Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Blessing, The Curse ❯ Chapter 2-Shiva ( Chapter 2 )

Oh, I forgot to put my disclaimer up:

I DO NOT OWN ANY YU YU HAKUSHO CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN THE ONES I MAKE UP. Anyway, on with the fanfic….

Chapter 2- Shiva

One down, two to go,

Loret, Queen of Wolves, blessed with power beyond compare,

Shiva shall be next,

Girls, don't fail me….

In the distance, if you listened hard enough, you could hear voices. Voices yelling at one another, arguing over something trivial. This was Shiva's life, the one she was sucked into, and willing to accept.

Shiva stomped out of her house, angry as ever. Her father's words still ringing in her head, like church bells on a wedding day, minus the happiness. You're a lazy idiot Shiva! You're so trifling, why can't you do anything right? Get out of my face!

Shiva hated her father with a passion. If it weren't against the law, she would have killed him by now. She often found herself wishing he were dead, or better yet, wishing she were dead. Then she didn't have to worry about any more pain. Dead couldn't feel pain, right? She often regretted leaving her mother alone the way she did. Seeing her mother cry from the loss of her oldest daughter was more than enough to make Shiva want to throw up from guilt. "I should never have left. I should've went back," she said to herself.

Shiva was what people would call a `perfect child.' She obeyed her parents, made straight A's in all her classes, was pretty, popular, on the cheerleading squad, student council president, the list could go on forever probably. Her trademark though, was that she loved the color blue. That's all she ever wore. That's why she was glad that her school uniform was blue. If it were red or green or pink, she would have been even more miserable. She even dyed her naturally blond hair blue. People in her school often called her blue as a nickname. But they never understood how truly blue she was.

Shiva had to be perfect at everything. Sports, grades, looks, the works. One slip up in anything could prove fatal to her status, and everyone would hate her. If she were to ever fail at anything, everyone would know, and everyone would shun her. They would all hate her to the core for deceiving them, and she would hate herself for playing a game she surely couldn't win forever. But, until that day came, she would play, for everyone's sake. Unhappiness and suffering should not spread because of one's ill mistakes.

When she got to school that day, she saw a girl named Loret sitting in a tree, staring off into space. She must be in pretty deep thought, Shiva thought. "How odd, that you are in that tree, Loret," Shiva said to the content Loret. Loret stared at Shiva, her penetrating eyes glowing luminously as the sunlight hit her eyes. Shiva stared back with equal questioning within her soul. It's like she can read every thought racing through my mind, Shiva thought inwardly. "I was just thinking," Loret said, interrupting Shiva's private thoughts, "About how everyone and everything's changing." "What do you mean by that, nothing has changed." Shiva stated, not wanting to think about change, for change would be the end of her. Shiva stared into Loret's eyes again and saw that her pupils were a black and gray color; vice the crystal blue she'd often envied her for having. She found herself lost in her gaze, as though being hypnotized by Loret's circling colors of black and gray.

"What the hell are you staring at?" an irritated voice said aloud, bringing Shiva rudely back to the world's reality. "I was just staring at how odd your eye color is. Didn't your eyes used to be blue? Or are those contacts?" she joked. Loret snickered at Shiva's foolishness. "Hmph, even when you have no crowd, you still act like a fake Shiva. What are you so afraid of? Being discovered as a liar?" Loret said harshly.

Shiva felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. Could she really know? Can she really read my feelings with such accuracy and precision? No, I won't let her intimidate me. She's just saying these things to try to make me look inferior. Play it cool.

"I am no liar you animal," she said coolly. Loret stared her down. She looked at Shiva with sadness and pity. " You don't have the slightest clue as to who you are and why you're here. You play a role at school, and then at home you must play another. Your fear of rejection will end up doing you in, Shiva. You know the game you're playing is a lose lose one. Eventually, your secret you worked so hard to keep hidden will explode and be sent throughout school like the plague. What will you do then? You won't be able to hide the way you've lied and cheated to make your way to the top. You won't be able to hide your disordered home life. You will be completely exposed. What will you do then? After that tragedy occurs, you will truly know loneliness."

Shiva stood there dumbfounded. "Who are you?" she said, tears welling in her eyes. She almost wished she didn't receive an answer.

Loret began to change. Her normal human teeth began to take a longer, sharper look to them. Her nails became long, like claws, and she sprouted what looked to be wolf ears and a sleek wolf tail. Markings graced her cheeks as black streaks and she had a crescent moon on her forehead. Shiva stood there, stunned.

