Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Fire Within ❯ Forgotten Fire ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: Hawaiianhoney2030

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Let's talk telepathy:

*Youko*

`Hiei'

-Kurama-

`thoughts'

Chapter 6: Forgotten Fire

Kagome took a deep breath as she approached the large grey building she's been looking for. Closing her eyes for a moment, not caring who was looking at her oddly for standing in front of one of the many self defense schools in Tokyo without entering. It had been a month since the jewel threw her back to her time and to this day Kagome still refused to talk about what happened. When she didn't think about the final battle, she could function without breaking down into tears. After how hysterical she had gotten the first time her mother asked what happened, no one at the shrine dared to even think about questioning the miko.

After a week of depression and tears, Kagome locked up her emotions and memories of the past. It was better this way… she thought she could finally live a normal life but she'd soon learned how wrong she was. She realized that she missed the action and near death experiences she fought through in the past. So in order to sate her desire for action, the miko decided to apply as a teacher at a nearby self defense school. She held the fighting knowledge of a taijiya and she was sure she was beyond skilled enough to teach others how to fight.

Shaking her head clear, Kagome took another deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside. Her trained eyes scanned over the four people waiting for her at the center of the main room with large welcoming smiles. Two men and two woman, all in very good shape and slightly older than her. They seemed to watch her with critical eyes as she smiled and made her way toward them. Stopping before them, she bowed slightly.

“I am Kagome Higurashi, here applying to be a teacher.” she said softly before straightening once more.

One woman, wearing a dark red fighting kimono, smiled to her and nodded her head. “What experience do you have with self defense?”

“I have plenty of experience. I've been taking classes since I was a child.” She had no choice but to lie, I mean who would believe her if she said she had been trained by a demon slayer and a hanyou? She was quite confident in her fighting skills and she was sure that if they requested her to spar, it would seem as if she really had been taking lesson for years.

“And you are only 19?” one man asked curiously. He seemed the youngest of the four and also more curious about her than the others.

“Yes, but I am very confident in my skills.” Kagome stated.

“If we are to hire you as a teacher, you would only be able to teach the young less advanced children. I'm quite sure you could not train skilled fighters.”

Kagome held back the glare she was oh so tempted to throw at the woman standing next to the one wearing the red kimono. “I'm positive that I could successfully teach skilled students as well as amateurs.”

“We shall gage your skills with a spar.” the man that had yet to speak said before stepping forward and bowing before Kagome. The miko bowed as well before dropping into a defensive position. Her opponent seemed slightly surprised by her stance for a moment before swiftly delivering the first attack. Kagome sidestepped quickly and returned with an attack of her own. As they fought at a slow pace, Kagome assessed her opponent very carefully. She watched for any flaws in his defense as she continued to block and dodge each of his punches and kicks.

It didn't take her long to find her opportunity and she immediately took it, pushing back into a back flip and kicking the man in the chest with such force it slammed him down into the mat. Once she landed, Kagome turned swiftly and made to strike his neck, stopping just before her fingers could touch his skin. The man remained motionless as he stared up at her with shocked surprise. Kagome smiled gently as she straightened and bowed, signaling the end of their match.

Kagome turned her smile to the other three people present. “Thank you for your time.” she bowed once more before turning on her heel and making her way to the front door.

“Miss Higurashi, did you not come here to become a teacher?” The woman in red asked, confused as to why she was leaving.

“Indeed, but I believe it would be in my best interest to find a different school that will provide more respect toward my skills. Again, I thank you for your time.” Kagome smiled before walking out the door. Kagome sighed as she began to make her way down the street. Why did elders in her time have to be do doubtful of the skills of one her age? Just because they were older didn't mean they experienced more; it merely means they lived longer in order to teach others their skills.

“Miss Higurashi! Wait!” Hearing her name, Kagome stopped and turned to see the youngest man from the self defense school trying to catch up to her. He smiled his thanks once he reached her side. “May I request a moment of your time?” he questioned, nodding his head toward the coffee shop across the street. Shrugging her shoulders, Kagome nodded and followed the man into the building. He purchased lattes for them before sitting at a table away from the rest of the people in the restaurant.

“I must say that I was quite impressed by your fighting ability as well as your focus.” he complimented after sipping his beverage.

Kagome smiled gratefully. “Thank you, it took years of training to get where I am now.”

“I can see that, although you have only spent nineteen year on this planet, I believe that you are far more wise and experienced than this entire crowd put together.” he said, referring to the other people in the coffee shop.

“I'm sorry to say this but I'm not going to work at the school, I've made my decision.” the miko said, sipping her latte.

“That is not the reason I requested your time.” he smiled in mischief.

“Then what exactly did you want to speak with me about?”

“A job opportunity that pays three times the salary doctor makes.” He smirked slightly at the spark of interest he saw flicker in Kagome's eyes.

Concealing her surprise, she narrowed her eyes at the man. “Elaborate please.”

