Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Keeper of the Unknown ❯ Keeper of the Unknown ( Chapter 1 )

Keeper of the unknown

It was abnormally dark in the Kitsune's room; Hiei flitted silently to the windowsill, peering into the darkness, usually Kurama was still up writing. He flitted to the light switch and flipped it on. He gasped and felt a sickening sensation in the pit of his stomach; now he could smell the foul aroma. Kurama bolted from sleep slinging covers from him and his female lover, "Hiei!" He flipped the light off and quickly leapt through the window. He had never thought of Kurama doing that; it was one of those thoughts that should not be awakened. He gasped for air fighting the urge to throw up; he didn't want to smell lust ever again. The sight, the smell, the thought… it was all too sickening for him. His stomach spasms and lurched as he fell to his knees letting the pressure in his abdomen free. He was hot, sweaty, and abnormally weak. He felt cool hands on his face and neck, removing anything from the path of the previously digest food. He turned, his crimson eyes meeting deep violet caring orbs; he closed his eyes and succumbed to weariness.

Hiei was gently moved and he fluttered his eyes open. He mumbled something but stopped when pain shot through his chest. "Don't talk." He slowly moved his head to see a human girl sitting on a chair by the bed. Her brown hair was pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head; wispy strands framed her pale face as her violet eyes traveled over him. She sighed, stood, and removed the overstuffed comforter from his bare chest; "You passed out last night." She glanced at the bedside table and grabbed a bowl filling her hand with a lotion. "You're very sick." She rubbed the lotion in her hands then looked at him, "Don't tense." She pressed the warm lotion on his chest smoothing it out gently and evenly. He wrinkled his nose as a strong cool smell flowed to his nose freezing his airway. "This is menthol. I hope it doesn't make you throw up." she covered him again and sat back down, "I would have taken you to the hospital but…." She pointed to his forehead; "They wouldn't act too kindly to a third eye." She lifted a plate; "This is chicken soup. I doubt you'll be hungry but it's there." He was content to listen even though he had so many questions. He parted his lips and a tiny whisper escaped, "Who are you?"

She half smiled, "My name is Yuka." She patted his bare arm; "You rest." He slowly closed his eyes trying to resist sleep but failing.

Hiei shivered awake, his eyes resting on the sleeping Yuka. It was dark in the room, and for once he was cold. Yuka mumbled and woke, immediately looking at him, "Are you ok?"

"N-no." His teeth chattered, "C-cold…. Very c-c-cold."

She had a pained expression on her face as she turned up the heat in the room. She leaned over him touching his cheek, her brow knitted in confusion. He knew what he needed, energy; maybe this human had some to give. He pulled her to him, his Jagan taking over, fighting for its host's survival, and drawing energy from Yuka. Instead of resisting, she crawled under the covers wrapping her arms around his middle. Hiei fought to keep awake; his Jagan didn't know when to stop pulling energy; weakness overcame him again as he blinked and fell into darkness.

Hiei squinted against the bright light streaming into the room, how long had he been asleep? He felt better lots better actually. He gasped and looked down as the weak human wrapped around him; had he taken too much from her? He closed his eyes, a memory playing on the back of his eyelids. It was a smaller Yuka, crying in the grass. Before her were two mounds of dirt and two small headstones. The smaller Yuka stood, a look of determination on her child like features as tears rolled down her cheeks. Hiei opened his eyes, it was normal to see memories when his Jagan took energy from someone, and he would feel the affects for days. He sighed looking at the sleeping bundle, "Stupid humans."

She stirred in her sleep squeezing gently on him as her violet eyes silted open, "You're awake."

"Obviously." Those eyes… he knew those eyes.

She yawned, stood, and stretched, abnormally stiff. Hiei snorted, this human had more energy than he thought. "Are you hungry?" She faced him with a smile.

"Hn."

She eyed him and crossed her arms, "Hn." She shook her head and walked away tossing over her shoulder; "I'll be back with some soup."

He sighed and closed his eyes, vaguely aware of his surroundings. Those eyes… so pure… he was sure he had seen them before. They had a haunting look to them, like they could see into his soul. She didn't seem frightened by his Jagan… not normal human behavior. She returned smiling, with a tray, soup, and something to drink. "This will help you regain your strength." He nodded as he set the tray down on the bed; as he ate she chewed her lip.

He sighed, "Hn. You have a question."

"Why were you alone?"

He scowled, "A friend."

"What about them?"

He let out a grunt, he didn't want to tell her, but something made him, "I found him sleeping with a girl."

"Guys do that."

He looked at her as he munched on the soup "It made me sick."

Her violet eyes were unemotional yet tender, "You're a lonely person."

"Hn." He couldn't remove his eyes from her she was mysterious.

"This friend… it was the one place you could go and feel not as lonely."

He nodded and snorted, "Kurama."

"You thought he was alone… that is what drove you to him."

"Your point?" He sipped the drink.

She tilted her head, "You're not alone, Hiei."

