Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.
Strings of Destiny by Natala
Middle of July to Early August
Chapter Two
Threads One and Two
The blue glow of the well signaled that she was once again heading home to the modern era. Her friends had been quite surprised when she'd actually managed to protect herself against some lower demons without any help. At least the training he'd decided she needed helped. Even if it was arrogant of him to assume no one had even tried to teach her fighting when he had her flat on her back in less than a second about five times in a row. Of course, he'd been right.
The teaching wasn't so much teaching as making her train until she was past exhausted and around the half-dead point. Then he'd let her sleep. After she'd graduated she'd immediately packed for a month in the feudal era and disappeared early the next day. Yusuke probably wouldn't be happy with her. She hadn't told him she was leaving.
She crept up the ladder and rested at the top, her muscles grumbling that they didn't want to be doing any more fighting or training for awhile. Kagome expanded her senses cautiously... and met the furious aura of a very strong demon that she could now hear grumbling to himself as he worked around the shrine.
"A month, and she hasn't come back yet. She hadn't even done much training yet, either. If she went and got herself killed after I began to train her, I'm going to kill her!"
Kagome waited and caught another furious comment. "She didn't even tell me either. The training was to help her survive, and she ran away!"
Kagome inhaled a breath sharply at the anger behind that comment. She hadn't thought he would think that. She just didn't want Inuyasha coming to get her and starting a fight with him because he was a demon. He'd probably lose his job that way, if Grandpa found out.
Kagome watched him work for a few minutes before he suddenly stiffened and turned towards her, angry chocolate eyes burning directly into her guilty blue ones. "Um...Hi?"
"Kagome," Yusuke ground out. "We had training, if you remember. You weren't done yet."
Kagome winced at the anger flowing from Yusuke and broke his gaze, trying to calm herself. "If Inuyasha had come - "
"I would have beat him back to the feudal era and told him to wait for you to come back." Kagome snapped her gaze back to his at the more relaxed tone and saw the flash of relief in his eyes. She was puzzled, but carefully followed her instincts.
"I know I still need more training, but we did manage to find a few more shards, and hey, I came home unharmed this time. Better than some of the times when I've come home."
Yusuke eyed her sharply and narrowed his eyes. "I thought what happened last time wasn't a normal occurrence."
"It wasn't but that doesn't mean I've never come home injured. It's just usually not from Inuyasha." At the angry look in his eyes Kagome understood. He'd taken it upon himself to teach her as much as he could, even though he himself admitted he wasn't the teaching type. In doing so, he had apparently brought her under his protection. Or perhaps it was the other way around. He had decided to protect her and because of that was teaching her how to fight. Either way Kagome understood the flash of relief.
"Aren't there other people in your group besides you two?" She sighed at the harsh question but answered anyway. "Yes, but all of them, including Inuyasha, have their own part in battle. They can't just look out for me all the time, and sometimes they aren't able to. They get injured to."
"None of this makes up for not telling me you were going back to that hellhole," Yusuke pointed out.
"Of come on, it's not a big deal. What, did you miss me or something?" Kagome asked playfully, resisting the urge to grin as he apparently forgot about being mad and rose to meet her teasing.
"Miss you? Nah, I just missed torturing you in the form of training." He suddenly smirked wickedly and Kagome had the sudden impulse to step back. "Talking about training, I think we should make up for lost time, don't you?"
Kagome stared at him, blinking once, twice, before diving into a sprint towards the house. "Mama! I'm hom - Gah!"
Yusuke looked away innocently as she raised her head from its new position on the ground to glare at him. "Gee, next time why don't you just drop me off a cliff. I'll probably get less bruises than by tumbling head over heels after running like that."
"You know, you should feel lucky. Wait till I tell you stories about how Genkai trained me...Of course, she was training me in my spirit energy too, while I'm mostly training your body. I have no idea how your purifying energy works." His expression flickered and Kagome suddenly grinned at the scowl he had on.
"I may be able to do a bit more with that now. I may not have had much training before we left, but I decided to ask Kaede, and she did tell me a little bit more, so I was able to practice a bit while I was in the feudal era." Yusuke brightened up slightly then looked at her suspiciously.
"You aren't just making this up to get off the hook are you?"
"Nope! Want proof?" Kagome concentrated, holding her hand up in a minute, glowing a soft pink, though it appeared to be taking much of her concentration.
"Great. Now learn how to call that up with just a thought while fighting at the same time and maybe I'll actually consider letting you out of my sight." Kagome snorted at the sharp tone, not noticing that his eyes narrowed.
