Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Wind Knoll's Curse ❯ Chapter 7

Scarlet remained beside Jin as they traveled through the thick foggy night. She feared being alone within the eerie dark that sang of twisted spirits, which were trapped within the boundaries of Wind Knoll. Every awkward creak and snapping of a twig made Scarlet's skin crawl, staying close to the wind demon for protection and comfort.

 

Jin merely walked through the fog as if it were nothing at all, feeling Scarlet behind him shivering in terror. His baby blue eyes looking over his shoulder with a slight wiggle of his ear, he smelt the fear pheromones emitting from her fragile form. Scratching his forehead with his thumbnail, he released a built up sigh from within as he thought on what to say to her. “So, where were you today?” Jin asked to help keep her mind off of what was going on around her.

 

“I was at work,” Scarlet mumbled, dragging her feet against the cold gravel beneath her.

 

“I meant after,” Jin corrected.

 

“Are you keeping tabs on me now?” The young woman wondered in slight disgust. Walking across the deserted road after the wind demon, she crossed her arms about her chest to keep herself warm within the freezing night.

 

“That is what a `god' does, doesn't he?” Jin asked heading down the road he was on to get to Touya's temple.

 

“But you're a demon, not a god,” Scarlet felt need to remind him.

 

“Of course, but as a demon guardian I pretty much act as your `god' as you humans call it.” The wind blew slightly, waving through every strand that resided on the demon's skull. Lifting his arms slightly within the air, he inhaled the misty wind with a smile on his face.

 

Scarlet turned her cheek to the cold wind currents that brushed against her pallid features and bi-colored hair. Sniffling back her sinuses, she wondered what to tell the demon. She didn't wish to be truthful in fear of him alerting the silver fox beast to Blossom's whereabouts. “I just went to talk to one of my co-workers after work. That was all.”

 

Jin couldn't help but expel a brief chuckle at her comment. “You're hiding something from me, but since you have decided to hide it—,” the wind demon paused as he turned the corner just down the street. He rested his hand on the red bricks of the building to spin around and look Scarlet within the eyes with a playful grin, “—I won't pry, but I will find out.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Scarlet walked beyond the demon to make it down the adjoining road. “You're so full of shit,” she lightly hissed with a shake of her head. “Can't you ever take anything seriously?”

 

Parting from the side of the building he was leaning against, Jin headed after the young woman he had been asked to help with another toothy grin. “Can't you ever lighten up and learn to smile once in a blue moon?”

 

“Give me something to smile about and maybe I will,” Scarlet snorted in irritation.

 

Jin said nothing towards that though he offered a shrug to the comment. The wind he controlled continuing to whirl about to part the thick mist, he eventually found the entrance of the Ice Temple resting there within the darkness of Wind Knoll. It looked like a haunted, deserted church of darkness when the light of the sun refused to illuminate the beauty that it usually held. The sight bothered Jin little as he placed his hands on his broad hips. “Well, here we are.” Extending his hand to the temple doors, he gazed at Scarlet, who stood beside him. “Shall we?”

 

The double, marble doors opened with a loud groan into the densely, blue lit temple to announce the arrival of Jin and Scarlet. Jin held open the door to allow Scarlet in ahead of him. Walking into the center of the temple, he took in the scent about him to recognize a few that had been within it. “Touya has been here,” Jin mumbled to himself as he sauntered towards the statue slowly.

 

Scarlet made it to the marble statue that stood within many flowers of blue hue and flickering azure flames. She gazed through the soft light at some of the trinkets left there on the layers of velvet pillows at the foot of the statue of the ice demon. Kneeling before the items to look at each one carefully, she turned to the wind demon she soon felt looming over her. “I meant to ask—how did I get home last night?”

 

“I took you home when I came back early in the morning,” Jin responded, handing the demonic book of ice to Scarlet once more. “You know what to do so I will leave you to it.”

 

Her fingers grasping onto the book of the ice demon, she released a sigh through her nostrils. “Are you going to leave me here again?”

 

“Yeah, of course,” Jin responded with a stretch. “I have to go to a meeting in the mountains before checking on Teresa.”

