Well, hello again! I apologize for disappearing for so long. I got kind of a writers block with my other story, Rock, Paper, Scissors, but then this new idea came to me in a dream a month ago, and I've been itching to write about it! I hope you all enjoy it, and I plan on updating much more frequently. :) Enjoy~
Also, just to clarify so you are not confused by the description, this story is a romance. However, that is not necessarily the main plot, it's just a part of it.
I leaned against the cold stone wall, eyes shut as I fell into my empty thoughts. Every day was the same; sitting in my dark prison cell, pushing my energy against the painful wrist bands that constantly absorbed and punished any energy I tried to expend. Occasionally I pulled my energy back, to give my aching wrists a short break while I worked in the limited space available to attempt to maintain my fitness level. Every once in a while, a guard would stop by and slide the grime they claimed to be food into a small opening into my chamber. It was a miserable existence, but it provided me with safety that few other places could.
Until today, that is.
I knew something unfortunate was likely to happen today, however big or small the scale. The previous night had been riddled with nightmares of my past, nightmares which I had thought were long since gone. I could sense an ominous electricity in the air, regardless of the bands which hindered my abilities. Though they could steal my energy, they could not restrict my naturally sharp senses. This allowed me to prepare myself mentally for the worst case scenario, which I am eternally thankful for.
It was early evening, the sun was setting and I could hear the guards begin to make their rounds in distributing the slime dinner. I opened my eyes slightly, glancing sideways at the small barred window which revealed the darkening sunset. It was then that the buzzing, white light on my ceiling flickered, briefly fighting to remain lit, before darkness enveloped the room accompanied only by the dim window light.
"What was that?" A guard a floor below my cell asked, shaken. I could hear murmuring amongst both the inmates and other guards. A power outage in Spirit World? Unlikely. Then what?
I knew. I didn't doubt for even a moment that it was him, that he had come to take me away again. I shifted against the wall, rising to my feet. My cell door clicked, as well as every other lock in the building. I did not hesitate, as I shoved the cell door open and darted towards the one window that every floor had, to naturally light the hallways. My preparation and superior speed allowed me to do this before the other inmates had realized that security had been breached, that he was hiding his location of entrance, as well as the identity of his target. I pulled hard on the window, nearly breathing in relief to find that those locks had also been disabled, and it slid open. Placing my hands on the edge, I peered over to look at the ground which was an intimidating 24 stories below. Without my energy, could I survive this jump?
"H-hey, you! Stop where you are!" A guard noticed me, and ran in my direction.
I did not even spare the guard a glance, and I lifted my feet to the ledge as well. In the last moment before I lept, I heard it. Past the panicking guards, I heard him moving up the stairs nearly silently. No one had noticed him. My chest throbbed with fear, and I flexed my legs and pushed off of the ledge. The adrenaline fed my jump, and I shot out further than I anticipated, and the nearby forest was soon beneath me. I fell, branches ripping at me and preventing me from getting my footing before colliding with the hard ground. Moaning painfully, I forced myself back to my feet. I could still see the prison. The guard was wide eyed, looking from the window I had jumped from. But more terrifying was the darkness behind him, and I knew he was hiding in those shadows, watching me. I did not have much time.
Regardless of blood dripping from multiple wounds I acquired from the land, I willed my legs to move. Trees began to blur next to me as I sprinted away from what had been my place of residence for the last year. I could not maintain this speed forever, however. I had no choice but to search for some kind of protection, shelter.
Nearly an hour after departure, fatigue plagued my body. I had pushed my body to move at its maximum speed for much longer than I was accustomed to, and without the use of my energy to heal my wounds or aid the exhaustion. Slowing to a jog, I gave my attention to my senses. I could feel a higher level demon nearby, their energy gently swirling in the air. It did not necessarily appear to be hostile, and given my situation, I did not consider it a choice anyways. I perked my ears, catching on to their nearby footsteps, and went in that direction.
