Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Cursed One ❯ The Problem ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter six: The Problem

That one was the longest yet. I hope you like it so far. Oh, and as a warning, there is one or two fight scenes in this chapter. One is in the clearing and this is your only warning.

Disclaimer: Never, ever. I will never own either YuYu Hakusho or Dune.

You know the drill.

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"I apoligize for my behavior earlier. I was not thinking clearly." Elyion says, bowing slightly in remorse. Everyone is staring at her. Yusuke is thinking 'What? One minute she's angry as hell then she's this girl called Chikuso and now she's polite to a fault? Does this girl have as many personalitys as Sensui?' he rolls his eyes. Elyion continues, but this time talking to Koenma, "Koenma, I would like to offer my services in helping you find the soul-gems. I know they have been causing alot of trouble in all the realms and I can help you find them." Elyion's head is bowed in a demure fashion. "So thats whats been causing all the chaos? And is that why all the youkai are so much stronger? Interesting. I wonder why that didn't show up on any of the books?" says a woman dressed all in black standing in the doorway. She puts a finger to her lips, as if deep in thought. Elyion's head snapped up at the sound of the lady's voice and she was looking frantically around for an exit. Not seeing anything but the doors she creates a blinding blizzard right in Koenma's office and trys to run past the woman. As Elyion runs past the woman reachs out and grabs the neck of her shirt.

During the time when the tempest began in Koenma's office everyone was trying to see what was happening. Everyone failed miserably. 'Ugh, how'd she do this? And why? Sakura may be a complete bitch, but it's not like she'd do something really awful.' is the notion running through Koenma's and Yusuke's heads. Hiei was just sitting there waiting for it to stop, thinking, 'So she is either a weather witch or an ice maiden. There hasn't been weather witches in the realms for so long but then again all of the ice maidens together probably couldn't create such a storm, especially inside. Suppose I just have to wait and see. I'm not worried that she'll get away ... my Saku would not let her go without an explanation at least.'

"So Elyion, what have you been doing since you ran away from home?" the lady, Sakura, asks politely, never letting go of Elyion. "Miss Sakura, please let me go! I can't go back home if I don't have a home, so you can't make me!" Elyion slowly sinks to her knees in the snow. "Well I guess that's answered my question." declares Sakura to no one in particular. "So you've just been wandering all over Reikai and Makai stealing souls? Why didn't you come to anybody for help, like me? Its not like I would bite off your head, especially after all you've been through." Sakura sighs while dropping Elyion and waving her hand. "So why?" Elyion just slumps deeper into the snow. "I ... I ... didn't want to go back there. They cursed me, and then let me wither away to nothing for two years. No, 'Oh, sorry dear, we forgot to tell you; we cursed you and if you don't steal souls you'll die.' nothing ..." she moaned. Sakura knelt down in the rapidly growing snow drift and hugged Elyion's shoulders. "I mean, couldn't they have at least told me I was going to die? Instead, I find out the night before I was supposed to. By eavesdropping. Not by anyone telling me because they didn't want me to die not knowing why. Why did this have to happen to me? What did I ever do to earn the enimity of the fates?" Elyion rants, unknown tears streaming down her cold-bitten face. "Nobody ever does anything to earn the fate's malice. Some unfortunate people are chosen for their attention, whether they want it or not." Sakura stops hugging Elyion and sits cross-legged. "But, Elyion, the fates can't completely control us. Some of the weaker ones may let choices pass them by, choosing to let the fates decide their life for them. But the ones who are strong, the ones who don't let anyone rule them or affect their life so completely that it is no longer theirs, who would rather fight and die than be put in chains, don't let the fates meddling prevent them from finding contentment and happiness. So, Elyion, are you one of the weak ones or one of the strong?"

=========== Meanwhile, somewhere in Makai ==========

A dark mass sitting on a throne laughs cruelly. A trembling servant comes hesitantly closer to the throne, bearing a black, glowing soul gem on a pillow. The bulk rose and delicately picked up the jewel. It says, almost as if too itself and not the cowering servant, "Is this it? I was given the impression that it was the most powerful of them all. If this is all that it is then I don't need such a puny thing -" the thing is cut off as a darker glow emits from the gem. Then, the gem shows its power to the dark figure, reducing every other living thing in the darkened room to ash. It laughs and says "Well I suppose you have a use after all. Though no more stunts like that, you could have killed me."

============ Back in Reikai =============

"I am not weak!" screams Elyion, her fists pounding her legs. The storm grows even wilder. "I never said you were, did I?" Sakura questions, unfazed. "Not in so many words." Elyion hisses back. "Fine then, prove me wrong. Go get your soul-gems from all the demons who now possess them and grow even stronger from them. Show me that you can do this and show them that you can do this." Sakura says, as calm as ever. Elyion jumps up and promises "I will!"

