Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paradox ❯ Jinenji ( Chapter 5 )

Title: Paradox

Author: Somnambulicious

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer:
I don't own either
Inuyasha or YuYu;
Somebody else does.

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Chapter Five: Jinenji

On Tuesday night, Yuusuke kicked an empty soda can as he walked down the street toward the dojo, hanging his head.

Kick.

Damn Koenma.

Kick.

Damn Hiei.

Kick.

Damn Kurama.

Kick.

Dammit all to hell.

He didn't want to spy on Kurama and Hiei. Yuusuke knew that if anything really serious was going on, they'd let the rest of the team know (well, Kurama would, anyway.) Still, it was their slip-up that had landed Yuusuke in this position in the first place, and he wasn't happy about that. Koenma had told him to spy on his friends. But he didn't say anything about being a good spy...

Yuusuke spotted Kurama as soon as he entered the dojo. The kitsune was standing in a corner, watching his students stretch. He didn't look up as Yuusuke approached. The two of them stood side by side in silence for a moment before Kurama spoke.

"Koenma sent you to spy on us," Kurama said calmly, as though he were commenting on the weather.

"Yep," replied Yuusuke. They watched the students stretch for a while longer, and then Yuusuke spoke again. "Is that her?" he asked, inclining his head toward Kagome. Kurama nodded. "She's cute. Do you like her? Is that why you're protecting her from Koenma?"

Kurama shook his head. "It's not like that. We're not protecting her. Youko sees the girl as a puzzle, and he wants us to figure her out for ourselves."

"And Hiei?"

Kurama frowned. "I don't know what his motives are. He hasn't exactly been forthcoming with us. I don't know anything about her that you don't already know," he said truthfully.

Yuusuke frowned. "Kurama? If it was something dangerous, something important, do you think Hiei would let you know?" he asked.

"Of course," Kurama replied without hesitation. "I trust him."

Yuusuke nodded in acceptance. "And I trust you. If it's anything important, you'll tell me."

"Yes," said Kurama. "It's time for class to start. Are you staying?"

"I think I will," Yuusuke said. "I'd like to see this girl in action for myself." Not to mention I'm avoiding Keiko. She's still pissed at me about this mission.

Kurama stepped forward to begin the class.

Kagome was surprised that yet another of Minamino's friends had come to class. He participated with the rest of the students, and while it was obvious that he hadn't been through any formal training, Kagome was impressed when he and Kurama sparred at the end of class. He was a better fighter than Kurabara had been, and in the end, she couldn't tell if he or Minamino was better.

When the rest of the class left, Yuusuke remained behind for Kagome's private lesson. As Kurama guided her through some more complex moves, Kagome's thoughts strayed to Hiei. She hadn't seen him all day, and she wondered whether he'd walk home with her again tonight. Kurama noticed her distraction.

"Kagome? Is something bothering you? Your focus is off today," he said.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about a friend of mine." A friend...yeah, my friend, the youkai stalker. She tried to bring her focus back to the lesson at hand, but it was broken when Kurabara burst in through the front door.

"Yuusuke! Keiko's looking for you!" he yelled. "She said you were supposed to look at tuxedos today."

Yuusuke scowled. Damn. I forgot all about that. "Tell her you couldn't find me," he said.

Kurabara frowned. "But you're right here."

Yuusuke slapped him upside the head. "Idiot! Tell her you couldn't find me. I don't want her to know I'm here."

"Oh, okay," said Kurabara. "I'll tell her. Good evening, Higurashi, Minamino," he said before walking out the door.

Yuusuke sighed. "He's such a dimwit." He was surprised when Kagome scowled and poked him in the ribs. "Hey! What was that for?"

"You shouldn't make fun of him because he's a little slow," she scolded. "And it's not nice to call people names."

"But he is an idiot." That comment earned Yuusuke another hard poke.

"It isn't fair to judge someone by how smart they are anymore than it's fair to judge someone by how they look. You can't take credit for your intelligence or your looks or anything else you were born with. What you are isn't important. It's what you make of yourself that matters," Kagome said. "Jinenji taught me that," she whispered, low enough that Yuusuke couldn't hear her, but Kurama did.

"Jinenji?" Kurama inquired. It was an unusual name.

Kagome smiled. "Jinenji is a boy I know. If you didn't know him, you might think he's a thug just by looking at him, but he's actually one of the gentlest people I know. He isn't smart either, but he is wise. Everyone was afraid of him because of how he looked, but the only time I ever saw him fight was to protect the very people who were afraid of him. All he really wanted was to be left in peace with his garden and his mother."

Yuusuke rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the parable, mom."

Kagome just threw her hands up in the air and turned to walk away, but a wave of dizziness suddenly overcame her, and she stumbled, leaning against the wall for support.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" Kurama asked.

"It's nothing. I studied through lunch today and didn't eat anything. I guess that was pretty stupid, huh?" she asked wearily.

Kurama frowned. "You should take better care of yourself. Come on," he said, supporting her with his arm, "we'll retrieve your bag and get you something to eat."

Kagome's weak protests went unheeded, and soon she found herself sitting on the curb outside of a corner grocer's shop, with a chocolate bar in one hand and a bottle of orange juice in the other. Yuusuke had finally decided that it was time to go home to Keiko, so after seeing that Kagome was okay, he left them.

"That should get your blood sugar up quickly enough," said Kurama.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do this, you know."

