_ M o n s t e r _


Chapter 1: Child's Play


"Add more pressure."

"But ma'am, if you add too much more..."

"I am your superior, and I am giving you an order. Do. It."

"Y-yes ma'am..."

"What's happening?"

"I-It's doing it again!"

"Well stop it! Stop it before-"

"Damn, another failure! What the fuck is going wrong?"

"...Clean it up. It's useless. We need something stronger..."

"Someone has entered the facilities, ma'am."

"Ma'am, what- we told you not to-"

"That thing? Mrs. Kawaguchi, how could you-"

"Oh shut-up, it's not hurting anyone."

"... ?"

"Mother? You let it call you mother? Are you mad, Avaron?"

"Will you just shut up, Dr. Minoto? It's harmless."

"..."

"Yes, yes, we heard you."

"Don't be so harsh on the little thing, Tazuka."

"It's not normal, and it's dangerous! It's nothing like we've ever seen before and you want me to be nice?"

"That's right... It isn't..."

"Avaron? What are you planning?"

"Sweetie, come closer."

"...?"

"Do you want to help mommy? Make her very happy for once?"

"Avaron-"

"Shut. Up. Minoto."

"..."

"Do you want to be useful to mommy for once?"

"..."

"That's good. Now, go over there. Good, right there."

"...?"

"If all goes according to plan, it might."

"...-"

"We get it, we get it, now shut up, mommy has to focus."

"Avaron..."

"What? You had no complaint before, what makes this one any different?"

"..."

"That's what I thought. Tazuka, start the process."

"Y-yes, ma'am..."


"And you're sure you don't want to come along, Shuichi?"

Kurama couldn't help the little smile that formed on his face as he watched his mother pout up at him. His other family members were standing behind her, trying not to laugh at his predicament. They had decided to go on a vacation; to some small city called Numazu down on the Izu Peninsula. Kurama had intended to stay at home during the trip, but Shiori wanted him to come along and be with the family. He would usually give in without protest, but a few A-class Demons had escaped into the city and Koenma asked him to help Yusuke and Kuwabara round them up before they could cause serious damage.

"Mother, I would love to, but I am needed here. A friend is having trouble and asked for my assistance." Kurama explained, trying to avoid her gaze as best he could without being disrespectful. And as always when dealing with his mother, he was losing.

"You work and help people all the time, Shuichi! What about being selfish and relaxing for once with the family?" She pressed, her pout growing more pronounced. His younger brother was hiding his laughter behind a hand, the edges of his grin showing as his shoulders shook. His step-father was in an equal position, though he did a better job of hiding his amusement.

"Mother-" Kurama began, trying to make her see reason without being pushy. Shiori huffed and put her hands on her hips, going into full-mother mode.

"Shuichi! You have not been on vacation with us. Ever! We have allowed you to stay here and work on your studies and help your friends. Without questions! We did it because you like doing those things, and I found it wonderful that you took your education seriously. But you need to relax once in a while or you're going to burn yourself out!"

"I assure you I won't burn myself out. Schoolwork relaxes me, mother." Kurama interjected.

"Well if you won't be selfish, I will!" Shiori said, her lips turning upwards into a sweet smile. "I want to be able to relax with the family for a week in Numazu. If you are here all alone, I won't be able to stop worrying about you!"

Kurama tensed up, knowing where she was probably going with this. "Mother-"

"And stressing during a vacation isn't very nice, don't you agree?" She continued, her eyes glinting.

"Well, yes; but-"

"And of course, if I don't relax it won't help at all and would be a waste of time and money! Right?"

Kurama hesitated, before answering with a slow and reluctant "Yes, it would..."

Shiori brightened and clasped his shoulder in triumph. "Then it's decided! You are going to let your mother be selfish and drag you along so we can all relax for a week! I'm sure your friend will be fine, right?" She looked down, her eyes growing downcast for a moment. "I worry about you, you know. You keep strange hours. And... Well, I'm your mother. So of course I worry that something might happen. We barely see you besides meal times. So please... Relax with us? Just for a week?"

Kurama frowned, realizing two things at that moment. One; that there was no way he could get out of it without hurting his mothers feelings, and two; he had unintentionally worried his mother. She had noticed his comings and goings, somehow, and was concerned for his safety. "Mother..." He began, letting out a soft sigh before smiling at her. "If it will make you happy, I will go."

