Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Freak Show ❯ Where Did Everyone Go? ( Chapter 20 )

Where Did Everyone Go?

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Kagome's knuckles were ghost white as she clutched the door handle tightly in her grasp. She trusted Kurama with her life, but this was really testing that vow. She cringed again as he turned another corner in a way reminiscent of Batman and his Batmobile.

Her eyes screwed shut as he sailed through another yellow light that turned red as soon as they were right underneath it. Kurama looked over at her and grinned, watching the road with his peripheral vision.

"Isn't this great?" He looked down at the radio clock, eyes off the road and off of his terrified passenger. "We'll be back in time for the last quarter hour of fifth period!" Kurama proudly informed his girlfriend. He thought they wouldn't make it back until at least sixth hour after looking at Kagome's watch earlier, but this was excellent news!

Kagome lurched across the front seat and quickly grab hold of the wheel while Kurama was distracted by his watch. He looked down at her and frowned while carefully peeling off her hands from the wheel and replacing them with his own. The school parking lot came into view and he parked with either practiced ease or incredible good luck.

As soon as the vehicle was stationary, Kagome climbed out of the car and stood, hands on knees, trying to stop hyperventilating. Concerned, Kurama walked over to her and gently rubbed her back. "What's wrong my little rose?"

Kagome stood straight and stared at him incredulously. Without a word she reached her hand into Kurama's front pocket and started searching. Emerald eyes widened at the action. "Ka-Ka-Kagooo---me, what are you doing?" Kurama ground out as he tried to control the rush of nerves that were affecting him, this would be a most troublesome location to transform into Youko. He grabbed hold of Kagome's wrist and yanked her hand out of his pocket. That was certainly an activity not meant for school grounds.

Kagome extended her hand towards him, being unsuccessful at claiming the keys for herself. "Give me the keys, Kurama."

Kurama's hand went to his pocket protectively and he shook his head no. "I think it would be better if I kept them. Yusuke might think you stole them and I don't want him to cause you any grief." Kurama smiled his dazzling, charming smile. However, upon his surviving passenger, that smile was not so dazzling nor the least bit charming.

"Shuuichi Youko Kurama Minamino, you are an unlicensed individual who has taken your last joy-ride. Until you learn how to drive LEGALLY I can not allow you to have access to a vehicle." She kept her hand outstretched, but Kurama still refused to fork over the item of debate. Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Don't make me go miko on you and purify you."

Emerald eyes taunted her. "You wouldn't dare."

"I don't think that's a hypothesis you want to test my dear." Kagome used a sugar coated voice that caused Kurama to second guess his earlier proclamation. He wasn't that bad a driver was he? Reluctantly he handed over the keys, there was no need to cause a scene. Besides, he could easily reacquire the keys, well as long as she didn't put them in some forbidden location.

Kagome smiled endearingly at him once the keys were in her possession and safely tucked away in her own jeans pocket. Kurama wouldn't dare steal them from her in such a location, would he? She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, but he merely smiled innocently in retaliation before offering his arm to her.

"Shall I escort you through the school grounds Kagome?" Kurama asked in his calm, deep voice that was reminiscent of a British scholar. Kagome took the offered arm and the two walked across the parking lot toward the front doors of the school. It was strangely quiet though.

The wind had picked up, blowing obsidian and red tresses carelessly behind the two. Kurama opened the door cautiously, his senses kicked into overdrive because everyone seemed to be missing. The large metallic door swung upon with an unnerving creek. The two sets of footsteps rang hollow and lonely upon the tiled floor. Kagome leaned into Kurama as they walked down the deserted corridors.

The pair headed in the direction of Professor Tasuki's room. He was a friend of Prince Koenma of the Spirit World so perhaps he was still around and would have some answers. The couple stood outside the door of the Art room when they suddenly felt themselves being pulled in and heard the door shut closed behind them.

