Author's Note: Not much to say here…Enjoy the chapter!

Post Date: 21 July 2016

Word Count: 5210

Chapter Four
Tell Me A Story

Present: March 1996

"A seer? You're saying that she could see the future?" She knew that Yusuke was pointing at her…well, at her statue.

"There were rumors, and Yomi said that she was different. When she spoke to the other seer, they understood one another. There were also rumors about how she knew things she shouldn't, or couldn't, know." Kurama's voice was so much softer now, carried less of an edge, but there was still wisdom and curiosity there.

"Not to be insensitive, but where is she now?" Everything seemed to quiet at Botan's question, and Reigan could tell that they were all looking at one another. "Surely you would have noticed by now if your aunt was in Demon World, right, Yusuke?"

"I've never seen her. I think I'd remember." His eyes were on her, taking in her features, and she knows what he looks like. He looks like Raizen when they were…when they thought they were human.

"Have any of the others mentioned her?" The deep voice shocked her; it's the first time that he's spoken, and it cuts at her sharper than any blade.

"Not a word. I'm sure one of 'em would've mentioned it if Raizen had family kickin' around," was Yusuke's answer.

"We didn't say anything because we didn't see the point. Reigan disappeared at the same time that we went into seclusion. No one knows what happened to her, but none of us have felt her energy for centuries. We believe that she is dead." This voice was calm and sounded unemotional, but Reigan can taste the sorrow and loss in the air.

"Hey, Natsume! I thought you were kickin' Chu's ass all over Tourin?" Yusuke's voice was light, and something sweeter lightened the negative energy in the air.

"She gave the idiot a break before he broke," Kujou answered. A pained grunt followed the statement, which meant that Natsume had elbowed her twin, and Yusuke took a moment to introduce everyone. Once the introductions were made, Yusuke turned the topic back to her.

"So, what do you know about my auntie?" He's looking at her again; it's almost like a physical touch, and she's so close to freedom.

"We know quite a bit. Reigan, Raizen, and the others raised us. We lived in the palace before it became a tomb," Natsume started.

"Listened to the old stories, heard the truth instead of the rumors, and she was the one who saved us after our parents were killed. Took us from a battlefield and kept us safe," Kujou continued.

"For centuries, we learned from her and fought next to her. She might not have had Raizen's physical strength, but she was strong in her own right. We thought for a while that she might be here, in the Human World."

"Because of the village?" Botan asked.

"When their mother was killed and they were brought to this world, they truly believed they were human. They created the first temple that stood here, and they were known as demon slayers. After saving a village, Reigan was taken by a demon. Raizen followed after them, but he didn't catch them in time. The demon killed Reigan. When her human heart stopped beating, so did Raizen's. That is how connected the two of them were. When one died, the other followed." Natsume told the story the way that Enki had told it to her, because he was the one that liked reading bedtime stories to the little twins.

"We assumed that Reigan chose to die with him, or even earlier. The two of them…they were more than just blood. They were twins." Reigan knew Kujou looked over at his own twin sister as he said it, and she felt a small sense of peace. Even now, after all these years, they still have each other. That's something at least.

"Assumed?" Yusuke asked.

"Raizen said goodbye. He might have said it a thousand years before his actual death, but he said goodbye. Reigan wouldn't have left without doing the same." Natsume sounded so sure, and she's right. Reigan would never leave them without saying something, but she had a job to do.

"So, where is she?" Yusuke asked what they were all thinking, and Reigan screamed inside of the stone. Trying to tell him that she was with them and that he needed to let her out.

"She's right here, of course." Knuckles knocked against her ribs, and she nearly laughed at the sound of her old friend's voice. Finally, they're getting to the good part.

"Right here? As in, she's…oh my." Botan's voice trailed off at the end, but Reigan can still taste all the confusion in the air.

"Reigan made a deal. She locked away her power, shielded herself, and came to the Human World. For centuries, she has watched over her bloodline and kept her family safe. Without her, your ancestors wouldn't have survived long enough for you to be born." Genkai said the last part while looking right at Yusuke, and she could feel the tension building inside of her. Why does there have to be such a buildup for everything? Can't Genkai just spit it out and get her out of here?

