A/N: Sigh…I do hope you're still interested. The lack of updates are rather discouraging, aren't they sigh Well; im truly sorry and I am in your gratitude if you are reading this at the moment bows rapidly
Disclaimer: Oh look! Nothing's changed yet!
Note: For those of you who know what happened in chapter 374 of the manga series, erm, this chapter will be a bit weird. So I don't really have an exact point in the actual story line of the real manga (or anime) that this takes place in but obviously, the events of chapter 374 concerning Kagura are disregarded considering that I love her character…
Also, the whole thing with Kikyo is well, okay you get the idea right?
Just keep in mind that certain things in the series are disregarded in here, and I'm sorry if any readers out there don't like it.
Last Chapter
Kurama's eyes snapped open. Why on earth had he had dreamed of that? He had nearly forgotten that day as well as the night that threat had been made.
His eyes widened. Demon slayer.
He turned to the girl sleeping peacefully beside him in a 21st century sleeping bag. Try as he might he couldn't remember the girl's face clearly enough to identify her. He shook the thought off. There were many demon slayers, the chances were far to slim.
Why was he even thinking about this?
He shook his head, smiling a bit at his outrageous line of thought.
He shifted a bit, anxious to regain comfort. . . It seemed as if comfort was found only when he was situated so that he was able to face the sleeping form of the girl next to him.
Nine Months
Crimson eyes flashed nothing but hatred. She nodded nevertheless, and a cold smile rippled across his thin lips.
"I'm glad you understand. Surely you know better then to defy me again?" His voice was cold, yet filled with such enjoyment.
She didn't answer, simply nodded once more before sweeping away.
"Kagura." She stopped dead still, her blood running cold. "Don't disappoint me." He stated simply, yet behind his cool tone was the threat that sent cold shivers up and down her spine. She closed her eyes in frustration before regaining her steps, eager for escape.
Chapter 6: Unwilled Test
"The worst secrets are those we're too afraid to tell even ourselves."
-The Open Door
Golden spheres. Two of them.
His gaze painfully drilling into her heart, his expression showing nothing but pain. It was not like him. It was too much not like him.
"Inu.." she spoke, but the words won't there, only inaudible gasps of air escaping her frail, thinning lips.
A shrill cry ran through the air. But there was no baby to make such noise, not now. It was a ruckus inside of her brain that was driving the scene of the man she had grown to love away.
His form was fading, a single foggy apparition, disappearing into the darkness. Still the baby's wailing continued. On and on.
And then…
He was gone.
The girl, Kagome Higurashi woke with a start. Her head pounded for a few moments, as she fought to grasp at reality. She rubbed her groggy eyes to be met with nothing but the sight of her friends, old and new, situated around the steadily dying campfire.
Beside her was Sango, who had earlier scooted as far from Miroku as possible. Of course, soon as she was asleep, he had skillfully maneuvered his sleeping bag beside her once more. A few feet away Kurama slept, Shippo once again curled up next to him. Kagome smiled at the sleeping pair. The past week had brought much delight for the little kit, who was relieved to have a "respectable" male in their party. Perhaps that was a first. Beside them were two figures, Kuwabara and Yusuke who were sprawled out on and in their sleeping bags, both snoring loudly. It was a miracle anyone else could sleep at all, what with the ruckus the two were creating. And then there was Botan, who was proof Death could, indeed, sleep.
Of course, two members of their newly formed group were not settled around the fire. Not once had that quiet one, Hiei, decided to sleep with the rest of the group. And Inuyasha, well, he was just up in the tr-
Kagome's eyes widened, her breath painfully catching in her throat.
He wasn't there.
Thoughts of something bad happening, or worry never came in times like these. She knew, she knew that once again, he had left her. She slipped out of her bag, quietly so as not to awake the others. She was frightened, however, that her insides would burn to such intensity that it would cause some kind of disturbance. Fuming, she marched into the darkness of the woods without so much as a second thought.
After a few minutes of walking aimlessly, she began to feel quite foolish. Where, exactly did she plan to go before barging into the woods? She lacked Inuyasha's sense of smell, so it would obviously not be as easy for her to find him as if was for him to find her. She realized that it was too late and her body was too tired for any of that to make sense.
And yet, she couldn't stop walking, try as she may, her feet weren't listening to her brain's signals. A deadpan look crossed her face as she realized how pathetic she was being. But Inuyasha only ran off without warning for one thing, and that one thing was-
"Kikyo." She stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of the familiar voice.
Inuyasha's voice.
Dread filled her as she turned slowly to the source of the name's calling. Her blind intuition had brought her straight to them, and though she had suspected it all along, seeing them here was a different story. Knowing for a fact, seeing with her own eyes that Inuyasha really had left for his past lover was a whole different kind of pain entirely.
