Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Worthless Humans ❯ A Letter of Hope ( Chapter 26 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Author's Notes: Sorry! Heh, I have classes that won't be done till the second week of June so I am getting there slowly but surely and so my stories kinda had to be put on hold. Also I had a lot of drama both good and bad going on so I was getting over the highs of those.

Also, this summer I am thinking of going back and REVAMPING some of the first few chapters of this story. I need to proof some of them very badly and fix them so they are not such an eyesore. I have grown into a persnickety author since I started this story when it comes to typos and grammar errors and that's about it lately. So if the chapters start to get updated in the beginning, it's nothing. I am just fixing things.

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It was dark and dreary in the cell the bat demon was placed within the castle that stood tall in the clouds of Spirit World. Sitting upon the bench that creaked ever so often under him when he moved Kuronue looked at the shackles on his wrist and ankles that were reinforced for the safety of those in the heavenly world. There was not much he thought about in captivity in such a world he despised. It seemed as though even Nari and Okuro was taken from him in that small, dank room he was to remain within until he was to speak on the human trafficking going on Makai.

Muffled voices sounded behind the steel door that kept him in his confinement causing Kuronue to look up through his dark cobalt bangs to concentrate on them. From the tones, he could make out beyond the door he could hear the leader of Spirit World, Koenma. His brow furrowing in anger at the tone, the demon growled in the back of his throat as he watched when the doorknob turned to reveal the ruler standing there.

The door creaking open, Koenma helped himself inside in his teenage form before shutting the door behind him. His hands slipping into his pockets, he looked at the growling demon without faltering in any form as he sighed through his nostrils. “I wanted to speak to you personally,” Koenma said without a hint of threat in his tone.

“Get out of here,” Kuronue demanded right away with a grumble, his face expressing his hatred for the young ruler.

Koenma said and did nothing as he stood there studying the demon that was brought before him with a serious expression. “Are you not aware of the situation you are in? You could easily walk out of here scot-free but refuse to tell us what we want to know and wish to remain here to suffer.”

Kuronue was quiet for awhile as he remained there with his arms resting upon his thighs with a slight snort. “I refuse to rat out my friend.”

Shaking his russet hair from side to side, Koenma couldn't help but look at the demon with confusion at his behavior. “I can understand your loyalty to your friend, but you're hiding something, demon. Don't deny it—I can see it in your eyes…” Koenma paused as he examined the narrow, hard eyes of the bat demon to find something there he had never seen before in a demon's eyes. “What are you hiding?”

Kuronue got furious at this as he got up quickly from where he was sitting, baring his fangs at the teenager, “What I am hiding is none of your business! Now GET OUT!”

For the first time, Koenma refused to bolt from where he stood with the demon dangerously close to him. “You have an emotion in your eyes I have never seen in many demons. You miss someone but not your friend—it's almost like you're in emotional pain.”

“What would it matter to you either way, Koenma?” Kuronue asked as he spit off to the side, keeping his cold gaze upon the man before him. “I may love someone, but I care for my friend just the same, so you are stuck no matter what you say or do to me.”

Koenma could only dig at this point. He wasn't sure what or who Kuronue missed or was longing for that had to be a female, but if he continued to speak on certain topics, he was hoping he would hit that point in the demon's heart. Shifting his gaze over at the concrete walls, he walked over in that direction to look up at the only window that was within the cell the demon was placed within. “Do you know that this human trafficking is going to become a problem if we don't do something now?”

Kuronue watched Koenma closely with his head slightly lowered once he sat back down with an irritable grunt; his hands finding their way to his thighs once more.

“There is already word from Makai that demons are considering this as a way of making a profit,” Koenma said on a serious note. He had heard rumors from below that demons were starting to come to Human World to steal humans of different gender, race, and age to make business down below. It worried him greatly that this would be a movement that not even he could prevent. Feeling helpless in the situation, he couldn't help but sigh out his frustrations before turning his attention back to the demon. “Your group has caused a very disapproving movement for both Makai and Human World and I want this to stop right where it started.”