"How do you know all of this?" Natsume asked. It sounded closer to a command, with just a hint of respect. Looks like she's gonna have to talk to the twins about their manners.

"Because my family has worked alongside of Reigan since the very beginning. She is the guardian, and my family were priestesses. I am all that's left." Genkai's sorrow was thick and choking, but there's nothing that Reigan can do for her now. Just like she couldn't do anything then.

"You've got some explaining to do, grandma." Yusuke's voice was all growl, and Reigan could just imagine the glare that Genkai was sending his way.

"Sit down and shut up, and I'll tell it to you the way that it was told to me."

Spring 986

"Hello, brother mine." Dark violet eyes widened as he took in her presence, and Reigan locked the large muscles in her legs as his body collided against hers. It's been a little over a year since she left, and she has missed her brother. She's missed everything about the Demon World actually, and it cuts at her to know that she can only stay here for a day.

"Tell me everything, sister mine. Absolutely everything."

Raizen sat on his throne, with her in his lap, as she told him all about the past year in the Human World. She told him everything that he wanted to know about his human lover, and she held him as he mourned her passing. In all honesty, she wept for the woman as well. Satomi had gripped her shoulders and told her that the woman's death was not her fault; she was never meant to survive, and there was nothing Reigan could have done to change her fate. The child lived. So Reigan talked about Raizen's son while running her fingers through his thick white hair. His son, Ryu, looked like Raizen before he changed into his demon appearance. Thick black hair, shining brown eyes, and a grin that looked both sweet and terrifying in turns.

"How did you get the priestess to agree?" Raizen asked once she was finished.

"I told Satomi the truth, all of it. I have never hidden anything from my priestesses, and I'm not going to start now. They can't help me unless they know the truth." Reigan decided, very early on, to keep herself hidden from Raizen's line. Hiding from her own blood seems foolish, but it's actually selfish. So very selfish.

"You left me just now." Raizen carefully touched the tip of a claw just under her left eye, and she smiled as she reached up to take his hand in both of hers. "We do not have much time together. Just for now, stay here with me."

"For now, I am all yours."

Several hours later, after the first moon had risen, she left the palace. With every step, she felt a little heavier. By the time she reached the portal that separated the two worlds, she felt like she weighed a ton. She spent several minutes just staring at the crackling energy that showed where the portal was located, and she wrapped her arms around her upper body. Once she crosses over, it'll be another year before she can come back. Time passes differently for her, a year doesn't mean anything when you're already several centuries old, but it's different when she can't move freely.

"Your decision is not selfish." It was only years of training that kept her from jumping at the sound of the unexpected voice. Instead of jumping, she just tensed up for a long breath and then looked over her shoulder.

"I never thought I'd see the day where you were wrong, Shikaku." Gloved hands reached for hers once the raven was in front of her, and Reigan forced her head up so that she could look into her friend's pale blue eye.

"I am not wrong, and you are right. Time does move differently for you, and you should hide yourself from your blood. It will be centuries before a descendant is born that can withstand the burden of your brother's power."

"It will take centuries?" When Reigan first asked how long it will take, Shikaku said that she didn't know. Going by the look in Shikaku's eye, the raven just found out herself.

"Yes, centuries. It will be hard on you, to watch over them without interacting, but connecting with all of them will only hurt you more. You will have to watch them all die, until he is born." What Shikaku is saying makes perfect sense, but it still feels selfish to her. She's staying away from her own blood to protect herself. That's the simple truth of it.

"You're too hard on yourself, Rei. Lighten up." Reigan opened her mouth to protest, but Shikaku pushed her through the portal before she could get a word out. Reigan yelled out her frustration as she blinked up at the Human World sky, and she thought she could hear Shikaku's laughter on the other side. The portal closed then, and Reigan knew it wouldn't open again until this day next year.

"Look at your terrifying aunt, yelling at empty air," Satomi cooed. Reigan turned around to see Satomi standing on the other side of her statue, and little Ryu was nestled in the priestess's arms. Wide brown eyes looked over at her, and Reigan smoothed a hand over his thick hair. The portal was created by Shikaku, she'd know that energy anywhere, and it'll only open once a year. A portal at the base of the mountain in Human World that opens up in Tourin.

