In the Darkness

It had been two years since the Higurashi siblings had come to the Order. The Millennium Earl had gotten serious, sending hundreds of Akuma toward the Headquarters. It was a good thing that they had the siblings; they were powerful and had created a barrier around their new home. Many of the Exorcists now had a necklace or a piece of jewelry that they wore and it protected them. The Earl had been furious and it showed by the amount of attacks he had thrown at all the innocent people. It hadn't worked too well for him. Several members from the clan of Noah had lost their power and their lives, the only ones who weren't being attacked by the Higurashi siblings were Tyki and Road. They had helped Allen at one point or another and in several cases, just injured him when they could have killed him. Souta had grown into a very handsome young man; it was what they called the curse of the Higurashi name. Both he and Kagome had grown up and grown very beautiful. Their blue eyes were piercing and the power called to so many. Souta had been given a uniform very similar to Lavi while his sister had been given a uniform close to that of the shrine. She had refused to wear the exorcist uniform for so long that they finally allowed her to wear one that showed that although she was an exorcist, she was also a shrine priestess. It settled so many people's minds that it was ridiculous. The twenty four finders had proven their worth. They were not like the finders they had had before, they were sneaky and sometimes downright criminal but they got the job done. The other exorcists had a hard time accepting these new finders, even more when the Higurashi siblings had done the same thing too.

"Good morning Souta-kun." Lenalee had called out.

As always when he was at Headquarters, he sat down with the largest amount of food, being a parasite accommodator, he used so much energy that he ate more than a normal person could and world except for other parasite accommodators. The Order now had several and with each new accommodator that they found, the higher the consumption level was discovered. Kagome was out into the field, normally Souta would have been with her but he had been injured during their last scrimmage with the Millennium Earl and his so happy family. It was but a scratch though that didn't matter. Kagome had forbid him to leave the Headquarters and to get some well deserved rest and relaxation. Souta as well as many others knew better than to question or argue with Kagome, she was fierce in her immense desire to protect those closest to her. Some of the lucky ones were Reever, he and Kagome had become close friends as well as Miranda and Lavi. Allen and her were partners, they were found to be the most compatible with each other and their skills by themselves were strong but together, they were damn near unstoppable. Komui still annoyed Kagome, she didn't like him all too much but respected his position and Lenalee, well, she stayed away from Kagome. Her emotions were too connected that everyone was hers, so she felt very jealous of the young exorcist.

Souta looked up from his meal, cocked an eyebrow and went back to eating. He didn't like Lenalee very much either, she was very clingy to people. Most males did like her because to them she was easy to get along with. He knew that Lenalee was jealous of his sister. Even though she was a hard ass, stubborn, quiet and unsociable, she was beautiful and exotic. People feared his sister but lusted after her looks and her power. Sometimes, Souta just wanted to smack his sister. The people here weren't trying to cause her any harm or trying to separate them. He wouldn't allow it and he knew for a fact that his sister would bring this place to the ground if they tried it. He had an easier time making friends and finding relationships within the Order. All his life his sister had protected him in both mind, body and spirit as well as emotionally. She protected his heart but no one was able to protect hers so she had hardened her heart almost to the point that it was like lead.

"Hey Souta!"

He turned his head and saw Lavi; he liked Lavi even if he was like of a pervert. He reminded Souta of his cousin, Miroku except that Lavi didn't grope anyone's body. Sometimes, he really missed Miroku and Sango. They were the closest he had to parents. He had been too young to really remember his parents, he remembered his grandparents because of the training he had gone through. They gave him nightmares. At least they had something to remember their cousins, the cat, Kirara stayed with Kagome to be her guard. It had been a shock to the Order, he remembered because Kirara was a demon, something they didn't think was alive. He thought that was weird, they believed in the Millennium Earl but not demons.

"Hiya Lavi." Souta replied.

