Summary: Warning, Slight A/U: The hunted always look for a means to run from the hunter, Kagome knows this all too well. Escaping to the Ningenkai from demon pursuers who want her for unknown reasons in Makai, she soon learns that blending in and living life as a human is more difficult than expected. In her life of bitter ice she runs across a kindred spirit known as Hiei with a burning angry fire. A strange bond draws them to each other, and through a twist in fate her first seeming friend becomes yet another hunter as the Spirit Detectives are sent to capture her. Oddly enough, she finds it harder to resist capture as an odd companionship forged through blood and sacrifice forms with Hiei when her demon pursuers from Makai come once again to claim her.
Last Time: Kagome runs into strange demons that came with the mission of returning her to their master. Just when she's about to cut them to bits, a strange demon known as Kanna begins to suck out her soul. Luckily Hiei was there to save her, and after a brief confrontation he left with the knowledge that Kagome now owed him her life. Wounded and weary, but otherwise alright, Kagome travels home looking for a good night's rest only to find Yusuke waiting for her at her own door! In a twist of fate it seemed that in order to safely retrieve a kidnapped Keiko from her demon captors he must take Kagome to the captor alive. The two dueled, and eventually Kagome convinces him to team up with her.
Dark Angel
Chapter Three: My Enemy's Enemy is My Friend?
She let out a small held breath, relaxing. It was better to have Yusuke as an alley then an enemy, at least for now, "A damn good one. Come inside and we'll talk." She pointedly peered warily into the darkness, "I don't want prying ears to overhear our conversation."
He seemed rather reluctant at first, until he gave her condition another once over, "Alright, but you do anything funny and I swear I'll hand you over to him dead." Apparently he thought if he really needed to, he could overpower her with ease.
"You can try." She laughed, pulling out her keys before walking boldly past him to the door, keeping a mark on him from the corner of her eye. Hey, she didn't fully trust him yet either.
Opening the door she moved aside to allow him entrance first. Taking his suspicious glare as a silently spoken, "Fuck you, I'm not falling for that!" she rolled her eyes and walked into the warming darkness of her home, waiting for him to follow. Turning on the light she relaxed as the room flourished to life around her, relishing in the comfortable familiarity it gave. Spotting her couch she nodded, deciding that it was the perfect place to discuss what they had to. With slow strides she made her way towards the single two cushion couch in her cozy living room.
The two seated themselves, each pressed to the very edge of the furniture. Clearly they both had some trust issues to work out, but that would come in time, she hoped. With a sigh she focused on mending her arm, while trying hard to keep from laughing as Yusuke tensed at the feel of her pure energy. It seemed he wasn't accustomed to the flow of magic that physically pained him just to be next to.
After a minute the wound was healed enough that her demon abilities could mend the rest with little trouble. Now thoroughly exhausted she relaxed into her chair, trying to keep her lack of energy secret from Yusuke least he decided for whatever reason to double cross her. Bluffing was her specialty, and it had saved her ass more times than one.
Silence lapsed between them.
"So…how did Keiko get nabbed anyways?" she ventured out, curious. At his reluctant gaze she added, "Hey, I need to have an idea of who we're dealing with so I can fortify my plan, alright?"
"I thought you knew so much about him!"
She growled, aggravated, "Yeah, about how he sends his little lackeys after me, and then only the whispered words I pound out of them. He constantly escapes my detection, and no one seems willing enough to give his secrets away. It'll be nice to know how you got all spun up in this so I can see if anything needs to be altered in my idea."
Yusuke sighed and at first seemed like he wasn't going to share. After some time had passed he finally spoke (just before she was about ready to snap at him) with a voice that sounded tormented, "Well, while I was out on a mission for the stupid Toddler some demon here on Earth got her."
She lifted an eyebrow, "Toddler?"
He sighed, "Koenma, you know, prince of the spirit world? I'm a spirit detective. You know what those are right?" his tone was annoyed
She nodded, "Yes yes, I was just clarifying. I know all about who and what you are Mr. Spirit Detective. You are rather infamous in the demon world after all." Then she peered at him closely, ignoring Yusuke's smug grin at the mention of his renown, "What sort of mission? And when did you go?"
