Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Change Your Fate ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Change Your Fate

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha. Still wish I did but I don't. They belong to Togashi and Takahashi respectively.

A/N: Thanks to all read, followed, favourited, kudo'd, and commented on the first chapter. I appreciate everything! This is a setting up chapter, focused solely on the YuYu boys getting their shit together and figuring out what they gotta do to save the world again. You know same old, same old. Just a note: In Japan, school runs differently. First term is April - July/Summer Break/Second term is September - December/Winter Break/ Third term is January – March. This part takes place sometime in February.  

 

 

A normal day in the Reikai usually saw Koenma frantically stamping forms, his tiny toddler form sweating furiously under mounds of paperwork and his blue pacifier savagely being sucked with the force of being under pressure. Jorge, his bumbling but dedicated ogre, would dash in, arms loaded with a tower of new forms for Keonma to stamp. Koenma was never too happy about being stuck behind a desk, stamping his life away, but today, he wished it was all he was doing.  

  

Today, Koenma slumped behind his desk, hands clasped in front of him, almost as in a silent prayer to himself. He was in his teenage form, his slightly shaggy hair barely covering the JR mark on his forehead. Although he was not stamping anything, his form still seemed to tremble as he was too nervous to even think straight. His body shook in anxiety and fear for the meeting he was about to hold with the great Daiyokai Sesshomaru. Koenma wasn't stupid, he knew the immense power the Western leader held, and being an Upper S class demon meant Koenma had to get a special request put in with his father to have a special portal opened. These portals could only be issued by Enma himself, a special reverse ward that only he or Koenma could activate after feeding it a bit of their energy and throwing it on a wall. Instead of keeping something contained, it created an opening when the destination was written on it. Koenma had only seen it once before, when his father had called Mukuro, Raizen and Yomi to the Rekai to try and form a treaty 500 years ago.  Surprisingly,  his father granted him permission right away, and Koenma wondered if he somehow already knew this was coming.  

 

   

************

  

Koenma didn't know what this meeting would be about, but he knew the instant he saw his large doors opening and Jorge escorted in a small, frog looking imp demon that he wouldn't like it. He wielded a staff with two heads and carried a small crystal ball. The imp gave a small bow, introduced himself as Jaken and spoke in a high, annoying voice, "Lord Sesshomaru, ruler of the West, wishes to seek an audience with you about the Shikon No Tama. He has sent me with a message."   

 

Jaken threw the crystal at the wall at Koenma's nod. A great fog emerged and the towering and mighty form of Sesshomaru appeared. Koenma knew it was a pre-recorded message, but the sight of the great demon still made his eyes widen and a cold sweat emerged all over his body. There was no denying he was a powerful demon lord and he understood why Mukuro, Yomi and Raizen did not engage them in their argument about using humans as fodder. His eyes were striking, his face stoic, and his body language read 'Do not fuck with me.'   

 

"As you may know Koenma," Sesshomaru started, his cold drawl filling up the room, "It has come time when the past and present lineup. Six months from today, Inuyasha and his group will encounter Naraku one last time. I trust you have been keeping up with the developments of the Jewel as I have been keeping up with your new detective Yusuke Urameshi. I will be visiting one week from today to meet with you in person. Have your detective ready."   

 

With that, his figure disappeared and Jaken took his leave, giving one last short bow to Koenma. Koenma leaned back in his chair and held his face in his hands. He had been so busy with getting  Yusuke ready to battle with Toguro, he had completely forgotten about the whole Shikon No Tama/Time traveling business.   

 

The Reikai knew all about Kagome, a young girl falling down a time traveling well, the last Miko of her kind, reincarnated from the high Priestess Kikyo. The Reikai kept tabs on her, but she was doing exactly as planned so they didn’t interfere. They knew it would only be a matter of time though before the final battle. Both Naraku and Inuyasha's group would face off in a final showdown and....something would happen. Koenma signed again, spitting himself for not remembering what happened at the end of her journey. He was supposed to be on top of this!

 

"Jorge!" He yelled out, and his faithful blue org ran back into the office as quick as he could.  