Professor Tasuki stood before them, his wild red hair and amber eyes causing more relief than he could have anticipated for the time travelers. "Finally, you're here." Tasuki greeted them as he walked past them and sat upon his desk top. "It's about time that you showed up." He added as an afterthought.

"Where is everyone?" Kurama's calm, analytic voice inquired as he gripped Kagome's hand within his own much larger one and squeezed it reassuringly. She didn't seem afraid, but it never hurt to have comfort.

Tasuki sighed as he let his eyes lift up to observe the ceiling. "It all started during lunch. People just started disappearing. I believe that the only ones that didn't vanish would be myself and Kuwabara." He leaned back and opened the top drawer of his desk to fish out a bottle of whiskey and take a generous swing of it.

"Where is ugly?" Kagome interrupted, having grown to like the nickname that Inuyasha had give the unpleasant young man from the arcade. Kurama gave her an exasperated look at the comment, but Tasuki ignored her rudeness because he had to agree with the statement.

"He left with Botan and Hiei; at least I believe that is what their names are." Kurama nodded his head at Tasuki's hesitation. The warrior from Suzaku continued after the affirmation, "I volunteered to wait for you two to return, since the whole reason I'm working at this school was to assist you guys. Koenma will desire an audience with you both. I assume that Yusuke stayed behind in the Feudal Era?"

Kagome's jaw went slack at all the revelations thrown at her. "How did you know about that?" She demanded, afraid about her secret being discovered.

Tasuki looked at her like she was crazy. "Well, Koenma told me about that when he requested that I advise his High School Spirit Detectives."

Kagome and Kurama simultaneously reply to the last comment, "But we're not Spirit Detectives." They both look at each other briefly for having spoken at the same time, but then focused back upon their Art Professor.

Tasuki shrugged indifferently. "Maybe not officially, but you are close enough. And besides Kagome, your friend Hojo told me that you missed a great deal of school when you travel into the past to collect the shards of the Shikon no Tama."

"Hojo knows?" Kagome asked in shock.

"It's not like he's stupid, Kagome." Kurama turned to her to explain. "Besides, everyone knows that he has a passion for ancient Japanese history. I'm sure a tale about a futuristic miko by the name of Kagome might ring a few bells." Kurama informed with his tone bordering upon the lines of superiority.

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Prince Koenma reclined in the seat behind his giant desk. He was using his teenaged form more often now. It seemed that ever since Botan agreed to date him that he was hardly ever in his childlike form in public. His lavender eyes scanned all those assembled in his office. Kurama and Kagome had just recently arrived and Kagome seemed to packing a little extra spiritual punch these days. Tasuki had arrived with him but had personal matters to attend to with his wife Miaka so left early.

Kurama wanted answers and Koenma seemed reserved in giving them. "Would you mind explaining where all the civilians have vanished?" Kurama asked, his voice calm and level.

"Well you see, Kurama, there was a disturbance between dimensions where the students and faculty have disappeared." Koenma began, he hesitated trying to decide how to explain the rest of the disturbing news.

"What junior is trying to say," Hiei interrupted, "is that time has stopped through out Tokyo and the only ones that are unaffected are those with high levels of spiritual energy. But, what he has yet to share is who is responsible." The fire and ice speed demon directed a deadly stare to his boss, a silent but threatening request for the answer.

Koenma cleared his throat nervously; he allowed his vision to skim over to Botan. She smiled at him encouragingly. He then glanced over at Kuwabara, who thankfully had remained silent. "I believe it may be our favorite hanyou from Sengoku Jidai."

"Inuyasha wouldn't do something like this!" Kagome yelled hands on hips, completely insulted by the jab at her best friend. No one can insult Inuyasha or think ill things of him, well unless it was either herself of Kurama, because that would be okay.

Hiei rolled his eyes as Kurama patted Kagome softly upon her shoulder. "I believe he was being sarcastic." Kurama told her gently, careful to keep the teasing out of his voice. No need to pour salt upon an open wound. Her mouth formed a silent `oh' and her shoulders slumped. He squeezed the shoulder he held and gave a playful wink before redirecting his attention to his former boss, prince of the Spirit World.

