InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Heart Within ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: (Man, I keep forgetting this thing, maybe because it's just so depressing!) I do not own any of the characters, etc., of Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit.

THE HEART WITHIN

Summary: She has carried vengeance in her shadowed heart for 500 years, sacrificing her self for that dream. Now, Sango just might get her chance… (IY/YYH crossover)

A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! I know that was an evil cliffy (mwa-ha-ha-ha) and this chapter is a little short, but I wanted to punch it out. Thanks again! Fate

WARNING! ALUSIONS TO CERTAIN BODY PARTS AND SARCASTIC, MANIPULATIVE DEMONS ( MAN, THAT’S HAWT ;0P )

WORD DEFINITIONS

Hentai - pervert
Vulpine - typical of or resembling a fox

Chapter Five

“Damn bugs.” Yusuke swatted one away with an angry frown.

“We should leave this place,” Kurama said tiredly, looking toward the fire demon who still sat on his knees beside the sprawled form of the unconscious girl. “They’re attracted to the dead bodies of the banshee youkai.”

“Gods, that’s gross.” Yusuke extended a hand to the fire demon. “You okay, three-eyes?”

“I’m fine.” The voice was hoarse but sharply acidic. Hiei looked up at him, his crimson eyes no longer glowing with youkai rage, but still hard and angry, although it was more for his own loss of control than anything else. He accepted the Mazoku’s hand to help him to his feet and offered tersely, “Thanks.”

Knowing it was for more than just helping the demon up, Yusuke grinned feebly. “Not a problem.”

Kurama knelt next to the girl, turning her over so that he could examine her temple. The darkness intensified as the clouds thickened across the wan sky once more, but his vulpine sight was keen and still able to penetrate the deep shadows. “It’s already healing. She won’t be out long.”

“Great.” The word was sour as the ex-detective grimaced. “She’s really gonna be pissed when she wakes up.”

“Knocking her out after raiding her mind against her wishes will hardly have reassured her as to our intentions,” Kurama seethed, angry at the situation caused by the ill-thought actions of his friends.

“I got what I needed,” Hiei growled, as if that were excuse enough.

“You could have gone about it better,” Kurama snapped back. The other two stared at him, surprised by the show of emotion from the usually cool and collected fox. Fighting his anger, Kurama collared it and shook his head. “I hope it was worth it.”

“Not entirely,” Hiei abruptly admitted, expression troubled.

“Woah!” Yusuke drew back, hands held up to ward off shock. “Are you guys okay? ’Cause you sure are acting weird!”

“We’re fine, Yusuke,” Kurama said, shifting the limp girl so he could lift her up in his arms.

“Wait.” Hiei stalked over and laid a stalling hand on the fox’s shoulder. Kurama looked up, as surprised by the touch as he was the urgency in the demon’s terse voice. He started when the fire demon abruptly snapped the taiji-ya’s cloak open, yanking the sides apart so they spilled over Kurama’s supportive arm. “Lean her forward, I need to see something.”

Kurama frowned, but did as requested, gently moving the girl so her bowed head nestled just beneath his in the crook of his shoulder so that he could see what had the apparition so insistent and tugging at the back of her black shirt.

*You think this really necessary?* He couldn’t help chiding the black-haired demon mentally as Yusuke’s mouth fell open.

“Hiei! What are you doing?”

“Be quiet, fool,” Hiei growled, at either or both, Kurama didn’t know. *I must see for myself.*

That mental aside kept Kurama quiet as Hiei shoved the taijiya’s shirt up and out of the way, cursing under his breath as the crossed knife-belts got in his way. Unable to push her shirt up further, the youkai settled for slipping his hand up her spine and under the constricting belts, to touch across the roughened star-shaped scar with a grimace.

“What are you looking for?” Kurama queried in a terse whisper.

“Feel.” Grabbing hold of the fox’s right hand with his free one, Hiei guided it along her back as he slid his other hand to the side to hold the weapons-harness out of the way. Kurama blinked as the smooth skin gave way to the roughness of an old injury, and he skimmed his fingertips along the edges, mapping the large wound with dawning awe.

“What caused that?” he demanded, staring at the red-eyed demon, who shook his head.

“I’m not totally certain, but I think it was somehow this demon she’s looking for, this Naraku---though it might have been someone else.”

“Naraku.” He reluctantly slipped his hand free as he turned the name over in his mind. It didn’t call up anyone he knew, from Youko’s memory or his.

“What the heck are you two hentai doing?” Yusuke stomped over to them. “Holy crap, are you feeling her up?!”

“No,” Hiei snapped, jerking her shirt back down to cover the white skin of her lower back.

