Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Growing Up Again ❯ Legends ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I do not own the Japanese language. I do not own Japan. I do not own most of the lyrics within this story; all original lyrics of my creation will be mentioned as such at the end of every chapter they are used. You get the idea right? You no sue me, I no do anything bad- end of story.

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Growing Up Again

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Chapter 2: Legends

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Summary: What would you do, if you had a chance to improve everything you knew? What would you do? If anything could be made better by one of a million chances, would you take it? Would you try? Or, would you let it be someone else who alters everything?

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Warnings: language, violence, angst, sexual situations, crude humor, `references'

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She hadn't woken since he had moved her and bandaged her. In fact, if she weren't breathing he'd have written her off as dead. But the small girl was alive, her thin frame trembling with each shaky breath, but alive… She was weak. He detested being weak. He detested those who were weak. He should detest her. But he didn't. In fact, he caught himself watching her breath, as if worried she would fall still completely.

He wasn't worried, and when he noted he was watching her at that moment, he snorted and looked away. “Hn.” Ruby orbs instead looked around the darkening world. Night would settle soon and once again it would catch him on the ground playing babysitter to a girl who hadn't spoken or moved in hours. He cursed. `Kuso…'

He honestly wondered why he even gave a damn if any other demons came during the night and killed her. It wouldn't be his fault, and shouldn't bother him. Yet, it did.

“Urna… Urna… Wakashar… Urna…” It was a faint whisper, a trace of one, but words nonetheless. The male looked at her. She leaned against a tree slightly, sitting, with his cloak over her chest and middle, helping to cover whatever the poor excuse for clothes didn't. He let his senses reach out to her, testing her energy, body and spirit alike. She was slowly gaining strength back, her body energy running around her smoothly.

She would be awake soon, he knew. That was excellent, she'd wake up, be able to travel, and he'd get her to someplace, or on the way to someplace, and he'd leave without feeling… bothered. That was, at least, the best to explain what he'd felt when he'd started to leave her the first time. It wasn't a physical pain… it wasn't a pleasure, and it wasn't anything in between…

His thoughts halted as he heard her murmur the same strange words again, always the same ones. He had begun to wonder what she was saying, but didn't dare try to figure out with the Jagan until she was awake at least. Or, as she was now, starting to wake. He thought for a moment, then nodded, removing the bandana smoothly and allowing a few seconds to pass before he began to focus, mentally drawing her closer until something resembling a window appeared in his mind.

He looked through the opening, and waited, as it grew larger and surround him. In it, were many things all at once; People, the Makai, the sky glaring down from between branches… and an intense feeling of misery combined with an even deeper, urgent almost, need to do something. He narrowed his eyes and probed on that feeling. What did she need to do?

Cold… It surrounded him, then heat and pain. The heat didn't bother him, and the pain didn't either. However, the cold was intense. It pushed the breath from his body and nearly forced the Jagan to close-, which shouldn't have been possible. He tightened his jaw and gave himself a few moments to sort through her thoughts, let her explain. And she did.

Flames leapt up before his eyes, consuming sights that, at one point, might have forced nightmares into him. Yet, as horrible as they were, they left no true impression on him as they played before him. Children, resembling humans with dark skin and dark eyes, gazed at him sightlessly, the screams having long since died.

Women and men were similarly placed and burned before his eyes. One person was watching it all, and he let the question enter her head, asking if she was one that had done this… NO. She didn't do anything; nothing to stop it from happening, and wanted to die because of that reason.

The answer came as a sudden gust of wind, stilling the flames and images. In response, a girl, her, crouched in the bushes, listening to two demons farther off. To her, the words they said made little sense. However, Hiei understood the gurgling resembling Japanese easily enough. They were conversing about the deaths, the women, children, men… everything. He knew what they were talking about, and he guarded it from entering her head.

The images faded again, and he was aware that she was partially awake… but subdued because of him, and he mentally separated the distance, allowing the window to close, and his eyes to open.

