Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Can Purify the Coldest Flame ❯ meeting Koenma ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Love Can Purify the Coldest Flame

Author: Alexis - mezzomonkey@earthlink.net

Pairings: eventual Inuyasha+Kagome; eventual Hiei+Kurama; Miroku+Sango; Yuusuke+Keiko

Rating: let's just say R to play things safe, yes?

Warnings: hmm…crossover, AU, shounen ai/yaoi, het, potential bad language, some degree of violence, fangirly Japanese, corny jokes, sap, angst of the romantic nature, blah blah blah.

Disclaimer: Don't own them, this has been thoroughly established already. Our little discussions on this are getting tedious, ne?

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Kagome sighed as the end of the day was signaled; eternally grateful for the respite she was granted. Even after the warning she received from Yuusuke, she wasn't nearly prepared for the irritating, simpering, backstabbing girls (and some guys) that flooded around her and "Shuuichi" when they arrived at school.

Running a hand through her bangs, Kagome turned around and nearly ran into her old shadow, the walking encyclopedia of homegrown medical remedies, Hojo. "Higurashi-san! Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Hojo-kun! Daijoubu; I didn't know that you would be going here." Kagome looked at this boy that her friends always insisted that she should give a chance to, hoping to feel something, but there were still only the faintest stirrings of friendship in her heart.

"I was certainly glad when I heard that you would be attending. I thought there would only be your friend Ayumi here." Hojo then treated her with a smile that she would have found quite attractive, if she weren't already drawn to one that showed a hint of fang, along with sparkling golden eyes.

Kurama chose that moment to enter the classroom with Botan in tow. "Kagome-san! Botan-chan just caught up with me. We're supposed to go meet up with Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei." Finally noticing Hojo, Kurama smiled and introduced himself. "Ano, sumimasen. Watashi wa Minamino Shuuichi desu. Yoroshiku."

Hojo returned the first meeting pleasantries, all the while wondering how Kagome had met this upper-classman along with his friends, all of whom he had never heard of before. With her always being sick, it seemed impossible for her to have made new acquaintances.

"I'm sorry Hojo-kun; we really do have to be going. I'll see you soon though. Ja ne!" Kagome then walked out with Kurama and Botan, an even bigger fuss being made by Kurama's fan club than this morning, since there was another girl with them, one wearing a uniform from another school.

Once they were leaving school grounds, Botan spoke up. "Sorry to drag you away like this, but Koenma-sama requested that you all come to the Reikai as soon as school was done. Something seems to be terribly wrong, and we still need to get Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei."

Hiei decided to choose that moment to jump down from his tree a few feet in front of the group, announcing his presence. "What mess has the toddler gotten himself into this time?"

Being used to Hiei's abrupt entrances, Kagome was the only one who was startled by him dropping out of nowhere. "I'm not sure exactly, but I think it has something to do with the demon, Naraku, that you asked me to speak with him about. As soon as I mentioned the name, he kind of froze, and then shifted into his teenage form, demanding to speak with you all as soon as possible, including Kagome-chan here."

At the mention of Naraku's name, Hiei's eyes glinted dangerously, along with a barely perceptible raise of his ki, which Kurama noticed right away, storing these reactions for later analysis. "Well, the sooner that we find Yuusuke and Kuwabara, the sooner we can find out just what is going on here."

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Yuusuke and Kuwabara were at the arcade getting whipped by a ten-year-old on "Game Battler", and getting more and more frustrated with themselves as the each round passed.

"Oi, gaki, how did you get so good at this? Do you live in the game or something?" Kuwabara ran a frustrated hand through his hair, shocked at the indignity that he was being beaten by a child. Yuusuke just rolled his eyes, used to Kuwabara's antics.

The pair of delinquents looked up when they felt familiar youki, and saw Hiei and Kurama, along with Botan and Kagome waiting outside the arcade for them. The two shrugged and said their goodbyes before leaving.

"Did the toddler get himself kidnapped again? Was there a theft of some Reikai treasures that need to be retrieved? Rampaging youkai loose in the streets? Another tournament, so I can kick some ass?" At this, Botan just grabbed Yuusuke's wrist and dragged him around to the side of the building, the others following.

"I don't know what's up exactly, but we all have to go to the Reikai to meet with Koenma-sama. It's something to do with that demon, Naraku. Hayaku, ikimashoo!"

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The four Reikai Tantei, along with Botan and Kagome, entered Koenma's office and were confronted with a teenage-form Koenma barking out orders to George. "I need that book right now! I don't care if you have to turn the whole library upside down to find it. It's imperative that I have it right away."

Botan cleared her throat to get his attention. "Botan! I see you brought everyone with you; this must be Higurashi Kagome. I'm sorry we had to meet like this, but we have a crisis." Koenma went to sit at his desk and picked up the remote to his vid screen, where he clicked up a picture of Naraku.

