InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Birth Marks ❯ Death ( Chapter 41 )

Chapter 41: Death

 

Disclaimer: I only own the characters that you don't recognize. The ones that you do, belong to the Inuyasha and Yuyu Hakusho universes respectively.

 

(O)

 

Last time: Shippou nudged Puu and gave the beast a brief hug. “You might want to wait by the well; they look like… too late.” Yusuke and Kagome pitched headfirst into the well and Puu screeched and bolted to follow quickly after.

 

Looking mulishly at the well, Shippou sighed and jumped up onto the rim to stare into the depths that held only bones in the bottom. Mama had forgotten to say goodbye again. At least she'd get him extra pocky in apology when she got back!

 

(O)

 

This time: Yusuke groaned, curling up on himself. Puu wasn't faring much better, but kept vigil on the pillow that was sat on the desk across from the bed that Yusuke sweated on. Kagome sighed as she rewet the rag she was using and placed it on her cousin's forehead. At least, she thought wistfully, he now knows that he should stay away from time-traveling at all costs.

 

Gin knocked on the door, coming in a few moments later with a basket full of laundry. “Kagome, there's a young man with red hair at the door asking for Yusuke, should I send him away?” Shaking her head, Kagome stood up and gave her mother a small smile.

 

“Iie, it might be one of Yusuke's teammates. I'll go down and talk to him,” she turned around, halfway out the door and grabbed a blue headband to hide her ears with. “What was his name again?” Kagome was still hesitant to perform glamour magic in front of her mother.

 

“I think its Shuichi or something. Handsome boy, if I do say so myself.” Gin gave her daughter a wink.

 

“Mother, I'm with Inu, remember?” Gin smiled and turned back to putting her daughter's laundry away. With a sigh, she shut her bedroom door behind her, adjusting her headband to be the most comfortable they could be. Grimacing, Kagome gave up and glamour her ears away, tucking her headband into her skirt pocket at the head of the stairs. Taking a deep breath, Kagome analyzed the scents of the household, including the guest. “Kitsune… Hanyou?” she murmured to herself, gliding down the stairs and into the sitting room.

 

Kurama sensed the hanyou from upstairs enter the room as he stood up. Coming out of his polite bow, he extended a friendly hand, “My name is…” Kurama stared at her face, memories from long ago flashing through his mind. The face crying, laughing, angry, but most of all, smiling. “Shuichi Minamino. Most of my companions call me Kurama though.” Kagome shook his hand with a smile and gestured back to the seats. She sniffed delicately, trying to identify the somewhat familiar scent that he was emanating. “One of my teammates, Yusuke, went missing a few days ago and—“

 

“Oh, so you work with Yusuke?” Kagome asked, deciding on where she had picked up his scent before. “Did he bring you here a little while ago?” at his affirmative nod, Kagome tilted her head. “Momma did say that my cousin had brought a few friends that she hadn't met before the first time. If he trusts you, I will also.” Standing up, Kagome held out her hand to Kurama. “I was out visiting friends at the time or I would have met you earlier.”

 

“We met a long time ago.” Kurama muttered, setting down his tea cup.

 

Curiosity peaked; Kagome perked her invisible ear, “Nani?”

 

“Nothing,” Standing up without Kagome's help, he waited for her to lead the way. Looking at her hand, Kagome shrugged before turning and leading Kurama up the stairs.

 

“Yusuke's not feeling too well right now and Momma's really protective when someone gets sick. I hope you didn't mind that she didn't let you up here immediately.” Kagome shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder if Yus-kun has more enemies than friends.”

 

“I've never known Yusuke to get sick before.” Kurama commented before Kagome led him into a room that was covered in various shades of pinks and yellows. Yusuke lay in the middle of the bed with the covers thrown off. His limp hair stuck to his face, lending him a look that made him younger if not his true age. Someone had removed his shirt and changed his pants into a pair of deep green pajama pants.

 

“Yusuke's talked about you in his letters. You're a plant-based kitsune, correct?” Kurama nodded and immediately went to Yusuke's side, checking his pulse and temperature in response to the unasked question. Both were slightly high and at the light touches Yusuke woke up from his troubled slumber.

