Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Angel of Death ❯ Trading Places ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is, will never be, never was mine

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is, will never be, never was mine. I was probably still in diapers when Yoshihiro Togashi made it. I'm only borrowing it to play with a bit.

The Angel of Death

Chapter 15

Trading Places

Ebony turned over again under the covers as she had been doing for hours now. She really should be getting some sleep. She hadn't obtained enough sleep for the past few days. Accurately, that would be five weeks now ever since she crammed that stupid report. Moreover, it's been days since she's had some rest.

The first week was spent marching from Mushiyori to Makai. Since then, she had been hard at work under Yusuke and sometimes Kurama and Hiei, as well. The obstacles were hard and grueling. Many a time, Ebony wondered whether she had been too rough a teacher to Yusuke that she deserved such cruel treatment.

She had known nothing but pain these past few days. Every part of her body, all of her muscles, ached incessantly. Her body was covered with sores, bruises and various wounds. Some ointments and potions Aiea cooked up helped a great deal especially for the burns she got from that nasty black flame. Hiei got a lovely few minutes of brain racking where in she released a no small amount of electricity coursing through his nervous system and snapping a few synapses. You get the idea. He was quite jolted out of reality. At least, she's sure there won't be any scarring on her part.

Of course, she never uttered a single complaint. She took every challenge and test with a set determined expression. When she fell, she got up. No nothing. However, if she thought you're being too lax on her (or too hard) she'd pretty much return the favor twofold your strength. As a result, the others had sustained quite a few damages as well from sudden bursts of rebelling energy.

True enough, her teachers are quite impressed with her. She's a relatively fast learner and easily picked up bits and pieces of their advice. Even if she had trouble learning a new tactic or style, she won't stop trying until she succeeds in doing so. More often than not, they had to drag her back with them to the house.

It was quite true. Kurama himself said there was nothing more to teach. Even the occasionally arrogant Hiei admitted she knew more about certain things than any of them does. She, however, needed to practice some more. Her defense was quite rusty at times but good enough. The real problem was her offense.

She hesitated. She always did, giving her enemy time to respond to her attack and to counteract it. How many times had it happened? Many times, she had one of them under her thumb but stopped at the last moment. Once, it happened with Yusuke. He built up a strong amount of energy to cancel out the effects of Ebony's sacred spirit beam. She, however, veered to a different direction at the last moment. As a result, she received the full blow of his attack. She was knocked out cold for a few hours. In short, she still wasn't ready.

But you get the point. She was quite an ideal student and it embarrassed Yusuke greatly. And Ebony had meant to do that. She decided to behave really well so Yusuke won't be able to say a single thing. So don't think Audric was lying. He had had his share of frustration in teaching Ebony.

Speaking of Audric, he wasn't here. He's with his wife somewhere in the eastern wasteland Lethe. He was currently readying his ranks there but won't stay too long. As he had been doing for the last few weeks, he will soon move on to fortify the defenses of the scattered remains of the Lethian camp.

Here was Hiei's house. He had volunteered his home as a place for them to stay and prepare themselves for the siege. It was the best place since it's quite far from populated areas so no life would be threatened. It's quite safe there, too, since it's near the capital of Makai and the surrounding area was well protected.

You might be worried about what may happen to their spic-and-span home. Imagine three individuals, including two bachelors and a king-like person who lost his wife, plus a boyish teenage girl under one roof. No way! Iantha was there to steady things a bit. She keeps the house neat and orderly for them as Mukuro does plus cooks for them and stuff.

How on earth did she end up there and where were the others? Well, Audric figured it would be the best place for her even though she had been offered a place in Enki's palace. Besides, she wanted to accompany Ebony. Shizuru, Keiko, and Yukina wanted to come as well but the others unanimously decided to let them stay in Ningenkai. Who'd want them running around while they train? They'll only be nuisances. Anyway, Ningenkai was quite safe especially since more men were concentrated in Mushiyori City ever since the portal incident. Kuwabara was also there to keep an eye on them.

Ebony finally stopped flipping over and over. She gave up her sleep for the lost and rose from her bed. She noticed Aiea's bed was empty.