"Now this is the demon that you had mentioned to me earlier this morning. Apparently he has been laying low for the past few hundred years, staying within the borders of the Makai, and not really doing anything to draw the attention of the Reikai. Recent events have brought him to our attention. He has teamed up with Sensui Shinobu. Sensui found a group of people with extraordinary abilities, and it is their goal to open up a hole to the Makai, therefore wiping out all human life." Koenma then clicked to a picture of Sensui, which they all studied.

Kurama took this moment to cut in, "I thought that that was what Sakyo was going to do after the Ankoku Bujuitsuukai? Was Sensui working with him? I don't recognize him from the tournament." The others also looked puzzled, not recognizing the face on the vid screen.

"I'm not quite sure what Naraku has to do with this, he doesn't possess all of the Shikon no Tama, which is what he had always been pursuing in the past. He had this deep desire to defile the jewel, and was very manipulative of those around him. If anything, I would say that he's using Sensui and the others for his own ends."

Koenma nodded at this, "That may very well be the reasoning behind his involvement, but only time will tell. What I think may be the best thing to do is to see about getting your friends from the past here to work with the Tantei in stopping this. I feel that this may be too big a job for just the four of you."

Hiei snorted, and Yuusuke rolled his eyes, both doubting that statement. Kagome nibbled on her lower lip, thinking. "Inuyasha was the only one besides me who was able to travel through the well. I don't know how we could get the others here."

Koenma closed his eyes in deep thought, trying to think of a solution. "Let me look into this, and I will contact you when I come up with a solution. You should probably inform your friends of what is going on, and then all of you should pay a visit to Genkai."

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Back at the well house, Kagome turned to her new friends. "You won't be able to come with me through the well, which is probably a good thing. I don't think it would be a good idea if Hiei ended up meeting his past self. It might end up being very awkward. I'll explain what's going on, and then be back with Inuyasha."

At this Hiei snorted. Great, he thought. I get to see that stupid dog boy again. The past few centuries have been a great deal less irritating without him around. Oh well, as long as he doesn't get in my way; I must end what I started.

Kagome then waved goodbye and jumped into the well, a blue light enveloping her. Even after hearing her story just that morning, the others were still surprised at how she just vanished into the well.

Kurama leaned against the wall and looked at Hiei. "This youkai, Inuyasha, what is he like? Is this someone that we will be able to work well with?"

Contemplating this for a moment, Hiei then answered, "He's arrogant, but very protective of his friends. He possesses a very interesting sword that appears to have some magical ability to do with youki, and has much experience fighting Naraku. On the other hand, he is brash and very young; not even a century."

This caused Kurama to roll his eyes, anticipating the confrontations that would be ahead of them. "Well, I'm just glad that I can now change between Shuuichi and Youko at will. I'll need that in the battles to come."

Kuwabara and Yuusuke remembered seeing Youko in action at the Ankoku Bujuitsuukai; so much more powerful and colder than the Kurama they had known up until then. They then looked at each other and grinned, anticipating the battles to come, but still feeling the seriousness that was required.

The four Tantei settled in, not knowing how long they would have to wait until Kagome showed up with Inuyasha.

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Kagome appeared at the bottom of the well, and then made her way to Kaede's village. Just outside Kaede's hut, Shippo latched onto Kagome in a big hug. "'Kaachan! You're back already; you said that you wouldn't be back for 4 more days. Where's your pack? Do you have to leave again?"

She was slightly overwhelmed at her adopted kit's rushed questions. "Shippo-chan, I have to talk to Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango. Do you know where they are?"

Shippo nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! Sango smacked Miroku really hard, and ended up having to take him to Kaede. They're in there right now. Inuyasha is…um…over there I think." Kagome followed the direction that Shippo was pointing, which led right to the Goshinboku. Telling him she would be right back, she went to try and meet up with her favorite hanyou.

Inuyasha was sitting in the high branches of one of the surrounding trees, staring at the place where he was sealed for 50 years, deep in thought. He was missing Kagome more than he usually did when she went home, and it was bothering him. He couldn't figure out what was making this time different than the others. He always missed her, he needed her there to help retrieve the shards of the Shikon no Tama, but he also needed her there because she was his friend.

Suddenly he smelled a familiar scent wafting in the breeze and he jumped down from his perch right as Kagome reached her destination. "Inuyasha! I'm so glad that I found you. I need to speak with you, as well as Miroku and Sango. It's about Naraku; apparently he's becoming active in my time."

At the mention of his nemesis' name, he snarled, fangs glinting in the sunlight. He grabbed her arm and put her on his back, so that they could hurry back to the village and find out what was going on.

