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Black Shadow

Pity me Not

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After hours of rigorous training, Kira returned home. Her parents were at work, also known as a local club or bar. Her mother usually served as a stripper, and her father—fittingly—as a bouncer. She looked her school uniform over, and thanked her lucky stars that it was clean. Though she felt very strange about wearing it almost three days—she spent the night again at Ryo's, causing her to miss a day of school—in a row, she did not have an extra.

Oh well.

The good news is that, it was a Friday. Of course, with all good news, there is bad news to follow it. She would be spending the weekend in Makai, training with her newly found spiritual powers. Since she did not have many friends, and she didn't have a boyfriend, she agreed to go. Maybe if she was gone, her peers might think she had a fragment of a social life, but it was just a passing thought.

She quickly hurried upstairs to fetch her books. Her parents had left her room alone, for the most part. The bed was in shambles, but it was nothing she couldn't fix when she got home. Besides, she was late enough for school already.

Kira rushed out of the house, locking it for precaution. Just because she hated the people that brought her into this world, didn't mean that she wanted her stuff to be taken. She placed the key in her bag, and began the long and lonely walk to school.

Not that it was any different, she had always been lonely. They had to move whenever she was even beginning to make friends. Kira constantly told her friends, "Sorry, my parents don't get home until late, they don't like me to have friends over." And the stares. Oh, the stares! Everyone must have thought she was a hermit of some sort, whose family had to work double shifts to pay for the rent, let alone food.

Her fourth grade teacher sent home a note concerning her "social skills" and how she needed to improve them. Kira ripped up the note as soon as she got it. Who was her teacher to tell her to improve her social skills? She remembered being so mad at the world, even like today.

She past the elementary school, and stopped. She stared at the lifeless jungle gym, memories flooding her every being.

Flashback

It was another lonely recess, as always. Kira sat on top of the jungle gym, watching the boys play kickball, and the girls play hopscotch. It was safe to say, she was infinitely surprised when a girl came up to her. She had blonde curls and a cute face with green eyes. Kira envied her from the moment she even looked at the girl. She had everything Kira ever wanted.

Freedom.

Not to mention she looked nice. Kira's black hair looked awful, and her eyes were a sickening blue. Her skin was an ugly tan without a stupid little freckle. In all, she was hideous. An insult to the world.

Or, at least, that's what her parents always told her.

"Hi!" The girl chimed. "I'm Miki!"

Kira jumped down from her perch on the jungle gym, landing with grace in front of the girl. She had remarkable athletic skills, the only problem was, that she was never in the same city for too long to use them.

"I'm…Kira…" Kira blinked, this girl—Miki—was talking to her

"My friends and I," Kira winced at the word "friend", but Miki took no notice, "saw you sitting up here all alone and we were wondering if you wanted to play dolls with us."

She blinked, so this was some sort of…pity vote. "Thanks, but no. I don't need pity."

"Silly, we want you to come and play!" Miki smiled, "It'll be fun."

"But I…" Kira needed an excuse "I don't have a doll."

"I have an extra."

"I don't know how to play dolls." Kira said quickly.

"Really?" That stopped Miki in her tracks. Kira nodded. "I'll teach you!"

A tap was delivered on Kira's shoulder. She turned to meet a sandy haired boy. "Hi! I'm Mike."

"Kira…?" Kira was unsure of what was going on, it was confusing.

"Wanna come play kickball."

"Look I…" she was thinking they'd pit her as a cheerleader, oh how she hated them.

"We want you to play! It'll be fun!"

It turned out, she spent the first half playing dolls—which was remarkably boring—and the next half playing kickball. Kira approached the batter's plate during her turn. Mike had explained to her the rules. She kicked the ball and ran the bases, not too hard… right?

"Oh, it's that creepy girl!" someone whispered, a cheerleader…had to be.

"Oh I know! She never lets anyone near her."

"She's so skinny, too. It's a wonder she isn't anorexic."

"No her parents just don't feed her."

