War of The Worlds

Disclaimer: We don't own Inuyasha, Yuyu Hakusho or any of the character. Nor do we profit from them in any way. This disclaimer will go for every chapter contained within this story.


Warning: This will be a very dark fic, meaning it will contain rape, violence, torture, angst, gore and much heartache. When we state that there will be torture, we mean just that. No flames saying that we are being cruel or too harsh. When we state torture we aren't planning on strapping Kagome to a chair and forcing her to watch reruns of Barney. There will be detailed violence, so expect blood and some serious injuries to occur. There is also Major Character Deaths in this fic, sorry if we end up killing someone you happen to like. Let's be honest everyone dies, not everyone can have a happy ending. We are going for believable and realistic here. As far as rape goes, there will be some of that also. If a man has a woman captive he isn't going to sit around and swap bedtime stories with her.

A/N: We would like to point out something ahead of time before we begin. When Youko first appeared him and Kurama/Shuichi both refered to themselves as seperate people. And when Kurama changed when going after Sensui, he explained to Kuwabara that he simply took on his youkai form, due to the power increase but he still retained his 'human' personality. So with all that said, we are going under the impression that Youko and Shuichi are two different personalities here. Also, if one follows the story, Youko wasn't a very nice person but a cold bandit. Takes a cold person to order the death of their friend and second in command without any remorse. We are going to keep Youko in character as best as we can in this fic as he was said to be when he lived as himself. Also we are aware of the title being the same as a movie and book but it's fits the story we are trying to create.

Another story by Ryu and Vivian!!! The pairings will be as follows: Kagome/Hiei, Youko/Yukina, Shuichi/Yukina, and Inuyasha/Shizuru. Other than that hope you enjoy!!

Chapter One

Hiei grimaced as the wind carried the heavy scent of blood towards him. Granted, the Makai always smelled of death and destruction but it had gotten ever so much worse since Takai had won the last tournament. Hiei knew that unless something was done about the current ruler there would never be another tournament, Takai had proclaimed as much when he took over the crown as the King of the Makai. Dark times were upon them and it was only going to get worse as time went on. Even Hiei had to concede that had he entered the final tournament he would have fallen just like the rest, regardless of how hard he had pushed himself in training. The only reason he had not entered was he long ago decided that he wanted nothing to do with politics. He was there simply to watch the fights this time. Not even Mukuro or Yomi had made it out of the semi-finals this time. Shura was the only one of their group who had accomplished that and he had paid for the win dearly.

They had all watched the final fight closely, it was clear that Shura was outclassed by this new youkai that they had never heard of before and yet still he fought on. He fought with everything he had and it was painfully obvious that Takai was toying with him. When the youth was nearly dead on his feet from exhaustion he had finally conceded defeat, believing that there would always be another Tournament. His father had always taught him to look at your losses as learning experiences and that was exactly what he was intending to do. Takai however had other plans and moved in on the boy, deciding to use him as an example. Mercy would not be given, no matter the circumstances. Brutally he had thrust his hand into Shura's chest and let loose a blast of power that tore him apart from the inside out. Even now he could still hear Shura's screams as the energy disintegrated his internal organs before ripping through the skin.

Yomi had been powerless to do anything about it, the official watching over the fight hadn't declared Takai the winner yet when Shura died which meant he was still within his rights to kill his opponent, just as he had every other demon that stood against him. Immediately afterwards he had made his way to the stage to proclaim himself the rightful king and lay down the new laws. The first was that there would be no further tournaments, the next though had been the most shocking. He ordered the deaths of every single demon that had participated in this tournament, eliminating any further threat to his control. Thousands had died that day since those he had carry out his orders did not discriminate between spectator and participant. If you were there, you were executed. It was that simple. Only a handful of them had escaped and then it was only because Enki and several of his friends who were there challenged his authority to order such a thing. It provided just enough of a distraction for himself, Yomi and Mukuro to escape. He'd heard rumors that Jin had as well, along with a few others but he had yet to see proof of it himself. If they had, they were in seclusion along with Yomi and Mukuro plotting this bastard's downfall.