Kurama smiled at her. Oh, but I wanted to. I have so many questions, especially about how you know Jinenji...

'Don't ask her about that yet,' said Youko. 'Get her comfortable first. Ask her about herself, her dreams. You have to get her to let her guard down.'

"So what are you studying in high school?" he asked.

"I chose the humanities instead of math and science." She grimaced. "I'm not very good at math, and I have a strong interest in history."

"Is that what you'll study in college?"

"Maybe eventually." She shrugged. "I don't think I'll go to college right after I graduate." Not if the jewel is still incomplete. "I have some personal business to take care of first."

"Personal business? Does it have anything to do with those bruises?" he asked softly.

Kagome gave him a sharp look. "It's really none of your business."

'Too soon' Youko said with a groan.

But Kagome was already apologizing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. But you have to understand, that's just something I can't talk about."

Kurama decided to shift the topic to something else. "What you said earlier, about what a person makes of himself. Do you really believe that?"

"Of course," Kagome said with a smile.

"What if a person has a bad past?" What if he's done things, awful things, things to hurt people?

"Anyone can change," Kagome said with a shrug. "My best friends were all my enemies at one point. I've been kidnapped, attacked, and robbed, all by people who eventually became my friends."

"You have quite an effect on people," Kurama observed, thinking that her set of friends must be odd, indeed. Kidnapped?

"Oh, no, it's not like that," protested Kagome. "They were all basically good people to begin with. They just had to find out for themselves." She glanced at her watch. "Oh, no! My mother is going to be worried sick about me. I've got to go. See you tomorrow!" she said with a wave, and Kurama could only watch as she walked away.

'Damn,' Youko swore.

'Do you think she's talking about the Jinenji we know?' Kurama asked.

'The similarities are too great to be coincidence,' Youko replied. Jinenji was an ancient hanyou, older than Youko even, who lived in Makai. He was famous for his herblore, and Kurama had obtained his healing herbs from Jinenji's garden. The gentle giant offered his services to anyone in need.

'I heard once that Jinenji had befriended a miko, back in the time before the barriers,' said Youko.

'Do you think it could have been the girl's former incarnate, Kikyou?' asked Kurama. 'That would mean that she's remembering past life experiences.' It wasn't very likely.

'It could be,' mused Youko. 'There's only one way to find out.'

*********************************************

Kagome sighed as she walked down the sidewalk. It would be nice to have someone here in my time to talk to about my life, she thought. Minamino seems nice enough, but I can't drag another innocent human into my problems. It's bad enough that I've put my family in danger. But still, I told Hiei easily enough, didn't I?

Her thoughts turned to the dark youkai. Why had she told him about her life, and not Minamino? Well, there was that katana at my throat for one thing, she thought with a grimace. To be honest, part of her had been relieved to see a youkai alive in her own time. And he didn't seem to really want to hurt her or steal the shards. She knew without a doubt that he could have killed her quite easily.

Kagome smiled to herself. All of my greatest friends started out as enemies, she thought. Kagome was, by nature, an optimist, and so she decided to see her initial confrontation with Hiei as an indication that they might be friends someday.

The similarities between Hiei and Inuyasha didn't escape her notice, and this time around, Kagome swore not to make the same mistakes she'd made with Inuyasha. Back then, she didn't understand the complexities of Inuyasha's life; she'd seen him as just another rude teenaged boy. She'd 'sat' him too many times for stupid reasons, yelled at him for things she didn't understand. In a kind of roundabout way, she was being so nice to Hiei as a way of redeeming herself with Inuyasha.

Speak of the devil, Kagome thought as Hiei suddenly appeared, walking beside her with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello, Hiei," Kagome said brightly. "Did you enjoy the food I left for you last night? At least the ice cream?" She had seen the spilled soup by the Goshinboku this morning.

"Ch," said Hiei.

Kagome reached into her pocket and pulled out the remnants of the chocolate bar, wrapped in foil. "I saved this for you," she said.

Kagome could have sworn she saw an eager look cross the youkai's eyes, and in an instant, the chocolate in her hand was gone, and Hiei was munching on something.

Kagome giggled. "I see you have a sweet tooth," she observed. Hiei didn't reply. "So how come you're practically the only youkai I've seen in Tokyo?" Kagome asked. Maybe Shippou and Inuyasha are still around, she hoped.

Hiei asked a question of his own. "How did you come across the Shikon no Tama?" he asked. He still wasn't sure that was the jewel she had broken, but her startled reaction confirmed his suspicions.

"Huh? What-- What are you talking about?" she asked nervously. "I- I don't have much jewelry, and I certainly don't own anything called a 'Shikon no Tama.'" How did he find out? Was he after it all along? She cursed her own stupidity for allowing herself even a small amount of trust in this youkai.

"You know what I am talking about," Hiei said sternly. Kagome suddenly stopped walking and flicked out the knife hidden in her sleeve, dropping into a fighting stance.

"Stay away from me," she warned. "I won't let you have it."

Hiei was amused. "You think you can fight me and live?" he asked.

"I don't have a choice," Kagome said grimly. "I am its protector, and I can't let you have it."

