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Trudging Through Spiritual Malaise	By : DarkRainFiend Category: InuYasha Crossovers > General Views: 3350 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Trudging Through Spiritual Malaise
- 2-Chapter 2
- 1
- 2
Title: Trudging Through Spiritual Malaise
Author: BrokenSouledPoetess
Summary: With all family gone is there hope for her to find a new one?
Rating: MA 18
Pairing(s): Not determined yet.
Feedback: Required.
Disclaimer: I do not own, or profit from, Inuyasha and Yuu Yuu Hakusho respectively. This disclaimer serves to blanket the entirety of this story.

~*~
A heavy hearted sigh escaped rosy lips as dark, sapphire eyes gazed at the approaching dawn. The sun had yet to break the horizon and bathe the Earth in its light, leaving the sky to be painted in a myriad of colors ranging from purples and pinks to oranges and blues. A slender hand pushed back a mass of raven-wing hair before throwing the silvery sheets away to reveal a lithe young woman dressed in soft black pants and a white tank top. Sliding her legs over the edge of her bed, she placed bare feet on the soft carpet and stood, her body arching into a stretch with the grace of a feline while a small pink tongue curled in a yawn.
After the kinks of a full-night�s sleep were relaxed, Kagome padded down to her kitchen and turned on her espresso machine. Taking a sidelong glance at the clock that hung on the wall of the adjoining living room, the young woman heaved another sigh.
�I don�t even have to be up this early anymore and yet I still awake long before dawn.� She grumbled as she pulled various items from her refrigerator for breakfast while glaring daggers at the clock that happily read 5:47am. Soon the sound of her morning caffeine being ready buzzed in her mind and she grabbed a cup before walking over to her family pictures that adorned the mantle over the fireplace.
�Good morning everyone,� came her melodic voice in a nearly reverent whisper as she traced the faces of her beloved ones with the tip of a delicate finger, �It�s another day today. I don�t expect it to be any different from all the ones that have come and gone since you all were lost to me. Have a wonderful day, wherever you are.�
As she walked quietly back to the master bedroom to ready herself for her shower, Kagome couldn�t help but think about all of the long years to come. Would her extended life be filled with nothing but the sorrow and loss of watching all those she loved dearly pass on before her? Had her sacrifice for the greater good made a difference to anyone other than herself? Of course, she knew that the youkai and ningen who would have torn one another apart otherwise would live longer lives�maybe. But even if they did, would they live those lives well?
Would she ever be able to live her life well?
Not that she could really complain, she supposed. After all, she had her own house and a quaint but profitable business that prospered because of the being she was�but was she happy? The young woman nearly choked on her espresso with the sardonic laughter that bubbled in her throat. Happy? Could she ever be happy? Once upon a time � years past � she would have said yes.
Now though�now she wasn�t so sure.
She loved her job and the comfortable life she had managed to carve in the world well enough�but her heart always felt empty. Kagome knew a large part of it was the loss of her family. Shouldn�t there be something else that would fill that void? She knew if she had a husband � or a mate � and/or maybe children she would be happy; either one or the other or both would easily consume the space in her soul. A bitter, unladylike snort echoed off the bathroom walls as she stripped off her sleeping attire and turned on the water for her shower.
Honestly, how could the idea of a significant other or children even come up? It wasn�t as if she had even had a boyfriend�much less someone that wanted to be tied down to her in such a way. Even Hojou had grown tired of hounding Kagome for a date and had quit his affections�at least, in the romantic way. He still stopped by once in awhile to check in on her and somehow, they had formed a very close friendship.
He was one of very, very few people who knew some of her past.
As she stepped under the torrent of pleasantly heated water, Kagome�s mind wandered through her memories. Four years had passed since her family had been taken from her�and yet�it always felt as though it had only been a week ago. A content sigh issued forth from her throat as the hot water ran down the lines of her body, soaked through her hair and worked magic on her muscles. Already she could feel the bits of stress - that had blossomed in her mind and body just since awakening - diminish.
