InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Birth Marks ❯ the Lizard of Oz ( Chapter 34 )

Nor Inuyasha or The Wizard of Oz belongs to me. There, disclaimed.

 

Chapter 34: the Lizard of Oz!

 

Last time: “I knew Kagome when we were really little. Yusuke, Kagome and I have a bit of a history together, so we'll wait for her with you. No telling how long it'll be until she shows up again…” Inuyasha snorted at Kuwabara's outstretched hand and jumped back into the tree, intent on waiting it out there. “Friendly, huh?”

This time: soon after the two demons left, Yusuke stretched and went into the house. After waiting for a few more minutes, Kuwabara stretched out on the bench and closed his eyes, whistling a tune he had heard on the radio the previous night. "Man, I shoulda packed some books if I woulda known that I'd be stuck waiting around here all day!" Kuwabara mumbled before sitting up and following Yusuke into the house to grab something to eat and to play on Souta's game cube in the living room.

Inuyasha scoffed at the 'soft human' and got comfortable in his tree branch. His ears swiveled like miniature radars, which was the only way that anyone could tell that he was awake.

(o)

Inuyasha started, waking from his partial slumber, and looked around. By the position of the sun, he could tell that it was mid-late afternoon. He must have dozed off sometime during the day. Taking a sniff of the air, Inuyasha scoffed. Those two were still there. Looking around, he noticed that a heavy fog was rolling in, unnaturally thick for this time of year and place. The opposite end of the shrine was quickly being obscured from view, replaced with a white and gray wall.

A few moments later, the two boys rushed out, looking like they were ready to fight. The black-haired boy, Yusuke, was facing the wall of fog, pointing at it in a defensive manner. The taller one, orange-haired Kuwabara, had a more reasonable weapon of an orange glowing sword in his hand, poised to attack anything in front of him.

"Hey, do you know anything about this?" Yusuke asked, more like yelled, at the hanyou in the tree.

"No, you're the one that lives in this time!" Inuyasha yelled back, jumping from the Goshinboku and taking out his sword... rusty. "What the hell?" Inuyasha shook it several times, trying to get it to transform into the fang. Growling lowly as an artificial wind picked up, Inuyasha jammed the sword back into the saya (sheath) and poised his claws to strike.

One of the gray blobs started to move and take shape. By the way it was moving, it was heading toward them at a moderate pace, taking its time. A stream of the fog blew by, revealing black hair that belonged to the body that was still moving. As another piece of fog fell into place, obscuring their view partially, the person stopped as they heard a gasp seem to surround them.

“Inuyasha!” a feminine call came; the shrouded figure flitted out of view, only to be seen running towards them.

“Freeze!” Yusuke yelled, pointing in the figure's, now they could see that it was a woman, direction. The woman ignored Yusuke's yell as she jumped at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha froze in confusion. What was happening? Why was some strange woman touching him? Taking a small sniff, Inuyasha's hands went around the woman's tiny waist. “Kagome, where were you?” he asked, resting his chin on the crown of her head.

“Kagome?” Yusuke asked, bringing his hand down to lie limp at his side. Bringing a hand up, Inuyasha closed his eyes and stroked her hair in her temple region. Idly, he traced her outer ear before gasping slightly.

“What happened to you?” he nearly demanded, pulling kagome away so he could see her face and human features. Not only did she look human, but she had strange clothes on, the likes that he had never even seen on demons from the continent.

“Kagome!” Yusuke yelled excitedly, trying to get around to see her face also. Giving up on her face, Yusuke just went in to hug her from the back, but Inuyasha pulled her away and up into the tree first.

Kagome smiled gently and traced Inuyasha's ears before responding to her questions. “I learned things.” She brought her hands down to where his ears were on his human nights. “I learned things that can help us.” She traced where his human ears would be and they appeared, as if they belonged there. Inuyasha looked at her confused, hearing with his now non-existent hanyou ears, but feeling his tangible human ears. Inuyasha brought up a hand to feel both places and his eyes widened. Kagome smiled and brought one of his rough hands to her smooth cheek and human ear. Almost instantly, it seemed to melt and migrate to where her hanyou ears were normally, and Inuyasha felt the same happen to his.

