Hi every body! My sister can no longer write for you. She's very ill and isn't allowed to get on the computer for now. But I'm going to keep her story going for a while since she can't. Hopefully you won't notice the change in writing styles. Thanks for the reviews, we both like reviews a lot! Umm…well tell me if I do as good as my sis! Thanks!

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!

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

Bitter Memories

Chapter fifteen : A Mission

A dark figure watched intently, eyes blazing with the utmost unwavering gaze. The tree shifted, the leaves momentarily blocking her view. Annoyance and anger flared up slightly, but where soon calmed. The tranquility of the scene before her keeping her in check.

A dark haired, teenaged boy was lounged out a crossed the emerald grass, his head resting comfortably in the lap of a pretty brown haired girl. Their eyes were turned to a beautiful, green haired youkai and a fumbling, blushing, persistent red head. Among the group was a hansom red head, with strong traces of youkai, a girl with long blue hair and no detectable aura at all, and finally, a dark haired, brooding youkai. The ugly red head was attempting to woo the uninterested, female youkai. The youkai, on her part continued to change the subject and flutter away from his advances, much to the amusement of the collected group.

Their obliviousness was amusing, as was their antics. To her the three weeks that had passed since their last meeting seemed more like a hundred, and in truth, the amount she had improved in the time period was nearly the same as someone that dedicated a life's time to training. Sighing, she smiled to her self, her eyes resting on the small demon at the base of a nearby tree. His dark, spiky hair, and troubled, but slightly amused expression making her urn to alert them to her presence. As she watched him, the cold, brisk air of the early winter wafted up, snatching at his clothing. His shirt ruffled, the fabric loosening and allowing her greedy stare to gain a clear view of his muscular chest. Taking a deep breath, allowing the wind to kiss her now heated cheeks, she nearly stumbled off the branch she was perched on. His scent was strong on that particular gust. It seemed to fill her completely, the last of their meetings filling her, bringing with it the unsure, and doubt that has been plaguing her since he kissed her. When she had regained her balance, she turned away from him, reflecting.

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Flashback

The weeks passed with the slowest of pace. The scenery around the castle always in a perpetual state of summer. After the encounter with Hiei, she had spent the next week and a half figuring out just how she felt.

Her thoughts were keeping her awake, she needed to come to terms with them, despite her will to pretend she had none. Since her last dream had turned into an exotic dream about Hiei, she hadn't had any more nightmares. Instead, she was plagued by her innermost feelings.

InuYasha had been a visitor of her dreams for years, and no surprise, he continued to do so. Every time he visited her, she would realize how much she was in love with him, but before she could tell him he would disappear, much like he had done in real life. She would always wake up, covered in sweat, panting, feeling empty and alone. His eyes would haunt her until she managed to find the sleeping world once again.

But the dog demon wasn't the only one visiting her as of late. Hiei had become a very frequent visitor, much to her surprise. At first his dreams would make her confused, saddened, and most of all traitorous. Slowly, it became less confusion, less depressing, and more…well…right. Unlike InuYasha, Hiei stayed through out her dream. He was a constant, warm, strong presence in her mind. Yet, she just couldn't bring herself to go to him, her heart remained loyal to the one man that she would have died for, and this reason would cause pain. Hiei, in all her dreams would stay at her side, he would look at her the way he had before he kissed her, eyes aflame in passion and love. He seemed to wait on her, always nearby, but she never went to him. And the last thing she would see before she awoke was the hurt filled gaze that he had turned on her before running off. For some reason, this began to bother her more than InuYasha's disappearing act. Night, after night she would awaken to stare at the roof, refusing to allow her mind to dwell on the fire apparition. When she realized that her training was suffering greatly from her refusal, she sat up all night and thought deeply on what she wanted.

The conclusion was surprising and yet strangely, expected. It didn't take her long that night to realize that part of her had died with InuYasha, she loved him, but no one was asking her to deny that.

It did take her longer on Hiei. At first, she just thought about him in general. The way he looked, his expressions, his way of expressing himself, the way his hair always looked soft and yet stood on end, everything that made up Hiei on the very surface. Next, she dwelled deeper. She remembered every single emotion she had ever seen in his ruby eyes, the way his true feelings found in outlet in the flickering, intense orbs. She realized that they had a lot in common, that they were truly a lot alike. Finally, she allowed herself to remember her dream, the way he felt, and most importantly, how she felt. Her dream had been the first of the kind, it didn't exactly scare her that he had been in it, in-fact she was pleased when she connected the cold fire demon to the amazing lover of her dreams. Then she thought about the way she felt around him. Her heart seemed to forget to beat when she had healed him; she felt strangely protective, and possessive. His lips felt so utterly perfect against her own. He was surprisingly passionate, yet he was also considerate. When she hadn't accepted him, he had instantly pulled away and allowed her her space. It was these things that caused her to reach a remarkable insight.