Pouring a dollop of unscented shampoo into her hand, Kagome worked it into the lengths of her ebony hair and scrubbed at her scalp. Who is there for me to date anyway? I don�t really even have friends! Ah, the lamentation of her life. Sadly enough, it was entirely true. Not only did the young woman not go out on dates�she didn�t even have friends anymore. There were plenty of people she could claim as an acquaintance but that was simply because they were regulars in her store.
Blinking suddenly, Kagome realized that while she had delved into bemoaning her life, her body had mechanically taken over the rest of her shower and she was ready to get out. Her brow crinkled in irritation as she shut off the water and stepped into the steam filled bathroom. After wrapping a towel around her hair and one around her torso, Kagome headed for her room and dressed in baggy black cargo pants and a light blue t-shirt. Digging a hair tie from the little crystal dish on her vanity, she threw her hair up into a ponytail before slipping on some comfortable skate shoes and heading out her front door.
~*~
She smiled warmly as she unlocked the door to her shop. With so many of her family members passing, Kagome had been left with more money than she could possibly ever spend. She had tested out of high school at the age of sixteen and gone to college at twenty. A year and a half later, she walked out with a degree in liberal arts and � of all things � botany. It was then that she found her house and the empty building next to it.
The realtor that had showed both structures claimed that the house was haunted and therefore extremely hard to sell. Although the building next to it hadn�t had the same claims made, nobody wanted it either simply for its close proximity to the house in question. Kagome had thought it a shame that such a beautiful house was unlived in just because people were afraid of the unknown. Without even bothering to negotiate the price, she had purchased both the house and neighboring building straight out.
After only six months, Kagome had her enormous house completely decorated the way she wanted it, a greenhouse set up behind it and one behind the neighboring structure, and the building itself had been furnished and prepared for use.
Flipping over the �open� sign and turning on the lights for �Body, Mind and Soul�, Kagome made her way to the back room to set up for the day. She hummed a lilting tune as she checked all the herbs and plants that filled up the store � both dried and living � and watered the ones who looked thirsty. Delicate blends of every herb and flower imaginable gently scented the air and calmed the young woman�s nerves. She kept the more exotic plants and herbs in her greenhouses and only kept the barest amounts of the herbs� dried counterparts in stock. Many of them could be deadly if combined correctly and to limit the purchasing of such things, Kagome made a catalogue of all the more rare and exotic breeds.
The plants and flowers had all been checked over by the time the first customer arrived. Mrs. Ishikawa was a kind older woman who came to visit the store at least twice a week, always purchasing different flavors of loose tea leaves. They chatted for a moment or two, about the weather or her store, anything really just to share some friendly words. Mrs. Ishikawa had become a widow some ten years past, her dearly loved husband falling prey to cancer, and Kagome knew she was lonely. Her heart went out to the kind woman because she was lonely too.
~*~
Lunchtime came and went without event � as per usual � and it was now close to closing time. Quite a few of the more regular customers had already made an appearance and even some she had never seen before. Simply observing the people that entered her store became somewhat of a hobby for Kagome. On more than one occasion she had sensed someone with traces of youkai blood or spiritual powers that were higher than the average human in her store. Those people always reacted to her differently than normal ningens did and Kagome knew that even if they were unaware of their heritage, their heritage was very aware of her. There had even been occasions where she had felt the presence of hanyou and even full-blooded youkai, though never within her range.
Kagome had just finished preparing some of her hand made incense for sale when she noticed it was rapidly changing to evening. With a sigh, she completed the work in front of her, cleaned up her work area and removed her apron. The entire idea of incense � making and selling it � had come about purely from inspiration�and missing her family. It had happened late one night while she was lying in bed and unable to sleep. For a long while, she had always felt as though something was missing � other than her family � and she came to the conclusion that a large part of the emptiness was simply because their scents no longer were present in her life.
