A/N: . . . Yah Im back… finally. Sorry for the long wait. I really am, but life has swept me away with all the romance, betrayals, death.. gah It's finally winter break and I'll continue to update as much as possible. Well.. if I'm not partying. XD Nah, I'll do my best.
Hiei: Feh. Like that's a lot.
Kairei: HIEI!!! OHHHMIGOD I MISSED YOU SOOO MUCH.
Hiei: Feh.
Kairei: types Hiei then cries, hugging Kairei.
Hiei: Cries, hugging Kairei
Kairei: Hugs back -
Hiei: Damned…Onna…
Kurama: .;;;;;;; Come now Kairei, you shouldn't misuse your powers.
Kairei: Types Hiei and Kurama then begin to strip for the readers O Like wow…! Oh yah, and sorry Hiei lovers (im one too, really) he's a bit…uhm… in this chapter . I don't mean to bash him, I really don't, I'm just trying to add the most humor now before…well, before the secret's let out. .
Last Chapter
The girl released her arrow, and Kurama could sense all of his companion's surprise when she channeled spirit energy into it. A bright cyan glow surrounded the arrow as it flew above their heads.
A piercing cry rang throughout the Higurashi shrine, followed by an explosion of blinding light.
The boys all turned around slowly to peer at what had just happened. All they saw, however, was a glimpse of a… was that a baboon?... as it faded away. Purified.
"It's gone!" Yusuke said, stating nothing but the obvious.
"She purified it out of existence…" Kurama said, staring at… well now it was nothing.
"Right… English please?" The ever dense Kuwabara piped.
Kurama, ignoring the familiar urge to lose his cool on Kuwabara (compliments of Youko) did what he always did… ignored him.
"Did you sense her energy?" Yusuke asked no one in particular. That, apparently was a statement that shouldn't have been made around the mysterious girl.
"Who are you?" She inquired in a deadly tone.
Chapter Four: The Chess Board
Well, in response to what Yusuke said, I don't suppose telling her that we think she's not normal would surprise her much. Kurama thought dryly, staring at the girl.
"Well, in response to what Yusuke said, I don't suppose telling her that we think she's not normal would surprise her much." Kuwabara whispered to Kurama. Poor Kurama had never felt so dumb for thinking to exact thing as Kuwabara. Had the arrow shooting over his head made the baka smarter?
"Answer me." The girl growled, blue aura starting to form around her menacingly.
"Heh. Let me take her." Yusuke muttered, assuming a fighting stance complete with his arrogant grin.
"Yusuke, we're not here to fight her." Kurama said dryly, while his thoughts were still wandering. Maybe being around these two lowers my IQ. Yes, that must be it.
"AH HAHAHA HAHAHA HAHAHA Heyyyyy guys!" Well, there's a scene destroyer for you. The group's eyes widened, and turned, afraid of what they would see.
"I…know that voice…" Yusuke said, his own voice shaking with fear. "Oh shit.." He mumbled, as he turned around.
There, in standing in all his glory stood Hiei, the three eyed warrior…in a speedo. His stance, as Yusuke painfully noted mirrored that of Peter Pan.
"IT'S BETTER PAN!" Kuwabara screamed, eyes wide.
Kurama wanted to cry. He wanted to scamper home to Demon World and cry. This was ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. There was truly no hope left.
"YUSUKE YUSUKE! I WAS FOLLOWING YOU AND HIEI GOT SEPERATED BECAUSE HE GOT DESTRACTED BY A ICE CREAM PARLOR!" Botan's voice shrilled, as she ran huffing and puffing into the Higurashi shrine. Upon the sight of Hiei, she looked as if she were about to faint.
"What is going on here!? All of you get off my shrine!" The girl, seemingly forgotten screamed, stomping her foot down.
Kagome. was. furious. This hadn't exactly been a morning to remember, but she feared, with the horrific events, that she would remember it for a long, long time. Although she wasn't able to see the man with the speedo's face due to the sun's position, she knew he was demon, as were the red head and the boy with the black hair.
