In The Blood
By: Ryu Katanna
Beta:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter Fourteen
The Council meeting had lasted for two days after that. Finally, after having discussed a few ideas on how to handle the food situation, it had been decided that they would work with Kagome's idea as it was the most plausible one. Now she would have to write to Kurama to ask if he knew a way she could get in touch with Prince Koenma of Rekai for a meeting. Kagome would be acting as the official representative of Makai to speak with him. Meanwhile, Mukuro, Natsume, and Kujou would be working in the three territories to pool resources to build the 'farms' they would need to make the plan a reality.
Natsume said her goodbyes as she left for Gandara, and Kujou and Kagome had just turned to start in the direction of Tourin when they were stopped by Hiei. Kagome paused as the hybrid blocked their path and his red eyes seemed to study her as intently as they had the last couple of days. She had noticed he had been watching her closely since she had ejected him from her mind the first day of the Council meeting. Okay, so she could have been a little gentler and not used her reiryoku. In her defense though, she really didn't want anyone else in her head. She already had Midoriko, who while she would sleep unless Kagome called upon her for advice, was more than enough in her opinion.
"How may I help you, Hiei?" Her tone was soft as Kujou shifted to stand beside her.
"What are you, onna?" He asked after a moment with a glare when Kujou started smiling in amusement at the question.
'Oh, boy.' Kujou thought as he watched Kagome's expression shift.
There were certain things Kagome couldn't stand being called. He knew them well by now after spending over a year in her presence almost daily. After they had become friends they had shared a few stories of their pasts. He knew there were some things she would not tell, but he didn't mind it. Everyone had some things that were just too painful to talk about, or that they wanted to keep to themselves.
"My name is Kagome! Sound it out with me now. KA-GO-ME! It is not onna or anything else you can come up with you little fire toad!" Kagome vented as her annoyance with the demon before her spiked.
"Ah, Kagome, he's just as tall as you are." Kujou mumbled under his breath with a small chuckle as she then turned her eyes to him.
"You be quiet Kujou unless you want to be up to your eyes in my paperwork as well for the next two days on top of the workload you have waiting for you. Or you could try the punishment Seitei and the others received." She said with a pleasantly vindictive smile that had Kujou chucling as he held up his hand and shook his head before turning to look back at Hiei with a glare.
"I do not take orders from you. Now, answer the question. What are you?" Kagome sighed as he was just as rude as Yusuke described he could be.
Deciding to play with him a little Kagome allowed the mischievous smile to cross her lips as she looked back at him. Oh, she had heard enough from Yusuke about Hiei. He was similar to Sesshomaru in some ways, but in others, they would be polar opposites. His energy was also very similar to another she had felt before. Two sides in conflict with each other. Ever at war inside his very being.
"I am many things. I am a friend to some, a sister to a few, a mother of one, a Lady of Makai, and more. To which are you referring?" She asked innocently only for Kujou's snickers to give away that she was doing it deliberately.
Hiei's growl could be heard clearly across the twenty feet between them. He did not have much patience for her games. Seeing that this would get them nowhere, Kagome decided that she would speak with him. He was Yusuke's friend, and her brother trusted him. Had fought with him. She would tell him what he wanted to know, but she wanted to know she could trust him for herself first.
"I will not tell you here, Hiei. I can not trust you even if you were once my brother's comrade. What I will do is invite you to my stronghold in Tourin. If you really want to know then come for a visit to my home. We can get to know each other, and if before you leave, I find I trust you enough then I will tell you."
Hiei's eyes gleamed as he watched her while she spoke. She would not tell him now no matter if he were to threaten her. If he were to do that then he did not doubt the male standing beside her would step in. She was a High Lady who currently ruled over two of the three territories. If he were to attack her unprovoked then he could cause problems for Alaric with both Tourin and Gandara. Enki, the current King, seemed to have taken a liking to the girl and Mukuro would not like him causing more issues for her. Regardless of all that, he could see she could be just as stubborn as the other of her family he knew well. There would be no point in pushing her here.
