InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Everything Burns ❯ The Storm ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but an idea and a laptop…and a massive collection of medications

Chapter 3: The Storm

The days passed slowly after Hiei had looked into Kagome's memories. He'd been trying to think of ways around the inevitable but nothing possible had presented itself. She'd been taken from all of them in the past and now that Fate had brought her to him half of a millennium later he was in a position that he couldn't go to her. While it was physically possible for him to go to her, he knew that it would only complicate the future…for more reasons than one.

It was true that if he intervened it would most likely change the present, but there were other things to consider. He had no idea what his contact with her now would do to him in the past. She might change something significant to how he was now. But maybe she was supposed to change something. What if she'd already had contact with him here and she said something or did something in the past that had been what pushed him to be as he was now? Or was who he had become based completely on himself and his own personal will? Had anyone really shaped him or was he destined to be this way from birth?? `This is why time travel shouldn't be possible,' he growled in his head. There were just too many variables.

But there was still one other thing. He knew that, unless he was willing to change the past and present, she would eventually vanish from this time. She would leave one day and never return. He remembered what it had felt like when she'd been taken the first time; that emotion would be forever pressed into his isolated heart. Knowing that she would disappear, would he venture being in her presence again only to find her gone one day or would he keep to himself to selfishly protect his scarred heart?

He found himself unable to answer that particular question at the moment. If it wouldn't have revealed a side of himself that he didn't wish for any to know about, he would have asked Kurama his opinion on the matter. The fox may be nosy and mischievous at times, but he had a gift for problem solving and forethought that he'd never known anyone else to possess. He knew Kurama had a knack for strategic planning, but Hiei could still feel his eyes narrow when he thought of the red-head.

He'd seen Kurama a few days prior and had nearly allowed a growl to escape him. It was faint, almost enough to make him think he'd imagined it, but her scent was on his person. It had taken a moment to find the source, but he finally determined that it was coming from his hand. “Making new friends, fox?” He'd asked.

Kurama had been genuinely confused for a moment before realizing what his friend had meant. Kagome's scent was still lingering from where they had brushed hands in exchange of the rose earlier that day. “Perhaps,” he responded with a sly grin. This could be a golden opportunity to discover more about how Hiei knew the interesting girl. “One is apt to make new friends when one does not constantly wear a scowl in public.”

Hiei hadn't missed the small jab sent his way. Deciding to forgo being subtle, he took a more direct approach with the handsome avatar. “You will stay away from the girl if you wish to keep those pretty features other females seem so fond of. She will not fall for your charms so don't waste your time or hers.”

A delicate brow rose in challenge. While he tried not to pay attention to the fans he'd managed to unwittingly attract, he wasn't going to stand by as his abilities of seduction were insulted. “Is that so? And how would you know, Hiei? I seem to remember a very pretty blush on her cheeks as she accepted my rose…if I'm not mistaken I also detected her breath quickening slightly and her eyes dilating.” He threw in just to make the hybrid a little angrier. After all, many mistakes can be made while angry.

Hiei knew what Kurama was doing, but damn him if it wasn't working. He could feel the element that ran the strongest through his veins wanting to lash out at his friend. He may trust Kurama on missions and for advice, but the cunning red-head wasn't above receiving his wrath. “If you speak of her that way again I will cut out your tongue.”

“And who is she to you that it would matter, Hiei?? You're quite possibly the biggest misanthrope I know, but you seem uncharacteristically protective of this one human girl.”

Crimson eyes narrowed and Hiei's voice came out in a dangerous tone as he responded, “I'll only warn you this one time, Kurama. You will keep your distance.” And after that had been said, he'd left in an instant and kept to himself for the following days.

For the first time in a very long time, Hiei was truly angry with Kurama. He couldn't remember being this angry with his partner since the fox had interfered with his first fight with Yusuke. But he couldn't deny that Kurama was right. When Kagome was involved everything changed. A protectiveness usually reserved only for Yukina surged forth and jealousy clouded his mind.

It was odd for him to have these feelings again after a few hundred years, but when Kagome came back into his life so did all the emotions he thought he'd suppressed. With that one smile she'd sent his way that morning at the café she'd instantly wrapped the string connected to his heart around her little finger once more. As much as he wanted to stay away from her he knew that if he sensed danger near he'd go to her aid.

He let the back of his head rest against the rough bark of the tree he rested in and felt his eyes close as his thoughts rambled on. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She'd died five centuries ago and, while it had been a hard process, he'd mourned her and tried to move on with his life. Loved ones weren't supposed to come from the grave.

With a bitter smirk he had the passing thought that Keiko was probably happier about Yusuke's return than he was about Kagome's.

The smirk vanished and his eyes opened instantly. `I'm not happy about her return?' He thought. He knew it wasn't true. When he'd first laid eyes on her in this time it was undeniable that happiness had welled inside his chest along with hope. Yet here he was trying to tell himself that he wished it had never happened. Why?

