11/30/2014: This chapter was re-edited, checked for typos and grammar errors but the content remained the same. No modification to the original plot was produced.

Author Notes:

Here's the awaited story you voted! :) As a first author note, I'm gonna thank my wonderful beta -EminaKotekNightmare- for her help and warn you that the style is completely different from Real Life. Think of this story as a new turn in my fanfiction writer's path. :)

Enjoy the reading! :)

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi

The Art Of Living

Prologue

The sign of Spring

The dark green tree branches swayed slowly as the wind blew their leaves away. There was a cold breeze that ran through my long brown hair. The scent of fresh earth and the ruffling of branches pierced my senses.

This was my first memory from when I was little.

Coldness surrounded me entirely. The freezing temperature made my small body feel as if thousands of pins were digging in it. I continued to walk, taking tiny steps along the faded path through the lush forest. I could hear the sound of my feet shuffling along the whistling wind, the cracks of the branches, and the rustling bushes. My bare feet hurt as I kept on walking, but I wasn't aware of the pain. I looked around; my brown eyes widening at the beautiful view. It didn't scare me, even when the noises were becoming louder or the shadows were taking forms on the ground. Not even when the trees were making ripping sounds and weird looking birds were flying in circles above my head, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike and feast on my collapsed body.

No, I didn't feel threatened or in danger. I didn't even know what fear was. Through my curious eyes I only looked around and took in the amazing place they saw. It's like my life started then and there. I didn't even remember waking up or opening my eyes. It was just this: The View. The scenery which appeared in front of my eyes and all around me; filling the missing gap in memory that I wasn't even aware I had back then. Like a child seeing the daylight for the first time, I watched everything and continued to explore with a vicious curiosity that could swallow a forest. I walked slowly through the path in which the grass was dark and lifeless.

The light from above was fading little by little, and the wind started picking up with every passing minute. The noises from the forest and the shadows increased their apparitions. My curiosity increased along with them. What was it that made these things exist? What were they? Was there anyone else like me? I wanted to know more than just the forest. I wanted to see who was taking away the light and from where that light came from. What was that strange noise? What were the trees thinking? All around me, the hostile and unfamiliar environment seemed to stare back at me like I was some freak of nature that was invading their territory.

This is what I feel now when I remember the day that became like my second and real birthday.

In their morbid movements, they were hissing at me. At least, that's what my imagination told me. "You're not welcome here", "Leave, we don't like you!", "What are you doing here, little one?", "Who are you?"…

"Who am I?" I thought as I stopped and looked up the tall, moving tree. I wanted to ask him the same question - Who was I? What was I? – but it looked like he didn't know either.

At that time I didn't know the difference between persons and trees. For me, they were the same.

"Who am I?" I asked myself again. I opened my mouth as if to speak, but I didn't know how to. Was I able to speak like the trees? They whistled once again and I tried to copy them. I opened my mouth and only breathed through it. It seemed strange how the air that traveled through my mouth and lungs made a sound. I minimized the opening and experimented with my tongue: sticking it out, dragging it between my teeth, and then sticking it back to its place. I giggled at the low noises that were covered by the hostile wind. The sound of my laugh made me widen my eyes again. A small smile appeared on the corners of my mouth and I tried whistling yet again, this time louder. I didn't manage to get out intelligible sounds but I didn't stop. Moving forward and looking around, I continued playing with the sounds coming out my mouth, giggling from time to time when the wind blew harder, as if pissed off by my poor attempts of copying him. And I couldn't help but think why he's mad at me when he could see that I could never surpass him?

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?"

My eyes widened in surprise when I heard these foreign sounds behind me. They were different from what I've heard so far and I found myself getting more and more curious about where they came from. I turned around and what I saw made my eyes grow even wider. There he stood, five times taller than me, a creature I've never seen in these past few hours that made up my life. He had such a skinny body; his ribs formed an outline on his dirty skin, forming a cage around where his heart should be. His arms were long and spindly, touching the ground as he stood hunched. His emaciated legs were unnaturally bowed and his feet were disproportionally large compared to his body. He had dangerously long claws that protruded everywhere. His deadly fangs, two pairs of them in his mouth, glimmered behind his jet black hair that reached his shoulders. But what impressed me most were his eyes. They were slightly covered by the few bangs that drifted across his face, but I could still see the whiteness of his eyeballs and the gold of his irises. They gleamed menacingly under the evening light.

