Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Exponential ❯ Exponential ( Chapter 1 )

The first time he saw her, it was shortly after his three-year patrol duty in the Makai, protecting the humans who had inadvertently crossed into Makai from the demons who lived there. He'd grown tired of it all, and so had left. There were no hard feelings between him and Mukuro—theirs had been a relationship of convenience and friendship, loathe though he was to use the word. And so with no ties to the demon world, and with an open invitation from Mukuro, he decided to check out the human world for a time.

The landscape around Genkai's temple, extending for miles upon miles from mountain range to beach, felt somehow changed since the last time he'd been there. Had it been in the normal ways that land changes, he would have lacked the surprise he felt now: after four years, of course things didn't remain static.

Yet the feel of the land, its essence had become somehow greater than it had been. The land had become purer, despite the increase in youkai auras he felt in the area, no doubt a result of the removal of the barrier. That intense purity just didn't make sense. In places such as this, where humanity had yet to penetrate with its spew of modernity, the land had a tendency to reflect its isolated caretaker—in this case, Genkai.

And that was how he knew something was wrong. Perhaps not dangerous, but different. He wondered what happened to the old woman to cause the change.

He sped through the land and up the temple steps, coming to a stop in the main complex of the temple. There was nothing in sight. But there, behind the house, was the sound of sweeping. Bounding to the roof, he spied her: a young woman dressed in sweatpants and a fitted tank top, her long black hair tied away from her face.

She was a miko, despite her state of dress. It explained the new feel of the land, but not why there were still youkai in the forest. No miko he'd ever encountered ever hesitated in trying to kill him; of course, he didn't hesitate either. He smirked. Those were the good old days…or just the simpler days.

The miko paused in her sweeping, turning to wave at him, a happy expression on her face. "Hello, there! You're much stronger than most who come by here, I almost couldn't feel your presence. How can I help you?"

In a generous mood, he hopped down and began to approach her to continue the conversation, or start a fight, when her brows creased in confusion—and he could've sworn he heard the word "alien" flit across her mind before her face brightened. "You must be Yukina's brother! I knew I recognized you! I'm sorry; she's out shopping right now. Why don't I make us some tea—" As she turned to leave, he roughly grabbed her arm and drew his sword to her neck, but she gave no indication of the pain she must be feeling from his grip or panic at the thought of being in mortal danger.

"You will do no such thing, onna."

Once again, confusion marred her face. "But she's been waiting for you for so long."

"Where is Genkai?"

Continuing to wear her emotions on her sleeve, she now broadcast sadness. "Oh, I'm sorry, you must not have heard. Genkai passed on, just a few months ago. She left the land and the shrine to Urameshi-san and his friends, but they're allowing me to stay as caretaker."

So she truly was the reason the feel of the land had changed so drastically. As the rightful caretaker, the land changed in accordance to her aura. He wondered if she knew about the abundant demon presence in the area, but since they didn't appear to be hostile, he didn't see why it should be his business to warn her. The miko could just take care of herself.

"I see. Do not tell Yukina I was here." And with that, he was gone.

**

The second time he saw her, he came better prepared, having grilled his former teammates on the strange woman.

Kagome Higurashi. Age 24. Miko. Time traveler. Illegitimate granddaughter of Genkai.

His former teammates' opinions on her were varied.

"That's one scary woman. Like Keiko, but with way more power to back up her threats."

"No one could be more capable than Kagome of fulfilling Genkai's last request."

"She's really nice, and a healer too—just like my Yukina!"

But despite all the knowledge he gathered on her, she still managed to surprise him…by being decidedly un-miko-like.

This time, she was sitting on the porch, with a tiny furry bundle on her lap—which felt distinctly like kitsune—and a bowl of warm, blood tinted water and a towel on one side, and bandages on the other. Getting closer, he saw that she was finishing tying off the bandage on the kitsune's leg.

"There you are, Akihiro-kun," she said brightly, lightly tapping the kitsune on the nose. "Now, do you remember what I said?"

The kit looked at her sullenly. "No experimenting with high-level techniques without supervision until father says it's okay."

"And if you don't?"

"You'll tell mama and papa and won't let me have any sweets for a fortnight."

"Good boy. Now, I've healed you enough that your parents shouldn't think too much about your wound. This'll be our little secret, unless I catch you doing it again." The kit nodded. "Now, run along. Your mom is probably preparing dinner as we speak." The kit perked up at the mention of food and scrambled away.

Kagome began to clean up her supplies, taking the bowl of water to the edge of the grounds to pour onto the soil. "What do you think of my nephew, Hiei?"

"It is foolish of him to try to befriend a miko," he said without hesitation, "and it is foolish for you to assign such familiar ties to a youkai."

"Oh, but Hiei," she challenged, "I am no ordinary miko, and he is not the one who befriended me."

A raised brow was her only answer.