It was easier talking to Souta than it was talking to Kagome. After their first encounter, Kagome deemed Lavi as a nuisance and a pervert. She didn't spend time getting to know him other than his skill as a Bookman. It didn't help that she was always out in the field and they hardly ever spent time together. Souta spent more time with Lavi and Kanda than anyone else, Kagome had deemed Kanda as a person to trust. He knew that Kagome trusted Kanda since, though he was an ass, he was dedicated and counted each and every single person as his responsibility. It probably was because Kagome had defeated Kanda during a sword match. Lavi was sort of jealous of Kanda as well as Allen, Kagome trusted them with her life. That was not easy to do, to have her trust but even with that trust, only Allen was able to keep her company. They were partners, their skill together were amazing. No one, not the Millennium Earl or the Noah family had been able to defeat the two of them.

"Is Kagome on a mission?"

Souta gave him a sour look.

"Of course, when is she not on a mission?"

"So, why are you here then? You and Kanda were supposed to go with her and Allen right?"

He got a glare.

"Of course but the last mission, I got hurt and Kanda almost died on his mission. Kagome said we had to stay here, she wanted me to heal and to get some rest."

Lavi winced, he knew of Kagome's overprotective behavior. He had been on the end of that once and although it made him feel good to know that she cared, he hadn't been allowed to go on any missions or to train. It was boring.

"Well, better do as she says. The next mission will be hard, you know your sister."

Souta sighed but could only nod.

"Next time, I hope you come with us. It had been fun."

Lavi gave Souta a weird look. It hadn't been fun at all, the amount of fighting they did and the traveling. It had been hell but he had seen the skill Kagome had and he was amazed. She was powerful. Not once did she flaunt that she was intelligent or that she was powerful. In fact, if you hadn't seen her fight at all, you would have thought she was very weak.

…Flashback…

It had been a rough month, it was cold being the middle of January, and it was hard to see five inches in front of your nose. There were several exorcists, of course Allen and Kagome were there, they had been partners since Kagome had joined the Order a year and two months ago. The others were Lavi, Krory and Miranda. For the last week, they had been trapped in a rundown shack. It wasn't too small but there wasn't much room for five people, no privacy really. Lavi, Miranda and Krory had gotten wood for their group when the storm had calmed down. Kagome had said that most times, the wind and snow will calm for a short while but then, it picks back up again and twice as bad. She had been right and Lavi had been so grateful that Allen had spent so much time with Kagome and knew what to do in times of a crisis. For so long he had thought she was paranoid and that was why she acted the way she did. Good thing, they had gathered so much wood that if they burned it wisely, it would last for a month. The wildlife had been calm but plentiful. Allen and Kagome came back with several rabbits and even an elk for them to eat as well as a boar the next time they had gone to hunt. With the meat prepared and dried, they would be well fed for a while. The snow was pure so they didn't have to worry about water, clean water that is. The only worry was about wastes, where would they put them?

"When is this storm going to end?!" Lavi said loudly.

"Keep your voice down, others will find us." Kagome said harshly.

Miranda had become friends with Kagome; the woman was patient with her instructions and teachings. She didn't mind that Miranda got lost a lot and couldn't walk ten steps without falling and or breaking something. In fact, Kagome thought Miranda was just unsure about herself. Coming from her past, it was an easy deduction. People always thought badly first, which then meant that others would see that as well. Miranda believed what everyone else believed in. She was a clumsy woman who couldn't do anything right without help. Kagome thought that if Miranda just believed in herself, she could and would do what was needed of her.

"But, we're in the middle of nowhere."

"The reason we are out here is to find the innocence and its accommodator who have been attacked by Akuma. We found the innocence, the accommodator died and the Akuma are still out there."

Allen sat close to Kagome, many thought they were an item but both denied it. Even though they both denied being together as a couple, they were no doubt closer to each other than to anyone else. When they first were trapped in this shack, Allen and Kagome had gone through a routine that had shocked everyone else. Lavi and Miranda could only stare as the two of them created a bath area, a changing area and bedding for the two of them. It seemed as though this happened quite often. When they had been questioned, Kagome said that it was cheaper to live out in the wilderness than in the towns and safer. The Akuma would go after them since they were exorcists and not the innocent people in the towns. That had made sense but after the first night, they had second guesses. Lavi and Krory were shocked when Allen and Kagome lay next to each other, back to back and in the morning, Allen was holding Kagome around her waist and she lay with her head on his chest. They didn't seem embarrassed or shocked; it was just another thing to them.

"Do you think the storm is Akuma made or just natural?" Krory asked.

