InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Stronger Than Yesterday ❯ Chp. 8 Admire the Girl ( Chapter 8 )

Chp, 8 Admire the Girl

 

 

It was 3:42 a.m. No one was up and stirring. No one except the household, hungry, hyper miko. Singing and dancing along to a song only she could hear, dressed in nothing but a blue tank and matching underwear.

 

 

“Guiche, Guiche, ya ya dada

Guiche, Guiche, ya ya here
Mocha Chocalataya ya
Créolelady Marmalade”

 

 

She sang as she got the necessary ingredients out for her breakfast. She had woken up in the middle of the night with a ferocious appetite and her spirit in lighter moods than it had been before.

 

 

“Voulez vous coucher avec moi, ce soir
Voulez vous coucher avec moi"

 

 

 

“Stop that infernal racket.” A voice suddenly spoke up into the darkness.

 

 

 

Startled, Kagome spun around and dropped all the food she had been carrying, just to come face to face a smirking Hiei.

 

 

 

“You know,” Kagome sighed as she bent down to pick up the food, “I may not be the best singer but you didn't have to call it `infernal racket'.”

 

 

 

“Would you have preferred the other description that came to mind?” he asked.

 

 

 

Standing up, she looked at him darkly before depositing the food onto the table. “Probably not.” She answered as she turned her back on him to rummage in the cabinets.

 

 

 

After a few minutes of staring at her, Hiei turned his head away with a slight blush. “Must you insist on walking around half dressed?”

 

 

 

She froze and mentally cursed her stupidity. Waking up in the middle of the night, with her sleep induced brain, and seeing no one roaming around, she had completely forgotten that she was alone in a house filled with male kidnappers.

 

 

 

“No, but I thought you liked to see me in my underwear, you perverted, chicken-legged, midget.” Placing her things on the table, she made sure not to look at him, which he was secretly grateful for. “Here make yourself useful.” She ordered as she slid a knife and assorted fruits to him.

 

 

“Not my fault you have such flimsy clothes.” He told her as he took up the knife, with a dark look at her for demanding him to do so, and sliced and diced her produce.

 

 

 

“Besides…” here she paused as she saw that he was done. “Not like you would know what to do with it anyway.” She told him off-handedly as she dumped her diced fruit into a bowl. Forgetting about the demon for a second she concentrated on her salad. Opening a can of yogurt she dumped it on top and proceeding mixing it in. finishing she grabbed the walnuts and crushed them in her hand before covering her salad completely with them. It wasn't until she had finished her salad, did the silence finally hit her.

 

 

Slowly looking up she found pair of would-be frightening eyes staring at her murderously, but she couldn't help but found it amusing, so she laughed aloud. She stopped this as soon as she felt the body against her back and the blade at her neck. She would never admit that a cold chill of fear slipped into her stomach for a moment, but only for a moment.

 

 

“I'd watch what I say, girl. I'm the most dangerous being you could ever encounter.” He growled in her ear, as he pressed the knife to her throat again.

 

 

 

“Is that so? Well if you'll remember. I'm an excellent fighter, my agility is pure perfection, I'm a master illusionist, and I haven't even scratched the surface at showing you what I'm capable of. Now the question is: who is the most dangerous? You or me? Besides…” she paused, taking the time to turn in his grip so that she was staring into his angry, glowing, yellow eyes. “I have two trump cards.”

 

 

“Like what?” he growled, idly noticing that he could easily bite her nose off.

 

 

 

“For one, I'm a woman and…I have ways, two, well…that should be obvious…I'm a miko.” As she said this, Hiei had to jump back her miko flared in a mini pink tornado around her, wisps of it whipping out at him every once in a while. “And like I said…you wouldn't know what to do with it.”

 

 

 

“Now, that's where you're wrong.” He said with a wicked smile, as his body erupted into black flames.

 

 

 

Kagome visibly prepared herself for an attack, as she shook off the jitters his smile had given her. That smile, on his face, was the utmost wicked, creepy, scary, and unnerving thing she had had to witness.

 

Seeing her prepare for a battle, his smile widened, she had fallen for it. Preparing for a physical attack she had become vulnerable to the mental attack

 

The attack didn't hurt, or forced her across the room, or down on her knees or anything. It was just so sudden and vivid she couldn't move and was forced to watch.