 

Hearing the name presented to her, Scarlet looked over her shoulder at Jin with the book she was to read lain out in front of her. “Teresa, you mean the young girl with cancer?” Scarlet turned around on the pillow she was going to kneel on to pray in front of the statue of the ice demon. “How is she doing lately? Is she okay?”

 

Jin hummed in thought, scratching an annoying itch near the horn on his head. “She is the same though I can feel her human energy fading. Lately she has been a little weak, and it is difficult for her to get out of bed.” Bringing his hands from his hips forward, wrapping them about his chest, he expressed a brief, sorrowful smile to Scarlet. “The poor girl, I wish it wouldn't be this way.”

 

“Why can't you just guide her parents to the nearest hospital out of Wind Knoll?” Scarlet suggested eagerly.

 

Jin seemed to frown as he closed his eyes, turning his head the other way.

 

Witnessing his expression, Scarlet grumbled as she got to her feet. “What is wrong with you, Jin the Wind Demon? If you pity the girl that much, why don't you just rescue her!” Her exclamation echoed throughout the temple halls to show her concern. This type of situation hit too close to her considering how her mother passed away unfairly. Her heart swelling with pain while rapidly beating, she tried to steady her enraged, labored breaths.

 

The demon could sense her anger, looking back within Scarlet's furious stance. “Scarlet, that is up for her parents to decide. I cannot just whisk her away to the nearest hospital beyond Wind Knoll's boundaries,” Jin explained. “Besides, they are worried that the chilly air will just make it worse if she were to travel through it.”

 

“If they let her sit in that bed, she is going to die!” Scarlet stressed.

 

Jin twisted his mouth to the side in thought, reaching out to grab onto Scarlet's shoulders to keep her still. “How about this, Scarlet, tomorrow after work, I will take you to see Teresa, and you can speak to her if you wish to. Let her tell you what she thinks before you decide forcing decisions on her.” Jin pointed down at the pillow that Scarlet was to kneel upon while reading aloud. “Now sit and do what you are supposed to do. It will bring you closer to what you want.”

 

Sighing irritably, Scarlet turned around to kneel in front of the statuette that was erected in Touya's honor. “Fine, fine,” she grumbled. “I will be here all night.”

 

“That's a girl,” Jin said as if he were a master to a house pet. Patting the top of her head, the wind demon headed back towards the double doors that were still slightly open to allow some of the chilly air to enter the ice temple. “I will see you tomorrow, child. Be careful when alone in here.” Grabbing onto the handles of the doors, he closed them behind him so he could depart to the wind to make it to the mountains above.

 

The mountains that seemed to extend within the clouds, overlooking the Wind Knoll town, the demons that were well known within the town as well as a few others stood on the highest peek to converse. The shadowed demons mumbled amidst themselves, waiting for Jin to meet them. The wind currents slicing through the fog, Jin made his way to the ledge that stood overlooking the village below.

 

“It is about time you got here,” the fire demon people knew as Hiei grumbled, sitting upon a boulder nearby with his sword resting on his right shoulder.

 

“Sorry, I had things to take care of,” Jin said as an excuse, nodding his head to Hiei and then to the others. “So, what is the big deal?”

 

“We all came to meet about the humans,” Kurama responded, no longer the silver fox demon but a regular looking redhead of the age of fourteen or so. His ivy green eyes staring at those around him in seriousness, he expressed a frown. “We have to do something about these crazy people. They continue to bring livestock and humans to spill their blood senselessly on my temple's steps.”

 

“Leave them be if they want to continue killing one another,” Shishiwakamaru retorted with a grunt. Throwing his love lavender hair over his shoulder, he pulled his samurai sword from its sheath. “I have tried speaking to my followers, but they have gone so insane with what they believe is righteous that they can no longer hear me.”

 

“They just misunderstand,” Jin tried to say in their defense. “I don't understand why we cannot continue to try and reach out to them.”

 

“Jin, we have tried and they don't listen to us,” Kurama sighed sorrowfully. “You can whisper in a deaf man's ear all you want, but, in the end, he cannot hear you.”

