The Pure Heart of A Child

A/N: Nothing at this time.

Disclaimer: Nope. Me no own. You no sue. Simple, ne?

The Pure Heart of A Child

Chapter 2: Kagome Story: Part One, Two, and Beyond

Kagome gathered her voice and began slowly. "Over 500 years ago is where this story begins. Back then, in the Feudal Era, things were in turmoil. I don't know how old you are, so you may remember it personally, but for me, it was something straight out of a fairy tale, complete with princes, mikos, and demons.¨ She paused, and looked to him. He was listening closely to her, his ears perked up and his body relaxed against the tree.

She continued. "Back then, there was a man by the name of Onigumo. He had suffered from terrible burns, and didn't have the ability to walk anymore. He was confined to a cave near a village that was guarded by a miko by the name of Kikyou.¨ She paused again, taking a deep breath. The story started out so simple, but it would not stay that way, she knew. She looked to him and their eyes locked.

Hiei listened as she started speaking. Once she mentioned the extreme past, she had his attention. The past was interesting in its own way, and once she mentioned the Feudal Era, she definitely had his attention, at least, for the moment. Her eyes met his once more, and he could read the terrible confliction in her mind and heart. "What happened to this girl? It seems this story is personal that is impossible!' He thought, but refrained from speaking. She wasn't finished yet, and somehow, he could tell that the Shikon no Tama she carried was at the center of her story.

"Kikyou, being the miko of the village, was obliged to take care of the human. In time, he began to develop feelings for her...dark, dangerous feelings.¨ Kagome paused, a shudder running through her body. Hiei noticed it and definitely was interested now. 'The story is personal. Where does this girl fit in?' he thought, listening closer than before.

"Kikyou was not the best fighter around. She kept the village safe, but she also had another duty: to protect the Jewel of Four Souls, or the Shikon no Tama, as it's more commonly called. She protected it from falling into demon hands for quite some time, and even managed to befriend a hanyou named Inuyasha.¨ She stopped, a pair of twin tears slowly coursing down her face. He listened as her voice became slightly bitter and sad, she did more than befriend him. She fell in love with him, and he with her.¨

Hiei refrained from asking questions. He would find out in time, he was sure of it, but he now knew that the jewel WAS somehow involved.

"Kikyou knew the jewel would grant a wish to the person who possessed it. Her and Inuyasha...the hanyou she fell in love with...were to use the jewel to make him full human, so that they could live together. Onigumo heard of the plan, and he allowed the demons around him to devour him, making him half demon, as well as giving him the ability to move freely.¨ Her face turned hard as she said, "His new name would be, Naraku.¨

Her voice took on a sharp anger as she continued, "He decided to trick the two lovers into thinking they betrayed one another. He took on the appearance of Inuyasha and gave a death blow to Kikyou, then tricked Inuyasha into stealing the jewel. Kikyou caught up to him before he got away and ended up using a sacred arrow to pin him to the Goshinboku. She ordered the jewel to be burned with her body, and then she died, leaving the village safe for fifty years. For fifty years, Naraku bided his time, waiting for the return of the jewel.¨ She paused, taking a deep breath.

"Please, continue." The demon finally said, feeling the weariness coming from her. She looked to him and nodded, not contemplating his saying of 'please'.

"Nineteen years ago, I was born with the Shikon no Tama inside my body. I didn't know it, and neither did my parents. I had the jewel in my body unknowingly for fifteen years, until, on my fifteenth birthday, I discovered it. I was helping my brother get our cat out of the well house at our shrine, and a demon by the name of Mistress Centipede came out of the well and grabbed me, dragging me into the well. When I woke up, I was looking up at sky, not a roof, and I was in a large field, not in my front yard. Somehow, I had been taken back in time Five Hundred years.¨ She paused, rubbing her forehead as the memories came back to her.

The Jagan quickly snatched up her fleeting thoughts, showing them to Hiei. He could hardly believe his eyes. The girl was telling the truth, and she was involved in a very unique story that had him very interested indeed.