Word had spread quickly through the Makai about what had happened, there were few left that were powerful enough challenge Takai and two of the ones who would be most needed in the case of a revolution were in the Ningenkai. Yusuke and Kurama weren't likely to get involved in this, not unless they had to which would be a distinct possibility with the final law that he had laid down. The Ningenkai was now to be considered an open market. Free passage was granted into the Ningenkai and the border patrols were to be disbanded. Koenma was no doubt having a fit trying to figure out how to put another barrier back into place. Even if the spirit detective team had been disbanded, Yusuke would become involved the minute his family was threatened. Kurama would be much the same but so long as it didn't spill over the border it was unlikely either of them would make an appearance. They were needed back home, he couldn't fault them for that.

Family, that was another reason why Hiei was so restless, waiting to see what was to come. So far no further attempts had been made on his life, no more so than usual anyway. He hadn't been on the roster so there was no reason for Takai to come for him unless he decided that he posed too much of a threat to his reign. He'd be wise to if the truth were to be told. With his last order to treat the Ningenkai as a food source Takai had trespassed onto Hiei's territory in a fashion, not that he would willingly ever claim the Ningenkai as his territory. The simple fact of the matter was his sister was there and at the moment he was thankful. The Makai was becoming more dangerous by the day, even the Koorime Island, always thought to be protected was now abandoned. The Ice Maiden's had fallen quickly, not being fighters by nature. No doubt the survivors of the attack had been captured and placed into slavery.

Yusuke would keep watch over her whenever he was unable to as would Kuwabara though they couldn't be there constantly. Genkai was there as well but the majority of her power was now gone. How long would she be able to hold out in a fight? Certainly not long enough for help to arrive, both Yusuke and Kuwabara being at least an hour away by train. It had been a long time since he had gone to see his sister, not wanting to torture either her or himself by being there. She always looked so lost and forlorn when he came by and he knew what she wanted but he refused to admit to their relationship. To him it hurt to be near her, she was like a star. Completely out of his reach and untouchable.

He pushed himself away from his tree and set out into the encroaching darkness. Perhaps it was time to make a trip to the Ningenkai anyway, barely a month had past since Takai had come to power and he couldn't say for certain whether or not the others were even aware of what had happened. It was better to be safe than sorry. If it meant remaining in the Ningenkai to guard over his sister than so be it. He was aware that Kurama had stopped courting Yukina and he couldn't say he was exactly happy about it even if he had been the one to step in. He had wanted to be certain of what Kurama wanted with her, he wouldn't allow the fox to use her. His warning had been his hopes for a push in the right direction for the two of them but it would seem that he had been mistaken. He had thought better of Kurama, thinking he'd want more than just a tumble in bed with her but he was wrong. It would seem his concerns about his reputation as Youko were well founded, as soon as he demanded that Kurama make a decision the Fox had followed true to his kitsune form and left her alone.

He had been watching over the two of them that day, and heard exactly what had been said as well as the tears that fell to the ground as Yukina watched Kurama walking away from her. She was too proud to call him back even though he could see the questions burning in her eyes. In that moment he wished he could be the one to comfort her, to tell her that she had done nothing wrong aside from giving her heart to someone who couldn't fully love her in return but he kept silent, watching from his spot in the tree. He remained there for a couple of days, looking after her while hoping Kurama would come to his senses but it never happened. Eventually he returned to the Makai but periodically he went back to check on her never revealing himself.

He made his way quickly to the border, knowing that there would be no one to challenge his crossing. Even if the border patrol was still in existence he was one of the few that had held free passage between the two realms as a reward for the work he had done with the spirit detectives. Personally he thought Koenma knew that even if permission wasn't granted to him he would find a way through, regardless of what the Reikai wanted. His sister was there, not even hell itself could stop him from going to see her if he wanted. He stopped suddenly, seeing several shadows approaching the border that should not have been there. Not under normal circumstances anyway.

He watched them carefully, they were dangerously close to where he passed through to Genkai's temple. If they decided to go through it could mean trouble, not that he necessarily minded a fight. It had been a while since he had any decent sport but he disliked the location. The fact that they were heavily armed did not go unnoticed either, nor the fact that they were ragged, looking like some of the lower level bandits that he had periodically disposed of. It was no matter, if they were to cause trouble they would die.