“Kitsune magic.” Kagome shook her head and smiled, leaping off the branch.

“No, much more powerful than that, real magic.” Kagome said after she landed, looking at Inuyasha with a grin on her face. Turning to Yusuke, she leapt into his arms and squealed, “Yus-kun!”

“Kags!” Yusuke called back just as enthusiastically, spinning her around in circles.

“And Kazu-kun!” kagome reached out and hugged the carrot-top enthusiastically. “It's been so long! I didn't think that you remembered me!” Inuyasha jumped down from the branch also, dragging kagome away from the human and other hanyou and into his protective arms.

“Mine.” He growled, eyeing the other males. Kagome nodded and leaned back, relaxing in his protective embrace.

“It's been so long…” she murmured, turning her head to rub her cheek into his chest.

“I only saw you last night, it wasn't that long.” Inuyasha responded and kagome stiffened.

“Last night? I've been gone only a day? So they weren't lying…” Kagome trailed off, muttering under her breath something about time rips and inter-dimensional travel.

“What are you talking about Kagome?” Inuyasha asked, stroking her ear so she would calm down.

Kagome sighed before answering, purring slightly at the attention. “It seemed so long for me: I saw summer, fall, winter and spring there. They said that I stayed there for a year, but that I shouldn't worry.” Kagome turned, digging her petite claws into his undershirt and her face into the folds, using her sense of smell to reassure that it was really Inuyasha, and not another of the many nightmares that plagued her on the island. “It was so long for just one year, don't you believe me Inuyasha?” she asked, looking up into his confused eyes. After a moment, he nodded, kissing her forehead.

“I believe that you left and now you're back. You have some new tricks, but what difference can changing our ears be to defeating Naraku?” Kagome smiled, a hidden secret in her eyes.

“That was only an example. I'm no weak shard-detector now.” Inuyasha was hurt by that statement; he hadn't called her that in almost a year now.

“No, you're not weak. I never thought you were.”

 

A cough interrupted their tender moment before it took off into a full-blown argument.

 

“Um…Kags… I know that you probably don't care right now, but I have a job that just happens to involve you…” Yusuke grimaced, rubbing the back of his head while looking at the cement at his feet. Putting on a serious face, Kagome let go of Inuyasha and stepped toward Yusuke. She put out her hand, touching Yusuke's face gently. Taking it as a `go ahead,' he did so: “actually… it involves the guardian of the Shikon no Tama…” Inuyasha growled and pulled kagome protectively behind his back.

 

“What are you talking about, runt?” Inuyasha growled out.

 

“Hey, I don't have to talk to you! This is between Kagome and me.” Yusuke growled right back, his brown eyes flashing at the prospective of a fight.

 

“Boys!” Kagome yelled, stepping between the both and placed a hand on each of their chests. “Inuyasha, he's family and I trust him with my life. Yusuke, there will be no fighting in the shrine!” Kagome growled at the both of them, eyeing each in turn. “Now what does your boss want now?”

 

Taken back at her assertiveness, it took a moment to retrieve his line of thought. “Koenma wants to see the guardian of the Tama and make sure that he can protect it properly.” Yusuke said with a slight smirk. Kagome laughed back and hooked arms with Yusuke.

 

“Then what are we waiting for? The big, manly Guardian of the Shikon no Tama shouldn't keep the prince of the underworld waiting, should he?” Yusuke laughed back and dug out the communicator from his pocket. Problem was, the communicator looked like a pink blush compact. “What, you need to make yourself all pwetty to see your boss?” Yusuke gave kagome a mean look and flipped it open, revealing a few buttons and what, indeed, looked like a mirror on top.