“How would you feel about working for the government as a secret agent?” he questioned bluntly.

Kagome stared at the man as if he had lost his mind. Was he kidding? With how serious the expression on his face was, he didn't seem to be. “I'm not sure if I completely understand what you mean…”

The man sighed as he glanced around to be sure no one was near enough to hear their conversation. “I can tell that your life is far more exciting that a mere cup of coffee and a small spar, or at least you want it to be. Secret agents for the government are sent on missions when the need arises. These missions usually consist of saving the world from people who believe they can control or destroy it.”

`Sounds like demons attempting to take over the world again…' Kagome muttered. Too bad there were no demons in her time, so he was obviously talking about humans. Speaking of there being no demons, Kagome realized that she would probably never have to use her miko powers again… she wondered for a moment if that would affect her in anyway before turning her full attention to the man sitting across from her. “I'm interested…”

He smiled and dove into a more detailed description of the duties and expectations of secret agents. He explained about the usual missions of stealing back important or expensive objects from the thieves. She knew she would enjoy those missions because she would be sneaking around stealing things and the thrill of trying not to be caught made her heart leap in excitement just as she thought of it. He also explained about the more dangerous missions that included her having to take down her enemy or to rescue someone that's been kidnapped. By the time the man finished, Kagome made her decision.

“I accept the job offer.”

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Kagome kept her breathing under control as her eyes scanned her surroundings. Her sharp hearing picked up a man hiding behind the curtain and before he could even draw his gun, Kagome shot him directly in the chest before moving on to focus on her task at hand. Catching slight movement from the corner of her eye, Kagome whipped around and shot the man that was aimed to take her out. Smirking as she saw the object of her mission just a few feet away, Kagome swore under her breath when she heard someone drop from the ceiling and pull her into a headlock before she could react. And she had been doing so well…

“Dead. That would have been game over for you Higurashi. Come on now, you need to focus. Remember to check everywhere and don't completely focus on your mission.”

Kagome sighed and nodded as the man released her from the hold and returned his gun to the carrier at his waist. The others in the room stood and wiped off the paint marks on their suits after showing Kagome exactly where she had shot them.

“You have great and accurate shots Kagome but you need to keep your mind clear. You'll never survive against a dozen armed men if you're as distracted as you are now.” Kengi lectured as Kagome returned her guns to their carriers.

“I understand. Give me one more round.” she requested. Kengi sighed but nodded, signaling for the field to be fixed for another training round. Kagome took deep slow breaths as she tried to clear her mind and only think of what Kengi had told her. Kengi was the trainer for newbie agents at the secret facility that Kagome now worked at. After the first day of training with Kagome, Kengi had told the miko that she was by far the fastest learner he had ever met before. Before her first day of training, Kagome had never held a gun before. By the end of the day, she had a shot ten times more accurate than their top agents.

Kagome could go through a drill once, mess up, do it once more and pass with flying colors every time. She learned from her mistakes quickly and comprehended everything quite easily, not to mention her skills as a gymnast provided her with a great advantage. Usually the training process for a new agent took approximately 2 months but Kagome was almost finished within three weeks. Being the youngest agent Kengi had ever trained, he was quite curious of her but she didn't speak of her past or family. From the determination in her eyes, he could tell she was trying to make up for something that happened. She worked so hard and never gave up but he knew that if she was running or avoiding her past, it would catch up to her someday… it always did.

A week later, Kagome was standing before the head of the company accepting her badge from Kengi. She had completed her training and was being sent on her very first mission. The trainer proudly led Kagome to the equipment room as he handed her a folder. She opened it and examined the papers inside.

“Your first mission is quite simple if you stick to your training and the exact orders given to you. Your assignment is to sneak into the location provided unseen. Make your way to the room on the right wing but be careful, it will be heavily guarded with cameras and sensors. You are to sneak into the room without being detected and make copies of the files in the computers. This is very important Kagome and it could be dangerous if you're caught.” Kengi explained as he handed her an M60 machine gun as well as Beretta 93R handgun. Kagome took them without hesitation and placed them in her gun carriers attached to her thighs as she continued to follow him around the room.

“I know you can do this easily but please be careful and stick to your orders.” Kengi said, seeming slightly worried. To be honest, he had become attached to the young girl and saw her as a daughter he never had. He kept his emotions in check as he grabbed several objects and handed them to her. She knew what each gadget's function was so there was no need for him to explain anything else to her. Nodding his head, he motioned for her to follow him once more. Kagome felt her excitement grow as she realized they were headed to the garage.

Kengi opened the door for her before following behind and shutting the door. Flipping the lights on, Kagome stared at all the expensive cars parked in the oversized garage. Kengi smiled as he grabbed a particular pair of keys and tossed then to Kagome. The miko turned her bright eyes to her trainer.

“Which one?”

“The silver Porsche 911 GT2. It can reach 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds and 100 mph in 8.4 using its standard 6-speed manual transmission. It's got 480 horsepower and a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat six engine.” Kengi explained, pointing directly at one of the cars that caught Kagome's attention first. Her smile only grew larger as he continued to describe the car.

