Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Prince ❯ The begining ( Prologue )

Disclaimer:

I was reading "The Beauty and the Beast" and this idea came to mind. This has no yoai or yuri. It may include some sexual references and possible lemons. It's a Yusuke and Keiko pairing…believe me it's not like all the other ones.

I don't own YYH.

Love and Peace from Mars,

Rei-chan

P.S This is a challenge fic. I'll explain at the end of this default chapter.

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The Dark Prince

Chapter 1: Escape

"Today, like all other days, is beautiful."

Keiko sighed and watched the fluffy clouds drift peacefully through the sky. How she wished to run out of this place and dance in beneath the suns rays. But, she of course could not. Not at least out of her father's garden. But she had been there a thousand times, breathed in the scent of jasmine and daisy, honey suckle and lavender a thousand times…

Her father's annoying lectures repeated in her head. "Too many want revenge on me, my child. And far too many would love an innocent angel like yourself, to play with." She mocked, pretending to sound like the King. But what was the point in living in a great kingdom if she could never see it? Keiko groaned and rested her head in her palms. "It's not fare!" she pouted, smiling as two birds flew in a dance around the trees.

Makai is a beautiful world, that's for sure. But Keiko had been kept up in this stupid castle for so long, she had never seen it. Her father, ruler of the Eastern land, hid her from dwellers sight. He gave her one reason the most…

Lord Raizen and his son, the Dark Prince, Keiko smiled to herself. How enthralling that sounds, `The Dark Prince' it was almost too tempting…

Meric, her father was not a demon, unlike the other rulers. He was a psychic, like her mother. They both were humans, or demigods you could say. They weren't threatening or intimidating to Lord Raizen, which caused them unease. When Keiko had been born, they kept it secret. "The only heir to the thrown and female." She whispered quietly, walking over to her vanity. In some cases that's wonderful, but in hers it's terrible. Meric wanted a boy with strength and power, not a defenseless girl.

Keiko ran a brush through her hair, eyeing her reflection carefully. But that could not happen, them having a boy. Her mother died after birthing Keiko, leaving the king heartbroken. And to add more to his shoulders, she had no psychic powers. But Keiko could sing almost like a siren. What angers her father even more is that she looks nothing like her mother, except for the eyes.

But Keiko is in no way ugly! At the fresh age of seventeen she filled out her body in all the right places, a little too curvy in one place than she liked. She kept her brown hair long, tying it in a tight braid that danced about her waist as she walked. Her eyes held happiness and love in their depths, easily drawing anyone to them. Yes Keiko was indeed beautiful, but she wasn't her mother.

Keiko sighed again and set her brush down. She wanted out of this castle, out of her fathers land. She wanted to run through the so-called `Dark Forest' and bathe beneath the crystal waterfalls. She hated being kept up and protected! For once in her life she wanted to break the rules!

But Keiko did wonder, about one thing. Why did her father not want her to be seen? Raizen all ready knew she was born, for his son is only about a year or so older than she. It did not make sense. He had always said her human beauty might cause problems. That, to her was nothing more than sheer nonsense. She lived in a demon world; they did not like human beauty…did they? And besides, there are probably loads of beautiful female demons whose looks surpass hers!

Keiko `huffed' and walked to her closet. Her father was just making dumb excuses! She was pretty, not beautiful. Her mother was beautiful, and Keiko knew she could never compare. After all, she was not her mother.

Keiko was about five, six in height. Her mother had been only two inches taller. Keiko's hair reached her hips, her mother's her thigh. She had creamy skin, her mother pale. Even their personalities were completely different. Her mother had been serene and calm, always polite and mannered. While her mother was like that, Keiko wasn't.

She always smiled, was always laughing. She had an untamed spirit that was sweet and charming. But like her mother, Keiko was well mannered and polite.

But she wasn't calm. She loved to sing and dance, wonder and move about.

"I like how I am though, even if father doesn't." she mused, fingering several dresses. They were all made of fine silk, each one as lovely as the next. But, at the far end of her closet, she kept her favorite on of them all. It was a silk gown, small and designed for her figure only. It was pale as snow, clinging to her torso and showing the outline of her defined smooth stomach. The bell of the gown was silk itself, with thin lawyers that flowed smoothly in ripples.

