InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Cataclysm ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, YuYu Hakusho (As much as I'd love to) or any of the anime/manga characters.

 

Hunt

It had been less than a day since their group had emerged from the Bone Eater's Well, and already, Shippo was wandering. Kagome smiled contentedly as she watched him run around the shrine grounds.

She followed him into the woods when he ran off, smiling.

And then, there was a pained cry and she ran off in the direction it had come from.

As she ran through the woods, her panic increased.

She reached a small clearing to find Shippo, bleeding, in the grip of a small man, dressed in black.

“Why are you in Ningenkai, fox?” he demanded, a flash of steel forming as the sword materialized by the kitsune's throat.

A small tingling sensation in the air was all the warning he had before an arrow shot through the air. Shippo hit the ground and started running toward her.

“Kagome!”

Shippo launched through the air and landed in Kagome's arms, practically crying in fear.

“Woman, release the fox immediately,” he said, his sword shining in the daylight filling the clearing.

“Try to make me,” she said, letting her miko energy flare a little. He wasn't impressed. She wasn't sure if he even felt it.

“I found that little thief in these woods. He's a danger to you,” he said, thinking the girl was simply stupid and being tricked by some form of kitsune illusion.

“Kagome,” the fox cried, burrowing his head into her chest, seeking protection.

“Take one step towards him, and I'll turn you into ashes,” she said, letting more energy out. This time, he definitely felt it, and he raised his sword defensively.

“A miko?”

“Yes, I am,” she said, glaring at the demon. “I won't kill you if you leave.”

“Release the fox, miko. It's your duty to slay it, is it not?”

Suddenly, a man dressed in a suit with flowing red hair appeared from the trees, apparently deciding now would be a good point to intervene.

“If you take a step further, I'll purify you where you stand,” Kagome said, holding Shippo tightly and letting her powers out even more.

“That will hardly be necessary,” the red-head said, smiling. Kagome sensed the kitsune-bi inside of the man's body, so she wasn't ready to take his word for it.

“Leave, fox. The little beast had the audacity to bite me,” the smaller demon said, his sword beginning to move.

“Bite you?” Kagome asked, blinking. “Shippo, why'd you bite him?”

“He said I was un… un… un-”

“Unauthorized, whelp,” the small demon bit out.

“Yeah, that's it. And then he tried to take me away, so I bit him.”

Kagome sighed, looking at the two demons.

“What's he `unauthorized' to do?”

“Be here, in the Ningenkai,” the demon bit out, glaring at the small kitsune. “He's to be taken in for questioning.”

At that, Kagome glared, taking a protective hold on Shippo.

“You will not touch my kit,” she declared, her power flaring all around her.

“You think to stop me, miko?” the demon asked, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.

“Oi! What's all the noise!?” grumbled a deep, masculine voice near them.

When Inuyasha came into the clearing, he tensed at the sight before him.

“Who are you?” he barked out, his hand grabbing the hilt of his sword.

“Another demon? Oh wait, you're just a half-breed. Go away, dog.”

Inuyasha growled and began to unsheathe Tetsusaiga when a rose wrapped around his arm, holding the blade still.

“That would be most unwise,” said the red-headed fox.

“Kagome!”

The miko turned to find Sango, wielding her boomerang.

“We heard Shippo. What's going on?” she asked, looking at everyone in the clearing.

“Honestly? I don't have a clue… Why are you here, demons?” she asked the two standing before her.

“We wouldn't be here if that damned fox would have just died when I stabbed at him,” the smaller of the two said, glaring at Shippo.

The red-head sighed, finally having had enough. The vine released its grip on Inuyasha and he stepped back.

“We're sorry for the intrusion. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kurama,” he said, giving a slight bow. “And my irritated friend is Hiei.”

Hiei just ignored him, his glare still focused on Shippo.

“I don't give a fuck who are you. You attacked my friend, and I don't like that,” Inuyasha said, pulling the Tetsusaiga from its sheath.

Hiei snarled at the threat.

“You dare challenge me, half-breed?”

Kagome whistled, making everyone jump in surprise.

“That's enough. I don't know who you two are, but you're on my grounds, and you're going to leave.”

Hiei smirked, his sword hefted over his shoulder.

“You're going to stop me?” he asked before his body vanished. Kagome suddenly found a cold, hard edge pressed to her throat, and her eyes moved. At her side was Hiei, and he was obviously more interested in her reaction than her death.

