Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bane of Existence/Love of A Lifetime ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since his chance meeting with an unknown tenshi. That is what she was in his mind, an angel; his guardian angel; his guardian angel without a name known to him. Maybe it was supposed to be that way, he thought. Maybe knowing her name would cease her existence, for to him, even after two weeks, he still wasn't sure if she was real; or just a blessed figment of his imagination.

 

In the back of his mind though, he knew she was real. He had felt her hand upon his shoulder and the warmth of her breath against his neck. But, it had been two weeks and he had yet to see her again.

 

For the past fourteen days, Yusuke had revisited his bench below the Sakura tree at least once a day. On days when his melancholy and despair seemed to override him, he would come two or even three times in a twenty four hour period, all at different times; all in an attempt to see her just once more. Even if she never spoke to him again, he thought he could be satisfied just to see her.

 

That was how Kurama found him; sitting alone underneath that beautiful tree, lost in thought. It was an odd thing to find the detective in such a contemplative situation. The fox knew Yusuke had his moments of reflection, but this seemed to be far too deep for such a thing. So consumed by whatever was on his mind was he, that Kurama was able to sit down next to him without Yusuke's knowledge.

 

Koenma hadn't called the group together for a mission in nearly three weeks, even though Hiei and Kuwabara had been sent off on their own a time or two, and no one had seen Yusuke in at least two weeks, which was an abnormality on its own. While Kurama liked to stay around his apartment tending to his garden, Yusuke had always been more of a busy body. Now, the fox was the first one to see the young detective in over fourteen days. It was obvious to the calm, calculating mind of the kitsune that something was terribly wrong.

 

“Yusuke,” he started, watching in mild amusement as his soft voice caused the detective to jump “where have you been? Do you know that it has been over two weeks since the last time anyone, even Kuwabara, has seen you? Even without missions, one of us normally meets up with you. Something happened didn't it?”

 

Normally, being caught in a space and situation that was so adverse to his outward nature would have caused Yusuke to become irritated and defensive. Now though, he just sighed heavily and nodded his head in affirmation. This startled Kurama and when Yusuke lifted his head from its bowed position to meet the fox's gaze, Kurama felt as though he had been slapped.

 

The normally rich, chocolate brown of his friend's eyes was now diluted and dull, coming closer to resembling mud than anything. His usually fierce, and yet playful, brown orbs were awash with sorrow and despair and that sight alone tugged at the compassionate fox's heartstrings. Yusuke looked as though he had lost the very will to live and seeing as how he had defeated death twice, this revelation shook Kurama to the core.

 

Before he could question his young friend about the cause of such a thing, Yusuke spoke. “Two weeks ago, I had the most fucked up day of my life Kurama. Keiko dumped me, which I know isn't really surprising, but the reason for her decision is.” Seeing the intense interest of the fox, he continued. “She didn't want to have my children and she didn't want to be mine; Kurama, she refused to have anything to do with me because I am a demon.” He finished softly, the pain still fresh and festering in the open wound of his heart.

 

Kurama gasped, barely audibly. Yusuke was right, they had all even taken bets on how long it would take for Keiko to be fed up with his job enough to dump him, but this was beyond harsh. Did she really need to tell him all that? Couldn't she have said that she wanted someone more stable and left the rest unmentioned? Apparently, she did need to tell him for she had, and now he was suffering more than he ever had before.

 

The fox knew it was because of the issue of a family, not her abandonment of him.

 

And the pain the young detective felt was far too familiar to the avatar. Although Kurama was granted quite a few years to adapt to the thought of living a life without a mate or a family, it still hurt when he thought about it. Now, Yusuke was going through the same thing and Kurama could feel the deep seeded sadness in his friend.

 

“How can you do it, man? How can you wake up everyday knowing that the chances of you ever having a real family are slim to none? Doesn't it just seem to devour your soul?” Yusuke questioned, desperate to know through words that the fox suffered the same way, just so there was someone that could relate to him.

 

Kurama sighed.

 

“Yusuke, I wake up every day because there is a day to wake up to. I know what you are feeling right now and I don't envy you, my friend. I have been there far too often myself. A family and a loving mate are things that I will always long for, but, as you have no doubt discovered, there really isn't a great chance of that happening, at least, not with a human.” The fox answered, already knowing what was in Yusuke's mind.

 

They had both grown up in the Ningenkai and Kurama was almost positive that neither one would want a demon mate. Kurama and Yusuke had lived as humans for so long that a human mate was something they both desired.

 

He noticed Yusuke sigh heavily once more before speaking. “You're right you know. The day she dumped me, I realized that her reaction would be commonplace to nearly every human here. I had been walking around without a purpose for the entire day afterwards and only stopped when I ended up here.”