"I'm sure you already know this, but up until a few years ago, I was able to travel through time, to Japan's sengoku jidai. There, among others, I met a young kitsune—Shippou—who came to be like a little brother to me. After the barrier separated the humans and youkai, he found a mate on his side of the barrier and they raised many children, as did their children, and so on. The barrier has come down, but Shippou and his mate are happy still in Makai, though he does visit me often, and some of his descendents have decided to come to Ningenkai. Akihiro-kun's family decided to live on the land that Genkai left behind."

"So you do know of the youkai infestation."

"I wouldn't call it that, Hiei." She smiled slyly. "After all, I'm the one who invited them all here."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, all who desire to be here are welcome, so long as they have no harmful intentions. It was Genkai's last wish, after all, for us to bridge the gap between the races. I could do no less." Her eyes gained a faraway look. "After all, it wasn't so bad, you know. Before the barrier."

Before she could say anything more, there was someone else on the grounds, coming towards the house. By the way the miko became alert, he knew she could feel her too. Yukina.

Her eyes became apologetic. "I'm sorry about last time, Hiei. Yuusuke told me about the situation with your sister, and I understand. Though, I do think it would be better for you to tell her, now that the restrictions are lifted. It would make her so happy to know her brother."

"I need no advice from you, onna."

"Kagome!" Yukina's soft voice sounded from the house, "I'm home."

"Welcome back!" Kagome called. "We're out back!"

"We?" The door slid open. "Oh, Hiei! Welcome back! Would you like some tea?"

In truth, he would have liked to sit down and spend time in Yukina's company, but he knew any conversation would lead to talking about her brother—and he wasn't sure just what to do about that yet. Three years to think about it, and he still hadn't made a decision.

"I will be using the dojo," he said and turned and left without another word to either of them.

**

The fourth time he saw her, she was dripping wet, with both gore and water. Her towel, thick but short, clung to her body and left her long legs exposed. She was beautiful.

He hadn't seen her for quite a while—five weeks in fact. He no longer had a steady source of (forced) employment, but his reputation was enough to gain him short-term as a freelance whatever-the-hell-was-needed, be it thief, hunter, or assassin. Usually it was Enki or Mukuro who hired him, but Koenma had expressed his partiality to Hiei's stealth and secrecy.

He arrived just in time to see her grab a stick from the forest floor, charge it with her miko energy and thrust it brutishly into the leg of the oni, taking only seconds to purify.

And it took only seconds for her to realize that she was covered in filth from the fight, which if he were to guess, had apparently interrupted her time at one of the small hot springs on Genkai's land.

"Eww, gross! I can't believe I have to deal with this again! It was bad enough just poking around the youkai once Inuyasha had finished them off, now it's all over me," she said to herself, pulling some larger pieces from her hair in disgust. "I guess it's back to the hot spring for me—No, the waterfall first; the running water will do better than the spring to get most of it out. Hiei," she said, acknowledging him for the first time that night, "would you mind keeping watch for me?"

"Hn."

He didn't see her again that night, despite the temptation, but he made sure neither did any other youkai.

**

The eighth time he saw her, she was glowing. Literally.

It was the first time all of the former spirit detectives and the rest of their circle had the same day off from their busy schedules, and so they had decided on a large get-together at Genkai's beach. The girls decided to come early, to help Kagome and Yukina prepare and pack enough food for twenty, and the men arrived just in time to carry it all to the shore.

It was interesting watching her with the men. The women were inane as usual, normal female behavior and not much to think about.

But with the men, specifically the youkai of the group—including Jin, Touya, Chu, and Rinku in addition to Yusuke and Kurama—she was strangely…comfortable. He couldn't think of another word for it; the interactions were just so different than when she was with normal humans, as if miko and youkai weren't natural enemies but rather made to complement each other.

Ridiculous.

And now here she was, in a splashing game with the other women, Jin and Rinku, and she was glowing. Not just from the setting sun's rays on her skin: it was her aura, her miko energy that was making her glow, as if she was a battery overflowing with energy. But it didn't harm any youkai who came near her; rather, a contagious cheerfulness exuded from her.

If anyone else saw it, they didn't mention it. And for some reason, Hiei preferred it that way. He liked knowing something about the miko no one else did.

And he liked seeing her glow.

**

The sixteenth time he saw her, he was in pain—everywhere except where she placed her glowing hands. And, for once, he was looking up at her; this time, from a bed. He had no idea how bad his injuries were, but as soon as he could wield his blade, he would go after every single youkai who had ganged up on him while he was unaware, too deep in his training and nearly exhausted by the length of it to notice the badly-hidden auras of the low-level youkai amongst the higher-level—definitely not S or A class, but B class or upper C definitely. And though his strength was great, obviously under the right circumstances, with enough of them, he sustained injuries.

Not everyone approved of Enki's new law: no deadly mischief in Ningenkai. And those that enforced his laws could occasionally find themselves taking the brunt of the dissention. No one had the balls to stand against the king of Makai. At least, no one strong enough to matter.

