InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Everything Burns ❯ Demons and Picnics ( Chapter 2 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: ConsistentlyInconsistent 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 04.21.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 642 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 04.21.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 642 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but an idea and a laptop…and a massive collection of medications
Chapter 2: Demons and Picnics
Blood could be seen scattering through the air in tiny droplets before another lifeless body landed on the ground with a solid thud. Hiei didn't yet bother to clean the red liquid from his blade as he moved on to his next target. He had hated being a lapdog for Reikai before, but on days like this he found that it was a good way to release his frustrations. After seeing what could only be called a ghost from his past, hundreds of questions had flooded his mind. And with no answers anywhere in sight he had started contemplating just burning down the damned café they'd been sitting in to escape his three companion's questions and stares.
But before he could make up his mind the ever-upbeat ferry girl made her appearance with the details for their next assignment. “Hello boys!” Botan greeted. “Sorry to call you out of bed at such an early hour, but we have a small problem that does require immediate attention. Let's go outside to talk, shall we?”
“What is it this time, Botan?” Yusuke asked as they rounded a corner to stand in a vacant alleyway and he leaned back against the wall pushing a hand through his dark hair.
“Well apparently a group of human teenagers found an old book we weren't aware of that actually had some valid conjuring spells inside. To make a long story short, they held a ritual and opened a portal to the demon world in a warehouse on the other side of town last night. It started out so small that it didn't even show up on our radars, but some demons found it and have been working on expanding it. I don't think I need to tell you what will happen once they can start getting through.”
“And what would our specific job be in this endeavor?” Kurama questioned. It was always best to have the specifics beforehand.
“I'll be able to close the portal,” the blue-haired girl explained. “But the demons would be making their way through before I could finish. I need you four to make sure none get through by any means necessary. It may require entering the demon world to push them back and take preemptive measures. Well come on, we have work to do!” She declared as she made a short-cut out of a portal and herded the men through.
And that's where Hiei found himself now; fighting back the gathering group of human-hungry demons under the red skies of Makai. He almost rolled his eyes when Yusuke yelled to Botan asking how much longer it was going to take her. `He should learn to accept that things will be done when they're done…and until then learn to enjoy a good challenge.' He thought with a small smirk as he twisted to take down two more opponents in a single movement. It wasn't often that they got to fight like this anymore and he for one was enjoying the break in life's monotony.
It was times like this that he was able to think back to the days when battles were fought for honor and earned power instead of the underhanded bureaucratic advancements that were so common now. He was able to remember the days of his search for Yukina. Remember days when things weren't so tainted and complicated. He could remember the days she was there. “Hiei!” Kurama's voice snapped him out of his momentary reverie.
Hiei looked up just in time to see the almost feral demon to his right take a swipe at him. He was able to dodge the strike, but that left just enough of an opening for the red monster to make its way through the portal in into the city. “Damn.” He cursed under his breath as he followed after it.
This particular demon wasn't incredibly strong or smart, but it compensated with a small size that made it fast and agile. All it had to do was attack a human child for its lunch and that would put Hiei right back under mandatory service to Koenma again. And that just couldn't be allowed to happen. No longer being able to see the little creature left Hiei little choice but to use the jagan to track the path it was taking. It wasn't too far from where they had met that morning and was slowing down.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome stood outside leaning against the school-issued bow for support. The activity for the girl's P.E. class just had to be archery…because she apparently just didn't get enough of it in the past. The teacher was finishing what the goals for that class period would be when she felt the pricking of demonic energy heading towards her school. `Great,' she thought. `Maybe this won't be as bad as the incident with the dehydrated demons.' The thought of that day still made her cringe.
But then there was another, more familiar, energy approaching behind the first one. The other girls were getting their first arrows ready to begin the exercise when the first energy stopped in the bushes lining the fence behind their targets. Although she couldn't see it, she could practically feel the demon's eyes weighing down the small jar of shards that hung around her neck. “Let's see if I can make this discreet…” She mumbled to herself as she stuck the tip of her tongue out in concentration and she pretended to take aim at the target. When the teacher gave the signal all of the girls released their arrows, but Kagome adjusted her aim at the last second to cut across to a section of the greenery one target over.
A small scream was heard but was mainly covered up by the teacher yelling out to her, “Concentrate, Higurashi!!”
“Yes ma'am.” She answered with a small apologetic bow and a smile as she felt the energy disappear. Her follower's energy remained for the next couple of firing sequences but soon left. At least she had a face to go with the energy now. The only thing missing was a name and she could count another demon as at least a semi-friend. At this point if it didn't try to kill her, kidnap her, or steal from her it was a friend. Even if that was how she met her current makeshift family from the past, everyone had proven themselves to be good at heart with a second chance.
The rest of her classes went by relatively painlessly, except for a test or two she had to make up, and before she knew it her school day was over. Of course her friends had to drag her into town so that they could eat, catch up on things, and maybe do a little shopping. They could be a little pushy at times but Kagome loved her friends and the time she got to spend with them. It was nice to talk about boys and fashion as the biggest problems in life instead of battle plans and possible allies they could call on when the time arose. Her time with them made her feel normal when her life was anything but.
The time got away from them and evening had come before they realized what time it was. They were about to part ways when Ayumi wrapped a hand around her wrist and said, “Come have supper at my house, Kagome! My mom's been asking about you lately and I'm sure she'd like to see you feeling better too.”
Hesitating for a moment, Kagome thought about the offer but agreed in the end. Ayumi's mother had offered her a place to stay while her own mother had been deep in mourning after her and Souta's father passed away. Ayumi was her oldest friend and their families had started looking out for one another. It pained her that she had to keep something as big as her adventures in the past from the other girl, but it was best to involve as few people as possible.
The walk back to Ayumi's house was short and filled with eager and mostly one-sided chatter. Kagome was an attentive listener to the tales of recent school scandals, asking a question here and there and laughing when she heard that one of the school's notorious playboy's had been found out by the three girls he was seeing. Upon arriving it seemed that Ayumi's mother had indeed missed her as she was greeted with an excited squeal from the older-if sometimes childlike-woman.