"I am terrifying, little one, and don't you forget it," she said with a quiet growl. Ryu laughed and clapped a hand against her cheek, which only made Satomi laugh.

"Come along, Reigan, and tell us about your day." Reigan followed after the priestess and looked up at the dark night sky. Centuries.

"Dear, Koenma…please let me be strong enough to endure this."

1279

"You are a welcome sight, sister mine." It's been nearly three hundred years since she left to watch over Raizen's line…nearly three hundred years since Raizen stopped eating and sent everyone away. Raizen has not heard from them since they left, and no one else has heard from them either. Hokushin believes that they have went into seclusion, somewhere in the Far North. The Far North is full of dark forests, and most demons don't go anywhere near the territory. It'd be a good place to disappear.

"Has something happened?" After about a hundred years of starving himself, Raizen's stomach started to growl. Now the sound can be heard all over Demon World; Shikaku laughed when she told Reigan that the Demon World uses the sound to mark time. It growls every evening like clockwork.

"Taiyo has been defeated." Taiyo is old, even by their standards, but Reigan was sure that she could never be defeated. Then again, she once thought the same thing about Raizen.

"Do you think Kokou knows?" She might not have gotten along with Kokou, but Taiyo was Kokou's cousin. Kokou's only living relative.

"I am sure that she does, wherever she is." The palace is gone now. The Tourin that she has known her entire life is gone. The palace has been replaced with large cylinders, and Raizen's throne room has become enclosed. There's no balcony for her to walk out onto; she can't see the sky anymore. The gardens and greenery are gone too, replaced by a large sprawling desert.

"Who defeated her? Anyone that I know?" Raizen's claws ran through her hair, and she sighed as he started re-braiding it.

"Yes, actually. The goat, Yomi, is the new king. However, he is not the demon that you knew."

Reigan held still as Raizen told her about Yomi's rise to power. The young and cocky demon that she met all those years ago is gone now, and this new Yomi sounds like a completely different person. She knows that being blinded is what caused him to change, and a part of her grieved for him. She didn't really know him, but she knows that their paths will cross again. He has taken over Gandara with ease; he has complete control over his territory, but it looks like he's content with just his territory for now. It's a good thing too. Raizen might be on a special diet, but Mukuro would eat him alive.

"What else do you think will change before the end?" It doesn't matter that she can't see the sky. She knows that her time here is nearly up. Stalling at the doorway won't change that.

"Everything."

1463

"Hokushin! Where is he?!" Since he stopped eating, Raizen has rarely left the palace. From what she can tell, he's rarely left the throne room these past few decades. The tall demon jumped at the sound of her yell, and he rubbed a nervous hand over his bald head as he looked down at her.

"Well, you see, my lady, he's, uh…what I mean to say is, he's, hmm. My lady, I—"

"Don't you my-lady me, Hokushin! Where is my idiotic brother?!" Her fingers itched to grab the front of Hokushin's robes and shake him until he gave up everything, but that would be counterproductive. As upset as she is, she's likely to knock him out and that won't help her at all.

"The Three Kings have reached a disagreement, my la—Reigan." It felt like all of the blood was being drained out of her face, and she saw Hokushin stretch a hand towards her as she rocked dangerously on her heels. His hand did grab her shoulder to steady her, even though he was across the room from her, and she took a slow breath as she regained her balance.

"Raizen is fighting against Mukuro and Yomi." She has never doubted her brother's strength, but he hasn't eaten anything in almost five centuries. It's been a very long time since she saw Mukuro or Yomi, so she doesn't know how strong they are now. What if one of them has reached Raizen's level?

"Despite his decision, King Raizen is still the strongest. He will not fall to either of them. The only person who can defeat Raizen is his own stubbornness. As you already know." Reigan's entire body slumped as soon as Shikaku started speaking, and she's sure that Hokushin's grip on her shoulder was the only thing that kept her from falling over.

"Where are they fighting?"

"Two days south from here," Hokushin answered. He slowly pulled his hand back, and Shikaku stepped up to wrap an arm around her waist and support her.

"You may go now, Hokushin. I will keep an eye on the Lady of Tourin." Reigan snorted at that, because no one talks about her anymore. Her energy hasn't been felt since everyone else left, and Hokushin has told her all the rumors about her supposed fate. Most believe that she is dead and that's why Raizen stopped eating.

