InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness ❯ Power ( Chapter 6 )

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

 

Power

 

As Hiei reached the cave, she sensed the one aura she could stand at that moment and let him inside her barrier.

“You're crying,” Hiei observed as he sat down across from the tear-soaked miko/demon.

“I just became Naraku for a second. I wanted them to suffer.”

“They insulted your love. Not that I'm one to talk about that subject from experience, but it's understandable to want the ones insulting him to suffer.”

“You know, it really hurts… some times… Out of nowhere, I'll remember Inuyasha, and his face as he died will show up. And, no matter what I'm doing, I just can't do anything but stop and cry…”

“I saw what happened a year ago,” Hiei stated calmly.

“You went into my mind?” Kagome asked with an edge to her tone.

“No. I was watching you with the Jagan to see how you intended to get onto the island, and it just popped up… For what it's worth, hatred is an understandable emotion.”

“So, who's replacing me?” she asked suddenly.

“Nobody, though the detective is angry about it.”

“And you?”

“I believe there's a reason you're here on this island,” he stated simply. “But making the idiot an enemy is most likely a bad idea in the long run, regardless,” he sighed.

“My past is none of his goddamn business,” she spat out.

“That's what Koenma told him, as well.”

“You know, this is weird. If it were two years ago, you would've been the member of the team I'd be most scared of.”

“And now?”

“Now, I don't get afraid of anything. It's a wasted emotion. After the past events, I have a small number of emotions. Anger, hate, sadness, small bursts of joy here and there, motherly love, but mostly just sadness and anger. Fear was taken out of me the same time that love was, and that was when they all died…”

“Sounds logical, albeit depressing,” he sighed.

“You know, I was a pure miko before two years ago… And I've been doing a good job holding in all of my aggression. But now, all of that's shot to hell.”

“I don't see how it's different from last time,” Hiei stated calmly.

“The difference is that now I have to worry about my family. When I was in the past, I didn't. But now, I have four children that depend on me. I can't afford to have him alive to put them in danger. On top of that, I can't kill him outside the ring, because then he'll be able to get some kind of advantage…”

“Then just wait to kill him in the finals, as that's where we're going to end up regardless of who we fight…”

“I guess,” she sighed. “Can you tell me something?”

“Depends on the question.”

She smirked at the quick, cynical response.

“Why are you here instead of with your friends?”

“I don't have friends. But the answer is that I find you interesting.”

“Really? Interesting how?”

“For starters, I've never met someone faster than me. I'm curious as to why you let me win those races.”

“Oh, that,” Kagome said with a blush. “Well… I needed to tell someone, and I thought you'd tell me what's under that seal if I told you about my past. Is that it?”

“No. Nobody can block my Jagan eye. It's not possible to block the psychic power inside of it. And nobody can completely hide what they are from me, either. Despite this, you remain an enigma.”

“I don't really care what I tell you, since it seems like you don't trust anyone enough to tell them. Ask me whatever you want to know,” she sighed.

“You trust me more than the others. I find that curious.”

“Kurama's a calculating kitsune who was infamous even when I was in the past.”

“So you knew who the fox was before meeting him?”

“Even in Feudal Japan, Youko Kurama was an infamous thief,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, there's Kurama. And then, I don't like Yusuke. Kuwabara seems nice enough, but he seems kind of dim. I don't think he'd be able to really keep up with my past. Keiko isn't demonic in any way, so explaining to her wouldn't be good. All of them trust each other, and you. But I can tell that you don't trust easily. So what I tell you won't get to them.”

Hiei smirked, enjoying her observations.

“That's quite impressive. Tell me what happened a year ago.”

“Really? I thought you said you saw it.”

“I only saw an image for a brief second,” he said with a shrug.

“Alright. And, if I start to cry, I'll hit you if you laugh. I'll just get right to the bad part. But before then, I'd invited some old friends of mine from high school over. I didn't have a clue how bad it would be…”

 

Flashback

There was a knock at the door and Kagome watched with a smile as Shippo opened it, his concealment spell in place and looking perfect.

