From The Ashes

A/N: Someone asked me about how Kagome will be able to live again if her body was burned. In mythology, when a phoenix dies, it's body is reduced to ashes and from those ashes, the phoenix arises new and stronger. So, you can imagine what is going to happen with Kagome. So, please read and review. I love reading them.

*Editing done by Hannah (PrinnyBubbles) Reposted on 5/11/08*
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Yusuke grimaced and glanced behind him. The others were staring back at him, waiting to see what he would do. Taking in a deep breath, he slowly let it out. “Ok, let's go.” He began the climb and thought back to when they jumped into the well. Koenma said that he adjusted the magic so that they would find themselves back in his office. When they returned, they gave him a full report, then left with instructions to go to Kagome's family and explain to them what happened, should the girl not be there.

They followed him up the stairs, each wondering what they would find at the top. But when they reached the top, they found the shrine to be very quiet and well kept. Yusuke glanced around, and then moved over to the house. He could hear people talking, and he hoped, prayed that Kagome was one of the people talking in the large house.

He knocked, his eyes staring intently at the door knob. When it turned, he bit his lip, wondering what he was going to say.

The woman who answered was very pretty, and she smiled at the group. “Hello, there. Can I help you?” she asked.

Yusuke paled, and allowed his mouth to flop open. Words could not seem to come. As he watched the woman's eyes narrow in concern, he panicked and quickly said, “Kurama has something he'd like to ask you, ma'am.”

The redheaded kitsune gasped and shot the detective an evil glare as he moved forward. He looked at the woman and cleared his throat, before calmly asking, “Is Kagome home?”

The woman smiled. “I'm afraid not. She is, well...,” she started, but was interrupted when an elderly man's voice yelled out, “Kagome is in the hospital having her other appendix removed.”

They heard a young boy whisper, “Gramps, you do know that everyone is born with just one appendix, right?”

“Well, I'm running out of things to come up with, so be happy I came up with that on short notice,” Gramps huffed, his voice indignant.

“Ahem...Will you two be quiet?” Mrs. Higurashi’s eyes darted nervously to the group. She lifted an eyebrow when the first young man slowly approached her.

“Ma'am, we know that Kagome travels to the feudal era. We need to know if she has returned,” Yusuke said, his eyes trained upon hers.

Mrs. Higurashi slowly regarded each person silently, before opening the door all the way. “I think that perhaps you'd better come inside,” she said, worry etched on her face.

When everyone was settled, Mrs. Higurashi calmly asked, “What do you know? Please don't lie to us. Just tell us the truth.”

“She died,” Hiei said, his tone curt. He didn't see the point in prolonging the family's heartache any longer than necessary.

“This is a joke, right?” Mrs. Higurashi asked, standing up. “Inu Yasha would never allow Kagome to be hurt.”

“I'm afraid that he didn't have much control over the situation,” Yusuke replied, wishing that Genkai had come with them. He was sure that she could have done a far better job than he. But she needed to get back to her temple. “Kagome threw up a barrier that prevented anyone from reaching her and the hanyou known as Naraku. In the end, she was the one who killed him. But she died from the wounds that he inflicted.”

Mrs. Higurashi swayed uneasily on her feet, and Kurama tensed, ready to move should the woman pass out. Souta was sobbing hysterically as Gramps allowed his tears to fall silently. Kurama quietly helped the woman back to a sitting position, and then knelt down beside her.

“Kagome was a beautiful woman. It was an honor to meet her, and I thank you for bringing such a precious creature into this world. I want you to know that she was honored by the people who cared for her in the feudal era, and we will make sure that her soul is well taken care of,” Kurama said, his green eyes never straying from hers.

Mrs. Higurashi sniffled and softly asked, “Who are you people?”

Yusuke stood up and moved to stand before the grief-stricken woman. “We, Mrs. Higurashi, are spirit detectives, and we work for Prince Koenma of the spirit world.”

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She heard humming. At first, she thought that perhaps it was Shikon who was humming. But after asking him why it was so dark, and hearing his reply, she was suddenly blinded by a bright light. When it faded, she found herself lying at the bottom of the well.

