Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Freak Show ❯ Trouble Stirring ( Chapter 18 )

~Kagome: It's a miracle!

~Belle: Do you really have to make such a big deal about it?

~Kurama: Of course she does, she makes a big deal about everything.

~Kagome: Hey! What is that supposed to mean?

~Belle: Perhaps that would be a question best left unanswered, and I suppose the miracle is that I am updating.

~Kurama: Inspiration has struck our Belle-sama, let us hope that you enjoy her work.

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The popular café that Kurama, Kagome, and Yusuke walked to for lunch was busy, as it was expected to be. After ten minutes of waiting, they trio was seated at a corner table where the waitress was quick to bring their orders.

"I believe you ordered the soup dear." The older woman smiled warmly at Kagome, as she sat the steaming bowl of soup in front of her. "The salad is for you sir," she sat the chicken caesar salad before Kurama who nodded his head at her.

The woman then looked at all the remaining food on her tray then looked at Yusuke. She then looked back at her tray once more. "Geez old woman it's obviously mine just give it to me!" Yusuke shouted annoyed and hungry.

The older waitress glared at him and slammed his prime steak, pork chops, salad, and grilled cheese sandwich in front of him before whirling around and leaving the group.

"Wonder what the hag's problem is." Yusuke asked as he stuffed his mouth. Kagome and Kurama stared at him for a few moments in silence before simultaneously shaking their heads and eating their own lunches.

Soon the clatter of silverware falling against porcelain disturbed the heavy silence that had blanketed the meal. Kagome looked at each of her companions as she raised a hand to her forehead to block out the headache that was rising.

She stood up abruptly, causing Yusuke to knock over his water onto his pants. "Crap! Now it looks like I pissed myself!" Yusuke complained. "What's the matter with you?" He shouted at Kagome.

"I have this sudden feeling that something wrong is happening in the Feudal Era," Kagome explains, concern quite evident in her tone as she fretted her bottom lip in angst.

Kurama ignored the rants of Yusuke and focused upon Kagome, "What's wrong?" His cool tone calmed her nerves somewhat, as she looked him in the eye.

"Something is very wrong with Inuyasha," she explains. "I need to go back there." Kurama looks at his watch and frowns.

"If we go now then we will miss the rest of classes." Kurama naturally was concerned wherever Kagome was concerned, but missing classes could seriously hurt one's grade point ratio. He certainly didn't want to lose his number one rank due to an Inuyasha temper tantrum.

Yusuke cheered, "Let's go! I didn't want to go back to the school anyway especially now that Kagome soiled my pants," he cast her an annoyed look, which she ignored.

Kurama sighed in resignation, "Yusuke may I borrow your car."

Yusuke shakes head, "Only way you can drive it is if I am coming to the Feudal Era too. Besides I'm not sure I want you driving my car after the way I've seen you in Hiei's ride."

The peaceful emerald eyes of Shuuichi flashed a calculating golden color at Yusuke. "Fine, but we leave now."

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

Sesshoumaru was panting hard. Unlike normal when Inuyasha transformed and acted without reason, this full demon version seemed as capable as the western lord. Tokijin deflected another spray of blood claws flung by the younger sibling.

Even if he was to knock Inuyasha out, he was unsure if that would cause the demon blood to seal. Inuyasha's maniacal laughs rattled Sesshoumaru's nerves and the sight of the hanyou licking his own blood with a wicked grin was greatly disturbing.

"Inuyasha, you will stop this at once and come to your senses," Sesshoumaru demanded in his stoic manner as he used his powers to create an energy whip and knock Inuyasha off balance and crash into a great tree some distance away.

The Bone Eater's Well was but a few yards off from where they battled. Inuyasha shook himself to decrease the dizzy feeling he had as his vision swam before his eyes. He could feel the power whirling within the time portal signifying the return of dear Kagome.

"Your target is this Sesshoumaru," the western lord declared as his eyes bled crimson. Inuyasha ignored the well and followed Sesshoumaru in his own immense display of youki.

Kagome landed in the bottom of the well holding Yusuke's hand and being held in the warm hug of Shuuichi. Upon traveling five hundred years into the past Kurama summoned his powers to have vines pull the group out from the bottom of the well to the ground outside.

The sight that met their eyes was unlike any display of youki they had ever seen. Sessoumaru's face was elongating and he was starting to transform to his true form.

The human form of Shuuichi let go of Kagome and shouted out, "No! You must not transform while you are missing your arm! A three-legged down is a handicap not an advantage!" The blood seeped out of Sesshoumaru's eyes as he heeded the words.

