InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Cruel Hands Of Fate ❯ Chapter Eleven ( Chapter 11 )

~*~

 

Kagome had awoken the next morning alone and had briefly wondered if her tortured mind had conjured up Hiei's image in her desire to just feel safe from her nightmares for a night. However, when she had fully come into awareness and cleared the fog of sleep from her mind, she realized she could still feel residual traces of his youki in her room and tingling in her soul. She had gotten up from bed and started her day with a smile, feeling better than she had in far too long. Her soul felt settled and calm in her body for the first time in ages and the miko knew that she only had a god and a demon to thank for it.

 

Her family had long since returned from America where her grandfather was undergoing a kidney transplant. Now that he was home and well again, the two had shared quite a few laughs over the ordeal, seeing as how jii-chan had always been making up outlandish illnesses for her to explain her absences in school.

 

After things had settled down in the house and everyone was back on track and falling into their normal routines, Kagome had broached a rather new subject with her mother. For a couple of weeks now, the young miko had been feeling the need to get away. Not in a vacation or hiatus sense but rather as a permanent fixture. She wanted to find a place of her own and get a job. It was a well-known fact in the Higurashi household that Kagome was as far from `normal' as she could get but she was adamant to at least try and hold some semblance of a regular life.

 

Although she was more than sure that what she was would have an effect on a job, she at least wanted to try to have her own place. At 24 years old, it was high time that she moved away from home. There was no reason why her mother should still be supporting her. Of course, her mother had been concerned at first, wondering how Kagome could even make it to start off with. The miko had simply smiled gently at the family matriarch and reminded her of her savings account, in which the miko had deposited every amount she had ever received from the bits at birthdays to her graduation money. After nearly a decade of saving, she had more than enough cash saved up that she was certain she could live comfortably until she found work.

 

Mama had insisted they call the bank and check to be sure and only after being reassured by the teller of the sum in the account had she agreed to Kagome moving out on her own. Of course, she had also insisted that she be allowed to help her daughter furnish said abode and Kagome was helpless to refuse when her mother leveled her a look that clearly stated she was getting her way.

 

It had only been a week since the miko and her mother had come to agree on the young woman moving out and she had contacted Koenma just two days ago with a request for a little of his time. She wanted to assure that no rules or red tape would be crossed or tripped over should she move. It had become rather clear to her that she was being monitored at times by various officials in Reikai for her safety and thought it would simply be easier to clear a possible residence with the spirit realm ahead of time. The prince had told her he would contact her when he had enough free time to be able to talk and she had agreed with a smile.

 

The two had conversed quite a few times in the month that had passed since their date and although their talks were never long or in person, she had enjoyed them immensely. By just the action of making time to contact her and check in on her when he was busy enough with his normal workload only made her smile and feel content. There had even been more than a handful of occasions where Kagome had felt Hiei's aura in the area - though he hadn't shown his face - and the young priestess felt safe and looked after.

 

Now as she sat outside underneath the boughs of the Goshinboku meditating, she was cross. It was an unbearably hot and humid day and here she was, sitting outside in her miko's robes and sweating up a storm. Beads of salty liquid rolled down her neck to disappear under the collar of her haori and she groaned miserably before letting her eyes snap open.

 

“It's just pointless! It is far too uncomfortable and I am far too stressed out to meditate.” She huffed irritably and her aura lashed out in her aggravation as she lifted herself from the ground and stomped over to the practice range that had been set up for her archery.

 

After firing an entire quiver full of arrows, Kagome was still upset and she had started on a second quiver. With every shot fired, a little more power flowed through each arrowhead and soon she was exploding the targets. Truthfully, she wasn't sure why she was so irate. All she knew was that she was pissed off and there were targets to fire at. Finally, she had gone through four sets of arrows and her irritation had dwindled. Of course, she no longer had any targets to shoot at and her arm felt suspiciously like rubber but that didn't matter. She had let her anger flow and now she was much calmer.

 

With a sigh, she dropped to the ground, flopped to her back and shut her eyes. The hotter part of the day had finally waned and the cool evening breeze was whispering through the trees and gently caressing her skin. A mewl of contentment escaped her throat as her soft lips curved into a lazy smile. She still felt energized from being in sync with her newest `protectors' and she had just exerted an amount of physical energy that she hadn't since the Feudal Era. Now, her body was flowing with life and rejuvenation even as her powers worked to calm her muscles and replenish her strength.

 

Really, she thought she could simply sleep where she lay but the feeling of time and space being ripped open kept her awake and soon a gentle voice was in her ears.

 

“Hello again Kagome. I must say, it is a good thing you have a protection spell around your shrine. If you didn't I am sure there would be some crispy fried demons around here.” Botan giggled as she sat down on the soft grass next to the quiet miko. Said priestess cracked open one blue-grey orb, gave the Ferry Girl a tilted smile and closed her eyes again.

 

Another light giggle escaped the deity's throat before she settled and studied Kagome. The young woman was amazingly beautiful but not through just physical attraction. The beauty of her very soul seemed to ooze from her pours and glow on her pale skin. She was captivating just to look at even as she was now; dirty and sweaty with rumpled clothing and ruffled hair. There was just something about the young female that grabbed people's attention and forced them to take notice of her.