She recognized the so-called spell scrolls that her grandpa had placed above the well. He claimed that they would prevent any youkai from the feudal era from coming through, but Inu Yasha had proved him wrong when he first came through. Now, as she stared up at the ceiling, she took in a deep breath and winced. Her whole body hurt, and it felt as though she had been kicked in the ribs.

The humming grew louder, and she closed her eyes. She could hear the screams of Sango and Miroku as she faced Naraku. Now that she was able to think, she could recall the events up to her death. She was still amazed that with one blast from her hand, she managed to kill off the vilest being she had ever encountered.

Opening her eyes, she allowed them to focus and slowly sat up. She looked down at herself and gasped. She was stark naked and filthy. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she slowly rocked herself, allowing the feeling of pity to flow over her. Why did all the bad stuff happen to her?

'Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get your backside up that ladder. We are wasting time down here.' A feminine voice snapped, irritation showing in her tone.

Gasping, Kagome glanced around, wincing again when the voice sighed and muttered, 'I'm in your mind, girl. Now do as I say and move it.'

Kagome slowly got up and made her way up the ladder, pulling herself over the rim and onto the dirt-covered ground. She laid there for several minutes, the pain in her body flaring to life with each movement. But when she recovered, she got up and moved to the doors of the well house. Opening the door, she could hear soft sobs, and quietly crept out. Her eyes glanced around and finally came to rest upon the crumpled form of Souta, who was lying in front of the God's tree.

The boy was crying, his head buried in his arms, and for a moment, Kagome's mind flashed to Shippo. Oh, he must have cried like that too when she died.

Walking over to the boy, she softly called his name. “Souta.”

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“WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW? WHERE IN THE HELL IS HER SOUL?” Yusuke yelled, not caring that he was causing a scene.

Everyone winced at the detective's tone, and he only quieted down when Genkai smacked him upside the head and told him to shut the hell up. After speaking with Kagome's family, they went back to Koenma's office and found that Genkai there waiting on them. They went inside the plush office and explained what happened to the prince. Then they asked to see Kagome, but were shocked at his answer, causing Yusuke to erupt.

Koenma was in his teenager form, and he looked very upset. “I mean, Yusuke, that her soul is not in the spirit world. We've looked, and have found nothing. It is as if her soul simply ceased to exist. We know that her ashes were scattered at the bottom of the old well, and that it was rebuilt into a shrine a few years after the monk destroyed it. But as for where her soul is at the moment, well... we don't know,” he said.

“Is it possible that her soul returned to the miko, Kikyo? After all, she is still kicking, even after all this time. From what I have heard, she and Inu Yasha have enjoyed several long years together. So maybe Kagome's soul went to her,” Kurama mused, his forehead wrinkling in concentration.

“We thought about that. But when we approached Kikyo, she was still the same as she was five hundred years ago. Dead. No, that woman is still living off of the pieces of Kagome's soul. But as to where the rest of Kagome's soul is, well, that's a mystery,” Koenma explained.

Before Koenma could say another word, the door to his office opened and the ogre who worked for him popped his head in. “I'm sorry, sir, but they want to see you, now,” he said, his tone nervous.

Nodding, Koenma took in a deep breath. When the door opened, the detectives turned, their eyes widening in shock.

Two humans walked in, and smiled. Both were dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts. As the woman opened her mouth to speak, the man's hand wandered to her backside. She snapped her mouth shut, whirled around to the male, smacked him as hard as she could, and then glanced at Koenma. “Could you not have made it a condition of our release from spirit world that his hand must not come into contact with my or any other woman’s backside?” Sango grumbled.

Koenma coughed to hide his amusement, but upon seeing Sango's glare, he quickly said, “I'm sorry, but no. I'm afraid that you will simply have to keep him in line, just as you did five hundred years ago.”

“Please, my sweet Sango, I can't help but caress you. It's your beauty that calls to me, tempts me into stroking it. So my dear, this is really all your fault,” Miroku said, his violet eyes wide and innocent.

Sango was about to let him have it, but the door to the office slammed open. Suddenly, the two humans grew quiet as everyone stared at the newcomers.