“What will you do now, when I can so easily grab him from your feeble human protection? How will you stop me?”

Kagome's eyes began to glow with white energy and she grabbed the blade, much to everyone's surprise. And then, her purifying energy began to snake up the metal, both holding it in place and reaching out to purify the demon.

He immediately let go and dove back to find the miko holding the hilt of his sword. The entire blade was now surrounded by the white-pink glow of her miko energy, and she turned slowly to face him.

“I warned you.”

And then, she threw the blade. Hiei barely avoided the deadly strike and watched as his sword buried itself into a tree. Up to the hilt.

 

`Hn. She's stronger than she looks,' he thought, glaring at the sword as the tree began to wither away. And then, with an echoing crack, the tree collapsed and Hiei heard the sound of snapping metal underneath the large tree.

“You broke my sword,” he said, glaring at the miko.

“Hiei, I believe it is best we leave now,” the fox said, looking at the miko with wariness.

“Hn.”

His eyes closed and he took a calming breath before he vanished from the group's sight…

 

Kagome watched as Hiei suddenly disappeared, using the same speed as before. She turned to his companion, who was eyeing her cautiously.

“You should go with your friend,” she said, her power beginning to pull back into her body.

“Ah, yes. Well then, it was unfortunate that we had to meet under these circumstances, but hopefully next time won't be so bad. It was a pleasure meeting you, miss priestess,” Kurama said before jumping onto a treetop and hopping away.

Kagome sighed in relief as her powers were fully contained in her body once again, and she looked down at Shippo.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked the shaking kit.

“I'm okay, Kagome… He just cut me a little,” he said, puffing out his chest. Kagome smiled, petting his head.

She gently ran her hand through his orange hair as Sango and Inuyasha escorted her back to the shrine, though there was no doubt she could kill the demons if they returned.

“Who was in the forest?” Miroku asked, glancing at the group.

“Some kind of apparition and his kitsune friend,” Inuyasha grumbled as he walked into the house.

Kagome was about to walk in the house when she saw someone coming up the stairs of the shrine. Immediately, she took over her role as shrine keeper and walked up to the orange-haired man.

“Hello. Can I help you, sir?” she asked, smiling as Shippo began to lightly snore in her arms.

“Huh? Oh! I was supposed to meet someone down the steps and I thought he might have come up here…”

“I see…”

She looked over the man. She felt a strange energy surrounding him, but it wasn't something she had felt before. It wasn't youki or miko energy. It was somewhere in the middle, somehow.

Meanwhile, he was sensing her energy as well, and the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end. Whoever this girl was, she was probably strong enough to kick Urameshi's ass without a problem…

“Hey, Kuwabara!” came a loud, obnoxious voice in the middle of the stairs. “Where the hell'd ya go!?”

Kagome watched as a man with slicked back black hair came over the top of the stairs. The two stared at each other and Kagome broke into a brilliant smile.

“Yusuke!”

She ran up to the man and wrapped her arms around him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Kagome? Wow! You've really grown, haven't you?” Yusuke said, standing back to look her over.

Kuwabara watched the two smiling at each other and decided to step in.

“Hey, Urameshi, shouldn't you be worried? What if Keiko saw you?” he asked.

In response, both stared at him blankly until what he was saying came across to Yusuke. And then, he was growling.

“Idiot! She's my cousin, you moron!”

“Oh,” Kuwabara said, his entire face reddening. “Sorry…”

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “So, you guys still own the shrine?” he asked, looking at the huge building.

“Yep. What are you doing in Tokyo?” she asked suddenly, smiling.

“Well, I was… on-call, with my job.”

“Oh… Would you like to come in for dinner? I'm sure momma would be ecstatic… Though, we have a few guests at the moment…”

“Guests? Anyone I know?”

“No, I don't think so,” Kagome said with a smile. “They're… actors, making a local movie about the Warring States Era.”

She smiled, content with her simple and effective explanation to how everyone looked.

There was a soft murmuring in her arms and Yusuke's eyes moved down.

“Who's he? You have a kid?”

“What!? No!” Kagome exclaimed, her beat-red face making her cousin smirk. “This is my adopted son.”

It was basically the truth.

“You adopted a kid? Wow. Look who's all grown up now!” he said, ruffling her hair. She giggled before slapping his hand away.

