Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Clenching Water ❯ Under the Surface ( Chapter 3 )

AN/ More of a transition chapter.

Written to: Elvis Presley’s “How’s the World Treating You?”

.

Clenching Water
Under the Surface

.

It had taken five months to find the last few shards of the jewel. They had been in the possession of a few low-level youkai and a group of human bandits. The difficult part had been tracking them down. They’d actually had to travel by boat to another island, forcing Kagome to take a week off of school to make the trip. But, at last they had the completed Shikon no Tama and the little time-traveling miko’s journey was truly over.

After a heated debate, they had decided the jewel would stay with Kagome in her time until they could think of a pure wish to rid the world of the Shikon. It seemed as if the well would be staying open, allowing Kagome and Inuyasha to travel through worlds at will. Kagome liked to think it was fate’s way of rewarding her for her hard work. Perhaps there was someone up there looking out for her.

She had spent her spare time with Sango as she and her new husband Miroku rebuilt the taijiya village. The older girl had tried to teach her some moves and improve her fighting skills, but the attempt hadn’t been entirely successful. She still couldn’t wield a sword worth anything, but she’d improved her aim with her bow and learned some evasive maneuvers for close combat.

Sesshoumaru had even stopped by for a few weeks to help in her education. He said it was because he didn’t want the Shikon stolen or broken again. “It would be a terrible bother,” had been his words. Kagome had giggled and secretly thought it was his way of repaying her for her help in keeping Rin safe during the final battle with Naraku.

He’d said that he “wasn’t familiar with the nature of miko energy,” but that reiki , which all humans naturally possessed, worked in the same fashion as youki. The youkai lord had worked with her to call forth her natural energy first into her hands and then even into her feet to kick with or just to give her a boost of speed.

After learning how to call forth her reiki, bringing her miko energy to the surface had become a lot easier. Her hama no ya had become a lot more powerful, and if she concentrated enough she could even pull it into her hands for a projectile. It had been exhausting at first, but after some practice, she’d been able to open the gate to that once dormant energy and form spheres of pure miko energy that she could throw at an opponent. They were considerably less effective than her hama no ya, but could be utilized in a pinch. Sesshoumaru had said it was because with her arrows, the energy had something to bond with and contain itself in, but a lot of the energy in her spheres were lost to the air on the way to the target.

The stoic youkai lord had bestowed one last gift on her. Or at least, he had tried. He’d attempted to instruct her in forming a whip as she’d seen him do. It was easy to form, but as she’d soon found out it was a nightmare to try to control. On her first day of practice the whip of energy had snapped back on her. And, because she’d been using her reiki instead of her miko energy out of concern for Sesshoumaru’s health (he’d adamantly denied that her measly miko powers could ever do him any serious harm), the whip had left a series of nasty welts across her back and thigh. She’d given up on it after that.

For several weeks, she had tried to contact Shuichi. She had visited his house and talked with his mother, whom she’d quickly become close to during their dating. But, she said Shuichi only called her every few days and hadn’t come to visit. He was very busy with his classes.

Shiori had told Kagome that she was very sorry for Shuichi’s actions. He hadn’t specified the reasons for the break-up, but she’d always thought they would end up together. Blushing, she admitted she’d quite liked the idea of red-haired, blue-eyed grandchildren.

Kagome had left something with her. The movie ticket to Paprika, the film they’d seen on their first date. The little miko had asked the older woman to give it to him when she saw him next.

With tears in her eyes, Shiori hugged the girl, telling her if she’d ever had a daughter she hoped she’d have been like her.

After she finally graduated from high school with honors, she’d returned to the Sengoku Jidai for eight months, wrapping up loose ends and helping rebuild the villages that had been damaged or destroyed during the quest for the jewel.

She tried to stay busy to keep herself from thinking about Shuichi. But always, when the days were slow and there wasn’t anything to do or anyone to help, her thoughts turned to the boy she’d left behind. Or had he, in fact, left her behind?

Kagome missed him terribly. She missed his smiles and the way he could make her laugh. He was always so composed around everyone else, but sometimes he could be quite mischievous. And she missed the odd ability he had to pull flowers out of thin air. And she missed the way he cared about her and talked to her when something was bothering her. Her heart ached to know she’d never have that with him again.

Perhaps she’d find someone, someday to take his place. But, secretly, she feared no one would ever be to fill that void he’d left when he walked away so carelessly. She tried to hate him for leaving her. Maybe it would make her feel better. But she couldn’t help but think it must have been something she did. She’d pushed him away with her dishonesty and aloofness.

Maybe she’d get over him. Someday. For now, she’d nurse her heart and try to concentrate on keeping the jewel safe.

.

He was at the top of his class, he hadn’t had any major assignments from Koenma in the last few months, and it was nearly Christmas. All things considered, Kurama should have been very content with his life.

Except, he wasn’t.

Whenever there was a lull in homework or when he was lying in bed in his dorm, he always found himself drifting towards thoughts of that girl he’d become so close to in high school.

Kagome. The name resonated through his soul and made his hair tingle. No one had ever made him feel like Kagome had. No one had ever made his blood rush like her. No one had ever stirred so much passion in him. She made him miserable with need, but in the same instant he could be content just to hold her. She was a paradox and a contradiction. She was kind and quick-tempered. She was wise and foolishly optimistic. Her every emotion and every feeling shown through those deep indigo eyes, but she had deeper secrets.

