AN: I do not own YYH! I only own everything else...
¤Living in a War¤
Chapter One
Life is a battle field. No matter what is happening, you are always fighting for your life.
Nothing ever goes right and you are always, always, escaping death's grip.
But there are those unfortunate souls that are not able to escape that grip. They are taken by the Reaper, a dark creature with a scythe and a black cloak. The Reaper is said to be only a skeleton with a dark aura always around it.
Though no one has seen this Grim Reaper without being dead. So is this what the taker of souls really looks like?
Those are the thoughts of a troubled young girl in elementary school in America. She sat on a swing after school as she waited for her father to pick her up. She'd been sitting there for half an hour with her school bag on the ground a couple feet from her.
The young girl looked at the sand beneath her shoes with wide ice blue eyes. Her long brown hair was tied in a braid to the middle of her back. She looked up when she heard a car approaching the school and saw her mother's van. She let out a heavy sigh and hopped down from the swing and picked her bag up from the ground.
There was no disappointment on the girls' face as she saw that her mother was driving the van. She got into the front seat and buckled the seat belt, her bag now at her feet. "Father is missing," she stated with a soft child voice as her mother started driving.
"I think for good this time, sweety," the mixed Japanese woman told her daughter.
The two hardly looked alike except for their ice blue eyes and delicately shaped noses.
The little girl looked to her mother with curious ice blue eyes and then to the back of the van to see suitcases. She looked back to her mother, "Where are we going?"
"To see your oba-san," the woman told her.
The little girl looked down at her clasped hands. A light blue and red woven bracelet was tied to her wrist. She'd had it since she was born, having been made and given to her by her grandmother. She hadn't met her Japanese grandmother but she received gifts from her on her birthday, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.
Ice blue optics turned to the buildings passing by as they went to the airport. She would miss her home and her father. But she would be with her mother and meet her grandmother.
"Via, are you ready yet?" a middle aged woman in a formal sleek black dress called up the stairs. Her long black hair with strands of gray was pulled up into an bun, her sun kissed skin looking smooth and young. Her ice blue eyes were full of pain and wisdom and looked up the stairs annoyed. "Via, it's going to start... soon," she lowered her voice as her daughter stepped into view at the top of the stairs.
The woman stood in a tight blue halter dress that clung to her body to reveal wonderful curves. The dress went down to her ankles, a slit on both sides stopping at her hips to show a light gray material to cover six inches below her hips. Her entire back was bare, the top hem of the back of the dress starting just above her backside from view. The dress covered her chest, the neckline similar to a choker and clasping together in the back. There was a diamond shaped cut out just above her breasts to reveal a nice amount of cleavage. Along the edges of the diamond cut out was a border of silver beads. A line of these small beads lead down the middle of the front and down to her hips where it circled around the dress, lining the top hem of the back. Upon her feet were blue strappy high heels with small rhinestones lining the straps around her ankles and on the straps above her toes.
The woman's finger nails and toe nails were silver tipped and glossed. A single silver band on both her middle fingers with a small blue gem embedded in each. Her brown hair was pulled up on top of her head in an intricate style that left multiple strands falling down her back and shoulders to her hip. Her bangs fell down to her ankles as they framed her delicate face. Her lips were covered in a light coat of clear gloss, her ice blue eyes were lined with black and her eye lids sparkled slightly with a slight hint of a silver eye shadow.
Odivia walked down the stairs elegantly and met with her mother. "It will be fine mother," she told her with a soft and beautiful voice. "No one is going to notice that we are late," she stated as she walked to the door.
Himiko shook her head as she followed her daughter. Everyone would notice the guest of honor and her mother arriving late. Even if Via wasn't dressed as extravagantly as she was.
"I just don't understand how you're not wanting to rush to this banquet. It's in honor of you sweety, you should try to at least be there on time or before anyone arrives," Himiko told her daughter as they got into the sleek black car.
Odivia looked out the tinted window with an indifferent look in her piercing eyes. "I've just become the top designer in Japan. I'm allowed to show up late. Besides, I didn't want to attend this thing anyways," she said as her mother began to drive towards the Odivia Building where the banquet was being held.
Odivia was reminded of the day she and her mother left California. It was almost the same. She was in the passenger seat of the vehicle her mother was driving. But everything had changed since then.
Via hadn't seen her father since that morning when he dropped her off at school. She remembered that sad and longing look in his chocolate brown eyes, eyes she had wanted as a child. She hadn't thought anything of that look then, but as she grew older in Japan she started to wonder if he had been planning on leaving her and her mother.
Odivia was brought back to reality when the car stopped and the engine was cut off. She looked up and saw that they were in the parking structure behind her building. She took the blue handbag holding the latest iPhone, lip gloss, and wallet from the glove box before stepping out of the car.