Of course her presence in his life again would cause complications, but when she'd passed he'd begged the gods for more time with her. He'd apparently gone on a waiting list as it had taken them 500 years to get around to it but here was his chance. With a new outlook on the situation Hiei sat up and was about to go see if she'd returned home yet when a realization hit him that made his back tense completely.

He still couldn't be with her in the way he wanted because she was still at a point in her life where she loved Inuyasha. She hadn't even really met him yet. Even when she came back to her own time he couldn't be with her because she had yet to make most of the memories that he shared with her.

This was entirely too frustrating. So, after removing his claws from the limb of the tree he was in, Hiei went in search of Yusuke so that he could drag the man to Genkai's for a “friendly spar.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Completely oblivious to the internal conflict she was causing back in her time, Kagome was dealing with a problem of her own in the time of battles, samurai, and irritable half-demons.

“Inuyasha!” She shouted finally giving into the frustrations that had been mounting for the past few days. Kagome was standing underneath the branches of the tree that the dog-eared boy occupied. She'd waited long enough for him to stop acting so paranoid, and now she stood reprimanding him and hearing the occasional giggle come from one of their traveling companions as they ate their supper.

“Inuyasha, come down here and eat with the rest of us! I know you haven't eaten or slept in days and you're going to get sick. Now stop acting like an idiot and get out of that tree!”

“Hell no!” A raspy voice called back. He knew that she was right. He was extremely hungry and was sorely in need of sleep, but ever since the night that their stalker had snuck into camp to return the empty bento Inuyasha had refused to let his guard down. “There's a demon following us who can walk right into the middle of our camp without anyone noticing. I'm not gonna get my throat slit because you want me to take a nap! Someone has to watch for the little bastard.”

Kagome huffed as she threw her hands in the air. “Fine,” she mumbled. “But you're eating one way or another…” And with that she walked over to the fire and proceeded to dip out some of the stew they'd made for supper and walk back over to the tree. “At least take this and eat something. You looked terrible today and maybe eating something will help a little.”

“No!” Was the stubborn reply she received.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Kagome tried again. “Inuyasha, please-”

“I said `no' woman! I'm not putting down my sword and I'm not eating that damn stew!”

Kagome glared at the leafy canopy as her voice took on a darker tone and she flatly said, “Sit.” The spoon in the bowl shifted some with the vibrations caused by Inuyasha's abrupt descent. “Now,” she began in a calm voice, “will you please eat something and get some rest? I didn't want to do that Inuyasha, but you didn't leave me much choice. If you're tired and hungry you wouldn't be able to fight well anyway. Besides I'm sure if he wanted to kill us he would have had lots of chances by now. Stop worrying. I don't think he's that bad.”

Inuyasha glared up at the woman talking to him and was about to give her a piece of his mind when he caught the look in her eyes. It was a look of complete and sincere concern. He could clearly see it not only swirling in her deep blue eyes but etching along each of her facial features. So for once he decided to bite his tongue and swallow his pride to help the light return to her eyes a little faster.

Without a word Inuyasha rose from his place on the ground and grudgingly took the bowl before marching over to the fire, sitting down roughly, and looking towards her again. “Fine, but when he kills you in your sleep don't come crying to me!”

Kagome tried to hide a giggle behind her hand. “I doubt that would happen Inuyasha, but thanks for the concern.” Now it was just a matter of getting him to go to sleep later. But she decided long ago that problems with Inuyasha were best tackled as they presented themselves.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei had thoroughly enjoyed the show that Kagome and Inuyasha had put on the night before. He would never admit it, but it always amused him at how stubborn the half-demon could be despite her clear warnings.

But now he stood at the edge of a large forest. The odd group had left the previous forest that morning, crossed a large field that afternoon, and now that the sun was starting to set in early evening they had entered another forest. But there was something wrong with this place. He couldn't hear birds or the normal rustling of small animals because they knew to stay away from this place.

The trees were tall with thick trunks that had many vines and species of ivy covering them all the way to their top branches. There was a storm approaching and Hiei could hear the forest creak and pop as the strong wind caused the trees to sway slightly.

Walking over to one tree, Hiei tore some of the vines away, ripped away the scarred bark, and dragged his claws down the exposed wood. It was a pale, dry, and lifeless brown all the way through. “Hn…this forest is dead. The only life here is these parasitic vines.” He said to himself. He couldn't believe that at least one out of the group hadn't noticed. Yet maybe they had and had entered anyway in search of shelter from the coming storm?

Stepping back to look at the forest once more, Hiei looked at the green forest ahead of him and entered against his better judgment. He wasn't sure why but he knew that he didn't want harm to come to the priestess that had captured his attention.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome looked skyward to see the green and orange light filtering through the thick, leafy vines that wove together the canopy of the forest. “It's so pretty…” she whispered to no one in particular. For some reason she felt the need to be quiet in this place as though a loud or sudden noise would shatter the forest like a rock against glass.