 

 

 

“Still think I don't know what to do?” his voice called out as the images began to stop.

 

 

 

She couldn't respond, she couldn't tell him off, and she couldn't help the blush that spread from her head to her toe. By the time her vision was cleared, Hiei was gone and she was left alone with her shortened breath.

 

 

 

“Oh that's just great.” She huffed as she tried to calm her racing heart. “All I need now is…”

 

 

 

“Is everything alright?” Kurama asked sleepily, as he came down the stairs, shirtless, and with mussed up hair.

 

 

 

To say the least, Kagome was anything but pleased. “You have sucky-ass timing Kurama.” She snapped at him angrily, “why'd you have to come down now of all times, AND LOOKING LIKE…that!”

 

 

 

“I'm sorry?” he offered confusedly.

 

 

 

“Yeah, you damn well better be!” she growled as she snatched her forgotten food from off the counter and stormed pass him and up the stairs.

 

 

 

Confused out of his mine, Kurama looked around the kitchen trying to find what had caused the miko such distress.

 

 

 

“YUSUKE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Kagome's hysterical yell sounded out from further up the stairs.

 

 

 

“WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT THIS TIME OF THE NIGHT?” The detective could be heard yelling back.

 

 

 

“WHY ARE YOU STANDING THERE HALF-NAKED?”

 

 

 

“IT'S HOT!”

 

 

 

“NOT THAT HOT! WHERE ARE YOUR BOXERS, YOU COULD HAVE ATLEAST WORN THOSE?”

 

 

 

“TOO HOT FOR BOXERS!”

 

 

 

“WELL THOSE ARE TOO LITTLE!”

 

 

 

“WHAT YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THEM OFF, JUST BECAUSE YOU SAID SO?”

 

 

 

“YES…NOT IN FRONT OF ME YOU PERV!”

 

 

 

“THEN GO TO YOUR ROOM DAMMNIT!” Yusuke yelled angrily, before slamming his door.

 

 

 

“ARRGGHH!” Kagome screamed as she could be heard storming off.

 

 

 

“What's with all the racket?” Kuwabara yelled angrily, although not as loudly as Kagome and Yusuke.

 

 

 

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOUR CLOTHES!” Kagome yelled chaotically.

 

 

 

“It's hot.”

 

 

 

“I can't take it anymore!” Kagome yelled as she ran to her room and slammed the door.

 

 

 

“What the hell is going on?” Kuwabara called out before shutting his door.

 

 

 

Even though the house was now quiet, Kurama could still hear ringing in his ears. That…and Hiei's laughter.

 

 

 

~_____~

 

 

 

The night's exploits took a sudden turn for the worse for Kagome. After she half-heartedly ate her salad, she had calmed down enough to fall asleep, but not enough to stop the dreams.

 

 

Although Hiei's visions were not part of her dreams, they were the cause, and it wasn't the sex that caused them, but the physical contact and the thought of love…her love loss.

 

 

It started with Hojo. She had liked Hojo at first; she would have gladly gone out with him, started dating, fallen in love, gotten married and lived happily ever after. Hojo would have provided that and maybe more.

 

 

But then the well and her responsibilities there had happened and that door had closed for her. Hojo was out of the question, but his door remained unlock, she could have gone and opened it anytime, but then there was Inuyasha.

 

 

Inuyasha, her beloved hanyou, she was halfway in and half out. Just within range to see and hope but never touch, never to have, and just when she thought she could fully enter, there was Kikyo, there to fully turn his treacherous heart from her, and laughing scornfully, they slammed the door in her face, hurting her…and just to torment her…his door was a screen door, so she could see and never have.

 

 

Kouga. His door was half way open with him on the other side calling her to come…inviting her to be loved…to experience the love she wanted, but Inuyasha and his damned screen door had her caught in its crevices. She could have easily taken off the hold that the hanyou had on her and joined the wolf prince, but stupid her she waited, held on, and hoped until it was too late and someone else entered Kouga's door, and shut it silently.

 

 

Hell, there was even Miroku. If she had been interested, she could have had the monk, she knew him longer than Sango, but there was Inuyasha, and when Sango did enter the picture, Kagome shut the door to him herself.

