InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Seductive Embrace ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Shippo walked along the dirt road, following behind the demoness as she led the way. He regretted having agreed to do this, not that he didn't want to help or anything, but that he just wanted to find out when he could finally see Kagome. He sighed, the thought of how long it had been since he had seen her kind face leaving an indescribable pang in his chest. It had been what, almost five hundred years since had seen his beloved miko, and he missed her greatly.

 

It had been hard for all of them to comprehend what had happened between her and Inuyasha. Miroku, Sango, and even himself had been sure that things would work out between the two, but had been devastated when they had realized what must have happened.

 

~~~~~~~~~flashback~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Sango and Miroku sat by the campfire, Shippo perched comfortably on the houshi's shoulder and Kirara curled up in her mistress's lap. They had been discussing what their plans were for the future, deciding that with the destruction of Naraku and the healing of Miroku's hand, that they would return to Kaede's village and establish a home for themselves. Miroku had been slightly relieved that Sango hadn't taken Kohaku's death too hard, having realized a while back that even if he were to regain his memories, that he would have lived a very hard life full of regret and pain. They planned to visit Taijiya village once more to erect a marker for the boy, even though they had no body to bury. The only evidence they had of his death was the fact that Naraku and Kagome had all the shards in their possession before the final battle.

 

Miroku glanced over to his future bride. He had fallen in love with her along their journey, but had never proceeded with it due to his cursed hand, not wanting to settle in a relationship and then leave her if the curse took his life. She had already lost so many important people in her life, and he didn't want to cause her more grief by abandoning her.

 

The group had remained quiet for a while, the three lost in their own musings, although all had the same thought on their mind; their time traveling miko and their hanyou friend. They all knew that Kagome had family and responsibilities in her own time, but hoped that she would somehow keep her ability to travel to their time. She meant so much to all of them. A sister to Sango, a dear friend to Miroku, and a mother to Shippo.

 

When Inuyasha had come to retrieve Kagome, they all held the same idea as to what he wanted to talk about, and hoped that the hanyou would not be foolish enough to throw away her unwavering love. The group had witnessed the heartache that he had caused her, especially when it concerned Kikyou, but she remained steadfast in her love for him, remaining by his side through thick and thin.

 

Shippo was the first to break through the silence, getting anxious since it had been a few hours since the couple had left.

 

“Where's Kagome. I want her to take a bath with me tonight” he whined.

 

“Patient kit. You know that Kagome will return to us when she has finished talking with Inuyasha” Miroku replied.

 

Shippo pouted. “But what if he makes her mad again and she goes home?”

 

“Shippo, you know that Kagome wouldn't leave without telling us goodbye first” answered Sango, hoping that she was right.

 

“What do think is taking them so long?” Shippo asked innocently.

 

“Well, Shippo, when two adults have feelings for one another…” Miroku stopped mid sentence when he caught the glare that Sango was sending his way, promising death if he continued.

 

Shippo looked between the two, confusion evident on his childish face. “What he means by that, Shippo, is that Kagome and Inuyasha need some time alone” Sango explained.

 

Shippo nodded his head, not really understanding what she meant by that, but decided to not push the subject any longer.

 

Shortly before midnight, the four decided to call it night. Sango spread out on the sleeping bag that Kagome had given to her, Kirara and Shippo curling up beside her. Miroku leaned back against a nearby tree, but sleep was elusive for the houshi, a feeling of foreboding nudging at his mind.

 

 

 

 

The group woke with the dawn, gathering their supplies along with Kagome's yellow book bag. They headed towards Kaede's village, hoping to meet up with their two missing comrades. Shortly before noon they reached their destination, immediately approaching Kaede's hut. That was when the old miko informed them that she hadn't seen Inuyasha or Kagome, causing the small group to become concerned.

 

“Shippo, do you think that you could pick up on Kagome and Inuyasha's scent if we go looking for them?” asked Sango.

