Tears of Time

Summary: For the last few years, Kuwabara Yukina has lived a content life alongside her dear husband Kuwabara Kazuma, her twin brother (as she had figured out long before) Jaganshi Hiei, and their group of friends and family members. However, when going with Kazuma on a rather routine mission to stop a demon that appeared in the Human Realm uninvited, Yukina falls-not just through space, but also through time...and now she's stuck in the past! But how does her knowledge of things to come change what is happening? How does she leave it the same? Only time will tell...

Pairings: Canon (including One-Sided), I.E. KuwabaraYukina and Past/Future/Slight(?)YusukeKeiko AND OTHERS. Also look out for: This will be confusing, but the following pairings are ones I've decided happened post-series, some being more canon than others(explainations in parenthesis like this); they shouldn't play an important role in the story other than explaining various comments or some reactions that might seem more OOC than they are, considering.
On that note, they are: KuramaHieiKurama(this was originally planned to be canon, so I'm not screwing too much with YYH continuity), JinRuka(the barrier chick from DT, who states in the manga's epilogue to have a crush on Jin), ChuNatsume(the demon woman Chu fights on-screen, who trains him in the epilogue), RinkuKotei(the monkey woman Rinku chases after losing a fight with her, seen in the epilogue hanging out together), SuzukaJuri(the second announcer in DT, who also states in the manga's epilogue to have a crush-on Suzuka instead), TouyaKoto(the original DT announcer, who is implied to have a crush on Touya in the epilogue), and ShizuruKeiko(...what? Female authors can't be fans of yuri? Besides, I decided Yusuke had better things to do than entertain human women, and these two clearly grow on each other during DT...). Any others either won't be mentioned or are even less important than these. ^.^;; Sorry for the long list! Luckily, this is the only time you'll see it unless Yukina makes a comment. :)

Timing: It starts out after the epilogue in the manga/the end of the anime, then skips to the start of the series. I feel the need to point out that I'm not just going to rehash the plot in this new universe; there's going to be many changes, some larger than others at first, that will ripple outward and make this much different from the original. Which doesn't mean I'm changing the characters, the main predetermined plotpoints, and even much of the action during certain fights I'm keeping (you'll see), just that Yukina will be there (sometimes accidently, haha) screwing things up. Please bear with me!

Other Notes: Names will be last/family name first, then given name, just as in the original series. There will be major spoilers in this, as is to be expected, so be prepared. Names will be spelled as I prefer them to be, although most are as they are in English, with a bit of a Brittish flair (i.e. Yoko=Youko, Toya=Touya, etc.). And feel free to drop a review! I adore knowing what people think of my work, like many writers out there. :D

Disclaimer: Don't own it. And that's all I have to say on the matter.

Portals and Helpers

Kuwabara Yukina stared with curious awe at her surroundings as she slowly made her way through the forest, one hand touching her chest and the other touching trees as she passed them. She both knew and didn't know where she was, and was unsure what to make of her present perdicament. Last she had checked, Kazuma had just stabbed a D-Class demon in the gut with much gusto and flair (for Yukina's benefit, which she knew, and flashed him a smile when he turned), but it managed to stay alive long enough to chant something...

Something...

"But what?" she quietly wondered aloud, frowning in thought as she leaned against the nearest tree. Her deep crimson eyes drifted closed and she struggled to remember the words, only to let out a sigh of annoyance when she couldn't.

But whatever it was the demon had chanted, it had caused her to be engulfed in a golden light that seemed both comforting and damaging all at once, like Hiei when was trying to protect her by preventing her from accompanying him on missions (which really hurt more than it helped in the long run, since Yukina just fretted more). Then, she had fallen unconscious, only to wake up in a considerably weaker state...

And less mature, as well, she had been faintly horrified to find. She liked having a visible chest and coming up to her husband's shoulders rather than his solar plexis, thankyouverymuch!