He crept in silently, avoiding detection as he picked up bits and pieces of their conversation. He had been right in his assumptions. They were planning to go pick up humans for breeding stock by the sounds of it. It wasn't surprising. It was a costly venture to travel back and forth depending on where their base of operation was. Hiei had heard enough he leapt down out of the tree, his katana unsheathed as he cut through the first of the demons. Immediately their attention was on him but it was not going to help them any. He moved quickly, the only sign of his passing was the sound of his blade cutting through the air. Screams were heard as he tore them to pieces and then all was silent. He looked down at their mangled bodies in disgust. Hardly a challenge for him, half of them hadn't even had the chance to draw their weapons. "Pathetic."

Hiei flicked the blood off of his katana before sheathing it once more. If he didn't hurry he would miss Yukina and she would already be preparing for bed. Without another thought to the grisly remains he leapt back into the trees and passed quickly through the border. He scowled at the sky in disgust as he was pelted with a light rain. Damn the Ningenkai and it's foul weather. Granted the Makai wasn't much better but at least he didn't have to worry about getting soaked so often. Shrugging it off he continued on his journey to the temple. He stopped in his customary tree, his eyes widening as he took in Yukina's form. She was standing on the porch but it looked as if she had been out in this cursed weather and hadn't bothered to go dry off. He was tempted to go down and usher her inside when a soft clink caught his attention. It was followed by a couple more, tear gems falling innocently to the floor.


The soft patter of rain was the only sound that echoed in the distance, encasing the small Koorime. She laid her head against the wooden beam, resting her eyes for a brief moment. The smell of wet grass drifted up as a gust of wind circled around the small porch. There wasn't anyone else around to see the tiny stones hit the wooden floor. Every time she thought back on it, tears would come. Pain would encase her heart, worse than any Tarukane had inflicted. No amount of torture could equal the solid ache in her chest.

Her life as a Koorime. had always dictated that it be one of solitude. The reason she'd left her home city to remain in the human world; she was fighting against that destiny. She didn't want to end up like all those women, all cold and emotionless. They were all lonely, living miserable existences. She never wanted that for herself, she wanted to be happy. Her search had begun with her brother, now she was searching for more. Hiei hadn't come out and told her but she knew. Even if he never came out and admitted to her, her heart had found the truth. She hadn't seen him in almost two years, he preferred the Makai for a home.

The temple was her home, her family was here. Genkai was still hanging on to life, too stubborn to die. Kuzuma still visited often, Keiko and Yusuke came by on occasion. When Shizuru could get away she'd come with her brother to visit. The only thing missing from her life was him but he wouldn't return now. The thought made the tears sting once more, burning to be released. It had been over a year since she'd last seen him, the day he'd walked away from her.

She'd always felt a small curiosity towards the redhead since the Dark Tournament. He'd caught her attention along with Hiei but for different reasons. At the time she'd ignored it, the search for her brother more important and the threat on their lives. She didn't know then what kind of impact the fox would make on her life. After it was over Kuzuma had started to pursue her, it took her a while to understand what he was doing. Humans courted in a different way than most youkai, their ways were strange but pleasant. She loved Kuzuma, he was her best friend but she didn't feel that longing. Having grown up with the Koorime. she was almost ignorant of feelings and what they pertained to. Now she knew what all types of love there was. There was the love she held for her brother, then the love she felt for her friends. Life had taught her a hard lesson, the feeling of being in love with a man.

The first few months after the Makai Tournament had been all innocent. He'd come over with the others to visit, they'd have dinner. It would be very pleasant, small talk would be made. He was content to spend time in the Ningenkai to be with his human mother. It was obvious to everyone that he loved the woman very much. Yukina had envied him that love, to know his family without having to hide his love. Soon, he started to come over on his own without the company of others. Those days he would walk with her wherever she wanted to go. Hours were spent talking about unimportant things, enjoying each other's company.