"Inuyasha. . ." Kikyo's voice was blank, her face was blank, her eyes were blank. Everything about her, it was as if she was barely there. Even her movements, as she reached out to him, seemed faint.
And then it happened.
He embraced her. He took her form into his arms and held her there.
She had witnessed their affection before, and hadn't been able to tear her eyes away. But this time, this time she turned tail and ran. She ran as if something demonic were chasing her. She ran as if she were a child.
A pathetic, helpless child.
She closed her eyes as the wind picked up, manifesting itself into a spiral which circled brilliantly around her. Her hair was loose, which was relatively rare, and the raven locks blew about wildly. The demon wasn't particularly fond of letting her hair down. For one thing, it became troublesome when she flew. And for another thing. . . the sensation of the wind in her hair made her feel so. . .so free.
But she wasn't. She wasn't free.
She shook away the thought, annoyed at herself. Her powers began to emanate beneath her feet, pumping away from her in pulsating burst of power.
Gusts of wind encircled her form completely and when it subsided her hair was pulled up once more, one of her charms used as a flying device. And with that, she was in the air, soaring through the night sky.
Kagura's frightened expression was gone, replaced again by a look of aggression and mystery. Absently her hand wandered to the place where her heart should be, where it was taken from. The demon of the wind scowled, and she concentrated on her destination.
Preparing herself for battle, one thought was in her head, as it always was.
One day, one day soon, she would be free.
Hiei chuckled to himself lightly. The scene unfolding in front of him was neither sad nor heartwarming. It was pretty pathetic, actually. So the girl, Kagome, was in love with that insolent cat eared hanyou, and he was in love with some miko.
He watched in amusement from where he stood, balancing effortlessly on one of the many branches in the woods. As the girl ran away he shook his head inwardly, taking a deep breath of the forest air.
His interest faded and decided that he had better things to do then to watch two lovers, one of whom wasn't even alive, engage in. .. whatever they were about to engage in.
Reluctantly, he followed the girl. After all, it would be a shame if the subject of their mission were to be killed in this forest. Not that he cared about that fool, Koenma, but he wasn't very keen on the idea of the others pestering him should he do nothing to prevent her slow and likely painful death.
Either her emotional fragility masked her senses or she simply was not strong enough to feel his presence, because he followed her undetected with ease.
Kagome hugged herself with her arms and shivered, her mind wandering far ahead of her as she stumbled along. She barely felt her foot being caught before she was on the ground, face flat in the forest dirt.
'Great.' She thought, 'Just perfect. Now I get to hit rock bottom literally.' Pulling herself up, her heart pounded furiously, and she sensed a presence that was far too familiar.
The leaves blew steadily away from the demon's feet as she landed gracefully and effortlessly on the earth. Her red lips were twisted in their usual smirk and her piercing eyes of fire scanned Kagome's fallen form.
"My, what are we doing out here?" Kagura drawled, from the unarmed girl's expression the demon could easily tell that she was not yet aware of her company, who was currently watching above. She had been sent to attack by Naraku, who was curious of the newcomer's abilities.
The demon of the wind wasted no time, as the girl, Kagome was already starting to crawl away. "Aww, hurt your little ankle have we?" Kagura purred, slowly raising her fan and sending the slightest trace of a sideways look to the demon concealed within the leaves and branches of the tree above.
Kagura growled inwardly in annoyance. How much would it take for the guy to act? Clearly this demon wasn't the protective type. Inuyasha on the other hand, he was easier to trap than a slug. She smiled a cruel smile and waved her arm in a fierce downward motion, sending blades of wind flying towards the futuristic miko.
Kagome panicked, even if she somehow miraculously acquired the power to dodge now it would be too late to escape the sickles of wind. It was all she could do but to close her eyes pathetically and scream for Inuyasha in her mind. Who knew, it had worked before. She had almost begun to believe her life had become like those animes she watched on TV, where the hero would ALWAYS come for the damsel in distress right at the nick of time. Maybe, just maybe..
He would come back for her.
It was then that Kagome realized 'I should have been hit by now…'
He came! Inuyasha had came to protect her! It must mean that he still cared for h-
But opening her eyes, she saw a figure standing in front of her who was definitely not Inuyasha. In fact, he was significantly shorter, clad in entirely black instead of red, and lacked the long locks of long silvery hair to boot.
The wind demon scowled at first when her blades were knocked away effortlessly by the fire apparition, but a small smile crawled lightly onto her expression. The newcomers surely wouldn't be pushovers, even from such a simple attack she could read this easily. They were strong, maybe even strong enough to. . . No, she couldn't assume such things just yet, but she had no interest in carrying this on any further. Technically, she had fulfilled her mission. She sent an attack, the guy blocked it, she could rightfully assume they were strong. Mission complete.