Sesshomaru walked in, and behind him were Inu Yasha, Kikyo, Shippo, Kouga, and Ayame. All looked angry as hell. Before Sesshomaru could say a word, Inu Yasha strode forward and grabbed the front of Koenma's haori.

“Why is it that we received word that you can't seem to locate Kagome's soul? Kikyo informed us that you came to visit her, but didn't realize what was going on until the rumors began to surface. Are you not aware that we, also, have contacts here in the spirit world and would know what is going on?” he snarled, his ears flattening to the top of his head.

Sango took in a deep breath and said, “Let him go, Inu Yasha. He can't tell us anything if he can't breathe.”

It was then that the hanyou finally noticed the two humans he had buried when their time to die finally came. Dropping the prince, he approached the monk and slayer, studying them for a moment before yanking both into a hug. “How?” he demanded, when he pulled back to study them.

Koenma cleared his throat and caught everyone's attention. “I brought them back. I need their help, and all of your help, as well. As important as it is, Kagome's soul will have to wait. We have a much bigger problem,” he said as he sat back down in his chair.

Genkai was immediately on alert. She knew that if he was calling together everyone he deemed powerful, then something bad was about to happen. “What is it?” she hissed.

“All of you know about the three realms: Earth, spirit, and youkai. However, there is another realm that has not been mentioned. Purgatory,” Koenma said. “Purgatory is reserved for souls that are so evil, so wicked that they have no place in any of the other realms. We have been informed that one of Purgatory's worst creatures has escaped. And from what I have heard, he is on the warpath.”

“Let me guess,” Sesshomaru said, his long legs crossed elegantly as he lounged in a chair. “It's Naraku.”

“This creature makes Naraku look like a loving little kitten,” Koenma replied, and nodded when he saw many of his visitors pale. “His reign of terror is legendary in Purgatory. I'm afraid that we are going to have a very serious problem on our hands if he decides to make himself known to us.”

Everyone was quiet, but the silence was broken when Hiei calmly asked, “What do you know about this creature? I want to know what I am going to be chopping up with my katana. Don't leave anything out.”

Koenma closed his eyes, and softly said, “Actually, I don't know that much about him. There is one who can tell you about him. I have spoken to him, and he has agreed to help—for a price. He wishes to be reincarnated, with no memory of his prior life.”

“What did you do toddler?” Yusuke asked, his dark eyes narrowing.

The prince did not answer, except to silently wave his hand in the air, causing a panel in his wall to lift. A man walked from the opening, lips curved into a scowl, and Koenma softly said, “I would like you to meet Onigumo, otherwise known as Naraku.”

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Kagome lay in bed, allowing the tears to slip from her eyes. When she called out to Souta, the boy jumped. When his eyes fell upon her, he screamed her name before launching himself into her. In all the commotion, her mother and grandfather came out of the house, their eyes red from crying. They screamed her name as well, before joining Souta in a hug.

Her mother realized that she was nude and quickly helped her into the house. She drew her daughter a hot bath, then sat with her as Kagome washed the dirt and grime off of her body. When she was cleaned, Mrs. Higurashi said, “They told us you were dead. What happened, Kagome?”

“I don't know, Mama. I remember fighting Naraku, but then everything gets really hazy. I'm sorry that you were worried,” she said. Her mother, ever so understanding, helped her dry off, and then helped her into bed. She left the room after ensuring that Kagome was not hungry, shutting the light off before closing the door behind her.

Now, as Kagome lay in bed, she felt guilty over causing her family such pain. 'That's the problem with being a phoenix... you are a natural empath. When someone you love hurts, you hurt,' Midoriko whispered. 'But it can also be a great weapon. Go to your window and open it. Your lessons, little phoenix, begin now.'

Kagome slowly slid out of her bed and did as she was told. Once the window was open, she heard Midoriko say, 'First lesson is learning how to extend your senses and seeing behind veils, so to speak. Extend your senses out, but close your eyes. You don't need your eyes to see the truth behind a person. Shut your eyes and tell me what it is that you feel.'

Kagome shut her eyes and took in a deep breath. At first she didn't feel anything, but was nearly thrown back when several different emotions hit her all at once. 'Which emotion is the one that stands out the most?' Midoriko asked.