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Fool. If I wanted your silly jewel, don't you think I would have taken it by now?" The Shikon no Tama was legendary among youkai, and Hiei had heard of its great power. Do I want it? he asked himself. It was true that he would like to increase his power, but if he did use it, he would attract unwanted attention from Reikai. Koenma would order the rest of the team to kill him, and he didn't want to fight Kurama. Besides, he had no way of knowing how the jewel's power would affect the Kokuryuhaa and the Jagan. It might give him the power to control it, but it could just as easily make him lose control. Magical artifacts were a tricky business, and it was a chance he didn't want to take.

Kagome, meanwhile, slowly backed away from him. She'd only met one youkai who had no interest in the Shikon no Tama, and that had been Sesshoumaru. It wasn't likely that Hiei didn't want it, but he was right; he could have taken it from her.

"I will tell you my story, but you must swear to me by whatever you hold dear that you won't try to steal it from me," she said.

"I give you my word," Hiei said with a nod.

"That's not good enough," Kagome replied, shaking her head.

Hiei considered what he could swear by that would satisfy her. Yukina? he wondered. But no, he couldn't use his sister that way, and he didn't want to tell the girl about Yukina. Finally, he came to a decision. He unsheathed his sword, and Kagome flinched, but he merely held it out in front of him.

"I swear by my katana that I will not try to steal the Shikon no Tama from you," he said. The wording still leaves me a few options if I change my mind, he thought. I could always steal it from someone else.

Kagome considered him warily. He was a warrior, and an oath on his sword was nothing short of sacred. She nodded. It would have to do.

"Very well, I'll tell you the whole story. You'd probably find out sooner or later, since you'll be going to the Sengoku Jidai with me. But at least let me eat dinner first, okay? I nearly passed out back there in the dojo tonight." Hiei nodded. He'd seen the whole thing, including the girl's somewhat insightful -- if entirely misplaced -- defense of Kurabara.

Hiei thought about what she'd said back there in the dojo while he waited for her to finish dinner. So she doesn't care about a person's origins, huh? It would explain why she was so nice to him, despite his youkai nature and harsh treatment of her. But he doubted that would continue if she knew his true nature. He was a cold-blooded killer, the Forbidden Child. Nobody accepted him, except Kurama, and he was a murderous, thieving kitsune avatar. Kagome was a human girl, an innocent, pure, taijiya-trained miko. She would hate him if she knew the truth.

Ch. Like he cared what she thought of him.

After dinner, Kagome went upstairs to her room and opened the window. "You can come in, if you like," she called out to Hiei. The next thing she knew, he was sitting on the window sill with his arms crossed. Kagome blinked in surprise. "Someday, you'll have to tell me how you do that," she said with a smile.

"You have a story to tell," Hiei reminded her.

"Are you hungry? I didn't think you'd want one of Mama's omelettes, but I brought you some Chew-Chew," she said, offering him the bag of lemon-flavored candy. Hiei scowled at her, disliking the fact that she'd already picked up on his sweet tooth, but he pocketed the candy for later. Kagome sat down on her bed, leaning back on her pillows for what was sure to be a long story.

"It wasn't always like this," she began. "Up until my fifteenth birthday, I was just like any other teenaged girl in Tokyo. But then Buyo hid in the wellhouse..." Kagome continued her story, telling him about Mistress Centipede and Inuyasha, Kaede and the village, the bandits and the corpse-crow. Then there was Urasue and Kikyou, Shippou and the Thunder Brothers, Naraku, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, and Kouga. She told him about Sesshoumaru and Tessaiga, Goshinki and Toukijin. She talked well into the night, and Hiei didn't interrupt her. She didn't have to tone down the battle scenes for him the way she did for her family, and it was strangely liberating to get all of this off her chest. She told him everything up to Musou's attack and Naraku's strange disappearing act, and then she waited for him to comment.

The girl's story was shocking, to say the least. She'd been plunged into a situation that would make most human girls hide in their homes for the rest of their lives, but Kagome had accepted her responsibility and stepped up to it, with surprising success as well. Breaking the jewel had been a stupid mistake, though, and she certainly had a strange way of making friends. By her silence, he supposed she was waiting for him to comment.

"Ch," was all he said. After hearing her story, he was even more certain that he wanted nothing to do with the Shikon no Tama. Everyone who'd used it had come to a bad end, except for Kouga, and what his fate would be remained to be seen. Kagome stood and stretched.

"I should probably go to sleep," she said, yawning. "You can stay there if you like. Inuyasha does sometimes."

Hiei didn't reply. He just jumped out the window and settled into his favorite place in the tree outside. The girl had given him a lot to think about.

*********************************************

For the rest of the week, Hiei continued to remain hidden during the day and walk Kagome home after kung fu class, occasionally throwing out a demand for information about the Sengoku Jidai or inquiring about the rosary. After dinner, Kagome would sit at her open window, holding a very one-sided conversation with the youkai she knew to be in the branches outside, even if she couldn't see him. She told him more about her life: the worrisome relationship between Inuyasha and Kikyou, her worries about leaving Shippou behind when the jewel was complete, her fears for Miroku and her sadness for Sango. It was as though a floodgate had opened. She didn't even know if he was listening, but the simple act of telling her story to another being brought her some small measure of comfort.

At first, Hiei had tried to ignore the girl's ramblings, but he had to admit that she was a good storyteller. Perhaps she'd had practice with the kitsune kit that she treated as a son. Hiei had never had a mother to tell him such stories. The closest thing he ever got was the disturbing tales of bloodshed and women the thieves would tell around a campfire at night. Not exactly bedtime-story material.

