InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Blue Anshan ❯ Interlude 5 - Ash ( Chapter 49 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The Blue Anshan

By Alesyira

Summary: and everything turns to ash

Chapter Rating: T

Disclaimer: This is original content.

-o-

Interlude 5 - Ash

a long time ago

desperation

When the last of the flames on the island burned away to nothing, he relaxed. He felt no regret as he wandered amongst the ashes of homes and the charred corpses of those who could not let go of their unwarranted prejudice.

The flames had cleansed the island of ignorance. No one remained that would teach their families to hate him and his kind. His lips twitched at the irony. It had been a self-fulfilling prophecy. They wanted to believe his kind was dangerous. Now there were none left to believe otherwise.

His attention turned once more toward the flickering trail that led over the water as he considered ways to reunite with Hananoki.

He could direct the remainder of his magic toward building a bridge of stone between here and there, forcing the endless lava over the water in one direction until it touched the other shore.

That would take a very long time, and there would be no guarantee that she would be waiting for him on the other side. He'd known her mind in their short times together, and he knew without a doubt that they had both intended to stay with one another for the rest of their days.

She had been taken from him.

He understood the vessel had been a boat, and that such a thing would be both the fastest method of travel and also the quickest way to die. If he found someone who could take him across the water, and the boat sank or the person decided to give him a hearty shove, or if the weather turned and it began to rain without shelter… He shuddered.

A deathtrap.

It didn't matter now, though. He had spared no one. None would be taking him by boat anywhere, any time soon.

He strolled toward his mountain, deep in thought about possibilities, but he had few options. His life had revolved around the island, and he'd had no reason to consider leaving. He drew close to the edge of the bubbling molten liquid where he would return to rest once the time came upon him. He knew the searing rivers flowed deep within the earth beneath both land and water, and given enough time and energy, their kind could travel anywhere. But the liquid was thick and usually slow-moving, a sluggish hindrance. It wasn't a substance in which he could move easily, and being within the warm, comforting embrace of the red would surely be a mistake once the rest came upon him once more.

He had to decide. Over. Across. Under.

Perhaps this choice would be his best and only option, in the end.

He stepped into the encompassing heat. With the gift of magic from his mother and father, he'd been able to effortlessly control the flow as it spilled down the mountainside. What would be a little more control to push himself through the vents deep beneath the ground?

He disappeared from view, sliding deep within the endless glow. His body immediately relaxed and he had to fight to stay alert as his mind happily drifted in the peaceful warmth, the sweetly warm embrace of oblivion. He wasn't ready to rest yet. He had to get to her first.

He slowly traversed branches of molten rock deeper into the earth, his mind split between the trickle of magic leading him to her side and the curling warmth of the energies surrounding him. He drew traces of that energy into himself to give him more time to …

further

She was so sad

take more

press ahead

in

out

forward

Her thoughts were only of him

push

pull push

She cried

He could make it to her

He would make it to her

the energies around him were limitless, but his body was not

He was far from home and deep within the earth when he finally succumbed

He'd spent too much of himself in his fight against the endless void, stretched his magic too far. His spirit wavered under the stress of maintaining his physical body and his connection with her began to falter

He drifted.

Peace.

Endless.

Warmth.

Only a vague sense of the magic leading to her remained. He found himself chasing after it in the dark, endlessly reaching. She cried. She laughed. Time passed. She drifted farther away, first one way, then the other. Farther. So far.

The lava held him under and refused to release its hold as his body recovered. He'd needed more time than ever before to recuperate-

from the influx of new powers

from excess use so far outside of what he'd ever done before

from stretching himself too thin

And then one day, their connection snapped. The trace of power along the line slammed back into him, a wakeup call that his mind could not ignore. His body lurched into a half-wake state as he tried to claw his way free from the depths.

The lava would not release him and he could not fight his way free.