All of a sudden, to take her out of her shock, some `friends' of hers appeared. "Hi Shiva!" they all said in unison. Shiva couldn't answer. How can they not see the monstrosity before them? she thought in fear. When she could find her voice again, she said, "Look! Look! Up there! Loret is a freak!" The other kids began to laugh. Loret just stared at her. "No, I'm serious! Look at her! She's got canines and claws and odd tattoos on her face and a tail and wolf ears!" she shrieked. The others looked bewildered. Loret hid her eyes from view. I knew this would happen eventually, I hope she can take it, Loret thought privately to herself. Shiva stood there, encircled by the people who were blind to Loret's transformation. "I'm serious! Look! She's…." she paused. When she looked again, Loret was back to normal. Shiva gasped, holding her hand on her forehead. "Um, Shiva, maybe you should go see the nurse," a concerned classmate suggested to the confused Shiva. "Yes, maybe I will go to the nurse," Shiva said meekly.

As she was being escorted to the schools entrance, she heard a voice echoing inside her head. You can't win, the voice said. Shiva looked around. "Did any of you here something?" she asked puzzled. Please tell me they heard it, please, she raged in her mind. They had to have heard it. The voice is still echoing in my mind. "No, Shiva, we didn't hear a thing. Are you feeling well Shiva?" the said simultaneously.

Shiva felt something inside her burst. "You're lying! You're all lying to me to make me look crazy! Well let me tell you guys something. I know what I see and hear, and I saw Loret change into some kind of demonic creature, and I know I heard a voice because I can still hear it!" Shiva exploded. All the people within earshot of Shiva stopped to look at her. Their eyes held confusion and bewilderment. Shiva finally realized what she's just done. No, please don't let this happen to me, she begged to no one. You can't win, the same haunting voice said, claiming her mind once more. Shiva looked towards Loret's direction. She frowned at her. Stop torturing me, she pleaded, as though Loret were the cause for her pain and embarrassment. Loret pitied her, and watched as she went inside the school, alone, to the nurse's office.

Once the nurse Okayed her condition, Shiva made her it her primary goal to find Loret. She walked the halls, and eventually found her in her foreign language class. She waited for her to walk out of the room. As though sensing that Shiva would be out there, Loret waited until no students were left in her class before she left. When she finally walked out. Shiva grabbed her arm. "What the hell are you?" she said. Loret yanked her arm free, glaring at the frightened girl. "I should be asking you the same thing," Loret replied defensively. "What?" Shiva said.

"You seem to be able to see my truest identity. Shiva, back at the tree, you didn't imagine anything, so don't ever doubt that. What you saw was my, other side if you will. You were the only one who could see it, nobody else could, and I didn't even transform." She said gently, knowing all this she was saying was probably overloading her brain. Shiva giggled. Her giggles grew to full fits of maniac tic laughter. Loret watched her laugh at her inside joke, and became quite vexed. "What the hell are you laughing about? she asked finally, unsure of how much of this foolishness she could take before ripping the confused teen's head off. Finally calming down, Shiva said, "I finally figured out what you are, Loret. A world class freak!" Having enough of Shiva's childish behavior, Loret said, " Oh, I see. So I'm a freak? Well Miss Shiva, if I'm such a freak, you must be one as well, for you can see my true identity while nobody else can." Shiva looked at Loret, hurt at the harsh reality Loret just bestowed upon her shoulders. She stomped away, defeated.

Finally, the final bell rang. Shiva rushed past all her classmates, not wanting to speak to any of them, for they would surely ask her what her issue was. And she most certainly did not want to see Loret's face and get lost in those demonic eyes. She ignored the various "Hey, Shivas" that bombarded her ears as she stormed out of the school. I am not a freak, I am not a freak, I am not a freak, she repeated to herself. Maybe if she said it enough times, all this would go away, and she could go back to her normal life. Suddenly, she stopped. She saw a cat.

The cat was odd, for it was no ordinary cat color. It wasn't black or brown, gray, or even orange. It was blue. The cat was blue, as blue as her artificially colored hair. Shiva rubbed her eyes and blinked. All of a sudden, Loret popped out of nowhere. Shiva jumped, surprised that Loret caught up with her so fast. "Now what do you want?" Shiva said rudely. No answer came her way.

"That's a pretty black cat, isn't it?" Loret commented. Shiva turned to her, shocked at how often people could act dense in one day. "Are you mad? This cat is blue!" she shouted. "Oh my, it looks as though Shiva doesn't even know her colors either," Loret teased. "Don't you dare patronize me, Loret! I know for a fact that this cat is indeed…." Shiva could not finish. "Black, right?" Loret finished for her. "Yes, black," Shiva said, sounding defeated. Loret snickered, and began home again.