"You do have to go home eventually you know, you can't actually watch me all the time," Kagome said smugly. Her grin turned into a nervous smile as he smirked at her.
"If you even seem like you're going to go off without telling me again, I'll just bring you home with me. Think 'bout what the neighbors would think, me having a pretty girl all alone in my apartment. I'm sure your grandfather would love that to."
Kagome heard him begin to chuckle at the horrified expression on her face, but at the same time her ears caught the few words that would have made her smile brightly if she wasn't thinking about her grandfather's reaction if he really did that. And she was sure he would if she left again. ' "Pretty girl", he called me that. It's nice to hear an offhand compliment for once instead of insults all the time.'
"Hey! Earth to Kagome! Geeze, I wasn't being serious you know. Well, not really. You aren't planning to go off through that well are you?" He ended back on a suspicious note and she smiled, shaking her head at the same time.
"No, no, just thinking about something." 'Inuyasha mainly. Stupid hanyou, we're so close to defeating Naraku...only a few more shards to collect, and he can't even try to do more than insult me half the time. Though he has gotten a bit less vicious with them. He knows we'll part soon to.'
"Kagome! Damn it, what are you thinking about that makes you not notice anything. I could probably dump ice cold water on you and you'd keep staring off into space with that expression on your face and- Oh, your back." Kagome blinked as he ended rather deflated, as if he'd been working himself up to a good rant. Actually, considering the few weeks of training and conversations they'd had before she'd left, he probably had been.
"Sorry. I was thinking about the journey in the feudal era. As for me going back, I promise not to leave without telling you every time, all right?" Kagome knew she'd probably eventually have to break that promise. She would know when the battle was coming, and she hoped that she'd be able to come home briefly before it. To get one last glimpse at her world incase she didn't make it. And talk to her friends and loved ones. Yusuke was included among the 'friends' part now, and she thought he knew that. She hoped he did.
Yusuke watched her from under a suspicious gaze. "Really?" he asked suspiciously.
Kagome grinned and nodded. He smirked at her, and she felt a small pang but shook it off when his hand stretched down to hers. She took it, coming to her feet and immediately trying to tackle him He snickered and dodged to one side, watching as she flipped herself back upon her feet. "Well, at least you're getting better. Though you'll never hit me if you give me all the time in the world to dodge."
Kagome tried a few more times before she gave up and he chuckled, already turning towards a path that led to the edge of the Higurashi property where he had set up an impromptu training field. Kagome signed and began to follow him when suddenly she stopped and narrowed her eyes, staring at the sky. Yusuke turned to look at her when he realized she wasn't following, only to see her staring at the sky intently. He didn't have time to form his question before a portal suddenly opened and Botan flew out.
"Yusuke, Koenma has a mission and- Oh, hello there." Botan looked nervously down at the girl before Yusuke spoke up.
"Botan, you really should check to see if there are other people around before you do that, although..." he trailed off, looking thoughtfully at Kagome before suddenly directing a question towards her. "You sensed her before she actually came through the portal, didn't you? Or you sensed where the portal was going to be."
"I...yeah, I guess I did. I sensed a lot of strange energy, that's all I know." Botan was staring at her in what Kagome was beginning to think alarmingly looked like awe. It reminded her of Houjo too much, and Kagome wondered if this was the time to slowly step back and then run.
"That's amazing. Even better than the legends. There are rarely any mikos born anymore, that one of such caliber was born in this time is a sight to see. I thought you were an exaggeration." At the look Kagome shot Yusuke, who quickly put up his hands defensively, Botan shook her head. "He didn't tell me about you. I deal in taking souls to their resting-place, and I've heard of you from past guides especially. And the rest of your group too."
"Wait a second, how did you know about Kagome? Hell, when I began working for her family Koenma even mentioned that I could tell 'her' about my missions. Considering there's only her and her mother, I know that's Kagome. But how do you know about her?" Yusuke eyed Botan suspiciously and Kagome smiled slightly. He didn't like people keeping things from him, and she couldn't blame him for that. She desperately wanted to know to, but she feared what else they knew. Was it all recorded? Did they know how it ended? Did she want to know what happened? Or was it what would be happening? Kagome let out a barely audible confused and frustrated sigh.
"It's on a record. I can't tell you much, not because I don't want to, but because he only gave us to a certain point. Much of the record is missing. Anyway Yusuke, we have to go. It was very nice to meet you Ms. Higurashi; Yusuke can explain himself later. Goodbye!" With that, Botan took a hold of Yusuke with one hand and disappeared through another portal. Kagome raised an eyebrow, then shrugged it off.
