Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Eternity ❯ Demonology and Heartache ( Chapter 7 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: rain00205 
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.01.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 142 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.01.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 142 | Status: Completed
Hiei was searching for the detective. Koenma and his stupid errands, he could've easily delivered the next mission to Yusuke, but no, for some reason he decided to call upon Hiei. There was no excuse for idiocy. He didn't want to be Koenma's little dog, but at this point he didn't have much choice. He already knew the mission, and was planning on having it done with before Yusuke even knew what was going on. He didn't need any help, not even from Kurama or San. He thought about San, and if he should tell the fox. She seemed adamant that no one know who she was, and Hiei already knew she was suspicious of him. She didn't know who the fox really was, she just knew he had a lot of the same characteristics. His final decision was to let it play out, seeing how long it would take for either of them to discover the other. At least he would have some entertainment that way, and he could use San for something if it turned out he really needed it. He could smell the detective near him, and turned so that he would head him off. He already knew the mission, and was pissed off Koenma wasn't sending him on it. Yukina...
...
"Kurama, thank you for meeting me today," greeted Koenma. Besides needing his insight to understand Hiei, San had informed Koenma that anyone looking for her was to be told that she had passed. And by looking for her she meant Moriko, which meant that he had to deceive Kurama, by telling him that his mate had died. This information meant that the two of them had no idea who the other was, but the amount of time they spent together suggested they suspected something. The attraction between them wasn't surprising, but San would know if something was said, and he needed her to help with Yusuke.
"It's not a problem. Have you sent him yet?" replied Kurama.
"Yes. Yusuke should have the mission by now, but it will be hours before he really figures out what's going on. By that time I'm hoping that Yusuke has the mission complete by then. I'm also hoping that he won't kill any humans along the way."
"Hiei should be well enough to avoid such things."
"You'd better hope so, if he screws up, you take the punishment as well."
"I'm well aware of the consequences."
"There's, something else I need to tell you..." Koenma paused. He sighed heavily, not really knowing how to tell him, seeing as it would crush him.
"Yes?" Kurama waited patiently, wondering what was so hard to tell him.
"It's about Moriko. The other day she passed thru here..."
"And?" Kurama focused on Koenma.
"She passed thru here as a spirit. She's dead..."
The impact of those two words sent a shock thru his whole body. He heard the wail of Youko in his mind, a sound he wished to never hear again. He himself felt that he lost someone precious. A tear slid down his face. Moriko... The pain, he hadn't felt a pain like this in 15 years, but it felt much worse than he remembered. There wasn't much to say, but Kurama had to focus on the current situation. In a small way he wished Hiei did kill some humans, being locked away doesn't seem to matter anymore, with her gone...
"Kurama?" questioned Koenma. He knew that this was hard for Kurama right now, but the Rekai still needed him. There was no way to avoid telling him, and he was hoping that he would still be able to function properly, Kurama's intelligence in combat were a great asset to Rekai.
"Forgive me, I wasn't expecting to hear such news," he answered, his eyes still downcast.
"Are you okay?"
"I've been better, will you excuse me?"
"Yes, of course."
Kurama stood and left the room, very aware of Koenma's gaze. He didn't know where he was going, he just needed to go. Moriko was here, she walked thru these doors, as a spirit. The thought stung just like it did when he first heard the words. He started to run, the tears falling freely. He was running at demon speed, into the woods near Yusuke's mission. He wasn't aware of this, he just wanted to somehow outrun the depression he felt. He stopped at the top of the mountain, wiping the tears from his face. She was dead, gone, she wasn't coming back, he would never see her again, his beloved. The words constantly replayed in his head, and then he screamed. He screamed as loud as he can for all the nothing to hear... or so he thought.
"My heart once made that sound when I was separated from my mate and it did again when I realized my kids were no longer with me, and now here you stand making the same one. Care to tell me what's going on?" he heard someone ask him. He turned and just as he expected, there was San. But he couldn't look at her, she reminded him to much of Moriko. Fuck! More tears, he'd never cried before in his life, "Mind telling me what's going on?" she asked, truly curious as to what was going on. He was silent. He felt her move, and then her hand on his shoulder. She saw the image of Youko at his touch, and Kurama's tears doubled, seeing Moriko in front of his closed eyes, the image burned into his brain.
