Author's Note
This is actually my first fan fiction that I wrote (the reason I didn't put this story up before the Saint Seiya one is a long story) so I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer
I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any of the Yu Yu Hakusho characters.
However, Haruka and Sasha are mine.
{Prologue}
They say that those who forget their past are bound to repeat it. I have never forgotten my past. I never forgot the pain and heartache, regardless of the years that has gone by. Despite that, my past has come to life in front of my incredulous eyes. Though, unlike the past ten years, I am neither sleeping nor am I lost in thought.
As I stared in the cold eyes of the person before me, I can see all of the scenes begin to replay themselves. Someone making themselves out to be trustworthy, only to betray those that they swore to protect, and a person that I cared for was about to be lost.
But, staring into his eyes, I could see that he's determined to accomplish what another had failed to do years ago. And, with my back toward the railing, I could see no escape.
I opened my eyes slowly, allowing my head enough time to take in what I experienced last night in my nightmare, my past. I still remember everything. My mother's panicked face as she ran into my room and tried to drag me out, the heavy wooden door slamming shut to block our escape, and the smell of smoke and gasoline coming from the raging inferno. But most of all, I remember my mom saving me at the last moment, pushing me from the second story window. Finally her voice, usually smooth as velvet and comforting as a vast forest swaying in the wind, crying out in agony with the last breath she will ever have, along with the laughter of the man I looked up to, if for no other reason then that he was supposed to love me.
When I woke up hours later in the hospital, I started my new existence. I was brought to a home with a foster father, I went to school, and everyday I was looked at like some charity case.
After seven years, I couldn't take it anymore, being pitied, being said I'm sorry to. I couldn't help but hate those people. I had everything taken away from me, but they wouldn't leave me alone like being apologized to would bring it all back. My protector, my comfort, my best friend, I will never be able to see my mother ever again.
After my step father, a rookie from the California State Police Station, got called into work on my 12th birthday, I ran. It's illogical, but I ran without a backward glance.
Hoping to escape from just a little pain that I felt, I got on a plane to a different country and I never saw that old life again, except in my nightmares. I made it to a completely new life in Musiyori, Japan. It was a place that my mother had told me about and said that she was always happy. She even taught me the language.
I now live with an older couple, Hana and Seto Herogi. They know that I'm an orphan, but they don't know of my past so they don't pity me. In fact the last thing people think about is pitying me.
Diana Hitaki, the sweet, innocent little girl was killed along with her mother's last scream. If you ask any school's gang who Haruka Herogi is, they would tell you that she's an absolute predator ready to strike and has eyes like a hungry wolf waiting for the kill.
I take comfort in that, the fear. It doesn't take more then a glance from me to let them know that I won't back down, that I'm ready for some fool to try his luck. The Herogis are probably the only ones I don't try to scare. Ok so they are the only ones I don't try to scare, but that's beside the point.
I breathed in deeply and allowed myself a couple more minutes in bed before getting up to start my day. Hana and Seto always leave the house around 8:00 a.m. to go do whatever it is that they have planned for the day. I never showed any interests in anything they do so they eventually started to leave me alone to do my own thing. It was how I always liked it. I never appreciated the spotlight, even if it was just a little. I'd always stayed on the fringe or in complete solitude. After a couple of moments I decided to go to the forest outside of the city. It's where I always go when the memories refused to be held back, like today.
When I arrived there, I chuckled at the thought of when you go deep enough in, it would be a scene right out of a child's nightmare. They would think of Bigfoot and all sorts of monsters. I always loved it. I would sit out here for hours to watch the animals scurrying across the open field, going on with their lives as nature had intended them to. Even to admire how the flowers colored the trees, bushes, and forest floor in brilliant colors of reds, blues, pinks, purples, and so many other wonderful colors and shades that seemed to compliment the sheer majesty around them. As I close my eyes, I could hear the wind whistling a nurturing melody as it tenderly brushed through each leaf. Out here is where I felt most at home since that day a little more then ten years ago.
Sitting there on a large boulder in the middle of the clearing, I let my mind wonder. I think about my past often. My mother with her golden hair flowing down to just past her shoulders, she had beautiful light blue eyes, and would wear pretty dresses. The only trait I got from her was the curly hair. I look more like my father with my dark brown hair and eyes. I don't really appreciate having any resemblance to him, but I wouldn't change anything about my looks. Although a lot of people wish that I would change my attitude. Though, that's another thing that has an impossibility of changing.