 

The image of a girl with sky-blue hair and a bubblegum-pink kimono flashed onto the screen. “Yusuke! I didn't even know you knew how to call out on your communicator!”

 

Yusuke rolled his eyes and spoke up bored, “get me a portal to Koenma. I have the guardian and he put up quite of a fight, so I don't know if he'll be conscious until we get there.” Yusuke flipped the compact shut and kagome burst out laughing, falling to the ground with tears in her eyes.

 

“My Gawd, you're bad!” was all she could manage between her tears.

 

“Where are you taking her?” Inuyasha growled, taking the front of Yusuke's shirt in his clawed fist.

 

“Gee, it's like Déjà vu all over again.” Yusuke rolled his eyes and looked down at Kagome, who had stopped laughing. (What's that quote from? I remember reading or hearing it somewhere before…)

 

“Inuyasha, stop that. All they want to do is meet me, nothing more. I'm not afraid of them, and you shouldn't be either. Don't worry, it won't take long!” Kagome reassured as she stood up and dusted herself off.

 

“So, you planning on going in that?” Yusuke asked, eyeing Kagome's peculiar choice of clothing. She was wearing an off-white un-dyed robe that hung off her shoulders onto about an inch off the ground. The only thing securing it was a bodice made of some sort of leather that accented her curves. Her sleeves were loose and slightly bell-like, but not as much as Inuyasha's haori. A few strands of fine chains led from around her neck to under the bodice, hiding the metal charms and bottle of jewel shards at the end. Except for her forelocks (which were plainly braided), her hair was swept up into multiple strands of braiding with a silver bead on the end of each, brought into a loose bun at the nape of her neck.

 

“Why not?” Kagome shrugged. Honestly, she had forgotten about her wardrobe. It was required training clothing for the girls on the island. She had protested and the bodice restrained her breathing at first, but she had become very used to it. “it's not like I can fix my hair and put on my neon orange backless collared shirt fast enough before the portal… and here it is!” indeed, a rip in the air in front of them opened, revealing a sort of black swirling vortex-tunnel.

 

“Friendly looking, isn't it?” Kagome asked as the girl that was in the communicator floated out on… an oar? Kagome shook her head and sighed. Some things were not meant to be answered.

 

“Where is he?” the floating girl asked, looking around. Yusuke put his arm around Kagome and Kuwabara did the same on Kagome's other side.

 

“Here's the prisoner Botan!” Yusuke said with a chuckle. Botan looked at the exotic-looking girl questionably.

 

“He can change into a girl… no wonder spirit world couldn't find her…” Botan put her finger to her lip in a thoughtful gesture and floated around the trio, trying to see any flaws in `his' `female' `costume'. Kagome hung her head and sighed. This one was a hopeless case, wasn't she?

 

“Let's just get this over with so I can get onto more important things, like finding more shards.” Kagome mumbled the last part so only the two beside her could hear.

 

“Alrightee then! Follow me!” Botan giggled, floating into the vortex.

 

Kagome sighed, “Is she always like that?”

 

“Worse.”

 

“Goody. So… We're off to see the Lizard then? The wonderful Lizard of Oz?” Kagome wrapped her arms around the boys' waists and they strutted off down the cement-brick road and into the vortex, laughing, leaving poor Inuyasha speechless and without reason to follow. Hanging his head, he headed into the house to inform Gin that her daughter had left. Again. Without checking in. Again.

 

(o)

 

“Yo, toddler!” Yusuke yelled, slamming the oversized doors to the young prince's office wide open.

 

“Yusuke, that's rude! How can your boss be—squee! He's so cute!” Kagome rushed forward and glomped the toddler sitting in the overstuffed office chair, stamping away at various documents. “Cutie, can you tell me where your daddy is so we can talk to him about the Shikon?” the toddler's eyes widened (gee, not at all because he had a face full of boobs) and he tried to pry himself from Kagome's grasp. Groaning, he `poof'ed into his teen form and stepped back, adjusting his cape to fall correctly around his shoulders.

