Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ True Blue ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

True Blue

Chapter Three

Or, Strong Blue

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, here I am again… proving my otakudom ( is that a word?) to other otakus. It's kind of pathetic really, how obsessed we are with anime and manga. Ah well, it is simply our unique hobby, n'est-ce pas?

DISCLAIMER: Can't really think of anything witty to say at the moment to elaborate the depressing fact that I do not own the Japanese animation show entitled Yu Yu Hakusho.

KEY:

(A/N- author's note)

(regular part of story, unless noted otherwise)

//telepathic message//

-thoughts-

"speaking"

Geniuses have it, mountain people need it and politicians want it.

Sinister essence in twisted minds.

In a sane mind, the question is "Why?"

-Electra Complex by Minus

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Aurore was no light sleeper, but she awoke when she heard the sounds of someone rapping on the front door. Quickly, she leapt to get her robe and went to the door.

She opened the door the way her sister had taught her, unlocking it but keeping the chain in, so that the door only opened as far as the chain would allow. She peeked through the narrow opening.

"Hello?"

"Aurore?" It was a boy, no, a man, with the most beautiful red hair. "Remember me? I'm Kurama," he motioned to the boys behind him, "and this is-"

"Oh, yes, I remember." The pale- haired girl nodded. "Wait just a moment, I need to get dressed." She threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and after checking her hair in the mirror, unlocked the door and threw it open.

"Sorry for the wait." She said breathlessly, letting the boys in. The on with dark slicked hair, Yusuke, and the tall boy, Kuwabara, immediately made themselves comfortable on the lumpy couch. Kurama thanked her graciously.

"Would you boys care for some tea?" Aurore asked, already readying the teapot.

"Naw, I'm fine." Yusuke shouting from where he was studying the black- and- white TV "Whoa, this thing is ancient…"

"Yes please." Kurama had seated himself at the table. Aurore smiled at his politeness and began to heat the water.

That's when she noticed it. Her eyes narrowed as she counted the boys. One… two… three… only three? Should there not be four?

Kurama acknowledged her quizzical expression and smiled. "Hiei… didn't want to come." He admitted. "But don't take it personally, it's just how he is."

Aurore smiled back. She liked his eyes, the calm, emerald of the golden rays of sunshine shining through the green leaves in summer. She blushed, lowered her eyes, and nearly jumped out of her skin when the teapot whistled.

She poured two cups, one for herself, and one for the kitsune. She then seated herself opposite from him.

"How odd." She remarked.

He looked up at her, hands cupped around the steaming mug, and frowned. "What is?"

"Your palms." She motioned to his hands. "You hide them."

Kurama looked down at his hands and found it was true. "I never noticed."

"Gypsy lore says that a person who hides his or her palms is really a fallen angel." She peered in his eyes, studying him with huge golden orbs. "Are you an angel, Kurama?"

The kitsune found himself amazed by this girl. She seemed the near exact opposite of her twin, a normal teenage girl in appearance but in all sincerity possessing the mind of an innocent young child.

He shook his head. "I'm no angel."

Aurore crinkled her brow. "I think you are. My sister also does not show the palms of her hands. She's an angel, you know."

Kurama was about to comment, but someone knocked on the door. Vivienne jumped to get it.

"Koenma!" She exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the guys, actually."

"Damn." Yusuke muttered. "And we came here to get away from you."

Koenma shook his head. "I have bad news. I already have Hiei, and I need you guys to come back with me to Reikai."

"What kind of bad news?" Kuwabara asked lazily from where he was lounging on the couch.

"It has to do with my sister, doesn't it?" Aurore didn't wait for an answer. "Well, I'm coming with you."

The prince sighed. "Rory…"

"I'm coming with you." The half demoness repeated stubbornly.

"Well, come on then."

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Hiei was annoyed. After being awaken from slumber, he had been dragged to Reikai, only to be locked in Koenma's office while the prince went to find the other Spirit Detectives… The bastard! Hiei paced around the office, seething with anger. He stopped in front of the long rows of personal files. One caught his eye.

Elektra Wellington. Daughter of Victor Wellington, the Grand Duke of Makai. Koenma's secretary, Hiei's anger turned to curiosity as he pulled the binder out. It fell to the floor with a thump and flipped open. The koorime went over to inspect it.

Apparently the young Grand Duchess had made quite a few blunders in her life. Small blunders such as larceny, perjury, and treason. The accusations grew larger however. Grand theft. Tax evasion. Robbing a bank. And finally, Murder of the first degree.

A chill went down the koorime's spine as he returned the binder to its proper place. It was just in time, too, as Koenma came in at that moment.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hiei." The prince said as he plopped down in his chair. Hiei glowered in response.