"Try not to worry, my lady. Your brother will return to us," were Hokushin's parting words. Shikaku pulled her over to the throne, and they curled up together in the large stone chair.

"Four hundred and seventy eight. That's how many years it has been. How many more are left?" Shikaku was warm against her, and it felt so good to have someone hold her up for a little while. She has to stay constantly vigilant in the Human World. The Kekkai Barrier is in place now, which keeps out the more powerful demons. Weaker demons can still crossover though, and she protects the bloodline from humans as well. She does whatever is required of her, while keeping her distance. Her only interactions are with those that she kills and the priestesses.

"Such loneliness," Shikaku whispered while running her fingers along the marks on Reigan's right arm. The vines practically danced under her skin at Shikaku's touch. "You will be rewarded, Rei, but you will suffer first. Have faith, my friend."

"Faith in what?"

"In destiny, of course." Shikaku's laugh was just as loud as Reigan's, and they laughed until tears poured from their eyes. Of course, once the tears started, Reigan couldn't turn them off. The laughter died out, and Shikaku held her as tears continued to fall from her eyes. Sobs wracked her body, and she couldn't even explain why she was so upset.

"Shikaku, I—" A gloved hand cut off her apology, and Shikaku tightened her hold as she started to slowly rock them.

"I know it is not easy for you. You watch over your blood, protect them, but they do not even know you are there. You form connections with the priestesses that look after your temple, and you mourn for them and their families. You have been so strong, my friend, but you do not have to be strong for me. Rest now, Reigan, while you can."

"You're a good friend," she whispered a few minutes later. She was tired and wrung out from the emotional outpour, and she was grateful for Shikaku's presence. The raven just hummed in answer, and Reigan closed her tired eyes. She'll accept the comfort, because she has a feeling that she's nowhere near being through with her task.

1922

It has become a habit over the years to immediately look up at the sky after passing through the portal, and her eyes took in the stretch of the dark blue sky above her. It's so different from the Demon World, but this sky makes her think of home. Then again, she thinks the same thing every time that she looks into Raizen's eyes. Raizen…her brother fought against Mukuro and Yomi for a few decades, but he's been back on the throne for the past several centuries. It's been over nine hundred years, and she can see the strain of starvation stamped across his body now. He's growing steadily weaker; what if he doesn't live long enough to meet his son?

"Reigan!" She rolled her shoulders as she looked down, and two pairs of dark brown eyes looked up at her. Their dark blue hair was braided and put up in a bun, and Reigan reached down to lay a hand on top of their heads.

"Have you been out here all day?" Hanako grinned while Yuriko blushed, and Reigan gently smiled down at the identical twins.

"We were meditating," Yuriko said quietly.

"And waiting for you to return," Hanako added. The twins are identical in appearance, but their personalities could not be any more different.

"Impressive," Reigan admitted. The twins are only fourteen, but they are already so strong.

"Does that mean you'll tell us a story?" Hanako asked.

"Please, Reigan?" Yuriko pleaded. She has never been able to resist the priestesses of Aoyama, and now is no exception. With another smile, she dropped to the ground and started telling them a story. It was censored, a little less blood and gore, but still a good story. The twins listened with wide eyes, and Hanako laughed while Yuriko sighed dreamily at the end.

"Now come along, you two, before your parents come looking." The twins latched onto her arms as they started walking back to the temple, and Sora met them at the front door. His bright blue hair stood out in the darkness, and he scooped the two young teenagers up into his arms once they were close enough. The twins squealed as they were lifted into the air, and their father held them up with ease.

"Hello, Reigan. Good trip?" Sora is a very powerful psychic; he knew what she was when they first met, but he trusted his wife's judgment and decided to trust her. Over the years, they've become friends.

"As good as usual. You might want to get those two to bed." The twins were nearly asleep now, which makes sense considering they spent an entire day meditating. They're still young and learning, so they're tired. "Where's your lovely wife?"

"Sango is putting the little one to bed. She's going to be disappointed that she missed story time." Reigan reached up to rub the back of her neck as Sora laughed, and she followed behind him farther into the house. He disappeared farther inside, to the twins' rooms, but she stopped at a different bedroom.