Grinding his teeth he answered, "Just yesterday. He asked us to get rid of some rowdy demons that were trying to break the barrier into Tokyo." Then he sneered at her and snapped, "Anything else you need to know?"
"Yeah," she bit back, "tell me exactly how and when you found out she was gone, and then what happened from there. It's important." She resisted the urge to slap him around just so his jaw would loosen up so he could tell her something useful.
"Alright, I found out this morning. There was a call from her mom, she said Keiko went out last night and never came home. She wasn't answering her cell, so she wondered if she was with me." He shrugged, "I was worried, but I didn't think too much of it. I went to school to see if she was there, because sometimes Keiko does little study nights and falls asleep. Usually she calls her mom when she wakes up, but I thought maybe her cell had died."
He sent her a haunting gaze, "After I couldn't find her I was going to leave. That's when I ran into you. I thought you were human until you got angry and spilled some of your power. When you punched me there was a sting of cold on my face, like it had gotten frost bite. I knew for sure that you were a demon then, but I wanted to find Keiko first. After I left I ran into another demon. Fuck if it was my damn lucky day."
Kagome rested her chin on her hands, eyes never wavering from Yusuke as he continued his tale, "The guy told me that they had Keiko, and if I wanted to see her alive, I had to follow him. He gave me the old kidnapper speech, you know the one: tell no one or she dies, don't go to Koenma, yadda yadda yadda." He shrugged helplessly, "So I decided to follow him, and he led me to this weird little girl with a mirror and a guy in a white monkey suit."
She waved her hands, "Wow, no funny stuff ok? I mean really, a guy in a white monkey suit?"
"Don't interrupt!" Yusuke snapped, and then regaining his composure he continued, "Yeah, a guy in a white monkey suit! Well, he was actually a demon in a monkey suit, and I'm pretty sure the girl had to be a demon too, but I couldn't sense anything from her. She showed me Keiko in her fucked up mirror, tied and being held in some unknown dungeon, unconscious."
"Kanna of the Void…" she murmured softly, frowning.
"Kanna of the what?"
"Void." she repeated simply.
"When did you meet her?"
Her answered was flippant, "I met her tonight; she tried to suck out my soul. It doesn't matter though," then urging with her hands she commanded, "continue."
He shuddered slightly, as if envisioning such a fate, before sighing, "That's when he told me the conditions to get her back. He showed me a picture of you, and told me your name and where to find you." Yusuke peered at her curiously, "I was kinda surprised. It was such a weird coincidence I ran into you before all this."
She shrugged, "I'm just freaky like that. I swear I'm Fate's favorite play thing."
Yusuke smiled slightly, before his expression grew solemn and he spoke again, "He said tonight you would return home late, beaten up, and that I was supposed to take advantage of that and capture you alive. Then I had to bring you to a meeting point in the human world, where these demons would then take us to the demon world. After that I'd get Keiko back."
Her eyes narrowed, "So everything was planned from the start. The bastard even knows where I live!? How did he know the demons would fail though? I thought Kanna was there to ensure their victory…" she trailed off, completely puzzled.
Yusuke eyed her, "How did you manage to escape?"
"I had some unexpected help. I think I still could have handled the situation myself, but there's no guarantee I could have found the soul-sucking bitch before it was too late." She shrugged, "I got lucky, though I'll never admit it to my savior's face."
He was silent for a moment then said, "If this demon guy is what you make him out to be, maybe he considered that option already? Maybe Kanna was there to make sure you were hurt before they were killed by your 'hero'." he watched her, waiting to hear what she thought on the matter.
She shook her head, "That can't be…I just met him for the first time three days ago, and our meeting wasn't really what you would call friendly." She laughed, "We both tried to kill each other."
He looked at her oddly, "And you're sure this is the same guy that saved you?"
She rolled her eyes, "It's impossible for him to be anyone else. No one else has that superiority complex and asshole-like personality."
Yusuke snorted, "Sounds exactly like someone I know…"
The two fell into silence.
