Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stealing Starlight ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Stealing Starlight

Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yuyu Hakusho belong to me.

Chapter Two:

Hojou banged his head against his books a few times. Kagome had been in the hospital for almost five months now with no change. The stress of seeing one of his dearest friends like that was driving him mad. He knew who Inuyasha was to her, and understood how much pain it must have caused her to see him die, but he could find no reason for this … this all-consuming despair that drove her out of her mind. And he could tell that Mama Higurashi knew something about the whole situation that he didn't, and was deliberately keeping that information from him and everyone else.

He groaned as his lab partner slid in beside him, not bothering to lift his head to look at the other young man. “Suuichi-san, sometimes I hate my life.”

Blinking as he took in the books spread out in front of his friend, Kurama couldn't help but ask, “Why are you looking into coma research?”

Sitting up with a sigh the younger man replied. “One of my dearest friends is in a coma at St. Teresa's. No one seems able to figure out why she's even in a coma in the first place, though, and it is driving me out of my mind.”

“How long has she been like this?”

“Seven months, total. Her mother kept her at home for two months before admitting her. I guess it's not so much a coma as it is catatonia. But in spite of being awake she has no pain response.”

“Hmm. Odd. What happened before that?” asked Kurama as he pulled a book closer to him.

“I … am not sure I should tell you. It's … rather personal. To her, I mean.”

Flipping through the pages nonchalantly, Kurama tapped a finger on a single page while he looked at Hojou with a raised eyebrow before moving on. “I can not help if I do not know the circumstances.”

“She was indirectly responsible for her first love's death,” replied Hojou in a whisper. “From what I have been told, their bond was extraordinarily strong.”

“Interesting. What else do you know about it?” Kurama already had a few ideas running around his head, most of them having nothing to do with modern medicine. Before his band had disbanded, he'd played healer after heist's most of the time, his vast knowledge of all things vegetarian giving him some rather odd insights to medicine. Once or twice he'd had to shock one of his men out of unconsciousness with a jolt of energy. He wasn't so sure the same method would work on a human, though.

Not even bothering to look up as the teacher walked in, Hojou slumped over his books again and sighed. There had to be something. Anything … “Actually, they're keeping his identity a very closely kept secret. I know nothing about him aside from his name. And they haven't told the whole truth about what happened to her either, I know that much. Higurashi-okaa-sama refuses to talk about it.”

“May I meet her?”

“Huh?” Hojou mumbled into his book.

“I would like to meet her. Can we visit her this afternoon?” Kurama asked again.

“Sure. I don't think it will be a problem. It's Souta's day to sit with her. Wish I knew what was up with that sword he always brings with him. He only says that it's important to Kagome, and he calls it Tetsusaiga. The whole family has some secret they're keeping, and not knowing what it is may be hindering the doctor's ability to heal her.” Hojou knew he was grumbling, but couldn't help himself. So far nothing he'd tried had worked.

Kurama wasn't listening any longer, he had stilled at the mention of that single name. `Hmmm. Where have I heard that before? Not amongst humans, that's for sure.I do remember that there was a sword held by a hanyou that was called by that name. Tetsusaiga and … damn what was the name of the other sword forged by Inu no Taisho … the one Sesshomaru holds … Te … Tensaiga. I think. But from what I know, the Tetsusaiga disappeared over five hundred years ago. I recall that Sesshomaru was furious;he tore the countryside apart looking for it.If it's the same weapon, I would like to know first, what it is still doing in the human world, and second, why it's in the hands of a human boy.' Casting a long glance at his companion, he finished, `and I would like to know why it is significant to Hojou's friend. And if they even know just what it is.' Shaking his head, Kurama flipped through a few more pages, tsking when he found nothing of interest. Shutting the book with a sharp snap, Kurama stood resolutely and faced the teacher. “Excuse me, Sensei, my friend Hojou and I need to be going. He has a friend in the hospital in a coma. I believe I may be able to help somewhat. Please excuse us, I'll make sure we turn in our homework tomorrow.” Reaching down and grabbing the surprised Hojou's hand, Kurama made a beeline for the door, shutting it behind hard enough to make the door bounce instead of lock.

