Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Evolution ❯ Escape ( Chapter 15 )

Evolution

 

OooooO

 

Kagome found herself on top of the rocky hill once more, staring out at the darkening horizon as she often did when she had nothing else to occupy her mind. Except something was occupying her mind. The death of Tei still weighed heavily on her mind. Not only that, the relaxed atmosphere the youkai had around her disappeared as their wariness of her powers increased. It hurt when they flinched when she moved her limbs in what they perceived to be a threatening manner. Kagome thought, that while they certainly wouldn't trust her by any means, they would realize she didn't mean any harm. Otonashi still approached her, but he seemed more distanced, and didn't sit so close to her anymore. The only ones who remained unaffected were Yomi, Kuronue, Youko, and Seiryoku. But Youko didn't talk to her much, Kuronue was often busy with other things, and Seiryoku and Yomi spent much of their spare time training together. From what Kagome had gathered, Seiryoku was Yomi's mentor. It hurt, to be so alone all the time. Even if Kagome were to seek out Kuronue and Youko, they were both off on a heist at the moment, and Kagome didn't want risk Seiryoku's anger if she decided she didn't want Kagome at her training sessions with Yomi. Kagome drew her knees to her chest.

 

`I wish you were here, Mama. You always make everything better. I want to see you again…' Kagome thought desolately. She hid her face in her knees.

 

“ You should get inside. The food is going to be ready soon,” Yomi spoke from behind her. Kagome shifted.

 

“ Okay. I'll be inside in a minute,” Kagome replied listlessly. Yomi frowned at Kagome's back. She had seemed depressed since Tei's death a few days ago. Yomi didn't know much about humans. Did they really mourn the dead this much? Amongst youkai, it was acceptable to show one's mourning for three days after burial, but then one went about as usual, hiding their sorrow behind figurative masks. Kagome had gone past the three days and appeared to be mourning even still. It was unusual, and Yomi didn't know if it was human custom…or if something else was wrong. Kagome took one last glance at the darkening sky, then slowly stood and followed Yomi back into the labyrinth of caves that were buried deep in the hill beneath her feet.

 

As soon as Kagome entered the caves, she grabbed a dish and put some of the deer meat on it. She then found a dark corner and began to pick at her food away from the others, who ignored her. `I don't think I've ever been so lonely in my life…' Kagome desolately cleaned off her plate slowly, the meat eventually disappearing down her throat. When she was finished, she placed her dish in the pile of other dirty plates that would need to be cleaned later on. She then proceeded out of the entrance, occasionally scuffing her foot in the dirt.

 

She decided against going to the top of the hill; everyone knew that was where she went. Instead she made her destination the forest at the foot of the hill. When she was completely enveloped by the trees, she took some time to find a place to sit and contemplate.

 

What had happened to her friends? She had remained with the clan of thieves for months, and there was no sign of them. Kagome last saw them in July, and if she had to guess, it was probably nearing October. There was only one reason she could think of that her friends had yet to find her. They were dead. Perhaps the rumors the clan had heard were true, and the rest of them had died in the explosion. Kagome's eyes stung. Miroku, Sango, Shippo…Inuyasha. All dead. There was unease and restlessness in her heart. She didn't know if they were dead for sure. She had to find out. Her friends had never abandoned her. Kagome would return the favor. She would not rest until she found out what happened to them.

 

But there were other things that bothered her as well. Namely Youko Kurama and Kuronue. Sango's words continued to haunt Kagome, reminding her of the dangers of associating with the deceptive thieves. Kagome thought that was probably what made them so dangerous, was their deceptiveness. Kuronue often appeared laid back, but there had been a few moments when she had seen him get angry with another one of the thieves. The glint in his violet eyes had been chilling, his voice low and menacing, but soft all the same. Kagome was reminded in that instance that despite his looks and charming manners, he was still a dangerous youkai that killed on a nearly daily basis.

 

Then there was Youko, who didn't bother trying to hide how dangerous he was. It was his unpredictableness that made him dangerous. One never quite knew what made him tick. He was quick to kill those who opposed him without remorse. His eyes were intense, but cold at the same time. He took what he wanted with no regard for anyone except himself. And yet…the underlying tones of danger that resided in both Kuronue and Youko Kurama turned Kagome on. It didn't help that she knew that they were both interested in her, no doubt for nefarious reasons, but all the same…Kagome shivered as a spark shot down her spine.