“Hello?” he answered, smiling up at the three tall women at the door.

“Hello,” said a tall one with long black hair. “Who are you, cutie?”

“I'm Shippo,” he said, smiling.

Kagome walked up and lifted him into her arms as she smiled at her friends.

“Hey, girls.”

“Hi, Kagome!” they yelled in unison.

“Who's he?” another girl asked, her short brown hair catching light.

“Oh, right! Shippo, these are my friends from high school. Girls, this is my son Shippo,” she said with a smile at their shocked expressions.

“Your son!? What!?”

“I adopted him a few years ago,” she said while gently stroking his hair. “Shippo, can you go play with Uncle Souta for a while?” she asked.

With a nod, the kit jumped down and scampered off into the house.

“He's so cute!” the third girl exclaimed.

“I know.”

“Aren't you a bit young to be a mother?”

“Well, I have mom's help. But I don't think I'm too young.”

“You're only nineteen!” Eri exclaimed.

“And I'm already in med school,” Kagome argued.

“Isn't having a kid around a handful?” the brunette asked.

“Well, Shippo's energetic, but Rin keeps him busy for me, and Kohaku watches them both when I'm in school and mom's out.”

“Rin?”

“Kohaku?”

“Oh… That's right! Umm… Let's see… I guess you could say that Rin is kind of like an inherited daughter from a friend of mine that died a while ago. Kohaku is the brother of another friend that died recently…”

“So, what I'm getting from this is that you're raising three children!?” Eri exclaimed.

“Yeah. So, what have you three been up to?” Kagome asked, wanting to change the subject.

Before they could answer, there was a flare of energy so powerful that even the very spiritually-dense girls felt it. All three turned around just as Kagome's mother entered the room and the front door exploded.

The girls screamed while Kagome glared at the tall demon.

“Oh, hell no!”

She launched through the air, knocking the demon back from her home.

“You must be the miko that beat Naraku,” the skeletal demon said with a chilling smile.

“What are you doing here, demon?”

“Oh, just came by to pray,” he said with a smirk. “I'd imagine you want to kill me pretty badly, huh?”

“Momma!”

She turned to find Shippo running toward her, Kohaku behind him.

“Here!”

Kohaku tossed her her bow and quiver of arrows, and she quickly notched one.

“Get the hell away from my shrine,” she said as she took aim at his head.

“Too slow.”

Kagome's eyes widened as he vanished and suddenly, bloodcurdling screams filled the air. She spun to find her three friends, as well as her mother, on their knees, a long sword stretched against all of their throats in a row.

“Now now, Kagome. Don't do anything rash.”

“Kagome? Who is this?” Eri asked, fear lacing her voice.

“What's going on?” the brunette asked.

The demon laughed, causing her to snarl.

“What's wrong, Kagome? Why don't you tell them what's going on? Explain why they're going to die now.”

The girls' eyes widened in terror as Azumi Higurashi simply stared into her daughter's eyes.

“I'll give you a choice. Give me the jewel or they die,” the demon laughed.

“I don't have the whole thing,” she bit out.

“Don't lie. You and Naraku are the only ones that had any shards.”

“That's true, but when I got all of his shards, there was one missing, so it's incomplete, and if you touch it, you'll die anyway.”

“You know what? I believe you. Naraku told me about how he… enjoyed you. He said you're nearly incapable of lying.”

The mention of being his captive brought flames to life around Kagome's body.

“How about I'll give you a choice, demon? Let them go, or I'll make you suffer in ways you couldn't even imagine.”

The demon barked out a laugh at that.

“You!? Ha! You're nothing but a pathetic little schoolgirl with some power! You beat Naraku because you got lucky! Now hand over the part of the jewel that you have.”

Kagome moved, then. Unfortunately, she was one second too late in reaching him, and he pulled the sword.

Agonized screams filled the air as her friends, closer to the demon with the sword, were decapitated before their heads were ignited. Kagome looked desperately into her mother's eyes as the sword began to meet her flesh.

“Kagome, I love you,” she whispered with her last breath. As her head was separated, Kagome's entire body exploded with power. Instantly, the demon was gone, flying away at jet-like speeds.