But before she had the chance to act any further, her world went black. Her body went lip, falling with a light thud to the ground.
Kurama closed his eyes in concentration once more, the plant behind the girl shrinking into a tiny seed before returning obediently to his hand.
"K-Kurama!?" The orange topped ningen crackled.
"I thought it'd be best for her and ourselves if she were tranquilized for the time being." Kurama explained, keeping amazingly calm given the current situation.
Kuwabara rushed to the laying still on the ground. "I can't believe you'd attack a girl."
Kurama merely shook his head, "She's only asleep."
"That was such a pweddy flower." Hiei sang, skipping, yes, skipping towards Kurama.
Yusuke shielded his eyes as Hiei approached. This is just wrong. Was all that he could even think given the current circumstances. That is, until Hiei, the mighty speedoman became another appendage of our favorite Spirit Detective. The short fire and ice speed demon clung onto Yusuke's neck joyfully.
"Didya see that flower? Didya? Didya?" He said, his voice still low and masculine, a fact that Yusuke hadn't distinguished to be good or bad.
That's it... I'm quitting.
Meanwhile, in Sengoku Jidai. . .
The troublesome hanyou lounged on the Sacred Time Tree. His silvery hair waved as the soft wind played through the silky strands. The sparkle of his eyes accentuated as they gazed into the sunset.
In usual circumstances, Inuyasha wouldn't have necessarily chosen this tree to watch the sun's setting in. It wasn't particularly comfortable or easier to climb then the others. Besides, after being pinned to the stiff bark for 50 years, one would think that he would avoid the tree as much as possible.
But no. There was only one reason why he liked this tree so much. One reason, one girl, one event.
This was where he had first met the futuristic priestess. Granted, at that time he had been trying to kill her. He smiled at the thought, how extremely naïve he had been back then. His smiled was wiped off however, as he realized that he was still quite naïve.
His gaze turned from the gorgeous view of the setting sun to the direction of the old rotting well. The well that her head hadn't peaked out from like he had expecting it to.
It was a stupid thing to say, really. But then again, it always was. It was always a result of his short temper that he ended up saying something he shouldn't have. Something that, most of the time, he didn't really mean. His words from the previous day rang through his head "You'll never be half the miko Kikyo was." His words echoed through his mind, screaming over and over, ringing throughout his throbbing head. The truth was, it hadn't been that much of a statement, but this hanyou knew the effect it would have on Kagome. He clenched his fist, the claws digging into the palm of his hand. He knew the effect it would have on her when she had said it.
But had he known the effect it would have on him?
He didn't have to tell anyone else, but he needed to go back to Kagome. He'd make up some excuse, or act macho about it, as if he was angry instead of saddened. He was good at it. It was the way he was. And so, Inuyasha jumped from the tree, heading to the bone eater's well.
Without hesitation, he jumped through the well, the blue aura overtaking him. The feeling reminded him of Kagome. The soft, gentle, yet powerful sense that surrounded him. Filled him, caressing every one of his senses. He closed his eyes, almost willing to savor the feeling for a second before it disappeared. This led him to wonder… would Kagome every disappear?
The horrible thought was somehow pushed away as the scent that belonged to neither Kagome or her family floated into his sensitive nose.
"Demon." He uttered, jumping out of the well and bursting out of the well house with extraordinary speed, even for him. He could smell her sent, among the demons. She was in danger.
Instinctively, his clawed hand clenched the Tetsusaiga's hilt. In one swift movement, he landed in front of the intruders, the demonic sword of protection transformed to its glory.
His golden eyes scanned the scene in an instant. There were two demons. But one, the boy with black hair seemed part human. He didn't seem like a hanyou such as himself, yet he felt something human about him. Among the young men was a girl, his eyes narrowing as he couldn't tell what she was. And then he saw him, the human the last he had noticed, was holding an unconscious Kagome, her body limp and motionless as death in his arms.
His demon blood rushed, overtaking the human slowly as he growled ferociously. "What have you done with Kagome!?", he managed to get out between a growl and a yell.
