Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feelings for a Fox ❯ Chapter 6

Thanks for reviews:Skittles2xtreme, Amethyst, Youkai_Hime, ScottishFae, Artemis The Goddess, Kurama noMiko2003, chibi dragon, Keala-Chick, The Black Kat, VB, bloodbunny, Inu Youkai-Hime, Why?What?Shutup, hiei is mine forever, Jayde Katt, Artemis the Goddess, DemonLady1, A Girl Who Loves Anime, lady love, Ichigo, Illustrious Sorrow, ladyofthedragons1, Ivan's Kitsune, shade, Sora Moto, and Rem9. And don't worry about insulting me with your reviews, I actually enjoy reading everyone's responses.

Also a special thanks goes out to my friend who wasn't in town to know about my new story before but was really helpful in beta-ing this chapter (mostly by reading what I had down and then making off colored comments about Kurama, but hey I'll accept what I can get ^^)So go read Grimsister's work on Fiction Press.com and FF.net. *glares enviously at her stories page*

{/…/= Youko's "talking"}

{*…*= Kurama's "talking"}

Kurama's POV

~~~Chapter 6~~~

Kagome came out of her house and paused as she took us all in. We had gathered at my house in a sort of unspoken agreement and wandered over to her house as soon as Hiei had popped up to lead the way. We ended up at the Sunset Shrine waiting for Kagome to come out so we could all descend upon her, ahem, I mean to make sure she was feeling better… yeah.

I started having a hard time keeping Youko in check. As soon as she appeared he started pushing against my mind trying to get free. This is how he has been for most of the night, if I were to be perfectly honest, ever since she mentioned that she could see Youko.

/Let me out, you fool!/

*Down boy! Do you want to scare her?!* I didn't budge despite his rather inventive threats.

/I'm not going to SCARE her! She recognizes what I am! She's MINE!/

*Don't you think you should consult her about that?!* Shuuichi mentally spat back at him.

/How can I when you two won't let me?!/ Youko practically howled at me in frustration.

*Do you guys ever shut up? BE STILL!* I thundered back at him.

/…You know that wasn't very nice./

~Issues Fox?~ Hiei murmured quietly in my mind so that no one else could hear.

*It's Youko. He's attracted to her. *

/Can you blame me?/

*And he's being difficult about it.*

~And you are not attracted to the girl? She is quite a mystery.~ Hiei knows my weaknesses too well it would seem.

*Shuuichi wants more than a quick tumble and the satisfaction of figuring out what's so different about her. Youko doesn't seem to care though. He wants to figure her out and bed her, not necessarily in that order.*

~Well you might want to contain yourself better. Your eyes are golden.~ I felt Hiei withdraw from the conversation in my head and I tuned into the conversation in the real world. Kagome was speaking.

"They all took it surprisingly well. I got in, let everyone know I was alive, took a shower, and watched the Escaflowne movie with my son since he was the only one who needed a little reassurance."

'My son.' I froze as her words circled around in my head.

She has a son.

Where's the father? What if he's still around?

/Simple. I'll kill him!/ Youko snarled possessively.

*Hey wait a minute! You can't go around killing people just because they have what you want! You can't go around killing people at all! You're on probation!* We walk after her as she argues about something with Kuwabara. oh yeah and Hiei comes along too. More to the point he's on probation in my body, the selfish bastard.

/I.Don't. Care. I will shred him limb from limb if he ever comes near her! How dare he claim what I have chosen! No one EVER touches what is mine!/

*What if SHE chooses him over us?!* I'm trying to be reasonable I really am, but Youko is making it very difficult.

/Are you saying that I would ever lose to a human!?! Never!/

*Cocky aren't we?*

/Confident. And with good reason, human./ He corrected me coolly. He stared calculatingly through our eyes at Kagome's back.

Perhaps mocking him hadn't been the best approach in trying to distract him…

Pointedly I ignore the knowing looks the small Jaganshi is tossing at me as we walk towards the direction of school, and instead focus on the length of Kagome's hair, swaying as she walks and brushing carelessly against her -whoa!

*Did you have anything to do with that Youko?* I demand fiercely, jerking my eyes up to focus on Kuwabara's head. Nothing dangerous about him at least.

/Hate to disappoint but that was completely yourself, Kurama!/ Now he's laughing at me. Honestly I don't get any respect. Even myself is laughing at me. I am distracted from this train of thought as Kagome suddenly starts speaking… to my mother?

"Shiori! It's been quite a while hasn't it?" How does she know my mother?

"Wait you guys know each other?" Yusuke asks, but none of us pays any attention to him. My mother is staring at Kagome with a small half smile gracing her lips, and her eyes are searching the younger girl's face for something. I wonder what she's trying to find? My mother gave a tiny laugh.

"I almost don't believe it. You haven't changed a bit have you?"

"Nope," Kagome responded cheerfully, "And before you say it, you are not old so don't give me any of that!" I could see my mother's surprise at her response clearly written on her face.

"How did you know that seeing you again like this would make me feel old?"

"Call it a hunch," Kagome laughed at her startled amusement. Then my mother grew more serious.

"I was worried when you showed up yesterday looking like that." It was like the rest of us didn't exist, they were so focused only on each other.

"Meh! Don't worry about it! I'm frightfully resilient."