“Ack! Suuichi, what's going on? Why'd you …”

Kurama refused to answer his friend until they had left the building. Dragging the confused boy out to his car, he let go of the other's arm and leaned up against the vehicle. Giving Hojou a hard stare that the younger man quailed under, he considered telling the other man the truth. Watching him fidget from under hooded gold-flecked green eyes, Kurama nodded to himself. “Get in,” he growled, yanking the driver-side door open.

Blinking, Hojou obeyed.

Once they were out on the roads, Kurama closed his eyes a brief second before retuning his eyes to the road. Taking a deep calming breath he spoke. “Things … are not always as they seem, Hojou-kun. You know me as Minamono Suuichi. As far as that goes, it is true. However, I was once known by another name. Youko Kurama. I am a silver kitsune. A demon.” Looking at Hojou, he frowned. The other boy was looking at him with wide eyes, and was a little pale. “I gave up being a demon after I was reborn in my current form,” he continued, watching the other man out of the corner of his eye. “My mother is more important to me than my former life. However, in my former life, I was a renowned thief. One of the … objects that my band searched for was a trio of swords wielded by the most powerful dog demon to ever exist. Sou'unga, the sword of hell; Tensaiga, the sword of healing; and Tetsusaiga, the sword of destruction.” At Hojou's startled jump, he nodded. “The weapon in this boy's hands may be that same sword. It has the capacity to destroy one hundred demons in a single blow, although I believe that may be a bit exaggerated. I need to find out how it wound up with this family, and if necessary, remove it to a safer location,” Sighing, he smirked wryly. “You see, currently I work for the Spirit World, the place where all souls go after death. My job is to keep the human world safe from demons. If this is the same weapon and it is discovered by another demon, they could use it.”

“But, wait a minute …”

“They ain't nobody in this world powerful enough touse mysword, fox,” said a growling voice from his back seat.

Pulling the car over with a gasp and killing the engine, Kurama yanked out his whip, intent on taking the intruder out, only to find a … ghost for lack of a better term. A vague outline of a head topped by dog ears and a pair of intense gold eyes. What … who ever he was, he was certainly not alive. Narrowed golden eyes glowered at the intruder. “Who are you?” Kurama demanded.

“Keh. Name's Inuyasha. And Tetsusaiga is mine. Or at least it was until I died. Look,I'm here for a reason, and I haven't got a lot of time. I'm breaking enough rules just by being here. You must wake Kagome. Tell her that what we did wasn't enough. He's back.” With that cryptic statement the ghost faded.

Kurama stared at the place where his … visitor had been, wondering why when things went south, they always went with a bang.

“Inuyasha …” whispered Hojou. “But that's …”

Whipping around to face his human friend, Kurama took in the boy's white face. “Tell me, Hojou. Do you know who that was?”

Nodding jerkily, Hojou continued to stare at the back seat. “Higurashi-sama told me that Inuyasha had been Kagome's boyfriend. And Kagome was indirectly responsible for his death. What does all this mean? Suuichi-san, what's going on?”

Restarting the car, Kurama got back on the road to the hospital. For a long while, he made no answer. “I wish I knew. Believe me, I wish I knew,” he answered at last.

a.b.c.

Pulling into a parking spot at St. Teresa's , Kurama stepped out of his car and looked up at the unassuming building with hard eyes. He had been puzzling over who this “he” was that the ghost of Inuyasha had spoken of. He couldn't remember anything about this half-demon, and the only time he'd been interested in acquiring the swords of Inu-no-taisho was when that demon himself had held them. Smirking slightly in remembrance, he shook his head. That was a challenge he would have loved to take on. Now if only he could figure out how well this girl knew Inuyasha, then he may have a foothold on this mystery.

Following behind Hojou, Kurama paid no attention to his surroundings, mulling over what he already knew and speculating on possibilities. Finally Hojou pulled him out of his thoughts. “We're here. Be nice to Souta, please. “

Stopping the other boy with a hand on his shoulder, Kurama frowned. “You seem to be taking my revelation rather well, Hojou. Are you certain you are okay?”

Casting the kitsune a look over his shoulder, Hojou gave the other a sad, but wry smile. “It … explains a few things. And if the Inuyasha in the car earlier is the same Inuyasha that Kagome was dating, I can see why I never managed to get her to go on a serious date with me,” he said morosely. Shaking his head he opened the door and stepped through, leaving the kitsune in the hall.

