Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Reunited ❯ Chapter 11

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

Disclaimer: I don't own this; you all know that.


-Telepathy-


(Thoughts)


Chapter 11


Those expected to come with her came: Yuseke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and Botan.


"So how far from here?" Botan asked. Shiroi had already transported them to the area where her village was, but she had made everyone appear in a forest that surrounded the front half of the village.


"From here it's going to take us about a ten to fifteen minute walk," Shiroi answered. "And I'm walking." They all shrugged and started walking.


"So your village has now idea that you're still alive?" Yuseke asked.


"Not a single clue," Shiroi answered. She sounded nervous, but it was to be expected, she didn't have any idea of what the village's reaction to her appearing out of nowhere will be.


"Do you think they'll even remember who you are?" Botan asked


Shiroi shrugged, "I don't know. I have no idea how any of this will turn out, not at all."


"How could they forget you?" Yuseke asked. "It's been five years and we didn't forget about you, and we haven't even known you as long as these people."


"But all of you knew that I wasn't dead," Shiroi replied. "These people don't have anyway of knowing if I'm alive or not."


They stopped asking her questions, to her relief. It took them fifteen minutes to get through the forest, but when they got to the end of the forest, Shiroi stopped.


"Something wrong?" Botan asked.


Shiroi didn't answer; she just stared at the trees for a moment. Finally she took a deep breath, let it out, and walked out of the forest, the others right behind her.


When they exited the forest, they faced an entryway with a sort of gate, but the gate only went a few feet in two directions, so it was mostly just for show and that you had reached a new village.


"It looks deserted," Botan whispered. She was right, there wasn't anyone in the streets.


"It's like a ghost town," Yuseke said as they followed Shiroi inside the village.


Shiroi stopped and turned around to look at them. "Could you all please stay outside the village until I find out what's going on?" She asked them. "I think I have an idea of what it is, and when I figure it all out I'll come back and get you."


"You be careful," Botan said, and they headed back out the gates and waited.


Shiroi headed into the village. They dirt roads were completely empty, but what gave away that there were people still living in the village were the constant sound of chickens and other farm animals.


(The priest must have sensed our approach,) Shiroi thought. (They probably thought we were demons and had everyone retreat inside. It was probably me they sensed out of everyone.)


She knew where she should go, to the elder's. He, besides the priest, was in charge of the village. He would understand and have everyone back into their normal routines very soon.


Shiroi approached the elder's house. She didn't knock right away, she was too nervous. She raised her hand to knock, but suddenly the door flew open and an elderly man with a large, staff like walking stick stood at the door, his staff held like he was about to attack.


"Who are you and why have you come to our village?" he asked.


Shiroi stared for a moment, surprised by the verbal assault. Then she smiled, "Elder Sansa, do you not recognize me?"


The old man lowered his staff slightly. He looked her over, not sure about her. "You seem familiar," he said. "Mm, yes I do have a bell ringing, but I can't quite remember."


"I lost my mother when I was six, abused by my demon father until I left at fifteen," Shiroi gave him those hints.


Sansa stared at her for a moment, and then his eyes brightened, "Chikara, you're alive."


Shiroi smiled, "Yes, so you remember me now?"


Sansa nodded, "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you in the first place. It's easy to remember who you are, you've just changed in ways I can't describe."


Shiroi smiled, "That's okay. You can inform the villagers that it's safe to come out."


Sansa's smile vanished, "I don't think so, the priest and I sensed more powers out there, it could be dangerous."


Shiroi laughed softly, "Those people are with me, they're my friends." She held out her hand. "Come with me and I'll show you."


The old man didn't take her hand, but he did follow her out. "So you're saying that these people with you are good people?"


"You could say that," Shiroi answered. She was sure how to put that one was a demon and one was a half demon.


"Where are they?" Sansa asked.


"They're at the gate," Shiroi answered. "I asked them to wait there until I knew it was best for them to come in."


Sansa nodded, "I understand." The gate came into view, along with the five Shiroi had left at the gate.


