425Inuyasha YuYu Hakusho Crossover 1 Chapter 1
Healing Soul
Summary: Cannon, IY slightly alternate ending –BG blend but more manga than anime, YYH boys' [last year of school but otherwise through series] –anime only, Kag/Kur, Sess/[Rin?], Shizuru/OC, Inu/? Other pairings as set/hinted canon. Mostly.
Author's note: umm… I was going to wait until I'd finished all prospective chapters before posting this but… Surprise! I decided to toss this out and see what people thought about it. :laughs sheepishly: I already have other chapters started, just unfinished.
I'm going with the options of Youko Kurama being ~3000 years old (one added tail for every 1000 years), Hiei and Yukina being young adults at ~250+, Shippou being a child at ~50 years, Inuyasha being a youth equivalent of an early teen at ~150 (not counting the 50 years of non-growth pinned to Goshinboku), and Sesshomaru being at least 500 years old at the start of their respective series and in their most common time period. I'm trying to remain as canon as possible –except where I want to deviate for plot devices ;) – and the ages to me are important. I'm putting Kouga at ~300 years, start of series, or roughly the demon equivalent of an 18 year-old human –so between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's ages but closer to Inuyasha's for the obvious way they act around each other. Likewise Ayame is ~150 (sorry, I know she's only anime but she's TOO CUTE! ^_^) so was born around when Inuyasha was about ~50 –or roughly Shippou's age as we're used to seeing him (cute thought, ne? ^_^ Though I figure being hanyou Inuyasha aged quicker than Shippou… O_o Okies… don't read too much into that –it gets confusing and in the end really isn't that important.)
Also, for schools I'm keeping most in the same schools (just moving from Junior High to High School) and uniforms just so I don't have to deal with the headaches. I know that's not how it works in Japan and though I'll otherwise try to keep the culture relatively correct I'm not in this case. One it won't fit well and two it would be a boring pain on my part. The deviation from this is Keiko's uniform for Deichi's as we have seen that and Kazuma is in the Tech school he was studying to enter. On a similar note I love tossing in Japanese words and honorifics. I am NOT proficient in either, and quite possibly will make mistakes despite my efforts. If you see something notably incorrect please let me know –though sometimes understand that a wrong or lacking honorific might actually be intentional depending on the character speaking. ;)
For the record I have chosen to use the alternate Kurabara Romanization spelling over the Kuwabara spelling. I have seen both used on 'official' items, though I will admit 'Kuwabara' is more predominant. As the true sound there does not accurately transpose 100% into Arabic letters and sounds I took the preference for the firmer 'R' over the softer 'W' for my writings. There is nothing wrong with either spelling from what I've been able to ascertain through some light research. It is similar to the Kilala/Kirara issue –between which I've chosen Kilala.
And yes –I take liberties with Kagome's powers. If she was so powerful to be 'locked' I feel she's stronger than we ever were able to see.
I own neither the characters from 'Inuyasha' nor those from 'YuYu Hakusho' and only seek the entertainment of myself and others with the writings of any fanfiction my muse graces to flow from my fingers. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy.
Healing Soul Chapter 1: Shizuru Senses
Smoke curled and rose eerily in the cool air like a shadowy serpent in the fading light from the end of a cigarette held with casual familiarity from the slender fingers of a relaxed woman outside a hairdresser shop, alone though the crowds that milled past her. Cigarette never far from slim, pursed lips, Kurabara Shizuru watched through naturally narrowed light brown eyes with poised indifference the sea of unknown faces. Her hand not holding the near-sacred tobacco strip slipped into the pocket of her slacks, fingers sliding in a cold caress over the smooth, black case of the lighter within. 'Sakyou Valdez…' The only thing besides scant memories the woman retained of the one man to catch her attention and so fully earn her respect –despite his darkness. Hardened eyes hid the thoughts that were only permitted to flutter briefly in connection to his lighter. In other words, often but short-lived for the avid smoker.
