Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, accept for one or two special oc's. With that said please enjoy!:)

Authors Note: I like to listen to a lot of music while I write, these first few chapter are inspired by the Naruto Shippuden OST- Pains theme- (Gerie) and Evangelion 3.0 OST (Keep Your Head Above The Mayhem).

The Bride Rising

"Fear born from instinct is vital to the subsistence of living organisms as it insists upon the comprehension and avoidance of perilous situations faced by every living being throughout its finite existence. While fear proves its necessity by functioning as safeguarding for life, it must always remain bound by some form of rational constraint as it insures that the demise of one's self due to overwhelming fear, The Adira Krcst, may never occur. One must invoke balance to subdue the opposing forces of reason and fear wielding them towards the achievement of a single goal. Such is the purpose of courage in the incessant struggle for survival."

- Theories of Counterbalance composed by the Elder Drake, Recounted by the Lady Rezer

Dilemmas and Dust

He listened to the downpour from the very beginning, enjoying the sounds of the rainstorm as it covered the mountain forest in which his dilapidated abode resided. He breathed a sigh of contentment as he lazed about on a rare cool summer's evening. He was glad to do nothing but lie back on mossy wooden floors and let so many cups of thousand-year-old sake warm his body. He could think of no better way to spend an afternoon than by being half-tipsy and lulled to sleep by the methodic drip drop of rainwater slipping off the overhang to the entrance of his residence. He hadn't entered the Ningenkai often in the past few centuries, but times like these made trips from the shifting world of Noir well worth his efforts.

He guessed he'd been asleep for hours before the loud crashing of trees to the forest floor woke him. He was prepared to ignore it as he imagined it was nothing more than a stray lightning strike ending the life of some old haggard tree. He guessed that the commotion was only due to the old thing taking several other trees with it in its decent to the underbrush. He was startled from his unwary dozing by the unexpected implosion of rotting timber and tiles collapsing the roof of the inner most portion of his dwelling. It deftly crushed the private shrine containing his most prized possession. Within the shrine once rested an invaluable black earthen ware jar that now lay shattered to pieces amidst so much fallen debris. Registering the unbelievable sight before him, his throat seized shut as panic overcame him. He began to feel the unseen Noir Gejara shift and buckle around him. He felt his insides flutter nauseatingly as the Noir reached out to pull him back into its dark embrace.

'Damn it all!'

He cursed inwardly as he shifted to his knees amidst the swirl of dust and breathed the scents of decaying wood blending with the putrid odor of pickled flesh and liquor. His scenes now fully alert, he turned away from the ruined inner sanctum and shifted his attention outward. Seething with anger he wished to know what unlucky fool was stupid enough to drop a tree on his house. He suddenly tensed in agitation when he felt the sickly aura of decay carried to him on the wind. He heard loud lumbering footfalls rampaging through the brush as it blasted destructively through the tree. In a moment of comprehension, he easily guessed what could have caused such destruction.

His frustration only grew as he knew he would be unable to take action as long as he remained sealed within the grounds wards. He would have to devise some manner of drawing the monster to him rather than setting foot outside his territory. He narrowed his eyes in a deadly manor anticipating an altercation with the hulking behemoth headed quickly towards his domain. Still on his knees he sighed wirily then took one last sip of sake before setting his cup aside and re-corking his prized sake jug he righted himself with a dancers grace as he stood spine strait ready for battle. He slowly brought his left hand to wrest gently on the black sheath of his sword as the thumb of his left hand minimally unsheathed his blade.

'Damn it! I made sure to seal every portal in my passing, how in the hell did one of the Yaquell Crex follow me here?!'

An angry snarl past his lips as he bitterly counted down the seconds as he waited with baited breath for the moment to arrive when he would come face to face with the hideous creature.

"No matter, I'll end the monstrosity quickly and be done with -!"

His words died on a gasp as he looked on shocked to hear before actually see a terrified young woman cry out through the down pour as she cleared the tree line. It was easy to tell she'd run herself ragged in a desperate escape for her life if her tattered clothes and bruised flesh was anything to go by. He off handedly noticed that she had come all that way on bare feet and paid dearly for it as she tripped and slid down the rugged hillside as rocks twigs and mud followed in her wake.

"Fuck!"

He cursed vehemently, he had not planned to rescue some witless human female and take down a 12 ft. 6-ton monster all at once. He didn't sense her approaching with the Crex, her presence there could only mean the damned thing had been after her the entire time and the foolish girl brought it with her in her attempt to escape. Recovering from his shock a since of dread filled him for the girl child as he watched the beast emerge from the forest. It knocked over several trees and blasted its way through many boulders sending chunks of wood and enormous rocks flying everywhere in an attempt to clear a path between it and its prey. The forest whined with the sound of fallen timber accompanied by the cries of scurrying woodland creatures in the distance as they fled the oncoming danger.

