Chapter Three,
A Step Away Pt. Three
"Here drink this miko," Kagura ordered as she placed a small cup of water to Kagome's lips. "The time is almost here and you will need your strength."
For a brief second Kagome's eyes met Kagura's and in that second an understanding passed between the two women. Breaking the contact, Kagome gulped down the water. It felt wondrous against her parched throat. She had forgotten the last time she had, had anything to drink.
Not long after being imprisoned here she had struck up a deal with the wind witch and her sister, Kanna, who both wished to be freed from Naraku's grasp. In exchange for helping them, Kagura was to help her escape along with Kohaku.
"Kohaku will try and bring you some food later but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."
Kagome nodded her head in understanding. She was thankful enough that she had gotten the water.
"Don't falter, even for a second miko. He will sense it and he will use it against you." Kagura warned before taking her leave.
With sad eyes Kagome watched her take off. She was the only one she could remotely call a friend in this place. She had lost count of how long she had been in this horrid place but she desperately missed her friends. She missed fighting with InuYasha, playing with Shippo, her talks with Sango and as crazy as it sounded she even missed Miroku's groping. All those things had integrated into her life and become routine to her. She wanted that routine back.
She also wanted her family back. Being in this place had forced Kagome to remember things she never should've forgotten. Leading a double life was a hard task but she thought she could handle it when in actuality she couldn't. Without realizing it, Kagome had given up a lot more than she had bargained for being in the past. But it was her fault and her responsibility to find the shards of the Shikon no Tama. She couldn't just shy away from that.
Kagome shook away those thoughts. Now wasn't really a good time for that. She needed to keep her spirits up and be prepared for anything. After all, Kagura hadn't warned her for nothing.
As far as her situation went, it actually brought up a memory that she wasn't quite too fond of but in a way, it did help give her strength.
Flashback
"I don't see why we need a babysitter, we're both eight." Yusuke loudly complained to Isshin, his mother having dropped him off at the Kurosaki's an hour ago.
"Yea besides, Kagome's only a year older than us." Ichigo agreed, glaring at his father.
Despite their harsh glares and protests, Isshin started laughing. Calming himself down, he answered, "True but she's also more mature than you. Besides your Aunt Mariko is busy with Souta, Yuzu, and Karin and I'll only be gone for an hour, two hours tops. And if you behave, I promise Tatsuke can come over later."
"Why should we care, she's nothing but a dumb girl?"
Isshin started laughing again. If he kept up like this, Yusuke would not make it through the night.
"You forget Yusuke that Kagome's a girl also. A girl who can and will hit you hard if she hears you say that." Isshin warned.
"A little late for that." Ichigo snickered as he pointed to the open door where Kagome stood.
"Well, I'll see you three soon and Kagome, don't hurt him too bad." Isshin threw the girl a wink before taking off.
Kagome waited until Isshin was gone before smacking Yusuke on the head.
"Now that, that's settled, I'm going to be watching Sailor Moon." She announced, already heading to the living room
"No fair Gome. Ichigo and I were gonna watch Yu-Gi-Oh!" Yusuke yelled.
"No way. I'm the babysitter and I say we're watching Sailor Moon." Kagome stuck her tongue out at the younger boy.
"But that's not fair." This time it was Ichigo who was complaining.
"Tough cookies strawberry. I'm watching Sailor Moon."
Glaring at her retreating form, both boys knew better than to continue argue with her.
"C'mon Yusuke let's go to my room. I'll show you the new cards I got."
Nodding his head, Yusuke followed Ichigo up the stairs.
Half an hour later and things were quiet. Too quiet for Kagome's liking. Yusuke and Ichigo were quite loud when they were together.
When the credits started rolling, she decided to have a look around and see what they were up to. Heading down the hallway she didn't get far for the hallway closet door was wide open with all the pillows and blankets Isshin normally kept for guest strewn all over the floor.
Shaking her head in a disapproving manor, Kagome proceeded to put the contents back up. She'd get after Ichigo and Yusuke later. However before she could finish putting all the stuff back up she was suddenly pushed into the closet, the door quickly following suit along with the sound of the lock clicking.
Figuring out what had happened, Kagome began pounding on the door. She hated the dark.
"Midget! Strawberry! You better let me out right now!"
The only response she got in return was loud snickering.
End Flashback
She had been stuck in that closet until Isshin finally got home an hour later, and at first Yusuke and Ichigo claimed that it had been worth it until they finally saw Kagome's tear streaked face.
She had always hated dark places when she was younger and she still did fear the dark. Now she was in the darkest place she knew of, perhaps even darker than hell but she had managed to get through that hour, which back then had seemed like forever, in a place she was deathly afraid of and she'd survive this.
Orohime grew concerned. Ichigo, Isshin and Yusuke had been upstairs with Souta for quite a long while. Tatsuki had tried to assure her that everything was fine but she looked tense while doing so. Keigo and Mizsuiro had already left though everyone else remained, including Yusuke's strange friends. Perhaps they felt the same unease. Something big was definitely going on.
"Hey does something feel off to you guys or is it just me," Uryuu whispered to Orohime.
"It's not just you," Rukia answered, her eyes focused on the girl with blue hair or Botan as Yusuke had introduced her. She knew without a doubt that she had seen her before, but where?'