Keiko chose this dress out of all the others because she could move freely in it. "After all," she calmly said to herself, "even if this does curve with my body, no one will see it." She reasoned. Keiko hated being over dressed, and she preferred no one look at her in any lecherous way. She didn't like the attention, and the dresses her father gave her all showed too much. This dress was no exception. Keiko sighed as she stripped and pulled it on. It was just like a second skin on her, which unnerved her to no end. You'd think a father would like to hide his daughter's figure, but he didn't. He just hid her from the outside world…

"Lady Keiko, your lunch is ready." Came a soft voice. Keiko jumped and turned her head towards the door. There her nanny stood, her arms crossed over her breasts. She had managed to catch the young princess of guard, but Keiko also managed a sweet smile to reassure her. "I see you are planning to leave…" Atsuko whispered, grinning at her.

"Go where may I ask, since there is no place to go?" Keiko asked dryly, brow rose. The older woman smirked and closed the large doors behind her.

"Keiko, I'll drop my formalities. I've raised you since you were four years old. I know what you are up to, and frankly," She pulled out a hooded black cape and tied it around Keiko's neck. "I do not blame you. King Meric has no right to hold you up here." Atsuko finished and gave the smaller girl a wink.

"Now, be careful. And do not go into that damned forest!" she warned, looking Keiko hard in the eye. Keiko smiled and hugged Atsuko tight.

"Oh thank you Auntie Atsuko! You're the best. Oh and, while I'm gone please stay away from the ale. It's not healthy." She chided playfully, laughing at Atsuko's disapproving sigh.

"Listen here, I'm old enough to have my share of wines! You just look after yourself." She turned around and headed for the two large oak doors again. But as Atsuko reached them, she turned to Keiko.

"I'm telling you now Keiko, stay away from those woods."

She groaned and waved it off. "I'm sure I won't run into any `Dark Princes' or a demon king. I won't be gone too long, okay?" she urged, smiling. Atsuko frowned and nodded, exiting the room.

Relieved, Keiko sighed and pulled the hood of the cape over her head. She decided to hide under this on her walk. In case anyone would look her way, she could pull the hood over her head to disguise her face. Because now, with her decision made she was leaving. *All thanks to Atsuko! *

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Bird songs echoed sweetly through the woods as Keiko walked. She couldn't believe how easily she had slipped out of her guards grasp. It was almost unnerving…

But Keiko felt so good! She was free! Free from bodyguards, rules, servants, and the castle. "I never knew how beautiful this place really was," she whispered in awe, her eyes widened in delight. Keiko admired the baby blue sky, the fluffy clouds, tree and sounds. It was all so new and terrific to her.

"God I could get used to this!" she giggled happily, twirling in circles. Years of captivity and never actually living were leaving her soul. She didn't care about food, danger, or her father. The castle was miles away, and her surroundings were nothing but open lush land with miles of flowers, lakes and endless green. Keiko just wanted to keep dancing in her circles.

A soft breeze blew in the air, whisking strands of loose hair around her face. She tilted her head up towards the sun to bask in its rays. The warmth enveloped her, making her insides flutter and a faint flush stain her cheeks. Keiko was suddenly very glad she broke the rules for once!

With a happy sigh she stopped her twirling and rest against a large oak tree. Her heart was beating heavily and the rise and fall of her chest was rapid. But she neither cared nor noticed this action. Keiko's whole boring world seemed to have melted away, the only thing left to do is get off her father's land…

With a curious glance, she eyed the Dark Forest several feet away. She had heard so many rumors about that place. Atsuko had warned her about them, but her nanny had appeared out of their depth many years ago. She always took walks into the forest, but she refused to allow Keiko to come along with her.

Servants had gossiped about this, and about her nanny. They had said she was the mate of a demon. That of course was a lie! Atsuko could never…

Her personal ladies in waiting had whispered rumors that if one was to venture in there, they would run into the most beautiful waterfall in the world. But the forest was supposedly the king and prince's hunting grounds, and if someone from different kingdoms were found in there, they may be killed.

Keiko rolled her eyes.

"Cowards…" she mumbled, her eyes traveling to the canopy of the tree she rested against. If she were to climb it, she could probably see her father's whole kingdom! But Keiko had no intention of doing so. She suddenly felt rebellious and defiant. She would come back to this place later, now she wanted to go on her own adventure.

"Like the girls in the story books!" she whispered dreamily, heading towards the forest. Keiko felt excitement pulse wildly in her veins, as she grew closer to the entrance of the forest. *Almost there! * Thought Keiko.