 

“What do you blokes plan on doing?” Chuu, the large demon, asked as he rest his back against the towering rocks nearby.

 

“I vote we burn the village,” Hiei suggested, his tone filled with a bit of disgust and hatred. “We can get these people back for all the pain and suffering they have thrown on others of their own kind.”

 

Kurama raised his hand to Hiei's suggestion, shaking his head in disapproval. “Let's not go that far. I don't think we need to do such a drastic turn.”

 

“Kurama, you are thinking too purely,” Suzuka, the blond haired narcissist remarked with a void expression. “I am sure your Yoko Kurama side would agree that feeding these crazy people a taste of their own medicine would be best.”

 

The redhead demon released a somberly sigh, avoiding eye contact with those around him. He knew that the other spirit residing within him would say otherwise on the situation. “Fine then—we will take a vote. For those of you who find it fair to let the humans rot in their own hell speak now.”

 

“I agree to that,” Hiei remarked from where he was sitting. “I think humans deserve to stay in the anguish they built this town upon.”

 

“Okay, that is one for a `yes', what about you, Suzuka?” Kurama asked, looking to the demon beside him.

 

“I am with Hiei. Let them suffer. They have senselessly slaughtered their own kind just for their own benefit. They are selfish creatures,” Suzuka grumbled with a few irritable motions of his hands.

 

“Okay, that is two, what about you, Chuu?”

 

Chuu looked down at the redheaded demon, uncrossing his large arms to place them at his sides in thought. The town within view, though clouded in fog, Chuu offered a shrug at the suggestion. “I don't know what I think, mate. I have mixed feelings about this.”

 

“I will put you down for impartial towards the topic,” Kurama said in return, turning to the ice demon that Scarlet had been spending most her time worshipping. “What do you think, Touya?”

 

“They are not all bad people,” Touya expressed from the sidelines. “Let us not make innocent humans pay for the evil ones' mistakes.”

 

“Okay, so that is two to one.” Kurama turned to Shishiwakamaru with a nod to the demon that controlled the dead for most of his attacks. “What about you, Shishi?”

 

“I agree with Hiei and Suzuka,” Shishi answered plainly, sheathing his sword once more.

 

“The score is now three to one,” Kurama looked over at Rinku, the young yo-yo playing demon. “What do you think, Rinku?”

 

“Who cares what happens to them? If the humans want to live that way, let them,” Rinku put bluntly, playing with one of his yo-yos as he spoke. “Just leave them alone.”

 

Kurama sighed through his nostrils, looking over at Jin. “Well, Jin, it is all up to your decision. As long as I am in this form, I will stand my ground of saying `no' putting the score up to three to three, so what do you think?”

 

Jin felt everyone glaring at him as it was all up to his decision. Rolling his teeth over his lower lip, he voiced his decision regardless of what the other half wanted him to say. “I say leave them alone. There are some humans in Wind Knoll that are worth protecting and guiding. Besides, they can change—humans change just like demons do.”

 

“So that makes it unanimous,” Kurama announced with his hand slightly raised in the air. “We will leave the humans in Wind Knoll alone.”

 

Groans as well as sighs of relief filled the crisp air. An argument erupted amongst the demons as they began wondering what was wrong with the other. Pointing the finger at the opposing demon in the group, their angered voices filled the air of the mountaintops. Kurama stayed back listening to what all was being said between the group members. Waving his hands up in the air, he tried to get their attention.

 

“Guys, stop it!” The fox demon demanded over their bickering. When the hissing and angered growls ceased, all eyes upon Kurama, he lowered his hands behind his red hair. “Look, the vote will still stand, and if anybody wishes to change their view, we will go through with the punishment.” His palms upward to weigh everyone's thoughts, he looked at the demons that had taken their stand. “Well, what do you think?”

 

“Fine, I can deal with that,” Suzuka grumbled, pulling from the demons to be in Hell where he belonged.

 

Hiei merely groaned irritably, vanishing without a word thanks to his incredible speed.