There were many questions asked, which she had expected, and she dutifully gave as vague of answers as she could think up. After a few minutes of interrogation Ayumi told her mother that Kagome was staying for supper which made the older woman's face light up. “I make something special then! Kagome, feel free to use the phone to call home if you haven't already.”
Kagome nodded gratefully and proceeded to let her mother know her eating arrangements for the night. Once that was taken care of, Ayumi drug Kagome into the living room so that they could watch a movie until the food was ready and continue to talk. They hadn't been seated for ten minutes before there was a knock at the door and a deep, tired voice called out, “Ayumi, we got some of your mail again!”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hiei tracked the little escaped demon down to the school he could feel Kagome's energy coming from. He was getting ready to take the creature out of existence when the vibrations of many bowstrings could be heard resonating through the air. His attention went back to the demon in front of him when he heard a small shriek and he only saw an arrow lodged in the ground with a faint pink glow still surrounding it. He smirked to himself as he thought, `At least she hasn't lost her touch.'
He remained for a few more minutes to watch her. He had always liked to watch her practice in the past because of the change that took place. Where she was normally smiling and her eyes held a certain laughter to them, when she practiced a determined look of concentration took the smile's place and her eyes focused on nothing but the target in front of her. The other girls in the class were clumsy with their shots and sloppy with their stances, but Kagome stood with her muscles tensed to a practiced position when she shot. Every now and then he would see her purposefully miss her target so that she wouldn't draw attention to what could be dismissed as a `lucky shot.'
Reluctantly, he silently moved away from the practice field and made his way back to the warehouse to make sure things hadn't gone all to hell yet. He arrived to see a larger group of demons on the other side of the portal than there had been when he left. With an internal sigh, he resigned himself to a long day and drew his sword again to make his way back into battle.
This continued for some while and by the time it was over and done with the sun was setting and everyone was a little worse for wear. Clothes had been turned into rags and ribbons and skin was covered with dirt and blood. After the portal had been closed everyone had taken to a reclined position in the warehouse, be it on an old crate, bag, or the floor, and tried to catch their breath. It wasn't that many of their opponents had been incredibly powerful, there had just been so many of them. With the eating of humans being outlawed in their world many of the demons living there had become hungry and desperate. That was never a favorable combination.
Yusuke was the first to speak. “Botan, you can tell Koenma that he can kiss my ass for a while. I don't care how much he pays, I'm not doing that all day ever again.”
“I'll tell him when I get back from a well earned vacation.” She panted out. At Yusuke's shocked look that she would even think about asking for a vacation, she replied, “I'm being facetious, Yusuke. You know full well that Koenma doesn't give vacations and that his employees don't ask for them as it's a waste of time.”
“He can still bite me,” the dark-haired young man muttered. “He ASKED if I would work for him again. I'm not in debt anymore and we're not even supposed to be doing this either. If I want a break, I'll take a damn break.”
“Fine Yusuke…you tell him that next time you're in his office.” And with that silence once again reigned over the group again. That is until Kuwabara remembered the events from that morning.
“Hey runt, you never did say how you know Kagome.” He accused as he sat up to look at the stoic fire demon that was leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed over his chest.
Hiei merely looked at the red head from the corner of his eye before he turned his gaze elsewhere and said, “My past and acquaintances are none of your business, fool.”
Kuwabara gave him a hard look. “When a girl who's one of my friends knows someone with a reputation like yours I make it my business.”
Hiei turned a chilling glare on the human and he felt his fists unconsciously tighten at the very implication that he would hurt Kagome. “Then I suggest you ask her.” He said before he disappeared. In all honest he wasn't sure what to say. He needed his own answers before he could give them. He still wasn't sure how she was in this time and didn't want to say anything that could cause trouble for either of them. So for now he stood on the roof to the warehouse and waited until everyone else left and went their separate ways before he tried to track her down.
He was led to an apartment building that he knew Kuwabara to live in as well and searched for her energy before positioning himself in the tree nearest to her but still made sure she wouldn't be able to see him when she left. This wasn't her home that much he knew. If it were, he would have sensed her long before now.
Kuwabara soon arrived back at the home he shared with his sister and Hiei watched him with narrowed eyes as he unlocked his door and entered. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the human city for a while before he heard a door open. Turning his attention back to the building Hiei saw a much cleaner Kuwabara leave his apartment in clean clothes with a towel around his neck and a handful of mail.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ayumi looked over at Kagome and smiled as she said, “You go answer it. He'll get a surprise seeing you here after so long.”
Kagome left her seat on the couch to go answer the front door. When she opened the door she was met with a tall red-headed man who was probably four or five years older than she was. He was currently looking out over the railing on the opposite side of the walkway from the apartment doors and glaring at the trees. That's when Kagome felt the presence of her friend from the past. `He can feel it too?' She thought as she turned her attention back to the human in front of her and said, “Yes?”
Kuwabara's attention immediately came to rest on the girl in front of him and a large grin instantly split across his face. “Kagome! I thought that was you I saw this morning! I haven't seen you in forever. You grew.” He observed as he put a hand on top of her head in a brotherly fashion.
Kagome laughed as she pushed his large hand away and looked up to lock eyes with the taller male. “Kuwabara?? It has been a long time! I'm not the only one that grew…you're huge!” She exclaimed as she tried to stand on her tip-toes to reach the top of his head. He laughed at her when she could only put her fingertips on the top of his head since he was almost a foot and a half taller than delicate-looking girl.
Ayumi came to stand behind them as they joked with one another before interrupting, “Come in Kazuma. Kagome and I were just catching up, so you're welcome to join us. I'll take the mail.”
Kuwabara handed the mail to his neighbor when she extended her hand and stepped inside before closing the door behind him. “You'd think the mailman would have learned the difference between two and three by now.” He followed as Kagome tugged him into the living room to sit on the couch next to her. He may have been five years older than them, but he didn't feel odd at all spending time with the two teenage girls like most men his age would. He had spent most of his childhood with them and his sister and the three of them were the reasons he had developed the respect for women that he had.