His control had only halfway recovered. He tried pushing forward, along the trail his mind remembered, to follow the path that no longer existed. Something in his spirit twisted in agony, knowing his other half was no longer there. What had happened to her? What had changed? He reached for nothing. He stretched for nothing.

despair

An overwhelming, immense ache rippled through his body. She was gone.

He could not give up.

If he could not break free, he would relax into the ebb and flow

aware

No longer able to rest, he drifted along, deeply aware of his loss

until the day the earth spit him out upon an unfamiliar rocky shore.

He had woken with new knowledge as he'd lain gasping, clutching the earth, agony as the over-long rest seeped out of his body in bright rivulets of orange fluid that hissed in the cool night air.

Eventually, he was freed from the pain and sought out whatever remained of her.

He needed to bring her home.

They would be together, forever, one way or another.

-o-

rage

Youganryuu wasn't much for speaking. His collection of words that might have been adequate to express the level of absolute fury he felt coursing through his entire shuddering body remained frozen in his throat. His hands clenched into tight fists, his teeth gnashed, and anything lush or green within reach of his suppressed aura shriveled in on itself, barely avoiding an imminent flash fire.

The image kept replaying in his mind as he stared blankly ahead: her stepping from a simple home in the woods, a tall male following close behind as she smiled and laughed and turned to kiss his lips. A small child scampering around their ankles. More smiles, more laughter, more... He shuddered, holding back against his rage.

The male picked up the small child and walked away through the forest.

When had she moved on from him? a smile on her pink lips

How long had he been gone? she turned to kiss another

How easily had she severed their bond? a small child running happy circles

The male and small child had raced off into the distance, opposite from where he stood concealed in the brush. A squeal of laughter. A splash of water. His rage evaporated, leaving him numb.

How?

How could she?

How could she abandon him? Their love?

It made no sense. Had he truly been gone so long that she…

Their connection had remained —just barely— throughout the time he'd been incapacitated. Had she been unable to feel his presence as he drifted?

He had known her infinite sadness, even as he'd been trapped deep within the earth. His silence of rest had been bombarded by her pain of missing him. He had tried to reach out through his connection to her, but had she been unable to hear him? To see him in her dreams as he raced after her in slow-motion?

screaming, shouting, calling, pleading, whispering her name into the infinite void

Had it all fallen on deaf ears?

She swayed her arms happily, a willow in the breeze as her eyes followed the path of her loved ones, and then she paused. Crimson locks spilled haphazardly over her shoulder as she turned, her bright green eyes flicking across trees and grasses, rays of sunlight and the shadows that dappled his frozen form.

He watched the confusion cloud her eyes, the blood drain from her face. A hand shook as it rose to cover her mouth which had dropped open in surprise. He tilted his head, recognizing fear.

Fear, from the only one outside of his family that had never feared him before.

"You're…" he swallowed against the agony rising up his throat, "alive…" His voice was very soft. It took more effort than he'd expected to force the words out.

"You're alive!" She exclaimed, her response a strangled whisper.

They stared at each other in disbelief for a long while.

"You're alive?" He said again, this time in question. He couldn't put to words what he thought had happened. And then he narrowed his eyes in suspicion… "I'm alive?" Why should she have felt fear when she had spotted him?

Her eyes filled with tears. Dangerous. "They said everyone was dead..."

He tilted his head, watching her closely. Why did she remain so far away? Why had she not yet run to him, carelessly colliding with him like all those times in the past? "They didn't manage to kill all of us."

She pressed her hands to her face, hiding her eyes from him as she tried to brush away her tears. "but your parents..."

He flinched. Yes, his parents. In pieces. He clenched his jaw. Still, she felt fear. What did she have to fear?

She pulled her hands down and looked at him with glistening droplets clinging to her pale lashes. "And I couldn't sense you anymore. Are you truly here?"

He blinked. Did she fear he was only a figment of her imagination? Did she fear he would vanish into the ether? Or did she fear his retribution for her betrayal? His lips twitched as he fought a smile. Had she heard about what had happened to those that had brought death to his kind?