"Hmm," she thought, muttering to herself. "She's probably downstairs."

She slipped on her glasses, her fur slippers and then threw on her robes. She glided out of the room silently and walked down the hall, her feet making no more noise than a cat's padded feet. She tiptoed down the wide staircase then made her way through out the house. Still no Aiea.

Her ears picked something up. Guitar stains? Yep. Where is it coming from? The garden? Ebony noticed the back door wasn't latched. Definitely, she's out there. So off she went outside onto the garden, passing a few trees. Then, when it seemed like she was trapped in the middle of a forest, she went face to face with a high hedge of briar roses. She groped for the door, being careful not to prick herself with the thorns, then entered into a clearing.

Sure enough, there was Aiea some few yards away, sitting on the swing, her figure clearly illuminated by the full moon. Still, the light was too poor for her to see the strings.

"How can you see in this light?" Ebony asked.

Aiea didn't seem surprised, as if she expected Ebony's arrival. "I can't."

"Oh," she sighed heavily. Iantha can play with her eyes shut.

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Me, too."

"Thinking about Ixion?"

"Ebony, that's too private a question."

"Sorry."

"Does anything pain you, dear?"

"Oh, no. I'm all right, really. Thanks to your medicines, I feel fine."

"Ah, so it's pain not physical, then."

"Well, yes. It's been bothering me so much about, you know, Azrael."

"If you want to know the truth, Ebony. I don't want you to go."

"I know, Aiea. But I have to face my destiny."

"I guess so."

The two became silent for a while and the fountain in the middle of the garden can be heard as the splashing water murmured happily. It was quite a beautiful serene night, honestly contrary to the real events in the rest of the worlds.

"I was thinking about him, Ebony," said Iantha presently.

"Hmm?" Ebony shook herself from her withdrawn silence.

"Ixion. But he wasn't the only one. My thoughts were also on Gramps."

"Funny. I miss him already. I'm sorry I didn't meet him flesh and bone before he passed away."

"Ebony?"

"What?"

"How did you know about grandpa?"

"Well, I saw him. He actually said good-bye to me in a dream."

"Ebony, is it true that you and Audric had spoken to mother and father."

"Yeah."

"Just that once?"

"Actually, I think this wasn't the first time Audie spoke to them. For me it was. I mean, I didn't even recognize them at first. But you know what, when I did, I suddenly remembered that all through out my childhood, I had heard voices inside me giving me advises and stuff. Remember when you became trapped inside the caves of the Goblin sovereign? It was them who led me the way to you."

"I wish I had seen them, too. I barely remember their faces but I've seen pictures."

"You'll get your turn. Perhaps, they've also spoken to you before. You just don't remember. I didn't either until the blast actually came and I saw the figure of Gramps in my mind's eye."

Aiea stopped strumming and alighted from the swing. She placed the guitar leaning against the tree then flopped down on the grassy ground. She beckoned to her sister who had been standing all the while to come and sit with her. Ebony eased down beside her with both their backs against the trunk.

The winds gently blew with its icy breath. The nights here can get chilly. The house was in a rather elevated place, overlooking the rest of the locality. It was quite a change from the burning heat of the desert where they practice every day a few miles from there. Well, the temperature was temperate enough since it was early spring.

Ebony leaned against her sister and Aiea took her in her arms.

"Aiea?' whispered Ebony. "Gramps specifically told me not to be blue. But I can't help but feel sad."

"That's OK. But try not to be anyway."

"I hate me."

"What is it now?"

"I'm always acting like a kid."

"Well, you are a child."

"I know that. That's precisely it. I'm too young to die!"

"Don't get carried away by the mood. Besides, I've enough of death. Ixion's as good as dead, I suppose."

"Sorry. But he's still alive, right? Physically, I mean."

Aiea didn't say anything.

"Iantha?" asked Ebony, straining to look at her sister.

She was crying. She choked and sniffled as the moonlight shone on her tearstained face. It was so beautiful, it nearly took Ebony's breath away but it also broke her heart seeing her sister weeping so distressedly.

"Aiea, I'm really sorry. I should have been more tactful."