It wasn't long and she knew that her feelings for him were different than what she felt for the others. She confided in Genkai about how he made her feel. She'd get weak in the knees when he'd look at her a certain way. His smile made her stomach feel funny, she also felt special with him. There were times when she thought he had felt the same things. It had been in the way he smiled at her, as if it were meant just for her.

Then one day he'd taken it further, he'd kissed her. There was only word one that came to mind whenever she thought on it, beautiful. It had been her first kiss, worth waiting her whole life for. Things had changed after that day, he'd started acting different. Whenever they went out he would hold her hand or place a hand on her shoulder. There would always be some kind of contact between them on a personal level. Before he'd leave her at night, he'd give her a kiss goodnight.

She'd look forward to his visits, waiting for the minute he'd get off work and make his way over to see her. Finally she was happy, content with her life as it was. Nothing was missing; she'd found her brother, she had a home and she was in love. Nothing could have prepared her for the storm that was about to crash over her world. Bringing emptiness and despair, leaving nothing but regret in it's wake.

He'd come to see her one day over a year ago, a solemn look on his face. She'd ran to him, in the midst of cooking him dinner. The sigh that came from him caused her to stop in her tracks. Dread had filled her, something was wrong. Without giving her a chance to speak, he said words she could never forget. The words forever etched in her memory; "Yukina, I won't be coming to see you again. I have my reasons, I hope you can accept it when I say that it is for the best. I'm sorry but this is goodbye."

She hadn't seen him since that day, he no longer came at all. The others would comment on his absence but figured it to be because of his work. She knew the truth, it was because he didn't want to see her. If she wasn't here then he'd be free to visit with his friends, it was her fault. Never having been in a relationship before she wasn't sure what she'd done wrong. Maybe she had said something to displease him or anger him. Whatever the case, he'd meant what he said.

She longed for him to come see her just one more time. Deep down she knew that wouldn't be enough, she wanted to be with him. Her feelings for him had long since turned to love, unreturned love. Not one to bring others into her problems, she kept her sadness to herself. No need to let the others know about it, they wouldn't understand how she felt. Or if they did, they'd only feel pity for her. Being pitied wasn't something to be proud of or wanted. Life had taught her to be strong even if she wasn't a fighter like most.

Would he ever come back to see her? After several weeks she'd accepted the truth, he hadn't loved her like she had him. His feelings had been different, she'd been hoping for too much. Her mother had found love with a man, mating with him against her people's laws. She didn't care for their laws or ways, she would have gladly become his mate and mother to his children.

The sound of the kettle whistling from inside drew her attention. Her tea was done, time to get out of the weather. Another day spent looking towards the temple steps, waiting for the red hair to grace the top. Her heart twitched at the remembrance, it wasn't going to happen. He'd left her, he was never going to come back. It was time she said goodbye to her foolish dreams and hopes. She gave one last brief glance towards the steps, "Goodbye, Kurama."


Hiei stared worriedly at her as she turned to face to the entrance of the temple. Crimson eyes so like his own closed sadly spilling more tears as she whispered a final farewell to the one she loved.

"Goodbye Kurama."

Abruptly she turned around and went inside, sliding the door shut behind her. Hiei moved out of his tree then and onto the porch, sighing heavily. Slowly he began to pick up the priceless gems, it would be careless to leave them out where they could be found but he couldn't blame Yukina for not thinking clearly at the moment. 'Damn him to hell for doing this to her!' With the gems in hand he began to walk off, only to stop in front of an open door. He turned to Genkai and held out the gems, never saying a word. She accepted them without question, knowing immediately what they were. He kept only one and placed it in his pocket. He walked away, tearing the ward off of the Jagan and allowing the energy to flare. He had a kitsune to find.

Shizuru threw the bread on the counter to yell at Kuzuma for having his feet up on the table. He snorted then removed them, "Now wipe it or you'll be eating that dirt with dinner." She didn't feel like putting up with him this evening, she had a bad day at work. She was sure he'd had a wonderful day at school, he wasn't busting his ass everyday. Not that she would begrudge him his education when she knew he needed it. As long as he knew that when he got a high paying job he'd be paying the bills so she could relax.