 

Shishiwakamaru watched the two previous demons take their leave, turning his attention to those still nearby. “I have people who are calling me at my temple. I guess I best go to them now and serve them as I was asked to.” Shishi knew he was bound to the humans that had worshipped him, but he was growing weary of the idea. Keeping his sword at his side, he headed back down the mountain range to get back to the town below and to the temple that belonged to him.

 

Chuu tapped the back of the smallest demon, Rinku to show that he was ready to leave and head back to hell with him. Waving over his shoulder, he smiled at Kurama. “Good luck to you, Kurama.”

 

Kurama managed a smile to Chuu and Rinku, turning to Jin and Touya who were still there. “I still have some searching to do. I have to find that young girl that is supposed to be sacrificed for the dying crops lately.” Shaking his head at the poor girl's fate, he placed his hands in his pockets as he departed from the scene as well, leaving the two demons that were good friends behind.

 

“At least we avoided that nasty spill,” Jin said with a sigh of relief, sitting down on the rock formation Hiei had been upon earlier.

 

“I would hate to see that entire village be burned down and cursed,” Touya admitted, turning to look out at the foggy town. “It would remind me too much of the shinobi sect we had been raised within.”

 

Jin nodded, cupping his hands in between his parted legs. “Hey, Touya, have you ever heard of someone named Scarlet Baker?”

 

Touya twisted his face in thought of the name granted him. “Scarlet Baker, Scarlet Baker…”

 

Hearing that Touya was having a difficult time remembering her, he dropped a few hints, “She has blond and black streaked hair—gray, green eyes—lives on Lavender Lane.”

 

“Did she have a young mother named Cynthia Barker who died years ago?” Touya asked trying to recall the young woman Jin was trying to describe for him.

 

“I don't know,” Jin said with a shrug. “I think that is her mother's name. I do know that she lost her mom.”

 

Touya looked back out at Wind Knoll that stretched out before him within the Misty Woodlands. “I vaguely recall her. I do know she shut off to me when her mother finally died when all I could do was be there for her mother's passing soul.” Walking over towards Jin, he joined him on the boulder he sat upon seeing as there was enough room for him to do so. “I tried to stay by her side afterwards but she refused to listen to me, and so I just left her alone to wallow in her own depression.”

 

“I felt your energy when I went to her house,” Jin said with a soft chuckle in the back of his throat. “I know you stopped by once or twice to see how she was doing.”

 

Touya shrugged, clapping his hands once together in thought. “I worried for her. Her soul would get strong then weak again as she fell into the horrible stages of depression. I wanted to be there when she passed on. And, by the way, the marks on her arms were made by her and a kitchen knife.”

 

Blinking several times at Touya's somewhat random response on Scarlet's body, he tilted his head to the side. “You witnessed her doing that to herself and didn't stop her?”

 

“She was lost to me by then,” the ice demon said with a whisper. “I couldn't reach her and make her stop. It was bad enough that I had to sit and watch her damage herself so I left her to be alone.”

 

“Well, since she summoned me, she has been looking to you once more,” Jin pointed out, rubbing the wrinkles out of his baggy pants. “She wants answers from you and so she has been praying to you at your temple.”

 

The wind currents caressing Touya's four aquatic colored bangs, he gazed off to the side thinking on what Jin just presented to him. “What do you want me to do, Jin?” The ice demon asked, rubbing his hands together. “I cannot exactly just run back to her even if she is making an initiative this time.”

 

“Touya, just listen to her,” Jin insisted. “She has been praying in your temple when nobody else is there. The least you can do is hear her out after all these years.”

 

Pushing himself up off of the stone beneath him, Touya walked back out towards the ledge to gaze back down at the town below. Touya tapped his fingers upon his arms once he crossed them upon his chest. “I will listen to what she has to say and see what I can do,” Touya expressed finally, turning towards the mountain's rocky trail that would lead back down towards the town. “I guess I will see you around, Jin.”

 

Jin raised his hand up towards Touya to wave him goodbye. “See you, Touya. I am going to head to my temple for some sleep. That girl wears me out.” Stretching upward with a light yawn, Jin took flight into the air to head to the mountain's base where his home away from home was located.