"My mate... she... she's dead," he choked out the words. She couldn't say she felt his pain, but it hurt to hear that his mate was dead, because that meant he wasn't Youko after all. Was he still out there? She felt the need to comfort him, he was her friend after all, the only one that really understood her. She hugged him, and to her surprise, he hugged her back, tightly. It reminded her so of Youko, how he would hold her when there was something wrong. She was gentle, like Moriko, and she made him feel as if his beloved wasn't really gone. They stayed like that, wrapped up in each other for as long as needed.
They broke apart, not standing too far off from each other. He stared into her tawny eyes, even though it killed him. She looked into those green orbs, for the first time seeing emotion. The only thing that set her off was the flash of gold. Was he getting closer? He was, and she would've welcomed his kiss if it wasn't for Youko. For all she knew, he was still out there somewhere. She turned her head, and he kissed her cheek. She was loyal to her mate, that he was gracious about.
"Forgive me, that was terribly inappropriate. I didn't mean to put you in the position," he apologized, taking a step back from her.
"Hiei is approaching," she stated, deciding it was better to change the subject.
"Hiei? Coming here?"
"Yes. You didn't notice that you were near Yukina?"
"No, I just ran."
"Well, he's in the house, about to kill a human, I'd say we better move. Think you can keep up?"
He smirked, "After experiencing you run as a wolf, we'll see how much slower you are in your human form."
"No need to get cocky now," and with that she took off. Kurama was surprised that he was able to smile again, pushing this news to the side for now, he took off after San. If Hiei killed the human responsible for imprisoning his sister, then Kurama was convicted along with him. He wasn't going to let that happen, even if the monster deserved to die. He arrived just as Yukina had stopped Hiei from further hurting her captor. San held a finger to her lips, making it possible for the two of them to talk uninterrupted.
"You look familiar, do I know you?" Yukina asked Hiei.
"I'm no one," he answered her.
"Well thank you for saving me. Oh no!" and she ran off to help Yusuke, Kuwabara and Botan. San smiled, seeing what was to come between Yukina and Kuwabara. She was surprised than anyone could like him, but she would have to see a vision about it to really believe it. He was such a terrible flirt, but she knew he would be good for the gentle ice apparition. Hey eyes traveled to the spirit sword that was sticking out of their enemy. She gasped, walking closer to the window.
"San?" questioned Kurama.
"Toguro..." one person she was not expecting to see at all in her lifetime. All youki knew of him, knew of his strength, but only she and Genkai knew the real story behind him, and how he acquired his powers. He was a force to be reckoned with, and she knew that Yusuke and Kuwabara were no where near powerful enough to defeat him. She had to ponder this for a while, figure out what he was doing here, and if he was really dead. Yusuke and Botan had come up to join her, Kurama and Hiei, leaving Yukina and Kuwabara by themselves with the supposed dead Toguro brothers. She had to know, she had to make sure, she didn't want him coming back for them, any of them. She didn't hear what any of them were talking about, she was waiting until they left before she checked on Toguro. It wasn't long, though she noted that Kurama stayed behind as well.
"What is it San?" he asked, waiting for a reaction from her.
"I just... can't believe that they're here. I have to make sure they're dead, I can't walk away without knowing," she explained.
"Understood. Let's go have a look," he replied, grabbing her arm gently and leading her toward the elevator. His touch always shocked her, and put the image of Youko in her mind. Kurama could say the same, seeing Moriko in her naturally, but physical contact made things worse. He was still hurt at the news that she was gone, but being with San was already proving to make things better. Even if he could mate with her, he didn't think he would do it, he loved Moriko too much for that. They arrived on the floor where the battle took place. He watched as she walked up to Toguro, kneeling down beside him. She stared at the face, not believing that he was here in the flesh. She put two fingers to the vital on his neck, checking for a pulse. The moment she touched him, a vision came thru. There she was on the side lines of a ring, and fighting, was him, Youko. He was fighting in what looked like a tournament... the Dark Tournament. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Botan, Keiko, Koenma, Yukina, a masked fighter and a tall girl she didn't recognize were all around her. They were focused on the fight in front of him. Youko started to shimmer, and it looked like he was changing, but she was taken out of the vision at that time. She was breathing heavily.
"San? Are you alright?" Kurama was there, comforting as always.
"I... had a vision..." she trailed, not comprehending that she was going to see Youko, and somehow Toguro was going to lead her to him. This meant that clearly he was not dead, but she wasn't to interfere with fate, not if it lead her to her mate.