Hiei wondered why he continued to hang around the girl, when his curiosity about her had long been satisfied. He knew she wouldn't leave through the well until Friday night, so why wasn't he off in Makai killing things, or sitting in Kurama's apartment, listening to the fox argue with himself? For one thing, he didn't want to answer the questions he was sure Kurama had for him, and for another... He found the girl's presence strangely calming. For his entire life, Hiei had struggled to control his two opposing natures, fire and ice. It was a daily struggle just for him to survive without destroying himself. But for some reason, when he sat in the branches of the tree and listened to this human girl pour her soul out in her stories, he felt oddly at peace. He'd never felt that way before, not even around Yukina. What was it about this girl that affected him so?

From her stories, Hiei could gathered that he wasn't the only one that Kagome had this effect upon. She had tamed the inu-hanyou, calmed the taijiya's temper, reined in the houshi's thievery, and controlled the kitsune kit's trickery, to some degree or another. She had attracted the love of an ookami and the friendship of the inu-hanyou. She'd twice stood up to one of the most ruthless taiyoukai ever to walk the earth, and yet she lived to tell the tale. How was all of this possible? What was different about this human girl?

Kagome, meanwhile, tried to get the youkai to tell her something about himself, or other youkai, but she rarely received more than a 'ch' in reply. She tried not to take it personally; it wasn't in Hiei's nature to be talkative, she realized.

More than once, Kagome questioned her own sanity in deciding to tell Hiei so much about herself. Inuyasha would be livid if he found out. For that matter, so would Sango, and she'd surely earn the disapproval of Miroku, Shippou, and Kaede as well. Heck, even her always-understanding mother would probably have a problem with what she was doing. She was a miko and an apprentice taijiya, trying to befriend one of the most dangerous and powerful youkai she'd ever come across. Kagome had never been the rebellious type, but keeping her strange relationship with the dark youkai a secret was oddly liberating and thrilling. After all, in spite of her overwhelming responsibilities, she was a teenaged girl.

She wondered about Hiei's past. She didn't doubt for a second that he was a killer -- she could see that glint in his eyes, the same one she probably had to a lesser degree. It was a strange bond they shared, something that set them apart from the masses of people Kagome encountered in Tokyo everyday. Sometimes she thought she could see it in Minamino's eyes too, the eyes of a killer, but she dismissed that thought as ridiculous. Minamino was too nice of a guy to be a cold-blooded killer. Right?

Friday evening came, and Kagome carried her overstuffed backpack and cloth-covered bow and quiver with her as she headed home after kung fu class. As usual, Hiei appeared by her side on the way home. To her surprise, he wasn't carrying anything with him besides the ever-present katana at his side.

"You do know we're leaving tonight, right?" she asked.

Hiei just rolled his eyes.

"Don't you need to bring anything with you? A blanket, or some food? I brought a little extra, but I don't know if it will be enough for you, too."

"I need nothing," Hiei replied indignantly.

"Well, if that's what you think, fine. But if you need to ask me for something, wait until I'm away from my friends, okay?"

"That will not happen," Hiei said.

"Okay, remember, Inuyasha will probably be waiting for me on the other side of the well, so you'll have to hide as soon as we get there. And don't forget to mask your youki and scent as well, all right?" Hiei snorted. Like he needed a lesson in stealth from this human. "I'll be coming back on Sunday at twilight, so meet me at the well then. I'll try to get Inuyasha to let me go back to the well alone, but if that doesn't work, I'll go through and then come back for you a few minutes later when he's gone. And you will not go off and slaughter innocent humans or hurt my friends, got it?" she said with sudden seriousness. "I'm not a violent person, but if you do anything like that, I will purify your ass to the seventh hell. Got it?"

"Ch," said Hiei. Like he'd go to all this trouble just to kill some humans. Where was the sport in that? No, there was much more challenging prey waiting for him in the past, he was sure of it.

When they entered the wellhouse, Kagome slid the door shut behind them. She turned on the electric light that Grandfather had installed for her and rummaged around in her backpack. "Aha! Here it is!" she said, pulling out the rosary that she'd made for Hiei.

It was similar to Inuyasha's, with the round black mala beads, but the teardrop-shaped magatama were black instead of white. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? Remember, I am the only one who can remove the beads."

"What happens if you die?" asked Hiei. The prospect wasn't all that unlikely, considering the girl's propensity for attracting trouble and the strength of her enemies.

Apparently, the thought wasn't a foreign one to Kagome, because she didn't bat an eye at that disturbing question. "The beads will come off then, but you'd no longer be able to travel through the well. If I died in the Sengoku Jidai, you'd be stuck there."

"What makes you think that I won't kill you once we're on the other side of the well?" Hiei asked.

"You won't," said Kagome with a shrug and a smile. "I trust you."

Hiei was shocked, to say the least, but his indifferent mask didn't show it. Nobody, nobody had ever said that to him before. Hiei was certain that even the fox had his doubts about him. He didn't like the way her statement made him feel, so he decided to glare at her in retaliation.

"Then you're a fool," he said.

She just gave him another smile. "Perhaps, but I don't think so. Now, are you ready for me to put these on?"

Hiei didn't reply, but stepped forward and slightly inclined his head. Kagome slipped the string of beads over his head, noticing for the first time how warm the small youkai's skin felt. She paused for a moment, fingering the beads around his neck, and Hiei wondered at her lingering proximity. Wasn't she afraid of him? Disgusted by him?

