Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ You Lose, Miko! ❯ This is a Good Game ( Chapter 4 )

I don't own any part of Inyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. I make no money from this fic.

 

 

“Mikos kill youkai. That is why they exist.”

 

“Some do,” Kagome agreed pleasantly. “So do I when I have to do it, but it is much better to make friends.”

 

“Hn. I was right. You are mental. Be prepared. I will attack you and your family as I please.” Then he vanished into the trees.

 

 

Chapter 4: This is a Good Game

 

 

 

Kagome walked to school Monday morning. She appreciated the break. She knew she was in good physical condition but also realized she had lost some endurance since her time in the Sengoku Jidai. Suddenly she sensed a youkai and felt her shoulder pushed at the same time. She fell. Before she could get up she sensed something else and threw up a barrier. Hiei hit against it and flitted off, but she could hear him say,

 

“It's pink, miko. You lose.”

 

She looked around but he was gone. Kagome stayed alert the rest of the way to school. She relaxed a little once she got around more people. She remembered one of the rules was that he couldn't attack her in public as he wasn't supposed to be noticed by normal humans.

 

At the end of the day Kagome said goodbye to her friends and walked towards the shrine. She stayed alert. She was almost at the top of the stairs when she heard Souta shout, “Hey, who are you? Awwkk.” Kagome dropped her books and ran up the remaining stairs. She threw a large barrier up to take in Souta.

 

“Hn. Miko, it doesn't work if I am inside the barrier,” Hiei said with a smirk in his voice. He had Souta under one arm with the other around his throat.” Souta looked scared.

 

“Uh, friend of yours, Kagome? Please tell me he's a friend.”

 

“You lose, miko.”

 

“I see it as more of a draw,” Kagome responded bravely. “You have Souta but are trapped inside my barrier. You can't get out without being purified.”

 

“So?” He raised an eyebrow dismissively. “I am in control. You would not trade your brother's life for a chance to kill me.” Souta looked really worried at that.

 

“Onee san?”

 

Kagome dropped her barrier. “You're right.”

 

“You lose, miko.” He gave her a tiny grin and then flashed by her to scratch her arm before vanishing. `This is easy,' he thought, `and fun.' Already he knew he could manipulate the miko better with threats to her family rather than to her. This was a good game. He wasn't bored.

 

--- ----

 

That evening Kagome talked to her family. All she had told them Sunday was that Genkai had agreed to train her. Now she explained they were part of the training. Once they understood that he would not actually harm them Souta and Mama took it fairly well, but Grandpa was indignant.

 

“Don't you worry. My ofudas will set him straight if he dares try anything in my presence.”

 

“Grandpa, he won't try anything when I am not around. The whole point of it is to get practice and make me protect you.”

 

“I can protect you,” Grandpa said. Suddenly Kagome had had enough.

 

“No, Grandpa, you can't. I love you dearly, but I don't want you to continue insisting you have power. You don't.”

 

“Why my ofudas…”

 

“ARE USELESS! Grandpa, I am sorry, but they are not effective. I can't let you go on thinking they will do anything against a youkai. You have to recognize and accept that, especially now I know there are youkai in this time. You should have heard the way Inuyasha used to talk about them to Miroku.”

 

“Kagome,” Grandpa started to puff up.

 

“No, Grandpa. I'm sorry but you frighten me. I am really worried that if you met a hostile youkai you would try to put an ofuda on him instead of running away. You have to know the truth.” They stared at each other for a few moments and suddenly Grandpa deflated.

 

“I can sense the youkai. I know I can.” Grandpa said in a forlorn voice. Kagome relaxed at hearing this.

 

“I know you can, and you are still the best priest in all Japan. You know all the stories and the history, and take perfect care of the shrine. You are a wonderful priest; you're a wonderful Grandpa and I love you dearly.” Kagome hugged him really tight. “Besides,” she added with a small grin, “I'm your granddaughter. You had to give me some of those genes that make me a miko, right?”

 

Grandpa's shoulders straightened up again. “So I did; the best ones no doubt!”

 

Mama watched the two of them and smiled. “Have I told you lately how very honored I am that you are my daughter?”

 

“Mama!” Kagome was stunned.

 

“Hey,” said Souta. “Now that the gushing is over, can we have dinner?” Everyone laughed and dinner was a very convivial meal. They talked more about the changes over dinner. Mama still had a few concerns.

 

“Kagome, will this youkai hurt you?”

 

“I don't think so. He seems a little like Inuyasha, only much worse. At least Inuyasha knew his mother loved him and she taught him that his father loved him and his mother so much he gave his life for them. That is no small sacrifice for a long lived youkai. Hiei didn't even have the benefit of a loving mother and I don't know anything about his father.” She didn't tell them about the barrier incident when they first met. Rather, she told them that Kurama and Hiei had raced into the clearing, but not how dangerous the situation really had been.

 

“I may get a bruise or two, but it's a good way to practice both sensing youkai and creating barriers.”

 

“Alright. If it is what you want.” Mama decided it couldn't be more dangerous than letting her wander around the Sengoku Jidai with a somewhat naïve, albeit strong, hanyou. Mama had not mentioned it to Kagome but she was actually relieved she had met and traveled with two people as competent and mature as Miroku and Sango. She knew they had been young but also knew that children were raised to be adults at an earlier age back then. She paid close attention to the stories and realized that even though Miroku was a horrible flirt, he and Sango had a great deal of sense and were actually very grounded and rational individuals. She had trusted Kagome in their care as much as she had trusted in the phenomenal strength of Inuyasha to protect her.

 

“It is, Mama.”

 

Kagome could sense Hiei around the shrine that night, but everyone was inside and he made no attempt to enter the home.

 

--- ---- ----

 

As the days passed, Hiei and Kagome fell into a pattern of sorts. Hiei would attack going to or from school and usually both directions. If he had an opportunity, he attacked more than once in the same direction. Once she walked away from her friends during lunch. He flashed by and gave her a big bruise on her thigh.

 

“You lose, Miko.” He said. “You would be dead if I wanted you dead.”

 

“Lucky me you don't want me dead,” she said coyly.

 

“I have not yet cast my vote,” Hiei countered with a smirk.

 

Later that evening he attacked Mama as she and Kagome climbed up the steps after going grocery shopping, but Kagome felt the youkai approach and threw up a barrier around Mama and herself at the last second. It was still somewhat pink but very pale. Hiei drew his sword and attached the barrier, forcing her to maintain it. Two minutes later it fell and Hiei swept in close to scratch her. He followed that by hitting her with a small ball of energy. Kagome went down.

 

“You lose, miko. Two minutes will not protect anyone.” He eyed Mama and vanished.

 

“Kagome, are you alright? What did he do?” Mama was very concerned.

 

“I'm fine Mama. This is what he is doing. He attacks me to force me to defend myself.”

 

“It looked very painful.”

 

“It stung a bit, but really it was alright.”

 

“If you say so.” Mama somewhat reluctantly concluded she had to let Kagome make these decisions herself. Perhaps she would go visit this Genkai on a day when Kagome would be at school. She wanted some assurances from an adult that her daughter wouldn't be killed by this dark violent youkai.

 

 

--- - ---

 

That weekend Kagome went back to Genkai's shrine for more direct training. She took her bow and arrows with her, and showed Genkai what her spiritual energy could do through the arrows. Genkai was amazed, but didn't show it overtly. She told Kagome about training Chu, Jin and the others and remarked that it would certainly be interesting to use her attacks against them. She thought both the youkai and the miko would learn from the experience. Kagome was willing to do it as long as Genkai thought the youkai would be able to duck in time. Really she was more interested in Rinku. The idea of a young teenage youkai using yo-yos as a weapon sounded like something she would like to see. Considering what she had learned about Kagome and her attachment to the kitsune named Shippo, Genkai wasn't as surprised as she might otherwise have been. Genkai made a mental note that if she did introduce Rinku to Kagome, she would keep a close eye on them to make sure Kagome didn't spoil the kid.

 

Kagome spent the next day and half being worked to death. She shot a quiver full of arrows at the beginning of each day and another one at the end of each day. Genkai insisted she make the arrows as strong as possible. They radiated a pink aura in the beginning and Genkai lectured her on that. She said she wouldn't get stronger and have more energy to use as long as her energy still came out pink. On Saturday afternoon she made Kagome run to the tree in the middle of the forest and back again. Kagome was definitely glad she'd gone out for long distance running which at least gave her some of the physical endurance she'd had in the feudal era. She was allowed to carry her bow and arrows with her so she would be able to protect herself from anything that tried to attack her. The bats made a couple of attempts, but Kagome found the practice fending off Hiei's attacks came in handy. She felt their aura ahead of time and threw up a barrier. The barrier gave her time to get an arrow in her bow.

 

“Foolish ningen, do you think we can be hurt by something as simple as a bow and arrow. You wandered into the wrong part of the woods, little girl. Thank you for bringing dinner with you.” The bat leader grinned evilly at her.

 

“Sorry, but I have better things to do with my time than work as a delivery girl for you. You'd better let me pass if you know what's good for you,” Kagome said. “You wouldn't be the first bat youkai I've killed.” She had faced way too many dangerous youkai to be extremely concerned about this group. `Once you've faced down Lord Sesshoumaru and lived to tell the tale, there aren't a lot of others to worry about,' she thought with a tinge of amusement. She was a little worried about the number of them, but only one of them seemed to have significant power. Even the leader didn't seem nearly as powerful as a regular member of the colony she and Inuyasha had fought when they met the bat hanyou, Shiori. He certainly didn't come close to that colony's leader in power. Her only concern was their number. She watched as one of the underlings flew down to grab her. He wasn't even bothering to move quickly to avoid her arrow.

 

“Your choice,” she said, as she purified him with an arrow. She had another arrow in her bow instantly. The ability to rearm her bow was another useful talent she had picked up in the sengoku jidai.

 

“MIKO!” The leader hissed in horror. The rest of the colony hissed amongst themselves. “Miko.” “Miko.” “Miko.” Several of them moved to strategically place branches between themselves and the dangerous creature in front of them. Kagome didn't worry much about them. She kept her bow targeted on the leader, who looked both angry and disgusted.

 

“What is happening to this forest? Genkai is ruining it. This used to be a wonderful place to live. It was a little bit of the Makai in the Ningenkai. Then Genkai took on that loud mouthed ningen boy about 5 years ago and the place has been getting worse ever since. There are powerful ningen all over the forest and the youkai who do come here to work with Genkai won't attack ningen. What's next? Will ningen be bringing school field trips of children through here and go on picnics? Where did you come from, miko?

 

Kagome gave him her trademarked grin and replied, “My mother gave birth to me about 18 years ago. That's all you need to know.”

 

The bat just growled and then the entire colony took off through the trees. Kagome kept her arrow notched in her bow and continued probing with her senses. She still sensed a bit of youki around but it seemed vague and not particularly threatening. She started jogging again towards the tree in the middle of the forest. She had lost time dealing with the colony.

 

Hiei watched her go and continued to follow at a distance. `So she will kill youkai when she needs to,' he thought. Despite her claims of having killed dozens of youkai, he had been beginning to wonder if she was so mental she wouldn't kill even if her life was in danger. Hiei had heard Genkai's plans and followed Kagome deeper into forest. He was careful to keep his aura down so she wouldn't notice him. He knew every threat the forest had to offer and while he enjoyed the exercise, he didn't think the miko could handle it yet. He had watched her taking the direct route towards the tree and straight into the path of that colony of bat youkai. Hiei had been ready to kill them all if it looked like the miko would really be hurt. This game of `Attack the miko' was way too much fun to stop now. He certainly didn't want it to end because the miko got herself killed by an entire colony of weak bat youkai attacking her at once.

 

 

 

Kurama came over Sunday morning and repeatedly attacked Kagome's barrier. He also spent some time talking to her about youkai and kitsune. She enjoyed talking to him about adult kitsune as it gave her some insight into what Shippo might be like as an adult.

 

[Just to get her used to us, Kurama. We want to be helpful.]

 

{Youko, she is an interesting young woman. She is worth talking to aside from the possibility of having sex with her.}

 

[Sure kit, whatever you say] Youko replied, but there was a smirk in his voice.

 

*Kurama, you are distracting her. If you are going to attack her, then attack.* With that comment, Hiei flitted out of the trees and dashed past Kagome, pushing her onto the ground.

 

“Ackkk, I thought you were only attacking me during the week, Hiei,” Kagome complained.

 

“Foolish, onna. I will attack you where and as I please. An attack can come at any time from any direction.” Then Hiei ran towards her, forcing her to fling up a barrier. He kept attacking her until the barrier fell. This time it lasted about 3 minutes. He ran up and cut her arm before disappearing. “You lose, miko.”

 

“Hmm,” Genkai said. “I would have thought that Hiei would take advantage of the time you were at the temple to go about his business.”

 

“Perhaps he still does not trust me around Yukina and wants to make sure I don't suddenly decide to attack her.”

 

“Perhaps,” Kurama said politely.

 

[And perhaps the little fire youkai is annoyed that WE are planning to seduce the luscious miko. Every time we see her and talk to her, I am more and more in favor of that plan. She is just delicious] Youko commented with a smirk in his voice.

 

“BACK TO WORK.” You'll never achieve a colorless barrier just talking to Kurama.

 

“Yes, Genkai sensei.”

 

--- - --

 

On Sunday evening Kagome limped home. She was not injured as Yukina healed any bruises and cuts she had acquired during the previous two days, but she was tired and sore. A bath sounded like absolute heaven. She felt something on her mental radar.

 

“Not now,” she thought somewhat bitterly. She sighed even as her barrier went up. Then she realized the sense of youkai was coming from the top of the stairs.

 

“Let me go. I'm not afraid of you. My family has been priests for generations.” The angry voice could be heard clearly.

 

“Oh, no, it's grandpa.” She ran up the stairs, ignoring her fatigue. She knew grandpa had somewhat accepted he was not powerful spiritually, but she was still more than a little concerned he would annoy Hiei so much he really would get injured.

 

Suddenly she remembered her bow and arrows, and took the time to string the bow and grab several arrows. Kagome could string a bow very quickly. She saw them when she reached the top of the stairs.

 

“Let my Grandpa go, Hiei!”

 

“Make me, miko. I'm too close to him for you to separate us with a barrier. What do you plan to do? Ask me nicely?” Hiei smirked and grabbed the old man tighter. He was wriggling fiercely. “Stop struggling old man, or you really will be injured.”

 

His eyes widened as he saw the burning pink of an arrow's energy as it flashed towards him. He pushed the old man onto the ground and jumped into the goshinbuko a split second before the arrow would have hit him. `Hn. That… was actually close.' Hiei knew the arrow hadn't had enough power to kill him, but it would have definitely been painful. He stared down at Kagome who had another arrow in the bow and was aiming up at him from the base of the tree.

 

“Why did you push my grandfather down? You aren't supposed to hurt any of my family.”

 

“Perhaps you would have preferred to shoot him with an arrow,” Hiei said scathingly. “He was struggling so much I knew he would not avoid it.”

 

Kagome digested that. “You protected him.”

 

“No. I do not protect humans. I keep my promises. Your family will not be injured by our fights.”

 

Kagome just smiled up at him and lowered her arrow. “Thank you, Hiei.”

 

 

------- --------------- -----------

 

Chapter Five: Yukina and Kagome have a little talk about their favorite fire youkai, and Hiei finds out Kagome is more than she seems to be.

 

 

Fanfiction.Net:

Evil RULZ and Lovelywitch: Thank you for taking the time to review. I really appreciate it and hope you both like the next part. It doesn't seem like many people are reading it on fanfic.net, but I'll certainly continue to post it there anyway for the ones who are reading it. I think Shippo really is a great character and like to think about things he did in the manga and what he might have done as an adult. The only unrealistic part, in my opinion, is in 100 years Shippo would have caught up to Youko a time or two to demand his picture back. A determined fox is a successful fox. <g>

 

 

Mediaminer:

 

Madmiko (twice): thank you so much for your kind words. It really helps to be told what works and what grabs a reader into the story. I also appreciate the feedback on whether or not the characters are OOC. I've tried really hard to think about how the canon characters would react to a situation and what they would say. Hiei trusts virtually no one so it makes sense to me he certainly wouldn't trust some strange miko for quite some time.

 

My3rdeyes: I've become real attached to the Hiei/Kagome pairing also. I may write some other pairings eventually, but this pairing just seems to work for me. Have you visited Thedeadliestsin board at proboards.55.com? we talk about the characters and the pairing.

 

PrincessRock323: Thank you. Thank you. I'm really glad you like it.

 

ShinkanNeko: I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

 

Dusken_Dreamer53: I am SO GLAD you caved. Thank you. If it is any consolation to you, this fic should be finished and fully posted in less than a month, so you won't have too long to keep it on your radar. I appreciate your letting me know you found it worth reading despite how much else you have to read. <g>

 

Yue no Rei: You are so right. Mama worries about them but leaves it up to Kagome's discretion and Souta just enjoys the whole thing and assumes Hiei is another Inuyasha. Except that he's not, and Souta should know what happens when you assume. It's Grandpa who is the real problem. <g>

 

Delunatic: Kagome is talented at pushing a youkai's buttons. It really is a miracle she survived the feudal era. In this chapter, though, he gets to start pushing a few of hers.