Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Like Sakura Petals Falling... ❯ Inquisition ( Chapter 12 )

Blanket Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, YuYu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. Perverse bastardizations of both can be blamed on me.    

 

“Confide… `cause I'll be on your side, you know I will. You know I will.” - `My Friends' by Red Hot Chili Peppers    

 

Chapter Twelve (Inquisition)  

 

“Oh, I'm so sorry! It seems you just missed her,” was quickly on its way to being the phrase of the day. Kurama stepped out of the Department of Public Education, weighing his options.  

 

His day had started out at the Higure Shrine, only to be redirected back across half of Tokyo to the hospital she was volunteering part-time. Only to once again be told she wasn't there and something about signing entry deadlines; which, of course, led him to his current location. His unwitting prey, yet again, effectively eluding him.  

 

The hospital had said she'd left for the day, and as Kagome was no longer here, through process of elimination that left only one place where she'd be. So by that theory, Kurama should have been heading back across Tokyo, over the mountains, and through the woods, to Higure Shrine. That was the logical decision, which was why Kurama was now wandering aimlessly in the general direction of a nearby park.  

 

Purchasing a bento box from a vendor, Kurama found a park bench beneath a stand of sakura, overlooking a small pond. It was quite picturesque, he couldn't help noting as he sat down beside a dark-headed figure. Letting his hair fall around his face, he hid a small smirk as he busied himself with his lunch. He could feel her eyes turn toward him as he snapped his chopsticks apart.  

 

“Shuuichi-kun?” Came the timid and expected greeting. Kurama quickly schooled his features into that of surprise as he lifted his head to regard who had addressed him.  

 

“Ah, Kagome-chan.” He replied with a polite smile. “What a surprise.”  

 

Kagome merely raised her eyebrows at his response. “You don't sound very surprised.” She replied shaking her head. “Besides you are too observant not to have noticed and recognized the person already occupying this bench.” She added with a soft laugh.  

 

“Are you implying my actions were deliberate?” Kurama asked, his tone and expression the very image of innocence and piety.  

 

Kagome burst out laughing, quickly covering her mouth, and shook her head. Brown eyes dancing with her humor as she regarded the kitsune beside her. “If she shoe fits.” She giggled back her rebuttal.  

 

“Such cruelty from one so fair.” Kurama commented belabored with a sigh for dramatic effect he returned to his bento. The startled glance from Kagome going well noticed, as she then regarded him carefully.  

 

“Shuuichi-kun?” The miko began only to think better of whatever she had intended to ask. Instead turning her gaze back to the small pond before them. “It won't be long before the sakura have all lost their blooms.” She replied after a moment.  

 

“Indeed,” Kurama nodded his agreement, glancing sideways at the miko beside him.  

 

“It's a little sad, don't you think?” She added wistfully.  

 

“They'll return next Spring.” Kurama replied with a frown as he regarded Kagome curiously.  

 

“That's true!” Kagome replied a little too brightly. “They just always seem so fleeting to me. Their petals drifting away as soon as their formed.” She observed with the same false cheer.  

 

“Kagome-chan.” Kurama replied softly gaining the miko's attention. “Tell me about your friends.” He asked surprising the young woman.  

 

“My friends?” She echoed in slight confusion.  

 

“Yes, Shippo and InuYasha.” He specified with a look of polite inquiry.  

 

“InuYasha and Shippo?” She repeated with a nervous laugh. “I don't know where to start.” She paused for a moment, her brow knitting together in thought as she tilted her head to the side and smiled slightly. “Well, I met InuYasha first, when I was fifteen. I found him… sleeping under the Goshinboku. He confused me for an ex-girlfriend, which, of course, made me angry…”  

 

«These are only half truths.» The youko purred chidingly.  

 

«I agree.»  

 

“He was only half… Japanese, so I guess he had a hard time because of that. Real big trust issues, you know? So, he came across pretty gruff and rude most of the time. But deep down, he was kind, caring, and loyal, not to mention self-sacrificing. Kind of like your friend, Yuusuke…” Kagome rambled on with a bright smile.  

 

“Kagome-chan,” Kurama interrupted.  