He was sulking again, staring out the window. When was he going to get over it? She knew he still loved Yukina, everyone did even the man that Kuzuma claimed stole her. No one would blame Kurama for what happened, they knew nothing. All they knew was that Yukina had acted different around the fox and him her. The girl had let it slip one day that Kurama came to see her, which had pissed Kuzuma off. He went on a tirade when he came home claiming that Kurama was out to steal his girl.

She'd always hoped that Yukina had returned the feelings but it didn't seem it would happen. Shizuru could see that Yukina was in love with Kurama, so could Kuzuma. Feelings couldn't be dictated, no matter how much people might want the ability to do so. The small Koorime. wasn't meant to be with him, he'd get over it. They still went out there almost every weekend to visit, to get away from the city. For the past year Yukina looked different, a sadness radiated from her. From what Yusuke told them Kurama hadn't been to the temple in over a year which meant those two weren't a couple. Leaving Kuzuma to go up and try to pick up where he'd left off before Kurama had tried to move in.

"Bro, get off your ass and fix the table. I'd like to eat sometime tonight." She pulled dinner out the oven, setting it on the stove. Today had been terrible at the salon. A mother had brought her child in to have the girl's hair cut and styled. Shizuru had brought the little girl over to get ready to prepare her. One of the first things they were told to do was look at the person's hair for sanitary reasons. It hadn't taken but a few seconds to find something, the child had a bad case of head lice. Shizuru called her boss over to inform her of the situation, she wouldn't be able to cut the girl's hair. Her manager went to speak to the mother, the woman flipped. Started to call the boss a few choice names, refusing to believe the child had them. They'd gotten a call the week before from the woman down the street that specialized in weave and hair extensions. There was an outbreak in the schools to be on the lookout. The mother ranted for over ten minutes demanding that they do her child's hair. The little girl ended up crying from all the fuss, causing all the customers to gawk at the display.

She reached into the fridge to fix herself a glass of tea, she needed a hot shower. What she didn't need was to put up with her brother's whining. His love life didn't suck as bad as hers. At least he knew who he wanted, she couldn't find anyone to stir up her interest. All the males she knew were all dull and lacked any sexual appeal to her. Cutting hair all day wasn't all that exciting. She really needed to get laid and soon. "Don't think I'm going to fix your plate."

The hanyou didn't move when the rain picked up, it was getting late. Kagome would still be at work for a couple more hours, so he'd wait like he always did. Her job place was just down the street, so he took up his spot in a large oak tree. He refused to stay home like she asked, there was no way he was letting her too far out of range. She tried to get him to relax saying this wasn't the past, there was still danger here. He could smell youkai sometimes but nothing menacing had made itself known. He'd failed her once already, he wouldn't do it again. If it weren't for his brother and their friends Kagome wouldn't be here, all because he had failed her.

No one had expected the final fight to go down that way. Naraku had been able to retrieve his heart from Mouryoumaru, leaving him their only enemy. Plans were being made to find Naraku and bring him down for good. Somehow, his secret had leaked out and they had paid for it dearly. He could still hear their screams echoing in his ears, a constant reminder of his failure.

The new moon had risen leaving him incapable of doing anything. Kikyou had come calling, so he'd went to her leaving Kagome with the others. They had spoken for several minutes before Naraku chose to show up, striking when he was the weakest. He'd fought as best as he could while in his human form, it hadn't been enough. With Kikyou's body failing her, she'd been overcome as well; pierced in the chest by a tentacle. Naraku had been about to kill the undead miko when a purification arrow had come out of nowhere.

Kagome came in time to set Kikyou free but put herself in danger as well. Naraku had turned to her, gloating over his luck. A barrier was then placed around them, keeping the others at bay. Kouga and Sesshoumaru had come to camp earlier to see about Naraku's whereabouts and whatever information the group could share.

Inuyasha's shoulder still ached from where a thin tentacle went through his arm to pin him to the ground, inserting miasma into the wound. He couldn't stop his scream of outrage seeing Naraku slap Kagome across the face before she could react. The bow was broken and lay discarded on the ground, leaving her defenseless against him.

