Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Demon Within ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

The Demon Within

"What have I done?"

Kurama looked down at the lifeless body at his feet. The thick, black hair only partly hid the pretty face above the blood-covered neck. He stared at the bright red spots on the front of his maroon school uniform; could still taste the tang on his tongue. With one shaky hand, he touched his forehead where a tender lump had suddenly appeared.

"What have I done?" he asked again, then was surprised when an answer came from behind him.

"It wasn't you."

Hiei jumped down from the tree limb he had been crouching on, his sword held at the ready. He walked around Kurama at a safe distance, keeping his red eyes locked with Kurama's green ones. When he reached the head of the girl, he knelt down and tipped her face toward him with one finger on her chin.

"What happened?" Kurama's voice cracked with a mixture of confusion, fear, and anxiety. "How did I . . .? Why did I . . .?"lat

"She's not dead . . . yet," Hiei said and hoisted the limp body over one shoulder. He pointed the tip of his sword at Kurama's chest. "You'd better find a way to get your demon side under control. If you can't, they'll make me do it."

Kurama's jaw dropped and his eyes were wide in shock. Hiei took a step back before sheathing his sword.

"Of course, if Yusuke ever found out what happened to the girl, he wouldn't care which version of you was responsible.” Then Hiei turned and disappeared into the trees, Keiko's arms flopping against the back of his legs as he took her to safety.

~~~~~~~~~~

"So you really don't remember what happened?"

"No."

Kurama followed Genki down the forest path, the uneasy feeling he had before coming to her mountain soothed by the beautiful, lush vegetation surrounding them. He knew she had planned this walk with that thought in mind. For that he was grateful to her.

"My question is," Genki continued, "how was it that Hiei just happened to be in the right place at the right time?"

Kurama froze in his tracks. That thought had never occurred to him. He had counted it as just a fortunate coincidence that Hiei had been there to prevent Kurama from harming Keiko any further. If he hadn't struck him on the forehead to bring him back to his senses, Keiko's fate would have been sealed, as well as Kurama's in the face of Yusuke's fury.

"So Hiei knew it was going to happen? Why didn't he tell me?"

Genki sighed and turned back to face Kurama. "Does Hiei ever offer information? My guess is he received a tip that something about you was changing, so he went to see for himself."

"Koenma!" Kurama exclaimed with sudden understanding.

"He didn't tell you about it because he either didn't know exactly what would happen, or he wanted to witness it."

Kurama hoped it was the former, but feared it to be the latter. It would be just like Hiei to be curious enough about a new threat to want to see it in action before stepping in to stop it.

"So I should go ask Koenma," he thought aloud. He pulled a flower blossom closer to study it so he wouldn't have to face Genki. He couldn't believe how he had overlooked the obvious when he was supposed to be the clever one.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Genki snapped. "There's no use going all the way to Spirit World to ask a question you could answer yourself."

They walked a little further down the path until they came to a small hut. Genki unlocked a large lock on the sturdy door and pushed it open.

"This is a meditation hut," she explained. "The perfect place to find answers, if you ask yourself the right questions."

Kurama looked into the dark, empty hut and a shiver of dread ran down his back. The paper talismans attached to the outside walls gave him an ominous feeling, even though he knew his human fingers could touch them safely. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave this place, but knew that was no longer an option. The image of Keiko's bloody body gave him the courage to stay.

"I'm so confused," he admitted. "I no longer know what to ask."

"You're not confused, you're scared," Genki pointed out. "You've been the picture of calm perfection for so long; you can't even admit to yourself that you're not in complete control. The only way to solve your problem is to face it head on. Now get inside and stay there until you are satisfied you’re back to normal."

Kurama sighed and stepped inside the hut. The door slammed shut behind him and he heard Genki snap the lock shut. His heart pounded as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. When he realized there was absolutely no light penetrating the hut's sturdy walls and roof, he sat down where he was and prepared to relive that day; and to meet his greatest fear.