InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Seductive Embrace ❯ Chapter 14 ( Chapter 14 )

A big thanks once again to Ryukotsusei for all of her help and to all of my faithful reviewers!

 

 

Nari sat in her room, staring absently into the mirror in front of her. She ran a brush through her curly locks, all thoughts on the kitsune not a few rooms away from her. She didn't know why, but their time together in the bath had done something to her. She had never experienced the feelings that she was having, and didn't know what they meant.

 

She had slept with several men and women over the years, some consensual, while others were by force. She had never once felt guilt like she was now. She assumed it had something to do with the way he had looked at her, his green eyes boring into her soul.

 

She returned the brush to its place before she rose to her feet. She didn't know what exactly she was wanting to due, but something inside was urging to see Shippo. She exited her room, coming out into the elegant hallway, nodding her head in greeting at the few servants that she passed along the way. Before long, she stopped in front of the door that held the object of her attention.

 

Without knocking she opened the door, slipping into the darkened room silently. She knew that he would be on the bed, Tarasu having ensured that the youkai would not be able to do nothing else. She felt worry for the kitsune slip into her mind, knowing all to well that if she remained in his mind for too much longer, there might be nothing left of the kitsune's mind.

 

She walked over to his bed, taking a seat on the edge next to him. Once again his body had given way to his exhaustion, and she gazed upon his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, not like when he was awake and one could see the misery lurking deep within his eyes. She had come to recognize this look, having been under Tarasu's wing for a long time.

 

His mind was slowly trying to resurface, but no matter how much his consciousness returned, he would not be able to regain control of his own body. That was one of Tarasu's strengths, allowing her to turn the most resilient of creatures into a mass of weakness.

 

She ran a petite hand across his cheek before she rose to leave. The thoughts that started to bombard her mind were frightening, and she knew that she had to put as much space between her and Shippo. If her mistress were to discover what Nari herself feared was developing, the kitsune would be disposed of promptly.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

Kagome moaned painfully in her sleep as her dreams of the feudal era quickly gave way to one of the jewel. She could see someone standing in front of it, and before too long realized that the person was Hiei. He seemed to be struggling, however, a look of worry and concentration etched across his face. She felt as her miko powers flared to life around her in response the now darkening Tama. She realized that the jewel wanted Hiei, and though he was struggling against it, the pull was unrelenting.

 

 

Hiei looked at the damned orb that was pulling him closer. He struggled fruitlessly against it, but the force was too much. He realized that the orb must be the Shikon no Tama, but the information was still no use for him, not having much knowledge that pertained to the jewel. But now he had anther problem as his surroundings began to pulse. The hair on his arms stood erect from the surge of energy that threatened to engulf him. Of course, Kagome was a miko and any threat to her would be seen to.

 

He jumped when he felt a hand rest upon his shoulder, but quickly realized that the hand belonged to Kagome. She smiled weakly at him, though pain was clearly etched across her face. She turned her attention towards the darkening orb, raising her hands towards the suspended object. Normally she would just purify the energy that was threatening to consume the Shikon, but she had no intentions of hurting Hiei. She had no idea how he had gotten there, but the matter would be seen to later.

 

Hiei relaxed as he felt the tug of the jewel lessen and watched as it returned to the pinkish hue that it had originally been. He looked over to Kagome as the remainder of his energy returned to him before passing out into the blackened void.

 

 

 

Kagome shot out of bed, confusion clouding her mind. She could not figure out if it had just been a dream, but the pain had surely been real enough. She looked around her darkened room, and the answer to her question lay right beside her. Worry began to creep into her mind as she began to question as to how he had entered her mind and his motives behind such a thing. She had not told him that she still possessed the jewel, so that shouldn't have been the reason for his actions.

 

She gazed upon him as he lay next to her on the floor, a small smile creeping onto her face due to his unguarded expression. Deciding that she would ask him in the morning, she used the blanket that was on her bed to cover him up as she quietly gazed upon his peaceful face.

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

Kouga stepped through the withering mass of energy, every hair on his body standing on end due to the contact. Within a second, his surroundings gave way to a darkened sky, the trees replaced by houses and other ningen structures. He looked around warily as he began to walk. He was told that Kagome would be in the general area, but beyond that it was up to him to find her. But that was no matter to him, since he had a great sense of smell. If she were indeed in the area, he would pick up on her scent. Even though it had been centuries since he had come in contact with her, he would never forget her captivating smell.

 

The hard part would be actually finding her after he picked up on her scent. Knowing her, she wouldn't sit idly by in one place for long. So lifting his nose to the air, he began his search, hoping that it wouldn't take too much of his limited time.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

Hiei slowly rose from his spot on the floor, looking around the small room that was slowly starting to lighten from the morning sun. At first he had no idea where he was and how he had gotten there, but in a moment the nights events came flashing back to him. He quickly turned his attention to the girl sleeping on the bed, noticing that the blanket that she should have been using was now draped over him.