“And it's stick shift?” she questioned.

“Yes, it's manual. I could tell you enjoyed driving manual cars more during the driving training so I requested a specific order for you.” Kengi laughed when the girl pulled him into a tight hug, repeatedly chanting `thank you' before skipping over to her brand new car. She nearly squealed in delight as she slid into the driver's seat and admired the black leather interior. Kengi rolled his eyes as he opened the garage.

“All I ask is for you to come back in one piece.”

Kagome nodded as she pushed her keys in the ignition and started the car. Smirking at the wonderful sound of its engine purr, Kagome peeled out of the garage skillfully before disappearing down the street.

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Kagome slipped the mini cam down through the vent she was kneeling over. Making sure no one was in sight and that the security cameras weren't facing her, she pulled the vent cover away before gracefully dropping to the ground. moving quickly, the agent attached little box shaped devices to each camera before pressing a button on her belt and stealthily continuing on to the main vault chamber. The devices she attached to the cameras repeated what the camera saw within the last 5 minutes, therefore practically making Kagome invisible to the guards watching the cameras.

Her senses on high alert, Kagome pulled a triangular gadget from her pocket and placed it on the vault door. Pressing several buttons, she smirked to herself when she heard a soft `click' sound and watched as the vault pushed open very slowly. Retrieving her gadget from the entrance, she replaced it in her pocket before closing the door and continuing on. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes. Pulling out a spray bottle, Kagome released the misty chemical into the air before her and watched as the bright red trip sensors appeared. She rolled her eyes as she realized they were arranged in different directions so that an intruder wouldn't be able to merely step over each red line.

Sighing to herself, Kagome took several steps back as she analyzed each red line's location. Taking a deep breath, Kagome pushed off and dove over the first alarm, rolling forward under the next before pushing off her feet into two front handsprings. Landing perfectly on her feet, she carefully sidestepped the last four sensors before she finally reached her goal. Wasting no time, Kagome popped her disk drive into the computer and began copying every file in the system. Just as the process was finishing, Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat when she heard voices directly outside the vault entry.

Thankful that the copy was complete, she quickly grabbed her disk drive before pulling out a gun and shooting it toward the ceiling. The end quietly attached to the ceiling and Kagome clipped it to her belt before pulling herself up. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched two men check on everything in the vault room before leaving. Once they were gone, Kagome ascending back to the ground before quickly leaving the facility. Mission complete.

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It had been a month since Kagome's first mission and ever since then, she'd been on several others. Because of her job, she was rarely able to see her family because of how busy she was, not to mention it was a risk for her to communicate with them. If any of her enemies caught her visiting her family or traced her back to the shrine, they could use her family against her and Kagome wanted none of that. She wanted her family to be safe and have the opportunity to live a normal life… though she wasn't sure how normal it was for their 19 year old daughter to be one of the top agents for the government.

She'd sprung to the top after her and several of her fellow agents were sent on a mission to rescue the senator's daughter. She had been kidnapped and Kagome was the one that successfully infiltrated their security systems before sneaking into the main room filled with dozens of armed men. She was somehow able to only suffer one bullet wound to her shoulder but was still able to reach the daughter. With the help of her team, they were able to safely return the girl to her father.

Being one of the best agents, Kagome was assigned to the most important and potentially dangerous missions. On every mission, Kagome looked death straight in the eye and somehow managed to survive. She got great pay and she enjoyed every second of her job but she felt like something was missing… ever since she joined the agency, Kagome hadn't thought about the feudal era once. She hadn't thought about demons, about the family that she didn't get the change to say goodbye to, the demons she had fallen in love with, or the child she'd lost. All of that was lost in the darkness of her worst nightmares and Kagome felt as if it had never really happened.

There were no demons in her time… no reason for her to remember what happened, so why hold onto those painful memories? She saw no point in keeping them so she locked them away deep within her mind where she would never see them again. Her life was different now… demon didn't exist anymore… she would never see her friends again. With Kagome's life slowly turning completely human, she didn't realize that she too was beginning to turn human. She never realized that when she locked up her memories of the past that her miko powers were also locked away as well. She never thought about it though because she didn't use her powers anymore, there was no need for them… not in her time.

One morning, three days after she finished her latest assignment, Kengi called her in. Kagome was at the main office within minutes and sat across from Kengi and her boss. He slid her a file and she opened it, examining the papers.

“Do you recall the very first mission we ordered you on?”

“Of course, I could never forget my first.” she answered, turning a curious stare toward the two men.

“The data you received was information on a plot that we suspect one of the richest men in china is working on. We were finally able to piece together all the information and have decided to investigate. His name is Kanomaru and he owns the second largest water park in China. His main laboratory is located here in Tokyo and we have reasons to believe that he has a team working on a deadly virus.” Kagome boss explained.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared down at the papers on the desk before her. “What does he plan to do with this deadly virus?”

