Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or BET.
Let the Games Begin!
CHAPTER 1: Subtitles
"So this is Genkai's temple?" a man said as he looked at the building surrounded by a white picked fence that rose half way to his thigh.
He unlatched the hook on the gate and opened it slowly. He and the Indian girl walked in and followed the cobble-stoned walkway.
"Wait!" Hiei shouted, "You can't go in there! I don't even know who takes care of it now."
But he too followed along the way with his companions into the huge courtyard up to the particularly small door. The tall, dark African-American knocked hard and soon the hinges creaked indicating the door had begun to open. The three had to step back as the temple was built in feudal Japan and the door swung outward instead of inward.
"Come in.," an old, frail voice sounded.
To Hiei it sounded very familiar but he could not see the woman. The companions walked in and immediately took their shoes off, abiding by tradition, of course.
"I have some tea." The old woman left the room and promptly returned with four ceramic cups.
Hiei saw the woman as she did he and for a moment both looked until they had enough.
"Genkai?"
"That's impressive…that is, you're still alive" She let out a small chuckle. "Now help this old woman."
Hiei complied as he took the cups and laid them out on the tabletop. Genkai got the teakettle and filled each of the containers to the brim. Introductions were made after each person took a few small sips from the steaming green tea.
"This is Alfonse and her name is Crimson Star."
Genkai dipped her head. "And I'm Genkai, if you didn't already know."
Alfonse stood up and reached his hand out across the table. "I have always wanted to meet you!"
The woman shook his hand briefly and continued sipping.
"I thought you had been killed." It was more of a statement than a question from the fire youkai.
"I was." She said plainly. "But Koenma needed a new guardian for my temple after your sister passed away. He must have thought I was the best candidate." Genkai set her cup gently on the table as it was empty and looked up at Hiei. "Why have you come?"
"Alfonse wanted to see the temple and Yukina's garden."
"Ah yes, come then. I will show you."
Shoes were put back on and the four stepped out and around the temple. There along the back fence lay the most spectacular and beautiful garden ever in all of ningenkai. The incredible sight too the breathe right out of Crimson Star, she was bedazzled.
Now distracted, Alfonse headed towards two bleak mounds of earth. Headstones stood at the top of each end with both kanji and english written across.
He started to read:
"Kazuma Yukina"
"A beloved sister and wife. May she find peace watching over her reckless brother."
"It does not say that!" Hiei blurted out defensively.
"Yes it does." Genkai said. "Yukina didn't want you to take her death too hard and so I added a little humor."
Hiei still didn't believe it said that but read the kanji, she was telling the truth. He looked at the other tombstone and read it aloud.
"Kazuma Kuwabara."
"A sweet and gentle husband who tried to be a great brother in law."
"Well what we need is some flowers to brighten and beautify their resting place. Lets get some." Alfonse led the way to the village where to bought two large bouquets of flowers then returned.
Once back he separated the flower into the separate piles. He handed one to Crimson Star then tried to do the same with Hiei. He refused.
"Hiei doesn't place flowers because he blames himself for her death." The old woman said.
Alfonse went ahead and put his flowers on Yukina's grave and then Hiei's on Kuwabara's. "That's better."
"It sure it. Lets go inside its getting late." Genkai led the way and once back inside began preparations for bed.
"Crimson Star you can sleep in the extra bedroom." She led the girl to the bedroom then moved to a hall closet. "Hiei come and get these."
The boy went to her, got the blankets and took them back to the main room. He gave one to Alfonse and threw the one he kept onto the smaller settee. Genkai walked into the room and gave one to each of the guys.
"Goodnight." With that she walked out.
Hiei and Alfonse got settled and soon Hiei was snoozing. Alfonse, on the other hand was having a hard time getting to sleep.
In the morning he was still wide awake and heard Genkai enter the room. She walked over to where the small boy was sleeping and nudged him.
"Move your butt!"
After a few more of these Hiei groaned and moved over. She sat down and switched on the television. Alfonse rolled over after hearing the man on the tube speak really fast Japanese.
"Am I disturbing you?"
"No"
"I always watch the news this early."
The man stood in front of a forecasting screen that contained kanji symbols and rain droplets.