He had lost everything

given it all away for this girl

…this girl who had discarded him in turn.

"You… did you realize? You are the last. I am the last."

Something in the sound of his words made her take a step away from him. This was unacceptable. "Ryuu, you aren't alone. You're… you're not the last."

He closed his eyes and laughed quietly. What nonsense. He opened his eyes and sighed as he looked at her. Smiling, he opened his arms, beckoning her toward him. "No, I'm not anymore, am I?" I have you again.

She hesitantly stepped forward, glancing behind her. "Ryuu, we need to talk. Things have changed," she began. The sound of water splashing nearby met his ears. The bright giggles of a small child. The hearty laughter of a strong male.

The male that had taken his place by this woman's side.

His Hana.

The fire within him reared in outrage, and he had to restrain himself from lashing out against his surroundings. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath of the chilly morning air.

"I know," he responded. "Everything has changed."

He met her halfway and wrapped his arms around her. She melted into his embrace. His magic had somehow left her, but he would give it back to her. He'd give her so much that the connection would surely be stable throughout the rest of their days, and nothing short of true death would separate them again. They'd never be without one another, no matter the distance between them.

He sighed a breath of relief as he felt her magic respond, entwining with his, her love for him a sharp pain in his chest.

And then she gasped, fear creeping back into her. "Ryuu, what is this?" He soaked in the softness of her within his arms, her cool skin like a balm against the burn of betrayal. "No, Ryuu, wait- stop!" Panic laced her voice.

"Hm?" he asked, rubbing his face against her fragrant hair. He lethargically opened his eyes and glanced down at her. Her face had drained of color. Her softness became cold, hard, immobile.

The last words to escape from her lips were, "Why are you doing this?" The tears that fell from her eyes slipped over her cheeks and left wet grey trails down her solidifying face.

He pulled back, looking over her in surprise. And then sadness. The exchange had not been much of a trade. She had given very little of herself, and he had given perhaps too much. "Because I love you," he whispered in reply. He slid a hand around her neck and caressed his fingers over her cold lips before pressing his mouth to the smooth surface of her forehead. "We were meant to be together."

His fingertips trailed over the planes of her face and shoulders, and he looked over his work with curiosity. He hadn't expected this result when he'd unleashed his magic upon her. He… he paused. What had he expected would happen? He'd ruthlessly extinguished the life that had hurt him before, so long ago. He'd meant to keep this woman, his most treasured person, at his side forever more. But like this? He tilted his head and stared down into her frozen eyes. Maybe not like this. But it would have to do, for now.

He heard another splash. Concerned voices. Rustling in the forest. Time grew short. He had already wasted too much energy. The journey back to his mountain would be difficult without the additional drain on his magic to… he paused. To what? Kill those that attempted to interfere?

She must have sensed his contemplations. Her fear doubled, echoing through her still form like the rumble of a coming storm. He realized that she might kill herself trying to escape if she sensed her child in danger. It broke something inside of him to think of his sweet Hana being afraid of him like this. He shushed her with a quiet sound and brushed his cheek over her head. "It's alright. They'll be fine. You found someone else with fire, hm? I sense that child has just a touch. Perhaps he will grow to not fear the fire like the rest of your kind did." He was taken aback by the sudden swell of unexpected outrage. He briefly wondered what she might have had to say.

He had what he wanted. He had her back. "We will go home, now. There is much to speak of."

He would not leave a trail for the others to follow. His arms wrapped firmly around his treasure before he leapt high above the forest, heading back toward the island, his newly discovered mobility a blessing to get them both home safely.

His landing on the shore was a little rougher than he would have liked. His magic spilled uncontrollably around the impact, and everything within range went up in a flash of flame and smoke. He clutched her tightly, his brief panic that she'd been injured fading as soon as he saw she was alright.

Relatively speaking.