Just as the sun was rising, her eyes had snapped open, her mouth falling open in a small 'o'. The realization of her thoughts making her instantly warm, and freezing with fear at the same time. She had feelings for him, strong ones, ones she only had allowed herself to feel about InuYasha.

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After she had come to a conclusion on the confusing situation, she had trained as fiercely as possible in order to be able to go and find Hiei. Now, sitting in the tree, so close to her reason for training as hard as she could, she felt so wrong. She had hurt him, and then she had waited three weeks before even attempting to come after him. If she was him, it would be too late by now, she wouldn't want someone as selfish as she had been. Dragging a clawed hand through her silky, long dark hair, she shifted her weight to the balls of her feet. Her muscles tensing up, her blue eyes locked on her approaching green haired friend. Just when Yukina had gotten in range, she leapt from the tree, landing directly behind the youkai, and in front of the surprised Kuwabara.

Startled, Yukina let out a loud, but short, scream. The others tense up at the unexpected intrusion. The previously happy, and humming clearing in the park was deadly silent, all eyes glued to her. A smile slowly spread over their faces, Hiei, she noticed with concern turned his back to her.

"Kagome-chan! Oh my Gods! Your back?!?" Keiko had found her voice and suddenly the deadly quite of before was sorely missed by the youkais in the group. Kagome smiled warmly, her eyes shifting from the turned back of Hiei, to the shining brown eyes of Keiko. Nodding, she wasn't expecting what happened next.

In a flurry of silk, and hair, the three girls launched themselves at the startled Inu-Youkai. With her increased reflects, she leapt into the tree she had just abandon and latched onto it in desperation. The three girls, unable to halt in their tracks went crashing into one another, landing in a heap directly below Kagome's startled form. Peering over her branch, her knuckles white from the grip she had placed on the branch, Kagome blinked several times at the groaning tangle of limbs that she called friends. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama instantly began to laugh, their faces turning a very interesting shade of reds and pinks. The three at the base of the tree glared up at Kagome, while attempting to untangle themselves. Finally, Kagome herself burst out laughing; they had proved just too funny. She relinquished her hold on the branch in favor of clutching her sides. Unfortunately for her, upon releasing her grip, she tumbled from her perch with the force of her laughter.

Before she hit the ground, she twisted, extending her leg. No sooner did her foot touch earth, than she used the momentum to spring back into the air. This time she landed squarely on the branch, instantly falling back into a laid back position. Her back fit comfortably against the tree's trunk, her head resting forward, and tilted to the side watching the group below her in interest. Chuckling, she locked her own twinkling blue eyes with that of Yusuke's.

"So when did you get back?" He asked, his voice showing his curiously. The group stopped their laughter, and if she wasn't mistaken, Hiei shifted toward her. Turning her face to the sun beating above them, she shrugged and sighed.

"Not more than an hour ago. To tell you the truth, I have been watching you guys for the last twenty minutes. I have taken about all the alone time I can stand, and decided to take up my position on your team, if you'll still have me. I was really beginning to miss you!" She slipped off the branch, landing in a squatting position, only to be tackled to the ground by Botan, who, apparently wasn't about to miss Kagome twice.

"Of course! Wow! I missed you, we all did! Did you get all the training done you wanted? Oohhh! You should hear the newest assignment we just received, you might be a little disappointed, but at least we will have something to do!" Botan was speaking incredibly fast, leaving everyone straining to understand her. Releasing Kagome from her embrace, she beamed brightly at the girl. Before Kagome could recover, Yukina and Keiko took their turns hugging her. Grinning back at the happy girls, she shook her head. Yep, she missed them.

"What's the assignment?" She asked after greeting the guys with a large smile, and a friendly wave. Kurama stepped forward, intending to answer her, but to his surprise, someone beat him to it.

"We have to go to some human school and find someone with a youkai aura." Hiei had spoken softly, but was heard nonetheless. Kagome smiled at him, seeing that he had decided to turn towards her. His eyes remained emotionless, as did his face. She frowned instantly when he didn't return her smile. Cringing against the lack of emotion, she nodded, biting her lip. The group seemed to not notice the silent attack Hiei used on Kagome, instead thinking the look she gave as one of intense thought. Finally, she glanced up, catching Botan's eye.

"Sounds good. I'm in."