 

“Hey Kurama, I look like shit, don't I?” he asked blearily, closing his eyes again. Just as Kurama thought that the detective had gone back to sleep, he was startled by Yusuke continuing to speak. “Tell the toddler that when I get better, I'm stealing his pacifier and shoving it up his… heh.” Yusuke grinned, his eyes still closed. “Sorry. Just tell him that I absolutely refuse to time-travel again. It doesn't,” his words were cut off by another round of spasms, “it just doesn't agree with me.”

 

“I can see that Yusuke,” plucking a leaf off of a plant growing in his hand, Kurama placed it on the detective's tongue, “chew this, it'll settle your stomach.” Kurama could smell the faint scent of vomit, despite the household's best efforts, in the form of a fan in the open window, to get rid of the smell. Gin finished putting away Kagome's clothing and left the room with a small smile behind her. Kurama watched as Gin left, a charming smile on his face as he offered to carry the laundry basket downstairs for her. After she gracefully declined, Kurama turned to Kagome with the same smile.

 

“You have such a beautiful illusion, Kagome, it almost hid how beautiful your real features are,” he couldn't help but smile at the small blush that spread across her cheekbones as he presented her with a rose bud. Kurama's eyes flashed golden as his hair lightened with white streaks. “May I see the Kagome that I remember?”

 

Yusuke smacked Kurama upside the head from where he attempted to sit up in the bed. “Watch it, kitsune, she's unavailable.”

 

Kurama turned back to Yusuke with a youthful smile. “I know. It's been over 500 years though.” Kagome watched Kurama change into his Youko form, gasped and her hand hovered over her mouth in shock as the kitsune's scent changed to one that she recognized.

 

“Stupid pup.” A shadow stood in the Goshinboku, staring down into Kagome's window. “He's gone and messed up the time line.” The wind picked up and blew a lock of white hair that had escaped from its bindings into the shadow's face. Brushing the hairs away, the shadow disappeared with a sigh with others knowing none of his presence. Not even a trace of his scent was left behind for the gifted in the area to pick up on.

 

“Shippou…” Kagome breathed his name as the kitsune place his head in her lap. She pet his ears affectionately as she stared at the crown of his head.

 

“I changed my name after,” Kurama cringed, warnings still ringing in his ears. The timeline… she mustn't know… change… disaster! “After I grew up a little and I wanted to explore on my own.”

 

Kagome stroked Kurama's hair and hummed. “I didn't want you to leave, did I?

 

Kurama paused, unsure on what to say. “Nobody wanted to separate, but I wanted to try something new on my own.”

 

“That's understandable. I know this is weird, coming from your mother and all, but I'm doing practically the same thing now with my life in the feudal era. I don't have to be there anymore, but I want to stay with Inuyasha.” Kagome smiled sweetly. “You did come and visit when you could, didn't you?”

 

Kurama wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist, “I tried to, but it was hard after a while.”

 

Kagome nodded in a maternal way, “I understand and that's all that I ask.”

 

They fell into a comfortable silence as Kurama's hair darkened back into its human red coloring. “Youko wanted me to comment that I see that you got your beautiful looks from Obaa-san.” Sensing her confusion, Kurama wanted to clear the situation before something happened, “Youko and I are two souls melded together into one body… but I can't tell you anything else until… later.” Kurama gave Kagome an apologetic look and stood up, going over to Yusuke's side and tracing a feather on the back of his hand. “Hopefully that fades before your tan does, or everyone will ask about the new tattoo.”

 

Yusuke grimaced, “yeah, that'll be a fun one to explain to Keiko.”

 

“And also the fact that you were gone for a few days without telling her,” Kagome spoke up, giving Yusuke a bottle of water. “She'll be absolutely thrilled to hear your excuse this time.” Choking on his bottle of water, Yusuke looked over at Kagome furiously. In retaliation, Kagome put her hands in a prayer position and looked at the ceiling. “Have fun!” she sang, subtly stepping back toward the door and away from the simmering Toushin.

 

“Come back here and face me like a man, you coward!” Yusuke yelled though the closed door. Kagome could only imagine his shaking fist.

