Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Legacy ❯ Soulless ( Chapter 2 )

Now to introduce the silly, somewhat adorable Taro.
What was this? Who was this Hebi? Mukuro had asked Hiei to leave, while she spoke with Hebi privately. He hated the idea of this woman being around Mukuro. Why? Why did he give a damn? Even if he did, what could Hebi do to Mukuro? She was too low-class to bruise even a human, much less one of the most powerful demons alive.
He stormed into the recovery room. A human lay unconscious on the bed. And who sat at the table beside the human, going through its belongings? Taro, that's who. Hiei took a deep breath, and scowled at the ceiling as if to say, 'god give me patience.'
"Wow!" The young demon scoured through a bunch of paper bags, his brown eyes wide open in joy. "This is my lucky day!" His blond waves, bouncy voice, and cheery disposition hardly gave credit to the youth's abilities. At times, Hiei was tempted to introduce him to a certain blue-haired grim reaper.
Hiei stared at Taro and sighed. That moron, that freak, that oddball. Nothing seemed to quite describe Taro. He had been doing quite well in the tournament almost four years ago. Then, in a moment of absolute stupidity, he had looked over at some woman fighting at the next arena over. Or so the rumors said. Taro had to be the only demon enjoying his duty in the Makai guard. And for one reason: human food.
"What are you doing?"
The boy jumped, realizing he was no longer alone. He threw the bags back on the table. "Um, er, Ahh..." In human terms, he would have been about 16. Hiei wasn't surprised. Taro was such a child. "I-I- Mr. Hiei- I was j-just, um, recording the human's belongings." He snatched a notepad and forced a grin, trying to appear convincing. He wasn't.
"You were hungry." Hiei shook his head. He turned around, allowing the boy to sneak the food under the bed. Very conspicuously, I might add. "Don't bother. Everyone knows about you. So why would I bother telling?"
Taro stared at the stone floor. "I don't know. I guess I just don't want to be dubbed as the freak."
"Too late." Hiei replied dully. "Perhaps you'll be heading to Ningenkai after this tournament?"
Taro shrugged. "Maybe. Or I might enter the tournament and do this again; guarding is kind of fun!" Hiei stared at the strange demon, who turned away in embarrassment. "So, um, how about you, Hiei sir?"
"I might enter again," Hiei replied. "There isn't much else to do." He still had his back to the boy, wondering why he even came.
"Oh," Taro seemed confused. "I thought you would stay with Mukuro, perhaps."
Hiei spun his head and shot a frightening glare at the young demon. "Don't you ever say that again." His voice was dangerously quiet.
"I-I was just saying..." Taro trailed off. "I mean- who wouldn't want to? I mean, she seems to like you, as a fighter I mean, and she's really powerful. She doesn't look too bad either." Taro immediately regretted his words.
Hiei stared long and hard at Taro. His face was completely unreadable. Taro couldn't decide if he was right or wrong. "Uh, umm, I'm right, am I?"
Hiei sighed, his face still unreadable. "You really are a freak." He shook his head, and left the room.
"Hebi," Mukuro poured Hebi her tea. "You didn't come simply to reunite with your long-lost sister." They sat in her room, tea mats prepared for the guest.
The woman shook her head. "Like you and mother, I too am ambitious. You inherited her looks, too. But dear, whatever did you do to your face?" Hebi stared long and hard at her younger sister's melted skin.
Mukuro froze. She had never in her life thought about her mother; she never even knew her.
"It's been so incredibly long." Hebi took a long deep sip of tea and sighed. "And you were so young." She helped herself to another cup. "She was Daddy's favorite. A prostitute of course. Oh, when she had me, she was so embarrassed to have brought such an ugly little thing to such a big ugly father. That hypocrite wouldn't touch me with a ten-foot pole." Hebi screeched in laughter. "Something gave her cold feet once she had you and she ran off. Without her, you became his new favorite." She pointed a soil-stained finger at Mukuro.
Mukuro shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"I was the starving ugly cripple feeding on whatever that pig would drop on the floor, and you were his 'little toy.' That was your name, don't you remember?"
"What is your point?" Mukuro tensed, wincing at how Hebi laughed like all this was some joke.