"When I got out of the well, I began walking towards the Goshinboku, thinking that if I got there, I would get home, but when I got there...¨ she stopped, he mind frozen as the image came back, stronger and more vivid than before.

"Would you like to see the well and Goshinboku?¨ she asked suddenly, getting to her feet. He looked taken aback by her question and looked to her quickly before nodding. She nodded, her face trying to show too many emotions at once.

He followed her in silence as they walked to the shrine grounds. Once they reached the top steps, her mother gave her a smile before looking to the man with her. "Who is this, Kagome?¨ she asked, not recalling this particular person in Kagome's circle of friends.

"This is a friend. I'm just showing him the well and the Goshinboku. He enjoys the stories just as much as Oji chan.¨ She said, walking past her mother and going straight for the tree. Hiei was a bit relieved she didn't make him introduce himself.

She stood beside a huge tree that climbed high into the sky, a string of papered sutras slowly stirring as the weak breeze floated by, playing slowly with her raven hair. Hiei stopped in his tracks, just watching the scene. He could see her aura reaching out for the tree and the plant energy reaching for her, as the passage of time revealed itself to him, a boy...a hanyou boy...was pinned to the tree.

She watched with saddened eyes, and her hand involuntarily reached out for him, tears now coursing down her face. She hadn't cried for him in over three months, but for her, the pain was still raw, still as fresh as this morning's dawn.

Hiei felt the dark pain radiate from her...and extreme loneliness. He watched as she brought her hand back to her side, tearing her gaze away from the tree, breaking the connection. She looked over to him and gestured him over.

"This is the Goshinboku. Inuyasha was pinned to this very tree for fifty years, until I released him. That same day, the Shikon Jewel was ripped, literally, from my body, and I learned of what I was¡Ka miko. Everything happened on that day, just over four years ago.¨ She nodded, and then walked over to a small building on the property. Hiei followed, his interest growing. Her story was almost unbelievable, but he knew she was telling him the truth. She was not lying.

He watched her enter the building and he followed, a weak afternoon sunlight streaming into the building. She walked down the steps and then, without warning, she jumped into the well. A soft hiss escaped her lips and he looked quickly down into the well, where she was over on her side, her leg screaming pain.

"Baka ningin.¨ He said, before jumping in after her.

"Not to worry. I just sprained my ankle. I've done it before. I've tried to go back so many times, I've lost count.¨ She gave him a sad smile.

"Sit. I'll continue my story here.¨ She said, getting comfortable in a corner of the well, as he got comfortable in another.

"This is the bone eaters well. It connected this time with the Feudal Era, and it was how I came back and forth through time. The first time I was there, after I freed Inuyasha, I did something really bad.¨ She looked quickly away, her anger at herself becoming evident.

"I tried to save a boy who was going to be eaten by a crow demon...that crow demon had eaten the Shikon no Tama, and I shot him with an arrow. The arrow killed him, but also shattered the Shikon Jewel into many smaller shards. Inuyasha was so pissed at me...¨ she moaned out, remembering the yelling she had received for it.

Hiei was constantly being fed new tidbits of memories that spilled out from her mind, the raw images complementing her story well.

"That's when I began to hunt for the shards in the past. I would come back and forth through time to gather supplies and take tests at school, while the other piece of my life was lived in the past, collecting shards from demons, and gaining allies. We met Shippou first. He's a kitsune kit who tried to steal my shards that me and Inuyasha had collected so far so he could avenge his parents. They were killed by a pair of demons called the Thunder Brothers. We ended up defeating them and getting more shards to add to our numbers. Then Shippou started to travel with us.¨ She said, smiling fondly as she thought of the kit.

"She loved the kit...as well as the hanyou, it seems. How could a miko ever love a demon? I thought they were at opposite ends of the spectrum...yet this girl seems to have done the impossible.' Hiei thought, taking a deep breath as he waited for her to continue.