“Quiet, Yusuke. Do you want her to wake up?” Kurama demanded in a sharp whisper, senses still tingling from the contact of her skin. It had been smooth, like silk, lightly goose-bumping under his touch until the rougher scar had intercepted his path.

“Too late,” Hiei said, sitting back on his heels with a mocking grin as Kurama stiffened, eyes going wide as he felt something brush a little too close for comfort.

“Move one inch, and I’ll chop it off.”

Yusuke blanched, reflexively touching his own just to reassure himself it was still there and not in any immediate danger.

“Don’t you think this is a little…” Kurama coughed as the sharp edge pressed against his thigh. Desperately trying to gather what dignity he could---given the circumstances---he tried another tack, by letting his arms fall from around her and holding his hands up in surrender.

“Excessive?” Hiei helpfully supplied.

“Evil?” Yusuke winced in sympathy for the trapped fox.

“Miss Anei---” Kurama shifted uncomfortably when she got to her knees, still holding her knife steady beneath his over-robe as she glared around her.

“Sorry.” She didn’t sound like it, though she was blushing as his body betrayed him and stirred with sudden interest as her knuckles accidentally grazed him. Kurama flushed and thought of icy water and ugly men, taiji-ya rage and sudden dismemberment. That finally did the trick, and he was never so thankful for being in such an embarrassing predicament.


*What now?*

Sango felt incredibly embarrassed and angry, at both herself and at them, for causing such a distasteful situation. She had never been this close to a man’s---thigh---and although she knew she would do it if she had to, she didn’t want it to be this way. It was hardly a fair situation, especially for the fox, who had actually been nothing but kind to her, but one does what one must when one’s back was up against a wall.

Though the threat was good enough to hold all three men frozen, still it sat sour in her stomach, and she was more than ready to leave. Fumbling for her cloak with one hand, she kept her other steady under the fox’s light green over-robe. She met his eyes briefly, and then looked away, not liking the haunting sense of unfairness in her gut or the look of resignation in his.

*Time to go.* It was more than time to go. She didn’t trust any of these demons, especially the Jaganshi. She could feel his red eyes boring into her back, and she turned her head long enough to snarl, “Stay back, or he’s done.”

“Hey---can’t we just talk about this?” Yusuke held up his hands in a plea for understanding. “Hiei’s an ass hole. We all know it, and we can only apologize for him attacking you and doing whatever it was he did to you---remind me to kick your ass, three-eyes---but we are sorry---”

Sango could only stare at him, shaking her head at his obliviousness. She had just been mind-raped by a demon, one of his friends, and he thought they could just talk about it? How dense was he?

“No, thanks,” she spat, and then slid free and off of the fox’s lap in an abrupt movement. She reversed the dagger, ready to throw it as needed, and flatly warned as the fire demon stood up, “Don’t even try to stop me. I’ll kill you before you can move.”

His cynical smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Sango’s gaze swept to the other two, pausing regretfully on the fox, who still sat sprawled on the ground, his green eyes intent beneath the fiery bangs that appeared but a darker shadow against the paler complexion of his face in the late night darkness. Gathering the shadows---which was harder than before, as her energy had been drained somewhat during the fight with the banshee---she prepared to leave, but was stopped as the fire demon suddenly spoke.

“So tell me, who’s the boy?”


The girl froze, her eyes going wide before she whipped back around to face him with a snarl, “What boy?”

“The one I saw in your mind. The one with the empty eyes.” Hiei looked smug as she hissed. *Got you.*

“Hiei---” Kurama cautioned, still sprawled on the ground just a few feet away from her. He looked a little disheveled, something quite out of keeping with his normally impeccable neatness. He was probably still reeling a bit from the threat to his manhood. Hiei mentally winced, but growled to him alone, mind to mind, *Don’t interfere, fox.*

“Kohaku…” the girl whispered, more to herself than to them.

“Is that his name?” Hiei folded his arms across his chest, his eyes boring into hers. “Tell me---was he the one who attacked you?”

She stiffened, her brown eyes narrowing. There was anger there, and a flash of vulnerability, quickly hidden. “No.”

“Liar.”

Her lips thinned, the flash of her dark eyes glittering with anger at his denial.

“What else did you see?” she snarled, drawing herself up as if she were about to attack him.

“Enough,” he replied, eyes boring into hers, though that was a lie, too.

The muscles in her bare arms flexed, as if she were strung as taut as a bow, and then releasing herself. “Doesn’t matter. I’m leaving. Now.” And turned to do just that.

“I can find him.”

She froze.

“Hiei…” Kurama cautioned in a low voice.

“Gods, I hope you know what you’re doing, three-eyes.” Yusuke rubbed a hand over his face as he muttered that low curse.


