InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Convention of Killers ❯ Chapter 9: Will You Train Me? ( Chapter 9 )

A/n: Okay after a very long absence (if you really want to know you can read my LJ) I’ve finally returned home. For those concerned about the characterization I changed things around in some parts, and I’m not to familiar with Tomo’s character so I’ve been doing some research. Anyway, I know he knew about Nakago’s past before what was stated in a previous chapter, but for the purpose of the story he didn’t find out when he first encountered Nakago. So without further ado I give you Chapter 9.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho or Fushigi Yugi and make no profit from this fan fiction.

*Convention of Killers*

By: Kage Otome (Shadow Maiden)

Chapter 9: Will You Train Me?

No one had dared speak a word as they continued their way through the labyrinth. Kagome however could feel the holes some of them were boring into her back. Already knowing they were treading on thin ice so to speak everyone was careful not to anger the already highly aggravated Kagome. She lost control, something they figured was probably very rare for her considering how silent and cold she was being. They didn’t ask. She didn’t tell. It was probably better for their health, of course Naraku was never known for his ‘self preservation tactics’ when it came to her. Yes he survived quite well behind illusions and puppets but he forgot he was very real, and she was very deadly.

He couldn’t help it if he wanted to which he didn’t. He found this quite lovely ‘pay back’ so to speak for embarrassing him earlier.

“You lost control.” He said with a sneering arrogance that made Kagome stop in her tracks.

“What of it?” Her voice was low and challenging as if daring him to say another word about it.

“How--juvenile.” Slamming him up against the concrete, vine decorated wall of the labyrinth she snarled in his face eyes flickering red and back to silvery-blue.

“You dare...” Kagome took a deep breath calming herself. “If there is anyone juvenile here it is you, playing these petty games with rocks and provocation.” She released him before turning her back to him, obviously dismissing him as no threat.

Naraku fumed.

“When Yusuke does it it’s entertaining, however when you do it it’s just annoying.”
------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------
Yoko watched her his eyes narrowed and calculating, she was, as far as he’d seen, a very controlled person, someone who while wasn’t exactly ‘open’, she wasn’t completely closed off. She wasn’t emotionless, she had feelings, Yoko supposed the years had just toughened her up. After all why else would she risk herself to save the child, granted she couldn’t die, she could still feel like she was dying. So why? Looking into darkened blue orbs he read the emotions clear in her eyes. Her face may have been stony, but her eyes, her eyes told it all. Something in those haunted eyes called to him. They were so lonely, so sad and full of pain.

It made him want to grab her and take away her pain.

Something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

At least---not since Kuronue.

Just thinking about his old partner, his friend, his brother made his heart throb in old pain. He shouldn’t have died, he should’ve gone back and helped him, but instead he fled. He fled just as Kuronue wanted him too. He should’ve stayed and helped him, regardless of the consequences.

But he didn’t.
--------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------
They had stopped for a break, for the humans sake and had found a safe water source to drink from in the form of a fountain and some tree’s with an odd purplish-yellow fruit, that tasted kind of like grapefruit and melon. An odd but pleasing combination, with the contrasting of taste, the bitterness of the ‘grapefruit like flavor’ and the sweetness of the melon-like flavor. They had all lounged themselves near the fountain, in a sort of pentagon shape.

Rin glanced up from her position by her lords side at the lady that saved her. She wasn’t stupid, she knew that the woman had taken a blow that should’ve killed her, to save her. She just didn’t understand why. Looking at her, she saw someone like her lord; solitary, strong and proud. But she also saw someone who was hurting, someone who kept the pain bottled up inside. So she did the only thing she could think of. She in all her childish innocence walked up to the woman who was leaning against the wall and wrapped her arms around her waist.

Kagome glanced down eyes wide with shock as she made a soft sound of surprise. Looking down at the small head of the girl with big doe eyes she couldn’t help but feel the familiar clench of pain in her chest as a memory took over her.

Flashback

“Ane!” A two and a half year old boy with excited brown eyes and unruly black hair exclaimed dashing up to dance circles around his older sisters legs. Ten year old Kagome smiled down gently at her brother, hiding the pain in her eyes, she ruffled his hair asking him what he was so excited about.

“Oji, say he gon stawt tway--twayning me to be a pweist!”

“That’s great, Souta!” Kagome said with enthusiasm about her brothers upcoming training. She was glad they were going to train him, because if one of their kind is left without training it could have drastic consequences in the future. Not that they bothered or even considered training her. She was nothing but a dirty hybrid. A mistake. A half-miko, half-sorceress or ‘witch’ (whichever one prefers-though there is a slight difference), half light and half dark. They would’ve rather killed her, but that would’ve gone against what they’d been taught. So she became their little ‘freak’. One who got all the beatings, did all the hard, strenuous and dirty work. She was their little slave.

