Black Rose Petals
Author Note: I normally don't make up my own lyrics and songs for my stories so if you've heard some lyrics before than don't think I tried to pass it off as my own work.
It was Ketsueki's first day at her high school, and she was extremely nervous. She wandered around with her small leather bag in her hand looking for the locker with the same number as the one on the paper in her other hand. She wandered around looking for quite some time, when the school bell rang. Ketsueki began to freak out a a bit, though she only needed to take two classes one right before lunch, and the other in the afternoon and that was science. After a while when she was too focused on the number on the paper, she began to walk really fast. She then literally ran into something, or someone. She didn't even bother to look up, she just bowed and said, "Sorry for running into you."
"It's alright, there's no need to apologize." A smooth young boy's voice replied to her. She slowly looked up, and saw three boys standing in front of her. The one on the left had black spiked hair and red eyes, the one on the right had red spiky hair and blue eyes, while the one in the middle had long red hair and green eyes. "Sorry if I'm prying, but what are you guys doing out here? Don't you have class?" Ketsueki said as she cocked her head sideways in confusion. "I could ask the same about you." The boy with blue eyes said back, in a half bantering voice. Ketsueki laughed slightly to herself.
Ketsueki then asked, "Do you think you could please help me find my locker?" She held out the paper and the green eyed boy took it out of her hand. "Sure follow me." Ketsueki followed behind him but kept her distance. The other two boys followed very far behind. The boy led Ketueki up a flight of stairs. While they were walking up them the green eyed boy then said, "My name is Shuuichi Minamino, but my friends call me Kurama. The one with black hair is Hiei Jaganshi, and the blue eye one is Jin Kaze Tsukai." Ketsueki then said shyly, "Would it be alright to consider me you friend? And can I call you Kurama?" Kurama laughed and nodded. Ketsueki then said, "Oh! I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Ketsueki Kanashimi."
"Is that your real name?"
"Well, that's my real first name. I can't remember my last name. Funny, huh?"
"How long have you gone by that name?"
"Uhm, about two years now. I can't remember anything before two years ago. I remember though... waking up in the middle of no where, all alone. A barely even knew who I was... The only thing I knew about myself, is that my first name was Ketsueki. After that I began to wander around for about a year. Trying to decide what my last name was. Then one day someone walked up to me and peered into my eyes. They then said, 'Kanashimi.'So I decided to use that for my last name. At least until I figured out my real name." Ketsueki and the other had stopped walking, and she was leaning against a locker, staring into nothing.
Kurama, Jin, even Hiei stared at her face, as if waiting for to start crying. She did seem really sad at that point. "Sorry, for blabbing." Ketsueki said when she quickly snapped to reality.
She looked up at the locker numbers and saw hers in the middle of the small row. "Oh, thanks for helping me find my locker." Ketsueki then walked over to her locker and unlocked the lock with the spare key given to her from the school. She took off the lock and tried to open it. She began to shake the door rapidly. "These lockers right here are old." Kurama said as he walked up to the locker ready to pound it so it would open. But Ketsueki had her fist clenched. Kurama and the others thought she wouldn't be able to hit it open. You have to be pretty strong to do that.
Ketsueki punched the locker door, which made a loud metallic bang. She stepped back two steps, and smiled. The door the slowly swung open. The boys looked surprised. Most people couldn't open those lockers. Especially that one. That's why it was vacant. She put her bag away then closed and locked the locker. "Thanks again. See you around." She then ran off with a pen and some blank lined paper and some copy paper in her hands. She began to run up some more stairs.
Later on, Ketsueki was on the school roof. Where she had been for the past 3 hours. Lunch didn't start for 2 hours, and her cooking class wasn't for 30 minutes. The whole school had to make their own lunches during the cooking class.
She usually liked to spend her time up on the roof, where she could be left alone, to write her lyrics and poetry. She heard foot steps walking up the stairs. She just ignored it. Thinking it just was one of the teachers, so she continued to write.
When the foot steps stopped, she looked up and saw Jin, Hiei, and Kurama. "Hello." She said, and continued back to her lyric she was writing. She had some papers sitting beside her that had a small stone for a paper weight so they wouldn't fly away.
"What'cha doin'?" Jin said leaning towards Ketsueki's paper, to try and peer over it, and catch some of the words she was writing.
The papers made a crumbling sound as she quickly pulled them to her chest. "Writing lyrics." Ketsueki answered back, smirking at Jin. Jin just smiled like he always does and took a few steps back.
Ketsueki then continued to written her paper. Kurama walked over to the fence Ketsueki had her back on. He he continued to stand as he began to read the papers sitting right be Ketsueki with the small stone on them. Right when he finished the last word Ketsueki noticed he was reading it and took the papers, and put them on her clip board she was using to write on. She then continued to write.