 

"Oh Koenma sir, you remembered my name again! You really are getting fond of m-"

 

"Would you shut up!" Koenma yelled, his eye twitching in irritation. I need you to go to the history vault and look up everything we have on the Shikon No Tama, Time Travel and Kagome Higurashi. We only have one week to get...whatever it is he wants to do ready."

 

"And what do we need to get ready for, sir?" Jorge asked, writing everything down on a pad of paper he seemed to pull out of thin air, or his loincloth.

 

"Well...if I'm remembering correctly, the time traveling Miko got stuck. But I can't remember how or where. Bring me what you can. OH! And also, any books on time travel and any books about items that let us time travel."

 

Jorge nodded as he scribbled everything down and raced out the doors.  

 

Koenma leaned back in his chair, furiously sucking on his pacifier.  

 

'He better not expect me to have some magical time travel device,' he thought with a frown.  

 

Standing up abruptly, his chair crashing to the floor behind him, Koenma sped out his own doors as well. If he was correct, he would have to pay a little visit to the Reikai vault for help.  

 

 

"You don’t have to be such a bitch, Keiko! I said I was sorry for being late."

 

"It wasn't that you were late Yusuke, it's that you didn't show up at ALL. You just happened to be walking around downtown and if I hadn't spotted you ducking into the alley you wouldn't have even shown up!"

 

Their fights were getting worse, he knew it, she knew, everyone in a 10 mile radius who wasn't deaf knew it. Keiko was stressed and leaving for college while Yusuke was coming down from his Dark Tournament win high on life. Even though she had been there, watching and supporting, she had gone into shock thinking he was going to get himself killed. She remembered not even being able to move at one point because all she could imagine was his death.

 

But no one, including Yusuke, had asked her how she was. They just assumed that everything would go back to normal, that life would be normal. But it wasn't. Keiko had seen things she never thought possible, she felt things that she didn't understand. When they came back, Keiko tried to make it work, she tried to be normal again, but all she could think about was the rest of her life like this.  

 

Being with someone who had a death wish.  

 

She didn't fault Yusuke, fighting had always been apart of his life, but there was only so much she could take. And there's only so much she could give him. He would want more and more, putting himself and possibly her in danger just to get a thrill.  

 

They tried scheduling dates, but Yusuke was always off in his own little world, probably relieving every fight in his head over and over again.  

 

Yusuke had an annoyed look on his face, which softened once he saw her distant stare.  

 

"Look Keiko, I'm sor-"

 

"It's okay Yusuke, I'm sorry too. Listen...can we go to for a walk and talk?"

 

Yusuke shrugged and the two of them walked silently down a side street, coming along a path that was deserted.  

 

"Listen..." Keiko started, her voice wavering and unsure. She cleared her throat, and her thoughts, and started again.  

 

"Listen, I'm going away in two months for school. I'm going to be gone everyday, only back for holidays and breaks."

 

Yusuke put his arms behind his head, staring straight ahead.  

 

"I know," he replied softly.  

 

"I can't give you what you want Yusuke." Keiko had stopped walking, her head down, a few tears falling from her eyes. A slight breeze came by and rustled her shoulder length hair and knee length skirt.  

 

"...I know," he replied, again softly. "It's not your fault. We just both changed. You deserve someone smarter, better, who can protect you- I mean I can protect you, but I’ll probably always be getting into fights so you'd need protecting from the shit I bring home. It's not fair to you."

 

He reached forward, and with surprising gentleness, he wiped her tears away. She was reminded of him when they were kids, he was still a punk but so gentle with her.   

 

"You deserve someone who understand you completely Yusuke. I wanted to be that, but I can't and I've come to terms with it. I will always love you...as a friend."

 

"As a friend," Yusuke echoed. They gave each other soft smiles, real ones that meant everything would be okay.  

 

"I'm going to head home, goodbye Yusuke."

 

Yusuke knew deep down that that goodbye would be the last until he possibly saw her again over the holidays. He was okay with everything, and he honestly felt like a little weight had been taken off his shoulders. Sighing, he threw his hands in his pocket and started the trek home.  