The next day Kagome had done extensive research on ways of making incense and purchased everything needed to make her own. The first batches she made were all the aromas of those she missed; the next batches were all more familiar scents such as vanilla or strawberry. After she had finally found the perfect combinations for those she loved, she had given each a label that corresponded to each individual in one way or another.
She had taken plenty of each home and burned a particular one when she felt the need for a certain companion. It had helped considerably more than she had thought it would.
Shaking herself from even more wandering thoughts and latent memories, Kagome moved to count down the till when she felt a prickle at the back of her neck. Raising stormy blue eyes to the entrance of the store, she realized that someone was just beyond the door�and that someone had an amazing amount of spiritual awareness and spiritual powers. Whoever it was had obviously had some form of training with their natural gift and Kagome knew instantly that the person outside her store knew someone close to her.
The aura hovered just outside the building and she could easily sense the hesitation to enter. Focusing on the person, Kagome sent out a small wave of calm. No sooner had she felt it make contact than the person in question opened her door slightly, the little bells tinkling merrily. Resuming her task of rounding up the profits for the day, Kagome paid no outward attention to the person and soon she heard the door close entirely.
Once he � for it was definitely a �he� Kagome knew, simply because of the way his presence was held � had come closer to her, Kagome raised her head, �May I help you?�
It was obvious in the dark eyes of the young man in front of her that Kagome had apparently startled him. Even though he was the one that entered her place of business, his eyes held a look that clearly said �I wasn�t expecting you.� The poor man looked genuinely baffled and after a small giggle, Kagome spoke to him again.
�Was there something specific you were looking for?� She questioned gently not wanting to scare him again. Suddenly the large man looked as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
He blinked at her several times, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for words, before he managed an answer. �Well�actually, this is going to sound stupid.�
One hand came up to rub at the back of his neck sheepishly, his eyes darting to the floor as a blush crossed his cheeks
Kagome smiled warmly at him while placing a gentle hand on his forearm. The touch of his aura against hers had a rather surprising effect as it felt almost as if his own spirit was embracing hers, or vice versa. Not that it mattered really for the effect was still the same: his aura held a kinship with hers and she could clearly feel the purity in his soul. It wasn�t often that she found anyone other than most children that held such a strong sense of purity and innocence. His was the greatest concentration of such she had ever felt, coming in second only to her own.
�How about I make some tea and you tell me why you�re here, ne? My name is Kagome by the way.� Kagome said as she slid her hand down from the man�s forearm to his wrist and tugged at his hulking frame lightly.
The movement seemed to shake him from his stupor and he focused on the woman in front of him as she led him toward the counter and one of the comfortable stools perched in front of it. Taking a seat quickly he watched Kagome meander through the area behind the counter as she gathered up tea leaves and coffee cups. His gaze wandered around the store he had entered completely on a whim.
It was a rather interesting place, he thought, and the general atmosphere of nearly the entire block was greatly comforting. Scents of what could only be herbs and incense floated around him delicately, the combination of aromas wrapping him up in a warm embrace and soothing him in a way he�d never felt before.
Maybe he would make it a habit to visit this little place after training.
As Kagome came back towards him � two steaming cups in hand � he focused his attention on her. Truthfully she was a beauty. She held an almost timeless quality even though she appeared to be around his age. Massive waves of inky black hair cascaded down her back to fall at her waist while the most beautiful pair of eyes he�d ever seen seemed to peer directly into his soul. They were almost jewel-like in quality, the shimmering depths of blue riveting him like the waves of an ocean. Though their azure color shone brightly, they appeared shadowed and sad; like the midnight sky littered with clouds.
Her gait was fluid and graceful, her entire form screaming of physical ability. As she set a cup of tea in front of him, he figured he might as well tell her why he was there. After taking a sip of the offered beverage � which he found surprisingly good � he spoke.