"Then we met Miroku. He was a monk who tried to also take my jewel shards. But he didn't want to use them, he only wanted them in safe hands, Oh yeah, and to get his hands on me. He was such a lecher...¨ she said, laughing softly. Memories of his wandering hand reached Hiei, and he wondered how the monk had survived as he watched an unknown girl hit him over the head with a very large bone weapon. "His family had been cursed since his grandfather by Naraku. They had powerful and deadly Wind Tunnels in their hands. They had to keep them contained by rosary beads and he also learned to use it as a weapon. It made up for him being a lecher.¨

Kagome sobered as she thought of the next person they had met. "Then...we met...Sango...¨ Hiei picked up her changed tone of voice and focused closer, getting wrapped up in her own story.

"Sango's family was from a village of demon exterminators. That was their job, to slay demons that terrorized villages around Japan. She and her group were all hired to kill a large spider demon, but it was a trap, all set by Naraku. He controlled them, and had her young brother, Kohaku, kill them all, one by one. Sango suffered from many wounds in her body, and they buried her, thinking she was dead. She wasn't, and she was lied to once she awoke. Naraku had told her that Inuyasha was the one who slayed her village, the one who killed her family.¨

Kagome paused, her mind cranking out images quickly to Hiei, her heart beating painfully in her chest. The raw pain coming from the girl was so familiar, it bothered Hiei immensely.

"Kohaku was taken by Naraku, and controlled against his will. We told Sango the truth about Naraku, and she became our ally, but Kohaku was always her greatest weakness, as well as her greatest strength...¨ Kagome closed her eyes as soft sobs escaped her.

Hiei did not comfort her, the silence was enough for that, but he could understand the girls pain. Yukina was his strength, yet, if she was ever in danger, it would be his weakness, too.

After a few moments, her tears subsided, and her shaky voice continued. "We went through many battles together, all of us. We were strong, united...all of us...except Inuyasha. He was divided between protecting me...and Kikyou.¨

"I thought you said that she had died in an attack from Naraku?¨ Hiei immediately asked, breaking the silence.

"She did...but Orasuwe had different plans for the miko...she took dirt and ashes from Kikyou's grave site and made her a body, intent on bringing her back to life. The witch didn't expect that I would be there.¨ Kagome said a little bitterly.

"What do you have to do with it?¨ Hiei questioned, becoming more confused as she continued talking.

"I'm Kikyou's reincarnation. So she couldn't revive her like she wanted. But they still succeeded in reviving her...she stole a piece of my soul, and began walking on the earth, taking the souls of dead women in order to stay and keep her body intact.¨ Kagome said, her voice still not recovering its previous tone.

Hiei nodded, seeing her memories as she relived them.

"Inuyasha ran often to Kikyou, and all that woman wanted was to take him to hell with her. He was always divided between us...the living reincarnation...and the dead...¨ Kagome held her face in her hands as she began a confession that made Hiei feel sorry for her, as well as very uncomfortable.

"I was never good enough to be Kikyou! I was only good enough to be me! Inuyasha always was telling me I wasn't as cute as her, as good of a fighter, as good of a person...I was always in her shadow. He looked at me, and saw her! Always! I was never Kagome to him! Always Kikyou!¡¨ she shouted in pain, her body shaking violently with vicious sobs.

He held back anger. This Inuyasha hanyou had earned her love and compassion and he threw her to the side, as if she was some common mortal. This girl was not common, not ordinary, by any stretch of the imagination. She was a miko...a miko that befriended and loved demons...hanyous at that. He was shocked to know that she was in the process of befriending him, although he doubted her alliance would aide him in any way. It was although, somehow, comforting, to know she didn't think ill of him, but he wasn't sure why he even bothered with it.

A few minutes later, a soft sniffle could be heard as Kagome wiped her tears away, gathering her strength again, prepared to finish her story. She took a deep breath, getting his attention, and began anew.