 

 

All the guys who had been interested in her, who she had been interested in…all closed to her, and she was alone. She didn't even bother looking down at the doors that housed the spirit detectives. Girlfriend, love interest, schizoid/secret sex offender, and psychotic maniac.

 

 

She didn't cry, no…she bawled. It was a secret she had been trying to hide from herself for a long time, but that bastard, had to bring it all to the surface, and the bad thing was…he didn't even know.

 

 

She let the tears flow until there were none left. She sat on the edge a few more minutes before deciding it was time to get up and put all that behind her. Taking a quick shower she felt as if she had washed away all the sadness. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled and straightened her shoulders. When the right one came, she would know, until then, she would enjoy herself. It helped, but there was still that ache.

 

 

Her outfit, she noticed sardonically, was irony coming to kick her in the butt. It was a plain black tee-shirt with a red heart on the front with a sword resting atop it with a drop of blood hanging from the tip. On the back, it read: Hot, but Deadly. Her pants were just a plain pair of Denim jeans. (This outfit was brought to you by: Youko Kuramas Fox. Next Entries are given a clue. The clue is: ice, and don't forget you can give suggestions about hair too.)

 

 

Taking a deep breathe, she dipped into her stash of euphoria, and bounded out the door and down the stairs with a happy grin.

 

 

 

“Good morning, guys.” Kagome announced cheerfully as she arrived in the kitchen and found all four boys sitting down to breakfast. Well, Hiei was just sitting.

 

 

 

She got only a grunt and an `hn' from Yusuke and Hiei, while Kuwabara and Kurama had the courtesy to wish her one as well.

 

 

 

“Sleep well?” Hiei asked mockingly, as she swooped by.

 

 

 

Not bothering to answer him, she twirled back to where he sat and slapped him as hard as she could before leaping away like a ballerina. Grabbing an apple from the fridge, she plopped down next to Kuwabara. The other's ignored her as they continued to eat.

 

 

“Well it seems Hyperella is back.” Yusuke muttered to himself.

 

 

 

“You damn right she…” Kagome began to tell him, but she stopped mid-sentence with wide eyes as her face turned red. “Stop it, you asshole with legs!” she suddenly yelled, pointing at a stony-faced Hiei, accusingly.

 

 

 

“I have no idea what you're talking about girl.”

 

 

 

“Like hell you…” she paused again as her face turned even redder. “THAT! Stop it. Stop putting that in my head!”

 

 

 

This time Hiei smirked and sent the images again, making Kagome sputter in anger.

 

 

 

“Alright! Have it your way, Now prepare for war, BITCH!” the last part she yelled as a distraction, along with throwing her half eaten apple, at Hiei.

 

 

 

To show that he wasn't easily distracted, Hiei caught the apple, bit into it, and sent more images into Kagome's head, all in the same breath.

 

 

 

“First off. Eww! Second: TAKE THIS, YOU MIDGET FROM HELL!” Throwing her hand out in Hiei's direction, Kagome let loose a ball of her powers.

 

 

 

Seeing it coming, Hiei jumped off from the table he and Kurama occupied, obviously leaving Kurama to be purified, but then the energy ball changed course and followed. Realizing it, Hiei cursed and ran in another direction, the ball of energy getting closer every second.

 

 

 

“This has got to be the weirdest, or the funniest thing I've ever seen.” Kuwabara told them as they watched Kagome squeeze her eyes close and shake her head vigorously, while balling her fists angrily. Hiei, on the other hand, was running around the room from some unseen enemy.

 

 

 

“Okay…I give up. What the hell is going on?” Yusuke as he turned towards Kurama for answers.

 

 

 

“I'm not sure, but I believe Hiei is tormenting Kagome with something in her mind, and she is sending him illusions.” His explanation was cut short as Hiei tried to jump through the wall.

 

 

 

There was a moments silence as everything sunk in, then slowly Kuwabara and Yusuke began to laugh, Kagome came to her senses, and Kurama watched as Hiei lay in a daze.

 

 

 

“That's what you get.” Kagome told him with a satisfied smile as she came to hover over him, her face as red as a tomato.

 

 

 

Growling, Hiei hopped to his feet and stared hatefully into Kagome's eyes. Clearly embarrassed by what had just occurred.

