The Saga of the Flame of Glory
By Hatsuri Botosai
Disclaimer- I don't own Yu-Yu Hakusho, or any of the characters associated with Yu- Yu Hakusho. I do own my own original characters, and any story plots originally created by me. If any one (even my good friend DAY) uses any of my original work without my personal permission, I'll come over to their house, and split their tongues in half using only a blow torch, a scalpel, and absolutely no anesthetic! But, knowing you're good, honest people, I won't have to resort to mutilation. Enjoy with a good heart!
Chapter 1- Flaming Nunchiku
Kurama walked through the dense woods with a heavy heart. His mission from Koenma was very specific: find the fire demon, Kiara, and bring her in by any means necessary. It was a simple task, he had done this many times before, but this time was different. Kurama knew this particular demon, and she was, for lack of a better word, quite a spitfire. He had met her a few years before he met Yusuke Urameshi. Tall, thin, and with a fine, waist-length sheet of pale blond hair that was not unlike the color of flames at the heart of a fire, Kiara was by far one of the few gorgeous, human-like demons Kurama had ever met. He still remembered her eyes, her big, green eyes that were almost more beautiful than his. She had touched his soul with those eyes, the very eyes that had filled with joy every time she had met him again after their introduction. Even Kurama's friend, Hiei, had admitted that Kiara was one of the most beautiful demons in the spirit world.
Kurama's feet snapped twigs as he trugged on through the forest, the trees becoming thicker and thicker with every minute. Green surrounded the tall, lanky demon, sunlight shining on his face as he passed under flashes of sunlight struggling to feel the cool, wet forest floor. Then, the trees began to thin, and scorch marks were appearing on the dark brown bark of the trees. I'm getting close, thought Kurama as he stopped to touch a burn on a sturdy oak. A white-hot pain coursed through his hand, and up his arm. Very close.
The burn damage to the trees got worse and worse as Kurama walked on. Then, the trees disappeared, and all around Kurama were burned stumps, some still smoking, and some were even still on fire. Kurama's heart ached at this sight, and he forced himself to move on from this place. At one point, it seemed as if the trees dying spirits were crying out to him, begging him to help them, to cure them and make them whole again.
Kurama placed his hands over his ears, closed his eyes, and ran. He ran from the pain, and kept running until he could feel it no more. He lowered his hands slowly, and opened his eyes.
He was in a circle of trees unmarked by fire, living and whole. Light shown through the canopy, and birds chirped happy tunes in the brisk morning air. Butterflies flew daintily by Kurama, and landed on wildflowers growing near the bases of trees. And, right across from him laid a demon asleep on a low, thick tree branch. Her hair fell across her shapely face, and her right arm dangled from the branch. She looked young for her age while she was asleep, and so beautiful and peaceful as well. Here lay Kiara, looking just as she had when she had first met Kurama.
Kurama reached into his white jacket, and took out a long, white colored, wood flute. The decorative tassel it had once had was now long gone, but the carvings were still there, loops, and swirls intermingling into wonderful patterns and shapes. The most prominent symbol on it that still shown as though it had just been burnt in, however, was the kanji symbol for fire on the end, still deeply burnt in and jet black. Kurama put the flute to his lips, and blew gently in it, playing a light, dancing tune.
The song had a profound effect on the demon. Though still asleep, Kiara rose from her tree branch, and started dancing gently to the song, waving her arms, and moving her feet in complicated patterns. She twirled, and when she did, her hair swung around, catching the sunlight as she did. She danced until Kurama stopped playing the song. Then, she stood still, arms at her sides. Kiara's eyes fluttered open, and she yawned, stretching her arms over her head.
Her hair was longer now, almost down to her knees. Her face was the same; only it seemed more mature, as did the rest of her body. On her thin arms she wore metal bands, and on her fore arms were shiny braces. A tight tube top covered up only what it had to, revealing a fine, flat stomach, and a belly button that had been pierced during the time when Kurama hadn't seen Kiara. Her red, baggy pants hugged her hips intimately, and the shimmery material matched the top. On her feet were only more metal bangles, and a gold toe ring adorned her right middle toe. A gold sash was tied around Kiara's waist, and from it hung a set of jet black, iron nunchiku.