The miko had by now somehow completely healed his major injuries—which, going by intensity of pain, were deep gashes in his left leg and across his torso (or maybe that was a hole, since his back hurt as well in that area)—and was now moving on to smaller injuries. He never would have believed a miko's energy capable of doing anything but purifying youkai had she not explained it to him not too long ago.

"A miko receives her power from nature. True, I can use it to purify youkai out of existence, but I can also use it to protect, and to heal. And youkai are just as much a part of nature as humans are, if not moreso, so why shouldn't it be possible to use my power for good, on both sides?" At this, she had looked at him patiently, almost like a teacher to a student, but in a manner that was in no way condescending. Such a short time around her and already she understood how to deal with him. Either she was very perceptive, or he was going soft. He disliked both answers.

He was brought out of his reverie by the sharp smell of herbs and a grinding noise. She was mixing a poultice, one he recognized—yet another thing he would have been surprised about had he not known of her travels to the past, the time before human knowledge and youkai knowledge split away from one another.

There was a wonderful cooling sensation over his skin as she applied the poultice to the last of his abrasions. It reminded him of the sensation her healing energy left, but to a lesser degree.

"Hiei," she addressed him solemnly, still applying the poultice, "This'll take a little over an hour to dry. Wait half an hour for it to take full effect. After that, you can brush it off or wash it off." A pause. A deep breath. "Those youkai had no honor. Should you wish to…correct their behavior, you should be strong enough to face twice their number by the time the poultice is finished."

He didn't miss the hint: the miko would approve of their deaths. Or rather, she wouldn't disapprove. While in the past he would have assumed this to be true of any miko, he knew she was different. She didn't say this because she hated youkai—after all, she had befriended most who lived on the lands Genkai left, and claimed a familial tie to the clan of kitsune on the mountains—but rather out of practicality: these youkai were against any peace between youkai and humans, and it would be only a matter of time before they attacked defenseless people—human or youkai. It was a calculating aspect to her personality that he knew she didn't learn in this world's school system.

She stepped outside the room to leave him in peace and get some rest herself; the moon was high in the sky. But before sliding the door closed, she murmured, "But don't take too long. I'm in a cooking mood, and I have a feeling I'll make just too much for Yukina and I to eat alone."

Then the door snicked closed and he was left alone to contemplate the upcoming deaths of those youkai, and the strange nature of that miko. Kagome.

**

The thirty-second time he saw her, it was late at night—or early morning— and he had come running to her room at the sound of her terrified shriek. What youkai could have gotten past him? What youkai on this land would want to harm her?

But when he got to her room, there was no one there; just the miko, sobbing into her hands, until she registered he was there. "Hiei? Please, don't leave me."

And in that moment, she looked so vulnerable, so deeply affected by the nightmare—the memory—that the only thing he could do was go to her, and allow her to hold him and cry until, hours later, she fell asleep in exhaustion.

**

The sixty-fourth time he saw her, she was dressed in full miko regalia, her concentration focused on her bokken and the kata she was practicing. It was his understanding that she had received some basic training in swordsmanship while she was in the feudal era, but compared to her archery, it lacked grace and the instinctual defense and attack movements when faced with an opponent close-range. With this in mind, he had offered a few days ago to teach her, and she had joyously accepted.

He was content with having a reason to see her more often, to be near her.

And then she tripped. And he caught her. And she kissed him on the cheek as a thank-you.

And he kissed her back. On the mouth. Deeply.

Now he had one more excuse to be near her.

**

The one hundred and twenty-eighth time he saw her was when he woke up beside her, the sun just beginning to rise. The expression on her sleeping face was peaceful and happy. He decided it would be okay to skip his morning training just this once, and held her closer.

**

The two hundred and fifty-sixth time he saw her, she was walking across the shrine grounds, through an isle between two small groups of people, in her snow-white shiromuku. Walking to him.

They had known each other for a relatively small amount of time, but never was he so sure of anything in his life. In fact, the only reason they had waited this long was because her grandfather and mother—though honestly, it was mostly her grandfather—had insisted on a traditional Shinto ceremony, on the most auspicious date possible. Thankfully, Kagome had negotiated the old man down to the most auspicious day within the two months following Hiei's proposal, rather than the seven the old man preferred.

Following that was a flurry of wedding preparations which Hiei avoided, or kidnapped Kagome from when possible. Really, the mating ceremony of youkai was much simpler than the frivolous planning of the human ceremony, but it was what Kagome wanted. And then tonight, with a much smaller crowd—only two witnesses were required for the initial marking, and none to complete it—would be their mating ceremony.

Their eyes met at the same time as she reached the front. Her eyes bespoke her deep love for him, and he wondered if she could see the same in his, though he knew she knew he loved her, through his actions.

Maybe tonight he would even say the words.

**

The five hundred and twelfth time he saw her, she was in his arms. She had only the day before been released from the hospital, and they were watching the sunrise with their newborn son, Kosuke. She was glowing.

He nuzzled her and she leaned into his shoulder, increasing contact.

His words were quiet, practically a whisper. "I love you Kagome."

Indeed, his love for her, from that first moment of curiosity, had grown exponentially over time.