But she was also human. And despite being born mortal, Shuichi Minamino had been slowly merging with the ancient spirit of the fox demon Youko Kurama. He was an equivocal mixture of human character and demon strength. It was barely noticeable, but he’d seemed to have stopped aging after 18 and his physical strength had been growing gradually since then. Youko still remained an entirely separate entity inside him, but his spirit seemed to be leaking into the human one of Shuichi, giving the boy more of his youkai attributes. Koenma had said of the few documented cases of youkai avatars, this progression seemed to be the general trend. And there was no evidence to suggest it would stop anytime soon.

No matter how much he loved her, Kurama had convinced himself that he could never be completely happy with Kagome simply for the fact that he would forever have to keep part of himself from her. And it would be unfair to her to keep so big a secret from her.

And there was the simple fact of her safety. Anyone around him would be in danger of youkai attacks, one because he was the avatar of Youko Kurama who had made quite a handful of enemies in his day and two because he was part of the Reikai Tantei. The only reason he let Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei get close to him was because he knew they could take care of themselves. But if one of his enemies got a hold of Kagome, it would be his fault. And he couldn’t bare to see her hurt.

Not that it had been much of a problem while they’d been dating. Strangely, he’d only encountered one demon that had been after Kagome while they were going out. And in a bizarre turn of events, it hadn’t even recognized him. It had kept ranting about a jewel, but had been weak and easily taken care of. Kurama had thought on it for a long time, but couldn’t think of a reasonable explanation for the youkai’s odd behavior. The two of them had been the only ones in that part of the park and if the demon hadn’t even recognized him then it must have been solely set on Kagome But for what reason?

A few days after he had said his goodbyes to Kagome, Youko had begun talking to him again. He almost wished he would have stayed quiet. All the fox did was pout and groan about his “weak human insecurities.” He never said so directly, but Kurama could tell Youko was upset about their decision to leave her.

‘It wasn’t my decision, human,’ the old fox spoke in frosty tones.

He’d called him “human.” He was brooding again. It was unavoidable, Youko. You know it could not have worked out.

‘We could have kept her. Even in this form, we’re strong enough to protect her from anyone with ill intentions.’

Youko, as a fox, was a logical creature. But, Kurama supposed that tasting something so sweet and having it ripped away from you could make anyone a bit unreasonable.

He sighed mentally, giving up on his microbiology homework for the time being. We couldn’t be with her every minute of every day. Sooner or later the opportunity would arise for one of our enemies and she would get hurt or killed. Or used against us.

The fox spirit just glared, but stayed silent anyway. After a while, Kurama relaxed and picked up again on his homework.

All was quiet in his head for a while. Then, ‘Call Akemi.’

The girl called Akemi was their latest plaything. In the months following their break-up with Kagome, Youko had become even more insistent in their pursuit of pleasures of the flesh.

She was a nineteen-year-old community college student he’d met at a party he’d been dragged to in early November. She was boring and self-absorbed, and only ever talked of herself. She had the haughty attitude of a pretty girl who had been given too much and not earned enough. She had long, straight brown hair framing a very poised face and draping over a tall willowy figure. Where Kagome had been shapely and colorful, Akemi was like a living skeleton. Kagome had been lively, passionate, and attentive. Akemi may as well have been a statue. A beautiful statue, but a figure of marble and ivory all the same.

Akemi was the opposite of Kagome in every way. But her eyes were two perfect gems of blue. They were lighter in color and whereas Kagome’s eyes had always reminded him of a deep ocean, hers brought the cold feeling of winter ice crystals to mind. Where Kagome’s had always seemed to gather the light in and reflect it in a rainbow of emotions, Akemi’s were dull and numb and seemed to suck the very light from the room like two voids. Still, if they tried hard enough, Youko and Kurama could pretend it was Kagome’s beautiful orbs they were gazing into while they had their way with the pliant young woman.

It was a trend they had been following as of late. Some of them shared the long wavy black hair, some the pretty pouting lips, some the curvy hips and legs that seemed to go on for days, some the little voice like tinkling bells. They had yet to find a girl who could rival Kagome’s smile. The way she’d always smiled not at him, but for him. Like that smile was just for him and no one else.

Most of the time, Youko would spot these girls first and point him in their direction. Kurama would introduce himself and soon enough the similarities would become readily apparent.

Kurama was no expert on fox psychology (though, if truth be told, he was probably the closest thing to it in the human world), but it was clear to him that the kitsune was, for lack of a better word, lovesick. And he was trying to fill the void Kagome had left the only way he knew how; with sex. And lots of it.

He just hoped the old fox spirit got over Kagome soon, because Kurama wasn’t getting any work done. Sighing, he conceded to contact Akemi right after he finished his homework. Youko made an annoyed snort and helped speed the process by giving Kurama the answers nearly faster than he could write them. Apparently, the fox had been paying attention during the lectures.

As they visited Akemi that evening, exchanging caresses and the false words of affection lovers often uttered to cover their shame, the gaping chasm in the shared heart of the fox and the avatar grew ever so wider. The dim light of the bedroom did nothing to hide the sheer emptiness of the act.

As Kurama explored her, Akemi’s blue eyes lit with a bare ember of contained passion. He drank it in, the taste of it mild compared to the sweetness of Kagome’s. But they would take it.

Kagome had been a mistake, but not one that either Kurama or Youko could bring themselves to regret.

.