Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Freak Show ❯ Die Ring Master!!! ( Chapter 11 )

~Belle: Inspiration has struck!

~Kagome: Um….okay, that's good, I guess.

~Belle: It's not good, it's great!

~Yusuke: For the YYH fans, Belle doesn't know too much about us. She's only seen the episodes on Dark Tournament and the 4 demon thing that's recently been on CN.

~Belle: I may get the characters a little too OOC, but I'm trying!

~Inuyasha: At least she's well versed in IY.

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Kurama's emerald eyes surveyed the multiple tiger youkai surrounding his friends and him. He scrutinized every detail and tried to determine the source of the multiplication of that youkai.

"What are you doing?" Kagome hissed in his ear as she noticed all he was doing was watching while the youkai were lashing out at them. All he was doing was dodging. "Why aren't you attacking?"

"I am trying to assess their weakness. Every opponent possesses a weakness. It is my assumption that if I can locate the original tiger youkai and eliminate him then the 49 duplicates would vanish as well." Kurama answered in an extremely calm voice in spite of the situation.

Kagome stared at him in disbelief for a moment before firing another arrow at an unfriendly youkai.

Hiei cast a glance over his shoulder to check up on the progress of the others. He wanted to hit Kurama for wasting time trying to `assess the enemy's weakness' no doubt. "Hey fox, why don't you stop watching and start fighting."

"I am merely trying to be efficient." Kurama replied back.

Hiei returned his gaze to the magician who had thought he could get away. Hiei smirked. "You'd have to move faster than that if you thought you could escape me old man." Hiei threw his overcoat to the ground and flexed his right arm feeling the surge of the Black Dragon begging for release.

"I'd tell you to say goodbye, but you'll be dead before you could process the request." Hiei told him as he unleashed the beast to enjoy a nice toasty meal of a magician.

Inuyasha was effortlessly hacking away at the youkai that tried to trap him in a circle. He became annoyed with the monotony of the process and began to concentrate on the winds. He looked for the area where the youki clashed so that he could release the attack. "Kaze no Kizu!" He shouted as his transformed fang vanquished twenty of the youkai.

Kuwabara and Yusuke were welding their spirit weapons on the other side of Inuyasha's circle, but suddenly found themselves opponent-less. They stared in bewilderment at the smirk on the dog-hanyou's face.

"You did that with that rusted piece of junk of a sword of yours?" Yusuke asked astonished.

Inuyasha stared him down. "Not such a piece of junk after all is it?"

The two humans mutely shook their heads as they scouted out more demons to annihilate.

The Ring Master watched the show in silence. It was fairly entertaining. He would have preferred if the magician had survived. He was somewhat useful. Help was so hard to find now a days. The prize of a kitsune, inu-youkai, and miko were too promising for him to turn tail and run though.

Hiei set his sight on the Ring Master after seeing the battle being handled by the others. The tiger youkais were not challenging enough for him to bother with. However he looked back towards Kurama's progress.

"Fox! Just kill them already, it will be faster." Hiei told him annoyed.

"Not yet." Kurama answered calmly as he grabbed Kagome around the waist and pulled her to the ground under his body to prevent a vicious impaling courtesy of a tiger youkai. Unfortunately Kagome was knocked unconscious when she hit the ground too rough with Kurama's added weight. He looked back up and smiled at the demon he noticed to be standing aloft from the others.

"I see you." Kurama answered as he ran his rosewhip through the demon whom attempted to flee at the last moment. Three of the duplicate demons were readying their attack upon Kurama and Kagome and if his discovery of weakness was not true, he just signed their death warrant.

But of course, as usual, the expert tactician Kurama was correct in his theory. Once again, Yusuke and Kuwabara found that the fodder for their spirit weapons disappeared before they could attack.

"This is getting old!" Kuwabara complained when his spirit sword found nothing but air to strike.

"Hiei, the Ring Master is my prey." Kurama told his friend after handing Kagome over to Inuyasha.

Hiei nodded and stepped away.

