Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Grief ❯ Sunsets ( Chapter 13 )

Thirteen

Sunsets

 

 

 

Three days passed uneventfully. Sho had still not woken from her coma-like sleep, and the sun was all ready lowering towards the horizon. The clouds that swirled around it were painted deep hues of orange and pink, bringing a type of serenity to the half of the world that could see it.

 

For Jin, it was nothing but a mockery of the events far too quickly unfolding.

 

Genkai had kicked him—literally—out of Sho's room from all his moping and worrying while she tried to work. So now he sat on a small hill not too far away from the temple, watching the sunset.

 

Along with the mockery it seemed to represent, the vanishing sun also brought to the troubled young Wind Master memories of a time where he had once been happy—had not been this shell of worry and heartbreak that he was.

 

“I love the sunset…” Sho had once told him as they sat—her head leaning on his shoulder—watching a Makai dusk. “It is…a representation of a second chance. Every day the sun will go down, leaving us all in the shadow of the moon, only to resurface the next day to warm our weary hearts.

 

“But…” she had leaned back to look up at him them—a rare, sincere smile on her lips, “sunsets have never been this beautiful before.”

 

Jin sat hunched over, face buried in his hands as tears streamed down his face. Those had been the kindest, most beautiful words Sho had ever spoken. Never before, and still now had she ever taken the time to look at the sun like that again. Now all he could see was the pain in her bloodied eyes, the self-loathing. The heartbreak was too much for both of them—they no longer knew how to love.

 

“You know…there is a lot of happiness still waiting for you.”

 

Jin straightened up and fell back a bit, so startled from hearing Kurama's voice. The fox stood a little ways away, chest bare except for the thick bandages that circled it. Recovered from his surprise, Jin tucked his knees and circled them with his arms. He let his chin rest on his knees as he continued to stare off at the sunset.

 

“Mind if I sit?”

 

When the Shinobi made no move to answer, the fox sighed and took a seat beside him. His golden eyes gazed up to the falling sun, taking in the view as he weighed his intended words.

 

“You may not believe it now, with all that's happened,” he began, “but it's true. All the pain will eventually melt away and you just might—“

 

“How do ye know?” Jin cried suddenly, standing up and glaring down at the kitsune through teary eyes. “How can ye jus' sit `ere, an' tell me that it'll all be `awright'? What `appiness can be left fer us now? Ye know it as I do! `Er eyes are nothin' but a void now! What `appened…what `appened to th' light? Oh gods, Youko, what happened?”

 

With a slight wince, Kurama rose to stand beside the young man. He rested his hands on Jin's shoulders and stared at him seriously.

 

“I can't tell you what happened, Jin. I wasn't there through everything like you were. But I still know her, I still know that somewhere in her, she's still alive—still waiting for you. You can't expect her to heal alone…you can't ask that of her. She never will heal, that I know. But if you just sit around, with nothing but memories running though that head…

 

“…Then how can you expect her to come back? This is who she is now—this is who she will always be. Your future—her future—was stolen a long time ago, and so…all you can do now is try and make a new one.”

 

The tears had started long ago, streaming from blue eyes as Jin tried to grasp at what Youko was telling him. He looked up at the fox, his broken soul showing through his blurred eyes.

 

“I…I canno' understand…” he whispered.

 

“You will learn to.”

 

Jin's head fell into his hands as Kurama hugged him, trying to give him whatever comfort he could.

 

The sun dipped past the horizon, leaving the moon to rule in its nighttime empire.

 

>>>>>>

 

Waky-waky, sleepy-head… Nap time's over.

 

Sho groaned, rolling over onto her stomach and sinking deeper into the warmth that surrounded her in an attempt to ignore whomever it was trying to wake her.

 

Hey! Sleeping Beauty! You can't block me out with a pillow!

 

You're so cruel, Shodi…

 

Pssh. At this rate, she'd sleep through the last two days as well! I'm doing her a favor!

 

“All right, all right, I'm getting up…” Sho mumbled, lifting herself up on her hands—knocking the pillow she had unconsciously covered her head with in the process.

 

“Uhh…who are you talking to?” Yusuke's voice asked through her haze of sleep.

 

She looked over at the Spirit Detective who stood in the doorway—a tray of food in his hands. Her eyes locked onto the sustenance, all feelings of exhaustion fleeing her instantly. Without a second thought, she leapt out of her bed and lunged at the meal, stuffing everything she could get her hands onto in her mouth.

 

“Whoa! Whoa! Slow down! You're gonna choke if you eat that fast! At least let me set it down!”

 

Sho backed off sheepishly, swallowing her mouthful and wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her pajamas.

