InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Falling ❯ Chapter 4

Disclaimer Reminder: I own neither YYH nor InuYasha, and stake my claim only on the original characters portrayed in this fanfiction.

 

Kikoru spent the next few weeks getting to know her new `family.' She and InuYasha, while they didn't grow particularly close, did get to know each other better. He wasn't quite comfortable enough to allow her use of anything more endearing than his name, though he did catch himself trying to call her “Koru” every once in a while.

 

Kagome, on the other hand, absolutely adored the girl. Though she was two years her senior, Kagome's motherly instinct had kicked in just as hard as when she'd met Shippou, and she frequently found herself attempting to comfort Kikoru late into the night. While Kikoru didn't necessarily cry, she did come pretty close to ripping a particular hanyou apart more than a few times from sheer frustration. When Kagome wasn't playing mother, the three girls were inseparable.

 

Miroku had to content himself with “sly” glimpses every now and again, having learned firsthand what angering a power-charged hanyou did to a fellow. He'd once decided that spying on the girls' frequent baths was the sport of the week, and hadn't realized Kikoru was missing until she was stringing him up by his toes in the nearest pine tree. She didn't leave him there for long, but the lesson had stuck to him faster than honey did flies.

 

The band traveled all over, looking for the Shikon no Tama shards. They bumped into Kouga a couple times; Ayame chased him off again before Kikoru could get more than a passing glance at him. Wolves weren't her type, anyway, especially those who kept shards away from Kagome. She stepped on one, but her foot healed so quickly she didn't even realize it was there. Though it did itch at her every once in awhile.

 

She got plenty of weapons practice as well, seeing as every youkai in that part of Japan was after Kagome's shards. Sango even allowed her the use of the Hiraikotsu once. That didn't turn out too well, considering the first time she'd thrown it in a while, the stupid thing had blasted a tree clean out of the path of the oncoming rhinoceros youkai. Not only did she feel the loss of the tree quite keenly, but it would have slowed the attacker's charge. InuYasha ended up saving them all in the nick of time - as usual. Needless to say Kikoru didn't ever so much as breathe at the boomerang again.

 

Around the girls' half-birthdays, Kagome invited Kikoru to visit her time; not only had most of the `family' had seen it already, the girls had realized sometime back they were born on the same day, and desperately needed a real celebration. Kagome also had the slight dilemma of an exam in school.

 

Kikoru packed her medicines, extra food, and various herbs, and was ready to leave. The inside of her satchel was spelled to hold much more than that, but she deemed it unnecessary. She also strapped on her knives, not knowing what sort of problems her danger-prone friend would attract.

 

“Are you ready?” Kagome's voice traveled into Kaede's hut where Kikoru was currently packing.

 

“Yes! I'll be right out.” Kikoru strode out the door and hugged Kaede, Sango, and Shippou. Miroku's arms were outstretched for a hug, a lecherous grin spread wide across his mouth. “Ah…no,” she said, glaring at him, bowing politely instead.

 

Kikoru followed Kagome to the well, looking around worriedly. “Where's my fa-InuYasha?” She'd wanted to say goodbye to him, too. Who knew how well he could handle himself without Kagome to keep him in line?

 

“I'm not sure. But, knowing him…” Kagome stopped, eye catching on the red-clad figure up ahead. “Well, damn.”

 

“How long?” he demanded languorously when they approached, bored from his lurking.

 

“A week,” Kagome replied, sighing. Kikoru could tell this process was almost ritualistic from Kagome's expression. Almost as if she was waiting for - no, expecting the answer he gave.

 

“No.” His face was expressionless. Kikoru wondered idly if he would go running to Kikyou once they'd left, if this oncoming Armageddon was just a ruse so Kagome wouldn't discover his trysts, but knew deep down it wasn't entirely true.

 

“I'm going, and you can't stop me.”

 

“I can, and I will. No more than three days.” Kikoru could tell her father didn't want them to go at all. Even he knew he couldn't keep her here. But he could sure as Hell try.

 

Kikoru, at that particular moment, had a vision of sorts. She saw her father eating dirt, and Kagome dragging her toward the well at full speed. And then--

 

“SIIIIIIIT!” Two seconds later they were flying into the well. Kikoru braced herself and hit the floor rolling, purple mist poof-ing around her body. “Come on!” Kagome hissed, climbing a ladder that hadn't been there before.

 

“Kagome, why do we have to hurry?” Kikoru asked, climbing out after her.

 

“He can still bring us back.” Kagome hurried her toward the house, glancing back often.

 

“He won't come,” she replied, shocking her friend.

 

“What? Of course he will!”