They talked for a while before Kuwabara turned to Kagome and said, “I think you know a friend of mine.”
“What's his name?” She answered.
“Hiei.”
Kagome thought for a minute before frowning and saying, “I don't recognize his name…”
“Well he's short, has black hair, a bad attitude, and usually just stands around glaring at people. He doesn't talk much. He was with me this morning in the café when you stopped and looked inside.”
A spark of recognition lit Kagome's eyes to a bright, electric blue as she smiled and said, “Oh yeah! I know who you're talking about now.” And she finally had a name to go with the face.
“Yeah…” Kuwabara said with less enthusiasm than she was showing. “Do you mind if I ask how you know him??” He was always one to look out for his friends and family, and while he worked with Hiei and trusted him enough to not let anything attack him from behind in a fight, he also knew Hiei's history and that his reputation wasn't just a lot of talk.
`If Kuwabara knows Hiei then he probably knows about demons…but Ayumi doesn't so I still can't say anything.' She thought before answering with a smile, “I met him not too long ago actually. You could say that we just kind of found each other and things went from there. I don't know him very well, but he seems nice.”
Kuwabara almost choked at hearing Hiei described as `nice' but let it go for the moment. Kuwabara was trying to think of a way to say what he wanted to get out without alarming Ayumi when he heard Ayumi's mother calling for her help from the kitchen. Once the younger girl was out of the room, Kuwabara turned to Kagome with a serious look and said, “Look Kagome…Hiei's a handy guy to have around in a fight, but you should be careful around him. He's more dangerous than you probably think.”
Kagome decided now was a good time to test the waters. “What? Is he some kind of demon??” She asked in a joking voice as she laughed. But she became silent when she saw him pale slightly. “I don't know how you know about demons Kuwabara, but you don't have to hide it from me because I know too. I'm not going to go into detail so don't ask, but I know what he is and how strong he is. You don't have to worry though because I can take care of myself.” She said as she placed a reassuring hand on her friend's arm.
Kuwabara was utterly shocked however, and was dying to know how someone like Kagome had come to know of the existence of demons. But, even though he hadn't seen her in years, he was willing to bet that she hadn't changed enough that she would give out information she had decided to keep to herself. His thoughts we sidetracked when Ayumi came back into the living room.
“Mom says that supper's ready. Would you like to stay too, Kazuma?? Kagome's going to eat with us.”
He shook his head as he stood up and said, “Nah, I need to get home to help Sis. She said she wants me to move some furniture for her…like I live to do manual labor for her. But I'll see you guys around, right Kagome?” He asked as he gave her a look that said much more than his spoken question did.
She smiled and gave a quick nod before saying, “Sure thing, Kuwabara. You and your friends should stop by the shrine sometime. If you give me your number I'll give you a call and let you know when a good time would be.”
And so they traded contact information and an entire hidden conversation that Ayumi listened to and was none the wiser about.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hiei watched as Kagome left the apartment building a couple of hours after Kuwabara had returned to his home, and silently followed her every movement as she made her way home.
She shouldn't have been so at ease as a young, attractive woman walking down the dark streets of Tokyo alone at night…but he supposed that he was partially to blame for that. He knew that she could sense him and she probably knew that if any real danger presented itself that he would protect her from it. `When did I become a guardian?' He asked himself. He may have protected her in the past…loved her in the past…but how much of that did she know of or remember?? Was she aware of how much her very existence was perplexing him at the moment when a few centuries ago he would have welcomed her back with no questions asked? He highly doubted it, but she always had ways of surprising him. The Kagome he had known always had a way of being blissfully ignorant and painfully aware at the same time.
He needed his answers, and at this point he was merely playing a waiting game.
When she arrived home he could hear her call out to her mother, announcing her arrival. He reached out with the jagan to track her movements through the house until she came to rest in one room. Luckily it was a room on the corner of the house and had a window. He moved to a tree where he could remain hidden and still watch her.
She was in what was obviously her bedroom. He watched as she dropped her bag beside her desk and then stretched her hands above her head before falling back onto her bed, leaving her long legs to dangle over the edge. She lay motionless for a few moments and Hiei believed that she had fallen asleep when she sat up and made her way over to the window. She slid the glass open and braced her hands against the sill until she was leaning out far enough so that the night air just barely caressed her face.
Kagome looked out into the night and searched the trees in vain, knowing that she wouldn't be able to actually see him, before saying in a sing-song voice, “I know your name now…Hiei.” And with that she turned around and left her bedroom to go elsewhere in the house.
Hiei sat on his branch with a scowl on his face. `The idiot must have actually asked her about her knowledge of me…damn him.' He waited for her to come back but knew she wouldn't return for some time when his sensitive nose picked up the sweet scent of her shampoo as it drifted into her bedroom and out her window. `It's been so long since I last smelled this scent…' He thought as he relaxed slightly and let his mind wander to fonder times.
He had been lulled into such a state that he almost didn't hear her bedroom door shut as she returned from her bath. Ever the honorable demon, Hiei turned his gaze from her room before she could take off her towel. Looking up, he could see that the sky was now black…or it would have been if not for the soft glow this city continually emitted. Hiei ventured a glance after a few minutes and was relieved to see that she was dressed for bed.
She sat at her desk with one knee pulled up to her chest and flipped through a text book, jotting things down in a notebook here and there, before turning off the desk lamp and standing up to move to lie down in bed. Hiei waited another hour before moving to the closer position of the roof ledge above the window to listen for deep, even breaths.
Once he was sure she was asleep, he slipped down to the railing just outside of her window and positioned himself on the ledge. He was wary of getting too close and his presence waking her, so this is where he would remain while he did what he came to do. Reaching behind his bead, he untied his bandana and removed it so that his Jagan Eye could open fully. He pressed at the edges of her mind until he found an entry point and then proceeded to search through her memories as she slept.
