Anything For You
Chapter I: Guardian and Keeper
By: Shadowed Replica
Summary:
Cursed at birth to wander the world forever alone and fated to stand side by side. The keeper and the guardian, two souls seeking the other for an eternity, now reunited to save the world from itself. One born of light yet still an abomination thrust from her heavenly home. The other spawned from darkness, the forbidden one, thrown to his death and surviving for centuries with hatred and violence. Only together can they balance the other, and only together can they protect the mortals from those who would seek to end their existance and thus the entire world. Perhaps these two tortured souls will discover that love will truely conquer all.
Disclaimer:
I, unfortunately, do not own Yuyu Hakusho or any of its affiliates, so me no own, you no sue!!!
A small house on the very edge of a dead end street sat silently as a storm brewed outside with violent gales and harsh rains. The little home stood bravely against the onslaught protecting the treasure inside.
A young woman no older than 19 years of age lay across her queen sized bed. She was a beautiful sight to behold to any man's eye; not particularly exquisite in her beauty but she was unique in her own way and thus all the more alluring. Her long golden locks splayed against the white pillows and a few pieces fell to frame her face. Her face was slightly tanned and very gentle. Her nose was small and her mouth, pleasingly supple with achingly sweet lips begging to be kissed. Her neck was slim and flowing into two delicately feminine shoulders. Her body was lush and honed to perfection. Not an ounce of fat upon her body but she didn't hold any more muscle than was necessary for someone of her size. Her legs were shapely and smooth to the touch; in one word, she was exceptional.
The white sheep draped over her legs and barely covered her small bosom. Her eyelids fluttered with a dream and beads of perspiration dotted her chest and forehead as her head flailed back and forth almost violently. Her hands fisted into the silky material of the blanket and a small whimper escaped her lips.
The dream took a violent turn for the worst and she cried out as though someone had struck her. Tears welled up and spilled over the sides of her eyelids. The nightmare was terrible and filled with darkness that threatened to consume her.
A light knock on the window startled her awake. She sat bolt upright letting the sheet fall to pool around her waist. Her face turned to the shaded window for a moment before she gathered the sheets around her naked body and padded over to the glass. Her fingers found the lock in the dark and opened it. Cold wind rushed through whipping her hair back and yanking on her blanket. An icy shiver ran up her spine as she squinted against the gust.
A small gasp leapt from her lips at what she saw. His silky black hair was a bit limp unlike its usually gravity-defying spike and the white starburst dripped with water. His skin was tinged slightly pink from the fierce wind whipping at his face. Those crimson eyes bored holes into her skin and his fangs protruded slightly over his bottom lip. His shirtless body revealed a sculpted chest and stomach. Muscular arms connected to broad shoulders and though he was rather short he was taller than her by at least a couple inches. He wore his normal black pants and shoes though the pants were drenched and sticking to his delicious body; he was a god!
"Hiei," she whispered breathlessly. He didn't make a sound as he entered the room and shut the window behind him. The lock clicked shut and the air gushed out of her lungs when she saw the scars and fresh cuts; it looked as if he'd just come from battle.
She went to him immediately and pulled him to her bed; securing the blanket so it wouldn't fall. She left to the bathroom and quickly returned with medical supplies.
A few bandages and antiseptic later she placed the dirtied wraps and clothing in the garbage before returning the supplies to her bathroom.
When she returned to him she looked at his scars sadly. Hesitantly her hand reached out to touch the scar just above his heart where he'd protected her that day. She had thought he was going to die until she found out he was nearly impossible to kill; a fire demon. She didn't know that demons had existed until that day.
"Lara." A voice whispered in the wind causing a shiver to run down her spine. "You are in danger my child." The voice murmured to her gently. The wind seemed to push at her from behind as though urging her onwards.
Never the one to fear she pulled her coat tighter about her neck and trotted off down the dark streets. After a few minutes, an eerie feeling strangled her throat and sent icy shivers running up her spine. Her pace quickened and suddenly she could hear footsteps closing in on her.
She took off at a dead run when someone grabbed her by the arm and tugged her into an alley slamming her into the brick wall. Dazed, she reached out for something to grasp only to have a hand slide into her silken tresses and snap her head back; a yelp of pain escaped her lips.
