Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Fire Dancer ❯ First Position ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any yyh stuff, sorry.

A/N: hey! It's me, kitkat!!

Well, I actually got the basis of this fic from a dream I had a while ago, so I just decided to write it down! And I'm not expecting it to be the best thing in the world, but I just thought it would make an interesting story (even though I think it's been done before…)

At first, I posted this fic on Fanfiction.net and I decided that you guys should have the chance to read it too (I also have the sequel too, but that's only if you guys want it up eventually)

NO FLAMES PLEASE!! ONLY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM!!

This fic is dedicated to my friend Silver Ivy for pushing me along the lines of a yyh or Inuyasha story, so this is it!

I'm sorry if it's a bit sucky, this was my first anime story (and first for yyh) and I haven't really done any major editing on it lately…

O WELL!!

Enjoy!!

/Yoko Kurama/

Thoughts

Fire Dancer

:: First Position::

The soft, tranquil music filled the empty stage and drifted through the vacant auditorium. Rain pelted dully against the window panes and thunder rumbled off in the distance. A single girl lay on the plywood flooring as she stared into the red spotlights. She closed her eyes wearily and rolled onto her stomach and punched a button on her boom-box.

A new song started up and she rose from the floor. Her bare feet dragged leisurely along the stage and she casually raised and lowered her arms fluidly as she tried to remember the steps to the dance.

“Step one two…kick-twirl…step two three…” she murmured under her breath as she twirled beneath the lights; her creamy orange hair shimmering with each swish of her hips. The gold rings around her ankles jangled to the beat. A marmalade colored scarf swayed at her waist and fell to the tip of her red bellbottom capris. A pale yellow blouse covered a silky pink tube top that fell just above her navel.

The only thing that seemed odd about her was either the flame tattoo that wrapped around her arm or the pair of slightly pointed ears protruding from the side of her head. But the change was so vague that they were nearly invisible unless one was truly paying attention to them.

She flung her head back and let the crimson beams wash over her; her azure eyes shimmering beneath the lights. Her arms were posed elegantly behind her arched back and her legs crossed in front of one another.

Lightning flashed across the window causing her shadow to envelope the curtain behind her. Small beads of sweat perspired off her brow, but she wiped them away quickly.

The girl twirled across the stage; her feet only moving within the small circle she allowed.

Music still swirl around her and she continued her dance. Though as the song continued, another girl appeared watching the dancer leap across the floor. The visitor clutched a bottled water and swished it around in the container absently before stepping out onto the stage.

“Come on, Mai, you've been at it for nearly three hours!” the spectator commented restlessly, “Give it a rest, will ya?”

The girl shook her head and continued to whirl, but didn't reply.

Her friend groaned irritably and nearly slammed her foot on the boom-box, ending the music and she ripped out the CD.

Mai stopped abruptly, “Hey! Ayami (A/N: sorry guys, I don't know many Japanese names…) I need that song! The competition is next week!!”

“Exactly!” Ayami protested, “You have to take a break or else you'll be too fatigued to dance at all!” she sighed and let her tone loosen, “Come on, it's late…let's go and get a cup of coffee or something!”

The dancer paused for a moment before giving in, “Fine, fine. Just give me a few more minutes…”

Her friend smiled brightly and handed back the CD, “I'll meet you at my car, alright?”

Mai nodded and waited until the girl closed the backstage store before slipping the disk back into the CD player. She pressed a few buttons before coming to the previous song and made her way to the middle of the floor.

A slow, sad violin hummed from the speakers followed by a steady guitar and piano. The dancer took a step before kicking up her leg and breathing in deep the music echoing in the auditorium:

I don't need whiskey

To drown out the pain,

Or some old umbrella

To hold off the rain.

Don't have to cross over

A river of tears;

All that I need is right here…

Holding you,

Holds me together

And holding on,

Gets just a little too hard,

When this tight rope I travel

Begins to unravel

And I feel like I'm falling apart

Holding you holds me together

You know life's a freight liner

On a runaway track,

But I'll take the ride knowing

That you'll bring me back.

No fate's uncertain

No distance too far

As long as you're here in my arms

Holding you

Holds me together

And holding on,

Gets just a little too hard,

When this tight rope I travel

Begins to unravel

And I fell like I'm falling apart

Holding you holds me together…

Mai sighed quietly as the song ended and spun around one final time as the final note hung in the air awhile longer. The red spotlights lingered on her as she stood facing the imaginary audience.