He stared at her stone face for a long time after he'd gotten them both back safely into his retreat. What to do? What to do... This wouldn't be very ideal for either of them.

There was so much about his magic that he still did not understand, thanks to the untimely end of his mother and father. He shuddered against a fresh wave of anger at their premature deaths. His eyes closed as he pressed his forehead against hers.

He chuckled. Then he laughed. He leaned back and rubbed his hand down the front of his face as he trailed off into broken giggles and dry sobs. What a pair they made, forever chasing one another to never get what they wanted in the end.

He sighed and brushed his fingertips across her face. "You told them all about me; all about my family."

Silence. She would never be able to speak to him like this.

"Did you know that they hated my kind so much?" He reached out with shaking fingertips and crushed a curling lock of her hair. It collapsed beneath the pressure into a fine reddish dust.

"Did you know what they would do, once they knew of our weakness?" A trailing corner of her sleeve was next, and it became powder beneath his seeking fingers.

"They were your family. You loved your family. Surely you knew. Did you betray me to them that night? Fleeting touches, sweet kisses, tease the words from my lips that would doom my family?" He tilted his head and smiled down at her frozen expression. How easily he could break her. She would crumble to rubble beneath his hands.

"It doesn't matter. They're all gone now. They're all gone." He smiled. "But we're still here, yes?" He gently wrapped his arms around her. "We're still here."

How long would she be stuck like this? Did he want to hear her try to explain what had happened?

what had happened...

what had happened... His fist clenched.

Her, gone

Family, dead

Connection, severed

Her family had been full of deceit and lies.

How would she be any different?

He stroked his thumb over her chilled cheek, brushed his lips over her temple. His sweet Hana... no more lies. No more false pretense, just the two of them together.

He settled her figure on a smooth section of rock a safe distance from the edge of the molten liquid. He stepped back, examined her angle, twisted her a little to the left. Perfect.

He wanted her to be the first thing he saw when he awoke from his next rest.

He wanted her to be the last thing he saw before he sank into the void.

With their connection rebuilt and stronger than ever, that his dreams were no longer lonely, chasing her retreating form through the emptiness. He was amazed the first time he opened his eyes during the rest and discovered her sitting on a hilltop, surrounded by a strange variety of grasses and island flowers. Trees lined the bottom of the hill, gaining in density until they became a forest so thick with canopy that it was dotted with shadows of an impenetrable darkness.

"You're really here this time?" He asked as he drew closer.

She shrugged, her mouth curling downwards into a frown of confusion as she looked away into the distance.

She never spoke during these brief dreams together, but he reveled in the peace he felt by merely having her nearby.

Each time he emerged from his rest, she'd be waiting for him exactly where he'd last seen her, and he'd have access to some new skill or ability that he wanted to show her.

He discovered that their connection had afforded him a way to bring her gifts in their dreams. Anything that his magic touched could appear when they were together in those shared spaces. The longer he spent plying his magic on the life around them, the longer the dream could last. He was so excited to find the most rare and unique gifts to present to her, but nothing seemed to bring back her smile.

He found helpers that could locate increasingly amazing flora. Surely, he thought, one might appeal to her. They kept him undisturbed so he could spend more time harvesting their magic, entwining it with his own.

She did not like his methods of acquisition, but she would understand one day.

She must understand.

She had all the time in the world to realize how much he loved her.

How much he would give up for her.

How much he would destroy for her.

How much he had lost because of her.

How much she would lose because her love hadn't been strong enough.

Time passed. Reasons muddled. The betrayal lingered. His need for her presence grew. Her sadness and anger intensified. It became like a game to draw out the process, a dance with fire as he reveled in her pain like she must have reveled in his.

He hated her for how much they'd lost.

She should never have left him.

She'd never leave him again.

-o-

Author's Note: I never want to try and get into the mind of someone so angry and confused ever, ever again. Thankfully, the readthrough was far less painful than trying to write it. fuck. This is the final interlude.