~I dropped this story YEARS AGO but I was recently inspired to pick it up again after seven years. I loved this concept but just ran out of creativity with what direction I wanted to go. So now things are a little different and I'm going to try to go in the new direction I have for it. Hopefully you will enjoy it!~
Himeno opened her eyes and was again standing in the silver mist. The memories flooded her and she felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She fell to her knees grabbing her head. This was just a dream! She would wake up hugging her unicorn pillow and snuggled into her baby blue blankets and see her dream catcher above her bed.
"Just a dream…it's just a dream." She said to herself in shuttering breaths
"I am afraid it is not a dream."
A deep voice penetrated the silence and she gasped looking up and seeing the same silver beast. Fear encompassed her and she trembled.
"You…you…are real?"
"In a manner of speaking yes." He said
Himeno didn't know what to do. She should scream and fight but deep down she knew this was real and inevitable.
"Good you are finally accepting the situation it will make this much easier if you remain calm and listen to me." He said
"What is your name again?" she asked in a small voice
"Youko Kurama….you may call me Youko." He said formally to her she swallowed nodding.
"Where are we?" she asked looking around in the vacant dark place and the silver mist on what she thought to be the ground.
"In the inner most places of your soul projected by your mind. It's complicated think of it as an alternate dimension within your body." He said
she sat back on her heels putting her hands in her lap and looking up at the spirit fox. "What are we going to do?" she asked
"For the moment you are going to remain calm and listen to me. I am going to ask you some questions and answer truthfully." He said
"Okay." She agreed
"Are you a descendant of any spiritual figures?" He asked
"Huh?" Himeno said confused
"Any priests or priestesses?"
"Oh. I don't think so."
"All right. Do you know of anyone in your family with any spiritual awareness? Like psychic visions or able to sense things before they happen?"
Himeno thought back to a great aunt her mother had told her about that was deceased "I had a great aunt who supposedly had clairvoyant dreams but it was just a silly story my mother told Me."
"Hmmm…maybe not so silly than. You seem to have some spiritual ability or else my soul would not be here with yours." He said
"How do we fix this?" Himeno asked
"I am not aware of exactly how to rectify our situation at this moment but I will find an answer." He said
"What will happen if you don't find one soon?" Himeno asked and found herself feeling a sense of dread
"Honestly? My soul will force yours out of your body and assume control. Your soul will either extinguish prematurely or cross over to the spirit realm." Kurama explained to her bluntly
Himeno felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She stared at the beast with wide horror struck eyes and felt herself trembling. "H-how much time do we have?"
"I'm not sure. This is new territory for me I'm afraid. I have never possessed a body harboring two souls. The one I occupied before had only one soul….mine."
"Why did it leave?" she asked
"That too I am not sure of."
"C-can't you just leave here and find another body. Like one that isn't being occupied?" she asked hopeful
"If I could do you not think I would have tried? I am too weak to do such a thing I would die instantly even if I could leave this body little girl." He snapped
Himeno flinched at his tone but glared at him despite her fear "H-hey! I didn't know that."
"If you do not know do not make such foolish assumptions human."
"I was just trying to help and I have a name you grungy demon! Remember you're in MY body. I nearly died because of you and now you're saying I have a chance of dying again! Just go away and leave me alone." Himeno snapped with teary eyes standing and crossing her arm turning her back to him.
Kurama realized he was taking his irritation out on the girl. She was a victim of the situation just as much as he was and she was the one in danger more so than him. He sighed trying to quell his anger and he got an idea. Maybe she would be more cooperative in his alternate demon form instead of his spirit form. It was ideally more pleasing to the eye and she was a female and a teenager no less. He needed her cooperation as much as possible if they were to succeed in finding an answer. It would take up much of his already accrued strength away but he deemed it necessary. He shifted into his demon form and walked closer to her.
"My apologies. I'm afraid the situation is not ideal for either of us but we must make due." He said placing a hand on her shoulder.