In the few seconds it took for her to fully awaken, he had the bandana tied around his forehead again, and was crouching closer to her, listening.

Brown eyes opened, looking golden red in the firelight. Her hair was coppery colored, where blood wasn't dried into it.

The brown orbs locked onto his, and remained there, uncomprehending and clueless as to whom he was, where she was, or even that she might have been hurting. “Urna… Wakashar…”

“What are you saying?”

Brown eyes narrowed as a little awareness dawned in her mind. She didn't understand anything he had just said, and she had the idea he hadn't understood either... who was he… Her memory was clouded but she didn't remember him… And with his back to the fire, and his front in darkness, she thought at first she had come upon another tribe… More of her people!

The girl pushed herself up, letting the cloak fall off of her and she attempted to stand, looking at him with a mixed emotion of confusion but relief in her eyes… then, her footing moved her enough to see light playing across his arms… He was pale skinned… Brown eyes widened and she gently fell into a sitting position, staring at him in shock.

Another long moment passed, with both of them looking at one another, one shocked, the other confused and curious... Finally she shook her head, and tested the air for any scents of more people… Finding none she focused harder on him, trying to grasp understanding. “Worshen acrea… Acrea? Tyrusho?”

Hiei clenched his jaw, cursing again in his head. `She can't even speak Japanese… Senseless little fool…'

It was instant. Sheiji opened her mouth in shock, and then narrowed her eyes, tensing her body and lifting her lips into an unmistakable snarl of protest. “Canor? Canor ath nacreas! Nacreas!” She wasn't foolish enough to attempt to stand, understanding the painful throbbing coming from her heavily bandaged arms and legs. However she allowed her anger to show him she would gladly at any other time.

Hiei's eyes widened, not really sure what she was saying, but taking in the fact she was angry… Surely his thoughts hadn't… He narrowed his eyes. `Can you… understand what I'm thinking?'

Sheiji blinked. Her angry emotion draining from her face and eyes as if it were water. What replaced it was a look of confusion, but a curious look of confusion. “Nat…” She sighed, realizing he couldn't understand her… But she understood what he had just spoken. `You didn't open your mouth… But I understood… Yes… Yes, I understood.'

Hiei sighed. Letting him self relax and forcing his thoughts to slow down, slow enough for her to take in gradually. Also, he sorted out what she could hear and what she couldn't. `What are you?' It was a question that had been bothering him for quite some time. She was apparently a demon, but emotions hadn't raised her spiritual energy at all, in fact, it hadn't changed in any form or fashion.

`Sheiji… A Kursa. I'm from another tribe.'

Hiei blinked. The name sounded strange in Japanese… Too strange… Most names he had ever heard were easy to pronounce. Hers was certainly not. He thought for a moment, testing how she had said it, trying to come up with a language it could be from… and a people that spoke the language. Surely there was more than the burning village of her kind. `Are you demon or human?'

`Not sure… what's… human?' She looked thoroughly confused, but still it was over powered by the need to understand.

Hiei sighed roughly, taking in the fact she didn't know Japanese, didn't know any common languages, and hadn't a clue as to what a human was. She was oblivious. She hadn't been taught anything about… anything… `Sounds like that buffoon.'

`Like who?'

`A human…'

`But I do know things…'

Hiei snorted. “Not enough to not get yourself killed.” After a moment he thought the statement out in his head, allowing her to hear it. Once again anger clouded over her face, and a snarl formed. He hadn't noticed before but her canines were more pronounced… Not large but larger than normal… Also, her ears were slightly pointed. Barely but it was apparent when her hair was brushed back. “She's not human… But not a demon either… Hn.”

Sheiji took note on the fact he was watching her, studying her, as she had once studied the magic… `The magic…' She blinked and dropped a hand to her waist, feeling for the familiar pouch that always hung at her side… It was gone… She had thrown it, and the magic away… `I should have used it…'

Hiei caught himself before he asked what she had meant. It was better he didn't know what the girl had before. What ever it was, it was gone. He stood and walked to where his katana was, and calmly sat down. He was certain she would be stronger soon, and then he would leave. `Let her find out on her own. It's hardly my business.'