The memory of his eyes followed me throughout my life, though as a child, I was never frightened of it. At that time, I didn't know how fear felt like. In that short amount of time, when I started to 'live', I didn't have the chance to learn how to be afraid. That time I was just fascinated by everything my eyes could see, and anything my hands could feel. This trait of mine never changed, even after so many years.

That time I only knew what being cold was, what pain felt like because of my hurting feet, things that I still don't like, not because they remind me of that day, but because they were my first lessons and the first things I memorized. And I still don't like those golden orbs…

Back then the only covering my body had was a long simple white nightgown. It had short sleeves and despite being long, it didn't reach the ground. Between that and my bare feet, nothing protected me from the harsh wind and bitter cold of my surrounding.

Despite that, I wasn't sad. I didn't complain, not even in my mind. I didn't know what warmth was, so I assumed it was right to feel that way. I didn't know how to complain either or who I should complain to. It was just me existing; me and the creature.

I wasn't scared of the creature – which I learned later was a youkai - just like myself. I was rather impressed to see something new. I smiled and took a few steps towards him. That surprised him and he widened his eyes. I just smiled and titled my head to the side to get a better look at him. He just stared back and sighed, narrowing his eyes. I blinked.

"You're strange, little one," he spoke in a deep voice.

I remember that he was the first one to tell me that. From then on, he wasn't the only one though.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" I blinked again and looked up curiously at his eyes; his smile transformed slowly into a questioning expression. I was quite amazed by the sounds coming out his mouth. They were so different from what I've heard until then. I opened my mouth trying to copy his movements but I didn't know how to begin. I just whistled. I wanted to show him what I could do too. In reply he stared at me like before and then closed his eyes as he sighed heavily.

"I guess you aren't," the youkai spoke. "For that, I'll do you a favor and kill you as fast and painless as possible. After all, such innocence does not deserve to be tainted," he opened his eyes and looked at me.

Only now do I recognize the emotions those eyes were showing. What stood there were indifference but a hint of remorse, all combined with pity. It was interesting. It didn't seem like he had a choice on what he's about to do. It was mere nature that he must do it.

"Fine. You'd better close your eyes, little girl. I'm sorry, but my face will be the last thing you'll see."

In my ignorance I blinked and smiled. I didn't know why but I felt the urge to do so. His reaction though wasn't the one I expected.

"Don't make my job harder!" he growled. "Just die!" with this last cry, he uncovered a knife from his back and launched himself at me, aiming for my skull. However, in a blink of an eye, I heard the sound of metal clashing with metal and my sight was obscured by a dirty-white clothing. When I looked up I saw that a tall man, shorter compared to the beast in front of me, protecting me from getting cut by the knife. His sword was blocking it effortlessly.

"Only weaklings like you would try to kill a defenseless wretch like this," the tall man spoke with a calm but threatening voice.

"Get out of my way! The child is none of your business!" the beast growled as he pushed the knife further without results.

"Indeed, it's not. But I despise the likes of you. So wiping you out of the world is my business."

"I have a job to finish here!" the beast glowered menacingly at the man. "You're getting in my way," he growled again. I could see nothing because the tall man blocked my view by standing in front of me.

"Why do you have to kill the girl?"

"None of your business. Now, get lost!"

"Then you're useless to me... you're better off dead." The man pushed the knife away with his long sword and before the beast could react he slashed the youkai's stomach, splitting him in two.