 

“Do you want him to?” Kikoru prompted, a knowing twinkle in her eye. He emerged from the well house and darted to the trees, out of Kagome's vision. “Well? Do you want him to come?”

 

“Yes,” Kagome whispered, blushing hotly.

 

“I thought so. It's just…sometimes it takes an outsider to point out what the two people haven't quite grasped.” Kagome's cheeks blossomed into an even deeper shade of crimson, a color Kikoru hadn't previously thought existed. “I'm sure she would forgive your feelings if she knew,” she continued in a whisper to the trees, knowing InuYasha could hear.

 

“What?” Kagome asked, flush fading as she led the way into the house. “Didn't catch that last.”

 

“Oh, nothing. Talking to myself is all.”

 

“That's my girl; messing with people's private lives…feh. But come to think of it…She might be right…”

 

~*~

 

“Mom! I'm home!” Kagome yelled, voice ringing through the house.

 

“Kagome!!!” A minuscule blur hit her midsection, knocking her back a few feet into Kikoru. “You're home!”

 

“Well! Souta's certainly happy to see you.” An older woman came into view. “Kagome, dear, how was it this time?” The woman welcomed her daughter into a hug.

 

“Where's InuYasha?” Souta interrupted loudly, eager to beat his friend at the Nintendo again.

 

“Calm down, Souta-kun! It was…interesting, Mom. Souta, InuYasha wasn't a good boy, so I had to leave him back ho-in the Sengoku Jidai.”

 

“Hello, there,” Mrs. Higurashi said softly, eyes lighting on Kikoru. “Come in, child. Don't be frightened. I'm Donna Higurashi. This is Souta, and here comes Jii-chan.”

 

“Oh. Good evening, Higurashi-san. Souta-kun. Jii-san,” Kikoru greeted, bowing, polite as ever. “I am Kikoru. It's good to meet all of you.”

 

“Oh, come now, don't be so formal, Kikoru! Any friend of Kagome's is a friend of ours. Come on in and sit a spell. What would you like to drink?”

 

“Tea is fine, thanks.”

 

“So, what brings you here?” Mrs. H asked, pouring for her.

 

“Kagome.” As if it weren't obvious at all.

 

“I figured as much. Why, though, might I ask?” Mrs. H didn't seem to mind her stand-offish attitude one bit.

 

“Well, she's Kaede's niece,” Kagome interrupted, “and we have the same birthday.”

 

“So how old are you, Kikoru?” Mrs H continued.

 

“Seventeen, two months ago.” Give or take thirty plus years, anyway.

 

“Is there any other reason for your visit?”

 

“Kagome asked me to come.”

“Hey, Mom? When's my exam?” Kagome asked suddenly, changing the subject rather obviously. She wasn't sure where her mother was going with this line of questioning, but it was making Kagome, at least, uncomfortable.

 

“Wednesday. Friday is the end of semester.”

 

“Oh, ok. Can we have oden tonight?”

 

“Of course! It's a celebration! Take Kikoru to the guest bedroom to settle in. Supper will be ready around 7 or so!” She ushered them toward the stairs.

 

“Come on! Before Jii-chan recognizes your au--Crap.”

 

“Come back here, you demon! I shall purify you!” Jii-chan threw an odufa at his guest, already chanting wildly. The “demon” grabbed it from the air, silencing him mid-word.

 

“Jii-san, did your Sensei ever tell you that odufa don't work on priestesses?” Kikoru flattened her ears against her skull. Apparently her glamour had either worn off or didn't work on old geezers. Perfect.

 

The old man looked astonished. “A miko? You, an inuyoukai? Bah!”

 

In stead of answering, she made the odufa float above her hand. Silvery-green fire, a detachment of her aura, erupted around the warding spell, engulfing it instantly. As fast as they appeared, the flames receded into her hand, revealing the astonished faces of both Kagome and her grandfather. “Proof enough, Jiijii?” she asked, sneering spitefully.

 

Kagome and Jii-chan just stood and blinked. “You were showing me to the guest room?” Kikoru prompted, brightening as if her wanton display of power was nothing at all.

 

“Oh…right…” Kagome led her dazedly up the steps. “My room's right over here.” She paused. “Why did you do that?”

 

“Your grandfather pisses me off,” she said simply, her ears starting to pin again.

 

“What did he do?”

 

“Feh. He just reminds me of Miroku. Are you sure the two of them aren't related?”

 

“Maybe. Do you need anything?”

 

“Nah, thanks though.”

 

“Okay, I'll be in my room if you do.”

 

“Kagome?” The younger girl turned. “Thanks for bringing me.”

 

She smiled. “No problem.” Her mom called. “There's supper. Drop your things and come on!”