"Maybe...maybe the spell wasn't broken by her lack of concentration." Kagome suddenly stated, her mind piecing together possibilities.
"What spell? Who's concentration?"
"The one Kanna used to suck out my soul." She answered then continued with her earlier thought, "Maybe she can only hold so much of a soul for so long, because during the fight it felt like she stopped when it was almost all gone. After I got it back, all my power came with it, so I could have easily dispatched my enemies then. That would explain why he needed you." She glanced at Yusuke then, "But, if this was all planned, why did you look so surprised to see me hurt?"
He shrugged, "It all just seemed so surreal. Even though I was certain you were a demon, it was hard to imagine when you could cancel all your demon energy out and give off a human aura. I don't know of any other demon who can do that. I know of lots who can hide their presence completely, but not give off another altogether." He shook his head, "Anyways, since the burst of demon energy was only brief, the only thing that convinced me was my semi-frozen cheek. It's hard picturing you not being normal, and seeing all those wounds, it just kinda enforced that it was true, set it in stone yeah know?"
She nodded, "That makes sense, but why did he choose you I wonder?" It was a mystery that had been bothering her for some time, "He's sent stronger demons after me in the past…and choosing you risks his exposure to Spirit World." her expression turned thoughtful, "Hey Yusuke, what can you tell me about the barrier?"
Yusuke looked at her quizzically, "Why are you asking me? You're the one who crossed it…you did cross it right?"
She nodded her head at him impatiently, "Yes yes, and I had…some help. I don't understand the technicalities about it, just never mind. How can demons cross it?"
Rubbing his temples Yusuke sighed, "Do I have to explain? The stronger a demon is, the harder it is for a demon to slip through the barrier. Weaker demons have the least resistance, because the barrier reacts to the amount of demonic energy they emit. That's why most demons in the human world are lower-leveled, unless an over-achiever decides to make it his life's ambition to cross. Usually it doesn't happen though, because stronger demons aren't very interested in 'pathetic' human lives."
She nodded sagely, "I thought so, but I wanted to hear it from an inside source. I guess that explains why he hired you."
Yusuke blinked, "How does that explain anything?"
She sighed, "Because, in case you didn't pick up on it, I'm stronger than low-leveled demons. Since no strong demons can get through, at least none strong enough that would listen to whoever the hell he is, he had to send in a bunch of weaker demons and hire some muscle that's already inside. It had to be someone strong enough to fight against me, yet have a weakness to extort so they would obey without question…you fit perfectly."
He grew angry, "So in other words, Keiko's in this mess entirely because of you."
"No," she said sharply, eyes narrowed, "Because you just happen to be very strong, and very loyal to those you care for."
Silence settled for a moment, a time they both took to evaluate all they had learned.
Crossing his arms, Yusuke lounge back into the couch, "Now that I've answered your questions, you have to answer mine."
She eyed him warily, "What sort of questions…?"
He looked at his nails, "For starters, why the hell doesn't Koenma know about you?" then he raised his eyebrows, "And how did you manage to get across the barrier?"
She sighed, "Of course you'd ask me that, little detective. Fine, the secret won't cost me anything." She paused briefly to look him straight in the eye, "I was taught to cancel out my demonic energy. I didn't know the reasons why it would work, because going through the barrier was petty rushed. As for why Koenma has no idea I'm here, it's most likely because I didn't even cause a blimp on his radar."
"What would you do if I told Koenma a demon could phase through the barrier unchecked?" he suddenly challenged, just to prove that her secrets were valuable like his were and they were sharing equal worth of information.
She shrugged, "Backstab you and kill your little girlfriend? Unlike some demons, I don't waste my time with hostage situations, too much hassle."
His eyes narrowed dangerously, "Next question." His voice was sharp when he continued, "What kind of power did you use back then when you burned me?"
She shook her head, "Now now detective, don't get ahead of yourself. I didn't ask you for your fighting secrets, so you can't ask me for mine. We trade in like-value ok?"
He huffed, "Whatever." Then eyed her curiously, "Why are the demons even after you? Did you kill someone important or something?"