The demon kept his sight locked on Koenma until he felt his banter was over. Looking nowhere unparticular, he hissed at his words, “Why is that any concern to me?”

“Because human beings are being tortured, raped, and robbed of their dignity!” Koenma pointed out, storming back over towards where Kuronue sat. “And further more, if you don't at least speak up on where your group is hiding, my father is going to tear you apart!” From what the ruler could see, the demon appeared unaffected by it all, not caring about his own death so long as he could take his loyalty to his grave. Seeing it in Kuronue's unwavering eyes, he crossed his arms over his chest with fury rising up inside of him at the arrogant demon, “And whoever it is you love, you'll NEVER see her again.”

Having that hit his ears caused Kuronue to falter finally at remembering the one he did care about until Sensui ruined that for him. Hissing in defeat, Kuronue shook his head, “I cannot tell you…regardless…” he admitted, resting his palm upon his forehead. “Sensui destroyed our old hideout and I don't know if Yoko Kurama is going to head to the place he had in mind or not. I worry about her—I do,” the bat demon said almost sorrowfully, looking up at Koenma with a bit of spite. “But there is nothing I can do for her while I am here nor is there anything I can do while I am there beside her…”

Listening to the demon closely, Koenma couldn't help but widen his eyes slightly at what he caught in those words expressed to him. “You—you're in love with one of the slaves, aren't you?”

“Don't get your hopes up, Koenma!” Kuronue seemed to order with a snap of his teeth. His finger pointed directly at the Spirit World ruler, he narrowed his eyes at him and the glimmer of hope Kuronue caught in them. “I may love one human woman, but that doesn't mean I care for them all!”

“But you care for just the one,” Koenma seemed to whisper still showing the hope in his soft tone. “Will you not tell me because you're scared of losing a friendship or are you not telling me because you're scared you'll lose the woman?”

Kuronue couldn't help but lift his brow, “What do you mean?”

“Once we find the hideout, we have to send all of the humans back to Human World,” Koenma explained. “A part of you knows this, doesn't it—?”

“A part of me might,” Kuronue intercepted quickly, “but a part of you doesn't know that Nari is all immortal!”

A name was presented to the ruler and he couldn't help but linger on that for a moment, “Nari? Is that the name of the woman you love?”

“Get out,” Kuronue growled, not wishing to say anymore to the leader. He was tired of the interrogation and he wanted to be left alone even if it meant to rot in that cell by himself.

“Demon, who is Nari?” Koenma continued regardless.

Seeing that the ruler didn't want to stop in his ruthless questioning, Kuronue got back off of the bench as he spread out his bat wings to look intimidating. “GET OUT!”

Koenma could tell it was enough by now. A sigh escaping through his nostrils once more, he nodded to the disgruntle demon. “Alright—fine—I will leave you be for now. But you need to really think, demon, on who you want to spare and who you want to fall. I am sure Nari will die down there without you so think on that for awhile and I will listen when you're ready to talk.”

The bat demon watched through his bangs and visor that masked his face as Koenma turned his back to him. The ruler opened the metal door only to slam it behind him with an awful clanging sound to leave Kuronue in emptiness and loneliness once more. Sitting back upon the rickety bench with a sigh of defeat, Kuronue lowered his head and shook his wild, long hair, “Nari…”

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Nari was drug back out in the main dining hall that the water demons had left behind. Her fingers rolling about her chain seeing as Okuro was forced to remain alone in Yoko Kurama's room, she sighed a bit to herself whilst looking amongst the bodies that were within sight, hoping to locate the person she was hunting for. Her heart raced as she prayed she could find him but her hope had turned to doubt when after awhile of looking amongst the many humans, she couldn't find a trace of him.

Where is he…? She could only ask herself, her teeth biting at her chapped and split lips. Amongst the talking and clanking of glasses, a strong tone of a far off female demon beckoned to her slave, causing Nari to shoot her attention in that direction.