Himeno started at the touch looking to her right shoulder she saw a long, pale, and sinewy hand with claws resting there. She turned and her gaze followed the hand to a long and muscularly lean arm. That arm traveled up and up to a broad chest clothed in a white tunic. Next her eyes fell upon a sharply angled face that was neither human nor animal framed by silvery hair and housing honey colored tawny eyes that were sharply angled. On top of his head were to perfectly triangular silver ears matching his hair. Himeno opened her mouth and a pitiful squeak emanated as she pulled away facing him again.
Kurama smirked at her reaction folding his arms across his chest. Her face brightened with color and her mouth gaped open.
"I thought you might find this form a bit more appealing and easier to speak too."
Realizing he was one in the same she had just been talking to she closed her mouth swallowing. Before her stood what had to be the utmost beautiful creature she had ever seen. Himeno doubted many humans had ever seen him at all. "Uh-huh."
She reminded him of a mouse tiny, petite, and cute. She even squeaked like one. "Cat got your tongue little mouse…..or should I say fox?" he teased
Himeno cursed her teenage hormones narrowing her eyes at him. "Y-you might be pretty but your attitude still stinks."
"My, my, my is that any way to address a thousand year old demon spirit who is currently in possession of your body?" He might be in danger but at the moment he was having fun. It had been too long since had had a chance to be his foxy self.
Her cheeks darkened again and she pouted "No…I guess not but no more changing without warning me first please! I've had enough surprises in the last few weeks."
"All right little mouse."
"Please call me Himeno." She pleaded
"Do you not like my pet name?" he chuckled
"Not particularly. Who was that boy in the alley?" She said worried
"That is Hiei a friend. He is here to help."
"He's scary." She said unsure
"No harm will come to you now that he knows the situation. He has a bad temper but otherwise is one of my most reliable companions." He explained
"What is happening to my body if I'm here?" she asked suddenly alarmed remembering she had fainted
"Hiei is taking you more than likely to Genkai's. She is a martial arts and spiritual master if anyone has an idea of what is happening to us it would be her."
"But what about my mother! She'll think I've been kidnapped…and then I have school!"
"We will deal with each of those in their own time. For the moment we need to figure this out." He said growing a little irritated at the girl. He had his own life and affairs to worry about not to mention his own mother.
"I'm scared." She said looking at him
As unsure and frightened he was himself he realized she was an innocent girl. She didn't ask for this to happen. She had done nothing at all and here she was housing the soul of a demon in her body. The situation was foreboding for even him but he had the patience and experience to handle his emotional stress better while she did not. He had experienced her emotions before when she had literally cast him out of her consciousness and he had the suspicion he has susceptible to that happening again. It had taken him days to recover and regain strength. He had to keep her calm at all costs.
"I know. Please try to remain calm do you remember what happened before when you became too emotional?" He asked reasoning with her
"I-I think so. Everything turned red and I yelled and you disappeared."
"At the moment your presence is stronger and you will force me to be dormant. However the consequences will be my soul will instinctually will fight back and come back eventually at full strength and cast yours out for survival. My soul is much older and much more resilient than yours I'm afraid." He explained
Himeno took a deep breath nodding "I-I'll try."
"That is all I ask. I am here with you at all times." He said and placed a hand on her shoulder
Himeno smiled at him "Thank you. Youko."
He nodded "Now sleep little mouse. Your soul is growing weary."
Himeno woke with a gasp. She looked around finding herself in a traditional Japanese room. She was lying on a futon. She was dressed in a white yukata and she blushed thinking someone had changed her clothing for her. She put a hand on her head and realized nothing about this was a dream it was all real. She could feel him now inside of her. She put a hand on her chest and frowned. How much time did she have exactly? Hopefully someone here could help her.
She stood only to have the door slide open clacking sharply and there stood the same black clothed and scowling boy with spikey hair as before. His ruby red eyes narrowed at her accusingly.
"You. Girl. Genkai wants to see you." He said matter 'o' fact
"O-okay." She said uneasy
"Well come on." He snapped turning his back on her.