My head snapped up at the sudden rustling of one of the bushes that made a barrier surrounding the open field as someone approached. I stood up when I saw a tall man striding over to me with a grin on his face. He was wearing long black clothes, and had black hair that was slicked back except for one strand sticking in front of his face.
As he got closer, I got more and more uneasy, but with my stubborn attitude I remained poised and didn't show any feeling on my face. He stopped a few feet in front of me with a grin on his face that he might have thought I was someone else, or he was crazy. I wouldn't doubt the latter would be out of his league.
"Hello miss," he greeted, tilting his head forward a little. Staring into his eyes I couldn't speak. They reminded me of my father's, they were both cold and menacing. I knew enough that the eyes couldn't lie about a person. When I didn't respond he continued. "I saw you around town, and I must say, you don't get along very well with people do you?" He chuckled a bit at his conclusion. Like you really need to be observant to figure that much out though. Even on my way here I scared a couple of kids who were annoying me to no end.
"I guess not," I said, keeping my voice leveled through the uneasiness that I felt being near this guy.
"Would you tell me why?" he asked, facing me like my answer was somehow crucial to him.
"First of all, because they aren't worth my time or energy, and neither are you for that matter. Second, why are you wasting my time anyway?" He chuckled again, but with a little more humor this time. "And another thing," I continued scathingly. "What the heck do you find so funny?"
"You're not seeing what is right in front of you, Haruka." I stopped scowling at the sound of my name. I know that I never introduced myself, not that I would for some psycho.
"How did you know…?" I started to demand, but he raised his hand to cut me off before I could finish.
"If you wish to know, then please follow me," he said, turning in the direction of the city before walking out of the clearing. And, despite my better judgment, I did follow.
We arrived at the Musiyori Hospital a half-hour later with not one word spoken the entire way. We entered through the automatic glass sliding doors to the waiting room where nurses were settling everyone and a few doctors were dropping off prescriptions to be filled. As the older male headed toward a long hallway, I followed more confused then when we first started.
He stopped when we reached a door that had a sign the read Dr. Kamiya in bold letters and knocked. By the third knock there was another male's voice coming from the other side that invited us inside. The black haired male opened the door to a medium sized, white room that had medical certificates hanging on the far wall. The tiled floors, and everything else for that matter, smelled like a flood of disinfectant went through recently.
When we entered, there was another tall man with light brown hair and brown eyes standing by a mahogany desk in the corner of the room. He was wearing a suit with a white doctor's coat over it and a nametag that had Dr. Kamiya written on it. "Oh, Mr. Sensui. To what do I owe the…" the doctor trailed off, apparently finally noticing that there was someone else with them. "Hello, ma'am," he greeted before turning toward Sensui with a questioning expression.
"Doctor, this is Miss Haruka. Miss Haruka, this is Doctor Kamiya," he said , gesturing toward each of us as he spoke, answering Kamiya's unspoken question. Kamiya still looked weary as he came over to shake my hand, and probably with good reason. I had no clue what expression I was wearing, considering my extreme annoyance was getting worse by the second. "Doctor, may I speak with you for a moment?" Kamiya nodded as he joined Sensui in the corner by the door while I looked around, wondering if Sensui just brought me here because he needed someone to hold his hand. I looked back over to see the doctor agreeing to whatever was being said between them and walked out of his office, closing the door behind him.
When I heard a click I looked over to see Sensui opening a closet door with a smile that he wore at the clearing. As the closet fully opened, I could see that there was a T.V. with a V.C.R. hooked up to it. "Would you like to watch a movie?" Sensui asked, holding up a video tape for me to see.
"I came here to have my questions answered not to watch some dumb movie!"
"Relax," he said, putting the tape in. "I told you that I was going to explain everything, and this tape will help me do it." When he pressed play, I huffed to let him know that I wasn't at all pleased. I never expected to see anything on that tape so it surprised me when within a few seconds I couldn't look away. Kind of like a train wreck, only that image would have been a lot more pleasant.
