Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Barriers ❯ Bonds ( Chapter 14 )

A/N: Yep. Still don't own a thing. Sad panda.

 

Oh, and just in case you didn't know (which I'm sure you did) italics are thoughts, or Shuichi's voice in his internal dialogue, bold is Youko in the same, and I'll let you take a guess at what this means.

 

***

 

A tense silence surrounded the six as they made their way through the thickest part of the forest. The canopy was so dense that Shiki couldn't even see the sky. The space the group occupied was kept in a permanent twilight by the branches high above, which allowed only the barest beams of light to shine through. The occasional spots of sun gave the forest floor a dappled look, and Shiki spent much of her time gazing at the thin shafts of light through which dust visibly floated. It was beautiful in its own way, but she had little time to think about it; the pace Hiei was setting was harsh indeed for one so unaccustomed to forest travel. It didn't help that her legs were so short. Of course, since Hiei was leading, it wasn't like she could use that as an excuse. She was thus far managing to keep up, but wasn't honestly sure how much longer it would last.

 

She looked to her left, where Izumi was striding along without any apparent difficulty at all, injured though she still was. It was a shame they couldn't all use whatever teleportation powers the woman possessed, but apparently it had something to do with her servitude to Kurogami, and would only work on the individual that used it. The older woman had said nothing since they had started walking an hour ago, and her expression was inscrutable. Still, the silence was becoming oppressive, and Shiki had at least a dozen questions buzzing inside her head.

 

“Izumi?” She hazarded. When the woman did not respond, Shiki continued. “You said you were `bonded' to Kurogami. What does that mean, exactly?”

 

Izumi's eyes slid to Shiki's. The younger held the gaze as best she could, though it was disconcerting in its flatness. Several seconds elapsed, during which Izumi seemed to come to some kind of decision. “You ask a very loaded question. Tell me, why do you want to know?”

 

Shiki considered briefly before answering, aware that her words carried some weight for a reason she did not know. “If we are to free you from it, would it not make sense to know what it is?”

 

Izumi's eyes narrowed, and for a moment Shiki thought she had said something she shouldn't have. “It is a unique ability possessed by water apparitions, a race to which my brother and I both belong.”

 

Shiki's eyes opened wide. “Is that so? Jii-chan didn't mention anything about that…” At the woman's questioning look, she continued. “My grandmother was a water apparition. Maybe you know her? She was called Mizuki.”

 

“Many daughters of our tribe are called this. But-” Izumi paused, and Shiki had the distinct feeling she was being scrutinized closely. “I suspect I know who she was.”

 

There was a brief silence, during which Shiki thought of at least a dozen more questions. Before she could open her mouth to voice any of them, however, Izumi cut her off. “As you may already know, a water apparition's strength lies not in attack, but defense. As a race, our most notable characteristic has always been our fierce loyalty to those we choose to serve.” She grimaced. “Or are forced to serve. A bonding happens when a water apparition chooses to link their life irrevocably with another. It brings with it an increase in our power as well as a lifetime obligation to protect the person we are bound to.”

 

Shiki tried not to let her confusion show too much on her face. “Why would anyone do that, though?”

 

“It is considered the deepest expression of loyalty we can make. Most often, it was something spouses did to cement their marriages. Others chose to serve a master in this way, such as my brother and I. This was uncommon for most of our history, as we were largely a reclusive people, but eventually outsiders discovered our secrets. Bonds can be forged in two ways; naturally or ceremonially. The natural bond generally arises when there is enough feeling of loyalty for a person or people. It gives us the strength to protect those we care for, but does not oblige us any further than our loyalty does.”

 

Shiki swallowed. “And the ceremonial bond?”

 

“It is an ancient thing, one that gives us great power, but not without subjecting us to the whims of whomever we are bound to. Once people discovered this, you can imagine how we were used. Other demons saw us as the perfect weapons, strong and completely devoted. They took our strength and twisted it until it was no longer our pride but our curse. Our children were stolen and sold, or used to make their parents submit. Our village was destroyed, our people reduced in number until we were all but extinct.”

 

Heat built behind Shiki's eyes, and she felt the stinging prick of tears unshed. Blinking them back, she dared another statement. “You speak of this as though you saw it happen.”

 

Rather than answer the implication directly, Izumi continued in an abstract sort of way. “Kurogami offered us a way out. He told us he respected our people, told us that he would put a stop to the kind of world where the weak could use the strong to hide behind. He had the three of us convinced from the start.”

 

“Three of you? Hiroto's not a water apparition, is he?”