 

He took about two steps before his communicator went off.  

 

"What do you want toddler breath?"

 

Koenma's face twitched angrily on the screen.  

 

"You know, you should really respect me more Yusuke! I do so much for you and this is the th-"

 

"What do you want Koenma?" Yusuke asked, cutting him off with an eye roll.

 

Koenma huffed, "Well, I need you to come to the Reikai in 3 days. I'll send Botan to bring a portal. Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei must come as well. You'll be gone about six months this time, so make sure you pack and meet at Genkai's by noon."

 

"6 months?! How the hell am I going to convince them to come with me for 6 months? Kuwabara and Kurama start school in two weeks."

 

"I've already got that arranged. We fixed their records so they start at the second term and they we can fix it from there after. You'll be back by the end of August if not sooner if everything goes according to plan."

 

"If what goes according to plan?" Yusuke raged, feeling so confused.  

 

"I'll explain later. I have a lot of things to prepare so go tell the others, stat!"

 

The communicator went dark and Yusuke grumbled. Walking off, he kicked a rock pretending it was Koenma's head.  

 

"Damn baby, giving me only three days to get everything freaking ready."

 

Yusuke went and searched for his friend and teammates.  

 

 

"You hag, that was cheating!"

 

"It's not cheating you dimwit, I just know how to play the game properly."

 

Genkai and Yusuke sat side by side on her living room floor, eyes focused on the television screen ahead. Genkai was kicking Yusuke's ass in the newest release of their favorite street fighting game.

 

Hiei lay on the window sill, his impeccable balance keeping him upright. His head was leaned back and his eyes closed, but everyone knew he was far from sleeping.  

 

Kuwabara, Kurama and Yukina sat on the couches, making light discussion about their pushed back schooling. Kuwabara had taken it easily, having no problem starting later in the year to complete the mission. Kurama had simply told his mother he had received a great opportunity to do an internship before college began because of his high marks in high school. Yukina chimed in wishing she could experience the human version of schooling and friends.  

 

"Didn't you have friends on the floating island?" Kuwabara asked her, his hands clasping hers.  

 

"Well...yes," Yukina began, not noticing Hiei had opened his eyes to slits and had barely turned his head towards her. "But it was very lonely there still. Everyone knew I had a brother and that made everyone distant. They believed him to be forbidden and in turn, I was forbidden as well. My best friend was actually a friend of my mother's, Rui. Rui had confided to me that the Elders had made her throw my brother off the cliff when he was born, but I do not blame her. She was distraught when she told me and she begged my mother for forgiveness many times. I think my mother forgave her, but not herself and she..." Yukina's voice became strained and Kuwabara squeezed her hand, letting her know she could continue only if she so pleased. "She killed herself a few years later. Rui took care of me then and it was her that gave me the courage to leave the island. I need to find my brother. If I was alone surrounded by people of my own kind, I cannot imagine the pain he felt living with those who could never understand. But I understand, and I want him to know that we don't ever have to be alone again."  

 

A single tear rolled how her cheek, almost crystallizing into a Hiruseki before Kuwabara gently wiped it away. He gave her a hug and Yukina melted into his embrace easily. She didn't notice that Yusuke, Kurama or Genkai was staring straight at a stunned Hiei. Before anyone could say anything, the temple door slid open and Botan's bubbly face popped into view.  

 

"Hello everyone!" She said cheerily. "We're a little behind schedule so please grab your bags and come with me quick, quick. I want to get you through the portal before Koenma bites my head off."  

 

Yusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara grabbed their packs from the corner of the room. Koenma had called Yusuke a few hours later after telling him to get everyone ready and told him that a large backpack would suffice because they would be camping for the majority of the time. Yusuke and Kuwabara's bags were normal sized, filled mostly with socks and boxers and some toiletries. Kurama's was a little more bulky, with several fighting outfits, camping supplies and extra toiletries for Hiei and because he knew Yusuke and Kuwabara would forget something like toothpaste. Hiei carried nothing but his sword and cloak and those were already on him. Kuwabara said a loud goodbye to Yukina, promising to visit her as soon as they returned and headed out the door.  