He started with recent memories and saw her conversation with Kuwabara and her day at school. Going further back he saw her in a field with a fox child in her backpack to distract a half-demon. His brow furrowed in confusion. `She's been with Inuyasha in that time recently??' But his question was answered when she jumped into an old well and emerged moments later from the same well in this time period. He sorted and poked through memories for hours until he found how everything started and how she was capable of being here. She was supposed to be in this era. It was the other era, the one where he'd first met her, that she didn't belong in.
He knew that the sun would rise soon, so he retied his bandana and left her window. From what he had seen she hadn't actually met him in the past yet, but it shouldn't be very long until then. But now he was faced with a terrible problem…
She was here within his reach, but he needed to avoid contact with her so as not to change the past. And that was another thing that was causing his chest to tighten. He had the opportunity to change the past. She didn't have to die, but what would happen if she didn't?
Hiei knew that he had time to think about his choice…but he also knew what his choice would ultimately have to be in the end.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Kagome woke up with a slight headache and feeling a little dizzy. Putting a hand to her head, she sat up and waited for the lightheaded feeling to pass before putting her feet on the floor and making her way downstairs. She found her mother in the kitchen and smiled when the older woman turned to her and asked what she would like to eat.
“I'm not very hungry right now, Mama. Would you help me do something though?? I want to make a picnic for the gang and there's some things that you just make better than I do.”
“Of course, Kagome. With all the traveling you and your friend's do you need to make sure that everyone is getting enough to eat, plus it's nice to have a nice relaxing lunch every now and then. What were you planning on making dear?”
Kagome told her mother everything she wanted to make and went upstairs to get dressed as her mother prepared the ingredients for the lunches. The two women talked and caught up on each other's lives as they made their respective dishes and packed everything away in the proper containers. It was late in the morning when they finished everything and Kagome said that she would be back in a few minutes as she slipped on her shoes and made her way to the streets of her neighborhood.
She walked at a comfortable pace to a local ramen shop and placed an order that she thought Inuyasha would like. As she waited she went to look at the different shops down the street. Kagome saw a woman walk out of a flower shop with a few other grocery bags and noticed that the woman had unknowingly dropped her credit card. She hurried to pick it up before anyone else could make off with it and ran to catch up with the woman.
When Kagome caught up, the woman was getting help from a young man, probably a few years older than herself, with putting her groceries in a car. “Excuse me,” she said to get their attention. “I think you dropped this outside the flower shop back there.” She extended the card for the woman to take and smiled at the embarrassed `thank you' she received.
“I can be so clumsy sometimes.” The woman said as she extended one hand to take the card and the other in greeting. “I'm Shiori by the way, Shiori Minamino. And this is my son, Shuichi.”
Kagome smiled and bowed in greeting to her son and he politely returned the gesture. “My name is Kagome Higurashi. I live at the shrine up the street.”
Kurama looked down at the dark-haired girl and said, “Miss Higurashi, I believe you know a friend of mine. His name is Kazuma Kuwabara.”
Kagome looked into calm, green eyes and felt that familiar tingle at the edge of her senses. This man was human but not completely. “Yes, I've known him since we were little. I've been meeting a lot of Kuwabara's friends lately it seems.”
“Well Kagome, I hate to cut this short, but Shuichi has agreed to take me to my doctor's appointment and we'll be late if we don't leave soon. If you two become friends maybe I'll see more of you in the future.” Shiori said with a motherly smile.
Kagome nodded her head and watched her get in the passenger seat of the car. Shuichi remained for a moment before reaching into the bag from the flower shop to pull out a still partially closed rose. She watched as he concentrated on it and willed it to slowly open its bright red petals that matched his hair perfectly. He extended the flower to her, which she took, and said, “Mother calls me Shuichi but you may call me Kurama, Miss Higurashi.”
“Kagome.” She said softly as he gave her a warm smile and turned to get into his car and leave. She shook herself from her stupor when the car pulled away and ran back to the ramen shop to pick up her order and return to the house.
Her mother helped her pack everything in a large picnic basket along with a large blanket for everyone to sit on, then Kagome proceeded to go upstairs and pack her backpack again with supplies she would need in the past. Soon she had everything she could think of and her mother accompanied her to the well-house to see her off. After a few hugs, goodbyes, and a be careful or two, Kagome made her way to a Japan 500 years in the past.
When she arrived she was surprised to see Inuyasha sitting at the top of the well waiting on her. “Inuyasha?? Did you come to help me carry my stuff?”
“Feh,” he answered as he turned around to look down at her. He held out his hand and pulled her and her things out of the well as he said, “Not quite. I came to protect you.”
“From what? I've protected myself before and it's not exactly a long walk back to the village.”
“Yeah, well you didn't have a fast little bastard that's good with a sword following you before either. Why'd you bring all this junk anyway?”
`Shippo…'she thought with an internal sigh. She had hoped that he wouldn't say anything to the others but hadn't exactly told him not to so it was really her own fault. “I brought all this `junk' Inuyasha, because there are times that we need it after our battles. You may not need it, but some of us are human. And the rest is food. It's a picnic! I thought it would be nice to relax and have a nice lunch before we started out again.”
“What?! We don't have time for-”
“I brought ramen from that shop down the street you like.” She interrupted as she nudged his side with her elbow.
She saw his eyes get a little wider just before he pretended to pout and said, “Fine. I guess we can eat first. Just this once though! We can't do this all the time.”
“Alright, alright, let's just enjoy it for today then.” She agreed as they came to the village.
Everyone greeted her eagerly and helped her get her things into the hut before she rounded up her friends and brought them to a grassy hill outside the village. Sango helped her unpack the basket while the boys unfolded the blanket and smoothed it out. Soon all the food was spread out, Inuyasha had his ramen, and everything was right with the world for the time being.
Part way through their meal, Kagome felt Hiei's energy approach and stop in a tree a few feet away from them. She quickly put he own food down before reaching into the basket to pull out one last container and a pair of chopsticks. Waving off Inuyasha's protests, she made her way over to the base of the tree and placed the container and utensils on a small handkerchief on the ground. “I didn't want you to feel left out. I hope you like it.” And with that she turned around and went back to finish her meal with her friends before they packed up and headed out on their next adventure.