"What you are saying is that Naraku is trying to manipulate time to get Kagome's shards?" Hiei presumed aloud.

"And in the process he's displacing and sending all the normal humans into an alternate dimension. Why would he do that?" Kurama inquired, he saw no logic in the sending away the normal humans, surely he would want to detain the spiritually enhanced humans. "Which alternate dimension?" Kurama asked having a hunch that he already knew.

"Makai, the demon world," Koenma answered, confirming the Kitsune's belief.

"Let's go get them!" Kuwabara declared, annoyed to be left out of the talks, as usual. He puffed his chest out cockily and flexed his biceps to impress his peers with his brawn.

Kagome's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the young man. Without realizing it, a wave of her power washed out and slammed into the offensive man's chest, sending him crashing into the wall, stunned.

Hiei and Kurama's eyes met for a moment; obviously her spiritual power was much higher. Kurama grinned for a second at the thought that she would indeed have an extended life to match his. Koenma and Botan looked from the girl to the fallen man, back and forth. Both were impressed with the small display of power. Even Yusuke with all his spiritual power couldn't focus his power without concentrating like that!

Kurama could see that Kagome was feeling guilty and wrapped his arm reassuringly around her waist, pulling her to him. He rested his chin upon her shoulder and squeezed her gently, calming her, keeping her from getting upset. "I believe he is sending the normal humans as bait for us." Kurama declared, voicing the more intelligent individuals of the room's thoughts.

"No doubt," Koenma confirmed, "but, we still have to take the bait."

"I know. I haven't been back to the demon world since my untimely death though. Hopefully my old friend and thieving partner Kuronue is there. If he is, it would prove a great asset to us in a conflict with the vile hanyou." Kurama explained as he released his mate-to-be from his hold.

"If we are facing Naraku, then we need my friends from the Feudal Era. No offense to any of you, but without the aid of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga there is no way that we will be able to defeat him. He is too strong with the power from the greater half of the Shikon no Tama. Sango and Miroku are also important factors in any battle." Kagome interjected. She may have been falling in love with Kurama, but she didn't think that his friends would be enough to defeat the evil of the Feudal Era. "Besides Yusuke is back there as well and now that Kikyo is dead I may need his help."

"How about you and Kurama go ahead to Makai then and scope out the territory. Hiei and Botan will venture to bring your friends to the dimension." Koenma decided.

"But only Kagome and those connected to her may travel through the Bone Eater's Well." Kurama argued. Besides, it was foolish to separate their forces. However, it would be more wise to have him reestablish his ties to old allies in the demon world.

Koenma shook his head as he laughed at the oh so brilliant Kitsune. "This is the Spirit World, do you think I do not have access to the human world at any time? There is no time in this world. Why would I be several hundreds of years old and still have the body of a four year old at times?"

"When do we leave?" Hiei demanded, annoyed with explanations. He wanted action. He could attest to how difficult Naraku was, after all he did invade his mind.

"What about me? You never mentioned me?" Kuwabara cried as he stood against the wall, annoyed to be left out.

"You will stay here and look for anything suspicious." Koenma told him. Normally, Kuwabara was his favorite Spirit Detective, mostly because he wasn't very bright and followed any orders given to him. However, this was a very serious matter, and he would most likely prove a detriment or get himself killed.

"So when do we leave?" Kagome re-iterated Hiei's unanswered question.

"Right now." Koenma answered.

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Inuyasha looked at the human male from Kagome's time with a doubtful expression on his face and a question on his lips.

"Yes, you're doing it right. Just concentrate." Yusuke answered before the dog demon could ask whether or not he was holding the baseball bat correctly or not for the umpteenth time.