“We believe that his goal is to infect all of Tokyo. He has also created an antivirus and we're quite positive that if we are correct about the construction of the virus, his plan is to make a fortune on selling the antivirus to all that have been infected.” Kengi stated.

Kagome nodded slowly as she examined the blue prints of the lab building. “So I'm guessing you want me to sneak into the building, steal both the virus and the antivirus and destroy any data on their computer systems so they cannot recreate this virus?”

“Yes but you need to be careful… this is by far the most dangerous mission we have ever assigned you Kagome.”

Kagome rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. “No worries, they can't get me if I get them first.” she winked before exiting the room and heading toward the garage. Sliding into her beloved sports car, she quickly exited the premises. Once she reached her destination, she parked her expensive car several blocks away from the lab building and pressed a button on her key chain. Turning in her seat, she waited patiently as her back seat flipped upside down to reveal her collection of gadget and devices.

Clicking the button again, she glanced up as the material on the roof of her vehicle slid back to reveal her personal variety of guns attached to the ceiling. Arming herself with an M60 machine gun, an AK-47 assault rifle, and a Blackhawk Ruger revolver, she concealed her guns once more before loading her belt and pockets with extra ammo as well as all the different gadgets she would need for this particular mission. Returning the back seat to normal and securing her guns in place, she stepped out of the car and locked the doors.

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Kagome held her breath as she pressed herself hard against the ceiling of the hallway. She glared down at the three guards that pasted by her almost too slowly for her comfort before disappearing around the corner. Letting out the breath she was holding, she slowly slid down to the ground from her grapple that was connected to the ceiling. Unhooking her grapple, she stealthily made her way down the hall. Being sure to avoid passing where the cameras pointed, she quietly snuck to the main lab that she believed the virus was being held in.

Checking her surroundings as she approached the door that led to the lab, Kagome pulled on a pair of glasses and examined the entire room beyond the door. The glasses gave her the ability to see body head, therefore showing her exactly where and how many guards were on the opposite side of the door she was about to enter. Marking each guard's location in her head, she took note of the three she would have to take out first. The other two seemed to be behind machinery so Kagome was sure she would have time to shoot the first three before taking down the last of them.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome unhooked her revolver and attached a silencer to it before slowly wedging the door open. Smirking as she realized none of them were facing her at that particular moment, she skillfully shot the two of the three she needed to take care of first before fully pushing the door open and quickly taking down the last. The last two guards panicked and split up, both diving for either a gun or the security alarm. Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat as she shot the man reaching for the alarm before turning to aim at the last guard.

Unfortunately, he was able to fire his gun before Kagome could. He successfully shot her in the thigh before her bullet drilled him through the chest, instantly killing him. Hissing at the pain, Kagome did her best to ignore her wound and pull herself to her feet. Spotting the virus, as well as the antivirus, Kagome quickly stuffed them in her zipper pocket at her uninjured thigh. Sucking in her groan of pain, she made her way to the door and exited quickly.

Kagome nearly swore when she heard voices approaching her from a pair of double doors on her right. Moving quickly, she pulled out her grapple for the second time that day and suspended herself up until she was pressed against the ceiling like before. Not daring to even breathe, she watched a heavily armed group of men exited the doorway directly below her. She felt the urge to scream in frustration as they stopped of a moment to speak to others that were still in the room they exited. She released her breath as they began to walk away.

Unfortunately, just as the last man was leaving, a drop of Kagome blood from her wound fell and landed on his shoulder. Kagome's eyes widened as the man brushed his shoulder off and stared at the blood in confusion before turning his gaze up toward the ceiling. Before the man could register what he'd seen, Kagome kicked him hard enough to knock him unconscious. Hearing a loud thud of their fellow guard's body hitting the ground, the group turned around to see Kagome running down the hall toward the entrance room where the front door was located.

Kagome swore under her breath as the alarm sounded loudly throughout the entire building. Reloading her revolver as she continued running, she secured it in its carrier as she shoved the doors open that brought her to the entrance room. Gun fire coming from her left, right, and behind her; she dove behind one of the many couched that littered the lobby. Grasping her AK-47 tightly in her grasp, she peeked over the top of the couch to locate several of the men before ducking once more as they fired at her. Moving quickly, she raised her assault rifle onto the edge of the couch and blew away the closest guards.

She had been firing at random men for what seemed like hours. Reload, locate, aim, shoot. When she finally thought she was safe, dozens more men came crashing through the door guns blaring. Growling in frustration and ignoring her still bleeding bullet wound, Kagome unhooked her M60 machine gun and positioned it at the door. Smirking, she pulled the trigger and watched as several men fell to the ground. To her horror, some of the men she had shot either didn't die or stood right back up as if they hadn't been injured at all.