"Oh, Rei! You just missed bedtime," Sango said as she stepped out into the hallway. Dark brown eyes looked over at her, the same eyes that Hanako and Yuriko have, and Reigan lightly bit her lip.

"Sorry, Sango, I was with the twins and—"

"Rei?" She stopped talking at the sound of the childish voice, and Sango raised a brow at her. Reigan knows what the eyebrow is communicating to her. She woke up the little one, so it's up to her to put the kid back to sleep. She nodded to Sango as the woman stepped past her, and she waved as she walked inside of the bedroom.

"Hello, little one. Shouldn't you be asleep?" Wide honey brown eyes looked up at her as she got closer, and she lightly ran her hand over the little girl's bright pink hair. Sora said that she had his mother's hair color, but those honey eyes are all Sora's.

"I was waiting for you. Tell me a story." Despite only being a four year old, the little thing has quite the commanding presence. Her words and tone are so grown up. Reigan shifted through all of her many memories and then she started telling an old Demon World fairytale. Well, as close to a fairytale as Demon World has. She knows that Sango tells the children their family history during story time, so she can tell whatever story she wants. The little girl was asleep before the story ended, and Reigan knows that the small child will make her finish the story over breakfast. She swept some bright hair off the child's forehead and listened to the steady sound of her heartbeat.

"Goodnight, Genkai."

1940

"We can stop this!" Yuriko cried.

"She is better than this!" Hanako yelled. Just looking at the twins made her breath freeze in her lungs, even though they are grown women now and not small children.

"I have made my decision." Genkai stubbornly crossed her arms as she looked up at her older sisters, and Reigan looked over at Sango. The older woman hasn't been the same since Sora passed away a few years ago, from a disease that overtook him quickly, and Reigan knows that hearing her daughters fight like this isn't easy.

"Mother, do something!"

"I'm sorry, Yuriko, but there's nothing I can do."

"Then you do something, Reigan!"

"I can't, Hanako. It's Genkai's decision."

The twins are thirty-two now, Genkai is twenty-two, but they still look to her and their mother whenever there is trouble. The twins have been content to stay at the temple, and they are taking up the title of Priestess from Sango. Genkai went off on her own at eighteen, and they've barely seen her over the past four years. She returned earlier today with news, and it was far from good. Genkai has made a name for herself in the past few years, and it's a name known to the demons in Human World as well as the more powerful human psychics. Genkai is strong, but it's come back to bite her. She was invited to join the Dark Tournament, which is a truly horrible tournament hosted by humans that have demons fight for their entertainment. Yes, the winning team gets whatever they want, but so many are slaughtered just for sport. There's always a guest team invited to join, but it's not an invitation that can be turned down. If Genkai doesn't fight, they'll hunt her down. She won't explain that to Sango and the twins, and she has a feeling that Genkai already knows.

"What if she dies?!"

"Don't say that, Hanako!" Yuriko started crying in earnest, and Sango was quick to gather her daughter into her arms. Hanako looked between her crying twin and her impassive sister, and the more hot-headed of the three seemed to fold in on herself.

"I can train with you, if you want," Reigan offered. Her energy is cloaked and mostly locked away, but she's seven thousand years old. She knows things.

"That would be appreciated." Just as direct as always. It's good to know that some things never change.

"Let's get started then."

April 1941

"How many have you buried over the years?" Reigan closed her eyes at the sound of the cold voice, but she didn't run like she wanted to.

"More than I can count," she answered honestly.

"There's so many of them. Did you mourn all of them?" A part of her wanted to lash out at the painful questions, but she knows that Genkai isn't asking to be cruel. The young psychic is truly curious, and sorrow is rolling off of her in waves.

"I mourn for all of them, forever. From the first priestess, Mai, until the last one." There are so many names carved into the cave wall, and each name was carefully etched into the inner stone of the mountain by her own hand.

"This will not be the last name that you carve." Genkai's fingers were lightly tracing over the newest names in the stone, and Reigan had to take a slow breath to keep from crying. The actual resting place is in the village, the town, several miles away from them. Sango was cremated, and her ashes were next to her husband's. Hanako and Yuriko were next to them.

"Probably not." It doesn't matter where their ashes are; Sango, Hanako, and Yuriko were priestesses of Aoyama, which means that they earned their place on the cave wall.

