Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Grief ❯ The Pain of Grief ( Chapter 16 )

Sixteen

The Pain of Grief

 

 

 

Jin gently laid Sho on the stone floor—oblivious to her miraculous healing—and slowly stood facing Kojiatsu. His sky blue eyes spelled death in so many ways as he looked upon the monster of his worst nightmares.

 

“Aww, have I hurt the little Shinobi's feelings?” Kojiatsu mocked, smirking at the redhead. “You shouldn't waste such potential on such a failure. This was her destiny! Now, watch! Watch as I absorb her soul and complete that ultimately preordained truth!”

 

Kojiatsu started to step towards Sho's bloody, comatose form, hunger flaring up in his crimson eyes. But Jin stepped in his way, the air around him growing restless and gently tousling his hair and clothes. He once again locked his gaze with Kojiatsu's now-infuriated one, forcing himself not to look away from the fear that bubbled in his gut.

 

“Ye…ye will no' be puttin' one finger on `er as long as I'm alive t' make sure of it!”

 

“Well, then I suppose we'll have to fix that.”

 

>>>>>

Touya groaned, moving the stiff aches of his joints in a slow rotation. His metal collar hung like a leaden weight on his neck, chafing his pale skin as it locked his powers within. It was hopeless. He would die down in this dungeon as nothing more than a forgotten, decayed corpse.

 

Just as his head slumped forward in defeat, warmth washed over him, filling him with an almost healing power. He looked up wearily, blue eyes wide with surprise as the glowing image of a young girl—almost identical to Sho—hovered before him. She smiled sadly, holding out a small hand to him.

 

I thought I might find you here… a gentle voice in his head whispered. I saw you in the images of Sho's memories. Plus…I could hear your tears.

 

“W-wha…what are y-you talking about?” Touya croaked, hesitant to take the glowing palm.

 

I am one of three spirits that created a body to house the vibrant spirit of a demon named Sho. Of course, the second soul and I lived there as well, but we were content to give Sho control. But…she is in much pain. Even as we speak, she is fighting Kojiatsu—she and her love, a Wind Master by the name of Jin…

 

“Jin!” Touya breathed, shocked. “Thank the heavens he's still alive!” Tears of relief sprung into his eyes, gently rolling down his bruised face.

 

Yes…but maybe not for very much longer. The spirit frowned, hand still outstretched. When I said that Sho was fighting Kojiatsu…that is not completely accurate. In truth, she will be fighting him soon. But she has suffered a mortal wound and it took everything I am to heal it…

 

“Wait…everything `you are'? Then how are you here?”

 

The spirit paused, mulling over an appropriate answer. That is a good question… I'm not really sure myself. But that is besides the point right now. Your name is…Touya, correct?

 

He nodded.

 

Touya…Jin will die unless you can get there in time to stop Kojiatsu's killing blow and thus give Sho enough time to recover. If you wish to save your friend, you must take my hand.

 

“But, I don't understand!” he cried. “The collar around my neck won't allow me to use my powers! How am I supposed to help?!”

 

…You must trust me…

 

He feared she would say something like that. It always came down to trust… Trust in yourself; trust in others… Touya wasn't sure how much trust he had left. But then the stark image of Jin's corpse—bloody and torn, eyes and mouth open wide in his last cry—shook Touya's resolve, and he grasped the spirit child's hand without thinking.

 

She smiled, and light flooded through his body, healing his wounds and lifting the weariness from his bones. The collar cracked in dozens of different places, and crumbled down to the ground in a thousand fragments of metal. Touya numbly lifted a hand to his chafed neck, and felt as the painful rash-like wound healed.

 

Amazed to tears, Touya looked up to thank the spirit, but she was gone. His cell was dark and empty once again. He felt the warmth that tingled inside him, and a sudden, dreadful thought of the sacrifices she had made shook him. He gulped, and said a silent prayer for her, a lone tear slipping from his eye.

 

“Thank you, young spirit…I promise I will not fail you.”

 

>>>>>>

 

Jin breathed heavily, hand clutching a bloody wound in his side. His left eye was forced closed by a steady stream of blood from a gash in his forehead. Kojiatsu stood a little ways away from him, arms crossed over his chest casually, mocking the Wind Master.

 

“Now do you see?” he asked, smiling. “I am power in and of itself! Not you, not her—no one can have a hope of defeating me! And so, I will ask you one last time…will you join me? I can teach you how to harness this power! I can—“

 

He stopped, flustered, as Jin threw back his head and began to laugh. The hoarse sound echoed through the rectangular room, still moving about even after the Wind Master had stopped.

 

“Ye are so full o' yerself, ya know?” Jin wheezed, smirking. “Where d'ya think all that power be comin' from? Ye? O' course not! Ye stole that power, stole it all. Ye canno' create yer own power, so ye steal it from others. Sho…Sho is th' only one I know o' that can truly say she earned `er power. I believe in `er, I love `er, and because o' that, I will never give in to ye.” Jin took a fighting position, left palm out while the right curled at his hip. “Now…come on!”

 

Kojiatsu's face was flushed an ugly red, a scowl twisting his lips as his blood red eyes flared angrily.

 

“You will regret your foolish words, boy,” he growled, uncrossing his arms and walking forward.

 

Jin smiled inwardly, knowing that his life was forfeit. He sneaked a peek over his shoulder at Sho, and his lips turned into a content smile.

 

He would never regret…never again.

 

“I'll be joinin' ye soon… Jes' wait fer me, ok?” he whispered.