"Well met, Fox-boy." The Ring Master greeted. "Perhaps I could pit fights with you verses the dog-demon. I'm sure it would be quite profitable." He laughed at the look of hatred that marred the young man's face.

"Oh, you're not upset because your little girlfriend got hurt? Don't worry she'll be in the show as well. Perhaps we can have an attraction about `The Fox-boy and his Mate.' I can think of some who would pay big money for such a show." The Ring Master's face lost its smile as he marked the lethal approach of the Fox-boy. He cursed his luck that his magician was slain.

"You will do no such thing." Kurama answered with the tranquility of a calm spring. The predator hunted his prey. The prey would die quickly. The fox would eat well that night.

"Perhaps you underestimate me, boy." The Ring Master replied as he revealed his own dark energy whip. The whip that beat Kurama for three months straight while he was held captive under a magical collar that weakened him beyond any attempts of rebellion.

Kurama's own rosewhip met that hated whip. The two whips interlocked and Kurama raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. However, it did not matter. He would not allow this beast to live.

Kagome awoke to find herself in Inuyasha's arms. She focused her gaze upon the center fight that held everyone's attention. Not only was it a one-on-one between Kurama and the hated Ring Master, but Kurama was changing before their eyes.

First his steady approach towards his foe became more and more smooth and fluid. Then his voice seemed to become deeper and colder. Then within a flash of time he had fully transformed into Youko Kurama once again.

"You will do no such thing." Youko repeated performing his most fatal attack. His emotionless face broke into a cruel smile as he watched with satisfaction as the Ring Master transformed into a Death Plant. The Ring Master was now a large purple tree, sharing the fate of Karasu.

Kurama walked back towards where Kagome sat on the ground with Inuyasha. He shook his head at her sadly. "It was too easy. I did not even break a sweat."

Kagome gaped at his attitude. The previous time she saw him as Youko his demeanor was much different. He seemed almost heartless now.

As if sensing her discomfort, Youko smiled and the fox was once again in the human form of Shuuichi. He held out his hand to her and she took it and stood.

"Is that it?" Inuyasha asked a little disappointed.

"Why do you sound so disappointed? At least you got to take out some baddies. You guys kept taking ours away before we could strike." Kuwabara complained once again.

Hiei hit him upside the head. "Shut up." He commanded. "However, this was ridiculously easy. I had hoped for a challenge."" Hiei admitted.

"Perhaps we should ask Botan and Koenma if they can locate the other canine youkai the Ring Master imprisoned so that we may free them." Kurama suggested.

Yusuke was already on top of things and was talking with Botan via his spirit communicator. He clicked it shut and pointed to a tunnel further in the room. "They said to try that way and that we don't need to use the rocks anymore."

"Why not?" Kagome asked pulling the rock entrusted to her from her pocket.

"Said that since Kurama is the one that defeated the Ring Master that this place should recognize him as master and obey his requests." Yusuke explained.

Kurama nodded. "There is no need then for us to venture to the passage. Release the prisoners." Kurama commanded and a bright light seemed to light up the cave and then at least thirty canine demons appeared before the group.

"We'll have to return you to your homes." Kurama told the puzzled demons.

"How are we going to get them to their homes?" Kuwabara asked overwhelmed by the many powerful youkai around him.

Kurama looked over at him while wrapping his arm around Kagome's waist and walking towards the exit. "Looks like you Spirit Detectives will have a lot of paper work to do then."

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Kurama, Inuyasha, and Kagome arrived at her family's shrine to be greeted by her long absent family.

"Kagome!" Souta shouted as he ran to his older sister to give her a hug and then began harassing Inuyasha. Soon her mother found them and gave Kagome a knowing wink when she saw Kurama. Grandfather was a less welcoming individual.

He took one look at Kurama before he began shouting `demon!' and throwing spells at him. Kagome offered Kurama an apologetic smile before getting her grandfather to relent.

"Ji-chan, you met Kurama before." Kagome told the old man.

"Yes, but why do you have to associate with so many youkai? You are a miko afterall." Ji-chan complained as he was ushered away from the teens by Kagome's mother.