He certainly would explain himself later. After all, maybe he would know more about that record by then.
-
Kagome set her bag by the door cautiously and waited. She had gotten up early and packed, but she was waiting now. It had been almost three weeks since she'd come back from t he feudal era, and she'd managed to stave Inuyasha off, though she was sure by now he had smelled Yusuke's demon scent, but oddly enough he hadn't asked her about it.
"Probably too busy with Kikyou," she mumbled quietly.
"Thinking about him again, huh?" came a voice from her left. She jumped up in a startled reaction before registering whose voice it was. A soft chuckle greeted her, though there was a raised eyebrow when he saw what she was wearing.
"Nice to see you out of the skirts, not that I didn't enjoy the view." He stopped and watched her face get red, grinning to himself. "Though the jeans accent certain other qualities on you Kagome."
Kagome's eyes showed anger, but the blush on her cheeks showed how unused to the compliments she was. Miroku's compliments always had motives. Yusuke simply seemed to like seeing her blush, since after the first few offhand comments he had made he realized there was a new game he could delight in. Seeing how red he could make Kagome's face.
Kagome calmed herself down and closed her eyes, praying he would take this well. Unfortunately, by the time she had opened her eyes he had already noticed the bag and by the door and was glaring at her. "You promised," he started accusingly.
Kagome cut him off, shaking her head and gesturing towards the bag. "I did, and that's why I'm still here! I wasn't running off, otherwise you would have caught me running towards the well instead of waiting for you, and my bag would have been on, and I probably would have left last night instead of this morning, and-" Kagome herself was cut of when he placed his hand over her mouth, rolling his eyes in amusement.
"All right, you weren't running off, and your reasons are all good. You were waiting. But you still can't go." With that he withdrew his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, his expression immovable. He expected her to give up,
Instead of giving up, she tilted her head and with bright blue eyes staring into his said, "Why not? All I said is that I would tell you before I went. I said nothing about allowing you not to let me go."
Yusuke 's gaze traveled to her arms, seeing the scars on her arm from Inuyasha. They showed when she had a short sleeve shirt on like she did now, if you had good enough eyesight to see them. She had a jacket of course, but she wasn't wearing it right now. Before she could figure out why he was staring he mumbled something that made her eyes flash. "Too dangerous."
"Look here Yusuke-"
"Damn it Kagome, you've told me all about this Naraku character. Don't you want to be prepared? You can't just go off and think you're strong enough, you have to actually be strong enough!" Yusuke scowled as she turned away from him and stalked a few steps towards her bag. He was in front of her in a flash, grabbing her shoulders as she attempted to dodge.
She struck out viciously and was pleased to at least get a surprised look, but was disappointed when he didn't let her go. She was tempted to try and purify him, but she knew she would never even attempt that on Yusuke except in the direst of conditions. "Yusuke, it's my duty." He seemed unmoved by her statement, and she quietly added, "Please Yusuke, what would you have done if anybody kept you from trying to do a mission that had the fate of the world resting upon it, simply because it was "too dangerous"?"
Yusuke flinched, remembering Keiko. They had broken off their engagement when they decided they need a break, to see if this was really for them. Keiko had thought it was a break, but the more Yusuke thought about it, the more Yusuke had decided he doubted he could live the quiet peaceful life with Keiko. And she wouldn't let him go off and potentially get himself killed. "I would have kicked their ass."
"And if they were stronger than you?"
Yusuke's eyes lit up at her last statement. "Then I'd wonder why they weren't out saving the world, that's what!"
"What if you were the only one who could? If no one else could go where you could?"
Yusuke sighed and slowly loosened his grip. "Damn. You think too much. Stop that."
"I have to go you know." Kagome looked up and saw his teeth were firmly clenched together, as if he was preventing himself from doing something. Kagome reached up and tugged on his elbows, pushing his hands back to his sides and letting go.
Yusuke looked up and absently tucked an unruly strand of her black hair away from her face. "Yeah, you have to go and save the timeline and all that. If you do get yourself killed, I'm going to resurrect you and lock you up for all fucking eternity."
Neither of them heard the two sets of footsteps on the stairs as they talked, or saw a brown haired girl stumble back slightly in shock. She knew that look, even if the girl, or even Yusuke, didn't seem to realize the way they were acting. She wanted to cry out, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Keiko looked over to Kurama, who as looking at the scene with an unreadable expression. Keiko gathered herself together and then took a step forward, wincing as it seemed to loud and unsteady even in her own ears.
