Disclaimer: I do not (unfortunately) own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha when mentioned; I recieve absolutely no profit and just get a big smile when I get a review. This just like anything else is just a completely random idea that I had pop into my head that I decided to write and post. If I did own them I would have all the memorablbilia and be rich :D but alas I do not so I must content myself with simply writing fan fiction.
Unusual Workings: Destiny
Chapter 1 The Letter
The scene slowly comes into focus and at first all that can be seen is the sun. Slowly the focus moves downward through the clear sky into a tree filled landscape apparently in the middle of nowhere, an isolated mountain area. A loud whistling sound brings the focus to a small train station that is only occupied by a few people going on their way. Slowly the view moves through the crowd as it leaves the station and travels down a road. It moves onto a path through the woods that appears to not be used very often and eventually comes upon a very tall and grand flight of stairs that seem to go on forever. Slowly the stairs pass beneath as if they are being ascended and at the very top is a shrine. There are various buildings and all around the edge of the compound are trees, part of a very large forest, which is also a part of the shrines property. In the middle of the shrine is a building that is a house for all those that stay here. At the back of this building there is an elderly woman gazing at the marvelous vista before her.
The woman has shoulder length dull, wavy grayish pink hair. The woman is kneeling on the walkway just outside of a room which can be seen through the open shoji doors. The woman is small in stature, her aged from is dressed in clothes that are easy to move around in if the need should arise. This top is like a shirt yet like a dress at the same time, a fighting kimono. It is purple in color with a red border around the edges; a band of red stretches from her left shoulder down to her right hip and it is sleeveless. Around her waist is a green obi, tied into a knot in the middle of her front, the ties are cut short so they don't hang down very far and get in the way. Underneath the kimono is a pair of off white pants and long sleeved shirt. Her feet are bare, but a pair of black slippers is sitting next to the door within reach. This woman is Genaki, a master when it comes to the martial arts and the creator and master of a legendary technique known as the spirit wave, a very powerful and destructive technique. Her name alone can strike fear into the hearts of demons, but no one can guess this by looking at this small elderly woman.
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the warm air is cooled by a gentle breeze and there isn't a single cloud in the clear blue sky. Genkai lets out a small tired sigh as she listens to the leaves rustle and the wind caresses her aged skin like an old friend. Another perfect day to be retired; a such as this makes one forget about their aches and pains that can plaque an old form due to age and reminders of battles long past. Her eyes slowly open as she takes in the fragrance of the forest that surrounds the shrine that is brought to her by the wind. She sits in silence and watches the shadows of the trees dance across the ground before her. It is a perfect day to just relax and forget about ones worries.
'God I'm bored,' Genkai thinks to herself as she closes her eyes and lets out another sigh. She has been doing that a lot lately and she doesn't like it one bit. 'The last time I felt this way I ended up holding a tournament to find an apprentice, Plus I was getting up in age and felt that it was time to pass along my knowledge to the next generation of fighters. As I think about it I don't really want to do that again. Knowing my luck I'll end up with another snot nosed brat like the dimwit.' A small smile spreads across her face as she thinks about Yusuke. 'Even though he is a slacker, it is sometimes refreshing to have him around. The other times he is just a plain nuisance that gives me a headache that can rival the size of King Yama himself when he finally decides to leave. Despite all of this he has become someone dear to me, not that I would ever tell him that.'
Genkai hears a small noise behind her and turns around slightly so that she can better look over her should even though her senses have already informed her to whom her visitor is. Yukina, a koorime, comes into the room holding a small tray in her hands. The ice maiden wears the blue kimono that is customary of her people. It is a light blue in color with a dark blue obi tied around her waist. Her turquoise hair is tied back with a red ribbon that matches her eyes. Her white tabi socks can be seen from underneath her garments with each step forward she takes.
The only difference to that she has made to it over the years is that she has added a black dragon wrapping around her right sleeve. The guys questioned her about it after it was added and Hiei fell off of his perch on the window sill when she answered that she did it to match her brother while looking right at him. She managed to put the pieces together and get the correct answer to something she has always been wondering. That was shortly after the second demon world tournament was held to crown a new king not that long ago.
"Good afternoon Genkai-sama." Yukina says in her soft, delicate way as she sets the tray she is holding on the small table before she takes a seat on one of the cushions. The room itself is very bare, the two side walls have a small painting hanging on them; the other two walls are shoji screens that open in the middle. One door leads to a hallway and the other, which is open, leads to the porch like hallway outside. The only other things in the room are the small table, the cushions that the women are sitting on in addition to two others, all in a green color to go with the dark colored wood table.
"Good afternoon Yukina-san." Genkai responds while she turns so that she is facing the small table next to her more fully. "How is your reading going?" she asks while accepting the cup of tea Yukina offers her.