Shiva looked towards the cat again. It was blue. "Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me?" she wailed. She began to sob. All of a sudden, she felt something warm and furry against her leg. It was the cat, whom was at the moment, black. Black…. blue…. black…. blue. She screamed at the cat. "Get away from me you flea bitten beast!" She kicked the cat away as hard as she could. She watched as the cat went sailing through the air, hissing at the sudden assault. The cat landed gently to its feet, as though nothing ever happened. Then it sped off into the all ready evident sunset. Once Shiva felt she could move again, she continued on home.

Before Shiva could even get to the doorway, she heard the all too familiar yelling at the family the way he did every evening. She took a deep breath of air before she went in, preparing herself for anything. When she found the courage to continue inside, she was greeted with a sharp pull of the arm from her dad. He yanked her all the way to her room. Shiva felt no fear. As far as she was concerned, this was all a routine.

When they finally reached her room, the door was shut. "What's in this room?" he yelled. "What the hell is in this damn room? Are you lying to me again? Are you trying to hurt this family? What the hell are you thinking Shiva?" he said menacingly. Shiva could smell the beer on his breath. "Dad, I honestly have no idea what you could be talking about right now," she said calmly. "Oh, you don't?" her father whispered. "Then allow me to refresh your damn memory girl!" and with that, he swung the door open. There, in the middle of her bed, was the color-changing cat she'd recently seen on the way home. "Dad, I" she began. "How long were you planning on keeping this from me?" he roared. "Get this filthy beast out of my house and you're grounded until further notice!" He pushed Shiva into the room and slammed the door shut.

Shiva threw a shoe at the cat. The cat dodged the flying assault with the same ease it displayed earlier. "Thanks a lot you dumb cat, now I'm grounded because of you." she sneered. "I just wish I knew how you got in here." Then she paused. How did this weirdo cat get in here? Anybody or anything capable of sneaking past her father deserved a medal. The cat jumped back on her bed. Things are not always as they seem child, said a voice in her mind. Shiva looked around and noticed the cat disappeared. Shiva sat down, bewildered. There was no trace of a cat ever being in her room. No cat hair, claw marks, anything. Just her in her big, empty, plain room.

Just then her father barged into her room. Shiva looked at him like he was insane. The color-changing cat was on his head! "Shiva, have you seen my toupee?" he asked. Shiva tried in vain to control her laughter. Seeing her father like that was too much. Laughter exploded from her deep inside her and traveled out through her mouth. She laughed so hard she began to turn red in the face. Her father looked at her, a facial expression that held embarrassment and rage in it. "Shut up, girl! What's so funny about a lost hair piece?" Then Shiva heard the voice again. Things are not always as they appear, child, the voice echoed. When Shiva looked again at her father, she noticed that the cat was no longer on his head, but now stationed on her lap. She tried to touch the cat, but her hand went right through it. Things are not always as they seem, child, said the voice.

"I haven't seen your hair, dad," she said plainly. "Did you ask Chaio? She might know where it is." He father grumbled a few words and left, trying to summon whatever dignity he had left from inside him to go ask his other daughter, who would most certainly laugh as Shiva had.

Shiva looked at her lap to find that the cat was no longer there. "Shit! Why can't you ever stay in one spot you dumb cat!" she said in frustration. "Please cease with all the name calling, especially when it isn't needed. I haven't moved from the very spot I'm in except to dodge that shoe." Shiva looked behind her to see the cat on her bed again. She reached out to touch it, and this time, felt the warm furry hair that was the cat's. Then she looked at the cat. "Was that voice yours?" she asked, not wanting to believe that she could be holding a conversation with a cat. "Of course that's my voice! Who else's could it belong to? Nobody is in her except us." Shiva just stared. "Who are you?" she managed to mutter.

"I am the beautiful, magnificent, lovely, fantastic, delicious…." "Delicious?" Shiva giggled. "Don't interrupt the adjectives, dear," the cat said. "Ahem, where was I? Oh yes! Delicious, divine, stupendous, magnificent, did I already mention magnificent? Oh well, I'm double the magnificence anyway…." "Alright! Alright! I get it! You're magnificent and all the other adjectives you've mentioned!" Shiva yelled. The cat looked at her puzzled. "You don't have to be so loud dear," she scolded. Shiva groaned.

"Why are you here? Shiva asked after a long period of silence. "I am here because I wish to be here," said the cat flatly. "I go where and do what I please," she said, yawning. "What business do you have with me? Shiva asked. "Oh yes! I almost forgot the nature of my being here!" the cat exclaimed. "Follow me dear," the cat commanded. Shiva obeyed.

Shiva snuck out of the house and ran after the cat for what seemed like miles. "Are we there yet?" she called to the cat. " Why, yes we are child, come closer to me," the cat beckoned. Shiva went.