Kagome spun around and Yusuke went beside her and both stared at the pair at the top of the stairs, both with strange expressions on their faces. Yusuke nodded to them both. "Keiko, Kurama, what are you two doing here?"
"Neither of us have seen you very often with your new job, so I and Keiko decided to visit. This is where you work is it now?" Kurama asked, trying not to look pointedly at Kagome, whose brow was furrowed in confusion. Suddenly her face brightened and she slowly backed away, reaching towards a bag behind her.
"Yeah, this is where I work. I take care of the shrine and talk to customers. I have all these legends memorized so that I can spout them off to the poor fools who want to learn about this place and Kagome don't you dare." Yusuke smirked as he could almost see her pouting, even though she was behind him. Yusuke stopped smirking when a funny expression appeared on Keiko's face. She looked a bit upset.
"Yusuke, I have to go, and you can't keep me here!" Kagome stomped her foot childishly.
"Yes I can!"
"No, you can't!"
"Excuse me, but what are you two arguing about?" Kurama looked between the two as they stared blankly at him, apparently forgetting that there had been other people around when they began arguing.
"Nothing!" They chorused in unison, catching all four of them by surprise. Yusuke and Kagome exchanged a glance and both shrugged while Keiko clenched her teeth. She was just seeing things wrong that's all. She stepped forward, holding out her hand with a friendly welcoming smile in place.
"Hello, I'm Keiko Yukimura."
"Kagome Higurashi, nice to meet you." Kagome's eyes shone with true friendliness, but something else Keiko recognized. A fighter's spirit, not just the ability or willingness if needful to fight, but that she wanted to fight sometimes, she was comfortable with it, and perhaps even needed the fight to be who she was. It was something Keiko recognized all too well. Keiko shook her hand, inwardly flinching from the bright and cheery expression on Kagome's face.
Keiko's smile turned wan and she dropped her hand listlessly. "We just came for a visit. I have to go now. I'll see you later Yusuke. It was nice to meet you Kagome."
Kurama stared in surprise as Keiko suddenly fled down the stairs, watching the confusion grow on the faces of the other two. He shook his head and calmly went after Keiko, going slowly to allow her some time to herself before he arrived. He could follow her with his nose no matter where she went anyway.
He followed her trail, which seemed to vary in direction, as if she herself had no idea where she was going. He tucked his hands deeply into his pockets as he went, not sure why he was involving himself in this, but not liking the idea of leaving Keiko alone to wallow in the self-pity that she must surely be experiencing. Finally, he looked up when he sensed Keiko growing closer and found himself outside of a local park.
He scanned the area, which was nearly deserted this time of day, and soon spotted her slight form hunched over on a small wooden bench. Her elbows propped on her knees and her face buried in her hands. Glancing around, Kurama spotted a small rose bush that had been planted along a pathway and stepped over to it. He gently extracted one of the more perfect blossoms, a deep red in color, and proceeded to walk over to where Keiko sat, his steps barely making a sound on the grass covered ground.
"Keiko, are you all right?" Kurama asked softly, and winced at the slightly bitter laugh that she emitted. She looked over at him, and he winced at the mahogany eyes shining with unshed tears.
"All right? Sure, if all right is seeing the man - demon, I suppose, - apparently starting to like, maybe even love, another girl. He didn't even look at me like I was his girl, just like he was concerned about a friend. But when I saw them when we came up, I knew that look. They don't know it, but they feel it. I never saw him look at me like that. Like a friend, someone to be protected, a love interest maybe, but it was more like he didn't really have anyone else to choose. Now, I gave him a choice by taking a break. I wanted us back together Kurama. I didn't actually think he would want it to be permanent. So, you take a guess, am I all right?" One tear slid down her cheek as she struggled not to cry.
Kurama sat down besides her and stifled a sigh. He wanted to comfort her and deny that Yusuke and that girl were anything more than just friends. But, no matter what those two would have said on the subject, his three hundred and more years as Youko and his nineteen years as a human boy with a kitsune spirit had given him experience in seeing what was going on between two people. "I'm sorry Keiko."
Keiko closed her eyes and nodded to herself, struggling to push her emotions back. "Me too."
Kurama glanced at the rose in his hand and then to the girl beside him. "Keiko," he said quietly.
She glanced up at him again and found a single dark red rose in his hand. She stared, taking it with confusion, though a small smile did settle on her lips. It was so dark as to be almost black, but it felt oddly right, and it fit her mood. She took it gingerly, confusion in her eyes as she peered up at him. "What is this for?"
