Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Hiei's Unexpected Burden ❯ Similar Heritage ( Chapter 1 )

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

Hiei rode on the top of the machine that had been his home for three years. The insect- or rather demon beside him was currently sniffing the air with its large nose. Disgusting it as was, the creature was reliable when it came to finding stray humans that had wandered over to Makai. That day, it had been three whom strayed over to their world. Now going left, the creature informed him that they were less than three miles from some humans. And a handful of demons. Hiei sighed.
He took a step forward and fazed off into the distance, using his incredible speed to get there quicker. The machine would only inform his kind that Mukuro’s men would be there soon enough. And Hiei didn’t want to scare away his prey. Being human protectors did have their perks. And killing just had to be one of them. His black cloak fluttered behind him as he jumped from tree to tree. He slowed a moment, staying out of sight and watching what happened before him.
Two female humans were already dead, their blood saturating the ground as their organs coated the demon’s mouths and claws. Not for nothing, Hiei had seen his share of carnage. So it didn’t bother him. But as he was a protector of Makai and had to keep humans from finding out about his kind, it was his job to protect the humans as well. But the females were already dead, and that he could do nothing about. His eyes strayed to a small creature crouched on the ground.
White hair; that was what he first noticed. The shots of long ivory strands spilling from her scalp in large masses reminded him of freshly fallen snow. The snow that had been stepped on by dirty shoes. Shaking his head, Hiei took another look at the girl. Large petrified sea eyes were wide, the center of a small bruised face. A busted lower lip was trembling as she scrambled to get away from her pursuers. Her back was against a large tree as she faced the demons, shaking uncontrollably. Wearing a loose tunic that barely reached her knees, her feet kicked the dirt as she tried to back away. The demons approached quickly enough, their stench almost as bad as their crime and had the girl at their reach. She crouched lowly when one of them raised their hand and made to kill. A soft breeze past over and while her eyes were closed, Hiei disposed of them efficiently enough without breaking a sweat or making a sound. His black boots stepped on the crunchy dirt and she had to look up. Sea eyes winced as she assumed that he was her new attacker.

“Get off the ground,” he commanded. Bloody hands scrambled on the dirt as she bent down on her feet. Slowly, she tried to move back, only to run into the tree. “Stop moving. I don’t want to waste time, onna.”

She turned around quickly and started to run into the Makai forest. Hiei sighed exasperatedly and sheathed his sword before appearing right in front of the girl. The sight of him frightened her so badly that she tumbled on all four as she slid to a stop, cutting up her hands even worse and scraping her jaw on the rocky surface of the ground. Blood dripped steadily down as she sat down, licking the blood while her eyes stayed guardedly on the koorime.

“There’s no point in running away,” Hiei stated. Her shaking frame made him weary. “And if you faint on me, I’m dragging you to Mukuro by your hair.”

