Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ You Lose, Miko! ❯ Who Told You, Miko? ( Chapter 7 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
I don't own any part of Inyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. I make no money from this fic.
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Let's see; you were promised eye candy. I didn't lie; I was just mistaken <g>
A few scenes have intervened between this chapter and the promised eye candy. My fic keeps expanding. The original story was 22,000 or so words as Mediaminer counts them. The previous 6 chapters total over 39,000 and there's a lot more to go. What can I say? It grew. LOL.
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“Youkai do not age as ningen do. I am many times older than you; many, many times older. Do not forget it. I have done and experienced far more things in my lifetime than you can imagine.” He eyed her for a moment before disappearing into the night.
It took several days for Kagome to recover from her embarrassment of the birthday cake. By unspoken agreement Kagome and Hiei ignored the entire incident. She went over the conversation word by word in her mind multiple times. She especially thought about the moment when he held her face. She had been so mesmerized by the glow in his ruby eyes she could barely remember his words but she knew it had something to do with his age. `As if that had anything to do with anything,' Kagome thought. Inuyasha was over 200 years old when she knew him and he acted like he was about 12 most of the time. `Even if you subtract the time he was pinned to the tree, he was still over 150 years old. Youkai may not age like ningen, but they sure seem to stay children forever,' Kagome thought. She did realize, however, that Hiei wasn't emotionally immature as Inuyasha had been.
Hiei continued walking home from school with her. They developed the habit of sitting on the bench in front of the Goshinboku and talking about various things. At first the time was filled mostly Kagome telling Hiei about her adventures in the Sengoku Jidai, but slowly Hiei mentioned some things he had done. She noticed that everything he talked about, such as the Dark Tournament or Sensui's machinations, took place after he had met the other members of the spirit detectives. Hiei told her nothing about his life before he decided to break into the Reikai vaults. Kagome didn't press him for details.
It was the Sensui incident which made Kagome realize there was much more to Hiei than he admitted. He really was a loyal friend. He hadn't been obligated by the Reikai to help save the Ningenkai from the schizophrenic ex spirit detective. Indeed, in some ways bringing down the barrier would have accomplished much of what Hiei had wanted to accomplish when he stole the sword. Instead, he saved Yusuke's life from the Marksman and then helped to kill a couple of early youkai arrivals.
It was Hiei's reaction to Yusuke dying, though, that really got to Kagome. Hiei hadn't said he was seeking revenge against Sensui. He hadn't said he was protecting the Ningenkai in any way. He made it sound as though he just followed along with Kuwabara and Kurama because they were chasing Sensui and he had nothing better to do. Kagome knew better. Hiei had risked his life in an almost hopeless attempt to avenge his friend's murder. If Yusuke hadn't shown up alive and conveniently transformed into a Mazoku, Hiei would probably have died.
In addition to talking with her, Hiei offered to help her with her bow by becoming a moving target. On some days she would try to shoot him with a quiver of arrows before they sat down near the tree.
“But what if I actually hit you?” Kagome had been worried when he first suggested she aim at him. “I should throw miko energy into the arrow and if I hit you, then you might get hurt.”
“Hn. If I can't even move faster than an onna's arrow, I deserve to die.”
Kagome laughed, but nevertheless she was careful at first. As she practiced more she realized just how fast he really was and then it became a new game between the two of them. She would aim, fire and try to string another arrow before he could reach her from a distance. She always had to throw up her barrier to prevent him from hitting her.
“I can't believe it, Hiei. You are incredibly fast. I can barely see you moving. I have to sense you to throw up my barrier,” Kagome said. Hiei preened subtly at the compliment.
“You need to practice attacking without the bow. Now concentrate.” Hiei stood about 10 yards away from her. Kagome concentrated. Nothing happened.
“Concentrate onna,” Hiei demanded.
“My name IS NOT Onna! It's Kagome. Ka Go Me. Get it through your thick youkai skull.” Her aura started to flare up.
Hiei smirked at her. “I shall call you whatever I choose, onna. You can't stop me, ningen.” He pulled out his sword. Kagome started to reach for her bow and Hiei flashed by and grabbed it out of her hands. He dropped it behind a tree and then stood between her and the bow.
“You can't defend yourself from me. You will bleed if you don't stop me, oh… na.” Hiei ran towards her, but slowly enough he was still visible. Kagome threw up her barrier and Hiei attacked it. “This won't stop me, onna. You will be cut when I get through here.” Hiei let his youki rise and he felt Kagome's miko energy rise around her. He attacked the barrier for over 10 minutes. “I am stronger than you. I can outlast your barrier.”