“Get more food for me,” the female demon demanded with a push to her male slave, her scaly hands almost taking up the male's face completely. She was a large demon in size and had scales only under her arms that trailed down her back and up her neck from what anybody could see. They were crimson colored—at least that was what one was to see when the light hit the scales. Her skin was a dark color, almost looking a night sky blackish, blue and her eyes were golden with a crescent black shape. Her pure white hair was tied back but from what Nari could guess, it was probably shoulder length and straight as a board. Her horns that were on the far side of her forehead curled backward and under like a ram and were the color of black. Her ears looked like that of a fish demon and her forearm contained fins as well. “And don't you get me the shit I despise, you worthless bastard,” the woman continued.

Nari blinked away from the demon she was looking up and down to get the just of before looking over at the slave the female demon was ordering around. It was the male she spoke to before about contacting Suzuka who she wrote a letter to the night before. Her eyes quivering in nervousness while watching him closely, her heart beat quickly in fear and want to take action as he was heading to get more food for his mistress, Nari looked up at Yomi who she was beside and keeping fed. Knowing it was now or never, she hesitantly placed her hand briefly on Yomi's arm to get his attention.

“Master Yomi,” she whispered submissively, “I can get you more food…if you want.”

The multi-horned demon looked at her with his cold narrow eyes as if to make her release his arm immediately. But hearing that she was willing to serve him made the anger that was swelling inside of him vanish slightly. Without much of a word towards her actions, he took his plate to throw at Nari's face causing some of the food to mate with her tangled hair before it hit the floor. “Get it then if that's what you want,” he retorted with a snicker in the back of his throat.

Nari was shocked at the plate being thrown in her face but all she could do was sit there in bewilderment, shaking her head to get the food out of her hair. Trying to keep her sadness and rage in check, she grabbed onto the plate that dropped to the floor knowing she would have to get him a new one as she headed over to the table that held the food upon it.

Walking as quickly as she could in hopes of getting to the Asian male to speak to him about her letter, Nari got a brand new plate for Yomi and the food she knew he wanted once she made it over there. Making her way down the table to where the nameless slave was grabbing items himself, Nari checked over her shoulder on her masters to see they were occupied before calling to the male.

“Hey,” she called softly over the ruckus the demons were making behind them.

Thanks to the loud noise, the Asian male didn't hear Nari right away and he continued about his task set before him, grabbing different kinds of fruits and vegetables for his mistress.

Checking once more on her masters, Nari moved in a bit closer when she turned her attention back at the food trays before her as she called to him once more, “Hey!” Adding a nudge this time with her bare foot to his ankle, she finally got the male's attention.

“Hey, it's you,” he whispered, keeping his attention on the trays before him once he looked to Nari quickly. “What do you want? Did you write that letter?”

“Yes, I did actually,” Nari answered, performing that same nervous habit to look back at her masters that were having their fun with the others.

“Stop looking at them and being obvious,” the Asian male ordered through his teeth, his hands coming across the bread he knew his mistress liked. “They are going to tear into us if they know we're acting against them. Where is the letter?”

“It's in the bedroom I share with my master.” Finding the awkward meat that Yomi always demanded to have, Nari quickly put that on the plate she got for him. “I couldn't bring it with me at the moment…”

He couldn't help but sigh a bit almost disappointedly as he bravely stole a strawberry from nearby since he was starving. “Well, that's expected seeing as we are being monitored here and I cannot get you to my bird.” Sucking in his lower lip to think, the unnamed slave came up with an idea. “I'll tell you what—meet me in the main room tonight after midnight when everyone is surely asleep. Does your master sleep in bed with you?”