Inuyasha's ear's twitched with annoyance as he allowed the baseball bat to fall on the ground. He crossed his arms in frustration. "Keh, I don't see why you had me carve that stupid piece of wood. I could shred that ball you are throwing with my claws."

Yusuke walked back over to the fallen back and picked it up, handing it to Miroku, who stood by waiting his turn. "I don't want this ball shredded. The point of the game is to hit it and then run around those bases and score."

Miroku looked around at the four bases skeptically before turning back to Yusuke. "But, if you run those bases you end up right where you began. What kind of sport has one end up at the beginning? It seems foolhardy to me."

Yusuke sighed in exasperation and was about to try explaining to his two new friends again the reasons why baseball was such a great pastime when he sensed those jewel shard thingies. The words fell off his lips as he turned his attention to the direction that he felt two shards coming from. "I sense two of those energy things."

"Where?" Inuyasha demanded as he kicked aside the baseball bat that had been left forgotten on the ground at the approach of the shards. He then unsheathed Tetsuasaiga, ready to destroy whatever broke into their camp unwelcomed. Yusuke pointed in the direction the shards were approaching rapidly only to hear Inuyasha groan.

Inuyasha replaced his sword in his scabbard as the familiar scent of a certain wolf caught his attention.

Kouga's whirlwind tornado came to an abrupt halt before the three males, the dirt he kicked up flying into Inuyasha's face. "Where's Kagome?" Kouga demanded, noticing that his woman was absent. At least that flower fox was gone.

"Kagome went home with Kurama." Inuyasha answered, completely calm. He smirked as he watched Kouga's face fall at the declaration. Serves the wolf right for as many times as he kidnapped Kagome from him.

Kouga allowed a smirk to resurface as he looked back at Inuyasha. "I guess she just got fed up with you? Perhaps if I had been her sooner she would have agreed to leave with me." Kouga replied, he knew that was probably not true, but there was a chance that could be true! He then noticed the unfamiliar human. "Who are you?"

"This is Yusuke Urameshi," Miroku introduced. He then pointed to the discarded baseball bat laying upon the ground. "He's teaching us to play a game called baseball. We're waiting for Kagome to return before nightfall. In the meantime, would you care to join us?"

"Hey! You can't invite him to stay with us!" Inuyasha argued with the monk. Kouga looked amused, he was originally going to decline the offer, but now he felt like accepting.

"It will work better this way anyway, it's better to have even numbers. I'm Yusuke." Yusuke offered his hand and Kouga shook it with a cocky grin.

"Kouga, I'm leader of the wolf tribe and Kagome's my woman." Kouga answered as he kicked up the bat with his foot and caught it within his hands. He tested the weight and held it expertly, he looked at Yusuke for confirmation.

"That's right, how did you know to hold it like that?" Inuyasha asked shocked. How could Kouga hold the bat correctly on the first time whereas he, an expert swordsman was having such difficulties?

Kouga shrugged as he took a few practice swings. "I used to entertain myself by hitting things up at the birds of paradise. I used a large club and would hit giant stone to nail them."

Sango watched the men from a distance. It was nice to see them all relaxing in spite of all the dangers they faced daily. Naraku was still a great threat but it was important to remember why life was so important.

She smiled down at Shippo as he continued to show her his artwork. He was using up the coloring supplies that Kagome had last brought him and was currently on his tenth picture of his family. His family consisted of himself, Kagome, and Youko Kurama.

Shippo pointed to a drawing he did of the three of them. Kagome and Kurama were on either side of the young Kitsune cub and were all holding hands. "That's us after they adopt me as their official son." Shippo explained to Sango.

The demon hunter smiled down at him as she patted him gently upon the head. "You will make a beautiful family, Shippo. And your drawings are beautiful." Sango complimented. Her heart fluttered at the ecstatic beam that met her words from the fox cub youth.

Things were unusually quiet and laid back in the Feudal Era. It was almost as if the great evil that had plagued the land for over fifty years had vanished.

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TBC