Not five minutes later, the demon came into my view. Upon a short inspection, I determined the person to be a male, though he had rather feminine features, not unlike my own species. He appeared to be aware of my presence before most others would be, which meant he was attentive and likely clever. At that moment though, it worked in my favor. I did not intend to hide myself from this man. When I came into his view, he seemed to narrow his eyes at me, and I thought I felt a change in his energy. A moment later, though, alarm crossed his features.
"Who are you?" He asked me quietly, curiosity and caution laced in his voice.
"I... I am Ayano. Please... I need help," I panted, the physical strain to get this far was taking its toll on my body. Blood dripped from my arm as I spoke, seeming to emphasize the urgency of the situation.
His eyes traveled across my body, before resting on the bands on my wrists. His eyes flashed in recognition, which meant that he knew I was an escaping criminal. I began to regret my decision to approach him, and almost turned to leave, before my legs trembled and I stumbled to my knees. I could not run; my life was in the hands of this calculating stranger.
"Please... I am the last," I whispered, raising my eyes to meet his. He seemed to take this in, and his eyes flicked to my ears, before returning to analyze the features of my face. If he was as educated as I had perceived him to be, he would realize what it all meant.
He approached me after some moments, and crouched down to my fallen position. Without a word, he carefully placed one arm under my knees and the other around my back, and lifted me. Then, he walked in a pointed direction, all the while seeming to be thinking deeply. I began to drift into darkness, unable to stay awake any longer.
"Do not worry," Was the last thing I heard before slipping into an exhausted trance, just barely resisting passing out in his arms.
"Kurama, what are you doing? That is a criminal, we should kill it," I heard a low voice threaten, as the demon carrying me halted in his steps. How long had I been dozing off? There was no sure way to know without asking, but I could not muster the energy to do so. I lifted my eyelids slightly, and took in the opposing demon. He was short, my height perhaps, and his murderous red eyes were trained on me. His tense stance told me that I was not to take his threat lightly. However, I did not feel as though I was in serious danger. Perhaps it was the blood loss making me miscalculate the situation, or perhaps I trusted that the demon carrying me would not have taken me all this way merely to take my life.
The demon, apparently named Kurama, tightened his hold on me slightly, signifying that he was refusing the other demon's suggestion.
"Hand it over to Koenma then, we do not need to be aiding a pathetic criminal who cannot even escape properly," He commanded, noticing the still fresh wounds on my body.
"I intend to assist her recovery, I want to hear her story. Please Hiei, allow me this. I do not ask for your help," Kurama curtly answered the displeased demon. Hiei scoffed in response, before jumping away from us. He was quite fast, as I could barely see him leave. Kurama's hold on me loosened again, and he continued walking. Not 10 minutes later, we arrived at an old temple, surrounded by the woods. It was late in the night, and the only light was that of the moon. He silently carried me inside, and I was impressed by the lightness of his footsteps. Only a practiced thief could walk so quietly that even I struggled to catch the tapping of his shoes. Was he intentionally leading me to him in the woods then, when I could hear him without difficulty? Another question to add to the list.
We entered a room, which seemed to be used infrequently. It was nearly empty, aside from a large bed, a chair, and a desk. Kurama set me on the bed, and my body stung in protest at changing position after such an extended time. He left me there momentarily, returning with a bowl of water, bandages, a towel, and what appeared to be ointment. Without speaking, he washed my wounds and I struggled to remain silent as the disinfectant worked at the bacteria in my sensitive flesh. The wound on my arm was the deepest, but I was relieved to find that no lasting damage was done. After spreading the green ointment on every open cut, he covered it with the bandages. The ointment cooled the burning, and I felt some energy return to me. He leaned back, checking that he missed nothing. I watched his deep emerald eyes scan my body once again.
"Thank you..." I whispered to him, and his eyes moved to mine. A gentle smile tugged at his lips, though his eyes did not change.