He tried getting up pulling at the limb holding him down, fighting off the poison seeping into his bloodstream. Kikyou's scream was the first he heard, it pulled at his heart. She was being held up in the air around the throat, a tentacle was seen making it's way up her pants leg. It didn't take a genius to figure out where it had stopped. Her cry was one of outrage, her fake body no longer capable of feeling pain.

Naraku had turned to him and spoke, "Inuyasha, since you are about to die, I'm going to let you watch as I carry out a fantasy that belongs to both of us. Can you deny that you want both women? For so long you have swapped back in forth over who you desired to be with more. I will do what you have always wanted. I will take both women while you watch."

Time stood still as he could no longer move, the miasma slowly weakening his already frail human body. "You bastard, don't you touch them." Kagome screamed as she was being forced down on the ground. Her hand striking out, her power flaring to melt what flesh it touched. A fist stilled whatever fight she had left in her, sealing her fate. He tried to will himself to move but his body was paralyzed, unwilling to do as he asked. Something white was thrown towards him, the smell coming from them cried out that they were Kagome's.

Her first scream penetrated the night sky, causing him and Kikyou to wince in pain. Birds that were inside the barrier tried to fly away only to break their necks against the invisible wall. The small corpses fell to the ground as the next scream came from the girl now buried under Naraku's body. The sound of her cries filled his ears, to haunt his dreams for the rest of his days. Kikyou's cry was soon heard, the tentacle now pushing into her body to mock the movement of it's master.

Inuyasha screamed as the tentacle gave one final thrust, to come out of Kikyou's stomach. Several more shot forward to slam into her body, then it happened. Kagome's voice was heard screaming out the woman's name, a bright light was seen filling the whole area. Seconds later he opened his eyes to see the destruction she had caused. Naraku laid on the ground the bottom half of his body missing, getting to his elbows. Voices were heard as the others rushed in, the barrier was gone.

He leaned his head back against the tree, it had been his brother that killed Naraku. The jewel had been returned to Kagome's hands by Sesshoumaru. To make matters worse his brother had used the fang to heal him then walked away. Nothing could be done for Kikyou, her body being too destroyed for her to continue on. She asked to be cremated once more and put to rest. Inuyasha offered to go to hell with her, she told him no. That she'd let the piece of her soul she carried to return to Kagome.

Her final words were that she'd got to see the man responsible for her death meet his end. The jewel was now in Kagome's care, for her to protect it. She wished that Inuyasha live a happy life, one that they'd been denied. To life it for her, enjoy each day. Her body was taken back to the village, left in Kaede's care.

After everyone was healed and it was finally over Kagome told everyone she was going home. Back to her own time, she was saying goodbye. She'd said her farewell's to everyone, a sad moment for them all. Shippou had begged her to stay but she wouldn't, she said she needed to get back to her family. He knew staying in the past was too painful to her. She'd tried to say her farewell to him, he wasn't having it. He told her in a stern voice he was going with her. She still had the jewel, she was it's protector and he was hers.

All he received was a smile, then a quick nod in agreement. It was enough for now, she was allowing him to return with her. So here he was sitting wondering how many kids Sango and Miroku had, what had happened to Shippou? He didn't regret coming with Kagome, she was his best friend, his only real family.

He knew that he would always love her, she meant a lot to him. Yet they would never be anything more than friends, it was impossible. Too much had happened between them, they were too close due to traumatic events. It was better this way, he'd keep her safe from any harm. He'd make up for failing her and Kikyou, he'd protect her as long as he was alive.

Kagome wished that she could take even five minutes to sit down and just rest her feet for a while. It had been busy all afternoon, never letting up and now the dinner crowd had come in making it twice as busy. It was times like this she wanted to kick herself for dropping out of high school but she hadn't had much of a choice. When she had come back not only were her grades beyond repair and she couldn't stand to be around large crowds of people. She refused to tell her mother what had happened in the final days of the past so when she dropped out of school her mother had insisted she get a job. It was hard, dealing with so many people at once but knowing Inuyasha was close by helped sometimes.