 

“I am Yusuke's boss,” he glared discreetly in the detective's direction, “and what do you know about the Shikon no Tama?”

 

Kagome sulked and leaned against the giant oak desk, “oh, where did that cute baby go?” Yusuke burst out laughing, rolling on the floor much like Kagome had at the shrine earlier.

 

“The… cute… Koenma… hahaha!” Yusuke was starting to turn blue, he was laughing so hard.

 

Growling slightly, the teenager's cheeks pinked slightly. “I am that `baby,' as you say, and I would be much obliged if you did not hug me like that again.” Walking around his desk to sit in his previous seat, he continued to stamp at various papers that warranted his attention. In her mind, the toddler and the teenager being the same person didn't quite add up, but then again, she'd seen stranger things with her year on the island. Some of the many gods that would pop in and out of the island would seem as small as a flower one moment, and the next, tower over her (and the huts, and the mountain in the center of the island).

 

Kagome pinked, remembering exactly what he had a good view of while she was hugging him. Discreetly looking down, she pulled on one chain and brought the jewel shard bottle up from between her bosom. “I know that I am the Shikon no Tama's protector, that's what I know.”

 

“Th… that can't be! The last female guardian of the Shikon disappeared over 500 years ago!” Koenma sputtered, barely resisting to touch the bottle. Now that he could see it, he could feel the great power emanating from the tiny objects. Only a piece of fabric separated him and the shards moments ago, and he could not feel even an ounce of its power. Kagome huffed and stuffed the bottle back with the other necklaces.

 

“I'm not Kikyo!”

 

Koenma shook his head, trying to clear the fog that had enveloped his mind, “no, I wasn't talking about Priestess Kikyo. I was talking about Lady Kagome. You… can't be her?” Koenma asked in shock, looking at her face in reverence. “The files are from before I was born, but some of them said that she was a time-traveler. Of course I don't believe it, but it could be a possibility, right? I mean, the Shikon hasn't shown up for the past 500 years, not even in spirit world, and it all of a sudden just `poof' appears in Ningenkai? This could be a dis—“ Kagome put her finger on his lips to shush him.

 

“Yes, I do time travel. And yes, I am Kagome, but none of this `lady' stuff, alright?” Koenma nodded, his eyes threatening to fall out of their sockets as he tried to bow to her, his head hitting the corner of the oak desk in the process.

 

“I-I'm so sorry Lady Kagome, I had no idea! Please, let me make it up to you by offering the services of my detectives to you to complete your mission!” that stopped Yusuke's laughter right out. Sure, he had thought of following Kagome, what with all those crazy stories of demons and humans living in the same world and all, but didn't think it'd actually work.

 

Kagome looked around to the spirit prince, reaper and detectives, shaking her head. “No, I cannot place my cousin and his team in trouble. I must decline your offer. Now if you please, take me back to the shrine so I can continue with my mission.”

 

“C-cousin! Who would you be related to, if I may ask?” Kagome smirked and went over to Yusuke, propping her interlaced hands on his un-greased hair.

 

“I'll give you a clue: my uncle was the king called Raizen.”

 

“R-Raizen! Yusuke? Yusuke is your cousin?”

 

“Double cousins actually” the cousins spoke in unison, sending a shiver down Koenma's spine at the similarities in their demeanors.

 

“Oh, speaking of shards… these are yours, right?” Yusuke asked, a handkerchief opening in his hand to reveal at least half a dozen Shikon shards. “When you told me about them, I kept my eyes open. The tournaments I was in gave me most of them.” Amazingly, the shards were as purified as when Kagome was holding them.

 

Kagome nodded, taking them and slipping them into the small glass bottle. “Yeah, it must run in the family then, ne?” Yusuke shrugged and pocketed the handkerchief, showing first that there was no special seal or charm stitched or painted onto it.

