This is a present/past sort of story.
It switches from time to time, so read closely, or else you'd be very confused,
trust me. By the summary, you should know what this story is about
right? Hotaru and Kurama tell their side to their friends.
Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and
Sailor Moon does not belong to me but to their rightful owners, which I
cannot recall at the moment so I'll get back to you with that. Do
not sue, because I don't even have enough money for an Anne Rice book and
to me, that really sucks. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Future Meets Past
By: Ketsuki
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During the time of Crystal Tokyo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hotaru gazed around at her friends
in a silent satisfaction. She was happy - so were her friends - after
so many years of hardships. So many wars, tears, pain, but happy
memories, they were finally gathered here, in the large resting room of
the Crystal Tokyo Palace.
Starting from the left side of the
room, Hotaru saw Ami, with her glasses on, reading a thick heavily bounded
book. Minako and Makoto was also reading, but one look at their swooning
faces meant that they were reading a different kind of book then Ami's.
Turning to the bean bags placed in
front of the fire place was Rei, doing various symbols with her hands,
as if trying to coax the fire to tell her things no one else should know.
Hotaru giggled to herself. Whether there were evil or no evil, Rei
would always be a fire priestess.
Then, turning to her right, she saw
Usagi, otherwise known as Neo Queen Serenity to her subjects, deep in discussion
with Setsuna, probably talking about something that was confidential.
On another couch, Michiru and Haruka
was sitting side by side, Michiru's head resting on Haruka's shoulder and
Haruka's arm around Michiru's shoulders. They seemed so deep in love,
that their love seemed even deeper then just the surface, it seemed.
Like they were linked, heart and soul.
Hotaru sighed and blew her long bangs
out from her face. Glancing down at the cup of hot chocolate in her
hands, she bit her lip thoughtfully. Her friends were all the different
things, when the whole point of these monthly meetings was to do something
all friends should participate in.
But what could she do? Basically
nothing. She reached forward to put down her mug and lifted up a
large piece of sketching paper, a charcoal, and a large piece of cardboard
to put the piece of paper on top off. Reaching deep into her memory,
she began to sketch, the scribbling of the charcoal echoing in the silent
room.
A small smile spread across her face
as her drawing began to take shape. She was so deeply concentrating
that she couldn't hear someone sneaking up on her.
"Hotaru-chan! Who are you drawing?"
the goddess of love, Minako teased, peering over Hotaru's shoulder.
Hotaru nearly screamed, but calmed herself down just in case.
"It's nothing, Mina-chan. Just
an old friend!" Hotaru said, giggling nervously.
"Oh really, Hotaru-chan? If
it's an old friend would you spend so long on this drawing? Every
line is so precise, so carefully drawn, as if it can't be anything but
perfect. It can't be just a friend, Hotaru-chan".
Hotaru raised an eyebrow. Since
when Minako get so observant? But their argument had caught the others'
attention. They gathered around Hotaru and Minako.
"Hotaru-chan, don't tell me you have
a boyfriend! Cause that looks like a guy to me! Cool eyes too,
so cold and mysterious", Makoto exclaimed, admiring the picture.
A blush spread across Hotaru's pale
cheeks as she grabbed the drawing back. "It's nothing, minna!
Really! It's just an old friend-"
"And how did you meet this old friend,
Hotaru-chan?" Usagi teased, a playful smile spreading across her face.
Hotaru's blush deepened as she looked
away. "A long time ago", she said softly and sighed.
"Great! Tell us, Hotaru-chan.
We need a good story to listen to anyway. Even if it's a friendship
story or love story. Come on, Hotaru-chan. We want to hear!"
Minako said, bouncing up and down.
"But Minako...it's nothing!
Besides, it was so long ago, I can hardly remember!" Hotaru protested,
shaking her head wildly.
"Ne, Hotaru-chan. If you couldn't
remember it very well, then how can you remember this person's face so
clearly?" Rei demanded, a smirk on her face. She looked truimphant
as she swept her long black hair over her shoulder.
"This is ridicules! Tell them,
Michi-chan, Haruka-chan, Setsuna-chan! This is ridicules!" Hotaru
said loudly.
The three Outers glanced at each other
and grinned. "Hotaru-chan, we think Mina-chan's idea is excellent.
We don't know much about your past, and there's a few more hours before
dinner. Let's hear your story", Setsuna said soothingly. Michiru
and Haruka chuckled to themselves.
"But minna...you're all against me!"
Hotaru said, pouting.
Minako ignored Hotaru's protest.
"That's seven against one. Ami-chan, I'd presume you'd like to hear
this story too?"
"Sure, I don't see why not", Ami shrugged,
taking off her glasses and placing them neatly on the table.
Hotaru knew when she had lost.
She sighed, shaking her head. "Fine...fine, I'll tell you.
Just get comfortable, this is going to be a long story", Hotaru shook her
head, smiling in a tiny smile.
The others seated themselves in various
couches and beanbags in front of Hotaru and stared at her intently.
A faraway look was in Hotaru's eyes
as she envisioned the happenings of so long ago.
"When I said it happened a long time
ago, it did. I was still the Princess of Saturn. You'd understand
when I said it isn't a love story, because I was ten years old, back then.