 

 

 

“Mess with me, and I make you run into windows that aren't really…” she faltered in her sentence as an unpleasant thought crossed her mind, and a second later, it became apparent that it wasn't of her doing. “Hey, you lost fair and square…don't go there.” She reprimanded him with a frown. But you know that damn Hiei, he didn't take well to authority.

 

 

She flinched. “Okay…I give. Just…stop!”

 

 

 

Visible pain flittered across her face; mental or physical, they didn't know. “I'm warning you, out of the bit of friendship I might feel for you, if you don't stop digging them up…I will hurt you.” She warned as tears pricked her eyes, and she balled her fist.

 

 

Her friends. He was in her mind and bringing their memories to the front, making the ache in her heart bigger. Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Inuyasha. He kept bringing the hanyou to mind, happy times, followed by scenes of his betrayal. It tore at her and filled her with anger. He had no right.

 

 

 

“I said STOP!” she yelled angrily as her arm glowed pink with power and she brought it up to slap the cruel, demon hybrid.

 

 

 

“He's not worth it…” his voice cut through her anger like knife through butter. Damn him and his charming voice. Blinking back tears, Kagome looked to Kurama, who held her hand a mere inches from its prior target, and felt her anger melt. He was right; she wouldn't turn into a killer for him

 

 

Breathing heavily, Kagome motioned for Kurama to release her arm, which he did after a moment's hesitation. Replacing her arm at her side, she looked to Kurama, who she noticed had been burned by her miko for holding her hand, to Yusuke and Kuwabara, who had taken to standing incase they were needed, to Hiei, who was still staring hatefully at her. Returning the favor, she turned on her heel and headed for the stairs.

 

 

But before she could place a single foot on the first step, another image entered her mind. They were in the clearing, where she had fought Kikyo and Inuyasha. Yusuke had just rendered her unconscious, and they were gathering her up to take home. Then it showed Hiei, standing over a hardly noticeable Inuyasha, with his katana in hand, and the last image was of it coming down onto the hanyou and ending his life.

 

 

 

“YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!” she yelled enraged, as her anger took hold. With her miko flaring wildly, her hair turning pink, and her eyes glowing angrily, Kagome stepped back and formed a bow and arrow of pure miko and fired it straight at Hiei, who for all he was worth, didn't budge and smirked smugly. He `knew' it was another illusion, and he would show her, that he couldn't be fooled.

 

 

“Hiei!” Kurama yelled at the last second as his grabbed the stubborn demon by the arm and dived out of the way as the arrow struck the wall with a blare of miko that singed their very being.

 

 

 

“LET ME GO! GET OFF!” they could hear Kagome yell as the power of the arrow finally subsided and they could get off the floor.

 

 

 

“Get off me, fox.” Hiei growled as he pushed Kurama, who in order to save him covered his body with his own, off of him. Standing up, Hiei saw that only a blackened and charred area remained of where he had only been standing a few minutes ago. Looking to where the yelling and screams, and occasional grunts of pain, were coming from; Hiei found his eyes fixed on a spitting hell cat.

 

 

 

“YOU HAD NO RIGHT! LET ME GO, YUSUKE, SO I CAN GET HIM! YOU HAD NO RIGHT! I'M GOING TO GET YOU! LET ME GO!” In her rage, Kagome couldn't keep her yells directed at him as she also fought against the hold Yusuke had on her.

 

 

 

“Not until you calm down.” Yusuke grunted in reply. When she attacked, he had tackled her to the ground. Now he held her in the air, her arms pinned to her side and her feet flailing wildly.

 

 

 

“I AM CALM! NOW LET ME GO! HE'S GOING TO PAY! I'LL MAKE HIM PAY!”

 

 

 

“Is this the voice of a calm person? No. Now come one, let's go to your room.” Yusuke told her in a somewhat soothing voice as he carried her up the stairs.

 

 

 

“Way to go, shrimp.” Kuwabara mumbled as he went to help Yusuke.

 

 

 

“You just had to piss off a powerful miko before you die, didn't you?” Kurama said shakily as he ran a trembling hand through his hair, wincing as he moved his burned, bruised body. Heading for the steps, he started to go to his room, but with a yell from an enraged Kagome and a flare of miko blazed down the steps, he thought better and headed for the living room.