"I know. But still I wanted to talk to you. I'm glad I managed to catch you before you go to school," mother's face pulled into a worried frown. "When I was walking home from work last night I found something unusual. I thought you would want to know about it." She handed Kagome a small pouch. Her soft voice was solemn as she spoke the last words. "They were fresh."

I could feel something in the pouch, a power reaching out towards me. It was wrong. Whatever was in the pouch shouldn't exist, should never exist. And Kagome seemed to realize what it was, what the power meant. As soon as her hand closed around the bag, whatever was in there flared in response to her touch. And suddenly she pushed through us, running back the way we came, a mingling look of stark terror and rage etched onto her delicate face.

"Shuuichi!" I turned to look at my mother, "I know this is a lot to ask, but could you go with her rather than to school? Just this once?"

There was a universal round of, "Huhs?" from everyone present, myself included as we stared at my mother in shock.

"Please! Too much is riding on her shoulders for her to lose control, and if she feels her son is in danger that is exactly what she will do! Please, just go after her! Here, I'll take your books back inside." We all stared as my mother took my bag and went back inside the house.

"Did your mom just give you permission, no ask you to skip school?" Yusuke asked in disbelief.

"That… wow…" was all Kuwabara could think to say to the situation.

"Could someone tell me what's going on around here?" Keiko stared at the closed door.

Hiei and I shared a look before we both took off, not even bothering to respond to the conversation going on among our friends. I followed as closely as possible behind the black blur. The rest of the group seemed to realize that we had left them behind as I could hear Yusuke calling to Keiko to go ahead to school without him. The two boys were running after us trying to keep up. Keiko warned Yusuke to be careful but the sound was fading behind us and I could hardly hear her.

Kagome was in sight now. She tossed her yellow bag onto her front lawn without even breaking stride. And an old man in blue and white priest garb called out but she didn't respond, and neither did we as we all raced past her house. Finally we managed to start catching up to her, but she was too focused to respond to our calls and questions. Eventually we all gave up.

/Her child… We have to help to help her if it really is in danger./

*And here I thought you were just sex crazed bandit. Could you actually be interested in her as more than a potential lay?* Youko ignored my jab.

/No matter what I said about the man in her life the child is innocent. Besides, saving the child would help get us on her good side./

*Always the practical one aren't you?* I respond back dryly. Secretly though, or not really secretly since he knows how I feel, Shuuichi and I really were both surprised. Even though he had admitted that there were benefits to the decision to help the kid, I sensed the protective edge underlying his words.

Youko Kurama, most feared thief in all of Makai, has a soft spot for kids. Who knew?

I was jerked from my thoughts again as Kagome ground to a sudden halt, crashing into a kid of about twelve or so, and holding him up as he regained his balance.

"Ni-chan, they took him! These monster… demons! They have Shippou! One just grabbed him and disappeared into thin air!" As I watched I took in the details of the boy. His hair was the same shade as Kagome's. His face was pale and tear streaked and his pupils were so dilated you could barely make out the tiniest ring of blue around the edges. Youko started snarling in rage in the back of my mind, a low dangerous rumbles that set me on edge, and fueled my own anger at the demons who would put that look into the eyes of a child.

"Shh, I know Souta, it'll be fine ok? I want you to go back to the shrine and tell mama what happened ok? Go on now, run!" Kagome gave the child a gentle shove and we all parted so her little brother could follow her orders. As soon as he was on his way her face shifted from soothing lines into an icy fury. She whirled back toward the grounds of the elementary school, the change in her walk immediately evident.

Her all out run had suddenly become the gliding steps of a predator and we all immediately felt a trickle of power begin to slowly swirl around her as she gracefully stalked toward the demons who were grouped together, discussing what they were going to do to the children they had caught so far. Oddly all the demons present had a humanoid shape.

A number of kids and some staff members were trapped by the silken threads of a giant web. Another glance at the windows showed that there were a number of humans hiding inside the building who were too scared to come out. Somewhere in the distance I could hear a siren, but it was too far away and there was no chance the cops would be able to save these people in any case.

I pulled a transformed rose from my hair and moved towards Kagome when she reached the first demon. As it turned out she didn't even need my support. She turned the first demon around and grabbed him by the throat.

"Where is my son?" the words were soft, silken, dangerous. I felt a shiver run up my spine at the threat in her voice, not of fear but oddly one of excitement. This wasn't the playful school girl speaking. This was a woman defending her own. When the demon smirked at her without saying anything all she said was, " I see." With that she sent a bolt of strange energy into his throat and dropped him without a second glance as she walked toward the other demons. The one she had just attacked lay there writhing, his face twisted as he slowly melted, his body slowly dissolving into a deep purple goo.

Purification? She was a miko?

