InuYasha Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Sovereign Destiny ❯ First Steps ( Chapter 12 )

 

 

Sovereign Destiny

Chapter 11: First Steps

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.

 

Story Summary:

A new threat will reunite the Yu Yu Hakusho team once again but this time the stakes are different and much higher. Will the once spirit detective and friends rise to this new challenge or will they prefer to sit back and allow fate to decide for them their place in the worlds?

 

Chapter Tagline:

Just let go and listen because nature is whispering her secrets in your ears. That is the first step.

 

Chapter 11: First Steps

 

Training with Kagome was an experience like no other. In fact Kuwabara couldn't think of a word to describe it but then again…no never mind, it was not honorable for a student to think of his teacher as… aggravatingly slow.

 

“The key to controlling your spiritual awareness is understanding that balance is the law that controls the world around you,” she had explained hours before, “When you get a weird vibe it is because your spiritual awareness is picking up an imbalance. Balance is apart of everything. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it. Consider things such as: is light truly light if it does not have darkness to cut through? And can darkness exist apart from the light? Can a person truly understand the value of life if they do not understand how easily death can come to them? Can someone know what truly is good if they do not have evil to compare it with?”

 

Kuwabara thought on these words as he meditated in the center of the training area. Kagome sat off to the side quietly studying him as if she was waiting for something. He was getting frustrated with what he considered slow progress. Wait…progress? Didn't there need to be some kind of movement to even be considered slow progress? When he couldn't take it anymore he stood silently and turned facing Kagome. He just stood there and watched her a few moments until she spoke.

 

“You are not approaching this right. You're too use to fighting and training that involves your fist and bloodshed,” she said with a sigh, “A person is made up of more then just flesh. There is also the mind, the spirit, and the soul. There are battles to be fought on every level and you must use the appropriate weapons for each battleground. Physical might only matters on a physical battleground. Your physical strength will not help you with matters of spiritual awareness. You need to let go of what you think you know.”

 

“Okay…that kind of made sense but why did you wait until now to explain that to me?” Kuwabara asked suspiciously, not bothering to cover his annoyance.

 

Kagome studied him with a hint of secret amusement before saying, “I'm here only to guide you through this. If I had told you sooner you wouldn't have understood because you were not ready to listen. It is only yourself that's holding you back. I cannot guide someone who is not willing to be lead down an unfamiliar path. Just let go and listen because nature is whispering her secrets in your ears. That is the first step.”

 

With that said, Kuwabara sat back down to continue his meditation with Kagome's new words in mind. It didn't take too much longer for it to finally click and he could hear, or rather feel, the force of balance around him. It was already after midnight but it was finally time for his training to truly begin.

 

&&Scene Change&&

 

By the time dawn approached Kagome was very relieved to know she had not misjudged Kuwabara. Once he had figured out how to look beyond the physical he improved in leaps and bounds and was very close to having a good handle on what he needed to know to activate the sacred objects of Gaia. In comparison to what he could learn and eventually master, this technique was fairly simple since all it involves is being able to see the life and spirit flow of the object and using your own spirit power to manipulate it.

 

It was still impressive though that Kuwabara could learn so much in a single night. The only tricky part that had Kagome concerned is if he would be able to manipulate without tipping the flow of balance which could only be learned with practice but Kagome could see Kuwabara had a natural instinct when it came to reading how balance is achieved in different things. It all came down to being able to control his mind and spiritual awareness which is why so much meditation was needed.

 

Kuwabara slowly began to stand up as he stretched out his stiff limbs. Kagome could see that the sleep depravation was starting to catch up to him but they could not rest yet. Six more hours and she was sure he would be ready. Then they could rest to prepare for the actual activation. For now a change of scenery would just have to do.

 

“Let's go for a walk,” Kagome said, getting Kuwabara's attention. “It's time to put what you have been learning into particle use. We will go find a sick tree or animal and see if you can figure out how to heal it.”

 

“I can heal things?” Kuwabara asked in wonder as his mind drifted to Yukina.

 

“Sickness and injuries are imbalances to the natural process of things. It is as simple as seeing what the imbalance is and using your spirit energy to correct it. This is what all healers do; they just can't see it like we can. The same method can be applied to fighting too but that would involve a more thorough training,” Kagome said as she led them into the surrounding forest.

 

“Can I have a more thorough training?” Kuwabara asked a little unsure.

 

“If you want to learn more once this crisis is over it would be my honor to teach you,” she answered, making Kuwabara relax.

 

“Of course I have trained with the strongest of demons and humans. The training you go through with me will make anything you heard Yusuke has gone through look like a day at an amusement park,” she said as she gave Kuwabara a side look.

 

He stopped in his tracks with a look of horror before catching the amusement in Kagome's eyes. He then said with a smile, “As long as it doesn't involve anything like sleeping with snakes I'm fine with that.”

 

It was Kagome's turn to stop, “She made him sleep with snakes?”

 

&&Scene Change&&

 

Hiei made his way quickly over trees, roof tops, and anything else in his way. He decided that since he was the quickest of the group it would make the most sense if he started his search the furthest away.

 

When he reached his destination he stopped and spied around to see the shrine was relatively crowded today. This suited Hiei just find since it would make it that much easier to slip around without the keeper noticing his presence. He usually wouldn't even entertain the notion that a human would be able to detect him much less harm him but since this involved sacred objects there was always the chance he could run into someone with enough holy powers to purify him. He shuddered at the thought of what the others would say if he got himself killed by some aged priest. It was assured that it would be a hundred times worse then when he recklessly got his soul taken by Kaito.

 

He opened his jagan eye and searched the area for any sign of holy energy that could be a sacred object of Gaia. Finding nothing he recovered his eye and started looking around since he was not completely sure if his jagan eye would be able to sense it.