 

But that didn't matter. What mattered was that somewhere, the corpses of her friends could be rotting, and no one would care but her. And currently, she was sitting in a forest, held hostage, sort of, by a group of thieves. `Very sexy, dangerous, and cruel thieves.' She added mentally. Kagome paused in her thoughts. Youko and Kuronue were both gone, and at this very moment, all the other thieves would be sleeping. Seiryoku wouldn't be in bed yet; she always took a bath before she went to sleep. That meant that at this moment, if she hurried, she could sneak back in, grab her bow and some arrows, and then escape. Seiryoku wouldn't realize; Kagome always came in after she was in bed. However, Kagome had never actually saw Seiryoku sleeping, which meant she went to sleep after Kagome did, if she went to sleep at all. The dog youkai would probably realize something was wrong after a few hours. Counting in the speed of a youkai, Kagome would only have an hour or so head start. It would be difficult but Kagome was sure she could do it. She stood up and quickly hurried back to the caves.

 

Kagome crept inside, inwardly smirking in victory. The fire had been extinguished, and no one had lingered. She hurriedly snatched up some meat and stuffed it in a pack she found. She darted down the tunnels, finding Seiryoku's room and grabbed her bow that rested next to the bed. She strapped on her medical kit to her back, then returned to the main room to find some arrows. That proved to be relatively easy, since they were sitting out in plain sight. She slung the quiver on her back, then, without looking back, left the caves.

 

Kagome paused when she was on the edges of the forest. She really didn't know how far it extended, and she had heard from the other thieves that it was littered with traps so that no one could get through. Kagome bit her lip. That could prove to be troublesome. Gathering her courage, Kagome started off.

 

“ Going somewhere?”

 

Kagome released a small scream and stumbled over herself as she tried to turn around too quickly. Yomi stood there, arms folded across his chest, a fine brow arched arrogantly. Kagome panted as she composed herself, holding a hand over her heart.

 

“ Oh god, Yomi, you scared me,” Kagome said breathlessly.

 

“ Obviously,” he said dryly. Kagome scowled, but decided to ignore his remark.

 

“ What are you doing out here so late?” Kagome asked. Yomi shrugged.

 

“ I could ask the same of you,” Kagome shifted nervously, hoping she wasn't caught already. Yomi rolled his eyes.

 

“ You are so obvious. All of your things are with you; you are armed, and don't think I didn't notice that some of the smoked meat for the winter was taken. It's clear that you're trying to escape,” Yomi said. Kagome looked down at her feet.

 

“ What's it matter to you?” Kagome mumbled. She heard Yomi sigh, before clawed fingers tilted her head back up.

 

“ It's those friends of yours, isn't?” Yomi said. Kagome blinked back her tears and nodded.

 

“ I've got to find them. I…they might be dead, and all I'm doing is staying here, not even trying to go find them. If I find their corpses, then I'll come back here. I'll have no where else to go, after all. But if they're alive…Youko's going to have a hell of a time trying to get me back here,” Kagome said. Yomi tilted his head curiously.

 

“ I don't think I've ever met a person as loyal as you are, Kagome,” Yomi replied, “ It'd be nice, to have that kind of loyalty someday.” He stepped away from Kagome and turned to face the sky, the bright moon shining down on them. “ You know that if Youko catches you, you'll be in trouble.” Kagome nodded in response to Yomi's statement.

 

“ I know,” she said softly, “ but I have to find my friends.” Yomi stared at her for a long time, before he knelt down, offering his back to Kagome.

 

“ Get on,” he ordered. Kagome hesitated in surprise, before climbing on his back. Yomi stood, before he began to leap through the trees at an inhuman pace.

 

“ Yomi, what are you doing?” Kagome asked.

 

“ I can take you to the edge of the forest, and no further. After that, you're on your own. Don't you dare tell Youko what I've done, or I swear I'll be your worst enemy for the rest of your life. Avoid any forests, and try not to touch any kind of plant life; Youko can talk to plants, he'll no doubt track you that way. Don't use your holy magic if you can help it, Kuronue can track down magic signals. And cover your scent, Seiryoku is a dog youkai, as you well know. Don't leave behind any trails and make it as hard as possible to track you. I don't know where you want to go, but we are in the land ruled by the human clan called Asai. To the south is the Sasaki clan,” Yomi said hurriedly. Kagome's brain began working overtime. ` The Asai and Sasaki clans? That means I'm by Lake Biwa…I'm in the Shiga prefecture?! Of course, it makes sense to put a clan of thieves here…not only are they near the Sakai trade center, but they are almost right next door to Kyoto, the capital. It'll take me ages to get back home…' Kagome thought desolately. Kagome was startled out of her thoughts when Yomi skidded to a stop. The forest had opened up into a worn dirt road. Hoof prints and horse manure littered the side. `This must be a trade route…' Kagome thought. Yomi gently placed Kagome on the ground.