 

“Sorry…I guess I was just hungry.”

 

“Oh, really? I never woulda guessed,” Yusuke replied, sarcastically rolling his eyes.

 

Sho started to scowl at him when he set the tray down in front of her and it was forgotten in the satisfaction of her growling stomach.

 

Once the tray was empty save for a few crumbs and unused silverware, Sho sighed contentedly and leaned back on her hands—licking the remaining morsels from her lips.

 

“Feels like I haven't eaten in days!” she remarked, smiling.

 

“…You haven't,” Yusuke replied dryly.

 

“Oh? How long have I been sleeping?”

 

“In about,” he looked over at a clock hanging on the wall, “one hour, it will be the fourth day since you made your little `bet.'”

 

“What??! How could I have slept that long! Why did no one wake me?!” Sho was on her feet now, scrambling around to find her clothes.

 

“We tried. You sleep like the dead,” Yusuke said, picking up the tray and starting out the door.

 

“Yusuke,” Sho called as he left. He looked back at her, and she smiled. “Thank you.”

 

>>>>>

 

She emerged a few minutes later, clad in a simple pair of gray slacks and white muscle shirt. The rest of the temple seemed to be asleep except for Yusuke who was walking back down the hall towards her.

 

“Where are you off to?” he asked.

 

“Figured I'd take a walk since I'm awake. Would you like to join me?” She smirked and looked over her shoulder. “And you, too, Hiei, if you'd like.”

 

The Jaganshi melded out of the shadows of the roof of the temple, a scowl on his lips at being exposed. Sho chuckled and started to walk away. Yusuke looked up at Hiei, who had all ready disappeared, and followed after.

 

The pair found themselves hiking up the near pitch-black woods—Hiei following in the cover of the trees above. Yusuke stumbled so many times on hidden tree roots and rocks that he was just about fed up with this walk and was regretting having followed. Looking up at the faint outline of Sho in front of him—walking so easily over every unseen obstacle in her way—he scowled darkly. She finally stopped, looking up one particularly tall tree, and started to climb.

 

“What are you doing now?” Yusuke asked.

 

“What does it look like?”

 

Cursing beneath his breath, Yusuke started climbing up after her. Fully ready to scold the demoness about dragging him through the woods at midnight, Yusuke reached the last, thick branch that Sho had chosen as her perch. But his retorts were lost as he peered over the limb onto the breathtaking sight beyond.

 

A ways away sat the ocean, lapping at the sandy shores that still constituted a part of Genkai's territory. The glassy black of the night sky met it at the horizon, and the two stretched on forever as one. The only thing that separated them were the dotting stars and the broken face of the moon that looked over it all.

 

“Pretty, huh?” Sho teased, helping the young man lift himself onto the limb.

 

The young Spirit Detective was at a loss for words. All he could do was stare across at the dazzling view, completely enraptured.

 

“See how the moon illuminates the waves? They bow to its majesty even as they try to match its grace. You wanted to know about me? Well…this is it. I am the darkness that surrounds it all.”

 

Startled by her words, Yusuke looked up at her, and was struck dumb once again. Staying moonlight streaked through her pure brown hair; it illuminated her solemn eyes, setting her entire form into a contrast of deep, striking beauty. He wanted to say something—anything!—but his voice was gone.

 

“You think too lowly of yourself, demon,” Hiei's voice remarked from somewhere nearby and above. “I wouldn't disagree that the tides describe you, but you are far from darkness. If that were true…then why are you fighting so hard?”

 

Sho smiled slightly. “Those are kind words Jaganshi. It's almost brotherly of you.”

 

Hiei scowled and vanished in a blur of black. Sho smiled inwardly, knowing how deep she had hit him. Then she felt Yusuke's hand grabbing her arm, turning her around, and there were his lips. She was being pulled down towards him, and nearly gave in out of surprise. Her hand covered his mouth as she pulled back, gazing into the youth's eyes calmly.

 

“…Is this why you thought I brought you up here?” she asked quietly.

 

“B-but, I—“

 

“You have someone waiting for you, somewhere. I know it, I can see it. I brought you up here so maybe you could understand it in the days to come.”

 

You have someone waiting for you, too, Sho… Shoshoku whispered.

 

Yes…I know. But there is nothing I can give him that will ever bring him happiness.

 

…Did you ever stop to think that maybe you might bring him happiness?

 

Sho blocked them out, hopping down off of the branch and disappearing into the night. Yusuke sat alone on the branch, shame filling him completely. He lowered his head into his hands and begged forgiveness of the one “waiting for him.”