"He was divided, but I was not. He was my friend, my companion, and above all, I loved him. I would have died for him, although, I was probably the only one. Kikyou hated him with a passion because of the so called betrayal. Even after we told her the truth, she sided with the enemy, and he still took her back, running to her at every moment. She tried to kill me numerous times, told me I was interfering in her relationship with Inuyasha.¨ Kagome sighed, then continued.

"Inuyasha got his main power from a sword called the Tetsuseiga. It was forged from his father's fang. I think his dad's name was Inutaisho. I didn't get to hear much about him. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru didn't talk much about their past or their father. Sesshoumaru's reason was because he didn't want to associate with his father because of he mated with a human woman. The result was Inuyasha, and so those two never really got along well.¨ She informed him, her face becoming thoughtful.

Hiei knew of Inutaisho, as well as Sesshoumaru. He had met the lord before, and had been impressed. Lord Sesshoumaru was quite skilled in a blade, and he had even had the pleasure to spar with the demon lord in his youth. He nodded to her, showing her his recognition. He didn't know where the lord was now, but it didn't matter. He concentrated on her again as she began to speak once more.

"Sesshoumaru was always trying to take that sword away from Inuyasha, but I think he was just trying to test and make Inuyasha stronger. Who knows?¨ she shrugged before saying, "Well, he was a powerful ally in the final battle. Naraku was almost powerless against all of us. We had help from Kouga, and his wolf tribe, and even Kagura, one of his detachments, switched sides to help take the bastard down. Kanna, a little girl who was a detachment of him as well, helped weaken him by pulling at the souls in his body, taking them into her mirror. Everyone fought hard, and everyone came out safe in the end, if only a little bloody. Then...Kikyou showed up.¨ Kagome stilled, and Hiei instinctively reached a hand for her resting ones. He could feel the pain radiate off of her once more, and feel her trembling flesh beneath his own.

"Kikyou just stood there, the battle over, the carnage surrounding us, and she...she called to Inuyasha. He went to her. He gave the Tetsuseiga to Sesshoumaru, and he went to her. I watched...I watched...¨ Kagome's voice failed, and Hiei placed his hand from her hands to her forehead and watched her memory, feeling the intense anguish, grief, and sorrow coming from the memory. It almost overloaded him and he considered letting go, but her memory compelled him to watch, to sample her pain, in its raw, unmarked form...

[I]¨Inuyasha!! No! Don't go to hell with her! Don't leave me!¨ Kagome shouted as he raced for the woman, as a crater began to form around the undead miko. "Please, Inuyasha! I love you! Please don't do this!¨ she shouted again, but a gash in her leg prevented her from going far.

"Goodbye, Kagome.¨ He said, grabbing Kikyou into a tight embrace as the pits of hell opened, and together, they were sucked in, leaving nothing but a shallow indentation in the ground.

"INUYASHA!!!¨[/I]

Hiei let her forehead go, and her head slumped forward. "He survived the final battle, only to allow himself to be sucked into hell with that undead miko bitch. He left her with a goodbye...no 'thank you', no apology, no nothing! He left her with a fucking 'goodbye'! After all the pain he inflicted on her as he constantly ran back to that Kikyou...he couldn't even manage to hug her goodbye. What kind of friend was he?! And how could she allow that to go on for so long?! She is unlike any human I have ever met before. Kurama would love to meet her, although if he did, I'm sure Youko would try to pull some moves on her.' He shook his head. Youko was entirely too predictable.

Kagome looked up into his eyes. He seemed to be thinking about what he saw, and she decided to remain silent. He finally looked back to her and she bit her lip, hanging her head as she finished her story.

"I made a wish on the jewel in its completed form. Because of it, I had to go back to this time...for good. That was a little over a year ago. So...here I am.¨ She said softly, not finding the strength to look at him.

He noticed her avoiding his gaze and he forced her chin up to meet her eyes. He dropped it instantly. Her eyes looked hollow, like she didn't have a thing in the world to be happy for. Her heart was empty, she was utterly alone. Never before had he seen that look in a human. Especially a human woman. Women always had a reason to be happy, a gossipy girlfriend or shopping frivolously. But this girl...she had nothing showing in her soul.