 

"Be careful dimwit," Genkai said, right before Yusuke was about to walk out the door.

 

Yusuke stopped and stared at her, "Be careful? Wait do you know what's going on?"

 

"Not necessarily but I have a hunch. Be careful."  

 

Yusuke nodded and with that he followed the others out the door. Botan had opened a small purple portal right in the courtyard, and Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei had already stepped through to the Reikai.  

 

"Hurry up now, Yusuke! We don't have all day," Botan chided him, floating on her oar.

 

"I'm coming, I'm coming! See ya, granny!" Yusuke gave one last wave towards Genkai and hopped into the portal after his teammates. Botan zoomed in after the boys, and will a soft pop, the portal closed.  

 

Genkai grunted in response and went back into her temple, ready to practice more of her game before Yusuke came back.  

 

'He nearly beat me on that last match, that little punk.'  

 

 

Yusuke gaped at the change of scenery around him. The usual blue tiled walls were covered by beautiful tapestries of red and gold designs. The floor, usually scuffed and littered with paper had been buffed clean and glistened in the light of a few large gold chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. Koenma's desk had been removed and instead three large cushioned white couches sat in the middle of the room, angled to face the screen on Koenma's wall. In the middle was a solid oak table, and on it sat a beautiful pocket watch concealed in a glass case.  

 

"Wow!" Kuwabara squealed out excitedly. "It's like a mansion living room in here. Those couches look good enough to sleep on."

 

"I doubt Koenma would want us to touch the couches, or anything else Kuwabara," Kurama said, his eyes never leaving the pocket watch on the table. He felt his fingers twitch and he calmed the Yoko spirit inside him.  

 

'Is that what I think it is?' Yoko's voice rang out through his head, and Kurama felt a twitch of excitement pass through him.

 

'And what exactly do you think it is?' Hiei's voice had entered his head as well. He looked unimpressed with everything, but he secretly admitted to himself that the oaf was right, those couches did look comfy.  

 

'I think that is the ultimate item used for time travel,' Kurama began to explain to Hiei.  'A pocket watch,  that when held or worn can be used to transport the person back or forward in time as they so chose. I knew it existed but I didn't know the Reikai had it.'

 

The large doors opened and Koenma, in his teenage form and dressed in a black tux, white dress shirt and red bowtie stepped into his office.  

 

"Oh good, you're here. I forgot to mention to you all to dress nicely so Botan was kind enough to pick out some outfits for you. Please take a bag from her and get dressed, quickly. He will be here any minute.'  

 

Koenma took a seat on one of the couches, his legs crossed and a stern look on his face. The group had seen him nervous before, but this was different.  

 

"Who's he anyways? What is this? Why do we have to get changed?" Yusuke asked, taking the bag from Botan and stripping off his shirt.  

 

"Wait! We can't change in front of Botan, she's a lady!" Kuwabara yelled out, his cheeks a deep red.  

 

"Oh stop it, Kuwabara," Botan said, handing him a bag. "It's nothing I haven't seen before," she said with a small giggle and a wink. Kuwabara flushed even more and grumbled, hiding behind one of the open doors.  

 

Kurama took his bag graciously with a thank you, but Hiei would have none of it.  

 

"Hiei, you need to get changed." Botan tried to thrust the bag at him, but Hiei simply took a step back.  

 

"I will remain wearing, what I'm wearing," he said threatening, his hand lightly grabbing his sword and a scowl on his face.  

 

"Hiei, please get dressed," Koenma said exasperated. 'I need a raise,' he thought to himself before remembering he didn't get paid for this. Hiei gave him a look, but grabbed the bag from her with a glare.  

 

"Hey Koenma, you still haven't answered my question," Yusuke said irritably as he buttoned and zipped the black slacks Botan had picked up. He had to hand it to her, she was pretty dead on with his sizing. His green dress shirt fit snuggly against his chest and he tucked them into his slacks and left it unbuttoned on the very top. The black blazer she had grabbed was left unbuttoned as well. He didn't mind dressing up but he felt restricted when everything was all closed off.  