Sheiji ignored his thought. He wouldn't help her any more, and that was fine. He had done more than most males in her tribe would have done. He had bandaged her, tried to understand her, and might have helped her settle into a new tribe. Yet, he was turning her away as soon as she was strong enough to function on her own. Well, she had no reason to stay longer than she had.

Silence fell between them, both pretending to doze, but neither doing so. Hiei simply let his mind drift, senses always alert. Sheiji waited for a while longer, then flipped the black material off of her, and nearly silently crept away from the firelight.

Hiei simply listened to her leave.

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Ko-Enma looked at both of the demons in front of him, stopping the annual stamping of papers for the moment. “Kurama, Hiei.”

Both nodded, though Hiei of course looked bored and roughly speaking, none too pleased to being there. However the demi-god simply ignored the fact.

“I have a request for both of you. I need to know if you can tell me anything about the Calalea.” Ko-Enma paused to see if they reacted to the name, only Kurama did and that was only to lift an eyebrow slightly.

“I take it you're going to explain why you're asking us for information.” Hiei glanced at Kurama lightly, judging whether he had anything to say.

“We received this a few days ago.” Ko-Enma moved the note Ari had researched onto the desk in plain view. “I was able to translate it from some of the few references we have about the Calalea. It says, `Ashiran nescru calu anarican.”

Silence…

“It means, translated, `Arise to take our revenge, on our Brothers.” Ko-Enma spoke calmly, watching both demons, and hoping that one might know what to do, or have any idea who was behind it…

Kurama sighed, narrowing his eyes, “I didn't think the Gantra were even in existence anymore… I thought they died out several hundreds of years ago.”

Ko-Enma bit back a sigh of relief, so one did have some knowledge of the subject, thankfully. “So did we, but with limited knowledge of what IS in the Makai, we have no real way of knowing for sure. I had hoped either one of you might have an idea of where the Gantra are, or even where would be the best place to search.”

Hiei narrowed his eyes, “Exactly what are we supposed to know about?”

Ko-Enma sighed, pressing a button on a remote. A screen came into view behind him, slightly to his right. Across it formed a picture of a human-like creature. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin, pointed ears, pronounced canines that appeared against the lips of what appeared to be a male dressed in Chinese looking attire. “This is a picture of a Gantra drawn nearly 3,000 years ago.” Another button was pressed.

The view changed to another being, female this time. She was pale skinned, with the same pointed ears, same canines, same Chinese make to the dress, but bright red eyes, and almost blonde hair. The contrast was apparent, even though the builds of both creatures seemed almost identical. “This is a Calalea. Nearly 2,500 years ago, the Calalea seemed to be on an unstoppable road to taking over all three of the worlds. However, their `brothers' or closest relative, the Gantra, decided that the Calalea were growing far too powerful. So, they formed a large force, backed by the magic, or powers of their elements, and completely demolished the larger cities of the Calalea. Then, within a few hundred years, they hunted and killed the rest.”

Ko-Enma swallowed and sighed. “The only legend that could explain what happened to the Gantra is far fetched and hardly creditable.”

Hiei tightened his fists, looking hard at the picture on the screen behind the demi-god… He mentally replaced the nearly blonde hair and bright red eyes of the woman with red-brown hair and bright brown eyes… Sure enough, the resemblance between the picture of the Calalea and Sheiji was uncanny. The fire demon began to think over the images he had seen in the girl's mind. The burning village of dark skinned people… her home. The two demons that had destroyed it… It all made sense.

“Are you thinking of something Hiei?” Kurama noted the look in Hiei's eyes, plainly saying he remembered something, and by the tensing of his small frame, something that bothered him.

