Hey people! I'm so glad you all liked my story! I was kinda worried to post the last chapter, but your reviews made my day! In fact they made me so happy I came out of the depressing, kill everybody mood I was in. So that means two things…1) I won't (or shouldn't be) killing any one else anytime soon, and 2) there is lots of fluff on the way! Actually, you tell me what you want to see happen, and I will possibly incorporate them. I had a few ideas involving a shower and/or a pool but who knows. Next I want to ask a question, this fic will and always remain a Kag/Hiei, but would you like to see a little action between other characters? If so let me know, as some of you might have guessed I was leaning in that direction for Kurama and Botan love affair.

Now! To answer some questions. Yes, at this point Kag has lost it. But who can blame her? I need her wacked out, and Hiei is going to have to fix her. I would also like to point out that this is my first Yu Yu Hakusho fic ever! I have never really watched it, or read it, so I know nothing about it other than what I've read from other people. That said I would love for you guys to tell me how I'm doing and if I have the characters vaguely in character! If ya'll have any more questions, write to me and I'll be glad to answer them. (BTW…I'm a southern chick, what can I say…sometimes it slips…)

I do not owe either the InuYasha characters or those of YuYu Hakusho.

Warning!!! Graphic gory scenes to ensue, please avoid reading this fic if you are not of a suitable age, or do not have parent consent! You have been warned!

Bitter Memories

Chapter seven : The first hunt

Chapter 7

The wind seemed to howl, echoing the dark moods of the gang. That youkai girl had been able to keep them away for nearly an hour. She had put some kind of return spell on Botan, so that no matter what Botan couldn't follow her. It had taken awhile for it to wear off, but once it did they were after her.

They had arrived, with the exception of Koenma, at a dark shrine. The buildings were all foreboding and seemingly empty. At once, the stench of blood filled Hiei's and Kurama's noses. Glancing at one another they turned to the group, Hiei waiting for Kurama to explain the situation to the others.

"Something is not right here. There's a very heavy scent of blood in the air, but its hours old. The girl's scent is all over this place; she lives, or use to live here. Botan, maybe you should wait out here." Botan, flustered and a little put out, glared angrily at Kurama.

"Have you forgotten so easily that I am a servant of the dead? I think I'll be just fine thank you!" Shoving past the males in the group she stalked up to the house's front door, or at least where the door would have been. She took in the shattered glass and broken doorframe in a single glance before entering the dark and menacing structure. The others were following directly after. The air inside the house was glacial, like a meat locker. Botan was shivering in cold as well as the feeling of sorrow and death that seemed to leak out of the very walls. Her job was to take the newly departed to their destinations, but it never ceased to make her uneasy. This house was crawling with death, and she had no doubt that a few spirits lingered here. Her keen eyes kept aware of the damage, steering clear of all the debris. She could hear Yusuke let out a breath in a whoosh as he took in the destroyed interior of the place. Just as Botan was about to round a corner, a ghostly white, transparent hand was shoved into her face. Shrieking she jumped back into a surprised Kurama.

Kurama's arms shot out and griped Botan, before she had a chance to fall down. He wasn't quite sure what had scared her but he knew she wasn't the type to just scream for no reason.

"Grrr! You don't have to do that you know! All you had to do was say something like, 'Excuse me Botan? Can you see me?' Jeez! You dead, you think you can just waltz around and scare people like that!" Botan fumed into the apparent nothingness of the dark house. She was the only one that had seen the pale hand. An older man stepped from around the corner at her outburst and grinned at her. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck; large white priest robes covered his ethereal body. His dark eyes sparkled in amusement, hers in anger. (Ummm…I kinda forgot what Kag's family looks like, so…if you know or if this isn't close enough tell me so I can fix it!)

"Well, a minute ago I didn't know your name was Botan, did I? And it's not like I'm used to being dead or anything." His voice was like the wind whistling through the trees at night. Fuming she stalked up to the old man and poked her finger into his chest, which was rather amusing to Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Well! You shouldn't do that! It's not nice manners when you're alive, and it's not nice manners when you're dead either!" Botan pulled away from the older man as two more vaporous figures appeared around him. It tore her heart to see the family standing together, lost and not really knowing what to do. The woman was vaguely familiar; she had short, black hair and shining chestnut eyes. Her face was warm and smiling, but tinted with sadness. She wasn't very tall, only coming up to Botan's forehead. The small boy next to the woman is what nearly killed her. The child, like his mother, was familiar in appearance, but she couldn't place it. His sorrowful expression and large brown eyes held her gaze. His dark whispy hair fell around his small face in disarray. He was very short and tiny; Botan placed him to have been only about ten when he died. The family stared at her for a minute before the mother spoke.

"I apologize for my father, please forgive him. We just really don't know what to do; we are recently…deceased…and have nowhere to go. My name is (fill in first name) Higurashi. This is my father, and my son, Souta. Are you here seeking my daughter?" The woman's voice was soft and sounded like a bell, she had looked at Botan at first, then behind her at the group, but once she realized they couldn't see her she returned her gaze to Botan. Botan cocked her head to the side in thought, but then turned to stare at the ghost.

