Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ "Don't Catch Me." ❯ The Pendant ( Chapter 3 )

"Don't Catch Me."

A Yu Yu Hakusho fanfiction

Me: Hello minna-san, here is chapter three.

Hiei: NO!! I wanna vacation!!

Me: You just got a long vacation! What do you call the time when I had writer's block?

Hiei: Oh yeah…I guess I did get a vacation…

Me: Just read the stuff!

Hiei: Last chapter, we found out that Kiru was the princess of the kingdom of the "demis" and that her grandfather, Jiryu, wants her to go home. She refused, breaking free from the demon holding her, then challenged him to a fight. The conditions: If the demon wins, she will go with him.

Me: I don't own YYH, but hopefully I'll get over it eventually. Please enjoy!

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"Hitoshi," Kiru taunted, "what are you waiting for? At this rate, I'll be as old as Grandfather before you attack me."

Hitoshi frowned, then took to the air. "I do not wish to harm you, Kiru."

"Heh, foolish sentiments," she replied, tossing a fireball at him. Hitoshi dodged and sent two sharp wind blades towards her. She waved a hand and they dissipated. "You'll need to do better than that."

They proceeded to fight, both dodging every blow the other dealt. It was almost like a dance, their moves were so smooth, so liquid. They appeared to be on even planes, but it was hard to tell since Kiru was fighting differently than usual.

A new style…? Hiei wondered, tracking every move of the two fighting. It's not one I've ever seen… His eyes landed on his lover's confident face. I just hope you know what you're doing…

Kiru grinned and flicked her wrists, producing a shuriken of pure energy. In the middle was a small, condensed area of fire youki, designed to explode on command. What?! Hiei thought, That's a dragon spell… Hiei then recalled that she was related to Jiryu, the leader of the demis, a ryu. Kiru…

Kiru tossed the small weapon at Hitoshi, who tried to avoid it. Kiru's smile flashed, "Big mistake. Shuriken Blast!" The shuriken exploded, sending Hitoshi into a tree. After the debris cleared, they saw him stand up, a little battered, but still very much alive. "Hn! Lucky dodge."

"This has gone on long enough." The demon pulled something out of his pocket. `Forgive me, Kiru-san,' he said, looking down, `but I have no choice.' He lifted it to reveal it was a pan-flute. Hiei watched, both curious and worried as he played it, then looked up to the eastern sky.

Kiru's brow furrowed, something about this melody seemed…familiar… She followed Hitoshi's gaze to the eastern horizon, tilting her head. Dark clouds were gathering there. What is going on?

Everyone present watched, waiting for something to happen. After a few minutes, Kiru turned towards Hitoshi, eyes narrowed, and asked, "Clouds? Is that supposed to scare me?"

"No, my granddaughter, but this is."

Kiru started and whipped around, "Ojii-sama!"

Hiei watched in shock as his wife backed up, eyes wide with fear as she looked at the giant in front of her. Jiryu was huge, with long black hair pulled into a rattail. The tops of his arms were scaled, and his claws looked more like daggers than nails. He practically radiated regal power. There was certainly no denying he was the ruler of something.

Jiryu pinned his heir with his gaze and approached her. She gritted her teeth and put up a brave front. He looked down at her and she met his gaze and held it, something no one had dared to do in centuries.

"Kiru, you dare disobey my orders?" he asked.

"I need not dare, I do what I please."

Jiryu snorted, "Such disrespect!" He raised his arm and belted her across her face.

"Agh!" Kiru cried out, knocked to the ground with the force of the punch. Hiei ran forward to assist her, but was stopped by Mukuro's arm. He looked up at her. She looked…afraid.

"Believe me, Hiei," the lady said, shaking slightly, "You do not want to mess with Jiryu."

Hiei stepped back and looked at Kiru, who had gotten to her knees and was now looking up at her grandfather. He could sense that part of her wanted to fight and escape, but another part wanted to stay with her grandfather. He watched a tear slip from the corner from her eyes. "Grandfather…"

The ryu sighed and knelt down, pulling the small demoness into his embrace, "My little one…I've missed you so." He ran his hand over her cheek, discoloring with a bruise, "Forgive me, but it's time to go home."

Kiru pushed away, and angrily wiped the tears away from her ruby eyes, "I cannot. My place is here…with Hiei."

Jiryu got up and turned towards the young fire demon. Hiei met his gaze and easily held it. He is unafraid. His spirit…it burns with the flame of a dragon… "You are Hiei, I assume?"

"I am," Hiei replied. "What do you want with Kiru?" His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his katana.

"Hmm," Jiryu said, "You will see soon enough." He turned back towards Kiru, who had gotten up, looking at him with defiance burning in her eyes. "Kiru, I give you one last chance to come willingly."

"You know my answer, Grandfather," she looked down. "I cannot face them knowing what my weakness caused."

"I see," the ryu bowed his head, a sad look in his eyes. "But it will not change the fact you must return," he grabbed a pendant from around his neck. "If you will not come willingly, I will simply force you to."

"What…?" Kiru tilted her head, looking at him curiously. She backed up a bit when she felt his youki rise. Then her eyes spotted what he held in his hands, and memories of what it could force her to do flooded her mind, "No…no…."