Her head snapped up as the door opened again, signaling more customers. That wasn't what grabbed her attention however, it was the feel of unfamiliar youki in the air. Her attention immediately fell to the newcomers. They were powerful, too powerful. She hadn't felt youki that strong since the last time she had seen Lord Sesshoumaru. She nearly groaned as they were seated at one of her tables. It would figure that she got them, she was thanking every god she knew that her shielding was in place. They wouldn't be able to tell what she was as long as she was careful.

Kagome plastered a smile on her face but it felt stiff, hopefully they wouldn't be able to tell how nervous she was. Too much stress might cause her shields to fall and that would cause uncomfortable questions, something she desperately wanted to avoid. Just because the jewel was no longer in plain sight didn't mean they wouldn't be able to sense it. She didn't care to have a strange youkai digging around in her body again just to get at it. Been there, done that, had the scars to prove it. She grabbed two place settings as she past her station and continued on to the table. Her smile faded quickly when their attention turned to her. "Hello, my name is Kagome and I'll be your server tonight. May I get you something to drink?"

She could feel their scrutiny as she spoke, her voice trembling slightly. She hated the fact that she could be so unnerved by these two men. So far they hadn't made any aggressive movements to her but given everything she had been through it was understandable that she was wary. They seemed almost hesitant to answer her and when the redhead finally spoke she couldn't keep herself from jumping which earned her yet another odd look from them. Once she had what she needed she hurried off to get their drinks, glad to be away from them.

The return trip wasn't that much better for her either. She brought their drinks and placed the first soda down in front of the man that used too much hair gel. The red head's tea was next, she tried to ignore the way he was staring at her but it only made her more nervous causing her hands to shake. She had just set his tea on the table when his hand closed around her wrist gently but firmly. She barely heard him ask if she was okay as her eyes closed, tears escaping down her cheeks. She could see it all, Naraku's face in hers. The way his hot breath hit her in the face. "Not again, let me go!" She yanked her hand away from him and turned, running back into the break room.

Her manager had come to check on her then, as she was leaning against the wall breathing heavily. She assured the woman that she was fine and tried composing herself as best as she could. Like it or not she still had a job to do, she couldn't afford to lose it. Their attention immediately went to her once more when she walked up and she tried smiling at them once more. "I'm sorry, I've just been having a really.. bad day. Are you ready to order?"

Once that was done she took the order to the back and proceeded to tend to her other customers. She purposefully avoided their table for as long as she could, only returning to drop off their food. She couldn't afford another episode, already she could feel her shields trying to crumble, anything more and they would shatter, broadcasting to the world who she was and what she carried. That of course would bring Inuyasha running, she was surprised that he hadn't put in an appearance as soon as these two had showed up. That was the last thing that they needed, open warfare between an irate inu hanyou and these two demons. She wasn't even sure of what they were but even with the Tetsusaiga she didn't think that Inuyasha would have a chance of defeating them.

Kurama handed Yusuke the salt, then reached for his fork. Their late dinner was going well, despite the nasty turn the weather had taken. Yusuke was going on about Keiko's latest checkup, he was excited about becoming a father. His whole life was about to change, all for the better. Kurama wished him well with his new family. Not everyone was meant for that kind of life.

For a small time he'd harbored those same hopes and dreams but he'd been fooling himself. There wasn't a human female that would understand his other personality or his past. Much less accept him for who he was, a youkai pretending to be human. He would never find a woman to marry while in the Ningenkai. Most youkai females would look down on him for his human attachment. They wouldn't understand his love for his mother or his desire to spend her remaining years with her.

'No that's not true,' His thoughts went back to the girl staying at Genkai's shrine. She was everything he could ever hope for. She accepted him for who he was, human and youkai alike. She didn't know everything about his past but it wouldn't matter to her. Yukina was a very forgiving person, with a large heart. But she wasn't meant for him, it was wrong to think of her that way. He'd been a fool to allow things to go as far as he did.

Denying his feelings was something he was use to, keeping himself estranged from the girl was hard. They'd gotten close during that time, too close. She was quickly claiming his heart, making him want a life with her. Yet how could he bring himself to seduce his best friend's sister? That question had plagued him for a long time, no answer had come from the depths of his mind. Instead it had appeared in the form of Hiei.

