Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Crimson Eyes, Sapphire Tears ❯ Chapter Three: Taking Her Leave ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: dark_liandrin 
Kazumi sets off for Spirit World
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: 1.3K | Visits: 163 | Status: Work In Progress
Kazumi sets off for Spirit World
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: 1.3K | Visits: 163 | Status: Work In Progress
Kyohei ran up to her as she walked through the northern gates of the city, a wide arch made of a translucent stone found only in the outermost reaches of Samyra. The inner city had been built over thousands of years ago, and still stood strong today. She hoped it would prevail for many more years to come, as well. A traveling cloak and her uniform were the only items she took with her. A strap stretched diagonally across her chest, around to her back, holding a small sheathe to her back. It contained a long collapsible scythe, in the style of a Chinese warrior spear. It had been her mothers weapon before her, and her ancestors before that. Some said it was made of the essence of the first Kyoshiran, and that it was indestructible. Kazumi wasn't so sure, but it had served her well over the years. If it ever did break, she would mourn it, but it was only a weapon. She could always get another.
Kyohei stopped in front of her, slightly breathless. "What in the hell were you thinking? Any one of us could have taken this job! Are you insane!" The emotion in his voice was unmistakable.
She stopped as well, and looked at him calmly. "Of course not, Kyohei. Besides, I was right when I said that I'm the only one who's been to the other worlds before. That's a good enough reason to let me go. Lord Okubo even agreed."
His gaze darkened. "You know what I mean, Kazumi. You should at least let me go with you."
"No. Samyra can't spare any more fighters to go after Yagami, when there are worse threats here." She could tell he was working hard to keep his anger in check.
"Listen, you know any one of us would be a better choice to go than you."
"And what does that mean?"
"I mean that even though we may not know the terrain, at least we're not likely to collapse in the middle of a battle!" There. He'd said it. The thing they'd all been thinking of during the meeting, and before that.
She glared at him, angry. "I'm not a fool. I won't put myself in a situation like that, and you know it. I am not going to let my condition hinder this mission."
"You can't control something that's wrong with your blood," Kyohei interjected, moving in front of her again as she tried to push her way past him. “I’m sorry to bring it up, but you know I'm right."
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Her voice was still calm. "I've lived like this my entire life, as a leader of our troops, no less. I think I can handle it. I'm not a child, Kyohei, and I detest being treated like one."
"You idiot -" He restrained himself from thoroughly chewing her out right then and there, and sighed. "Fine, do what you like. Just promise that you won't hesitate to contact me if you get into a spot of trouble and need help. But until you say it I won't let you go."
"Stubborn little . . . " He didn't catch everything she said as it came out in a sort of half mumble, but he got the gist. He stayed put, ignoring her words.
"Fine. I promise." She relented after a few moments. "Now move. You've made me late as it is."
Kyohei grinned at her, knowing he'd gotten his way again. He gave a mocking little half-bow, and stepped out of her path. "You know how to contact me. I'll come in a jiffy if I hear from you." With those words he left, back through the gates and out of sight.
She watched him leave and sighed. The presence of friends could be such a pain. "Friends . . . " She tasted the word on her tongue. It still felt foreign to her, out of reach. She wondered if she would ever grow used to it. Probably not. No use thinking about such useless things, anyway. She could be so stupid, sometimes.
With that thought she shrugged her cloak a little closer about her shoulders, knowing that when she passed through the portal she would enter a world in the midst of winter. Spirit World's seasons ran opposite Samyra's, as if Samyra was in a different time warp than the other three worlds. Maybe it was. No one remembered how the Hidden World was created, and there was no records from those long-forgotten days.
A half hour later she came to the grove where the portal lay, and stepped into the clearing. The portal was a deceivingly simple structure, made from the same translucent stone the city was built of. It was a primitive arch, like a doorway to a building that wasn't there, as if it had collapsed a long time ago. Of course, there had never been such a building. The arch was a doorway, but not to a room. To another world. Etched across the borders of the arch were symbols, in the old language of the Samyrans, before the civil war and bloodshed. Now only a few could read it, those who chose to keep with the old ways, and those who saw the wisdom in preserving the old ways. Kazumi was one of those, along with every other Malikaian. They were required to know the language by the age of five, and she had been no exception.
Now she stopped in front of it, and read out the words of the old tongue. She didn't need to, as she was strong enough to simply will the portal to appear with her demon power now, but that was a waste of priceless energy, and she could not afford to be careless. So she chose to pass through the more primitive, but more precise way.
As soon as she finished the passage the portal began to glow, as if behind the doorway a light shone. It was opening. At the right moment she closed her eyes and stepped into the light, and it enveloped her, and for a few heartbeats she knew nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing, could sense nothing but a vast emptiness. The first time to experience it was overwhelming, but after practice you got used to it. Then she stepped into a world of ice.