"The ointment I put on you is one of my own creation. It will speed your recovery," He whispered back, before he cleaned the mess he had made while attending my wounds. When he finished, he sat back down in the uncomfortable looking chair, and faced me once more.
"I will be here when you awake. Now, sleep," He gently insisted, and pulled a blanket over me. I kept my eyes on him, until they began to get heavier. Before sleep could overtake me, I muttered 'good night', and fell into a dreamless slumber.
Waking up was not as pleasant as I had hoped, and my body still ached from the previous day. The sun was just coming up, but Kurama appeared to be wide awake, book in hand. He lifted his eyes to watch me as I sat up and gently stretched my stiff muscles.
"Good morning, did you sleep well?" He asked me, swiftly putting his book down and standing.
"Yes, thank you," I answered, and also stood. His figure towered over me. He gestured for me to follow him, and led me to a bathroom.
"There is a clean towel hanging, and I put some fresh clothing you can change into on the counter. They belong to Master Genkai, so they may be a little small, but I fear my own clothing would be too big," Kurama said, motioning to the clothing he was referring to. I turned to him and bowed deeply.
"Thank you. You saved my life, and now you continue to show me such kindness. I will repay you," I promised. When I stood up again, his lips were curved in a smile. This time, the smile reached his eyes, and I almost smiled back.
"I'm sure you will. I will be in my room when you are finished,"
He shut the door gently behind him, and I immediately started pulling at the bandages on my body. Once I removed them, I inspected my wounds thoroughly to assess the damage. Surprisingly, they appeared to be more than halfway healed already. Considering I had no access to my energy at the moment, the cause was likely the ointment that Kurama had applied. I pealed off my ripped, bloody clothing and stepped in the shower. After a year of the limited, often cold, showers in Spirit World prison, it was pure bliss as the warm water cleared my body of dried blood and filth. I read through the various bottles on the ceramic edge, and found the shampoo and conditioner. I lathered each through my silver hair, taking care to pull through all the tangles. Finally, after finishing all the way to the tips, which rested at my hips, I shut off the water and dried off. The clothing which Kurama had provided was a simple white shirt, and green pants. The pants came up short on my legs, but the waste did not fall, so I was satisfied.
I gathered my dirty clothing, and went to find Kurama. Like he said, he was patiently waiting in his room for me.
"Let me take care of those," He insisted, taking the damaged clothing from my grasp.
"How do you feel? Would you like me to wrap your wounds again?" He asked and looked over me. I felt somewhat embarrassed having someone express such concern over me, particularly a stranger, and I fidgeted uncomfortably.
"I think they are fine, thank you,"
He nodded, and seemed to physically relax. I found it particularly odd that he was so concerned, but perhaps that was just his personality type.
"I am eager to hear of your story, but now may not be the appropriate time for that. I will wait until you have fully recovered. For now, would you mind helping me prepare breakfast for the others?" He asked politely.
"Others?" I inquired. I had carelessly forgotten to check the premises for other energies or noises. I must have been truly exhausted last night. Kurama smiled and nodded.
I followed him through the halls, and he led me to the kitchen. It was a simple room, which made following Kurama's instructions all the easier. He only asked me to locate and cut various fruits, and mix them together with some kind of bitter yogurt. Meanwhile, he prepared eggs and sausage.
"Good morning, Kurama," I heard an older voice say. I turned to face the woman who had spoke, who happened to be, surprisingly, shorter than myself. She gave me a hard look, and raised an eyebrow.
"Good morning, Master Genkai. I hope you don't mind, but I have a guest visiting for a few days. This is Ayano," Kurama introduced me, smiling politely. I bowed to her.
"It is nice to meet you. I will try not to be a burden, Master Genkai," I said to her. She scoffed at me.