"You are... a seer?" asked Kurama, making another note of a similarity between her and Moriko.
"I guess? I've always had visions, even as a demon. But Kurama I'm so happy, I'm going to see my mate soon! He'll be..." and then the realization his her. They were all in danger, "... he'll be... at the Dark Tournament..."
"The Dark Tournament? Are you certain?"
"I'm very sure. We should probably get out of here, I suspect he'll be waking up soon."
"Perhaps Koenma should be informed of this."
"He'll know soon enough, trust me. Now let's move," and she changed into her wolf form, running with Kurama back to civilization. She changed back to her human form once they reached close to the edge of the forest. They stopped at the street, not really ready to part with each other yet. She felt bad, declaring she was going to see her mate knowing that he had just lost his. Life was cruel, but she was sure he could find another, one that may even be better than the last.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked hopeful. He didn't know why, but he just liked spending time with her.
"Sure, meet at the usual place?"
"Yes. I must be getting to my mother now. Farewell."
"Try to sleep tonight okay?" she offered with a smile, and then turned her own way. Kurama watched as she disappeared, waiting until she was completely gone before turning to be off on his own way. The misery settled in again, and maybe that was why he wanted to spend more time with San. She made him forget that he was now alone, that Moriko was gone.
-She was good not to betray her mate like that-
-She was. How are you feeling?-
-I have had better days. I wish I could have seen her once more-
-Yes. I would've loved to meet her-
-She was fond of humans. She never cared to harm them unless they tried to take what was hers-
-I know. I feel like I knew her my whole life, thanks to her memory kept alive by you. I feel like I've lost everything, knowing that she's gone-
-You are not that bad... for a human-
-Thank you-
...
She walks along the street, shopping for some food. She always finds it hard to shop for things in Makai, being that most of the youki ate humans. This village was different, it was managed mostly by animal spirits, making it easy to find what she needed. She does not see the bandits following her, but she smells them. She leads them away from her shopping, past a tall drunk youki and into an alleyway. She knows that they are no match for her, and welcomes the fun she can have with them.
"Nice tail, why don't you show us the rest of you?"
Idiot. She smiled maliciously at him, aching to get this started.
"What's goin' on here then? Are these creeps botherin' you sheila?" the accented voice of the drunk comes into the alleyway.
"Leave, this one is ours."
"Oh really? From the looks of things she's already been marked by another demon, I suggest you mind yer own business. Off with yeh then," and he takes more to drink. She wonders what he plans to do, knowing that he means her no harm. He respects the mark of Youko on her shoulder, and she respects that he is there to help. She does not care that he thinks her inferior, but appreciates the gesture. The idiots get started, and the drunken master is too quick for them. She understands his power, and knowing he does not need it, shows him what she can do. He looks impressed, as the two demons lay dead on the ground before them.
"Good fightin' sheila. I'm Chu," he turns to her, extending a hand.
"Moriko. Thank you for the help. I must be getting back to my mate now."
"Let's hope to see you around."
...
"Beloved, are you having trouble?" he questions her, wondering what was wrong. She holds her head, face in distress.
"A vision..." she trails, sitting down in their make shift den.
"What did you see?" he asks, walking over to her, taking her in his arms. He kisses the top of her head, already feeling like this vision was troubling her.
"The demon hunters, they are going to come for us. We will run, narrowly escaping them. We run to the world of the living, and are separated. You reside in an unborn fetus, saving it's life. I fall, possibly to my death. The only thing that is certain, our young die, even if I am to survive," she explains, burrowing her face into his chest and shedding tears. He does not know what to think, feeling her pain. He hates when she is in pain. He brings his hand to her swollen abdomen, feeling the lives within her.
"Koishii, I will not let such events take place. If we do happen to separate, I will search the ends of this world and the next to find you, and I will not rest until you are safe with me again. I love you Moriko, I will do everything to protect the pack, and our young."
She kisses him, passionately, "I love you my precious kitsune. I just hope that this does not come true."
"We control our future, never forget that."
...
San would never forget that. Though they may control the future, it seems that all events occur in the way of her visions coming true. She only altered one vision in the many years she had been having them. She had to trust them, there wasn't much of a choice. Besides, if this one meant seeing Youko again, being reunited, then she would do everything possible to make it happen. She felt kind of guilty about Kurama, and that was unnatural to her. As she rose out of bed to get ready to see him today, she had a sense of dread. She hadn't told Genkai about Toguro yet, the master of the temple being asleep when she arrived home. She was going to tell her though, knowing she couldn't refuse this. Yusuke was her student, San felt it was important that she knew.
