Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Sandman	By : YoursAlways Category: InuYasha Crossovers > Het - Male/Female Views: 2260 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor YuYu Hakusho and make no money from these writings.

Chapter List
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Sandman

Chapter One

It was an overcast day in Tokyo as Kurama strolled through a park not far from his home. The air was cool and crisp and smelled of autumn. Despite the lack of sunshine, he was quite enjoying the weather; it's what had prompted him to take a walk. A small breeze picked up causing a few orange and brown leaves to rustle across the path in front of him, and he pulled his jacket a little tighter around his body.

The park's exit gate was in view when a quick flash of motion to his left caught his attention. A casual glance to check what had moved resulted in a double-take. A young woman was running across one of the park's grassy fields and would every now and again call out for someone or something named "Naraku." But what caused him concern was her state of dress. She was only dressed in gray flannel pajama pants and a thin white t-shirt with neither shoes nor jacket. He watched as she stumbled, let out a small gasp, and fell.

Frowning, Kurama jogged towards the young woman, but made sure to approach her slowly so as not to scare her. When he was a few feet away he called out, "Excuse me, miss?" The only response he received was a soft whine as she shifted and tried to sit up. Kurama moved closer and kneeled down to help her into a sitting position. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I...I don't..." She mumbled as she looked down at her scraped and shaking hands.

Kurama watched her movements carefully and noticed what seemed to be a medical alert bracelet on her wrist. He reached out and gently grasped the wrist that held the bracelet. "May I?" He inquired. She didn't give him an answer, but she didn't pull away either. As he turned the bracelet to read the inscription on the wide piece of metal, he missed the way her eyes locked into his coat.

The bracelet read 'My name is Kagome Higurashi. If you find me, please either call or return me to Sunset Shrine.' A phone number and address followed. Kurama looked around and didn't see anyone who seemed to be looking for her, which didn't surprise him considering she wasn't dressed for the day's weather.

"Kagome?" He tested. Her eyes didn't leave his coat, but her head turned more towards him. He assumed she was listening and continued. "Are you lost?" He reached into his coat pocket only to realize that he'd left his phone at home. Checking the address again, he realized that the shrine was only a few blocks away. He was about to speak again when Kagome reached out and lightly gripped the fabric of his jacket.

"Red," she said softly. "Red, red, red," she repeated as she patted her hands over the red wool. Slowly moving one hand up to brush through his bangs, her eyes turned sad as she asked, "But where's the silver and gold?" When her thin fingers ran over his eyes he had to pull her hands away from his face. He wasn't angry or even annoyed, it was all just a bit much from someone he had just found in the park.

Pulling off his jacket, Kurama helped Kagome get her arms through the sleeves before helping her stand. "Okay Kagome," he started. "I'm going to take you home now."

"Home?" Kagome asked as she looked up at him quickly. "The village? Where's Inuyasha?" She began looking around frantically and took several steps away from Kurama. When she didn't find what she was looking for, Kagome brought her hands up to grip the sides of her head and crumpled back to the ground in tears.

Kurama quickly went to her side and heard her whimper, "I don't understand. Where are they?"

"I'll help you find them, Kagome. But you need to come with me for that to happen." Kurama helped her stand again and finally realized what bad shape she was in. She seemed very petite and frail, and he was almost afraid to touch her for fear that she would break. And then there were the dark circles under her glassy eyes. They contrasted gravely against her pale skin. Keeping one of her hands in his, Kurama turned his back to her, crouched, and asked, "Can you climb onto my back?" He didn't want her to walk through the streets with no shoes if she didn't have to. He almost thought he was going to have to pick her up and carry her, but he smiled when she wrapped her thin arms around his neck and situated herself on his back.

Kurama stood and bounced Kagome a little to hook his hand under her legs before he started off towards the shrine. He silently mused that she weighed much less than someone her height should. With as tired as she looked he half expected her to fall asleep on their trip, but he felt her fidget and drum her fingers against his chest the entire way. He was very careful not to lose his balance as he made his way up the tall shrine stairs and was happy to see a house easily in view once they reached the courtyard.

Making his way toward the only door to the house that he could see, Kurama quickly knocked on the door before returning the hand to support Kagome's weight. It didn't take long for the door to be jerked open. He and a middle-aged woman holding a phone stared at each other for a moment before she looked over his shoulder and almost burst into tears. She brought the phone back up to her ear and quickly told the person that Kagome was home before hanging up.

