Chester seems to be having some trouble sending this, so I'm doing so for him.
Replies go to him, not me. ^_^
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Shonen
A Yuu Yuu Hakusho fic
By Chester Castaņeda
gab_ab@edsamail.com.ph
http://www.geocities.com/gabriel_abdiel
Well, I'm a newbie here... but all c&c are
acceptable ^_^
A few more notes before proceeding:
< > indicates character thoughts
" " indicates character speech
( ) indicates speech in writing
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Chapter 1: Seeds
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Darkness. This was what greeted him as he came to... it
made no difference to when he was still unconscious.
Nevertheless, it brought a certain extent of relief to be in the dark.
It was... comforting to him.
Darkness. To some it was a symbol of fear... of
coldness... of death. But to him it was a welcome sight. Was he
not a former resident of the Demon World, which was always filled
with veritable darkness? And, as accompaniment to this darkness,
were there not also the fear, the coldness and the death?
Yes, he was familiar with fear, whether it was from the
eyes of an opponent faced with imminent death or his own fear of
some great power finally destroying him in the end. He had always
had a certain degree of respect for power... he himself was a firm
believer of the rule 'survival of the fittest.' Outside of that, he had
nothing else to fear.
Coldness... a relative term to him. He was used to it.
Perhaps it was because of his koorime lineage, but at times he
draws a certain degree of comfort from the cold... the way humans
draw comfort from warmth. Whatever. He felt as he felt, it held no
importance to him.
Death. A loaded word to many, to him it simply meant the
end. He was never afraid of the finality death brings; he actually
had looked forward for it. He was glad with the fact that he was
given a reason for being since the time of his birth... images of a
koorime woman that had been last thing he saw before being
thrown into a chasm, as well as images of his... of Yukina.
These are his reasons for being. Death had been
constant threat to him since the time of his banishment in the land
of koorimes, yet he had always done with it like a game with his
opponents... he can never die, not him. Not even death can stop
him from what he has to do. But if there comes the time when all
has been accomplished, he shall welcome death like an old
friend... in a warrior's death, no less. But until then....
"Hiei! Hiei! What has happened to you!?" It was the
kitsune. That damned fox demon came through for him, as usual.
Darkness... the goddamned darkness... it came quicker
to him than he thought... what an embarrassment, in front of
Kurama no less. Yet he felt a strange bit of comfort as a thought
surfaced his mind before his further slipping to unconsciousness.
<Until next time, old friend.>
***
Kurama breathed a sigh of relief as he found where his
koorime friend lay. Then a wave of concern came forth in him as
he saw the state said koorime was in. His analytical eye caught the
amount of damage his friend attained. He assessed the reason he
was unconscious was due to the fact that he had already used the
Kokuryuha. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in Kurama's mind.
Hiei was beaten in a fight.
The koorime moaned. He had been in worse shape... his
burnt right hand had given him a whole world of pain. Still, he was
going to be really pissed once he wakes up. Kurama suppressed a
giggle at the thought. That's who Hiei is... he with the legendary
pride.
Kurama quickly sobered up with his mirth and turned his
attention on the situation at hand. He scanned the surrounding
area... true enough, the ruble and debris gave weight to the fact of
a battle. But he had expected a lot more damage from the
surrounding area because of the Kokuryuha.
<It must have been stopped somehow, or else there
should have been a _lot_ more wreckage here,> Kurama thought
as he further surveyed the area. It was a narrow alley, and even
though one could expect a bit of filthiness in this sort of place, it
was still pretty obvious that there had been a struggle. But no
matter how many times Kurama inspected the area, he could find
no sign of Hiei's supposed rival. If he didn't find the idea absurd,
he could have almost sworn Hiei hurt himself with the Kokuryuha.
Which was simply beyond the case, because Hiei would have
simply absorbed the attack, if ever.
<I'm too late... he's already gone,> Kurama thought as he
furthered his investigation. <Whoever _he_ is....>
Kurama checked the immediate surroundings beyond the
alley. True enough, because it was already way beyond midnight,
there was not a soul in sight. The streets were empty, being only
slightly illuminated by what few lights were still open in this side of
the city, which was a whole block of urban poverty. He went back to
the fallen koorime, his stare lingering at the rooftops of the nearby
apartments.
He gently picked up his friend, gingerly looking at his
face. The koorime was gently snoring now, probably due to
exhaustion than anything else. Kurama gently wafted over the
surrounding building's rooftops, cradling Hiei's body all throughout.
Wordlessly, the kitsune leaped from one building to another, his
mind filled with questions which left him troubled and anxious.
"Who? Who was it? Why?!" Kurama accidentally said
aloud, the question echoing in the entire block, as if it was mocking
him.
***
"What the HELL?!" was the calm assessment Yusuke
Urameshi gave to the situation as Kurama related it to him.
Kurama, on his part, stayed the same in the same calm tone he
had been in the past few minutes of the conversation. There was no
indication of Yusuke even budging from the doorway of his
apartment. Kurama sighed as he continued on with his informing of
past events.