***


Botan saw them first. "Here she comes."


The other four had been partially zoning out, or pacing like Hiei. They looked up at Botan's statement and saw Shiroi heading their way with an elderly man.


"Stay here," Kurama, said, "Let's wait and see what the man wants of us."


Shiroi approached with the man. "This is Elder Sansa," she said. "He and the priest are in charge of running the village."


Sansa looked her companions over. He seemed fine with Kuwabara, Botan, and Yuseke, but when he looked at Kurama and Hiei, his eyes hardened. "I must say I'm rather surprised at this group Chikara," he said. "More over to find the majority of them men, but to see both a half demon and a full demon in this group is something that I was not expecting."


"Sir these are the only four men I really trust," Shiroi said to him. "I know you don't like demons since my father's slight rein in the village, but I can assure that these two will do no harm."


"I'm sure what you're saying is true," Sansa said. "I will tolerate him," he pointed to Kurama. "But this one," he changed to Hiei, "I'm not sure."


"Elder," Shiroi said. "Please allow him in. He is nothing like my father. In fact he was the one who killed my father."


Sansa looked at her, and then at Hiei, and then back to Shiroi. "Raimeihi is dead?"


"Dead for five years," Yuseke answered. "And good riddance to him."


Sansa looked back at Hiei, and sighed, "Well," he said, "I guess I have no choice but allow all of you in." He turned to Shiroi, "But if any of them cause any problems, they will never be allowed back here again."


Shiroi nodded, "Yes elder."


He turned to the others and nodded, "Follow me." They all followed him inside. In some way or another, the people of the village knew that there was no danger and were venturing from their homes and going back to their daily lives.


"They don't seem very fazed by us being here," Botan whispered to Shiroi.


"They're good at hiding what they feel," Shiroi said, "I know that very well."


Sansa led than back to his home. Once he inside he turned to them. "Now," he said. "Right now I'm going to go and get a few people, some people that have been worried about you, Chikara." Shiroi nodded. Sansa turned to the others. "I'll trust you in my house. Don't touch anything, and do as Chikara asks you. I'll be back in a little bit." He left.


"He's cheery," Yuseke mumbled.


"You can't blame him," Shiroi said. "He doesn't much care for demons, not since my father's time here."


"When are you going to tell them that you've changed your name?" Botan asked.


"I don't know," Shiroi answered. "There's a lot that I have to tell them, and I really don't want to do it all in one meeting."


"It would be too much for them to take in one sitting," Kurama said. "You've been through more and have done more then they can imagine, of course you can't tell them everything at once."


Shiroi nodded, and then Yuseke asked, "Why was Sansa so hesitant on letting us into the village?"


"Well there are several reasons for that," Shiroi answered. "He wouldn't expect someone like me to bring of group of mostly men around, and mostly since two of those men aren't human. He was mostly nervous about Hiei because of my father."


"But Hiei's nothing like that thing," Yuseke said.


"Elder Sansa doesn't know that," Shiroi replied. "You can't expect him to. Just be glad he let you all in." They nodded, just as the door opened and Elder Sansa entered with a few people.


"Chikara," said Sansa, "I brought some people who are very anxious to see you."


"Have you?" Shiroi asked. She looked at the three people he had brought. They were all women, one almost as old as Sansa, and two younger women, around Shiroi's age. "I'm sorry," Shiroi said, "But you must forgive me, I do not recognize any of you."


"Of course you wouldn't," said one of the young women. "You left quite some time ago, enough time for several changes to occur."


"Don't we know it," Yuseke muttered.


"I thought you wouldn't ever trust men," said the other woman.


"These are the four out five men that I trust," Shiroi answered.


"Who's the other?" Botan asked.


"Koenma," Shiroi answered.


"What a surprise," Yuseke mumbled; Botan elbowed him.


One of the young women smiled, "Time to spark your memory Chikara." She exchanged looks with the other young woman, and then said, "We cheered you up every day during school."


Shiroi thought for a moment, but shook her head in the end.