 

Shippo puffed up his chest with pride, glad that he could finally be of some help. “Sure can, but where do we start?” he asked.

 

“I think it would be best if we could start where we last saw them, which would be back at the campsite” stated Miroku.

 

The group thought about it for a moment, not liking the idea of having to travel that far. But the safety of their friends was more important, so after leaving any unnecessary supplies at Kaede's hut, they retraced their footsteps.

 

A few hours later, they reached their previous campsite. Miroku stopped, setting the kit on the ground. Shippo immediately sniffed the area, picking up on his foster mother's scent, intertwined with Inuyasha's. Shippo bounded off into the forest, excited at the prospect of finding his Kagome. After another few hours, the group entered a small clearing, instantly recognizing the Goshinboko.

 

“Are you sure this where their scents end Shippo?” Miroku asked, surveying the area.

 

“Yep” he replied enthusiastically, smelling the ground with more verger. “I smell Inuyasha, Kagome, and…” Shippo raised his head to look at his companions, fear evident in his eyes.

 

“What is it?” Sango asked, worried about his reaction.

 

“Clay and death” he replied solemnly.

 

“Kikyou” Sango and Miroku stated at the same time. That had always been the scent that Inuyasha had recognized as the once dead miko, and the prospect of her being here sent shivers of dread up their spines.

 

“Do you smell anything else?” Miroku asked of Shippo, but the kit was too distraught to answer.

 

Kirara growled, leaping from Sango's arms to the ground. “What's wrong, Kirara?” Sango asked, following the neko to the edge of the clearing. She stopped at one particular tree, sniffing the ground, her fur immediately puffing up as her growling intensified.

Shippo ran over to her, freezing in his steps as a faint metallic scent wafted to his nose. He looked up at Sango and Miroku, tears welling up in his eyes.

 

“Its…its…Kagome's blood” he sniffled out, leaping into Sango's arms. The group remained silent for a moment, all trying to digest their findings, when their attention was drawn to Kirara's soft `mew'. No sooner than she had vocalized her warning, she bounded off into the forest. Miroku and Sango exchanged glances before following their friend, Shippo still clinging to the Taijiya.

 

Kirara lead them straight to the bone eater's well, sliding to a stop. Miroku approached the aged structure, looking around for any clues. Sango nudged Shippo gently, urging him to look at her. He responded to her request, lifting his tear stained face.

 

“Shippo, we really need your help right now. Can you tell us what Kirara can't?” Sango asked gently.

 

Shippo nodded his head slightly, jumping to the ground. “I…I smell more of Kagome's blood, and Inuyasha. But her scent ends at the well” he replied.

 

Miroku considered all of the possibilities to their findings. Considering that Kikyou was most likely involved, Kagome was either attacked by one or both of the ill-fated couple.

 

“Do you smell anything that would suggest that Kikyou was here?” he asked, wanting to substantiate his theories more.

 

“No, I think that she stayed as the Goshinboko” Shippo answered with a sniffle.

 

“What are you thinking, houshi?” Sango asked.

 

Miroku sighed. He still didn't have a concrete idea of what had happened, but all the evidence so far pointed to the assumption that Kagome had indeed returned to her time. Unharmed, most likely not, considering the trail of blood. But he knew that his time traveling friend was very resilient, and that he could only hope for the best.

 

“We can only hope that she somehow made it back to her time.”

 

With that, the distressed group headed back to Kaede's, hoping that they would soon find out the fate of their friend.

 

~~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~

 

 

A few weeks later, Sango and Miroku had been approached by Sesshoumaru, wanting to leave his ward, Rin, with them while he took care of some business. That was when the Taiyoukai had informed them that Inuyasha had apparently been dragged to hell with his `walking corpse' as he so put it. They had been saddened by the fate of the hanyou, but also relieved, knowing that Kikyou wouldn't have done that if she had somehow stolen Kagome's soul.

