A/N: Long time, no write! Yea?! Good news (maybe): This is all in English, so you don't have to worry about remembering a bunch of Japanese translations. But I got this idea and went with it. I'm trying to keep the YuYu (none of whom I own) characters as "realistic" as possible. By "realistic," I mean as real as Togashi made them. This is a totally different story, so the character Darkfire is not the same as any of the others. The writing style I used for this is a little different, so let me know if you like it or not.
Whew! Sorry that was long! I now present, That Smile. Enjoy, please!
Just Walk Out the Door
Darkfire pulled desperately at her chains, the cold metal cutting into her wrists and neck. Her eyes did not cry, though; they stared sharply at the man whom held her captive. He was gazing avidly at a bleeding wound on her right cheek. She would not give him the satisfaction of her pain. Not that there was any pain to feel; she had long ago lost the ability to feel.
Blood slid down her arms.
"The more you struggle, the faster you die," he said.
She pulled harder.
"How long have you been here, pet? You know you can't escape."
Her dull eyes stared at her captor.
Her master of five long years.
He yanked the chain to him, pulling her forward. She fell to the cold stone floor at his feet. Gently, he knelt down and tipped her chin up to him. "You will always be mine." When he grabbed at her ratty, oversized shirt she bit his hand. His other hand, chain wrapped around, beat into the side of her head.
She rolled away, tensing.
The man stood.
Then his head fell away and he dropped to the floor.
Without hesitation, Darkfire pulled the end of the chain from his dead hand. She held the cold steel close to her. Her eyes searched the dark.
A deep voice chuckled, seemingly all about her. "You'll never find me by looking. Not that a human could find me any other way." He paused. "Look to the door. The one's who care are coming."
Suddenly, the door burst open. From the light, three tall figures stumbled.
Darkfire averted her eyes to a darker sight.
"Looks like Hiei took care of the hard part," one said.
"Is that her?" another questioned.
"Take care of the body," the last ordered softly. His voice was kind. He moved into the cold, dark room toward the crouching girl. Stopping a few feet away, he knelt.
"Kurama," one of the voices said from the light.
"Just go." The gentle man before her held out his hand slowly. "We're here to help."
She pulled farther into the room, dragging the excess chain.
He did not advance.
Her eyes adjusted to the new level of brightness. She saw his fire-red hair first. Then his grass-green eyes smiled into hers. His slender fingers reached for her without moving. He gave off a calm aura that threatened to lull her into a state of trust.
"These shackles have no key," she told him finally, voice monotone and dry.
"Neither does a demon's heart, but other's find a way to unlock it," he answered. Slowly and gently, he moved forward. His fingers wrapped around her wrist softly. From his other hand he produced a snaking vine, which inserted itself into the lock. The mechanism clicked and fell away.
Darkfire dropped the chains and thrust her other wrist towards him.
Again, her performed the task there, and then to her neck.
With methodical movement, she tore three strips of cloth from her dirty, blood-stained shirt. She wrapped them around her wrists and neck.
So mechanical.
"Come, let's get you out of here," he then said, standing and offering her a hand.
She did not stand. Did not move.
"Let her stay, fox," the voice from earlier sneered. "She's not ready."
He smiled softly. "We'll wait outside." Then he left, taking the other two with him. She watched for a bit, but a fourth figure never moved into the light.
"If you're worried about the world having changed since you were last in it, you don't have to. You won't be going back. You'll be staying here, in Makai, with me."
"With who?"
Darkfire almost felt his smile. "My name is Hiei."
Her head lowered. "You already know my name."
He moved closer. "Why do you say that?"
"None of you ever asked."
"You're pretty smart for having no contact with people for five years."
"Perhaps." She stood slowly, popping her back and legs. "I don't know how to get out of this place. I don't even remember how I got in. It was a long time ago, as you said."
"Just walk out the door."
She obeyed without thinking much about it. Pushing into the bright light, she held her arm to her eyes. Once her eyes adjusted, she pulled her arm down.
She was outside.
Swaying grass as far as the eye could see, and still farther. The wind brushed her face softly and combed through her long, dirty hair. A warm sun kissed her pale skin and dried her blood. Smells she had forgotten were renewed and remembered. Sights she thought she would never see again were seen freely.
Yet, she did not seem happy.
"It was right here the whole time," she said. There was neither anger nor joy in her voice. It was as dull as her blue eyes. The life that had left them could not be returned by the sun.
No emotion. No feeling.
"Darkfire," the red-head said gently.
She turned her head to him.
"This is Yuusuke"—he motioned to a black-haired boy with chocolate eyes—"and this is Kuwabara"—a tall young man with beady little eyes and bright orange hair.
Both smiled warmly.
"I'm Kurama, if you haven't picked it up yet."
She nodded. "I know. A fox demon."
He smiled, but a hint of confusion was obvious.
"Hiei called you a fox before. And I saw your plant."
"Yes, of course."
"I used to write a lot about demons. Before all this."
"I'm sorry."
"Why? You didn't imprison me."
"He's just trying to be nice," Yuusuke said.
"Oh." Her eyes swung back to Kurama. "Sorry."
His green eyes only smiled. "It's ok."
"You three should report back. I'll take care of the girl," Hiei said, appearing beside Darkfire.
She did not react, merely looked over at him.
Blood-red eyes that saw everything. Midnight hair that reached for the sky it seemed to come from, complete with a white star above his covered forehead. Snow-white scarf from which cascaded a fountain of black ink.
"You sure, Hiei?" Yuusuke questioned.
Hiei merely looked up at him.
He nodded, walking away with Kuwabara and Kurama at his heals.
Kurama looked back one last time and smiled.
"Let's go, girl," Hiei ordered, stalking off in the opposite direction.
Darkfire followed.
"Did he break you?"
"No."
"Yet you obey every order without complaint."
"I never let him touch me. He did not break me."
His hand came from his dark cloak. "I suppose thanks are in order then."
"Why?"
"Had you been broken, I'd have to take you to Reikai."
"So?"
"Since you aren't, I get to stay here in Makai. It would be a simple matter to disappear. For being strong, I thank you."
"Are you leaving me, then?"
"Do you care?"
"No. I just want to know."
"I might stick around for a while."
She stayed behind him, but picked up the pace a little. "You can leave, Hiei. I'm tired anyway."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Well, a human probably doesn't last long with demons."
He stopped and turned on her. "Tired of life? You want to die?"
Her fingers touched the makeshift bandage on her wrist. "I'm not objected to it."
His eyes searched hers. "What kind of human are you? Where is the emotion?"
With the same dullness as every other action, she held up her bloody arms. "Cut me and I bleed. But I don't feel the pain anymore. Happiness was useless so I killed it. Hope only made it hurt so I stopped. Despair only made him smile so I let it go. The pain gave him satisfaction so I ignored every crying nerve until they just quit sending signals.
"Emotions are sore companions, Hiei. Especially in a place like that."
The demon stepped back, holding in a sigh of contempt.
"Food," she mumbled, falling into Hiei suddenly.
He caught her. "Food?" Touching her back, he pulled away a bloody hand. "You're dying. All because you can't feel. All because you're trying to be more than you are."
Readjusting her in his arms, he took off at an alarming speed toward civilization.
Man, I missed giving cliffhangers! Let me know whatcha think!