 

Scarlet closed the book she had been reading from till four in the morning. Her eyes heavy and her body shutting down, she pushed herself from the statue that she had knelt in front of for hours. “I am beat…enough of this for the night.”

 

Getting to her feet, she grabbed one of the nearby candles to help her find her way to the bedrooms that were off to either side of the statue. Scarlet parted the curtains that enclosed the bedroom to the right of the erected, marble statue of Touya. Walking into the medium sized circular room, Scarlet tossed the book she had read from on the bed she chose last time as her bed. It was made, probably from the priestesses and priests that watched over the temple and served from another section of the large temple.

 

The walls groaned and awkward sounds emitted from beyond the walls, making Scarlet cringe slightly as she embraced herself when undressing for bed. “This place…it is so disturbing. I just don't like it here,” Scarlet admitted aloud to herself.

 

Pulling back the covers, Scarlet made herself comfortable on the temple bed. She grabbed onto the book that she had read from to place it under her pillow to keep it protected. Hugging the pillow close to her face, Scarlet watched the hypnotizing blue flames that hung in lamps from the ceiling dance about within the temple's bedroom. The sight and smell of the burning candles became soothing, leaving Scarlet to fight to stay awake only to give in and finally go into a deep sleep.

 

 

 

Scarlet's mind began to wander within the darkest corner of Wind Knoll once again as it had done previously at the Ice Temple. Her bare feet tapped cautiously about the cold concrete beneath her that created one of the many streets of Wind Knoll. Embracing her body, Scarlet felt very cold as she shivered uncontrollably in her nightmare that she once again found herself within, walking down the road placed there before her. Her teeth chattering to express her discomfort, the young woman tried to see through the fog that was thicker than ever.

 

“Hello? Is somebody out there?” Scarlet called daringly within her nightmare.

 

All was silent for awhile until a slight banging sound echoed throughout the dense mist. Groaning and haunting gurgling noises followed the clang of someone or something hitting an iron pole. The sounds made Scarlet's flesh crawl as she attempted to keep herself warm, breathing within her opened hands, placing them on her upper arms to transfer the heat. She continued to bravely walk about the town within her dreams. Gazing up at the clouds that were over her head, she saw that they appeared to be heavy with rain.

 

“It is so cold,” Scarlet murmured, breathing once more into her hands.

 

Her entire body was going cold, her feet and hands almost numbing from how chilly it was within the dream. Dragging her feet against the cracked pavement, she continued to call out to whoever could possibly be there within the fog. Her bare, dirty feet skimmed the cold ground until coming upon a puddle that felt sticky to her skin. Fearfully gazing downward at what was in her path, Scarlet inhaled sharply at the pool of blood that was there beneath her toes.

 

“Oh my God…!” She whimpered with terror gripping her entire form. Covering her mouth at the sight before her eyes, Scarlet witnessed as the fog dissipated just a bit about the blood trail to see a young female's body lying there face down on the cement. She was horribly mangled and her torso torn in two, with the female's organs splattered on the cold ground.

 

Backing up from the sight, Scarlet couldn't find the words to express the disgust and dread she felt engulfing her. Her back reaching the streetlight behind her, she cupped her mouth as tears spilled from her eyes. Scarlet's fingers moving to the dark ivy colored streetlight behind her to feel of the chilled iron, her back scrolling down it as she sat down at the base of the lamppost. Biting her nails as her adrenaline coursed through her, she listened to the oncoming groans, and high pitched screaming that put her heart in a race.

 

“Somebody,” Scarlet called out loudly, “anybody, help!”

 

Her voice bouncing off of the walls of her surreal dream, the fog seemed to obey her words as it thinned out to reveal the rest of the land she had found herself within. Scarlet rose to her feet cautiously to step beyond the deceased woman's body to take in the deserted town lain out in front of her. The squeaking of swaying signs that rocked in the wind was the only thing she could hear, occupied by the foreign groaning and cries. Not wishing to find out what was causing the other sounds that were not familiar to her, Scarlet ran as quickly as she could with her blooded heels marking her path.

