Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Crimson Eyes, Sapphire Tears ❯ Chapter Two: Decisions ( Chapter 2 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: dark_liandrin 
Kazumi makes a decision
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.10.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 154 | Status: Work In Progress
Kazumi makes a decision
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.10.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 154 | Status: Work In Progress
"Kazumi-sama," A young water demon bowed respectfully as he approached, "You have been summoned at the request of Lord Okubo." He glanced up hopefully, locks of aquamarine hair falling over his eyes.
Kyohei shrugged, "Well, then, Kazumi, I guess I'll see you later."
"The Lord also requested you attend, Kyohei-sama." Kyohei looked surprised at the words.
She nodded, "Inform the Lord that we shall be there shortly,"
The youth breathed out a sigh, relieved. "I shall tell him immediately, thank you for your patience." He fled at a respectable pace, obviously happy to be out of their daunting presence.
Kyohei grinned at her, "Ooh, we're so scary they go running off first chance they get. Personally, I think it's just you." he danced away from her as he added the last, laughing as she cocked an eyebrow at him.
"He's young, they all are like that the first few years."
"Whatever you say. I was never like that."
Kazumi snorted, "Right. Now look who's talking." They were almost to the center of the main house.
"It's kind of odd for the lord to summon both of us at once, don't you agree? It just seems weird." Kyohei stretched as they walked, casting her a glance.
"It's not too out of place in our current position, Kyohei. I'm sure he is just as worried as we are about Samyra's well-being." Kazumi replied.
He snorted. "Yeah, but not ours." He let that bitter comment hang in the air for a moment before shrugging, "Sorry about that. I should know that after thousands of years of this, most people will have just accepted our fate and distanced themselves accordingly. Sometimes I just get a little . . . angry . . ."
Kazumi laid a hand on his arm, "You have a right to be, we all do. Don't punish yourself for your own emotions, because you don't deserve it."
"I know you're right, but I can't help but feel guilty all the same. I mean, we accepted this role, didn't we? The day we were branded as the leaders of our line, we took on this burden. Sure, it's not like we had any other choice, but it was still our decision. My decision. And so it's our responsibility and our duty to live with this and not complain."
Kazumi nodded, "You're correct, this was our choice. Instead of waiting for our Fate to hunt us down, we eight chose to rise up and meet it head on, accepting any and all consequences. It's better than lengthening a meaningless existence . . ."
They came to the center of their city, a modest complex of housing surrounded by a wall. They were admitted through the gate by one of the guards, who nodded as they passed. They then made their way through long halls meant to confuse the mind and after several turns they ended up at a sliding japanese door. They looked at each other one last time before opening the door and entering.
The room was mostly bare, save for a long table in the center, made to sit roughly a dozen people. Cushions were already arranged around it, and situated on those cushions were the eight other members of Kazumi's sect, the Malikaian elite.
Ly, the Light Master, was seated next to his hot tempered pair-bond, Saiyuri, the Fire Master, who was currently frowning at them with onyx eyes from underneath a black curtain of hair. "You're late. Again."
Kyohei shrugged, purposely provoking her and enjoying every moment of it, "What can I say? We're busy people." He smirked.
Kazumi shrugged past him, shaking her head. "Ignore him, Saiyuri. We were not found by your messenger until a very short while ago. I apologize for the wait."
Saiyuri gave a small 'huff', and went silent, obviously waiting until later to add anything else.
The others were watching them with mild amusement, and Kazumi met their gazes one by one with a small smile. There was Jhared, the Earth Master, Rayne, the Ice Master, Yukyo, the Plant Master, and Akito, the Shadow Master. Lastly, at the head was seated Lord Okubo, the ruler of the Samyran bloodline. He governed their people side by side with the eight leaders of the Kyoshiran bloodline. He wore his gray-streaked hair cropped short, and always looked stern. The same held for this moment, as well, as he looked at them with serious eyes.
Kazumi and Kyohei bowed respectfully to all assembled, then took their separate seats silently. When Lord Okubo was sure that they were all situated, he cleared his throat. "I'm sure that by now you all have heard something of why we are here today."
They nodded. They were not blind to the events of their world, and many had felt this coming for a long time.
"Good. Let me repeat it, then, to make sure everything is clear." He met each of their eyes, his like steel, a hard gray, piercing them. "Recently there has been great unrest among our troops. You have all noticed it. The same unrest lays within the forest and all who dwell within it. The only ones who seem to be immune to this ominous feeling are our own charges, the Kyoshirans. I would like to continue to keep them in the dark as long as possible, to avoid general panic." He cleared his throat again, and paused, "There has been movement from the east, where the Shadowlands lie. It seems our former brethren are massing together in their capital. I fear this is more than just a normal military uprisal."
