InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Cruel Hands Of Fate ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

It had been an hour since Koenma had contacted Kagome and he was still sitting shocked at his desk. When Kagome had answered his call, she had apparently been bathing and had picked up the communicator in her birthday suit. He had seen her blush furiously when she noticed his own blush, and realized her mistake. Of course, he hadn't really seen anything vital. The communicator had been held close enough to her that he only saw her face, shoulders and the barest line of cleavage. Then again, for one as untouched and inexperienced as he was, it had been enough to leave him with good thoughts.

 

However, it wasn't just the site of her smooth alabaster skin covered with drops of water, her raven hair clinging to the moisture on her face and shoulders that had forced him into a rather comatose state. It was the scars. Lines upon lines curled up and over her shoulders, around her neck and down across her collarbones. Some of the marks appeared to be more like welts, while others looked like claw marks, and in the places where they crossed over one another, it was obvious that some were older than others.

 

Had the demi-god been youkai, he was sure his eyes would have bled crimson long ago. Not only had Kagome been shattered by the one she loved the most, it was apparent that at some point in time she had been tortured as well; the scars on her body had obviously been caused by both whip and claw. The thought of such a pure and loving soul being rejected by someone unworthy of her affections in the first place was enough to anger him; however, seeing her soft skin marred in such a way was unforgivable.

 

Koenma knew that if Hiei ever had the opportunity to lay his own eyes upon the damage done to the beauty they were now tied to, well, let's just say that he would pity whoever it was that caused it. The Fire Apparition was well known as being fierce and ruthless, having turned to a life that caused his own claws to be bathed in blood at every turn just to survive. One such as Hiei was not to be taken lightly. Being the Forbidden Child would have been a curse to any other and they would have been subsequently destroyed whilst trying to tame the opposing elements within. Seeing as how the hybrid had not only survived but had become a most ferocious and deadly opponent by forcing his raging elements to coincide, at no small amount of pain to his person, he was a most formidable foe.

 

Oh yes, blood was sure to be shed if the ones who had committed such atrocities were ever found. Normally, the thought of how deadly Hiei really was would have sent the Prince into a trembling fit, knowing that his life could easily be ended, should he upset the diminutive demon enough; now though, he almost felt relief knowing they were on the same side…relief and a slight bit of what would be called bloodlust. The charming young Ruler of Reikai was nearly hoping to come across those bastards, whoever they were. He truly wanted to watch Hiei rend them to shreds.

 

His dark thoughts of revenge were upended however, when his father, King Enma, came strolling through the door. For a minute, Koenma nearly panicked. His father never made `casual' visits to his son and instead opted for stopping by when there was a serious problem or because something, somewhere had gotten out of hand. Absentmindedly, he glanced at the time piece on his wrist and sighed. He was supposed to meet Kagome in less than half an hour and his father seemed to be settling in.

 

Damnit.

 

He could only hope that Kagome would forgive him for being late. As it was, he was already devising a plan to help him reassure her he was sincerely sorry.

 

~*~

 

Kagome still sat on her bed waiting for Koenma. Although she hadn't know him for very long, Koenma seemed to her to be the type of being that was always punctual and even though it had only been five minutes since the appointed time had passed, Kagome began to feel the first edges of rejection and sorrow setting in.

 

A part of her had been expecting the harsh blow of rejection to come greet her once again but had thought that it would at least wait until they were face to face once more. Now, she began to think that he would simply stand her up and not think of her again until he felt the tug on his soul, telling him she needed him.

 

Just as the first vestiges of tears began to gather in her eyes, she felt a sort of rip in the air around her and looked up to find a blue haired girl on an oar floating in her bedroom. Had this happened in any one of the years preceding her first trip through the well, Kagome would have most likely fainted. However, this was years since that time and she had seen stranger things.

 

Inclining her head to show her curiosity, Kagome spoke “Who are you? I am sure I have never seen you before.”

 

The blue haired girl smiled brightly before getting off of her oar and sitting next to Kagome on her bed. “My name is Botan. I am the conveyor of the recently departed to the Reikai and I am also Lord Koenma's messenger. In fact, I am here on his behalf. He is being held up by his father, Lord Enma, at present time. He wanted me to let you know that he is sorry for making you wait but he will have things wrapped up within the hour.”