 

 

 

Hiei was left alone, his breathing coming in shallow breaths, as his body shook with something he hadn't felt in decades. Fear.

 

 

 

~____~

 

 

“I hope you're happy.” Yusuke told the quieted fire demon, as they all sat in the living room. A still enraged Kagome locked in her room upstairs like an animal. It had been over and hour and half since she went ballistic, but they knew she was still angry for 3 reasons.

 

1.) They could hear her yell ever once in a while.

 

 

2.) Miko energy would flare down from the ceiling, making them all flinch as it barely reached their heads.

 

 

3.) Loud thumping noises could be heard, followed by ceiling plaster falling into their laps.

 

 

“Does anybody else feel like there's a monster up stairs waiting to eat the first person it sees?” Kuwabara asked seriously as he gazed up at the ceiling.

 

 

 

“Shut up, nitwit.” Hiei muttered moodily. He's had a near death experience. I'd be moody too.

 

 

 

 

“Nitwit. I'm a nitwit? If I'm a nitwit, then you must be retarded, because even I knew not to make Kagome, that mad.”

 

 

 

Instead of replying, Hiei growled angrily and turned his back on everyone, missing Kuwabara and Yusuke, high-fiving each other and laughing.

 

 

There laughter was cut short as Kagome's yell of fury reached their ears once more. Only this time, there was something different. This time her yell got louder every second until she appeared in sight.

 

 

 

“Don't anybody move.” Yusuke whispered as Kagome's angry figure landed outside, “She just might miss us.”

 

 

 

“I think she's about to leave.” Kuwabara told them quietly, never taking his eyes off the angry miko.

 

 

 

“Don't be st…” Yusuke began only to be silenced as Kagome pulled forth a portal and disappeared into it.

 

 

 

“Told you.”

 

 

 

“But…but how? What about the collar?”

 

 

 

 

“Collar?” Kuwabara questioned confusedly, “she's been had that collar off.”

 

 

 

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

 

 

 

“She isn't wearing. She hasn't been wearing it for 3 days.”

 

 

 

 

“Why didn't you tell us, idiot?”

 

 

 

 

“She's been standing in front of you, talking to you, and you were stuck in that temple with her…I thought you guys knew!”

 

 

 

“Oh…I'm hungry. What about you guys?”

 

 

 

~____~

 

 

When she had left, she had been filled with anger, full of pent up rage, full of adrenaline to kick some serious booty, but now, now she was spent. She was ready to find the relic, get back and soak in a tub. After, and she promised herself this, she kneed Hiei in the groin. That was a promise she was going to keep.

 

 

She had found herself on a snowcapped mountain, in the middle of a snow storm. It had started out as a little snow fall. Nice and pretty, maybe a little bit enjoyable, but it got harder, colder, and meaner. What happened to her nice, little snow fall? She liked the nice, little snow fall? This was a monster, this was the Damien omen of weather, this was evil, and it was out for her tender flesh. She wasn't being hysterical from the cold. No. The snow, from hell, was evil and going after her flesh. She had proof. She knew that that's what it wanted. It wanted her flesh, and had stolen some. She knew it because she couldn't feel it anymore. Where else had her flesh gone? The damn snow ate it.

 

 

“This is great!” she yelled, only to have her breath taken away by the cold wind. That was even better. Not only was the snow taking her body parts, but now it was taking her words too. The asshole!

 

 

“Not my feet!” She yelled as she found it harder and harder to pull her legs from the snow. Each stepped felt like she was trying to pull free from hardening cement.

After one vicious pull she felt the snow shift under her. She knew what was coming, and it was Hiei's fault.

 

 

 

“Hiei, you hooker!” she yelled angrily before the snow under her feet caved in, only to be replaced by the avalanche she caused by yelling that last profanity.

 

 

 

~____~

 

 

The moment she woke up, she knew something was wrong. What she was laying on was too warm and comfy to be snow, her legs moved too fluidity to be still be pants, and she wasn't the only one breathing.

 

 

Keeping her own breath slow and steady, she cracked open one eye and glanced around. She was in an immense bedroom with extravagant paintings, drapes, walls, and, well, everything. Nothing dangerous so far, but now to check on that other breathing. Closing her eye, she rolled over, with her arms outstretched and met empty bed. At least, whoever it was wasn't a perv.