He took a single step forward, his hands gripping his sheath and sword handle tightly. The latter so much in fact, that the silken black cords hissed with the pressure of his trembling grip around the pommel. He grimaced, his jaw muscles flexing as he ground his teeth in frustration while he helplessly watched the girl scamper around dodging the blows of the beast. He could tell she was becoming exhausted, her evasive maneuvering grew sloppy as it tried to pin her in one place then rip her limb from limb. Its hulking fists left indentations in the dirt path where it punched its fists down mere moments after she moved away. The dips in the ground began to fill with water as puddles swelled within them slowly marking the passage of time.

The young woman backed away slowly while pulling a short pocket knife from the folds of her skirt. He looked on in disbelief; surely, she must have known this was not a battle she could win? It was a massive being. He eyed it from head to toe as its breaths came out in billowing clouds from its flared nostrils. Rain dripped down its lengthy horns and matted the dirty violet colored fur that covered 2/3rds of its body. Hot rank miasma smoked from its open mouth as its black tongue snaked trails of saliva all along both pairs of its 5-inch fangs. It growled low in its throat, its eyes narrowing hungrily in anticipation of its next meal.

He was unnerved by the ghostly lights whirling in the fleshy hollow sockets of is yacht face. He shortly wondered how it managed to enter the living world in the first place. His eyes traversed its somewhat human torso completely at odds with its disproportionately long arms and the huge rippling muscles therein as his eyes searched for some hidden weakness. Water slipped easily over its dull grey scales down its back to travel the length of its reptilian tale as it beat a slow rhythmic cadence into the earth. It shuffled its furry muscular hooves back and forth walking circles round her as it waited for her to make any sudden movements.

When it finally stopped circling her its back was to the boy and thus the girl was out of his line of sight. Luckily, she was smart enough to never turn her back to it. She was trembling from head to toe in the freezing torrent. Her lungs were on fire as she hyperventilated uncontrollably while trying unsuccessfully to battle down her panic and half-hysterical fright. The rain blinded her, she could only make out hazy figures from the tall trees and shrubbery scattered around her. Her tightly corded muscles stung with the strain of fatigue and terror, the cold at war with her exertion hot skin as the rain chill drenched her clothes and plastered her long dark air to her scalp.

Her only options were to run to exhaustion or stand and fight, assured of a bitter end in either scenario, she chose the path of most resistance .She held her blade in both hands keeping it low to her center prepared to raise it against her attacker. She stood rooted to the ground shaking like a leaf as she held her only protection tightly in her hands all the while knowing it would do little against the beast before her. She was clearly terrified but she had had enough of fear as it could do no more than warn her against the present danger.

Instead, she drew on her courage- if fear offered her no aid and she had no reason to hope for rescue then she would at least defend herself until the end. A since of desperation swelled in her breasts as she stood gasping for breath in a blinding downpour facing off with a hulking monster the likes of which she hadn't encountered before. She did not want

to dwell on what could be her eminent demise but at least with her fury she could force her paralyzed limbs into motion and take action against the present threat. As it had enough of playing games, the Yaquell Crex reached for her only to draw its clawed hand away with a shriek. The girl stabbed its palm driving the blade deep before she drew it across its opened hand grunting with the force of her efforts before quickly pulling it out and drawing a step back in retreat.

Taking the opportunity its distraction presented she quickly performed the duck and roll maneuver in an effort to escape. Passing in between its legs, she then righted herself to run and make a break for it while its back was turned. Unfortunately, she had no such luck as it in bemused annoyance half turned to sweep its hand behind itself and knocked the wind out of her lungs. The force of the blow was so powerful that it sent her flying mid air until she landed on her right side against the hillside as she fought against the pain of what felt like getting hit side long by a freight train. She landed with a grunt into the waiting dirt now blinded and half covered in mud she choked on mouthfuls of soil as she tried unsuccessfully to regain her breath.

Momentarily stunned she was unprepared for the knifing pain crushing her ribs as the Crex grabbed her forcibly digging its claws into her. The woman was incased in its solid grip before it hauled her up like a limp ragdoll then brutally flung her towards the temple. She cried out in anguish as its mighty claws ripped open her flesh as it threw her into the air. One could almost hear her body coming apart as she glided through the air to collide with tremendous force into the temples rotting gate. Her back smashed into the wood of the top of the Shinto gate before breaking it and taking pieces of it with her as she skidded to a stop crashing into the ground in a lifeless heap. Her back was broken, her left side flayed open causing her innards to jut nauseatingly from her sprawled bloodily form.

Completely immobile she waited for her death while the demon turned its nose up into the air trying to trace her scent, as its eyesight was too poor to identify where she landed. The young man in white watched, thoroughly pissed by then as the Yaquell came unbidden, charging angrily after its uncooperative prey shaking the ground with its thunderous gate. He stepped calmly from underneath the overhang, his sword finally drawn as he stepped into the beast's path and waited patiently for it to arrive within the realm of his home. His power radiated from him in cool rippling waves as he let his electric energy flow into his blade making the metal thrum to life and glow with a red glare as the blue sparks of his energy discharged around him like so much lightning. The power radiating from him never once allowed a drop of water to touch his exposed body.