Kagome stepped back and muttered an incantation under her breath, and the beads glowed. Hiei was seriously beginning to reconsider this whole thing, but then Kagome looked up and smiled at him.

"Last chance to back out," she said. "Now all I have to do is say the word of subjugation. Are you ready?"

Hiei nodded and prepared himself for the worst.

"Freeze," whispered Kagome, and suddenly Hiei couldn't move. He still had control of the Jagan, but his arms and legs wouldn't budge. After a few seconds, the spell wore off, and he could move again.

"There," said Kagome. "I won't use it unless I have to, but it would give me enough time to draw my weapon and purify you. But I don't think you'll do anything to deserve that."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Are you finished with your blathering? Your hanyou friend is probably waiting," he said.

Kagome huffed. "Just for that, I should refuse to take you with me. But I won't. Come on," she said, grabbing Hiei's hand. "We have to go through together, or it won't work."

Hiei concentrated on not thinking about Kagome's soft hand covering his own, and held his breath as they jumped into the well together. He wasn't surprised when a soft blue light enveloped them, and the sensation of falling slowly lasted for a few seconds. When their feet landed softly on the dirt floor of the well, Hiei looked up to see a few stars twinkling in the twilit sky above. It had worked.

Kagome felt Hiei let go of her hand, and when she turned to look at him, he was already gone.

*********************************************

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, Kurama was washing dishes in his apartment. Youko was itching to get to Makai and ask a hanyou some very specific questions, but Kurama insisted that they clean up before they leave. He would not come home to an apartment full of roaches.

He put the last clean dish on the drying rack and used a towel to dry his hands. 'Are you finished already?' Youko had been nagging at him all week to just skip classes for a couple of days and satisfy his curiosity, but Kurama wanted to wait for the weekend so he wouldn't miss any lectures.

'Okay, we can go now,' Kurama said calmly as he opened a portal to Makai, stepping through and coming out about a mile away from Jinenji's hut. He would allow the hanyou to sense his approach rather than startle him. Youko and Kurama both had a fondness for Jinenji, and his healing herbs were the unsurpassed in the three worlds.

As Kurama approached the gardens, he could see Jinenji stooped amidst the rows of beautiful plants, pulling weeds with slow deliberation. Kurama approached and knelt down next to him, joining him in weeding the garden without a word. The heady smell of freshy disturbed earth and lightly bruised herbs soothed both kitsune and avatar. They worked together for an hour or so before Jinenji finally spoke.

"You haven't visited me in a long time, Kurama," said the gentle giant. Kurama smiled up at him.

"I was fortunate enough not to need your healing herbs, Jinenji-sensei."

"Then you have need of them now?"

"No," said Kurama. "Your generosity last time I visited you was more than enough. I came to speak with you."

"Then we will go inside, and I will make tea," said Jinenji, and he straightened his large frame and ambled into the house, Kurama following silently behind him.

Jinenji didn't smile; he hadn't in the many long years since his mother had died. But he was glad nonetheless to see Kurama. The kitsune avatar was one of the few who came to him and did not ridicule him for his heritage or the way he looked. He gave his aid to anyone in need, but Kurama was an especially dear friend. And it wasn't often that someone came to him who didn't need his herbs.

The two sipped their tea in a companionable silence for a few minutes before Kurama got down to business.

"Jinenji-sensei, I once heard a story that you befriended a miko, back before the barriers were raised."

A far-away look came across Jinenji's eyes as he remembered the girl who had showed him such kindness. "Yes. She and her friend stopped the villagers from hurting Mother and me. She was a very nice girl. Afraid of spiders."

"Was she, perchance, the guardian of the Shikon no Tama?" Kurama asked, trying to quash Youko's excitement.

Jinenji nodded slowly. "She was. She told me she had to keep it from a very bad hanyou. She used to come and help me in my garden," he said.

'I knew it!' said Youko. 'She is remembering her past life. The question is, how? And how does the taijiya fit in to all of this?'

'We will find out in time, Youko,' Kurama answered patiently.

"I would like to stay and help you with your garden for a couple of days, Jinenji, if you would allow it," Kurama said. He could see that Jinenji was pleased at the prospect.

"I would like that very much. These old bones don't get around as easily as they once did, and I have no one to help me," Jinenji answered. They talked about herblore long into the night before Jinenji retired to his bed, and Kurama curled up on a warm blanket in the corner of the one-room hut.

*********************************************

Back in the Sengoku Jidai...

Kagome awoke the next morning in Kaede's hut to the delightful smell of breakfast cooking over a small fire. She stretched, wondering for a moment what Hiei was doing and how he was faring. I'm sure he can look out for himself, she thought.

"Good morning, Kagome," said Sango cheerily. Miroku and Inuyasha were nowhere to be seen, but Sango was stirring something in a pot over the fire, and Shippou was busy shredding herbs over in the corner.

"Good morning, Sango, Shippou," said Kagome. "What do we have planned today?"

"We haven't heard any rumors, and we've been scouring the countryside for the past five days, so I thought it would be nice to stay in the village for a couple of days while you're here," said Sango.

"That's a great idea! I can show you what I've learned from Minamino-sensei, and spend some time playing with Shippou."

"Really?" said Shippou excitedly.