It started out with men on horseback, riding through villages to kill everyone in sight like it was some game to them. The Salem's Witch Trail's victims being accused of witchcraft by both strangers and those that they loved. It showed their hopelessness as they were told how they were to die for the crimes they never committed. There was a Jewish family that was praying around a menorah. Before long the German soldiers kicked their door down and dragged them out of their home and to Nazi Camps to eventually be killed. It even had had people torturing creatures with horns, fangs, and scaly skin. Some even looked like other humans, but their hair and eye color was unnatural. There was many horrifying stories just like those on that tape. What shocked me the most was the story about a little girl and her mother being burned alive by her father, and I instantly recognized myself and my family. It was the exact showing of what happened ten years ago, only it showed an image of my father before it turned to my mother's motionless body. It didn't even show that I was alive. Does this guy know who I am? Is that why he's interested in me?
"Humans are disgusting creatures aren't they," Sensui commented, clicking the power button on the remote. "They get their pleasure by the torture of others, and countless lives have been lost for the sake of that pleasure. That's why I came to you, Haruka. I've been searching for capable helpers to end the pain and suffering of future generations who will go through the things shown on this tape again unless we put a stop to it now." I couldn't deny what he was saying. I knew what human cruelty was like. But, I don't believe in his assumption that any human would be able to be cruel.
My father was cold and menacing. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he never gave a second thought to killing my mom and his half way successful murder of me, his daughter and only child. Thinking of my mother though, she was so pure and kind. She would never think of doing that to somebody, no matter what reasoning that she had. Even when she knew of my father's intentions, she never considered anything except running away. When it was to late for her, her only thought was to save me anyway that she could.
"Like I said earlier, I've seen you around the city and I noticed that you have the potential to become a powerful psychic once your powers awaken." I turned away from the blank screen toward him at the word "Psychic". Seeing my puzzled expression, he continued. "Besides our own, there are two other worlds. There is the Demon World that is home to trillions of beings like the ones you seen being tortured on the tape along with the humans. Also there is the Spirit World where King Enma rules. When the Demon World's energy leaks into our world, the Human World, it can cause humans like yourself to gain demonic powers. But, not everyone posses it. They have to have the sensitivity to the energy around them to gain any sort of power. The power that you will acquire will be born from your own traits and personality, it'll be a reflection of who you are. You and six others are the only ones that I know to have the potential to acquire the powers that we need in order to bring justice into this world. You do want to, don't you?" he asked with a sly smile. "To get the revenge that those whom perished for others enjoyment and greed so rightly deserve. That's what this tape, Chapter Black, is. A record of all of humanities worst crimes against their own and others. To see this tape you should realize what horrible and disgusting creatures humans are. That they deserve to go for their sins."
I stared at him, both shocked and confused, though he did answered at least three of my questions. One, the creatures on that tape were actual demons. Two, he didn't know who I was, otherwise he wouldn't have said, "to see this tape you should realize." He would have used my personal experience to try to persuade me. The most important, he wasn't crazy, just insane.
Though, he somewhat peaked my interest. He said that he knows of six others. Did he find people who would help him? And from what I've seen from the Chapter Black, is that why they're helping? Didn't they consider that erasing every human wasn't what those victims would've wanted? That their murderers are already dead? Why would they want people as innocent as they were to suffer for those few truly evil ones?
"So, will you help us in cleansing the world, Haruka?"
All of my questions spun in circles inside my head, and I responded the only way that I knew how to get the answers that I needed. "Yes."
I quickly exited the room after that without a goodbye, feeling suddenly nauseous. I couldn't stand being in there with that man anymore. Especially not when I had to think through what I was going to do.
After the "regrettable incident" as people called it back in the United States, nothing has ever seemed normal. I wish that I had seen what kind of monster that my father was, instead of living in a fantasy where a father was supposed to love his little girl. Maybe I would still feel like Diana Hitaki, the daughter of Japanese foreigners, instead of feeling like I'm going through existence like a wondering soul. Not a part of this world, but still can't escape from it either. It's actually amazing how I can feel so numb and still have to live with constant pain.
But, it's foolish to wish such things that you could never be able to change. As for my choice, the decision has already been made. All I can do is follow through with whatever I feel is necessary. Though, I already have an idea of the outcome.
