Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Dragon’s Promise ❯ Part III ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

"You're sure about this one, right?" Yusuke scowled, scratching lightly at his cheek. He snuck a quick glance at the blue haired reaper giving him a look that clearly stated, 'of course,' and shrugged. "This portal isn't suddenly going to dump us into a horde of demons that want to tear us into iddy bitty pieces?"

"Don't talk like that, Urameshi," Kuwabara huffed.

"What?" Yusuke smirked. "I'm only making sure. The last time we had a miscalculation, you got yourself beaten black and blue by that cat demon chick. I mean, I'm sure I can keep you from getting yourself killed, Kuwabara, but I'm just lookin' out for you, man."

Kuwabara growled, cracking his knuckles at the statement. "I'm ten times tougher than you, Urameshi! It'll be me having to watch out for your—"

"Will you two shut up, we're leaving."

Yusuke glanced toward the fire hybrid, asking, "What's crawled up your ass, Hiei?"

"I'm afraid that I must agree with Hiei on this matter," Kurama sighed. It would not do them any good to start an argument at this moment and time. "The last time there was a miscalculation was unfortunate, but I'm positive that Koenma and Botan have taken every precaution to make sure we arrive at our proper destination. This was a very delicate matter, after all."

Botan blushed prettily, as Kurama's green eyes settled onto her.

His lip lifted in annoyance, Hiei shoved by Kuwabara and stepped toward the portal. Glaring over his shoulder, he sneered, "When you three have decided to stop acting like complete fools, I'll be on the other side." He was gone in the next instant, only a slight ripple in the black portal indicating that he had even been in the room.

"What's gotten into the shrimp?" Kuwabara muttered.

Kurama shook his head lightly, saying, "I don't know, Kuwabara. Hiei is a rather reserved individual. Perhaps he is merely eager to get this mission done and over with?"

"Yeah, well," Yusuke snorted, "he can take that stick he's got shoved up his ass today and—"

"Yusuke!"

"Eh?" Yusuke blinked, turning his head as Botan stepped up behind him. He frowned slightly at the look she was giving him, tapping her foot in irritation, and briefly wondered if she had gotten into the same cookie jar of 'no more fucks to give' that Hiei had. "You gotta problem, Botan?"

The reaper huffed, saying, "You're wasting valuable time! Don't you realize that this portal will only stay open for so long before it closes? There's no telling how long it'll take us to recalibrate everything in order to open it again, so get going, will you!"

"Hey!" Yusuke yelped, as Botan gave him a rather hard shove from behind. "Don't shove me!"

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you stopped standing around talking about Hiei, now would I?" Botan shoved him again, satisfied with herself as the spirit detective stumbled toward the portal. There was no telling how long the portal would stay open, despite the time and effort they had taken in order to create it. "Koenma and I went through all this trouble to make certain that the miko's energy didn't drop you off into a ravine!"

"There might be a ravine on the other side of this?" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Oh, will you just go already!" Botan huffed, giving him another hard, satisfying push.

"Fine, fine, we're going, okay?" Yusuke shrugged the reaper off of him with ease, scowling as he stepped up to the portal. "But, I swear, if there's a ravine on the other side of this portal, I'm going to kick somebody's ass when I get back here, ya got it?"

"Could there actually be a ravine on the other side of that portal, Botan?" Kuwabara asked, looking doubtful as Yusuke finally stepped into the black mass. He figured Yusuke could handle it if there was, despite the drop, but he was not entirely certain if he wanted to risk breaking his own leg due to some miscalculation.

"No," Botan sighed, "of course not, Kuwabara. I am absolutely certain that this portal would drop you all off roughly one hundred yards from the miko's location. It's a very stable area. There isn't even a ravine nearby."

"Oh, okay," and with that Kuwabara stepped into the portal, too.

Kurama's eyes creased in amusement, as he nodded briefly toward the reaper. There was never a lack of entertainment when the Spirit Detective squad was together, and he was certain that whether or not this miko had awakened when they arrived, the trip was sure to be quite interesting. "Thank you, Botan."

"Of course!" Botan smiled, tipping her head into one of her hands happily.

The fox avatar then stepped into the portal and was happy to find that he stepped onto firm, solid grass deep within the Makai. The air crackled around him with a familiar energy he had not felt since he was truly Youko Kurama once he settled, and he had to take a moment to steady himself. He felt the ripple of his form, as the energy demanded he reveal himself, and quickly noted with his sharp, golden gaze that Yusuke had taken on his Mazoku form underneath the energy's unrelenting request.

"You, too, huh?" Yusuke smirked, the look on his face damn near feral.