Her eyes went wide and she lowered her head on the ground, trembling with exertion but showing her respect to him. Hiei raised an eyebrow but didn’t complain. He approached and grabbed her shoulder, which became clear that was a very bad mistake. Sharp canine teeth tore at his skin, making him bleed. Hiei cursed viciously and shook out his hand while the girl pushed him away and she started to run once more. It was also clear that she wasn’t going to give up easily. Angrily, Hiei gripped the hilt of his sword and almost decided to kill her. But since he had been the only one not to shed blood on his patrol team, he would almost certainly lose his respect. And Hiei had a very demanding ego. Besides, he thought. What could a stupid human girl do? Well, other than bite him… She looked ready to collapse, with bruises all over her flesh and human…scent of both her own and males, practically corroding her appearance of innocence. Hiei located her easily enough, but he stopped to see what she would do from the nearest branch that would sustain his weight.
From her movement, Hiei could see that her ribs were broken. She shuffled along, though, as she was used to it. Ugly black marks tainted her dusky tan thighs that flashed occasionally while she rummaged around the base of a tree. Her eyes were a mixture of blue and green, akin to the glistening waters of the human oceans. Like clean waters that rippled with the waves. More green than anything, they were haunting and corrupted by horrors only she knew. Never once, he noticed after a while, did she utter a word. Only sounds that he could hear were those of her injured feet and the scrambling of her movements. It was as if she was used to Makai. Hiei watched a little longer.
Her hands cupped a small amount of dirt and held it close to her nose. Smelling deeply, her eyes opened and she turned to the general direction of a small trickling river. Tentative, she walked over to it, which incidentally wasn’t too far away and she knelt down before it. Dipping her cracked and scratched fingers, her eyes narrowed a few moments. When she pulled them out, they were in better condition, at the very least clean. She washed her face thoroughly and spat out some when she drank from the river. The girl wasn’t new at surviving in the wild, Hiei supposed. She even knew what wasn’t poisonous to eat in Makai, which surprised him in the most minimal amount. And Hiei somewhat respected her sense of privacy when she washed her tunic. One eye open and the Jagan watching for enemies, the girl was safe for the time being. Red eyes narrowed when he realized the large darkened scars on her back. Some, from what he could see, were recent and blistering. Not that Hiei cared, of course not. But those fools that had hurt his sister, Yukina… well it was slightly reminiscent. He couldn’t help it. Hiei shook his head, angry that he was so easily provoked.
The girl tied a rope around her waist. It wasn’t very long but she was fragilely thin so that it wasn’t a problem. She had the look of determination that quite clearly stated that she was capable of handling herself. Her tracking skills were sufficient. She knew that it was wise to keep downwind from the north. A swarm of demons were currently feasting on the flesh of her companions. From the shudder that ran over her spine, Hiei suspected that she already knew. Hiei stood up properly and leaped down when he sensed that they were close. She knew it too and was ready to leave when Hiei grabbed her by the neck and pulled her up to his level. Fingers scratched at his hands and cut him. He didn’t bother to wince but glared heatedly that put her in place.

“If you want those demons to find you, I can leave you here,” Hiei stated. “That, or you come with me and find protection among our kind.”

Her reluctant nod had Hiei heave her under his arm and disappeared just when the demons burst through the bushes concealing them.

… … …

“What is your name,” Hiei asked, pulling her by the arm as they made their way down the hall. He heard no reply and she looked up at him with her sea eyes. “Do you speak?”

She merely shook her head, her mouth turned to a frown as she followed as best she could.

“It isn’t your first time in Makai, is it?” Again, she shook her head. “Well, keep up.”

The halls were wide and spacious with round ceilings and not many demons around. Doubtless, Mukuro had already sent them to a large camp where they were to be trained. Mukuro was having trouble with bordering lords that wanted to take over her own land because she was a woman. It didn’t matter that she had been one of the best demons at the Makai Tournament. Men were men and even in demon world, females couldn’t rise to power without scurrilous and demeaning infamies. So Mukuro was ready to prove herself. And take more land for herself. She wasn’t stupid. There was only a small group of her best troops in their large mobile ‘castle’. And Hiei was there, so not many would actually contemplate of trying to defeat her with the Koorime’s powers there to aid her.
Said Koorime was pulling her ahead, never slowing down as she looked around with cautious eyes. If anything, she was trying to keep up. She didn’t know where she was and it was best if she stayed close to her savior. At the very least, his presence would offer her some time to get away.
They took to the stairs, Hiei not bothering to tell her anything. He didn’t really expect her to answer to any questions and wasn’t going to waste his time using his Jagan on a worthless human. Mukuro would probably give the girl something to get better, some food and a shift of clothes before he had to erase her memories and send her off to the human world. He guessed that she was around sixteen, perhaps seventeen at the most. Thin and gaunt, he suspected that she hadn’t eaten in over a week. She was dirty still, even with bathing in the river. Her hair looked as if she had lice and she wasn’t too pleasant to smell. He knocked on Mukuro’s door before entering and a guard stopped him to question about the girl. Never one to be polite, or bother to answer, he merely scoffed and pushed him away, pulling the girl along with him. She uttered no sound but Hiei could sense discomfort and nervousness from her. The sound of shuffling papers distracted him and he looked to see the android demon female glance up at him, one normal eye and the other a mechanized creation from Makai. A tuft of dark reddish brown hair crowned her oddly shaped head that was slightly wrapped in bandages. Hiei inclined his head a moment before pulling the girl forward.

“A gift, Hiei? I hardly know what to say,” she teased. He was, after all, the mirror image of herself and her heir.
“Haha,” he said dryly, his red eyes regarding her with some respect and mostly annoyance.
“Tell me, why do you bring this girl here?”
“Demons killed her companions,” Hiei informed her. “And she is a human.”
“Bring the child closer,” Mukuro commanded.