She left her room and went into the kitchen. Breakfast was already made, but the feeling in the room was not what she was used to. She could sense something was wrong, but didn't know how to begin on if she should ask or not. Her questions would be answered soon. She could sense demons approaching, and these weren't your regular ones. These ones were special. They came to the door and opened it. San knew that Genkai could defend herself, but nevertheless, she stood, getting into a defensive stance.
"Master Genkai, we have come to invite you as a guest to the Dark Tournament," said the youki in the middle.
"Your impostor, I made my wish, leave me be," she replied, not even bothering to look at them.
"Because of your wish, it is purely your choice to participate or not. Your pupil, Yusuke Uramehi is also a guest in this tournament, and he has no choice but to accept our offer," and with that they disappeared. The room was quite and eerie.
"They will recruit Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama, they'll need a fifth fighter, San, you'll go."
"I'm going no matter what, I will be reunited with my mate. But there is something I need to tell you. Yusuke fought Toguro on his last mission. His team is most likely the one they'll have to defeat. He deceived Yusuke and Kuwabara into believe that they killed him. But I knew when I saw him there that they weren't nearly powerful enough to defeat Toguro," San explained.
"I see. If Yusuke is smart, he'll come back here for training. I will be attending, but I'll go undercover. You'll be the replacement fighter, if anyone dies."
"Understood. I'll be back later to start training with him. I know I'll need to improve, whether I'm fighting or not. I'll need to work on my healing skills as well."
Genkai grunted as a dismissal, and San left to go meet Kurama. She couldn't help but think about this upcoming tournament. Her heart wasn't really in the fighting, but she knew she would have to if she wanted to see her precious kitsune, more than anything. She stayed as a human, taking the train into town. It was always a long train ride, but in some ways, it calmed her. She was worried about this tournament, knowing that two people were going and could possibly be killed. Yusuke didn't even know the spirit wave yet, he would need that if he hoped to fight with Toguro. She was the fifth fighter, she had to train with Genkai and possibly Yusuke for the next two months, this was probably the last time she'd see Kurama until then. She sighed, not knowing why she felt sad about leaving Kurama when she found Youko. She'd still be his friend, but she was sure that her and Youko would go back to life as they knew it, and she would do her best to get back to Makai, even though the barrier was blocked. She met Kurama on the street, and the two of them headed towards the park.
They filled their time with small talk, mostly just enjoying the company, but then they looked at each other in alarm. Someone was approaching them, both of them trying to figure out who and from where. San felt this presence before, earlier that day, in the temple, "Hiei..." Kurama trailed, and the small fire demon was at their side. But that's not who they were waiting for. The same demons that were at Genkai's earlier approached them. San knew what they wanted, having heard the speech earlier. They stopped, not too far in front of the three demons.
"Good to see you again San. Hiei, Kurama, you two and San have been invited to participate in the Dark Tournament, on the team of Yusuke Urameshi. If you refuse the offer, you will be killed. We look forward to seeing you in two months," the demon told them, before leaving. They disappeared, leaving the three of them to their own devices.
"You've seen those demons before?" questioned Hiei.
"Yes. They showed up to the temple, to inform Genkai and personally invite her. She's able to refuse, because of her wish," San explained.
"Her wish?"
"Does it have something to do with Toguro?" asked Kurama, remembering her reaction to him, and how she wanted to know if he was dead.
"Yes. The last tournament that took place, Toguro and Genkai participated and won. I suspect they were lovers back then, very close. But Genkai didn't care about power, and that was what separated the two of them. When they won, she wished to never be bothered with it again, and Toguro wished for the power that he has now. If the tournament is starting up again, then someone is looking for something, and we can bet it'll affect all of us, human and youki alike," the two listened to her words. The wind blew, it was a dark wind, making San feel like the intensity was brought up much more. And then she felt it, what she feared. Toguro... he was alive.
"Follow me," she declared, knowing that they felt it to. They ran towards the massive power surge that nearly took her off her feet. Hiei was leading, but that was natural, he was the faster of the three. San was behind him, and Kurama was coming up in the rear. They arrived to the source of all the problems. Kuwabara was on a rooftop near a building that was being destroyed, while the other three watched. Toguro was standing in the rubble, Yusuke just breaking free. He was fast and he was powerful, but San knew that wasn't his full potential. He spoke to Yusuke, and then he left. The three demons watched him, and he stopped, turning to look at them.