"The old man went missing a few years ago. Didn't you hear?" Hebi drained her second cup, going for a third. "Someone somehow rolled the blob out the front door. I was too ugly to be considered his daughter, so his will goes to you. And if you don't know, he still has a hefty estate."
Mukuro's eyes wandered to a curtain. That was all the irony that separated Hebi's eyes from the bastard she thought was dead.
"It's so cruel of him to mock you like this. Even if you messed up your looks, he still liked you the best, I suppose."
"Enough!" Mukuro's voice quivered as she glared at Hebi. "It's yours. Take it!" Hebi was as much a pig as her father.
Hebi stumbled to her feet, limping towards Mukuro and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm terribly sorry, Mukuro. He's caused you so much greif. Even in his death, he still..." She gazed sympathetically at the younger woman.
Mukuro struggled to breathe. This was wrong. "Just go."
"I need to stay a while, so we can get his affairs in order."
Both women spun their heads as Hiei slammed open the door.
"What is it?" Mukuro snapped at him.
"Why are you even talking to this worm?!" Hiei pointed a finger at Hebi, not noticing Mukuro's anger.
"Is it your concern?" Hebi asked passively, removing her hand from her sister's shoulder.
"Don't talk." Hiei glared at the older woman. "I could kill you in an instant."
She stared dully over his head. "I have no illusion of your abilities, Jaganshi Hiei. But for all your strength, you lack logic. It takes less than impressive brain power to place death threats, much less carry them out."
"Stop it!" Mukuro jumped to her feet. "Hiei. Hebi is my sister. And a guest. Lead her to one of the visitor's facilities."
Hiei did a double-take. You must understand this would be a shocker. Apart from their hair, the women hardly looked alike. And their levels of power were so drastically different. As he took it in, he caught a sneer from Hebi.
He replied with a snarl.
Hiei opened the door for the visitor. "Fine." His dark look redirected to Mukuro, who returned the gesture.
As he shut the door behind himself and Hebi, she performed a mock sigh. "Ah! Young love."
Hiei ignored her. She was trying to make him do something stupid. He would wait.
"She seems to put a lot of trust in you," Hebi glanced over at him as they began the long walk to the guest rooms. "After Daddy, I was sure she couldn't trust a man!"
Hiei remained silent.
"She was such a tender little thing last I saw her. She was always sure if she was really good, he'd stop. I offered to help her run away once. She just kept saying no. She said she wanted to stay with him. With him! See, that's how much he got her screwed up! No pun intended."
She was sick. Hiei clenched his fist. He felt ill.
"Of course, that's probably what happened to all the girls he had. 'Cept me, of course. You know, she was his favorite-"
No one was around. And they were far enough from Mukuro's room. He grabbed Hebi by the throat, pinning her to the wall.
"I don't give a damn what you think of my 'brain power.'" He snarled. "I will kill you. What are you playing? Be honest; I know when you're lying."
"Fine, fine," Hebi sighed impatiently. Did she care that an S-class demon had her by the throat? No way. "I'm but a poor low-class demon. All this time, I've survived by wits alone. You must give me credit for that," she choked. Hiei let her go enough to breathe. Barely.
"But I've spent all my life in survival mode. I'm sure you know what that's like, Hiei. With the man's inheritance, I could have power enough to live in peace. To finally have time." Hebi's poker face spearfished. She was being honest, he could tell.
Hiei roughly removed his hand from her windpipe. He scowled at the wall at his side. "When you live the life of a demon," his voice was unusually quiet. "The last thing you need...is time to think about what you are." He turned back to Hebi, who remained neutral. "Especially you." His face wasn't threatening this time; only loathing. Loathing that beastly woman and his own self. Both for the same reason.
I'm..writing angst... O.o That's not typical Tiemiosho... Ah, well! Here's Hebi's name.
? Hebi, meaning "snake." I think the name suits her. She's nasty and probably was named so since she is a cripple. Though I'm sure there will be a few times readers might mix her with Hiei; they're spelled a bit alike. (Sorry!)
Even though she's ruthless and is totally cruel to Mukuro-sama...I somehow like her. She's a very interesting and complex character to write.