"Listen carefully my dear," the cat began. "You, along with two others were chosen to receive `Great One's' power." "Great One?" questioned Shiva. "Who the hell is that guy?" "Hush child!" hissed the cat. "You don't even comprehend the privilege being bestowed upon you. I don't know why you were chosen, but you were, so just shut up and pay attention." The cat said harshly. Shiva winced at the scolding she'd just received. "Sorry," she said. "That's quite all right dear. Nobody is near perfect, except `Great One'" "Who is `Great One'?" Shiva said, entranced. "'Great One' is," the cat began, but not complete her statement.

"Anyway, on to further business," the cat said changing the subject. "Are you `Great One'?" Shiva gasped. "Must you ask so many questions?" the cat asked in agitation. There was a long pause. Finally, the cat spoke, "I am nothing but a simple housecat alone and nothing more." There was another long, drawn out pause. "If you're done asking such nonsense questions, I would like to continue," the cat said impatiently. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm finished now," said Shiva. "Very well then, dear. Now, where was I? Oh yes…."

"You, my dear girl, have been chosen to possess an incredible ability that should never be taken lightly. You will have control over the water element. Anything that has a liquid state and water in it will be at you disposal. But, you also get another gift. With this technique you also get to create illusions and reflect blasts of energy back at you enemies. Mind control and telepathy will also be at you disposal…."

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Hold the phone Miss Cleo! Who made these decisions? Don't you realize I have a reputation to think about and up hold? I can't just all of sudden out of the blue have supernatural powers! That would make me a…. a…." "A freak?" the cat finished for her. "Yes, a freak, and I can't be a freak. I am the most popular girl at my school. I get the best grades, the best friends, the best life anyone could ever want! I can't be a freak!" she wailed.

The cat looked at the now sobbing girl with disgust. "You spoiled brat," the cat hissed. "How dare you refuse the gift of `Great One'!" Shiva looked bewildered. The cat seemed so ferocious at that moment, as though she had committed some kind of major sin that the cat wanted to kill her for. She shivered, feeling a sudden temperature drop. "Prepare yourself girl, for the ride of your life," the cat said menacingly. All of a sudden, the cat began to change.

The cat began to grow in size. Her eyes glowed an eerie gold color. Her fangs became long and sharp, glistening in the light being emitted from her eyes. Blue saliva dripped down heavily from her mouth, staining the ground a deep blue ink color. Her claws were so long and sharp, that they dug into the ground without the cat having to add pressure. Her ears became longer and more erect. Her body is significantly larger that before, and her long, silky tail swayed lazily.

Shiva looked at the cat in horror. She was frozen in a pool of terror at the sight of the creature. Then here mind snapped awake. RUN! She ran. She broke out into a full body sprint. She ran faster and faster into the night. When did it get so dark? Shiva asked herself. She didn't know where she was going, and she really didn't care, as long as she got away from that monstrosity.

"Do you honestly think you can outrun me?" teased the cat. "What a naughty girl." Shiva ran on harder and harder, never looking back, and never realizing that the cat was right at her heels, easily able to keep up.

Finally, Shiva stopped. She sat on an old, rotting log, struggling to catch her breath. Perspiration ran down her overheated body like mini waterfalls. Her whole body was rosy pink in color. Panting like an exhausted dog, she tried desperately to cool down. An extreme exhaustion washed over her, and she slept a deep, dark sleep, her dreams filled with the cat's horrific features.

When she awoke, she found the cat staring at her. She screamed a piercing scream and pushed the cat away. But the cat was ready for her act of defense. The cat ran up to Shiva's heels and tripped her. Shiva kicked and squirmed, trying fruitlessly to break away from the demon cat. The cat pinned her down with her forelegs and bit her neck. Shiva choked and gasped, coughing up blood and feeling her blood mix with the cool blue saliva coming from the cat's mouth. The cat scratched her face; blue blood dripping from the wounds, signifying the transfer of energies had been complete. Shiva's eyes dazed over as she found comfort in the darkness that was overcoming her senses. She allowed herself to pass out to escape the pain. The cat released her neck. "I'm sorry dear. Please try to accept it. It is your fate," the cat said sympathetically. She carefully placed Shiva on her shoulders and carried her home.

Shiva woke up in her own bed, feeling dead. She went to the mirror and was aghast at the image that stared back at her. Cat ears, a cat tail, claws, sharp teeth, cat eyes, she looked just like a humanoid cat. A voice echoed in her mind, telling her how to hide her new features. Doing what the voice said, she watched as they cat parts did indeed leave/ she went back to bed, crying, feeling like a world-class freak.

Well everyone, that's chapter 2 for you. I'll get the next one up soon. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome.