Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Freak Show ❯ Midnight Encounter ( Chapter 4 )

~Belle: I hate making Inuyasha an idiot.

~Sesshoumaru: You don't have to try very hard. He does a fine enough job on his own.

~Inuyasha: Why you! That's not true!

~Kurama: It is true. You really are a baka considering the way you treat Kagome.

~Inuyasha: She's just a shard detector. (*mutters stubbornly*)

~Kurama: I'm glad you think that way, it makes it that much easier for me to claim her heart.

~Kagome: Kurama you are so charming. (*dreamy eyes*)

~Belle: I think this is a pivotal chapter & I hope you enjoy it!

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Inuyasha was sitting up high in his tree as the rest of the shard collecting team was sleeping peacefully below on the ground. Shippo was snuggled up with Kirara. Inuyasha wasn't sure why he wasn't sleeping with Kagome. Sango and Miroku were near each other on one side of the fire. And most annoyingly to Inuyasha, Kagome and `flower boy' were situated too close for his comfort.

"She just met him. How can she possibly sleep so close to him? She's supposed to be sleeping near me; I'm the one that protects her. That stupid flower boy is worst than Kouga." Inuyasha was complaining under his breath.

Suddenly a scent in the night breeze caught his attention. `Kikyou,' he thought to himself and then ran in the direction of the clay doll that was his former love.

A few moments later, Kagome had an uneasy feeling. She looked up towards the tree that Inuyasha had previously occupied. He wasn't there. However, that's not what bothered her; it was the boy sleeping beside her. He was tossing and turning in his sleep sounding quite upset about something.

She crawled over towards him and tried to wake him from his fitful rest. "Kurama wake up, you're having a bad dream. Wake up!" She gently shook his shoulders to no avail.

He would not awaken; instead she was able to understand the words he spoke.

"No! You are NOT my master. Stop it, leave me alone! What have you done to me? Who ARE you?" Suddenly his eyes shot open. Golden orbs replaced the emerald ones of Shuuichi. He stared at Kagome for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her waist and ran away from the camp with her in tow.

He was running with inhuman speed. Youko was beginning to resurface. Apparently, he was having a nightmare about the Freak Show and the abuse that the corrupt ring master had bestowed upon him.

His red hair was now silver and two fox ears adorned his crown in place of the human shells. He now had his tails and they too now grasped Kagome more securely to his person.

"Kurama! Kurama! What's wrong? Stop running! Put me down!" Kagome frantically hissed in his ears. She was careful not to yell, because she had a feeling his canine ears would be sensitive and he obviously was troubled and didn't need the extra pain.

However, the Kitsune paid her no heed and simply clutched her body closer to his as he continued to run. He ran into the Western direction.

The West was either fortunately, or unfortunately, the same direction Inuyasha had taken off towards moments prior.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Tai-youkai of the West was actually bored. He was patrolling his lands, and found nothing unusual. There were a few trespassers, but most feared him enough to not risk such an indiscretion.

He thought that perhaps if he patrolled at night, there might have been something of more interest to pursue. So far, nothing interesting had crossed his path.

The chill wind of the north blew his silver cascade of hair around him. It was peculiar that the wind was chilled this time of year. It was late summer, usually a humid, dry time of year.

Sesshoumaru decided to sniff the air one last time before he would return to his palace. That's when it caught his attention. He was mystified.

"But he has been dead for many years." Sesshoumaru thought aloud as he was reminded of one of the few acquaintances he had ever respected. Perhaps, this youkai could have been deemed a friend to Sesshoumaru, but his disappearance had been considered a betrayal.

"Youko." The Western Lord took off in the direction of the familiar smell from his youth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha breathed when he caught up with the scent of the dead miko and her soul catchers.

She glanced at him casually and coldly as her flying worms circled her and deposited souls into her shadow of an existence. "What do you want Inuyasha?"

"I wanted to see you." Inuyasha softly responded as he approached the woman he once wanted to forsake his heritage for.

"Why? Do you not have my reincarnation to entertain you?" She emotionlessly stated.

He could feel the daggers in his heart. `How could Kikyou think I would replace her? Is Kagome, really enough? She accepts me and loves me for who I am, but I originally promised myself to Kikyou.'

"Kikyou, how could you think I would ever forget about you? You will always be first in my heart." Inuyasha declared.

Kikyou hid her vengeful smile. She knew her little reincarnation was within hearing distance of the scene, along with an unfamiliar youkai. She loved inflicting pain upon the little girl that stole everything that should have been hers by right.

She walked away from her flying worms towards Inuyasha and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could clearly see the girl and fox demon.

Inuyasha tried to inhale Kikyou's scent. However, it brought him no pleasure, instead of the comforting scents of fifty years ago all he could smell was ash and mud. But then he sighed when a wave of Kagome's scent washed over him bringing him sudden happiness.