Kurama was ushered into the house before the woman gently helped Kagome down from his back. She turned to face him and smiled gratefully before saying, "Please have a seat. I want to get her situated and warmed up before thanking you properly." He was about to protest, but the woman was already guiding Kagome into another room. Sighing, Kurama took a seat at the kitchen table and waited for the woman's return.

It wasn't long before the older woman returned with his jacket in hand. "Thank you for waiting," she said as she handed him the jacket. "I can't thank you enough for bringing her home. Would you like some tea? It's too cold to walk around without a coat, so it should help you warm back up some."

Under normal circumstances Kurama would politely decline, but this time his curiosity regarding the situation made him change his mind. "That sounds wonderful of it isn't too much trouble."

As she smiled and set about heading up some water, the woman spoke, "I'm Risa Higurashi by the way. I'm Kagome's mother."

"It's very nice to meet you. I'm Shuichi Minamino," he reciprocated with a small seated bow.

"I'm very sorry if Kagome was any trouble," Risa said softly as she sat at the table and waited for the water to boil. "I hope you didn't have to go too far out of your way to bring her home. Where was she?"

"It wasn't far at all. She had only gotten to the park a few blocks away from here," Kurama reassured with a small wave. "What's the matter with her, if you don't mind my asking?"

Risa opened and closed her mouth before sighing. She was about to speak again when the small kettle began to whistle. Gesturing for him to wait a moment, she stood and finished making the tea before sitting back down at the table and handing Kurama his drink. "Her situation is a little difficult to explain. It's all happened so fast."

"Was there an accident?" Kurama asked curiously.

"No, nothing like that," Risa answered with a slight shake off her head. "Kagome developed a rare disease called Sporadic Fatal Insomnia. It's a non-inherited form of Fatal Familial Insomnia."

Unable to hide the shock on his face, Kurama questioned, "Fatal? I want aware that insomnia could be fatal."

"I wasn't either until this started happening," Risa chuckled tiredly. "Kagome was having trouble sleeping and it began affecting her behavior. We took her to the doctor and they ran some tests. She didn’t have a mutated gene like those with the inherited version do, but there’s some type of amino acid in her genes where there shouldn’t be. We have no idea what triggered the onset of the disease."

"How long ago was that?" Kurama asked. This possibility had never even crossed his mind as possible problems the young woman might have.

"Less than a year," Risa sighed as she sipped her tea. Laughing a humorless laugh, she said, "I can't believe I'm telling you this! I've only just met you and it was after you did our family an enormous favor. You don't need to be burdened with this."

"It's perfectly fine," he said with a small smile. "I did ask, after all. So are there no treatments for her? Is she not able to take medication to help her sleep?"

"No," Risa answered. "There are no treatments or cures. The doctor said that we could try a sleep aid during the early stages, but it wasn't recommended. It doesn't work in more than seventy-five percent of cases and can actually cause the disease to progress quicker."

Despite just meeting them, Kurama's heart broke a little for this family. "I'm sorry to ask such a terrible question, but how long do the doctors say that she has left?"

"She's only twenty-three," Risa said sadly. "She might make it to her birthday in the spring, but it will be a miracle if she makes it to the summer."

"I'm so terribly sorry," Kurama said as he reached across to pat the woman's hand.

Drying a few tears, Risa said, "So am I. She used to be so happy and full of energy. She had such a long life ahead of her."

"She seemed a little...confused when I found her in the park. Is that normal?" He asked.

"For the most part," she answered with a nod. "Hallucinations and dementia are part of the progression. She has some lucid days, but I think she's lost in the past more often than not now."

"She mentioned some friends that she needed to find while we were in the park. Do they ever come to visit?” Kurama asked. Even if Kagome wasn’t always aware of what was happening around her, it must be lonely if she never got visitors.

Risa stiffened a little before answering, “She was probably talking about a small group of friends that she had while she was in school. They live very far away and Kagome lost touch with them several years ago. I don’t have any way of getting in touch with them now.”

Kurama nodded and hummed a little as he sipped his tea. “I have to admit that I'm curious as to how she got out on her own," he said as he leaned forward some. "She obviously wasn't dressed for it."

"I feel so ashamed that it happened," Risa confessed. "My father-in-law was going to watch her while I ran to the store just around the corner. We try to keep all the doors and windows locked, but you can only do so much when trying to contain an otherwise healthy adult. Grandpa had to tend to something in the shrine's gift shop and that was all the time that she needed to get outside. It's only happened a couple of times, but it terrifies me every time. I was on the phone with the police when you arrived."