"Yeah," said Kagome, smiling. "I brought you some new toys and a brand-new box of crayons this time. We can play as much as you want today and tomorrow."

"Great! The village kids taught me a new game I want to play with you!"

"Okay, but first, we'll eat breakfast," said Kagome.

"Did somebody say breakfast?" Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha standing in the doorway, with Miroku peeking in behind him.

"It's ready," said Sango. Kaede joined them, and the group chatted over breakfast, avoiding any mention of the shards or Naraku. It was one of their happiest moments together.

After breakfast, Inuyasha settled into a nearby tree for a snooze (he'd been up all night keeping watch over the village, as he did every time Kagome was there,) and Shippou taught Kagome the new game, an odd mix of something like ring-around-the-rosies and duck, duck, goose. Later, she took the kitsune pup into the forest to look for medicinal herbs, and Inuyasha followed at a distance to keep watch. After lunch, Kagome and Shippou spent the afternoon filling all the paper they could find with colorful drawings. Kagome worked in some writing lessons while she was at it. Before dinner, she took Shippou to the river for a bath and a swim. By the time they sat down to eat with the rest of their friends, Shippou was nodding off, nearly falling onto his plate of rice more than once.

Kagome gently laid a sleeping Shippou down on her sleeping bag after dinner. She smiled as she tucked him in, and caught her breath when he murmured, "Good night, mama." Was he talking to her, or remembering his own mother? He'd never called her that before.

"Good night, Shippou," she whispered softly before she left the hut.

"I'm glad you spent the day with him," said Miroku when she walked out. He was mending the hem of his purple robes with careful stitches, and doing a surprisingly good job. Kagome sat down next to him.

"Yes, it was a nice day. I wish I could spend more time with him," she said.

"Yes, Kagome. We all wish we had more time." Kagome looked up sharply when he said that, but Miroku was still working on the robes, his eyes cast downward in deliberate concentration.

Sometimes I forget, Kagome thought sadly, and I wish he could, too. The Kazaana must have always been on his mind, if only subconsciously. Miroku's days were numbered, but he hid any concerns he might have over his impending mortality well. Kagome didn't want to avoid the subject completely -- she knew instinctively that Miroku wouldn't appreciate it -- but she didn't want to talk about it directly either. She decided to approach the topic carefully to see if he needed to talk about it.

"Have you found someone pleasant to bear your child yet, Miroku?" she asked playfully. Miroku smiled up at her, and she could see that he appreciated her gentle approach to the subject.

"Why, no, Kagome. Are you offering your services?" he asked in the same playful tone.

Kagome tapped her chin with a forefinger, pretending to consider the question. "I don't know. I don't think Sango would be very happy with me if I did," she said, steering the conversation toward the taijiya she knew he loved.

"Why, there's no reason I can't have two heirs," Miroku said seriously. "A girl and a boy. Yes, that would do nicely," he said, stroking his chin.

"What? No!" cried Kagome. Was he taking her seriously? But then she saw the mischevious twinkle in Miroku's eyes, and knew that he was kidding her.

"My, my, Kagome. One would think that you've got your eye on another man, the way you keep turning me down. Or a hanyou, perhaps?" he asked.

"Inuyasha? Oh, no. Inuyasha and I have come to an understanding. We'll never be together, not like that." Miroku searched her expression for any hint of sadness, but he found none there, much to his surprise.

"Then someone else, perhaps? Someone in your own country?"

Kagome considered that for a moment. Was there someone in her own time that she liked? Minamino was handsome enough, for sure, but he hadn't given her any indication that he wanted anything other than a student-teacher relationship. Hiei-- No! I do not like him! He's cold and quiet, and I know nothing about him! Kagome shook her head.

"Not right now, Miroku. It's not like I'm in a position to develop a relationship with anyone at the moment, anyway."

"You're a beautiful young woman," said Miroku softly. "Kind, honest, intelligent, powerful. I'm sure you'll make some worthy fellow a wonderful wife someday."

Kagome smiled and patted his arm. "Thank you, Miroku. And if you'd manage to stop that roving hand of yours, I'm sure you'll make someone a great husband someday, too," she said pointedly, thinking of Sango.

Miroku laughed. "Perhaps. Perhaps."

Kagome looked up as Sango approached, wearing her taijiya uniform and carrying the Hiraikotsu. "Get dressed, Kagome. We've been neglecting your training today, and I want to see what you've learned in your own country."

Kagome sighed. Back to the grindstone. "All right, Sango. I'll meet you in the training field in a few minutes." She went inside to change into her own taijiya clothes.

Two hours later, an exhausted Kagome dragged her feet down the path as she headed back to Kaede's hut for the night. Sango had drilled her on the Wing Chun kung fu style, offering suggestions for how to alter the forms for a much larger, four-legged, or flying opponent and adapting the moves to her own style as well. Then she insisted that Kagome spend the next half-hour doing target practice with the bow. The last half-hour was spent in sword practice, with Kagome getting used to the feel of sending her miko energy into her new wakizashi.

Inuyasha was already up in a tree for the night when Sango and Kagome arrived back at the village, and Miroku was sipping sake with some of the village men. The girls went into Kaede's hut to change out of their taijiya gear before getting some much-needed sleep.

"Sango?" Kagome asked as she folded her catsuit. "What do you think happened to Naraku?" It seemed as though he'd vanished off the face of the earth a year ago.

