Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Theives' Guild ❯ Chapter 5

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters. I do, however, own everyone else.

Chapter Five

Ayume was walking with Hiei playing a word game when humans got in their way. It was one of the few reprieves from running Youko was giving them once every four hours or so.

Ayume ran her eyes up and down the group. They were inviting trouble. Each man was armed with either a homemade spear or a scythe. She didn't think they would be much trouble until the Miko walked forward. Because they'd been traveling at night, Ayume hadn't seen her before she moved.

The entire group, save Ayume, was demons. None of them could fight a Miko. Automatically Ayume stepped in front of Hiei as the Miko's eyes flicked their way.

“Demons!” The Miko yelled. She was young, Ayume noted. Early twenties maybe. “Leave this place at once.”

Youko was thoroughly annoyed. “ That's what we were doing in case you didn't notice. Then you decided to stop us.”

The men leveled weapons at the bandits, but the Miko held up her hand for them to wait. “If your intention was truly to leave us in peace, then you would not mind easing our fears by changing your course away from the village. Will you do this, Demon?”

“If it'll make this trip quicker, no problem.” Kuronue remarked. “We don't have time to waste on you.”

“Then take the path to your right. It will lead you demons around the village. We will have guards all the way around, so don't try anything.” Youko looked like he wanted to attack her, but he thought better of it, instead leading his men in the direction she had indicated. “ I said the demons could go, not you.” Her voice cut through the air as Ayume went to go with them.

This was a problem. The Miko was smart. She'd placed them so that the men could easily cut her off from the group. She and Hiei were stuck on one side, the rest on the other. On top of that, the Miko had raised a barrier to keep them inside, the threat of purification looming, quite literally, just a few steps away. Ayume looked past the humans and quickly shook her head, indicating the others not to do anything stupid.

The Miko strutted towards her. She stopped less than a yard away, noting Ayume's protective stance in front of the demon child. “Humans who choose to live with demons are even worse than they are. Those who are bandits with said demons who steal from humans…” she shook her head, “Unforgivable.”

“Get out of my way.” Ayume growled, her tension setting Hiei on edge. “I didn't do anything to you.”

“You're an insult to my kind. I exist to protect humans from demons, and here you are protecting a demon from humans. How would you react, I wonder…” The Miko brought purification energy to her hand. Ayume didn't react as the Miko slapped her with the energy-charged hand.

The move that would have brought the higher class demons to their knees didn't even move Ayume an inch, though a hand-shaped red mark appeared on her cheek. She could feel it sting.

Ayume didn't put up with violence from anyone. Those who were her friends got paid back justly. Those she respected, she would use verbal slaps as payback rather than physical ones. Those she had no respect for, such as the Miko in front of her, would get what they served.

Ayume slapped her back, putting the exact amount of force and spirit power behind it that the Miko had. She staggered back. The men moved toward her, weapons raised. “No!” the Miko ordered as the bandit group moved forward to help Ayume if she needed it, ignoring the barrier. Some nearly fried. The Miko charged her hand again, this time far more powerfully. She moved to slap Ayume again.

At the last second, she changed direction to hit Hiei. Ayume had her dagger in the Miko's heart before her hand got within an inch of him. The men of her village watched her fall. Angrily they charged toward Ayume, but froze in fear mid-shout when she turned her icy gaze on them. “T-traitor.” The Miko spluttered at her.

So the humans couldn't hear her, Ayume bendtdown and whispered, “You are a biased fool. Die knowing you lost for a fool's errand. Instead of protecting humans, you wanted to kill one who had done you no wrong.” Ayume didn't even recognize her own voice. “And die knowing you damned your village as well.”

“What?” The Miko demanded.

“The second you die, all the men here, which is all the men in the village, will attack me blindly. I will kill them. You die not as a protector, but as an executioner.” Ayume stood. “I stabbed you in a place where you'll die the instant I remove my blade.” She stated loudly. “Shall it be I or your village healer who truly kills you Miko?”

Instead of answering, the Miko reached her hand up to the blade in her chest. She ripped it out and cursed Ayume with her last breath. A cry rose from the village men. No angry look would stop them this time, but Ayume was far more pissed than they were. One human pulled out in front of the group and was killed almost instantly as her hand hit his neck hard enough to snap it in two.