He did so quickly enough. The only problem was the girl herself. She was panicked, shaking from fear and unwilling to confront the half robot woman in front of her. She pulled at Hiei’s arm but was shaken off and she knelt down in front of Mukuro, her sea eyes dilated and horrified but never showing any tears. If anything, she knew well enough how many tears she had shed in her lifetime. And she was well aware that they never did any good. Mukuro actually smiled at the raggedy creature before her and touched her cheek gently with her fingers. Hiei raised an eyebrow. Of course, he knew that she had changed. The Mukuro he met before the Makai Tournament was angry and eager to seek revenge from any source she could get her hands. The one before him now was calm, and willing to give others a chance. But only those that she deemed deserving. Very few got her attention, and out of those, there were select that got something from her.

“Your name, child,” Mukuro asked. She shook her head.
“She doesn’t speak,” Hiei informed her. “But she understands.”
“Is there a way for you to speak?”

Suddenly, her hands came to life, signaling different things and pointing at Hiei, herself and her ribs. A flurry of movements confused Mukuro and she raised her hand to stop her, which worked well enough.

“Sign language,” Mukuro told Hiei. “She knows that at least.” Turning to the girl, she asked, “And what of writing? Are you literate?”

She nodded eagerly, a small smile gracing her features.

“Smart,” Mukuro stated briefly. “What do you think, Hiei?”
“She’s human, I could care less.”
“No,” Mukuro said, looking into the sea eyes that shimmered hope and some cautiousness. “I don’t think she is completely human. Child, write your name on this paper.”

Her hands took the paper and quill gingerly, sitting on the ground a moment while she scrawled something quickly on the sheet with nimble fingers. Then she wrote something else on the bottom of it as well. Handing it to Mukuro, she knelt down, her hands wringing tightly in her lap.

“Her name is Rei. How unusual,” Mukuro looked at the girl lightly. “Hm, she says there is no family for her to return to.”
“For all we know, it is a trick so that she can stay here,” Hiei muttered.
“That’s what you will find out,” Mukuro commanded. “Use your Jagan to see if it is true. I want a report by this evening. And don’t leave the girl alone. We both know that most of my guards look down on humans and will most likely harm her.”
“I thought you ate humans,” Hiei retorted.
“She’s half demon,” Mukuro stated. “And I’d rather not eat my own kind.”
“Hn, fine,” Hiei said, grabbing Rei .
“Don’t forget about the report,” Mukuro called out in an amused voice.

… … …

Because Hiei was one of those sensitive demons that got annoyed by any little thing, he had decided to leave the brain scan for a later time. At the present moment, he was collecting some clothes for her to wear. Since Hiei couldn’t avoid following Mukuro’s commands, he was forced to take care of the girl. But that didn’t mean he had to be pleasant about it. A right turn and they were walking through a grand billowing steam. Two doors were spread open where the bath houses were kept. Rei looked at Hiei tentatively but didn’t protest.
There weren’t any demons that were bathing at present time. Since Mukuro had send off most of her army, it was completely empty. Rei was positively delighted at the sight of large marble tub in the center of the whole room. It seemed to be, to Hiei at least, the same as the human pools. Rei seemed not to care as she went and knelt down on the edge. Hiei sighed heavily and placed the clothes on the ground before leaning against the wall and closing his eyes.
There were the small sounds of rustling as Rei removed the filthy tunic and tossed it on the side. She sank slowly into the water, savoring the feeling as the heat swallowed her figure. Hiei opened one eye and saw her sink in. No sounds were heard but the languid pleasure that her body language said was more than enough. The koorime smirked minimally before crossing his arms over his chest and drifting off in his thoughts. It wasn’t long before Rei cautiously pulled at the edge of his cloak. She had changed into a very baggy long sleeved shirt and black formfitting pants that revealed slender legs he had taken no notice of before. With an arrogant sneer, he stood on his feet and motioned for her to follow. Rei meekly did so and the scraping of her injured feet all but drove him mad. If Mukuro was trying to irritate him and force his hand, she erred in that particular vicinity. Such as it were, it wasn’t going to be easy for her to control him. He may be one of her most valued soldiers but he’d be damned before coming to her on bended knees groveling down like a sniveling hound.
He pushed the doors opened with a fury that she noted silently. Ire tensed her thin and fragile shoulders but she made no sound. When Hiei awaited for her at the table, his face showed disdain and intolerance. Rei walked over in a steady pace, his red eyes narrowing at her obvious disobedience and suddenly had his hands around her waist. Hiei long had control over his facial features and it didn’t show the shock of her grim skeletal frame that he felt beneath his fingers. Rei was placed on the table to sit while he removed the bandanna from his head with quick ease. Sea eyes glanced at the purple orb in the center of his forehead but made no signs of disgust or agitation. Instead, Rei flicked away the small strand of black hair that didn’t lift at the aura of power that the Jagan produced. Hiei noticed something in her that hadn’t been tainted. Rather than be distracted, he merely touched her forehead with his index finger. Rei gasped at the sudden flow of power that filled her mind like liquid that flowed in a glass bottle. Her swollen lips parted in a gasp as the Jagan extracted memories from her.