Before she could turn her thoughts away on her own a brush of something touched her 6th sense, far, far too close for Shizuru to be happy that she had not caught it sooner. Another's eyes might have snapped up to search out the source but Shizuru shifted her gaze with an almost bizarre casualness as if nothing fazed her. It was a small touch of particularly pure energy, drawing her gaze to a group of four junior high or high school girls –probably around her brother Kazuma's age, if her estimate was correct. Which most likely it was. A give-away was their uniforms, which the woman memorized to place the school later. Right now her interest was in finding the source of power that had caught her attention. The girls looked normal enough, chatting as most girls did –probably on the way from shopping at the stores down this street.
With practiced quickness from years of street-smarts she catalogued their looks. The first had long, wavy black hair held back partially at the back of her head with a barrette, brown eyes gentle with concern for the girl that had been positioned in the 'center' of the other three –whether protective or coercive Shizuru would not bet on yet. Another with straight, shoulder length black hair wearing a yellow headband behind bangs that just touched her eyebrows and lifted almost defying gravity on one side had dark eyes that looked sharp in a caring way yet somewhat shifty as well. Then there was the third with shorter hair –straight and barely past her ears– blue eyes also focused on the central girl. As if the female would disappear or fall over. 'Curious…'
It was harder to see the corralled girl through her friends but Shizuru caught long, full-bodied black hair and thick fluffy bangs better as the quartet neared her position. Yes… there was a shield there. Something blocking her from picking up more than the tingle that had alerted her… as if what she felt was but the drips from a leaky faucet. Internally her eyes widened at what that could portend but as usual nothing showed, nor did her train of thought falter or deviate from discerning the source. It amazed her that until she felt the leak she would never have noticed the shield's presence. Then it happened. The girl in the center's head turned. Storm-like blue-gray eyes wide lifted from their hiding behind ebony bangs and honed in on Shizuru's face like the call of polar magnets with unerring precision. Emotions flickered in their stormy depths in quick succession: surprise, fear, wonder, sadness, aching, familiarity, loneliness, uncertainty, hope, pleading. Shizuru blinked at the last one, almost uncertain she had read the last correctly. A plea? A plea for what, exactly? She was not certain so continued to watch, pinching and dropping the burnt out stub of her cigarette into the container half-hidden beside her and drawing forth a fresh one to be lit with the fancy black lighter she was never without. She watched the girl's face called back to her three friends, mildly curious to their group interaction. It was nearly flawless. If one did not suspect something amiss it would be easy to overlook that there might even be something out of sync. But Shizuru caught it, now that she was looking. The loneliness of the central figure. The feeling of not quite connecting anymore where once she had truly been part of the group while the others simply could not comprehend something deeper that had occurred in her life. They were passing now, but still a few other pedestrians away. Close enough Shizuru could more clearly feel the pure trickle that slipped from the relatively pretty girl. Close enough to be able to distinguish that though her FIRST feel of whatever the other female was leaking might have been accidental, NOW it was left to remain intentionally for the older female to pick up. Shizuru added that to the list of things to contemplate once she had picked up all she could from this strange girl. Right now she could pick up snip-its of the feminine voices' conversation: 'Hojo,' 'health,' 'scores,' 'two-timing-ex,' and other such things that she could not quite put together on their own. It was interesting how from time to time -without alerting her companions- the one she studied would dart her gaze unerringly to Shizuru's light brown eyes, the storms of her own slightly bluer though highly laced with uncertainty and retaining their strange hopeful-plea. A plea Shizuru finally felt she grasped at least enough as the gaggle of high-schoolers finished their pass and were almost out of sight with the girl with the longest hair's last backward glance. She wanted Shizuru to follow. WHY the woman could not answer, but being curious and not having anything better to do (so she told herself to keep her indifferent façade) Shizuru once again replaced her finished cigarette with a fresh one, righted herself from leaning against the wall she had been 'holding up,' straightened the low side 'tail of her light brown hair over her shoulder, and casually strode after the lingering traces of the younger woman's pure energy.
