Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny's Chains ❯ Time Flies ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

Time Flies

 

“And that is reason to kill them? It is not as though they know their purpose either,” the fox demon smirked.

“If I learn answers, why shouldn't I threaten? And I know those humans don't know. But they make me feel uncertain of myself,” stated the telepath, not looking at his friend.

Kurama simply laughed. “Can you not just read their thoughts? Would that not make you steadier?”

“That's just it, I can't read them.” He turned to the fox. “The boy thinks frequently, but the scattered thoughts give me a headache. Osadyro's thoughts dwell with her heart, protected and sacred. There's something special there that keeps me out.”

“And Darkfire?”

“She doesn't think. And when she does, her thoughts are precise and to the point. Only under emotional stress do her thoughts ramble.”

“So you don't always know what they're thinking.”

“You said they are friends. If I do not know what my friend is thinking, how do I know he is not an enemy?”

“You rarely know what I am thinking, but you trust me. You do not have to trust them with your life. Please, tomodachi, trust them not to betray you. They are mere humans, after all.”

“Hn.” Together, the demons walked back to the rest of the group.

“There you two are!” Yuusuke called, waving as Kurama and Hiei came into view. Kurama waved back.

“I have ta go now!” Darkfire shouted, pulling at Yuusuke's sleeve.

“Awright, awright! They're here, now we can leave,” he sighed, pulling away from the girl and walking off. The rest followed.

“Where do you have to go?” Kurama asked after they got close to the portal.

“Home!” Darkfire said, straining to see the portal she could not. “Are we there yet?”

“Yes! We're here, shut up!” Hiei snapped. It took all his energy not to beat her over the head.

She looked at her watch. And then she grabbed Osadyro's wrist to look at her watch.

“I'll never make it home in time now!!” she wailed.

“Will you shut up?” Hiei snarled, slinging the human girl over his shoulder. He jumped into the portal. “You'll make it home in time, so shut up!” he continued when he touched the other side.

“Put me down!!” she squealed as Hiei took off at high speeds, disappearing from human sight.

“I said shut up,” the demon growled, setting Darkfire on the stoop of her house.

“You sure are fast.”

Hiei rolled his eyes and leapt into the oak tree.

~*~

Four years passed by in secret monotony. Everything centered on keeping the humans' secret lives…well, secret. Time was spent with training physically and mentally, when they weren't chasing after demons.

Hiei taught Darkfire and Osadyro the art of the sword. And he wasn't kind about it. There was no such thing as weakness or pain. There was no room for mistake. If either of them messed up a little, they both had to redo it. There were days when Osadyro wanted to tell Hiei what he could do with his training. But Darkfire trained silently and steadily, wanting to learn everything she could.

When she was alone though, she would train with twin wakizashi. She would self teach an art she knew nothing about. But it didn't stop her.

In Osadyro's spare time, she trained with Kurama. He would teach her the way of the whip. And he was amazed at how quickly she caught on.

Angel also trained with Kurama, but with a slightly different version of a whip. A kusari gama. As much as he didn't want to work with Kurama, he wanted to learn this weapon more. The boy would train for hours on end, trying to get the technique to work with him. And the results were rewarding.

All three trained with Kuwabara and Yuusuke in hand-to-hand combat. Rough hand-to-hand combat. But well-taught all the same.

And Hiei still didn't know what use the humans were.

~*~

“Kurama, if I don't go to college…. I just don't have a choice! All my life I've been told I was going to college. How can I convince my parents otherwise?” Darkfire groaned, bowing before the startled fox.

“Uh…” Kurama stuttered, for once without an answer. And then he jumped slightly when his pocket started vibrating. “Yes? Really? All right.” He replaced the communicator and smiled down at the still short Darkfire, though she had grown a couple inches. “Your answer will be here shortly.”

“Right. Grrr, why can't I be lucky like Osa? Her dad don't care whether she goes to college or not. Or like Angel. He don't have ta go if he don't want,” she rambled, beginning to pace. She continued to ramble on about things that had nothing to do with college, but somehow connected to the statement proceeding it.

And because of her lack of attention to the rest of the world, she ran into a young man as he stepped out of nothingness.

“Oh, sorry!” she yelped, bowing. She looked up into the face of a cute male looking in his teens. He had soft brown eyes and short brown hair. He was wearing brown slacks and a deep green T-shirt that was tucked in. If it weren't for the blue binkie and `Jr.' written on his forehead, she might have been interested.

“Quite all right,” he smiled, bowing his head slightly.

“This Koenma, he'll be talking with your parents,” Kurama said.

“Koenma…? Where have I heard that name? Oh! You're that guy Hiei and Yuusuke are always fighting about!”

“I would imagine,” Koenma laughed. “Now, if you would take me to meet your parents we can settle this.”

