Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Home is Where the Heart is Hidden ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Niara: Hey, almost exam time for life! I HATE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR! Okay, calm now. Thanks to the people who have reviewed and to Miss Mischief who gave me the website, I really appreciate it!

 

Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue

 

Chapter 7

 

Kagome gripped the reigns of her horse tightly as they ran, tearing through the woods at a reckless pace. She ignored the slaps of the thin tree branches as they barrelled through the trees in a blind hurry. The young miko was having to follow the red blur of her companion's hair, the only starkly different sploch of color in the dark landscape. Kagome jerked her head to the side suddenly, her eyes widening as she felt a demonic presence approaching fast.

 

“Kurama! Behind us!” The red-head whirled around, pulling his horse and hers to a dead stop. His eyes faded turned a burnished gold, the color of the sun at sunset. Power clung to him, his aura stretching out to invade everything around them. Kagome felt his power sink into the trees, pulsing in every plant it touched. There was a startled cry before Kurama nodded, the silver strands mixed in his hair growing more prominent.

 

“Ride, now.” He turned his horse and they bolted, surging through the woods at the same reckless pace as before. Kagome nodded in agreement, glancing back to where she felt the demonic aura. Their enemy was still on their trail. And he was furious.

 

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Hiei didn't stop running after he threw off Kikyo's “gaze”. Instead, he ran faster, his figure a black blur in a see of shadows. The scent of decaying flesh constantly invaded his nose and he could feel the power of the demon leaders of that foul horde closing in on him. A low growl escaped his throat suddenly.

 

Turning to the left, he neatly avoided the long, thorny vines that his “partner” had infused with his power, one of the fox avatar's favorite stalling tactics. The plants were attacking him viciously, constantly trying to tear the flesh from his body. If the plants were this violent, he had to be getting closer.

 

The hybrid raised his head and sniffed at the air, pushing the scent of Kikyo's army as far off as possible. There!

 

He could smell the border from here which meant Kurama could as well. Kikyo was greedy, yes, but she wasn't stupid. She wouldn't risk a war with either the Inu Brothers or Raizen just yet. The avatar and whatever he was doing would be safe once he crossed that invisible line.

 

Then, Hiei could get some answers.

 

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Yusuke frowned as he and Keiko Yukimora, his childhood friend, watched his father, Lord Raizen, speak with Yomi, the representative of the Southern Lands, and Jaken, the imp servant and messenger of Lord Sesshomaru of the West. The old demon's expression was serious, his glowing eyes filled with fury. Jaken was rambling and Yomi looked annoyed, more so than the blind goat demon normally did.

 

“Something happened,” the Mazoku muttered. Keiko nodded, clutching Yusuke's arm out of worry, just as she had done since childhood. Yusuke patted her arm and then turned to leave, extracting himself from her grasp. He made his way towards the courtyard where several of the soldiers in the Northern army were sparring, a frown twisting his handsome features just slightly. As he walked, his aura shifted from human to demon, his short brown hair growing longer and longer, until it extended past his waist, almost to his knees, the dark blue tribal markings of his father's clan rising to color his darkened skin. Brown eyes flashed to gold and his stride grew more purposeful, his mind set.

 

Yusuke walked straight past Jin and Touya, his two most trusted bodyguards, ignoring their shouts and calls, eyes straight ahead, senses stretched to their limit as he opened his mind to a pathway that he rarely allowed himself to use. He allowed his mind to follow that black path that had been created the first day he had met the master of the Evil Eye, knowing that, no matter where the antisocial demon was, he would answer.

 

“Something is going on,” he thought. “I'm on my way to the Outer Reaches to see if I can find out what it is.”

 

There was no reply, not that he expected one. Yusuke glanced at the gate guards as they moved to block his departure and rolled his eyes. At twelve feet from the sealed gate, he bent his knees and leaped, his enhanced body, both from years of training and his natural abilities, sailing clear over the gate. He landed gracefully on the other side, startling several of the civilians that were walking by.

 

The young demon took off, his speed having him across the town outside of the palace in few minutes. He would stop by the Kuwabara house on his way out; they always had a steed on hand that he could use in cases such as this.

 

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Kagome and Kurama rode hard through the night and on into the morning, stopping only long enough to give their horses the chance to rest and to refresh themselves, not wanting their pursuers to catch up to them. Kurama would use the time to infuse the areas with his youki, encouraging the wildlife within the radius of his power to react.

 

After several hours, bringing them near morning, Kagome pulled Rain to a halt and turned to Kurama. “You are about to drop. We need to stop and make camp or you won't make it to the border.”

 

Kurama frowned, but could not argue. He had used up most of his youki and limited reiki supplies creating their diversions, without giving himself time to recover the energy he was using up. Sighing, he began to swing down and nearly collapsed, catching the saddle just in time to keep himself from falling all the way down. Kagome leapt off her horse and hurried over, an orb of pure white in her left hand.

 

Before Kurama could protest, she pushed the orb into his chest, flooding the dried passages with energy, sending adrenaline throughout the red-head's exhausted body. He gasped as the power surged through him before he took a deep breath and exhaled, his eyes slightly wide.

 

“I,” he gasped. “I wasn't…wasn't aware you could…do that.”

 

Kagome blushed and helped him to steady himself. “I spent a lot of time helping demons that would come through the village. I discovered that, because I have so much power, I can break off chunks of it and stabilize it so that a demon's body can absorb it and use it as their own power.”

 

The human-made demon smiled at her, grateful. “I appreciate that. We need to find shelter for the night.”

 

“You do that,” Kagome ordered. “I'll set up the defenses for the night. Is there anything I need to know?”

 

“An acquaintance of mine is tracking us,” Kurama stated, his eyes growing slightly distant. “He should be here within the next several hours.”

 

Kagome nodded and moved into the small clearing ten feet away, hands already moving as she prayed, the power that practically hummed beneath her skin surging to life with a vengeance. Kurama shivered as her power washed over the area, erecting a barrier to protect them should their enemy find them. He began to pull fallen branches togther, using bits of vine to connect them together, creating a decent sized shelter between three large trees that would help to disguise them should anyone enter the area. They worked diligently and efficiently, setting up an area quickly that could be destroyed just as readily.

 

As soon as the work was down to little things, Kagome turned to Kurama, hands on her hips. “Go to bed. You need to recover your energy and I have plenty to spare. I'll keep watch and wake you up in three hours.”

 

Kurama sighed. “Fine, Kagome. But only three hours. A priestess with your kind of power is a prize to most demons.”

 

The young miko smiled and patted his cheek. “I'll be fine. Go to bed.”

 

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Niara: No idea when I started this chapter, but it is now summer of 2008 and I have finished it. Yea me! If you have been waiting for this, sorry. I appreciate the patience that you have had with me. Right now, I'm just praying that I scored high enough on IB Exams…