When I turned on the path that lead to the front door of the house, I noticed that there was less lighting then there should be. And, if not for the sun's tip over in the east, I would have thought it was sunset. How long have I been out? I quickly went over the day as I rushed inside, trying to figure out where all of my time went. I know that I arrived at the hospital at 10:30 a.m. and, looking at the clock in the kitchen, it was now exactly 6:45 a.m. in a couple of hours it would be a full day since I've been at the hospital. Even if you didn't count the time it took for Sensui to talk and the ten minute walk home it was still to much time to be missing from memory.
When I found my composure, I quickly got ready for bed, eternally grateful that my foster parents decided not to wait up for me, or maybe they did and just got to tired to stay awake any longer.
That night the usual nightmare came to life once again, only with a few more-then-minor details provided by that, for the lack of a better word, horrible Chapter Black tape. Though, I was somewhat grateful to that tape for showing me what made the events play out, and it also made me hate my father and myself even more. The reason he tried, however pathetic the excuse, was because he wanted a son, not a daughter. When my mother tried to leave with me, that was it. He decided that we both needed to die. And, ironically enough, the person that my mother tried to run to, was the same person that I ran away from on my 12th birthday, the police rookie Collin Davis.
I got only five hours of sleep, but if I stayed in bed until Hana and Seto got back, I would probably have to explain things that are better left unsaid.
I got up slower then usual, getting ready to take my clothes to the laundry room so that Hana could do the wash like she planned. As I picked up my sweater from yesterday (or this morning, but for the sake of not arguing yesterday), I found something white in the pocket. When I picked it out, I unfolded it and looked inside to see that it was a sheet that doctors used to write prescriptions on. I studied it for a moment and found a note written on the back.
Miss Haruka,
I would like to formally introduce everyone, and I hope you would be able to attend. We're meeting on Saturday at one o'clock in the afternoon at the Musiyori Park by the lake. See you soon.
Shinobu Sensui
Oh great, I get to meet his posse, now I'm enthusiastic. I don't know why I don't just call the police or something. Although, telling them a story about how somebody showed me a video tape of humanity's worse crimes in hopes that when my dormant psychic powers awaken, I would help him destroy the entire human race would definitely be a reason to drug test me.
Whatever his plan is, I have no doubt that he actually meant what he said. Whoever said that the eyes are the windows of the soul, they're right. Sensui's eyes were cold and menacing, and filled with hate and malice beyond anything normal. They're even might be more malicious then my father's, and I'm not someone who gets into a situation twice, so what am I trying to do? I think that's the first question that I need to answer before anything else, and hopefully it will be on Saturday.
The days dragged on as I tried to figure something out from my last encounter with Sensui. Why am I someone he needs? What is my future power that he wants it so badly for his cause? How does he know so much about it if they aren't awakened yet? What is his plan to "cleanse" humanity? So many questions ran continuously through my mind, and I couldn't answer a single one.
Eventually Saturday came, and I was less then optimistic about what I knew I was doing as I walked to the other side of the park. I wish that knew what I was doing. Nothing about the circumstances, including me going along with whatever, is making any sense.
When I finally got to the waterfront, I looked to the other side of the lake, and seen that there was only the same older male from two days ago. As I walked to the other side, more unwillingly then I was to even get up this morning, I saw four more arriving in the distance. Either they're the others that Sensui spoke of, or they're just out for a Saturday stroll in the park. Sensui turned toward the others when they came into better view.
One was just the doctor from the Musiyori Hospital, and he had three others with him. The one named Makihara was taller then everyone else, and has about the same hair as Kamiya. He was wearing a green and yellow sweater and blue jeans. The middle sized, Hagiri, had pitch black hair and looked a couple of years older then I was, and is a biker wannabe. He was wearing a light blue shirt under a red denim jacket, black, fingerless gloves, and dark blue jeans. Looking at the last one, I was hoping someone was dumb enough to bring their little brother. He looked no more then twelve. He had light brown hair that was spiked out a little bit, and was wearing a light blue shirt and blue shorts that were only a couple of shades darker. He was introduced as Amanuma.
As we reached Sensui, he looked at all of us with an expression of a child who found everything he wanted under the Christmas tree. "I'm glad that all of you could make it," Sensui said, sounding pleased.
"You bet, Mr. Sensui." I looked down toward the youngest of the group, Amanuma, who was staring up at Sensui like he was a manga hero.