She shrugged, "That's a mystery even to me. I have no idea why they want me; I can't cry tears of crystal like those born pure in my race can."
He raised an eyebrow, "You're an ice maiden? Really?"
She glared, "Not entirely, but that's none of your business."
He shrugged, "Whatever, I don't care. Tell me what you're big plan is, then we'll see if this alliance still works."
Crossing her legs and clasping her hands together in a very professional-like manor, she looked at her would-be alley with a promising grin, "Ok fearsome punk Yusuke Urameshi, here's what I have in mind."
…..
Kagome grew impatient as the time slowly ticked by. Every fiber of her being rallied against the contact with Yusuke, but she knew that if she even so much as twitched, their cover would be blown. Currently she was being held carelessly slung over the Spirit Detective's shoulder, feigning unconsciousness as their weak demon 'friends' accompanied them through the barrier to the meeting point. The barrier allowed them to pass through with little restraint; the weak demon auras of their 'companions' hardly caused a blimp, while Yusuke's and her own were dispelled by other unique methods.
It didn't take them long to emerge to an unfamiliar castle surrounded by the forests of the Makai, the moon's pale rays casting eerie shadows allowing for a very ominous feel to the area. She forced her body to relax as excitement and fear hummed within her; finally she would meet the one who had been hunting her for so long.
"Where's Keiko? I'm not moving another step until I see she's fine." Yusuke's voice sounded confident and annoyed with their situation, something the demons were displeased to realize.
"She's inside." One of the three demons informed, probably eying Yusuke rather cautiously by the sound of his voice, "Bring the woman and you'll get to see your fair maiden in due time."
She felt Yusuke shake his head, "No asshole, I said I'm not movin till I know she's ok."
The three demons spoke with one another in lowered voices, their words slurring together, making it impossible to pick out threads of conversation. For a moment they were all quiet, and then she felt a spike of power that seemed to connect with a more ominous power in the unknown distance. All the while she was aware of Yusuke's building annoyance, his muscles tensing as his impatience rolled off him in waves.
Finally the same demon as before spoke, "My Lord will not fulfill your request. He assures you Keiko is fine for now, but will not be for much longer if you continue to defy his conditions."
A growl tore from Yusuke's throat, "Fine, but mark my words if even a single hair is outta place, I'll blow this whole fucking castle up." and he continued forward towards the building, movements jerky from his rage.
It only took them a few minutes to cross the giant court yard. The castle itself seemed to be stuck in the past from her brief chanced glimpses, the style like those of great lords in the feudal era. They paused at two giant doors, and the demons stepped forward, murmuring spells as a group. Cautioning a quick glance out of sheer paranoia, she was able to see the door glow before a noise, like that of a lock moving, sounded. As the two giant doors of the castle slowly swung open, the demons stepped back and motioned for them to go inside, "Here is where we part. Our Lord awaits you beyond this door."
It took a moment before Yusuke stepped inside; she could feel his neck turned in the direction of the demons. There was no doubt that he watching them with suspicious eyes with every step he took in front of them. Once darkness fully swallowed them, she heard the doors creek shut behind them, and for a moment they were plunged into total blackness and silence.
"How fucking cliché." She heard Yusuke mumble with a shake of his head.
A light suddenly flared in front of them, and she couldn't help but agree with how unoriginal this whole set up was. No doubt the keeper of the castle now sat before them in some kind of throne-type chair, two lanterns on either side, Keiko in chains at his feet, with the smuggest grin in the world on his face. It just seemed to fit the dramatics of everything. Risking a quick peek, she was rather shocked to find that indeed she had imagined it completely accurately, except for the grin since his face was hooded with a baboon mask. Go figure, bad guys really were predictable, though the baboon outfit did destroy the seriousness of the situation.
The plan pretty much went as follows: Yusuke handed her over to the demon, who thought she was unconscious, and while he was holding her, she'd slice off his head after he handed Keiko over to Yusuke, who would then leave before the demon realized she was awake. It was pretty basic, but very likely to work and with no danger to Keiko.
"Yusuke!" a female voice, probably Keiko who was very much conscious now, cried out towards him in startled desperation.