His mind raced as he watched her fade in front of his very eyes. 'Why do I care? Kami! How do I save her? She's dying right in front of me! What in the fuck am I supposed to do?!' he shouted mentally, his body clashing even more violently in distress, as if it was his own body that was inwardly turning to the darkness.

Thinking quickly, he picked her up and pulled her into his lap, holding onto her tightly. "Kagome...My name is Hiei. Do not think that you are alone in this world. I am here. You are not alone here.¨ He said, holding her tighter, feeling as her heartbeat became weaker.

"Kagome...don't go...¨ He whispered, a region of his body aching. He knew what this pain was. It was a pain in his heart. He didn't want her to die. She had survived so much...to die this way was impossible for one such as her. Her light saved hundreds, her love healed many, and her compassion gave hope to those with none. She could not die...he would not allow it.

~*~

Kagome felt the darkness surround her, suffocating her, and truth be told, she didn't want it to stop. She was hurting so much right now, the loneliness was enough to break her will to live. Everyone else was back in the Feudal Era and she was stuck alone here, alone, where no one knew her story, except for the reserved demon, and no one was willing to listen to her, again, except for this demon who had little to say, and even less to feel. She had picked the wrong person to share her story with. Now, he would leave, and she would be free to die and escape the isolation and pain that filled her heart and spirit. Her head fell forward and she smiled gently, the pain becoming a dull throbbing in the back of her head.

'It will all be over soon...and then...I will be at peace...' she thought, hiding her face from the demon. She lost all control of her senses and retreated to the back of her mind, content with dying in this place of solitude and darkness. 'Where it all began...and where it will all end...' she smiled again and then...

Everything stopped. She felt her body being lifted up and then put against a strong surface of flesh. She was forced to feel something other than the cold dirt floor, and her mind woke her body up, refusing to give in so easily. "Kagome...my name is Hiei.¨ She heard, and she registered the voice as the demon whom she shared her story with. 'So he is Hiei...that's a nice name...' she managed to think, nuzzling in closer to the warmth. It was comforting, this embrace. 'Yes, quite comforting...this embrace...' she thought, taking a deep breath and registering the scent of fire and ice intertwined.


"Do not think that you are alone in this world. I am here. You are not alone here.¨ She heard next, her mind connecting neurons and beginning a rapid patchwork of bonds to her senses, first of all being her hearing, and then, her heart, which had been slowly decreasing its beating. It faltered slightly, taking a little more time than originally planned, as it dipped lower in heart rate before pausing as three little words reached her mind, sending her almost obsolete existence into a new sparkle of life. "Kagome...don't go.¨

"Don't go...don't go." she repeated, her heart making the phrase a double meaning. She repeated it again, as she began to reclaim her mentality. "Don't go...don't go! she shouted out slightly, her voice gaining power as she repeated it twice more, her heart becoming faster. Her arms repositioned themselves around his arms, and he pulled her closer.

~*~

She was the only girl he would offer his comfort to and support other than Yukina. Everyone else be damned, this girl survived almost as much as he had, and she was human. He held a respect for her, though she would not know this. He heard her words, and at first, thought she was just delusional and holding onto the words as she became more conscious, but then he felt her arms wrap around him, feeding off the console he was giving her. 'She...wants me to stay near her...' his mind clicked, the ache in his heart becoming a different sort. He had no experience with emotions. He tried to keep them in the back behind the anger and to the left of the spite.

Most emotions he had were useless, but in this instance, one seemed more useful than the rest. He let himself indulge in her willing embrace. He hadn't had the touch of a woman in a long time. Especially a human woman. None of them were worth a second glance, but this one, she was easy on the eyes, and she knew of demons. He had been in celibacy for many years, feeling that any woman, human or demon, was not worth his time, nor his effort.