 

“Despite your relation to my spirit team, I must insist that at least one team member follow along with you. Insurance reasons, you understand.” Koenma managed to say, sweating a little.

 

Kagome walked up to Koenma's desk and sat on the corner. “And what if I say no?” she asked, leaning into his face. Koenma's eyes wandered anywhere but kagome, landing on Yusuke in a pleading manner.

 

“Then, by the order of King Enma, I'll have to confiscate your jewel shards and all memories related to them.” Kagome growled and turned to Yusuke.

 

“You never told him, did you? This `boss' of your know nothing about you, does he? About us, who we are?” Yusuke shrugged in a semi-helpless gesture.

 

“It never really came up before. If he knew, I wouldn't have been able to fight as much—“

 

“You and your fists! You're never happy unless you can fight…” Kagome turned back to Koenma, “let me see the files you have on me: Kagome Higurashi.”

 

Shaking, Koenma nodded and pressed a call button on his desk, “Yes Koenma-sama?”

 

“Bring me all the files you have on someone named Higurashi, Kagome.”

 

“Yes Koenma-sama, right away.”

 

Tense minutes later, a hesitant girl with cropped purple hair slowly opened the door, slipping along the wall to Koenma's desk. Kagome looked at her and she gave a little `eep' and practically threw a thin file on the desk and ran to the door. Sighing, Kagome plucked the file from the desk before Koenma could reach for it. Peeking inside, she only found a single sheet of paper and a small photo attached that looked like it was from her yearbook several years ago. Holding the paper to the light, Kagome read basic stats like her birth date and her grade transcripts. “…has a tendency for argument…” she read out loud, “I do not!” she objected, spotting an asterisk at the very bottom, attached to a footnote in barely legible handwriting. “'see Child Angel Leveling'… see Koenma-whatever-your-name-is! Get that girl back here with this file!” seeing his hesitancy, Kagome leaned over and pushed the intercom button, much to his objection. “Bring a file titled `child angel leveling' to Koenma's desk as fast as you can,” Kagome demanded before the secretary could even say anything.

 

Moments later, the intercom buzzed, “Ma'am, this file is restricted, do you have an access code?” Kagome looked over at Yusuke and Kuwabara, shrugging.

 

“Try `kore kara zuto itsumademo,'” Kuwabara suggested after Yusuke had shrugged in confusion also.

 

“'For always and forever'?” Kagome asked, “Well, it's the best we have.” She pushed down on the button. “Kore kara zuto itsumademo.”

 

There was a tense silence over the line as the secretary typed in the password. Buzzing into life, the secretary spoke again, “which level do you want, Ma'am?” blowing a strand of hair out of her face, Kagome shrugged.

 

“Blue, I guess.” Looking at the others, particularly the sheen in their hair, Kagome spoke again, “and green and orange if you can.”

 

“Blue? Green? Orange? What type of levels are those?” Koenma scoffed, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair.

 

Kagome shrugged. “Hey, I wasn't the one that came up with the system. The warmer the color, the more powerful the child angel. At least, that's how I remember it. Black's what most beings are, maybe purple or indigo if they're lucky. White is like super-mondo-god-like levels…”

 

“S-class,” Yusuke supplied.

 

“Yeah, like your demon energy S-class level.” Kagome shrugged, “once a soul is initiated, their hair sheen shows off their level, like `hey, I'm yellow-class, so you'd better stay out of my way!'”

 

Kuwabara laughed lightly and shook his head, “they're not always that cocky, and you know that!”

 

Kagome stuck out her tongue, “I know, I know! But you must admit, we… they're still more powerful than some spirit-energy user!”

 

“We—they're different energy types. One's not better than the other,” Kuwabara corrected, “when the angels are fighting, they have to leave their bodies behind, leaving them vulnerable. And when the demons or humans are fighting, they're open to angelic attacks. It balances out.” He grumbled, crossing his arms and ankles, waiting for the files to arrive.