'It's like that European tale where the kids leave a trail of breadcrumbs.' Shizuru thought with an internal snort of amusement as she walked out of the shopping district where she worked as a hairdresser towards an area of town she seldom if ever ventured. It was too 'nice' for the street-smart woman who had practically raised her brother by herself –not that she would show anything if she felt out of her element anyway. Hard to feel that way, with the calming sensation of the 'trickle' that she followed. The wisps and tendrils of the girl's purity brushed against her with a gentle comforting feel that reminded the uptight woman of her baby brother's pure heart. Only it was more somehow. Kurabara Shizuru added this to the puzzle of things she had so far concerning the strange girl and pondered the pieces as she casually followed the barest touch of the trail left for her. Far out of sight from the girl and her friends she was unconcerned about being spotted and startling the non-sensitives. There was no doubt in Shizuru's mind at this point that the girl with the longest hair was more than merely 'sensitive' to spirit energy. That and the relative peace she felt from the wisps that were leading her on had her reaching the conclusion that the pretty but otherwise rather normal looking girl knew that she -Shizuru- was indeed following as silently asked.
But… why had she been asked? And what was this girl's power, and the extent of it? In all she had seen both on the streets and keeping up with the fantastic lives of her baby brother and his Spirit Detective friends Shizuru had never felt such poignant pureness. And the power… the sensitive woman suspected what she tasted was only the very tip of the iceberg, and her hunches were usually right. 'Perhaps that's a hint at her loneliness?' It was certainly something Shizuru could understand, having grown up alone both in raising her brother alone in their neighborhood as well as having the 'gifts' she did spiritually. There was always that feeling of being an outsider, of not being understood. Of having no one with whom to talk to who could begin to understand.
Suspending that train of thought for the moment she brushed thin, short, soft brown bangs casually from her forehead continuing to give off the impression of a woman simply strolling as pleasantly as if she were in a park. Now however she thought of the girls' fuku –their uniforms. Short green skirts, white tops with green collars that hung in back past their shoulder blades and tied in front with a red tie. Picturing them in her mind Shizuru placed them as being from a school this direction, which would make sense considering their current path.
A waiver of apprehension or anxiety threaded through the pure tendrils of the breadcrumb trail distracted Shizuru from that basically concluded thought and she realized something had stopped the girls. With mild curiosity their tracker continued her forward movement. There was no surge of spirit energy near the four girls… what could have caused such a reaction to the pure-souled one's energy?
Rounding a corner, still far away, uninterested brown eyes spotted the answer to her last question at least. A boy -a young man really- likely the same age as the girls and a classmate, telling by the look and cut of his dark blue uniform, had paused to engage them in what was apparently polite conversation. Inwardly Shizuru rolled her eyes at the gushing and giggling sounds of the girls that drifted to her even this distance. Her already slender eyes narrowed a fraction more in an odd sympathy to see the way they pushed the central girl towards him, when even at this vantage she could see the nervous attempts to get out of what was clearly a common occurrence. The one GOOD thing Shizuru could pull out of the sight was the way the pure girl's friends saw to her imagined potential happiness over their own. Still it was a foolish what they were apparently trying to do when even with only this viewing she could tell the girl was not interested in the polite young man.
Thankfully the boy was so polite for he left not long after, inadvertently taking with him most of the threads of unease that colored the frazzled girl's trickling power. Shizuru had paused by a trashcan to light a new cigarette and remained leaning against a nearby tree contemplating its smoke until the girls were once again well out of sight and her only guide the proverbial breadcrumb trail of purity drawing her on. Her mind continued to ponder this new mystery. Things had been relatively boring since the Kekkai barrier had been dropped and Urameshi Yusuke had returned and it was almost oddly refreshing to have something potentially exciting tingle at her senses. Especially something that promised to be interesting without putting her baby brother at risk or deterring him from his studies.
Letting her senses keep watch of her surroundings Shizuru felt when she neared the edges of a benign but strong barrier. As her footsteps padded quietly upon the cement walk she lifted her eyes to affirm that she was indeed nearing a shrine. Testing her senses it was quickly apparent to the sensitive that had she not been following the girl's particular 'ki' all this time she would never have sensed the barrier on its own. The realization made her almond eyes widen briefly. 'Would even Reikai be able to detect this barrier?' She wondered to the extent of the Spirit World's capabilities. Certainly, Shizuru recalled how often it was on short notice the most imperative cases used to be discovered nearly too late.