"I presume you've been invited. You better find a replacement fighter," he stated, before walking away.
"I suppose it's time to start training," said San, leaving the two of them and heading back to Genkai's temple. She was expecting Yusuke there, and then they would begin. She was getting closer to seeing Youko, and that was worth struggle. Two more months and she would be on her way.
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...
"Kurama, thank you for meeting me today," greeted Koenma. Besides needing his insight to understand Hiei, San had informed Koenma that anyone looking for her was to be told that she had passed. And by looking for her she meant Moriko, which meant that he had to deceive Kurama, by telling him that his mate had died. This information meant that the two of them had no idea who the other was, but the amount of time they spent together suggested they suspected something. The attraction between them wasn't surprising, but San would know if something was said, and he needed her to help with Yusuke.
"It's not a problem. Have you sent him yet?" replied Kurama.
"Yes. Yusuke should have the mission by now, but it will be hours before he really figures out what's going on. By that time I'm hoping that Yusuke has the mission complete by then. I'm also hoping that he won't kill any humans along the way."
"Hiei should be well enough to avoid such things."
"You'd better hope so, if he screws up, you take the punishment as well."
"I'm well aware of the consequences."
"There's, something else I need to tell you..." Koenma paused. He sighed heavily, not really knowing how to tell him, seeing as it would crush him.
"Yes?" Kurama waited patiently, wondering what was so hard to tell him.
"It's about Moriko. The other day she passed thru here..."
"And?" Kurama focused on Koenma.
"She passed thru here as a spirit. She's dead..."
The impact of those two words sent a shock thru his whole body. He heard the wail of Youko in his mind, a sound he wished to never hear again. He himself felt that he lost someone precious. A tear slid down his face. Moriko... The pain, he hadn't felt a pain like this in 15 years, but it felt much worse than he remembered. There wasn't much to say, but Kurama had to focus on the current situation. In a small way he wished Hiei did kill some humans, being locked away doesn't seem to matter anymore, with her gone...
"Kurama?" questioned Koenma. He knew that this was hard for Kurama right now, but the Rekai still needed him. There was no way to avoid telling him, and he was hoping that he would still be able to function properly, Kurama's intelligence in combat were a great asset to Rekai.
"Forgive me, I wasn't expecting to hear such news," he answered, his eyes still downcast.
"Are you okay?"
"I've been better, will you excuse me?"
"Yes, of course."
Kurama stood and left the room, very aware of Koenma's gaze. He didn't know where he was going, he just needed to go. Moriko was here, she walked thru these doors, as a spirit. The thought stung just like it did when he first heard the words. He started to run, the tears falling freely. He was running at demon speed, into the woods near Yusuke's mission. He wasn't aware of this, he just wanted to somehow outrun the depression he felt. He stopped at the top of the mountain, wiping the tears from his face. She was dead, gone, she wasn't coming back, he would never see her again, his beloved. The words constantly replayed in his head, and then he screamed. He screamed as loud as he can for all the nothing to hear... or so he thought.
"My heart once made that sound when I was separated from my mate and it did again when I realized my kids were no longer with me, and now here you stand making the same one. Care to tell me what's going on?" he heard someone ask him. He turned and just as he expected, there was San. But he couldn't look at her, she reminded him to much of Moriko. Fuck! More tears, he'd never cried before in his life, "Mind telling me what's going on?" she asked, truly curious as to what was going on. He was silent. He felt her move, and then her hand on his shoulder. She saw the image of Youko at his touch, and Kurama's tears doubled, seeing Moriko in front of his closed eyes, the image burned into his brain.
"My mate... she... she's dead," he choked out the words. She couldn't say she felt his pain, but it hurt to hear that his mate was dead, because that meant he wasn't Youko after all. Was he still out there? She felt the need to comfort him, he was her friend after all, the only one that really understood her. She hugged him, and to her surprise, he hugged her back, tightly. It reminded her so of Youko, how he would hold her when there was something wrong. She was gentle, like Moriko, and she made him feel as if his beloved wasn't really gone. They stayed like that, wrapped up in each other for as long as needed.