But her Auntie Atsuko's words came to her mind, and suddenly she felt unaware of herself. Biting her bottom lip, Keiko glanced back at the castle behind her. There her father was attending to political needs, servants were running about, and her guards were most likely hysterical as they searched for her.

Keiko grinned. She could do this…no she needed to do this! Her adventure lay only several feet away. Besides, it's not like she wouldn't come back. Even if something was to happen, she had a dagger in her reticule. (A.N Like a handbag that ties to something around the waist.) Not that she could really use it, but it would make her point clear.

Smiling to herself, Keiko hurried into the forest.

"Forgive me Atsuko-sama!" she whispered.

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The forest was thick with life; wild noises were echoing off every inch of the woods. The air was damp with commotion as birds chirped to each other and the hustle and bustle of other creatures. Once more the outside world left Keiko in wonder; everything was so alive. The only fear that was apparent inside of her was the fear of running into some sort of evil carnivorous demon…

Keiko swallowed and shook the thought from her head. She wanted to find this beautiful waterfall that the servants had whispered about.

The treetops seemed endless as she examined her surroundings. She couldn't believe so many people feared this place! "It's so beautiful," she murmured, her eyes drinking in the eternal green around her. Keiko couldn't help but smile. How could a place so full of life be called `The Dark Forest'? It seemed impossible.

A sudden stir of movement caused her to pause her footsteps.

Keiko eyes darted to a large rose bush, well more like several large rose bushes. The petals of the roses were not red like the ones in her father's kingdom, but black! This caught her attention. "Black roses? How strange," she whispered, reaching out to touch one. Gently, Keiko traced her finger down the dark, ebony petal. It felt like the softest silk as it grazed her finger, enticing her more.

Daringly, she moved to pull off the bud of the flower, but a sudden ping of pain shocked her senses. "Ouch!" Surprised, Keiko wrenched her hand back. Her eyes focused on a small, black thorn stuck beneath the surface of her skin.

Irritated, she gradually pulled out the sharp thorn.

"Ah! Stupid flower!" she growled to herself, tossing the thorn away and placing the injured finger to her lips. Keiko bit her teeth down just beneath the wound, applying pressure to relieve some of the pain. This was not good. The scent of her blood had loomed in the wind for only seconds, but seconds were all it needed till it reached the nose of a hungry demon…

Sighing, Keiko wandered farther into the forest looking for something to clean her wound. * I shouldn't have touch that rose! That was a really stupid move! Oh god, what if a demon finds me…* she chided herself, trying to calm the panic that was invading her mind. Her breath seemed to be caught in her chest. Keiko knew she shouldn't work herself up; it would just make things a lot worse.

"Oh, were is that waterfall?! I have to clean this." She sighed, glancing urgently from tree to tree. She had to look for a clearing or something. That would be the most likely place for the hidden water.

For the first time in about an hour, Keiko allowed her eyes to graze the sky. The afternoon sun was high overhead, caressing the trees with its warm glow and beating down on her skin. She had plenty of time left, so what's the hurry? If any demon were around they would have come out by now.

Keiko nodded mentally with approval of that thought and smiled to herself. She got all worked up over a silly little cut; mind you it stings like no tomorrow…

"I'm turning into Atsuko, always worrying!" she giggled aloud, then with an annoyed thought, she added, "I wonder if she's okay? That woman has such a taste for wine."

As Keiko thought on that, a small glimmer from behind some willows caught her eye. When she walked closer, she could see more shimmering lights like sunlight reflecting off of…water!

Keiko pushed aside the long leaves of the willows to get a better look. What she saw amazed her.

A large mass of sparkling, crystal water stood before her. The sun played on its center, making rainbow designs in the mist of a several feet high waterfall. The falls itself was breath taking. The water pouring down from it into the pit below was crystal clear! With a smile, Keiko ran delightedly up to the beach of the waterfall and began to strip off her clothing.

She was careful not to get sand on her dress or cape and she folded them up and placed the clothing on a large rock. Keiko really didn't care that she was nude, no one was here to see but she also felt a little…revealed. Ignoring the feeling, she slowly drifted into the large mass of crystal liquid.

The warmth of the water relaxed her senses, easing tensed muscles, and made all the isolation of her life drift far away. *I never want to leave! * Keiko sighed mentally as she ducked her head beneath the water and began to swim. Noises of the splashing waterfall echoed in her ears as she swam deeper, it made everything around her like a dream. Keiko paused the soft movements of her arms and pulled the tie from her hair.