… … …

Hiei knew what it felt to be pitied, thus he felt none for the girl. But beneath the hard exterior that everyone knew him for, he experienced a certain sense of reluctant reverence.
Rei was not ugly. For one who had the blood of humans, she was comely enough to be sold into a brothel. Her white hair was more than enough to name her a rare sight. But even more so that she would bring in if her blood was mixed of demons and human alike. Her virginity was gone by the time she was nine. The money paid for her time was costly. And the wine to ply her with was a steep price. Rape wasn’t counted among the purchased pleasure. For six years, she was the plaything of demon and human alike, learning to produce great desire from the remarkable courtesans that lived with her.
The memories, he had passed through quickly enough, ignoring the frightened noises that she did while a large lumbering demon clambered over her and parted her legs with ease. Before he could dig deeper, there was a solid wall of fear, hatred and self loathing that protected her most intimate and private thoughts. He chose not to break if for the sake of the girl who had collapsed under his scrutiny. The Jagan flickered and died, knowing enough of the girl to give Mukuro a decent case. At the very least, the girl had survived a horrible life. He didn’t care very much for the girl but at least she wasn’t some thin-skinned and sickly little thing that couldn’t take a hit. For all he had come to see, Rei was a tough young woman with a dark past that she didn’t dwell on.
Picking her up with some care, he heaved her under his arm and left the room. Before leaving her on the bed, he left a jug of water and locked the door behind him. With the key safely in his pocket, there was no need to worry. The Jagan was not an easy thing to have been used on. Rei would be out like a light for the next few hours.

… … …

“I liked her,” Mukuro confessed lightly, savoring the wine she sipped from her goblet. “She doesn’t seem like one who would break easily.”
“She doesn’t speak,” Hiei pointed out, licking the dribbling juices of honeyed Makai fruit from his fingers. “Something did break.”
“But it made her thus stronger,” Mukuro relayed her thoughts to him. “A forced prostitute from childhood that made enough money to support a home of five. Yet she was a plaything that our kind could not get enough of. Humans of course are led by lust. If anything, she survived that much.”
“Hn,” Hiei popped another piece into his mouth and relished the taste.
“I think… I will give her training,” Mukuro said softly. Red eyes glanced her way but she ignored him. “There is something I can’t press my finger on. But it seems right. And it would be better than lying with demons.”
“You only pity her because the situation is quite like your own,” Hiei muttered shortly.
“Perhaps,” she smiled dewily.

… … …

Rei woke up blearily, her eyes growing used to the darkness quickly as she touched the counter on her side. Fingers made out the shape of a jug and she picked up eagerly, drinking the clear cool water that was inside. She wiped her chin with her hand and placed it back on the table. Rei touched the bed and sighed, knowing that it was her only comfort. She turned to her side and curled up in a little ball. For the first time in years, she felt the watery grace of tears.

Tears…

How she longed to get rid of her human emotions. Rei had been so close, when she was a courtesan. Nothing could break through her cold exterior. If anything, there was no charge if any customer would be able to make her cry or show any emotion. But none had gotten a night free out of her. She couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t being pushed around and taught depraved things. Most of her life had been in a whorehouse. Wiping her face, she refused to cry. Rei didn’t break before, she certainly wasn’t going to now. The door opened suddenly and she refrained from jumping off the bed. Instead, Rei merely lowered her head and raised her eyes to see Mukuro. The robotic woman walked over and looked down at her with a passive face.