What the hell was happening here? Clearing her mind, she quickly reloaded both her guns as she threw a grenade directly at her enemies. Once she heard it explode, she leapt up from her shield and fired repeatedly at anyone she set her eyes on. She was beginning to grow tired and whimpered as she watched more men pile into the room, pushing aside the dead bodies of their comrades and taking their ammo for themselves. Just as Kagome was about to give up, throw all the grenades she had, and run for it, the front doors flung open loudly.

Kagome turned her blue eyes to the double doors that stood directly behind her and felt her world come to a freezing halt. There, standing in the doorway were four teenagers. One with black slicked back hair had a cocky smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets. The tallest of the group had orange colored hair in an elvis style while the boy standing beside him possessed long red hair and piercing green eyes. The boy that caught her attention though was the one dressed in all black. He was the one that made her memories of the past come crashing back like a slap in the face. There standing only a few feet away from her was Hiei.

Everyone stood staring at the beautiful girl hiding behind a couch with a gun in each hand. She was dressed in black jeans that had several pockets that seemed to be quite full, black combat boots and a black shirt that reached just above her belly button, exposing a large amount of her perfectly toned stomach. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was staring at them as if she'd seen a ghost. Hiei stood there stock still as he stared at the miko he thought he'd never see again. He knew it was her by her wonderful scent he missed so much.

The moment was ruined when the guards began firing off their guns once more. Kagome snapped back to reality and dove to the side of the couch and shot down as many men as she had bullets before swiftly reloading. She wasn't worried about the four new comers because if they were against her then the men after her wouldn't have fired at them. Her theory was confirmed when she saw the boys duck for cover behind the dozens of couches near her. Focusing on her task at hand, Kagome peeked over the couch once more to see that there were only a few men left, and they were only the individuals that didn't seem to die.

Groaning in irritation, Kagome was about to reach for another grenade when the boy with dark hair caught her attention. He had left the safety of his couch and was pointing his finger at the last remaining men. Kagome was about to tackle him down so the men couldn't shoot him when she felt the hairs on her arms rise on end. Her blue eyes widened in surprise as she watched a blue type of energy form at the boy's finger tips before blasting directly at the last guards. He smirked in triumph before turning his gaze to her in question.

Kagome stood slowly as the four boys approached her. She narrowed her eyes as the man that looked freakishly similar to her old friend Hiei stepped toward her as well as the boy with dark hair. Moving so fast that the boys could have sworn she wasn't human, Kagome lifted her guns and pointed them at the two boys. She glared at them fiercely, feeling satisfaction as they stopped in their tracks. The dark haired boy held his hands up while the one dressed in black held a deep rooted hurt look in his crimson eyes.

“Who are you and what are you doing here.” she demanded coldly.

“Kagome… do you not remember me?” the boy that resembled Hiei asked, staring at her in confusion.

Kagome's grip on her gun tightened as she turned her glare at him. “You are NOT him! I'm not stupid! Hiei was very skilled in concealing his emotions!” she snapped angrily.

“Kagome, you have to believe me…” Hiei murmured, trying to step closer to her. She growled in warning and repositioned her gun to aim directly at his skull.

“Get away from me. Demons do not exist any longer, therefore you are not Hiei.” she said through her teeth.

“Miss please, we are not here to hurt you.” the teen with red hair spoke, holding his hands up as well. “We were sent here on a mission.”

“Guys, she's injured. She needs a doctor…” the boy with orange hair pointed out and as if he had called her wound to attention, she felt a burning pain shoot up her leg. Kagome did her best to remain standing but the pain was abnormally excruciating. Never before had a gunshot wound been so painful… perhaps those bastards bathed their bullets in poison before loading their guns. That was the last thought that processed through Kagome's mind before she fell unconscious.

Hiei quickly moved to catch the miko before she hit the ground. He kicked her guns away before lifting her into his arms and turning to his teammates. At this particular moment, Youko so happened to awake from his slumber and nearly caused Kurama permanent hearing problems from the loud yell he produced.

*It's Kagome! Hiei?! What the hell happened?!?* The fox exploded.

`Explanations later, we need to get her to Botan for healing.' Hiei growled before turning to Yusuke. The hybrid didn't even have to ask; Yusuke was already flipping his communicator open and yelling for Botan to pick them up. Everyone remained silent as they waited for the reaper to make a portal for them. Once it appeared, everyone walked through without hesitation. Upon entering the demi lord's office, they were immediately questioned.

“Did you guys get the virus?” Botan questioned, not noticing the unconscious girl in Hiei's arms.

“Have you all lost your minds?! Since when are you allowed to bring humans to the spirit realm without my consent?!?!” Koenma yelled, glaring at them.

“Shut it toddler. She needs healing.” Yusuke said, ignoring his angry rants. Everyone watched as two ogres entered the office with a stretcher. Hiei placed the girl down before promptly following them to the recovery room. What surprised them further was the fact that Kurama was hot on their heels as well.

