Lunarmercury Presents:
Warp
Warning: This story contains material that some readers may not like. However, it does not contain anything inappropriate, which is why it is rated "K."
I'm eternally grateful they allowed me to stay in Nigenkai. Genkai's temple is spacious, cool in the summer and warm in the winter – not that I mind the temperature either way. It is much cozier and cheerier than the frozen block of ice I used to call home. I cannot decide whether the best thing about living here is the gardens which I enjoy working in so much, or the fact that I'm never bored. On the glacier, there is not much I can do. I am allowed to walk in the woods, but I must be home before long – the glacier has a very stable population, but the death of even one girl could be catastrophic, given that Koorime live to be nearly ten thousand, and give birth every century nearly that entire time.
Here, though, I may walk for hours in the woods. There are many lakes scattered throughout, birds and deer are plentiful – even the occasional fox. I can coax them all out of hiding. Since Genkai-shihan and my brother started training me, there really isn't much worry about me being attacked. Even the demons found in Genkai's training forest are not much of a threat, but I do not wander there in spite of this. I have many people who are overprotective of me – even my brother, though he does this knowing that I am more than capable of fighting. It is very sweet, more so since it does not have that touch of condescension that Kazuma's worry always does. I know he does not intend it, that he believes I am helpless – a notion enforced because the first time he saw me, he was rescuing me, a typical "damsel in distress."
But I am digressing, and should return to my point. I am not bored because I may visit others, as well. Hiei and Kurama built a house not long ago, gaining much money in Nigenkai by thieving in Makai and selling it here. The house is not far at all, and I walk there easily and often. The transportation in this country is absolutely amazing, so I am able to visit Kazuma, Keiko, Shizuru and even Yuusuke (though I do not know him as well as the others) without difficulty. My brother often comes by during the day when he is in this world, helping me with many things, or walking with me and just talking… it is very enjoyable, even if we carry on in secret. To reveal our relationship would place me in danger, I know, because there are enemies that my brother can defeat that I cannot, and they would surely use me against him….
I seem to be making a habit of digressing. It would be bad, but this is merely an outpouring of my thoughts, and I suppose disorganization does not matter. The final reason I am not bored – the most prominent one when my brother is away working – is that Genkai's temple contains many, many rooms stuffed full of scrolls, books, journals, things I could never even dream of. The knowledge contained in this place is incredible in breadth and depth, and I read so often. There is only so much maintenance to be done, even on a temple of this side, and I desire to know more – as much as Kurama, who is incredibly intelligent from his centuries of life, or my brother, who has spent much time traveling. Though much of the information in the documents is on Nigenkai, they are no less fascinating.
One of the most interesting peoples in the western world is, I feel, the Greeks. Their obsession with perfection is not like that of other peoples. While others strove to actually obtain perfection, the Greeks (known to themselves as the Hellenes, a name I find I prefer) would instead make things seem to be perfect. This desire extended even into their architecture. When building columns, they would actually slant the columns outward, so that to the human eye – imperfect in its perception – they would look perfectly straight.
The demon eye perceives better than that.
Though the humans can not always tell that things are perfect, demons can see past the perfection and the lies.
Reikai may pretend to be the impartial judge, the world that keeps order and metes justice, I see how it is, as do Hiei and Kurama.
Reikai plays favorites as much as anyone.
When I left to search for my brother, I studied law intensely. I did not want to leave in search for my twin, only to be cut short because I violated some obscure ordinance. I found a peculiar imbalance – there were no laws governing what happened between demons and demons, or humans and humans, but there were many, many laws governing what happened between demons and humans. All of them were in favor of the humans.
In my travels, I encountered many who wished to capture me. Demons knew who I was, knew what I was. Few of them had ever heard a detailed description of a Koorime, so few had actually seen one, they might as well have not existed. Thus, even though my eyes were red and my height lacking – traits I thought would protect me – the greedy creatures decided I was worth capturing just in case. They tried, over and over, but none succeeded. I did not often kill them – mostly, I simple could not manage – but still, I escaped.
Then I encountered humans.
Reikai law strictly forbid I even harm them. I ran. I would be as fast as my brother, but I had not the life long training he has endured. I still nearly escaped him – I am far faster than all humans, and nearly all demons – but they had strange vehicles, things which always found me, no matter what.
In the end, there was nothing I could do.
What kind of people could they be, I wondered of Reikai, to condemn demons – who could be just as innocent as humans – to such horrible torture?
Then I learned of the "Sensui incident." And I knew the truth.
Genkai-shihan has many theories of her own, and together, we validated most of them. When he was forced into service for Reikai, Hiei was in a better position than ever to find me. The reason they sent Yuusuke after me was because they were afraid that Hiei would take revenge for my treatment by killing all the humans.
When they sent Sensui after the humans who had a demon smuggling ring, it was only because they worried that one of the demons would break free and slaughter their tormentors.
They never cared about the demons.
They never would.
Even demons like Hiei and Kurama, who risked their lives multiple times to save Nigenkai. Even demons like me, who helped by healing the Tantei after their every venture, who thinks of humans as more than food or fun, who makes friends with them and practically lives as one of them, who thinks most of them are outstanding beings.
They don't care.
Were one of us to be threatened by a human – somehow – we would be expected to run, or, should that not be a viable option, merely be injured or killed. Even though the human might clearly have the upper hand, we would not be saved by that fact.
In Reikai law, there are very few mitigating circumstances.
There are even fewer exceptions.
There are no complete pardons.
And that is why I am constantly terrified – for demons like me, unable to escape, sometimes too weak to effectively thwart them. For demons like Kurama and Hiei – who might disregard the law and harm them anyway, even if it was only knocking them out.
For demons like all three of us, who are not really a threat to humans because we do not wish to be, who would only harm them if they wished to harm us.
For demons who live in Nigenkai, because even though I love staying with Genkai, seeing my friends and being able to do so many things, it is so inherently dangerous.
And that is also why I despise people like Koenma, people who act so high and mighty, pretend they know better and want nothing but justice.
Because I know the truth.
Hmm… what's up with that mood change in the middle? I don't know…