DMG: Hello, everybody! Yes, it's me again. You asked for another OC for Kurama…well, here it is! I couldn't fit her in to my other fic, Cat Assassin. (please read it and review, its not that bad) This is the sequel. Like all of my Chapter 1's, I have a lot to say to start out with…
First ~ I have no intentional similarities to any other fics and their ideas. If you see any, please remember that I haven't read EVERY fic out there, and if I have read it, consider it a subconscious complement.
Second ~ I have done something I said I would never do. I used a whole slew of borrowed names (for me, that is) from my other stories and from a few books… The name Atuan is from the Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin. If you like to read, you should read these books, I would recommend them. (Hey, if I'm gonna borrow names I might as well do a bit of promotion as well hehe) The name Kiche is from White Fang by Jack London (another highly recommended book) it's also my cat's name… ^_^;; The name Aspen is from one of my original stories, uh, I guess that has no real significance…oh well, I'm rambling.
Third ~ I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho! Ha! Bet you didn't know that!
Fourth ~ Now that I have thoroughly bored you, scroll down and READ!!!!!! (And at the end, please click that nice little purple review button and send me a comment ~ no flames please, I get enough of those from my precious little fire youkai ^____^)
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More than a thousand years before Yusuke Urameshi even dreamed of throwing his first punch, the Makai was an even wilder place than it is during the time of out favorite Spirit Detectives. Few demons dared tread the paths of the demon world for fear of the ruthless cutthroats that lurked there. Only the strongest and bravest (and maybe the most foolish) ventured out alone. It is in this dismal setting that we find a relatively young demoness (according to the reckoning of her kind) staring down a fork in the road. Her name was Atuan…
Atuan glared down both paths despairingly, then back at her outdated map. She sighed. Atuan hated all such places, as an old soothsayer woman had once told her that she would make a fatal decision at a fork that would lead to her death. Of course, the "fork" might be figurative, but all the same, they made her nervous.
She breathed deeply then took stepped down the left route. There was a…presence…that way that…called her…if that was possible. Perhaps that should have warned her of impending fate, but, as stated before, she was a relatively young demoness.
It was a pleasant enough walk, with rare Makai sunlight streaming through the branches of trees with interesting toothed leaves…Aspens, they were called.
Atuan was beginning to consider stopping for lunch and maybe nap for a while in the sun…it shone so seldom, now. Atuan nearly laughed. She had all day, and all of the next day, and the next. She had no mission, no purpose except to see all of the Makai, from the snowy Koorime country to wherever the fire demons lived. She let her thoughts wander freely…
Atuan was considered beautiful, even among the demonesses, who were all considered gifted. She had silky black hair with reddish-blue highlights that fell to her waist. Her eyes were a deep, dark, purple of a shade not seen often, if ever, anywhere else. Her skin was smooth and pale, typical of a demoness. Atuan was of average height and had a nice figure.
She was quite skilled with daggers and knives, and also with a wide variety of weapons ranging from a whip to a sword. But she always preferred the knives. Her youki was equal to an A-class demon, impressive if she did say so herself.
Naturally, all these qualities had he-demons constantly knocking at her den. None of them satisfied her, and their unwanted attention was part of the reason she left her den the year before. The other part could probably be called the restlessness of youth, the need to explore and to do something worthwhile.
Atuan had one major fault, in the eyes of the other youkai. She belonged to no one breed of demons. She was of all elements and none, and all animals and none. This came from being so many times a crossbreed. The original characteristics were just washed out. However, her doubtful lineage gave Atuan an advantage. She had no major weakness. Of course, she had no major strength either, but a demoness could live with that.
(That was the closest I've come to ever making a character a Mary-Sue. Ever. Don't review and complain about it.)
Most of the afternoon passed peacefully enough, with only the occasional fight with a low class demon. But unfortunately, it couldn't last long. As she turned a slight bend in the road, Atuan felt several presences, each with a youki stronger than hers by a fair margin. There were about five. Atuan thought quickly, fight or flight? Naturally flight, with odds like that, but fight was an ingrained part of demon nature. Atuan decided to lay flat among the bushes lining the side of the road, then mask her youki so they wouldn't notice her.
As she leaped, she heard loud voices approaching quickly. Too late! Maybe they would still pass her over.
"Hey, what was that?" a loud drunken guttural voice asked.
Atuan snarled silently as the demon approached closer to her hiding place.
"It's coming from over there."