"Looks like it's going to rain all day and into the next." She translated what she heard to the American.
A commercial interrupted the local news and she muted it.
"How did you sleep?"
"I couldn't. I…no we met a man his wife and their child along the way here. But we had to go our separate ways and I have this feeling that I will never be able to see them again. It makes me feel as though I left a part of me with them."
Genkai remained silent but turned the sound back on when the news flashed on. The late breaking news was about some children swimming in a local canal and drowned.
Hiei stirred and turned to face the screen. "Heh, shouldn't have been swimming there."
The channel was changed to one that had two men and a woman screaming at each other.
Crimson Star walked in and took her seat next to Alfonse. Both store stupidly at the crazed situation for the language was still strange to them. The show was interrupted with a blue screen and a loud emergency warning bell. Kanji appeared and Genkai squinted to see but could not.
"Hiei read that and tell me what it says."
Hiei rolled around to read it to himself then translated it into english for the rest. "It says there is severe thunderstorms on the way and everyone should take cover."
The siren stopped and the normal broadcasting resumed.
"What in the hell is that guy doing?"
"It's a soap opera Hiei. They do stupid stuff."
Another commercial was muted and out of consideration Genkai got an idea. "Hiei in that cabinet under the tv is a manual, get it for me."
Hiei got up and leisurely made his way to the front of the room. He slid the cabinet door open and started to rummage through the mess. He found a card and opened it. A picture was inside of the whole group.
"What is this…?"
Genkai went over to see and took it away. "It's a picture of you guys. Here" she showed it to the other two. "This is Yukina and her husband Kuwabara and there's Hiei giving him a death glare…" she continued until she had named all of the Renkai Tentai.
Hiei put it back into the frame and back into the cabinet when he found what he was looking for. He sat on the couch next to Genkai.
"What do you want with this?"
"Look for instructions on how you apply subtitles to the shows."
Hiei looked in the index, at the page, and after reading he found it. "It says to push menu then go to options."
Genkai couldn't see the words. "Which one? I have bad eyes Hiei."
Hiei sighed and read all the options till he found that it was the third choice. She clicked it. "Now go to language." He looked up from the book. "It's the fourth one. Then click on subtitles." He paused to find it. "The second choice. Click over and push enter." She did. "Now click back…its in the corner."
"Which one?"
Hiei went up to the tube and pointed. "Now here" He pointed again.
The screen showed a list of languages.
"Down, Down, down, down…just give the damned thing to me." Hiei took the remote and looked at it.
He had to get Genkai to tell him how it worked then choose the english option. The soap opera was now back on but with english subtitles at the bottom.
Genkai stood up. "I'm going out for a while. The channel guide is on the television." She left.
"Hey Hiei pass me the remote and check that guide. See is there is a channel called BET." Alfonse said.
Hiei gave him the remote then grabbed the paper. He looked down the lists and found it on the last page. "BET…black entertainment television?" He said with uncertainty.
"Yep that's it. What channel?"
"Uh…I don't know how to translate this into english."
"Ask Genkai."
Genkai just happened to walk back in and Hiei asked her. "Oh that's 36. Don't turn it up too loud I'm going to take a nap." She went to her bedroom.
Alphonse turned the channel on as Hiei was lying back down and curled up in the blanket.
The host began to speak.
"Yes its in english!" Alphonse exclaimed. And even though it was in english he read the subtitles. "Hey those things don't say the same thing she is!"
Crimson Star laughed.
The woman introduced the number one hit song on the charts and the music video started to play.
"Oh yea! I love this song." Alphonse started to sing along.
Hiei turned to watch. "What is he saying?"
"Its called rap Hiei. You wouldn't understand 'cause you Japanese."
"I can understand and I'm not American."
"Well Star you different. In fact a lot different 'cause you Lakota."
Hiei rolled his eyes as well as his body and fell into a deep slumber.
Ok thats the first chapter. This could go into several catergories...funny at first then after a while it gets really, really depressing.
On another note Alphonse and Crimson Star do not know Japanese so thats why Hiei acts as sort of a translator. Also I added some variety...Hiei-Japanese, Crimson Star-Lakota, Alphonse-African American. This is the start of something that I think turned out really good.
Anyway keep reading and review!
ja ne