She started and quickly walked towards him and out of the room. She cringed as her bare feet touched cold cement but she followed him anyways. She looked around realizing she was at a temple somewhere in the forested mountains more than likely outside of the city. She was exactly three hours from home. Uneasiness swept through her but she kept moving following Hiei. He led her to a larger room where an aged woman with pink hair was sitting in a meditative trance. She barely started to take a step forwards before Hiei grabbed her wrist and literally threw her down. Himeno cried out in surprise falling onto the wooden floor.
"Fix this!" he snapped to the old woman
Himeno sat on the floor terrified looking at the woman as she opened her eyes staring at her. The woman, known as Genkai, frowned and her eyes seemed to bore into her. She straightened herself in a proper kneeling position and lowered her gaze.
"Hiei. Leave us." Genkai commanded
"Hn. Try anything strange girl and you will suffer the consequences." Hiei threatened glaring at her
Himeno flinched not looking at him as he stalked away slamming the door shut.
"What is your name girl?" Genkai asked
"H-Himeno Hinomata." She replied
"Do you know who I am?"
"Master Genkai. Youko told me about you."
"Good you are informed it makes this easier. Now tell me what you did to make Kurama's soul leave his body." She snapped
Himeno's eyes snapped up and she stared at Genkai who was looking at her accusingly. "I didn't do anything!"
"You are telling me you, a mere whelp of a girl, did nothing to cause a thousand something year old fox spirit to leave his body and inhabit yours." She asked
"No. I didn't even know what was happening to me. I woke up in the hospital they told me I almost died than I had a dream about Youko but I didn't know it was real and then at school somehow he woke up and took over my body and…and…and…." Himeno's chest heaved and tears slipped down her cheeks she immediately burst out crying.
"Calm yourself. Crying will not fix your problem. I know you had no prior knowledge of how Kurama's soul left his body I was only testing you to make sure this was true. We have been fooled before." Genkai said
Himeno sniffled wiping her tears away. "C-can you fix it?"
"I don't know. The first thing we need to do is get you near Kurama's body and see if his soul will try to reconnect with It."
"I'll do anything." She said
"Good because housing the soul of a demon does not bode well for you. He did tell what will happen if this situation is not fixed and soon." She said
"Yes ma'am-how much time do I have?" Himeno asked
Genkai stood approaching her and placed a hand on her forehead. Himeno sat stone still and she felt a tingling in her body.
"About two weeks at the most." Genkai said "Your soul has already started to lose strength."
Himeno felt like someone had hit her in the chest and she couldn't breathe. Genkai removed her hand seeing the shocked girl's expression. "You must keep your emotions in check and above all stay out of physical altercations or situations. It seems like your adrenaline spikes Kurama's instincts and he will be more prone to take over your body."
Himeno nodded "Also Hiei will be watching you. I advise you stay here for the next two weeks."
"I can't! My mother will have a heart attack and I can't miss that much school."
"Honestly girl you don't have a choice. Spirit world is not going to let some teenage girl with no way to defend herself wondering around with fox spirit inside of her. Kurama has many enemies and he is extremely vulnerable right now putting you and him at great risk."
"B-but my mom….." Himeno croaked
"We'll figure something out. For now you need to stay as isolated as possible until we can arrange for you to see Kurama's body tomorrow. Sleeping would be best I can put you to sleep if you wish."
Himeno nodded "If you think it's best for us."
"I do. Come let us go back to your room. I will put you to sleep for a few more hours than you will awaken eat, relieve yourself, and walk about the temple." She instructed.
Himeno begrudgingly followed her orders. Back in her room she laid down on her futon and Genkai put a single finger on her forehead and immediately her eyes grew heavy as she faded into oblivion. Genkai watched as a few tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes. Hiei stood in the doorway watching.
"To think such a weakling is housing Kurama's soul. I don't understand why he does not just overtake her body forcibly." He snorted
"That would give neither of them a solution Himeno would die and Kurama would be trapped inside her body without a way out."
"We could always just kill her and try to capture Kurama's soul somehow." Hiei suggested
"No and if you unsheathe that katanna around this child once more I will purify you within an inch of your wretched core." Genkai threatened
Hiei snorted but knew her threat was not without promise. "Very well."
He was not without his own ideas though if none of Genkai's or Koenma's solutions had any effect on the situation.