"Odivia, has evreything been okay? You've been quieter than usual," her mother stated as they walked towards the building.
Odivia glanced at her mother before her gaze returned to her building. "Everything is fine mother. I've just been working on a couple of new lines for the company. It's nothing for you to worry about," she told her mother as they got to the building.
The two continued to the elevators and then up to the tenth floor where the event room, and thus the banquet, was located.
Odivia and her mother were greeted by a large welcoming group of her employees, coworkers, and partners. The two smiled and greeted everyone as they made their way to their table.
The night was full of excitement for everyone.
Via was pulled into many conversations and for the time being she was distracted of the worries on her mind.
"Ms. Daioh?" someone called from behind Odivia.
The smiling woman turned to look up into the emerald eyes of a handsome red head. She noticed a man with slicked back green black hair just shorter than the red head on his left and a man with orange outdated hair taller than him on his right. Her ice blue gaze returned to the red head.
"Yes?" she asked him curiously.
"Our... employer... would like to speak with you," he told her seeming unsure of what to call the person that he was speaking of.
The two men on both of his sides grinned, the drooling looks in their eyes not disappearing as they stared at her. The red head didn't seem as phased by her appearance as they did.
Odivia thought for a moment and turned to the group she was talking with, her mother amongst them. "Excuse me for a moment," she said politely before returning.
"I will come with you," her mother said.
"He wishes to speak with her alone," the shorter of the three spoke up.
Odivia looked at them and then to her worried mother. She nodded and walked off with the three men.
Himiko watched her daughter disappear into the crowd with the three men. She was worried for her. She did not like the energy she was feeling from them. What seemed to be a demon, a half-ling, and a strong spiritual human. She was tempted to follow them but was pulled back into the conversation that Odivia had left.
Odivia followed the three men to the windows on the west side of the room. She saw a tall man with slightly shaggy styled brown hair and a short man with spiky blue black hair. The taller man was looking out at the city with his back facing her and his hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in blue tux while the other four were dressed in a black tux. The shorter man was turned to face the taller man, his hands in his pockets. As the group approached he turned his gaze straight to Odivia.
Via was taken aback by the crimson color of his eyes. But the thought was pushed away as she saw him look her up and down. She looked at him more closely as he turned to face them, his eyes still watching her. But now she noticed that he was glaring at her.
Odivia felt a slight anger rise in her as she glared back.
The men stopped and moved about slightly. The red head moved next to the red eyed man while the other two moved to the other side of the brown haired man.
"Odivia, you've become quite successful. I wish I'd been by your side along the way as Himiko has," the man said without turning to face her.
Odivia frowned and looked at the man, something bubbling within her. "Who are you?" she questioned him softly.
After a few moments the man turned to face her, a small smile on his lips. "Koenma Daioh, your father," he told her.
Odivia's ice blue eyes went wide as she saw him. He hadn't seemed to age even a day older than what she remembered. She stood there for a moment as she stared at him. After that moment she composed herself and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Do you think I'd want to talk to you after eleven years of no contact? The way I see it, my life is better off without you," she said coldly before letting her arms drop to her side and turned to walk off. She only got a few steps away when she heard her father's disapproving voice.
"Odivia, what in the three world's are you wearing?" he asked angrily, not liking what she was wearing. It had seemed appropriate from the front. But the moment he saw the back, anger rose in him and his fatherly instincts kicked in once more.
Odivia turned and smiled sweetly at her father, ignoring the anger and disapproval from him. "I designed it myself. It's one of the new dresses for my formal line. Do you like it?"
"Hell yes!" the two to his right said in unison.
Koenma glared at the two before glaring at his only daughter. "No I do not like it. Not on you. Why are you wearing such a thing?" he demanded.
Odivia felt his words stab into her heart and she couldn't believe herself. She had wanted praise from her father, wanted his approval of her work. After only a few seconds of pain she glared at her father. Her lips parted as if she were going to say something but they closed after nothing came out. She turned quickly and walked away, too angry and hurt to say anything to him.
"Well that went well," Yusuke said quietly.
"Koenma, sir, you shouldn't have said anything about what she was wearing," Kurama told the Reikai King.
Koenma crossed his arms and turned back to the window. "I had every right. She is my daughter..."
"But you left them, sir. In her eyes you gave up the right to have any say in her life," Kurama informed the King.
Koenma was silent for a few moments as he took his the kitsune's words. He let out a sigh before agreeing. He turned and went to go find Odivia.
Odivia went straight for the elevators, not bothering to tell her mother or anyone else where she was going. She almost made it before someone grabbed her wrist. She turned to look up into the black eyes of one of her partners.