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Kagome woke to the sound of beeping. Not quite remembering what happened to have resulted in her presence at a hospital, Kagome kept her eyes shut as she thought for a moment. She wasn't even sure if she was in a hospital… it didn't smell like the one at the agency… Slowly opening her eyes, Kagome nearly panicked as she realized she was in an unknown location. Reaching down to grasp her gun, she froze when she felt it missing. Looking down, she swore under her breath to see all her weapons missing. She was about to stand from the bed and search for her weapons when the sound of voices outside her door alerted her of the company she was about to have. Thinking quickly, Kagome glanced up to see the vent and smirked.

“How did she possibly have so many weapons on her?” Kurama questioned, surprised at the amount of deadly equipment the girl had on her person. Where did she hide all of it? In total, Botan was able to find four knives, six grenades, the virus and antivirus they had been there to retrieve, loads of ammo for her guns, a pistol, a grapple, and several other gadgets that a secret agent would use to sneak into highly secure locations without being caught. If he didn't know any better, he could swear this woman was a kitsune.

*Her skills must have improved since we last saw her.* Youko mused quietly. Kurama didn't even bother to ask his counterpart what he was talking about because for the past hour he'd been trying to pry information out of him. He refused to reveal any information, only randomly made comments that further confused Kurama. They were currently on their way to the girl's recovery room to check on her. All they knew about her, from what Hiei had said, it that her name was Kagome and that she wasn't any ordinary human. Reaching for the handle, Kurama pushed the door open silently only to stare in shock at the empty room.

“Botan, are you certain this is the correct room?” the avatar questioned. Botan nodded as she moved to look into the room before nearly panicking.

“Oh no! Where could she have gone? This is the only hallway that leads to the recovery rooms! We would have seen her if she tried to escape!” the reaper said.

Hiei snorted as a smirk spread across his face. “Where does the ventilation system go?”

“From here? To my office then throughout the entire building.” Koenma explained, confused.

Without another word, Hiei left the small room and made his way back to the toddler's office. Kurama glanced up and was slightly surprised to see the vent covering had been moving, signifying that Kagome had indeed escaped through the ventilation. Youko demanded that he follow Hiei, so the avatar sighed and quickened his pace to catch up to the apparition, everyone else following at his heels. Hiei quietly opened the double doors to Koenma's office and turned to glare at everyone.

“Be silent or we will be spending the remainder of the day tracking this onna down throughout the entire building's vents.” Hiei murmured before moving to stand in the shadows of the dim room. Getting the clue, everyone relocated themselves to hide from the view of the only vent in the entire office. They didn't have to wait long. They heard the dull scrapping sound of the covering being moved before the soft sound of her dropping to the ground could be heard. Being the closest to her, Yusuke stood from his spot and reached to grab her before she could escape the office.

He was shocked out of his mind when she suddenly grabbed his arm and flipped him over her head before slamming him quite painfully into the ground. He stared up at the raven hair girl with wide surprised eyes as she glared down at him coldly, still holding his arm as she pressed her boot to his chest to keep him from standing.

“Where have you taken me.” she demanded.

“To Reikai so we could heal your wounds.” Hiei said as he stepped away from the shadows. Glaring at her, he nodded his head toward the boy she had against the ground. “Release the idiot.”

“Make me you cocky demon.” she growled, pissed that this demon thought he could trick her into believing he was Hiei.

Hiei smirked as he rested his hand on the hilt of his katana. “You couldn't defeat me if you tried onna.” he snorted.

Kagome felt her glare soften as she stared at the man before her. That was definitely something the real Hiei would say… but how was he alive? Demons didn't exist anymore. “Prove it.”

“Hn.” was his response and Kagome felt her anger defuse within seconds as she stared at the hybrid she missed so much.

“Hiei…” she murmured, her grasp on the boy's arm loosening as she felt her knees buckle. The past that she had worked so hard to keep locked away was quickly flooding back at her and she wasn't sure if she could handle it. Memories of the feudal era, Hiei training her, saving Youko, jewel shard hunting… Shippo. Kagome felt her chest clench as tears trailed down her cheeks. “Hiei…” She sobbed, this time it wasn't spoken in remembrance, but in a cry for help.

To everyone's surprise, the hybrid made his way over to the crying girl and sat down beside her. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as if he would disappear if she let go. Her face buried in his shirt she continued to sob as she soaked his clothing. Hiei sighed as he remained where he sat, draping an arm around the girl's midsection as her body shook from her cries. Youko watched in envy as Hiei held Kagome as he wish he could at the moment. He knew that he couldn't reveal himself to her at the moment though. From her reaction to seeing Hiei, he wasn't sure what she would do if she saw him.

