The Haunting Past

*Hey everyone. This will be a series of short stories about each character's past and childhood. Some of it may be fiction like the names but overall the story is quite accurate. I've done my homework....^_^ Ok, enjoy and please review!

*Chapter 1 - Hiei: My Destiny*

The brash laughter of the drunken thieves rose up to Hiei's ears. He shuddered in disgust; for about a year, he had lived and traveled with a gang of thieves. Worthless as they were, Nakameji, the leader, did teach him how to handle a katana and useful tricks in stealing.

Suddenly loud footsteps broke the short silence. "Hiei....why the hell are you here?" The tallest demon of the thieves group towered over the young Hiei. He bent down so he was at the same height as the fire youkai. "Where have you been?!" Nakameji roared in Hiei's face, his foul breath sickening him.

"Ugh....where I go is none of your business for that matter!" Hiei shoved Nakameji away from him. The leader stood up, trying to look all powerful and mighty. He rammed his fist into the young demon's torso. Hiei fell over, coughing and panting for breath. Nakameji laughed cruelly and his followers joined in, delighting in the pain and misery of the demon child.

"You had better watch your mouth, you little pipsqueak! 'Cuz someday it's gonna cost you!" With that, Nakameji and the other thieves went trampling away to steal more items. But not before each thief was allowed by Naka to kick Hiei, lying on the floor, at least once.

When they were gone, Hiei turned and stumbled for the thieves camp out. Upon reaching his own tent, he took off his black cloak and bandaged his injuries. His attention was drawn away when he heard a cry. A feminine cry.

'Ugh, that revolting bastard....he's taking advantage of another demon wench...." Hiei drew his katana and began to practice.

"Help me! Please! Hiei!" The fire demon froze when he heard his name called. 'What in the seven hells....?' He threw his cloak back on and went to check it out. The cries led him to a dark tent; inside, it reeked of death and despair. Giant cages were layed out all over the floor, all of them empty except for one. Hiei knelt in front of the cage and peered inside; what he saw shocked him.

A young woman sat motionless inside the cage, her head down. A veil hid her eyes but not her shoulder length violet hair. She was unusually dressed in a white gown, adorned with pearls and beads. Hiei precautiously stuck his katana (still in the scabbard) through the bars and poked her. She didn't stir; the scabbard hit her shoulder again.

Suddenly she awoke, her head shot up and looked straight ahead. "Who's there?" she asked in a whispery voice. Hiei was at a loss for words, he finally muttered,"I should be asking you that...."

"Are you....one of....them?" The young woman crawled forward on her hands and knees. Startled, Hiei moved a step back. "No....you don't reek like their stench...." She answered her own question and sat back again. The demon put both hands on the bars.

"Who are you....?" He asked her gently.

"I am Yashiku, the prophet demoness." As if reading Hiei's mind she answered on cue. "What am I doing here? I was captured of course, from my village by a pack of thieves. They have kept me locked up here. Please free me...."

The fire demon hesitated. "You say you're a prophet?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me....where am I from? Who am I? Why do I even exist?!" His questions tumbled out in a hurry. It seemed as though he had waited so long for the answers.

"I will tell you if you retrieve my Kaitou Orb...."

"Where is it...?"

"Nakameji has hidden it in that corner." Yashiku whispered.

"If it's hidden, how do you know it's location?"

"That fool, did he really think I wouldn't know where it was? I'm a prophet...." She snorted. Hiei dashed towards the pile of junk lying in the corner of the tent. A glowing light caught his eye and he started digging. When the orb was uncovered, he saw it had a marvelous soft white glow. Careful not to drop it, he slipped it through the cage to Yashiku. She in turn waved her hands around the orb and began to speak. Funny thing was Hiei still hadn't seen her eyes, concealed under the veil.

"You are Hiei, a half fire demon and half Koorime...."

"Koorime? Isn't that a female only race of apparitions?" Hiei wondered out loud.

"Yes, your mother, Hina had an affair with a fire demon, thus you two were born...."

Hiei pondered this a while. "Then where exactly am I from...?"

"The island....of the Koorime...." Yashiku whispered.

"What else do you see?" Hiei asked. No response came from the prophet; instead she turned the glowing surface of the orb towards the demon. In the globe, a sea green haired woman was crying desperately. She was on some kind of trial and in the background another woman was holding two bundles. The picture suddenly reverted to the other woman slipping a necklace into a bandaged bundle and then dropping it off a cliff, all to the dismay of the first woman. The image faded away gently like the leaves at the sight of autumn.

Hiei was silent. 'So....is that how my life was? Abandoned? Thrown literally off a cliff? What was to become of me? Hey...wait a...!'

"You said you two! Two? I have a sibling?!" Hiei practically screamed.

"Shhh....yes, in fact I did say two. Observe...." Yashiku murmured then held up the Kaitou Orb in her pale white hands. An image of a younger looking version of Hina showed up. The prophet whispered one word. "Yukina...."

"Yukina...?" The demon repeated while watching the young girl on the globe frolick in the snow with her bird friends. Hiei's heart melted like ice. 'I...have a sister! I'm not all alone in this cold, harsh world after all.....Yukina....'

"My sister....she's a Koorime right?" Hiei asked uncertainly. Yashiku paused for a moment before answering.

"Yes....the island granted her permission to stay...."

"Is she there now?!"

Again, the prophet demoness hesitated before responding. "No, it appears she left the island not long ago to go search....for her missing brother...." Hiei's heart jumped at these words.

"Yashiku....tell me! Where is Yukina right now?" The demon rattled the bars on the cage impatiently. Yashiku looked up, appearing to gaze directly at Hiei.