I didn't see any movement, only the blood splattering on the ground as well as staining my savior's white clothes and my cheeks. I was taken by surprise by the warm liquid on my face but the man who turned to look at me caught my full attention. He had a dirty long white cape on his shoulders and his clothes were a cream color, simple and loose compared to his slim body. His hair was a beautiful brown coming in waves until it reached his shoulders. His face had a honey nuance and gave him the impression of a God. His warm dark eyes completed the image. He was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and I looked in awe at him as he cleaned his sword, sheathing it in the leather strapped on his waist. He then turned his eyes at me and kneeled to get down on my eyelevel. With his cape he cleaned my face from any trace of blood, a small smile still plastered on his beautiful face.

"What is a little girl like you doing all alone in a place like this?" he asked with a smooth voice. I blinked and looked straight at him with big eyes. He was making the same noises like the beast before but they were much more pleasant.

"You don't seem to have more than five years. Where are your parents? And what is your name?"

I titled my head to a side and opened my mouth to speak. "Name?" I was so surprised to hear myself talking that I smiled warmly and tried again. "Name! Name! Name!"

The man looked taken aback by my reaction but then he smiled. "My name is Riku," he pointed at himself. Then at me. "What is your name?"

I smiled too, liking the way his voice sounded. "Name," I spoke happily once more.

His smile faded a little, a look of compassion taking its place on his features. "I see. You're abandoned too." I was still smiling. I did not understand his words. "No wonder you have no name."

He stood up and patted my head, his big hand feeling so warm and pleasant. I wanted it there forever.

"Well, this could be troublesome but I can't leave you all alone in this kind of place," he said looking around with his chin in his hand. "I'm alone too…I think this is just what we both need, at least for a while."

I continued to look up at him with big eyes while he spoke. His smooth, warm voice was fascinating me.

"From now on, your name will be Haru. It means spring, brightness, happiness. For a cheery girl like you I think it fits you perfectly. What do you think, Haru?" he said and lowered on my level once again.

My smile grew and I even let out a giggle as he continued to mess with my hair. "Haru," I said as I looked at him. "Riku," I spoke again with a smile. I was so happy I could make this sounds too. He responded with a laugh and covered me with his cape, instantly feeling warm and fine.

"That's right, Haru. I'm Riku." He stood up and gave me his hand.

I glanced up at him with innocent eyes, then at the offered hand. I giggled and took it, sprinting to be near him, his long cape almost tripping me.

He smiled at my clumsiness. "I guess I'm stuck with you now," he added as we started to move, receiving another smile from me. His hand felt so warm, I stopped being aware of the cold ground under my bare feet or the bickering wind blowing my hair.

Right then I learned another emotion, another feeling: safeness. From that day on I never stopped smiling as I saw it brought me a good person beside me who took care of me until I was old enough to be independent. From that day on I never stopped looking for warmth and safety.

I didn't find them easily though. I had to search many years after me and my savoir, that soon became a father to me, parted ways. But Riku's warm hand followed my memories all the time and it gave me the hope and faith that one day I will find warmth, always unconsciously searching for it with a smile, going through the harsh life with the strength his hand gave me.

And I did find my warmth…because that day I learned the Art of Living.

Author Notes:

As you can see, the writing style is really different from Real Life. Yeah, it was intended. I want to try something else. Haru is completely different from my other two OCs, Hana and Rina. Her personality though, I'll leave it up to you to discover it as the story goes on.

This first chapter is way shorter than what I usually write since it's a prologue. The following updates will be longer but I hope I'll be able to keep them way shorter than Real Life chapters. It seems easier to update shorted chapters…

I am sorry to say this but please don't hold your breath concerning the updates for this one. The next chapter will always come out after I post another one of Real Life.

This story doesn't yet have a trailer or a picture book since I didn't have the time to make them (or post them) but they will be posted for sure! : )

Next chapter: Spring is coming

When Hiei's patrol came to save a little human boy who wondered in Makai, he found a weird youkai girl protecting him. Now he's stuck with the cheery and curious onna that managed to catch Mukuro's interest. Well, as long as she keps out of his sigh he'll resume from killing her before the morning comes. Oh how little did he know, about how Spring will literally invade his life!...

I hope you enjoyed this teaser chapter. I'm waiting for feedback! :)