`Wait? Kagome's smell? Oh no!' Quickly Inuyasha disengaged himself from Kikyou and directed his gaze towards the owner of the smell that reminded him of home and peace.

"Kagome." He whispered only loud enough for Kikyou and Youko to hear. Kagome glared down at him with a look of disbelief that quickly altered to anger and then resolved into acceptance. That's when Inuyasha noticed the Kitsune that look oddly like himself, except more refined, standing beside HIS Kagome.

"Oye wench, what are you doing here?" Inuyasha shouted up to her.

"Sorry for interrupting dog boy. We'll be going now and leave you with your walking corpse." Kagome was glad she had the strength to stand up for herself. Honestly she didn't care anymore. This was the last straw.

"Kagome, you want me to send her back to hell for you?" Youko asked as he bent his mouth close to her ears ignoring the threatening growls hurled in his direction from a certain Inuyasha.

Kagome smiled at Youko Kurama, "Its okay Kurama. Let's just go back to the camp where we're wanted."

"Hey Kagome, you can't go off with him! It isn't safe!" Inuyasha yelled angrily as he ran towards the couple completely forgetting about Kikyou at the moment, much to her annoyance.

"She is no longer your concern Hanyou." Kurama answered curtly.

"The hell she isn't. She's my…….shard detector!" Inuyasha unsheathed the Tetsusaiga and aimed it at the Kitsune.

"Get a new shard detector then; there seems to be one too many here now." Kurama wrapped his arms around Kagome again and began to leave the forest clearing that was getting too crowded.

Inuyasha really wanted to go after the two, but Kikyou suddenly appeared behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Inuyasha, just let them go. She'll never be me."

Inuyasha turned to look into her eyes, they lacked the warmth of fifty years ago. Actually, it was more like fifty-two years ago now, technically. Now all her dark eyes revealed was shadow and death. He smiled at her sadly.

Her parasitic soul stealers circled her and she took to the sky in their embrace. "Do not forget your promise to me, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha watched her leave. He knew that she was the wrong choice, but he never did know how to do anything right.

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Sesshoumaru had watched the exchange. Solemnly he shook his head at his brother's stupidity. `Why would anyone chose that vengeful zombie to the brave young woman?'

"Figures, the half-breed continues to remain an embarrassment to our father's blood."

Watching his brother look miserable was not as entertaining as he would have thought and the Tetsusaiga wasn't enough of a challenge at the moment so the Western Lord decided to follow the more interesting of the recent inhabitants of the vacated field.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kurama? Are you okay? Why did you transform into Youko?" Kagome questioned her captor. Although, she certainly didn't mind being his captor.

Kurama looked down at her. He had stopped running and was now standing with her leaning against a tree with a great view of the star filled sky.

His golden eyes reflected confusion for a bit. "I believe I was dreaming about that man at the traveling carnival. The anger resurfaced and so did I. Shuuichi would have been dominant soon afterwards, except then I smelt the taint of that miko corpse." His golden eyes hardened in hatred at the revelation.

"You brought me to the field so that I could see them together?" Kagome questioned softly holding back tears that threatened to spill.

"It was necessary. You do not deserve one who does not appreciate what you offer." He brushed his thumb across her cheek where one tear had escaped.

Her eyes were distant for a moment. Then she seemed to have gathered her wits and smiled up at the Kitsune who towered over her with his over six foot stature.

"This is touching." A familiar, steely smooth voice interrupted their moment.

Kurama and Kagome turned around to face the Tai-youkai of the West.

"Sesshoumaru." Kurama greeted as he protectively stood in front of Kagome in case of any threats the inu-youkai might present.

"Youko. I see you are not dead." Sesshoumaru acknowledged.

"I did die and I would explain it to you, except it's complicated. What do you want?" The Kitsune demanded his fox tails wrapped around Kagome and pulled her to his body where he felt she would be most safe from his old friend.

"Indeed. I want no skirmish with you. I smelled your scent near my lands and wanted to offer you and your miko an invitation to my palace for the remainder of the night."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at this. Kurama unwound the girl from his tail and she now stood beside him, since he feared no more hostility. Sesshoumaru regarded the human with a nod of the head. He decided that she deserved some respect for dealing with his idiotic brother.

Kurama looked Kagome in the eyes to seek her approval. He did not desire to make her uncomfortable. She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Old friend, we accept."

"Come. We have much to catch up on in the morning. You have a great deal to explain to me. Especially why you smell differently."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~Belle: Question! I have a question!

~Kurama: What is it?

~Belle: Exactly how MANY tails do you have?

~Kurama: What do you mean? (*peers behind back starts to count tails*) I see nine.

~Belle: NINE!??

~Kurama: Yeah, nine. Why? Is that unusual?

~Belle: I just wanted to double check, because most creatures with tails only have say ONE, not nine.

~Kurama: Would it make you feel better, if I only used one?

~Belle: Could you do that?

~Kurama: I suppose. I'll use a concealment spell or something for now on.

R&R!!!!