The power coursed through Kagome's body uninhibited, and she let out a pained scream. The only thing that was nearby that would get rid of the pain was the well. She pointed and a massive spray of golden energy hit the air. The shed, as well as the well, exploded in a brilliant flash of golden power mixed with black, blue and red…

End of Flashback

 

“So that's what happened,” Kagome concluded. “And, regardless of what I've told you, what that demon was talking about is never going to be relived by me.”

Suddenly, the third eye on Hiei's forehead flashed open and he growled slightly.

“Damnit.”

“What's with that thing, anyway? I can feel it. It keeps staring at me.”

“The Jagan is supposed to be under my control, but it seems that it's feeling insubordinate around you.”

“Huh… You know, it's really hard to imagine you being related to Yukina,” Kagome said suddenly, comparing her child-like behavior and innocence to his dangerous killer mind.

Hiei's eyes widened at her.

“What do you know of Yukina, onna?”

“I met Yukina when Genkai was training me a year ago. I started training with the psychic I'd heard about after I lost control and didn't want to ever again. I knew the second I met you that you were related to her, but I still don't know how you're related. It's not my business, though.”

Though the Jagan wasn't listening to his commands, Hiei picked up on all of the emotions running through the tragic woman.

“You know something? I'd thought telling someone what happened would be therapeutic, sort of. Instead, it's just drudging up these memories that I've tried locking away for a long time… I'm pretty sure that my depression's coming back with a vengeance.”

“I'm not the one you should go to for comfort,” Hiei said with a smirk.

“I'm not so sure about that. If you were to tell me pointless words trying to soothe me, that would probably make me angrier than if you just told me your thoughts. Which, I have to add, you haven't said any yet.”

“I highly doubt you want my opinion of your past.”

“Try me,” she said before lying down against the rock wall of the cave.

“Alright. While your fighting spirit and drive are admirable, I notice a repeating pattern. You care too much about others, and they're used against you frequently.”

“I know that already.”

“I also noticed that you're an empty, demonic shell of a human miko.”

Kagome's eyes widened at that.

“I'd love to hear that explanation.”

“I doubt it.”

Kagome frowned and Hiei smirked.

“Your wish. From what I knew of you in the past, you were a pure human being who trusted almost unconditionally and were rather peaceful. Then, you fought Naraku and you lost your soul in the process,” he said with a shrug.

Kagome gaped at the small apparition while she thought about that.

“I have not lost my soul.”

“Yes you have. Though not completely. But mikos are born to hate demons and only kill them. So when you killed a hanyo, no matter how demonic he was, a part of your soul died, as well as another part dying with you being friends with a whole lot.”

“I have a large soul.”

“Perhaps, but it's smaller than it originally was.”

“If killing Naraku and saving everybody means damnation, then damning myself as both a miko and as a human is a sacrifice I'm willing to make,” she said seriously.

Hiei's eyes widened as he stared at the miko.

“You speak so lightly of Hell, miko. Why?”

“I figure, I'm already a demon. So, going to Hell isn't really going to change me, right?” she said with a shrug. “Though, truthfully, I've been going in this direction ever since I started changing because of Naraku… But, on the bright side, I can still use my holy qi,” she said with a brilliant smile that completely went against her previous statements.

“You are rather irritating in your optimism, onna. Why is it that a young human girl is more capable to deal with being dragged to Hell than most demons?”

“I'm a miko, true. But I'm also the protector of the Shikon no Tama. The jewel comes before my purity, though I apparently still have enough to keep the jewel completely untainted. If I have to dirty my soul killing in order to protect humanity, I gladly do it. But, all this talk is depressing me. What say we talk about something else?”

“Such as?”

“Well… you could always tell me what's under that seal,” she said, eyeing his arm.

Instead of denying it right away, he smirked as a thought formed.

“Find out for yourself.”

“How?”

“If you can remove the seal, then I have no problem telling you what it is,” he said with a wide smirk.

