Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ Demon of Makai ❯ Chapter 16

My Internet's been down for a while, so I haven't been able to update, but now I'm back. I'll put something up now because I have time, and then I'll have to continue working on college applications. Enjoy!

 

Serena SilverMoon: Sorry to have kept you waiting. Like I said above, my Internet's been down, and I've been loaded down with schoolwork and college applications. This story is starting to come to a close, but it still has another few chapters in it. Yes, Kurama loves his mother a lot. I think she tells him about herself in this one, but I can't remember. I'm rushing since I'm also doing laundry right now. If you still have questions, send them to me, and I'll answer. If not, then just enjoy!

 

~*~

 

In the middle of walking down the row of houses, Crystal sneezed. Where did that come from? She shrugged it off and kept going.

 

“Hey, Sage,” she called to the sparring boys. “I need you.”

 

“Coming,” he called back as he tried once again to hit Hiei, but failed. Hiei had taken it upon himself to “train” the boys of the village, but not one of them had laid a finger on him. It wasn't for lack of trying, though.

 

Hiei whacked him on the back of the head, sending him sprawling. “Give up?” he asked in the condescending manner that he normally used except when addressing certain people.

 

“I give,” Sage panted. “I might as well go now, since I'm needed.”

 

Hiei smirked. “I'll be seeing you later, then. Next?” he turned his attention to the next opponent, which happened to be the unfortunate Kento, who never seemed to learn his lesson that brute strength won't get him very far with the small man.

 

“Yes?” he asked politely as they walked toward the door of their hut.

 

“We need to get back to work,” she reminded him. “The people here aren't fully healed.”

 

“Still?” he asked in disbelief. “It's been what, a week? You'd think they were all past the critical stage.”

 

“They are,” she assured him, “but we owe it to them to heal them completely, since we're the ones who hurt them. Or at least, you are.”

 

“I guess,” he said slowly. When they were a few steps from the “hospital” door, he turned to her and asked, “You don't freak when I heal these people. Why is that?”

 

She shrugged. “I can do it, too, so it never bothered me when I saw others do it.”

 

“What?!” He looked startled, but she couldn't see why.

 

“Well, we aren't the only ones who can heal,” she explained. “What made you think we were?”

 

“It's unusual, most people can't do it, and I didn't know you could heal.”

 

Crystal stared at him. “Are you just not an observant person?” she inquired, in shock. “Did you think you were the only one who could heal those people? Why did you think Kagome, Serena, and I are always in there?”

 

From his deepening blush, she could see it never occurred to him that they were doing anything “out of the ordinary”. To give him some credit, he was probably too tired to notice anything he didn't see as normal, and didn't think about the fact that there were far too many people getting better than he could heal. She just laughed, not taking offense, and walked in. They worked on their patients until they were depleted, once again.

 

“I wonder if Jordan and Shuichi found who they were looking for,” she commented casually to Sage as they leaned against the wall.

 

He looked over at her and smiled. “I'm not sure, but I know they're looking. Neither of them seems like the type to procrastinate on something this important.”

 

“True,” she agreed, “though if you hadn't added the `something this important' part, I would've had to correct you. Jordan tends to procrastinate on school subjects until the night before they're due.”

 

“I know people like that,” he said thoughtfully. “I don't understand how some of them can get good grades like that, but they do.”

 

“It must be a gift,” she sighed. “One that I don't have.”

 

Sage stood up. “I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want to come?”

 

“Sure.” She took his offered hand and stood beside him. “People who've never healed others don't know real hunger,” she groaned.

 

“I think I know of someone,” he contradicted her. At the same time, they said, “Kento.”

 

“I hope they're okay,” Crystal murmured, looking out in the direction of the trees.

 

“They should be,” Sage comforted her. “They're both responsible, and Yusuke told us that Shuichi knows what he's looking for, so they should be back soon.”

 

“Makai's a big place, though,” she said doubtfully. “He could be anywhere.”

 

“I don't think he could hide from both Shuichi and your sister,” the blonde boy assured her. “Let's just eat something, and keep waiting.”

 

Following the kendo artist into the food storage area, she accepted what was given to her and ate in contemplative silence. If he wasn't in the area, why haven't they come back yet? And if he was, why haven't they come back to tell us? Maybe something's wrong. Or maybe I'm just paranoid. Why do I get the feeling that something bad is about to happen? This wasn't the first time she had foreseen the future, so she learned very quickly to pay attention to these feelings. Her sentiments were the same as Sage's, it seemed. He stood up and looked up at the sky.

 

“Something's coming this way,” he commented, setting the food down.

 

“I feel it, too,” Crystal followed his example. “It doesn't feel very friendly.”

 

“Crystal? Sage? Is something wrong?” Robin asked them as she passed.

 

“Something's coming,” Crystal answered her. “I think it's that demon these people keep talking about, but let's make sure before we make assumptions.”

 

The people only backed up their fears. All of them had fearful looks about them, and the air was thick with tension. “Indeed, the demon comes,” Yoshiro confirmed, his eyes troubled. “We don't have a sixth sense, but we know he approaches. It's in the air.”

 

“So it looks like we found him instead of Shuichi and Jordan,” Serena noted dispassionately. “It would've been better if they hadn't gone off on their own.”