They broke apart, not standing too far off from each other. He stared into her tawny eyes, even though it killed him. She looked into those green orbs, for the first time seeing emotion. The only thing that set her off was the flash of gold. Was he getting closer? He was, and she would've welcomed his kiss if it wasn't for Youko. For all she knew, he was still out there somewhere. She turned her head, and he kissed her cheek. She was loyal to her mate, that he was gracious about.
"Forgive me, that was terribly inappropriate. I didn't mean to put you in the position," he apologized, taking a step back from her.
"Hiei is approaching," she stated, deciding it was better to change the subject.
"Hiei? Coming here?"
"Yes. You didn't notice that you were near Yukina?"
"No, I just ran."
"Well, he's in the house, about to kill a human, I'd say we better move. Think you can keep up?"
He smirked, "After experiencing you run as a wolf, we'll see how much slower you are in your human form."
"No need to get cocky now," and with that she took off. Kurama was surprised that he was able to smile again, pushing this news to the side for now, he took off after San. If Hiei killed the human responsible for imprisoning his sister, then Kurama was convicted along with him. He wasn't going to let that happen, even if the monster deserved to die. He arrived just as Yukina had stopped Hiei from further hurting her captor. San held a finger to her lips, making it possible for the two of them to talk uninterrupted.
"You look familiar, do I know you?" Yukina asked Hiei.
"I'm no one," he answered her.
"Well thank you for saving me. Oh no!" and she ran off to help Yusuke, Kuwabara and Botan. San smiled, seeing what was to come between Yukina and Kuwabara. She was surprised than anyone could like him, but she would have to see a vision about it to really believe it. He was such a terrible flirt, but she knew he would be good for the gentle ice apparition. Hey eyes traveled to the spirit sword that was sticking out of their enemy. She gasped, walking closer to the window.
"San?" questioned Kurama.
"Toguro..." one person she was not expecting to see at all in her lifetime. All youki knew of him, knew of his strength, but only she and Genkai knew the real story behind him, and how he acquired his powers. He was a force to be reckoned with, and she knew that Yusuke and Kuwabara were no where near powerful enough to defeat him. She had to ponder this for a while, figure out what he was doing here, and if he was really dead. Yusuke and Botan had come up to join her, Kurama and Hiei, leaving Yukina and Kuwabara by themselves with the supposed dead Toguro brothers. She had to know, she had to make sure, she didn't want him coming back for them, any of them. She didn't hear what any of them were talking about, she was waiting until they left before she checked on Toguro. It wasn't long, though she noted that Kurama stayed behind as well.
"What is it San?" he asked, waiting for a reaction from her.
"I just... can't believe that they're here. I have to make sure they're dead, I can't walk away without knowing," she explained.
"Understood. Let's go have a look," he replied, grabbing her arm gently and leading her toward the elevator. His touch always shocked her, and put the image of Youko in her mind. Kurama could say the same, seeing Moriko in her naturally, but physical contact made things worse. He was still hurt at the news that she was gone, but being with San was already proving to make things better. Even if he could mate with her, he didn't think he would do it, he loved Moriko too much for that. They arrived on the floor where the battle took place. He watched as she walked up to Toguro, kneeling down beside him. She stared at the face, not believing that he was here in the flesh. She put two fingers to the vital on his neck, checking for a pulse. The moment she touched him, a vision came thru. There she was on the side lines of a ring, and fighting, was him, Youko. He was fighting in what looked like a tournament... the Dark Tournament. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Botan, Keiko, Koenma, Yukina, a masked fighter and a tall girl she didn't recognize were all around her. They were focused on the fight in front of him. Youko started to shimmer, and it looked like he was changing, but she was taken out of the vision at that time. She was breathing heavily.
"San? Are you alright?" Kurama was there, comforting as always.
"I... had a vision..." she trailed, not comprehending that she was going to see Youko, and somehow Toguro was going to lead her to him. This meant that clearly he was not dead, but she wasn't to interfere with fate, not if it lead her to her mate.
"You are... a seer?" asked Kurama, making another note of a similarity between her and Moriko.
"I guess? I've always had visions, even as a demon. But Kurama I'm so happy, I'm going to see my mate soon! He'll be..." and then the realization his her. They were all in danger, "... he'll be... at the Dark Tournament..."
"The Dark Tournament? Are you certain?"
"I'm very sure. We should probably get out of here, I suspect he'll be waking up soon."
"Perhaps Koenma should be informed of this."