"Actually, we are here because a youkai came here. We are searching for her, because she seems to have vital information that we desperately need. We are very sorry to disturb you! I can help you though. I can lead you to the afterlife if you will only wait for me and my friends to search for Kagome." The ghosts' faces twisted into menacing looks of unhidden apprehension.

"What do you want with my grand daughter? If she had any information for you she would have given it to you! Leave, leave now!" The older Higurashi fumed getting right up in Botan's face. She took a few steps back looking bewildered. Her companions noticed and watched her intently. They had long since realized that a ghost was in the house and apparently having a conversation with Botan. The air seemed to increase in its chilly atmosphere with the anger of the ghost. Botan's outburst made the groups eyes open wide in shock.

"What do you mean grand daughter?!? She's a youkai!" Botan was staring at the three Higurashi's in amazement. The youngest Higurashi taking a few steps towards Botan took her hand and began to lead her down the hall. Puzzled, Botan began to resist, trying to insist that she be released.

"Where are you taking me? I really need to check that room back there! Hey! Are you even listening to me?" She didn't want to disappoint the young boy, but she did have a job to do. When the boy turned to look at her, she let out a breath of relief. But he shook his head and began to pull her again, his mother and grandfather floating around him. Calling back over his shoulder he told the confused Botan, with her friends trailing her, where he is taking her.

"I what to show you something! But believe me, you do not want to go in the living room, the bathroom upstairs, or my mom's room. Just trust me, okay?" At the mention of the living room, the grandfather shuddered, and the other two did the same for their respected rooms. Botan understanding called back to Yusuke over her shoulder.

"Yusuke, there is a body in the living room, an old man's. Upstairs there are two more. A woman's in the one bedroom and a boy's in the bathroom. They say that Kagome, the youkai we followed here is family. I don't know what to think, but they want to show us something. Oh, and Souta, the boy, really doesn't want us to go into those rooms, he says that we wouldn't want to." Souta beamed at the girl he was dragging, before coming to the bottom of the stairs. Pointing up, he turned to look at her.

"What I want to show you is up there, and since you can see me, tell my sister that I love her and not to feel so bad. When she came home, she was really upset. I tried to tell her not to feel bad, but…she couldn't see or hear me. Momma, and grandpa too." He seemed to go distant, they all did. Identical looks of sadness pasted over their faces at the thought of Souta's sister not being able to see them. Botan nodded to the boy not really knowing what to think. She began to head up the stairs, following her were the rest of the gang, the ghost had disappeared. The stairs were in ruins. Botan had to watch out for numerous holes, and pieces of wood. At the top waiting for her was the family. Botan waited for the rest of the group to join her before following the boy to an upturned table. Pictures and broken knick naks littered the floor. Souta nodded to Botan as she bent down to pick up the picture he had stopped at. Bringing the picture up and brushing off the glass and wood, she gasped at what she saw, nearly dropping the picture in her hand.

"Botan? What is it?" Yusuke asked. With a weird expression on her face she stood up and passed the picture into Yusuke's awaiting hands, before turning to stare at the ghost before her.

"But how?" She asked them. They only shook their heads, unclear as to what had happened them selves. Yusuke getting a good look at the picture stared at it dumbfounded. There, in the picture was a smiling teenaged girl with another dark haired girl. They were both very human, and yet, the girl on the right, wearing a school uniform was the youkai they had been following. She wasn't only human in this picture, but she was also a few years younger, the girl next to her was staring at her oddly and completely missed the camera going off. Kuwabara had crowded around Yusuke trying to get a good look at the picture. Realizing who the picture was of he blurted out the very obvious, stupidly.

"Hey! It's that youkai girl!…Well, except human!" Hiei and Kurama took the picture from Yusuke and studied it for themselves. Then the all turned to Botan for an explanation. Who in turn, looked to the Higurashi's. The mother took a step forward and with Botan relating her words to the group told them the story.

"Kagome is my daughter. She was born to me eighteen years ago this May. She has incredible miko powers, but other than that, she was a normal teenager before, well, her trip. Kagome was drawn into the past on her fifteenth birthday. There she met and fell in love with InuYasha, an Inu-hanyou. I'm fuzzy on the details, because she didn't inform me of everything, but when she came back the last time she was coated in blood and very depressed. That night she disappeared. We didn't know what happened to her, so when she didn't come back for two months, we thought she was dead. It's not like Kagome to just run off, but when she came home tonight I realized why she had run off. We don't know how, but the Inu-youkai that you are after is my baby! She…she seen us, the way those youkai killed us. Please, you have to find her! She couldn't hear us when we tried to tell her everything was okay, and she took off. She was really angry; beyond anything I've ever seen her. Her eyes went red and she howled. My poor baby! She should have never had to seen what she seen. Please don't hurt her! She's really a good person, she's a priestess after all!" By now the mother was begging and pleading with Botan, her hands were clasped in a praying motion. After telling the boys what the woman said, Botan took pity on the woman and embraced her. The boys were shocked into silence. No one seemed to know what to say. This girl Kagome, had been a normal priestess, but something happened and now she was a raging youkai. Curiosity got the best of the male group and they began to head to the open door at the end of the hallway. The mother called to their backs in vain, starling Botan. She looked to the group of boys and tried to get their attention as well, but it was no use. They walked into the bedroom, lead by Hiei, and stopped cold. What they saw made the boys all think of finding their moms like that. Except Hiei, who just stared at the body. They turned and left the room, morbid curiosity getting the better of them. After discovering the remaining bodies, they felt a deep sympathy towards the girl. Even Hiei felt a pang of pity for her.