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The uniform was amazingly similar to the one she had worn what seems to be a millennia ago. She glanced at her reflection once more. A normal, beautiful, dark haired teenaged girl stared back at her. Her blue eyes were still more dazzling than any humans, but it was the only flaw in her disguise. Smiling, she realized how much like her old self she appeared. Her dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, the ends swinging way past her butt. Her lips shined softly with the lip-gloss she had just applied. The blouse of her uniform was white and long sleeved, but unlike the other uniform, it dipped at the chest exposing a modest amount of cleavage. Blue and black ties hung between the juncture of her breast. The shirt clung to her thin frame, showing off her curves, but not revealing any skin. Her shirt was pleated and the same baby blue and onyx black of the ties. It, like her other one was particularly short. Her long, tan legs were bare until you reached the knee-high stockings and school assigned shoes.

'Perhaps our new principal is a bit of a pervert? Or even scarier, maybe he has a little fantasy about naughty schoolgirls. Note to self, never NEVER allow yourself to be alone near the principal!' The thought came unexpectedly into her mind, but once there she couldn't help but see the logic in it. Blowing her bangs away from her face she placed her hands on either side of the marble sink, her eyes boring holes into her self.

'Hiei hasn't said a word to me since he told me about the mission. If I wasn't such a damn chicken, I would go and talk to him, but maybe this is what he wants. Either way, I really miss him.' Standing back up, she tilted her head to the side, her long hair falling over her shoulder with this action. Leaning back against the wall of the small, hotel bathroom, she once again let her thoughts wander. 'Both Botan, and Hiei won't be attending school with us. Hiei just refuses to be seen at a 'human' school, but Botan can't. Dumb Koenma! What does he need her at work for? Why do I have to be the only girl! I wish Keiko could have gotten to transfer here with us. Hehe, boy was she pissed when Yusuke had to move an hour away from her! I'll never forget the way she pounded him!' Giggling, Kagome stared at the small room once again.

The walls were a pale blue, a darker blue speckled throughout. The shower was just that, a shower, there was (much to her disappointment) no bathtub. It was encased in a dark blue curtain, matching the dark blue on the walls and that of the single throw rug by the toilet. All in all, the bathroom was small, but rather nice, Koenma had done a good job of picking a hotel for her. The entire team was staying together in the hotel, their rooms taking up the top floor of five-story complex. Understandably, the four guys were to stay in two rooms, Hiei and Kurama in one, and Yusuke and Kuwabara in the other, yet their rooms were larger. Of course, she understood why, two people vs. her one means they need more space, but to the boys, at least Yusuke and Kuwabara, it wasn't enough space. Sighing, she let her eyes drift closed, as happy as she was to get to go back to school she was dead tired. She had been so worried that she would mess up their newest assignment that she had stayed awake nearly all night, now she was paying for it.

A knock on her bathroom door startled her away from the wall. She turned around quickly, and threw open the door only to come face-to-face with Botan. Botan took in her uniform with a raised eyebrow; she was having the same reaction to the out fit as Kagome had had. When Botan's pink eyes rose to her own blue ones, they both cracked up. Placing her hands on her hips, Botan controlled her laughter and once again looked at the ridiculous outfit.

"Well, that's umm, interesting? The boys' uniforms are not quite so…revealing! We need to get going though. I'm here to send you through a portal a block or so from your new school, the guys are already there. Wait till they get a peek at this!" Botan smiled and shook her head at the amusing sight, Kagome taking the time to see what Botan was wearing. Botan was clad in a pair of blue jeans, black high heels, and a comfortable, faded black tee shirt. Kagome was instantly jealous; she had to wear the ultimate guys dream outfit, while Botan got to be comfortable. With an evil glint, she grinned at Botan's unsuspecting back. Botan had latched on to her wrist and was pulling her from the bathroom.

"Soooo….I never got the chance to question you before. But how are you getting along with Kurama? He's pretty cute, and I know you think so. Spill! You want him, don't ya?" Kagome was grinning widely, Botan, who had spun around, had her eyes very large and a look of complete shock plastered to her face. She stuttered for a minute, her jaw flapping several times, without any words coming from within. Finally, she found her voice.

"Eek! Is it that obvious that I like him?!?" Her hands instantly flew up and covered her mouth, her eyes widening till they were saucers in her head. Kagome burst out laughing, the death bringer scowling at the girl. Latching onto her wrist again, Botan opened a portal quickly and shoved Kagome through before herself.

'Step one: Get Botan to admit she likes Kurama. Now, on to step two: Get Kurama to admit to liking her! Just because I have one case I'm working on doesn't mean I can't take on a hobby case!' Just as she finished her thought the portal spit her out, a large grin plastered to her face. Botan, hadn't decided to come with her however.