"He'll know soon enough, trust me. Now let's move," and she changed into her wolf form, running with Kurama back to civilization. She changed back to her human form once they reached close to the edge of the forest. They stopped at the street, not really ready to part with each other yet. She felt bad, declaring she was going to see her mate knowing that he had just lost his. Life was cruel, but she was sure he could find another, one that may even be better than the last.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked hopeful. He didn't know why, but he just liked spending time with her.
"Sure, meet at the usual place?"
"Yes. I must be getting to my mother now. Farewell."
"Try to sleep tonight okay?" she offered with a smile, and then turned her own way. Kurama watched as she disappeared, waiting until she was completely gone before turning to be off on his own way. The misery settled in again, and maybe that was why he wanted to spend more time with San. She made him forget that he was now alone, that Moriko was gone.
-She was good not to betray her mate like that-
-She was. How are you feeling?-
-I have had better days. I wish I could have seen her once more-
-Yes. I would've loved to meet her-
-She was fond of humans. She never cared to harm them unless they tried to take what was hers-
-I know. I feel like I knew her my whole life, thanks to her memory kept alive by you. I feel like I've lost everything, knowing that she's gone-
-You are not that bad... for a human-
-Thank you-
...
She walks along the street, shopping for some food. She always finds it hard to shop for things in Makai, being that most of the youki ate humans. This village was different, it was managed mostly by animal spirits, making it easy to find what she needed. She does not see the bandits following her, but she smells them. She leads them away from her shopping, past a tall drunk youki and into an alleyway. She knows that they are no match for her, and welcomes the fun she can have with them.
"Nice tail, why don't you show us the rest of you?"
Idiot. She smiled maliciously at him, aching to get this started.
"What's goin' on here then? Are these creeps botherin' you sheila?" the accented voice of the drunk comes into the alleyway.
"Leave, this one is ours."
"Oh really? From the looks of things she's already been marked by another demon, I suggest you mind yer own business. Off with yeh then," and he takes more to drink. She wonders what he plans to do, knowing that he means her no harm. He respects the mark of Youko on her shoulder, and she respects that he is there to help. She does not care that he thinks her inferior, but appreciates the gesture. The idiots get started, and the drunken master is too quick for them. She understands his power, and knowing he does not need it, shows him what she can do. He looks impressed, as the two demons lay dead on the ground before them.
"Good fightin' sheila. I'm Chu," he turns to her, extending a hand.
"Moriko. Thank you for the help. I must be getting back to my mate now."
"Let's hope to see you around."
...
"Beloved, are you having trouble?" he questions her, wondering what was wrong. She holds her head, face in distress.
"A vision..." she trails, sitting down in their make shift den.
"What did you see?" he asks, walking over to her, taking her in his arms. He kisses the top of her head, already feeling like this vision was troubling her.
"The demon hunters, they are going to come for us. We will run, narrowly escaping them. We run to the world of the living, and are separated. You reside in an unborn fetus, saving it's life. I fall, possibly to my death. The only thing that is certain, our young die, even if I am to survive," she explains, burrowing her face into his chest and shedding tears. He does not know what to think, feeling her pain. He hates when she is in pain. He brings his hand to her swollen abdomen, feeling the lives within her.
"Koishii, I will not let such events take place. If we do happen to separate, I will search the ends of this world and the next to find you, and I will not rest until you are safe with me again. I love you Moriko, I will do everything to protect the pack, and our young."
She kisses him, passionately, "I love you my precious kitsune. I just hope that this does not come true."
"We control our future, never forget that."
...
San would never forget that. Though they may control the future, it seems that all events occur in the way of her visions coming true. She only altered one vision in the many years she had been having them. She had to trust them, there wasn't much of a choice. Besides, if this one meant seeing Youko again, being reunited, then she would do everything possible to make it happen. She felt kind of guilty about Kurama, and that was unnatural to her. As she rose out of bed to get ready to see him today, she had a sense of dread. She hadn't told Genkai about Toguro yet, the master of the temple being asleep when she arrived home. She was going to tell her though, knowing she couldn't refuse this. Yusuke was her student, San felt it was important that she knew.
She left her room and went into the kitchen. Breakfast was already made, but the feeling in the room was not what she was used to. She could sense something was wrong, but didn't know how to begin on if she should ask or not. Her questions would be answered soon. She could sense demons approaching, and these weren't your regular ones. These ones were special. They came to the door and opened it. San knew that Genkai could defend herself, but nevertheless, she stood, getting into a defensive stance.