A cold wind whipped past her face, making her shiver for a moment before her body adjusted itself to the surroundings and she warmed again. Snow fell in a constant wave, making swirling patterns in the air before her eyes. She sighed and began to walk, forced to wade through the snowdrifts created by the current storm. It was obviously a bad time to be a traveler. The cool glow of her amulet hummed against her skin, covered in the fabric of her shirt, reminding her of past vows sworn, and she gritted her teeth and ignored the doubts that flooded her mind. She would make her way to the palace of King Enma, and ally herself with his forces for as long as was needed to capture the traitor, and then she would return, and hopefully never be back. She would pray to whatever deity was out there that her half-breed blood didn't burn her body again for the duration of the mission, for the less trouble there was on this, the better. Curse her parents for being love-blinded fools and spawning a cursed child such as her, for they were the root of her pain.
Kyohei stopped in front of her, slightly breathless. "What in the hell were you thinking? Any one of us could have taken this job! Are you insane!" The emotion in his voice was unmistakable.
She stopped as well, and looked at him calmly. "Of course not, Kyohei. Besides, I was right when I said that I'm the only one who's been to the other worlds before. That's a good enough reason to let me go. Lord Okubo even agreed."
His gaze darkened. "You know what I mean, Kazumi. You should at least let me go with you."
"No. Samyra can't spare any more fighters to go after Yagami, when there are worse threats here." She could tell he was working hard to keep his anger in check.
"Listen, you know any one of us would be a better choice to go than you."
"And what does that mean?"
"I mean that even though we may not know the terrain, at least we're not likely to collapse in the middle of a battle!" There. He'd said it. The thing they'd all been thinking of during the meeting, and before that.
She glared at him, angry. "I'm not a fool. I won't put myself in a situation like that, and you know it. I am not going to let my condition hinder this mission."
"You can't control something that's wrong with your blood," Kyohei interjected, moving in front of her again as she tried to push her way past him. “I’m sorry to bring it up, but you know I'm right."
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Her voice was still calm. "I've lived like this my entire life, as a leader of our troops, no less. I think I can handle it. I'm not a child, Kyohei, and I detest being treated like one."
"You idiot -" He restrained himself from thoroughly chewing her out right then and there, and sighed. "Fine, do what you like. Just promise that you won't hesitate to contact me if you get into a spot of trouble and need help. But until you say it I won't let you go."
"Stubborn little . . . " He didn't catch everything she said as it came out in a sort of half mumble, but he got the gist. He stayed put, ignoring her words.
"Fine. I promise." She relented after a few moments. "Now move. You've made me late as it is."
Kyohei grinned at her, knowing he'd gotten his way again. He gave a mocking little half-bow, and stepped out of her path. "You know how to contact me. I'll come in a jiffy if I hear from you." With those words he left, back through the gates and out of sight.
She watched him leave and sighed. The presence of friends could be such a pain. "Friends . . . " She tasted the word on her tongue. It still felt foreign to her, out of reach. She wondered if she would ever grow used to it. Probably not. No use thinking about such useless things, anyway. She could be so stupid, sometimes.
With that thought she shrugged her cloak a little closer about her shoulders, knowing that when she passed through the portal she would enter a world in the midst of winter. Spirit World's seasons ran opposite Samyra's, as if Samyra was in a different time warp than the other three worlds. Maybe it was. No one remembered how the Hidden World was created, and there was no records from those long-forgotten days.
A half hour later she came to the grove where the portal lay, and stepped into the clearing. The portal was a deceivingly simple structure, made from the same translucent stone the city was built of. It was a primitive arch, like a doorway to a building that wasn't there, as if it had collapsed a long time ago. Of course, there had never been such a building. The arch was a doorway, but not to a room. To another world. Etched across the borders of the arch were symbols, in the old language of the Samyrans, before the civil war and bloodshed. Now only a few could read it, those who chose to keep with the old ways, and those who saw the wisdom in preserving the old ways. Kazumi was one of those, along with every other Malikaian. They were required to know the language by the age of five, and she had been no exception.
Now she stopped in front of it, and read out the words of the old tongue. She didn't need to, as she was strong enough to simply will the portal to appear with her demon power now, but that was a waste of priceless energy, and she could not afford to be careless. So she chose to pass through the more primitive, but more precise way.
As soon as she finished the passage the portal began to glow, as if behind the doorway a light shone. It was opening. At the right moment she closed her eyes and stepped into the light, and it enveloped her, and for a few heartbeats she knew nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing, could sense nothing but a vast emptiness. The first time to experience it was overwhelming, but after practice you got used to it. Then she stepped into a world of ice.
A cold wind whipped past her face, making her shiver for a moment before her body adjusted itself to the surroundings and she warmed again. Snow fell in a constant wave, making swirling patterns in the air before her eyes. She sighed and began to walk, forced to wade through the snowdrifts created by the current storm. It was obviously a bad time to be a traveler. The cool glow of her amulet hummed against her skin, covered in the fabric of her shirt, reminding her of past vows sworn, and she gritted her teeth and ignored the doubts that flooded her mind. She would make her way to the palace of King Enma, and ally herself with his forces for as long as was needed to capture the traitor, and then she would return, and hopefully never be back. She would pray to whatever deity was out there that her half-breed blood didn't burn her body again for the duration of the mission, for the less trouble there was on this, the better. Curse her parents for being love-blinded fools and spawning a cursed child such as her, for they were the root of her pain.