 

“Oh, right! Shippo!” She added, clearly on a roll with her little story. “InuYasha and I met him while eatting a-- picnic lunch. Shippo was just a kid, and he'd recently been orphaned, after his parents were brutally murdered. So we took him in. Though, now that I think about it, you and Shippo aren't really all that alike. No, you remind me more of Miroku-sama.”  

 

“Kagome-chan.” Kurama cut in sharply.  

 

“Miroku-sama was a monk. We met him after he stole my bicycle.” Kagome carried on heedless of Kurama's interjections. “Anyway, after a big fight between him and InuYasha, I got my bike back and Miroku-sama asked me to bear his children. He was a real letch… and a con.” Kagome paused, eyes widening at her own words. “Oh, not that I'm saying that you are, either of them. Just that your mannerisms and the way you talk can be similar to Miroku-sama.” She added hastily to the nonplussed kitsune.  

 

“After that, we met Sango-chan.” Kagome resumed. “She was like a sister to me. She's also witnessed her family's death at the hands of her brother, and nearly died herself. But she never blamed Kohaku.” Kagome replied softly, trailing off into her own thoughts.  

 

“Kagome-chan.” Kurama spoke again, this time winning the girl's attention.  

 

“Hmm?” She asked with a cheerful, open smile.  

 

“The whole truth this time.” He said, green eyes narrowing slightly with his serious expression.  

 

“What?” Kagome asked faintly, then anger replaced the shock on her face as she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. Without a word she rose from the park bench and turning her back on the kitsune, began walking away at a brisk pace.  

 

With a curse muttered under his breath, Kurama quickly rose to follow after the miko. “Kagome-chan!” He called out as he easily caught up with the miko.  

 

The said miko stopped, her shoulders stiffening before she slowly turned around. Kurama had only a moment to marvel at the angry aura emitting from the petite woman, before she stomped back toward him.  

 

Glaring impressively, and jaw clenched she poked the kitsune squarely in the his chest, winning a slight wince from Kurama. “You!” She snapped out, emphasizing the word with another sharp jab to his chest. “You have some nerve!” She spat at Kurama, all the while poking mercilessly at his chest. “You know that!” She shouted, seemingly growing more incensed when the kitsune stepped back from her drilling appendage.  

 

“You jerk!” She shouted before turning sharply on her heel and walking away a few steps before turning back around.  

 

“You're a fine one to broach the topic of dishonesty!” She bit out at him. “You-- you make an art out of deceit!” She shouted into the stunned kitsune's face. She stepped back from Kurama, and released a deep breath, as her facial features fell back into their usual calm sweetness. Tilting her head to the side, she smiled softly up at Kurama.

 

“You want truth?” She asked in a surprisingly docile tone, instantly winning Kurama's mistrust. “Okay. Shippo, since you are so fascinated by Shippo, we'll start with him.” She continued sweetly. “Shippo, as I said earlier, really was an orphan, but what I failed to mention was…” Kagome trailed off, glancing to the side, before stepping in closer to Kurama. Her actions altogether eliciting an air of confidence as she gazed up at him through thick eyelashes.  

 

“Get this, you'll love it. It's totally up your alley.” She enticed conspiratorially with a small smile. “He, Shippo, was actually,” She paused again, as she leaned up to his ear, and added in a whisper, “… a kitsune.” Before leaning back with her anger clearly re-etched upon her face. She tilted her head to the side, arms crossed under her breasts as she glared. “Sound like anyone you know?” She demanded dryly, before turning and walking once again.  

 

It took Kurama a moment to realize that Kagome was, in fact, through with her tirade. As he mutely watched her retreating form, he frowned slightly at what had just transpired.   Well, this certainly wasn't going as planned. But then that did seem to be the chronic problem with Kagome, the miko was a permanent wild card. Luckily for him, he always stored a few extra aces up his proverbial sleeve.  

 

~*~  

 

Kagome stood staring up at the Goshinboku blankly. After her little argument with Shuuichi she had come right back to the very place she always fled back to…

 

Home.  

 

Good old predictable Kagome. She thought to herself with a derisive huff.  

 

She didn't know how long she'd been standing out there starting at the ancient tree that had somehow made itself the epicenter of her life. Her back resolutely turned to the torii of her family's shrine, she knew why she'd taken up this station. She was waiting for him-- the jerk!  