While the boys had checked on the bodies, Botan had ushered the Higurashi family on to the afterlife, promising them that she would tell Kagome they loved her and missed her. The family had been skeptical, but followed Botan through the portal into Koenma's office. Koenma was surprised to see her and her recruits, but instantly ushered them into another room so Botan could return to find Kagome.

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The steely, cold eyes of Kagome easily penetrated the dark night. Her rage had taken over and left her a bitter, animalistic shell of her former benevolent self. Now she was hunting. The winds carried the scents of her prey to where she perched on top of a warehouse in the east-side dock. The wind was heavy with the smells of the sea, the tangy, salty, acidity of the ocean's spray. Her long dark tresses danced on the breeze to an unknown tune. Their glittery, silken ness caressing the night's zephyr. Her muscles were tense, and pulled taunt all over her body. She was scrunched up, the way a cat does before pouncing. The chill of the wind, and the ocean never seemed to affect her as she waited for the dark moving figures below her to get in range.

Even in her primitive state, she waited for them to be alone; she wasn't about to let herself die before she got her revenge. The youkai she had been tracking ambled around in the shadows, their voices lifting to her sensitive ears. They were partying and carrying on over their successful murder spree. Her rage only built as she listened to them congratulate each other. Finally, one walked away from the rest, just enough that she could take him out without raising the suspicion of the other four. Her muscles jumped like a tightly spun coil. She leapt silently from the four-story building, landing on her target many feet below. Her pray made a loud oof as she landed, but was quickly silenced as her claws descended a crossed his neck. The warm liquid spilled over her fingers in a river, her prey making a small gurgling sound as he died. Standing up, she didn't bother to adjust the small skirt of her outfit. Blending into the shadows, she brought her fingers to her lips, absently smelling the blood that resided there. Wrinkling her nose against the dreadful smell of reptile blood she glared at the youkai's limp figure.

Voices drawing nearer warned her of the approach of his companions. She smirked at their drunken behavior. All the signs were there; the overly loud voices, quick to anger, and the staggering was a big give away. They couldn't make it any easier. Being upwind she could smell their rancid stench from where she hid in the shadows of the warehouse. Her back was pressed tightly against the cold, metal wall. She seen them long before they seen the laid out figure of their friend.

"Hey! Whuts in the hellz is yous doin'?" There were only two of them, and she knew she they would be no problem. The two staggered forward, and one bent down to check on the dead reptile on the ground. Bunching her muscles again she leapt silently over his head and latched onto the youkai behind him. This youkai was too surprised to react, so she got a clean stab at his unprotected chest. The sounds of the commotion caused the other youkai to straighten up and turn to look at her with wide green eyes. Snarling, and snapping at him she advanced. She stalked toward him in the dark, her red eyes glowing in rage. He backed up a few feet before smiling cockily. Grinning at her they began to circle each other. Their fight had begun, and now he seemed not quite as drunk as he had let on.

Like sharks they walked in a small circle around the two dead alligator youkai on the ground. Both were hunched over in a predatory stance, sizing the other up. He flashed her a large, toothy grin before he leapt at her over the bodies. That was his mistake. Seeing his grin she kept her face clear of emotion, and let him come to her. As he leapt at her, his teeth bared and his clawed hand out stretched, she brought her hand up to meet his chin, palm out, fingers curled. Her upper cut was powerful enough to send his body into the air, before coming down hard on the concrete. Still growling she pounced on his back, letting her claws ooze poison. Raking her claws a crossed his back she tore deep, long gashes, the blood pooling up immediately. He hissed in pain, and tried to throw her off. Grabbing a hold of his shoulders, she pushed her legs into the air before coming down hard on his spine. A loud, satisfying crack was heard as his spine broke under her pressure. With him helpless, she got up and left him to die in a puddle of his own blood. Three down, two to go.

OKAY! Don't hurt me! I know I promised you a little Kag/Hiei time, but haven't you ever heard absents makes the heart grow fonder? To tell you the truth I working on a fight scene that I really wanted to write. Hope you guys forgive me, and keep reading, because once I get into the fluff there is no going back! LOL, I tend to get a little carried away, and graphic in * those* kinds of scenes! Hope your enjoying it! Review! Threats on my life are welcome seeing as I lied to you guys!