Inuyasha noticed Kagome and saw that the quickest way to her was by slicing through his brother. As Sesshoumaru urged his demon form to submerge itself into his subconscious, Inuyasha riped his claws into his side.

Kurama could feel Kagome's panic from watching the scene and his demon blood started to surge. He was no longer Shuuichi Minamino but he was now Youko Kurama. During the brief moment of distraction due to the transformation Kurama was unable to remain aware of those in his protection. That changes when Kagome suddenly screamed as Inuyasha had left his brother's side and hoisted her over his shoulder and ran off.

Feeling more angry than he could ever recall, Youko Kurama transformed again into his true form. A giant seven tailed silver fox appeared before everyone, of a size on par with that of Sesshoumaru's true form.

He chased Inuyasha through the clearing but was much faster than the hanyou and cornered him. Inuyasha unceremoniously dropped Kagome to the ground to face Kurama growling possessively. The two square off.

Yusuke and Sesshoumaru reach Kagome's side at the same time from opposite angels. . Sesshoumaru acted oblivious to the scene around them of his childhood friend and younger brother facing off in a duel. He reached into his inner shirt and handed Kagome the jewel shards and began to walk off, bleeding.

Kagome forgot about the inevitable doom that will result between her love and her best friend fighting and stopped him. "No, we must heal your wounds." Kagome told him as she fused the shards of the Shikon no Tama Sesshoumaru gave her.

Yusuke looked at Sessoumaru and at Kagome. "I have an idea." The other two merely look at him skeptically, but he ignored the insult. "Let me combine my spirit energy with yours and heal all his wounds." Yusuke offered. "And I mean all of them," he clarified as he pointedly lets his eyes land upon the missing arm.

Kagome looked at him and understood his intentions. She thought about the consequences and then nodded her head in acceptance. Together they concentrate their spiritual energy. Kagome laid a hand upon Sesshoumaru's wounds in his side and Yusuke laid his on the back of her hand. The holes heal. Next, Kagome took a deep breath and placed her palm upon the upper bicep of Sesshoumaru's missing arm. Yusuke placed his hand upon hers.

A warm, tingling sensation filled Sesshoumaru. His golden eyes widened in amazement as he could literally feel his arm being made whole once more. The two humans with spiritual gifts lifted their hands and he inspected their work. Sesshoumaru extended his newly formed arm in wonder. And a true smile graced his lips as he flexed his fingers.

Kurama held Inuyasha under his giant paw and turned to look at Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and Yusuke.

"I didn't realize Kurama could turn into that," Yusuke replied with his mouth hanging open in amazement of the giant silvery fox.

"You have never seen him before when he felt his mate was in danger," Sesshoumaru answered coolly as he allowed some poison to accumulate on his newly grown claws. Satisfied when the acid dripped down to the grass and sizzled the green vegetation he looked back once more towards the battle. It seemed at a standstill with Inuyasha trapped under Kurama's paw.

"We have to do something," Kagome voiced her thoughts aloud as she searched frantically for any sign of Sango or Miroku who no doubt were in possession of Tetsusaiga.

"Tetsusaiga." Sesshoumaru replied. Kagome understood. Sesshoumaru looked at her. "I will transport us to your other friends I am confident that they are on their way here. We can bring my idiot brother back his sword and seal his unruly demon blood."

"Let's find Sango and Miroku then. I'm sure they have your father's fang," Kagome answered as she took Sesshoumaru's hand and together they turned into a ball of light to head off in the direction of the other shard collecting members of the quest.

They were not far off and both Sesshoumaru and Kagome could sense their presence. Riding frantically in their direction, the exterminator and monk are flying through the air on top of Kirara.

Sesshoumaru set himself and Kagome upon his red cloud of ki energy as they met the shard hunters. Without so much as a word, Miroku hands Kagome the Tetsusaiga and she and the western lord vanish in the ball of light and return to Inuyasha who remains under the giant silver paw of the great fox demon.

Kagome placed the sword into Inuyasha's hand and stood back to watch as his demon blood receded. Kurama's blood filled eyes also return to a golden hue and he started to shrink down to size and becomes Youko.

Yusuke stares at Kurama with his mouth open still. "I didn't know you could do that!" He exclaims.

"I haven't done that in a long time. Even as Youko Kurama I hardly ever transformed into the true fox. And never at a size of this magnitude." Kurama seemed a bit confused by his morphing into his larger alter ego.

"Youko, you now have seven tails," Sesshoumaru informed.

Kurama smiled savagely, "Really?"

"What's so special about seven tails? Why doesn't he just have 1 like a normal fox?" Kagome asked. Why is it that demons in Japan have such complications! There were just way too many rules.

