Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Quoth The Rayvin ❯ Shikei ( Chapter 4 )

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

 

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

---

 

The soft sound of a lullaby reached his ears, a ghostly song that only he could hear, but the ningen in the park below merely felt. The language was a rare one in Makai, being that of the karasu youkai, whose race was rapidly speeding to extinction.

 

He followed the tune to a small grove of trees hidden in the woods and concealed himself in the brush. The young woman he saw was bent over what seemed to be a small, spectral form of a young raven demon. Had the child lived to see his fifth year, he would have grown to be the spitting image of his father, jet hair, violet eyes, and inky black raven wings. He seemed to be wounded around his chest. Blisters and pieces of charred skin wound around in a complete circle, spreading from his stomach to his neck. He stood there, whimpering, with his head bent to rest on the woman's shoulder.

 

The woman was bleeding profusely from both her hands and spreading the blood around the burnt ghost. Almost immediately after the red liquid touched the small ghost-child, the skin came together and healed. He was stunned. The only ones who knew that caliber of magic were shamans...and necromancers.

"Are you okay, my little one?" the black-clad woman whispered in a soft, motherly tone. The apparition didn't open his mouth, but an ethereal voice rang out. She seemed reassured, and the ghost smiled and flickered out of sight.

He prepared to leave when she called out, "I know you're there, Jaganshi. I've been waiting for you." The soft voice from before had disappeared, leaving only the chilly tone he had expected to come from someone like her.

 

"What do you want?"

 

"Nothing much. Just your life. I'm in need of a powerful youkai such as yourself."

 

"What makes you think you'll win?" His back was still turned to her, but he could still see exactly what was happening. Her cold amethyst eyes glowed blue shot with orange, and, though there was no wind, her long hair stood up on end and swayed as if she were underwater. Her lips curled into a tiny smirk before she anwered him.

 

"Your 'friends', Kuwabara and Urameshi, they used attacks fueled by spirit, am I not correct?" No answer. "Urameshi could have undoubtedly been stronger than you, and though you may be reluctant to admit it, Kuwabara could have held his own.

 

"A ghost is pure spirit. Imagine what would happen to the rei gun if fueled by an apparition's power. Even the rei ken could destroy you in that state."

 

The ghosts of Kuwabara and Yusuke appeared in front of him. She had been right. Kuwabara's sword stretched to the top of the trees, and Yusuke's first shot had been so large Hiei had barely had time to dodge it. Though the translucent specters before him were undoubtedly them, the rebellious passion was gone, and for some reason it managed to cut the Koorime to the core seeing his allies in such a state.

 

He didn't bother drawing his sword or unleashing his dragon. It would have been stupid, and a waste of time and energy. It was all he could do to evade their ruthless onslaught. Then he saw it. Right before Yusuke let loose his Shot Gun, he saw the necromancer's lips move minutely, though Hiei couldn't discern what she was saying, and there sheen of perspiration that dripped from her brow. Her eyes were still clouded as well.

 

Hiei withdrew his sword from its sheath and rushed over to the raven demon faster than the blink of an eye. The cold steel drove through her stomach and out her back. The blue and orange mist slowly disappeared to reveal the icy amethyst eyes that made her look so sinister. But now they shone with anguish and disbelief. No one had ever been awake when she had killed them, none that she could remember anyway. And if she didn't remember them, they had gone down easily and hadn't had much more of a chance than the sleeping victims.

The blade extracted from her body and she felt herself pitch over, clinging to the Jaganshi's clothing before she was roughly kicked away. 'No...Not yet.... I'm not ready...' She reached over to the thin bundle that held her sword and cloak. She would leave the sword here. It was too big to try to carry with her in her state. Summoning the last of what little strength she had- she'd never tried to control such powerful ghosts before- she took back the essences of Yusuke and Kuwabara, both of whom disappeared much the same way as the child's soul had. She couldn't see where the Jaganshi was...she couldn't see anything, but she knew he was there. There was only one way out. Throwing the cloak over herself, she again felt herself become enveloped in its warmth, slowly becoming her familiar, she took off in an unsteady flight that was only added to by the flash of pain as he slashed at her yet again, catching her across her chest and right wing. Her dormant demon form felt the pain as she beat the blood into his eyes, blinding him enough to get away, though she was struck once more as the Koorime flailed, trying to locate his target.

 

There...that house...the balcony...she could rest there...she couldn't hold onto the raven anymore...she would lose it...fall to the ground...die...it was slipping...she couldn't hold it any longer...almost there...

 

Kurama raced outside as he heard the sound of breaking glass.

 

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REVISION NOTES:

 

Not really a note, but I did want to say that I now have a xanga, and those who are fans of my other works as well can go there to see how the next chapter is coming along, and maybe even preview it if I'm in desperate need of help (as I am now). If you'd like to see, please go to http : / / www . xanga . com / home . aspx ? user = Hitsujikai 16. (If you're curious, Hitsujikai is Japanese for shepherd, which is my real last name.)

 

Ja-

CM