His eyes flitted up suddenly wary, "How do you know my name."

Yuka removed the tray; "You need to rest."

He stared at her coldly; perhaps it was the Jagan that old her. He leaned against the soft pillows; he wasn't strong enough to actually move from the bed yet. He closed his eye watching as her memories replayed in his mind. This Yuka was older than the previous one; she wore a tattered blue dress and walked the streets looking absently at the store windows. Her hands were scarred from years of hard labor; her feet were bloodied and raw. A Flash-breaking class…. He awoke to violet eyes staring at him, those haunting violet eyes. It was dark in the room again, days and nights flashed so quickly now. "You're awake." She said absently.

"Obviously." He rolled his eyes.

She smiled warmly, "Who is Yukina?"

"My si-my friend."

She gave him a disbelieving look, "Who is she really? I could feel an immense love for her."

He sighed; thinking of his sister saddened him, "My sister." He gasped; he hadn't meant to say anything.

"She doesn't know she is though."

He shook his head biting his tongue to keep from talking, "I won't tell her." Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut!

"Why not?"

He glanced at the carpet; "I would taint her." He cursed himself for talking.

"How?"

"I'm evil. I'm a disgrace. It would hurt her to know she has such an evil brother." He wanted to cry and then kill himself.

"And you know this how?"

He paused and looked into her tender violet eyes, "Baka, anyone knows that it would."

"You're not just anyone. You are not Yukina, therefore you can't know her reaction." She paused as he thought, then continued slowly, gently, "You're afraid of her reaction."

"Hn." His eyes darted away from her. Was he afraid?

"If her reaction is that she accepts you… then you've been wrong. But that's not all… if she accepts you then you're in unknown territory. You're afraid of the unknown. If she refuses then you have nothing to live for, no one to care for. So either reaction you're heading into the unknown."

He grimaced; she was right. He knew she was right, all these years he had used the excuse that it would hurt her when in reality it was just because he was afraid.

Her gentle voice echoed in the room, "That's why you left Kurama isn't it? Because you were afraid of loneliness… of the unknown, you were never alone, were you Hiei? Stealing Koenma's treasures… you could have easily taken them by yourself; but you needed the others for silent companionship."

He cursed, how did she know him so deeply? He looked up into her eyes; he had seen those eyes. "Your eyes… I've seen them before. I… I was weak." He squinted trying to remember, "As a child… they looked at me when I was a child, when I had been thrown to my death." He paused, "Again… at the dark tournament." His eyes grew wide, "Every time I was alone and weak."

"You need to sleep." She stood and left the room.

He closed his eyes wearily, "The unknown." His mind played back her memories. Red… blood… a large pool of blood on the sidewalk, glass mingled with is. Yuka had been shot. A bright light blacked the dream and he was standing in front of a grave marker. It was a plain wooden cross with the words "Jane Doe" scribbled on it. Did that mean Yuka had … died? A flash of light made him block his eyes, Yuka was sitting on the grace, faint wings flapping from her back, tears rolling down her cheeks. Hiei bolted awake; did she really…die? Yuka opened the curtains, bright sunshine streaming into the room. She already had food waiting on him. "Yuka." He munched on the food as she sat down.

"Yes?"

"Are you dead?"

She smiled but didn't answer him, "How's your food?"

"You died."

"Died, but not dead." She sighed as he waited for her to explain. "Think back Hiei. When you were a child, do you remember a small girl with violet eyes that practiced with you?"

He nodded, "She had white hair."

"You fought well." She sighed, "Koenma knows about me, the human that died but is not dead. I can't feel anything, not warmth, not a breeze, I can't taste, I cant drink, I can't even smell the new spring flowers." She glanced at Hiei, "There had to be a purpose for me, so I set off to find it. While I was scanning the world, a baby literally fell into my arms; it was you. As a baby you were thrown into the unknown and I was there to catch you. Hiei, do not be afraid of the unknown; I'm always there to catch you." She disappeared before his eyes. Hiei quickly dressed, he knew what he was supposed to do. He burst into Genkai's temple, "Where is Yukina!"

"Calm down." Genkai pointed to a room, "Where have you been? Kurama and Koenma lost your Ki about a month ago."

Hiei ignored her and burst through the door facing a startled Yukina. "Yukina, I-I have something to tell you."

"Of course, anything Hiei."

"I-I found your brother."

"Are you sure this is where it is Hiei?" Kurama pulled into a small churchyard; "This place is abandoned."

"Not completely."

After an hour of searching Hiei stopped at a rotten wooden cross, "Fount it." Kurama motioned the men to the spot and they placed a deep black headstone where the cross-had been. It read "Yuka- Keeper of the unknown."

Hiei smiled and laid a violet rose on the grace, he whispered lovely, "She accepted… so I'm going into the unknown. Thank you." Kurama and Hiei rode down the dusty road. Yuka picked up the rose and sniffed it gently; she smiled broadly, the sun finally warming her face.