 

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the Ferry Girl. She seemed extremely pleasant, if painfully cheerful, and decided that she was a good choice for the job she held. When Kagome had been mortal, the idea of a skeleton in a cloak carrying a scythe being the one to take her beyond wasn't the most comforting. Seeing such an agreeable person as Botan made her heart a little lighter knowing that it would be she who would escort her precious family.

 

That wasn't the only reason for her improved mood however. Botan had also told her that Koenma was merely being tied up in a matter with his father and with that piece of information; the doubts that had surfaced began to recede. Although inside she felt like slapping herself for already putting the gentle prince in the same light as Inuyasha, she couldn't shake the fact that she was still broken. She had given her love and her heart freely; only to have them torn asunder and thrown back in her face time and again.

 

Remembering that she still had company, she turned to Botan and smiled “Would you like to join me downstairs for some tea? My family will be gone for the next two weeks and I haven't really had anyone around.”

 

Nodding her head excitedly, Botan answered “I would love to! Though, I can't stay much longer than that right now. There are always souls that need guidance to where they belong.”

 

“I understand,” Kagome started, standing from her sitting position and walking towards the door with Botan in tow “it must be hard to see people come and go like that.”

 

After their tea was consumed and they had spent a few minutes in idle chit-chat, Botan stood and turned to hug Kagome. “Seeing as how the boss hasn't told me the nature of your acquaintance with him, I can only hope I see you in the future. I have had a nice time Kagome.”

 

As the young woman watched her new-found friend create a portal, she smiled and nodded in agreement. “I have had a nice time as well. I am sure we will see each other again and you are free to pop in whenever you choose to. I am usually here and if I am not, well, let's just say that my family has seen its fair share of oddities.”

 

Once Botan had left, Kagome made her way back upstairs to freshen up some. No sooner had she completed the task at hand and there was a knock on the front door.

 

She honestly had no idea who to expect at this time of night and hoped against hope that it wasn't Houjo…or any of her other “friends” for that matter. They seemed to have a thing with simply dropping by as of late and she was in no mood to entertain them this night.

 

Seeing as how Fate seemed to enjoy her as much as a child did their favorite toy, Kagome was preparing for the worst and when she opened the door she was shocked at the gaze that met hers.

 

~*~

 

Inwardly, Koenma was cursing a blue streak. Why did his father have to have such rotten timing? Before the King of Reikai had a chance to delve into whatever reason he was there, Koenma excused himself and went to talk to Botan.

 

A mere five minutes later, he had sent Botan to Kagome's with his message and was now settled in across from his father. They both sat regarding one another for a moment before Enma spoke, “Koenma, since the records on Kagome are far from detailed or complete, can you enlighten me? All that is really known of her is that she is the most powerful miko since the days of Midoriko; she is the Guardian of the Shikon no Tama and is a time traveler. Other than that, the details are rather fuzzy.”

 

Koenma sighed. He knew this would be coming but had hoped it could wait until tomorrow. After all, he had waited an entire week already hadn't he? Nevertheless, he knew he had no choice but to answer. Heaving another sigh, the junior ruler began to recount all that Kagome had told him, starting with the history of her travels through time.

 

Enma took everything in, happy to finally know more about the Priestess of Legend. While he had known of her for centuries, since the defeat of the hanyou, he only had pieces of information. Now that the entire picture was coming together, he couldn't have been more pleased. That is until Koenma told him that the Shikon had disappeared upon completion and once again re-entering Kagome's body and changing her into the physical form of the jewel, instead of her remaining its guardian.

 

That last piece of knowledge sent the king into a near panic. “Kami! I don't know what to do about this now! While I am most pleased that she was able to defeat Naraku and complete the jewel, there was enough risk to her life when she was the guardian. Now that she is the living embodiment of the Shikon, her life is surely forfeit!”

 

Sensing the rising distress in his father, Koenma immediately raised his hands in a placating manner. “Father! Calm down! There is more to the story. Apparently, according to Kagome, the jewel grew tired of being used for evil intent which is why it fused with her. It also seemed to be more than aware of the danger she would be placed in and the condition that would be present in her body. Therefore, for some reason, the jewel has bound both Hiei and myself to Kagome as protectors for both her and the jewel.”

 

The King of Reikai had settled as soon as he heard his son talking once more and now sat silent, thinking. So much had happened in the short amount of time that Kagome had returned to her era and he was sure that the poor girl might have been overwhelmed to the point of a breakdown by now. He voiced his concerns to Koenma and was surprised when his son smiled at him before answering.