 

He became confused at the girl's actions. Surely she must know what had happened last night, but she still hadn't tried to harm him for the intrusion of her mind and the pain that it had caused. He was still furious at the position that it had put him in. Never before had he been so powerless.

 

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice her waking until he glanced her way again, meeting wide blue eyes. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, but turned away when a pang of sorrow hit him full force. It was an emotion that he knew all too well due to his painful childhood, though he never let it be known.

 

He startled a bit when she sat up, crossing her legs underneath herself as she pondered him. She had been sleeping peacefully for once when a feeling of rage spread through her mind. It had been so intense that she had wakened immediately. When she had opened her eyes, her sight was greeted with Hiei as he sat next to her on the floor, engrossed in some thought. When he finally met her gaze, the anger gave way to caution, and it was then that she feared the worse, that the Jaganashi now hated her for what had happened.

 

“I'm sorry” she whispered, not having intended to sound so meek.

 

Hiei was dumbfounded by her apology. “What do you have to be sorry for?” he asked as he rose from the floor.

 

“For last night of course. The jewel can be fairly unpredictable at times. But I do have one question. What were you doing in my mind?” she asked as she began to fidget.

 

“It was not my doing, but the Jagan. For some reason it decided that it wanted a peek at your dreams and I was unable to restrain it.”

 

“So you weren't after the jewel then?”

 

“Of course not. If that damned thing was what I encountered last night, I want nothing to do with it.”

 

Kagome visibly relaxed, glad to know that it hadn't been intentional.

 

“I'm sorry then. If I had known that would happen, I would have strengthened my barriers. I assume that your Jagan sensed the jewel, and with my barriers having been weakened during my sleep, it must have taken advantage of the jewel's power.”

 

“Hn. Whatever it was that happened, it wasn't your fault.”

 

Kagome nodded her head in understanding, relieved that he didn't feel any anger towards her. She watched in silence as he made his way to the window. Right as he was going to exit, he paused for a moment She could feel the hesitation rolling off of him.

 

“It was the one with the amber eyes that gave you those scars, wasn't it.”

 

Kagome remained speechless, not understanding how he could know. Hiei noticed her confusion, and decided to explain in better detail.

 

“Before I encountered the jewel, I witnessed the dream you were having. In fact, it was as if I was the one being attacked.”

 

He heard her gasp, turning around to see what had upset her so. She remained on the bed, her hand covering her mouth as she fought back tears. He couldn't figure out what he had said that would upset her so. Waves of anguish washed over him as he watched her, not understanding where it was coming from. And then it hit him. He was experiencing the same feelings that Kagome was.

 

His eyes widened a bit at the revelation, wondering how it could have happened. It was possible for such a thing to occur, but only with the exchange of energy. Kagome noticed his confusion, causing her to calm for a moment as she looked at him curiously.

 

“Hiei, what is it?”

 

He decided that he would try and figure out exactly what had happened before he told her, but he still had a few questions of his own.

 

“Tell me, who was that person that attacked you and why” he asked as he kept his gaze locked on her.

 

She fidgeted a bit as her face saddened, the tears that she had been able to contain moments before threatening to spill forth once again. She took a deep breath, resigning herself that she wouldn't let herself become upset over events that could not be changed.

 

“That was Inuyasha, the one I released from the tree. You see, he was in love with my incarnation, Kikyou, and the only way for her to be brought back fully was to use my soul.”

 

“So the bastard tried to kill you. Pitiful” he replied in disgust.

 

“But a lot of it was my fault too. I put too much pressure on him, and he always had to protect me. If I had only been able to grow stronger then it wouldn't have been such a problem. Maybe he would have loved me in return” she replied sadly.

 

Hiei pondered her curiously. Although the hanyou had betrayed her in all ways possible, she still couldn't find it in herself to blame him completely.

 

“But enough of that. I'm going to get breakfast. Care to join me?” she asked as she rose out of her bed.

 

“Not really” he replied, once again turning towards the open window.

 

Kagome watched as he leapt outside, disappearing into the trees. As she looked about the room, she realized that she hadn't brought any clothes with her, and although she had done it many times before during her travels in the feudal era, she detested wearing clothes that weren't clean.

 

She headed out into the hallway, spreading out her senses so she could locate Yukina. Once she had found her, she headed in that direction. She tapped lightly on the ice apparition's door, entering when she heard the girl's soft voice giving her permission to do so.

 

“Good morning Kagome” Yukina greeted as she set the book that she had been reading aside.

 

“Good morning. I don't mean to be a bother, but I was wondering if you had something that I could wear.”

 

“No problem at all. But all I have at the moment are kimonos. You wouldn't mind wearing one, would you?”