Her soft skin was warm, as her mind came back to consciousness. He smelt when she was fully conscious, but again, she didn't let him go. On the contrary, she held onto him tighter, and a flood of tears assaulted his senses.

"Don't let go...please..." she whimpered, her voice cracking as the tears over took her. He pulled her closer, and positioned her to face him. Her eyes were warm now. Warm, and inviting. He saw her thoughts and was surprised to find that her mind was no longer on the past, but the present. The only things she was thinking or seeing, was this exact moment, right here, right now, at the bottom of a dirty old well in the arms of a deadly fire apparition. Her contentment washed over him as a thin shield of energy floated over them, surrounding them.

He had never felt contentment before...not like this. It was pure; it was without ulterior motive...it was real.

~*~

Kagome heard her voice and winced internally. She sounded so weak...but instead of pushing her away, Hiei pulled her closer, and had her to where he could see her face. She reached her eyes out and searched his own. He was at ease with her in his arms. She saw no disgust or anger that she had seen when she first met him, but complete contentment.

She felt her energy float over them, holding them together, if only for a few moments longer. Kagome placed a hand to his cheek, her soft thumb rubbing over it delicately. "Hiei...will you...stay with me...a little longer?¨ she asked, her mind asking questions she would have not had the courage to by herself. It took advantage of her instability and leaped.

~*~

Hiei watched as her gentle hand raised and slowly began to rub his cheek. She was being so gentle with him, as if he would break if she used any sort of force at all. He had never experienced this sort of treatment from anyone...ever. Not even Yukina offered him this sort of comfort. Her next words cut him to his demonic soul, and the demon deep within him refused to let him leave her.

"Hiei...will you...stay with me...a little longer?" she asked, her hand still rubbing soft circles on his cheek.

"I will...stay with you. As long...as you want me to."¨ He said, his head instinctively leaning into her palm. Kagome's face filled with happiness, and her heart picked up speed. He felt her body change as the darkness that had inflicted her was somehow, purified out of her body. They jumped up together and Hiei drew a sword as the darkness went above them, hovering. Kagome glared and pressed up her hands, a shield of pink energy devouring the darkness and destroying it quickly, not leaving any room for discussion of what it was.

Hiei's face fell. 'Maybe...she...didn't want to stay with me, or me to stay with her...if that darkness...' his mind was crashed as she hugged him, her soft hiss coming out as she landed on her injured ankle.

"Sorry, Hiei. My ankle...I think I may have broken it...¨ she said, grinning sheepishly at him. He rolled his eyes and picked her up, her arms going around his neck as if it was the most natural thing to do. She looked to him again, and then she leaned up, kissing his cheek.

He looked to her quickly, his eyes widening in surprise for the first time in decades. Kagome blushed prettily. "Thank you...for everything. Know that I'm keeping you to your promise. I want you to stay with me.¨ She said, smiling, as he jumped out of the well. He looked to her and nuzzled her head slowly. "Let's see to your ankle.¨ He said, walking out into the slowly fading sunset.

~*~




A/N: *sigh* Lovely. It gets better, I promise. =) My other story has such a complicated love system, just having this one love system is much better. The muses haven¡¦t decided for me if this is to be just a Hiei kag or a Kag/Hiei/Kura-Youko pairing. It¡¦s still debatable.

A/N: Ryuchan: Yeah, I felt like doing a Hiei/Kag and was struck by inspiration. Lemons abound later, but for now, a little fluffyness, specially coming from Hiei, will go a long way. That, and once certain other things come up¡K;)
Anon: Sure she¡¦ll see some people from her past, but not Sango or Miroku, I dun think, unless I can get the muses to let me in on their secrets¡K=)
Dark_Lightening_Harowen: Here¡¦s that update! I have one extra chapter finished, but I have to get all my stuff updated, cause something happened to the phone line, and I didn¡¦t get to get on all weekend¡Kthe sadness of dial up¡K*sigh*

Kudos, Loves! ļ

A/N: Next Chapter: A Personal Mission