Sango frowned. "I don't know. If he was dead, the Kazaana would be gone, so we know he's alive," she said sadly. Kagome knew what was bothering her.

"We'll find him," she said gently. "We'll find Kohaku and find a way to save him." Tears threatened to fall from Sango's eyes, but she smiled when she heard the determination in her friend's voice.

"Some days, I almost forget," Sango confessed. "It shames me to know that I would like to forget my own brother at times."

"There's no shame in that," Kagome assured her. "You have to get on with your life. If you allowed the grief to consume you, you wouldn't be strong enough to fight Naraku and save Kohaku. You are doing the right thing."

"Thank you, Kagome." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Now we should get some sleep. I want you to make the poison for your seashells tomorrow."

"All right. Good night, Sango," Kagome said as she snuggled into her sleeping bag next to Shippou.

"Good night, Kagome."

Kagome's last thought as she drifted off to sleep was, I wonder what Hiei is doing...

*********************************************

Hiei was having the time of his life. So far, he'd hunted and killed two boar youkai and a large centipede, and he was on the trail of what smelled like a large infestation of youkai worms. Individually, they wouldn't be much of a challenge, but in large groups, they'd provide enough sport to satisfy him. Hiei smirked as he sped through the forest. This was the most fun he'd had in years...

*********************************************

Kagome spent most of Sunday morning tending to a foul-smelling herb paste in a pot over a slow fire, trying to cook the mixture down to a dry powder without burning it. Sango warned her that the poison wouldn't be effective if it was burned. Inuyasha vacated the area as soon as he caught a whiff of the stuff, saying that he wanted to scout the area for youkai. Shippou wanted to help her, but Kagome didn't have an extra mask for him, so she'd sent him off to tend to the garden with Kaede.

After a quick lunch, Sango inspected Kagome's poison powder and gave her a nod of approval. Kagome donned a pair of latex gloves and carefully poured the powder into the seashells that would fit inside her shoulder guards. She stuck the cheap ceramic pot she'd used to cook the poison inside a large plastic bag and tied it securely, double-bagging it for extra protection. She'd have to dispose of it in the modern era.

After all that work, Kagome was sweaty and stunk of the poison, so she decided to take a bath before going home. Her sword, bow, and quiver rested on a nearby rock with her clothes as she soaked languidly in the soothing coolness of the river. For once, she wouldn't have to worry about being spied on. Sango had promised to keep Miroku occupied back in the village, and Inuyasha still hadn't returned from his 'scouting' mission.

The sun was already down to the treetops by the time Kagome finished dressing, so she hurried on her way back to the village. Kagome was preoccupied with getting back in time to meet Hiei at the well, and she didn't notice she had company until she ran smack dab into something tall and warm.

"Oof!" Kagome winced when she was knocked onto her back. "Silly Inuyasha," she mumbled as she rolled to prop herself up on one elbow. "Couldn't you wait until--" Then she looked up, and her blood ran cold.

It wasn't Inuyasha.

Oh...oh, shit, shit, shit, Kagome mind repeated over and over, her eyes widening as she lay frozen on the forest floor. What she'd run into definitely wasn't Inuyasha. In the gathering darkness, she could make out the stocky outline of what looked like a man -- bandit? samurai? youkai? -- leaning over her, nudging her in the ribs with--

"Ow!" Kagome scooted backwards, but the man followed, keeping his katana pressed uncomfortably against her side.

"Well, well, what have we here?" he asked with a dark chuckle. Kagome shivered as the dying sunlight lighted in his eyes. "Poor little girl, all alone in the woods. Poor little girl, so far from the village."

"Wh-what do you want?" Kagome asked, and then she remembered that she was supposed to be acting like a warrior. "I mean, I'm armed! I have a sword! You'd better leave me alone!" she shouted in what she hoped was a menacing tone of voice.

The man snorted. "You think I'm blind?"

Kagome gasped as she realized that she must have dropped the wakizashi when she fell. Oh, no! A furtive glance to either side of her turned up nothing. Where is it?

"And as for what I want from you..." He paused to lean closer, and Kagome fought the urge to cry out when she felt his katana press harder against her ribs. He was so close that she smelt the stale sake on his breath. "That depends on what you have to offer. Hand over your valuables, and then we'll see."

"Valuables?" Kagome thought quickly. "Ah, I d-don't have any with me, but if you take me back to the village, I'm sure my father will be willing to give you whatever you want in thanks for my safe return."

She barely had time to register the infurated look that passed over his eyes before he slapped her hard across the face. This time, Kagome couldn't fight back the pained cry.

"You think I'm stupid? Is that it, bitch? You think I'm an idiot?" He slapped her again, his voice rising in fury. "You think I'm stupid enough to walk into a fucking village?" Kagome cringed as his eyes lingered at the base of her neck. "You're wearing a fucking necklace, right there!"

Kagome tried to scream out at him, but her shriek was cut off when he grabbed the pendant and twisted as he pulled hard, choking her. Stupid...unbreakable...chain... she thought as she struggled for air. She was just on the verge of passing out when he finally let go and shoved her back to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the bandit's sword was pressed against Kagome's neck. "You...fucking...whore," he panted out. "You women always think you're so smart, but you won't get the best of me."

She couldn't scream. She couldn't even think through the shock until he reached down to paw and pull at her skirt.

No...