Elbowing Renji to get his attention, she asked, "Doesn't that Botan girl look familiar to you?"
"Now that you mentioned it, she kinda does."
"I don't like the feeling I'm getting from the short one or the one with red hair." Chad added, having overheard their conversation.
At this Hiei's ear twitched and he turned to glare at the much taller boy. But before he could comment, something caught everyone's attention. On guard, the Spirit Detectives rushed outside followed by Ichigo's friends.
All who went outside were stunned. Yusuke's friends by the hollow and Ichigo's by the demon.
"Is that a demon?" Chad asked unbelievingly.
Rukia slowly nodded her head. "It is but demons are usually dealt with by the…by the Spirit Detectives."
Realization had suddenly hit both Renji and Rukia as they snapped their head in Yusuke's friend's direction, meeting Kurama and Botan's gazes who had also realized just who they were.
Quickly snapping out of their shock, there was a hollow and a demon to take care of after all, both sides prepared to attack.
Ichigo and Yusuke could not believe what they had just heard, their brains going in overdrive. Souta had to be lying, he just had to there. There was absolutely no way Kagome Higurashi, their sometimes naïve and too trusting cousin who was like an older sister to them, could be a time traveler. A time traveling miko who traveled to Feudal Era Japan and battled demons, pacified ghosts and searched for the shards of something called the Shikon no Tama.
What was a miko anyway? Yusuke was gonna find out, right after he confronted Koenma about this. He had to know what was going on.
"Yeah right, there are no such things as demons." Ichigo snorted.
At this Yusuke let out a nervous laugh. "Ri-right and there's no such thing as ghosts."
"Uhh, right," Ichigo agreed, sharing the same nervous look as his cousin.
"What are you talking about Ichigo? Of course ghosts and demons both exist. You especially should know about the ghosts." Kon popped his head out of nowhere.
Yusuke and Souta's jaw dropped. That little stuffed lion did not just talk. Stuff animals can't talk. Both Yusuke and Souta had seen weird things but this was a new one for both. And what did he say about Ichigo and ghosts?
"Kon," Ichigo growled, seizing hold of the small lion and proceeding to throttle it.
"Wow and I thought gramps had weird stuff," Souta murmured quietly to himself.
About to question Ichigo now, Yusuke suddenly felt the familiar presence of a demonic energy along with Ichigo and the hollow's presence.
Without thinking about the other, they each ran outside, Ichigo still carrying Kon leaving behind an unusually quiet Isshin and a confused Souta.
Throughout Souta's story, Isshin had remained silent, taking in every detail of his story. He had heard of the legend of the Shikon no Tama during his time as a Soul Reaper, nearly everyone had but he had trouble believing the miko from the story was his own niece. He had always known there was something special about Yusuke and Kagome. They had spiritual powers similar to Ichigo's but different in their own right.
Isshin had long figured that Yusuke was a Spirit Detective thanks to Botan but Kagome the miko of the Shikon no Tama, a well known legend. Now that caught him completely off guard.
The hollow was more intent on attacking the Spirit Detectives and vice versa with the demon and the Soul Reapers. Neither side could land a hit mainly in part due to those who were useless in the fight. Being spiritually aware only took you so far.
"Damn it, you Spirit Detectives need to stay out of the way." Renji glared, pushing past Hiei to attack the hollow straight on.
"It's you idiots that need to stay out of the way and leave this to those who actually know what they're doing," Hiei coldly retorted, tripping him.
"Hiei! You're supposed to be fighting the demon, not the Soul Reapers. Let them do their job so you can do yours," Botan scolded.
Glaring at the scene, Rukia commented. "You should learn to keep him on a leash."
"Likewise, Kurama shot back.
Before a fight could escalate between them, a ray of blue light suddenly flew by hitting the demon right between its eyes, killing it instantly. And in one swift and precise move, Ichigo had attacked the hollow and killed it just as quickly as Yusuke had done.
Both boys ignored the questioning glances from each side as Ichigo followed Yusuke to Botan. There were too many unanswered questions.
"Botan take me to Koenma now!" Yusuke demanded.
In the three years she had known him, Botan had never seen Yusuke quite like this before. Without protest or questions she did what he asked her to, well demanded. In her nervousness she ended up making the portal too big and all who were outside ended up in Spirit World, in Koenma's empty office.
"I'll go get Koenma," She quickly announced before hurrying off.
"What is this place?" Ichigo asked, taking a look around in curiosity along with Chad, Orohime, Uryuu and Tatsuki.
"It's the Spirit World." Renji scowled.
"Spirit World," Uryuu raised an eyebrow.
"Technically there are three worlds. The Spirit World, the Demon World and the Human World," Rukia listed.
"Where does the Soul Society fit in?"
"It's part of the Spirit World," Renji answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Yusuke was now lost. "Soul Society, what the hell is that? And what was that other thing that attacked us?"
"That was a hollow Yusuke," Kurama spoke up. "And Soul Society is full of Soul Reapers who deal with them."
"Soul Reapers? What the hell have you been doing Ichigo?"
"Could ask you the same thing, demons?" He scoffed.
Before Yusuke could reply, the doors to Koenma's office were sudden throw open and in stepped Koenma, Botan, Byakuya, and Yoruichi.