 

He better show up. She inwardly fumed as she glared up at the God Tree before her.  

 

“I work for the Rei-kai, defending and protecting the Ningen-kai from youkai that may breech the barrier separating here from the Ma-kai.” Kagome couldn't help the smile that spread across her features. Waiting until she had her face once again under her control, she glanced over her shoulder to find Shuuichi standing a few paces back.  

 

“Myobu?” She asked, raising her brows in curiosity at Shuuichi's dicerting of eyes at her question.  

 

“No, I have never sworn myself to o-Inari-sama.” Shuuichi answered returning his gaze to her. “I am a youko, my service to the Rei-kai is more akin to restitution.”  

 

Kagome's eyes widened as she turned to face the kitsune before her. “Youko's to my knowledge are very rare.” She replied thoughtfully. “You are full of surprises, Minamino Shuuichi.” Noting his slight wince at the mention of his name with a small smile.  

 

“My true name is Kurama.” He admitted after a moment. “Shuuichi is the name my human mother gave me. I invaded the body of her unborn child to escape pursuit of one who wished to kill me.” He added hastily with a dismissive gesture, cutting off Kagome's questions.  

 

Kagome's smile only grew. “And why would someone pursue your death?” She asked softly.  

 

“In that life I was a thief.” Kurama replied simply.  

 

“I see,” Kagome mused retuning her gaze to the Goshinboku. After a moment she fast a sideways glance to her companion.  

 

“Do you see that scar on the trunk of the Goshinboku?” She asked, pointing at the indicated marring in the bark of the tree. At Shuuichi's nod, she smiled and continued. “That is where I first found InuYasha sleeping.”  

 

“How do you mean?” Shuuichi asked after a moment, his green eyes quizzical.  

 

“He was pinned to the tree by an enchanted arrow. He'd been trapped there by my previous incarnation, Kikyo.” Kagome paused in her speech to regard Minamino thoughtfully. She couldn't tell if he believer her, but by the intentness in his gaze she knew she had his full attention.  

 

“Only it was not in this era that I met InuYasha.” She added gravely, searching his features carefully. “I met him five-hundred years ago, during the Feuding States Era.”   Shuuichi's eyes narrowed at her statement. Kagome could almost see the wheels slipping into overdrive with her little revelation. She chose to simply wait for it to sink in before continuing. If that had thrown him, then what would the rest do? He'd probably leave, and then promptly call the men in the white coats.  

 

“A previous incarnation, then?” Shuuichi finally spoke, asking the caution question.   Kagome couldn't help but laugh at that, while waving a hand to accompany the surprisingly bitter sound. When she had grown bitter?  

 

“No, no.” She denied once she'd sobered. “Kikyo was my previous incarnation, the one that pinned the inu hanyou to the tree in the first place. I, Kagome, was the one to free him fifty years after his initial confinement.” She explained with a sad smile.  

 

“And that was back during the Sengoku Jidai.” Shuuichi replied carefully with narrowed green eyes.  

 

“Yes.” Kagome replied with a sigh, then gestured to a nearby bench. “Have a seat, I have a feeling this is going to take a while.” She added, moving to sit as well. “Have you ever heard of the Shikon-no-tama?” She asked the kitsune beside her after a moment.  

 

“Assume I haven't.” Was her only response, and won a nervous laugh from the miko, herself.  

 

“Oh, boy!” She cheered unenthusiastically. Definitely going to be a long night.  

 

~*~  

 

In the end it hadn't been Naraku to pose the greatest threat, but the being created from the vile hanyou's own twisted heart. Anchored and harbored in the near indestructible monstrosity that was Mouryoumaru.  

 

It was winter, snow blanketed the ground in heavy drifts, tall pines breaking up the solid, endless white of their muted, yet deafening world with verdant green. That, and the blood, there was so much blood.

 

Kagome aimed her arrow, honing in on the corrupted shards in the hand of Naraku's offspring. Naraku, himself, having already been mortally injured by his own creations. The irony of it was lost on no one.

 

The jewel had been completed, leaving the novice miko with only this small window of opportunity. With a slight start she noted her hama-ya soaring toward its intended mark, imbedding firmly into the shoulder of Mouryoumaru. She barely had time to rejoice in actually hitting her mark, before enraged lavender eyes turned to her and her vision was filled with tentacles speeding toward her.  