"Fine thank you. You'll have to thank Higurashi-sama for allowing me to borrow his scrolls." is her reply to the inquiry. Genkai takes a small sip of the soothing green tea while Yukina prepares a small cup for herself. Ever since Yukina came to Genkai's those short few years ago she has had a desire to increase her healing abilities, so Genkai offered her the use of her library. Unfortunately it doesn't hold much knowledge when it comes to the healing arts.
Fortunately not long ago Genkai ran into an old friend of hers Hino Higurashi. He is the head priest and family head of the Higurashi family shrine, which is an hour or so train ride longer to get close to the shrine than it is to get from the train station near Genkais' home to the nearest town. It has been years since she has seen him last since she was busy looking for a student, training said student, helping him with the Dark Tournament, stuff like that so they spent some time catching up.
Genkai was sad to hear that it was just him, his daughter, Kun-Loon, and his grandson, Souta. She was not aware that his son-in-law had died in some accident. When Genkai asked him what happened to his grand-daughter; Kagome she thought the girls name was, his cheerful demeanor quickly disappeared to be replaced by a more melancholy at the inquiry. It was with a heavy heart that he told Genkai that she had passed away after battling numerous illnesses over an extended period of time. Genkai was saddened to hear the news as well.
She had only met the girl once when she was only a few years old. She was a bright, happy child, so full of innocence. When Genkai saw her she immediately felt the potential that the girl had held within her small body. She had a high level of spirit energy that usually came after years of training. Genkai remembered thinking about making the girl her apprentice when she was a little older, but brushed that thought aside to think about for a later time, just to forget it all together until she ran into the elder Higurashi again.
Hino went into telling Genkai with the great pride how Kagome started doing training to become a priestess and the next shrine keeper, focusing on the healing arts which his family has been known for generations after the feudal era. This grabbed Genkai's attention so she brought Yukina up to him, leaving the fact out that she is a demon, and how she wished to learn healing but her library isn't suited to that kind of thing. His happy and excited nature came back at this news and he immediately offered the use of his family scrolls and library.
Genkai declined at first but he just wouldn't take no for an answer, and was excited at the prospect of sharing his knowledge with a 'younger' generation. So if there are any meetings involving the shrines he brings a bunch of scrolls, carefully packed away, for Genkai to give to Yukina and she will give him the ones that the ice maiden is finished with. Genkai had Yukina make handwritten copies of the scrolls that are borrowed for her library so that there wouldn't be any lack of information for future references.
Genkai is brought out of her thoughts when she tries to take a drink from her empty cup. She didn't realize that she drank all of her tea while reflecting on the past. 'My age must finally be catching up with me if I can get so lost in my thoughts for such a long period of time,' she thinks to herself. Genkai places her cup down near the middle of the table and Yukina immediately yet gracefully moves to refill the cup. 'I must admit it has been nice having her stay here with me,' Genkai thinks as she takes the cup back from Yukina.
Genkai is just about to take a sip from the now full cup when she notices a disturbance in the wards that she has placed at the top of the long stair case leading to the shrine grounds. Genkai barely represses a groan as she registers the owners of the energies that have entered the shrine. Yukina notices the change in Genkai's mood and looks at her questionably.
"Hey grandma, are ya here you old hag?!" an arrogant make voice shouts from the front door and despite the distance and the house in the way they can still hear his call answering her unasked question. Understanding fills Yukina's eyes as she hears the voice. She smoothly stands to her feet and leaves the room to go show Yusuke into the guest area, though he knows the way and has most likely allowed himself in. Genkai can still hear Yusuke shout for her as Yukina leaves, but he will just have to wait until she is ready to see him. 'I don't have to go to him every time he calls for me,' Genkai thinks as she lets out a sigh when silence once again returns to the shrine but the damage is done. The nearby birds and other animals that were scurrying around before have all been frightened off leaving only the sound of the wind through the trees, the thud of bamboo against rock and the tinkling of water to fill the quiet atmosphere.
Genkai takes her time finishing her tea while pondering the ways that she can torturously train Yusuke as punishment for breaking the surreal and peaceful environment of the shrine that she just happened to be enjoying right before hand. Genkai sets her empty cup on the table and slowly stands to her feet using the table as leverage, her knees and other joints creaking in protest. She leaves everything where it is, she knows that Yukina will come in and clean it up as soon as she is able to. Genkai slowly makes her way through the halls with her eyes closed and hands clasped behind her back, a habit she picked up with age.
