InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Against All Odds ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

Kagome felt so warm and protected in the fox's embrace that she had totally forgotten about his state of undress. Forgotten, that is, until she slid her hands against his back once more and realized…that she had touched skin. His skin. A small `eep' sounded from her throat and she jumped back, her face a brilliant red as she landed on her backside. When she lifted her head, her eyes met with molten gold and watched as an amused smirk touched the kitsune's perfect lips.

 

Lifting herself from the floor, she turned her back to him while holding out a towel behind her; all the while muttering intelligible things about `seriously seductive and positively wicked kitsunes' and their `perverse sense of humor'. As she stood facing the wall and waiting on said fox, she began to wonder if taking him with her was a good idea or not; surely between Youko and Miroku, Kagome would lose her mind in a sea of hentai thoughts.

 

~*~

 

Two hours later, a still flushed, exhausted miko and a bandaged, smug kitsune had passed through the gates of the horrible castle and were cresting the hill where Kagome had first made her presence known. Once they reached the apex, they stopped and inhaled the crisp early morning air while looking towards the sky. If Kagome had to guess, she figured the time to be somewhere around five in the morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten with the new days light. The sudden presence of a youkai cut her relaxation time short and as she snapped her head from the heavens to the area in front of her, said aura became recognizable.

 

Noticing the battle ready fire neko at the bottom of the hill, Kagome called to her “Kirara! What are you doing here? Did you follow me?”

 

As the twin tailed cat came to stand in front of Kagome, she gave a nod of her head and turned her attention to the kitsune. Sniffing a few times, Kirara found the fox to be no threat and returned her attention to the miko.

 

“But why? I didn't think anyone was awake when I left.” Kagome said as much to herself as to the cat. Although Kirara had long ago proven that she knew more than most assumed, the young miko was still confused as to what would bring the neko youkai so far from her mistress.

 

Kagome got a rumbling purr as an answer and giggled. Reaching forward to scratch the great cat's ears, Kagome spoke softly “Kirara, how I wish I could understand you. Things would be much simpler, ne?”

 

`But you can understand me Kagome. Just focus on me. I have come to you now as a messenger for my one time mistress.'

 

Youko watched on as Kagome's eyes widened to impressive size once more and had to wonder at what had caused such a reaction. He had tensed upon first feeling the youki of the cat, but when he noticed that Kagome was unafraid, he relaxed. Upon closer inspection, the kitsune realized that the twin tail was the neko Kagome had told him of.

 

Looking at her youkai companion with a quizzical eye, Kagome responded using thought instead of words. `Kirara?! How is this possible? A message from your mistress? But who-` She didn't need to finish that question. The only other mistress that Kagome was aware of the neko having was the great priestess…'Midoriko'.

 

`Yes Kagome. Midoriko sends me to you. You might want to have a seat and tell your friend to do the same. This will be quite a shock to you I am sure.'

 

Kagome nodded dumbly and sat without a word, only reaching up to grab the fox's hand and pull him down to the grass next to her. Youko followed just as wordlessly, curious as to what exactly seemed to be transpiring in a realm he was not a part of.

 

Once Kagome had settled down and retrieved Youko, she looked at Kirara expectantly and nodded, signaling her to continue. As if on cue, the strong yet soft voice of the neko washed across her mind.

 

`Kagome, I know it has been said that you are the reincarnation of Kikyou. I have known for centuries the truth about you. You are in no way related to Kikyou; reincarnation or otherwise. The fact is, she has stolen a part of your soul…it was never hers to begin with. I know that you came here from the future, but you are in fact truly from this era. You are Midoriko's daughter.'

 

If Kirara had been ningen instead of neko, she would have laughed heartily at the young miko. Her brows were furrowed in obvious confusion and her midnight blue eyes swirled with more emotions than one would have thought possible. The neko could tell the young woman was processing the information given to her and waited for her to nod her head before she continued.

 

`Midoriko was the greatest priestess to have ever lived Kagome. She was beautiful, powerful and compassionate…much like you. She was even as open-minded as you when it came to youkai. In fact, Midoriko mated a kitsune. You were the result of their joining. When the great evil had arisen, your father was killed protecting Midoriko shortly before she fused her soul and created the Shikon no Tama. Before Midoriko sealed her fate, she went to the Bone Eater's Well and brought you forth to the future. You were just recently born and she knew you would adapt to the new world without problem.

 

Kagome, your mother was well over a thousand years old on the night the Shikon came to life. Apparently, a miko's bloodline is as strong as a youkai's, relatively speaking, and it enables them a spectrum of power on the opposite side of demons, but a lifespan that matches their own. You, however, are a miko-kitsune. Midoriko's blood and the blood of your father were strong enough that you were born full kitsune, not hanyou. And considering the age that it is now, I am guessing you to be around eight hundred years old.'

 

Now, that really got the girls attention…and she made it known.