"Master Genkai, we have come to invite you as a guest to the Dark Tournament," said the youki in the middle.
"Your impostor, I made my wish, leave me be," she replied, not even bothering to look at them.
"Because of your wish, it is purely your choice to participate or not. Your pupil, Yusuke Uramehi is also a guest in this tournament, and he has no choice but to accept our offer," and with that they disappeared. The room was quite and eerie.
"They will recruit Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama, they'll need a fifth fighter, San, you'll go."
"I'm going no matter what, I will be reunited with my mate. But there is something I need to tell you. Yusuke fought Toguro on his last mission. His team is most likely the one they'll have to defeat. He deceived Yusuke and Kuwabara into believe that they killed him. But I knew when I saw him there that they weren't nearly powerful enough to defeat Toguro," San explained.
"I see. If Yusuke is smart, he'll come back here for training. I will be attending, but I'll go undercover. You'll be the replacement fighter, if anyone dies."
"Understood. I'll be back later to start training with him. I know I'll need to improve, whether I'm fighting or not. I'll need to work on my healing skills as well."
Genkai grunted as a dismissal, and San left to go meet Kurama. She couldn't help but think about this upcoming tournament. Her heart wasn't really in the fighting, but she knew she would have to if she wanted to see her precious kitsune, more than anything. She stayed as a human, taking the train into town. It was always a long train ride, but in some ways, it calmed her. She was worried about this tournament, knowing that two people were going and could possibly be killed. Yusuke didn't even know the spirit wave yet, he would need that if he hoped to fight with Toguro. She was the fifth fighter, she had to train with Genkai and possibly Yusuke for the next two months, this was probably the last time she'd see Kurama until then. She sighed, not knowing why she felt sad about leaving Kurama when she found Youko. She'd still be his friend, but she was sure that her and Youko would go back to life as they knew it, and she would do her best to get back to Makai, even though the barrier was blocked. She met Kurama on the street, and the two of them headed towards the park.
They filled their time with small talk, mostly just enjoying the company, but then they looked at each other in alarm. Someone was approaching them, both of them trying to figure out who and from where. San felt this presence before, earlier that day, in the temple, "Hiei..." Kurama trailed, and the small fire demon was at their side. But that's not who they were waiting for. The same demons that were at Genkai's earlier approached them. San knew what they wanted, having heard the speech earlier. They stopped, not too far in front of the three demons.
"Good to see you again San. Hiei, Kurama, you two and San have been invited to participate in the Dark Tournament, on the team of Yusuke Urameshi. If you refuse the offer, you will be killed. We look forward to seeing you in two months," the demon told them, before leaving. They disappeared, leaving the three of them to their own devices.
"You've seen those demons before?" questioned Hiei.
"Yes. They showed up to the temple, to inform Genkai and personally invite her. She's able to refuse, because of her wish," San explained.
"Her wish?"
"Does it have something to do with Toguro?" asked Kurama, remembering her reaction to him, and how she wanted to know if he was dead.
"Yes. The last tournament that took place, Toguro and Genkai participated and won. I suspect they were lovers back then, very close. But Genkai didn't care about power, and that was what separated the two of them. When they won, she wished to never be bothered with it again, and Toguro wished for the power that he has now. If the tournament is starting up again, then someone is looking for something, and we can bet it'll affect all of us, human and youki alike," the two listened to her words. The wind blew, it was a dark wind, making San feel like the intensity was brought up much more. And then she felt it, what she feared. Toguro... he was alive.
"Follow me," she declared, knowing that they felt it to. They ran towards the massive power surge that nearly took her off her feet. Hiei was leading, but that was natural, he was the faster of the three. San was behind him, and Kurama was coming up in the rear. They arrived to the source of all the problems. Kuwabara was on a rooftop near a building that was being destroyed, while the other three watched. Toguro was standing in the rubble, Yusuke just breaking free. He was fast and he was powerful, but San knew that wasn't his full potential. He spoke to Yusuke, and then he left. The three demons watched him, and he stopped, turning to look at them.
"I presume you've been invited. You better find a replacement fighter," he stated, before walking away.
"I suppose it's time to start training," said San, leaving the two of them and heading back to Genkai's temple. She was expecting Yusuke there, and then they would begin. She was getting closer to seeing Youko, and that was worth struggle. Two more months and she would be on her way.
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