"I am sorry, little one," he tossed the pendant into the air. Hiei felt a chill run down his spine. The sun glinted off the polished surface of the charm and Hiei could clearly see it was in the shape of a phoenix. Jiryu gathered a ball of ki and the pendant stopped and floated between his hands in the middle of the energy bomb.

Hiei looked at Kiru. He could see she was nervous; she was visibly shaking. He watched a bead of sweat trail down her face. She closed her eyes as Jiryu brought his hands closer together.

Energy started to snap between the dragon's hands as they neared one another, the pendant still trapped between. Kiru's breathing caught and she winced.

"Kiru," Jiryu looked at her, his eyes pleading, "Come with me."

She opened her eyes to look up at him defiantly, and choked out, "I can't."

"Forgive me," a tear coursed down his cheek. He brought his hands together, and chanted something.

"Gah!" Kiru fell to her knees as he finished the chant, pain quite evident in both her voice and wincing face.

"Kiru!" Hiei ran forward, pushing Mukuro's arm away. Jiryu looked at him, then a wall of ki sent Hiei flying back into a tree. "Argh!" he looked up at the dragon, growling. Sadness was evident in his eyes despite the fact that he had just willingly done something to cause his own flesh and blood pain.

Hiei turned his gaze back to Kiru. Black ki was snapping violently around her. The phoenix…? She screamed as the majestic bird materialized around her. The phoenix raised its head and screeched before taking to the air on fiery wings.

"N-no…" Kiru panted and tried to control the phoenix. Hiei… she called to her love. She forced the phoenix to go back inside her body, straining to hold it at bay with her ki.

Kiru! What is he doing to you?

Gah…Hiei…

Kiru! Answer me!!

He…the phoenix…She groaned, then collapsed to the ground, barely conscious. Hiei…

"Her ki is being ripped from her body along with her soul," Jiryu told the fire demon, having overheard the mental conversation. "The phoenix is returning to its resting place, this pendant. My spell forces it to return. But since it is bound by her ki, it will bring her with it." He closed his eyes, "If she does not master the phoenix within the next 48 hours, it will consume her soul."

Hiei growled, "How could you do that to your own granddaughter!?"

"It had to be done," Jiryu answered. "Hitoshi?" he turned to his assistant.

"Yes, my lord?" the other ryu bowed.

"Take her to the castle."

"Hai, Jiryu-sama," he bowed and moved to approach her collapsed form.

Hiei growled, "Don't touch her!"

"You fool," Jiryu said, then stepped up to the dark youkai. "If she does not come to the room of the trial in our kingdom, she stands no chance of surviving long enough to master the phoenix." He raised his youki, `I will not allow you to endanger my granddaughter's life."

"What proof can you give me, dragon?" Hiei raised his own youki to match Jiryu's. "I am not a weakling. I will fight to protect her if need be."

"Fine, young Jaganshi," Hiei's eyebrow raised. "I give you permission to search my mind."

Hiei narrowed his eyes, then closed them. He entered the ryu's mind using his Jagan. The doors leading to the information about this…room were open. He went inside and found its history easily.

It was created when the real phoenix, the protector of the demis, foresaw its death. She flew to the room and waited to die, telling the rulers of that time that if they needed her, she would always be there for them. When she passed away, the remains of her soul filled the cave as she burned up, and her ashes solidified into that pendant, which the ruler possesses. When it comes time for the next ruler to be named, they are given that pendant and learn the basics of controlling the legendary bird. After they master the basic summoning, and are marked with its sign (the phoenix tattoo on Kiru's hands) they go to the room and take the phoenix's test.

He saw the details of the test too; the next ruler, the heir, must master the phoenix of the darkness flame. Instead of just using part of their ki to summon it as usual, the candidate sacrifices every drop of youki they have as proof of their willingness to form the pact. Due to this, they enter a state of limbo, where they linger between life and death. The phoenix enters the candidate's mind and looks into their true self. If the phoenix feels they are worthy to rule her people, she revives them by fusing with their soul, granting them her power.

But this could only happen in the room of trial. Jiryu had started the ritual here, and the phoenix wanted to return to its soul to test the candidate. It was trying to break free of Kiru's energy, ignorant of the fact that its current host was the candidate. To free itself though, it would have to tear her soul apart. That was what was paining her so.

After breaking free from Jiryu's mind, Hiei blurred over to his lover, kneeling down and pulling her into his arms. He could feel her fighting against the powerful creature, but knew she couldn't hold on for much longer. He brushed his hand over her face, pushing several locks of damp hair off her forehead.

"Jiryu," he said quietly, standing with her cradled in his arms, "I see, please lead us to the room." The dragon nodded and gestured for him to stand back. Hiei stepped back and the ryu turned to his dragon form.

"Get on," the now-gigantic winged creature said, "It's faster to fly there and time is of the essence." He lowered his wing and Hiei walked to stand on it. Jiryu brought his wing back up, and Hiei walked across it to his back, where he sat, placing Kiru in front of him. He grabbed hold of Jiryu's long black mane with one hand, and pulled Kiru to lean against him with the other.

Hang on, my love, he pleaded with her as Jiryu took to the skies, We'll be there soon.

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Yay! I updated! Please be happy and review!! =D Ja everyone!!