"Natural. This area is famous for its snowstorms, sometimes they can last for months." Lavi said.

"We've been stuck here for weeks!" Miranda cried out. "How much longer!?"

"Calm down Miranda, we've only been here for a week." Allen said calmly.

He watched as Kagome tried to fix some of the worn blankets. There had been ripped curtains hanging on the windows and they needed them but at the same time, they needed to have cover. It would be pointless for them to be unprotected from Akuma who could just peek through a window and see them. Allen hadn't wanted Kagome to make a barrier, the Akuma would just keep attacking it, and he didn't want her to tire from her spirit energy. Watching Kagome as she sewed together the curtains as well as some of their blankets, it made him feel warm. He loved when they were camping on their missions, it was just the two of them to work together and they were alone. They didn't have to hear people talking or doing any activities throughout the day. It was peaceful, calm. He liked the calm; it was different from being at the Order. There were people everywhere; the science department always had experiments going on. There was no alone time, no time to just be with Kagome. Sometimes Souta came with them on missions but the times that it was just the two of them, he loved those the most. Even when the missions were dangerous and the fighting was crazy and brutal, it still made him feel good to be with just her. The ideas that shot through his mind, it made him feel so at ease. He liked the fact that with just Kagome, it felt like they were a couple and playing house. She would cook for him and he would help her bring in the hunt. Now, he was able to hunt for them, pick out fresh herbs and vegetables, and sometimes fruit if they were lucky.

"It seems longer." She muttered.

Allen rolled his eyes and walked over to where Kagome was. They needed to talk about the next task they had to accomplish. The two of them worked so well together because there was a level of trust that went beyond what they each had with others. He sat down and pulled out a notebook. It was a written text on all the attacks they had been able to combine together as well as the progress each made. He had been amazed each time he read through this book. Sneaking a peak at the others around them, he wanted to sigh. They were staring at the two of them, it was creepy. Turning his head, he looked at Kagome; she didn't seem to care or mind. Sometimes, just sometimes, he wished that she would be more open with other people. She was only sixteen, too young to be so serious, too cautious. He wouldn't lie, he liked the fact that Kagome really only trusted him other than her brother. He liked the fact that he was the person she turned to when things were too hectic in their lives and when she felt like she couldn't take another step forward. It was him that held her at night and it was him that she cried upon. They were connected somehow in a way that Allen really didn't mind. In the two years that they had been friends and then partners, he felt as though he loved her and he knew that in her own way, she loved him too.

"What do you think? Will we be able to leave soon?" Allen whispered to Kagome.

"Probably not, I think we'll be here a while." Kagome whispered back.

Lavi watched these two very closely. In fact, his eyes hurt because he had been afraid to blink and something would have changed. Sighing, he knew that no matter what, they would not trust him enough to tell him if anything was going on and when he had asked Allen, all he got was a cold look and a chilling message to leave them alone. It was true, it wasn't any of his business but still, he was curious about them. Looking to his left, he saw the younger brother, Souta, lying on a thin pallet. The young boy had gotten hurt when they had been running away from the Akuma. There had been so many and although he was hurt, he hadn't been the worst one. Allen had been hurt even more; he protected both Souta and Kagome, almost to the point that he would have lost his life if Kagome hadn't stepped in. She was amazing, the power and the emotion that had been brought out because of Allen's sacrifice. It hadn't mattered though; her healing skills had brought him close to being perfectly healed. He was amazed.

"How is Souta doing?" Miranda asked.

For the last week, every hour she asked about Souta. He was also someone other than Kagome and Allen who accepted her as she was. He always sat down next to her in the cafeteria when they were both there together and he always tried to help train her with her power and her fighting abilities. With Kagome it was so different than when Souta trained with her. For one, Kagome was strict and sometimes downright evil in her training. Souta took a more hands on training in where he would guide her through all the routines. Miranda knew that she liked Souta's training instead of Kagome's. At least with Souta, she was up the next day instead of the next week.

"He's resting. His physical body is fine but his spirit is still repairing itself. He might still be down for another week or so." Allen said.

"So we're just going to be waiting here?!" Kyori exclaimed.

Kagome stopped what she was doing, turned toward the others who were huddled together shaking. She looked at Allen who sat there without his jacket; it was draped over her shoulders. His arms were crossed in front of him as he looked at their companions. He didn't seem uncomfortable, yet everyone else seemed to be freezing. Moving off of the bed, she made her way toward their supplies. There wasn't much meat left so they would have to go hunting and they would need more snow to have water. Kagome picked up several logs to burn, it wouldn't do much if they froze to death before finishing their mission. It wasn't done until they brought the innocence back to headquarters. She grabbed another shirt from her bag and ripped it. She had made two blankets with the clothes that both herself and Allen had packed and now, she was making a third. Kagome knew that the boys slept near each other while she and Allen slept near each other. Miranda had been sleeping next to Souta but they were still so cold. It was like the temperatures were dropping lower and lower the past couple of nights.

"We have to wait here, we have no other choice. If we try to trek across toward the nearest village, we'll freeze to death."

Everyone turned toward Kagome; she had in her hands the extra blankets she had made. She looked a little funny, drowning in Allen's jacket. She was by far, the smallest of all of them. Allen was 5'5", the same as Souta but Kagome; she stayed at 5'2". Her body structure was lithe, curvy but thin.

"You made these?" Lavi asked.

"Of course, what do you think I've been doing?"

"Where did you get the material?" Miranda asked.

"Out of Allen's and my pack, what's the use of having extra clothes if we all freeze to death?"

Miranda looked at Kagome with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Kagome-chan. Thank you so much."

Kagome just gave her a small smile; it had been the first time that Lavi or Krory had seen her even attempt to give one. They both thought that her smile made her even more beautiful.

"Tomorrow, we're going to have to get more wood as well as go hunting. Our supplies are running a bit low."

Miranda looked at Lavi and nodded. If Kagome said that they needed to get more supplies then that is what they would do. She hadn't led them wrong yet and in fact, if it hadn't been for Kagome, they would probably be popsicles already. Miranda watched Kagome and Allen very closely, for so long she had romantic feelings toward Allen. He had been the first person who believed in her and the first to thank her for help. It had been heartbreaking, at first, to see the relationship between Allen and Kagome. They said that they weren't in a relationship and that they were just partners but watching them, she knew differently. Maybe they didn't see it or accept it yet but they were so good together. As she watched both Allen and Kagome, she gave a small sad smile. She wished that she could find someone who watched her back like that or gave her the same attention Allen gave Kagome.

"Hey Miranda." Lavi whispered.

She turned toward him with questioning eyes.

"Have you noticed things between those two?"

"Of course I have."

Lavi looked back at Allen and saw that he had taken the needle and thread from Kagome's hands. That girl had worked so hard the last week, even more worried so much because of the Akuma attacks as well as her little brother. The way that Allen's hand stayed upon Kagome's or the way he looked at her. Lavi knew that Allen had feelings, maybe he didn't know how to process those feelings or not but they were there. Of course with the way their lives were, settling down and having a family was slim to none. Just watching the two of them, he felt like he was committing a lewd act. The emotion between those two, it was so blissful to watch but at the same time, it was uncomfortable. It was like he was barging inside of a personal moment, an intimate moment. If only moments like these lasted for longer than a few hours, if only they weren`t fighting for their lives all the time. He stared at their entwined hands, he noticed that Allen was always finding ways to touch her or she him. It was, he dare say, cute. They worked well together, almost perfect and they were similar. She was cursed and he had been cursed. They were both parasite accommodators and they both felt immense loss in their earlier childhood.

"What do you make of it?" He asked.

Miranda's eyes went back to watching the two of them. She saw the connection between the two and she could tell that they did feel something for the other but why didn't they just express it? Was it because they were there with them or maybe it was because they didn't want to lose the balance they had with each other if the relationship went south? She didn't know but she did know that there was something between them. She had seen some couples in the Order but she didn't know any of them that had the same type of connection that these two had. It was so amazing to watch. Her eyes shifted toward Souta. He had gotten upset that they hadn't decided to move forward into a relationship like that. He thought that they shouldn't hold back because of the line of work they all did. You never know when your time is up.

"I think that they'll go at their own pace."

"Probably, they are different."