Too late Atuan remembered to shield her youki. The demon came closer. Before his hand touched the leaves to brush them aside, Atuan burst out of hiding with a wordless yell and threw herself on him. He was dead before he knew what hit him. But his companions were another story. There were more of them than she thought. Now her estimate totaled ten.
Atuan didn't hesitate. If this was the end, then they better damn well believe she was going to go down fighting!
* ~ *
Youko Kurama strode down a pleasant little path in a fine bad temper. A recent raid that had gone very badly was the source of his annoyance. Sure, he had gotten away with the treasure and only a few singed tail hairs, but those few hairs galled! He knew finesse would come with age and only age, but that didn't stop his ears from twitching with irritation. Already he had made a name for himself in the bandit underworld, but a simple reputation wasn't enough! He would be the best there ever was! Youko Kurama would not settle for anything less. But someone to vent on would be nice.
Youko was thinking along these lines when the sound of combat not far off reached his ears. The scent and youki told him it was a moderately strong demoness fighting about ten stronger demons. His ears practically stood up straight with indignation. That just wasn't right!
In his later years, Youko Kurama would abandon most of these ideals about fair fights, but right now, he felt the demons shouldn't be picking on a lone demoness. Besides, it was an excuse for a good fight to get rid of stress. (Not that he thought this, *cough* but a demoness-in-distress might be very grateful for rescuing. Youko liked demonesses. Apparently, they liked him too.)
Youko bounded swiftly in the direction of the fighting.
* ~ *
Atuan was tiring quickly. She had lost far too much blood to have any hope of survival, but she battled blindly on, powered by the adrenaline rush through her body.
Demons fell to her blades, but more always kept coming. Through her fading consciousness Atuan saw a silver blur scatter the remaining demons. Every one of them fell to a strange plant on the arm of the most beautiful kitsune she had ever seen. Then her world fuzzed into black.
* ~ *
When Atuan slowly opened her eyes, she was propped up against one of the aspen trees that lined the path. The setting sun was beginning to cast long shadows on the ground, and the strange and beautiful kitsune was still staring at her.
He spoke, and his voice was just as beautiful and deep as his face. "I suppose it would not surprise you to learn that you will not survive the hour?"
"It would not," she agreed. Then she laughed, coughing up blood. "I guess the damn old woman was right, then."
In response to his questioning look, she said, "Just something someone said to me, once." It surprised her how well she could still talk.
"Does it upset you, to know?"
Her lips curved upwards. "No." She had always thought she would be afraid, but now she simply felt…peaceful.
They lapsed into silence.
Youko made a move as if to get up.
"Wait." He turned. Her eyes had been closed so long he had almost thought…well, never mind. "If you have no need to go, I would very much like it if you would stay. I have no wish to die alone."
"The life of a demon is to be alone," he reminded her gently.
She smiled. "In life, yes. But no one deserves to die alone."
"I will stay." She nodded, a slight gesture.
Youko gently pulled her onto his lap. "How are you called?"
"Atuan. Atuan Rea."
"Youko Kurama."
"I have heard your name. I did not think our paths should ever cross, Youko Kurama." Suddenly she laughed again, coughing up more blood.
It occurred to Youko that he had never heard a demoness really laugh before, in amusement at some hidden irony that only she could see. It was almost eerie hearing that sound from the mouth of a fated and dying woman.
Only a few moments later Atuan sighed and let her head loll, a faint smile still gracing her lips. Her body was bathed in the golden light of a dying red sun, and her soul fled on the wings of the first dark shadows of the night.
Youko tarried that night under the tree, having no fear of the site where death had visited. In time the exact memory of that moment would fade away, leaving only a faint trace of Atuan Rea, who he had barely known.
* ~ *
Atuan floated in an endless black void. Was this death? She did not feel dead. She was only a bodiless entity now, able to think and be aware with out using any senses. It was an odd feeling. She saw tiny pinpricks of light in the distance. They looked like stars, but she felt them to be souls of others like her.
But there were not many, considering how many had died over the course of forever. Was she a ghost? No, ghosts haunted the living world. She did not. Atuan knew she could puzzle it out. After all, she had an eternity.
Those of the Void had no reckoning of time, and forever reflected on their lives, drawing conclusions and being baffled by mysteries. Atuan only knew that many, many years in the living world had gone by when she was abruptly jerked into oblivion.
DMG: Didja like it? I had fun writing it. Nice cliffhanger, yes? I don't do that often. Now is the time to press that nice little button so you can review and tell me what you thought!