Without pause her steps guided her around the high wall and to the opening of wide stairs that rose before her. 'Less than at Genkai-sama's. Can at least see the end from the bottom.' Softly Shizuru snorted to herself and leaned against the wall looking up as she finished her smoke, snuffing the butt out with her heel when finished before casually tackling the climb. All while taking in the feel within the barrier. The first thing she noticed was that the wisps faded. Not so much dissolved so much as they softened and expanded, filling the 'contained' area with a purity and peace that was both warm and welcoming –surely something that soothed any visitors to the shrine, sensitive or not. Next was the confirmation that the pure energy did in fact create the barrier though from what Shizuru could tell it was now self-sufficient and permanent. THAT was impressive and surprising. As she neared the top of the stairs a natural and ancient energy touched her senses and looking up Shizuru could see a massive tree spreading up and out just beyond an old, gray building which she could now sense held vestiges of residual energy that was no longer viable. Another mystery.
Cresting the last step Shizuru looked to see the girl she had been following standing silently in front of the large tree as a slight breeze shifted her raven locks from her back while she herself remained motionless: schoolbag still slung over one shoulder, and blue eyes almost gray in sadness looking at an indentation upon the tree's bark. Shizuru watched silently, her thoughts curious as her subconscious considered lighting a fresh cig. Somehow… that did not seem appropriate until the peaceful silence was broken.
Shizuru did not have to wait long. Turning, the young woman flashed the more mature one a bright smile, tarnished only with deep sadness and loneliness and yet full in its own way with gratefulness and hope. Slender hands bearing the soft calluses of work and travel slid from her bag's strap to be clasped in tremulous happiness before her. "Oh good. You did come. I had hoped…" The strange young-old voice trailed off and the girl laughed softly, almost as if embarrassed and in fact she looked rather sheepish. Any doubts that the 'leading' had been anything but intentional washed away. "I'm not up around that particular area often." She explained instead, her expressive face showing that she was having a difficult time trying to find the ways to word what she wanted yet not having the foggiest notion how to carry on. "I was startled… but you did notice… didn't you?"
Chuckling softly Shizuru had to give the girl kudos for skirting the issue while stating it all at once. Perhaps not the best wording, but then this girl was no Kurama. Probably never had to broach such subjects with anyone, and likely felt she was alone when it came to mystical powers. "You could say that." She conceded with a slight nod, her voice as usual soft yet harsh at the same time. Drawing her hands out of her pockets Shizuru 'hopped' a cigarette up from the others in her pack, withdrew it, and lit it with Sakyou Valdez's lighter. Eyes momentarily softening with her last memory of his face she brushed the foolish nostalgia aside to focus again on the girl. "I've noticed a lot of things in my time… but nothing as pure as that." Cold brown eyes flicked around the shrine before the woman smirked lightly in a way that bordered ever so slightly on playfully teasing. "Shrine maiden?" How ironic. "Some sort of miko?"
The girl's eyes lost one shade of gray shifting to blue as melancholy laughter rolled gently from her to fill the courtyard. "Something like that." Altering the words a bit and passing them back she replied, mischief beginning to dance in her eyes. Careful of her bag she gave a greeting bow, eyes dancing with hope and… relief? "Higurashi Kagome." Her smile was as warm and welcoming as the soft, pure energy that filled this area despite the sadness that dwelled like a shadow in the girl's eyes. Rising her head tilted cutely a little to the right. "Maybe you have time for a cup of tea?" Again the hopefulness.
Shizuru could not help but return the smile with a bit of her own while taking a drag of her cigarette. "Sure. My brother can take care of himself for a while longer at least." Heh… it was fun to pick on Kazuma even when he was not there. Nevermind the fact that she was downright proud of his accomplishments –he was still her baby brother. Taking another drag and trying to ignore the way the girl's hopeful face lit up with happiness Shizuru snuffed out her cigarette and tapped the remainder back in the box for later. With a tilt of her head both in greeting and as a signal to lead her inside she returned the introduction. "Kurabara Shizuru."