Allen knew what they were talking about and he didn't mind their talking. He knew the type of relationship they had and knew that although they were close, they hadn't talked about moving in that direction. For him, he would wait until she was ready and even if she decided that she didn't want that, he would make sure that she knew she was loved. He wasn't a fool, she was beautiful and in his eyes, she was perfect. He knew that he could trust her with his life, hell, he put his life in her hands every day. They were partners and they were confidents. There wasn't a mission that they didn't do together, at first they were put together because that was just how it seemed to work out but now, especially after the incident where they were able to match and combine their power together, it was just a way of life. Allen lay Kagome down against the wall of the shack they were all in and cuddled behind her. He tried to keep her as warm as he could, especially when she gave everyone else the blankets and extra coats. He sighed, his and Kagome's coats were their blankets but he knew that she still froze. She was such a tiny person and so selfless that she didn't think about her own needs so he would think about her needs instead. He would keep her safe and comfortable.

"Sleep well Kagome."

"You too." She whispered back.

It had been a few more days until Souta was well enough to leave. It was so antsy and ready to just leave the little shack behind him. To Souta, it was the most boring recovery that he could ever remember, which wasn't much since he hardly ever got hurt. His dear sister fussed over him constantly and wanted to make extra sure that he was well enough and strong enough to move forward and to deal with anything that comes their way. She had told him that she refused to let him get any more injured than he already was and that she needed to make sure he was strong enough to stand on his own two feet and not lean on her. Souta knew not to feel bad or down because that was just the way that Kagome was. She pushed you to do your best for you and not anyone else. If you aren't at your best and push yourself to be your best then chances are, you're going to fail. You have to be at a 100% to go at 100%.

"I told you already. I'm fine!" Souta said.

Kagome looked at him and without blinking, swung at him. Souta was slower than normal and although he blocked; she got really close to face.

"Okay, so I'm not all there but I'm well enough to move forward."

"What happens when we get attacked, are you going to be ready then?"

Souta gave his sister a sour look but consented. He knew that she was right, she was always right but it was still hard for him to just lay there. He wanted to know that he could help his sister that he could be a benefit to her. As he grew up he had always had his sister take care of him and love him and he saw when she suffered because of it. He wanted to protect his sister and show her that she could always lean on him if she ever needed to. Laying down, he watched his sister. He loved her with everything that he had, she was all he had left. For so long it had just been him and his dear sister and they were in charge of keeping everyone safe but for her, she took on another job. Her job was to keep him safe. He knew that if it came down to it, she would save him first and then work to save others. She would lay her life down for him but he didn't want that.

"Keep the barrier up, I have a feeling that we'll be having some unwelcomed guests." Souta said.

His sister nodded and walked out the door. She gave him a backward wave as she disappeared into the storm. He grumbled about not being a small child anymore but worried over the face that he knew what he felt and he knew that if she wasn't careful, things could go very south in this mission.

"I will follow, Lavi, can you get more wood for us?"

"Sure thing Allen."

"Thanks."

It had been thing that Allen had followed Kagome. Two Akuma had felt her power and had come to destroy her. They weren't a match for both her and Allen but they had tried. Souta had freaked out when Allen came walking back into the hut with Kagome in his arms. She was unhurt but she also looked very upset. It wasn't Allen's fault that she was always getting in trouble but this was getting ridiculous. They were still stuck in this hut and they were running out of supplies. If things didn't change, they would die out here.

"Well, at least we have fresh supplies." Miranda said with a smile.

Kagome couldn't help but give a small smile to Miranda; she had such a good attitude.

"You're right but we need to get out of here. The Akuma are getting closer to our hut and once they reach the ofuda, they will know we're here and then, we'll be in trouble."

Souta nodded. He wished he healed faster though.

"We'll leave when Souta is fully healed and we're ready."

For days Souta trained with his sister. The training that they put each other through was, to outsiders, suicidal. The amount of pain and damage these two siblings did to each other was harsh but Kagome was a harsh mistress. She didn't play around, she didn't give chances and she didn't believe in taking it easy either. She always said that the enemy would not take it easy on you just because you don't feel well. It made sense and they couldn't disagree with her train of thought but still, to do this to one another was just wrong. Looking out at the two siblings train with one another they had to say that the amount of strength that they were building was phenomenal. They were getting stronger, faster and more accurate. It wasn't as though they were just beating each other up, it was that they were building each other up. They knew that if in a fight with the Earl, those two would be able to push the Earl into a retreat. The sheer amount of power they had without their innocence was tremendous, they did have holy power.

