Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ True Blue ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

True Blue

Chapter One

Or, Bright Blue

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story was previously published as `For No One', for those who didn't know. I decided I'd start it over again and make it better than it was originally. Hopefully it will be a heck of a lot better. I also, from this moment hereon, I shall make no squalls about the amount of my reviews, no matter how little I receive. And FYI: Koenma is in his teenage form for the entirety of the story, unless noted otherwise.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH. Still. And I don't foresee it changing anytime in the near future. Not that I'm a seeress or anything…

DEDICATIONS: First and foremost, I'd like to dedicate True Blue to my friend Margo. Perhaps we grew apart and don't have the common interests we once shared… but she'll always be my friend. Secondly, this story goes to my friend Seetha, who has been my friend through the worst times of my life. Last, but certainly not least, I dedicate this story to my friend Tim. He just moved a week after my birthday, (to Florida, I live in Pennsylvania) but distance is irrelevant. I just wanted these three people, who mean so much to me, to know that I love them dearly.

KEY:

(A/N- author's note)

(regular part of story, unless noted otherwise)

//telepathic message//

-thoughts-

"speaking"

You woke up screamin' loud

A prayer from your secret god

You feed off our fears

And hold back your tears

-Building A Mystery by Sarah McLachlan

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~Koenma~

That evening I had that dream again.

The one where I'm sitting in my desk at Reikai. The one where I'm sitting at my desk and stamping papers as usual. The one where I suddenly find that I'm paralyzed, that the lights have failed, and become filled with fear.

The dream with her.

She makes no grand entrance, wears no extravagant clothes, has no gorgeous features. At least at first glance. A closer look would prove that her simple black knee-length shift, though threadbare and ratty, shimmers sliver with every graceful step. That her aura extends far beyond her body, both dark and fair, touching all those within reach. And if one truly studies her face, one could see that she was fey, that her eyes ranged from the darkest ebony to the palest grey, that her facial features seemed to shift and rearrange. I am told that in her race of shape- shifters, her appearance would be considered ordinary, prosaic even. But there is nothing commonplace about this young woman.

She kneels beside me, resting one pale hand on my arm. Her touch is gelid, but when she looks into my eyes I feel no hint of chill. For her eyes carry the pain of the world, every hurt, betrayal or madness anyone had ever experienced. And as I stare into her eyes my own pain evanesces into nothingness. She puts both long, thin hands on my cheeks, and I bend my neck so that she may place a frosty kiss against on my forehead.

Then she stands, shakily, and I notice for the first time how frail she is, how her knees appear as if at any moment they should break under her weight, as meager as it may be. She smiles, a sad smile that shall forever be engraved in my mind, and fades away into the darkness.

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I awoke to feel wetness.

"Koenma." I recognized the voice immediately. "Wake up, you'll botch your sleep cycle." She was sitting on the edge of my desk, dipping her long fingers in a glass of water and flicking the droplets at me.

I groaned and leaned back in my chair. "I think I already have." I cupped my hands and held them out to her. She paused, then slowly poured some water from the chalice into my outstretched palms. I splashed the frigid water on my face, allowing the dampness to awaken my senses, then wiped away the moisture with my sleeve.

"You should try to sleep at night," She scolded as she used her coat sleeve to wipe away the wet remnants on my cheek. "else you shall end up not sleeping at all." She said the last two words in her strict accent, pushing the `t' in front of `all' so it sounded like "A t'all."

"Can I have some of that water?" I asked.

She frowned but held out the glass so I could drink. "Are you listening to me, Koenma?"

I put down the cup and wiped my mouth on my sleeve again. "Don't mother me, Blue. I'm a big boy and can take care of myself." I cracked my knuckles. "So, I take it they shortened your sentence?"

"I suppose you could say that." She answered tactfully.

I shrugged my shoulders, deciding it was best to drop the subject. "What time is it?"

"Six- fifteen."

"Time to eat."

"That's why I fear the dilemma we face when you become king, Koenma. All you think of is yourself and your stomach."

I was about to retaliate with a witty comeback, but at that moment Jorge (1) burst through my office door.

"Koenma- sama, I-" He stopped to catch his breath, chest heaving. That's when he noticed the dark- haired girl at my side. "Oh, Elektra, I didn't know you were here. Am I… interrupting something?"