 

"You're meeting with a very important and powerful demon, Yusuke," Koenma said, finally looking up at him. "He was there when the battle of the Shikon No Tama took place and he needs....assistance with fixing a problem that occurred with it. I'm not 100% sure if I'm right with what needs to happen, but he'll explain everything when he gets here."  

 

"The Shikon No Tama? Lord Sesshomaru is coming?" Kurama asked, his eyes narrowing in alarm. Botan had grabbed him a dark blue suit with a pure white dress shirt and blue tie. Unlike Yusuke, Kurama had buttoned everything completely, and knotted his tie with a quick but elegant knot. His long red hair was a stark but lovely contrast to the blue of the suit. He took a seat on the couch opposite Koenma.  

 

"Sesshomaru? Isn't that that old dog who runs the Western lands?" Hiei said, taking a seat on the same couch as Kurama. Botan had kept it simple for him, black slacks, black dress shirt unbuttoned at the top and a dark red tie that he had loosely and unsuccessfully tried to knot after watching Kurama. He wouldn't put on the black blazer she had gotten him, and instead slung it over the back of the couch.  

 

Koenma gave him a panicked look, "Don't call him an old dog, what is he hears you?"

 

Hiei looked at him, his eyes narrowed in a glare.  

 

"Yes Hiei." Kurama was the one who answered. "He runs the Western lands of the Makai. As far as I know he keeps it pretty secluded though. I know he's powerful, upper S class last I heard but he keeps to his lands and the villages surrounding it. I know he has no quarrels with the other lords of Makai."  

 

"So this guy is super powerful and he's coming here?! What if he goes to the Ningenkai?!" Kuwabara asked, his voice hysterical. He had finally come out from behind the door dressed in a solid white tux with yellow bowtie. He and Yusuke took a seat on the same couch as Koenma, leaving the third couch bare for their guest.

 

"He won't go to the Ningenkai," Koenma said. "Although Sesshomaru has a ruthless record of being terrifying and a powerful leader, he also had several human villages in his land before the barrier. While he wasn't fond of humans, he left them alone and protected as long as they paid their taxes in food produce and other goods. Sometimes the villages would offer him sacrifices for some of the demons in his army that relied on human consumption. He also had a human ward named Rin who he became quite attached too when the battle for the Shikon No Tama took place."  

 

"You mentioned this Shikon No Tama already Koenma, what is it?" Yusuke asked, relaxing against the couch with his hands behind his head.   

 

"Well-" Koenma started before being interrupted by Botan and Jorge coming in the doors. Botan had quickly changed into a more formal pink kimono decorated with gold flowers and green leaves and a bright blue obi that matched her hair wrapped around her waist creating a large bow in the back. Jorge had forgone his traditional loincloth and instead donned a cream colored toga and his balding blonde hair had been loosely braided and tied back. Koenma stood up, as did Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei.

 

"Koenma, sir! I'm sorry to bug you but it's almost time!" Botan said.  

 

"Right. Jorge, the reverse ward please," Koenma said, his hand outstretched. Jorge ran forward and handed Koenma a slip of parchment with words decorating it. Heading towards one part of the wall where there was space between two tapestries, he channeled his energy into until it began to emit a soft blue light. Koenma flicked it towards the wall and it disintegrated as soon as it touched it. A blue crack began to appear in the air, and with a loud pop it expanded open into a large circle. Jaken stepped out first, and he tapped his staff on the floor twice.

 

"I present before your eyes, the great lord of the Western Land, the son of the late and great Inu no Taisho, the powerful Daiyokai Sesshomaru!"  

 

"Geeze, does he always pull out the full intro when he meets people?" Yusuke said lowly towards his friends. Kurama nudged him a little in the ribs but Kuwabara and Hiei snickered quietly.  

 

An imposing figure stepped out from the portal, his seven foot tall height towering over everyone in the room. His long silver hair was pin straight to his knees, the tips of his pointed ears just poking out. His bangs barely covered the purple crescent moon adorning his forehead, and his magenta strips stood out on his narrow aristocratic face. He was dressed like he had been for centuries: cloaked in an elegant white kimono, his royal birth symbolized by the cherry blossoms on the collar and sleeves, and solid white sashinuki hakama. The style had left the human world but was still fairly popular among nobility and money in the Makai. He had forgone the armour, seeing as this was a friendly meeting, and his mokomoko draped over his shoulder taking a good portion of the right side of his body.  