"Now, now my dear, don't struggle and I promise you won't get hurt." A husky masculine voice whispered against her ear. Her coat was ripped from her body and she cried out from the cold bite of the wind on her exposed skin. The hand grasped the front of her shirt and tore it off her in one easy rip.
Lara screamed and bit the hand that covered her mouth as hard as she could. The man swore and threw her down on the ground; her head smacking the pavement. She saw stars for a moment before she saw his hands groping for her out the side of her peripheral vision. She kicked her foot out and felt it collide with his gut. He grunted and she kicked again though he caught her this time and pulled her forward.
Her skirt slid up as he pulled her near. She waited for the right moment and brought her knee up to catch him in the groin. He hollered something fierce but fell on top of her. She was crushed beneath his weight dulling her cries for help.
The man cursed and threaded his hand through her hair yanking her head backwards viciously. "I tried to be nice about this but I guess I'm going to have to rough you up." He smirked evilly and pulled something out of his pocket; a syringe. Her breath stilled and her heart sped up rapidly.
"No!" She screamed and suddenly the man was thrown from her. Lara looked around warily to see what happened when the man came at her again. He lunged and she jumped up to run away. She ignored the man's cry of pain and ran to the end of the alley before turning on her attacker.
A man, different than her attacker-who lay on the ground bleeding-with crimson eyes stood staring at her; she shivered from the heat of his gaze and from the cold of the night. He took a step towards her and disappeared only to reappear beside her. She yelped in fright and moved to run when his iron grip wrapped around her wrist yanking her to his hard body.
He smelled wonderful; like woods and a fire hearth with a bit of huskiness she couldn't place. He scooped her up into his arms bridal style before leaping to the top of a building. Lara clutched onto him glaring as he smirked down at her.
In a few moments they were at her little house at the dead end street. He set her down and moved his hand over hers to pry it off of his shirt; he barely winced when her fingernails scratched across a knife wound he'd received from her attackers.
But she still felt and saw the blood on her hand before looking up at him with regret. "You're hurt." She whispered before moving towards her bathroom. He beat her there and picked her up to put her on the bed before disappearing into the bathroom only to reappear a few moments later with her medical supplies. As he opened the kit and began to pull out bandages, she leaned over wincing as she pressed her weight on a couple bruises, "Please let me help you."
The man stopped to stare at her for a long moment. When he didn't move to stop her, she took the bandages from his hands and pushed him gently to her bed. Her fingers found the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head. He complied stiffly and watched her every move as she gently wiped blood away from the injury. "I'm sorry." She said softly as she threw away the bloodied wraps.
The slit in his chest was slowing healing before her eyes and she marveled at the sight until it closed completely leaving only an ugly scar. "How is that possible?" Her silver eyes locked onto his crimson ones.
"Aren't you afraid?" He asked darkly as though he expected her to cower away from him in fright.
She shook her head slightly, "No."
"You should be," He growled and suddenly she was against the wall with his hand at her throat, "I could kill you with a simple squeeze." For emphasis, he squeezed her throat and lifted her up off the ground.
Lara's eyes turned to slits as she struggled for air but the sadness never left her eyes; she wholly accepted death. He lowered her back to the ground and caught her as her knees buckled. "Fear me," he ordered as he pulled her against his body.
"Why?" She gasped; coughing to regain air.
"Because I am something from your worst nightmares and I will kill you without a single thought." He hissed into her ear.
"But you haven't," She whispered, "And I don't think you will."
A feral growl left his throat as his hands threaded through her hair to pull her head back; exposing her creamy throat to his gaze. "I am a demon wench and I do not hesitate to do anything I please." To prove his point his mouth latched onto her skin and nipped her roughly eliciting a yelp of surprise. But instead of fear, he could smell arousal from her and she whimpered under his ministrations.
He stopped suddenly and she whimpered once more but quickly his lips descended upon hers in a brutal kiss she willingly accepted. His hands began to roam her tiny body that was so fragile in his hands. "Why are you not afraid?" His lips whispered against hers.