'What in the seven hells are they doing? Why doesn't anyone stop this madness?' thinks a very pissed off prince of Reikai. "How long does it take to stop a damn snow-storm when its indoors?!" yells Yusuke to Kuwabara over the noise. "How the hell should I know?!" he yells back. Then, all of a sudden, the snow stops. "Finally, you freakin' bitch. Why couldn't you get her to stop sooner?" Yusuke demands of Sakura, who's temper flares and she trys to choke him. "I am not a bitch you ingrateful little bastard! You call me that again and I will make sure that your empty head and your shoulders part company. Permanently. You got that?!" she yells at him. A light tap on her shoulder makes her drop him. "What Kurama? I am kind of busy." she snapped at the kitsune's avatar. "I can see that. But, I think that Hiei wants you for some reason."

Sakura rushed over to the little fire demon as soon as Kurama said that. If anyone found it odd that she would care so much that Hiei wanted her, they didn't say anything. It's not as if she would care, only three people in the room at the time knew the truth.

"So what did you want me for, m'dear?" queries Sakura when she reachs Hiei. "I wanted to ask about that girl, Elyion. It seems that she knows you, Saku, ... or at least has heard of you. But why would she run away when you came?" he asks her. "Well, I knew her when she was still little, before her parents cursed her. They were my friends until I found out what they did to their only child. I didn't know what happened to her after she ran away right before her thirteenth birthday." Sakura explained. "Almost been a year now." she mused, an elegent hand on his shoulder. "A year? But does that mean that she is the soul-stealer Koenma sent us to search for?" Hiei asked, ignoring the hand. Sakura just nods and removes her hand before walking back over to the group. Looking back she says loudly enough for all the room to hear "You coming, shorty? We don't have all day." Hiei just smiles to himself and joins the others.

============== Later, preparing for a journey ============

"Why didn't you send us after the youkai, instead of Elyion, Koenma?" asks Yusuke for about the fifth time. "I thought that if we took out Chikuso that, that would end it all. I didn't know that Chikuso was Elyion, or that she was cursed, or that her gems were stolen from her." Koenma growled, trying not to throttle his top spirit detective. "Koenma, sir, when can we leave? The sooner the better, because the longer the youkai have the soul gems the more powerful they will grow and the harder they will to beat." Elyion says, as usual, politely. "You could leave right now and take him with you. I'll even open a portal wherever you want to go just as long as you take him with you." Koenma screechs at her, exasperated. "Uh, no need sir. I can do that myself." Elyion replies wide-eyed. A dark hole appears and she quickly drags Yusuke into it before Koenma can lose his temper again. The rest of them follow.

============ On the bank of the River Styx ===========

"I think there might be a gem nearby." Elyion says, dropping Yusuke unceremoniusly. "How can you tell? Are you psychic or something?" sneers Yusuke, rubbing the back of his head. "Shut up, dumbass. They're hers so she should be able to sense them. Right?" Kuwabara looks around at the assembled group for support in his theory. None of them appeared to have been listening. Elyion was busy trying to see which direction the soul-gem is; Hiei on alert for any attack; and Kurama trying to scent if anything is coming their way. Elyion started walking off into the deep forest that surrounds them on three sides. "Hey, Elyion, wait! Where are you going?! One of us should come with you!" all of them yelled at once. Elyion stopped for a second, then turned her head slightly towards them and shook it gently. Somehow she managed to convey that none of them were to follow her and that she would come back.

"Do you think we should follow her? I mean its dangerous to be out here alone and she doesn't have a weapon." Kuwabara fretted while everyone else just stared into the fire. "Are you blind, Kuwabara? Didn't you see her coat? She could be hiding anything under it." Yusuke scoffed, though he too was secretly worried. "Still, why would she ask us to come along if she didn't want us to help? Elyion has been gone for two hours ... perhaps, something happened." Kurama said, furrowing his brow. "We should go after her!" said Kuwabara gallantly. He had already started to run down the narrow path Elyion had made when Hiei spoke up, "She told us not to follow her. What if she has gone to steal souls? What if you see that and you are scarred for life?" Kuwabara replied "Why would she do that with one of her soul gems so close? I'd bet anything thats she's gone to retrieve it. She must have brought us along for some reason. It must be for protection." he says, trying to convince the others as well as himself. "Fine, come on before the trail gets too cold." says Yusuke gruffly.