She was just glad that her little half-brother Souta would not have to suffer the same fate as she. You see, her father had kept a big secret from her mother, for fear that she would not accept him, for fear that she’d shun him. His secret was that he was a Sorcerer, with amazing powers, and the once head sorcerer of his tribal home, before he’d met her mother. But the secret was not to stay secret, as soon as Kagome had been born, everyone in their family knew, they could feel it, see it in the aura cackling around the child. Her father walked out of her life that day, broken and uncaring as to what would happen to his daughter. As soon as she began showing powers of both miko and other lineage, seals were placed on her and the torture began.

Then her ‘mother’ met another man when she was seven, one who took her mind off of Kagome’s own father. A male from the line of monks at a nearby temple. They remarried 7 months later and 9 months after that. Souta was born, restoring her mother in the eyes of the Higurashi Clan. She’d given birth to a baby boy, with pure blood. Kagome wanted to hate him for being treated nicely, humanely. But she couldn’t, every time those brown eyes caught her eyes and he giggled a soft pleasant sound she couldn’t stop the love from blooming. He was her little brother, after all.

She knew what they did, they whispered vile, evil things in his ears as he slept and while he was awake. They tried to make him hate her as much as they did. But he didn’t. And Kagome never figured out why.

“Nee-cha?” Souta called out pulling Kagome from her thoughts.

“Yes?” Souta glanced up at her admiration in his gaze as he rubbed his chubby hands together nervously.

“Will you---te-teech me how to do dat tingy wit de wata?” Kagome froze.

How did he...?

“What thingy with the water, Souta?” A deep voice said from behind them. Whipping around both came face to face with ‘Father’. Or as Kagome was forced to call him---’Sir’ or ‘Higurashi-sama’.

“Kagowe made pi-pic-tue wit wata in air!” Souta said in all his two and a half year old jubilance, unaware of the tension that filled the air and the nasty glare focusing in on Kagome.

“She did what?” He was so angry, Kagome had never seen him as angry as he’d been at that moment, opaque eyes spitting fire, his hand clenching and unclenching as he snarled and backhanded her, sending her into a nearby tree. Kagome moaned softly as she slid down the trunk of the tree, barely keeping consciousness. Souta looked on in fear as his ‘father’ attacked his idol and big sister. He couldn’t just let her get hurt! So he did, as all brave little two year olds do, he jumped in front of his big sister screaming out ‘NO!’, punching his father with all his might, right in the leg in a brave, but rather useless attempt to stop him.

Kagome’s eyes widened in horror, she began to force herself to move, and move she did, however, it wasn’t fast enough, Souta’s father forcefully kicked the boy sending him flying into a tree before advancing on Kagome.

And all was black.

End of Flashback

Souta hadn’t survived, his body hadn’t been strong enough.

Kagome closed her eyes, holding back tears while one of her hands came up and traced the spot on her chest where a scar still remained. Clenching her hands so tightly that her sharp fingernails drew blood, she could still remember the look on that man’s face, he was a monster in the true sense of the word. He had blamed Souta’s death on her, and the resulting beating left her with whip marks on her back and the scar on her chest. Right under her collar bone, a jagged X shaped scar from her mother, who in a fit of sadness and rage lashed out at her with a kitchen knife, nearly killing her.

She wondered why they’d even bothered to save her.

“Kagome-sama?” Her eyes snapped open, the very edges of them tinged with red and black.

Rin looked up at her with dark soulful eyes, eyes that were to knowing, too old.

Children are so perceptive, they see what we try so hard to hide...

But still--so innocent.

“Why is Kagome-sama sad?”

Startled eyes snapped back to focus before zeroing in on the little girl clinging to her. She patted Rin on the head, ignoring the ache in her heart and the tears that so desperately wanted to fall. Never again. Her eyes hardened, never again would she show weakness, they always mocked her about her weakness, especially when they saw her tears. Tears were a sign of weakness, of vulnerability. She couldn’t, wouldn’t let them fall again. At least. Not while there were people around. When she was alone however, that was a whole different story.
---------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------
Sesshoumaru watched his charge with careful eyes keeping a wary eye on the Forsaken’s body tense and ready to move should she pose a threat to his ward, it didn’t matter that she’d saved her, just that she could just as easily harm her. However he could barely conceal his surprise as his ward reached around her waist and hugged her. He watched silently, eyes narrowed as the Forsaken, Kagome’s eyes widened before he caught a glint of pain and then she was lost in her memories.

Whatever it was that she was thinking about, it was painful, he saw her hand go up to touch just below her collarbone, a jagged scar rested there, his lips turned down in a barely noticeable frown as he thought about that scar. ‘She must have gotten that in her ‘mortal’ life, Forsaken do not scar, their healing is far to advanced from what I understand.’

Her silvery-blue eyes hardened as she patted his wards head and he was tempted to cock his head to the side and inquire about what was going through her mind, however when his mouth opened, only the question on the origins of her scar emerged.

“That scar, how did you get it?”

She responded after a few moments, her voice quiet and menacing.