"You saved me," she retorted with a gasp. His tongue pressed into her mouth at the opening and plundered her sweet cavern. Her tongue timidly touched against his and fought valiantly until he won and his hands moved over the small of her back. He grasped under her knees and pulled her up so that her legs were wrapped around his waist.
He walked them over to her bed and pinned her beneath him. His mouth ravaged her throat and she whimpered. "You are a demon." She said breathily.
He paused a moment and stared up at her; a feral glint in his eye. "What kind of demon?"
With a hard look he opened his palm and a small flame appeared before growing larger in his hand. The fire engulfed his arm until she sat up and reached her hand out to touch his enflamed limb. "Don't," He said; more of a plea than a command.
Her eyes met his and she let her finger graze up the arm, the flame hot but not burning. She gave him a soft smile until the hand rested over his heart; gently stroking. He purred and brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it gently before pulling her to him. Their lips met in a soft kiss that was quickly turning brutal.
"Who are you?" She asked softly against his mouth.
Her voice broke the spell and he wrenched his lips from hers. He kissed her ear and nipped the lobe before pressing his lips to her delicate inner-ear and whispering, "Hiei." And then he was gone.
As she retracted her hand from his chest his fingers wrapped around her wrist in an iron grip and tugged her to him. His long arms wrapped around her slender frame holding her pressed tightly against him. Lara could feel his arousal pressing against her leg and his breathing was heavy and husky.
She didn't move, she just let him hold her. It seemed like hours they sat there just like that; Lara sitting on his lap completely encompassed by his being. She moved slightly to keep the circulation moving in her legs. He loosened his grip on her but he didn't move his face from her hair.
"Get away from me," He said gruffly.
He might have actually hurt her by saying that had his arms not tightened slightly before dropping to his sides to release her. She pulled her head away from him and let her eyes lock onto his. There was nothing there for her to see except a profound emptiness that broke her heart. "No," she answered firmly.
His eyes softened just the slightest before a cruel dark tint appeared tainting the crimson blood red with black flecks. His hands ensnared her arms tightly like chains before pinning her beneath him. "Do you fear me?"
Their eyes locked onto one another. He was clutching her arms to tightly it hurt and she fought wincing in pain. "No Hiei, I don't fear you." She said bravely.
The movement was so swift she didn't even feel her own body move until he had her wrists locked in one of his hands, pinned above her head. "You should." He snarled darkly.
His weight shifted to her hips so that she was completely trapped beneath him. She struggled at first; but then a slight breeze ruffled her hair and she could hear the wind whispering to her once more. 'Hush little one.' The voice was sweet and soft; almost feminine in its wake. Her body stilled beneath his and the tension eased out of her body. 'He will never harm you.'
Hiei felt her body still to the point where she could pass for dead except for the steady rise and fall of her chest. Then he felt another presence in the room; swiftly he pulled Lara into the safety of his arms.
"You are a perceptive one." The whispered voice grew louder until they were completely audible to both persons in the room.
"Show yourself." Hiei snarled while backing away and covering Lara with his body.
"Now, now, don't get so testy." The feminine voice chuckled. A ball of shimmering, glittering light appeared in the middle of the room casting a wondrous display of colors. Slowly the colors began to form and take an elongated shape before completely becoming woman in appearance.
She had long flowing black hair with sparkling silver eyes. Her face was regally shaped with high cheekbones and full lips. Her skin was olive colored and she wore a simple white gown shielding most of her slight muscled body from view. "Who are you?" Hiei growled.
She smirked before holding out her hand; a ball of light appeared before a staff manifested in her hands. The window blew open and a violent gust of wind and rain raged in following a small tawny owl. The woman held her arm out to the creature allowing it to rest on her extended limb. The window snapped shut the instant the owl entered. "I am Athena, goddess of war and of wisdom, daughter of Zeus, and mother to Lara Astra Nightt."
After the proclamation, Hiei snorted before turning his feral gaze upon the goddess. "Goddesses and gods aren't real." He spat venomously.
Athena's gaze narrowed, "Perhaps not in the way you believe us to be, no. We don't govern your fates and we certainly do not care what happens to you. The only time we intervene is when your foolish kind begins down the path to the apocalypse." She said stiffly as she eyed her daughter's lack of clothing and just how intimately they were pressed together.