This female had conscious control of her power. Enough to have sensed his presence in her mind, and to push him out. It was the very same power that had burned his Jagan without any physical link. He was no fool, and any power she held was an unknown to him. No, to attack her now would be of no advantage to him at all. He would have to play by her rules if he desired to know.
"Hn." Hiei tilted his head in acceptance to her invitation.
Normally he would not care enough to go through so much effort as the visit Tourin and make nice. He would do so this time because those were her conditions, and because of this damnable curiosity she had lit within him. An energy with enough strength to force back the Jagan eye… He had to know what had the power to do that. She was the only one with a seat on the council who had not competed in the Makai Tournament, and so her capabilities were unknown even to Mukuro.
"Wonderful. Stop by whenever you have the time. Yusuke has spoken highly of you. I look forward to getting to know you for myself." Kagome's tone was pleasant as she smiled before he left with such speed there was only a blur of movement.
"You are having way too much fun baiting him, Kagome. Now you've invited him home to the stronghold? What are you thinking? He is Mukuro's second." Kojou didn't understand why she had done as she did.
"He is indeed Lady Mukuro's second, but right now we are all working together toward the same goals. My brother has told me stories of the times they fought together. Yusuke trusts him. I want to know if I can as well. It could never hurt to have another ally." Kagome explained as they started running again back to the stronghold in Tourin.
"Yes, but to you, we all become more to you than just allies. You want him as a friend as well, don't you?" Kojou asked her as he thought about it.
He had found that Kagome was just that kind of person. She was a social and understanding creature, and so she made friends easily. She was also quick to trust others, and that worried Kujou. He worried that one day she would put her faith in the wrong person, but he also knew how strong she was. Her short height and seemingly delicate image were both deceptive. He had spent enough time training with her to know, and he also knew that he had yet to witness the extent of her strength.
"Maybe." She smiled before speeding up even more.
The way she spoke was tender yet sad as she thought of her friends from the past and all the people she had met in the time since coming to live in Makai. She knew he was right. After everything that had happened, she knew that what she needed now were friends. She wanted allies to help achieve her goals, but she needed friends to give her a reason to keep moving forward once that goal had been achieved.
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"I thought I would find you here." The redhead smiled as the young woman in front of him turned to face him with a smile of her own.
"Kurama?! I was not expecting you!" Kagome said as she scrambled to her feet from where she had been sitting in front of Raizen's grave as the sun was rising.
"I thought to surprise you after your last letter." He said as she shifted the hair from her ponytail back over her shoulder to fall in waves down her back.
"Well, it's good to see you. How have you been, and how is life in the human world?" She asked while brushing the dirt from her legs.
It had been almost two weeks since the council meeting had been held, and she had returned to Tourin with Kujou. She had written Kurama in hopes that he would know an easy way for her to set up a meeting with Koenma. They had been keeping in contact since their time spent at Genkai's and Kagome knew that he would be her best bet for arranging a meeting.
Yusuke may have been able to do the same, but she still wasn't speaking to him. He had tried writing to her a couple times, but those letters still sat unopened in her study. She wasn't truly angry with him anymore. Kagome knew he had honestly thought he was helping her. The problem was that she just wasn't ready to completely forgive him yet.
"I have been well. Nothing new has really happened since my last letter. College is interesting and has been keeping me busy. We have not had any demons out to cause trouble in almost two months so things have been pretty mellow." He replied as he followed her back toward the tower.
"That is good. We have had to tighten the patrols on the borders. Thank you for letting me know that it was needed. It has been two years, and some are getting restless and impatient."
"You mean the ones who eat humans." Kurama said with a nod of understanding.
"Yes. They are getting hungry, and so we held a meeting of the Council two weeks ago. That is why I wrote to you about arranging a meeting for me with Prince Koenma. We think we have what could work as the best solution to the problem, but Reikai may not see it as such…" Kagome said as she went on to tell him what they had discussed about the 'farms' that they would build in the three territories.