"It's a rose. If it were black it would symbolize extreme pain or death. Red would be love. So a dark red would seem to be pain because of love." Kurama explained, frowning as he realized that this wasn't perhaps the best way to cheer her up.
"Do other colors symbolize feelings too?" Keiko asked quietly. Kurama's eyes reflected his surprise, but he understood that she needed to stop thinking about Yusuke.
"Yes, they do." Kurama got up and offered her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her up then let her go, motioning for her to follow him. She began to walk after him.
"What are they?" She asked curiously as she followed him.
"Come, we'll go to my house, and I'll show you the different colors and tell you what they mean. Mother will be happy to see me bringing around friends, and the roses have a calming effect." Kurama glanced back at her, stopping when he saw she was. She was staring at the rose in her hand, but she didn't seem to be actually seeing it.
She looked up and her eyes shone as she gave a small smile. "All right. Let's go see your roses Kurama."
Kurama nodded, happy simply because she seemed to be cheering up. She needed a friend, in a situation where she was helpless to do something simply because she couldn't even confront them on it. They didn't even realize it themselves yet.
Kagome bent her legs and cheered herself on as she was sent over the edge of the well. She was in mid air when her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled back so she was half sitting on the edge of the well. She scowled at the smirking face above her. "Damn you."
Yusuke raised an eyebrow at her, and moved his grip to her arms as she continued to try and slip off the edge. "Now Kagome, it's no use swearing at me. You're not going."
Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. "Yes I am."
"No you're not," he stated matter of factly.
"Yusuke," she began to whine, pouting. Yusuke started slightly and stared at her a moment. She'd never done that before. Hell, if she had they're training sessions would have gotten interesting. He'd probably have given into her if she'd pouted.
"No," he stated, a bit less firmly than before.
"Please?" She made her eyes go wide, pleading with him while she still held that pout on her lips. She kept the triumph from her eyes and face as he wavered slightly, his eyes darting to one side. She was good.
"Well, maybe," he said looking away from her. Not from backing down as he was sure she thought, but to hide his own grin. She looked cute with that pout, but the instant he'd wavered, her muscles had given it away. Sneaky girl. If she couldn't fight her way out of it, she charmed her way. Not this time.
"If you promise me something," Yusuke added, watching her tense slightly. He drew her closer, using the hand not holding her wrist to tip her chin towards him. He leaned in and searched her eyes. There was triumph there, but she was also wary of this new promise.
"What do you want me to promise?" This wasn't as easy as with Inuyasha. If her pouting and whining didn't work, she just sat him. What was she supposed to do to a demon so strong that if you tried to put a subduing necklace on he'd probably laugh as it attempted to pull him down? Right before he ripped apart the person who was attempting it.
Yusuke studied the emotions flickering across her face and grinned. She was still so open about her emotions. At least the surface ones. Not that he wasn't, she was just cuter than he was. At least to him. She might see things differently. "Promise me you'll be careful. You're getting better, but you still have a habit of reacting before you think. Do that. Think I mean. No unnecessary danger."
"Look who's talking," Kagome mumbled, remembering a couple of stories he'd told her to get her off his back about what he did.
"Kagome," he ground out. She sighed.
"All right." She said finally.
"All right what?" He asked, smirking as she pouted again.
"I promise! What is it with you? I promise, I'll be careful, it's not like-" Kagome stopped suddenly, gasping as his lips brushed hers. She blinked up at him in confusion, but no rejection, which Yusuke was glad to see. He grinned at her.
"All I needed to hear. Come back soon." And with that, he dropped her, and her body that had been half on the lip of the well disappeared from view and the well began to glow. He heard her shout of anger, and then Kagome was gone.
Kagome ground her teeth as she appeared in the feudal era. That boy! He was so-so-so infuriating! And cute, and she could still feel that slight touch of lips like electricity running down her spine. Kagome's eyes opened in shock. No! He complimented her, she liked him, but she couldn't!
As Kagome climbed up, she heard herself wondering. Why not, after all? Why couldn't she? She'd pretty much given up on Inuyasha. She was smiling contentedly as she got up to the top of the well. She'd find out why he'd done it when she got back.
There were two arguing males waiting for her. One didn't even come up to her knee. The other had fuzzy white ears on top of his head. "Hey guys!"
They both greeted her in their own way, but Kagome realized the conversation was about to get interesting when they took a good whiff of the air, and Shippo, who was now perched on her shoulder, sniffed near her mouth. She smirked as she began to walk to the village. They stared at her. "What? So I was kissed by one of the most powerful demons in Japan. Did you really expect any different?"
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