======= In a clearing not far from the campsite =======

Elyion wipes a trickle of blood and sweat away with the back of her hand. "I don't know how you survived this long against me, wench, but your luck will soon run out!" yells her opponent, a C level demon with one of her soul gems. Elyion does not answer, rather, she disappears then reappears next to the demons head. Slashing at his neck with her crysknife, she manages to slit his throat. It heals over instantly. "See the power of the soul gem, wench, and cower in fear!" demands the demon. Elyion's only reply is a feral growl. Laughing the demon lunges at her with its arms outstretched. Elyion dodges it quickly and stabs him in the back, to no effect. The demon pauses, unconcerned that she might attack him, then remarks "It was kind of you to bring friends. That way I'll something else to tear up after I'm done with you." it laughs while she narrows her eyes. Elyion quickly scans the area around them with her ability to detect souls. She senses four souls in the bushes. "Let us be done." she says, speaking for the first time in the battle. Elyion translocates to right in front of her quarry, and stabs him in the heart with the crysknife. Dragging it around in a circle, she cuts out his heart. Elyion is drenched with blood from the still beating heart as she holds it in her hands. Nonchalantly, she tears open the heart to reveal a pulsing, milk white, perfectly round jewel in one of the chambers. Plucking it out, Elyion drops the mass of tissue and blood, that was once a functioning heart, next to the still body that once housed it. Putting away the jewel, she starts walking toward the bushes.

Yusuke and the others get to the clearing just in time to hear the demons cocky voice say something about luck. Kuwabara had to be held back by the rest of the detectives. "What are you doing! We have to help her!" he screams. The rest of them look quickly at the fighting pair then Kurama whispers, "She looks like she is holding her own. Now, be quiet or else they'll know we're here." Kuwabara immediately stops fighting. The rest of them turn to watch Elyion and the demon fight. "You've got to admit she has style and grace. I wonder where she learned to use that odd dagger." whispered Kurama. Nobody answers as the fighting seems to have stop for the moment. The gang heard the demons words as if they were a morbid prophecy, it didn't help much that Elyion seemed not to notice. The next moves were Elyions. Nobody heard her words but they all saw her actions. "Yes! Elyion's going to beat that bastard. I knew it all along ..."said Kuwabara, though he faltered when he saw what she was holding. "Oh, Kami, I think I'm going to be sick ..." Yusuke sputtered. Kurama went pale at the sight of Elyion drenched in the demons blood, calmly mutilating the once working flesh. 'well at least now I know what Chikuso was talking about. it looks like shes done this before. I just want to know what her family was like.' thinks Hiei, unconcerned about what Elyion is doing. Hiei, being the only one not affected by the grisly scene, was the only one to notice Elyion approaching their hiding spot.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." taunts a still battle-crazy Elyion. Only Hiei does as she bids, coming to a halt right in front of her. "You are a skilled fighter. Why do you hide your abilities when they could make you so much more than a wanderer?" asks Hiei. "Come on little youkai, you know you want to fight me, even if it is only to test my limits." Elyion says, assuming a battle position. "I have no wish to fight you, such as you are at the moment. I may take you up on that offer later, though." Hiei comments then makes to return to the campsite. A speeding object flys by his ear, creating a wound across his cheek. In a move Hiei is holding his katana to Elyion's throat. "So you know the weirding ways as well, little youkai." Hiei grimaces but does not reply. "I do not like it when things are thrown at me from behind. I refused to fight you, accept it. Attack me without provocation again and you will regret it." he states, then removes his katana and walks away out of sight. Elyion just watches him go this time, not noticing the scratch across her neck is bleeding. Then Elyion shrugs and wanders over to where Yusuke and the others are still hidden. "I don't suppose any of you cowards will fight me, will you?" scoffs Elyion. Kuwabara takes one look at Elyion, who is still dripping with blood and gore, and faints. Yusuke weakly shakes his head and runs off after Hiei. Kurama went paler, if that was possible, and reasoned "I think, Ms. Elyion, that you would be able to beat all of us together. Perhaps we should go back to camp and clean up?" Elyion thinks about this for a second and then whined, "But you might be able to give me a real challenge." she waves at the rotting corpse in the middle of the valley, "That other demon was fun to play with but wasn't really tough. I just took so long because he was fun." she said, as if that was the key to everything. Kurama was starting to feel slightly light-headed from losing so much blood flow to his brain. "Still, we are in no condition to fight such a powerful person as yourself right now. Why don't we find somewhere to clean up and see how you feel afterwards?" he offers, hoping against hope that she doesn't want to fight them that badly. Elyion pouts but gives in, "I guess that sounds okay ... I am feeling kinda sleepy." Elyion faints and Kurama catches her on reflex.

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T here was only one and I'm sorry if you don't think thats what their reactions would be but it seemed right. Oh and I'm sorry it took so long. School and everything combined with not enough sleep does not make my muse happy.

Sakura is one of my characters and her position is recorder and she runs the library that you see every once in awhile. Kima is her apprentice.