Upon seeing Kurama, Kiara immediately sank down into a defensive stance, and pulled out her nunchiku, swinging them dangerously. "Demon Kurama!" she said angrily. "You have a lot of nerve coming here after what you did to me! FLAMING NUNCHIKU ATTACK!" Kiara lunged forward, and as she did, her nunchiku burst into flame, becoming balls of flaming hot, swinging at Kurama's head.
"ROSE WHIP!" countered Kurama, bringing out one of the roses he always carried, and turning it into a ten-foot whip of thorny ivy. He swung around his head, and managed to bind Kiara's hands together.
"Think that's going to stop me? BURST OF WILD FIRE!" At this surge of Kiara's spirit energy into the nunchiku, the nunchiku's fire exploded, going up to Kiara's fore arms, burning away the whip's hold.
Kurama and Kiara landed ten feet apart, both panting and out of breath. "You think I forgot how you broke my heart?" Kiara said, her lovely eyes becoming smaller with her growing sadness. "You thought I would just greet you with open arms when you found it convenient for you to see me again?!?" If she had not been a fire apparition, Kiara would have been bawling. But, instead, steam began to appear around her eyes, obscuring them.
"I'm sorry to cause you pain. But I had to…"
"You had to what? Had to run off and play hero for Koenma when things got too rough for him to handle? Had to leave me without saying so much as a good bye? I loved you with everything in my entire being, and I thought you felt the same! I thought you saw me as beautiful! Am I still beautiful now? BURNING SPIRIT DEMON FORM!" Kiara lifted herself into the air, and turned into her true demon form: a full bodied, burning spirit with swinging nunchiku of blue flames. "Answer me! AM I STILL BEAUTIFUL NOW? DO YOU NOT STILL LOVE ME? IF YOU DO NOT, THEN KILL ME NOW, FOR LIVING IN PAIN WITHOUT YOU IS WORSE THAN DEATH! AHH!" Kiara changed back into her human-like form, her nunchiku's fire dying as she fell limp from the air.
Kurama caught her in his arms. Picking her up, he carried her over to he sleeping branch, and sat down with Kiara lying across his lap, her head supported by his left arm, his right resting across her waist. "You used too much spirit energy from burning those trees, and too much getting angry at me." He said calmly, looking right into her green eyes. "Yes, Kiara, I do still love you, and I still find you beautiful. I know leaving you without so much as a good bye was wrong, but I am very sorry for my foolish actions."
"Kurama," breathed Kiara as she leaned upward, and kissed her kitsune firmly on the lips. Kurama was a bit taken back, but he returned her kiss with one of his own. Kiara's hand sneaked upward, found Kurama's neck, and used it to help pull herself up into a sitting position. She kissed Kurama again, and again, and soon they were making out as if they had never been separated. Kurama held her tight, and their hearts beat together as one, and everything around them seemed to sing with happiness.
"Kurama," Kiara said finally, pulling away. "Why did you come and find me after all these years? Please tell me, no matter what it is."
"Koenma wants to meet with you," Kurama said, brushing a tress of hair out of Kiara's face. "He didn't tell me what about, but I assumed it was important as he also sent Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei out to look for you too. Yusuke went north, Kuwabara went west, and Hiei went east, but only I knew where you would hide, in the south. Where you were born, and," he looked straight into her eyes again, seeing not only the usually bright green, but the soul behind those eyes, "where you first met me." Kurama kissed her again.
"If it's urgent we better get going," Kiara said, getting shakily to her feet.
"You're in no shape to fly there," Kurama said firmly, supporting her with his arm, "I know how much you like your 'Phoenix Wings'. But, seeing as you have almost no spirit energy left. . ."
"Alright, Kurama." Kiara said dreamily as she and her kitsune started waling back through the woods. "But, it'll take much longer for Koenma to find out about the Flame of Glory if we walk."
"How do you know about the Flame of Glory?" asked Kurama, shocked.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, the end of another first chapter! How exhausting to write a full chapter in under an hour! (I'm not the best typist so this is quite a feat for me) I hope this story is loved by the few who will read it (my friends and people I force to read it).
Anyway, if you like this chapter, review it. If you don't like this chapter, hell you can review it too! I like good and bad reviews alike.
Special shout out to my good friend, and fellow author, dark-angel-yuna (DAY). Keep your keyboard hot.
I'm going to bed now.