Kuwabara shivered, his sixth sense suddenly high on alert. The girl's energy was brilliant and pure, and it sang to him on a spiritual level. He could not understand how anyone would have trapped such a soul deep within the Makai of all places, as he saw it twist and expand away from her body, searching, pleading, for something that she could not seem to find.

It was the dark pinprick of black fire entwined deep within her aura that drew his attention to the bright red string drifting from inside her prison. It was so faint he had not seen it at first, but it was there, and—

"Hey, short stuff." Yusuke drew their attention to the fire apparition standing nearby, his hand clenched around his arm wrapped tight with seals containing the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. "You okay over there?"

Hiei ignored him, ripping the seal away from the Jagan in an effort to contain the frantic struggle of the dragon. The faint flicker of black flames licking along the outside of the wards died for only a moment, the dragon relenting to him, before the holy energy pulsed around them and the struggle began anew. His lip lifted into a snarl, sweat forming on his brow, as he felt the energy of the girl demand he release the beast.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked, his eyes narrowing. "There's something wrong. Hiei's never lost control of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame to this degree before."

"It's her," Kuwabara said.

"What the fuck do you mean 'it's her?'" Yusuke frowned.

Kuwabara could not draw his eyes away from the way the girl's soul pulsed, that pinprick of blackness spreading out like shattered ice as it cried out once more. "That girl," Kuwabara told them, "she has black fire in her aura. Like Hiei's dragon."

"How is that possible?" Kurama felt his ears fold back with the information, as he shifted his focus to the miko trapped not far from their location. Her prison was still mostly intact, but there was a faint hint of black flames licking along the surface. Her holy energy became tangible amongst the fire, discoloring it with a wash of blue. "No one has ever tamed the dragon before Hiei. I don't understand."

"There's…" Kuwabara hesitated to tell them what else he could see then, knowing that they usually laughed at him about his belief that he was tied to Yukina by such a thread. But it was there, faint as it was. "There's a, uh, red string of fate tying her to that dragon. Maybe it's Hiei, though, I can't tell. It's too dim."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Yusuke demanded. The energy surrounding them was setting his teeth on edge, and he was starting to understand why demons avoided this area like the plague. "You can't seriously be tellin' me you think Hiei's destined to be with the girl we're supposed to be savin'?"

"I don't know!" Kuwabara felt the surge of desire that rushed through the air on a physical level, as the girl's soul seemed to thrash and beg to be reunited with the black fire it felt nearby. "I can't see it well enough. It's like," there was another pulse, making him pause, "like it's been broken."

The wards burned away with the next pulse of holy energy, the black dragon tattoo beginning to lift from his arm despite his efforts to control the creature. Hiei grit his teeth, wondering for a moment if Koenma would sentence him to the dungeons of Reikai if he killed the girl. The searing heat of the dragon silenced the thought quickly enough, as a faint hiss in his mind told him that nothing would stop it from unleashing the miko from her prison.

A dragon's promise could not be broken.

"Shit," Yusuke cursed, watching the Dragon of the Darkness Flame as it circled around Hiei.

Kurama settled his hand onto Yusuke's shoulder when he saw him begin to ready his Spirit Gun. "Wait," he said. "If what Kuwabara says is true, the dragon is most likely being drawn to the miko due to her imprisonment. Her energy is cloaking this area thoroughly, so there's a chance that it is merely calling to the dragon to set it free."

"Oh, yeah, because that sounds great." Yusuke cocked his hand up a bit more. "I'm sure all of us will be just fine and fucking dandy if that thing decides it wants to have a snack afterward, too, right?"

"We have to believe in Hiei," Kurama reasoned with him. "If the dragon's goal is simply to set the girl free due to their connection, then Hiei should be able to bring it back under control afterward."

"And how long am I supposed to wait until I'm sure that's gunna happen?" Yusuke snarled. "After she's free, and we suddenly learn that she still has control over it? Because, I don't know about you, man, but that energy she's releasing isn't exactly friendly, and I'm not about to sit around and wait to see if she decides she wants it to kill us."

"Her power bothers you because it is the opposition of demonic energy, Yusuke." Kurama tightened his grip on his shoulder in an attempt to stop him from shooting Hiei and the dragon. "Miko were said to be created by the Gods to protect mankind from demons, gifting them with the ability to turn them to dust with a single touch. If she wished it, she would not need the Dragon of the Darkness Flame to kill you."

Yusuke glanced back at him then, saying, "And when exactly was somebody gunna tell me that?"

"Yusuke," Kurama said firmly. "Koenma would not have sent us on this mission if he did not think we could fulfill it. You must remember that that girl risked her life to fix a shattered jewel, but Koenma did not reveal that she did not do so alone. From the tales I remember as Youko, she was accompanied by a half-demon and a fox kit. Please, lower your hand."

"So, what yer sayin' is she's the good kind of miko?"

"Yes," Kurama nodded.