Hiei remained silent, only giving Kurama a small glare, but a small, barely notable nod all the same. “What exactly is this `legend'?”

“That with their last dying breath, the last of the Calalea placed a curse on the Gantra. A curse that would throw them into a state of ever lasting primal existence. The race was made to where they could make no advancement in living, thinking, teaching, anything. According to the legend, the Gantra became so `backwards' that they split into several groups, sinking from knowledge over time and remaining in secrecy.”

Hiei closed his eyes for a few moments… Remembering. The burning village must have been a group of the Gantra, forced to live as savages from a curse. Sheiji was apparently a different Gantra… A Calalea… But how had she lived among the Gantra if she had, or her kind, had caused the problems for the Gantra in the first place?

Kurama was silent for a moment, watching the change in Hiei's eyes before they closed and watching him as he thought over… what? The fire demon was preoccupied, that much was certain. But with what exactly?

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She had been working for hours. Yet, all she had managed to accomplish; was tired arms and ripping apart the partially sealed wounds. That and a small throwing club resembling half of a boomerang. Just the same though, she was proud of her efforts. She had always relied on a natural limb to form her clubs, but need outweighed her patience.

Sheiji sighed and wiped her brow, carefully bending her arm a certain way that didn't hurt as much. `Perhaps now I'll be able to take care of myself, and travel during Dark in stead of Light…' She swallowed, adding, `And I won't need strange males to take care of me.' The incident with the strange, pale skinned, male was still fresh in her mind, even after two days. It had irked her she had had to be `rescued' by a stranger, and another Kursa at that.

Her pride was hurt, and her wounds were bleeding freely now, the bandages having long since been left behind once they were saturated with the crimson liquid. Yet, her body was strong and would heal. Sheiji was quite sure of that.

She grasped the club in her right hand, holding the tapered end of the forearm length club. It was light; the wood she had used was also water resistant and wouldn't burn very easily. In her left she held a stone, triangular in shape with blood dried on it from where she had cut into her own skin while stripping away the bark and wood from the club slowly. Just the same, the club would respond to her every command, and hopefully would being her food provider and protection. The Kursa nodded.

Stiffly she stood in the crimson light, noting that she had worked straight through the Light, and Dark was coming soon…Her traveling time. Light was resting, eating, hunting, and scavenging. Dark was traveling and exploring. Since she hadn't found anything except different kinds of roots, only a few she could recognize, and fewer still that were safe to eat. She had washed them all, spending much of the early hours of the day fashioning a bag out of the larger leaves and supporting it with bendable branches, weaving them together easily. The good roots she had known to be safe she had eaten quickly, preferring them in her than in a bag. The roots she was unsure of were in her bag beside her, the bad she had mashed together into a toxic mixture, rolling out ball shaped pieces and letting them dry, she would carry several in case she had need to use them in a fight. All she would have to do would be to crush the mixture into a wound, or face of an enemy.

Sheiji sighed, looking toward the river where the mixture was drying in the sun. It would be ready soon. So she picked up her bag, balanced the club in her opposite hand and began to make her way toward the riverbank. It was the same river she had emerged out of, and she planned to continue downstream, away from her home.

`I should be farther away than what I am… I could be farther away… I haven't gone many spear throws from where that male was…' These thoughts constantly played in her mind, helping her decide to gather her poisons and leave quickly. She admitted to herself part of her had indeed wanted to catch the male unawares, but the other part of her deemed it foolish… Something a boy-child would do to get revenge… something a girl-child would do to be foolish.

The girl walked easily over the rocky sand and onto the soft mossy ground of the forest floor, leaving the riverbank in favor of the cooler and darker walk. Being as pale as she was she had learned to use shadows and darker areas to help hide herself. Now it was simply reflex. Yet brown eyes roamed along the tree trunks and tops of bushes, looking for any movement. Also, her nose twitched continuously in a search to scent anything other than plants, earth, water, and traces of animals.

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End of chapter 2