Yusuke leaned against the wall, Kuwabara sitting but using the same wall for support. Kurama stood, while Aurore hovered nearby.

"We received another tape today." The prince waved the cassette in the air to prove it. "I have a pretty good idea of who it's from. Let's hope it has good news. Yusuke?"

The Spirit Detective grumbled but put the cassette into the VCR. Again, the screen flickered but sprung to life.

But this time there were two figures in front of the screen. One was easily recognizable as the Grand Duke. He was standing behind another figure, his right hand on the figure's shoulder, the other wielding a long white knife, which was held to the figure's throat.

Koenma felt the bile rise in his throat. The seated figure was his secretary, Blue.

A black blindfold had been tied around her eyes, and a length of rope bound her hands in her lap. Her features were etched in pain, something the prince had not seen registered on her face in a long time. Her lip was slightly bloodied, and he could see a dark bruise on her cheekbone. However, she kept her chin raised and her hands folded, the perfect actress starring in her worst nightmare.

"We meet again, your highness." The Duke addressed Koenma, sarcasm saturated in his lightly accented voice. "I thank you for the woman you sent me. Highly enjoyable entertainment." He tightened his grip on Elektra's shoulder and the shape shifter winced ever so slightly.

Hiei tightened his right fist in rage.

The Duke continued. "The stakes are now higher. If you do not give me the Key by the stroke of midnight tonight, I kill her." The knife pressed closer to the young woman's throat until a thin line of blood carved down to her naked collarbone, the brilliant crimson contrasting sharply to her china skin.

"Speak." Wellington hissed. The shape- shifter held her chin higher, her jaw quivering slightly, but nevertheless she held her tongue.

Good girl. Koenma thought. Talking will only get you in trouble.

Then the Duke withdrew the knife and struck her forcefully in the back of her skull. The young woman uttered a small cry and slumped over. Wellington pushed her off the chair, letting the unconscious girl fall to the floor in a heap.

"Until tonight." The Duke growled.

The tape ended and popped out of the VCR jovially.

Aurore was the first to speak. "I don't understand!" She exclaimed.

"Well, Rory, he all but spelled it out." Koenma answered through his hands.

"Well, lets just give him the fucking Key!" Yusuke said. "Granted, we'll lose Ningenkai, but that's a hell of a lot better than to completely destroy all three worlds!"

"I can't do that Yusuke."

"Sure you can! All you need to do is hand it over! Heck, we'll even do it for you, free of charge!"

"You misunderstand me." The prince drummed his fingers on his desk sheepishly. "When I say I can't do it, I mean that I am physically incapable. I have no idea where the Ningenkai Key is."

"You don't." Kuwabara repeated numbly.

"I don't."

"Well then, who does?" Kurama asked.

"Blue." Koenma sighed. "Only Blue knows where it is." Just Blue, always Blue.

Elektra moved closer to Kurama. "But how? Why?"

The prince leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. "Many years ago, when the key was made, it was given to a young French demoness. She became the Keeper of the Key. Tragically, only a few years into the operation, the girl was killed. But before death, she passed the Key onto her best friend."

"Marguerite." Vivienne breathed. "Oh my…"

Koenma nodded. "The Key is now in your sister's possession. As I said, I have no idea where she has hidden it."

"But he will kill her!" Aurore cried.

"Actually, Rory, it is very likely your sister is dead already."

"W- what?!"

"Before she left, I gave your sister a pill." Koenma explained calmly, "If she is caught, she is instructed to take it. It will kill her in less than five minutes."

"You would kill her?" Aurore demanded.

"No, Aurore, he would kill her. He would enter into her brain, find where the key is, then dispose of her. It's like hacking into a computer, it just take time." (1) Better her than anyone else.

Kurama put an arm around her waist and held her close to him. But it comforted her very little.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Yusuke asked, his voice strained with concealed panic.

The prince shook his head. "It will only make things worse." He returned his attention to the girl.

"Aurore." He said patiently. "I'm very sorry about your sister."

Aurore smiled. "No you're not."

"You're right, I'm not."

"Why do you hate her so much?" She cried suddenly. He frowned at her. "Do you know how she feels about you? Do you?"

"Rory-"

Weeping, she continued. "You think I'm a child! You think-" Kurama wrapped his arms around her soothingly, stroking her pale hair like Elektra would. "You think I'm just a child…"

"Your sister hates me too, Rory." Koenma explained. "It's mutual." You don't know her like I do.

Kurama caught the prince's eye and shook his head.

"There isn't anything we can do." Koenma repeated.

"There is always something we can do." Aurore whispered. Koenma frowned thoughtfully.