Kazumi silently agreed, though she did not verify this out loud. The Shadowlands housed the demon race of the Finuvians, a race quite identical to the Kyoshirans in all but moral beliefs. Thousands of years ago the two races were one, until two sisters warred and the bloodline split into two opposing forces, and ever since then the Finuvians had lived in their fortress to the East, trying to permanently wipe out the Kyoshiran race. The attempts had been mostly small, until recently, when a warrior rose from their ranks and took control of the Finuvians. Since then they had become far more than formidable, they had become a deadly threat. The Kyoshirans suffered a lethal attack 12 years ago that left half of their population dead, but had managed to turn back the tide and stop the attack. Since then, all had been quiet in the east. This recent activity was cause for concern.
"I expect Agade will move his troops anytime in the next few months, so all of us must be prepared for the worst. I don't know if we will be able to pull off another miracle win in our current state. But that is the least of our concerns at the moment. Right now we have a more pressing problem on our hands."
They all looked up, surprised. What could be worse than this?
"One of our own has gone missing. He disappeared last night, unseen and unheard by any on watch."
Jhared frowned, "A trainee?"
"No, one of our top officers. I would think that with Agade and the Finuvian's recent movements, this would seem more than a coincidence."
Rayne gasped, eyes wide, "A betrayer?"
"Yes. Yagami Kyoshira, Captain of theblue troops. He was allied with Agade, it would seem. And now he's been sent to the Other Worlds to scout for him and God only knows what else." Lord Okubo sighed.
"That makes sense, though. The Finuvians cannot pass between the worlds like we can, because the only portal is here. So he had to have one of our own go for him. What do you think he's after?" Yukyo frowned.
"I don't know, but whatever it is we can't let him have it. It could be key to our survival."
"Tell us what you want us to do." Kazumi said firmly.
"I need one of you to go after him and make sure he doesn't get back to Agade. Try to get what he's after in the process to make things easier for us in the long run. It will be risky, seeing as we've been absent from the Other Worlds for so long. I've thought this over, and I believe that even though the other worlds will be alerted of our existence, it's worth it. We can't let Agade get the upper hand. So the one who goes will also have to play the role of ambassador to Spirit World and Demon World, as well. It will be taxing, which is why I've asked the eight of you. I can only spare one of you, the rest will have to stay. After all, there's the war to think of. Do I have any volunteers?" He concluded, looking at them each in turn.
They were silent, contemplating the task. Rayne opened her mouth to reply, but Kazumi beat her to the punch. "I will go."
Lord Okubo looked at her, startled. "Kazumi-sama, you were the last one I would have thought of to -"
"I'm the only one who's been there before, so I'll have the advantage over anyone else. Plus I feel responsible, my Lord. Yagami was under my jurisdiction. It is my duty to bring the traitor back."
Kyohei jumped up, "That's madness, Kazumi! Leaving here would weaken you -"
"Silence, Kyohei." Lord Okubo raised a hand. He had seen the conviction and determination that burned in her eyes, and he nodded to her with a grim smile. "So be it. The task is yours."
Kyohei shrugged, "Well, then, Kazumi, I guess I'll see you later."
"The Lord also requested you attend, Kyohei-sama." Kyohei looked surprised at the words.
She nodded, "Inform the Lord that we shall be there shortly,"
The youth breathed out a sigh, relieved. "I shall tell him immediately, thank you for your patience." He fled at a respectable pace, obviously happy to be out of their daunting presence.
Kyohei grinned at her, "Ooh, we're so scary they go running off first chance they get. Personally, I think it's just you." he danced away from her as he added the last, laughing as she cocked an eyebrow at him.
"He's young, they all are like that the first few years."
"Whatever you say. I was never like that."
Kazumi snorted, "Right. Now look who's talking." They were almost to the center of the main house.
"It's kind of odd for the lord to summon both of us at once, don't you agree? It just seems weird." Kyohei stretched as they walked, casting her a glance.
"It's not too out of place in our current position, Kyohei. I'm sure he is just as worried as we are about Samyra's well-being." Kazumi replied.
He snorted. "Yeah, but not ours." He let that bitter comment hang in the air for a moment before shrugging, "Sorry about that. I should know that after thousands of years of this, most people will have just accepted our fate and distanced themselves accordingly. Sometimes I just get a little . . . angry . . ."
Kazumi laid a hand on his arm, "You have a right to be, we all do. Don't punish yourself for your own emotions, because you don't deserve it."
"I know you're right, but I can't help but feel guilty all the same. I mean, we accepted this role, didn't we? The day we were branded as the leaders of our line, we took on this burden. Sure, it's not like we had any other choice, but it was still our decision. My decision. And so it's our responsibility and our duty to live with this and not complain."
Kazumi nodded, "You're correct, this was our choice. Instead of waiting for our Fate to hunt us down, we eight chose to rise up and meet it head on, accepting any and all consequences. It's better than lengthening a meaningless existence . . ."
They came to the center of their city, a modest complex of housing surrounded by a wall. They were admitted through the gate by one of the guards, who nodded as they passed. They then made their way through long halls meant to confuse the mind and after several turns they ended up at a sliding japanese door. They looked at each other one last time before opening the door and entering.
The room was mostly bare, save for a long table in the center, made to sit roughly a dozen people. Cushions were already arranged around it, and situated on those cushions were the eight other members of Kazumi's sect, the Malikaian elite.