 

 

 

Shippo was brought out of his reverie when the soft-spoken demoness's voice reached his ears. “Are you ok?” she asked, concern evident in her eyes.

 

“Yeah, just thinking” he replied.

 

She turned back around, seeming to accept his answer. “So, where were you and your friend heading?”

 

Shippo considered how forthcoming of information he should be with the girl, but deciding that she was harmless, he could at least answer some of her questions, being as vague as possible, of course.

 

“We were on our way to meet with an ally of ours.”

 

“Oh.” Nari remained silent for a moment, but quickly picked up the small talk again.

 

“So, who is this Kagome girl I overheard you and your friend talking about? Is she someone special to you?” she asked innocently.

 

Shippo stopped momentarily, suspicious on how she knew that, but remembered that Kouga hadn't been exactly quiet with their conversation. Nari noticed when he faltered, immediately scolding herself for being so nosy.

 

“I'm sorry. It's just that I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the wolf, and the way you two were talking about her made her sound like a very interesting person” she said, hoping that it would make up for her mistake.

 

Shippo shrugged his shoulders. “Don't worry about it. With Kouga's big mouth, I would bet that every youkai in the tavern overheard our conversation. But to answer your question, she is kinda like a mother to me.”

 

Nari's eyebrow's rose a bit at the revelation. From the impression that she had received from their discussion, the girl had sounded human.

 

“Is she a youkai?”

 

“Nope, human” he replied, instantly regretting revealing that much information. He was relieved when the demoness changed the subject, informing him that they would soon reach her home.

 

They approached the gate in silence, Shippo turning to Nari to bid her farewell.

 

“Wait. You must come in” Nari stated with fake worry in her voice.

 

“I'm sorry, but I really need to be on my way” Shippo replied, turning to leave.

 

“Please. If I don't come in with someone, my mother will assume that I came back alone and I will be severely punished” she begged, trying to put as much dread into her voice as possible.

 

Why did he have to be such a softy? He sighed as he turned back around. “I guess a few more minutes couldn't hurt.”

 

“Thank you!” she replied excitedly, skipping off towards the entrance of her home with the kitsune close on her heals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kagome strolled through the park from the day before, heading towards the forest that housed the temple she had discovered. She had awoken early that morning, offering to help Keiko with the restaurant, but much to her relief, Keiko turned her down, telling her that she should go out and do something. Keiko had immediately suggested that she call Shuichi, reminding her that she still had his shirt in her possession, but Kagome was still a bit embarrassed about the incident the night before and she really didn't want to lead him on. Sure, she was attracted to him, and he was a really nice guy, but she still wanted to remain single. She had realized shortly after her return that it would be unfair to get involved with anyone seriously and not let them truly know her in return.

 

As she neared the edge of the forest, she felt a prickling sensation at the back of her mind, signifying that a youkai was in the area. She stopped for a moment, focusing on the feeling, realizing that it was the same youkai from the day before. Kagome pondered on whether she should turn back, but quickly dismissed the idea. She wasn't going to let anything stand in her way of grasping her uncontrolled energy. She began walking again, but remained alert to the now familiar presence. As she entered the dense foliage, she promptly located a path. All she had found pertaining to the location was a very vague map, but considered it a challenge. If she could navigate the forests of Sengoku Jidai, then she could find a temple. Hell, for all she knew, she had probably romped through this exact same forest with her friends five hundred years ago.

 

Kagome continued on the path, noticing that the youkai's presence wasn't getting any further away, nor any closer. She chose to ignore that fact, knowing that it was probably following her. She instead focused her attention on the raw beauty surrounding her, although it was nothing compared to the wilderness of the past. She sighed as memories of her friends and their journeys flowed through her mind, tensing as her heart tightened with longing. She had tried to return through the well after she had recovered, wanting to see her friends, knowing that they would be very worried. But no matter how many times she tried, the well wouldn't allow her passage. Her attention, though, was drawn to the sky when a roll of thunder echoed around her. She smiled as the clouds thickened, threatening to release the rain that it was hiding, grateful for the distraction. Not five minutes later, the soft sound of rainfall filled her senses as fat drops of rain showered the forest. She smiled even more, lifting her face towards the heavens so the rain could wash over her face, cleansing her mind and soul.