“Hey, cut it out,” she said, still giggling. “So, want to stay for dinner?”

“Sure,” he said, looking at Kuwabara. “Think you can take care of this by yourself, numbskull?”

“Yeah, yeah. But you're takin' the heat from Koenma,” he said before stalking down the stairs.

“So who was he? Friend?”

“More or less,” he said, smirking as the two headed for the house.

When she entered the kitchen, she found her mother talking to Sango. Both of them seemed enthusiastic. When her mother looked up, Kagome was beaming.

“Momma, you'll never guess who I just talked to!”

“Who, dear?” her mother asked, curious at her daughter's enthusiasm. Suddenly, her daughter pulled on a green sleeve and a young man with greased-back black hair entered the room.

“Yusuke! If it isn't my favorite nephew.”

“I'm your only nephew, aunty” he pointed out with a smirk.

“Still,” she said, wrapping the man in a hug.

Sango leaned towards Kagome, who was clearly happy.

“Who's he?”

“Oh! Sango, this is Yusuke,” she said, indicating the blushing man. “My cousin. We used to play a lot when he lived in Tokyo.”

Sango smiled and extended her hand, vigorously shaking the man's hand.

“It's nice to meet you,” she said before pulling back.

“I told him everyone here is acting, so he won't think it's odd that everyone looks and acts the way they do,” Kagome whispered softly. Her friend nodded and stepped back.

“I'm going to go find Miroku. He's more curious than Shippo,” she said before exiting the room.

“Was she one of the actors?” Yusuke asked, watching Sango's hasty escape.

“Yes! She's like a sister, too,” Kagome said, smiling. “So… How's Keiko?”

“She's alright,” the man said, smiling as he sat down at the wooden table. “We got engaged a while ago,” he added, making Kagome almost burst out laughing.

He frowned, his eyes beginning to glow.

“What's so funny!?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Kagome said, choking down the next wave of laughter. “It's just… you. When did the reckless boy that started fights for fun get so mature?”

Yusuke smirked, looking around the small room.

“Yeah, I guess you're right. So, what's the little guy's name?” he asked, watching as the small orange-haired boy began to wake up.

Shippo looked around the room and met Yusuke's eyes. He was suddenly glad that he'd thought to put up his disguise before going to sleep.

“My name's Shippo,” he said, smiling at the man.

“Shippo, huh? Weird name. Where'd you find him, Kags?”

Kagome stiffened at the old nickname but smiled.

“Who's he, Kagome?” Shippo asked, taking in the man's rough appearance.

“Shippo, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Yusuke.”

“Hello,” the kit said, extending his hand.

“Hi,” he said, smiling.

When their hands met, there was a small spark of energy, and Kagome suddenly noticed Yusuke's strange energy, just like that guy Kuwabara's, as well as the unbelievably high levels.

Yusuke, however, suddenly seemed very interested in the kitsune.

“Momma, can you go tell-”

“I get it,” her mother sighed. “You two play nice,” she said before leaving the cousins alone. As soon as the woman was gone, Shippo stiffened.

“What's a fox doing on a shrine?” Yusuke asked, not even bothering to avoid the sudden topic of interest.

Shippo let go of his disguise and his puffy tail formed, slightly wagging.

“How'd you know?” he asked, looking disappointed.

“Ah, don't sweat it, shorty. You can't really hide youki from me,” Yusuke said before looking at Kagome. “So… why is he not scaring you?”

Kagome blinked before beginning to giggle.

“Damnit! Do you know-”

“What? That Shippo's a big, bad youkai? I know,” she said, petting said kitsune's hair. “I'm not really worried.”

Yusuke's mouth flew open.

“You know what a youkai is!?”

Kagome looked at her cousin blankly as Sesshomaru entered the room. Upon seeing Yusuke, he grabbed Tokijin and ripped the blade from its sheath.

“If it isn't Koenma's dog. What brings you here, detective?” he asked, his sword beginning to glow red. Yusuke stared at the inu taiyoukai and suddenly, he shot up, glaring at him.

“Why the hell are you here!? Shouldn't you be in Makai, lording over those weaklings?”

Sesshomaru smirked and was obviously about to strike when Kagome stood up.

“Anyone want to explain this to me? You know, since you're in my house, and all,” she added with false sweetness.