How could sad eyes look so thrilled? Internally Shizuru shook her head as she followed the younger woman into the fair sized house upon the shrine property. It was not palatial, but much roomier than an apartment and very homey of its own right. Very family oriented, she noticed as she slipped her shoes off inside the door after her hostess before following towards what was likely the kitchen. Family photos were scattered pleasantly about –though her sharp eyes noted that the obvious 'father figure' within them vanished when the two children predominant in the shots reached a certain age. None of her business though. Kagome's voice filtered to her through the doorway between them. "Okaa-san won't be back from work for another hour and if I remember right Souta's staying over at a friend's. Since I've not heard anything around here I'm assuming Jii-san is taking a nap…" Her chuckle was filled with mirth but still did not fully cover the girl's underlying sadness. Shizuru contemplated the possible causes of the sadness which was the only thing shadowing the brightness of her purity while wondering at her ability to chatter. At least it was in a more pleasant and less gossipy way than the conversations of her schoolmates. Still, Shizuru was a little surprised to be told such information so swiftly after introductions and wondered why Kagome might have thought she should know –as if some reasoning was needed.
Then again… perhaps it was. Shizuru snorted to herself. Of course the other woman was basically letting her know that as there was no one else there that there was no one to overhear anything they might say. Therefore, they were more at liberty to speak of things that they usually would not. Impressive. Especially as Shizuru deduced that the 'miko' was not the kind who could tell a believable lie. She let out a harsh breath. "Well that's convenient."
Kagome turned with her head tilted in curious amusement, teapot in hand. Looking at Shizuru a smile filled with warmth and relief like a dam breaking spilled out across her face nearly dazzling her new companion. Slowly she started to giggle. "It is isn't it?" A giggle of relief, on par with the cracked dam of being alone, Shizuru noted and wondered how long she had been alone among friends. Pouring the tea Kagome's countenance faltered and dropped once more, becoming somber and thoughtful. "Do you talk about it?"
Although they had cleared the air that it was safe to speak of their knowledge of the supernatural clearly it was second nature to skirt the issue. Or perhaps it was because her grandfather was napping somewhere likely nearby. Shizuru tapped a slender finger on her teacup, watching the steam rise and drawing in the revitalizing scent. A blend to raise spirit energy. Her brow lifted momentarily before falling into blandness once more while thoughtful. The girl waited with barely contained patience –aided only it seemed by the fact that she felt so naturally at ease in Shizuru's presence. Simply because she was another who knew. Shizuru thought of her brother and their friends… as well as all the many more others that did not know. She was not particularly a talker to begin with… Shizuru lightly shook her head. "Sometimes."
Storm-blue eyes blinked –obviously trying to make sense of the conflicting response. Refraining from rolling her eyes Shizuru decided to give the girl a break, just this once. "I don't really talk about it unless something comes up, and then only with a select few that understand." Slender light brown eyes studied Kagome intently as if to silently say 'surely you understand' while at the same time conveying that the sharply dressed female was not of the type to do much conversing with anyone. Heck… most of her talking with her brother revolved around him getting his studies finished. Although Shizuru had spoken to both explain and reassure the miko the woman's relief floored her. More so than that though, was the strange way Kagome smiled in mild amusement as if with nostalgia, the way one tended to when seeing familiar qualities or behaviors in someone that someone known but out of reach exhibited. But that did not make any sense. From what Shizuru could 'feel' of this place Kagome had grown up here and her friends gave the impression of being those that had stayed true since a young age. Where were the apparent missing ones from this girl's heart? The ache in her eyes was more than a young girl's loss of a father. Not only that… but this was more fresh.