“Cocky, aren't you? Alright,” she said, standing up and walking over to him. She knelt down in front of him and touched the wrappings. A massive spark of power shocked her and her hand began to smoke.

“Ow!”

Hiei chuckled and she glared at him.

“Alright, tough guy. How about this?”

She grabbed the wrappings completely and as smoke rose from her hand, so too did smoke rise from the wrappings. Just as Kagome pulled her blackened hand back, the wrappings released and fell to the ground before a shocked Hiei.

“Ha! Not so cocky now, are you!?”

Suddenly, a massive explosion of dark youki filled the cave and Kagome was suddenly staring face-to-face with a massive black dragon.

“Umm… Hi?”

The dragon hissed at her while Hiei's third eye began glowing bright red.

The dragon cocked its head to the side and looked at his `master' before looking back at the demon who'd released it. Suddenly, it moved forward and coiled around her body.

“What!?”

The dragon's head reached up to hers and she gasped as it flew into her mouth. As she gagged, she felt its youki crawling through her every orifice, slowly inspecting her body.

“What the hell!? Hiei, call this thing off!”

Hiei stared wide-eyed as the miko's body began glowing with black energy. Instantly, he was in front of her.

“Don't hit me, onna,” he said before pressing their lips together. Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt his tongue gently spread her lips.

And then, the energy inside of her stopped moving with a screeching halt and she gagged again as it slowly came the other way, leaving her mouth and entering Hiei's body. The black tattoo on his arm glowed as the last remnants of the creature left her body, and suddenly, she pitched forward, taking him with her.

When she felt warm arms wrap around her back, her eyes widened even more before closing in response to the kiss, which the demon underneath her had deepened.

A soft moan escaped her as his tongue gently played across hers. And then, his own eyes widened in surprise and they were instantly on opposite sides of the cave, panting.

“Umm…” Kagome stated dumbly, her face multiple shades of bright red.

“Don't read too into it,” Hiei stated before suddenly they stood up.

“Don't worry. I'm more pissed than concerned right now.”

“I told you not to be angry,” he said with a nonchalant shrug.

“No, you told me not to hit you. You didn't say anything about being angry. Hiei, what the hell was that thing doing to me!?”

“I'm not entirely sure,” Hiei stated with an edge to his voice. “Neither my Jagan nor the Dragon obey me when you're near,” he said with a frustrated edge to his voice.

Kagome was about to reply when a massive black flame shot from his body into her arm. They both stared wide-eyed at the spot that was now ignited in black flames, which were slowly creeping up the length of her left arm.

“What!?”

Hiei put his hand out and snarled.

“I command you to return to me, dragon!”

The black flames brightened and darkened, as though laughing at him while they slowly burned the skin underneath. Surprisingly enough, Kagome felt no pain despite watching her skin melting.

“Hiei, what the hell's going on?”

“As I've said, I do not know,” he bit out. “Dragon, I say return from her body this instant,” he said with authority in his voice. Suddenly, the flames dimmed and completely vanished. The two looked at the burn mark to find it identical to the one on Hiei's right arm. (1)

“Umm… What is this?” she asked, eyeing the strange tattoo.

Hiei's eyes were focused on the mark with the precision of a laser while thinking of an answer.

“The Dragon seems to have entered your body.”

“Yeah, I know that. What kind of a dragon was that? And more importantly, why the hell did it enter my body? And, again, what's with this tattoo? I can feel my youki building around it.”

“What?” Hiei asked, surprised.

“My youki. It's wrapping around the tattoo.”

“I see… But no, that shouldn't be possible,” he said to himself.

“What shouldn't?”

“The Dragon… It shouldn't be able to assimilate with your body. It shouldn't be able to assimilate with anyone's, for that matter. The Jagan is necessary to control it… So why?”

Kagome looked at the mark and watched as the black burn rearranged itself into a winding dragon along the length of her arm. As soon as it finished moving, a massive flare of youki formed and both watched with wide eyes as the entire area was filled with a golden aura.

And then, the aura vanished and Kagome fell to the ground, screaming bloody murder. Hiei was at her side in a second, and he watched as she stopped screaming and fell unconscious.