It was very sudden. I can still hardly remember it. It was
like, a black hole appeared out of no where, and I was whisked away into
a dreamland. To me, it seemed like a dream, because when I came back,
it seemed that no time had passed at all. Anyway, I should start
at the beginning. I had just finished getting ready for bed and I
was taking a walk in the palace gardens..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During the time of Modern Tokyo,
Japan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was a normal get together of
the Urameshi Team and co. Normally, it would be at Keiko's ramen
shop, but it had been moved to Minamino Shuuichi's house. Shuuichi,
also known as by his friends, Kurama.
Right now, it wasn't much of a get
together.
Hiei just sat on the single couch,
crossed arms and crossed legs, watching everyone without a care in the
world, it seemed. Of course, almost everyone knew he was just keeping
an eye on Yukina.
Speaking of Yukina, she and Keiko
was helping out in the kitchen, trying to conjure up something edible.
Not to insult their cooking skills or anything, just that after half an
hour, they were still trying to find out how to operate the microwave.
They were, of course, trying to pop popcorn. It didn't help when
Yukina kept insisting to use the oven, since 'they worked the same way'.
Shizuru, Botan, Yuusuke, and Kuwabara,
at the moment, was playing cards. Right now, Shizuru was winning,
while Yuusuke and Kuwabara were in a rage, while Botan just looked very
sheepish.
Kurama, the one who's house was being
trashed at the moment, was sitting calmly across from Hiei, a sketching
book in his hands and a pencil, sketching out who knows what. Actually,
everyone in the room had been curious, just didn't bother to check it out.
So, basically everyone was doing their
own thing. Finally, Botan couldn't take it any longer. She
couldn't take the squabbling of the two people seated beside her.
She couldn't take Hiei's calmness, Yukina's naive personality, Keiko's
stubborness that they had to make popcorn, Shizuru's winning streak,
and Kurama's mysterious drawing. She was actually dying to find out
what Kurama was sketching.
So, she threw down her cards.
"Okay, this is it. This is a friendly get together, right?
So, shouldn't we be doing something together? And Kurama-kun, can
you please help Yukina-chan and Keiko-chan in the kitchen?" Botan gaze
a pleading look at the redhead. He nodded, a small smile of amusement
on his face. Standing up, he placed the book onto the coffee table
and headed into the kitchen.
With a mischievous smile, Botan took
the sketching book gently and gazed at the picture. "Wow...Kurama's
such a good artist!" Botan squealed, showing everyone the picture.
"Is that Kurama's girlfriend or something?"
Yuusuke said, a smirk on his face.
"It's about time!" Kuwabara guffawed
loudly.
Hiei only snorted and looked away,
rolling his eyes. He couldn't believe anyone could have such stupidity.
Shizuru took out a cigarette and lighted
it, bringing to her lips. Taking it out, she blew out a small puff
of smoke. "Why don't you just ask him when he comes out?" she asked
carelessly, taking another breather into her cigarette.
"She looks a little young...Maybe
around twelve or thirteen..." Botan said thoughtfully, putting down the
drawing.
Around fifteen minutes later, the
two girls and Kurama came out of the kitchen, with three bowls of popcorn.
Kurama put the bowl on the table and took his sketching book.
"Hey Kurama, who is that girl?" Yuusuke
asked non-chalently, grabbing a handful of popcorn from Keiko's bowl.
Keiko rolled her eyes and settled onto the couch that could seat three
people.
"What girl?" Keiko asked with interest,
staring at Kurama with curiousity shining in her brown eyes.
"It's no one. Just a person
I used to know", Kurama answered calmly, picking up his pencil to continue
his drawing.
"It ain't as simple as that, Kurama-kun.
There's more to it then what you're telling us!" Kuwabara declared, pointing
at Kurama dramatically, as if accusing him of something horrible.
Kurama raised an eyebrow in question.
"We're just curious, Kurama-kun, you
can't blame us for that!" Botan said, smiling widely in pretend innocence.
"Why don't you tell us about that
girl? After all, there's absolutely nothing to do at the moment",
Shizuru suggested, taking the cigarette out from her mouth so she could
speak.
"Yeah, tell us about your girlfriend!"
Yuusuke said, smiling brightly.
"Yuusuke-kun, she was ten", Kurama
said simply.
"Oh...well, when did you meet her
anyway?" Yuusuke asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.
"When I was still Youko Kurama, living
in Makai".
"That makes it even more interesting.
Let's hear it, Kurama!" Kuwabara said, turning his chair around to face
the redhead.
"You really want to? It's actually
rather boring...And rather personal", Kurama said, as if trying to discourage
them.
"That makes us even more curious,
Kurama-kun. Come on, tell us!" Botan spoke up, bouncing up and down
on her chair in excitement. She had always loved a good story.
"Fine...But it's a really long story
so get yourself comfortable. It all started when I was just taking
a walk around the forest gardens near my lair. I detected something
strange from far off and then suddenly, a little girl decided to drop in
for a visit..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Prologue
Continuation of Disclaimer: Oh
wait, now I can remember those names...Then again...maybe not...If you
know, please tell...I can never remember the names of the creators of the
anime I write about...Sheesh, what a bad habit...