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'My eyes widened against my will, and my mouth may have hung open just a little. I couldn't help it! When Kagome walked out of that portal, wearing that outfit I nearly flipped. Hell! I might even attend this human school if I get to follow her around in that all day!

As quickly as my eyes widened, I turned to scowling. First, Yusuke made a cat call at her, and secondly, she doesn't want me. She never even tried to talk to me since she's returned! I really made a fool out of myself. Stupid wench! It's all her fault, DAMMIT! If YUSUKE DOSEN'T STOP HITTING ON HER I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!'

Hiei's fist clenched at his side, as did his jaw. It took all the self-control he had to not tackle Kagome and hide her from the greedy eyes of his friends. Kurama stood, his eyes widened, the same look on his face that Hiei had been sporting only moments ago. Kuwabara and Yusuke were identical. Both were drooling uncontrollably. Kagome stood giving them all the same 'You guys are on crack' look. Her head tilted to the side, and her eyebrow rose. Shifting her backpack onto her shoulders more securely, she turned and began to head toward the school, the trance she had put them in broken.

"Are you boys coming, or are you content to just stay there all day?" She called over her shoulder. Her black hair ran down her back like a living river. As soon as she spoke they all took off after her, Hiei to the trees that lined the block leading to the High school. The group walked in silence, Kagome leading the way with a certain demon following along in the trees, his eyes glued to her the entire time.

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The high school was rapidly approaching in the distance. The closer she got the more teenagers there seemed to be, springing up out of the ground like daisies. Several boys and girls alike stopped to stare at the group that was walking up to them. Her sensitive ears allowing her to hear that the rumors and whispers about her and her friends were traveling faster than they were.

'Ah, high school. Breeding ground for drugs, sex and rumors.' A small smile spread over her face. This was going to be fun. Her eyes traveled over her fellow classmates. It didn't take her long to see a pattern in the clothing styles the girls sported. The pattern was simply, if you were pretty, you got the sluttish uniform. If you lacked something to be desired, then you got a regular uniform that keep very much to the ones seen all around Japan. She rolled her eyes in annoyance; this whole thing was pretty degrading. The guys on the other hand wore primarily blue uniforms, the collars white, as was the under shirts they were supposed to wear. Black trimming ran along the buttons and the edges of the jackets. Unlike the girls' uniform, the guys were all the same and rather elegant looking.

The building they would be calling school for a while was a rather large and impressive building. The grounds were well-tended, winter flowers and plants blooming all around. The schoolyard was covered in a sea of white, black and blue clad teenagers. The building it's self was a large three story high school. The out side was painted in a dismal slate; the windows trimmed in a bronze, effectively making them glitter and liven up the building. The glass in the windows glittered in the winter sun, reflecting the gray sky that was currently hovering over them. Large, marble steps lead the way into the building, both of the double doors closed tightly to keep in the heat, presumably. Several teens walked to the doors and with small effort, pulled them open while she watched. Deciding that they should get in there and start their work, she sent a message to Hiei.

'I hope you'll be all right out here all day. I have lunch at noon, so if you want, I'm going to head out here, and if you show I'll stay. But we have to go inside now. I'll let you know what's going on through out the day. Bye Hiei, wish me luck!' She hoped he had heard her, she would feel really stupid if he didn't show up and she froze her ass off waiting for him. Sighing, she straightened her shoulders shoving through the rapidly parting sea of teens.

The walk into the school was a little unnerving. Every group they passed stopped to stare at them, the guys giving her lecherous grins, the girls giving her either a look of disgust or curiosity. It didn't escape her attention that her fellow Spirit Detectives gathered closer to her, Yusuke going as far as to drape an arm over her shoulder. She turned to him giving him a bland look before shrugging off his arm and racing up the steps of the school. Placing a bare, and freezing hand on the surface of the solid bronze door handle, she cringed at the stinging, burning sensation of the very cold metal. Dragging the door open quickly, she wasn't surprised to find her hand slightly stuck to it. Ripping her hand away she raced inside the warm comfort of the schools interior.

The hallway, like the schoolyard, was filled with teenagers. The closed space nearly suffocating with the numerous sights, sounds and smells. The hallways were tiled in black and white checker pattern. The walls lined in slate colored lockers, each having a gold tag at the top with a number engraved into it. Wavering due to the over whelming amount of sensory overload, she was grateful for Kurama placing a steadying hand on her thin shoulder. Flashing him a grateful smile, she leaned into his shoulder to let her senses adjust. Yusuke and Kuwabara took up positions on either side of the pair, and began the tedious task of shoving person after person out of their way. Slowly, they began to make their way past classroom after classroom, their destination the third floor, the seniors' floor, but first they had to get to the stairs.