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* Vivienne's Flashback *

"How do I look?" She had asked, twirling around in a small circle. Her dress was short the hemline gracing just above mid thigh, while her fishnet stocking hit below it. She was wearing her favorite stilettos, the ones that made my feet hurt whenever I tried them on. Silver bangles jingled on thin wrists, slivery glitter glimmered along her collarbone, silver rings in her ears sparkled in the light.

I leaned in closer so I could catch a whiff of her musky perfume, which mixed with the light smell of alcohol. "You're drunk."

"Only a little." She laughed. Her dark eyes were lined with black, and I noticed she borrowed my lipstick, Millionaire Red. She liked to experiment with her hair, which at the moment was blond and cut in a blunt bob.

She kissed me on the cheek and left for wherever she went at night, by the looks of it, a club to attract a victim. She'd more or less come home tomorrow afternoon, perch on her bed and rock back in forth, weeping with laughter. Men, she always said, were the lowest creatures who ever walked the earth. So she could sit there and laugh hysterically at their antics, because she was better than them.

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I close my eyes when I get too sad

I think thoughts that I know are bad

Close my eyes and I count to ten

Hope it's over when I open them

"Here he comes." She whispered in her young girl's voice, which even at that age was too wise. "Hide yourself."

"But what about you?" I had asked, clutching her hands in panic.

"I'll be fine." She assured me.

"But-"

We heard his footsteps. She hit me swiftly in the back of the head, where my skull connected with my spinal cord. The last thing I saw was the love in her eyes before darkness claimed me.

I want all the things that I had before

Like a Star Wars poster on my bedroom door

I wish I could count to ten

Make everything be wonderful again

I was very gracious that Elektra rendered me unconscious, then hid me in the closet. For then I would not have seen Daddy enter our room, nor smelled the alcohol on his breath. I would not have been forced to watch as he shoved her onto her bed, nor felt the sickening lurch of my stomach as he roughly pushed himself into her. I had no need to cover my ears as to not to hear her muffled screams.

This was not a new occurrence, it happened nearly every night for over two years.

When he was done with her, he would go to my bed. But my sister was more agile- and cleverer. Elektra shifted to look like me, and before Daddy could get to my bed, she would already be there. In his drunken state he was slower, and she easily deceived him. But he had the upper hand, ravishing her twice every evening.

Hope my mom and I hope my dad

Will figure out why they get so mad

Hear them scream, I hear them fight

They say bad words that make me want to cry

One night he found my hiding place in the closet.

"What have we here?" He bellowed, grabbing me roughly by the shoulder.

"Get away from her!" Elektra shrieked.

"Clever little vixen." Daddy laughed, pushing her aside. Her back hit the wall with a thump, and I could see the impact knocked the wind out of her.

Whenever I'm frightened, or in terrible trouble, I freeze. That's what happened when Daddy picked me up, I was completely unable to move. My heart was pounding, my brain shrieking at me to do something, anything to keep him from hurting me. But he tossed me down on my own bed and lifted up my nightgown.

He was hindered to go further. For my sister had jumped onto his back, her knees latched around his neck, and pressed her small fingertips into his eye sockets.

He shouted obscenities and flailed his arms, he even pulled a knife, which he used to slash her face. But my sister, who was small, thin, and frail, succeeded in by some miracle in wrestling our father to the ground. She whacked him firmly in the back of his head, the same she had done for me.

When he was unconscious, I threw my arms around her and sobbed.

"It's alright." Elektra cooed. I stopped and looked at her. A deep gashed marred the smooth skin above her eye, a scar which she would carry for the remainder of her life. Her lips were curved in a reassuring smile, but her dark eyes were wet with tears. I didn't understand then, how she could smile with all those tears in her eyes. But I knew that it wasn't alright.

Close my eyes when I go to bed

And I dream of angels who make me smile

I feel better when I hear them say

Everything will be wonderful someday

Two nights later, our mother came to us.

She trailed her long fingers along the scar near Elektra's eye. "He hurt you?" Mother asked.

She nodded.

I always thought our mother was the most beautiful woman on all three worlds, besides my sister of course. She had tawny hair and golden eyes, her skin like pale bronze. She had the real nymph figure, slender with slight curves. My sister tells me I'm the exact replica of her, and I guess I am. But years ago I bleached my hair with peroxide, to look different when we left France during the war.

Mother set her jaw. "I have to get the two of you out of here." She told us. She would not take `no' for an answer.

"Gather your things," She instructed, "I'm taking you away with me.'

We obeyed, packing everything dear to us in small bags. Jewelry, dolls, books were all packed away to come with us on our journey.