Kurama placed his arm around Kagome's shoulder and pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear. "I was hoping that your family would not be back." Kurama told Kagome with a lecherous grin.

Kagome lightly slapped his hand away and moved out of his enticing embrace. "Will you be going back to the past with us?" Kagome inquired with a pleading face.

Kurama offered a small smile. "I'm sorry, but I think I may need to see my mother. School starts soon."

Kagome sighed. "Of course, you're right. School's going to begin soon and you won't have the time to help with hunt for jewel shards. I understand." Kagome looked away towards the stairs leading to the bedrooms. She could hear her brother and Inuyasha shouting at a video game.

Kurama felt extremely guilty. He had intended to come to the present to get Kagome healed but she healed herself. Then he involved her in a battle when she already was engrossed in an enormous one that involved Naraku. He really wanted to duel with this hanyou himself after seeing firsthand all the pain he caused.

He also had promised to come over the other night so they could spend some time together. However, she ended up babysitting a younger version of himself. She was very good-natured about the whole ordeal. He could only smile at the way she took the most extreme circumstances in stride.

He walked closer to her and moved his hand to cradle the back of her head. He leaned down and claimed her surprised lips. He enjoyed the way she melted against his body. It gave him a sense of power to know that he had the same effect on her as she seemed to have on him.

He broke the kiss to stare deeply into her eyes. His emerald orbs glinted with mischief. "Maybe I could spend another day or two in the past. I'm sure mom's fine."

"What's the condition?" Kagome asked noticing the catch in his tone.

Kurama smiled seductively at her. "We have to do more of this." He answered as he crushed his lips against hers once more. It would seem that some of the more infamous traits of Youko were becoming dominant.

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Kurama had agreed to leave with Kagome and Inuyasha in the morning. His mother was happy to see him. She still was a little confused by her son. He had tried to explain everything to her once before. Right after his duties as a Spirit Detective were fulfilled he tried to tell her everything.

She nodded her head along throughout the story as if she understood. Of course, Kurama realized that she was merely humoring him and thought that perhaps the stresses of his academics had caused him to hallucinate.

Mrs. Minamino adored Kagome though. Her son Shuuichi simply told her that he had gone on a vacation with Kagome and her family and that he wanted to spend the weekend with her minus her family. His mother agreed and he went to his room to get some much needed rest.

There was a tap at his window. He pulled open the blinds to reveal Hiei standing on his ledge. Kurama opened the window to let him in. Hiei walked towards a wall to lean against.

He crossed his arms and waited.

"Is something on your mind, Hiei?" Kurama asked calmly as he pulled out his desk chair and took a seat.

Hiei narrowed his eyes at him. "What's going on with you?"

"I guess you have noticed the changes as well." Kurama replied. He saw no changes in Hiei's face so decided to continue. "Ever since I took the potion at the Dark Tournament my two forms, Youko Kurama and Shuuichi Minamino, are merging. Youko is more compassionate and Shuuichi is more calculating. I believe I am successfully combining two distinct personalities into one." Kurama explained.

"Since when do you so readily transform into Youko?" Hiei asked with a hit of concern in his voice.

"It is easier to transform around Kagome. I have also noticed that I feel my youki increasing. I think that I am no longer human." Kurama continued.

"Obviously." Hiei agreed.

Kurama looked at him seriously, his green eyes had flecks of gold within them. "I think that I may become a youkai once more. Which means that my aging will come to a stop. If this is the case, I think my human mother may finally believe the stories I revealed."

Hiei looked contemplative. "Are you worried?" He asked after a few minutes of silence after Kurama did not continue.

Kurama picked a book from his desk and began to leaf through the pages. "If it is true, then I will have to think carefully about my life decisions. If I live here I will have to come up with ways to hide the fact that I do not age."

Kurama continued leafing through the pages, much to Hiei's annoyance. However he did not elaborate on the real issue that was bothering him. Hiei wanted to strangle the fox for making him pull the information from him. "You are concerned about the girl?"