Kagome never noticed that the lunch was missing from the base of the tree when they left, but she would awake the next morning to find an empty container by the dying fire pit in their camp.
Chapter 2: Demons and Picnics
Blood could be seen scattering through the air in tiny droplets before another lifeless body landed on the ground with a solid thud. Hiei didn't yet bother to clean the red liquid from his blade as he moved on to his next target. He had hated being a lapdog for Reikai before, but on days like this he found that it was a good way to release his frustrations. After seeing what could only be called a ghost from his past, hundreds of questions had flooded his mind. And with no answers anywhere in sight he had started contemplating just burning down the damned café they'd been sitting in to escape his three companion's questions and stares.
But before he could make up his mind the ever-upbeat ferry girl made her appearance with the details for their next assignment. “Hello boys!” Botan greeted. “Sorry to call you out of bed at such an early hour, but we have a small problem that does require immediate attention. Let's go outside to talk, shall we?”
“What is it this time, Botan?” Yusuke asked as they rounded a corner to stand in a vacant alleyway and he leaned back against the wall pushing a hand through his dark hair.
“Well apparently a group of human teenagers found an old book we weren't aware of that actually had some valid conjuring spells inside. To make a long story short, they held a ritual and opened a portal to the demon world in a warehouse on the other side of town last night. It started out so small that it didn't even show up on our radars, but some demons found it and have been working on expanding it. I don't think I need to tell you what will happen once they can start getting through.”
“And what would our specific job be in this endeavor?” Kurama questioned. It was always best to have the specifics beforehand.
“I'll be able to close the portal,” the blue-haired girl explained. “But the demons would be making their way through before I could finish. I need you four to make sure none get through by any means necessary. It may require entering the demon world to push them back and take preemptive measures. Well come on, we have work to do!” She declared as she made a short-cut out of a portal and herded the men through.
And that's where Hiei found himself now; fighting back the gathering group of human-hungry demons under the red skies of Makai. He almost rolled his eyes when Yusuke yelled to Botan asking how much longer it was going to take her. `He should learn to accept that things will be done when they're done…and until then learn to enjoy a good challenge.' He thought with a small smirk as he twisted to take down two more opponents in a single movement. It wasn't often that they got to fight like this anymore and he for one was enjoying the break in life's monotony.
It was times like this that he was able to think back to the days when battles were fought for honor and earned power instead of the underhanded bureaucratic advancements that were so common now. He was able to remember the days of his search for Yukina. Remember days when things weren't so tainted and complicated. He could remember the days she was there. “Hiei!” Kurama's voice snapped him out of his momentary reverie.
Hiei looked up just in time to see the almost feral demon to his right take a swipe at him. He was able to dodge the strike, but that left just enough of an opening for the red monster to make its way through the portal in into the city. “Damn.” He cursed under his breath as he followed after it.
This particular demon wasn't incredibly strong or smart, but it compensated with a small size that made it fast and agile. All it had to do was attack a human child for its lunch and that would put Hiei right back under mandatory service to Koenma again. And that just couldn't be allowed to happen. No longer being able to see the little creature left Hiei little choice but to use the jagan to track the path it was taking. It wasn't too far from where they had met that morning and was slowing down.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome stood outside leaning against the school-issued bow for support. The activity for the girl's P.E. class just had to be archery…because she apparently just didn't get enough of it in the past. The teacher was finishing what the goals for that class period would be when she felt the pricking of demonic energy heading towards her school. `Great,' she thought. `Maybe this won't be as bad as the incident with the dehydrated demons.' The thought of that day still made her cringe.
But then there was another, more familiar, energy approaching behind the first one. The other girls were getting their first arrows ready to begin the exercise when the first energy stopped in the bushes lining the fence behind their targets. Although she couldn't see it, she could practically feel the demon's eyes weighing down the small jar of shards that hung around her neck. “Let's see if I can make this discreet…” She mumbled to herself as she stuck the tip of her tongue out in concentration and she pretended to take aim at the target. When the teacher gave the signal all of the girls released their arrows, but Kagome adjusted her aim at the last second to cut across to a section of the greenery one target over.
A small scream was heard but was mainly covered up by the teacher yelling out to her, “Concentrate, Higurashi!!”
“Yes ma'am.” She answered with a small apologetic bow and a smile as she felt the energy disappear. Her follower's energy remained for the next couple of firing sequences but soon left. At least she had a face to go with the energy now. The only thing missing was a name and she could count another demon as at least a semi-friend. At this point if it didn't try to kill her, kidnap her, or steal from her it was a friend. Even if that was how she met her current makeshift family from the past, everyone had proven themselves to be good at heart with a second chance.
The rest of her classes went by relatively painlessly, except for a test or two she had to make up, and before she knew it her school day was over. Of course her friends had to drag her into town so that they could eat, catch up on things, and maybe do a little shopping. They could be a little pushy at times but Kagome loved her friends and the time she got to spend with them. It was nice to talk about boys and fashion as the biggest problems in life instead of battle plans and possible allies they could call on when the time arose. Her time with them made her feel normal when her life was anything but.
The time got away from them and evening had come before they realized what time it was. They were about to part ways when Ayumi wrapped a hand around her wrist and said, “Come have supper at my house, Kagome! My mom's been asking about you lately and I'm sure she'd like to see you feeling better too.”
Hesitating for a moment, Kagome thought about the offer but agreed in the end. Ayumi's mother had offered her a place to stay while her own mother had been deep in mourning after her and Souta's father passed away. Ayumi was her oldest friend and their families had started looking out for one another. It pained her that she had to keep something as big as her adventures in the past from the other girl, but it was best to involve as few people as possible.
The walk back to Ayumi's house was short and filled with eager and mostly one-sided chatter. Kagome was an attentive listener to the tales of recent school scandals, asking a question here and there and laughing when she heard that one of the school's notorious playboy's had been found out by the three girls he was seeing. Upon arriving it seemed that Ayumi's mother had indeed missed her as she was greeted with an excited squeal from the older-if sometimes childlike-woman.