 

“How—“ Koenma was cut off as three thick folders fell onto his desk. “Ah…” Kagome grabbed the blue folder and gave the green and orange ones to Yusuke and Kuwabara respectively.

 

“Here I am!” Kagome exclaimed, pulling a smaller file of dark blue out of the larger one. Yusuke pulled a mid-green out of his large one, and Kuwabara pulled a goldenrod.

 

“It's still technically orange.” He grumbled, pinking in the cheeks slightly as he put his file on top of Yusuke's on the desk.

 

“…Pseudo-deaths: 25, transformations: 43, spirits saved… whoa, that's weird.” Kagome held up a page and watched as the light bounced off the number, changing from 26 to 29 as she moved the page.

 

“You didn't file the paperwork for those spirits,” Kuwabara offered, seeing the same problem with Yusuke's paper also.

 

Kagome sighed, “Did you always file the paperwork?” as Kuwabara nodded, he dodged Kagome's weak swipe at his shirt. “I guess those two that I didn't file were Mayu (an episode), the girl that died in that fire, Kamiya (chapter 10), that ghost bride, and Kikyo (name an episode…)… I guess that explains the kimono then…”

 

“What kimono?” Yusuke asked out of curiosity.

 

“A kimono that I got from the ghost bride. Whenever the angel, or Tenshi, returns to the body, any wounds that she, or he, gains from being out of the physical plane, appears on the body. I guess it would work on clothing in theory also, right?” the boys shrugged in unison.

 

“Ah, here's the paper I wanted!” kagome exclaimed, grabbing the very last paper. “Ah-hem! `This file and all paperwork included entitle the following teammates security and amnesty for all objects, persons, and spirits in their care: Kazuma Kuwabara, Yusuke Higurashi-Urameshi, Kagome Higurashi and…' oh.” A tear slid down her face as she read the last name silently. “… That's why. That's why we couldn't remember everything…”

 

“Dead?” Yusuke asked.

 

“Yes. `Dead, date to be re-born within the next twenty-five years'.” Yusuke nodded, closing his personal file and placed it on Koenma's desk.

 

“Read it sometime, you might find something interesting in there that's not on my public file.” Yusuke said, stepping away. Kagome and Kuwabara nodded in agreement, placing their personal files on top of Yusuke's.

 

“Wait. Even if you are `child angel level' or whatever, I still have to hold you to my orders.” Koenma stated firmly, placing a hand on the files and drawing them nearer. “either take one of my detectives or forfeit the Shikon no Tama.”

 

“Well, if I guess you're going to force me to have someone follow me, who would be better than my partner-in-crime?” Kagome laughed and jumped onto Yusuke's back, causing him to fall down. “But Inuyasha's not gonna be to happy about this though.” She commented, putting a thoughtful finger to her chin.

 

Pretending to struggle, Yusuke flipped Kagome off and looked up at her from the floor. “Man, you got fat since we were kids!”

 

Kuwabara cringed, that was the last thing that Yusuke needed to say. Kagome lifted her claws and growled, the shadows in the room coming to surround the helpless Toushin. All the while, Yusuke was still grinning like he had won the lottery. “Yusuke, I'm going to let you come, but you're getting hell first!” Kagome yelled, bringing her fist down into his face.

 

Yusuke caught it, grinning, and nodded to Koenma. “I guess—whoop! Were you trying to hit me?—I'm going with Kags to help her!” Yusuke let go of Kagome's fist as he dodged a kick to his beltline. Grabbing her foot, he gestured to Botan to open a portal back to the shrine. “Chill Kags, it's not like it's the bad kind of fat!” Yusuke nearly was slashed in the arm with a rogue claw from kagome. Letting go of her foot, he made a break for the portal.

 

“Get back here you twerp!” Kagome yelled after him, giving chase to her cousin into the vortex. Unfortunately, the exit to the portal ended about 15 feet into the air. As Yusuke fell, he turned to look up and his grin dropped faster than his body. Landing, he jumped up and away as soon as he could, barely missing being hit by an energy attack.