Her body slowly began to be engulfed in energy, and Hiei jumped away before it exploded…

 

“Damn that Hiei,” Yusuke bit out. “Where the hell'd he go!?”

“I believe he went to comfort the miko,” Kurama said as they reached Kuwabara.

“Hiei!? Comfort Someone!? Holy crap, Kurama! I think you're losing it,” Yusuke said before bursting into a fit of laughter.

“Perhaps, but I'm sure you noticed he was less… aggressive, then usual,” Kurama said quietly. Yusuke stopped laughing at that.

“You know, come to think of it, I think you're right… What the hell's up with Hiei?”

Suddenly, a massive explosion of power formed and the three stopped their walk to the hotel. As they spun around, they watched as first a massive aura of black then gold filled the air, and Yusuke stiffened.

“That felt like Sensui's power,” he said before the three took off.

When they reached the beach, they found a massive disaster.

In front of a large pile of rocks, Hiei knelt as blood fell from all over his body and smoke rose from his head.

Then, they looked at the pile of rocks to find Kagome floating off the ground, a massive bronze aura surrounding her.

“What the hell!?”

Hiei slowly turned to the detective and stood up even more slowly.

“I suggest you get back, Yusuke,” he said while quickly moving toward them.

“What the hell, Hiei!? Why's she got Sensui's power!?”

“It's not his power… It's somewhat different…”

“How so?” Kurama asked, observing the floating miko.

“The Dragon entered her body,” Hiei said simply, making Kurama's eyes widen.

“The Dragon? It entered her body? How?”

“I don't know, but whatever happens next will be rather painful for anyone nearby, I would imagine,” he said as he began to walk away.

“Hold it, Hiei,” Yusuke barked, grabbing his shoulder. “Tell me what the hell's happening. A power that dangerous needs to be killed.”

“I doubt that there's an entity in any of the three worlds that could kill her, right now, detective,” he said calmly before throwing Yusuke's hand away.

“I don't care! What the hell's with her power!? Why's it feel like Sensui's!?”

“You really want to know? Think about it like this. That human female currently has miko qi, human spiritual energy, youki, and now she has the Dragon of the Darkness Flame in her. If you were to mix that kind of power, you'd be… well, let's just say she currently has the power of a small god in her.”

Yusuke's eyes widened as he eyed the glowing woman.

“A… god? Are you serious?”

“I believe it would be best to retreat,” Kurama observed. Without another word, the four took off, leaving her destructive power to act of its own accord. They stopped when they were far enough away to be safe while still observing her.

Suddenly, the entire beach shook as the energy erupted. Before their eyes, Kagome's body became completely encased in a massive golden dragon and everything nearby turned to dust. Unfortunately, they found, they hadn't moved enough of a distance away. The sand and water around them evaporated as a golden flame flew over the beach. When it reached them, it passed right by, as though they were immune to the flames.

Suddenly, the power shut off and Kagome fell to the ground, unconscious.

“That wasn't the Dragon,” Kurama observed.

“I'm well aware of that, fox,” Hiei said before taking off. He reached the miko before the others and as he bent down to lift her up, her eyes fluttered open.

Golden orbs gazed back at him, and a small smile played across her lips.

“I feel funny,” she sighed, trying to figure out the strangeness she felt.

“I believe we should get her back to the hotel,” Kurama stated as he observed her strangeness, though she'd closed her eyes before anybody but Hiei got there. With a nod, Hiei lifted her off the ground and took off for the hotel. Just before they reached the large building, one of her hands softly touched Hiei's forehead and he gasped at the feeling of someone being in his mind.

He quickly realized she was somehow reading his memories, so he let it go, as there wasn't much there that would be dangerous to him…

 

A/N:

(1) I have NO idea if that's right. I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right, so I guessed, but just know Kagome's tattoo is on the arm opposite Hiei's own Dragon tattoo.

I only know the one friend's name, so sorry if I annoyed anyone.

So, what do you think? After the build-up, were the past events satisfactory? How was my twist? Be sure to tell me what you think. Review! See you next time.