"Really? Awesome! Yes, now it's the whole family! This is gonna be great!" His brother cheered, pumping his fist I the air.

"C'mon, it's bedtime for you, Kokoda." His step father said, leading the younger child towards the stairs. He let his son go up the stairs before turning to Kurama. "It'll be nice having the whole family together. Good night Shuichi. See you in a few minutes dear."

"I'll be right up, sweetie. Goodnight Kokoda!" Shiori called, Kurama's young sibling giving a muffled reply before a door closed. Shiori turned her ochre eyes back towards her son, body language screaming nervousness.

"Mother? What ails you?" Kurama asked softly, watching her shift her hands behind her back. Shiori took a moment to quietly think to herself, before shaking her head, her smile returning.

"It's nothing, Shuichi. I just... I just want you to know we love you. That's why we... I worry."

Kurama felt himself mimicking her smile, hugging her gently as he returned the sentiment. His mother visibly relaxed, though her eyes seemed... Distant. It still troubled Kurama, but he made no move to question further. He had many secrets, so he would allow her to have some of her own. And if it was anything important, she would bring it up. His mother wasn't one to keep her worries to herself. Especially if it concerned her family. The two of them ascended the stairs and each bid the other a goodnight before heading into their separate bedrooms. He closed his door with a soft click, exhaling once he was alone. 'I suppose I should tell Yusuke and Kuwabara then. Hiei will need to know as well. Perhaps I should leave my window open, in case it raines while I am absent. Yes, I should do that; The weather forecast did say there was a chance of rain the next few days... I'll need to inform Botan and ask her to pass the message on to Koenma too, so he doesn't have a fit when he can't reach me...' As he continued to list preparations he needed to take for his week away, he allowed himself to tidy his room while waiting for his mother join his step father in sleep.

Once he felt her energy even out Kurama waited a few more minutes to make sure they would stay asleep before he opened his window and descended onto the street. It was an easy enough feat due in part to the large tree by his window. Kurama brushed some hair away from his face and looked around, making sure none of his neighbors were out and about. When he was satisfied with the lack of people, Kurama started walking down the street, sticking to the more heavily shaded areas. He knew he could be rushing off amongst the rooftops, but it was a nice night. Surely he could enjoy a leisurely walk instead of running around as they usually did.

The idea of a vacation wasn't a bad one; in fact, he could say that he could really use one at the moment. School was tedious at best and a week away would allow him to recharge so he didn't snap at the schoolmates and teachers he was forced to interact with on a daily basis. Especially some of the bolder students who wished to... Gain his attention. And just thinking about how little sleep he's actually gotten these past few weeks because of escaped demons and spirits...

'Perhaps I should have looked into a vacation sooner...' Kurama mused, stepping into a rather large park that stood between his home and the usual meeting place of his small band of friends. It wasn't too late, but the park was blissfully empty, save for the small animals who made their homes in the trees. 'Then again, with everything that goes on around here, It was not like I could simply get up and leave those three alone...' He continued in his mind, knowing that Hiei, Kuwabara and Yusuke would probably get into some giant mess with no one to calm them down if they got over excited. Yusuke could very well destroy a couple city blocks if he wasn't paying attention. And if Hiei got too angry at anyone... Well, Kurama would just have to trust that they would be on their best behavior while he was away. That, or perhaps listen to Botan. That thought was both amusing and depressing. Of course they wouldn't. They never did. 'Thinking this way I feel more of a baby sitter than a team mate...' This time his sigh was louder, muted by the sudden heavy gust of wind that rattled the leaves into a frenzied chorus of noise that made him stop.

The wind died as suddenly as it began, and left the park in an unnatural silence. It was too forced, Kurama decided, spreading his feet apart as he readied himself. He tried to sense something, anything that could be the source of the gust, but nothing was the only answer he had.

". . . . . ."

Kurama turned, hair whipping as he tried to find the source of the noise. It had been faint, merely the softest of whispers. But still... Green eyes squinted into the underbrush, trying to discern anything that could be hiding within the shadows of foliage. Another sharp blast of wind had his arm up to protect his face from the dust and dirt the wind kicked up. When the wind stopped once more, the night seemed more oppressive. It was as if the dark was closing in, swallowing the moon and stars with a ferocity of a starving predator.

