Hello, readers.
I'm going to make this brief so that you may get straight to the story. Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to its respectful creator, which is not me, unfortunately. This is my first fan-fiction in years. (Believe me... years.) The story will start out from Hiei's perspective and may remain that way throughout, but we'll have to see how it goes. So, yeah. Enjoy.
A brisk wind beat harshly against the side of my face, bringing with it an uncomfortable chill - one familiar, though I wish it weren't. The glacial mountains surrounding me seemingly bowed before the grace of this quiet place; they too were paying their respects. Each headstone looked almost identical to the next, though this particular monument before me stood out amongst the rest. Not only did it stand taller, but the base was encompassed in glistening beads all shed just for her.
She was the most beautiful, kind-hearted child this village has ever seen.
It was true. Never did she cease to amaze me in all her benevolent ways; she could do no wrong. Sometimes I wondered how we possibly came from the same womb - how we shared the same genes. She was our angel, truly, and forever would be watching over us now that she was gone. It seemed like only yesterday she stood before me, angelic and graceful, a pinnacle of magnificence to be sure. Her smile lit up the room, and although it sickened me to see Kuwabara ogle her, I found comfort in knowing he brought her happiness. I wanted so much to make her happy.
Perhaps if I'd told her who I really was, I might not be feeling such a knot in my throat at this moment. I was cold to her, but only because I feared her. I'd feel an unmeasurable guilt should I ever have tainted her. No one deserves to fall victim to demons like the ones dwelling within me - especially not her. The knot grew tighter still, and I nearly dropped to my knees before her grave. I wanted to weep; I wanted to throw my arms around her and let her know her brother loved her for everything she was. But now...
Another wind - this one brushing a single gem through the soft patch of snow and towards my feet. The slight tap was enough to avert my gaze from the engraving of her name down to the ground. I kneeled down to it and gingerly lifted it only to grasp it tightly in the center of my clenched fist. It was no use; I could no longer hold it in. The first tear ran down my cold cheek, moistening it and leaving behind a clear, glistening trail. The rest followed like quiet raindrops that trickled slowly down after - all plummeting to the ground in a pile of black and red treasures.
"Yukina..." I sobbed. I could still vaguely remember the sound of her voice, that voice which held not a drop of spite or bitterness. "Yukina... I-I'm..." It grew impossible to speak; the sound of my own voice was drowned out by the resonance of my mournful cries. And there I wept for her, alone, weak, and longing for a miracle. But instead my prayers were greeted by the unwelcome snowstorm that had been brewing through the duration of my stay. I couldn't move, though. Neither a storm nor the gods could pry me from her grave. I cried out to her with my hands held forth full of tear gems tumbling down to join the pile already formed. They clattered like marbles; the sound unnerved me.
The tears welled up further until my body grew too limp to even say sitting up on my knees, and I fell - head resting in a pile of tears and my hands frozen by the cold. There I lay, and there I would stay until the morning's rise. I don't remember when I fell asleep, but I know that the next day my heart felt hollow. I had no interest in returning home or even seeing anyone.
I awoke to the sound of footsteps and quickly leapt to my feet. It was Ri; she looked concerned, but she didn't say a word. Instead, her lips turned upwards into a weak smile as an offering of comfort. Unfortunately, it did nothing to ease my pain. Instead, I grew sadder and turned my eyes away and stared off into the mountains where the Sun had begun to rise. The sky hung over us like a blanket of warm pastel colors - something that usually brought a wave of calmness with it. It reminded me of her, and so I couldn't help but want to look away from it. To distract myself from my plague of unwanted thoughts, I turned my attention back to Ri.
"What do you want?" I questioned. She seemed unfazed by my annoyance; I suppose it was to be expected.
"I only came to check on you. You never returned to the village after I brought you here last night, and I was worried something might have happened. I guess I was foolish to think something like that." She lowered her head seemingly ashamed. I snorted.
"Yes, quite. I don't need you to check up on me. I was just leaving anyway." As I stepped past her, she stopped me, turning to stare at me with big, helpless eyes.
"Hiei... She loved you, you know. Even if she may not have known who you really were... She-"
"I've heard enough of it, Ri. I don't need sympathy from you or anyone. I'd like to just be left alone." Without another word, I sped off and bounded my way back through the village and down back towards the rest of Demon World. It wasn't really where I wanted to be. My current state of being left me vulnerable to even the lower class creatures, and I was in no mood to fight. So, instead, I set out for the only other place I knew that might provide some solace - the Living World.