 

The shrine was not that big so it didn't take him every long. When he was about to leave he spotted what he assumed was the keeper of the shrine. He was standing by the gift shop holding up what he was claiming to be the bones from a demon. He was telling a story that ended with “if you buy this...”

 

Hiei wrinkled his nose in disgust, “Fools,” he said before leaving at top speed towards the next shrine. He was not sure what annoyed him the most: the shrine keeper's story or the fool hearted people who bought into his lies. What he was sure of was if this was what he was going to have to be around all day it was going to be a very long day. He had good reasons for not liking the majority of the human race.

 

&&Scene Change&&

 

One of the advantages of living among humans for most of your life is the ability to detect a scam fairly easy and the first shrine that Yusuke and Kayko went to was definitely a scam. Yusuke was pretty sure that it would be a safe bet that the keeper wouldn't even know how to make a fake ofuda much less have any actual spiritual awareness.

 

If Yusuke had it his way they would have just done a quick check and been on their merry way but instead he was in a smelly old room reading over dusty old scrolls with Kayko. He had to admit Kayko was right on the money about this. She had suggested they ask to look at any ancient texts that the shrine might have kept that had been passed down through the generations. Just because this present generation knew nothing the shrine was still quite old and could have once been run by legitimate priests and priestesses.

 

As Yusuke looked through the scrolls he could tell she was right and the people who had written them had to have known what they were talking about. The only question was would any of them help them on their search? Any help would be better than none since they were just searching blindly at the moment.

 

Yusuke took a moment to study Kayko as she intently studied the scroll in front of her. He had no problem admitting that Kayko was usually right about these kinds of things. It was one of the reasons he loved her and why they were so well matched. He had the street wisdom and she had the book smarts. He was powerful but prideful and she was kind with great understanding. They were Yin and Yang.

 

Then a thought occurred to him that made his heart feel heavy. Their wedding was coming up soon. Kayko shouldn't be here worrying about trying to find a way to dethrone a psychotic king. She should be making wedding arrangements like the color of the bridesmaid dresses or how she is going to make Yukina look more human since she was the maid of honor. This wasn't right and yet she hadn't said anything about it to him. She just silently supported him almost as if she had accepted that battle would always be a part of him and that he would never be normal.

 

She was definitely one of a kind and once this was all over he was going to make sure she was always his. With this thought he stood up and walked behind Kayko and wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder so he could see what she was reading.

 

“You've been staring at that scroll pretty intensely, did you find something?” Yusuke questioned.

 

“Maybe, it's talking about a tree that's holy powers keeps evil spirits from approaching it and that its bark can cure diseases. If I understand this right I think its talking about the shrine that is on the other side of town,” Kayko answered as she looked up at Yusuke.

 

Yusuke gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head before letting her go and grabbing her hand. “Prefect lets get out of here before the old man comes back and starts trying to sell us stuff,” he said as he lead her outside.

 

 

&&Scene Change&&

 

Kurama grabbed Shizuru's arm to keep her from falling as they slowly made their way down a steep hill. The third temple they went to directed them to a shrine that was deep in a near by forest that was once used for spiritual pilgrimages. It had been over a hundred years since it was closed down and the trails had long since grown over.

 

Soon the trees started to thin out and they came to an old shrine. It was in great need of repair and some of the building roofs had caved in from fallen trees but the most prominent feature was a very large tree in the center that had a very faint glow to it. It felt warm and inviting and seemed to bring a sense of peace to the surrounding land.

 

Shizuru approached it and put a hand on the trunk. She then leaned forward and rested on the trunk. Then she let out a small laugh, “It feels like Kagome,” she said as she turned, resting her back on the tree, to look a Kurama.

 

“Really, how is that?” Kurama asked as he stepped closer to also touch the tree.

 

“Not sure. It just does,” was Shizuru's answer.

 

Kurama nodded, “This tree is very old. It is rare to find something this ancient in the human realm. Humans have a tendency to destroy things before they have a chance to live a full life.”

 

“Well then, I guess we can head back now. If this isn't it I don't know what would be,” Shizuru said, pushing away form the tree. Kurama silently followed but not before taking the time to look over the tree one more time. He felt a bit of sadness about leaving the tranquility of the shrine.

 

&&Scene Change&&

 

Koenma sat resting as he listened to the sounds of Botan, Yukina, and George playing cards. He decided to use this time to store more of his energy while Kagome and Kuwabara slept. It felt like a strange dream to know she was resting so close to him. It had been about two hours since they had come out of their isolation and her words echoed around in his head.

 

&&Flashback&&

 

“He is ready. Allow us to sleep until morning and we will be prepared to move out if the others have been successful in finding the two other objects of Gaia,” she had stopped to tell him as Kuwabara went ahead.

 

“It must be hard. I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like,” Kagome said as she turned sad eyes to him.

 

“What feels like?” Koenma asked confused.

 

“Knowing tomorrow you will be one giant step closer to facing your father. The last of your family,” as she said the last part she turned away and walked out of the room.

 

&&End Flashback&&

 

It must be hard? He wished it was. He wished he felt self loathing, great sadness. Anything at all but he didn't, he was just numb. True, he wasn't planning on killing him but it would be a battle that would result in the death in their relationship.

 

There. That's why he felt nothing. Koenma knew he ceased to be King Yama's son in his eyes soon after the death of his mother. He was no more than an over exalted servant. Their relationship had died a long time ago and it had been a long painful death at that. It wasn't true that he felt nothing. He felt pity for the man who had once been such a kind and wise ruler and he knew it was time to end what he had become. He could feel remorse later. There were two realms that needed his protection and that needed to come first.