 

Jin turned his head back just as Kojiatsu was about to overcome him. The demon Lord's claws angled up towards Jin's heart, and the Wind Master let his stance crumble, smiling serenely, eyes closing against the world.

 

Wait for me…

 

“JIN!”

 

The Shinobi was ripped out of his reverie, looking up just as Kojiatsu was encased in a block of ice. Shocked, the Wind Master looked over the demon's shoulder to where Touya stood, palms outstretched to channel his energy.

 

“Touya!” he cried in shock and joy.

 

“Get out of the way, you idiot!” the Ice Master yelled back, Kojiatsu beginning to overpower him.

 

Jin complied, stumbling away from the demon Lord as he broke through his encasement of ice. Kojiatsu's intense, livid gaze locking on him with all its fire.

 

“You! How did you escape?!” he roared.

 

“I had help…from a certain spirit,” the Ice Shinobi answered coolly. He then ignored the demon Lord as he locked gazes with his long-time friend. “Jin! Listen to me! Sho isn't dead!”

 

The Wind Master's heart gave a painful wrench as he stole a glance back at the prone demoness.

 

“But she needs time! We must contain Kojiatsu for now! So no stupid thoughts of dying, do you hear me!”

 

Jin smiled softly, nodding slowly.

 

“O' course I hear ye… Ye always made sure I did.”

 

The two shared a companionable smile, and then hardened their gazes against the demon Lord standing between them. But Kojiatsu wasn't paying attention to either of them. His wide eyes were locked on the unmoving form of his daughter. He caught the subtle movement of her chest as it rose and fell with breath, and a sudden, cold fear took hold of him.

 

He had no time to waste.

 

With a roar of bestial fury, Kojiatsu charged the Wind Master, claws dripping with blood and poison as they lead the way. Taken aback, Jin had no time to react. Luckily, Touya was there now, and he quickly moved his powers to make a wall of ice between the pair. Kojiatsu was slowed a bit in order to break through the cold barrier, giving Jin just enough time to propel himself into the air. The Wind Master spun his arm around, faster and faster, until it was nothing but a blur. With a roar of his own, he rocketed down towards the enraged demon Lord—wind-possessed arm leading the way.

 

Kojiatsu caught his fist with hardly an effort—only grunting as the angry winds surrounding it ripped at his arm—and snapped Jin's arm out to the side, canceling the attack. The bones in his arm snapped as if they were made of glass. Jin screamed in pain, losing control of his powers and falling to the ground with a painful thud. He writhed in agony, clutching at his completely shattered limb.

 

Touya rushed forward—sending his power out from his feet to freeze the floor in a plane of ice. Kojiatsu stumbled slightly, unaccustomed to the slippery feel of the ground, giving Touya enough time to build up more energy around his fist. With a cry, he released the built-up energy and it shot at Kojiatsu in the form of a thousand shards of ice. Many of them struck and stuck in the demon Lord's flesh, but the rest melted in mid air by the ferocity of Kojiatsu's aura. He turned and swept his arm down in an arc—a wave of red engulfing the Ice Master. Touya screamed and clutched at his chest, his heart feeling as if it would rip right out of him.

 

Kojiatsu released his power just before it crushed the Shinobi's heart, and turned his back to Touya as the demon slumped—wheezing—to the ground, his power receding back within him.

 

The demon Lord approached his daughter—kicking Jin out of the way in the process—until he stood just before her barely breathing form. Just two more steps, and he would be right next to her. He started to lift his foot, only to find that it was frozen to the ground. Growling, Kojiatsu easily broke out of the Ice Master's power, and took the steps.

 

But the Ice Master's slight diversion had given Sho the last bit of time she needed.

 

Her eyes flew open, freezing Kojiatsu in place. His own eyes widened in fear and he watched—paralyzed—as his daughter slowly stood before him. Her blood red eyes—the same as his—spelled his doom, leaving no room for argument.

 

“You have plagued this world long enough,” she said, her voice unnervingly calm. “I am your Grim Reaper, Kojiatsu. There is no longer any emotion left inside of me except grief. You have made me this way…and though you will never know this pain of grief, you will know the pain of judgment.”

 

That word. How many times had he said that very word? How many times had he promised his child—his children—that they would be free from the unfair judgment of the world?

 

Fear consumed him, became him, and he could not speak.

 

Sho's left hand glowed red, the image of a sword forming in the raw power. Only it was different from the katana that Shodi created. This sword was more sturdy and larger. It possessed its own essence of a spirit, its own thoughts and whims. All of which mirrored Sho's own.

 

It was the very sword that had struck the killing blow to Sho's true body. It was a blade that possessed a portion of the demoness's soul.

 

“Get ready, father,” she said quietly. “This is your end.”

 

Kojiatsu forced himself out of his paralysis, and lifted his claws in challenge to her.

 

“We shall see.”

 

A singular roar tore from their throats in unison, causing the very foundations of the tower to tremble beneath its might.

 

Jin and Touya managed to break away from their pain and looked up to watch the final clash between father and daughter.

 

Or more likely…tyrant and death.

 

Sho no longer fought as her sire—a beast with the only urge to kill. She swung her sword with the ease and practice of a master—parrying each stab of Kojiatsu's claws. Each time she stabbed her blade forward, it struck a bloody gash on the demon Lord. But Sho remained unharmed. Protected, it seemed, by divine intervention.

 

And then it came.

 

The moment was in slow motion.

 

Sho's sword dipped beneath Kojiatsu's guard even as his claws reached over hers. Both stuck their mark, and everything was lost in a bright, red light.