 

Kagome's eyes lit up with excitement. It had been a long time since she had dressed in a kimono, a habit she had picked up on her travels.

 

“I don't mind at all” she replied.

 

She watched Yukina head to her closet, shuffling through the kimono's that she owned before she picked one out.

 

“I think this one would look wonderful on you. Do you need any help putting it on?” Yukina asked as she handed the hanger over to Kagome.

 

“I don't think so.”

 

Yukina nodded her head before leaving the room. Kagome inspected the garment, smiling in approval at the choice. Yukina had picked out a simple kimono, one that could be worn around with comfort. It was still beautiful, dark blue in color with white cranes stitched in here and there. She slipped out of her bedclothes, and once she was dressed, inspected herself critically in the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she left the room to find her breakfast.

 

After they had eaten, Kagome and Yukina set out into the forest in search of herbs. As they were leaving the temple grounds, Kagome stopped under a certain tree, gazing into the branches.

 

“Hiei, would you care to join us?” Kagome asked. Although she could not see him, she knew he was there and listening.

 

When she received no response, she shrugged her shoulders. Returning to Yukina's side, the girls headed out into the trees. Hiei watched as they departed, his eyes not once leaving Kagome. She hadn't seemed the type that would wear such clothing, but he realized how much it suited her.

 

Once they were out of site, he returned to his thoughts, pondering what could have happened to give him such a connection to the girl.

 

 

It was still pretty early into the day, so dew clung heavily to the foliage as the two made their way through the woods. Kagome prided herself in still being able to recognize the majority of the plants that Yukina was looking for.

 

As the day wore on and gave way to noon, the two took a rest in a clearing, eating the food that Yukina had packed. Kagome looked around her, enjoying the beautiful surroundings. It was then that something began to nudge at her mind. She recognized as an approaching youkai, but thought nothing of it, thinking it was Hiei. But as the youki came closer, she quickly realized that it wasn't Hiei.

 

“Yukina, I think we should go” she instructed as she placed her half-eaten food in their basket.

 

“Is something the matter?”

 

“There's something moving towards us really fast, and I think it's a youkai” she replied as she snatched up the basket.

 

But before she could take another step, her attention was drawn to the bushes as they rustled. It was then that Kagome wished that she had thought to bring along her bow and arrows, a habit that she lost once she had returned to her era. She dropped the basket, getting ready for the attack that she was sure to come.

 

“Yukina, stay behind me, ok?”

 

Before Yukina could protest, the bushes parted. Kagome barely had time to register what was attacking them when she was knocked back into Yukina, sending both of them crashing into a tree. The sound of wood cracking under the impact resonated throughout the clearing, as well as the pained groan of both girls.

 

Kagome quickly recovered although her body ached, knowing that she had to defend them. Although Yukina was a youkai herself, she didn't know if the girl would be able to attack in any way. She crawled in front of Yukina, who appeared to be unconscious from the blow. Kagome felt guilty for a moment, since it was her body that padded her from most of the blow, but quickly shook the feeling off as she wracked her brain for any ideas as to defeat the youkai that was now circling them.

 

She assessed her opponent, who seemed to be a panther youkai in his animal form. The saliva dripped off of his exposed fangs as a feral growl vibrated in its throat. The only thing Kagome knew that she could do would be to purify it, but she had to get it away from Yukina. It wouldn't do if she accidentally purified her friend in the process.

 

Wincing as she rose to her feet, she made eye contact with the beast before bolting into the foliage, hoping that it would take her bait and not go after Yukina's prone form. As planned, the panther bounded after his prey, crashing through the brush close at her heals. Once she felt she was a safe distance away, she tore the jewel that she now wore around her neck, flinging it into the forest so it wouldn't interfere with her releasing of energy.

 

But she had just thrown the object when the panther pounced on her, knocking her to the ground. Kagome gasped for breath as the wind was knocked out of her, fighting to remain conscious. But she no longer had to worry about blacking out when her attacker sunk its teeth into her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain.

 

The youkai released its grasp, giving her enough time to flip over onto her back. She kicked out with all her strength, landing the kick to its stomach. But it only gave her enough time to inch back a bit before the youkai resumed its attack, digging its claws into her thigh as she was jerked back beneath him. He dug his other set of claws into her pelvis, effectively pinning her underneath his body.

 

The blood loss was becoming too much, and she knew that she had to act fast if she was going to survive this. She felt the first bubbling of power pulse through her, and urged it to come forth further. She watched as the youkai opened its mouth, this time aiming to clamp down on her throat. She focused her energy into her hands, and just as they started to glow, she thrust them into his exposed belly, causing a sizzling sound as her hands met flesh.

 

The youkai roared in pain, Kagome turning her head in disgust as his blood began to flow down her arms. Within a matter of seconds, the youkai collapsed on top of her, now dead from her assault.