 

“Watch it! You almost hit me there!”

 

“That was the point, so stand still so I can hurt you!” Kagome yelled back, giving chase around the shrine yard…

 

Looking out the window, Inuyasha sighed. “Are they always like this?” he managed to ask, cringing at what the answer would be.

 

“They haven't done any property damage yet, so this is just playing for them.” Gin commented, handing Inuyasha a cup of ramen and stood next to him in the picture window with a mug of coffee. Next thing they knew, they heard more than saw Kagome barrel into Yusuke on the roof of the house and roll down the slope, falling just out from the flower garden under the picture window.

 

“Time!” Kagome yelled, leaning back and putting her hands into the `T' symbol. Yusuke laid back and breathed hard as Kagome stood up, brushing off her long skirt. Closing her eyes, Kagome placed both hands at the crown of her head and brushed downward; changing her entire outfit to what Inuyasha had given her for Feudal travel. She opened her eyes and looked downward, muttering something along the lines of `I could never get this spell right.'

 

“Where'd you learn that Kags?” Yusuke asked, cracking his eyes open to look at his cousin. Not hearing him, she repeated the spell, this time to a less loosely-flowing costume. The top was a bright flowery-orange/red color that looked like a Chinese-styled dress, but was completely without a back except for a low tie at the waste that became a sort of short skirt that split at the sides. Instead of her long skirt on underneath, she had a pair of Gi pants that were forest green swirled with blue towards the bottom hem.

 

Inspecting her costume, Kagome shrugged and looked at her cousin. “Dunno.” She held her hand out for Yusuke to take, “if you're gonna follow me, we might as well make sure that it still works, right?”

 

“I don't see how that would work with what you told me about your `adventure' Kags, leaving our bodies behind would be a bit of a pain, don't you think?” Yusuke commented offhandedly, unbuttoning his green jacket and taking off his white undershirt.

 

Taking Yusuke's jacket and shirt, Kagome shrugged. “It's another one that I learned, but I don't know if it'll work or not since you weren't there with me…” she folded the articles and laid them on the front stoop. “From what they told me, it has something to do with the blending of powers and some alchemical dispositional thingy…” seeing Yusuke's blank look, Kagome smirked in agreement. “Basically, your spirit powers, demon powers, and angel powers are combining so your angelic features are actually on a tangible level…” Yusuke still had a blank look, and so did Kuwabara for that matter. “Your mortal body gets wings.”

 

“Oh! That makes sense. Why'd you not say that before?” Kagome shrugged and looked sheepish.

 

“What are you two talking about?” Inuyasha asked, walking out of the door. Angels, Kagome's powers—he was completely lost and he didn't like it.

 

Blushing, Kagome ducked her head in a vulnerable manner. “Oops, I guess I need to fill you in about that, right?” Kagome looked into the window and saw her mother sitting on the couch. Gesturing toward one of the smaller shrine buildings, kagome started to walk away, “it's a long story, really. When I was younger, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yusuke's girlfriend Keiko—how is she by the way?”

 

“She's doing okay, I guess.” Yusuke shrugged. He hadn't seen her for the past few months, so he wouldn't really know.

 

“As I was saying, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko and I all used to play together. We'd play Oni (Japanese Tag), Tenshi-Tengu (angels and demons), and other things.” Kagome laughed lightly at the ironic way that they now were what they used to play: demons. “One day,” Kagome grabbed on shoji door and Yusuke the other, “we were exploring, and we found this.” Opening the doors, they stepped into a room that was practically empty.

 

“A room? You have a lot of those here.” Inuyasha rubbed his elbow, “I should know; I helped clean most of them.” Kagome shook her head and ran her hand around the solid wood-slat wall, a claw snagging on a hidden pit behind one slat.

