Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Mayakashi ❯ Chapter 34 ( Chapter 34 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Bleach, or YuYu Hakusho, or any of the anime/manga characters.

Warnings: Language, Angst

Evolution II

 

Kagome awoke slowly, clinging desperately to the source of warmth in her arms. And then, she realized that Tsuki was entirely too small to make a heat source that went from her neck to her toes, and her eyes shot open…

…to find a mass of bright, crimson hair close to her face, a tanned face in the center.

Kagome's face suddenly felt like it was on fire and she was off the bed the next second, realizing that she'd been coiled like a snake, pressing every inch of available body to the comforting warmth.

A low, deep chuckle had her eyes narrowed, and Kurama slowly opened his eyes to meet her glare.

“I don't bite, you know.”

“You… Wh… What's so damn funny?” she stuttered, face getting redder by the second.

“It's nothing… For once, I am in complete agreement with Youko on something. And that's a rare occurrence, to say the least,” he chuckled.

“Agreement of what, exactly?” Kagome growled, eyes narrowed.

“You're very cute when you're embarrassed,” he stated, smirking when her face became redder than any tomato ever could.

In response, Kagome growled, ready to smack the kitsune, when his mirth vanished and he sat up.

“Regardless, it's good to see you appear to be yourself once again… A very good thing,” he stated, making Kagome's anger die at the reminder of the previous night.

“I… I can't believe I'm saying this to the jerk who just laughed at my abject humiliation but… I'm sorry about last night. About being so dark and broody all of a sudden…”

“Don't be sorry. It's a good thing to let all the darkness out periodically. Much better than letting it build slowly, to dangerous levels.”

“I… know. Thank you. So… why the hell were you in my bed while I was sleeping?”

At that, Kurama's lips quirked into that insufferable smirk again, making Kagome's ire return.

“That was… courtesy. I would have felt quite bad had I not?”

“Are you trying to be an ass? What happened to the shy, falsely timid Kurama I've known for more than half a year?”

“Well, there's no point in subtlety, now that the world may literally be coming to an end. Or, rather, our world, anyways.”

“Okay… valid point. But what the hell are you talking about? How's sleeping with the mother while her daughter's in the next bed courtesy?” she growled.

“When I attempted to leave you to your privacy, you suddenly grabbed me. With quite surprising strength and grip. I was still going to leave you out of decency, but then…”

“Then what?” Kagome asked, ire vanishing for fear of more humiliation at what she may have done.

“You started crying, and asked me not to leave you alone… I couldn't very well leave you at that.”

“Oh,” Kagome stated, eyes downcast.

“But, fear not. I assure you, beyond holding onto me like your life depended on it, nothing of further embarrassment or consequence occurred.”

“I… see… Then thanks, I guess. But you know, you could've been less of a jerk about it,” she growled.

“Perhaps. You're correct. Usually I have more tact. But then, being around you and Yusuke has greatly decreased my subtlety in exchange for normal emotions.”

“Huh… Well, anyways, do you think we could possibly train today?” she asked, changing the topic with as much secrecy as a brick wall.

“Of course. But, I should warn you that here in the Makai, things are on a whole higher level than you're used to. As such, I won't pull any punches.”

“I wouldn't have it any other way,” Kagome stated, scooping up the Tetsusaiga.

“Fair enough. You've been warned. I won't hold back… no matter how incredibly sexy you are,” he added, his smirk rearing its ugly head again.

Kagome was positive her face was on fire at this point, stuttering and reaching to the deepest pits of her mind for something, anything to retort. Sadly, she couldn't come up with any, with her brain fried from the overstimulation, and Kurama began to walk away.

Her brain quickly shot back into gear and she took off after him, blushing more…

 

Kagome fell back to the dirt, panting and gasping for air.

“Okay, that was a good work out,” she said between gasps, staring to her side, where Kurama sat.

“It would appear so. Truth be told, it's been quite some time since I've gotten so much use of so many muscles,” he sighed, staring at the ground.

“Hey, Kurama, mind if I ask you a question?”

“I believe you just did,” he said, smirking when she let out a somewhat playful growl.

“Why have you been acting like this? Since I've known you, you were quiet. I wouldn't say timid, but you weren't exactly social… So why are you being so blunt now?”

“Good question… A small part of my indifference is a façade, as I'm sure you guessed. But beyond that, I am a human male. I suppose being around Yusuke has affected my behavior somewhat, but I'd never dream of talking so openly with the others,” he sighed.

“So… I change who you are?” Kagome asked, frowning at the sudden feeling of being slime.

“I wouldn't say that. More like a catalyst.”

“Catalyst?”

“In science, it's a chemical that causes-”

“I know what a catalyst is, Mr. Science Genius,” she growled, the bite in her statement almost nonexistent. “What I mean is, a catalyst to what?”

“My humanity, I suppose. Since you appeared, Youko and I have gotten along much more harmoniously, and I've noticed a change in my mannerisms and speech…”

“Huh… Can I ask you another question?”

“Inquisitive today, aren't you?” he quipped, his smirk replaced with a genuine smile.

“A little,” she mumbled, face flaming. “Why… Why do I look like a demon?” she asked, making the kitsune's eyes widen.

And then, he really looked at her, and his eyes slowly became molten as they took in her appearance. She lay length-wise on the ground, her femininity clear despite her loose-fitting clothes. Her ears had elongated, pointing like a modern-day elf's, but on a much less noticeable level.

Her fingernails had grown as well since this morning, becoming smooth yet razor-sharp, looking to be as hard as steel. He met her eyes and found them to be an odd mix of silver and blood-red, the combination somehow extremely fitting in the miko/Shinigami/Mazoku.