She felt Yusuke toss her carelessly to the floor and found it very hard to keep from moving to brace for the impact. He had warned her that he would, to keep their alliance a secret, but it didn't change how difficult it was to fight the natural instinct to preserve one's welfare.
"There, you have her now. Give me Keiko." His tone was very clipped and angry.
A smooth and terrifyingly familiar voice replied, "As you can see, the girl is unharmed, if not a little shaken. Detective, I am pleased to see that you have upheld our bargain."
"Yeah yeah, can I have Keiko back now?"
"As you wish boy, take your maiden and wash your hands of this business." his tone never lost the velvet smoothness that could caress any female into willing submission, despite the dangerous intent that lingered in each word.
He suddenly threw Keiko, still bound in chains, towards the nearest wall. As Yusuke ran to catch her before she could hit the stone, the strange demon moved to Kagome's helpless form on the ground. She had no time to react; everything happened fast and without witnessing it she was slow to realize what occurred.
Her eyes snapped open as cool slender fingers encircled her neck and lifted her from the floor, her own hands reflexively grabbing at the offender's wrists in an attempt to break free, "Miko, it has been quite some time." The voice purred into her ear, a malicious chuckle vibrating from his throat near the end, "I knew you were awake the whole time."
For a moment she was frozen in complete fear, every idea of her plan slipping into the haze of hysteria that was clouding her thoughts. It was irrational, but staring into the demon hunter's half hooded face, her body raced with clouding panic. Something about him made her skin crawl and sent chills up every part of her body. Even his ridiculous disguise that normally would have caused her to laugh out loud, felt just as malicious and foreboding as the individual who wore it. This demon's aura screamed for her to run away from him with every ounce of abnormal speed she had.
"W-Who are you?" she choked out with a stutter, far too frightened to even be embarrassed by her show of weakness.
He seemed to be taking great pleasure in the reaction she was giving, "I am many things, but to you my Miko, I am Naraku."
The name sent a tremor through her body, "What do you want with me?" she was pleased that she said it without stuttering this time.
Before he could answer, he suddenly turned around and numerous amounts of tentacle-like limbs sprouted from under his white costume, forming a shield that shattered a second later from Yusuke's spirit attack. The pieces scattered everywhere across the floor, like mutilated body parts blown apart by an explosion. Yet despite the impact his hands still held onto her neck, not tight enough to squeeze the life from her, but present enough that she couldn't escape.
"Hey asshole! Let her go!"
She was actually surprised Yusuke had tried anything. She was sure if he had simply grabbed Keiko and fled, Naraku as he was now known as, would do nothing to stop them. This creature, no monster, seemed to have eyes solely for her. How lucky was she?
"You try my patience with you boy!" Naraku snarled, and another round of his numerous limbs with pointed spear-like tips shot towards Yusuke. He managed to dodge most of the attack, but a branch caught the side of his arm and sliced it open.
That was enough to snap her back to reality. With a cry she summoned her miko powers and pooled the energy into her hands that were still gripping Naraku's. Strangely, the appendages merely melted instead of burning, but the purpose was served and she found herself finally free from his clutches. Jumping away she landed some distance from him, a hand rubbing at her abused throat as dry breaths heaved her lungs. Her body shook, from fear or adrenaline she knew not.
Realizing that his prey was gone, Naraku snarled and the pieces of limbs on the floor suddenly pieced back together underneath him, forming an ominous mass of movement that lifted him from the ground. Random tentacles shot out at each of them, and she had no time to see how Yusuke faired as she drew her blade and began hacking away. To her horror, whatever she chopped simply formed back together no matter how many times she cut it.
Growing annoyed, she began to freeze the many limbs that sliced at her before smashing them into billions of tiny crystals. She was relieved to see that these ones did not form back together. As her hand rose to hurtle another attack, a random tentacle dashed out and encircled her wrist, before another grabbed her leg. She was suddenly heaved off the floor and she felt a wave of nausea threaten to rise out of her. Growling she froze them without hassle and broke free, landing on the floor in a slight crouch.