It was quite obvious that Kagome had sealed off her memories of the past in order to continue on with life. If she had mourned and gotten over the death of her kit and the fact that she would never see her friends from the past again, then she wouldn't have reacted like she had when she saw Hiei. She probably would have cried a little but at the moment she looked as if she were traumatized and in deep depression… as if the memories of the past had come crashing back on her without giving her time to accept what had occurred. Now that everyone was thoroughly confused, Youko decided it wasn't fun to keep them guessing any longer. He released his memories of his past with Kagome to Kurama and allowed him access to everything he knew about the miko. Since Youko was Kagome still seemed to possess his claim mark, it was only fair that Kurama knew about his future mate.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and Koenma stared at the scene before them in confusion. They didn't understand why the girl was crying or how she knew Hiei. They had never seen the hybrid act like this before toward anyone so they weren't even sure what to do. Even Kurama was at a loss of words. Youko had just finished explaining everything to him and now he felt a slight pang of jealously toward the hybrid still holding Kagome.

-So wait… you're telling me that you placed a claim on her but we must share her with Hiei?-

*It is very common for a demon to take on more than one mate Kurama and you know that*

-But she's not a demon!-

*But we are, that's all that matters*

Kurama sighed as he glanced at the beautiful girl once more. -I never thought we would end up in a situation like this… Why didn't you tell me about her before?-

*I never thought I would see her again…* Youko murmured. Kurama remained silent when he heard the tone in his counterpart's voice. It was quite obvious that Youko missed Kagome and it was probably tearing him apart to see her in such a state but not able to comfort her.

“So demons do still exist in this time?” Kagome asked quietly as she wiped her tears away and finally released Hiei.

The hybrid nodded slowly as he watched her take a few deep breaths and recollect herself. After a moment, she stood from the ground and smiled brightly, though it was obvious it didn't quite reach her eyes. Kurama was could feel Youko's desire to pull the miko into their arms and hug her tightly and it was so strong it made him feel as if it were his own desire. Kagome turned her smile toward them and she bowed slightly.

“Hello I'm Kagome Higurashi, who are you?”

Hiei glanced between Kurama and the miko with great confusion in his crimson eyes. “Kagome… you can't tell?”

Confused, the miko turned to her apparition friend in question. “What are you talking about?”

Hiei pointed at Kurama and she turned her blue eyes to him. She stared at him for a moment before turning her confused gaze back to Hiei. “What?”

Youko felt as if his heart had shattered into a million pieces. *She's powerful enough to feel my aura… so that means she doesn't remember me…* Youko murmured.

Kurama felt his counterpart's sadness wash over him in waves and he frowned. How could Kagome forget her potential mate? Hiei stared at Kagome in surprise as he moved to stand beside her. “Use your powers.”

Kagome's smile slowly faded as she turned her blank gaze up to the hybrid. “I… they're…. gone…” she muttered.

“Wait, what power does she have?” Koenma questioned, not able to say quiet anymore.

“I'm a miko… well I used to be.” she answered, staring down at the ground emotionlessly.

“What do you mean your powers are gone? What happened to them?” Kurama asked in surprise, though it was Youko who had pushed forward to ask the question.

“I don't know… I haven't used them for so long that they eventually just… disappeared.” she explained.

Everyone turned their gaze to Koenma and Botan. “Is that possible?” Hiei questioned.

“Well it is possible, how do you think miko's became extinct to this day?”

“You're telling me that one of the most powerful mikos to ever exist can just loose her powers after not using them for a few months?” Kurama questioned. Everyone was slightly surprised by the anger in the avatar's voice, and he most definitely caught Kagome's attention. Kagome stared at him hard for quite some time, effectively gaining everyone else's attention to her.

“You… remind me of someone… but you're right. After all my hard training and dedication it can't possibly be true that my powers just left me. I know for a fact that the jewel didn't take them away so I guess I just have to try and reignite the fire.”

Hiei stared at the miko in curiosity. Were her powers really that weak? Even when she didn't have control of her powers, she could still sense demons. From what he had seen the other day, Kagome looked as if she was seeing Reiki for the first time in her life. Hiei turned his gaze to Yusuke and smirked. Speaking of Reiki…

“Detective, shoot the miko with your Spirit Gun.” Hiei ordered.

Everyone turned to the hybrid as if he'd lost his mind. “Say what? You want me to kill her?” Yusuke asked in shocked confusion.

“No you idiot. She's a miko; her powers will absorb your energy attack and perhaps reawaken her powers.” Hiei rolled his eyes.

Kagome turned her gaze to the boy known as Yusuke. “You're the one that fired the spirit ki at those… demons.” She stuttered, not used to using that particular word anymore.

“You… you forgot… Kagome, you forgot about everything. That's it isn't it?” Kurama asked, his eyes flashing gold.

Kagome turned her gaze from Yusuke to the red head and her eyes widened. Two things Kagome noticed about him made her world come crashing to a halt for the second time that day. First were his eyes which had been a vibrant green were now a molten gold that she could never forget. Second was the unmistakable strong aura that separated from Kurama's own aura. She wasn't used to seeing auras anymore but she could never forget that aura… no matter how hard she tried.

“Youko…” she murmured, staring at Kurama as tears began to sting at her eyes once more.

“Shoot her now, her powers are trying to resurface.” Hiei commanded.

