dangerous miko.'” Kagome laughed and Yukina joined in. “But you don't think he wants you for a girlfriend?”

 

“No,” Yukina said firmly. “Hiei kun does not like me in that way.” She watched Kagome, who was hard at work on the vegetables and carefully not looking at Yukina. `Is it possible she likes Hiei?' Yukina wondered.

 

“Yukina, may I ask you something?” Kagome asked very politely with a small bow.

 

“Of course you may.” Yukina replied.

 

“Is Hiei your brother?” Kagome watched her carefully.

 

Yukina gave a small sigh. “Yes, he is my brother.”

 

Kagome nodded. “I was beginning to wonder. I really meant it when I said only a brother or a boyfriend would be quite so anxious and angry. I understand why neither of you mentioned it to me. Hiei is probably still worried `the dangerous miko' might be a threat to his sister.” She smiled at Yukina.

 

“Oh no, that's not the reason no one said anything. He doesn't know I know.”

 

“Hiei doesn't know you're his sister?”

 

“He knows that. He just doesn't know that I know.” She looked at Kagome, who was looking rather confused. Then Yukina remembered a phrase Keiko had used once. “It's complicated.”

 

“He knows you're his sister. You know he's your brother, yet neither one of you have talked to the other about it? I don't understand.”

 

“I didn't understand at first, either. He was one of the people who rescued me from this ningen who had taken me prisoner.”

 

“You were taken prisoner? That's awful.” Kagome frowned at the idea of the gentle koorime held prisoner. She had seen in the sengoku jidai just how terrible ningen could be to each other and to perfectly innocent youkai. She would never forget poor Jinenji.

 

“Yes, but Yusuke, Kazuma, Kurama and Hiei came and rescued me. My reason for coming to the Ningenkai was to look for my brother. Somehow I could always sense he was alive and that he wasn't too far away from me. After the dark tournament I went to live with Genkai. I noticed that Hiei came by often, and I could frequently sense his youki in the forest nearby. I asked Genkai how long Hiei had been staying with her and why didn't he stay in the temple itself. She looked very awkward.”

 

“Genkai looked awkward? That's hard to imagine.” Kagome smiled and Yukina smiled back.

 

“Yes, I know, but she did give me a strange look. Somehow it all made sense. My mother had told me my brother was a type of fire youkai. At first I thought Hiei might know something about my brother's type of youkai, or perhaps know my brother himself; but then I noticed that Hiei and I both had the same color eyes.”

 

“Aren't there lots of youkai with red eyes?” Kagome asked?

 

“Not so many who have red eyes when they aren't in an attack form. Many youkai have red eyes when they have boosted their youki and are about to attack.”

 

“Yes, I've met one or two of those myself,” Kagome said with a small shudder.

 

“I had sensed my brother was not too far away, and one day I just knew in my heart he was my brother. So I asked Genkai about it. I thought that perhaps he didn't realize he had a twin sister.” Yukina looked a little sad.

 

“What happened?”

 

“Genkai explained that Hiei knew perfectly well I was his sister. He just didn't want to tell me,” Yukina said sadly.

 

“Did he know you were looking for your brother and wanted to find him?”

 

“He knew it. I made no secret of it. After I found out he was my brother I even made several comments to try to get him to admit he was my brother. Once Hiei told me something and I told him “that's the sort of thing I could expect to hear from a brother.”

 

“Poor Hiei. He probably is worried inside that you won't like him or you won't want a brother who has been a thief and a murderer.” Kagome looked very sad at the thought.

 

Yukina was astonished. “You're right. How did you understand that so quickly? It took me months to realize that. At first I thought that Hiei didn't want to acknowledge me because he's so strong and I'm weak. Fighting strength is what Hiei respects. I also knew he didn't like the Koorime youkai because the elders threw him off the island when he was a baby. They expected him to die. I thought he was ashamed of me or hated me because I was Koorime and didn't want to admit we were related.”

 

“Oh no, Hiei couldn't possibly think that,” Kagome said earnestly. You're very strong and courageous. Look at how you came by yourself to the Ningenkai to look for him in the first place. Beside, you are an incredible healer. Your ability is simply amazing. How could anyone be anything but proud and honored to have you for a sister?”

 

Yukina blushed. “Thank you. Your words are most kind,” Yukina said with a small bow. “I do not think my healing powers are amazing but I have also concluded that Hiei is not ashamed of me. Genkai and I have discussed the matter. She explained Hiei never spent a moment at her temple or the forest nearby until I came to live here.” She shrugged. “We think he is here to protect me. Genkai thinks he is here because he wants to be near his sister without admitting it. She also thinks Hiei has some thought that he isn't good enough for me and that I wouldn't want or be happy to have a brother who had done some of the things he has done.” She looked carefully at Kagome. “Hiei really has killed a lot of youkai and many of them were killed for no better reason than he enjoyed it and he enticed them to try to steal his hiroseki stone. ”

 

“I understand,” Kagome said sadly. “He never had a family growing up and killing at least gave him a sense of control. He had to try to fill his life with something. After all, a feeling a power is probably better than emptiness. Poor Hiei, he never had anyone love him or hug him as child, did he?”

 

“I do not think so. When he stole the artifacts with Kurama and was caught by Yusuke he had been planning to take over the Ningenkai and turn everyone into demon zombies.”

 

Kagome laughed. “I haven't known Hiei long but I have to agree with Kurama. I simply can not picture Hiei being happy with a bunch of brainless idiots to control. He would have needed to tell them what to do every second of the day. He doesn't seem like the type to suffer fools gladly. He really would have been bored senseless in a day or two.”

 

Yukina laughed and nodded. The two of them finished making dinner companionably.

 

 

-- ---- ----

 

 

After the third weekend she spent training with Genkai, her barrier was invisible, or nearly so. Hiei would attack her when she was alone and occasionally when she was with other people. They had an unspoken agreement that these public attacks would be “fly bys.” Hiei would approach so fast he was invisible to the normal human eye. If she didn't get a barrier up, then he would scrape her across her neck. Kagome would hear “you lose miko” whisper softly in her ear. Or was it her ear? It sounded clearly like Hiei to her, but she always wondered why none of her friends commented about it. Could she be hearing it in her mind?

 

The scratch was enough to hurt, but not enough to make her bleed heavily or to knock her down. It was almost as though he used the scratch across the neck as a way to keep score, but not to actually hurt her. If she got the barrier up in time, then she didn't get scratched and he vanished. He didn't attack her again to force her to maintain the barrier in front of her friends. Her friends and others around her started to comment about the unusual winds they were having for this time of year. Kagome just nodded and said nothing.

 

Hiei still attacked her and forced her to defend herself when she was alone or with her family. She could hold the barrier for over 8 minutes now, and she was pleased with her progress in just a couple of weeks. On the way back from school one Wednesday, he didn't leave after attacking her, but walked next to her the rest of the way home. Neither one of them said much but Kagome stayed alert because she assumed he was waiting to attack her. At the bottom of the stairs Hiei glanced at her sideways and then disappeared. He didn't return that night to attack her or her family.

 

On Thursday after his usual “after school attack” he followed her home again. He still didn't say much, and Kagome just talked about school, or Genkai's training.

 

“I thought collecting the shards was difficult, but nothing is as tough as Genkai Sensei's training program,” Kagome complained lightly. “I know it is good for me, and I'm learning a lot but I'm exhausted after just a day and a half a week.”

 

“Yusuke often complained loudly in great detail and foul language about her training. Jin and Touya both said she was worse than the shinobi,” Hiei said.

 

“I can believe it.”

 

“I have watched her training them. Your physical training is nothing in comparison.”

 

“Nothing?” Kagome said in outrage.

 

“Nothing,” Hiei repeated firmly. “If one of them had stopped to talk to Kurama, she would have thrown him into the side of a mountain.”

 

“Ouch…” Kagome winced.

 

“Hn. Do not forget it. This `training' of yours is light. It is nothing. You can not even attack without a bow and arrow. If you want to really improve, you will need to be much more serious.” With that parting statement, Hiei left.

 

On Friday Hiei continued up the stairs with her. Neither of them noticed until Kagome broke off what she was telling him and stared up the stairs. They could both sense youki at the shrine. Hiei didn't recognize whose youki it was. Suddenly, they could hear Souta complaining loudly.

 

“Ouch. That hurts. Let me go. I have practice and I don't have time today to play the victim for you and Kagome. Ack. Stop it! You're strangling me.”

 

Kagome turned to Hiei, who was looking towards the top of the stairs. “Hiei, tell me that's a friend of yours you got involved in this. Please tell me that.”

 

“No.” Without another word Hiei drew his sword and raced up the remaining stairs. Kagome ran after him.

 

Hiei was already facing the unknown youkai by the time Kagome got up there. Souta was being held around his chest and by the neck by a humanoid youkai. He had short black hair and yellow eyes. Hiei could tell he was very powerful, but not nearly as powerful as himself. Then again, he had the boy.

 

“Release the ningen boy now, and you may get to live,” Hiei demanded.

 

Souta looked worried at that statement. “Onee san, please tell me this is a friend of yours. He is just one of the youkai training you, right? Right?”

 

The unknown youkai grinned. “I'm the youkai who is going to kill you, boy.”

 

“Let my brother go.” Kagome shouted. Her fists were clenched and her aura flared about her. Souta got really scared when he heard that.

 

“Onee san…”

 

“Release the ningen unharmed!”

 

“Release my brother!”

 

“Come into my grasp miko, and I will release your brother to take you.” He grinned and licked his lips.

 

“Unacceptable. Release the ningen now and your death will be swift and painless. Harm him in any way and, well, Kurama's death plant is always looking for a good meal. You will beg me to feed you to it to escape the writhing pain before I am through with you.” Hiei's youki was flaring also, and flames covered parts of his body. Hiei could sense the intensity of Kagome's spiritual energy increasing, but he knew it couldn't be focused without an arrow.

 

“LET MY BROTHER GO.”

 

The youkai ignored her and kept his attention on Hiei. “You may still be Koenma's lapdog in many ways, but he can't fault you for failing to protect every ningen in the ningenkai. What do you care if I kill the boy? You are just playing with them for your own amusement.”

 

“Hn,” Hiei sneered, “and I am SO well known for allowing others to touch my possessions.” He reached out his free hand and twirled the chain holding his hiroseki stone. The youkai started to look a bit doubtful.

 

“Fine. I will take the boy with me and then release him at the edge of the Makai.”

 

“NO!” Kagome flared.

 

“Miko, flare all you want. You are harmless for all your power. I've heard you can't hurt me without a bow and arrow and you have none,” he laughed and clutched Souta tighter about the neck. Hiei tensed to attack him in the hopes he could kill the youkai before the youkai could kill Souta, and then get the boy to Yukina if he needed to be healed.

 

“I am NOT WEAK. LET HIM GO NOW!” Energy flared out of Kagome's arms and enveloped Souta and the youkai holding him. Souta's hair flew all directions in the wind she created; the same wind which blew the dust of the youkai into the air. He had had no time to do anything other than shriek before he was purified into nothingness.

 

Souta sagged to his knees. Kagome raced up to him, fell to her knees and hugged him thankfully. Hiei was relieved the miko was concentrating on her brother as it gave him time to recover from the shock of what she had done. She had purified an upper B class or possibly a lower A class youkai with no bow and arrow and literally without thought or apparent difficulty. Who was this onna? What would she be capable of when she was fully trained? It boggled the mind.

 

*Kurama. The miko…*

 

{What is it, Hiei? Is Kagome injured?}

 

*No. She is powerful.*

 

{We already knew that.}

 

*No, fox. She is powerful. She just purified an upper B class youkai without effort.* Hiei opened his immediate memories to the fox and let him experience them. Kurama and Youko were both silent. Finally, Youko spoke.

 

[I have never heard of a miko in any century who could do such a thing without a bow. She is truly amazing.]

 

{I agree. You should be sure and tell Genkai about it on Saturday.}

 

*Hn* Hiei said before shutting down the link.

 

That night Hiei stayed near the shrine, and rested in the goshinbuko. Kagome kept her family inside and worried about the attack by the strange youkai. Was it random? It didn't seem so. He had specifically mentioned hearing of her. Kagome was worried. Was her family at risk? It made her feel better to know that Hiei was around. She knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her family while he could prevent it. He really is like Inuyasha, she thought. He had a difficult childhood, but he seems very loyal to his friends. I wonder if he considers me a friend?

 

 

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Evil RULZ - thank you so much for being a regular reviewer. I really appreciate it. Yes, Youko has a bit of a one track mind. I've succumbed to the fanon concept of Youko that way.

 

Lovelywitch: Yes, the bats were all new. There is a lot new in this chapter also. I hope people think it expands the story rather than just expanding it. i.e. I hope you like it.

 

Merlyn 1382: Yes, Kagome certainly has fire. She is a character who says exactly what she means and stands up for what she believes in. Thanks for the review.

 

ShinkanNeko: To be honest, if you think the first part of the fic is `rushed,' you will probably think the rest of it is also. However, despite that, I hope you enjoy it for what it is. It's curious you think it needs more dialogue since some people think there is SO much dialogue I should be writing a play rather than a short story. At any rate, I hope you read and enjoy it. Thanks for the review.

 

Yue No Rei: It's true I succumbed to the Youko fanon of being both distinct from Suuichi and a sex maniac, but I hadn't thought he had done much obnoxious yet. I do see him as an elegant being. I'll see what I can do to try to bring that out a bit more.

 

Ice vixen x: thanks. I don't intend to stop it here. They still have to get together and settle their differences. I appreciate any review you leave for me.