Kurama looked forward as the lyrics on the paper replayed in his mind.
I'm sure that the heart I left behind
still lies hidden in the heart of the deep, deep forest.
Exhausted, without the strength to search
people vanish into the infinite darkness.
If it's so small, I wonder if I can see it even now?
As we live on,
we lose a little bit more.
Shrouded in falsehoods and lies,
we stand frozen to the spot, unable to cry out
The days pass by and change,
without us even realizing how blue the sky really is.
Overcoming that made-up scheme, we live the present,
and our rusted hearts begin to beat again
If we can find the rhythm of time, we can fly once again
We live our lives
wandering to the ends of the earth.
Believing (in you?), now I begin my journey with you,
in search of the light.
We live our lives
wandering to the ends of the earth.
Closing off
the way back,
we walk on for eternity.
We live our lives standing frozen to the spot,
unable to cry out, for eternity...
"What did those word mean?" Kurama thought to himself. He knew that people like Ketsueki put what they felt into their work. He knew that someone like her put their soul into what they did. "It still need a good name." Ketsueki said looking at the lyrics Kurama read. "Hm?" Kurama answered back. "I know you read this. I just need a good name for it. Then it will be finished."
"Hmm... Fukai Mori."
"What?"
"Deep Forest, Fukai Mori sounds good."
"Fukai Mori... I like it.." Ketsueki clipped the rest of her papers to the clip board, and stood up. She faced the fence and grabbed one area of the fence with her hand. "Why don't you sing it?" Kurama said suddenly. Ketsueki then answered back to him, "No, I still only have a prototype tune for it."
"Come on. We'll tell you if it's any good. Come on." Jin said. "Fine...I'm sure that the heart I left behind, still lies hidden in the heart of the deep, deep forest, Exhausted, without the strength to search, people vanish into the infinite darkness, If it's so small, I wonder if I can see it even now, As we live on, we lose a little bit more, Shrouded in falsehoods and lies, we stand frozen to the spot, unable to cry out..."
When Ketsueki finished her song Kurama said, "I think it's beautiful," looking at the sky. "Really nice." Jin said smiling still. Hiei who hadn't uttered one word to Ketsueki said, "Hn-" Then mumbled something Ketsueki couldn't understand. Then he jumped up onto the roof of the entrance and sat down. "There was words in there right?" Ketsueki said. "He said it wasn't that great." Kurama answered. "That's his way of saying he liked it."
"How did you know that?"
"I live with a friend of mine like that."
"Makes sense." The bell for cooking class then chimed. "That was quick." Hiei said. Hiei jumped down opened the door and walked down the stairs. "Wan'na eat lunch with us?" Jin asked Ketsueki. "No. I like to sit by myself. But thanks for asking."
"OK." Jin and Kurama then walked down the stairs. More like ran.Ketsueki smiled, picked up her things, and walked down the stairs.
In her Science class she was seated right beside Kurama and Jin on both sides, Hiei from the Back and Yusuke from the front.
After school Ketsueki ate a small snack outside at the few stone tables they had. She then saw Hiei, Jin and Kurama walk over to the table behind her with two other boys. One who looked like he had cheese for hair, and was ugly beyond all reason, and the other who had really greased up black hair. She ignored them and continued to eat.
After they sat down, she felt like some one was staring at her. She knew it was probably the two other boys she didn't know yet. She didn't bother to turn around though. She continued to enjoy her meal. She then over heard the two boys whispering, starting with cheese hair. "She's the Goddess Ketsueki? She doesn't look too special to me."
"Her spirit energy doesn't match the Goddess's. In fact, it's higher."
"But the last time a sample of her energy was taken was four years ago. Two years before she disappeared." Jin then jumped in and pointed out. "Come on Jin. She looks like a human to me." The greased up hair guy said. "Yusuke Urameshi, you need to use a little more sense. If Ketsueki Kanashimi is a normal human, then how come she has a demon energy reading?"
"You're asking the wrong person. How 'bout we use the compass? Koenma gave it to me with one of the Goddess's fangs in it."
"Try it then!" Cheese hair said. "Hold on Kuwabara. Jeez." Yusuke said. He got out a watch looking thing and put it on his wrist. "Let's see." He said as he pushed a small button on the side of it. The compass beeped, and began to wobble to and fro. Until the pointer finally stood still and pointed right to Ketsueki. "Huh? This thing must be busted again." Yusuke said tapping at the little glass cover. "I told you Detective, there's a good chance that she is the animal goddess Ketsueki. They have the same name."