But from deep in the theatre, a single applause rang eerily in the vast emptiness. Mai froze and blinked through the lights at a lone boy standing halfway down the aisles. He had long red hair that fell to his mid torso—maybe a little shorter—and emerald green eyes. He wore a pair of jeans and a crimson jacket that opened up into a white muscle shirt.

He smiled warmly and stepped a little closer to the front.

The dancer stopped her CD with her toe and carefully sat on the edge stage as he approached.

“Hi,” she returned his grin and hung her legs over the ledge, “Were you…er…watching the whole thing?” she asked meekly.

The boy rested his arms on the stage, “For the most part, yes; I just happened to be passing by…” he stretched out his hand, but paused; thinking over his words, “I'm Suichi Minamino.”

Mai clasped his hand warmly, “Well, Suichi, my name is Mai…Do you go to Sarayashiki (A/N: spelling?? Oh, and I can't remember if Kurama really goes there with Yusuke or not…he does, though, right? O well, I'll figure it out later, please correct me if I'm wrong) High?”

He shook his head and the dancer smiled; he was certainly cute, especially with those deep green eyes, “I go to Meiou; I stopped by to drop something off for a friend…”

She frowned slightly, “This late?”

“Ah,” he smiled gently, “I got sort of hung up…I was heading home when I heard music in here. I guess my curiosity got the better of me,” he added with a faint twinkle in his eyes.

Mai blushed and stared down at her bare feet; suddenly realizing that she left her shoes offstage. But she didn't quite feel like retrieving them at the moment.

But unfortunately, the backstage doors could be heard opening as Ayami returned looking for her friend. The girl appeared behind the curtain and crossed her arms.

“I'm pretty sure that dance of yours isn't fifteen minutes long, Mai—,” she paused when she saw Suichi standing on the ground in front of the stage. A teasing smile came to her lips, “But I'm sure there is some reason behind your delay…”

The dancer laughed nervously, “Ayami, this is Suichi…Suichi; this is my friend, Ayami.”

Her friend smiled and nodded her head towards the boy, and he did the same. Mai rose from her spot and quickly popped the CD from the player.

“Sorry,” she apologized timidly and started to head backstage, “Do you need a ride?”

Suichi shook his head, “No, I'll be fine; my house is only a few blocks away,” he insisted.

“Alright, then…” she tucked the boom-box beneath her arm, “I guess I'll see you around then?” she asked over her shoulder.

The boy nodded and waved as she passed behind the curtain. Mai found her sandals near the back door and picked them up carefully; wary not to drop the player. She started to lean her shoulder against the side door, when she froze.

A pair of red eyes seemed to stare at her from the shadows. They seemed to only come a little bit above the waste, but looked human none-the-less.

She blinked, but the eyes immediately disappeared.

Mai frowned as Ayami stepped next to her.

“What is it?” her friend asked and stared at the spot where the eyes had last been seen, “Was something there?”

The dancer shook her head, “I don't know…”

Ayami watched for another moment before she sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Well anywhos, it's been a long day; your eyes are probably just playing tricks on you…But lets hurry and grab a cup of coffee before the café closes…”

Her friend pushed past her and opened the door and the sound of the evening rain could be heard. But Mai kept her eyes on the spot awhile longer before shaking her head and following after the girl.

-:-

Kurama remained in the auditorium awhile longer after the two girls had left. It was eerily quiet all save for the gentle pelting of the rain against the window. He stared out into the theatre and the vast empty room.

After a moment, he turned back towards the stage, “What do you think, Hiei?”

The red-eyed male crossed his arms, “Hn…I could definitely sense it, if that's what you mean,” he muttered and strode across the stage, “Why? Her Reiki isn't nearly as strong as Yusuke's or Kuwabara's, why should we be worried about a weakling like her?”

Kurama shook his head, “Maybe it's nothing…”

Hiei snorted, “Well don't ask me to come on these errands of yours unless your positive…I have better things to do…”

With that, the demon disappeared and almost immediately, a rustle in the curtains signaled his leave. Kurama sighed and shook his head as he started to make his way back towards the theatre doors.

/We might as well keep an eye out for her/ Yoko said lazily, /you never know with those humans…/

He didn't answer him. But Yoko clearly understood what he was thinking:

This girl was different.

A/N: sorry guys if this was a little crappy, but I've been at this for nearly an hour now, so please don't hate me!! It's late and I want to go to bed!

Good night everyone! Please review!!

Ja'ne!!