 

Opening the door a crack, Kagome smiled at her cousin. “I'm a woman, remember. So how can I face you like a man, as you said?” she closed the door in time to avoid getting a slipper thrown at her head.

 

“That's mature, Yusuke,” Kurama commented, making a show of rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. Groaning, Yusuke slid back down onto the bed and pulled the blanket over his shoulders as he turned away. Sitting down on Kagome's desk chair, Kurama turned to pet Puu, who was looking only slightly better than Yusuke. “Koenma-sama sent us on another mission while you were away.” He paused, waiting for Yusuke to reply. When he didn't, Kurama went on, “We're supposed to observe a hidden village of demon slayers that has been terrorizing peaceful youkai that live in the human world. They're led by K—“

 

“Kashisu, I know.” Nodding, Kurama held out a folder for Yusuke to look at. “The bastard has parental rights over the summers for cousin Souta. Has him so scared of himself and everyone else by the end of the summer that I want to kill the human.”

 

“We're just supposed to observe him for now, and deter him from any outright attacks in public.” Yusuke scoffed, scanning over the small pictures and profiles of the various members of the village.

 

“I'll tell you now, the slayers train themselves specifically to hunt down and kill youkai. It's not strong, but each of them can sense full youki to one degree or another.” Yusuke flipped a page and continued to scan, “I've observed them before and they didn't notice me, but a deer youkai that accidentally stumbled into the area around their camp. They used it as target practice.”

 

“Since you know so much about them, what do you suggest?” Kurama asked, wondering if his thoughts were along the same lines as what Koenma had suggested.

 

“Kuwabara should go in first if we do decide to attack them. He could get in and out without raising any suspicions. Hiei would only attract attention to himself because of him being full youkai in his aura. You and I, on the other hand, we would only be noticed if we allow ourselves to be noticed. We hang back and help after Kuwabara's started the attack, if he does start to fight.” Kurama nodded, listening to his suggestions. It was about the same as what Koenma had suggested in the first place.

 

“Why shouldn't I stand back with Hiei? Wouldn't I draw notice also?”

 

“As Kurama, you wouldn't draw any attention from them because of the human energy that overshadows your youki most of the time, but as Youko, you would draw attention almost faster than Hiei.” Yusuke absently read the profile of one of the younger Taijiya, tracing his finger over the name. “If the toddler would have done his job correctly, you wouldn't have had to ask about how to watch them.” They slipped into silence as Yusuke concentrated more on the profiles and statistics of the village. Closing the file, Yusuke leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes. “How…” he muttered, not opening his eyes.

 

After a few seconds, curiosity got the better of Kurama and he prompted Yusuke, “'how,' what?”

 

Opening his eyes half-mast, he turned toward Kurama, “How could an illusion and fire-based kitsune named Shippou become the silver bandit plant using kitsune named Youko Kurama?”

 

Closing his eyes, Kurama looked down at his lap and sighed, “Did you ever get to meet the priestess Kaede while you were there? I can't remember if you did or not.” Opening his eyes, Kurama's eyes were the golden that was typical of any silver or golden youkai. Slipping into Youko's memories, he subconsciously turned the room into what he remembered of the past.

 

Yusuke stood in the clearing, just as he had seen it while he time-traveled with Kagome. Shippou stood sniffling at the edge of the well, slightly taller than what Yusuke remembered. Turning away from the well, Shippou walked though Yusuke, reminding him of his brief stint of a ghost. “I spent a lot of time at Kaede's house after Kagome… didn't come back.” Kurama stood next to Yusuke, watching himself walk out of the clearing to the village. “not long after your visit, I remember Kagome giving me a bag of seeds, mostly rose seeds, and her telling me that a friend had told her to give them to me.” The pair floated after the younger kitsune and watched as he pulled out a small brown cloth bag of seeds and stare at it. “Ever since I met Kagome, I started to learn herb lore with her from Kaede so I could help bandage everyone when they became injured during battle. I couldn't really do much else when I was that age.”

 

The scene shifted to a field full of various herbs, “Kaede died in her sleep a few years after Kagome left, so I left.” A pre-teen Shippou came into the scene from the other side of the field, waving at a very large demon with a horse-like face and huge blue eyes, tending to the garden. “I remembered an old friend that had helped us once when Kilala became sick. His name was Jinenji and he was a hanyou also. He taught me herb lore that I still use today and helped me develop some of my plant weapons, including my rose whip.”