"Hmph." She huffed arrogantly. Kagura pulled the charm out of her hair, manifesting it into her escape, and swiftly took off into the night sky.
Hiei stared after her, confused as anyone would be but not bothering to show it. That had been quick. Too quick, as if the demon were testing them. Shaking his head mentally he began to walk back to where the others were, without so much as turning to the girl.
Kagome's mind, however, remained focused on a single thought: 'Inuyasha didn't come for me.' And if such a disappointment weren't enough, the one who did come to save her wasn't even checking if she were okay! What, did he just expect her to follow him without so much as a single word?
But that's what she ended up doing. As fate would have it, only now did her legs decide to un-numb themselves, after the danger was over. And so, grudgingly, Kagome followed the apparition who called himself Hiei, without so much as a single word.
They walked silently throughout the unchanging forest, the scenery blending together as Kagome's mind raced. She stared at him with a sideglance, wondering what could be possibly going through the demon's mind.
Deciding that she didn't want to know (since it probably included the dismemberment of some poor defenseless being), Kagome strayed her mind away from the topic. Of course, this only brought her to the thought of Inuyasha. And the thought of Inuyasha brought the thought of Kikyo. And of course, Kagome was far to much of a polite, kind hearted young woman for thoughts of Kikyo to trigger more violent thoughts of dismemberment and pain. . .
"Um. . .thanks. . ." She said the words without thought, her mind eager for anything that would keep her from thinking of that arrogant, dog brained, infuriating. . .
"Hn."
She looked at him curiously, but his gaze remained on their path as he carried his katana in his hand. He was stiffer than a war general and his steps were about as loud as a ninja's. From day one she had not seen so much as a glimpse of a smile from the demon. Basically, he was probably the last person on earth anyone would expect to see prancing around singing I feel pretty.
Kagome, secretly amused by such a thought, decided to try again, "How did you find me anyway?"
"Hn. I was just passing by." He lied, "You're lucky you're not dead right now. Weak ningens shouldn't be wandering these woods alone. Of course if you want to die, far be it from me to stop you."
Oh so pretty.
Kagome gaped at him. What was wrong with this guy? Had he not have toys when he was a baby or something like that? "I was just trying to thank you." She nearly yelled, crossing her arms. Her first reaction would have been to argue that she wasn't as weak as he made her out to be. But, considering the circumstances, she refrained.
"Hn." He said simply, showing no sign of wanting to continue the conversation.
I feel pretty and witty and gayyyyy.
The girl huffed in annoyance. This guy was worse than Inuyasha by far, and she had no interest in even trying to talk to him again. Kagome walked back to the others in the oncoming morning dew without so much as a glance at the cold demon in front of her.
"Well?" He asked pleasantly, a smile that could only be deadly creeped upon his thin lips as he gazed upon her.
Glaring at the ground from where she bowed, she answered "They're not weak."
There was a pause following her report that made her shiver. What was to come would either be bad or endurable, and it was rarely ever the latter.
But he laughed a cold chortle and drawled, "Well good. I guess I chose the right ones then." His eyes flashed and anyone else would believe he was one hell of a completely normal happy male human. Of course, Kagura knew differently, and she remained on her guard despite his mood swings.
In the second it took for him to shift, he did it again, his face contorting in a blood curling glare, the shadows of the room overtaking his hard features. "Don't fail me on this Kagura."
Fear ran through her every being at these words. On the surface, however, her body language remained indifferent as she nodded obediently.
In swift motion she left his presence, quickly going to assemble their oncoming attack.
"What's going on?" Kurama asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Over the past week, his friends, especially his older ones, had discovered that he wasn't exactly a morning person. In fact, the past few days it had been hell trying to get the demon out of his slumber. Just yesterday Kuwabara was given the task of throwing the poor guy into the river, sleeping bag and all. Of course, this event and similar ones before it had given Yusuke, who had had a certain impression of Kurama, quite a bit of amusement.
Sango, sitting up in the bag next to his, wore a rather annoyed looking dead pan look. "Kouga's here." She said flatly, and the fox curiously followed her gaze to where the ruckus was coming from.
A few meters away stood a demon Kurama quickly identified as a wolf facing Inuyasha who was glaring death at him from an almost-fight stance.
A/N: Sigh. . . im sorry. :( feel free to shoot me. I dumped that fag of a boyfriend so I've had a lot of time with my friends, silly boys, proms, and those all ager rager club thingies. . . leading to NO thoughts of writing. S o s o r r y. I PROMISE to get the next chapter ( which is alllll planned out ) up VERY SOON. & im not talking like 6 months this time! VERY SORRY. >