Lara leaned forward to get a better view of her self-proclaimed mother. Her breasts pressed intimately against Hiei's back and he grunted slightly liking her weight against him. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" She said suspiciously.
The goddess smirked before appearing beside them and watching, amused, the way Hiei tugged Lara away and put himself between the two of them once more. "You will be a good guardian for her." She said absently before standing so that her full height cast an intimidating shadow across them both, "Come to me." She waited patiently as Lara hesitated and shushed Hiei's snarl; he followed closely behind her like a shadow as she approached.
Athena smiled and reached down to grasp her daughter's chin gently. "You are so beautiful, just like you're father." She said absently. "You have his hair and regal features. But your eyes, they are just as mine." She hummed with satisfaction that her daughter was, in her opinion, one of the most beautiful in all the world. Still, she could see that the girl was not convinced and the demon even less. She sighed a motherly sigh before waving her hand to the vanity beside her. The mirror began to warp almost violently until the image of Athena holding a baby with sunshine hair and swirling silver eyes wrapped in white swaddling clothes. The goddess in the mirror smiled at her child and then turned to look at a man beside her. The man had waist-length almost white-blonde hair with sky blue eyes. He was muscular and fit, strength and dominance radiated from his every pore though he was dwarfed by the tall goddess.
The mirror Athena spoke, "She is so beautiful Razvan; look at our daughter." The baby cooed and reached out a hand to the man.
He stepped closer and trailed his finger over her the golden tuft of hair and then to her nose all the way to her hand which closed over the digit and squeezed with an ungodly strength. He chuckled slightly before waving his hand into the air. A small teething ring appeared with a feather and Athena's symbol on it; an owl resting on an olive branch with an arrow in its mouth. The child gave a delighted cry and bit on the thing. Razvan smiled, "She will be a powerful one, are you sure she is safe here? I am not so sure the Greek pantheon would liken to her kind."
Athena scowled slightly and the baby paused to mimic its mother, "Let us not think on such things my love." She gave a happy sigh and then gently set her in his strong arms, "A name must be bestowed, but what name?"
The couple seemed to contemplate before Razvan spoke, "Lara, after the greatest warrior in my clan."
She nodded and then thought for a moment, "Astra, because she is more beautiful than the stars in the heavens." Athena grinned at her lover.
Suddenly a deep voice startled the two lovers, "And Nightt because she is a half breed of evil." Zeus roared as he stood in the opening of Athena's temple.
Razvan snarled and Athena stepped in front of him. Artemis smirked cruelly at her sister turning Athena's shock to a boiling rage; her sister, in her own fit of jealousy, had tattled like a child to their father. "Father please, you don't understand!"
"How dare you lie with a demon, let alone bring him into our heavenly grounds!" Zeus snarled. Razvan growled fiercely baring his pearly white fangs. "I should cast you both from heaven." The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Zeus glared daggers at Razvan and the demon returned with a glower of his own. "Kill that abomination and I will think twice on my decision to destroy the both of you."
At this, Athena's face filled with terror and Razvan snarled dangerously while encompassing the child closer; protecting her from any that might dare to threaten her. "Never!"
"It is an abomination tainting our line and our home. How dare you sire such a thing!" The father of the gods hissed.
"She is my daughter and your grandchild, how dare you call her such!" Athena snapped furiously.
Zeus paused and Artemis scoffed, "Don't listen to her father; she will taint the whole line just as Aphrodite did all those years ago."
"You little wretch, you filthy jealous bitch; get out of my temple before I rip out what you call a heart and feed it to Cerberus in the Netherworld!" Athena growled.
"Silence," Zeus demanded. Artemis started to reply but Zeus snarled at her, "Get out before you die for your insolence." The red-haired goddess of the hunt disappeared to her own temple in fear of her life. "Please, listen to me, my precious daughter. What would people think if they discovered that the gods sired with demons?"
"I do not care, and you shouldn't either. They do not know and I will not kill my child." Athena hissed voraciously.