"No, I need to cry, Ebony. Suppressing sadness hurts me so. I thought you knew that more men die from heart attacks because they try to hide their frustrations to badly."

"Yeah, right. Oh, come on, Aiea. Don't lose hope. Maybe the spell can still be reversed. Something will happen. You'll see."

"But what if it's hopeless? What will I do if the real Ixion doesn't exist anymore? I don't think I would be able to fight him face to face when the time comes even if he isn't himself."

"Ebony snuggled closer to her sister, the rim of her glasses pressing hard against her face. "I'm sorry, Iantha," she said in a muffled voice.

"Really?" answered Aiea jokingly. "I thought you hated him."

"I don't hate him," said Ebony. "I'm just sore about his stealing away my sister."

"Silly!" Both laughed softly.

"Aiea?" said Ebony presently when they both had calmed down.

"Hmm?"

"You know, we haven't been this close since we were really young."

"Of course. But I kinda miss Adrian. I haven't seen him for a longer period."

"He's probably hunting up witch babes. 'Sides, he'd have that blasted Diego with him."

"Aren't you suppose to be with Sean?" teased Aiea.

"I resent that. Who wants to be with that pompous piece of crap."

"Seriously, Eb. Why do you always try to kill each other?"

"Because he tried to kill my best friend."

"He did not."

"Well, I don't want him around Ivory."

"He's not-- Never mind. You really are dense."

They laughed again.

Ebony and Aiea weren't the only ones awake that night. He was sitting on his bed staring at the empty space beside him. It's been, what? A month? And he was still having trouble being used to sleeping alone. Why? He had done so before for many centuries and he had never complained. How easily one becomes used little things! And what if he had to endure this for eternity?

He rose from where he was huddled amidst the pillows and linen. He stretched and yawned; pushing his fingers through his hair and making it stand up on end. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked about the room. The shadows loomed through out the vast expanse of the chamber void of movement. He had to get out of there quick. The emptiness only made his loneliness more acute.

He hated the emptiness. Outside, at least, there was something else to engross himself. Outside there is motion, some drab excitement, the life of the nocturnal organisms.

He slipped on his furry slippers and was about to throw on his robes. He hesitated. No. These things have her smell on them. He wouldn't be able to bear the memories it aroused. The weather wouldn't bother him at all. He has Koorime blood, didn't he?

He gently rolled aside the great sliding glass door. He walked across the glistening surface of marble. He noticed how well polished it was. He shook his head. Always, cleaning like a fiend, he thought. He still hadn't change and had lain on his bed all dirty and bedraggled. She'll surely throw a fit if she finds out. Not that she ever does.

The wind blew again sending a cool blast on his face that was sort of refreshing. The sleeping earth had a certain tranquility hanging over it. It really reminded him of the last night, before Corin's fatal news, when he and---

Damn it! Why does everything remind him of her?

He walked down the end of the balcony. There, he could see the rest of the estate like some sort of landlord scrutinizing his hacienda. His eyes settled on the garden. The moonlight illuminated his view and the two siblings were quite visible as they sat there together in each others' arm.

Iantha, that girl. She might be able to understand his feelings. She's feeling the same thing, too. At least, she has her sister to open up to. Hn. If he said anything to Yusuke and Kurama, they'd probably ridicule him. He can imagine them saying, "Oh, I never thought you'd care about anything!", "I thought you were insensitive.", "Is that really you?" and on and on.

His eyes scanned the room a few windows away from him. The lights there were shut and the room was dark. That was where Yusuke and Kurama shared a room. Actually, he wanted to stay with them but after what happened with Kurama in Genkai's place, he wouldn't take the risk. (Note: They have separate beds like the sisters. =P)

They appeared to have no problem sleeping at all. At least, they gave no outward sign. And that Yusuke. How come he has always managed to save Keiko when she's in trouble? He on the other hand was pretty much helpless in rescuing people important to him.

Soft vibrations of some stringed instrument caught his attention. He looked towards the direction of the garden. Iantha had taken up the guitar again. He couldn't make out the words from where he was but he used his Jagan. Hmmm.... It's a Ningen song.

Show me the meaning of being lonely? 4th ed. 111301

4th ed. 111301