The Ice Maiden was at a loss as to what had happened, and carefully reached inside of herself to find her powers, which had matured from mid-D Class to high-C Class over the years since leaving her village. They were pulled to the surface before gently spreading outward to give Yukina an idea of her surroundings. For a while, she hit nothing but trees and small forest animals, but then-

Yukina's eyes snapped open involentarily and she gasped aloud before running as fast as she could while in a kimono, stopping only just short of the energy she had felt. Carefully, hesitantly, she glanced through the bushes-

And felt like crying when she saw her husband, looking younger than he had since they first met, talking loudly to a group of people in school uniforms. She instead collapsed in a daze on the ground, fingers gripping at the grass as though it would aid her attempts to get a grip on reality. So, then...there was a reason why she was so much smaller, so much (physically) weaker, in so unfamiliar a familiar place...

Clearly, the only logical conclusion Yukina's stunned mind could come to was that she was many years in the past, to before she met dear Kazuma or knew who her brother was or met any of her long-time friends and family members or any of them had matured beyond the equivalent of a human teenager.

"But is it real?" she whispered to herself, closing her eyes again in mental agony. "Or is it merely an illusion from the spell that demon cast? And...does it even matter...?"

"Hey, there," a familiar and slightly goofy voice said from above her, making Yukina's eyes open again as she turned up towards the voice's owner. Standing before her, looking awkward but determined as ever, was the young Kazuma, standing half in the bushes that had hidden her from view moments earlier with eyes glittering curiously and wearily. As soon as their eyes met, she could see his widen in shock.

For a long moment, the two gazed at each other in silence, neither sure what to say. Then Kazuma snapped out of it and shook his head rapidly, although the glint in his eye changed to something much more...understanding?

"Um, are you okay? I thought I fe-er, heard you crying."

Yukina was aware of what Kazuma meant (he felt her distress and had come to figure out what was wrong), but pretended to be oblivious, instead giving him a faint smile. "I...I'm fine," she softly said. "Thank you."

"Well, at least let me help you up," he said, holding out his hand expectantly. Yukina didn't hesitate to take it, the warm feeling of his large hand envoloping her small dainty one refreshing and wonderfully familiar in this strange world, even if hers was even smaller and daintier and his was less calloused from using his Spirit Sword. Carefully, Kazuma pulled her to her feet, but it took a few seconds for him to let go with a bright red blush. Yukina had to put that hand to her mouth to hide her smile.

"Thank you, Mr..."

Having to act like she didn't know her own future(?) husband hurt, but if this were real, Yukina had no desire to scare him off; luckily Kazuma was unoffended-even faintly pleased-and merely grinned widely. "Oh, sorry! The name's Kuwabara Kazuma, Number One Fighter of Kurosaki Jr. High!"

Yukina once more stiffled a smile and instead bowed politely. "It is nice to meet you, Mr. Kuwabara. My name is Yukina."

"Eheh," Kazuma awkwardly said, rubbing the side of his nose and glancing away, "that's a pretty name." Yukina merely smiled. "Oh, you don't have to call me 'Mr.' anything. Kazuma's fine."

"Well, then, it was nice to meet you, Kazuma," she said with a warm look. She glanced around and suddenly realized she had to find out exactly what time it was, where she was going to stay, and many more things before she even thought about getting re(?)-aquainted with her dear Kazuma. "Um, I'm sorry, but I have to go now. I hope to see you again."

Kazuma's dejected expression didn't go unnoticed by Yukina, although he made no move to stop her, instead giving a breif wave. "Oh. Uh, you, too, Miss Yukina!"

With a final bow, Yukina gave Kazuma another smile before she turned and half-ran, half-sprinted away, back into the forest where she had come from. A feeling of hurt entered her when she finally stopped in the clearing she awoke within, leaning against yet another tree and grimacing sadly.

"Goodbye for now, Kazuma," she softly said, both saying her farewells to the one she knew from the future and the one she had just met.

Then Yukina merely sat and thought for a long, long time.