"Will my name be the last?" Genkai's voice is soft, still sweetened by youth, but her honey colored eyes are so old. Her eyes have always held more wisdom than they should, but it's gotten worse since the end of the Dark Tournament. It's only been a few months, but Genkai was changed by the tournament.

"I don't know."

"Did they suffer?" After the tournament, Genkai requested time alone. Reigan knew what had happened, so she didn't protest. Sango didn't know the specifics, but she could tell that there was something wrong with her youngest daughter. As for the twins, they kicked up a fuss that Genkai completely ignored.

"No. It was very quick, and I dealt with the demons that did it."

"Could you have saved them?" Genkai traced her fingers over her mother's name as she asked the question, and Reigan crossed her arms.

"My senses are weaker, but my sight is unchanged. If I was meant to save them, I would have been here. I am here to guard my brother's bloodline—"

"—I know your purpose here—"

"—but I care for the priestesses of Aoyama. I would not be able to guard anyone without their help. I'm sorry that I wasn't here to keep them safe."

"I am all that's left now, but I am not your priestess. Do you understand me, demon? I am not another one of your precious priestesses." There was a lump in her throat that was hard to swallow around, but she knew she had to respect Genkai's decision. The young woman has been through so much recently; Reigan respects her strength and her decisions.

"As you wish."

March 1952

"Do you remember what it was like to be human?"

"You never pull your punches, do you, Kai?"

"Don't see the point in it, Rei. So, do you?"

"Technically, I was never human."

The wood of the porch is warm under her back, and the sky is such a beautiful blue above her. Genkai decided to stay in the temple, but she's not a priestess. She's just a retired psychic. Reigan still lives in the temple as well, because she doesn't have anywhere else to go. This temple is her home, and her brother's descendants live in the village nearby. She can't leave them. The first few years were tense, but it has gotten easier lately. It's been nearly eleven years since Genkai's mother and older sisters were killed, and Reigan still mourns for them. So does Genkai.

"You believed you were human. Believed it enough to build a temple and to keep coming back even after learning that you were actually a demon. So, do you remember?" Reigan is stretched out in a sunny patch of the porch, and Genkai is sitting behind her in a shadowed area. Streaks of gray are starting to appear in her bright pink hair and there's lines next to her honey eyes, but Reigan can still hear her as a child and demanding a bedtime story.

"I remember…the way that my body ached after a long day of labor. The feeling of dirt under my nails. The soft sound of Raizen humming as we drifted off to sleep. Yes, I remember what it was like to be human. It's like a dream now, a little fuzzy around the edges."

"Probably because you're horrifically old."

"Fair enough." She has been confined to the Human World for over nine hundred years now, but she's been alive for over seven thousand years. She really is horrifically old, and she's still got a long way to go before she can rest.

"What will you do when I die?" That's something that she's thought about, but she hasn't seen anything. She's not really sure what that means.

"You're gonna live forever, Genkai."

"And be stuck with you forever? I'll pass."

"Such a sweet talker."

The day passed slowly, quietly, and it was almost peaceful. It made Reigan feel uneasy, because if there's one thing she's learned over the years? Peaceful moments are always the precursor to something painful.

Ending Note: This one was a little shorter than the previous chapters and a little light on details, but I'm trying to get all caught up. I think there will be two more chapters about the past and then it'll be caught up with the anime. Unless I change things up in the middle of writing, which has happened before. If there's any questions about anything, feel free to ask! And thank you to everyone who's added this story to their favorites and/or followed it; it means the world to me!

Sam165: One of my biggest flaws is slow updating, so I'm trying to work on it. That's why I've been putting the "Post Date" on chapters. It's mostly to remind me to update regularly. Thank you for the review!

purple-pygmy-puff16: It's a good username, and you're welcome! And thank you for the review!

SakiHanajima1: Haha, I guess it's a good thing that I can still make people cry? I remember tears during the last story too. (Mostly mine. lol.) I'm so glad you like Shikaku! I'm liking her more and more as I keep writing. As for her and Kurama, only time will tell! Would it be a bad thing? Thank you for the review!

DaurthNoS: Me and the story feel the love! Thank you for the review!