Kagome smiled with the light of sad nostalgia. "Yeah… I hear you." Storm blue eyes twinkled and she giggled into her tea cup much to the perplexity of Shizuru. Silently they sipped their teas, both lost in their own thoughts as they enjoyed the simplicity of each other's company. Shizuru half suspected Kagome's silence stemmed from not knowing what to say –where to start. For the time being she was content with that: Shizuru was not of a mind to spew what she knew yet either. Refilling their cups Kagome once again gave that wistful, hopeful look that had enticed the sensitive to follow her in the first place. Acknowledging the impending query Shizuru lightly lifted a brow, inadvertently drawing a flash of nostalgia from her host that was hastily tucked away in favor of accepting this opportunity to press forward with something uncomfortable in its uncertainty. Silently Shizuru rather patiently waited –considering how she itched to light a cigarette. "Kurabara-san, do you think we could do this again?" Nervously Kagome fluttered a hand in a weak wave to indicate the setting, the companionship. A soft smile started and faltered tenaciously upon her lips. "Sorry –that's really forward of me and I've not given much reason… it's just… it's just…" Her voice trailed off and she swallowed, catching Shizuru's slim eyes with her own stormy-blues moist. Heavily Kagome swallowed and moistened suddenly dry lips before continuing in a voice little more than a whisper. "It's just nice not feeling alone."
In fitted yellow vest over an equally fitted white dress shirt her chest shook slightly with near-silent chuckles and Shizuru gave a single nod. "Don't see why not." Heh… it was rather amusing to watch the girl's transition into relief. So much so that Shizuru felt moved to throw her a bone. "Tell you what –I'll bring my baby brother along. Say in two days." Kazuma had a test tomorrow but the day after was a free day so she supposed she could cut him a break. Plus Keiko had already told her of plans she had that day so he would not be tempted to off and do something with Yusuke. At Kagome's uncertain expression Shizuru gave what was meant to be a reassuring smile that just barely curved her lips. "Don't worry –the lug's got a pure heart for all his rough edges." She gave a careless shrug, once again studying how Kagome processed the information. The uncertainty remained but now confusion was settling in. Something in her wording was throwing Kagome off. Perhaps the way she spoke about her brother? Shizuru recollected the girl mentioning a 'Souta' earlier, as well as a younger boy in the family pictures. However the tone Kagome used when speaking of her little brother was different than Shizuru's. She remembered how that one name rang with both 'annoying little brother' as well as deep pride, gratitude, and love. Well Shizuru had pride and love for her brother too –she just did not show it often. "He's had more training than me, but I think more importantly he'll talk." A smirk turned her lips more than the attempted reassuring smile had managed seeing the hopeful yet slightly frightened light that lit within the stormy blue depths of Kagome's eyes. It made it almost hard to keep her mirth to herself. She would get more out of Kagome letting Kazuma bumble around her –and with entertainment too. All without anyone being in any danger. That was one thing she was certain about this miko: she would never do anything to harm someone. At least not intentionally. Shrugging Shizuru glanced past Kagome casually while keeping the girl in her periphery. "Of course the real trick is getting him to shut up. You'll see. He's kind of smart but dense."
Kagome blinked, attempting to ascertain exactly what was being told to her. Raven locks grazed the table as she tilted her head thinking about it. Strange… her innocence was enough to rival and beat Kazuma's though it was obvious that she had seen enough that it should not be so. HOW and WHERE not to mention WHAT the girl had experienced had Shizuru still at a loss. However that was something she was willing to let Kazuma slowly eke out of the girl. She turned, feeling the warmth of the girl's smile and aura as she came to a decision. "I'd like that. Okaa-san will be taking Jii-san to a doctor's appointment at one, and Souta has practice most of the afternoon."
"One it is." A faint smile and Shizuru sipped her tea, satisfied. A slow mystery paired with a companionable presence was just what she needed. Silently she thanked whatever it was instigated the leak in Kagome's unperceivable shield when and where it had. A whole new world seemed to have opened up. Shizuru looked forward to watching as it blossomed before her eyes.
Author's note: originally posted 24 December 2009
Edited 27 May 2012: Added a few notes from following chapters to the opening Author's Note as well as fixed countless little errors and some wording alterations.