Like a blur Hiei couldn't even see, Ayume moved among the humans, aiming to maim, not to kill. A few distinct times, her anger got the better of her and a human would drop instantly dead. Hiei had been frozen solid since that purification-powered slap had come close enough to have killed him. He couldn't make his legs move, even as Ayume became visible again in stillness as the humans all around her were either dead or writhing in pain.

Ayume walked over to him and knelt so they were at the same level. “I'm sorry, Hiei. It's my fault you were involved in this.” She apologized softly. Ayume's hand found its way to his cheek, where the close encounter with purifying energy had burned his skin. Hiei saw a light blue glow out of the corner of his eye and the pain stopped almost immediately.

Hiei still couldn't find his tongue, but he hated to see Ayume blame herself. When she went to pull away, Hiei put his hand on Ayume's and held it there for a moment. He was calm by the time he let go a few seconds later.

“Ayume! Hiei!” a bunch of voices yelled. Ayume turned, seeing an entirely new threat. The Miko she'd killed apparently wasn't the only one nearby. An elderly woman dressed in a Miko's garb had an arrow pointed straight at them. The barrier hadn't dissipated yet, so Hiei and Ayume were on their own.

“A teacher. Great.” Ayume groaned. She stood and turned entirely to face the woman, blocking Hiei's view of her entirely. “What now? Are you going to try to kill us too?” She called.

The Miko was so surprised she actually lowered her bow a fraction, but it snapped back into place, aimed directly at Ayume's heart. “Why should I not? Ye have doomed us all. Ye killed my successor. She was to protect this place after my death!”

“Then she shouldn't have picked a fight with me.” Ayume replied, unconcerned. The arrow on the string pulled back even more. Hiei's heart was about to burst out of his chest. Even Ayume couldn't dodge an arrow shot by a skilled archer at this range. “Look, this wouldn't have happened if she would've just swallowed her ego and let us by. If it makes you feel better, you can hurt me all you want, but don't you dare touch him.” she said, motioning to the child-demon behind her.

As she waved, Hiei felt her slam her power into the ground where it streaked toward the barrier containing their friends. The Miko didn't miss it either, because she put her own barrier up around herself, effectively nullifying Youko's attack and burning his hand. Growling, he retreated, along with the rest of the band.

Hiei looked behind him where the men had moved, Youko and Kuronue right up front. Both looked ticked beyond compare. The Miko's gaze flicked to them, afraid, but her arrow remained on Ayume's heart.

When it wavered toward the men, Ayume put her arms up. “I said you can hurt me as much as you want. Leave them alone.”

The arrow quickly re-sighted on Ayume and fired. It slammed through her shoulder and she fell back into a sitting position, but she didn't make a sound. Youko and Kuronue were by her side in a fraction of a second.

“I wouldn't touch it if I were you.” Ayume bit out as Youko reached for the arrow. “She charged it.”

“You would willingly die for them? Demons?” The Miko demanded as Ayume shooed Youko and Kuronue away. “Why?”

“They're the only ones who treat me as if I'm a person too.” She answered, cutting off the feathered part of the arrow with her second dagger. She leaned forward so she could grab the head of the arrow. Hiei watched her grit her teeth and pull it the rest of the way through. Only he, Youko, and Kuronue were close enough to hear her whimper in pain.

Hiei moved in front of her as she tried to get up. Surprised, Ayume stopped. “Hiei?”

“Stop it. You don't have to protect us.” Hiei sniffled. Ayume stood anyway.

“Hiei, I would rather die than let something happen to you. The others too.” Still, Ayume didn't move out of the protective semi-circle the group had formed around her. “If she shoots me, fine. I'll live.” She continued. “Do you know what'll happen if she shoots any of you?”

Some of the weaker demons shifted nervously as the Miko notched a second arrow. “I will doubtlessly regret this for the rest of my life.” The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife. The Miko lowered her bow and dropped it. “Go.”

Ayume stooped by the body of the younger Miko and retrieved her dagger. She looked up at the elder one. “Take care for the living.” She advised before turning back to her friends.