Stepping through the door on the human boy's heels, Kurama looked around the small hospital room and he easily discarded nearly everything as harmless. As Hojou took a chair by the bed, he took a few steps further into the room, and saw the young boy sitting in another chair on the other side of the bed, brown haired and grey eyed and nearly exuding grief. Cradled in his arms was a rusty, battered looking katana. But there was no mistaking the demonic energy flowing from the blade.

As much as he itched to just rip the thing out of the human boy's hands, he had to restrain himself. To do so would invite unnecessary questions. Slipping silently further into the room he finally got a good look at the girl lying listless in the hospital bed. Her skin was sallow, and sunken around her eyes, and she was gaunt from rapid weight loss, but underneath he could see the pretty woman she had been. But it was the slight expression of despairing grief that gave her the slightest semblance of life. It must have been heart wrenching to the other two, and even he could feel the slightest bit of pity for her.

She was sleeping, but even in sleep her face never lost the pain. And he could remember one point in his life where he had felt such loss. As he contemplated her face, a picture of Kuronue popped up in his mind. Yes, he could well remember such pain. Throwing a glance at the boy with the sword, he moved closer to the bed, only to be stopped by the flat of the sheathed sword across his stomach.

“Who are you and what do you want?” the boy demanded with harder eyes than he had thought a normal human boy capable of. Hopping off his chair, Souta came around to stand in front of the newcomer. “You feel weird. What are you?” he growled, pushing the avatar back with the tip of the weapon in his hands. “I don't want anyone like you near her.”

All around the boy Kurama could feel the beginnings of what could become a powerful reiki roil with suppressed anger and suspicion. If this boy had been even a little bit more powerful, he would have been able to sense the ancient fox he truly was. At his current level, the boy could only sense that something wasn't quite right with him. Interesting. If the girl was similar… Dismissing the boy as harmless, Kurama brushed past him, intent on looking at the girl's energy.

The angry pulse of the sword flung him back from the catatonic girl. A matching anger burned in the boy's eyes as he stepped in front of Kurama again. “Don't go near my sister. Tetsusaiga says you're not who you seem to be.”

Shocked, Kurama stayed sitting on the floor, frowning up at the boy holding the sword. Belatedly he finally comprehended the boy's words. “Tetsusaiga says?” he asked in confusion.

“Yeah. Tetsusaiga. It talks to me, sometimes. It was Inuyasha-nii-san's but he's gone and it decided that Kagome was it's master so for now I get to hold onto it.” Lowering the sword slightly, he frowned at the young man on the floor, totally ignoring Hojou's presence on the other side of the bed. “Who are you and what do you want with my sister?”

Thinking that a more diplomatic approach would be far more beneficial, Kurama smiled up at the boy. “My apologies. Perhaps I was a bit to forceful. Hojou-san asked me to help him heal her. That is why I am here. However, as you seem to have noticed, I am not entirely what I appear to be. In the human world, I go by the name Minamono Suuichi, but I was once known as Youko Kurama.”

“You're a demon. I can sense that much. Just not what kind of demon. Hojou, did you really ask him to help out?” Souta asked glancing at the shocked man in the other chair.

“Aaa, yes I did.” Poor Hojou looked totally confused.

Lowering the sword completely, Souta regarded Kurama for a moment before stepping aside. “Okay. But no funny business. My sister is a powerful miko, and even in sleep, she will fry you if you try anything,” he warned.

A miko, Kurama thought to himself. There hadn't been a miko of noticeable power in hundreds of years, the lines died out when the need for them disappeared. If these two were descended from ancient lines, it would explain the power he sensed in the boy, and if he could get close enough to the girl to run a scan … standing up and brushing himself off he once again approached the bed. While the boy continued to look at him in suspicion, he made no move to stop Kurama from getting closer to the comatose girl on the bed.