There were many questions asked, which she had expected, and she dutifully gave as vague of answers as she could think up. After a few minutes of interrogation Ayumi told her mother that Kagome was staying for supper which made the older woman's face light up. “I make something special then! Kagome, feel free to use the phone to call home if you haven't already.”
Kagome nodded gratefully and proceeded to let her mother know her eating arrangements for the night. Once that was taken care of, Ayumi drug Kagome into the living room so that they could watch a movie until the food was ready and continue to talk. They hadn't been seated for ten minutes before there was a knock at the door and a deep, tired voice called out, “Ayumi, we got some of your mail again!”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hiei tracked the little escaped demon down to the school he could feel Kagome's energy coming from. He was getting ready to take the creature out of existence when the vibrations of many bowstrings could be heard resonating through the air. His attention went back to the demon in front of him when he heard a small shriek and he only saw an arrow lodged in the ground with a faint pink glow still surrounding it. He smirked to himself as he thought, `At least she hasn't lost her touch.'
He remained for a few more minutes to watch her. He had always liked to watch her practice in the past because of the change that took place. Where she was normally smiling and her eyes held a certain laughter to them, when she practiced a determined look of concentration took the smile's place and her eyes focused on nothing but the target in front of her. The other girls in the class were clumsy with their shots and sloppy with their stances, but Kagome stood with her muscles tensed to a practiced position when she shot. Every now and then he would see her purposefully miss her target so that she wouldn't draw attention to what could be dismissed as a `lucky shot.'
Reluctantly, he silently moved away from the practice field and made his way back to the warehouse to make sure things hadn't gone all to hell yet. He arrived to see a larger group of demons on the other side of the portal than there had been when he left. With an internal sigh, he resigned himself to a long day and drew his sword again to make his way back into battle.
This continued for some while and by the time it was over and done with the sun was setting and everyone was a little worse for wear. Clothes had been turned into rags and ribbons and skin was covered with dirt and blood. After the portal had been closed everyone had taken to a reclined position in the warehouse, be it on an old crate, bag, or the floor, and tried to catch their breath. It wasn't that many of their opponents had been incredibly powerful, there had just been so many of them. With the eating of humans being outlawed in their world many of the demons living there had become hungry and desperate. That was never a favorable combination.
Yusuke was the first to speak. “Botan, you can tell Koenma that he can kiss my ass for a while. I don't care how much he pays, I'm not doing that all day ever again.”
“I'll tell him when I get back from a well earned vacation.” She panted out. At Yusuke's shocked look that she would even think about asking for a vacation, she replied, “I'm being facetious, Yusuke. You know full well that Koenma doesn't give vacations and that his employees don't ask for them as it's a waste of time.”
“He can still bite me,” the dark-haired young man muttered. “He ASKED if I would work for him again. I'm not in debt anymore and we're not even supposed to be doing this either. If I want a break, I'll take a damn break.”
“Fine Yusuke…you tell him that next time you're in his office.” And with that silence once again reigned over the group again. That is until Kuwabara remembered the events from that morning.
“Hey runt, you never did say how you know Kagome.” He accused as he sat up to look at the stoic fire demon that was leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed over his chest.
Hiei merely looked at the red head from the corner of his eye before he turned his gaze elsewhere and said, “My past and acquaintances are none of your business, fool.”
Kuwabara gave him a hard look. “When a girl who's one of my friends knows someone with a reputation like yours I make it my business.”
Hiei turned a chilling glare on the human and he felt his fists unconsciously tighten at the very implication that he would hurt Kagome. “Then I suggest you ask her.” He said before he disappeared. In all honest he wasn't sure what to say. He needed his own answers before he could give them. He still wasn't sure how she was in this time and didn't want to say anything that could cause trouble for either of them. So for now he stood on the roof to the warehouse and waited until everyone else left and went their separate ways before he tried to track her down.
He was led to an apartment building that he knew Kuwabara to live in as well and searched for her energy before positioning himself in the tree nearest to her but still made sure she wouldn't be able to see him when she left. This wasn't her home that much he knew. If it were, he would have sensed her long before now.
Kuwabara soon arrived back at the home he shared with his sister and Hiei watched him with narrowed eyes as he unlocked his door and entered. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the human city for a while before he heard a door open. Turning his attention back to the building Hiei saw a much cleaner Kuwabara leave his apartment in clean clothes with a towel around his neck and a handful of mail.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ayumi looked over at Kagome and smiled as she said, “You go answer it. He'll get a surprise seeing you here after so long.”
Kagome left her seat on the couch to go answer the front door. When she opened the door she was met with a tall red-headed man who was probably four or five years older than she was. He was currently looking out over the railing on the opposite side of the walkway from the apartment doors and glaring at the trees. That's when Kagome felt the presence of her friend from the past. `He can feel it too?' She thought as she turned her attention back to the human in front of her and said, “Yes?”
Kuwabara's attention immediately came to rest on the girl in front of him and a large grin instantly split across his face. “Kagome! I thought that was you I saw this morning! I haven't seen you in forever. You grew.” He observed as he put a hand on top of her head in a brotherly fashion.
Kagome laughed as she pushed his large hand away and looked up to lock eyes with the taller male. “Kuwabara?? It has been a long time! I'm not the only one that grew…you're huge!” She exclaimed as she tried to stand on her tip-toes to reach the top of his head. He laughed at her when she could only put her fingertips on the top of his head since he was almost a foot and a half taller than delicate-looking girl.
Ayumi came to stand behind them as they joked with one another before interrupting, “Come in Kazuma. Kagome and I were just catching up, so you're welcome to join us. I'll take the mail.”
Kuwabara handed the mail to his neighbor when she extended her hand and stepped inside before closing the door behind him. “You'd think the mailman would have learned the difference between two and three by now.” He followed as Kagome tugged him into the living room to sit on the couch next to her. He may have been five years older than them, but he didn't feel odd at all spending time with the two teenage girls like most men his age would. He had spent most of his childhood with them and his sister and the three of them were the reasons he had developed the respect for women that he had.
They talked for a while before Kuwabara turned to Kagome and said, “I think you know a friend of mine.”