"One two three four five six seven eight~"

The voice was a soft carress to the back of his neck. Reacting instantly, Kurama jumped back and turned, hand reaching and pulling out a rose from his hair. When green met black, he paused, obviously confused. Where he stood moments before was a small child, no more than six or seven, staring up at him with bottomless black eyes, devoid of the usual spark of life. The child had straight hair the color of burnt umber, hanging limply against clammy pale skin that seemed even paler against the simple white dressing gown.

"One two three four five six seven eight~" The child repeated, counting the numbers slowly as it opened and closed its fingers.

"And who might you be?" Kurama asked, wary of the child before him. He could sense nothing from the supposedly ningen child, and that put him on edge. It could be an illusion- or a demon in disguise. The child turned its eyes from him to the ground, wiggling its toes against the brick walkway.

"Me?" It asked. Kurama said nothing, simply awaited for the child to continue speaking. "I go by many things. What would you call me?"

"A possible threat." He responded, no hesitation in his words. The child made a soft noise, something akin to a chuckle.

"A threat?"

"Possible threat." He corrected, watching as the child opened and closed its hands once more. He couldn't see what it was holding, but it seemed something important, if only to the child.

"So who do you think I am?" It questioned again, obviously not going to give him a straight answer. Kurama held his rose in his hand, not willing to disarm.

"A demon in disguise. Maybe just a strong ningen child. Either way, something with enough power to generate the random bursts of energy and to cut off this area from the rest of the city."

"Oh? So you noticed my shield?" The child looked impressed, void-like eyes widening ever so slightly as they locked onto green once more. Kurama nodded, his face carefully impassive now that the child had admitted to making the barrier around the forested area of the park.

"Once I no longer felt the energy signals from around the park I knew there was something interfering. But now I wonder what you plan to do if you set up a shield such as this."

"I just wanted to play for a little bit." The child answered, fidgeting from one foot to another. "They never let me play any more. I always get stuck in my room."

"They?" Kurama asked, becoming increasingly aware of the fact that if anything were to happen, he would indeed be on his own; the others wouldn't be able to step in even if they noticed the lack of his presence in the city. Perhaps they didn't notice yet. They could be busy with those rogue demons...

"My family. It isn't any fun. They keep me locked away, and they won't tell me why. Did I do something bad? I just wanted to play with the others..."

"Play?"

"One two three four five six seven eight..." The child began counting once more, looking down at its hands. Kurama took a step forward, and the child looked back up, closing its hands once more. "Will you play with me?"

"What do you mean?" Kurama asked, muscles tensing instantly as the child released a giggle.

"I just wanted to play with them, but they wouldn't let me. So I waited until they weren't looking..."

Kurama stepped back as the child came closer, face obscured by the curtain of hair.

"It was easy enough. It was fun too. They played with me."

Another step forward, and it looked up, eyes wild and crazed as it's pupils shook with insane pleasure.

"I won. I always win when I play. They didn't like it. They cried. But I won. I won! But I want to play again. They weren't as fun as I thought. They didn't play very well. They didn't follow the rules. They just kept running. That's not part of the game. They didn't play right. But I did. So I won. I always win."

Kurama jumped back, putting more distance between them as the wind pick up once again. The trees groaned and cried in pain, bark snapping and breaking as the wind and pressure increased.

"And I caught them. It was too easy! They weren't any fun. I wanted to find someone else to play with. But Father caught me. Father said it was bad. I attracted too much attention. I had to go back home. But I didn't want to. So when Father left, I came here. No one was here, and I had nobody to play with. Then I saw you! You look fun. So play with me! Will you play with me? You look like you could play. You smell like them though. But you aren't. You would play right. You wouldn't run away. So play with me! Play with me please?" Her hands opened and small objects fell to the ground, bouncing and rolling in all directions. Kurama looked down and paled. A single orb of white and blue stared up at him, blood caked onto it mixing with the ring of blue to create a disturbing mixture of purple.

Eyes.

"You took their eyes...?" The question was forced out with as much indifference as he could muster, but found that his voice shook. Why? Why did this disturb him? He was a demon! He had seen much worse- It was because they were only children. Young, innocent children. They had friends; family and homes that would never see them again. And this was a child too, at least, the form of a child. The creature in question was standing at an odd angle now; neck bent unnaturally as one eye bulged, locking him into a fierce glare with a crazed glint that felt like it would steal his very soul should he gaze for too long.