"We leave tomorrow morning before daylight. We need to get the innocence to headquarters."

Everyone nodded and got ready to break their camp down. As much as they had hated it here, they did learn and train in ways that opened so much more to them. As a single person, they were stronger but as a group, they were almost whole. It would take much to get them down on their knees if they kept with each other. Kagome led everyone through the forest and into town. Her barrier kept the Akuma from sensing them. It was a good thing too, they had passed by many of them. The fact that the Earl had sent so many was mind boggling. Either he really wanted the innocence or he wanted to get rid of Kagome and Souta as well as Allen. The world had changed and the tide of the war was getting better for them. With the way Kagome and Allen were able to combine attacks, it probably made him very worried. Hell, if Allen and Kagome were against them, they would have been very worried as well. Many people thought that by keeping them together, it was a gamble for them. They would do well and their loyalty would be to the order or that because they worked with each other and probably had a close bond, that they would only be loyal to each other.

…End Flashback…

"So, when do you think she'll be back?"

Souta sighed as he pushed his food around. It was always hard on him when she wasn't here or he wasn't with her.

"Probably by the end of the week at least, you know how she is." Souta said.

Just then, the doors to the cafeteria burst open. Several finders were rushing to grab their comrades. They had worried looks on their faces. Standing, both Souta and Lavi rushed out with them. It was never a good sign with the finders looked scared. It usually meant that an accommodator was injured or worse, dead. Souta peeked around and his eyes widened in fear. There laying on a stretcher was Kagome and Allen. They were all bloodied and were unconscious.

"What happened!?" He shouted.

Naraku came forward, he too was injured. In his arms were three containers of innocence. It was the innocence that his sister was sent out to gather. He rushed toward Naraku and looked up at him. He needed answers. What had happened out there? Why was his sister wounded as badly as she was?

"We were ambushed as we were on our way back. The mission itself was easy, we were able to extract and bring the innocence back but Kagome wanted to stop in town to grab a few things. She and Allen went to eat lunch after retrieving everything we needed. They were attacked by the Akuma that were hiding in the restaurant and truthfully, some of them were quite powerful."

Souta narrowed his eyes.

"There is no way that Kagome would walk into a place that had Akuma hiding. She and Allen would have been able to sense them."

Naraku sighed.

"They did sense them, that's why they went into the restaurant."

Souta's eyes fell back to his sister. She looked as though she were sleeping wrapped in Allen's arms. It would have been a perfect picture if they weren't covered in blood. He knew that his sister was strong, hell, she was the strongest woman he knew but even with her strength and her skills. The amount of Akuma she had fought and some with the levels that they had, he knew that she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon and with Allen laying next to her in the condition that he was in, he wouldn't be up for a while. All they could do is wait and see how things looked because right now, it wasn't looking good. With a sigh, he watched as several finders moved Allen and Kagome to the medical areas. There wasn't much that anyone could do for them, just to let them rest. It irritated Souta to know that his sister was hurt. It irritated him even more to know that he hadn't been there by her side as she fought. Maybe then, maybe she wouldn't have gotten in so much trouble. He could remember his mother telling Kagome how she was a trouble magnet.

It had taken two months before Kagome or Allen had woken up. They were so drained and injured that their bodies had forced themselves into a coma. All around them, people were running back and forth. They had been updated on all the activity that had happened when they were unconscious. Kagome had to deal with a frantic and upset Souta, which was never a good thing. He cried, yelled, hugged her and paced as he ranted. Kagome just watched him with patient eyes. She knew how much he hated not being there with her and watching her back. He feared that one day, she would die and leave him by himself. She understood because she feared the same thing. It was a reason why they normally went on missions together. Kagome turned and looked at Allen, she was grateful that he was there with her. He made an amazing partner. The one thing that had always pushed her to survive was the thought about her brother. She didn't want to leave him alone; all they had were each other. She would fight with all of her soul before she allowed herself to leave this plane without knowing her brother was safe.