 

 

 

 

Hiei sped through the forest, intent on reaching Kurama's apartment before the kitsune could disappear again. Although he could easily track him down, he knew that if Kurama wasn't at his apartment, he was most likely in the company of the rest of the Tantei, and preferred to not interact with their two human counterparts.

 

He was about to reach the edge of the forest when a lone figure caught his eye. He stopped in a tree, focusing his superb eyesight on the person. His curiosity instantly perked when he recognized her as the girl from the previous day. He watched as she approached the forest, stopping as though she was analyzing something, before continuing with her course. His mind swam with questions regarding the female. Not many humans ventured into this forest, with the exception of Yusuke and Kurabara. The trees were thick, and at times almost impassible. Any normal human would become lost in an instant, and here she was, walking into the brush without hesitation. Then there was the question that had been plaguing him since he had first encountered the girl. Why did she seem aware of his presence, yet unafraid? It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that she could sense him, but she showed absolutely no fear, which was peculiar.

 

Deciding that the girl would entertain him more than his friend, he abandoned his plans for the day. He waited until she had put a considerable amount of distance between them before leaping off of his perch. Watching the girl, he became even more perturbed about her behavior. She seemed right at home in the forest, unlike most of the humans he had encountered. Hiei decided to move closure, immediately catching the look of sadness that consumed her delicate features. He cursed his bad luck when the smell of rain and the sound of thunder assaulted his senses, knowing the girl would probably turn back. But much to his surprise, she continued unheeded, even as it started to rain.

 

Hiei was captivated when she lifted her face to the sky, seeming to welcome the raindrops as they washed over her, never once faltering in her footfalls. His fine hearing caught her sigh, wondering what the female could possibly be thinking. He thought about using the Jagan, but quickly discarded the idea, knowing that it would be foolish since she was most likely aware of his presence.

 

After a few more minutes of traveling, Hiei realized that she was heading right for Genkai's. He felt uneasy about that revelation, knowing that if she could sense him, then she would have no problems recognizing Yukina for what she was. Normally that wouldn't bother him, but he knew not what this girl was or what she was after. Hiei's resolve thickened even more, knowing that he would need to observe the girl's reaction to Yukina and prepare for a confrontation if she tried to harm his sister.

 

When they were not more than a quarter of a mile from the steps of Genkai's shrine, the girl stopped, pulling out a piece of paper and a small compass. As she checked her bearings, Hiei focused on the paper, recognizing it as a crude map. Concluding that this had been her intended destination, he decided to move even closer to the girl in the hopes of frightening her away.

 

Hiei flashed to a tree that was near to where she was standing, but not too close to where she could see him. He smirked when she jumped, dropping the compass. Ignoring her fallen object, she whirled around to face the general area that he occupied, immediately amused at the angry scowl that appeared on her face. He expected her to run away, but what she did to the contrary caught the Jaganashi completely off guard.

 

“Don't do that!” she growled out annoyingly. “Did you know that it's very rude to stalk people and then sneak up on them like that” she stated, placing her hands on her hips in a scolding fashion.

 

Hiei paid no attention to her last remark, thinking her very foolish to speak to him like that. Figuring that he had practically blown his cover, he flashed once more, appearing directly behind the girl. She spun around to face him, her blue eyes clashing with his scarlet. The two remained that way for a moment, both giving each other their best glare. Hiei was again surprised when she didn't back down, considering almost every demon he had come across trembled in fear when he glared at them in the same way he was regarding the girl.