His last comment annoyed the hell out of me. Everyone knew whatever was between Blue and I all those years ago was over, is over, and shall remain over. That and I loathed her presence. "What is it that you want, Jorge?" I queried, keeping the anger out of my voice for her sake.

"We just received this video, sir. Its origins are unknown." He handed the cassette to Blue, who handed it to me.

I eyed it warily. "Has it been surveyed yet?"

"No, sir. Like I said, we just received it." He shifted from one large foot to the other nervously.

"Very good. You may leave now, Jorge."

"That's not all, Koenma- sama. The Rei Tantei are here."

"Ah." I ran my fingers through my mussed hair. "Send them in."

Jorge nodded, gave a clumsy bow, and exited.

"So Yusuke and the boys are still working, ne?" Blue asked, though the question wasn't directed towards me. "I find that surprising."

I glanced at her for a moment, and knew what she was thinking. "Still healing?"

She made a fist with her right hand, and I noticed the pale pink scar on her wrist. "You and I both know that I was in no position to take that job, Koenma." Her voice was feather- soft, and it almost made me feel for her, this icy wisp of a woman, whose heart was stone, this woman who was a mere shadow of her former self.

I was so consumed in my self- pity it nearly gave me a coronary when Yusuke burst in.

"Koenma!" He shouted in greeting. At his heels was Kuwabara, followed closely by Kurama; then as always, Hiei. Yusuke stopped when he saw Blue. "Hey, I thought you were going with Botan."

"Are you cheating on her?" Kuwabara asked, eyes wide.

"I'm not cheating on anyone," I told them in annoyance. "Besides, Botan and I broke up, thank you, and have no intention on getting back together."

"Then who…"

"This is Blue." I threw a silencing glance at her, which she ignored. "My secretary."

The shape- shifter leapt gracefully off my desk. "Call me Elektra." She flipping her hair back as she tossed a malicious grin at me. "Koenma can't call me by my real name." She held out her hand for Yusuke to shake as I gritted my teeth, willing her to stay away from my friend, damnit. Her eyes flicked down her quarry, quickly examining his hair, eyes, hands, clothes, shoes, his posture, the strength of his handshake, the wit in his voice as he greeted her with an interested `hey'.

She cast all- purpose smiles to the other boys, a small spell she perfected over the years, a half grin with just enough wattage to suit all types.

"Alright, enough with the small talk." I held up the cassette, caring little for the private lives of my employees, especially her, "I just obtained this tape. It's contents and origins are unknown."

Blue hopped back to her original position, folding her legs to the side in a sophisticated manner, her hands over her thin knees. "Maybe you should leave," I muttered, tugging the hem of her skirt. She raised an eyebrow and shied away.

Fine, it was her loss. I just wished she'd stay off my damn desk. "Here Yusuke, make yourself useful." I handed him the tape. He scowled but put the cassette in the VCR.

Immediately, the large screen flickered and sprung to life. The tape began.

A man sat in a crimson velvet armchair. He was of medium height, clean- shaven and middle aged. His hair was inky- black with a touch of silver at the temples; his eyes were a steely grey.

Blue leaned back wrapped her arms around her chest. I noticed and said nothing.

The man started to speak. "Good evening." He began, his voice carrying no trace of accent. "I am Victor Wellington, the Grand Duke of Makai. At this moment I have placed several nuclear warheads in Ningenkai. If you do not give me the Ningenkai Key…" He spread out his hands. "Boom. If you agree, I take my warheads, you take your precious planet, and everyone is happy. You have until the next full moon."

The tape ended. Blue pressed a button on the remote control and I rocked back in my chair thoughtfully.

"Hmm."

"Any ideas?" Yusuke asked sarcastically.

"Nothing comes to mind." Said Kurama.

Blue crossed her legs and folded her long, pale hands in her lap. "It seems you are faced with a dilemma, Koenma."

I snorted. "I'm so glad you're here to tell us these things. Besides, you're in this too, you know." She spread a hand across her chest in false shock. "Yes, you. He's your father."

"You mean that psycho-" Yusuke swept his arm over to the screen, "Is your dad?"

"Biologically speaking." Blue examined her cuticles. "I like to call it an accidental relationship. We haven't spoken for a few centuries. I suppose you could say we had a falling out."