"Tatsu I'm sorry but I have to be going. I really need to..." she was cut off by him pulling her close, his other hand moving too low for her liking.
"Leave. I know. How about we go get a drink together?" he suggested in husky voice.
Odivia shook her head and tried to push away. Her attempts here useless. Tatsu's grip didn't even loosen.
"Come now, Via. Don't fight. Wouldn't want to see any of these innocent humans to get hurt would you?" he questioned as he leaned down. She saw his tongue move out of his mouth from the corner of her eye. But his tongue continued to move out and lick her ear, his cheeks changing from a pale color to green and scaly.
Odivia opened her mouth to scream as this happened. Tatsu covered her mouth with the hand that had been moving to her nicely shaped rear end. "Now, now, Via. Don't alert the Tantei. We don't want to make a scene. Let's just leave quietly and no one will get hurt."
Odivia nodded, her ice blue eyes wide with fear.
Tatsu turned Odivia and the two started to walk towards the elevators with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist to keep her close.
"Hey, get your hands off my daughter," Koenma called.
Tatsu and Odivia stopped and she felt relieved and grateful to hear her father's voice.
"I said..."
"I know what you said, King Koenma," Tatsu spit out before roughly turning around. He now had Odivia in front of him so that she was facing the room. He backed up until his back was touching the elevator doors. His nails grew to a point as he put them to her neck.
Odivia tilted her head slightly to try to get away from his nails, a tingling sensation appearing when they touched her skin. She looked to her father fearfully, seeing that the four that had been with him were now behind him. Everyone in the room was watching, all looking on in horror. She watched as her mother pushed through the crowd.
"Odivia!" Himiko called out when she saw her daughter being held by Tatsu who had now revealed himself as a snake demon.
"Odivia, don't move. His nails are covered in a deadly venom," Koenma informed her as he took a step forward.
Odivia flinched as Tatsu pressed his nails to her flesh. "I wouldn't take a step further. She'll be dead in a matter of seconds if you make any move," Tatsu threatened.
No one spoke or moved. Tatsu grinned and moved his other hand to the side. He pressed the button to go up and the elevator doors opened. His grin widened as he licked Odivia's ear again, his eyes never leaving Koenma and the others. "Say good bye to your parents, Princess Odivia," he whispered harshly.
Odivia closed her eyes as she felt Tatsu pulling her into the elevator, pressing the button for the roof. She took in a deep breath before her eyes snapped open. She saw the doors starting to close. She reached up quickly and jabbed her fingers into his eyes. She was let go as he yelped. The others started to run towards the elevator but the doors closed. She went to it and pressed her hands to it. She looked at the buttons and pressed the tenth floor button quickly. She turned to press her back to the doors.
Tatsu was hissing now, his body completely covered in green scales and his eyes closed with blood seeping from them. Odivia looked down to see that her index finger and middle finger of her left hand were covered in blood. She pressed her lips together and looked back at the demon.
"I can smell you, Princess. Such a wonderful smell. I never thought you'd smell so good," he told her in a husky voice.
Odivia frowned and moved to the side, glancing at the top of the elevator where her escape was.
"Ah, ah, ah. No escaping for you," he told her the moment she moved. He knew that that was her plan. She wouldn't move otherwise.
Odivia froze and looked at him. "What do you want with me?" she asked him quietly.
"I want you. Your body, your powers, all of you. You are quite powerful Odivia and you don't even know it. But I can help you my little half demon," he said as he took a large step towards her.
Odivia pressed herself closer to the door. "What are you talking about?" she questioned.
"Your mother, Himiko, you didn't honestly think she was human did you? No, my dear, she's a full blood ice demon. Not as valuable as the snow maidens but more powerful. And your father, King Koenma is the ruler of Reikai. Very powerful as well," he told her as he reached out and touched her cheek.
Odivia flinched away from him and moved to the side of the elevator, closer to her escape. She yelped as Tatsu grabbed her and pressed her into the wall of the elevator.
"You're not going to get away, little one," he told her.
Odivia clenched her eyes shut as she whimpered. She jumped when there was a thump above them on the elevator. She looked up as Tatsu hissed and pulled away from her.
"Forbidden Child, you think you can take her from me?"
"I don't need to," a voice stated from above the elevator.
Odivia took in a breath and brought her right foot up in a kick to the man's groin. She didn't bother to stay and watch the man writhe in pain. She watched as the roof opened in one spot to reveal the short red eyed man. He reached down and she jumped up, grabbing his hand. He pulled her up.
"Thank you," she whispered as she stood in front of him.
"Hn," he replied as he pulled her up into his arms and held her bridal style. He jumped up to the open doors now a few levels above, Koenma Himiko and the other three standing waiting as the red head and green black haired man holding the doors open.