"NO!" she shouted, finally finding her own voice. She grabbed his fist on the hilt of his sword with both hands and pushed hard, rolling to the left, scarcely under the blade. Her leg hit something cold and hard in the undergrowth, and she barely managed to quash a crow of triumph.

Kagome fumbled for the hilt of her wakizashi and pulled.

The man screamed in rage as he raised his sword for a killing blow.

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and whispered half a prayer, hoping that her mother wouldn't hate her too much for dying in this godforsaken era...

And then she heard a small sound of surprise.

Cracking one eye open, Kagome could hardly believe what she was feeling, but her eyes didn't lie. The full weight of the bandit pulled her sword down, and she dropped it in surprise and disgust as his thick, warm blood ran down the blade and onto her fingers.

The man stared incredulously down at the sword embedded in his chest, and then looked back up at the slight girl who had actually struck him down. "You...you..." was all he managed to gurgle out before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed.

Right on top of Kagome.

She lay there unable to move, unable to breathe until the blunt handle of the wakizashi pressing into her stomach reminded her that she was, in fact, still living. Still holding her breath, Kagome shut her eyes tightly again and whimpered in the back of her throat as she wiggled her way out from under the corpse. The bandit's body toppled over, and Kagome scrambled backwards until she hit a tree, where she pulled her knees up to her chest and stared at the bandit's unseeing eyes.

That's how her friends found her, minutes later, when they burst onto the scene.

"Kagome! Are you alright? You're bleeding!" cried Sango.

Kagome blinked. I...am?

Inuyasha turned up his nose at the stench of human blood. "Oh, my fucking... Kagome? Kagome, are you okay?" The hanyou knelt down in front of his friend. I wasn't here, dammit, I wasn't fucking here!

The slight tremor in Inuyasha's voice brought Kagome out of her stupor, and with a cry she threw her arms around his neck. "Is he...is he dead? Did I kill him?" she managed to ask through her sobs.

Inuyasha pulled back a bit to give her a disbelieving look. "You did this, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

That, of course, brought Kagome right back to her old self. "Inuyasha no BAKA! Do you see anyone else here?" she asked, fuming.

"Feh! Why didn't you call for us? We would've handled it!"

"Because I couldn't, you jerk! He had his sword up against my throat the whole time! Besides, you think I can't handle myself against one drunk bandit? Huh?"

"You're not exactly a portrait of composure right now!"

Sango frowned at the hanyou. Something was nagging at her, and Inuyasha wasn't helping the situation at all. "You and Miroku, back to the village." When the stubborn hanyou opened his mouth to protest, Sango turned her hardest glare on him and shifted Hiraikotsu on her shoulder. "Now."

Miroku understood and grabbed Inuyasha by the shoulder, hauling him back to the village.

Sango lay a gentle hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You sure you're okay? I mean, he didn't..."

"No, no, I'm fine. And no, he didn't. I just...I didn't mean to..."

Sango wrapped her arm around Kagome's shoulders and hugged her fiercely. "I know, I know," she whispered. "Sometimes you don't have a choice." After a couple of minutes, Kagome's shoulders stopped shaking, and Sango stepped back. "I'll stand guard while you bathe, okay?" She glanced over at the remains of the bandit. "I'll retrieve and clean up that sword for you while I'm here, too."

Kagome nodded numbly. "Thank you."

From his place high in the branches above, Hiei slipped away as silently as he'd arrived.

An hour later, Kagome was scrubbed clean and had assured her friends yet again that she hadn't been hurt too much. Inuyasha insisted on escorting her back to the well for her protection.

"For the last time, Inuyasha, I'll be fine! It's a short walk, and I have my weapons right here."

"So? You did last time, too!"

"Yes, and I'm still alive! Please, let me do this. I need to go alone so that I can...ah...have more confidence in myself."

Inuyasha blinked. "Confidence?"

"That's right!" Kagome wagged her forefinger at him. "I'll never develop enough self-confidence to be able to defend myself if my friends think I can't handle a little walk in the woods alone, will I?"

"But--"

"After all, wasn't it you who said that my 'coddled childhood' was to blame for my 'complete lack of self-preservation instinct?'"

Inuyasha huffed. "But that was before--"

"In fact," Kagome interrupted him, "by insisting on following me to the well, you're saying that Sango is a poor instructor. Is that what you really think?"

"Um...uh...no, I--"

"Great!" Kagome gave him a broad smile and patted him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd come around! See you next week!" Before he could utter another protest, Kagome slung her backpack over her shoulder and skipped off into the woods, where a certain youkai waited for her to take him back to the modern era.

*********************************************

Back in Makai...

Kurama finished planting the seedlings that Jinenji wanted to get in before the next big rain, and he wiped his brow as he went back to the hut, where the ancient hanyou was sitting and drinking tea.

"I will be going home now. Thank you for your hospitality, Jinenji," he said with a bow.

"Thank you for your help, Kurama. You are always welcome here."

"And thank you for telling me the story about Kikyou, as well," said Kurama with another bow.

"Kikyou? Who is Kikyou?" asked Jinenji.

Kurama frowned. Were we wrong all along? Maybe he's forgotten her name. "She was the miko you befriended, the protectress of the Shikon no Tama, was she not?" he asked.

Jinenji slowly shook his head. "No, I'm fairly certain that her name was Kagome."

Edited 17 May 2005