 

Panting heavily as she ran with all her might through the cold afternoon, Scarlet stopped at a towering temple that was soon resting within view. Her expelling breaths transforming into crystalline vapors, she felt the air getting a bit thicker, making it difficult for her to breathe yet again. Scarlet almost fell to her knees as she stumbled forward towards the temple's steps to look up at the building. “This is…this is, Touya the Ice God's Temple,” Scarlet said with a chatter of her teeth.

 

Still finding it difficult to breathe, Scarlet crawled up the steps desperately in hopes of finding the air she would need to respire once more. Her fingers gripping tightly onto the door's handles, she jostled them to try and make them open but to no avail. The doors banged and rubbed against one another to show they would not open for her.

 

“Come on, come on!” She begged, coughing harshly.

 

“It will not open for you,” a voice responded from behind the frantic woman.

 

Scarlet fell to her knees, trying to find the strength to look behind her at who was speaking to her. Her eyes widening slightly, she recognized the demon there that stood at least five foot, one with four aquatic bangs and sky blue hair. Rocking herself on the top step, the fearful woman tried to warm her freezing body yet again as the cold seemed to get worse. “You…you are…”

 

Touya didn't hesitate to walk up the stairs where Scarlet was suffering. Making it to the top step, he knelt down to the fading human to embrace her. The ice demon said not another word as he kept trying to comfort Scarlet there within her own dream. Sighing softly through his nostrils, he supported the back of her head until she passed out, so she could wake up in her bedroom once again.

 

 

 

The alarm ringing loudly within Scarlet's ear made her quickly wake from her bed back on Lavender Lane. She inhaled sharply to catch the breath she felt she was unable to find while in the dreaming state. Her hand to her forehead, she gazed at the red numbers flashing on her clock to find the time.

 

“What a crazy dream,” she murmured in almost a trance like state with her bare feet touching her carpeted floor. “What is wrong with me? Why do I always have those horrible nightmares when I go to the temple?”

 

Scarlet dragged herself towards her bathroom, supporting herself upon the marble sink with a sigh. Turning on the water so that she could brush her teeth and wash her face, Scarlet opened up the medicine cabinet within her small bathroom to hunt for the items she would need. Her fingers passing by some of the bottles, some empty and some half full, she eventually came upon the one she was looking for. Scarlet pulled the medicine from the cabinet to look at the label placed upon it to find that they were pain killers. Shaking the bottle a moment, she found there only to be one inside.

 

Several thoughts flashing through her head, Scarlet hesitantly placed the bottle back on the shelf where she found it before closing the cabinet. The reflection of the redheaded wind demon standing in her bathroom doorway didn't catch her attention until she lifted her night shirt off over her head and looked into the mirror on the cabinet. Catching herself from screaming at the sight, Scarlet whirled around as she held onto her night shirt close to her bare chest to hide it from the demon's sight.

 

“What is the matter with you!” Scarlet exclaimed in a soft whisper. “Haven't you ever heard of knocking!”

 

Jin chuckled at her expression, “Please, you act like I haven't seen you naked before.”

 

“You damn peeping tom!” Scarlet hissed, nudging her way past the demon to make it into her bedroom to sit upon the bed. “What are you doing here so early?”

 

The wind demon leaned against the doorway with a grin on his face, still amused by her earlier expression. “I came here to remind you that I will be taking you to speak with Teresa today after work. I spoke to her last night before she went to bed and she is fine with you coming to talk to her.”

 

“Lovely, now can you please leave so I can get dressed?” She huffed irritably.

 

Jin threw his head back and laughed at her remark as he headed towards the window he had entered through. “Alright, alright, I can get the picture.” Hefting himself up in the windowsill to sit and relax for a moment, his leg hanging out the wind with his back against the sill, he saluted to her. “See you later today and don't forget. I promised Teresa you'd be there.”

 

“Will you just get the hell out of here!” Scarlet demanded, throwing one of her shoes at him.

 

Jin grabbed the incoming object to prevent it from hitting him in the face. “Still as wild as ever.” Without another word to the hotheaded young female, the demon jumped off of the windowsill. Outstretching his arms, Jin caught himself on the wind currents to take him back towards the base of the mountain where he remained from time to time.