“It depends on who I am with,” Nari answered in a whisper, getting brave herself and stealing a piece of the fish she saw before her not even caring of the taste just so long as she had something in her stomach. “Master Yoko Kurama doesn't like me in bed with him with my son, Okuro so sometimes I sleep on the ground. But Master Yomi makes me sleep with him while Okuro stays on the floor…and screams until he is too tired to care to…” Having to think of Yomi doing that to her son made Nari's hard heart break once more, and she focused that sadness into anger quickly so she wouldn't cry and draw attention to herself.

The slave next to her could see the anger rising up within her and he feared her lashing out as he attempted to change the subject, “Well, work on getting away from whichever master you sleep with tonight and meet me in the main front room. I can get us out of here and get your message to Suzuka.”

“If you can get us out of here, why don't we just run away?” Nari wondered almost eagerly.

“Be logical!” The man seemed to hiss softly to her. “Where would we go in this Hell filled with demons? We would die in a matter of minutes!”

“What would be better,” she began in the same anger he held, “living here and dying slowly every day or going out there and dying in a matter of seconds? In case you haven't noticed, I am immortal and I cannot die! I am bound here by the threat held over my son!”

“Then stay here for your son,” the man seemed to demand as he angrily grabbed for an apple nearby. “Don't be the stupid creature these demons want to believe we are! If your plan goes through and we sit and wait, we will be able to kill them all and wait for help.”

“Who the hell do you think knows we are even down here?!” Nari demanded to know, her eyes narrowing to show their hardness of the abuse she endured.

“We will just have to get there and hope for the best, won't we?” He suggested before finishing up his plate for his mistress. “Just get me the letter and I will take it from there.”

Nothing else was said between the two as the man excused himself from the table before them to head back to his mistress. Nari watched him from the corner of her eye as he walked out of her view and back to the main eating table. Taking in a deep breath over the scenario, Nari quickly finished up putting the food items on the plate before heading back over to the two masters she despised and was plotting their downfall.

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Everyone had cleared out to steal and replenish their new home under Yoko Kurama later that afternoon leaving Nari alone with her son to think on what she needed to do for the coming years of her life. Remaining in Yoko Kurama's room, Nari held onto her son as he played with the necklace a bit that was worn by the only father he knew of and created by his mother. Having to look upon the red jewel she made with her own blood made her falter in appearance at having to remember her other master and the death she was unable to witness.

Even for a young boy, Okuro could tell there were times she was upset as the young mixed boy turned to face his mother. “Mommy…something wrong?”

A smile graced her lips as she shook her head to express her lie, “No, I am fine, baby. But thanks for asking. It's nice to have someone care about me.”

Okuro's tail thumping against his mother's leg slightly, he smiled to her as he kept a hold of the pendant he had fallen in love with. “I care—I always care.”

“I know you do, Okuro,” Nari said softly as she smiled her same broken smile to him. “And mommy promises that I will find a way to get out of here. You trust me don't you?”

The black furred fox ears her was given at birth moved slightly at her words as he seemed to contemplate on her promise. Even if he wasn't as horribly abused like his mother, he hated to see her being put through what she was and he wanted to leave. But their hope of leaving was dashed not too long ago and even trust was a thing hard for him to accept at the moment. But this was his mother if anybody. “I trust you, mommy,” Okuro finally responded softly. “I've always trusted you.”

The blond, uneven and broken hair waved about when Nari nodded to her son's response. “I am glad you do,” she whispered, holding her son close to her. Finding herself becoming quite exhausted, the young woman rolled out on her side with her son still in her arms to keep him close and not let him wander about the room without her awake. “I am going to sleep now, Okuro so please do not leave my side without my knowing even if within this room. I don't want my master to get mad at you.”

Hearing the verbal assurance from her son that he wouldn't do anything while she slept, Nari closed her eyes to sleep for the time being so she could get ready for later that night.

Nari remained asleep for awhile until someone's hand covered her entire face, causing her to panic and rouse quickly from her nap she was enduring. Releasing her son who scurried away from his mother thanks to the oncoming demons, Nari almost scratched at Yomi who she soon saw through his fingers that had her.