"That's right, Yusuke. Someone beat up Hiei, I don't know
who. He's been beat up real bad, so that's why he's still
unconscious. I can't worry about kaasan discovering Hiei since
she has never seen him before, so that's why he's got to stay here
at your apartment for the time being, while your mother is away."
Kurama carefully repeated, putting his words into terms that the
younger boy could easily understand. That wasbecause he was
quite the... excitable type, and he couldn't risk a misunderstanding
at this point in time.
Yusuke simply just stared at Kurama as if he has just
told him that he was to be tied up in bed and he was to be given the
whipping of his life... or something similarly disturbing. It took the
boy sometime to evaluate the situation before saying, "Oh, I get it!"
If Kurama were a lesser man, he could have facefaulted.
The fact was that he was a kitsune in an avatar, so the best he
could do was sweatdrop. All vestiges of gravity in his face were
replaced by wide-eyed confusion as he non-characteristically
said....
"Huh?"
"I get it... this is some practical joke made by that
bastard, Kuwabara. Well, just let me at him, Kurama... I'll rearrange
his ugly face seven ways to HELL!"
Kurama just simply fell silent there. He had no idea as to
how to reply to that. Yusuke always had that effect on him. So he
simply motioned toward the nearby coach in the hallway and teen
was off. He counted the seconds before hearing an expected dead
silence. <...Two... Three...>
Kurama slowly approached the now dumbstruck teenager
as he gaped at a peacefully sleeping Hiei... which though was a
sight in itself with his loud snoring yet the sheer amount of bruises
the koorime had was really the clincher to the shock. He looked
worse of than after battling Bui in the finals of the Ankoku
Bujutsukai. The teenage Spirit Detective couldn't simply believe
that Hiei could even be beaten up like that after mastering the
Kokuryuha. Kurama merely patted the younger boy's back.
"Oi, Kurama... you weren't kidding. Hiei's been beaten up
badly." Yusuke said, looking warily at the little sleeping koorime.
"Who... did this to him?"
Kurama smirked at the statement. Yusuke was never the
one to ask why... he does before he acts. Still, his seriousness
gave in and said in his voice "As I said before, I have no idea,
Yusuke. I simply saw him like this in an alley... I have no idea as
to who or what could have done such a thing."
Yusuke hefted the Hiei's body over his shoulders. The
fire demon hybrid shifted his weight, groaning in pain.
"Careful, Yusuke... Hiei's ribs are broken. I've given him
some herbs to dull the pain, but there's nothing else I could do.
The fractures are closed, but any more shifting and they could
become dislocated."
"Sorry, I'll be careful. But we don't have a stretcher
around here. How are we going to lift Hiei back to the apartment?"
Yusuke asked.
"The same way I put him here on the hallway." Kurama
said nonchalantly.
Faster than Yusuke could decipher with his eyes,
Kurama lifted Hiei up, his body straight and seemingly floating on
the kitsune's arms. And, in the same way he wafted through the
alley a while ago, Kurama gently gone forth toward Yusuke's
room, seemingly gliding with each step. Yusuke has seen how fast
Kurama has moved before... only he hasn't seen him use that
under these circumstances. He followed the two to his room. He
caught up as Kurama was already gently placing Hiei in his living
room bed.
"That was sure cool, Kurama." Yusuke said
appreciatively. Then he turned his attentions back to the koorime.
Then made a face. "You're really going to make me baby-sit this
little bastard?"
Kurama giggled daintily. It was hard to keep a serious
disposition with the company of the young lad. "Your call... though
I could always come over and look after him myself."
Yusuke looked at Kurama and smiled. "You don't have to
bother with that... I'd have a fun day with shorty here. He's in good
hands." He couldn't help but grin evilly at that last statement.
Kurama just looked at Yusuke before chuckling at that.
"I'm sure you'd both have fun together."
Yusuke merely grinned. Then he added thoughtfully,
"Does Koenma know? You do know that we've never been attacked
_outside_ of a mission before."
"Yes, but you have to admit, there were those missions
where we simply stumble upon the enemy. We simply have to
re-assess our bearings if ever we were attacked first." Kurama
said. "But I agree... we have to admit, this was the first time we
were directly attacked _before_ we go against whatever agenda
our enemy has."
Yusuke nodded to that. "Hey, have you seen Botan
lately? She's usually the one supplying the facts for this."
Kurama shrugged. "Then you should have been the
first one she contacted. _Then_ the rest of us will be contacted
for further assistance."
"Or we'll just simply happen to stumble with each other in
the course of a mission." Yusuke supposed, a smile once again
sneaking in the corners of his mouth.
"Our modus operandi." Kurama smiled back. "Just
remember... as much as possible, don't let Hiei out of the house.
He's in no shape for cavorting around swearing vengeance on
whoever did that to him."
Yusuke idly nodded at that... though he knew that was as
likely as _him_ not coming after the supposed new enemy.