It felt so good to have the water stream in her hair as she began to swim faster. As she opens her eyes, she noticed how everything had a sapphire tint.

After several minutes, Keiko felt her lungs tighten in the need for air. She looked towards the top of the body of water and pushed her arms, stroking down and bringing them up again till she reached the surface of the water.

With a gasp of breath, she was surfaced from the depth of the water. Keiko had surprised herself; she had to have been under water for almost three minutes! She did several laps around the waterfall before she actually stood beneath it. She was hesitant to stand on the edgy rocks, fearing the falling water may be too fierce.

But as Keiko eyed the sparking liquid closely, she reasoned that it wouldn't be painful at all. With a deep breath, she climbed onto the rocks. Ooh, it's so cold! Keiko shivered as the water cascaded down her body. Her hair clung to her front as the pouring water pounded down, but the coolness of the water was becoming a burden. With a sigh, she walked out from beneath the falling water.

Keiko rubbed her elbows with her hands continuously, shivering. "That wasn't as fun as I thought it would be," she moaned, preparing to dive back into the water. Within a second, she was in the water and swimming to the shore of the waterfall.

Keiko walked slowly out of the water, braiding her wet hair along the way.

I wonder how long I've been gone? She thought to herself, resting on a large rock. Her eyes grazed the sky, smiling at the still blue blanket over her.

She had to have been gone almost three hours, since the sun was directly over her.

Keiko allowed her body to wet dry beneath the warm rays of the sun before she began to dress again. "So much for evil demons and Dark Princes," she mused, pulling her white dress over her head. She hadn't run into anything the least bit threatening. And, as Keiko tied her cloak around her neck she eyed her finger, she had cleansed her small prick without any problems.

Her skin was dry, but her long brown hair was still wet and dampening the back of her cloak. She ignored it, smiling as a small breeze blew easily through the air. It seemed so serene in these woods, how could anyone ever fear them? `The Dark Forest' is such a harsh name for this sort of place. After all, a person had a perfect view of the skies, forest and waterfalls. It's just, Keiko's eyes travel to the depth of the forest again, there may be a lot more demons than I think…

For some reason, everything seemed to get very quiet around her. The birds weren't singing and the sounds of cascading water were very dim. The silence began to grow and Keiko could feel that someone or rather something was close by.

Yells of creatures echoed off of the trees and rocks surrounding Keiko, making panic strike her thoughts. "Oh no!" she whispered alarmed, backing away from the area and hurrying behind a thick brush. With a deep breath, she crouched and hid herself from sight. Some how she knew that people were coming to the falls. Something told her that if she didn't disappear she would be in trouble. The rock that she rested against felt very uncomfortable against her back, but she couldn't really do anything about it.

Keiko could just feel the fear that was building up inside of her, as a rustle of tree branches became apparent about thirty feet away from her. What if they find me? She asked herself worriedly. Suddenly, a large black demon appeared from the brushes.

He had large red eyes and oily looking skin that glistened in the sunlight. Keiko's eyes widened as he took a step in her direction. Could the monster see her? Terrified, she pushed her body further away from the nearing creature. His beady eyes narrowed and he tilted his nose into the air, sniffing loudly.

"Oh no…" Keiko whispered, a cold sweat growing down her spine. As soon as the demon looked her way, she got to her feet and ran. I'm dead! He'll catch me and I'll be dead! She screamed mentally, her heart racing as she ran through the forest. A loud, threatening animalistic growl echoed through the woods behind her.

Keiko yelped as she tripped over a large tree root, falling to the ground. This had to happen to her! Why now? There is a huge monster behind her and she had to fall. Swallowing hard, she lifted her eyes from the ground. She could see the large black demon coming her way. His eyes glowed blood red as he charged her way, crying out in joy at the fact he would have a human for dinner.

"Ahh!" Keiko screamed, scrambling up from the ground. She rushed to get away. The demon groped out viciously for her, snatching the end of her long braid. She screamed loudly again as he forced her back, pulling hard on her hair. Keiko wrenched herself away from the demon, running towards an oak and pressing her back to it. I'm dead! She cried mentally, feeling cold dread rushing through her veins.