Suddenly the barrier vanished, but just as Hiei was about to move forward, miko energy flared out from Kagome's hands and knocked him against the tree. He gasped and collapsed. That hurt. It hurt a lot.
“Hiei, are you alright? I'm so sorry.” Kagome ran to him and dropped down beside him. She lifted his head onto her knee. “I knew it. I knew I shouldn't try to hit you with my miko powers. I'm sorry.”
“Would you apologize for surviving? I am not injured. Anger helps you concentrate.” He smirked at her. Kagome gave him a look and huffed a little.
“I knew what you were doing, you know. I could tell you were just making me mad.”
“It worked. You attacked but your aura wasn't as high as when you protected your brother.”
“You could have been killed if I had lost control.”
“Never. I am not as weak as that coward who attacked your brother.”
“Well then, you've no need for a cushion.” With that Kagome picked his head up off her knee and dropped it back on the ground. She stood up. “Shall we try again? I think I'm getting the hang of this game of `attack the youkai.'”
They fought again and this time Hiei got through her barrier to slice her with his sword. The pain caused her energy to flare and she hit him again with her powers. This time she didn't chase after him but stopped to try to stop the flow of blood. Hiei got up to see how badly he had cut her. It just looked like a scratch to him but it was bleeding significantly and he knew Ningen were weaker than youkai. They couldn't take the same loss of blood.
“Oh dear, this looks worse than it is. My mother will definitely notice. I don't suppose you have the same healing powers as your sister, do you?” Kagome asked absent mindedly as she tried to stop the blood dripping from her arm.
Dead silence greeted this statement. Kagome looked up to find Hiei staring at her in shock and anger. She thought back and suddenly realized what she had said. She went ice cold.
“Ano…” Kagome floundered.
“WHO told you that, MIKO?” Hiei demanded in a voice far angrier than any she had heard since the first day. “Who told you Yukina was my sister? Who will die today?” Flames curled around his legs and arms.
“Ano… no one did; That is, you just did. What makes you think I meant Yukina?”
“Don't lie to me, miko. Someone had to tell you. Was it the old woman or Kurama? It had to be one of them. They're the only ones who could have told you.” Hiei demanded. He had Kagome by the shoulder and chin again. This time there was nothing warm or comfortable about it. He was glaring with real anger. Kagome said nothing.
“I said `who told you?'” Hiei pushed her against the tree. Her bleeding arm was forgotten.
“I… I…”
“WHO?” Hiei's youki rose. His skin was starting to turn a faint greenish color and claws were digging into her neck. The Jagan eye was glowing behind its ward as it responded to Hiei's desire to probe Kagome's mind. His youki kept rising and Kagome's miko aura rose to meet the impending threat. “I demand to…”
Suddenly Kagome flared out with barrier energy and pushed him off her. He skidded to ground but leapt up immediately to stand before her with his fists clenched and glowing with flames. She kept her barrier up between them.
“Stop it you idiot.” Kagome lost her temper. “No one told me; at least not the way you're thinking. No one told me your deep dark secret you think is so important to hide. I figured it out myself.” She glared at him and Hiei growled back. “Yes I did. If you must know, it was Yukina who confirmed it.”
“That's impossible. Then who told Yukina?” Hiei was beyond pissed, but so was Kagome.
“NO ONE told her, you moron. Do you think she is such an idiot she couldn't figure it out? You both have the same eyes; you are similar in height; you are a fire demon and Yukina was told by her mother that her lover was some type of fire demon. Then you spend all that time hovering about Genkai's temple when you didn't stay there at all before. Honestly, it didn't take a rocket scientist. You seem fairly bright when you aren't acting like an idiot. Do you really think your sister is that dumb when she's your twin? I've spoken with Genkai and Yukina. I know she was naïve when she first came from the Koorime Island but she was never stupid. Plus many twins have a sense about each other and Yukina told me she knew at the Dark Tournament that her brother was close by. You really give her no credit whatsoever.”
“Why do you think Yukina gave you her hiroseki stone? Why do you think Yukina said “that's the sort of advice I could expect to get from a brother? Kami Sama, why do you think she has stayed at Genkai's temple for as long as she has anyway? She is staying to be near you. She is trying to encourage you to tell her. She loves you very much and doesn't want to confront you with it before you are ready. Enough's enough. She knows you're her brother. She loves you. She wants to be your sister. Go talk to her and leave me alone.” Kagome's anger was burning itself out. It left fatigue and discouragement behind. “I thought we were friends Hiei; at least sort of friends. I'm tired. You should just go.
Hiei didn't say a word. His youki had come down during Kagome's tirade. He looked at her for a long moment and then vanished. Kagome sighed and went to pick up her bow from behind the tree.
After the huge fight, it was anticlimactic to find out Mama had gone to visit a friend and would be home late. Kagome got to her room, took a shower and bandaged her wound without any of her family being the wiser.
Kagome didn't see Hiei at all the next day. She walked to and from school and didn't get attacked once. None of her family were attacked during the evening. The day after that Kagome took special care to walk away to a secluded spot during lunch and stayed there for most of the lunch period. There was no wind and no fire youkai flashing by to say “you lose miko.” On the third day she agreed to go to WacDonalds after school for a soda. It didn't seem likely there would be a fire youkai waiting to get angry over her being late.
“Kagome, what's wrong? You finally come with us after school and all you do is sigh in your soda. Is it boy trouble?” Eri always did insist on knowing what was going on in Kagome's life. At least, she thought she knew what was going on in her life.
“You can call him many things, but `boy' isn't one of them,” Kagome said without thinking. Her mind was consumed by the irritable fire youkai. Time and again she cursed herself for letting her knowledge of Yukina slip. She cursed herself for losing her temper. It seemed he really didn't want anything to do with her. Why else would he not have attacked her for three days? Suddenly she had another thought. `Had he been so upset that Yukina knew about her brother he left the Ningenkai altogether?' What a horrible thought. If that was true she would never forgive herself for causing Hiei and Yukina's separation.
“Eh? It IS a boy. Tell us everything,” Eri demanded.
“Yes, tell all.” Yuka agreed. Ayumi just looked at Kagome expectantly.
“Oh, it's nothing. It is just this boy who is giving me trouble. Well, really he is a man who was helping me with the training I told you about at the temple.”
“I think it is so wonderful you are training to be a miko. You can take over some of the temple duties,” Ayumi said.
Kagome had told them about the training, at least in theory. She had had to give them some reason for never doing anything on the weekends. She made it sound as though she was taking educational studies to assist her grandfather. She told them her grandfather was the one who introduced her to Genkai and suggested the training. She didn't tell them the shrine powers were real or that they were needed to defend against real youkai. They all thought she was a very dutiful granddaughter to give up her weekends.
“I think you are giving up way too much time for this training,” Eri said. “It is all well and good to be a dutiful daughter; but really, this is your time to be young. This is high school and you've been going there every weekend for the past five months. You aren't getting to have any fun. Now you say there is trouble with some man? Is he a pervert? You have to be careful about that sort of thing. Just let me know and we'll take care of any pervert troubles. You do NOT have to put up with that.” Eri was righteously indignant.
“No, no,” Kagome said, waving her arms. “He isn't a pervert, not at all.” Then she looked into her soda. “I should be so lucky,” she continued quietly.
“Aha,” said Yuka. “It is boy trouble.”
“But you said he was a man,” Eri insisted.
“Well yes, but he is a young man,” Kagome corrected herself. Youngish for a youkai she thought. She knew from talking to Yukina she and Hiei were adults and well over 100 years old, but they were still considered young by youkai standards.
“Tell us all about him. What does he look like?”
“He's beautiful. He had a tough, ugly childhood but he really does care about his friends and is very loyal. His hair is dark and very unusual. He's shorter than most men, but has great eyes that just glow and a fantastic chest. Everything is in perfect proportion.”
“Everything,” Eri asked? “That's too bad,” she said archly.
Kagome flushed. “Eri! I don't know anything about that. You really have a dirty mind. Besides,” Kagome continued with a sigh. “He doesn't like me that way. After our fight, I don't think he likes me at all.” She sighed again.
”What did you fight about?”
“It's hard to explain. I knew something that was a bit of a secret. Hiei thought only a couple of people knew about it, but really the one person he didn't want to know about it already knew about it. Then I guessed it and made the mistake of letting it slip to him that I knew. Anyway, we had a big fight about it and I told him the person from whom it was supposed to be a secret knew about it and, well, one thing led to another and… and we had a big fight.” She sighed again.
“Well that certainly makes everything clear,” Yuka said with a grimace.
“I haven't seen him since the fight,” she said.
“Wait a minute. Is he the reason you haven't done anything after school? Have you been spending all this time with a new boyfriend and didn't even tell us?”
“NO! I've been spending it training.”
“Training in what area of expertise?” Eri demanded pointedly. “Have you been seeing this boy after school?”
“Ummm, yes, but really we were training. It was practice,” Kagome said weakly.
“Really?” Yuka asked skeptically.
“I think it sounds so sweet. He's helping her help her grandfather. He must really like her, even if they did have a fight,” Ayumi said.
“No, he just enjoys winning,” Kagome said sadly. “He has never given me any indication he liked me like that. I think it was just a silly fantasy of mine. I haven't seen him ever since our fight which was three days ago. Knowing him, I may never see him again.”
“Cheer up. There are lots of other fish in the sea if he swims off,” Eri said pragmatically.
“Not like this particularly fish.”
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Kagome walked home from the WacDonalds. She was feeling pretty good about things and decided she should spend more time with her childhood friends. She couldn't tell them about her past; she couldn't tell them much about her present and she couldn't tell them what she did know or suspect about her future. She could, however, sit with them at WacDonalds over a soda and pretend for a few minutes she was just a normal girl. Kagome definitely felt better after spending an hour with them and decided she really should do it more often.
Suddenly Kagome felt the wind rush by her. She felt a painful push and fell onto the ground. There was another rush of wind and her neck hurt from the sudden scratch. When Kagome looked up from ground she saw Hiei standing over her.
“You lose, miko,” he said simply.
“Hiei, you're back.” Kagome grinned up at him from her place on the ground. She felt wonderful.
“Any low level youkai could have killed you easily. You were paying no attention whatsoever. Where have you been? You are late.”
“It's good to see you too, Hiei. I stopped at WacDonalds with my friends for a soda. We've been drifting apart and I wanted to spend some time with them.”
Hiei just stared at her while she made this comment.
“You ignore your senses? You deserve to be hurt. What is the point of this if you pay no attention when you aren't expecting an attack? I have been too predictable. That ends now!” Hiei attacked her and forced her to raise her barrier. He continued attacking it for 15 minutes before Kagome dropped it and tried to hit him with a purified pencil. He ducked around it and hit her hard. She fell to the ground and he followed up by throwing a small energy attack her direction. Kagome managed to throw her barrier up again to stop it, but she let it fall and he swept in and he grabbed her by the neck. It was quite painful and he gave her a little shake before releasing her.
“You lose, Miko,” he said firmly.
After the fight Hiei and Kagome walked towards the shrine as had been their habit. Neither one of them said much but it was a companionable silence. Kagome spoke up first.
“I'm sorry, Hiei,” she said in the small very polite voice. “I didn't mean to let it slip about Yukina. It's completely your business.”
Hiei was silent for a minute or two. “I talked with Yukina,” he said finally.
“Mm hmm?” she said. She tried to make it sound both non committal and encouraging. Hiei glanced at her and was silent for another long moment.
“Thank you, Miko,” he said.
“You're welcome, Hiei.” She didn't say anything else.
They continued in an amiable silence as they arrived onto the shrine grounds and began walking up the steps. Suddenly Hiei froze and stared at the top of the steps with narrowed eyes. Kagome remembered what happened the last time she saw that look and without another word she started running up the stairs and throwing her aura out to try to trace her family. Her miko energy flared up and she pushed her senses out as she ran.
“Mama, Souta, Grandpa,” she shouted.
So that's why it had to stop here. There's a little cliffy.
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Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I appreciate each and every one. If you like it, please let me know. If you think it has flaws, please let me know that also. I revised the last chapter based on some accurate concrit I got from Lovelywitch.
I've already responded to those on fanfic.net directly so here are the ones for mediaminer.
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Ice Vixen X: Yeah, I could see any of us doing that. She needed to hear Hiei pointing out “I am not a child. I've been around the block a few times.” He's definitely not as immature as Inuyasha. Plus I noticed the Makai seems to be a strange combination of castles and technology. They definitely have all sorts of things humans don't seem to have.
Bloodcherry: Thank you so much for the kind words. I really, really appreciate them. Reviews like yours keep me writing.
JaneyJane428: Yeah, when they finally kiss I want it to seem realistic. They will definitely get around to it eventually, but all these other people and scenes keep inserting themselves between Hiei and Kagome and their feelings. <g> I will definitely keep going with this fic. A chapter which served as the ending for the contest version has already been written, but I keep having ideas so it keeps expanding.
Madmiko: As always, I so appreciate the time you put into a review. Kurama is definitely trying to use a little kitsune charm on her. I'm glad you liked that line “never apologize for strength.” It seemed very Hiei-ish to me when I came up with it. They are learning more about each other. Hiei is starting to realize he doesn't like all this talk of other males. I'm sorry the promised eye candy didn't make it into this chapter but I hope you enjoy the scenes which did go in here. Eri is very officious. She just has to know what is happening in everyone's life and give them advice. She knows what is best for all of her friends (if she does say so herself) LOL.