"I'll be having a word with Genkai by tomorrow... she'd
know what to do. Still..." Kurama pensively added, "I'm almost
sure that the Spirit World would have something to do with this."
"I'll be having a word with that pacifier-sucking brat once
we finally talk." Yusuke assured with the cracking of his knuckles.
"Once we get this cleared out, we'll kick some demon ass and get
this over with, pure and simple."
<Pure and simple... unfortunately this is anything but
that.> Kurama considered. <Hiei _used_ the Kokuryuha... an attack
almost as powerful as the Rei-Gan. If ever Yusuke or any of us
come across... _him_, it's doubtful that we'd have a chance
against him. And what of the mission Koenma informed us on?
Why did Koenma inform us first? Was it like before, when he told
Hiei first about the mission concerning the kidnapping of Yukina?>
More questions pervaded into Kurama's consciousness... yet still
no sure explanation presented itself.
As Kurama said his farewell to Yusuke, the question he
said a while back resurfaced in his mind and echoed back and
forth in his psyche. Who? Who did this? Why?
Why?
***
Kurama stared at the ceiling of his room. As a kitsune, he
has his own sort of third eye in sensing trouble. But that was
usually reserved for sneak attacks or for recognizing the ki of his
enemies during battle. His sense of premonition in this situation is
completely different. A sense that humans are more familiar with...
that feeling of dread when something bad is about to happen. To
this feeling comes a jargon of semi-coherent thought.
<What if that thing suddenly goes after Yusuke, or
Kuwabara? The odds are certainly against, him having beaten up
Hiei-san so badly...how is Hiei-san doing anyway? I hope he
survives... What if this _thing_ goes after me? I think I could
handle it...bit what about kaasan...?>
Kurama froze at the last thought. There was a noise
coming from his mother's room...somewhat akin to metal clanking
in the floor. He instinctively ran towards his mother's room. He
heaved out a sigh of relief to see her by the window...she was
doing some needlework and her toolkit just fell. She's a bit startled
though, and was now looking at Kurama with worry in her eyes.
"Shuichi...is there something the matter?" his mother
asked.
Kurama let out a little laugh. "No... nothing's the matter,
kaasan...I was just a little bit startled by the noise. What are you
doing?"
To this statement 'Shuichi's' kaasan brightened up. "I've
decided to take up needlework as a hobby, son...I'm a little rough
though. I haven't been doing this since I was a child." She let out a
delicate laugh, to which Kurama could not help but laugh with as
well. It had always reminded him of tinkling bells eversince he first
heard it as a child.
To this an animated discussion on needlework followed.
Actually, it was more like Kurama listening and Shiori making
detailed accounts about the wonderful world of the needle and
thread. This kind of situation may bore to death any other boy his
age, but Kurama has a high regard and respect for his kaasan and
what she does.
When the discussion finished, Kurama left Shiori with
her hobby. He mouthed the words "Sayonara, kaasan. Ai, shiteiru."
in the doorway of his mother's room, to which he got the silent
reply "Sayonara, Shuichi. I love you too."
In the outer hallway of the Minamino residence, Kurama
swore to himself, <I won't let any monster touch my kaasan. Not
even one hair.>
***
So in a cliff overlooking the dance of sea waves stood
he. It was he who was able to stand up to a fire demon-koorime
hybrid without even breaking a sweat. Breaking a sweat... he'd
laugh at it, if he could. He hasn't broken a sweat or laughed at
anything in years. He felt dead because of it. He continued on
gazing on the horizon. The moon was still shining as brightly as
it could. The waves continued on pounding on the rocks. The
leaves on the trees on the surrounding area of the cliff all rustled
by the breeze. He couldn't care less with such peace. If anything,
all of it irritated his senses... irritation and senses being relative
terms probably because he had none as well.
He breathed heavily, probably more out of habit then out
of anything else. He hefted his entire breastplate off, revealing the
cavity. It was a dark chasm, as dark as his skin was pale white.
The breeze picked up in ante and began stroking his long straight
hair, strands flying all around his face. His violet eyes became
slits as his concentration intensified. The koorime fed him quite
nicely, but it was not enough. No. He hungered for more.
The wind blew out more fiercely as the waves began to
pound furiously on the rocks below. The moon shone even more
brightly before. Everything intensified, as if all was bristling to life.
The grass became greener, more alive, as if they were breathing.
The rustling leaves became animated as well. In color, in sound,
in sharpness, in smell and touch... everything became
exaggerated. It was as if he could smell again, breath again, touch
again, and see again, all at the same time with more exuberance
and feeling. Then, it was released into nothingness as he
whispered the words.
"Ja-ou-en-satsu-ken-koku-ryuu-ha!"
The black dragon spirit emerged, slowly dissipating into
embers as it crashed into the sea below. What happened after was
strange indeed. It was as if an explosion happened in reverse.
Everything died down... the waves calmed down, the water
becoming stagnant. The grass died then and there. The trees
slowly shed it's leaves as if it were fall, the bark of their trunks
suddenly decaying. Everything in the surrounding had a deathly
appearance. No color. No life.