"So your father is-"

"The wrongful Grand Duke of Makai." Apparently she was dissatisfied with her nails, for she drew a file from her coat pocket. "I'm proud of him, actually, to come up with such an intelligent plan. You see-" The shape- shifter narrowed her shifting eyes and spread out her fingers at a distance, then frowned and continued filing. "You see, Daddy never was that bright. Always tried to get his way through money and power. He killed his father, my grandfather, you know, to obtain his title."

I chewed my lower lip, trying to think of a way to breech the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the room like a fog.

"So," Yusuke asked, finally breaching the silence, "what's this damn key about?"

"The Ningenkai key is a one-way portal to Human World. It can take you from any point in Makai or Reikai to a fixed point in Ningenkai. As it is the only existing portal to Human World, it is very valuable, and many notorious beings would do anything to get their hands on it." I explained.

"Ah," Said Kurama, folding his arms across his chest, "I have heard of such a key. Our old friend Sakyo had it in his possession once upon a time, ne?"

"Yes, but thankfully we were able to take it from him. Who knows what he would have done it- or what this duke will do with it."

"Ego- terrorists with titles are the worst." Blue agreed.

"This man has been trouble for centuries. He's wanted for several things, including the murder of his father, the duke before him." I added. "There's bad blood in that family." Blue crinkled her nose at me.

Kurama nodded. "It seems we are faced with a catch 22. If we give him the key, he will no doubt use it for unscrupulous reasons. If we do not, we risk the welfare of Human World, and billions of people."

"Why don't we just let him blow up the damn planet?" Hiei asked calmly.

"What did you say?!" Kuwabara bellowed.

"It's not like it would make a difference." The youkai added.

"Why I ougtha…"

Blue sighed and threw up her hands. "Girls, girls, you're both pretty."

"What did you say?" Hiei asked sharply.

"What do you know," Kuwabara mumbled under his breath, "you're just a girl."

"And you, Kazuma- kun, are a boy. What difference does gender make? Besides, Hiei has a point."

Yusuke cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Blue folded her hands placidly in front off her. Her glossy midnight waves, worthy of any girl's envy, were pinned back from her face and gathered at the nape of her neck, administering a drug- like effect on me.

"Must I ask for your permission before I speak?" She asked me, delicately sliding off the desk, a small, sly smile on her face. I think teasing me was the only thrill she experienced on an everyday basis.

"You're much too old- fashioned." I waved my hand in partial disgust "Go ahead, but make it simple."

She nodded. "Alright. Let us suppose that we allow Ningenkai to be eradicated."

"Now wait a minute." Yusuke growled.

"Hush, Yusuke, and let me speak." Blue intoned sternly. "The problem with the destruction of Ningenkai, is, of course, the proximity between the three worlds. Reikai and Makai are simply too close to Human World to escape the thermonuclear blast."

I drummed my fingers against the hard oak of my desk. "So what you're saying is…"

"We cannot allow Ningenkai to be destroyed without the destruction of Makai and Reikai. There is no way to stop the complete obliteration of all three worlds." Blue concluded. "Theoretically, of course."

"The casualties will be great," Kurama mused, "over twenty billion."

I let my head fall against the desk, feeling the satisfaction as my skull made contact with the solid oak. I repeated this movement three times.

"Do you realize that you lose ten thousand brain cells every time you do that?" Blue asked when I stopped.

"You hate your father?" I asked her suddenly.

Her face went blank- purposely? With her pale, now slack, features, all I could do was stare into her hypnotizing eyes, which at the moment were dark grey and fading slowly, wondering what she was scheming in that wonderful brain of hers.

"Perhaps as much as I dislike you," The shape- shifter finally answered, raising an eyebrow, and there she was again, taunting me like it was any other day at any other time or place, instead of here, now, during an occasion any other person would have considered a crisis. And it made me think, considering the options of my makeshift plan, wishing I understood her better, even though she tells me often how no one comprehends her as well as I do, but I did at that time know one thing that was crucial.

"Then you wouldn't mind going up to Makai to tell him to stop it, would you?"

Blue would never give me the satisfaction of letting me see her angry. It wasn't that she was proud- well, perhaps she was a little, but that wasn't the real reason. If I knew what pissed her off, I could use it against her. She knew that, and she knew that I knew that, just as she knew that the back of her neck drove me crazy. It was maddening, all those years after the fire… she still teased me, and in more way the one. And I had yet to know her raison d'être, what made her tick, what drove her to do all those carnal sins. But at least I knew something.

"What makes you think," She hissed lowly, spots of white on her cheeks, "That after all those years of running away, I'd want to go back to that house?"