 

"Lord Sesshomaru," Koenma said, giving a slight bow in his direction. Sesshomaru nodded his head at him, his narrow golden eyes taking in the group of spirit detectives before him. Kurama gave a short bow in respect, and Kuwabara followed suit right after. Hiei and Yusuke looked to be sizing him up but gave a nod when Sesshomaru's eyes turned to each of them respectively.  

 

"This Sesshomaru is pleased that you could find time to see me under such short notice," Sesshomau said.  

 

'Well, not like you gave me a choice," Koenma thought, though his mouth said, "Absolutely, my pleasure. Please, take a seat won't you? Botan will bring in some tea."

 

"I have one more coming," Sesshomaru said, striding over to the couches and taking a seat in the middle couch. Jaken scurried after his master and took a seat on his knees at Sesshomaru's feet.  

 

Koenma blinked at him and a second later, another figure appeared out of the portal. He was about 6 feet tall and his brown-auburn hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. His green eyes held a look of mischief in them as six cream-coloured tails swayed back and forth excitedly. He was dressed formally as well, but didn't seem as put together as Sesshomaru. His kimono was dark green with gold leaves decorating it and he wore dark blue sashinuki hakama's. His feet were bare, just like when he had been a kit.  

 

"Man, one looks like Yoko and the other looks like a discount fox Kurama," Yusuke whispered to Kuwabara. Kurama shot him a look but moved closer to the newcomer, intent on introducing himself.  

 

"Hello, my name is Kurama," he said, giving Shippo a short bow. "That's Yusuke ("Yo!"), Kuwabara (small wave) and Hiei (faintest hint of a nod)," he finished.     

 

"Yo! I'm Shippo," the fox demon replied, giving a bow back. "I'm a friend of Sesshomaru's...well I wouldn't say friend, more like someone he's just stuck with. But he likes me too much to get rid of me, don't cha you old dog?!"  

 

Everyone except Jaken and Sesshomaru himself stared at Shippo stunned at what he had just said to the Inu Daiyokai.  

 

"It would be wise to stop making a fool of yourself Shippo," Sesshomaru said before resuming his conversation with Koenma.  

 

Shippo laughed a little and ran a finger through his bangs. "Sorry, I'm just so excited!"

 

"Excited about what?" Kuwabara asked.  

 

"That's exactly what were here to talk about," Koenma said standing. "Please everyone, sit."

 

At that moment, Botan came through the door pushing the cart carrying tea and small treats. Everyone sat on the couches, Shippo taking a seat beside Sesshomaru. Yusuke and Kuwabara took the seat with Koenma and Kurama and Hiei took the couch opposite them. Botan poured the tea and distributed the cups to faint murmuring's of thank yous.  

 

Koenma set his cup down and cleared his throat.  

 

"We, meaning Sesshomaru and myself, have asked you to come here to complete a mission for us. This mission will take approximately six months, with lots of camping, lots of trust building and lots of battles. We essentially need you to change the whole existence of a certain thing so life as we know it won't be in peril."

 

"You mean we need to change the history of the Shikon No Tama," Kurama said, staring at Koenma.  

 

"Exactly."

 

"Okay, well wait just a second, what even is the Shikon No Tama?" Yusuke said a bit frustrated. Leave it to Koenma to leave out bits of relevant information.  

 

It was Shippo that spoke up next, "The Shikon No Tama is a very powerful jewel that housed the soul of the great Priestess Midoriko and a strong and powerful yokai who was renamed Magatsuhi. They were locked in battle for seven days before Midoriko pulled the spirit of the yokai and her own to create the jewel but killing them both. For years, their souls had been battling each other. The Shikon became an object of great power, giving those who held it extra strength and stamina and ultimately a wish that would be granted. But, because of the raw power of the jewel though, it always fell into the wrong hands and became corrupted. A priestess was meant to guard over it to keep it pure at all times, but keeping the jewel safe came with the cost of losing their life both physically and mentally. They had to ward off enemies and couldn't become close to anyone in fear that the jewel would be stolen.  

