InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Blue Anshan ❯ Everything Changes 14 - Home ( Chapter 53 )

The Blue Anshan

By Alesyira

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho are not mine. I made a few OCs to fill in my gaps.

Summary: Kagome comes home to her family.

Chapter Rating: T

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Arc 5 - Everything Changes 14 - Home

She rolled her shoulders as she looked up at the stairway leading to her home. Finally. It felt like she'd been away for much longer than the handful of days she'd really been gone. She took ten steps up before she recognized his presence deep in the trees to her right.

"I guess I'm not surprised to find you here," she muttered. "You might as well come out." She dropped her backpack at her side and sat on a step, brushing a smudge of dirt from her leg.

Hiei appeared a moment later, leaning half-hidden in the shadows against a tree trunk just off the stairs.

"So…" she hedged, checking up and down the stairs to ensure no one else was in sight before looking at him in curiosity. Even while standing in the shadows, his eyes seemed to pick up the ambient light and glowed a dim red as he watched her. She realized she was staring and glanced down at her fingertips. "The shrine is a pretty quiet place, all things considered. You're welcome to stay. Lots of trees to lurk in." She bit her lip and smiled, thinking of all the times she'd seen her supernatural friends hanging out high above, out of sight of the mortals that forgot to look up for dangers that could be looming.

"I won't be here long," he said, turning his face away from her to stare down the steps.

'Did he follow to make sure I made it home safely?' She twisted her fingers together and frowned in consternation. 'What is it with males thinking I'm defenseless? Surely this isn't another one that thinks I need saving from everything…' she took a calming breath. She wasn't going to start throwing out accusations of unnecessary behavior without tangible proof. He just happened to be lurking in the woods as she walked home, that was it. He could be curious if he wanted to be. It was not evidence that he thought she couldn't handle getting home alone.

It was evidence that he knew exactly where she lived, though, and she was certain that he hadn't followed her from the bus stop where Botan had dropped her off. Where had he gotten that information, and how much else did he know?

They sat in silence. Insects buzzed loudly in the trees nearby, and a breeze ruffled her hair into her face. She peeked at him again and noticed he'd replaced the bandanna over his forehead. He looked irritated sitting with her there on the stairs. She was reminded of the last time they'd been alone together, and of a question that she'd had that night.

"Are you some kind of vampire?" she blurted, her cheeks pink. She didn't mean to be so confrontational, but her curiosity had been sending her brain all over the place with speculation and assumptions.

He glanced at her from the corner of one eye.

"I- I mean... I can sense your elemental energy but... what was the deal with the blood?"

His eyebrow twitched upwards, betraying the smallest hint of surprise before he smoothed his expression to answer her. "Haven't you heard that demons eat humans?" He looked bored. "Blood is trivial. Minor consumption does not indicate vampirism."

She gasped. "Er..." she swallowed. "Eating humans? That's still a thing?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just because time has passed does not mean the base natures of living beings have changed."

"Oh, right." She turned her face away, feeling embarrassed. But why the blood? Even when she'd been traipsing around in the past, she couldn't recall anything trying to drink her blood. (Well, maybe that shikigami snake that stole blood to use for curses…) She peeked at him. "But," she whispered, feeling completely appalled that she was pressing him for more information, "why my blood?"

"Curiosity."

"About what, though? I've never known someone to..." she trailed off, looking away. "Wait-" she turned back to him, feeling a growing horror as she connected the dots with his nonchalant answer. "That day... you- you weren't thinking of eating me then, were you?"

He blinked at her in confusion.

"Well, why else would you do that?" she demanded, thinking about how close she may have been to an untimely end as someone's snack.

"Your blood burns."

Her mouth fell open in surprise. "It does?" She stared at her hands in confusion. She'd bled on her youkai friends more times than she could count, yet none of them had ever said such a thing. She glanced back up at him and noticed he'd shifted his position to lean ever so slightly in her direction.

Once he was sure he had her attention, his lips parted in a slight smile that exposed the tips of his teeth. "Burns to taste," he whispered. He enjoyed the sudden flush of red across her cheeks, then he vanished from her sight.

He had some things to take care of before he could pay her another visit. Her tracks in the Makai would need to be covered, concealed, and laced with misdirection. He'd probably need to hunt down that blasted kitsune to get his help ensuring that if anyone whispered rumors about the appearance of some 'miko of legend' that it was the right kind of rumors that kept her safe.

She stared after him in surprise, sensing his energy fading in the distance as he retreated after such a loaded statement. She pressed her face into her palms. It hadn't even been what he'd said but how he'd said it.

She sighed heavily. The men suddenly in her life…?

One week. ONE WEEK, and she'd gone from avoiding contact with everyone to a multiple-choice relationship. She rubbed her neck and stood, stretching briefly before she collected her bag.

Kagome trudged up the stairs, ready to be done with everything for the next week straight. Her backpack needed repairs and both it and her bow had been caked in filth. She had used or lost all of her arrows. She dreaded to discover the state of her quiver once whatever cleanup crew the Reikai had sent found and returned it. If they found it.