 

Hiei watched as the girl rolled her eyes, turning to retrieve her compass. His ears twitched as he heard her mumbling to her self. “Damn youkai and their stubborn attitudes.”

 

Hiei's eyebrows rose a bit at the comment. Didn't this girl understand that if he wished it, that she could be dead in under a second. His thoughts left him, though, when she turned back around, crossing her arms over her chest. He observed her appearance more closely now, noticing how frail she looked. She didn't look like much, her soaked jeans and t-shirt clinging heavily to her body. Her hair was just as wet, contrasting greatly with her pale face as the rain continued to run down her body.

 

“Well?” she asked, an annoyed tone evident in her voice.

 

“Well what?” Hiei responded.

 

“Why in the hell are you following me?”

 

Hiei thought for a moment. Why was he following her in the first place? Remembering their proximity to Genkai's, he gave her his answer.

 

“You're trespassing” he stated as if it was the obvious.

 

“Trespassing? Do you own the entire forest or something?” she asked incredulously.

 

“No, but let me assure you that the temple you are seeking out does not take kindly to strangers. Now leave” he stated, turning his back to her.

 

If he hadn't turned around, Hiei would have caught the enraged look that took over features.

 

“Look here, buddy. I've been looking for a suitable temple to train in for a long time, and I'm not going to turn back now. If you're not the owner of this temple, then I have no business with you. If you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.” With that, Kagome turned on her heals, continuing on her previous course.

 

Hiei was pissed, to say the least. Before Kagome could so much as blink an eye, Hiei had jumped in front of her, his katana pressed firmly against her throat. Kagome's eyes widened for a moment, instantly becoming still, the only sounds being that of the rain as it splattered on Hiei's exposed blade.

 

Hiei watched as her initial shock turned into anger, again perplexed by her reaction. Deciding that he wanted his questions answered more than her blood spilled, he lowered his katana, placing it back at his side.

 

“Explain yourself women, and it had better be the truth” he demanded in a deadly tone, never taking his gaze off of her.

 

Hiei watched as her anger turned to confusion, but remained patient.

 

“Explain what?” she asked innocently. She certainly didn't want to explain herself to him.

 

Hiei mentally sighed. How he despised talking with humans. “Explain how it is that you can sense me.”

 

“Oh, that? Well, that's because I'm a shrine maiden” she replied, acting like he should have known that from the start.

 

Hiei contemplated her answer. “You're not any normal shrine maiden. Even if you are what you say, why is it that you don't fear me as you should? If I wanted to kill you, it's obvious that it would be done before you even realized what had happened” he stated, his eyes shining with a deadly gleam.

 

Kagome thought about that question for a moment, tapping her chin with her finger. “Well, I don't really know. I guess it's because I figured that if you were going to actually kill me, that you would have done it by now” she replied honestly, her once angry scowl turning into a heart warming smile.

 

Hiei remained still for a moment, knowing the girl had a point. The only reply she got was a `Hn' before he turned around once again. He still couldn't understand the casualness that she displayed around him, but decided to leave that for later. Figuring that the girl would be no threat to his sister and more forthcoming of information with Genkai, he leaped into the forest, letting the strange female continue with her journey.

 

Kagome blinked a few times in surprise at the speed in which the youkai used to depart. She sensed him moving away from her, heading in the direction that she had been currently going. She sighed, grateful that he had left her alone. Although she had not allowed him to see it, he had frightened her somewhat, the energy that he contained being very malevolent. But as she had learned from her past experiences, especially those concerning Sesshoumaru, it did no good show her fear, knowing that it did nothing but fuel them on. Looking up at the retreating rain clouds, she continued on to her intended destination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: I would like to once again thank all my reviewers for all the wonderful responses, especially Kin-chan. Your reviews rock…all the questions help the gears in my head start turning =). And to answer your question, the girl from the movie theater was trying to shove Kagome, but since she dodged, the girl started to fall, hence the ripped shirt. Hope that helps!