 

Koenma had most certainly taken notice.

 

Botan stifled a giggle at that thought. Once upon a time there had been the chance that such a notion would incite jealousy within the young deity however she had long gotten over the crush she had on the young ruler and now only wanted the best for him. She still was unsure of the relationship between Kagome and Koenma; in fact, she didn't even know how they had met. Especially considering how busy and anti-social -though neither by choice - Koenma was added to the fact that the people he usually visited were deceased.

 

Not that it really mattered. She was sure she would learn it all sooner or later. All she really hoped was that Kagome could - and would - return the feelings she had already seen swimming in her boss' eyes.

 

“So Botan, what brings you to my neck of the woods this time?” Kagome spoke softly, her eyes still closed and her body in the same position it had been in, startling the grim reaper from her thoughts.

 

“Oh!” She exclaimed, her pink eyes wide with embarrassment over her forgetfulness, “I'm here to bring you to Spirit World. Koenma has time to speak with you today and wants you there within the hour.”

 

The reaction from the miko was instantaneous and quite comical. She jumped up from her place on the ground in one hurried and surprisingly graceful movement, causing her hair to fly around her. Looking down at the still reclined Botan with wide, stormy eyes she ranted, “Seriously? Oh Kami I have to take a shower! There is no way in any level of hell I am going to Spirit World looking like this.”

 

Before the Ferry girl had a chance to respond, Kagome was already making the trek to her house in long, pointed strides. She turned her head over her shoulder and threw back a few words, “Feel free to come inside and wait. I'll put some tea on before I get cleaned up.”

 

Botan nodded in acquiescence and followed after the frantic woman, grinning like a cat at Kagome's antics. Once inside, she maneuvered her way to the kitchen and found a kettle already on the stove and mugs and tea placed on the counter. After the water had boiled and her cup of tea had steeped, she heard water click off from upstairs and soon Kagome entered the kitchen in a robe with a towel in her hands, drying her hair as she walked.

 

“I see you made yourself at home.” Kagome said with a grin as she brought her own cup of steaming tea to the table and sat down, placing the towel around her neck. Flipping her hair over her shoulders, she took a sip of her tea and studied Botan. She just knew the woman wanted to ask her something and she was trying to get herself prepared for it.

 

The young deity smiled at Kagome and nodded her head, watching as the miko settled down in front of her. As she took another sip from the mug in her hands, she realized that the female in front of her was watching her intently and she squirmed in her seat. Somehow, she knew Kagome knew that something was on her mind and suddenly felt like a lab rat under a microscope.

 

Kagome's observant eyes caught the nervous shifting of weight from the woman across from her and arched an eyebrow, “Out with it Botan. I know you want to ask me something.”

 

Pink eyes widened in panic at the sudden accusation, though she had almost been expecting it. She supposed the surprise came from the fact that Kagome just looked so sweet and she was so petite that Botan really hadn't expected her to sound so stern. “Well,” she started awkwardly, really wondering if she should have chosen to try and act more normal, “I was just kind of wondering…how you met Koenma?”

 

The miko watched her for a long moment, blue eyes giving nothing away as she sipped at her tea. Finally, she put the cup back onto the table and laced her fingers together across the tabletop.

 

“I fell into his office.” Came her simple reply and she forced back a smirk when Botan's eyes widened to comical proportions.

 

“You…what? You fell into his office?” She questioned and at Kagome's nod, her jaw dropped before she burst into giggles. “How did you fall into his office?”

 

Shadows crossed the young face of the miko and Botan sobered, straightening in her chair. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry.”

 

Shaking her head, Kagome leaned back into her chair and asked, “Have you heard of the Shikon no Tama?”

 

Botan thought for a moment. It sounded familiar for some reason and after a few seconds of tapping her index finger against her chin in thought, her eyes cleared and she looked at Kagome with knowledge flashing in her eyes. “Yes! I have! I remember reading about it in one of the Legendary Artifacts books that Spirit World keeps around. It was said to have been destroyed five hundred years ago.”

 

Kagome sighed. Damn. Already the information the woman had was wrong and she gathered up her nerve to explain things as best she could. While she was getting over Inuyasha - and she was getting over him slowly - she was still rather nervous about talking about him. He had hurt her more in that one day than he ever had and already at the mental mentioning of his name, she felt tears prick the backs of her eyes.

 

“No,” she whispered, “it wasn't destroyed. The day of my fifteenth birthday, my cat went missing and I was enlisted by my little brother to help find him before I left for school. I ended up in the well house here on the property. After I'd found the cat, I was getting ready to leave when I felt arms grab me and pull me backwards into the well. I ended up five centuries passed…I went through time into the Sengoku Jidai.

 

Shortly thereafter, I released an inu hanyou from a binding spell, learned that I was a miko and found out that I had been born with the jewel inside my body when Mistress Centipede ripped it from my side.”

 

Botan blinked. “Really? I was under the impression it had been burned with the body of the last priestess to hold it.”