“Your life is quite familiar with mine,” she said softly. “I know that what you’ve been through is hard. But what you have done, escaping and surviving, not many can do.”

Rei looked at her calmly, her hands working quickly to word what she wanted to say, What is it that you want? I don’t want to die here.

“Hmm,” Mukuro murmured. “I have a proposition, if you are willing to hear it.”

I will listen.

“I can have Hiei erase your memory and you would be taken back to Ningenkai with nothing but the clothes on your back,” Mukuro said slowly so that it would sink in. “I don’t know who exactly looks for you but that is as far as we would take you.”

Is there a second option?

“I know that you are a half demon,” Mukuro said. Rei looked away in shame. “Our kind hates half-breeds. I am not so. If the son of Raizen is anything to boast of, your powers could come to such levels. I offer you training, to be of my personal guards. Those who are loyal to me often get what they want. Normally, I would have Hiei throw you back with memories gone but… there is something you hide.”

We all hide things we prefer not to say. Yet you are willing to give me training? For what purpose?

“If my suspicions are correct,” Mukuro said softly. “Then I would rather have you on my side as it were.”

There is no real choice for me. I will take your offer, provided that you help me along the way.

“Don’t worry,” Mukuro said gently, unlike her nature. “You can’t be safe within the compound of demons I hoard here without my protection.”

When do I begin?

“Tomorrow.”

… … …

Hiei saw no more of Rei. Mukuro had taken her from his charge and send her off somewhere while he was made to be the lead General of her demon army. Not one to deny the pleasures of war, he gladly went. Yet Hiei was there for two years, only able to check on his sister Yukina with the Jagan. But even then, those times were cut short as he was summoned to plan the next attack. By the time all bodies were counted, victory spoils sent to Mukuro and the lands conquered, Hiei saw the snow pile up for the second time. Shaking his head, he sighed and wrapped his cloak tightly around him while he flitted back to where he was needed. His black boots crunched the loose snow below his feet and he shook out the snow flakes from his hair. Red eyes blinked a few times as he entered the large moving home of his.
He had barely enough time to take off his cloak before Mukuro summoned him. Demons were walking up and down, carrying food and gold things that he had seen previously. He guessed it was the boon that the lords had sent to ask for mercy. But if anyone knew Mukuro, it was him. And he didn’t expect her to grant anything other than their deaths. He repressed a yawn before knocking once on her door and entering. Ignoring the guard as he always did, he approached the robotic woman. She was standing on the small balcony, watching the large forest sway at their movement. Her normal eye glanced at him a moment before turning to the desk where all her paperwork was.

“It seems I made a wise choice in making you the general,” Mukuro said crisply.
“Apparently.”
“The western provinces are secure,” Mukuro said, checking her papers. “I’m glad. I didn’t doubt your skills though. Not much anyway.”
“Hn, you got what you wanted,” Hiei snapped.
“Yes, I know,” Mukuro left the papers on the desk. “And you’ve been on enemy ground for two years. I understand that you were lonely…”
“I don’t get lonely,” Hiei brushed off the hand on his shoulder.

It was the game they played when alone. Mukuro had been his lover for a time, and he was platonic about it in either case. If anything, he stayed with her because he cared about the bionic woman. But there was no love for her, just as he had been raised up. He refused to love anyone other than his sister (and even that was limited) and wasn’t going to get taken advantage of. The fact that Mukuro had gotten under his skin that way was a feat indeed. But it had cooled down between them and the bed they shared was no longer warm. Lover was a term in the past tense. Hiei was heir to her power and land and she had someone to talk to. It was enough and they were satisfied with it.