“That, is none of your business.”
------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------
Hiei didn’t like this. But then again there were many things Hiei didn’t like. But this ranked near the top of the list. He absolutely detested having to depend on other people. Yet that was what he was doing, depending on that onna to get them out of this mess. But right now, it looked like she was the only one who could, they were in unfamiliar territory, would be for the duration of this ‘trip’. Damn, he hated situations like this. It didn’t help any that he was stuck with people he didn’t know, didn’t trust. The Fox and Detective were there, but that was irrelevant at the moment. Glaring at everyone he simply snorted and leaped into a tree to better ‘keep an eye on’ this ‘group’ that he was currently stuck with.

Hiei shifted slightly, crimson eyes narrowing to focus in on the scar just under the onna’s collarbone. It was not a normal scar, instinct told him there was more to that scar, to that wound then was shown. His narrowed eyes widened marginally as she turned to glare at him, eyes sparking slightly before she let out an almost silent growl, clearly telling him to back off. He had no intention of doing so until he got his answers. He hated to admit it, but she was--different then any other onna he’d ever met.

‘That scar is not normal.’ He thought.

‘Tell me.’

‘You have no right to demand such from me.’

‘Why don’t you completely heal your scars?’

‘They are a reminder.’

‘Of what?’ He questioned, curiosity piqued.

She was silent for a few moments and he thought she wasn’t going to answer until the softly spoken answer floated through his mind.

‘They are a reminder, of my failure.’
--------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomo glanced over at Nakago, wondering what was going through his mind. He’d always looked up to the elder warrior, never mind the fact that Nakago had accepted him as an equal. Perhaps a part of him still hoped that Nakago would one day be more than just an “ally”, but he also knew that Nakago was straight through and through. This was all sort of surreal to him, demons...who’d ever thought they actually existed. Certainly not he.

Closing gold eyes in contemplation of this, he vaguely wondered why he was really chosen. While conniving and evil he may appear, he certainly wasn’t an A-ranked warrior. His power was illusion, and to be honest his skill as a warrior weren’t great. If one were to take away his illusion, his ‘Shin’ he’d be useless, as was proven back in the halls with that bull-beast. To be saved, by a woman no less! But...

She was unusual, and rather attractive...for a woman.

Shaking his head of such thoughts, he began to think. He needed to get serious if he didn’t want a repeat of the ‘bull’ incident. He needed to train himself, glancing at that woman again he looked back at the ground. He could ask her to train him. He wanted to prove that he was not as weak as others of the group may think, he wanted to actually be ‘equal’ to them, to Nakago. He could tell just looking at the group, they all had fighting skills. And added to the fact they were ‘demons’. These enemies have already proven they could cut off his power, without it he was useless, helpless. Tomo’s eyes hardened, he wouldn’t be the weakest, he wouldn’t he helpless ever again.

Moving away from his spot next to Nakago he approached the woman--Kagome, who gazed at him from the corner of her eye, before nudging the child away from her. She turned to face him fully, her attention focused solely on him, ignoring the hush that seemed to fall over the group.

“May I speak with you...privately?”

Kagome nodded her ascent and they moved several meters away beneath the shade of a few tree’s, where she placed a soundproof barrier. She glanced at him with mild curiosity while he nearly blushed with the intense stares he could feel on his back.

“Ignore them, they cannot hear us. What is it you wish to speak with me about?”

Kagome observed the male in front of her with curious eyes. He was attractive but seemed rather--repulsed by women, or perhaps it was just her, she’d rather believe he was repulsed by women in general. It didn’t bother her, in fact it reminded her of Jakotsu who was a fellow forsaken one. But she grew on him, and he on her, absently she wondered how he and the others were doing.

“I was wondering if you’d...”

He paused and she waited patiently.

“I was wondering if you would train me?”

She blinked once, and then twice.

“They’ve bound my power before, without it I’m useless. I can fight, but I am as of right now the weakest link, besides the child.” Tomo paused before looking up a determined glint in his eye. “ I want to be worth something, I depend on myself to get the job done, but I need...help.”

Kagome wondered, how much his pride was hurting, coming to her like this.

“You are impulsive and rash, as you have proved with the Minotaur. You believed your illusion would divert it’s attention from you, but the Minotaur is more animal then human. And the mind of an animal is different then a humans, therefore it’s not affected in the same way. You rely to much on them. If you truly want to learn--do not believe I will go easy on you because I am a woman, or because I care what your trying to prove, or how twisted your past may be.”

Tomo grit his teeth before looking into hard blue eyes, which gave nothing away.

“I understand.” He gave a sort of half bow and walked away, leaving Kagome to stare after him, contemplating this new development.

‘He...Reminds me of--me.’ Kagome thought, remembering back to a time where she was weak, useless. Of where she attacked and fought impulsively, not really giving care to the consequences...But she learned quickly after the first couple of ‘lessons’. So she trained secretly, watching, observing and learning. Then changing the techniques to fit her. He was not helpless, but perhaps he felt he was.

‘I’ll train him--because I know what it’s like to be helpless.’
----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
< /i>A/n: Well that's the chapter. A bit shorter then I wanted to give you who have all been very patient with me. But hopefully another chapter will be on it’s way shortly. Hope you enjoyed it!