"I suppose I cannot refuse, as you are already here. However, I was under the impression that elves had gone extinct some years ago. Yet, here you are, and with those Spirit Worlds cuffs on no less. What a curious creature you have found, Kurama," She answered bluntly. I clenched my jaw at her words, but said nothing back. Fortunately, new footsteps approached us at that exact moment.
"Kurama, you're back! W-whoa, who is this?" Another person asked, quite loudly. He was tall, with short orange hair, and looked very strongly built. A blush came to his cheeks as I stared at him. Behind was another boy with black hair, and intimidating brown eyes. He was rubbing his eyes sleepily, yet
even in the state I was in, it was fairly easy to sense the power within him.
"I am Ayano, it's a pleasure to meet you," I introduced myself again, bowing my head slightly.
"I'm Yusuke, this oaf is Kuwabara," The dark haired youth informed me, grinning.
"Well, you came down just in time for breakfast," Kurama intervened, preventing further questioning about my identity. I silently sighed in relief, and carried the fruit yogurt to the table that Yusuke and Kuwabara promptly sat at. Kurama distributed the eggs and sausages to everyone as well, and then pulled out a seat for me, before taking his seat beside me.
"Hey, old hag, didn't you say that some of your old students are coming by today?" Yusuke asked Master Genkai, mid-bite. Genkai seemed to twitch at his remark.
"Yes, dimwit. They should be here soon,"
"Hey, where's Hiei? Isn't he supposed to be coming to the Human World today?" Kuwabara interrupted. The Human World? How did I end up in the Human World? I glanced at Kurama, who was watching the conversation silently. He must have taken me here the night before, which explained how he had not found me yet. I shivered at the thought.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kuwabara asked me, forgetting his previous question. I nodded, but the concerned expression did not leave his face.
There were steps from outside, followed by a firm knock. I was thankful for the visitors, as it took the attention off of my sudden nervous behavior.
"Get the door, dimwit," Genkai commanded Yusuke, and Yusuke did as she asked, grumbling the entire time. I did not turn to watch the door, and continued to spoon the fruity yogurt into my mouth. I rather enjoyed the texture and subtle sweetness.
The door creaked open, immediately followed by excited yelling which caused me to pause and cringe at the noise.
"Urameshi!" "Yusuke!" Were all said towards Yusuke. I assumed his nickname, or perhaps last name, was Urameshi. He greeted them back, and even I could hear the happiness in his voice.
"Chu, Rinku! And Jin and Touya? How are you guys?!" He shouted towards them, but as soon as I heard a particular name, my world went silent.
Jin.
Could it be the same Jin?
Unlikely. However, I could not stop my head from turning towards the visitors, to verify that it was not him.
My usually narrow, dark silver eyes were open wide as they met his always-cheerful blue pair. He seemed to sense my gaze, and his attention shifted from Yusuke towards me. As if in slow motion, his toothy grin fell as he continued to stare at me, his warm face going pale.
"Oi, mate, what's wrong?" Chu asked Jin, and everyone worriedly looked at the wind demon.
"Ayano..." Jin whispered, not trusting his own words. My breath stopped, and my heart pounded in my chest painfully.
"Jin..." I whispered back, sorrow and regret filling me. As far as he knew, I was dead. It had haunted me for months, knowing that I had caused him such pain.
"I'm sorry," I said to him, ignoring the confused stares that we were receiving from the others.
As soon as the words fell from my mouth, he stepped towards me. I was frozen as he approached me, unable to escape his intense, disbelieving gaze. He crouched in front of me, to match my seated height, and his hand shakily brushed against my cheek. It was cold against my skin, causing me to shiver under his touch. He moved his hand to my jaw, and pulled me gently towards him. Not a moment later, Jin's mouth was against mine. The kiss lasted only a second, before he pulled back.
"You're back," He said quietly, a single tear sliding down his cheek.
Bum bum bummmmmm! What was that kiss all about?! Of course I know, but you will have to wait to find out. I hope you enjoyed it so far! Let me know what you thought? :)