The bishonen sighed. Even the moon's sheen seemed
dimmer. But he nonchalantly picked up his breastplate and
replaced it on his cavity and went on his way. It was all routine for
him. He was way beyond feeling any emotion. He did what he had
to do and that's that. Yet he craved for that short moment of
exuberance. He craved it since the day he became... like this.
He simply could not describe the feeling he felt every
time he used up a spirit like that. The sheer thrill he feels from
absorbing a piece of ki... a piece of a soul that goes in that
damned cavity that was once his chest. It felt like... an orgasm, or
maybe as high as you could ever get on drugs. No, higher than
that... it couldn't be expressed. Such comparison pales
amidst the sheer ecstasy he felt from feeding a soul into himself. A
life into himself. Every fiber of his being exudes... aliveness.
There's no other word for it. Aliveness.
It was a slow, painful step he took to finally murder a
person so as to feel that sensation. He wasn't a ki vampire... he
didn't _need_ to feed on another soul to live. He was already dead,
for Enma's sake. It was all for the sake of gratification, to feel
something amidst the numbness he had in himself. That was one
of the reasons why he swore never to take another life. He shall
never stoop to killing people for the pleasure of it. He will never
become a monster like that.
Was he wrong about that. Dead wrong.
He has killed countless in his wake, and soon his
countenance became absolute apathy. He was now truly dead,
with no will nor regret. He was like a person in a nightmare never
to wake up. He lost all significance in life as he consumed it like a
cigarette, in slow puffs of smoke. He was as dead as he truly
thought he is... in mind and body.
Yet he had not killed the koorime. It could have given him
a few days of exuberant life, yet he could not bring himself to it.
No. He had not killed anyone eversince he discovered about it.
There was a way. There was a way to be taken off from
this damned existence. It was there. She could find the way to stop
this. He knew that she'd always be there for him, no matter what
the cost. That was what she promised to him. He knew that he
could count on her.
She was there up until the time that he finally became a
monster. She was there up until the time that she offered to give
out the cure. Yes, the cure... the cure for this eternal damnation.
She gave it her all. She died trying.
But now she was back. He would be given a second
chance. He would have a new lease into life. Nothing can stop him
now. He shall not spend eternity as a monster. He would not be
damned. This was his last chance. He would do everything in his
power to get her back into his life. She was his salvation. She was
his last thread into life. He shall not fail.
"Asuka...you've come back to me," He whispered silently
into the dead waters of the sea down below.
***
"Kurama!" Hiei yelled in his sleep, which awoke a very
irritable Yusuke from his.
"Hey, what's the big... oh, you're finally awake." Yusuke
muttered in yawning breathes, still rubbing his eyes off from the
remnants of sleepiness. "Kurama wasn't kidding when he called
you a noctu... noctu... a night person."
Hiei simply deadpanned at the baka... or some other
Demon World expletive he wants to call the teenaged boy that
escaped him at the moment. "Where is he?"
"Who?" Yusuke shot back casually as he cleaned his
ears with his pinky.
"Kurama." Hiei elucidated.
"Back at his kaasan's. What is it to you."
Hiei was getting pissed. He knew that the... human, for
lack of a better word, was playing with him. He could have clopped
off his arm right then and there, only that his katana was missing.
<Damn.> The Kokuryuha was out of the question, so that leaves....
From a passerby's point of view, one could almost
swear that there was a mini-earthquake happening at one side of
the apartment building where a certain Yusuke Urameshi happened
to be taking residence.
"YOWCH! You couldn't take a joke, could'ya?" Yusuke
said gleefully. He was now in a stranglehold by a certain koorime.
The teen glanced back at Hiei with an evil eye. Then, with a simple
movement of his head, he butted the koorime on the forehead.
Hiei recoiled. Yusuke took the opportunity to direct some
punches on the fire demon hybrid's face. After three quick jabs, the
teen quickly backed up to ready an uppercut. Hiei knew this was a
ruse and simply blocked both the uppercut and the planned hook
after it. With his third eye opened, the fire demon was able to
counter every blow, which he followed up each with heavy blows
of his own.
Yusuke was surprised with Hiei being able to still put up
a fight. He abruptly adjusted his speed and began a dance of
blow-parry-blow with Hiei. Each met up with equal speed and
strength, up until Yusuke accidentally ribbed Hiei. The koorime
crumpled to the ground.
Yusuke wiped the trickle of blood off his lips. He
surveyed his surroundings. <Wow... we were really going with the
fight...> he thought, amazed at the whirlwind that leveled this side
of the Urameshi apartment. Another thing Yusuke noticed was that
he was looking through just one eye now, with his left one he can
just barely open. The teenager readied himself as the koorime
slowly stood up.
"I never knew that you'd resort to a cheap shot,
Urameshi," Hiei spat at Yusuke, yet with a smirk in his face.
"You don't look like no slacker, Hiei." Yusuke said,
pointing at the koorime suspiciously. "I don't believe that you could
have been beat up so easily. What's with you?"