 

Kagome lay pinned beneath the body for a few moments, dazed at the loss of blood and from her use of power. Gathering her strength, she rolled the heavy corpse off of her, slowly rising into a sitting position. After a few moments, she rose to wobbly feet as she inspected the now ruined kimono.

 

`Now I owe Yukina a new kimono' she thought to herself sullenly, crinkling her nose in distaste at the shear amount of blood that covered her. She stumbled forward a few steps before she collapsed completely, finally letting the darkness take over.

 

 

 

Hiei was sitting in his tree, when a pang of fear sent him bolting to his feet. He immediately knew who it was coming from, and bounded in the direction that he had watched his sister and Kagome walk towards. It worried him when the fear died out, leaving him with an empty feeling. With in a matter of minutes, the smell of blood and charred flesh invaded his nostrils. Following the scent, he jumped from a tree, landing on the ground with his sword ready.

 

He had expected whatever that had caused Kagome to become afraid to still be alive, and was quite astounded that the would be attacker was already dead. He wasn't prepared for the state that Kagome was in. She was covered in blood, some of it seeping out of a wound on her right shoulder. He quickly made his way over to her, relieved that she was still breathing. He gently picked her up before he set off to find his sister.

 

He soon found a dazed, but unharmed Yukina in a clearing not too far from where the struggle had ensued. She was leaning against a tree, and jumped when her brother entered the clearing. She immediately caught sight of Kagome, rushing towards her in concern.

 

“Is she okay?” she asked as she brushed her hand across the unconscious girl's forehead.

 

“She's still breathing, but I don't know how much blood she's lost” he replied, for he could smell her blood as well as the deceased youkai.

 

“We need to get her back to Genkai's as soon as possible. I'll start healing her on the way.”

 

The siblings began the trek back to the temple, Hiei wishing that he was able to carry both females so they could arrive faster.

 

“So what exactly happened?” he asked as they walked.

 

“We were eating our lunch when Kagome stood up and said we needed to go, but then that youkai attacked us. I don't remember much except for Kagome pushing me behind her. She protected me' she answered quietly, feeling guilty that she hadn't been of any help.

 

Hiei remained silent as he gazed down at Kagome's face. He was impressed that she had risked her life in order to protect his sister, and knew that she had led the youkai away from her. Even more she had been able to defeat the beast, even if she hadn't come out unscathed.

 

Within the hour, they finally arrived at the temple, Yukina setting about the task of healing Kagome. After time had passed, Hiei peaked in the room that had been set up for Kagome, relieved that she was now awake and talking with his sister. Seeing that she was all right, he headed back to his tree to spend the rest of the afternoon, his thoughts intrigued even more with Kagome.

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

Kurama roused slowly from his dreamless slumber as the morning sun began to filter through his window. He made his way out of bed, feeling mostly refreshed after the incident from the previous day. Youko seemed to feeling better as well, not waiting a moment to begin his pestering.

 

`So when are we going to find her?'

 

`In a while. Besides, we don't even know where she is.'

 

`Exactly. That's why we need to get an early start.'

 

`At least let me have some breakfast. We were up for most of the night.'

 

Their thoughts shifted to Kagome's diary and the content it held. They still couldn't believe that she had been able to hide something like that from them all along, considering their past, but then again, it wasn't every day that one ran across a time traveling miko.

 

`I can't wait for her to see me in my true form. If she really has a thing for inu, she will be sure to love us then' he replied, letting the anxiousness that he was feeling filter into Shuichi.

 

`I understand, but we should take it slow with her. We still do not know what happened in the end, and I don't want us to accidentally hurt in the process. If we were going by her reaction at the museum, she still holds a lot of pain from whatever it was that took place.'

 

Youko remained quiet at his counterpart's remark, knowing that he spoke the truth. He didn't want to see her hurt anymore than Shuichi.

 

`As I agreed, we will let you explain ourselves to her first. If all is well, then I will reveal myself to her fully.'

 

After they had finished their breakfast, they headed out into the city, stopping by Keiko's first to see if she had ever made it home. After being informed by Keiko that she had not returned yet, they wandered the city, hoping to catch her scent. As the afternoon began to give way to evening, the two began to ponder their last resort.

 

`Do you really think it wise to bring Hiei into this?'

`What option do we have? We don't have to go into a full explanation. Just tell him we need to find someone and that his help will be appreciated.'

 

`That is if he's even willing to help us in the first place. You know how stubborn he can be.'

 

`I'm sure we can persuade him if nothing else' he purred, letting Shuichi know that he wouldn't take no for an answer. `Just make sure we have some of our hardier plants available.'

 

Shuichi rolled his eyes. It was a wonder that Youko had remained on the Jaganashi's good side for as long as he had.

 

Kurama changed his direction, heading towards the one place that their friend would most likely be.