 

“There is no need to worry about it Father. Kagome is a very strong woman and the two of get along quite well. While I am not entirely certain what thoughts Hiei has toward the entire situation, I can assure you that I am fine with it. She is a special woman indeed and I am more than willing to be the rock she needs to come to terms with everything. In fact, I was supposed to be meeting her this evening…” He trailed of then, not sure really what his father thought of the idea of him getting close to Kagome in any way.

 

As if reading his son's thoughts, Enma smiled widely “Shouldn't you be going then? If you would have told me you were to meet her, I would have waited for this conversation. After hearing what all the girl has gone through, I am sure she is feeling quite rejected right now by your absence.”

 

Now it was Koenma's turn to smile. “I sent Botan to talk to her when you arrived. I am well aware of how deep her pain goes and I can promise you that I will do everything I can to keep her from reaching such despair again. Even though we are already bound to one another for eternity, I intend to pursue her on a more intimate level if she will have me. I have never met a woman like her before.”

 

Hearing his son talk so honestly about the young miko was refreshing to the king. He knew all too well that Koenma hadn't the time in the past, nor the interest really, to go out on “dates” and knew how difficult it would be for his son to find a woman at all, given the fact that he is indeed a god. Now, looking at Koenma, he realized that he was sincere in his affection for Kagome and knew that he would protect her with everything he was. It seemed the Fates favored Koenma in this situation, for he had been sure before that his son would live the length of his long life without ever knowing the love of a woman.

 

The sudden motion of the great king rising stirred Koenma from his thoughts and he stood as well. “Koenma,” King Enma started, “you are late for your date. I know that you will take care of her well and I have a feeling that she will do the same for you. Have a good time.”

 

With another exchange of smiles and Koenma receiving an affectionate pat on the back, Enma was gone leaving the prince to get ready to meet Kagome. He was aware that he had told her a portal to the Reikai would be opened for her entry, but after having to keep her waiting, he decided something more personal, and traditional in the ways of humans, was in order.

 

That thought in mind, Koenma made his way to his dwelling to change clothes and prepare for a night in the Ningenkai. Once he had donned his headband and traded in his Reikai garb for a black, button down shirt and khaki's, he opened a portal to a limousine company he owned and settled himself inside the car awaiting him.

 

In moments, he was standing at the front door of Kagome's home and couldn't have been more nervous. Even though he was centuries old he had never been on a date with a girl and certainly never planned to have to make her wait for him to show up, such as he had with Kagome. He could only hope she could forgive him.

 

Straightening his shoulders and taking a deep breath, he knocked holding a dozen roses in his hand. As her soft footsteps reached the door, his mind slowed down and when said door opened, it came to a grinding halt even as his heart rate increased.

 

Kagome stood in front of him wearing a simple black dress that clung to her in all the right places; her hair was left loose to hang in waves that framed her face. All in all, she was the most beautiful site he had ever seen. Noticing the surprised look that was painted on her face he broke from his stupor and smiled, holding out the flowers for her.

 

She looked at him, then at the flowers and back at him once more before tentatively reaching out to take them. Inside, her mind reeled and her legs suddenly felt like warm Jell-O. Sure she had thought him handsome in the Reikai, but now he was a sight to behold. The black of his shirt set off his warm honeyed eyes making them sparkle and she felt her breath hitch. Confusion, and pleasure, at seeing him standing at her front door like a normal guy taking her out reigned in her mind.

 

“Koenma? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to open a portal to Reikai for me?” Seeing his happy expression fall slightly, she continued “Not that I am not pleased to see you here, I assure you I am, I am most confused. I guess I never expected to see you standing on my door step like things between us were normal, is all.” She finished quietly, letting her gaze drop to the floor and her bare feet.

 

He couldn't help but smile at her antics and felt his heart warm upon hearing she was pleased to see him here. “Honestly Kagome, I wasn't sure it would be okay for me to come here. I truly am sorry for keeping you waiting and I wanted to prove to you that I was indeed serious about us getting together this evening.”

 

Hearing his heartfelt words, Kagome's head snapped up and she smiled brightly. Slipping on her shoes she stepped across the threshold of her home and locked the door. Turning to Koenma once more, she said “I am very happy you came Koenma.”

 

Smiling at her gently, he answered “I am happy I came here as well.” Holding out his arm for her to take, he said “Shall we?” No sooner had she placed her small hand around his arm and they were down the stairs and seated inside the limo, neither aware that a stewing Fire Apparition had been witness to it all.