 

“No, this.” Kagome said, using the pit to pry the slat away from the wall to reveal a hidden alcove. Several necklaces hung on hooks around the top of the wall.

 

(Flashback)

 

“Owe! Yusuke-kun, that wasn't very nice!” a child-like Kagome called over her shoulder, rubbing her head. Something hit her head, and it was very big, and it hurt.

 

“What'd I do this time?” Yusuke, about the same age, came running into one of the small private shrine buildings on the shrine.

 

“You hit me!” Kagome huffed, sitting up from being knocked onto the floor.

 

“How could I hit you when I was outside, baby!” Yusuke taunted, not daring to enter further than the doorway.

 

“You're the baby, throwing things at me! Mommy said that wasn't pa-pu-polite!” Kagome yelled, stumbling over the hard word.

 

“Then how could I throw that?” Yusuke asked smugly, pointing at a large wooden slat that now lay innocently on the floor where Kagome stood previously.

 

Looking up, both Yusuke and Kagome saw a hole where the board used to be. “Kagome-chan! Yusuke! Where are you guys? This isn't fun anymore!” a very small child called, almost knocking Yusuke over as he ran over to join them.

 

“Didn't do it!” Kagome and Yusuke yelled at the same time, looking at the small child nervously.

 

“Don't tell Momma!”

 

“Yeah, don't tell Auntie Gin! I'll beat you if you do!” Yusuke shook his fist in the smaller child's face.

 

The child nodded rapidly, his orange curls bouncing wildly. “Don't worry, I won't.” he said in wonder, looking up into the hole, wondering what was inside.

 

“Kazu-chan?”

 

“Kuwabara!” Yusuke waved his hand in front of small Kuwabara's face. He couldn't see anything! There was something in that hole, he just knew it. But how could he get up there when it was over his head? Walking forward, Kuwabara reached up into the hole, barely touching the bottom rim.

 

“Help me up guys, I think I feel something!” Kuwabara squeaked, losing his balance and falling against the wall. Shrugging, Yusuke and Kagome shoulder Kuwabara out of the way and reach inside also, not doing much better. After nearly climbing over each other to get a look into the hole, Yusuke sighed and went down to his knees, pulling Kagome down also. Both children braced on hands and knees as Kuwabara climbed onto their backs, on foot firmly planted on each back. Rising up to stand, he could now see inside and grabbed a set of small boxes that were inside. “Got it!” and with that, both Kagome and Yusuke sat up, knocking Kuwabara off and onto his back, spilling the boxes across the floor.

 

Scrambling across the floor, Kagome and Yusuke reached for the same box, grabbing it at the same time. “I want to open it!” they yelled at each other, pulling at their own end.

 

Sniffling, Kuwabara grabbed the box that landed closer to him and cradled it to his chest. “I get to open my own.” He mumbled, closing his eyes and prying the lid of off the small wooden box. At the same time, the cousins' box flew open and fell onto the ground. Both boxes emitted a light that washed out all color and shape in the room.

 

(End)

 

“…and the next thing we know, we're at this place called Tenchi (heaven), training to be Tenshi (angels). It was weird; really, I don't remember much of what happened at that time…” Kagome sighed, grabbing the puzzle boxes from the alcove. Tossing one to Yusuke, Kagome held out the other to Kuwabara.

 

He held up his hand, “not now. I have to revive you if your spell or whatever doesn't work, Kags. And I remember what happened and why you two don't remember much. You guys found out too much and wanted to forget. You did, but I didn't.” Kuwabara looked out the door and rubbed his arm. “You found out that not all spirits want to be saved.”

 

(O)

 

Yeah, you're all confused, and I know it. Just take it at surface value and it'll make you a lot happier. All you really need to know is 1) Yusuke's going to Feudal Japan with Kagome. 2) They were angels (kind of like Botan is now) that saved children's souls from hell. And 3) Kagome and Yusuke share their power, so they can't turn `angel' unless they are around each other. Later, Dark Inu Fan