Before they got there, Kagome gained control enough to stand on her own, the feeling of being drowned by her own acute senses disappearing to a more suitable level. Just as they reached the stairs, a loud, familiar, annoying sound rang though out the hallways. The bell. Instantly, the drones of students raced in all different directions, the group having to dive out of the way in order to keep from being squashed under foot of the thundering herd of the masses.

Within minutes, which during the group hid against a wall, the hallways cleared dramatically. Soon another bell rang, leaving the hallway a deserted ghost of its former self. Looking at one another, they all raced up the stairs, the same thoughts echoing through their heads.

'What did we get our selves into?'

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The paper in her hand was crumpled and ruined, but the dark ink on it was still legible. Glancing once more at the number on the paper and the number over the door in front of her, she took a deep breath, and glanced over her shoulder at Kurama. After finding their lockers, the group had separated. Yusuke and Kuwabara were in the lower level of the senior class, and had to split up with Kurama and herself. Luckily, the two pairs had every class together, meaning that they wouldn't be alone at any time through out the day.

Kurama smiled down at her reassuringly. Both were tense though. She could feel the demonic aura coming from the class room she was about to enter, meaning that the very first person they met at this school very well could be the very person they were sent here to inspect. Now was the moment of truth, was the demon inside this room harmful, or were they just merely trying to attain an education? Reaching a hand out she grabbed a hold of the handle and took a breath, then turned the knob.

The door opened with a loud creak, the young male teacher sitting on his desk stopped in the middle of his sentence, looking to the two young adults standing in the door way. With the teacher, his class as well turned to the intruders, only to stare in shock. There was no denying the two teens were hot. Both stepped into the room, the girl looking slightly embarrassed, the boy looking calmly around him. Clearing his throat the teacher caught the intense blue and green gaze of the two standing at the door.

"Umm…Hi? What can I do for you?" Kagome took the time to study the teacher, as was Kurama. The teacher was a young man, maybe around twenty-six. He was hansom, with dark brown hair and large wise brown eyes. He was well built, and completely relaxed in the classroom environment. But he wasn't a demon. Kurama let out a nearly inaudible sigh of relief one that only Kagome's sensitive ears detected. She smiled brightly at the teacher before they both bowed to him, leaving Kagome to answer his question.

"My name is Higurashi, Kagome and this is Suichi Minamino. We are both transfer students. Here's our pass." She smiled a brilliant smile, the hearts of the male occupants in the room increased in speed. The teacher smiled back at her in a kindly fashion, accepting her pass. He read it over quickly before rising from his desk and turning to the class. He towered over Kagome's small height, but was about equal to that of Kurama's. Clapping his hands to get the buzzing classes attention, he returned his gaze to the two new students.

"Welcome to Advanced English Literature! I'm your teacher Mr. Collin, why don't you tell us something about your selves, then you two can take those two seats in the back, next to Todd." The boy named Todd raised his hand and waved slightly to the two at the front, letting them know where, and who, he was. Both Kurama and Kagome quickly searched the blond boy at the back of the room, but he also wasn't the demon they were looking for.

Kagome steeped forward, taking another short bow, first because her skirt was so short and second because she didn't want to have her hair in her face. Then she looked up, her eyes starting at one side of the room.

"As you heard, my name is Kagome. I'm nearly eighteen, and we just moved here from Tokyo, both me and Kurama." At the class's confusion, she pointed to Kurama behind her. She was slowly scanning every person in the room. The first two front rows were done and no luck on their demon. "Umm…I'm an archer, and a martial arts buff, other than that I'm a relatively normal teenaged girl." When she finished, she glanced back at Kurama. He however wasn't looking at her. He nodded his head in the smallest manner toward where Todd was sitting. Following his gaze, she glanced over all the students on the way in between her self and Todd. When her eyes landed on what Kurama was so intently watching, her heart froze in her chest. Her eyes widened, and a strangled gasp escaped her. There in front of her was a very familiar face, one that she could never forget, and the demon they were looking for. The last thing she seen was the demon's eyes, then everything went black as her knees gave out and she collapsed to the ground.

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Any way…here we are at the end of a new chapter and now you need to review! You know you want to! Come on…DO IT DO IT DO IT! Hehe…that's what I thought! * Big grin*

On to more serious things though. For all those people that wished my sister to get better, we both really thank you. You guys and your reviews (I had to print them out for her…) made her day when they had her in the hospital. So thanks, you don't know what it means to me to get her to smile lately.