“What's his name?” She answered.
“Hiei.”
Kagome thought for a minute before frowning and saying, “I don't recognize his name…”
“Well he's short, has black hair, a bad attitude, and usually just stands around glaring at people. He doesn't talk much. He was with me this morning in the café when you stopped and looked inside.”
A spark of recognition lit Kagome's eyes to a bright, electric blue as she smiled and said, “Oh yeah! I know who you're talking about now.” And she finally had a name to go with the face.
“Yeah…” Kuwabara said with less enthusiasm than she was showing. “Do you mind if I ask how you know him??” He was always one to look out for his friends and family, and while he worked with Hiei and trusted him enough to not let anything attack him from behind in a fight, he also knew Hiei's history and that his reputation wasn't just a lot of talk.
`If Kuwabara knows Hiei then he probably knows about demons…but Ayumi doesn't so I still can't say anything.' She thought before answering with a smile, “I met him not too long ago actually. You could say that we just kind of found each other and things went from there. I don't know him very well, but he seems nice.”
Kuwabara almost choked at hearing Hiei described as `nice' but let it go for the moment. Kuwabara was trying to think of a way to say what he wanted to get out without alarming Ayumi when he heard Ayumi's mother calling for her help from the kitchen. Once the younger girl was out of the room, Kuwabara turned to Kagome with a serious look and said, “Look Kagome…Hiei's a handy guy to have around in a fight, but you should be careful around him. He's more dangerous than you probably think.”
Kagome decided now was a good time to test the waters. “What? Is he some kind of demon??” She asked in a joking voice as she laughed. But she became silent when she saw him pale slightly. “I don't know how you know about demons Kuwabara, but you don't have to hide it from me because I know too. I'm not going to go into detail so don't ask, but I know what he is and how strong he is. You don't have to worry though because I can take care of myself.” She said as she placed a reassuring hand on her friend's arm.
Kuwabara was utterly shocked however, and was dying to know how someone like Kagome had come to know of the existence of demons. But, even though he hadn't seen her in years, he was willing to bet that she hadn't changed enough that she would give out information she had decided to keep to herself. His thoughts we sidetracked when Ayumi came back into the living room.
“Mom says that supper's ready. Would you like to stay too, Kazuma?? Kagome's going to eat with us.”
He shook his head as he stood up and said, “Nah, I need to get home to help Sis. She said she wants me to move some furniture for her…like I live to do manual labor for her. But I'll see you guys around, right Kagome?” He asked as he gave her a look that said much more than his spoken question did.
She smiled and gave a quick nod before saying, “Sure thing, Kuwabara. You and your friends should stop by the shrine sometime. If you give me your number I'll give you a call and let you know when a good time would be.”
And so they traded contact information and an entire hidden conversation that Ayumi listened to and was none the wiser about.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hiei watched as Kagome left the apartment building a couple of hours after Kuwabara had returned to his home, and silently followed her every movement as she made her way home.
She shouldn't have been so at ease as a young, attractive woman walking down the dark streets of Tokyo alone at night…but he supposed that he was partially to blame for that. He knew that she could sense him and she probably knew that if any real danger presented itself that he would protect her from it. `When did I become a guardian?' He asked himself. He may have protected her in the past…loved her in the past…but how much of that did she know of or remember?? Was she aware of how much her very existence was perplexing him at the moment when a few centuries ago he would have welcomed her back with no questions asked? He highly doubted it, but she always had ways of surprising him. The Kagome he had known always had a way of being blissfully ignorant and painfully aware at the same time.
He needed his answers, and at this point he was merely playing a waiting game.
When she arrived home he could hear her call out to her mother, announcing her arrival. He reached out with the jagan to track her movements through the house until she came to rest in one room. Luckily it was a room on the corner of the house and had a window. He moved to a tree where he could remain hidden and still watch her.
She was in what was obviously her bedroom. He watched as she dropped her bag beside her desk and then stretched her hands above her head before falling back onto her bed, leaving her long legs to dangle over the edge. She lay motionless for a few moments and Hiei believed that she had fallen asleep when she sat up and made her way over to the window. She slid the glass open and braced her hands against the sill until she was leaning out far enough so that the night air just barely caressed her face.
Kagome looked out into the night and searched the trees in vain, knowing that she wouldn't be able to actually see him, before saying in a sing-song voice, “I know your name now…Hiei.” And with that she turned around and left her bedroom to go elsewhere in the house.
Hiei sat on his branch with a scowl on his face. `The idiot must have actually asked her about her knowledge of me…damn him.' He waited for her to come back but knew she wouldn't return for some time when his sensitive nose picked up the sweet scent of her shampoo as it drifted into her bedroom and out her window. `It's been so long since I last smelled this scent…' He thought as he relaxed slightly and let his mind wander to fonder times.
He had been lulled into such a state that he almost didn't hear her bedroom door shut as she returned from her bath. Ever the honorable demon, Hiei turned his gaze from her room before she could take off her towel. Looking up, he could see that the sky was now black…or it would have been if not for the soft glow this city continually emitted. Hiei ventured a glance after a few minutes and was relieved to see that she was dressed for bed.
She sat at her desk with one knee pulled up to her chest and flipped through a text book, jotting things down in a notebook here and there, before turning off the desk lamp and standing up to move to lie down in bed. Hiei waited another hour before moving to the closer position of the roof ledge above the window to listen for deep, even breaths.
Once he was sure she was asleep, he slipped down to the railing just outside of her window and positioned himself on the ledge. He was wary of getting too close and his presence waking her, so this is where he would remain while he did what he came to do. Reaching behind his bead, he untied his bandana and removed it so that his Jagan Eye could open fully. He pressed at the edges of her mind until he found an entry point and then proceeded to search through her memories as she slept.
He started with recent memories and saw her conversation with Kuwabara and her day at school. Going further back he saw her in a field with a fox child in her backpack to distract a half-demon. His brow furrowed in confusion. `She's been with Inuyasha in that time recently??' But his question was answered when she jumped into an old well and emerged moments later from the same well in this time period. He sorted and poked through memories for hours until he found how everything started and how she was capable of being here. She was supposed to be in this era. It was the other era, the one where he'd first met her, that she didn't belong in.