How would we know that Daddy would come to our room that evening?

"Going somewhere?" He growled. Mother whirled us behind her thin but strong frame.

"Leave them alone." She hissed.

"Don't talk to me that way!" He bellowed, striking her across the cheek.

She didn't back down or even flinch. "I'm tired of you hurting them!"

Promises mean everything when you're little

And the world's so big

I just don't understand how

You can smile with all those tears in your eyes

Tell me everything is wonderful now

I clung to my sister and she held me back with equal fear. We were both unable to do anything.

Mother lunged at Daddy, grabbing his chest. He slammed his fist into her gut, and once she loosed her grip he clenched his large hands around her slender neck.

Mother was strong, but we all knew she didn't have a chance. She fought him, raking her fingernails down his arms, drawing long trails of blood. But after a few minutes she ceased to flail, and like a rag doll he tossed her aside.

"Mother!" I shrieked. But my sister grasped my arm, her fingers encircling my thin wrist.

"Run." She hissed sternly.

And we did. Even after he stopped following us, we sprinted swiftly of the property and into the forest.

We never did return.

Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now

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Awhile after she left the apartment that night, we received word of her arrest. The Reikai Tokubetsu Boueitai (1) combed through the downtown area until they found her. Koenma phoned me the next day, his voice dull and sober, telling me everything, how she'd away for a long time, 25 years at least.

I go to school and I run and play

I tell the kids that it's all okay

I laugh aloud so my friends won't know

When the bell rings I just don't wanna go home

For all her sins, I love my sister in a way I can't explain, and I don't think anyone could ever understand. I know she cares for me more than anything in the world, because sometimes at night, when she thought I was sleeping, she'd peek into my room and watch me for a moment or two, a small, sad smile on her face, and close the door. She never slept, saying she didn't need it, and when we lived in Spirit World for that brief time she'd walk the palace halls until the first lights of morning. Koenma gave her some of the best rooms but she rarely used them, in fact she spent a lot of time in his, but as she said, that was a long time ago.

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Koenma stiffened in his seat. "Botan!" He gasped.

The ferry girl frowned. "Am I interrupting a meeting?"

"Good morning, Botan!" Aurore greeted her cheerfully.

"Oh, ohayu Rory." Again the frown. "Your sister isn't here, is she?"

"She isn't here."

"Well that's good." Botan exclaimed, gaiety restored. It was plainly obvious she thought basely of the other girl.

"Is there a reason why you're here, Botan?" Koenma asked stiffly.

The ferry girl glared at the prince. After their painful breakup the two had been avoiding one another.

"I heard Elektra's out of jail." She glared at him again accusingly, as if it were his fault, "This true?"

"Yeah. So?"

Botan sat on his desk's edge. "A bit early, isn't it?"

"I guess so, and get the fuck off my desk."

She glowered but did as she was told. "I know you're hiding something, and if I find out you had something to do with it, I'll tell your father."

For Aurore, this cinched the decision she already knew she would make. "I'm going after her."

Koenma shook his head, ignoring Botan's previous comment. "We've already discussed this. No one is going."

"I am!"

"You're not."

Aurore scoffed. "If you don't let me go, I shall…" She tapped her index against her lips, the way her sister did when she was thinking. "I shall tell your father how you skipped work that one week to go to New York City with Elektra and me."

The prince paled. "You wouldn't."

"I would." The girl smiled triumphantly, knowing that she had already won. "You do realize how many centuries you'd be grounded, right?"

After popping two aspirin, and waiting a couple minutes, he threw up his hands. "You know, you're almost as bad as your sister."

"There was a compliment in there somewhere." She grinned. "So you'll let me go?"

The prince sighed. "Just be careful, alright?"

"Alright." And with that she skipped out.

Koenma glared at Yusuke. "I suppose you'd like to go with her?" The Spirit Detective nodded. "Well go on then, get out of here."

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(1) Reikai Tokubetsu Boueitai- a special force of fighters of A- C Class whose job it is to protect Reikai and Ningenkai. Capturing Elektra isn't really too big of a job, well okay, maybe it is, but she

Lady Celestia: *Tries to say something but can't, as she is lying in a hospital bed wrapped in gauze like a mummy with a broken leg, dislocated jaw, and a shattered elbow*

Yusuke: What was that?

Lady Celestia: *Tries to speak again but doesn't get any further than the first time*

Buffanatic13: I beat her up really bad.

Kurama: Really badly.

Buffanatic13: *Pulls out mallet menacingly*

Kurama: *Breaks out in a cold sweat and laughs nervously*

Lady Celestia: Mmmf mmf mmmmmmmf! (translation: Stay tuned for the next chapter!)

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