 

The miko could only sigh as she untied the knot in the sash that held her robe together. Yes, she only had undergarments on underneath the robe but Botan was a female and it would just be easier to show her the proof of the scar. After the knot was free, Kagome shifted the left side of the robe open and ran her fingers over the starburst pattern in her skin.

 

“Here,” she said softly, her fingers absently tracing the smooth skin of the scar, “is where it was. It remained dormant in my body for nearly two decades. After it was removed, it was shattered. I spent years traveling with the hanyou I had awoken from his spelled slumber and a group of friends to recover the shards and rid the world of a great evil. The day all our hard work came to fruition, my life was changed.”

 

From the minute Botan was exposed to the scar on the miko's pale flesh, she was wound up in the story. It amazed her that this young woman had been through so much and was still sane. Her eyes snapped from the odd shaped scar to Kagome's face at her last sentence. She must have seen the unasked question in Botan's eyes for soon, she spoke again.

 

“The jewel returned to my body in a sense and I was taken away from the past. I ended up in Koenma's office. I don't know if the well works anymore. A part of the jewel had always been required to travel through time for me so I assume that since it has rejoined with my body, I could still return.” As the young miko talked, Botan watched the blue fade from her eyes, leaving nothing but grey in its place. Obviously, a lot more had happened than what she was being told. Something - or someone - had hurt her badly.

 

“I see.” Botan whispered, unable to say anything more in light of all she'd heard and - more importantly - didn't hear. As if her voice alone was a catalyst, the deity watched in fascination as Kagome's head snapped up to look at her, the shadows falling away from her face and the blue suffusing back into her eyes.

 

“I apologize. I didn't mean to get caught up in memories again, forgive me. I suppose I had better go and get some clothes on ne? Wouldn't do for me to head into Reikai in nothing but a robe.” With a grin and a wink, the miko was headed for the stairs again.

 

Twenty minutes later found Kagome walking back into the kitchen once more, only looking hardly the way Botan had seen her. In fact, she looked almost identical to the legendary Midoriko save for their eye color and the obvious difference of hakama.

 

Kagome's were green.

 

It was a rather startling thing to see her dressed in such a way. The armor made all the difference and Botan felt as if she herself had traveled back in time. Kagome smiled brightly at her and soon the two were on their way to Reikai.

 

~*~

 

Hiei was a lot of things and had always considered himself to possess a rather generous sense of patience; he was forced to deal with his comrades after all; today however seemed to be the day where his patience would be pressed to the point of breaking.

 

The day had started out well enough amazingly. He had awoken in the early hours of the morning staring down on the tiny miko who had occupied far too much of his brain processes as of late. For some reason, it had been surprising to him to notice how truly beautiful she was. Not that he was sight impaired or anything but more to the point of the fact he hadn't really cared what she looked like. His mind has easily taken in how pretty she was but he had refused to let himself acknowledge it because of the situation.

 

Waking up next her had quite the effect on him. It had also escaped his notice how tense she was when awake. When she was sleeping she looked peaceful, serene…happy. That was the biggest difference; when she was conscious she looked forlorn and melancholy despite her attempts at acting otherwise. Her eyes gave her away.

 

He had left after watching her sleep for a few moments and had been on his way to Genkai's to check up on Yukina when he received a silent message from Kurama, stating Koenma had called a meeting.

 

He despised meetings.

 

In fact, by the time the meeting was well under way he was mad beyond belief. A group of demons had shown up in the Prince's office and he and his companions had basically been ignored since then. He knew who the youkai were by name and reputation but their reason for being present was confusing. Nothing had been said as to why they were in the office or what business they had with Koenma. Of course, Kurama was being his usual kitsune self and was intrigued that such powerful demons had just convened on their meeting with their boss.

 

Soon everyone was shaken from their thoughts and conversations by a light tearing sound and soon a portal was opening right into the office. They all watched intently as Botan stepped through and another person followed. Everyone situated within the small room knew who she was by scent alone and they were more than surprised at her behavior upon arrival.

 

Kagome felt youkai auras in the room as soon as the portal had opened but she didn't really care. She was too happy to see Koenma to really be bothered by demons at the time and she didn't have to worry about being hurt or killed in the office of the Prince of Spirit World. So it only made sense that as soon as she saw the young ruler, she gave a happy shout of his name and jumped into his arms, hugging him for all he was worth. She knew Hiei and the other two detectives she'd met were present but at the moment, it felt good to be held by Koenma again.

 

The embrace soon ended with the demi-god blushing brightly. “Kagome! I have to say I wasn't expecting to get mauled.”

 

“Well it's been awhile since I've seen you.” She responded with a bright smile as he took his place behind his desk and she stood in front of it. Apparently the demons in the room, on in particular, didn't take too kindly to being ignored for Kagome soon felt a swelling of youki directly behind her. Her powers rose to the surface of her body in response.

 

“Miko.” It was a statement, nothing more, delivered in the same flat, cold tone as he'd always spoken in.

 

Kagome spun on her heel, her hands glowing a brilliant pink, and glared at the figure, “Youkai.”