“Awe, don't be that way,” Yomi laughed morbidly as he kept his hand where it was with the silver fox standing behind him with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Releasing her face and grabbing onto her chain that was upon the floor, Yomi pulled her up off of the ground harshly with a twisted grin upon his face. “So who is getting her tonight?”

Yoko Kurama's silver fox ear twisted towards the whimpering half demon in the room, before shifting his attention over to the frightened Nari who Yomi had a hold of. The very look of her brought back the thought of his believed to be deceased friend and he couldn't take it any longer. “I have no use for her tonight. You can put her in your bedroom tonight.”

Having to hear that made Nari struggle further against the coal black haired demon that had her in his grasp. She knew if she were to sleep with him, he would either tie her down or keep a death grip on her in the bedroom. No—not with him! She begged in her mind desperately wanting to get that letter to Suzuka.

Yomi released the chain that Nari was trying her hardest to pry out of his hands causing her to fall to her side when he unexpectedly let go of her. Watching as the young woman breathed heavily from the race her heart was running, the demon crossed his arms as well over his chest. “I'll take her then. I may have use for her though I wish we could throw that son of hers in the barn.”

“The barn area hasn't been fixed to suit these humans, Yomi, you know that,” Yoko Kurama pointed out as he headed over to his canopy bed.

“You're getting too damn soft, Yoko Kurama,” Yomi said almost irritably as he grabbed back up Nari's chain. “They don't need anything but what those beasts were given by the water demons who had this place before us.”

Grabbing onto her son when the chain was clutched once more, Nari quickly reached under the rug she was upon to snag the letter she had hidden under there and folded up for the sake of hiding it in her palm. I will get this letter to him no matter how plans go, Nari promised herself as she picked up her son.

“Move it, bitch,” Yomi ordered with a harsh tug to her chain to make her nearly stumble back down to the floor.

Yoko Kurama stayed planted upon the side of his canopy bed as the two left his room. Having the place all to himself for a moment, he couldn't help but sigh sorrowfully through his nostrils as he got to his feet to look out at the scenery his room was granted with the full body windows behind his bed. “I wonder—would letting her go truly be easier,” he seemed to ask himself with his arms firmly crossed upon his chest. “Every time I look at her I get enraged and think of Kuronue. I am tired of thinking of someone I lost and will never get back…”

The fox demon could come up with no explanation for his situation as his golden, haunting eyes stayed fixed upon the waterfall that flowed before him almost silently as every sad melody he heard on the streets and sung by teens from Human World when walking upon it in his fox form attacked his mind. Snorting irritably a bit at the moment he was enduring, Yoko Kurama massaged his forehead to try and get the tainting human melodies out of his mind.

“What good will it do either way? Kuronue will always be there on my mind,” he sighed, turning his attention away from the scene before him so he could sleep for the night.

The grandfather clock chimed three times later that night to announce that it was another full hour later. Nari's eyes flew open once she heard it, looking over at the clock within Yomi's room that rested near the fireplace to see in the dimly lit room that it was midnight. Her ivy green eyes shifting over to the heavily breathing demon, she could tell he was deep asleep but the problem was prying her body out of the embrace he had her in. His arm was around her torso but she knew if she made one wrong move, he would wake up and punish her greatly for trying to leave.

Slowly but steadily, Nari reached for his arm to lift it up off of her body so that she could move out from underneath him. Every move she made forced her body to perspire and emit fear of being caught, making her stop as Yomi's breathing hitched in his sleep. At times she would have to stop herself and try to think of something completely different in hopes of her fear settling, but it was difficult as she continued her task. Please don't screw this up, she begged mentally to herself as she finally managed to scoot herself out from under the demon's outstretched, limp arm. Placing the arm upon her pillow she was using that night, Nari carefully got off of the bed before tiptoeing across the wooden floor to get to the other side of the bed where the door was located.