 

Kurama saw the life flare again in Yusuke's eyes for a moment in time. He chose to be quiet and let Yusuke tell him what he wanted to. Sure he was intrigued and Youko was curious to the point of driving him mad, but Kurama knew that Yusuke would tell no more than he wanted, whether he was bullied or not.

 

Running his fingers through his short, dark locks, Yusuke spoke once more. “What if there was a chance Kurama? What if it were possible to find a woman who knew of our existence and wouldn't condemn us for it?” He turned his head to lock gazes with the fox just in time to see those emerald pools widen slightly.

 

The fox was at a loss for words for the first time in too many years to count. Was it possible? Could there be a woman out there somewhere that knew of demons and wouldn't be reviled at the thought of them? He didn't know, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Yusuke did and all he could say was “Yusuke?”

 

Shaking his head, the detective began speaking again, in a voice filled with quiet reverence. “I have been here, Kurama. Every day, sometimes two or three times a day, I come here and sit on this bench in the hopes I will see her again. We found one another in this very spot two weeks ago, the day Keiko broke up with me. Kurama,” he started softly as if speaking too loudly would cause her to disappear from his mind, “I came across a girl here with a child; a kitsune child.”

 

Kurama nearly fell from his spot on the bench.

 

Shaking his head, he replied “That isn't possible Yusuke. Women don't just show up with demon children. You had to have -” He was cut off.

 

“Damnit fox I know it doesn't seem possible but I am telling you it is! I was sitting here spacing out when I felt the oddest mix of energy and then she showed up. The child, Shippou she called him, was chasing after her in a game of tag calling her “momma”. Her energy was nothing that I have ever felt before. I know she was real Kurama.” The last sentence was spoken in a whisper.

 

The knowledge that he had never seen Yusuke in such a state in all the years he had known him gave the fox pause. Even thought the whole situation seemed utterly ridiculous and entirely impossible, Yusuke, rude, brave, truthful to a fault Yusuke, was convinced.

 

For the second time in less than an hour, Kurama was entirely baffled.

 

Deciding to take a different approach, he spoke “You said something about an odd energy I believe? What did it feel like? I may be able to help.” Seeing the hope spark to life in his companion's eyes, Kurama knew he had taken a better route in the conversation.

 

Yusuke's brow furrowed, “Well, at first I thought maybe it was holy energy. It kind of felt like my own sacred energy and the holy aura that priests and monks tend to have, but it was different. It was…pure. I don't know how else to explain it to you. Everything about her felt warm and pure. And the kit that was with her felt truly happy. Then, after I had felt out their auras, hers reached out to me and I felt calm; like everything would be alright.”

 

“Hmmm.” Kurama started, his own brow wrinkling and his mouth crimping into a line as he though. Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, a memory from Youko's previous life came to the forefront of his mind; a memory from his life as the Legendary Thief.

 

A miko. That was the only possibility. But, hadn't the most powerful line of priestesses died out centuries before? If this girl was strong enough to catch Yusuke's attention, then everything that had been said concerning the descendants of Midoriko were lies. Was it possible? Could there be one true miko here, in this time?

 

Clearing his throat, Kurama spoke “I believe, Yusuke, that the girl you encountered was a miko.” At seeing the questions in his friend's eyes, he continued. “A miko is a priestess; a priestess that comes from a long line of women with the powers of purity. The more powerful mikos are said to have been able to purify a youkai with a simple touch.”

 

He paused to get Yusuke's attention to snap to the words he was about to say, “If the girl you found had an aura strong enough to reach out to you as you have said, then she must be extremely powerful. If she actually cares for a kit as her own, then I do believe she is one of the most amazing creatures to have ever been born.”

 

As the last of the words fell from Kurama's lips, Yusuke noticed that his eyes were now emerald pools…heavily flecked with gold. This could only mean that something had definitely sparked Youko's interest and he was deadly serious about what he said.

 

Suddenly, Yusuke felt lighter, blessed even, to have been able to come into contact with such a being. As the feeling of happiness curled in his belly, he became aware that Kurama wasn't done speaking.

 

He realized he must have been smiling.

 

Kurama arched an eyebrow, “Now what has you smiling so Yusuke?”

 

His grin only got bigger and the fox was completely intrigued. Yusuke had been sitting here next to him for the past hour and had been nothing short of sullen and bereft. Now he was smiling like he just got laid? What happened?

 

Shaking his head slightly, Yusuke said happily, while pulling down the collar of his shirt to show his smooth, pale shoulder “She touched me, ya know.”