 

Eventually, the jewel was put in the hands of a Miko named Kikyo who was known for her purifying powers. She became acquainted with a Inu-hanyou by the name of Inuyasha who desired the jewel for himself to make him a whole demon. Kikyo and Inuyasha ended up falling in love, but at the same time another man named Onigumo also came to love Kikyo. He was a thief who Kikyo had nursed back to health, for who knows what reason. Onigumo, the idiot, fed his body willingly to demons to regain his strength and mobility to get Kikyo to fall in love with him. The demons had different plans and desired to kill Kikyo to obtain the jewel. Through all this, Kikyo had convinced Inuyasha that if she gave him the jewel, he could wish to be human and they could live together forever and she wouldn't have to be burdened with protecting the Shikon.  Onigumo, now known as Naraku, used a conniving trick to make Inuyasha and Kikyo believe they were betraying one another. Naraku, able to shape shift, turned himself into Inuyasha and attacked Kikyo and vice versa. Kikyo, thinking Inuyasha had actually attacked her used the last of her energy to seal Inuyasha to an ancient tree called the Goshinboku. She succumbed  to her own injuries and died shortly after, and her sister burned the jewel along with her body. Inuyasha was trapped in a deep slumber for fifty years and Kikyo's soul and the jewel became reincarnated to a young woman named Kagome five hundred years later."  

 

Shippo took a minute to let everything sink in for the boys. He was sure the fox avatar and the fire demon had heard of the legend before but maybe not in so much detail, but he knew the humans had not.  

 

"So what does this have to do with us?" Hiei finally asked, annoyed that the silence had gone on for so long.  

 

"Well, that's where you need the second part of the story," he said, noticing that everyone seemed to lean in closer to listen. "Kagome was just a regular girl from this time period, who happened to get the reincarnated soul of Kikyo and the jewel. On her fifteenth birthday, she was pulled into the well at her family's sacred shrine. This shrine was also home to the Goshinboku tree that Inuyasha had been trapped to. Kagome found Inuyasha and released him from the tree but also got attacked by a centipede demon. This was obviously still before the barrier was put up to separate yokai and ningen. The centipede yokai managed to get a hold of the Shikon by ripping it out of Kagome's side. A carrion crow ended up snatching it and Kagome tried to get it back by shooting an arrow at it but from what I heard, her aim was less then great and she managed to hit the jewel dead on instead. This caused the jewel to explode into hundreds of shards all across the territory. We spent years as a group together collecting the pieces as even one shard could enhance the power level of a yokai tenfold. We also had to deal with Naraku coming after the jewel as well and trying to kill us every other day. He was able to create incarnations that did his dirty work for him. Every piece of the jewel we had, Kagome kept purified. Every piece he had, became corrupted. Like I said, we traveled for years to collect it all until it all came head to head in a final battle. Naraku had no incarnations left, and Kagome sacrificed herself to save us all. The soul of Naraku and herself are in the Shikon now, and they have been for the past five hundred years."

 

There was a stunned silence as everyone took in this half of the story. They knew Shippo had given them a watered down version, a tale spanning years would take forever to splay out.  

 

"The soul of the Miko and the disgusting beast Naraku are about to implode upon themselves. They have been fighting, and gaining power these five hundred years and the jewel can not take it much longer." Sesshomaru reached into his Kimono and pulled out a small brown sack, and opened it up. Delicately, he pulled out the Shikon No Tama. A few fine cracks had begun to appear around the glowing pink jewel. "For years, this Sesshomaru has kept it hidden and safe and as pure as one yokai could make it. But, if it were to crack, the power the Miko and hanyo would release would be enough to collapse the barrier and possibly wipe out any yokai and humans in a sixteen hundred kilometer radius. Their power would bring Mukuro and Yomi to their knees easily."

 

Koenma sucked furiously on his pacifier that had made its way into his mouth during the story. His eyebrows were furrowed in deep thought.  