"Yeah, Hiei's right Urameshi. How many people have the name Ketsueki. She can't remember past two years ago. Which was around the same time that the Goddess went missing." Jin said. Then cheese hair said again, "She still looks really puny. She is cute but still puny." Yusuke then said, "So what if she was able to open that locker. It was probably a fluke."
"Do you think her hair color is natural?"
"No. She more than likely dyed it. But what a stupid color to choose. Come on. Who would dye their hair dark green?"
"I would say something about her eyes color, but Hiei has the same color."
"Why does she sit all alone like that?"
"Maybe because she thinks she's better than us."
"More like she thinks she's better than the whole school." They both began to laugh loudly. Ketsueki quickly stood up and hit her fists against the stone table, and stormed off angrily.
The boys looked at the stone table, and saw she was able to crack the cement with her hands,and left her food there. A rustling sound then came from out of the tree above them.
Jin looked to his right and saw a girl with long dark red hair and black eyes hanging upside down. Then she said, "You made Ketsueki mad didn't you?" She popped her head back into the tree, and reappeared in between Kuwabara and Yusuke. "That wasn't very wise." She said. She disappeared back into the tree.
Then she seemed to fall out of the tree head first. Instead she did a mid air flip like a cat and landed on her feet. She began to walk forward, until she ran into something. "Now what'd I run into? Oh, it's the swizzle stick from math class last year." She said looking at Hiei.
She then jumped back into the tree and jumped from tree to tree. "She's fast." Hiei said, still pissed off at the swizzle stick remark.
Kurama who finished his snack got up in search for Ketsueki. He found her behind the school where the cherry trees grew. She had dressed into a pair of jeans and a black shirt. Kurama kept a good distance and watched Ketsueki as sakura blossoms rained down on her, while she had her eyes closed. He watched her in silence until he saw something amazing.
He ran back to the others, and lead them to where Ketsueki was. "Look." Kurama said to them. They looked over to Ketsueki. "What? It's just Ketsueki and some cherry blossoms." Kuwabara said confused. "Just watch." Kurama insisted. Kuwabara then muttered something under his breath.
Ketsueki faced her head up to the sakura blossoms falling.Suddenly a gust of wind emitted from Ketsueki. The wind spiraled outward first then continued to blow normally outward. "A wind tamer?" Hiei asked. "I don't think so." Jin answered back.
Branches from the trees seemed to come to life, and move like demon vines. They launched forward and wrapped ththemselvesround Ketsueki's ankles, and wrists. They spiral up to her knees, and up the arms to her shoulders. She seemed very relaxed, inin facthe seemed to be ununconsciousShe wasn't on the ground any more, but had been hoisted upward a bit and was didiagonaln the air, suspended by the branches.
The boys freaked out. Hiei got out his katana and ran forward to Ketsueki ready to slice away the branches. Kurama and the others were right behind him. When Hiei and them were three feet away the branches seemed to retreat.
Ketsueki was dropped to ground. Kurama cucaughter and lalaider on the ground. Crouched on one knee he held her head up.
Ketsueki suddenly woke up, and her eyes were a brighter red. She quickly attacked Kurama with a dagger, the quickly pulled out. So quickly no body saw her get it. She sliced through the air. Kurama was able to move his head just in time. Though Ketsueki was able to cut his cheek and a few strands of his hair.
Kurama jumped backward and looked at Ketsueki. Ketsueki had her dagger in her hand. When she saw it was Kurama, she relaxed a bit more. Her eyes became normal. She threw the dagger upward, and caught it at the tip of the handle. Then quickly sheathed it. Ketsueki quickly turned around still angry, and grabbed her leather bag near one of the cherry trees. "Come on Ibara." Ketsueki called out to one of the trees. Then a red fox/cat like creature with two tails and strange stripes jumped out from one of the trees and climbed into the bag that hung around Ketsueki's waist. Ketsueki suddenly stopped walking. Everything gegrewilent. "Did you see?" Ketsueki said, with her back turned to them. "See what?" Kurama said puzzled. "The wind I emitted? The sakura branches?"
"Yeah. You emitted the wind?"
"Yea."
"The branches. You know anything about them."
"How about I tell you later. Someone else might over hear. And not just that I have to get home." Ketsueki walked forward a few feet before then falling over. "Ketsueki!?" Jin yelled out, as everyone ran over.
When everyone got there, Ketsueki was trying hard to get up. She was on her hands and knees, at that moment trying to get up. Hiei helped sit her upright, as she began to cough harshly. "Damn." She said, and began to cough a few more times. Blood then came out of Ketsueki's mouth. "Ketsueki." Hiei said, who actually seemed worried. "I-I-need to get home... As quick as I can... I-i live two miles away... If I walk, I'll more than likely die."