Both men looked at her, and Sesshomaru's stance became slightly more relaxed.

“Who is this man to you?” he asked, returning his glare to Yusuke.

“He's my cousin. Why are you pointing a sword at him?”

“I believe that we've come at a most… inopportune time, once again,” said a masculine voice near the back door. All three looked at the red-head who walked in, Hiei hesitantly following him.

Kagome looked between the four men and sighed wearily.

“Okay. Why are you two back?”

Hiei's eyes widened a fraction in surprise.

“You don't seem as terrified as you should be, miko.”

“Too much confusion to care at the moment,” she said, sighing. “Now will someone please tell me what's going on?”

The men looked at each other and then collectively relaxed.

“First thing's first. How do you know him?” Yusuke asked, pointing to Sesshomaru. “And, for that matter, how do you know about youkai?”

“Well, it's actually a really long story… And how I know Sesshomaru is part of that story, too… I suggest we all talk as a whole, since my group should probably know about this, too. But first, I'll ask again, why are you two here?” she asked the two demon by the back door.

“It's none of your-”

The small demon was cut off by Kurama's hand clamping over his mouth.

“We were looking for Yusuke, actually. We found the demon we were sent to find,” he said, looking at Yusuke.

“Great! So Koenma'll get off my ass now?”

“Well… There seems to be a complication as to what we're to do about the demon.”

“What? Just grab the bastard and drag him to Koenma if you have to,” the man said, frowning.

“Well, there are a few… extenuating circumstances.”

Kagome caught the kitsune eyeing Shippo and immediately, her energy flared to life in warning.

“I said it once, and I'll say it again. Do not touch Shippo,” she said, holding the kit closely.

“Please understand, it is our job. We were sent to hunt the recent energy spikes around this area,” Kurama said, holding his hands up in a show of peace.

Yusuke looked at the two kitsune and his eyes widened.

“Wait. You think he's the one we're looking for? He's a kit!”

“And I'm sure I've proven on several occasions that a kitsune is strong regardless of the disadvantages like age or weight.”

Kurama began to move towards Kagome when Sesshomaru stepped forward.

“This is enough. All of you dogs, cease this instant. I grow tired of your useless banter,” he said, grabbing Tokijin's hilt.

“Koenma has given us an assignment, and we will carry it through,” Kurama said, glaring defiantly at the inu taiyoukai.

“Will everyone just shut up!?”

Everyone jumped before looking at an irritated Kagome.

“Thanks… Let me see if I can get all of this straight. You know those two,” she said, moving her hand from Yusuke to the two demons.

Her cousin nodded and her power began to recede slightly.

“And you three are here because you're looking for a strange energy?”

Again, all three nodded, and her energy completely receded.

“And when did this `energy' appear?”

“Two days ago,” Yusuke said, surprised. “Why?”

“Shippo hasn't been here for two days. Looks like this entire thing is actually convenient.”

All the present demons looked at her with confusion as she shot a glance to Sesshomaru.

“You know them?”

“I do, unfortunately.”

“Are they strong?”

“In your terms, perhaps,” he said, shrugging.

“Fantastic. Who's this Koenma person?”

Right on cue, a hole opened in the air and a slender, blue-haired woman floated out on an oar.

“Yusuke! Did you find the demon yet!? Koenma is getting-”

She trailed off when she noticed who else was present in the room.

“Umm… Hello?” she said, tentatively waving.

Kagome waved dumbly as the woman jumped off the oar.

“Did I… interrupt something?”

“Yeah. Fantastic timing. Kagome, meet Botan. If you want to meet Koenma, she'll get you there,” Yusuke said, having solved the group's problem in one statement.

He forced the smirk that was forming away. Ever since they were children, she'd always wanted answers to her questions, and going to meet the toddler would fix both of their problems.

Botan eyed Kagome curiously.

“You can see me?”

Kagome nodded and Botan stepped closer.

“You're not a spirit, and you don't have any sort of psychic energy… How can you see me?”

Kagome blinked before looking at Yusuke.

“She's my cousin,” he told the grim reaper, whose eyes widened.

“Ah! Okay. So, why do you want to meet Koenma?”

Kagome thought and suddenly, she was smiling.

“Can you hold on one second?”

And then, she was gone. When she returned, she had a large group of people with her. Hiei tensed immediately when he sensed their energies.