Kurama was silent for a few minutes as he thought of everything she was telling him. They had entered the tower quietly and seated themselves in one of the sitting rooms as a servant brought them some tea. He could see where there would be some problems with this plan, but he also knew that something needed to be done. With a percentage of the population only eating humans then there was no way around it if they wanted things to improve rather than deteriorate. If a food source was not made available then those demons would go looking for what they needed to survive.
"I can see where this would be a problem for both sides. What will you do if the spirit world is opposed to it?" Kurama asked only to give a small smile as he could see the steel in her eyes.
"If they seek to work against us then we won't really have any choice. I do not want to fight with them, but even so, I will not watch those of Makai starve. Not when there is something we can do about it. Demons and humans both have the right to live, and food is essential. This is the best option we have without effecting the humans of Ningenkai." She replied as she folded her hands together in her lap.
The room was silent for several minutes as he watched her and thought about what she was saying. She was one of the leaders of the demon world as it was now. Kagome was currently the Lady of two of the three territories and had the backing of both Lady Mukuro and the current King and his council on this plan. Never had the demonic leaders been so united before as they were now.
As a Lady of Makai, he knew that Kagome would do what she had to for the people who lived in the territories she watched over. Yusuke had told him more about the time before Raizen's death, and what Kagome had done to help him with the pain. Pain caused by the ongoing starvation many in the demon world would be faced with if something was not done. His attention was called back to her as she spoke again.
"Will you help me, Kurama? As Lord Yomi's second, and as a friend. Help me to set up a meeting so I can at least try talking to Prince Koenma? I'm sure that there must be some way that we can work this out without too much conflict." Her voice was almost pleading, and Kurama knew she really didn't want to fight with Rekai.
"I already have. Koenma will meet with you the day after tomorrow at Genkai's. He said you would be permitted in Ningenkai for only the day of the meeting. I'm here to visit with you, and to get you there." He told her as he could see her eyes widen in surprise.
"You already set up the meeting without knowing why I had asked? Wait a minute! It takes almost a week to get there. How are we supposed to do that by then?" Kagome asked; a little worried.
It could hurt their chances to work this out with Reikai if she didn't make the meeting on time. That was the last thing she wanted. Looking at her friend she could see that he was trying to calm and reassure her when he spoke.
"I knew you wouldn't have asked unless you had a reason, and from what you've told me I'm glad I did. I have a communicator with me to contact Botan when we are ready to go. She'll open a portal to Genkai's for us." He smiled slightly as she released a small breath in relief before continuing.
"Koenma was open to a meeting, but he had a few stipulations. I've already told you about one of them, but there's more. He wants Yusuke, and a few others of us to be there."
"He doesn't trust me, and so he needs you guys for protection?" Kagome asked even though she already knew that's exactly what it was.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. He just doesn't know you well, and with your heritage… he's a little uneasy with a private meeting. I tried telling him there wasn't a need for all of us to be there." He tried to explain only to stop when she waved her hand in a gesture that she understood.
"It's not your fault Kurama. It's partly for those very same reasons that I told him I wouldn't step foot back into the human world. I doubt it helped when Yusuke forced me to break my word. Well, I suppose it's a good thing that Hiei will be here tomorrow then. He can go with us to the meeting if he wishes." She said with a small sigh.
"Hiei is coming here? I did not realize you two were on speaking terms." Kurama asked in a bit of surprise.
"Yes he is, and we're not. Not really. We had a bit of an altercation after the last meeting. He tried to use the Jagan to read my mind and got a bit of a shock as he was shoved out. I think I've made him curious about me since I refused to tell him how I did so. Kept asking me what I am, anyway. So I told him that if he came to visit for a few days I might tell him if after that if I thought I could trust him. He accepted my offer." Kagome explained with a look of bemusement as Kurama chuckled.
"Hiei really isn't one to back down from a direct challenge. Will you tell him?"
"I may, but it all depends. I had wanted to keep my reiryoku a secret to all but those I trust with the knowledge. Mostly to have an advantage, but I also do not want to be viewed as a threat more than I already am. That would draw too much attention and could disrupt the progress we have made recently. I will if it means it will help my people." Kagome replied as she shifted in her seat a bit.
Drawing even more attention was the last thing she wanted. Raizen had been right to try to keep her existence a secret. The Shikon No Tama may have passed into legend for the most part, but there were still others who may try to seek it out just for the rumor of its power. The temptation of power always corrupts, and she had no desire to reveal its continued existence. Few knew of her being a Miko before her awakening. If that knowledge became widespread it could open the door for even more questions. The last truly powerful Miko known had been herself five hundred years ago as few had needed the skill to use their power after the barrier had been raised. It would be then that pieces of the puzzle may be brought together to tell the telling truth of who she was.
At the same time, many already knew. Those who had trained with her at the stronghold, her father's old friends, and Yusuke's friends that had been at Genkai's that day. It was only a matter of time, really. Soon, even Hiei may be entrusted with that knowledge. If she could use who she was as a means to ensure the future of her people, of the continued relative peace of Makai as a whole, then that was what she would do.
She was the Shikon Miko of legend. She was the daughter of Raizen. A Lady of Makai. There was no need for anyone to ever know that she and the Shikon No Tama were one and the same. She had not even told Yusuke or her father. That was something she would never tell anyone save for those who alread knew because they were there that day. Sesshomaru already knew, and the value he placed on her existence had nothing to do with that information. Only one other would ever be told, and that was her son.
"Will you be alright seeing Yusuke?" He asked as he nodded in acknowledgment of what she had said before changing the subject.
"I think so. I am not really mad at him anymore. Mostly, it just irritates me that he did not listen to me. He is my brother though, and I can not ignore him forever. I just hope he does not choose to fight me about the reason I have to meet with Prince Koenma." She told him with a small scowl at the thought before continuing.
"I will talk to him, and try to explain again. In some ways, I do not think he has fully accepted that he truely is not human anymore. I can not say that I have even an idea of what he will have to say when he hears what we have planned now. Yusuke can be unpredictable sometimes."
"You are right about that. He has lived in Makai long enough to know how things are here though. He may just surprise us." Kurama agreed as they heard a firm knock on the door.
"Enter." Kagome called before the door opened.
"So this is where you've disappeared to. You didn't show up for our sparring match today. Is anything wrong?" Kujou asked when he entered only to notice the slightly pensive look on Kagome's face.
"Oh! I am sorry Kujou. I should have let you know we have a visitor. Kurama, this is my second for the Tourin territory. Kujou was an old friend of my father. His sister Natsume is currently acting as my second in Gandara until you or Lord Yomi return. Kujou, I've told you about Kurama before. He has been kind enough to arrange for an audience with Prince Koenma for me." Kagome introduced them as Kujou settled into the seat beside her.
They spent the next while going over plans for the meeting with Prince Koenma as well as discussing various things that had been happening in Makai. Kagome smiled as she watched the two males interact. Their world was changing, and the people of Makai were coming to know more comfortable lives. While nothing like with the humans in Ningenkai, it was theirs. It was only a matter of time before her hopes for them all would be realized. The relative peace of Makai all hinged now on Koenma's answer.
Somehow, she still doubted he would be very agreeable.
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Hello readers. I'm sorry it has taken so long to get things posted. I have been so busy with family problems, that I really haven't had time. Honestly, it's a small miracle that I've gotten to spend some of that time with Mouko. She's promised me that she will get around to doing the Beta work when she can, but she has been crazy busy at work. I'm talking to the point that she might as well live there. It's not over yet as I will have to be traveling out of state again soon, but I will try to update when I am able. You'll just have to keep being patient with me.
I hope you all liked this chapter. I'll try to get started on the next chapter soon, but I really don't know when I'll be about to update. Let me what you thought of this chapter!
~Ryu
Edited: 06/22/2023