Briefly she had time to notice that both Yusuke and his girlfriend were entangled in the vines, before she had to dodge another attack. Honestly, he was such a useless ally….
"Damn it!" Yusuke yelled, tugging at the root-like limbs that were attempting to choke him.
Eyes glowing, she quickly focused her energy to freeze the vines detaining him. It was a tedious task that took energy, for the further away someone was the less influence she had upon them. Normally the distance Yusuke presented was rather easy to influence, but being exhausted from her fights tonight and from the use of her miko power, it was a bit more a feet to accomplish than normal. A vine snapped out to grab her, and she quickly froze it with her free hand. Yusuke was finally free. Panting she retracted the power and instead focused on freezing the ones within her immediate area.
Yusuke turned to her and for a moment they shared a look, her ending it with a nod of understanding. It was a silent "thank you," and an, "I won't forget this." She figured it was the least she could do for the distraction he gave earlier. Now she owed him nothing.
"Miko, you belong to me." Naraku stated, eyeing her with a strange possession. The nickname he used when addressing her greatly disturbed her; it rang with empty familiarity, like when a person knew they had a dream but forgot what it was about.
With a growl she hacked away another root that shot out at her and hissed, "I belong to no one!"
"Damn straight!" Yusuke suddenly agreed from behind Naraku. His finger was pointing directly at the demon like it had at her early in the night, "Spirit Gun!"
The blast was more powerful than it had ever been, which meant he probably held back for her sake, both at the battle and while in Naraku's clutches. Whoever the demon was, she doubted she'd get the chance to find out, for Naraku screamed as he slowly disintegrated from the large wave of raw power. When the blast cleared, all that remained was a small human-like doll with a single hair wrapped around it, which promptly broke in half. She eyed it warily, for some reason she knew that piece was significant.
"Yusuke! I'm glad you're alright!" Keiko called, emerging from a secluded corner as she ran to embrace him. He was panting only slightly from his exertion of power.
While the two reunited she walked towards the doll-like piece, bending down to pick it up and examine it more closely. Her eyes narrowed at the feel of demonic energy that coated the poorly replicated human figure in thick waves. An enchantment had been set upon the object.
"Yeah well, demons are nothing compared to my power!" Yusuke boasted to Keiko, a superior grin lifting his lips, "That asshole wasn't so strong." He then turned to Kagome and smirked, "And you thought I couldn't handle that guy on my own? Please he was so weak!"
Her eyes snapped over to him, "Idiot, that wasn't the real thing."
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Comments: Dun dun duuh! Ok, I know not a lot of Kagome-Hiei action has happened, but I promise there will be more in the next chapter! I'm building the plot so be patient! Sorry this took so long, I'll try to be quicker next time! Like always I look very much forward to your reviews! They inspire me to write! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and I hope you keep on reading!
Number of Reviews Received on Previous Chapter: 6
Total Number of Reviews: 24
Current Chapter Completed: March 26, 2009
Next Chapter Preview: Puppets: …"It happened too quickly, all she saw was a black blur before she felt herself falling off the slide. Her eyes involuntarily closed as the wind rushed around her hair. She felt warm arms wrap tightly around her, and started to panic, struggling relentlessly against the iron grip that refused to release her. She was caught."…
Thanks To: kinky-kitsune (Ha ha yeah Kags always has the worst luck! Seems to be getting a bit better, but who knows how long that'll last? Glad to know you're still reading and hope to hear from you again!) 43InuAsha (Glad to hear that you like it! Hope this installment was just as pleasing!) -Yuna's Reincarnation-1 (Ha ha you seem to be guessing right! Always happy to know you're still reading! Hope to hear from you some more!) moonlightshadow123 (tee hee all will be known in time! Glad you like the action scenes and Hiei will come around, eventually. Yeah, Yusuke is a potty mouth majoryly...jeesh that kid needs some soap!) Reads-way-2-much (lol! I get like that too sometimes when I read! Always happy to hear from you! Hope this chapter was to your liking as well!) cowgirlkitten2000 (Thank you for your review! I hope you continue reading! Always nice to hear from my regulars!)