“How?” The word was hoarse, a wealth of raw pain wrapped inside of it. Kurama could feel it circling inside his gut, settling like a stone, and he could only feel pity for the girl who stood braced as if against a storm.

“Are you really that much a fool?” Hiei’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “I have the Jagan, remember?”

Kurama winced, his thoughts echoing Yusuke’s words. *I hope you know what you’re doing, Hiei.*

“You can find him?” Her head was bowed, her thick bangs hiding her expression. Her knuckles were white on the dagger she still held.

“If he is there to find.” Kurama met Hiei’s eyes, and a brief flash of understanding passed between them.

*So. You do know what you are doing. Clever, Hiei. But why?* Kurama sent him, puzzled by that. The fire demon was never one to be so helpful.

*He’s her brother,* Hiei growled into his mind, as if that explained everything, which it did. The fire demon had spent long years searching for his twin sister, Yukina, and if anyone would understand what drove this strange young woman, than he would.

Still, there was a lot left unknown, and Kurama did not like that fact. He wished he knew more than just the fact the taiji-ya was looking for a demon named Naraku and her brother, who had somehow wounded her, and wounded her badly enough that the scar covered a good sized portion of her otherwise unblemished skin.

“Why?” Her voice was harsh, demanding.

“That’s something I’d sure like to know,” Yusuke growled, fists balling at his sides. He gave both demons a piercing look, which they returned with bland innocence, which frustrated the hell out of him.

“Hn,” Hiei sneered. “Does it matter?”

“Yes.”

Kurama raised a brow, amused at the girl’s bluntness and the dark look in Hiei’s gaze.

“I have my reasons,” the demon said, which was more than Kurama expected.

“And they are?” she pressed, look sharp.

“None of your business,” Hiei snapped.

Yusuke let out a sharp bark of laughter, recalling her own refusal to explain where she had gotten her demon heart to the angry apparition. “Ha! He’s got you there, lady!”

She scowled. It was rather sweet.

Kurama blinked at the thought, a rather unusual one for him. But he had been acting strangely around her since first they met. He decided that would bear further thinking on, when he had more leisure to do so. Standing up, he brushed the dust from his robes with a fastidious hand, noting wryly that she had reacted to his standing by drawing back. Back to that, were they? Well, he could hardly blame her for being skittish. Hiei had managed with his typical thoroughness to destroy what little trust they had built between them.

“Look, can’t we hash all this shit out somewhere else?” Yusuke interrupted, jerking his head at the various demon insects who were busily gathering around the dead birds strewn everywhere around the clearing. “They’re starting to stink.”

Kurama smiled faintly. Leave it to the detective to point out the obvious. He looked at the girl, wondering if she would go so far enough with them to talk somewhere else, but somehow not doubting that Hiei’s strange offer wouldn’t be bait enough. Still, he could add to the pot. “Hiei will need time to recover his strength, as do we all. He cannot use the Jagan until his energy is restored, and I, for one, would prefer to do it somewhere else.”

“So, can we call a truce?” Yusuke demanded, impatient with how long it was taking just to leave.

The slayer took too long to mull it over in her mind. A grin broke over the Mazoku’s face as Hiei’s eyes narrowed in a scowl.

“Fine.” The word was pulled from her through grit teeth and snapping eyes. Kurama felt a sudden relief to the gathered tension, though she managed to snap that back with her next mutter. “For now.”

“Ha!” Yusuke crowed. “Damn, girl, I’m starting to really like you---just for the way you can get those two all worked up!” He jerked his thumb at the two demons, who glowered.

*Do you ever have the desire to just kill him?* Hiei’s growl echoed inside his mind.

*Frequently,* Kurama sighed. *Not that it would do any good. He would just come back to life again. Inconvenient, that.*

“Hn.” The fire demon suddenly grinned, though the others couldn’t know why.

Unabashed, Yusuke just shrugged off the annoyance of not knowing what had the demon in such a sudden good mood. “So, we’re all agreed. A truce---for now,” he smirked, “---until we get someplace else so we can all talk and recover. Deal?”

“Deal.” Her voice was hard, the word grudging.

“Your word?” Yusuke pressed, just because he wanted to see how riled up she could get.

Kurama sighed. The Spirit Detective was not the most sensitive or diplomatic person he had ever met.

“Given,” she snapped, and turned sharply around to stalk away from them.

“Hey! Wait up!” Yusuke called, and took off after her.

No, he wasn’t the most sensitive, but he was effective. He had gotten the girl to grudgingly agree, at least, to a short-term truce. *For now.*

The corner of his mouth turned up in ironic amusement as the fox turned to follow, the fire demon falling into silent step beside him.