She is in no real hurry to see why the dimwit is here; if it is an emergency Boton would have brought them here or at least come to give her a warning of his arrival. As Genkai got closer to the guest area she can hear two distinct male voices arguing, loudly. One she identifies as belonging to Yusuke, the other is rougher, more gravely sounding. It seems that the dimwit has brought his pet monkey. Genkai stands in front of the door that separates her from the source of the noise. She pinches the bridge of her nose while repressing the urge to sigh yet again in preparation for the onslaught of noise that she is about to submit herself to. 'I'm getting too old for this,' she complains to herself.
Taking one last moment to compose herself, she sets her face into its normal 'scowl' and throws open the door hard enough for it to make a slamming sound that will hopefully shut them up. As expected the dimwit and the monkey, Yusuke and Kuwabara respectively, are too busy with their petty little argument to notice the entrance. Yusuke is wearing a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt with a green jacket that has red plaid lining with his hair in its usual overly gelled combed back style. Kuabara has on a pair of dark blue almost black jeans, a blue t-shirt and a white over shirt unbuttoned over that; his carrot colored hair in the same unusual 'Elvis' style . Both are barefoot since they left their shoes by the front door as is custom. Genkai just stands there watching as they take swings at each other. She can't tell what they are arguing about, but believes that they are just trying to see who is the louder of the two.
Genkai notices Yukina coming back into the room from the direction of the kitchen, holding a tray in her hands with what she takes to be the requested refreshments. Those two always seem to freeload as much as they can whenever they decide to pay a visit. Yukina places the tray on the table, surprisingly Kuwabara doesn't notice her, his 'one true love'. Even though he knows that Hiei is her brother and therefore has no chances with her, he still tries his best to get her attention. She leaves the room and heads back to where they were before Yusuke showed up to clean up what got left behind. Genkai continues to stand there watching as the idiots carry on their pointless argument which she is fast becoming tired of.
"Enough," Genkai shouts loud enough to be heard above all of the noise they are making hoping to take their attention off of each other and their argument so they will finally shut up. That doesn't seem to work so she tries again while raising her spirit energy as well; that gets their attention. Even though she gave Yusuke most of her powers and energy during the Dark Tournament, she still has an impressive amount in her.
"Gees granny, what are you so cranky about? Did you miss your nap or something?" Yusuke asks in a sarcastic way as he plops down on one of the cushions next to the table. The dining room, like the previous room and most of the others, are scarce on décor just containing the bare necessities. He reaches across the table and grabs one of the cans of soda that Yukina brought into the room earlier. He opens and chugs the whole thing in less than ten seconds. Of course Kuwabara, not to be out done, grabs the other one and tries to chug it even faster. Unfortunately and somewhat predictably he begins to choke on the beverage and some squirts out of his nose and all over the table before him.
"Gah, it burns, it burns," Kuwabara shouts in complaint while pawing at his nose with one of his massive hands. Yusuke begins to laugh his butt off at his friend's unfortunate and expected turn of events, while Kuwabara yells at him to shut up, still complaining about the carbonated bubbles in his sinuses. None of this noise is doing any good for Genkai's rapidly developing headache.
"Just what are you two buffoons doing here?" she asks them impatiently, already growing tired of their antics.
"Can't we just come by and see out favorite crabby old hag?" Yusuke asks in his cocky way with a goof ball smile on his face and his arms folded behind his head.
"Cut the sentimental crap dimwit and tell me why you came here." Genkai demands. She knows that he can't possibly be here for a social call.
"Yeah fine." he says in a somewhat dejected manner before he continues. "I had a visitor, a short old geezer; kind of reminded me a bit of a toad to come to think about it." Yusuke says as he closes his eyes and brings his right hand up to hold his chin. Genkai sends him a glare, wanting him to get on with it. 'Does he always have to be such a slacker?' she complains mentally. He opens his eyes and notices the glare then continues after letting out a small sigh. "Well there was something that wasn't quite right about that guy. Anyways he asked if I was your student. I asked him 'who wants to know?' He just handed me an envelope and told me that I was to deliver it to you as soon as possible." As Yusuke retells this he reaches into his jacket that he is wearing and brings out what she guesses is the envelope that he was asked to bring her.
When he finishes explaining why he is here he tosses the envelope to Genkai who easily catches it before it could smack her in the face. She holds the envelope in both hands as she examines it. The two idiots start another argument so Genkai chooses to ignore them as she studies what is in her hands. It is a simple business envelope, plain except for her name written in the middle. The only other thing on the envelope is a business seal in the upper left corner. The seal consists of a large blue crescent moon that is cradled between two swords; one thin and elegant, the other thick and brutish looking, along with the name of the company: Tashio Corporations.
word count - 3,244
Yeah I know that it is most likely supposed to be Taisho but I want it to be Tashio, not sure if that makes a big difference, I haven't looked it up. But anyways tell me what you think. I am not sure how to categorize this.