 

 

With half her head buried, in her opinion, the fluffiest, comfiest, softest pillow in the word she cracked open an eye and laid eyes on the intruder. He wasn't in the bed, but he sat asleep in a high back chair right next to it.

 

 

From what she could see of his face, he looked young, maybe around 16-17, but if his demon aura was anything to go on, he radiated age. He had russet colored skin with a healthy glow. He looked thin, but on closer inspection, she would say he was lean and fit. His hair, which was the color of ice, was cut into a crew cut with long bangs, and lying across his shoulder was a long, skinny ponytail.

 

 

Moving as silently as she could she slipped out the other end of the bed and onto the floor, where she found her shoes. Sitting on the floor, she quickly put them on, and, spotting her pants at the foot of the bed, swiped them up and on quicker than she gave herself credit for.

 

 

She stood up, and never taking her eyes off the stranger, she began backing up in the general direction of where she had seen the door. She felt something hard at her back. Reaching behind her she gripped the doorknob and turned it. With a squeak that seemed to radiate off the walls she pulled it open with a flinch and made sure that it had woken the demon yet. He still slept.

 

She was in the clear. Smiling victoriously, she quickly and silently exited the room and closed the door behind her.

 

 

`Now,' she thought, `time to find an exit.'

 

 

~____~

 

 

3 hours. She had been wandering around the castle for e hours without running into any exit doors or windows. On first realizing it was futile to walk around looking for way out, she had swallowed her pride and headed back to the bedroom to confront the stranger…but look would have it that she get lost. So here she was, 3 hours later, no longer looking for a way out, no longer looking for the stranger's bedroom, now she was sightseeing.

 

 

“I wonder who she is.” Kagome asked the little fairy that had been touring with her for the past half hour. She had stopped at a familiar face hanging on the wall. The lady on the picture wasn't familiar as in she knew her, but familiar referring to she had seen other portraits of her.

 

 

The lady in the picture had long blue hair that fell down to her calves. Her skin was or the same shade as her stranger in the bedroom. Her eyes were such a clear blue that they looked white. Her lips, which were turned up in a small smile, were cerulean, and if she was to take an educated guess, Kagome assumed they were naturally so. She wore a white and blue dress made of fur and feathers.

 

 

The scenery around her was of a snowy forest, and behind her, blending in with the snow, laid a giant, white wolf, or dog, or fox. It was something of the canine persuasion.

 

 

 

“Whoever she is, she's pretty.” The fairy commented, as it too looked at the ice-demoness.

 

 

 

 

“Thank you, she is my mother.” A deep voice replied from somewhere down the hall.

 

 

 

Startled, Kagome looked to where the voice came from only to find the stranger looking at her with the most dazzling amethyst eyes she had ever seen.

 

 

 

“Sorry if I startled you.” The stranger said sincerely.

 

 

 

 

“Don't worry, you didn't.” Kagome lied, preparing herself for a fight as the stranger waltzed down the hall towards her.

 

 

 

 

“Do you normally talk to yourself?” the stranger asked as he looked pointedly at the fairy.

 

 

 

 

“What do you mean? She's been talking back.” Kagome directed at him with an annoyed look.

 

 

 

 

“That's even worse. She's not real.” The stranger said with an uneasy look as he smiled nervously.

 

 

 

 

“What are you on, of course she's real.” Kagome bit back angrily.

 

 

 

“She has no scent.”

 

 

 

 

“Oooh. Busted.” The fairy said as it disappeared.

 

 

 

 

“Knew I forgot something.” Kagome muttered as she banished the illusion. “I got bored.” She told the stranger with a smile.

 

 

 

 

The stranger smiled back with a brilliant smile and a light in his eyes.

 

 

 

 

“Are you okay?” Kagome asked concernedly.

 

 

 

“I'm Lui.” He said happily as he grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously.

 

 

 

“Kagome.” She replied as best she could. She was starting to get creeped out.

 

 

 

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

 

 

 

“Really…that's great…could you let go of my hand?” Kagome asked nervously as she wished she was somewhere else. This had the word stalker/slasher movie written all over it.