Yusuke hesitated for a moment before slowly raising his hands and aiming at the miko that was still staring at Kurama with unbelieving eyes. Closing his eyes, Yusuke tried to put the least amount of energy in the blast as he could before releasing the attack. Kagome turned just before the blast reached her and braced herself. When the energy hit her, she felt as if she touched an electrical outlet and was shocked. That shock trailed down her spine and stopped at her toes before zipping back up her body and disappearing. She shivered slightly before opening her eyes once more. She nearly gasped at the power surge she felt as she turned her gaze to the others in the room that were watching her intently.

Kagome stared with wide eyes at the individuals with demonic auras before staring at the girl with blue hair. She had a peculiar aura and she wasn't sure what she was as the woman smiled brightly. Kagome couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she felt her powers flood through her for the first time in months. It felt great… relieving… peacefully. She turned her blue eyes to Yusuke, the one who helped her reawaken her forgotten powers, and made her way over to him. Smiling softly, she pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thank you… with your help, I've got my powers back.”

Yusuke smiled sheepishly. “No problem but one question… since you're a miko and all… please tell me you have control over those powers.”

Kagome rolled her eyes and pulled away from the detective. “Of course I do. I didn't go through months of hard training for nothing. I guess when I locked away my past, my powers were locked away too.”

“Miss Kagome, I don't mean to bring your past back along with your powers but I'm afraid I'll need you to explain exactly how you know Kurama and Hiei.” Koenma said, stepping forward.

Kagome nodded slowly as she turned to glance at Kurama for a moment. Deciding to figure out what happened to Youko later, she took a deep breath before beginning her explanation. “Three years ago I was pulled down a well at my shrine by a centipede demon. I was unaware of it at the time but the legendary Shikon No Tama had been reborn in my body. Mistress Centipede ripped the jewel from my body and eventually I was the cause of the jewel shattering into hundreds of pieces. I met a hanyou, a taijiya, a monk,” her eyes dropped to the ground as she paused for a moment and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “and a kitsune pup. Together, we traveled across feudal Japan in search of the shards so I could fuse the jewel back together. A hanyou by the name of Naraku was also collecting the shards but for his own selfish reasons. Once majority of the shards were gathered, half of them in our possession and half in Naraku's, the final battle began.

“We were battling against a tree demon with three shards and dozens of weak spider demons. This was before I had control of my powers and my only forms of defense were my purifying arrows. The spiders were too close for me to shoot so I ran. I tripped over Youko, who was injured and in his fox form, and somehow purified the spiders out of panic. I carried Youko back to the others and cleaned his wounds. When he healed, he decided to stick with the group and that's when Hiei kidnapped me.” Kagome smiled at the memory as she turned to the hybrid.

“Hiei was after Naraku for stealing shards from him and he'd heard a rumor that Naraku was searching for the miko who could see the shards. At the time, he wasn't aware that my incarnation Kikyou had been brought back to life. So when he found our group and realized I could see the shards, he figured I was the miko Naraku was after. Youko came to my rescue and helped bring Hiei into the group as well. They helped in the final battle and after the jewel was fused, it threw me back here to my time.”

“You got what you wanted, can the miko leave now?” Hiei growled, glaring at Koenma.

The demi god nodded slowly as he turned toward Botan. “Make them a portal please.” He ordered before averting his attention back to Hiei. “I want you near you or Kurama for the time being in case I have further questions for her.” he said as Botan formed a portal to their home. Hiei nodded briefly. Yusuke and Kuwabara disappeared through the portal first, followed by Hiei who was motioning for Kagome to follow behind him. She stopped before the portal and poked a finger through it hesitantly.

“It's fine, I'm right behind you.”

Kagome turned to see Kurama smiling down at her and she took a deep breath before stepping through. The feeling of the portal was very similar to what she felt when she traveled between times through the well. It was a feeling she definitely missed. Once her feet touched the ground outside the portal, she held back her tears as she took a look at her surroundings. There was a beautiful house in front of her and it seemed to be completely encased in a dense forest. Feeling eyes on her, she turned to see all four of the boys were staring at her in question.

`This is our home, you can come in.' Kagome heard in her head and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She had almost forgotten that Hiei had telepathy… Sighing, she averted her gaze to the red head and stared at him for a moment. She could feel Youko… she could see his aura but there was another aura overpowering the kitsunes… as if Youko was trapped. Her eyes narrowing, she stepped toward Kurama and grabbed his hand. Without sparing the others a glance, she dragged the avatar toward the forest.

`We'll be back, I need to have a moment with Youko… or whoever this is.' Kagome thought to herself, knowing Hiei would hear her. She dragged Kurama behind her until she was safely away from any other demon ears to hear. Turning on her heel, she glared up at the attractive red head in accusation.

“Who are you and why have you trapped Youko's soul within you?!”

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A/N:

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll update soon!

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter - Chapter Seven: Beauty from Pain