Every time a board would act out or something would happen that she feared would grab Yomi's attention, Nari would shift her eyes upon him in hopes of him remaining still and not waking. Her back facing the door she was eager to get out of, Nari's nimble fingers quickly searched the door for the doorknob while Yomi remained asleep. “Almost there,” she practically mouthed to herself as she finally found the knob to the door. Once her fingers met with the squeaky knob, the bed creaked as Yomi grunted in his sleep making Nari freeze from head to toe and her heart thump wildly. Clutching her teeth in attempts to stop from screaming while the demon shifted in the bed, Nari closed her eyes until it was over seeing as she wasn't sure what he was doing just yet and she feared him waking up to find her at the door.

Yomi did nothing as the bed was quiet once again as were the rustling covers. He was merely dreaming and shifting in his sleep making this a big relief for Nari who was about to have a heart attack at the door she stood before. Finding this out once silence consumed the room Nari quickly opened the door and shut it quietly behind her before rushing down the hallway Yomi's room was situated in, hoping to get to where the male told her to meet him.

The mansion was larger than the previous one and every door she opened quietly led to another room she found to be pointless for the demons that ruled her life. It really made her feel, after awhile of walking by herself, that she was in a haunted mansion and the fear began to overwhelm her after a certain point. Her bare, abused feet tapping against the carpet beneath her, Nari finally opened the last door that led her into the main room where the man she had spoken to days ago was standing in wait.

Hearing the creaking door, the nameless slave snapped his head quickly in that direction to see it was merely Nari, “There you are! I was wondering where the hell you were!” He was obviously scared he too was going to be caught and punished from what his fearful tone conveyed.

Nari quickly ran down the steps before her to make it to his side with a nod, “Let's go.”

Both of the slaves quickly ran out into the dark night in nothing but their shackles and the hope that this letter would lead them back to home. Every tree that moaned and every branch that cracked made both nervous and scared, but the male stayed strong emotionally for the both of them before stopped just within a small clearing a half an hour away from the mansion.

“Wait here,” he ordered softly, guiding Nari into the thicket before walking out into the clearing by himself. Looking about the area to make sure nobody was nearby, the Asian slave began to whistle a sort of gentle, brief tune into the silence about them.

Nari waited for awhile in the bushes wondering if that bird was truly alive down in Makai given all that was down here. But as soon as she was about to doubt the creature being alive, a male pearl cockatiel fluttered from the woods to perch upon his shoulder.

“That's a good boy,” the man praised before waving discreetly over to the hiding Nari.

Knowing this was her cue, Nari hurried over to him with the rolled up letter in tact. “Here,” was all she said in a whisper, not liking the feel of them being out in the middle of nowhere without her masters at least protecting her even if she was immortal.

Taking the note, he held it up to his cockatiel prompting the bird to snatch it up in his beak with a quick peck. “Take this letter to Suzuka—you know who he is, don't you? You stake out around his house so damn much, I would suspect you do,” he playfully chuckled to his bird as he pet the bird with his finger.

The bird did nothing until helped into the skies by his owner where he took off quickly towards the narcissists' house.

“A regular house pet has survived down here in Makai?” Nari wondered with a raise of her brow.

“He was brought down here with his primary flight feathers clipped so he couldn't fly,” he explained with the same amazement. “I guess he hid until his feathers grew back and he is alive to this very day. I don't know how but, he's survived. I didn't think he did until I saw him at that demon's house when I was dragged their by my mistress…so the demon is at least taking care of him.”

Nari looked back up at the endless sky before her with the first honest smile she had been able to express in years. “If he can make it…maybe we can too.”

Hearing the young woman say that, the male looked over to her with a nod, “The difference between him and you is you've given up hope and continue to do so. The demons can beat us of everything we hold and the courage we have, but they cannot beat hope out of us. Don't give up hope and you'll make it out alive.”

Sighing through her nostrils, Nari embraced herself in the cold night air before nodding at the slave she was unaware of by name, “I promise.” Was all she could whisper to him before turning on her heels to head back to the mansion with him.