 

“I am eight hundred years old?! But…but…I just turned eighteen Kirara! I was here on my birthday! And just how can I be a youkai? I am a miko, remember?” Kagome felt as if her world had just been upended. Not only did she have to tolerate Inuyasha, not only did she have to come to terms with the fact that the well was destroyed…now…now, she found out she was a demon who was centuries old.

 

Needless to say, the poor girl was nearing a mental breakdown.

 

Sensing Kagome's distress, Kirara continued `Kagome! Calm down! Yes you are eight hundred years old and yes you are youkai…a miko youkai at that. Midoriko put a concealing spell on you to hide your demon markings and seal away your youkai blood and aura…you appear, for all intents and purposes, to be a human female. I am coming to you now to help break the spell and to stay by your side as your companion…as I once was Midoriko's.'

 

“But what about Sango? You have been her companion in battle for a long time…how will she react to this? And how can you break the spell?” Kagome was becoming excited now, the more she thought about things. If she was a kitsune youkai, then adopting Shippou formally would be no problem. And, she figured, she could be the Shikon's guardian much easier with more power to protect it.

 

Chuckling slightly to herself, Kirara responded. `Ah Kagome still thinking of others first. As we speak, Midoriko is visiting Sango in her dreams and telling her that I will forever be bound to your side…as Midoriko's daughter. Sango loves you as a sister and will understand it all. I cannot break the spell, I am afraid. Midoriko will have to do that. It will only take a few minutes and all you have to do is meditate. As soon as you are where you need to be in your trance, your mother will visit you.'

 

Kagome merely nodded, taking it all in. She was anxious to get the spell broken…she wanted to show Shippou…and she was curious what she would look like…being a kitsune. Speaking of kitsunes…Kagome turned to regard a very confused, if intrigued, looking Youko. Smiling softly to him, she spoke “You look about as confused as I feel Youko. Want me to sum it up for you?” At seeing his slight nod, she continued “Apparently, Midoriko was my mother and my father was youkai. Since miko blood is comparably strong to youkai blood, I am full blooded…not hanyou. Kirara here,” She gestured to the cat, “was my mother's faithful companion and is to become mine now, instead of Sango's.”

 

Her eyebrows knitted together, “And now, I have to meditate to get my mother to break the spell that binds my youkai blood and conceals my demon traits. Would you mind sitting here with me? It shouldn't take long.”

 

Nodding his head, Youko replied “Of course I don't mind staying…but I would like to know what just happened. You are truly youkai? How can you be a miko youkai? I would have thought your holy power would purify your demon blood…even if it is sealed.”

 

She sat there for a minute in thoughtful silence. He had a good point. She didn't know the answer. “Honestly Youko? I have no idea. I just don't know. Maybe mother will be able to tell me something.” That said, she closed her eyes, relaxed her body and fell into a trance leaving one kitsune and one neko to watch over her.

 

~*~

 

In less then half an hour's time, Kagome was back among the world of the aware. The young miko had been deep in conversation with the ancient miko and had found that all the things Kirara told her had indeed been true. She was a miko youkai…a breed of creature that was nothing short of perfect. Midoriko had broken the spell that sealed away her youkai, but had given her a slender, silver bracelet that would keep all traces of her demon blood hidden; from even the most powerful and talented of sources.

 

Kagome looked down to the thin strip of metal that now adorned her wrist and smiled softly. `I am truly a priestess and a kitsune. Shippou will be so happy…but…what about Inuyasha? Wait…why am I thinking of that baka?! I don't care what he thinks anymore, regardless of whether or not his words still hurt.' With the unlocking of her true blood, Midoriko told Kagome that all knowledge of how to use both her miko and youkai powers was also unsealed. That meant that Kagome would no longer need the inu hanyou to `protect' her.

 

Feeling as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Kagome clapped her hands happily and jumped up from her spot upon the grass, scaring the wits out of both Youko and Kirara.

 

“Kagome, are you ok? You are acting rather…differently…then you have since I met you. I take it your `talk' with Midoriko went well?” The kitsune asked, both amused with and confused by Kagome's actions. When she turned her face towards him to answer, his breath caught in his throat. Her eyes…they were sparkling like the most precious of sapphires while her lips were tilted, giving him a dazzling smile. `This is what I wanted to see. She looks positively beautiful when her eyes match the smile on her lips.'

 

“Oh yes Youko! It went quite well actually. I found out what breed of youkai I am and everything. She also removed the spell, but I don't know how I look yet. She even gave me this bracelet,” she gestured to the band on her wrist, “to conceal any traces of demon blood and markings.”

 

At this point, nothing could really surprise him anymore. This miko had already proved that she had more compassion in her little finger then most beings did in their entire bodies; she had befriended youkai and hanyou alike; she had taken an orphaned kit under her wing and now…now she was a miko youkai. `I was right to want to follow her. She is proving to be a most interesting puzzle…one that I cannot wait to solve.'