 

“We didn't know that it was the same demon,” Ryo argued. “They probably figured that it was way too much of a coincidence.”

 

“Well, if you think about it, this demon is the same one that created the portal we went through, so naturally he would be around here somewhere. Why build a portal near a place that you never go to?” pointed out Hiei like it should've been the most obvious thing in the world. Ryo mumbled something and quieted down. Hiei smirked, knowing he won that round.

 

Turning to Yoshiro, Serena said, “Get your people into hiding. We can make sure that he doesn't find them.”

 

“What about you?” he protested. “You are only human, no matter how strong you are. He will surely destroy you.”

 

“We can look after ourselves,” Sage assured him. “We just don't want any of your people getting caught in the crossfire.”

 

“Nor do I, but at least let some of us help you.”

 

“Fine,” Serena relented. “But we won't be taking any children, and anyone fifteen and under is a child. Also, we don't want too many.”

 

“This is our home, child,” Yoshiro pointed out to her. “We will defend it while there is still breath in us.”

 

“Your courage speaks well of you, but your warriors don't have the experience to come against him,” Sage said.

 

“We will try anyway,” he persisted stubbornly.

 

“On your head be it, then.” Robin and Crystal oversaw the hiding of the inhabitants, while the boys lightly sparred with the remaining warriors. Yoshiro and his son, Taichi, observed how the boys taught the others as they warmed up.

 

“I hope we can back up what we said about keeping the demon from finding these people,” Robin whispered to her companion as they helped hide people.

 

“So do I,” Crystal whispered back. “But let's not think about that. Did you see the way Taichi kept looking at Serena? He's done that ever since we came here.”

 

“I know.” Robin giggled. “I think it's kind of cute. He obviously has a crush on her, but it doesn't seem like a lot of people noticed.”

 

“Hiei definitely did. He's been giving him death glares the entire time.”

 

“Hiei?!”

 

“Yup. He's watched the two of them like a hawk.”

 

“Do you think he has a crush on her, too?” At the same time, they shook their heads. “Nah!”

 

“What are we needed to do, now?” Robin asked Yoshiro when they had finished.

 

“Just wait,” was his distracted reply. “We can only wait for him now.”

 

They joined him and Taichi as they watched both the sparring youths (and ex-youths) and signs for the demon's approach. There was definite improvement in their fighting skills, but even they knew it wouldn't be enough to defeat the demon that had been described. Still, they all looked determined to give their best for their home.

 

Before their upturned eyes, the sky darkened drastically and lightning flashed, blinding them. Once the spots were gone, outside the gate stood a man. He was tall for a human, with long braided hair. A halberd was loosely held in one hand, and his attire was that of the Thunder demons. While he was lean, his muscles were still well-defined.

 

“I sense new people here,” he said in a tenor voice, tossing his black braid over his shoulder. To their credit, the defenders of the village didn't back down, but they were shaking from head to toe.

 

“So you're the demon we've been hearing about,” Hiei observed, coming out in front of the rest of the warriors. “You're just a Thunder demon. I was expecting someone who had more power, but apparently it doesn't take much to scare a human nowadays.”

 

“Who are you to talk to me so?” he demanded angrily. “All demons in this area know not to interfere with me and my prey.”

 

Hiei only smirked at him. “I'm new in town, and I wasn't informed of that little rule.”

 

“Show respect to your betters, shitappa,” he snapped.

 

“I am no underling of yours,” Hiei shot back. “Now I suggest that you leave unless you want your precious hide to get tanned.”

 

Now the demon was the one smirking. “I don't think so,” he said. “You happen to be standing between me and my meal, so you will be the one to be in pain.” Behind him the silhouettes of many figures showed themselves. “I decided to bring a few friends with me this time,” he said, amusement in his demeanor. “The more the merrier, as they say.”

 

That was all the warning they had before they were swamped with the deluge of demons. They were vastly outnumbered, and the demons were in search of a rare treat: fresh human. Hiei went straight for the head demon, leaving the others to fend off the rest of the horde.

 

Crystal chose to stick close to Serena as they held back the apparitions. One demon got in a lucky shot and hit her hard, causing Serena to yelp in pain before Crystal took care of both her demon and Serena's.

 

“That bakayaro!” she hissed through the pain.

 

“Watch your language,” Crystal reprimanded her as she checked the wound. It wasn't too bad, but it needed to be healed before it got infected.

 

“Itai!” Serena screeched when Crystal accidentally brushed her sleeve against the open injury. “Watch where your clothes touch!”

 

“Keep it down,” she ordered the other girl as she prepared to heal her. “I can't heal you and keep us both safe at the same time.”

 

Serena quieted down, still muttering under her breath. Taking deep breaths, Crystal focused on the open gash and imagined it closing. Adjusting her eyes to look at Serena's arm again, she saw that there wasn't even a line to tell where the cut was. “Better?” she asked the Wind-user.

 

“Much,” Serena answered gratefully. “Let's get back to work.”

 

“Try to keep the obscenities to a minimum,” Crystal called after her.

 

“I'll try,” was all the answer she got. She sighed.

 

Jordan, we need you. Hurry back.

 

~*~