Zeus put his face in his hands and looked at the tiny child that was cradled so protectively in the demon's arms. Hera appeared beside him and touched his arm, "Of all the creatures you have sired, my love, can you not look upon one as beautiful as this and see the good that can come of this?" Fear welled in the pit of Athena's gut for Hera was a sly bitch and would only come to her aid if she could profit off the situation. Zeus touched his wife's hand as she continued to speak, "Do not kill the child. Though she cannot reside here because of the abomination she is, let her live as an immortal among mortals." The feelings of dread drenched Athena in fear, "Let her live and grow, to learn the evils of the world as she does, so that she may protect the mortals from her own kind."
Razvan's face turned ashen as he cradled the child to his chest, "That is a fate as cruel as death!"
Hera rose to the attack and swelled with unrivaled fury forcing Athena to act. "Fine," she said to appease her mother. Razvan looked at her; stricken that she would agree to such a thing. Hera smiled cruelly, "But seeing as she comes from both demonic and heavenly heritage, she will have power over both the demons and the gods to stop them in any harm they may cause to the mortals she protects and to herself."
Her mother's lip curled up in a snarl but Zeus smiled brightly, "Agreed." The gods and goddesses surrounding all looked to the god king in shock and Razvan's startled gaze made him chuckle. "Do not think I am so heartless as to actually kill an infant," he grimaced slightly thinking on his earlier words. "I would never have allowed the child to come to harm." He sighed and then held his arms open for the child.
Razvan looked to Athena before reluctantly handing Lara over to Zeus. "Now, now child," Zeus cooed as the child began to tear up. "Do not cry little one. You truly are most beautiful and your name suits you well my little warrior. I will send you down to the mortals but I will remove your powers until your 19th birthday. On that day you will gain access to your gifts and you will be guided by the best of the best to properly guard the mortal race."
"Your life will be hard and you will learn many lessons, but you will not be harmed unnecessarily to your growth. Everything about you will be alluring and fragile but you will be more dangerous than even the gods. To counteract this power of yours, you will be given a keeper, a guardian of sorts who will be able to drain your powers should you ever wander from the lighted path you follow." Zeus placed a kiss on the babe's forehead and looked up to Athena and Razvan. "For your insolence in abiding by the laws of our world, the child will be cast down to the mortal realm and you will not appear to her until the time is right."
Athena's heart broke and Razvan hugged her larger form to his chest as she cried. "You," Zeus pointed to Razvan, "Because you showed my daughter love and had compassion for the child, will not die by my hand this day. But if you ever think to contact my daughter or my granddaughter again, I will strip you of your powers and cast you to live as a slave in your own species."
With a wave of his hand, Razvan was gone and Lara had disappeared. Athena wept for the loss of her child and lover.
The image faded from their view and Lara turned to look at the woman with tears in her eyes. "Mother?"
Athena smiled graciously before encompassing the girl in a hug. "I do not have much time and you are very tired." She eyed Hiei suspiciously. "I will return in a fortnight and you will begin your training." Her gaze slid over Hiei, "Demon, if you harm my daughter, I will bring all the fiery wrath of hell upon you and torment you for an eternity." With a small kiss on Lara's forehead, Athena disappeared from sight.
Lara stood there in a near shock. She then turned to face Hiei with her bright silver eyes clouded with confusion. He brazenly stepped up to her and pulled her to the bed. With a swift yank, the covers fell back and he set her in the bed with the lightest caress between the valley of her breasts before pulled the sheet and quilt over her. As he turned to leave her fingers wrapped around his wrist in a feathery touch, "Please, I don't want to be alone." She whispered as her gaze locked with his.
Hiei couldn't deny her for when he looked at her, something foreign prodded his icy stone heart and warmed it. He peeled his clothing off and smirked at her blush before sliding into the bed with her. She rolled over to face him but he pulled her so that her back was flush to his front and she could feel his entire body as well as the arousal pressing into her lower thigh. "Sleep." He commanded; and she fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.
I hope you enjoyed it so far.
Please review and give me any comments.
I've decided to start the story out and accept suggestions on where it should go from there. So please feel free to imagine and suggest away!
As always,
Shadowed Replica