He spared only a glance at the immobilized woman for the moment absolutely certain she was dead. He shut his eyes to the awfull sight, refocusing on the task at hand. He was ready to do battle to protect her soul from the creature where he was unable to do anything for her living body. The moment the demon came and stepped foot into his domain the boy lunged into the air and in one swift movement drew the tip of his blade across the demons face. The sickening crunch of metal dragging across flesh and bone was heard as it screamed out in agony.

Its massive hands moved to its face to quell the spill blood from across its snout. It reeled backwards staggering to where the girl landed, alarmed the boy dove from his perch on the shrine gate. With the demons back turned to him the boy attempted to cut a powerful downward ark through the air to wound the Crex's shoulder. He was taken by surprise when it blocked him with its right forearm. The force behind the boys swing was strong enough to force the creature down onto one knee. It tried to counter his move by swiping out with its injured left hand only to narrowly miss slicing open the young man's stomach. The man somersaulted backward then landed on his feet upset at not having finished it off.

They stood some distance apart from each other now, sizing up one another as the young man finally garnered the Crexs full attention. It cocked its head from side to side as though eyeing him as if he where some sort of curiosity. The young man was alert watching every movement of the evil beast. He was only concerned with maneuvering the creature further away from the woman. He was drawn from his inner thoughts upon hearing the Yaquells issue a great roar. The powerful screech emitted such a revolting gust of wind that his eyes watered while being forced back on his haunches by the loud concussive sound. The beast shuddered, shaking water from its shaggy main as it quivered to release the agitation from its muscles. Huffing, it gave a low groan of displeasure as blood trickled from its wounds to paint the earth black with its corrosive fluids. It stood deathly still, for a moment it looked like some fierce ancient statue crumbling with the passage of time. The whirling lights of its eyes grew intense as it quietly regarded the stark white child before it.

It's scored flesh puckered and dissolved with every touch of rain into its wounds. Its reeking flesh began peeling away revealing its decayed insides as a putrid smell filled the air. It gave a low grating manic laugh, relaxing its posture as it pondered the young boy's reasoning. The creature; in its long existence had known many of the boys kind. Absolutely none of them where too fond of humans, so why would this one bother to interfere with its next meal. True-it may have invaded his territory but the situation could not be helped so why would this Noirling dirty his pretty little hands?

If he let it collect the human and go what reason would there be for battle? It became clear to the boy by its aura alone that it no longer considered him a threat. He cut his eyes knowingly at the demon; the monster would soon pay for its impudence. The creature finally spoke, its lilting voice carrying clearly through the pleasant hiss of rain to address its fellow Duraien. Its odd double toned voice was enough to chill one to the bone with fright, one was high and manic the other was a deep baritone echoing its words back unto itself. It lift one lengthy blood soaked claw towards him accusingly as it spoke its first and only warning.

"Don't interfere with us gatekeeper, the child is ourprey, but if he continues, Yaquell shall gladly devour him as well."

The young man paused contemplating the Crexs words. He then smiled cruelly, speaking in a sweet voice while his eyes promised painful retribution; he redrew his sword and let it hang deceptively slack at his side.

"Hmmm, so you might filthy beast, but you see, you have disturbed my slumber and destroyed my home. As you are now within my domain I must claim payment from you."

He shortly allowed his eyes to fall on the girl; a new rush of anger filled him as he watched the puddle of blood grow beneath her.

"I'll deal with the child later; now, it is your turn to be punished."

Completely enraged the Yaquell screeched its frustration. It charged towards the young man with its fangs bared and its claws drawn. Its powerful muscles taut like bunching coils ready to strike out at him, fully prepared now to claim the gatekeeper as his prey.

"Not so gatekeeper!"

The young man smirked glad that his taunting of the monster worked. Growing deadly serious, he readied his final stance as the Crex charged him head long its hands out stretched to grab him up into its waiting claws. Crouching with his right foot leading his left, he out stretched his open right hand with his palm held up in a halting motion. In his left hand, he flipped the blade of his sword so that the glinting edge rest away from his body. He then brought his sword up horizontally to eye level. He then drew back his sword until the handle rest alongside the shell of his ear.

He splayed his fingers wide resting the dull edge of his blades reverse side at the end of his tapered thumb. He only needed to pinpoint the creatures' keystone or gate. If he could destroy either one, the monster would be finished. He suddenly felt something painfully jerk and tear loose in his gut. He stifled a groan as he swallowed down the blood that rose in his throat. He could feel his hold in the Ningenkia slipping. He needed to finish this battle quickly, at the rate of deconstruction he would be torn from the Azure world piece by piece until only a bloody heap remained.

Hey its getting fun now! Sorry if the he's she's and its where hard to follow. I kinnda gave it away in the summary but Im trying to keep some characters identities a secret till later. Bare with me please, sorry for any misspellings or punctuation errors. You guys are great, thanks, feel free to rave in the reviews!:)