I leaned back, never taking my eyes off her, and grinned. "Wouldn't it be fun?" That was my angle, you see- all the fun and games had to lie in that direction. She often does things for the thrill, for her own amusement, like that one time I wasn't supposed to know about, but had gotten Jorge to casually question Aurore, and found out everything.

The shape- shifter beamed and leaned towards me, propping her head up on her palm. "Why Koenma, I believe you're trying to trick me. But you should know that by now it won't work."

Damnit. "I was just thinking-"

"You really must think these things little plans of yours out, love." She shook her finger slowly, those damn eyes glittering, knowing something I didn't, always knowing something I didn't.

"What will you have me do, Blue?" I asked, the anger seeping into my voice. "I'm out of options!"

She backed away, her haughtiness gone, replaced with something else, something different, something I'd seen her show a long time ago. The shape- shifter lowered her gaze. "I will go," She whispered. "If you want me to, I will go."

My frustration subsided considerably. "I want you to."

She nodded slowly. "Then it is set."

I began to rummage throw the innumerable piles of paperwork on my desk in search of a blank piece of parchment. "Let me write you a visa." I scribbled a message on the paper then signed my name at the bottom. "Here."

She pocketed the document and managed a sly grin. "See you in hell."

I suddenly remembered something I knew would be important. I reached into one of the desk's many drawers and pulled out a small glass vile. Under the surface I measured out one small red pill, then returned the container to its proper place.

"Just in case." I told her as I pressed it into her palm. She nodded, closed her eyes, and tucked that inside her coat also.

Then another person entered the room. Her hair was ivory silk (the ends of which were a very faint pink, though one couldn't tell because her hair was tied back in a ponytail), and her eyes were the purest gold. She wore sneakers, blue jeans, and a red sweater.

"Koenma, I-" She stopped in mid sentence. "Soeur!" (3) In three great leaps, she bounded over to Blue. Laughing, she threw her arms around her. "It worked! You're out!"

"Yes Rory, it worked. I'm out." Blue hugged her sister.

I suppose there were no two women in the world quite like the Wellington sisters, but you had to know them to understand. You see it was because they were so different that made it so remarkable. Well, Aurore was in truth the black sheep of the family, as Blue was very easy to understand. Victor Wellington was a murderer, and Sela, their mother, was a seductress. It was only natural Blue inherited those traits.

Aurore, on the other hand, was very different. She loved life but tended to be rather flighty, much to everyone's irritation. She wasn't very reliable, as she tended to be very emotional, often going from weeping to laughing within moments. Which is why it's so odd she's a Wellington.

Aurore nudged her sister in the ribcage with her elbow. "Introduction."

"Oh!" Blue exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Rory. These are the Rei Tantei: Urameshi Yusuke, Kuwabara Kazuma, Yoko Kurama and Jaganshi Hiei. Boys, this is my sister, Aurore Wellington."

"It's only `Aurore' when I'm in trouble." The elder sister added.

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" I queried.

"We're leaving. Come along, Aurore." Blue took hold of her sister's wrist and led her out of the room.

Kurama stared after her. "She sure does stir up a lot of trouble," she mused, "for such a small girl."

"You don't know the half of it." By now I had realized how she had conned me, that little bitch, and the anger began to swell in me. I rummaged through my desk.

"What are you looking for?" Kuwabara asked.

"Aspirin. I can feel a serious headache beginning."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ha! I am done with the first chapter! Go me! In case you didn't know, this is the sequel to The Unexpected, another fic I wrote. Um, I can't think of anything else to say, except that it may take me awhile to write this fic.

KEY:

Jorge- Jorge is the ogre that follows Koenma around. In the American series, he's simply referred to as `Blue Ogre', but I like his name in the Japanese series better. For all the crap he puts with from Koenma- sama, he at least deserves a name.

Bloody- kinda like an English swearword (the British take war very seriously). The closest American swearword to it is `damn'

(3) Soeur- (pronounced `suhr') French for sister.

Lady Celestia: Well, that's all folks!

Yusuke: I'm bored

Lady Celestia: Boring people are bored.

Scott: What are you saying?

Lady Celestia: `What I'm saying' is that because you are bored now and are often bored in other situations, you are ergo a boring person, causing boredom to yourself and others.

Scott: …………….. huh?

Lady Celestia: * sweat drops * Never mind……..