 

“ This is as far as I can take you. You're on your own now,” Yomi said. Kagome turned to Yomi and blinked back tears. He had been a great friend…even if he was a perverted jerk.

 

“ Well, I guess this is it, Cho-chan,” Kagome said. Yomi snorted.

 

“ Hopefully I won't ever have to see you again, Bitch-chan,” he replied. Kagome knew what he meant by his callous words. If Yomi saw Kagome again, it would mean that Youko had caught her. Kagome smiled softly.

 

“ Thanks Yomi. And…goodbye,” Her smile became sad as she began to turn away. She was stopped when Yomi grabbed her elbow.

 

“ Wait, Kagome,” he said. The horned youkai stared down at her for a moment, before leaning down and brushing his lips against her own.

 

“ Stay safe,” he murmured. Kagome's lips trembled, and she threw herself around Yomi and held him tight, before letting him go. She pulled back, and a tear slipped down her face. She hated good byes. Kagome slowly let go of Yomi's hand, before she turned and began to walk away. Perhaps they would meet again someday.

 

OooooO

 

Youko glared angrily at Yomi, who was smirking back at him smugly. The fox youkai knew the brat helped Kagome escape, and it pissed him off to no end, especially since there was no proof. Certainly, he had killed those who were guilty without proof, but Yomi was Seiryoku's student. Had he no ties to her, he would've killed him and be done with it.

 

“ Where did she go?” Youko growled. Yomi shrugged. The older youkai snarled and imagined digging his claws into the younger's chest. Kuronue shifted in the background, his dark aura filling the room. He too, was angry. They had arrived back two days after Kagome had left. It meant she had a two-day head start, and was probably long gone. No doubt she would avoid the main roads, and Yomi had probably given her some tips to stay away from them. Seiryoku had attempted to track her, but the girl covered her tracks well. She had returned in a poor mood, having to admit defeat. They would need Youko's expertise with plants to find Kagome. Youko turned to face his clan, all of whom immediately shifted uncomfortably under his cold gaze.

 

“ Spread out. Find her. Then bring her back to me. Kagome is mine, and I will not allow her to escape so easily,” Youko said coldly. The youkai nodded. They weren't sure what Youko had in mind for the girl, but he had never led them wrong before. Obviously, she was very important for something. Youko turned again to face Seiryoku.

 

“ Deal with Yomi as you see fit,” he snapped. Seiryoku nodded. Youko gestured to Kuronue, and they both left in a flurry of black and white.

 

As the two youkai began their search for the priestess, Youko was inwardly cursing. He should've been more careful. He had assumed that since she had behaved so docilely before she would not attempt to escape. It seemed that she had been plotting behind those blue eyes of hers, and managed to slip out underneath his nose. Not even the courting mark he placed on her would help him find Kagome. The only Youko would be able to sense Kagome's location was if she were in a life threatening situation or if she were engaged in sexual acts with another male. Clearly, she was not in either situation. Kuronue chuckled from beside him.

 

“ Heh. Seeing your behavior makes me glad I have yet to mark her,” Kuronue said. Youko's eyes snapped to Kuronue's form.

 

“ Why is that?” Youko asked tightly. Kuronue smirked.

 

“ You, whether you realize it or not, have begun to treat her like your intended,” Kuronue said. Youko's golden eyes narrowed.

 

“ How so?”

 

“ You give her the best of your kills. She accepts them. You placed her in a position of power within the clan. She treats them well and fairly. You protect her. She heals you. There are only a few stages left in the courting process you have yet to perform. I wonder, are you going to go through with them?” Kuronue elaborated. Youko smirked at Kuronue.

 

“ You sound a bit upset, Kuronue. Don't tell me you're jealous over a mere human girl,” Youko replied. Kuronue growled.