Upon reaching Kaede's hut, they entered to the usual argument between Miroku and Sango, with Kaede acting as a referee, and Shippo watching from the corner with barely restrained laughter. Everyone in the hut immediately became quiet, and then there was another burst of chatter, directed at Kagome this time.

"Kagome-chan! I thought you wouldn't be back for a few days yet, what are you doing here?"

"Kagome-sama, you must not have been able to bear being away from me for so long. I understand your need to return quickly." This of course was said by Miroku, which earned him another smack from Sango.

"Kagome-sama, I am glad to see you again, although I am sure it is not friendly circumstances that bring you back to us so quickly after your returning home."

Kagome just shook her head and gestured for everyone to have a seat. "No, I'm afraid it's not good news at all. Anou, it's hard to think of where to start this precisely, but Hiei, see I met him again in my time. Actually more like I was late for school and ran right into one of his friends, but that's another story altogether. Okay, well maybe I'm not explaining this too well. In my time, ningens and youkai are in separate worlds I guess you could call them, and the Reikai has a group of Tantei that protect the Ningenkai from youkai attacks. Hiei and his friends do that, and they just discovered that Naraku has allied himself with some other people who are planning to rip open the barrier between the worlds, allowing all the youkai to come in and kill all the people of my time. They want us all to come back there, and help them defeat them."

She looked expectantly around the room, taking in everyone's reactions. Kaede looked thoughtful; Shippo looked excited at the prospect of seeing where his `kaachan lived. Miroku and Sango exchanged looks that were a mixture of trepidation and determination, whereas Inuyasha just looked ready to go and kick some ass. Miroku then got a puzzled look on his face, and turned to Kagome. "How do we get to your time, if only Inuyasha has been able to travel through the well besides you?"

"Oh! Sorry, Koenma-sama, he's in charge of the Reikai Tantei, he's looking into a way to be able to bring you to my time. I'm sure he'll find something very soon, and as for now, Inuyasha can come back with me and meet everyone. Is that alright with you Inuyasha?"

"Feh, of course it is! That little brat better not get in my way though, with his puny sword. I don't want to end up with a whole other group of people who I have to worry about saving." Everyone else exchanged matching grins at this declaration, knowing that Inuyasha was just being Inuyasha.

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The pair climbed out of the well, Inuyasha surveying the four boys that were there waiting for them. Kagome smiled at her new-found friends. "Everyone this is Inuyasha."

Kurama took the lead again in the introductions, walking up to the newcomer and making a small bow. "Kurama desu. Yoroshiku. That is Yuusuke, our hapless-" At this point there was a loud objection from Yuusuke. "I mean, fearless, leader. That is Kuwabara, though I don't know how much he'll like you; he has more of a thing for cats." "Oi!" "And of course, you know Hiei already. That's our group, we're glad to be working with you." He finished this off with a soft smile that didn't entirely mask the calculating look in his eyes.

Yuusuke felt it a good time to cut in, "Hey Kurama, he's got ears like yours! No tail, though." This statement earned him twin glares from both Kurama and Inuyasha. He then stuck his nose up in the air, indignant, and shifted to his Youko form. He towered over the others at a lofty seven feet, and smirked at Yuusuke, raising one silver brow and wagging his tail in his friend's direction.

Hiei stared openly at his friend's larger, more muscular body. The white diaphanous robes he wore in that form hid nothing and revealed the same beauty he possessed as Shuuichi, just colder, ice to the fire of his human body's red tresses.

Kagome squealed in delight at the change. "Wai! Can I touch your ears and your tail too! They're so amazing, just like Shippo-chan, but his are more auburn, not that beautiful silver."

Kurama looked surprised, and then mischievous. "Ears and tail, hm? How about tails?"

Kagome looked puzzled, and then all of a sudden, there was a beautiful silver fox at her feet with no less than five tails. She giggled when the fox yipped at her, bending down to take it up in her arms, rubbing the ears and then petting the silky coat. "Kirei…what a gorgeous little fox you make! This makes me want to get a pet." Meanwhile, Kurama was making a sound akin to a purr, his tongue lolling out of his mouth at the attention he was being given.

Inuyasha was glaring golden daggers at the kitsune in Kagome's arms, and surprisingly enough there was a crimson stare leveled at him as well. "We're supposed to be going to Genkai-shihan's, or did someone forget?"

Yuusuke and Kuwabara groaned in unison at this. "Do we have to go see `Baasan?" This prompted Kuwabara to laugh, "You just don't want her kicking your ass!"

Kurama yipped and jumped out of Kagome's arms, shifting back into his human form. "You just always have to ruin my fun, don't you, Hiei?" Looking back at the two delinquents, who were now tussling on the floor, and then to their new partners, who were watching with a sense of horrified amusement. "Well, we might as well get going now; they can finish their fight at the temple."