 

“No,” She whispered, even as she felt herself being gathered up and entangled in the tentacles. Dimly aware of her feet leaving the ground.  

 

“Did you honestly think you'd win?” Mouryoumaru asked, a condescending smirk gracing his scar ravaged face.  

 

“Yeah,” Kagome breathed back faintly. “I really did.” Staring at the tainted jewel forlornly. Her eyes widening when she saw and felt it pulse. Wait--  

 

“Then you are a fool.” Mouryoumaru condemned with a malicious laugh.  

 

Kagome snapped her eyes from the jewel back to her captor. “You know, for once, you are absolutely right.” She declared fiercely all the while praying her little glimmer of a plan worked.  

 

Mouryoumaru's eyes widened in surprise at her remark, providing the distraction she needed. Centering her energy she called to the Shikon-no-tama beckoning it back to her. It came from her. She was in an odd sense its home. And everyone is happiest at home, right? So it should work.  

 

And, holy shit, it did! Kagome couldn't help the triumphant grin that spread across her face as the jewel settled into her outstretched her hands. Why the hell hadn't she thought of that in the first place?  

 

“How?” Mouryoumaru hissed out. “How did you do that?” He demanded enraged as the tentacles suddenly became crushing.  

 

“Kagome!” She glanced toward the sound of her name just as she felt her hama-ya flare back to life.  

 

“InuYasha! No!” She screamed at the battle-weary and panicked inu hanyou.  

 

“Kongo Souha!” He roared bringing the Tetsusaiga down in a mighty arch. Diamond spears flying off toward it's intended target.  

 

O-kami-sama, I knew this would probably kill me, but I didn't think it would be like this! Was the last panicked thought, as she screamed, barely noting as the jewel flared to life and the world bled to a pink nothingness.  

 

~*~  

 

“Next thing I remember is you.” Kagome said softly, turning her gaze to the kitsune. “In this era.” She added blinking back sudden tears.  

 

“You don't know how you came back to his present era?” Shuuichi asked after a moment.  

“No, I was so sure I was going to die.” She replied with a faint, sad smile. “And I was okay with that. If it meant my friends, and those I loved, would live and be happy again; what would it matter if I wasn't there to see it.”  

 

“Kagome-chan--” Shuuichi interjected, laying a sympathetic hand on her should.  

 

“I know that probably sounds pretty stupid.” She replied with a self-deprecating laugh.  

 

“No, not to me.” Kagome turned large brown eyes toward Shuuichi. There was something in his tone when he had uttered those words meant to comfort. She offered him a soft smile and inclined her head in a slight nod.  

 

“Thank you, Shuuichi-kun.” She spoke after a while, noting the sun was beginning to set into the horizon.  

 

“For what?” He asked quietly.  

 

Kagome could only shake her head before turning to smile at him again. “For being a friend.” She replied oddly assured in her statement.  

 

“Then if we're friends, please call me Kurama.” He offered after a moment.  

 

“No, I prefer Shuuichi-kun to Kurama-kun, I think.” Kagome replied lightly. Smiling at the confusion in Shuuichi's eyes.  

 

“May I ask why?” He asked with a slight frown.  

 

“I suspect Shuuichi-kun is kinder now, than Kurama-kun ever was.” She replied glancing up at the leaves above them, as she waited for his response to that one.  

 

“But we are the same.” Shuuichi eventually responded.  

 

“Ah, then perhaps his exile in humanity has done Kurama-kun some good!” She exclaimed with a laugh as she impulsively tapped him lightly on the nose.  

 

“Miko!” Came the mock-angry retort.  

 

“Put that to a growl, and you'd sound like a couple of old dogs I once knew.” The miko in question quipped back.      

 

 

------ NOTE: Myobu, or celestial fox, were kitsune sworn to the service of Inari (god of fertility, rice, etc), and are said to be incapable of performing acts of evil. Nogitsune, or wild/field fox, on the other hand, were not sworn to Inari, and could therefore perform malicious and evil acts. Finally, youko, or spirit fox, were ordinary foxes that had for some reason or another been touched by the world of magic/spirits rendering them enchanted.