Dark red eyes stared at her in annoyance as the demon growled again, pinning her against the oak. "Get away from my, you disgusting oaf!" she cried, pushing her small hands against the creatures chest. He didn't budge, just laughed in his husky demonic voice. Keiko couldn't help but cringe at the smell of this thing, let alone her situation. The big ugly creature thing smelt just like old onions and cow dung. Her eyes widened in horror at how long and sharp the monster's fangs were. He could easy rip her apart with his dagger like claws too… Suddenly, a thought caught her attention. My dagger!

Keiko needed some time to get her knife from the reticule around her waist. But how? She looked around desperately for something to hit the thing with, but nothing was around! Her senses screamed for her to run as she felt hot breath seething on her shoulder.

Okay, a big ugly thing has me pinned against a tree and I have no time to help myself…what do I do? She thought drastically to herself, feeling tears sting her eyes. She could really die if she didn't do something fast! Wait! She could do something. Music calms the common beast, right?

Swallowing her fear, Keiko began to hum a lullaby softly. A first the nearness of the demon who was trying to kill her was making her voice shaky, but she began to notice something…the demon was backing away. Shocked, Keiko began to hum louder and sweeter as the huge black beast yawned and shook it's bulky head. It's falling asleep?! Her body shivered in relief when the red-eyed youkai's eyes began to flutter tiredly.

Finally, he closed his eyes and fell to the ground with a large `thud', snoring loudly. Keiko continued to hum just in case. As she watched the smelly ogre's chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm, she began to slowly step away from it. "Thank god!" she whispered lightly, turning her back to it and running in the direction of the waterfall.

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Keiko was well out of breath once she reached the beach of the falls. Her chest was heaving heavily and she was breathing slightly in gasps. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had just sung a demon to sleep! If it weren't so frightening, it would almost be funny.

Sighing tiredly, she plopped down on a rock with her head in her hands. "I just narrowly escaped death," Keiko whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. No adventure was worth dying over! Something inside her froze as she heard the sounds of people enclosing around her. The voices from earlier! She chided herself mentally, slowly turning her head to see the intruders.

There were twelve of them, human-like demons. Keiko could feel their power even though she held no spirit awareness. These demons were higher class, their uniforms proved that. They were all dressed in black and green, the Demon king's royal guard's colors. She suddenly wished she were back with that other ogre like thing.

"What are you doing here, girl?" a blue haired demon asked as he stepped forward. Keiko stood up and eyed him closely. She knew he could smell her fear, as could all the others. When she didn't answer, he grew annoyed.

"This is Lord Raizen's land. You are trespassing and as so you are committing a crime against him…" he came close enough to smell her, and with a smirk he motioned for two more demon soldiers to come.

"Contain her and take her to the dungeons," the blue haired demon looked back at Keiko with a dark glint in his eyes before adding, "she's a human."

The demonic like men around her gave her interested looks with narrowed eyes.

"How is was this a crime against your lord?" Keiko asked boldly, her eyes betraying the bravery in her words. She was filled with fear and they knew it. After all, humans were incredibly rare. The obvious leader only grinned and whispered something heatedly in her ear. Keiko's eyes widened and she took a step back away from the man. Was he serious? The lord and his heir now own her? No! She was princess of the eastern land! No one owned her! "Stay away from me!" she hissed, pulling her dagger from the reticule around her waist.

Keiko readied to defend herself, even though she must look so miserable for even trying something of such worthlessness. She would not be some piece of property to be owned, and she would not be held in some dungeon! Well, at least she would not go quietly…

TBC

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I want all you YAOI and YURI writers out there to prove to me that not only can you write those type of fanfics, but straight relationship ones. But if you can't, I'll understand. Hehehe…

A.N

The rules for my challenge fic:

The main pairing is Yusuke and Keiko and there is no yoai or yuri between any YYH characters. BUT you can create OCs and involve that stuff.

All entries must start off their stories with my first chapter.

The ratings consist of PG13, R, NC17

Please state if your fanfic is or will be a lemon.

Once your fic has been entered, you must state in the title or summary that it is part of my challenge story.

Info:

First off, I will continue to write my version of this fic. Anyone who wishes to take part in this challenge is to email me at Pyrogirl23@msn.com.

In your email state your name, pen name, name of your version of my story and your email address. I'll end the contest when I get enough entries and will personally read each one. From there I will decide which one the reviewers, my partner and I enjoy the most.

Also, I would like to know if you are normally a yaoi/yuri, straight or both writers.

Thanks,

Rei-chan