 

"Are you saying, that little thing could kill us all?!" Yusuke said, jumping to his feet, his tea splashing on the clean floor.  

 

"Well, not so much the little thing itself, just the stuff inside the little thing," Shippo said sheepishly, scratching his head.  

 

"You want us to go back in time and stop Kagome from sacrificing herself," Kurama said, staring straight at Sesshomaru.  

 

"And you want us to help kill Naraku so she doesn't have to do that," Hiei said, chiming in after Kurama. He didn't look excited per say but he knew a challenge when he heard one. He had heard of Naraku, Hiei had been young then, focusing more on his bandit family and taunting other demons for fights with his own tear gem. But now it was different, he was older, stronger and probably able to take him down.  

 

"Think they'd let us have the jewel if we killed Naraku for them?"    

 

'Yoko, I'm sure they'll destroy the jewel as soon as Naraku's dead,' Kurama replied to his other half. He heard an annoyed 'tch' of the yoko spirit and rolled his eyes internally.  

 

'How much do you know of this Naraku?' He heard Hiei's voice come through.  

 

"Just pretty much what the kit said, he can shape shift, was pretty powerful all in all. I focused on other treasures, too many people wanted the Shikon and I wasn't ready to die over some little shard when I could nab a whole item."  

 

Kurama heard Hiei give a 'Hn' in response and focused back into the conversation at hand.  

 

"-going to travel back in time?" Kurama focused in just as Kuwabara was finishing his sentence.  

 

Koenma gently picked up the glass case that held the pocket watch. "This is a special item from the Reikai vaults. I got special permission to use it, and we must use it cautiously. It transports beings forwards and backwards in time as long as you are touching it. We will be heading to a destination and we will use this to transport you back five hundred years. Six months after you're there, the battle with Naraku will take place. It could take place sooner if you manager to hunt him down before then. Sesshomaru and Shippo came today to convey the matter of urgency this mission requires because the state of the world is at hand. Kagome must be kept free from the jewel and ultimately the jewel must be destroyed."

 

"Please," Shippo turned towards them his face no longer playful but instead serious. "I was young then when everything went down. I wasn't at the final battle, Kagome and Inuyasha forbid it. Kagome was like a mother to me, she was all I had. Please...save her." A single tear rolled down his cheek before he hastily brushed it away. Shippo was no longer the small kit he was five hundred years ago, having grown in power and size but he still missed the human who so easily accepted him so long ago.  

 

Yusuke leaned forward and gently grabbed Shippo's shoulder. "Don't worry, saving is what we do best."  

 

Shippo gave him a small smile and he, Jaken and Sesshomaru got up and prepared to leave. Sesshomaru with a nod to everyone in the room, stepped back into the portal disappearing from view. Shippo, just about to jump in after Jaken, turned to them one last time.  

 

"Be careful there, and good luck."  

 

Kuwabara and Yusuke gave a shout goodbye while Koenma, Kurama and Hiei just watched him go. The portal closed up behind him with a small pop.  

 

"So what now Koenma?" Kurama asked, as some ogres came into the room pulling down the tapestries and cleaning up Yusuke's spilled tea.  

 

"Well your all going to have to get dressed again so we can make one last stop before we do this," Koenma said, pulling off his bow tie.  

 

"And where's that?" Yusuke asked, once again stripping off his shirt for the second time today.  

 

"We'll be going to the Goshinboku on Higurashi Shrine."  

 

 

A/N: Thank you again everyone! I got a good amount of reviews the past couple of days totally gunning for Kurama/Kagome! I was actually shocked lol. Kurama/Kagome is one I haven't done before unless you count a threeway with Hiei... haha. Maybe it'll be a good challenge for me. Maybe I'll go in another direction. Maybe I'll write three separate endings for each dude. As before, any reviews or constructive criticism is appreciated. This was a long chapter for me, 18 pages and almost 7000 words on Word so maybe I over shot it too much? Is this a good length? Probably some spelling and grammar mistakes I missed for sure, so I apologize. Anyways, see you next chapter when the boys jump into the past to save the future!