 

Izumi snorted derisively. “Him? He's just a hanger-on. Kaito found him and decided we could use him, that's all. No, Kaito and I were with our sister, Yuki.”

 

Shiki took a moment to process this piece of information. “So then…?” She let the question hang in the air.

 

Izumi's voice grew even quieter, so that Shiki (and the others, most of whom were listening with rapt attention, save Youko, who managed to look bored) had to strain to catch her words.

 

“Yuki had just lost her husband, and was afraid for her child. She couldn't bear it at all. She fell for Kurogami's sweet promises, and then in love with Kurogami himself, but something inside of her broke. When she discovered what he was really after… she was the only one strong enough to resist him, because she was bound to her child as well as him. As soon as he found out, he made Kaito and I perform the ceremonial binding, just to spite her. After all that, she still loved him, and that was what killed her.” Tears were falling silently from Izumi's eyes; she touched her cheek and seemed surprised to find it wet, lapsing into silence once again. This time, nobody interrupted, each retreating into their own thoughts for the moment.

 

***

 

Hiei looked down on the miserable little camp from his perch in the branches above it. There would be no fires tonight; they were too close to Kurogami's stronghold to risk that. He doubted many of them would be sleeping either. Hiei tried to remember the last time he had slept, then gave up when he realized it was most likely over a week ago. He didn't need that much sleep anyway. He certainly wasn't going to risk it with that woman around. It was his policy not to trust anyone, especially people who had been your enemies less than twenty-four hours prior.

 

As he took stock of everyone in the camp, his eyes narrowed. Kurama still hadn't transformed back, which was troubling to say the least. Hiei couldn't recall a time that he had been in this form for this long. Kurama himself had been troubled by it earlier. When Hiei had raised a questioning eyebrow, he had responded cryptically as usual. “I think I'm becoming him?” Perhaps he is becoming you.

 

Hiei too still felt the residual effects of whatever the girl Shiki did. He didn't enjoy relying on what he saw as borrowed strength, but he had to admit the rush of energy that it produced was not unpleasant. And it wasn't just that. It felt as though all of his senses were honed more finely, all of his reactions timed more perfectly, than he had thought possible. And yet, it wasn't at all foreign. It all felt… right somehow. As though he were finally able to take full advantage of all his training and experience. Perhaps that was all it was?

 

He was brought away from these thoughts by someone attempting to climb his tree. He looked down just in time to see the woman spring from a lower branch and onto one about level with his, a few degrees to the right.

 

He scowled. “What are you doing?”

 

She raised an eyebrow, meeting his ire with a cold indifference. “Won't it be easier to keep an eye on me if I'm sitting right here?” She propped her scythe against her shoulder and tossed her helmet of black hair out of her face before leaning back against the trunk.

 

“Hn.” He couldn't very well argue with that logic.

 

***

 

Unbeknownst to the both of them, Kurama had been having much the same thought process as Hiei. The problem was, both Shuichi and Youko were having it. At the same time. And neither could figure out why.

 

Why have we not transformed back yet?

 

How should I know? Seems to me it has something to do with whatever that girl-

 

Shiki.

 

Whatever Shiki did to transform us in the first place. Not that I mind.

 

Well I would feel much more comfortable if-

 

Of course you would.

 

There was a small moment of silence, and then:

 

You cannot deny that you enjoy the power.

 

Perhaps.

 

This was a gross understatement, and they both knew it. The rush of strength that accompanied these transformations was bordering on intoxicating, and almost certainly addictive. What was more, they both seemed to feel it. This bothered Shuichi, but Youko seemed content to revel in it.

 

It reminds me of the power I had before-

 

Before you were me.

 

Indeed.

 

Will it be enough?

 

It will. The fox's absolute confidence seemed to lift Shuichi's spirits somewhat, and the topic shifted.

 

What is that girl?

 

She's mostly human, but-

 

I know what she is. I meant, what is she to you?

 

I don't follow.

 

Yes you do. I'm asking exactly what you think I'm asking.

 

She is my junior student, and my friend. Perhaps- never mind.

 

That explains it then.

 

Explains what?

 

Why I have the inexplicable and quite irritating desire to throw myself in front of anything that moves to attack her.

 

Ah. Yet…

 

That doesn't explain why I feel it.

 

Unless…

 

We feel it.

 

*******

Kiku's Corner:

 

Hello, lovely readers. I hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Barriers. This one's for Alicecakes, a repeat reviewer, and also Death's Apostle, who was my singular favorite-er this time round.

 

So, any predictions about what happens next? I hope you find this to be an engaging read, and I'm always open to suggestion, so… your ideas might actually show up somewhere in the story, ne?

 

Love,

~Kiku~