�Well um,� he started, rubbing the back of his neck with a large hand as a sheepish look spread on his face, �Actually, I don�t really know what I�m looking for. See, my sister is�special�and she has this�condition�that gives her these awful headaches. She has one today and I was out looking for something maybe we hadn�t tried before, since the normal OTC pain killers don�t work and neither do narcotics from the doctor. I just�came here, I guess.�
Kami he was embarrassed. He hadn�t really thought about how or why he�d ended up in her shop. A feeling of belonging had crept into his soul the closer he had come and it drew him in. Even when he had halted his progress just outside the threshold, he felt as though someone had hugged him. Lifting his gaze from the floor with an internal sigh and praying to whoever was listening that he wasn�t blushing like a fool, he faced Kagome.
He had been expecting to find irritation, mocking humor, even suspicion in those luminous blue orbs; so imagine his surprise when he only saw complete understanding and a gentle smile.
The more he stammered over what he was trying to say, the more he became endeared to Kagome. He completely dwarfed her in size � both in height and sheer body mass � he had a kind of rugged look almost with the set of his jaw and just seeing him alone could probably intimidate quite a few people. Yet, here stood this enormous man with spiritual energy that poured off of him and he was blushing and stuttering like a fourteen year old with a crush. It really was cute.
Smiling up at the large young man, she placed a gentle hand on his forearm and he instantly calmed, his dark eyes turning down to look at her. �You know, you never told me your name.� Kagome said softly, amusement shining in her eyes and laughter in her voice.
His blush darkened slightly before he grumbled, �No wonder the guys always call me a baka.�
In the fraction of a second, her smiling eyes turned steely and serious and the way her change in emotion caused her eyes to change as well was intriguing. Her tiny hand gripped his forearm a little firmer before she spoke in a quiet and fierce tone, �Don�t ever believe that. I know it gets hard - when you hear how worthless you are constantly � not to but please never, ever believe things like that about yourself. You are a wonderful person and they can�t really be your friends if they treat you like that.�
His shock was hard to hide. In fact, he was fairly certain that he looked quite ridiculous at the moment because he could feel his jaw hanging open and his eyes wide. As she spoke, her aura flared around her and the beautiful dark blue of her eyes morphed into steely silver. The vehemence of her words let him know she was speaking from experience and he could only wonder who would dare to treat her in such a way.
Placing one large hand over the tiny one still clinging to his arm, he gave it a gentle squeeze before talking, �It�s okay. I know that most of the time they don�t mean it. I�m Kazuma Kuwabara by the way.�
Kagome�s eyes flared slightly before settling back into navy and she let loose a sigh. �I apologize for that Kazuma. My temper still gets the best of me sometimes.� She laughed lightly at that and smiled.
The smile was returned and Kuwabara chuckled himself, �I have a friend who has a wicked temper but I think even he might be afraid of your wrath.�
They shared a laugh before he spoke again, �I guess I should get going. Shizuru is probably in pretty bad shape by now.�
�Oh!� She exclaimed as a blush spread over her cheeks, �I completely forgot! You said she has headaches right?� After he nodded his head in confirmation, she bustled around the store quickly, throwing specific tea leaves into a small bag. She knew exactly what the woman needed by way of her brother. She knew, knew that Shizuru had a spiritual awareness like her brother and that was undoubtedly the cause of her headaches. She was sure that if Shizuru was around too many people with aura�s that were bigger or different than normal humans, it would overcrowd her own awareness, causing a headache worse than a migraine.
Once she was done, she headed back to Kuwabara and handed him the bag.
�Just make her that tea and warn her that she should be ready to lie down. It will send her into an extremely deep sleep to help heal her. It will be nothing short of impossible to awaken her but that phase will only last an hour or so before she settles into normal sleep. Have a good night Kazuma.�
Opening the door, he gave a slight nod of his head and with a smile he replied, �I will. Thanks again Kagome. Have a good night.�
With a final wave, the young woman flipped the store sign to �closed�, locked up and went home. Her final thought before she fell into dreamland was a question.
I wonder if I will see him again?

~*~
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Trudging Through Spiritual Malaise