She treasured the breeze flowing over her bare arms and legs, though. She was alone in her own body again. No pesky plant, no keeping her distance, no hiding under ridiculous baggy clothes.

The towering Goshinboku came into sight, and she breathed a sigh of relief at the hints of green creeping back into its branches. She approached the weathered bark slowly, wondering if she'd still be able to hear the tree's ancient voice in her head. Her hand brushed the tree before she pressed her forehead against the rough surface and smiled sadly.

The silence hurt, but she was glad to trade away what did not belong to make things right once more.

"Kagome!" The first happy shouts of her family almost brought tears to her eyes. She whirled to see her brother running across the courtyard. She was so glad to be back. "You did it! The tree feels right again!" Her brother cheered, and then his expression changed as he looked her over. "You're…" he paused, looking at her appearance in confusion.

She opened her arms in welcome and he threw himself into her embrace. Many tears were shed. She did her best to hold on to her composure, but it didn't last. Her mother was quick to join them and latch on to the embracing siblings, and the three sniffled about reunions and the frightening unknowns of their family.

Dinner was a mostly quiet affair. Kagome nursed a steaming cup of tea, feeling a little numb. Everything had changed, yet nothing seemed very different. She had no idea how she'd escaped without being questioned in the Reikai Corporate Offices. What the heck was that place, anyways?

The doorbell rang, and Souta went to see who it was. "Hey Kagome? I think it's for you."

A grizzled old lady with an apprentice carrying a bulky medical bag stood at the front door. "Kagome Higurashi?"

She nodded.

"We're here on orders to see to your grandfather."

"Orders from whom?"

"Reikai. Someone at corporate must owe you a huge favor because we never get sent on house calls."

Of all the things she thought she'd have to deal with regarding the mysterious Reikai - being owed favors was not one of them. Kagome looked behind her to see if they'd been overheard. She turned back to the old lady in confusion and said quietly, "We were told it is terminal...?"

She huffed and put a hand on her hip. "Miss, unless he's dead, there is no human ailment we can't fix."

The apprentice added on in a small voice, "We can even fix some of the dead ones," and got an elbow for his input.

Her mouth fell open. "You're here to cure my grandfather?"

"We will do our best," the healer promised.

She showed the two down the hall to her grandfather's room. He slept and didn't rouse when she opened the door. The elder motioned for the assistant to set down the bag and opened it, rummaging around for something. "Miss, this is for you." She held out a dark wooden box. The apprentice twisted the clasps on the lid and opened it for Kagome to see the contents.

Within the box were hundreds of small sheets of paper, each inscribed with tiny symbols in precise black ink.

She carefully picked one up between her fingertips and turned it over to look at both sides. "What are these?" A peculiar numbing sensation crept up her fingers and she set it back inside the box.

"These are seals that have been written specifically for you. Each lasts for 24 hours, unless removed earlier."

'What the hell?'

The apprentice piped up, "Hisako-san helped develop them! This batch has has been in storage for nearly 200 years, now," and got an elbow for his effort.

"Okay," she hesitantly took the box with a small bow. "Is there a spot I should be….gluing them?" she lifted an eyebrow.

"They'll stick on their own. Recommended is the manipura chakra, over your solar plexus," she paused and indicated the general area on Kagome's torso, "as these seals are meant to help contain power, but they should be somewhat effective elsewhere."

The apprentice helpfully added on, "Except they do not stick to hair." Kagome was a little surprised to see the elder nod in agreement instead of the expected elbow treatment.

She stared between the two of them, at a complete loss. Why would they have been working on seals for her two centuries ago? She glanced down at the box. She needed time to think. "Thank you. Will you need anything?"

The elder pointed at her apprentice. "This one will fetch things that we need. He might be in and out for the next few days."

Kagome nodded, feeling hopeful and lightheaded. "Oh, okay. I'll leave some blankets stacked on the couch if either of you need to get some rest. I'll let my mother know what you're doing." Kagome gave them an apologetic smile as she backed out of the room. "She might try and impose further hospitality on you."

She looked down at her little box of mysteries as she walked back down the hallway to where her mother cleared dishes from the table. "Mama, there are healers here." Her mother looked up, curious. "They're going to try and help Grandpa."

They had been living each day in a haze of grief knowing he didn't have much time left. Her absence during such a tough time in their lives must have worn her mother's spirit down. The smile that curled her mother's lips was sad but hopeful. She folded a towel and nodded. "I'll have faith. Get some rest, dear. I'm sure you deserve some downtime."

"Downtime. Yes," she agreed, feeling a bit out of sorts.

'But for how long…' she wondered, glancing at the box in her hands as she walked up the stairs. The small silver device in her pocket seemed suddenly heavy with implications.

-o-

Author's Note: That's it for this one.  The next book already has 4 chapters posted on AO3 and FFN. As per the usual, keep an eye on my profile for updates on how it's going, or you can reach me via twitter: alesyira