When she cleared her throat, he took an audible gulp of air and his usual detachment returned, though she noticed with a bright blush that he continued to shoot glances across her body.

“Well, it's only natural.”

“How's that? Did Yusuke become a youkai in appearance, too?”

“It's not simply a matter of being Mazoku,” he stated, quickly regaining control of his composure. “If you're training your youki more and more, it would only be natural that you would begin to appear demonic.”

“Okay… So, it's normal, then? That the Tetsusaiga's somehow fine-tuning my body to match it?” she asked, frowning in thought.

“An adequate way to put it, if ever there was one. Take it as if it were just training a new set of senses and sensations that will help your already above-average ones. Nothing to be afraid of, I assure you.”

“I'm not afraid, so much as curious,” she said with a shrug.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You'd think that, being a miko and Shinigami, both of which are meant to destroy youkai, I'd be… I dunno… frightened or disgusted, or something-”

“I doubt you're the kind of person-”

“But,” she said, cutting him off, “I'm not… It's just curiosity about something I don't understand… Maybe being around two kitsune has given me an abnormally high sense of curiosity,” she mused, smirking when Kurama let out a laugh. A real, genuine, laugh the sound like wind chimes that coursed through her body, letting loose some very… odd… effects.

“I would think you may be right, Kagome,” Kurama stated when his laughter subsided to chuckles. “Perhaps we're a bad influence?”

“Heh. Doubt it. More like Yusuke and I are the bad influences,” she quipped.

With that, they lapsed into comfortable silence, staring up at the oddly colored, yet somehow same, sky.

Finally, Kagome sighed, and Kurama moved to her side, sitting with his hand inches from hers, as though offering but afraid for contact.

“You know, I've been thinking… If I die in this tournament, Enma wins anyways, and I look like a traitorous bitch that was paranoid and went on a tangent only to be killed, proving his point and letting open season on youkai,” she mused, eyes closed.

“If worst comes to worst, I'm sure there are those who would be glad to go down fighting King Enma,” Kurama sighed, the king's name spat like a filthy insult that left a bad taste in his mouth. “Regardless, this tournament is nowhere near as ruthless as you seem to think, Kagome… Though it is still youkai, so it's not tame by any standards.”

“So I may or may not die, then.”

“Firstly, I sincerely doubt you would lose to many youk… scratch that. I sincerely doubt there's that many living beings in the universe that could beat and kill you, as you are right now.”

“I'm not invincible,” she grumbled.

And then, she jumped, the feeling of his hand snaking around hers making her give a start.

“No, you're not. And you realize that. Which is why you are better off than most fighters in this tournament. And, as it is Yusuke's tournament, he raised a valid reason for there to be no death. Why kill your opponent that you're enjoying fighting when you could let them live and have a rematch later? It's good logic,” Kurama quipped, smiling when she let out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, Kurama. You're good at that, you know. Maybe too good.”

“At what am I possibly too good at?” he asked, blinking in confusion.

“You're too good with me. My head. It's like you know me as well as I know myself, and then you give me the best advice from an outside perspective. Is that the kitsune thing, or is that you?” she asked, meeting his gaze.

“A little of both, I suppose. Having Youko inside of me certainly aids in my above average intelligence, but I feel that I would still know as much without him… though life would be far less interesting,” he added, giving her a crooked smile that made her heart miss a beat.

“It… It's getting late,” she stammered, eyes wide. “We should get back to the castle.”

“Indeed, it's so. I'll end this training session with a bit of advice. I realize you don't want to discuss the Shinigami, especially not here, but I have to ask. Can you still use your Zanpakuto?” he asked as they stood, beginning to walk back.

“I can… But Kumori's not talking to me at the moment,” she sighed, glaring down at the ground.

“Not talking to you? Your sword talks?” he asked, curiosity peaked.

“Well, sort of… A Zanpakuto's a living being that puts their energy and soul into a sword. Mine is usually very talkative, but now she seems to be determined to ignore me.”

“I see… Are you positive that it's your blade, and not another force behind this?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, stopping in her tracks.

“When did she stop talking to you?”

Kagome frowned in thought, and then she sighed.

“It's been since… Oh, god. It's been since Kazuma snapped the blades,” she gasped, quickly materializing the dagger.

As she inspected the blade, her eyes widening in sheer horror.

“Oh, Kumori,” she gasped, staring at a large, lightning bolt-like crack along the steel.

“I'm sure it can be repaired,” Kurama started. “But… I'm not sure how usable it will be when fixed.”

“That's not the problem,” Kagome said, staring at the crack as though it were killing her. “I just told you Zanpakuto are made of living souls… A piece of the wielding Shinigami's soul,” she stated, eyes wide. “Kumori is a part of me in more ways than one… I should've noticed. Damnit! Why didn't I notice?”

Kurama grasped her shoulder, making her jump from her revelry, and she spun to meet his eyes.

“Calm, Kagome. Be calm. If it were true that it has a piece of your soul, and it broke, then one of two things would happen. Either the piece would return, and you would be able to simply recreate it. On the other hand-”

“A piece of my soul may have died… It's not like I don't have a large enough soul to live without her… but… she's… she's…”

“What part of your soul is she?” he asked, getting an inkling as to her horror.

“She's my instinct… My instinct to learn, to adapt, to evolve… Without her, my chances of dying horribly are extremely high,” she stated, dropping to her knees…

 

A/N:

Yes, more drama. I was and still am going to give Kagome a break, but I realized as I was going there was this little unresolved issue of what would happen when Kazuma snapped her Zanpakuto. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the attempt at romance writing, and will continue enjoying. We still have a ways to go before the tournament even starts. As always, be sure to leave your opinions, be they positive or not. See you next time!