“Well Hiei, I think that we’ve had enough of each other,” Mukuro said suddenly, leaving the koorime staggered in his steps. “Its been five years since the Makai Tournament and you’ve served me well. But I think you need a vacation.”
“I’m fine,” Hiei said shortly. He wasn’t one to be sent off because of her moods. “And I don’t need a vacation.”
“If you won’t do that, I suppose I can assign you to something a little more difficult,” Mukuro smiled in a very evil way that made Hiei rethink his words. “You remember the half demon girl?”
“What? The weakling that I found? I thought she died.”
“How droll,” Mukuro said dryly. “No, she’s alive and well. I’ll send your regards.”
“Hn, what about her?”“Well, her training is going very well,” Mukuro said softly. “Too well that her instructors are having trouble keeping her in line.”
“In line? And you want me to do what? Baby-sit?”
“Not in so many words.”
“No, I refuse,” Hiei said, storming off.
“I didn’t ask,” Mukuro yelled, then regaining her composure as Hiei stopped. “And your loyalty is to me. I won’t take no for an answer. Besides, she’s already here.”
“Hn, I still refuse.”
“I won’t have my heir talking as such,” Mukuro said coldly. “She is your charge now.”
“Why do you put her in my hands? Why me,” Hiei asked angrily.
“You are the only one I can trust,” Mukuro said, smiling lightly. “Would you betray me?”
“Hn,” Hiei growled, turning away.
“Don’t be mad,” Mukuro said, going to her desk. “You have my permission to go where you will, Makai or Ningenkai.”
“You make to bribe me with it.”
“Might as well, you won’t consent otherwise.”
“Agreed,” Hiei muttered bitterly. “But I trust that she speaks now.”
“No,” Mukuro spoke sharply. “That will be one of your goals. I expect to her have her trained in the art of secrecy. The basics of a killer.”
“And you want-”
“I only want what you offer.”
“Hn, fine,” Hiei growled. “But I will leave unannounced. I have no care for pleasantries.”
“You haven’t seen your sister for five years, I was beginning to question your motives,” Mukuro said.
“You of all should know why I stayed,” Hiei murmured, walking out the door. “Such as that I regret.”

… … …

Rei sat on the bed, unbuttoning the long shirt that she had grown accustom to. It clung to her skin and was beginning to tighten around her upper chest. With a grimace, she tossed it aside, rummaging around her pack for something else to wear. She heard no sound until the very last moment when her hand gripped the hilt tightly of her dagger and she swung around, with it ready to shed blood. Rei didn’t expect it to be countered and her wrist caught in a bone breaking grip. A shudder ran over her spine as she stared into large red eyes. Dropped unceremoniously to the ground, she tossed her hair back defiantly and looked at he who had spared her only a passing glance.

“Mukuro has commanded me to be your babysitter,” he said bitterly. “And I can’t say that I am pleased.”

Rei stood up evasively and walked to the bed, either uncaring or not bothering to acknowledge her nudity. Years being sold into the arms of other men had stripped the modesty she once clung to. She nicked a long sleeved shirt that went over her head and her long white hair contrasted against the dull black of her shirt. When she was decent, Rei turned to him and waited for instructions.

“What,” Hiei snapped, unaware of her current state. Since she wouldn’t speak, she began to form words with her hands. He stopped her with a look and she glared mildly at him. “I am no filthy human, don’t press your stupidity at me.”

Rei blinked once and raised her hand. Hiei stared at her with a bored expression on his face. True, the skeletal weak thing that he had encountered two years prior was no longer in front of him. A lithe youthful woman stood before him, her long shock of white hair slid behind her neatly. Her sea green eyes had a light that he had not seen before. She had grown up within the span of eight seasons. Her hand touched the bandanna tentatively and pointed, from a distance, at the Jagan.

“You wish for me to read your mind,” Hiei guessed with dry impatience. Her slow nod affirmed his question. “I don’t pretend to care, why should I-”

Rei glowered visibly and sighed, shaking her head in a demeaning notion. That, Hiei wasn’t expecting. What he thought her to be was broken, and yet she had a sense of pride that surprised him though his expressions held no real reason for her to know. Rei pressed two fingers on her forehead and waited for him to act. With a heavy scowl, he ripped off the white cloth and the purple eye of the Jagan opened slowly. It stared down at her a moment before it started glowing brightly. A burst of thoughts and speech erupted and he could hear her every thought.

I can speak to you now.
“I have no desire to hear your voice in my head,” Hiei snapped.
But by Mukuro, I am your charge, therefore I must have some contact with you, even as menial as this.
“The connection will not sever unless you wish to think privately,” Hiei said shortly, making his way out. “And tomorrow, we leave so prepare yourself. I won’t wait for you.”
Yes… Sensei…
“Hn.”