 

“ I'm not jealous! Stop changing the subject, Youko. What are your plans for the girl?” Kuronue snapped. Youko's eyes lowered.

 

“ Look at us. This is the second time in my recent memory you have raised your voice to me. All because of a single girl. How could we have let a female in between us?” Youko said. Kuronue paused. Youko was right. Ever since Kagome had come into their lives, Youko and Kuronue argued more. It wasn't noticeably to those who didn't know them well, but any arguments they usually had had increased. Most of their conflicts even revolved around the human. Even now, when she wasn't around, they were arguing over her. It was disturbing, that one human girl, in a matter of months, could nearly destroy a centuries long relationship.

 

“ Now I remember why I don't associate with females outside the bedroom,” Kuronue said dryly.

 

“ What of Seiryoku?”

 

“ She's just a partner. Besides, she acts more like a man than a woman,” Kuronue replied. Youko chuckled. The two youkai began to move again after they pondered their small revelation, their search for Kagome renewed. It was at this moment Seiryoku appeared by their side.

 

“ I've caught Kagome's scent. She's gone into Saito territory and is heading northeast,” Seiryoku said. She eyed the two males for a moment before speaking again.

 

“ And I know you two were just talking about me,” she finished. Youko and Kuronue didn't even blush.

 

“ I see. The information will be helpful. Begin to direct the men into her direction. We want to surround her and cut her off,” Youko said, ignoring Seiryoku's comment. The dog youkai nodded, and separated from the fox and bat youkai.

 

“ So, what is Kagome's punishment going to be?” Kuronue inquired. Youko's face darkened.

 

“ Still working on that. It will be punishment enough so that she doesn't even think about running away again. Her behavior is unacceptable,” Youko said coolly. Kuronue smirked.

 

OooooO

 

Yomi tapped his fingers on the desk, unsure of how he wanted to approach the situation. He and Kurama may have gotten over their differences, but things were still tense between them. Yomi wasn't sure why the avatar was coming to him. Of course, he was the only youkai who knew much of anything about Youko, the fox spirit living inside of Kurama. There was Seiryoku, but no one had caught a glimpse of her in over two decades. Yomi himself wasn't sure where the beautiful dog youkai was. Yomi focused back on the matter at hand.

 

“ You have come to me regarding Youko's past acquaintances, correct?” Yomi said, turning in the direction of the avatar.

 

“ Yes. While walking in the streets of Ningenkai, Youko saw a face he recognized. Tell me, what do you know of a blue eyed, black haired priestess?” Kurama asked. Yomi shifted, and a wave of chaotic emotions crashed through his being, though his face revealed nothing. The youkai leaned back in his chair, and his face became wistful.

 

So Kurama was inquiring about Kagome? The human girl who had captured his heart so many centuries ago. The one who had earned his respect. The one who he had risked his life for, to help her escape Youko Kurama all those years ago. He remembered her bright face like it was yesterday, her kind blue eyes twinkling in happiness. A happiness he had desired to protect. Most of his anger and hatred towards Youko had actually stemmed from Kagome. After all, it was Youko who had stolen Kagome from Yomi in the end.

 

“ Youko has not told you about her?” Yomi asked. Kurama shook his head, the sound of his hair rustling echoing throughout the room.

 

“ Why is it that you ask of her?”

 

“ Youko…I was startled he would recognize a human, and so I inquired as to how he knew her. I was later sent dreams of how he killed her,” Kurama said. Yomi arched a brow. How unusual. It seemed that even when Youko did not have a body of his own he continued to manipulate people. But Yomi was outside of Youko's control now, and he would enjoy ruining his plans once more. The blind youkai smirked slightly.

 

“ Her name was Kagome,” Yomi began, “ And she was not killed by Youko Kurama.”

 

OooOooOooOooOooOoo

 

To clear up any confusion, for those who may not have realized, the last POV was that of the future Yomi. This chapter didn't turn out how I expected it would. I originally wanted some more fluff, but I thought Youko was getting OOC. Then I remembered the Inu Gang, so I have Kagome chase after them. It was after this I recalled the questions you guys had about Youko really killing Kagome. Yomi will not tell Kurama everything. He enjoys manipulating people too, you know. Besides, I haven't really planned that out yet. Please remember that I love long reviews, but I will update without them. I recently hurt my finger, so it's a bit hard to type. The next chapter will probably be out around mid-June to late-June. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm beginning to experience writer's block.