I saw Kuwabara run over to cut at the webs from the corner of my eye but all my attention was focused on the raven haired girl who fearlessly walked among the demons demanding that one of them tell her where her son is. They all circled around her, all of them too stupid to recognize the homicidal fury that rolled off of her in almost tangible waves. Hiei and I both held back, each of us wanting to see what she could do. Although I was tensed, ready to rush to her aid should they even harm a single hair on her head. Yusuke apparently held the same idea. Even though he was freeing the children and teachers from their imprisonment he did so where he could always keep an eye on the strange woman child.

"I will ask you this only once youkai. Where. Is. My. Son?"

The demons all glance at each other before staring at her with viscous leers that made my vision begin to redden around the edges. I heard them all laughing in response.

"Is this the little miko our boss is after? Think he'd mind if we had a little fun with her first?" I was surprised to feel Hiei's arms wrapped around my own. I hadn't realized I had just about launched myself at the offensive creature. I glanced back at him to see him shake his head slightly then jerk his chin toward the events unfolding.

"You won't tell me where my son is? Then you are useless to me."

With that announcement suddenly the energy that had been swirling around her before sharpened, solidifying into blades of white-blue energy that surrounded her in whirlwind slowly flowing away from her body. The knife edged energy ripping into the group of demons. Too late they recognized the danger of the tiny woman who stood before them and their screams could be heard as they disappeared in a flash of white light, consumed by the energy that slammed painfully into them. Only one of them managed to scramble out of its path and was trying to run away.

All of us Reikai Tantei froze to stare at the display of raw force. I could feel the barely contained energy straining to be released, held carefully in check by the delicate being who floated in the center of the funnel of power. Her hair almost gently floated up around her face in a silken halo, and her eyes glowed white as she stared at the retreated demon's back. Suddenly she jerked her hand out toward the escaping youkai, and small stream of energy flowed from her hand wrapping around his feet and drawing him back towards her. The demon scrabbled frantically to get away, his claws digging into the hard cement, leaving deep gouges as he resisted the force that pulled him back towards her. When that failed her tried to cut the power holding him, but he only succeeding in injuring himself. I felt no sympathy for the terrified youkai who now had my lady's foot pressed against his throat.

Kagome held a ball of blue power within one hand, and a pink wave flowed out from her palm around it, encasing the energy in curious shell. She then dropped the sphere onto the demon and it flowed into his chest. She made a second, slightly larger one the exact same way that she then dropped into his stomach. I couldn't tell what she was doing, but she was chanting underneath her breath as she sent another tendril of energy through the demon's body. Then all of her power immediately receded and she stepped back. Appearing once more like an average teenage girl.

"W-why," the demon licked his lips nervously, "why did you spare me?"

"I didn't," she informed him coldly. "I have a message for you to deliver to your master. Tell him if any harm comes to my Shippou I will personally exterminate him. That's my word, not as a miko, or even as a representative of the worlds, but as a mother."

She turned away before continuing, "By the way the spell I just cast was a timing spell. That pink energy contains the purifying powers of the blue energy. You have thirty minutes in which to complete your first task of delivering that message. Then you have an extra hour to haul your sorry ass back to Makai. Should you fail to do either one in the allotted amount of time, the pink sealing energy will disappear from your body, releasing the purification energy. You will be purified from the inside out. You'll be dead within a minute. But it will be the most excruciating sixty seconds of your existence."

/Wow, I've never heard of that before!/ Youko breathed in the back of my mind.

*No kidding! That's incredible…*

/Now it's about more than satisfaction./

*You mean you're looking at her as something more than a play pretty now?*

/Shut up! She is better than that, in case you haven't noticed. Or are you blind?/

"A-and if I do both?" the demon whimpered as he realized the amount of trouble he was in.

"All of my powers will return to me, and you will be freed. But you better hurry. You're on the clock." With that announcement she opened a portal to somewhere and slipped through. The demon got up and started running as fast as he could.

"Man all those demons and we didn't even get to fight," Yusuke complained, he and Kuwabara joined us. All of the kids and teachers were free and were now hiding inside.

"I wanted some action too!" Kuwabara added.

"Hn. Baka. Would you really get in the way of that woman just for a fight?"

"No way! That was too intense! I've never felt power like that before! Not even from Genkai."

" 'Representative of the worlds?' I wonder what she meant by that." I murmured to no one in particular as I stared at the spot she had disappeared to. And where did she go?

"Who knows? This is all getting a little too complicated. Maybe we should check with Ko-" before he could even finish his statement Yusuke's pocket communicator shrilled at us.

"I NEED YOU GUYS HERE NOW!" Koenma screamed as soon as his face appeared on the tiny screen. Then just as suddenly he was gone.