He knew that the sun would rise soon, so he retied his bandana and left her window. From what he had seen she hadn't actually met him in the past yet, but it shouldn't be very long until then. But now he was faced with a terrible problem…
She was here within his reach, but he needed to avoid contact with her so as not to change the past. And that was another thing that was causing his chest to tighten. He had the opportunity to change the past. She didn't have to die, but what would happen if she didn't?
Hiei knew that he had time to think about his choice…but he also knew what his choice would ultimately have to be in the end.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Kagome woke up with a slight headache and feeling a little dizzy. Putting a hand to her head, she sat up and waited for the lightheaded feeling to pass before putting her feet on the floor and making her way downstairs. She found her mother in the kitchen and smiled when the older woman turned to her and asked what she would like to eat.
“I'm not very hungry right now, Mama. Would you help me do something though?? I want to make a picnic for the gang and there's some things that you just make better than I do.”
“Of course, Kagome. With all the traveling you and your friend's do you need to make sure that everyone is getting enough to eat, plus it's nice to have a nice relaxing lunch every now and then. What were you planning on making dear?”
Kagome told her mother everything she wanted to make and went upstairs to get dressed as her mother prepared the ingredients for the lunches. The two women talked and caught up on each other's lives as they made their respective dishes and packed everything away in the proper containers. It was late in the morning when they finished everything and Kagome said that she would be back in a few minutes as she slipped on her shoes and made her way to the streets of her neighborhood.
She walked at a comfortable pace to a local ramen shop and placed an order that she thought Inuyasha would like. As she waited she went to look at the different shops down the street. Kagome saw a woman walk out of a flower shop with a few other grocery bags and noticed that the woman had unknowingly dropped her credit card. She hurried to pick it up before anyone else could make off with it and ran to catch up with the woman.
When Kagome caught up, the woman was getting help from a young man, probably a few years older than herself, with putting her groceries in a car. “Excuse me,” she said to get their attention. “I think you dropped this outside the flower shop back there.” She extended the card for the woman to take and smiled at the embarrassed `thank you' she received.
“I can be so clumsy sometimes.” The woman said as she extended one hand to take the card and the other in greeting. “I'm Shiori by the way, Shiori Minamino. And this is my son, Shuichi.”
Kagome smiled and bowed in greeting to her son and he politely returned the gesture. “My name is Kagome Higurashi. I live at the shrine up the street.”
Kurama looked down at the dark-haired girl and said, “Miss Higurashi, I believe you know a friend of mine. His name is Kazuma Kuwabara.”
Kagome looked into calm, green eyes and felt that familiar tingle at the edge of her senses. This man was human but not completely. “Yes, I've known him since we were little. I've been meeting a lot of Kuwabara's friends lately it seems.”
“Well Kagome, I hate to cut this short, but Shuichi has agreed to take me to my doctor's appointment and we'll be late if we don't leave soon. If you two become friends maybe I'll see more of you in the future.” Shiori said with a motherly smile.
Kagome nodded her head and watched her get in the passenger seat of the car. Shuichi remained for a moment before reaching into the bag from the flower shop to pull out a still partially closed rose. She watched as he concentrated on it and willed it to slowly open its bright red petals that matched his hair perfectly. He extended the flower to her, which she took, and said, “Mother calls me Shuichi but you may call me Kurama, Miss Higurashi.”
“Kagome.” She said softly as he gave her a warm smile and turned to get into his car and leave. She shook herself from her stupor when the car pulled away and ran back to the ramen shop to pick up her order and return to the house.
Her mother helped her pack everything in a large picnic basket along with a large blanket for everyone to sit on, then Kagome proceeded to go upstairs and pack her backpack again with supplies she would need in the past. Soon she had everything she could think of and her mother accompanied her to the well-house to see her off. After a few hugs, goodbyes, and a be careful or two, Kagome made her way to a Japan 500 years in the past.
When she arrived she was surprised to see Inuyasha sitting at the top of the well waiting on her. “Inuyasha?? Did you come to help me carry my stuff?”
“Feh,” he answered as he turned around to look down at her. He held out his hand and pulled her and her things out of the well as he said, “Not quite. I came to protect you.”
“From what? I've protected myself before and it's not exactly a long walk back to the village.”
“Yeah, well you didn't have a fast little bastard that's good with a sword following you before either. Why'd you bring all this junk anyway?”
`Shippo…'she thought with an internal sigh. She had hoped that he wouldn't say anything to the others but hadn't exactly told him not to so it was really her own fault. “I brought all this `junk' Inuyasha, because there are times that we need it after our battles. You may not need it, but some of us are human. And the rest is food. It's a picnic! I thought it would be nice to relax and have a nice lunch before we started out again.”
“What?! We don't have time for-”
“I brought ramen from that shop down the street you like.” She interrupted as she nudged his side with her elbow.
She saw his eyes get a little wider just before he pretended to pout and said, “Fine. I guess we can eat first. Just this once though! We can't do this all the time.”
“Alright, alright, let's just enjoy it for today then.” She agreed as they came to the village.
Everyone greeted her eagerly and helped her get her things into the hut before she rounded up her friends and brought them to a grassy hill outside the village. Sango helped her unpack the basket while the boys unfolded the blanket and smoothed it out. Soon all the food was spread out, Inuyasha had his ramen, and everything was right with the world for the time being.
Part way through their meal, Kagome felt Hiei's energy approach and stop in a tree a few feet away from them. She quickly put he own food down before reaching into the basket to pull out one last container and a pair of chopsticks. Waving off Inuyasha's protests, she made her way over to the base of the tree and placed the container and utensils on a small handkerchief on the ground. “I didn't want you to feel left out. I hope you like it.” And with that she turned around and went back to finish her meal with her friends before they packed up and headed out on their next adventure.
Kagome never noticed that the lunch was missing from the base of the tree when they left, but she would awake the next morning to find an empty container by the dying fire pit in their camp.