"You'll play with me... You'll play with me...! I'll count..." It crooned, body bloating and shifting. The air filled with the snapping of tendons and crushing of bones as the form continued to change, skin becoming green and blue as the face disappeared. "One two-" Kurama flicked his rose, his whip appearing none to soon as a large tentacle struck out from the ball of flesh, barely missing him as he ran to the side. "Three four five-" Kurama watched as the tentacle retracted, morphing and forming into a large, disfigured hand, fingers sharpening into claws that looked like they had been through a blender. "Six-"

'What in the three worlds is going on? What is it?' Kurama felt the ground shake as the bubble of flesh and sharp edges seemed to finally finish its strange transformation; the body nothing more but a bloated reptilian face with fangs like needles and multiple eyes, each one a different color and looking in a different direction. It had appendages coming from anywhere and everywhere, hands and feet hanging uselessly from it's glistening flesh.

"Seven-" It had two main arms, long stringy muscles that dragged on the ground like they were too big for the body. One hand held several extra digits, each twitching; begging for blood and violence. Kurama tightened his grip on his weapon, sliding a foot back so he could launch himself in whichever direction he could. He would not allow himself to 'lose'. This thing was obviously some unfortunate soul that mutated. That would explain the lack of scent. But it still didn't explain it's lack of energy-

"Eight!"


Author's Notes: Yup. First chapter. I kept falling asleep while editing this. I hope that's just me being exhausted, and not my writing being boring, but I'll let you be the judge of that. This was actually going to be twice as long, but I decided to cut it up, since I need to work on the next bit a little more. Yay. This is not the most interesting chapter, but I assure you; mundane blah-ing and horribly written fight scenes will lead up to all the mental carnage i have planned for the loveable red head and his cohorts. I find it strange how I hate unhappy endings, but I love to torture the characters I love most. Oh god, you should see the original stories I've written and comics I've storyboarded. I've killed the characters representing me about... hmmm, I would say around 95% of the time. I don't hate myself though. I just... Love to kill characters. And some ways are really from out in the left field. Like death involving a sleeping person and two large sandwhiches... Strange... Back to the point, I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as i enjoy writing it (editing on the other hand... ahahah... ) so please, if you enjoy or have questions or suggestions, please review and let me know. And I suppose I should talk about the story itself... Well, it's called the 'Three mothers trilogy', so surprise surprise, there will be three. The rating is currently a high T rating, but i may bump it up to mature for future gore and psychological slaughtering of sanity. We'll see.

Notes for the Chapter:

Yeah, Im using the changed name of Kurama's little brother, the one from the English Dub. It's not anything significant, It's just I was confusing myself too much while typing this, so I decided to cop out and take the easy way out. Bad me- i know, i know. Im just lazy I suppose. Another bad habit~ But it hopefully wont affect your opinions of this story too drastically. Please bear with my weird little quirks. Its just easier to write this way. /bows

The horrible blah-ness of the chapter is something I had to do, so I apologize if its boring or hard to read. I'm better at gore and horror, not so much the normal stuff and fight scenes... So hopefully I don't screw up too bad, but again, you guys can be the judge. It'll hopefully get better, but if not, well- I tried my best.

Oh! Before I forget- the quote in the summary is from a great little book I took an interest in, see if you can find out which one. Ill even give the first correct answer a one shot of their choice, if they so desire. I'll be dropping hints the next couple chapters, and will probably reveal in the third or fourth chapter. Forgive me, but I enjoy little contests like this. There will probably be more in the future.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any recognizable and already made characters. Characters that aren't in the Yu Yu Hakusho anime and manga or claimed by the creator are of my own making, some being based off of ghost stories and demons from mythology. The plot is of my own making; so my demented thoughts are my own and no one elses. If anyone has any questions or concerns feel free to PM, I don't bite. I promise. Flames are not appreciated, but if you truly hate my story I guess there's nothing I can do to change it. Apologies.

Oh! Spoiler Warning! Lot's of Death. Lot's of torture. Probs a lot of OCs too. But I need meat shields, so its better they be characters you don't really know right? Well, most of them at least... It's not fair if I only kill my own characters... Hmm...

And shoutout to The Countess of Monte Cristo, who has an amazing collection of Fanfics, you should totally pop over to her and read some. (And review. All writers enjoy hearing what people thought of their work) She's a beautiful writer who actually inspired me to start writing this! I owe her a one shot too... Hrmm...