"If you free me from this wretched prison, I shall tell you...." She said softly. Hiei grabbed his katana and almost ripped the cage apart when he slashed it into pieces, making quick work of the crate. The prophet didn't move from her spot however.

"Yukina....she is...." Before she could answer, a loud roar echoed through the tent.

"HIEI!!!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING???!!!" Nakameji's cruel voice sliced the air. Sunlight suddenly flooded the small tent and Hiei blinked in surprise, gawking at the open light pouring in. The thief leader stood at the opening, his massive form blocking the entire gap. Yashiku sniffed the air then started trembling violently.

"You....you freed the wench?!" Nakameji growled. Hiei stood up and stepped in front of the prophet protectively. The thief laughed, his evil chuckle echoing around the small tent. "You, Hiei, the runt of the gang, is going to protect this witch?" A hand touched the fire demon's shoulder; Hiei whirled around to find Yashiku on her knees behind him.

"Don't....don't mess with him...." The girl warned softly. "He killed my father who tried to stop him from capturing me...." Never the less, Hiei faced Nakameji, set determination showing on his young face.

"Oh ho! Shrimpy wants to mess with the big boys, now does he?" Nakameji sneered, a sick smile on his ugly face. He sprinted forward and shoved his foot into Hiei's stomach. The fire demon doubled over and choked up blood. He struggled to get to his feet, clutching his bruised abdomen. Not being able to take anymore, Hiei drew his blade and pointed it at the leader's heart.

"DAMN YOU, BASTARD! I'm sick of you calling me names, treating me like trash! I deserve more respect than you ever would, you ugly piece of shit!" Hiei yelled furiously.

"WHAT?! After I took you in and just about raised you, this is how you repay me?!!!" The thief bellowed angrily. Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously to crimson slits.

"I'll show you repayment!!!" Hiei darted forward and using his speed, began slashing Nakameji all over his body. Blood spurted from various wounds but Nakameji seem to read Hiei's moves. Finally he hit Hiei when the fire youkai was leaping forward; the leader swung his hand and caught the bruised young demon in the stomach again. Hiei's eyes went wide as he flew backward, smashing into a large wooden crate.

Naka used this oppurtunity to grab Yashiku by the neck, who surprisingly had been still sitting inside the ruined cage.

"Ahhhhh...." The prophet shrieked, her voice being cut off as she was suffocated. Nakameji held the girl up in the air by one hand as she desperately tried to free herself by beating her small fists against the leader's abnormally muscular arm. Hiei saw what was happening. The thought 'NO!!! He's killing my one chance at finding out where Yukina is!' ran across his mind.

Hiei picked himself up off the floor and staggered towards the choking girl. At this point, Yashiku was tugging uselessly at the thief's fist.

"Stop! Let her go! She's has nothing to do with this!" Hiei cried out, attempting to distract the lout. Ignoring Hiei, Nakameji cackled insanely, his fist wrapping around the prophet's neck, tighter and tighter. "Stop!!!!!"

Adrenaline rushed through Hiei's veins, giving him blood, giving him energy. He quickly grabbed the handle of his sword and rushed at Naka, swing his blade expertly. Too late.....

The young demon heard a crack and saw Yashiku dangling lifelessly from Nakameji's bulky hand, bright red blood dripping from her mouth down her chin. She was dead, her neck snapped like a twig by the thief's brute strength. Images of Yukina flashed across Hiei's mind as he screamed,"No!!! Damn it!!!"

His feet turned to wings as Hiei leapt up into the air, right in front of Nakameji's face. He saw Naka's mouth dropping open in shock, in surprise the 'runt' of the group is attacking the leader. With a demon cry, Hiei slashed 10 times, hacking the thief into pieces, his katana only a silver flash. Blood fell like a waterfall as the parts of the once leader of the thieves dropped to the floor.

Having finshed off his enemy, the fire demon rushed to the prophet's side. "Yashiku?" Hiei asked timidly, looking into her face. Even though he knew it was too late, that Yashiku was already dead, Hiei still had to check. "Yashiku...? You still haven't told me....where Yukina is...." The girl didn't arouse. Hiei's crimson eyes darted around and settled on the white veil.

Despite himself, Hiei lifted the cloth covering the girl's eyes. She had lifeless amethyst eyes; Hiei expected her to blink at any moment. He studied her lifeless eyes, pondering why they looked so different from other eyes. 'Of course!' The demon gazed at the violet eyes; the unusual thing Hiei figured out was that the eyes were blank. Just deep purple....

'That explains it....Yashiku.....was blind....' Hiei figured out. Sounds of footsteps interrupted his thinking as the other theives entered the tent. "Oh it's you, short stuff. Where's boss?" One of them asked. Hiei pointed at the brown lumps of flesh, blood and bone on the floor. The others grew silent; most of them paled too. "You....you couldn't have....Nakameji...?" One stuttered.

Hiei mocked them, laughing harshly. "That's what Ugly there said to me before. Now look where he's at...." The thieves as cowardly as they were, turned and ran for their lives. Hiei watched them dash off into the horizon.

Since he was young and didn't know what to do with Yashiku's dead body on his hands, he left it there and went outside. Hiei inhaled in the chilly air and gazed up at the sun. His mind drifted again to Yukina. She was an ice apparition, meaning she couldn't attack and defend herself. Before disappearing into the shadows of a forest, the demon made a vow.

"Little sister....wait for me....I WILL find you. I will be the one....to protect you. That....is MY destiny...."

*Finished! Enjoyed it? Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks so much for reading!