Kurama laid the book down upon his desk and met Hiei's gaze. "Terrified. I mean, in her past incarnation she fell in love with a hanyou. He was going to become human so that they could be together. That obviously didn't work."

"Is there another option? She is a miko afterall." Hiei replied.

Kurama smiled at him. "I plan on looking into it. She does have a great deal of power. I believe while I was sorting through files at Koenma's office I ran across a thesis that someone wrote about mikos breaking their power limit."

"Wasn't there one by the name of Midoriko that did that? She became so powerful that she began to age like a youkai?" Hiei asked as a dim memory crossed his mind of hearing a story about that miko.

Kurama nodded. "Yes, and she was the one that created the Shikon no Tama that we seek. When I begin school again, I intend on finding more information upon the subject."

"Let's just look ahead then, if you both end up with this same aging process, what then?" Hiei asked in an attempt to find his logical friend and not this emotional nutcase that was before him.

Kurama smiled. "Live happily ever after?" He asked in jest.

"Hn." Hiei crossed his arms again and walked back to the window preparing to depart.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Kurama stopped him before he could leave.

"Fine. I'll accompany her while you waste your times with those books." Hiei agreed reading the Fox's mind before taking his leave.

Kurama closed his window and then fell to his bed. He stared at his ceiling blankly trying to free his mind. He had just started to fall asleep when the telephone beside his bed rudely awoke him.

Annoyed, he reached over to answer it.

"Mushi mushi." He replied.

"Kurama, I'm so sorry to wake you." It was Kagome. Kurama bolted upright upon the tone of her voice. She was scared.

"What's wrong Kagome?" He asked suddenly alert.

"I'm not sure. Inuyasha went back to the Feudal Era and so I was sleeping, but I felt funny. I opened my eyes and I was floating above my bed! Three feet above my bed, Kurama! I was so scared! I'm sorry for waking you up, but I didn't know what to do. I should have woken up my family." Kagome began trailing off, but Kurama cut her off.

"No. I'm glad you called. Don't go anywhere. I'll be over as soon as I can, okay?" Kurama tried to calm her. He was already dressing while balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear.

Kagome nodded her head, but then realized he couldn't see her. "Okay." She agreed.

"It will be alright, I promise." Kurama told her before he hung up. He rushed down stairs and stole his mother's keys. Driving a car couldn't be too hard if Hiei could do it. He made his way to Kagome's home.

He noticed her bedroom light was on and the close proximity of a certain tree to her window. As he was climbing the tree the possibility that perhaps this little scare was a sign that Kagome could break that power limit excited him. Maybe there could be a `happily ever after' ending to the story after all.

He shook his head as he knocked on her window. He had only known her for such a short time; he was still confused as to why he felt so attached. Her face appeared before him and he climbed into her room.

She clung to his chest for dear life and he couldn't help but smile. Perhaps that was why he was becoming so attached. He led her back towards her bed and pulled back her covers to tuck her in.

"I'll sit beside you and make sure you don't float away." He reassured her as he pulled her desk chair to the side of her bed.

Kagome had other intentions and shook her head and pulled back the covers once more. "I won't bite you." She assured him as she wiped some more tears from her cheeks. Her body was still shivering from the experience.

Kurama couldn't deny the frightened woman who had stolen his heart. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his shirt and joined her under the covers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Let's see you try to fly away with me holding you down." He teased her before shutting his eyes and falling asleep, finally.

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~Yusuke: This is crap!

~Belle: What?!?

~Yususke: You're not going to make Kagome finish school, she's going to run off with Kurama and `live happily ever after' and I have to waste time in school!

~Belle: I didn't say she wasn't going to finish school, stop assuming!

~Inuyasha: Yeah, arcade loser, when you assume you make an ass out of u and me.

~Hiei: Not hard to do the latter.

~Inuyasha: What did you say?

~Hiei: You heard me.

~Belle: Stop that! I got a suggestion to do a Botan/Miroku pairing…..what do you think? He could try to flirt with her and convince death herself to not suck him up in his air void. Of course, M/S will always be the real pairing, but you can't blame a cursed monk for trying.