One of the demons, the one with black spiky hair stepped up. Inuyasha noted, rather uncomfortably, that this particular demon had decided to wear close to nothing. And… was he coming for him!?
"BWAH!" Inuyasha screamed as flesh hit hakama. The crazed demon had jumped on him…hugging him close as he hung clung to his neck. Inuyasha's eyes widened, clearly dumbstruck by the demon of the present's battle strategy.
Inuyasha temporarily forgot about swinging his sword around as he looked at the fully dressed strangers with "HELP ME!" written all over his deeply troubled features.
Botan felt as if she were about to throw up. After a word with Koenma, she had left the bar to look for her favorite team. She didn't have to look long, given the fact that Yusuke's grumbling could be heard from a mile off. She nearly fainted when the gang passed the local Ice Cream Parlor, and of course, Hiei had trailed off. Botan knew, from rather interesting experiences, that..
Hiei Ice Cream Parlor TROUBLE
But still, this was just a disaster. Botan looked upon the scene, she could just see the horribilities, a word she had just so cleverly come up with, that would result from this.
Kurama, currently abandoning his usually cool intellect, was at a loss for words as he watched Hiei molest the terrified half demon. He could tell that this would probably be the time to pry Hiei off the poor guy, which would be an easier task had he been wearing more then…what he was at the moment.
"HEE HEE I LOVE YOUR EARSIES!"
This is just wrong. Yusuke thought again.
"Ehh… Urameshi, shouldn't we help that guy?" Kuwabara asked uncertainly from beside him. Yusuke didn't bother to answer, of course they should help him, but how?
"Botan, I said to take care of the situation."
And just as it seemed that the scene couldn't get any stranger, it was then that a baby decided to show up. But not just any baby, no, the Mighty Prince Koenma, with all capitals of course.
Inuyasha turned, which was a rather admirable task considering the creature dangling lovingly from his neck. He looked exasperatedly upon the toddler. The half demon was, for once, very much wishing that he had never met Kagome. "Who the hell are you?" He breathed, well, more like choked out.
"I'm the Mighty Prince Koenma." The toddler said, but he was no longer a toddler, within a cloud of smoke and a POOF!, he was replaced by a boy seemingly in his teens.
"Ehhh! Koenma, uh heh heh what are you doing here?" Botan said nervously, scratching the back of her head.
Koenma flashed her an annoyed look as he flipped his cape in an attempt to look 'cool'. He then looked to the human girl in Kuwabara's arms and frowned.
"Hey toddler! I want answers right now, how come you didn't tell us this girl was gonna attack!?"
Koenma's annoyed look returned to acknowledge Yusuke, "Well Yusuke if you'd had reported back to me like you should have, I would've been able to tell you more. But it seems," He looked at the half demon who still sported a Hiei on his neck, "that I was too late."
"Hey… if you'd had done more research, we wouldn't be in this mess right now."
"Understand Yusuke, that your love for going against authority won't do anyone any good in this situation, not that it ever had of course."
Yusuke huffed, the other two sober members of the team watched in silence, still a bit dumbfounded, as strange as it was for Kurama.
Koenma faced Inuyasha, who was growling menacingly as he tried to pry an ecstatic fire koorime off his neck. "Inuyasha, look at me." The Prince commanded, the hazel in his eyes glowing golden.
Inuyasha obeyed, his growls and motions coming to a stop as he turned obediently. "None of this happened, go back to your time, your friends are in trouble." Inuyasha nodded, turned, and walked back to the well house without a sound, the giant demonic sword and Hiei dragging with him. "Down Hiei."
Hiei dropped off of the hanyou as if he were a pile of discarded luggage, he lay on the ground still as death, as Inuyasha disappeared into the wellhouse.
The glow in Koenma's eyes faded away, leaving the brown eyed prince, well, brown eyed once more as he turned back to his Detective team.
Yusuke gawked "I didn't know you could do that!"
Kurama's eyes narrowed, since when did Koenma speak with such authority? Since when had he been able to change the motives of a demon? Something just wasn't clicking in the mind of the retired thief.
"Kurama, how long before the girl wakes up?" Koenma's question shredded through the spirit fox's thoughts.