None of her companions were speaking and the only sound coming from any of them, even the normally hyper Shippo, was the light crunching of their footsteps. Everyone seemed uneasy in this place. Inuyasha and Sango had voiced their protests to entering the eerily quiet yet enchantingly beautiful forest saying that it wasn't safe and gave them a bad feeling.

But the downfall was that it seemed that this forest of vines formed a wall against the edge of the field they had been in. In the end they had determined that it would be much faster to travel through the forest than to try to find a way around.

She knew that something felt…off, but couldn't pinpoint what the problem with this place was. It was quiet and beautiful and peaceful almost like holy ground. But at the same time it was unsettling and suffocating making the hair of any who entered stand on end.

In the middle of her musings a strong wind forced its way between the trees which made them moan in protest. Kagome let out a small squeak and cradled Shippo close to her chest as the cold wind hit her back and caused her hair to whip around her face and body.

Once it died down to a chilling breeze everyone looked up to notice the absence of the filtered twilight and could see small patches of dark, heavy clouds rolling across the sky. The air shifted with the clouds and wind. It was thick and had an almost electrical charge to it. “Inuyasha…” Kagome mumbled as she backed closer to the silver haired teen.

Miroku made eye contact with Inuyasha and gave a sharp nod. “We need to keep moving,” Miroku said. “Maybe we can find shelter farther into the forest or at least make it to the other side before the storm hits. I don't think it would be wise to be here if things turn for the worse.”

The rest of the group agreed and they began their pace again. Gradually the wind began to pick back up from its nearly unnoticeable breeze to a cutting gale. But the groups pace picked up as well. Where they had started at a walk, that had increased to a jog, and now they were sprinting between the trees. Inuyasha had taken Kagome's bag from her so that she could move faster and Shippo was clinging to Kirara's back. They would have taken to the skies on Kirara with Kagome on Inuyasha's back as usual if it wasn't for the storm threatening to unleash itself at any moment.

The continued to run as the wind increased. The trees were groaning their protest and the many leaves lining the trees were rustling at an almost deafening level. Only Inuyasha was able to hear the wind-muffled scream of Kagome as she rounded a tree only to be caught by a powerful gust of wind and knocked to the ground. But everyone heard the following sound.

A loud cracking sound seemed to echo above everything else but it was impossible to tell where it came from for a moment. Kagome could feel her heart racing not only from running but from the apprehension that had saturated the air around them. She finally began to move to stand when the creaking of the trees suddenly grew much louder.

Kagome looked up to see one of the trees near her start to lean far to one side as more cracking sounds were heard. The tree was definitely falling and it looked to be heading for the girl still on the ground. “Kagome!” Inuyasha shouted over the storm as the first rain drops began to fall.

He rushed forward intent on grabbing her and carrying her to safety until he hear more cracks and groans coming from all around him.

Sango realized what was going on first and shouted to her friends, “The vines killed the trees and are still connecting them at their tops! One tree is falling and the rest are going with it! Move!!” And with that Kagome finally found her feet and everyone began running while trying to look around them and avoid the trees before they picked up enough force and weight to fall completely.

But sooner than any would have liked, the first crash was heard from the area they had just left. Many began to follow and Kagome could see her friends trying to yell something to her but she couldn't hear them over everything that was going on. The rain was coming down hard now and the winds made it sting against the exposed skin of her legs and face. Suddenly a loud crack was heard from beside her and Kagome looked up to see a massive tree coming down on top of her.

She immediately looked at Inuyasha, her savior in her times of need, to see that he was too far away to make it. His eyes were wide and he was running toward her in vain, desperate to reach her in time. Above all the noise, Kagome heard him scream her name even though it sounded like little more than a whisper by the time it reached her ears.

Inuyasha watched as the dead forest was about to crush one of his few friends. He knew he couldn't make it in time and he screamed her name as he tried to reach out for her. But as soon as the sound had exited his throat, Kagome vanished.

~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: I'm not dead! Yay!! I want to thank everyone who sent well-wishes! You guys really do mean a lot to me. I responded to everyone's comment on my profile so if you said something in response to Jesse's AN go check it out if you haven't! Also, if you wanna just check in on day-to-day crap and hear me ramble (and maybe see where I am on updates) check out my LJ that a friend got me to create. The link is the homepage button on my profile. I think I explained what kept me so long if anyone is curious (one of the first few posts). Feel free to friend me if you want. I like friends!

This chapter actually got cut pretty short…sorry about that! But with as long as I've been gone I really wanted to get something out there to renew your faith in me. Also, even though I just too my last final for the spring semester today, I'm starting my May-mester class tomorrow. That's going to be a full semester's worth of info crammed into about 13 days. I'm doing another class like that in June so my time is going to pretty much be demolished by that. I may get another chapter or two out during that time (or I may churn out nine, you never can tell!) but either way things are going to be crazy. But I'm off in July so hopefully that's when I'll get a lot of writing done.

Okay, I think that's everything for right now. I hope everyone enjoyed, sorry I cut it a little short, and sorry for the long wait!! I'll try to update soon but I need sleep for now. So good night everybody!