"Fuck, man," Yusuke shrugged his hand off. He eyed the dragon as Hiei attempted to reign it back under his control, the long, black coils drifting around him in a never ending circle. "If we get eatin', I'm blamin' you when we find ourselves in Reikai."

"Fair enough." Kurama flickered his eyes toward Kuwabara, watching the way the only human on their team clenched at his shirt over his heart. He looked ready to fall over from the spiritual pressure being released into the area, as the holy energy clashed heavily with the malevolent energy surrounding the dragon. Kurama felt his eyes widen, though, when Kuwabara's eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head and he toppled toward the ground.

Yusuke noticed the change, too, as he cried, "Kuwabara!" and raced to his friend's side.

The cry the dragon released was almost deafening when it finally pulled away from the hold the Jagan held upon it. Hiei swayed on his feet from the strain, before he planted them firmly, watching in morbid fascination as the Dragon of the Darkness Flame rushed straight toward the imprisoned miko. The sickening crack that resonated afterward signalled the destruction of her crystal prison, black flames scorching the surrounding earth, though it became apparent that the miko herself was untouched by the devastation when her body was lifted into the sky, suspended amongst the black coils wrapped around her.

The Dragon of the Darkness Flame lowered its head then, a shiver revealing gleaming pink scales that shimmered to life underneath the black flames. That power pulsed with recognition in response to the miko's call, as the dragon opened its maw to unleash a torrent of pink fire that quickly began to eat away at the miko's clothing when it sank into her flesh. The miko's body jerked suddenly, the energy she was releasing dissipating as it returned to her in a flood, and the flames died with a snap of the dragon's jaws.

"What the hell just happened?" Yusuke shouted.

Hiei shifted his hand to his sword, preparing himself in case he had no alternative but to kill the girl to regain control of the dragon. He could clearly make out the distinct black markings that wrapped around her shoulders now, and he grit his teeth knowing that the blasted dragon had not told him that it had marked her for its own in order to imprison her. It explained why it had always taken on her form, as it contained a direct link to her at all times, and had most likely been achieved by the connection the girl had with the Shikon no Tama.

The miko's body pulsed as her soul returned to her, before she pulled in a startled gasp and snapped open her eyes to stare directly into the burning red orbs gazing intently down at her. She moved almost robotically at first, her hands drifting along the black flames of the dragon's jaw, as it lowered her slowly back to her feet. "You've come back," she said softly.

"Hiei!" Yusuke saw the way the fire demon's eyes flickered in his direction in a clear indication that he was listening. "If Kuwabara hadn't said that stuff about that chick being connected to the dragon, I'd think you were a pervert for burnin' away all her clothes!"

"Idiot," Hiei muttered darkly.

"Yusuke," Kurama almost sighed, "I don't believe now is the time."

Their attention was drawn back to the miko when she released a high pitched noise in humiliation, having clearly noticed her current state of undress from the way she was attempting to huddle in on herself with the Dragon of the Darkness Flame wrapped tight around her shoulders like a billowing scarf. "Why did you destroy my clothes?!" she hissed at the beast. "That was not part of our deal, you sneaky bastard! Are you trying to punish me for summoning you in the first place?"

Hiei nearly snarled when the dragon refused his summons, curling tighter around the girl's body and shielding her body from view. The Jagan glowed with an eerie light, attempting to drag the hellish creature back to his arm, but to no avail. His thumb flicked his sword up out of its sheath in that instant, as he prepared himself for the only strike he would probably get before the girl's holy energy responded violently to the attempt on her life.

The Dragon of the Darkness Flame released a hiss, settling its gaze upon him then.

The girl's eyes immediately followed, those hauntingly familiar blue orbs settling onto him. She seemed to forget her nudity then, lifting herself back to her feet. She seemed almost possessed, those eyes wide, unfocused and staring deep into something that only she seemed to be able to see in that moment. Then she smiled, slowly, and began to pet the flaming dragon circled around her throat. "Is that him?" she asked the creature.

The dragon merely swayed, some form of communication clearly happening between them as more pink scales shimmered and faded along its corporeal form.

Those stunningly beautiful eyes were unsettling then, and that smile she wore was dripping with the insanity that the dragon had spoken of. Hiei nearly spat out a curse, as understanding began to settle deep into his stomach. The dragon had told him that the girl had given it the Shikon no Tama in exchange for being sealed away like a precious jewel herself, but that had not been the full extent of the girl's desire. The creature's promise burned deeper still, as the girl had sought the reincarnation of her lover's fractured soul.

It was him, he realized. The soul she sought was him, and the Dragon of the Darkness Flame had readily led him to this ill fortuned fate for a powerful trinket.