Ly, the Light Master, was seated next to his hot tempered pair-bond, Saiyuri, the Fire Master, who was currently frowning at them with onyx eyes from underneath a black curtain of hair. "You're late. Again."
Kyohei shrugged, purposely provoking her and enjoying every moment of it, "What can I say? We're busy people." He smirked.
Kazumi shrugged past him, shaking her head. "Ignore him, Saiyuri. We were not found by your messenger until a very short while ago. I apologize for the wait."
Saiyuri gave a small 'huff', and went silent, obviously waiting until later to add anything else.
The others were watching them with mild amusement, and Kazumi met their gazes one by one with a small smile. There was Jhared, the Earth Master, Rayne, the Ice Master, Yukyo, the Plant Master, and Akito, the Shadow Master. Lastly, at the head was seated Lord Okubo, the ruler of the Samyran bloodline. He governed their people side by side with the eight leaders of the Kyoshiran bloodline. He wore his gray-streaked hair cropped short, and always looked stern. The same held for this moment, as well, as he looked at them with serious eyes.
Kazumi and Kyohei bowed respectfully to all assembled, then took their separate seats silently. When Lord Okubo was sure that they were all situated, he cleared his throat. "I'm sure that by now you all have heard something of why we are here today."
They nodded. They were not blind to the events of their world, and many had felt this coming for a long time.
"Good. Let me repeat it, then, to make sure everything is clear." He met each of their eyes, his like steel, a hard gray, piercing them. "Recently there has been great unrest among our troops. You have all noticed it. The same unrest lays within the forest and all who dwell within it. The only ones who seem to be immune to this ominous feeling are our own charges, the Kyoshirans. I would like to continue to keep them in the dark as long as possible, to avoid general panic." He cleared his throat again, and paused, "There has been movement from the east, where the Shadowlands lie. It seems our former brethren are massing together in their capital. I fear this is more than just a normal military uprisal."
Kazumi silently agreed, though she did not verify this out loud. The Shadowlands housed the demon race of the Finuvians, a race quite identical to the Kyoshirans in all but moral beliefs. Thousands of years ago the two races were one, until two sisters warred and the bloodline split into two opposing forces, and ever since then the Finuvians had lived in their fortress to the East, trying to permanently wipe out the Kyoshiran race. The attempts had been mostly small, until recently, when a warrior rose from their ranks and took control of the Finuvians. Since then they had become far more than formidable, they had become a deadly threat. The Kyoshirans suffered a lethal attack 12 years ago that left half of their population dead, but had managed to turn back the tide and stop the attack. Since then, all had been quiet in the east. This recent activity was cause for concern.
"I expect Agade will move his troops anytime in the next few months, so all of us must be prepared for the worst. I don't know if we will be able to pull off another miracle win in our current state. But that is the least of our concerns at the moment. Right now we have a more pressing problem on our hands."
They all looked up, surprised. What could be worse than this?
"One of our own has gone missing. He disappeared last night, unseen and unheard by any on watch."
Jhared frowned, "A trainee?"
"No, one of our top officers. I would think that with Agade and the Finuvian's recent movements, this would seem more than a coincidence."
Rayne gasped, eyes wide, "A betrayer?"
"Yes. Yagami Kyoshira, Captain of theblue troops. He was allied with Agade, it would seem. And now he's been sent to the Other Worlds to scout for him and God only knows what else." Lord Okubo sighed.
"That makes sense, though. The Finuvians cannot pass between the worlds like we can, because the only portal is here. So he had to have one of our own go for him. What do you think he's after?" Yukyo frowned.
"I don't know, but whatever it is we can't let him have it. It could be key to our survival."
"Tell us what you want us to do." Kazumi said firmly.
"I need one of you to go after him and make sure he doesn't get back to Agade. Try to get what he's after in the process to make things easier for us in the long run. It will be risky, seeing as we've been absent from the Other Worlds for so long. I've thought this over, and I believe that even though the other worlds will be alerted of our existence, it's worth it. We can't let Agade get the upper hand. So the one who goes will also have to play the role of ambassador to Spirit World and Demon World, as well. It will be taxing, which is why I've asked the eight of you. I can only spare one of you, the rest will have to stay. After all, there's the war to think of. Do I have any volunteers?" He concluded, looking at them each in turn.
They were silent, contemplating the task. Rayne opened her mouth to reply, but Kazumi beat her to the punch. "I will go."
Lord Okubo looked at her, startled. "Kazumi-sama, you were the last one I would have thought of to -"
"I'm the only one who's been there before, so I'll have the advantage over anyone else. Plus I feel responsible, my Lord. Yagami was under my jurisdiction. It is my duty to bring the traitor back."
Kyohei jumped up, "That's madness, Kazumi! Leaving here would weaken you -"
"Silence, Kyohei." Lord Okubo raised a hand. He had seen the conviction and determination that burned in her eyes, and he nodded to her with a grim smile. "So be it. The task is yours."