The woman thought again, and the other said, "We stayed at my house together that one night when you were just too afraid to go back home because your father was in really bad mood."


Shiroi thought again, but shook her head in the end.


The two women sighed and thought about another time. Finally one of them said, "We helped you get that dye out of your hair when your father first had it done."


Shiroi thought again, and this time her eyes brightened. "Anada and Tana."


"She remembers now," said the elderly woman. She turned to Shiroi, "My turn, and I hope you figure me out a little quicker."


"I'll try," Shiroi answered, already racking her brain about this old woman. "I helped take care of you until you were five years old. By then your father shooed me out, and when your mother died I was banned from seeing you by your father."


Shiroi's eyes brightened immediately, "Nana."


They elderly woman nodded, "I knew those hints would help right away."


"I thought you said you didn't have anyone here," Botan said.


"I hadn't seen Nana in over eight years," Shiroi replied, "And now it's been fifteen years since I've seen her, do you really expect me to remember someone after not seeing them for fifteen years?"


"You remembered me," Sansa said.


"I saw you until up to the day I left," Shiroi said, "How could I forget you?"


"Then explain us," Anada said.


Shiroi blushed, "Sorry, I guess me not remembering you is just because of my own bad memory."


"Bad memory," Yuseke repeated, "What bad memory? Shiroi I don't think if you learned how to control earth in a matter of hours that you would have a bad memory."


"Okay then my mind is just being stupid," Shiroi replied.


"When have you ever been stupid?" Kurama asked.


Shiroi thought for a moment, "When I decided to run away from my father."


"Hold on a minute," said Tana. "Chikara, what did that man just call you a second ago?"


"Shiroi," the woman answered. "When I ran away I didn't know what my name was, you know that. So when I came to them, Botan gave me that name. When I found out what my real name was, I used that as my last name, I am known as Shiroi now."


The two elders and the two young women stared at her, and finally Sansa said, "Well, I don't what's more surprising, the fact that you're here, or that you've changed you name."


"More has changed besides her name," Botan said. "She's the only elite spirit detective in the spirit world, and she answers directly to Emperor Enma."


"Emperor Enma," Nana said, "That's quite a responsibility."


"It wasn't easy getting there," Shiroi said.


"It didn't take you very long though," Kurama added. "A year?"


"A year and a half," Shiroi corrected.


"Year, year and a half," Yuseke muttered, "Not a huge difference."


"Took her not even half that to learn to use her powers," Hiei muttered.


"How long did it take her?" Sansa asked.


Kurama thought for a second, "In all, about two months, although she didn't learn he fire and lightning abilities with us."


"Why not?" Nana answered.


"I was about to teach her," Hiei said, "But right when I started, her father showed up."


They launched into what happened, all the way until up to where Shiroi disappeared without a trace, sort of.


"How could you walk around with an injury like that?" Nana asked.


"For a time she had a pain blocking spell on her," Kurama answered. "It had worn off a week and a half before she left, but that really doesn't answer for how you managed afterward." He looked at the white-haired apparition.


"I just rode it out," Shiroi answered. "It wasn't like I hadn't felt extreme pain before."


"We know that first hand," Nana said. "I will never forget the day I watched those boys beat you in the street."


"Point those guys out and we'll be happy to give them a taste of their own medicine," Yuseke said.


"I'm afraid those boys have grown up," Sansa said. "They're all just as big as you."


"We fought Raimeihi," Yuseke said, "No one can be as tough as him."


"I'm sure that's true," Sansa said. "But don't forget what I said, any conflict and all of you are banned from here, except for Chi-, Shiroi I mean."


"Hey Chikara!" someone yelled from outside. "Come out, we know you're in there!"


"I don't believe them," Nana said, "It's like they're following orders from Raimeihi to make sure her life is miserable."


"Let me see what they want," Shiroi said as she headed to the door.


"Give them what they deserve," Yuseke called from behind her.


***


Author's Note: See, better. I don't know how much more will be updated, I got a busy rest of the week.