Kurama took pity on his mate and walked towards her and wrapped her into a warm embrace. He feared he might have lost her for a moment and needed to reassure himself that she was indeed present. "For foxes the number of tails represents how much power and strength one has. Before I merged with the soul of Shuuichi Minamino, I had 5 tails. These other two must have formed during these last few years without my being aware."

"Oh." Kagome and Yusuke answered at the same time, both feeling equally stupid in their lack of demon knowledge. Kurama grins at them both, "If I reach the number of nine tails I will be at my power peak. Nine is the maximum number of tails one can attain."

"That should make fighting Naraku easier then," Inuyasha replied as his mind finally returned to him. His previous actions were a blur to him. Kagome runs over to him and hugs him tightly. Without hesitation he wraps his own arms around her small body and holds her to him gently.

"Don't ever do that again!" A tear falls from her eye as she thinks of what could have happened if he had gotten himself killed in his state of madness.

Inuyasha smells the tear and apologizes with panic. "Please don't cry!" He would have continued blubbering more nonsense to calm her down but the scent of graveyard soil and ash greeted the sensitive noses of the canine demons. He allowed Kagome to slip out of his arms and a little towards where Yusuke stood, but not more than a step away from him.

The two humans turn in the direction of great amounts of spirit energy. Yusuke squints his eyes and then looks over at Kagome, then back at Kikyo, then back at Kagome.

Kagome wanted to scream if one more person mentioned the resemblance between her and her former incarnation!

"Say Kagome, did you realize that the walking clay pot has four shards of energy within her?" Yusuke inquires, as Kagome stares at him in shock. She was certain he was about to make a comment about how similar she and Kikyo looked.

"They are shards of the Shikon no Tama," Kagome answered. "You can see them?"

Yusuke shrugged. "Eh, not really, but I can feel them. Aren't they all in the area her heart ought to be? Ew, that's sick! Does that mean she doesn't have a heart!"

Everyone sweat drops and Kikyo glares at the human male with scorn. "What do you want Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked not moving from his position beside Kagome. Kurama had not so nicely pushed Yusuke back behind him to stand on the other side of Kagome and had taken her hand within his once he noticed the smell of the dead priestess. He squeezed her hand gently to offer support and let her know he would be there for her.

"I come to speak with my reincarnation." Kikyo answered simply, not allowing the annoyance she felt to creep into her tones as she was aggravated at the insolent human male.

Kurama looked over at Sesshoumaru from the corner of his eye. The western lord allowed a bored look to grace his features, but his eyes were locked on Youko and he shook his head `no' signifying that it was a poor idea to release Kagome into the hands of the undead miko.

"Then speak," Kagome demanded, pulling her hand out of Youko's and taking a step forward. Inuyasha rushed to stand in front of her to prevent her from walking any closer.

Kikyo offered an unkind smirk. "I don't believe it's your job to protect her anymore hanyou," she sneered.

"Kagome is and always will remain my friend. I will protect her even if it means I have to destroy you." Inuyasha answered, resolute in his decision to side with Kagome. Kikyo was dead, the being before him was her hatred only. All the good qualities that Kikyo once possessed were now possessed by Kagome. He would ensure that Kagome had a happy ending even if it meant one without him.

Sesshoumaru began to feel a surge of pride rise within him for his brother's reply. However, the stench of the undead miko was one he would prefer to avoid. He looked back towards the mid-day sun and decided that Rin and Jaken would start looking for him foolishly if he failed to return shortly. In a flash of a light, Sesshoumaru vacated the field.

Kurama seemed to be the only one to notice the western lord's departure, but he was more focused on Kikyo's intention to ponder the inner workings of the tai-youkai's mind.

"You must be the one Botan has been complaining about that is upsetting the balance of life," Yusuke announced, causing Kikyo's dark eyes to bore into his own. He merely stared back in challenge. "Perhaps it is a problem I can fix. Besides, I think Kurama would prefer if his mate had her whole soul." Yusuke stated as he created his spirit gun and prepared to destroy what he saw as an obstacle to his friend's happiness.

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

~Belle: It's an evil cliff-hanger!

~Kikyo: You can not seriously intend to have that high school drop out kill me.

~Yusuke: You're already dead, so it's not like I'd be doing anything wrong. Besides, I'm not a drop out!

~Kurama: I don't especially care much about who kills Kikyo, she must die so that Kagome can have a completed soul. When do I earn my other two tails?

~Sesshoumaru: Belle, even if I hate that I am of minor importance in this story, I suppose it is acceptable. At least you have given me back my arm.