“What's all this about, Kagome?” Sango asked, frowning at all the people in Kagome's kitchen.

“I hope to the kamis that I find that out myself,” she said before walking into the hole in the room. She didn't know where it led, but she somehow felt it was safe. She suddenly found herself in a white room, staring into the eyes of a teenager, who blinked in confusion.

“Hello,” she said, staring at the odd man, whose eyes were wide.

“Who are you?”

“Umm… I'm Kagome,” she said as she suddenly felt a massive amount of power behind her. She turned to find everyone that had previously been in her kitchen standing near a new hole.

“Man, you never change, do ya, Kags? Always so curious,” Yusuke said, sighing.

“Urameshi, who is she?”

“Oh, hi Koenma… Umm, she's my cousin.”

“You're Koenma?” she asked, staring at the teenaged boy.

“Yes,” he said exasperatedly. “Why does your cousin know my name, Yusuke?”

Yusuke scratched his head, looking around the room.

“Funny story. I just don't know it yet,” he added, looking at Kagome. “Since we're here, want to tell me the story? I only have three questions. How do you know about youkai, how do you know these two, and why are you saying a kitsune's your adopted son?” he asked, ticking them off on his finger, pointing at Kurama and Hiei when he asked about them.

Koenma stood up, walking into the mass of people. All of the detectives' eyes were on Kagome while the Inu-gang eyed the detectives.

With a sigh, Kagome gave a shortened and very-edited version of their story. Still, it took roughly two hours to tell the story, and by the end, the detectives were staring at her with their mouths open. Except for the collected Hiei, who only showed his astonishment of her tale by his eyes widening fractionally.

“So, what you're telling me is that you're some kind of time-traveling priestess?”

Koenma was suddenly rolling on the floor laughing.

“That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard!”

His laughter was cut off when Tetsusaiga formed an inch from his head.

“Keep laughing and I'll halve you, ya bastard,” Inuyasha grumbled. Koenma was instantly serious again, and he stood.

“I doubt you have the power, hanyo. But tell me something, Kagome. If your story is true, why are all of your friends outside of their time now? You must realize that this is illegal, right?”

Kagome stared blankly at him and he sighed.

“I didn't think so… I believe I will have to send them back, then,” he said, walking towards his desk.

“You can't,” she said, her face serious.

“Oh? And why's that?”

“The well doesn't work anymore,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh? And how do you know this?”

“It works because of the Shikon no Tama. Which is completely on this side of the well. Which means it doesn't work anymore,” she said, shrugging.

“Well then… I guess I'll just have to do something more serious, won't I?” he said, staring at the Inu-gang. They didn't understand anything that was happening, but all of them knew it wasn't good.

“What do you think you're going to do?”

“I could have them exiled to Makai,” he said with a shrug.

Instantly, Kagome became a different person.

“You can try. But consider this. I have three shards of the Shikon no Tama. Do you know where the others are?”

Koenma shook his head and Kagome smiled coldly.

“They said you were looking for a massive spike of energy that formed two days ago around my shrine. The demon that you're looking for has the rest. He's a dark hanyo named Naraku. And I don't care how strong any of them are,” she said, gesturing to Yusuke's group, “they're not strong enough.”

“And I suppose you're saying that you are, aren't you?” Koenma asked, suddenly irritated.

“You said Naraku?”

Everyone looked at Kurama, who was oddly spooked.

“Yes. Why?”

Kurama looked at Koenma, and he was suddenly deadly serious.

“Koenma, she's not kidding. That hanyo's a legend among demons. While I don't doubt that we can beat him without their help, it would be extremely fatal to our forces. The hanyo can create clones of himself, among several other potent abilities that we don't know about.”

Koenma stared at the kitsune and then looked at the Inu-gang.

“Damnit! If he's so tough, why's he hiding?”

Inuyasha and Kagome sighed.

“It's what he does best. He's a puppetmaster. He rarely gets his own hands dirty,” Kagome said, glaring at the ground.

“I see… Well then, given recent circumstances, I won't cast a sentence. Yet. But your group must fully cooperate with mine, miko, or I'll change my mind. Start hunting,” he said as way of dismissal. A hole opened and the group disappeared inside…

 

AN: First chapter done! I think it turned out well. It's a bit lengthy, but I got in what I wanted to. As always, review with comments or critiques. See you next time!