Cautiously, he reached down and picked up one frail hand and rubbed the back of it with his own. Her hands were so cold. Frowning, he pushed some of his youki forward, sending it down into her soul. What he wouldn't give at this moment to have Hiei somewhere nearby. But no, he was at Genkai's watching over Yukina. However, his own talents as a kitsune could give him more insight into her past. Settling further into the vast soul he found, Kurama let himself drift with the flow of her soul. Despair and grief he found in debilitating amounts, layered over a love so profound he couldn't really describe it, and that was paired up with a deep sense of acceptance and forgiveness. Beneath that was a literal river of willpower and strength. But that was dammed by the loss she had suffered. Other things he felt flowing through him from her soul, a sense of the crushing weight of an unasked for responsibility, and a warning of danger to her and all who would stand near her.

Slowly images began to form in the emotion he sensed. A dog-eared hanyou appeared first, Inuyasha he knew. A violet eyed monk in black with a tendancy for the inappropriate and a wisdom to make sages cry, a firm friend and a guiding brother, a strong-willed girl carrying a great weapon and the fire-cat that stood at her side, her heart-sister. More strongly than those two was a small child, and he started to realize it was a kitsune child, auburn hair and teal eyes full of mischief, her beloved adopted son. More dimly, a youkai lord he knew well, black hair and vibrantly blue eyes that burned with fierceness, Kouga of the Wolves, loved but not how he wished. Appearing out of the mists another Lord, whom he knew as Sesshomaru, glared at him coldly, silver and amber and from her a sense of implicit trust, both given and received. Then a dark cloud of fear and anger, a sense of danger and raw, malicious power, a red-eyed man with long wavy black hair and a blazing desire to possess something she protected. Deeper in he found a … piece of her soul missing, the edges where it had been ragged and torn, but there was a sense of peace, and oddly love. But it was something he could not understand. Her soul was incomplete, a large chunk of it was missing and whoever had it, she loved, cared for. Yet the only way it could be missing with her still alive would be if … if was something he really didn't want to contemplate. Such things grew in powers as they continued. Inspecting the rent more closely, he frowned when he felt no enmity, or any kind of drawing sensation that would tell him the missing piece was feeding on the rest of the soul.

Pulling back a bit, he hovered at the surface of her soul, idly smoothing wrinkles out and just observing the colors that flickered in and out. It wasn't really her body that needed healing, it was her soul. It had taken so much damage, rips and tears and holes stitched up or patched over with a strange kind of haphazard stitchery, as if she held her soul to be some kind of garment. The largest rip was new, and hadn't been stitched over, it was a raw chasm running the breadth of her soul, a wound it would be very difficult for so gentle a soul to recover from

Detaching himself he returned to the normal world, shaking off the last vestiges of his intense focus with a thoughtful hum. The sword's angry buzzing made his ears itch and he looked over at the boy, cocking his head to the side when he realized the weapon was actually glowing.

Souta shrugged. “It really doesn't like you,” he told the avatar.

Moving over to the only other seating in the hospital room, Kurama turned to regard Hojou. “I believe I can help her. However, modern medicine will not work. There is nothing wrong with her body, it is her soul that is damaged. I suspect, from the depth of the damage I saw, if we manage to wake her, it will be a matter of years before she is completely healed.” Glancing at the boy, he paused, very carefully considering his next words. “It would be beneficial to know the events of the past and the kind of person others believe her to be. With that information I can more accurately judge her responses. I desire to know what you might be able to impart to me regarding this. “ Looking back at Hojou he smiled rather grimly. “If even half of what I saw within her soul is total truth, then you may be in for quite the shock, my friend. She has very strong ties to some of the most powerful demons in the world. They are likely even older than I am, and very proud. I think we should perhaps contact them.”

“That would depend on who,” said Souta.

“Lord Sesshomaru and Kouga of the Wolves for two. She may respond better to someone who knows what she has been through and knows her as well.” Kurama was still scratching his head over one thing though, and that was how she knew these two very powerful demons. Either way, if they could help her, he would see about getting permission for them to visit ningenkai. First though he would need to find them.

“If I am to contact these people I must be going. They all live within Makai, and will be difficult to find. If you will excuse me.” Rising, Kurama quit the room, intent on his self appointed mission.

Souta looked at Hojou. “That guy is seriously weird,” he commented, scooting his chair closer to his sister. Hojou could only nod in agreement.

END OF CHAPTER!!!

Whee, new stuff! Got that out at last. On to a new chapter! Please review!!!!!