The man had been angry, informing him of his knowledge of the courtship. To say he was angry was an understatement, Hiei had been beyond pissed. He stated his case, demanding that Kurama call the courtship off. Saying that if Kurama had no honorable intentions then he didn't deserve Yukina. He wouldn't allow his sister to be used for a moments pleasure, nor to fulfill a temporary need.

Kurama had thought about it, he wasn't sure what he wanted. Part of him wanted to settle down and have a family, the other wanted to return to his free days. He couldn't deny that he loved Yukina, always would. Before he made that kind of step he needed to be sure of what he could offer her. She deserved the best, Hiei was right about that. So he'd made a decision, to leave her alone until he was certain. If their courtship would have continued, he'd have taken her to his bed. That would have been too much to ask of her, to give herself to him when there was no sauntering of a future. A day didn't go pass that he didn't think of her.

Something else was nagging at him, the presence of Youko. He lived his life as Shuichi, keeping his human personality in control while Youko stayed dormant. Most were confused when it came down to the difference between the two. There was two different personalities dwelling in his body, Youko had only come out during the Dark Tournament. As he informed Kuwabara when they were chasing Sensui, he hadn't changed back into Youko. He merely took on his youkai form to gain more power. Youko hadn't emerged again, he remained locked away; allowing Shuichi's personality complete control.

For almost a month he could feel Youko stirring in the background, trying to break free. Something was bothering the youkai part of himself, he just wasn't sure what yet. Maybe the answer would come soon, he wasn't sure how much longer Youko would be content to stay in the shadows. He turned to Yusuke who was now talking about buying a crib for their new apartment. He tried to listen intently while something began to nag at the back of his mind.

"Seems we are about to have company Yusuke, I believe that's Hiei I sense coming towards us. Let's pay and get out of here, I doubt he'll want to come inside with all these people." Kurama put down his fork noticing most of his meal remained untouched. His appetite had decreased greatly due to his sorrow. He wouldn't fool himself, he missed Yukina.

He waved their waitress over wanting to pay for their meal and leave. It took several seconds, then he saw her glance their way. She was very pretty but sucked as a server, he'd still leave a tip. She'd hadn't wanted to approach their table to begin with, then kept looking at them strange while taking their orders. Not to mention her reaction when he touched her hand earlier. When their food was brought she hastily shoved it on the table then left them to eat. Not once had she returned to check on them or refill their drinks. He saw her chewing on her bottom lip as she approached, as if she were afraid. "Can we have the check please?"

Yusuke watched the girl walk over, her hands reaching for the paper with their bill on it. Kurama had gotten up to meet her halfway to head for the counter to pay it. He watched her extend it towards the fox's outstretched hand. Brown eyes narrowed seeing how the pale slim fingers shook as she handed it over. The second Kurama's fingers closed around it she jerked back as if she'd been bit. Strange behavior for someone working in a restaurant. He stood up tossing a few bills on the table, then frowned. She was walking over to another table, a pleasant smile back in place. Kurama stopped next to him to glance back over his shoulder towards the girl. "Damn, do you make all girls that nervous?"

Kagome nearly breathed a sigh of relief when the shorter of the two waved her over, calling for the check. She pulled the slip of paper out of her book and began walking towards them. Her breath caught once again when the red head stood and began walking towards her. This time thankfully he kept his hands to himself, only touching the paper. She bid him a good evening and turned towards another of her tables, a smile on her face once more.

She was glad to see them go, lingering unease settled around her as her gaze followed them out the door. Without realizing it her feet carried her towards the window, her hands coming up to touch the glass. Her eyes widened as she felt the youki of yet another demon and for the slightest of seconds her shields slipped, ever so slightly. She was about to move away from the glass when the third demon's crimson eyes came up and locked gazes with her. For several long moments she stood, spellbound, drawn into a contest of wills with this man. The question was, who would look away first?


Next Chapter: Hiei's confrontation with Kurama and harsh words are spoken causing someone to disappear without a trace... Want to see more make sure to review and let us know what you think. Thanks Again!