Kurama looked at the girl in Kuwabara's arms, "Not too long I assume." He said, noting that she was obviously beginning to stir.
"Nnh…" Her eyes clenched tightly together for a second before opening slowly.
"H-Hey, she's getting up you guys…" Kuwabara said, stating the obvious.
Yusuke leaned closer in curiosity as Koenma and Kurama looked on.
Kagome's vision was blurred, she closed her eyes once more, trying to decide how to put into words what she felt. It was as if she were having another hangover. "Inuyasha…" She moaned out.
"Who's Inuyasha?" Yusuke asked.
"That half demon." Koenma stated, but Kurama found the slightest bit of distaste in his voice. What was going on? "He was the first being other then human that girl, Kagome Higurashi, had met in the Feudal World."
Kuwabara, temporarily forgetting the girl in his arms, looked at Koenma stupidly, obviously confused. Yusuke groaned, "Oookay then, I'm sorry I asked."
Kurama, on the other hand, found that the stories weren't matching. "Koenma, what exactly was the purpose of us coming here?" He asked, Koenma clearly knew more then he had led them to believe.
"Hiei." Kuwabara said unexpectedly. Kurama and Yusuke turned to where the fire koorime staggered toward them, rubbing his head.
"The hell?" Hiei asked, utterly confused, although his voice still carried the usual annoyed tone. "Where am I?" He demanded.
He looked around, and it only took a look at their faces for Hiei to realize what had happened. Upon realization, he looked away silently, finding an interest in that rock over there.
"Erm… Hiei, does it feel a bit…breezy?" Yusuke asked, seemingly forgetting current events for a chance to pick at the cold demon. Hiei looked at Yusuke questionably before looking down. His usual anger was wiped away by pure embarrassment as Yusuke found his face amusing beyond words.
Honestly, waking up to find yourself in public wearing a speedo was not an experience Yusuke wanted to have. Seeing someone else having the experience though, was another story by far. In a literal flash, Hiei was gone, probably in search for his clothes.
Koenma didn't seem to acknowledge Hiei's coming to. The prince looked confused for a moment at Kurama's question, before regaining his look of importance. "Of course, well, we were able to find more records, unfortunately that was after you had already left. Apparently this girl has been traveling back to days in history, back to the Feudal era to be precise. There, she battles along side a hanyou against a very powerful admirable villain, Naraku."
Kurama's eyes widened, Naraku. This human girl had power against Naraku?
But why was Koenma calling him 'admirable'? Naraku was a killer, a demon focused on the destruction of order and his own unknown cause which only brought innocent lives to end.
There was nothing remotely admirable about Naraku.
"So all this was for nothing?" Yusuke asked, his voice dripping with annoyance.
"Not for nothing Yusuke, there is much more to this mission. You too must go to the Feudal Era."
"Why?" Yusuke asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Because, we must make sure this Naraku is defeated in the past, otherwise, catastrophic consequences will take its toll in the present."
"Everything seems ok now, didn't all that already happen?" Yusuke asked, looking around.
"It doesn't work that way Yusuke, you all must go to that time and defeat Naraku, as well as complete the Shikon No Tama."
A small smile crept up upon Kurama's lips, Ah, the Shikon No Tama, I tried to steal that once…
"BWAAAAAAAAAH!" Kagome's scream rang out through the shrine as her state of mind finally focused. She jumped out of Kuwabara's arms awkwardly as she frantically looked around at the intruders.
"Okay! Just who are you people!?" She demanded, desperately attempting to regain her composure.
Before the orange topped ningen could proclaim that he was the great Kazuma Kuwabara, the Reikai Prince spoke. "Kagome Higurashi, I am the Mighty Koenma."
Kagome looked at the prince as if he were a purple hippopotamus, "The who?". Kurama watched, silently amused at Koenma fell over, his pride shot.
Koenma stood up once more, brushing himself off before clearing his throat. "We're here to help you in your quest."
Kagome frowned, her hands flying to her hips, "I don't know what your talking about, but if you don't get off my property, I'm calling the cops."