“Anger. There is a lot of anger,” Kagome murmured.

'Yes, anger is the emotion that you will feel most often. That is because it is simply human nature to be greedy and to envy, which turn into anger when they find that they can't have what they want. Open your eyes, and look at that house across the street. On the outside, it looks peaceful and calm. But tell me what you see on the inside,' Midoriko instructed.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and focused on the house. She had always envied that house, mostly because it was so pretty, and the couple that lived in it seemed to be so in love. But when she was able to see inside the house, what she saw made her cringe.

The husband was yelling at his wife, who was sobbing. He continued to accuse her of sleeping around, and would occasionally hit her. When he left the room, Kagome watched the wife move towards her dresser and open a drawer. She pulled out a large bottle of whiskey and proceeded to take large gulps of it.

'What did you see?' Midoriko asked.

Kagome bit her lip, watching as the husband opened the front door and moved to his car. Her eyes followed him as he pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street. “I saw him accusing her of cheating on him, but she isn't. She has been completely faithful to him, but I can't say the same thing about him. He is cheating on her. And he thinks that since he is doing it, she must be doing it as well. So he hits her as he accuses her. She is a closet alcoholic, and neither of them knows that she is pregnant,” Kagome murmured, her heart going out to the woman and the innocent baby that she carried.

'Yes. As you can see, your senses are so heightened that you can see things not even they can see. Remember that, while being empathic has its drawbacks, it also can serve a wonderful purpose. Now get some sleep. Your lessons will continue at dawn,' the older miko said.

Kagome groaned, praying that the soreness she felt in her body would be gone by morning. If it wasn’t, she had a feeling she would be in for a rough time.

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“You may call me Onigumo. Naraku is a name that I would prefer to forget,” the man before them said, giving a mock bow. He smirked when he heard the growls coming from all of the youkai. “Come now, is this anyway to begin a partnership? I think not.”

Koenma sighed. “I know that you don't wish to work with him, but he has some very good and reliable information. And he is the one who informed us that Chyjoko escaped,” he explained.

“Who or what exactly is this Chyjoko?” Genkai asked. She stiffened when Onigumo moved forward.

“Chyjoko is a shadow youkai. Think of everything that you were afraid of as a child and multiply that by one thousand. He is a terror unlike anything that any of the realms have seen, and he takes great pride in his work,” he explained, his voice in awe. “I could just imagine what we could have done together, had we been partners.”

He noticed that everyone was glaring at him, and shook his head. “Don't worry. I have no desire for any further problems. I just want to be reborn into a life that will give me a second chance,” he muttered.

He glanced at Koenma and motioned his head to the door, indicating that he wished to leave. When given the nod, he calmly moved forward, but was stopped by Kikyo's voice.

“Why does the bandit Onigumo give a damn what happens to us? You sure as hell didn't care as Naraku, so why start now?” she demanded, her eyes flashing angrily.

Onigumo stopped and slowly turned to the miko. For the first time, his face was not in a sneer, smirk, or anything else. “Because I am lonely, miko. I want a family, and a life that could have been mine had I not screwed my last one up so badly. I fell in love with you in that cave, but knew that you would never love me with me being so badly burned. So I made a pact with hell, and have paid for it every day since. No longer am I hindered by youkai lusts. I am simply a human man. I want to be happy and at peace,” he said, his eyes softening at the prospect of finally being loved.

He turned once more, but this time it was Hiei's voice that stopped him from leaving. “What about the miko, Kagome? What do you know about her soul?” he demanded.

Onigumo sighed, turning to face the shorter man. “I don't know anything about her lost soul. All I know is that I have never felt such pain as I did that day. Whatever she did to me… well, let's just say she put the fear of God into me, and I have no intention of going through that again. If I hear anything about her, I will inform you. But I know this for certain: she is not in purgatory. I should know; I've been all over that place trying to find a way out. Now please excuse me,” he said, and quickly left the office before anyone could speak.

Everyone's eyes stared at the door before slowly moving over to Koenma. The prince paled, and took in a deep breath. “Ok, let's get down to business, shall we?”