"That must be hard," Kurama commented with a small frown. "How often does she sleep?"

"Not often at all anymore; no more than a few minutes at a time for a few weeks now. Her grandfather and I take turns staying up with her so that nothing like this happens," Risa explained with a tired look.

"Is it just the two of you?" Kurama asked concerned. If Risa was any indication, they were wearing thin already.

"There's also my son, Kagome's younger brother. He likes to help when he’s able, but he's still in high school and needs to study and get his rest," she said. "Kagome's father passed away before Souta was born."

After all of the shocking and troubling information, Kurama changed the subject while they finished their tea and Risa seemed glad for it. When it was time for him to go they both stood and he thanked her for the tea.

"No, I should thank you. Not only did you bring my daughter home safe and sound, you listened while I got some things off of my chest. It was nice to talk to someone,” she smiled up at the tall redhead. “You have to let me pay you for your trouble,” she suddenly added as she crossed to where her coat and purse were hanging on a hook.

"Absolutely not,” Kurama answered as he held up a hand to stop her. “I didn’t mind helping, and I wouldn’t feel right taking your money. But would you mind if I said goodbye to Kagome?" He asked tentatively hoping that he wasn't overstepping any lines.

Risa smiled as she slowly placed her wallet back in her purse. Grateful, she answered, "I'm sure she would like that."

She lead him into a small sitting room where Kagome was curled up in a plush chair with a blanket wrapped around her and was watching a movie. An elderly man who he assumed was her grandfather was napping on the couch. Kurama walked over to Kagome's chair and crouched down so that he was closer to her level. "Hello Kagome. Do you remember me?"

Kagome turned to look at him and blinked a couple of times before smiling and saying "You're Red."

Chuckling, Kurama nodded. "Yes. I just wanted to come tell you goodbye. I'm leaving now."

"Can I see your ears next time?" She suddenly asked.

"My ears are right here," he said with a smile as he moved some of his long hair out of the way.

Kagome shook her head before patting the top of his head and saying, "No, these."

Slightly stunned, Kurama wasn’t sure what to say. He'd heard that humans that were further away from their sanity could be more spiritually aware, but he'd never experienced it.

Not waiting for him to speak, Kagome continued. "I have a secret," she whispered. Crooking her finger to beckon him closer, she whispered, "I have a special little jewel that monsters want." She made a small circle with her thumb and forefinger and brought it to her eye to look through.

Kurama chuckled a little and decided to play along. “Is that so?” He asked. “And where is this little jewel? May I see it?”

Kagome patted her side just above her hip and answered, “It’s right here.” She shifted and gave him what could only be an appraising look before she leaned closer and quietly asked, “Are you a good monster or a bad monster?”

Kurama was taken aback. He had assumed her allusion to his true nature was due to her mental state, but when he felt a light wall of pure, holy energy buffer against his senses he thought he may have been wrong in his assumption. Was this girl actually a priestess? When was the last time that he had encountered one with any real power?

Unaware of his surprise, Kagome continued to whisper, “I think you’re a good monster. But I can’t let you see it! I can tell you it's named Shikon, though. I have to protect it from Naraku." She quickly pressed a finger to her lips and reminded him, “But shhhh, you have to remember that it’s a secret.”

Up until that point, Kurama almost could have dismissed her words as a sick girl’s delusions, but the names that she’d used rang a bell somewhere in his mind. It was a bell connected to a very old, almost ancient, memory. But the details were just out of his reach. Slightly unsettled by her words and power, Kurama stood and bid Kagome one more farewell, which she reciprocated, and he walked back into the kitchen to speak with Kagome’s mother.

“Mrs. Higurashi,” he began slowly. “Would you mind if I spoke to a friend of mine about Kagome?”

Suddenly on guard against any possible danger to her child, Risa warily asked, “What about?”

“I have a friend who is a professional home caregiver, a bit of a mix of nurse and sitter,” Kurama explained.

“Oh, we’ve talked to doctors about people like that. We can’t afford those types of services,” Risa quickly spoke.

Smiling, Kurama continued, “I’m sorry, I should have clarified. My friend works for a non-profit organization that helps provide care services to people who normally wouldn’t be able to afford it.” When he saw that Risa seemed to be considering his offer, he added, “You wouldn’t need to make a commitment. I could see if she’s available and then possibly bring her by for you to speak with yourself. I offer because, if you don’t mind my saying so, it seems like a difficult job for just the two of you to watch after and take care of Kagome.”