Hiei was taken aback. How dare the bastard think that his
skills have been slacking! Still, he was ashamed to admit, with his
last fight he had been hurled around like a piece of wet cloth. His
bruises and fractures flared in pain as a reminder of that. His reply
was broken up and hesitant.
"He... he was no o-ordinary demon." He finished with his
eyes darting back and forth across the room.
Yusuke savored the moment of uncharacteristic
confusion in the demon's face. Still, he was more than a bit
flummoxed himself with the fact that Hiei could be beaten up like
that. "What was it that attacked you? Did it have a face?"
He cracked his knuckles. "If he has a face I can certainly
rearrange it."
To this the koorime sneered. "Humph. You'd be in worse
shape than I if you ever faced that monster."
"We'll see." Yusuke then stared oddly at Hiei at the
koorime suddenly froze. He quite possibly haven't seen the demon
so troubled save the times when he teased him about telling
Yukina his true identity. "Nani?"
Hiei suddenly prepared to take his leave. Yusuke almost
missed Hiei as he made a grab for the fire demon's arm. "Hiei,
what the hell's the matter with you?!"
Hiei gave Yusuke a livid look. "Let go, baka! The monster
is after Kurama! We've got to warn him! He's going to kill the
damned kitsune!"
***
On a treetop overlooking a house stood an armor-clad
figure. He looked heavy in his heavy garb, yet he remained to
seemingly float on the branches and leaves. He maintained his
stance as he observed the surrounding area of the house. Sure
enough he saw what he was looking for.
"Such loveliness." He whispered. He let the words float
in the air, certain smoothness in it coming forth as it echoed across
the landscape. He swooped down, now truly suspended on midair,
toward the second-story window of the residence.
There. Like a fresh rose bud... <You always have
reminded me of that.> ...walking slowly in the room. Fresh and
clean, like a newborn... slipping into the bed sheets as elegantly
as only she could.
She gave promise of tomorrow.
She died too soon, like the flower that she was.
She comes back for him... to keep a promise.
She was there, finally... he waited eternity.
Damned was he. Salvation was she.
She would save him. From the screaming... from the
agony and pain...
From the agony and pain of the absence of agony and
pain.
There are times when one would rather have pain than
emptiness.
She was there to give him freedom.
Peace.
Salvation.
Meaning.
Life.
Yet, here she was, reborn. She came back. Devotion
remains only to her... let me take her or else be damned forever
more.
Yet what he had to do was also his damnation.
Murder for life. A sacrifice he couldn't bare to do before.
Yet there was also the killings.
Yet there was also the emptiness.
It was a risk he would take. Damnation was not an option.
He was damned for so long.
He knew of their faces. It was forever etched in his
memory.
They were a part of him... every fiber of their beings.
They belonged to him now.
They scream in horror... silent screams. The silence was
deafening to him.
The screams remain. The silence remain.
The emptiness eating his whole being... if he was still
considered a being, not some mass of destruction.
He gingerly fingered the glass pane of the window, he
breathed a breathless sigh into it. An apology.
He was truly sorry... for his salvation and the salvation
of many would come from the cost of an angel's tears.
His precious one's life was the price.
He said his last sorry, and disappeared.
He simply disappeared.
***
Kurama stirred in his sleep. Tears dampened his pillow.
He was beyond the frivolities of emotion. Since his days as a
kitsune thief, he has never had an opportunity to express
emotions. Perhaps his colleagues have considered him rather
effeminate with his emotionality, but this trait was one of the things
he treasures as a human. He let the tears flow and his fear
surface. Yes, he was afraid. He was afraid for his kaasan... his dear,
sweet kaasan whose life has been threatened constantly because of
him. Hiei. Hiei was injured and beaten badly, and he blamed himself
for not being there for him when it counted. Just like with Kurubue....
Kurama cried in his sleep. He didn't expect himself to
drift into slumber so soon. Soon, there was stillness.
Soon, the nightmares began.
There was darkness... a flat, dull darkness. Then came a
flicker. A glinting jewel swaying along the darkness. The darkness
began to give from. Strands, long stands of shining hair. It soon
became clear. Features gained depth. There was that long thin
mouth coming into view, forming into a smile. Then came the
narrow yet mischievous eyes. Long strands of hair played with his
features as it effortlessly merged with the darkness. A play of
contrast in light and darkness as his pale skin and playful
eyes shone like the jewel gently swaying at his neck. Back and
forth it swayed, like a glinting blade of a guillotine.
Kurubue.
The scene replayed itself painfully. The loss was silly,
stupid... the irony of it all lies in its stupidity and silliness.
There came the gentle tinkling... like a little bell.
His smiling face casually glanced back at the jewel. He
cannot be stopped. That jewel meant a lot for him. He promised
that he would come back. All that for a simple jewel which he
always wore a certain way in his neck. He was always so
headstrong and goes for things upfront.
To this... for him to be himself... led to his own death.
Bamboo shoots shot up as he was helplessly caught in
the trap. Blood dripped mercilessly to the ground, an unwanted
blood offering. He still clasped on the jewel with his right hand. It
gently swayed in the wind, glinting.
Swaying back and forth, glinting... like a guillotine.
Darkness.
There was darkness... a flat, dull darkness. Then came a
flicker. A glinting jewel swaying along the darkness. The darkness
began to give from. Strands, long stands of shining hair. It soon
became clear. Features gained depth. There was that long thin
mouth coming into view, forming into a smile. Then came the
narrow yet mischievous eyes. Long strands of hair played with his
features as it effortlessly merged with the darkness. A play of
contrast in light and darkness as his pale skin and playful
eyes shone like the jewel gently swaying at his neck. Back and
forth it swayed, like a glinting blade of a guillotine.
Kurubue.
The scene replayed itself painfully. The loss was silly,
stupid... the irony of it all lies in its stupidity and silliness.
There came the gentle tinkling... like a little bell.
His smiling face casually glanced back at the jewel. He
cannot be stopped. That jewel meant a lot for him. He promised
that he would come back. All that for a simple jewel which he
always wore a certain way in his neck. He was always so
headstrong and goes for things upfront.
To this... for him to be himself... led to his own death.
Bamboo shoots shot up as he was helplessly caught in
the trap. Blood dripped mercilessly to the ground, an unwanted
blood offering. He still clasped on the jewel with his right hand. It
gently swayed in the wind, glinting.
Swaying back and forth, glinting... like a guillotine.
Darkness.
There was darkness... a flat, dull darkness. Then came a
flicker. A glinting jewel swaying along the darkness. The darkness
began to give from. Strands, long stands of shining hair. It soon
became clear. Features gained depth. There was that long thin
mouth coming into view, forming into a smile. Then came the
narrow yet mischievous eyes. Long strands of hair played with his
features as it effortlessly merged with the darkness. A play of
contrast in light and darkness as his pale skin and playful
eyes shone like the jewel gently swaying at his neck. Back and
forth it swayed, like a glinting blade of a guillotine.
Kurubue.
The scene replayed itself painfully. The loss was silly,
stupid... the irony of it all lies in its stupidity and silliness.
There came the gentle tinkling... like a little bell.
His smiling face casually glanced back at the jewel. He
cannot be stopped. That jewel meant a lot for him. He promised
that he would come back. All that for a simple jewel which he
always wore a certain way in his neck. He was always so
headstrong and goes for things upfront.
To this... for him to be himself... led to his own death.
Bamboo shoots shot up as he was helplessly caught in
the trap. Blood dripped mercilessly to the ground, an unwanted
blood offering. He still clasped on the jewel with his right hand. It
gently swayed in the wind, glinting.
Swaying back and forth, glinting... like a guillotine.
Darkness.
***
Yusuke Urameshi was having a hard time.
For one thing, it was quite hard for one such as him to
stop a crazed fire demon-koorime hybrid from accomplishing
whatever stupid, reckless, and totally irresponsible thing... mainly
because he wants in on whatever stupid, reckless, and totally
irresponsible thing the said demon wants to accomplish.
Life was good for Yusuke Urameshi.
"He was _that_ powerful?!" Yusuke gasped, literally
salivating in ecstasy. Boy, it has been a while since he has gotten
in on a real mission. Eversince that incident with the rogue demons
from a separate Demon World, a sort of Nether World, almost
conquered the whole Human World, there hasn't been another
challenge which quite matched up to that. "He just simply ate the
Kokuryuha!? That's great! Where did you find him?"
"We just met. He was in the alley. He was looking for
someone. He seemed tired. I was there." Hiei said cryptically. He
wouldn't waste any more time with the stupid bastard, only that he
has no other alternative. If it would take him to join forces with...
him to defeat the monster, then he'd do it. So be it.
"What do you mean, 'he was tired?' Could it be that he
could be some sort of ki vampire?" Yusuke asked. Hiei merely
shrugged to that.
"It doesn't matter."
"Well, if he were a ki vampire, why didn't you just
simply slash him to death like you'd usually do?"
"He was like a spirit. It didn't work on him. The blade
simply passed through him"
Yusuke further pondered on that. Not a ki vampire...
maybe a gaki of some sort. A gaki? Heck, even he hasn't seen any
one of those. And if it was a gaki, why was it looking for someone
in particular. Why didn't it simply suck up Hiei's soul as it did with
the Kokuryuha?
He was getting a headache with all this thinking... but he
couldn't really do much of anything really. In one of those rare
instances of insight, he knew he couldn't simply 'blast that thing
with a Rei-gan straight to hell.' He already fought one of those
demons. His precious attack was rendered nearly useless with this
demon that simply deflected the goddamned Spirit Ball back to
him. With a resigned smile, he continued his 'interrogation' with
the vague and reluctant demon.
"So, what's this about Kurama being in trouble?" Yusuke
pressed. He knew Hiei was deliberately vague with the details, but
he would wrench it out of the koorime one way or another. That's
just the Urameshi way.
Hiei gazed adamantly at the young spirit detective. He wouldn't
give an inch on that part of the story. He simply didn't need to
know about that. All he needed for the simple-minded fool to do
was to go out head-on with that monster and get beat up while he,
the _true_ Demon World warrior, would simply find some kind of
weakness that thing possessed while the stupid bastard gets beat
to a pulp. They always had some kind ofweakness.
Yusuke frowned at the fire demon. The koorime.
Whatever. All he knew was that the... enti.. enti... that thing that
attacked Hiei must had some sort of agenda by not simply killing
the bastard. Then shorty mentioned about Kurama...
"What did he say about Kurama?" Yusuke
casually said. Hiei was dumbstruck. The koorime fell for the ruse.
"DAMNIT, WHAT THE HELL DID HE WANT WITH KURAMA?"
"I don't know." Hiei countered. <Humph... he figured it
out.> "He simply said he wanted Minamino Shuichi."
"Wha-- isn't that Kurama's human name?" Yusuke was
taken aback at that. "What would he want with... with... does it
mean he doesn't know about Kurama the kitsune? Minamino
Shuichi, the human avatar?"
"I don't know." Hiei said. He was quickly losing interest
with the discussion. It was quite obvious that the human wouldn't
be going monster-hunting as he expected. <He's smarter than I
give him credit for.>
Yusuke gave up contemplating on the situation. That
was quite enough of that. He was a man of action. This type of idle
discussion was not for him. But he knew he couldn't do anything...
the so-called enemy he was facing wouldn't even attack directly. It
had no desire on conquering the Human World. It wasn't readying
itself for some massive invasion or getting some incredible power
for it to become a feared force in the Demon World. It just simply...
waited. Waited until it found a chance to strike, like a cobra. Hell
knows what its true motive in capturing Kurama... if capturing was
what it had in mind.
Yusuke glanced back to where the koorime once stood.
Sure enough, the bastard was already gone. The teenager sighed.
It was just as well. He's sure Kurama wouldn't even be half
surprised by this. Still, he knew the fire demon would be able to
take care of itself. Besides that, his mother would be back in the
apartment by morning.
He rubbed his forehead. His living room was a mess,
but it was nothing compared to the mess his mind was in. He
swore not to think this hard ever again. Yet he still was paralyzed
from doing anything. <Damnit, Koenma... you better have a good
explanation for this...>
He set in for the night. He had classes tomorrow, but he
couldn't care less. He could afford to skip a day or two. All he was
concentrated on right now was sleep. He needed it.
***
The sun shone on the backdrop of a blue sky. Birds
chirped. Leaves on the trees rustled. People went about their
usual business. It's just another ordinary day.
"Minamino-san! Minamino-san! Wait up!"
But there are just so many connotations to ordinary.
<Oh no, not again.>
"What is it, Shigeru-kun?" Kurama said through strained
smiles. He was not in the best of moods that day, but he did his
best to put up a face.
Mornings at Meiou high weren't exactly the happiest
Kurama would remember for the rest of eternity. For one thing,
the 'Legion of Minamino-sama' composing of quite a number of...
people has been putting pressure on the redheaded boy...
especially due to the fact that some of the members have already
begun to become more 'forward' with their advances. Kurama
hasn't been at all happy with the current developments, but he
never took any serious action against it. He _does_ have far more
important things to take care off.
"I wrote you a poem, Minamino-san!" Shigeru Amano
cheered, his face beaming like the moon. He wasn't exactly one of
the love brigades that's been beginning to spread in popularity in
the school... he was more of like a 'Minamino's little admirer,'
since he's about four years Kurama's junior. Sure he's been
known to irritate Kurama with incessant questions about his love
life, his favorite color, his type of shampoo, and other similar
substantial-type of questions... he was even prone to stalking to a
point much worse than the 'Legion'... yet Kurama has always had
a soft spot for the younger boy. Especially when he did sweet
things like this.
"What's it about, Shigeru-kun?" Kurama asked, intrigued
and touched at the gesture. "It's certainly not my birthday, and
there seems to be no particular special occasion today that comes
to mind. What is this for?"
"Oh nothing. It ain't particularly about you.. I just wanted
to share... between friends..." the young boy said shyly. "It's
about... just read it..."
"Ok."
Kurama carefully unfolded the piece of paper and made
note of the carefully written characters. It was obviously a labor of
love, a poem which was taken great consideration of writing.
Every stroke was finely arranged... it certainly didn't look anything
like Shigeru's sloppy old handwriting. But Kurama was rather
shocked as he read its content...
It was numbing... as if from a dream
You're suppose to feel something
Yet deep inside you feel nothing
It's all unsettling and confusing
It's as if you're from a distance
As if you're protecting yourself
>From a world of pain and suffering
Making the calm all the more unsettling
Through the daze, unbidden it comes
Silly questions come in... ironic ones
Silly because it's all so ridiculous
Ironic because its silliness hurts
We cover up, one way or another
A mask of courage over a vulnerable face
A facade daunting over the grievance
Tears run below this constructed mask
Or instead, you let yourself feel the pain...