"There's no need to be spiffy little missy. I am Koenma, prince of Spirit World and these are my little helpers."
"HELPERS!? You're the only toddler here you little brat."
Koenma merely cleared his throat, choosing to ignore Yusuke's comment. Kagome looked stunned, her arms falling to hang loosely at her sides. "Y-Y…So your.."
"We're here to help you in the fight against Naraku." Koenma said, as if he dealt with ordeals of this sort daily.
Kagome was dumbfounded. Exactly what was going on? Inuyasha's going to have a fit…
"I don't need your help." She finally said, turning toward the well house. "I don't know who you are or how you know of me, but I suggest you leave." She didn't know what else to do, this was just too confusing.
"On the contrary, it's best that my team go with you. Spirit world knows of your ordeal, and its best that we intervene now." Koenma said, causing Kagome to stop.
Kagome took a deep breath, trying to sort this out. She had no idea what Spirit World was, and yet she knew somehow that they were the good guys. She had no idea who these people were, yet she sensed trusting them was a good idea.
"Just have them go with you now. Whether or not you decide to let them, I will see to it that they are sent. It's best you all work together, with Inuyasha also, against Naraku.
He knows everything… Kagome thought. Finally, she nodded. "Fine…" It didn't matter, whether or not they really were trustworthy, she didn't have the patience to think things through thoroughly. Besides, if they weren't, Inuyasha would surely be able to dispose of them. It wasn't as if there was anything more to hide from them, and she was curious to learn more. Perhaps when she didn't feel as horrible as she did now, would she be able to take more information in.
"Wise decision, Kagome."
Kurama, who hadn't had a say in any of this, too was taking in everything. Was he going to go back in the past? And if it was the Feudal Age, would he possibly… But wait, were Koenma's eyes just glowing again?
Kagome and Koenma exchanged words which he hadn't picked up on. Kagome nodded and turned "Follow me." She said, as Kurama started to pay attention once more.
They followed the girl to a well house inside of the shrine, she slid open the old shoji door and stepped inside the dark room. The wood creaked under their weight as they followed her down the stairs. She stopped at the old well. "Here it is."
Yusuke looked down, growing hungry for adventure. "Hmm… better let Kuwabara go first…"
Kagome remained silent as she continued to sort through her thoughts. Why exactly was she even doing this?
Kuwabara peaked into the well, "No way Urameshi, I'm not jumping down tha- AHHHHHH!" And down he went.
The five listened, his scream didn't last very long as the well wasn't necessarily too deep. A blue light exploded from the bottom, reaching the top just barely.
"Hey! Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled.
No answer.
"He's there already." Kagome offered distantly.
"Sweet." Yusuke laughed, jumping into the well with a "BANZAIII!"
Another burst of light.
Botan peaked down, speaking for the first time in what seemed like ages, "Oh Koenma are you sure about this?"
Koenma nodded, "I'll have Ayame carry on with your duties, Kagome will need an informant once there."
Botan squeaked in response as she closed her eyes and climbed uncertainly into the well, the light signifying her complete journey.
Kurama was next, and as he descended, Kagome lingered to look at Koenma.
"Don't worry, they might be troublesome but they'll prove of use." Koenma said happily.
"Aren't you going?" Kagome asked.
"No, I'm too important to put my life on the line like that." Koenma answered, flipping his cape in back of him.
Kagome looked at the prince uncertainly before nodding. She still couldn't believe herself. Why was she bringing four complete strangers to Sengoku Jidai and listening to a conceited boy with a cape anyway?
Without a word and time to reconsider what had already been done, she silently jumped over the well, returning to the place she most certainly did not want to return to. She was a different woman now, and words could not describe her shame of losing her virginity to a stranger. Inuyasha…
Koenma remained at the top of the well, smirking. He closed his eyes, willing his body to return to normal.
Cells shifted, and in the place of the Reikai Prince remained the satisfied form of Naraku. The stage had been set, the vengeful demon pulled the baboon pelt over himself, as the puppet body began to fade.
"And so it begins."