"He finally got his selfish wish," she said softly. She seemed to study him then, before a small frown touched her features. "You're a full demon, but it seems that that selfish wish also cursed you once more. Life has been cruel to you, hasn't it? I'm so sorry."

Hiei lifted his lip in disdain, as he snapped, "Don't pity me, woman."

"Uhh," Yusuke muttered, "Kurama?"

The fox demon could only shrug in response, watching the exchange closely. There was clearly more going on then was being said, and he had a feeling that Hiei had answers to many of the questions currently formulating in his head.

"Woman?" the girl laughed then, amused by some memory that seemed to spark within her gaze. "My name is Kagome. Ka. Go. Me."

Hiei only sneered at her in reply.

"You're here, though." Kagome took a step toward him then, her hand lifting over her heart. "Look at you."

His sword pulled free in an instant. It would be the only warning the girl would receive before he struck. He saw her pause in step, tilting her head to one side as she pondered his movement, and he could not help believe her stupidity when she took another, only to pause, then take another. It was as if she was approaching a frightened deer, and Hiei was not about to be made a fool of.

The barrier lifted the moment he flickered from sight, his sword taking a dozen strikes against the obstacle while the Dragon of the Darkness Flame hissed in amusement at his fury. The girl only watched him as he retreated, the Jagan searching for any sign of weakness in her defense, and he released a small sound of frustration when he found none immediately. It had seemed to be instinctive, risen after her long slumber, but it was impervious with five hundred years of dormant holy energy strengthening it.

Another small laugh escaped her, as Kagome said, "Inuyasha tried to kill me, too. I think everyone has."

"I am not your half-demon lover," Hiei spat. He refused to be some replacement for this woman, and he refocused his concentration on reigning in the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. The beast seemed to huff at him after a moment, as the mark around the girl's shoulders pulsed in response to his call. He would have to kill her, after all, as soon as he could find a way to make her lower her barrier. "He is dead."

Kagome dropped her gaze then, as she softly replied, "Yes, Inuyasha is dead."

The fire apparition watched her closely, waiting for any moment of weakness. The moment he found one, he would be at her throat. He would not even give her the chance to scream before he cut out her main artery, relinquishing her of her ability to keep the Dragon of the Darkness Flame at her beck and call. It would be glorious, he knew, for it was clear that the miko was not an opponent to take lightly under serious circumstances, and he relished in the bloodlust that accompanied the thought.

Her smile was dazzling when she captured his gaze once more, halting the need to slit her throat and listen as she took her final breath in an instant. Hiei felt his eyes widen at the sheer sincerity and love within that smile, as she shook her head. "Inuyasha is dead," she repeated, "but he lives on in you. You're not the same person, and I'm not foolish enough to think that you are. I had hoped to only see you, to know that he had been given another chance. I know what it's like to be compared to your incarnation, and I won't make you suffer through that."

There were tears forming at the corner of her eyes, and Hiei looked away from her. Whatever he had thought she would say in her state of mind, that had certainly not been it. There was a wound buried deep within those words, and he felt as if he could almost understand the way she was suffering.

"I only hope that we can become friends," she said. Kagome turned to the dragon curled around her neck then, giving it a final pat, before she motioned toward the small demon refusing to even look at her. "Go on now, return your master. You're making him exhaust himself. Yes, yes, I know," she sighed, "you like being here more, but go on. This isn't where you belong."

Hiei felt the familiar burn of the dragon settling back onto his arm soon after, as he stated, "You're a fool. I could still kill you the instant your barrier lowered, and now you do not have the dragon as extra protection."

"I can't unbind the mark the dragon has placed upon me," she smiled. "But I can promise you that I will never ever attempt to take control of it over you ever again."

"I should kill you anyway for having the power," Hiei hissed.

The foolish girl only smiled brighter back at him, as she said, "I'm sure that we'll be the best of friends,... Hiei."

The hybrid was left to wonder in that moment how she had known his name, but he supposed that it could have been given to her through her connection to the dragon.

"Uuhhhh," Yusuke scratched at his cheek absentmindedly, "can somebody explain what the fuck is goin' on here to the rest of us?"

The question triggered a chain reaction, as the miko suddenly became aware that she was standing naked in a clearing with more than just the fire demon she had been conversing with and Hiei took advantage of her small shriek of embarrassment when she stumbled in an attempt to find a weakness in her barrier once more. Kurama watched with his calculating gaze, having heard what was said and watched the way the miko gazed upon his friend, and a small, secretive smile graced his lips when he realized that the miko might be right in the end.

After all, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame was part of Hiei, and dragons were notorious for becoming extremely possessive over anything they had claimed as their own. It might only be a matter of time before the fire demon saw her in a similar light, despite whatever reservations he currently had to simply rid her of her head, and Kurama knew that it would most certainly be amusing to watch.

Fin