“I might be offended by that if I weren’t so tired,” Risa said as she rubbed her aching eyes. Thinking over the proposition for another moment, she sighed and gave in. “Okay, you can talk to your friend. Let me give you my number so that you can let me know when you might come with your friend.”

Kurama tucked the small piece of paper that she gave him into his jacket pocket before he gave a slight bow and wished her a pleasant evening. It felt like a long walk back to his apartment, and his mood made the wind seem colder than it really was. He thought about the family that he’d just left. All he could think about was the time when his mother was terminally ill. That had likely been the most difficult time in his life, including his battles against demons and enemies of the human and spirit worlds. He had felt so completely helpless and useless. Comparing what his situation had been to the Higurashi’s, he wasn’t sure if Kagome’s rapid progression was a blessing or a curse.

When he made it to his apartment, Kurama took Risa Higurashi’s phone number out of his pocket and hung up his jacket. He grabbed his cell phone off of its charger, sat down at his computer, and opened up a search engine. He intended to learn more about the disease that he’d never been aware of. As he read through several different articles, he decided to give Keiko a call.

The phone rang a couple of times before a masculine voice answered the call. “Y’ello?”

“Hello Yusuke,” Kurama said with a small smile. “Is Keiko home?”

“Yeah,” Yusuke drawled suspiciously. “But why do you need to talk to her?”

“I wanted to let her know that we can’t continue our sordid affair,” he answered dryly. “Your friendship just means too much to me, Yusuke.”

“Ha ha, smartass,” Yusuke groused. “What do you really need her for?”

Kurama laughed at Yusuke’s response. “I need to speak with her about the organization that she works for,” he explained.

“Fine, hold on a second,” Yusuke said before yelling for Keiko to come to the phone.

Kurama vaguely wondered how Keiko managed to put up with Yusuke sometimes. But his attention was brought back to the phone when he heard Yusuke yelp in pain just before Keiko answered the phone. “Kurama?” She asked.

“Yes, good evening Keiko. How are you?” He asked.

“I’m fine,” she answered genially. “You don’t usually call for me. What can I do for you?”

“I helped a young woman earlier today. I met her mother when I took her home, and I think they may be in need of your organization’s services,” Kurama broadly explained.

“Really?” Keiko asked genuinely curious. “Do you know what’s wrong?”

“The woman I helped, Kagome, has a disease called Sporadic Fatal Insomnia,” he paused when Keiko cut in.

“That’s terrible!” She exclaimed.

“So you’ve heard of it?” He asked.

“I did a paper on types of insomnia when I was in college. That’s a horrible and incredibly rare type to have,” Keiko stated.

“Yes, well Kagome is twenty-three and only has her mother and grandfather to consistently help look after her. While I was speaking with her mother, I thought of you and mentioned it to her. Would you be interested in speaking to her again with me?” Kurama asked.

“Sure,” Keiko agreed. “I have some paperwork that I have to do at the office tomorrow, but I’ll be free by the late afternoon if that’s okay.”

“That should be fine,” Kurama assured. “I’ll give Mrs. Higurashi a call and let her know about when we’ll be stopping by.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Kurama and Keiko ended their conversation and Kurama focused on a different task. He opened the top drawer to his desk and rummaged around a little before finding his team communicator. He flipped the small device open and pressed a small blue button that gave him a direct line to the team’s ferry girl.

“Hello, hello!” Botan answered cheerfully as her face popped up on the communicator’s small screen. “Ah, Kurama! It’s been a while. There haven’t been any missions lately. Do you need something?”

“Hello Botan,” Kurama smiled politely. “I need you to look up some information for me, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure!” The blue-haired girl chirped. “What do you need?”

“I need you to look up everything that you can find on a jewel called Shikon. I heard the name earlier today, and I feel like I know it from somewhere important.” Kurama almost ended the conversation before he thought to add, “Oh, and can you get back to me as soon as possible?”

“No problem!” Botan answered. “I’m sure I can get George to help me look up the file in no time. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Thanks,” Kurama smiled at his friend.

Botan winked back at him before the screen’s picture cut out and went black.

Leaning back in his chair, Kurama stared at his cellphone for a few moments before he picked it up and dialed a long-memorized number. A woman’s voice picked up on the other end and he smiled. “Hello Mother. I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you.”
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Sandman