The next morning Ayume sat repairing her shirt. At least at this point in time it wasn't odd to have bandages on. Her mind kept flashing back to the Miko she'd killed. Was this what it came to? She loved her friends. She loved her family. The two would eternally be opposing forces. Whichever side she chose, the other would hate her for it.

She'd just killed a Miko. That Miko could've been her mom, or her sister Likora. Her choice had already been made. She didn't regret it, but she hated how it had come.

And what to do? There was no possible way her family wasn't looking for her. Likora and their mother, Haru Avon, Miri, Katoko, Miyu, and their father. It would be a bloodbath when they found out.

Hiei, Livoso, Kiev, Kuronue, Youko. Even idiots like Uzi. She liked it with them. She felt more at home with them than she ever had with her mother. Going by their reaction earlier today, Ayume felt it was safe to assume they wouldn't just let her family force her to leave if she didn't want to.

So what could she do?

She paused in her stitching when she heard someone coming. Looking up, she saw it was Livoso. His face was grim as he sat in front of her. “I overheard Youko and Kuronue talking earlier.” He began. “Is your mother truly a Miko?”

Ayume froze, eyes wide. Great, he just had to bring that up. She looked back at her stitching as she answered. “She is.”

“Then I'm sorry. It must have been hard for you.”

“Only afterward.” She didn't say anything for a moment. “Livoso, tell me. Who exactly do you think I am?”

“Ayume.” He answered without hesitation. She laughed shortly.

“Who is Ayume?” Livoso was silent for a moment.

“The most honorable, unprejudiced kid I know.” He answered.

“When did you overhear that my mother is a Miko. Yesterday?” Livoso nodded. “Well…I'll give you another shock. After, I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Normally I wouldn't, but I guess if you know part of the story, it's only fair you know it all.” Ayume paused. “Although I didn't inherit her powers, I am still my mother's daughter.”

It took Livoso a moment to realize the significance of what she'd said. “You- you.”

“Hiei, you can come out now. You don't have to sit there and eavesdrop.” Ayume called. Sheepishly, Hiei rose from the nearby bushes and came to sit with them.

“You're not different because you're a girl.,” was the first thing out of Hiei's mouth. Blunt and undisguised, it made her laugh.

“You're a girl!” Livoso stuttered.

“Have I ever said otherwise?” She inquired. “To my knowledge, all of you simply assumed I wasn't.” She wore a knowing grin.

“But you don't look like a girl!” Livoso protested. “You have no breasts…” automatically his eyes travelled down to the bandaging. “You…”

“I didn't have big ones to start with, so it was easy enough to bind them. As a guy, you can't even imagine how much they get in the way. Now this is really personal. Can we move to something else?” She snapped. Livoso snapped his eyes back to her face.

“Uh…yeah.” He agreed, face beet red. “Youko said you had brothers and sisters. How many?”

“Three brothers, three sisters and soon to be this one.” Ayume answered, laying her hand on Hiei's head. He swatted it away like he always did, internally pleased she'd called him her brother. She laughed as he pouted at her.

“Hiei?” Livoso demanded. Like all demons, he took matters such as that with seriousness reserved for the most important of things. Becoming blood siblings was not a matter to be taken lightly, and he read in Ayume's eyes that she was well aware of it. “You are absolutely sure?” He asked.

“I wouldn't have asked otherwise.” Hiei retorted. Livoso looked ready to say more, but he thought the better of it. The two were practically brothers -brother and sister- already.

She really hadn't gone out of her way to hide anything. Hiei didn't really care about any of the questions Livoso had. True to her word, however, Ayume answered every one. He listened to the endless rounds of question and answer, not really caring. After all, he'd heard most of it from Ayume the day before.

Eventually Livoso ran out of things to ask. By then, Ayume had long since finished fixing her shirt and put it back on. Hiei had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly from his place beside her.

“I can't wrap my mind around it. But I suppose it'll be easier to imagine later.” Ayume nodded and he got up. “I'll see you…tonight.” He said and wandered to his part of camp.

“I wouldn't be surprised if it already is tonight. And they say women are chatterboxes.” She grumbled. On the plus side, Livoso's constant chatter had actually kept her mind off the consequences of the night's events. The silence, however, brought them back.

Family or friends? Humans or demons? Why in the world couldn't she just love both? Why did her life have to flip upside-down on her?