 

The scene changed to a version of Youko Kurama that Yusuke knew, but younger and his hair pulled up in its high ponytail still. His white robes were stained with blood because he was in the midst of a battle using the thornless whip in one hand and a grass blade sword in the other. His fur vest lay in shreds off to the side. “I continued to travel after I left Jinenji, not wanting to go back to Inuyasha's forest and face the village…” sighing, Kurama walked up to his younger counterpart and caressed his illusion's cheek. “I fell into thievery and after a while,” a dark shadow fell over the battle as a pair of sickles sliced up some of Shippou's opponents. “I found out Shiori, a bat hanyou that we had met when Naraku was still alive, and Kohaku had a child named Kuronue.” The bat demon smirked at Shippou before turning back to back with him. Quickly they wiped out the entire group of demon bandits. The bat demon scooped up the ruined fir vest and gestured it to Shippou.

 

“We became famous in the demon realm, stealing things of value just to prove we could. Kuronue and I were the best, or so we thought.” The scene turned dark as Yusuke and Kurama watched Youko and Kuronue steal a mirror. “Kuronue died because of my overconfidence, and shortly after,” the scene went white and the illusion faded back into Kagome's bedroom, “I died.”

 

“Don't tell Kagome that you died, she'd never let you out of her sight.” Yusuke smirked, remember that she did a similar thing when she found out that he had been resurrected (for at least a month) when she had gotten back to the future. Not only did she not let him out of her sight, she had even gone as far as to talk to Genkai to ease up on his training (not as if he didn't appreciate that at first, but still…).

 

“Yusuke,” Kagome peeked her head into the room, “do you want any soup before I leave?”

 

Yusuke managed to sit up against the headboard to look at Kagome, “you're going back already?”

 

Nodding, Kagome smiled. “Yeah, I wasn't able to exactly tell the others that I'd be leaving when we did, and I have to apologize to Shippou… and then there's the wedding—“

 

If Yusuke would have been drinking something, he would have spit it out in shock, “W-wedding?”

 

“Yes, I have to help Sango get ready for wedding preparations. From the way they were acting, I'd say that Miroku finally asked her to bear his children!”

 

Kurama choked at that, trying to stifle his laughter. “W-what?”

 

Kagome scoffed, grabbing her bag and filling it with her various necessities. “Don't act like that Yusuke, it's about time that they actually got married and I intend to help!” Kagome stuffed some magazines of suspicious order in her bag, the one on top picturing a woman in a white gown and veil, holding a white bouquet. “I wonder if Kaede will do the ceremony, or would Miroku's foster-father do it? Oh, and I shouldn't forget pocky for Shippou also… do you still like strawberry pocky? I know it's been so many years…” Kagome led off, questioning Kurama with her eyes.

 

“I'm not afraid to admit, I do enjoy some pocky every once in a while when I can.” Kurama blushed lightly and caught the package that Kagome tossed him.

 

“I have to get more anyway, so you can have that one.” Looking down at the package that he held in his hands, he realized that it was strawberry crunch, his favorite as a child. “How I managed to hide that one from Shippou—you—this last trip, I haven't the slightest clue.” Turning to Yusuke, she hiked her nearly overstuffed bag over her shoulder, “did you want any soup or not? Momma made some earlier for lunch; I think its homemade vegetable.”

 

Yusuke feigned reluctance, “Fine, I guess I can have some,” he crossed his arms and looked away, reminding her vaguely of Inuyasha.

 

“How about you?”

 

“I would love to have some soup, thank you.” Kurama nodded in thanks, standing up.

 

Holding up a hand up, she grinned at Kurama, “No, that's okay. I have it.” She shifted her bag to a more comfortable position and left, “I don't want to disturb your conversation,” she commented lightly and closed the door. What the boys didn't see was Kagome's grim expression as she turned toward the stairs.

 

(O)

 

Sorry that this is a shorter chapter, but I liked the feeling this chapter leaves without ruining it with a major time-jump. See you all later! Dark Inu Fan