Darkfire nodded, ready to try anything. It wasn't that she didn't want to go to college, she just wanted to learn more about demons. She wanted to learn more about Hiei and Kurama and Yuusuke. She wanted to learn things no school could ever teach her.

~*~

“It's been two hours,” Darkfire sighed, fidgeting with the dial on her radio. Giving up, she shut it off. “Huh? What could they be laughing about?” Quietly, she opened her door and crept about half way up the stairs.

“That was a good joke,” her father laughed.

“Yes, but explain to me once more what your school does, please,” her mother said, controlling herself.

“Dear, you've heard it three times now. I think it would do Darkfire good to get out of the U.S. for some good learning,” argued her father.

Her mother sighed a long, heavy sigh. “I know, you're right. But that's my baby down there. I just worry about her.”

“Don't worry, Ma'am. She'll be in good hands,” Koenma assured, smiling softly.

“One thing troubles me though,” her father began, “how does a school that charges no tuition make money?”

“Fundraisers. The school is small and privet. But I assure you, she will be getting an exceptional education.” Then Koenma stood and bowed. “Excuse me, but I must be going. Tomorrow, a car will come by to pick her up.”

Her father showed the young man out the door while her mother began to weep.

“Such short notice!” she sobbed.

Her husband held her. “I know, but just think: a good, free education. And she'll be doing what she loves. Besides, he said it was a good school that only a few people get into.”

“But that's my baby!”

“She wants to go. She's a woman now, and she has to learn to make her own decisions. Darkfire's my baby too, but she's not a baby anymore.”

Darkfire listened to them cry for a while longer before she retreated back to her room and began packing.

The next day, the car showed up early. After loading two suitcases, her art bag and lap top, and weapons bag into various parts of the car, she stood beside her parents. For all she knew, it could be years before she saw them again.

“Bye, Mom, bye, Dad,” she cried, hugging each tightly in turn.

“You take good care of yourself,” her mother said, hugging her daughter again.

“I will.”

“Call if you need anything,” her father offered, kissing her forehead gently.

“I will.” As she started to leave, she turned and added, “I'll write whenever I can.” With a few final waves, Darkfire slipped into the car and rode off.

“We'll be making a couple of stops, so you may want to dry your eyes,” the driver smiled, glancing in the rearview mirror.

Darkfire looked up and noticed it was Kurama. “No, I'll cry. Thanks, though.”

They stopped shortly at Osadyro's house, across from which Angel lived. After cramming in three more suit cases and a few more bags, Kurama drove off in an unknown direction.

Darkfire was stuck between Angel and Osadyro, the latter refusing to sit by the former. So, every time she nodded off to sleep, she would fall over onto one of their shoulders. When it was Osa's, it didn't matter, but whenever they turned right, her she would lean over to Angel. He would then shove her off. So she never really got any sleep.

But they must all have drifted off because when they woke up, it was only them and their small luggage in the car.

Darkfire stirred silently. A heavy weight rested on both her shoulders. To her right, Osadyro's head; to her left, Angel's. As she tried to shift carefully away from Angel, Osadyro stirred.

“Where're we?” she mumbled, staring sleepily out the window.

“I dunno. But I wish he would wake up soon,” Darkfire whispered in agony, poking at the boy's spiky hair.

Osadyro looked, shrugged, and commenced poking his hair as well.

“Hey, Angel, yer hair's on fire,” sighed Osadyro after a few moments.

Angel shot up and began patting his head ferociously. His speed and shock steadily decreased as he realized that is head was perfectly fine. Then he looked out the window.

“Where're we?” he questioned, unbuckling and getting out of the car.

“We dunno,” Osadyro answered, getting out on her side. Darkfire followed her out.

The three looked out across a vast field of grass and wild flowers. Not far away, a large river flowed. The sky was a perfect blue with only a few wisps of clouds. A playful breeze kept them cool under the sun's warm rays. It was a picture of paradise.

“That's the River Styx. Marvelous, isn't it?” a bubbly voice laughed. The humans turned to see a blue-haired, pink-eyed woman in a pink kimono with a white and red sash. She smiled sweetly at them.

“Styx? Like the true, really real River Styx?” Darkfire questioned.

“The one and only. And my name's Botan, guide to the River Styx. More commonly called the Grim Reaper,” the woman explained.

“Really? So much for stereotypes,” Osadyro joked.

“Hmm. Well, as a guide, I have been instructed to show you to your new rooms. So if you will grab your remaining luggage, we'll be on our way.” Everything about Botan was so cheerful and happy.

So they did. And after about two steps away from the River Styx, they realized there was a creepily gigantic building right there.

“Holy shit!” Angel gasped, nearly dropping his stuff.

“Good God, I have ta be dead,” Darkfire laughed nervously, pinching herself. “Maybe not.”

“This is the palace of Enma-sama. Not many living people see this building,” Botan said, effortlessly pushing open a huge door.

“Gee, I wonder why,” Osadyro said sarcastically.