Of course it will come, sooner or later
It's a wound, bleeding. Continuously.
No word of comfort can appease it, once it's
there.
"Minamino-san? Was it that _bad_?" Shigeru said
disjointedly, a look of hurt apparent in his childlike face. He
certainly looked quite younger than he actually was, yet this fact
was more apparent as he showed a face akin to that of an infant
who was about to cry.
Kurama took sometime to assess the situation. He
didn't realize that a deep frown had begun to form on his lips as
he read the piece, or the fact that was out of it for quite a while. He
gave a look of reassurance to the
young boy.
"It was... beautiful. I don't know what else to say about it.
You're a gifted poet. Thank you for sharing that." Kurama said,
giving the boy his gentlest of smiles. Unlike the cruel smiles he
usually gave his old Demon World enemies, it was a smile which
he learned from his kaasan... a smile of genuine appreciation.
If looks could kill, this one just woke up the dead.
Shigeru practically radiated at the praise.
"WA-I! MINAMINO-SAMA!!!"
Kurama accepted the subsequent hug. Shigeru, irritating
as he was with his participations with the Legion as well as his
continuous harassment of the redhead, was a very likeable person.
Albeit obsessed and a bit spontaneous, he was still likeable.
"Then I hope you could forgive me of my telling the
entire Legion your locker combination."
"...."
Shigeru, wisely, took this time of contemplation in part of
Kurama to take his leave. But not before saying these last words:
"The poem... it was for my grampa. He just died a-and I
didn't know what to do. I wrote it during my spare time. I know I could
trust you with it, Minamino-san."
These were words which Kurama wasn't able to forget
for the rest of the day. And more came forth from the words... his
own...
I know. I also lost someone.
***
Waking up from his reverie, Kurama sighed. That
episode with Shigeru Amano, a day before Hiei was attacked, had
suddenly come to the surface of his mind. He hasn't been able to
talk to Shigeru about it, with each having a sort of awkwardness
toward each other since it happened.
Kurama stared up at the bus terminal. This was his stop.
<Botan... Koenma... wherever you two are in the Spirit World, you
have a lot of questions to answer. But for now...>
Kurama took leave of the bus and from the bus stop he
began his trek toward a house atop a mountain path from the
nearby forest... toward Master Genkai's house.
***
"YUSUKE, GET UP!!!" An oh-so familiar voice 'cheerfully'
greeted Yusuke out of bed. Amidst throbbing eardrums, the said
teen still managed to wobbly get up on his feet. <Ouch... for
someone who was injured, that bastard koorime sure packed a punch.>
"What is it, ma?" Yusuke asked, oblivious of the fact that
he already knows the answer and that he's just instigating his
mother's anger more.
"It's time for SCHOOL, you no good LOUT!!! I'd have you
know that no son of mine..." was his mother's exuberant response.
Or at least what Yusuke heard before blocking out the rest of his
mother's sermon in his mind. That was his survival technique.
But he still had some insight into overhearing...
"... and then your friend Shuichi dropped by and gave
this letter to be forwarded to you early in the morning WHEN YOU
SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWAKE! I admire how much more
responsible that Minamino boy is than you..."
"Huh? What letter?" Yusuke said suddenly, his interest
aroused. Usually he just waited for her mother to either throw
some kind of hard object at his head from utter frustration or simply
tire out from her sermon and just leave it at that.
"Get it yourself, I put it right over the counter, under the
coffee mug." Yusuke's mom said idly, taking in quite an opposite
personality from the screaming banshee that she was a while
ago. She then proceeded to the living room sofa to sleep.
She would rather go to the living room bed, but she was just too
damn tired from all that talking.
Yusuke scooped up the message from under the mug,
nearly toppling the ceramic. With the prospect of getting into
something far more interesting than school, and him actually
having to skip school... his favorite part with having missions,
aside from a good fight... Yusuke eagerly read the script.
(Gone to Master Genkai's. We'll be having a
meeting, since no sign of either Botan or Koenma
filling us in on the details on what happened
yesterday. Bring Kuwabara there, and if you
could, Hiei. Perhaps Master Genkai can provide
us some insight on the happenings.)
No more goading was needed for Yusuke. Before the
flying slip of paper that was Kurama's letter fell on the wooden
floorboards, the teen was already up and running toward the
nearest bus station.
***
To be Continued...
Next: A meeting in Genkai's house, as well as the coming of an
unwelcome guest.
Note I put in the title _Shonen_ not _Shonen-Ai_. Shonen-Ai
(male-male relationship) and yaoi are just not my cup of tea. This
is dedicated to Chimamire Kitsune for giving me the inspiration to
write this fic...wherever you are, this is for you.
Disclaimer: All characters used in this fanfic (save some others)
are the rightful property of Yoshishiro Togashi, Shueisha, Fuji TV
and St. Pierrot. Don't sue me please, I'm very poor.
Ja ne!
C. Castaņeda