 

 

 

“Oh, of course, Ms. Kagome.” He said embarrassingly. “It's just I'm so excited to meet you…I thought I was going crazy when you fell through my roof calling someone a hooker…which is very unladylike…but that's okay because you…are…my hero!”

 

 

 

Kagome, who was blushing by now, didn't know what to say. So she asked a question: “Do I know you?”

 

 

 

 

“Huh? No, you know, or will know, or knew my father.” He answered as he calmed down a bit.

 

 

 

 

“And your father is…” Kagome asked innocently, not respecting the results she got.

 

 

 

 

Balling his hands into fists and tensing his body hard, fire shot from Lui's eyes and he hissed in a very evil, demonic sounding voice: “Dead to me.”

 

 

 

 

“Okay…” Kagome muttered slowly with wide eyes as she began to back up. “I…I'm going to leave now…because I don't feel like dieing today.”

 

 

 

 

“Oh, no wait…” Lui cried out desperately as he jumped up and back to normal. “I have father issues…I'm sorry.”

 

 

 

 

“Obviously.” She told him as she continued to back up.

 

 

 

 

“You must be hungry. Why don't you join me for dinner?” he offered, extended his arm out for her to take.

 

 

 

 

“I don't know…you have problems.”

 

 

 

 

“You were knowingly talking to an illusion…that you created.” He accused.

 

 

 

 

“Ah, well when you put it that way. The crazy must go in company.” She said with a quip as she looped her arm in his. “So what are we having?”

 

 

 

~____~

 

 

“Do you stay here by yourself?” Kagome interrupted curiously. After eating, he took her on an official tour of the castle; they had been in the middle of a tale about his uncle Cyrus when she asked her question.

 

 

 

“In a sense yes,” he answered as he turned around to face her. “I live here by myself, but there's a maid and butler around somewhere. I haven't seen them for 8 years but I know there her because I'm messy. I'll leave dirty dishes, clothes, and trash everywhere, and come by the next day and find it cleaned up. I didn't do it, so I know there must be someone else here.”

 

 

 

“Don't you find it a little creepy?” Kagome asked with a false shudder.

 

 

 

“Not really.” He said with a nonchalant shrug as he headed down the hall, certain of himself that Kagome would follow. Which she did. Up to a few steps then stopped again.

 

 

 

So far, when ever they came to a new person in a portrait or to a doorway, Lui would stop and explain to her who or what it was. But he had just passed up a door without a second glance. Normally she would respect a person's privacy, especially when that person was a demon, but the door drew her attention. Not just it grandeur, but for a familiar aura that caressed her as she passed. The familiar aura of one of the relics.

 

 

The door was massive, as tall as the high ceiling of Lui's castle. It was a polished, dark mahogany with intricate carvings of a mighty tree. Along the edge of the door the carving continued with random things: foxes, swords, ravens, an angel, bow and arrows, etc. she didn't have time to fully observe all the carvings, for Lui had suddenly realized that she wasn't on his heel and had turned around and abruptly tried to distract.

 

 

“What's in there?” she asked despite his efforts to drag her off.

 

 

 

Sighing, Lui hung his head in shame as his face took on a serious façade. “That's…that's my old room.” He said emotionally, “the help refuses to clean it anymore and…and it's hazardous…there's mold…mountains of clothes…old food…a new form of plant life…rodents…you can't…you can't see the floor…something's giving off fog…and…and a monster under my bed that…that manifested from…from a piece of…piece of bread and it hates me…one…one time it…it tried to bring me under…and…and I…don't want to talk about…can…can we leave…before…before it smells me. I don't…I don't want to put you in any danger.” By now, Lui looked choked up, like he was about to cry.

 

 

“Okay…we can go.” Kagome said sympathetically as she let him lead her away. She waited until they rounded the corner and their footsteps fell from view before dropping the illusion. She had thrown up an illusion of herself, not forgetting to put a scent this time, and allowed him to take her off while she hid behind an illusion of invisibility in order to say back and retrieve the relic.

 

 

Bracing herself for an assault of nastiness, she put her shoulder to the massive door and shoved with all her strength. Fortunately that was enough to open it, but unfortunately she had braced herself for the wrong thing and stood in amazed horror at what she had found. A small museum. A museum of Kagome.