"Nevermind that, she'll never kick the ball."

"I mean what a wimp!" Laughs were thrown in all directions.

The ball was thrown, she reared her foot back.

And missed.

"You get two more shots."

The ball was thrown again, and this time, she got it. Kira kicked the ball high and proud. Immediately she began running the bases, but something was wrong.

"The other way!"

"Stupid-head…"

Kira looked at Mike, who had a smirk on his face. It was all…a trick? She ran off to the blacktop, screaming "I hate you!" all the way.

"Kira Sasake to the principal's office, please. Kira Sasake."

Kira went, though thoroughly stumped by why the principal wanted her. She was a model student. Immediately she was ushered into her office, and sat in a big leather chair. The woman behind the desk looked at her.

"Kira, dear. You're a good student, but I'm afraid you aren't very…sociable. We want you to have a good time here. Please get this note signed by your parents."

Kira's eyes widened. Who was this woman who aggravated her so? No way was she staying in her parent's company any longer than she had to! She backed up, looking at the envelope with what could only be described as pure horror.

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"Yusuke, get up! Now!"

"Ack…gees you harpy!"

"I mean it, dimwit."

"Why does everyone call me that!"

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For Yusuke, the morning had been very…strange. After a rude awakening from his mother—who sounded too much like Genkai for his liking—he was kicked out of the house with a piece of toast in his mouth and his shirt half-buttoned, leaving the girl next door swooning as she stepped outside.

He began a leisurely walk to school that morning, not in a hurry a bit. He began to imagine Keiko as the girl next door, swooning at him, he almost laughed at how out-of-character Keiko was in his head. Like she'd ever swoon at him…or at least, she wouldn't show it.

He looked up the sidewalk, and ran.

Kira was up ahead, with a horrified look on her face. It looked like she was in a trance of some sort. And she was backing up, right into the street. Yusuke ran towards her. A honking sound made him run faster.

She had one foot in the street.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the driver's way. The Ferrari didn't even stop.

Of course, with the force he pulled her with, they both toppled, Yusuke on his back, and Kira on her knees. The punk looked over to see tears in her eyes. Shock, perhaps? No, something else was bothering her. The tears were immediately gone.

She sat up. "Oh my gosh! Are you alright!"

Yusuke rubbed his head and stood, helping her up. "I've been through worse." He looked at the top of her bowed head. "Quite a shock, you gave me."

"I'm sorry, I…was just lost in thought."

"My ass you were."

Kira looked at the Ferrari, speeding away. She looked at the license plate, and panic covered her face once more. "No…Oh, gosh no…" Her father had just tried to run her down.

"Something wrong?" Yusuke cocked a brow.

She looked up. "No!" she said quickly. "I really must be getting to school. Got to go, thanks! Bye!" And she began jogging towards high school. Yusuke was about to follow her, but a voice stopped him.

"Yusuke!" He turned around, to meet Kurama. "Are you alright? I saw the whole thing."

"Yeah, fine." He said solemnly.

"Yusuke…?"

"Kurama, do you know that girl?" He nodded towards Kira.

"I can't say that I do…why?"

"I think she's being abused."

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It was in homeroom. She made it in just before the bell rang. The class looked at her in surprise, for the first time, she was not the one first in class. Kira took her seat and stared out the window. What a fool she was. She had let them win. The memories she suppressed for all this time, they were letting loose. She was forced to relive every horrible moment of her childhood.

The door opened and the punks came in.

Was it not enough that her parents tortured her mercilessly? Why did she have to live the beatings of her peers, too? Life wasn't fair. Any other person, it could have been, but it was her. She was cursed with parents who hated her guts, who even tried to run her down.

The door opened again. A few words were exchanged, the class was silent.

"Class, we have a new student here today, please, introduce yourself."

Kira looked up. Oh no. Anyone but her. The tears were coming back, she had to use all of her willpower to fight them.

Blonde curls, green eyes. "Hi everyone! I'm Miki Kashikawa."

Couldn't hell torture someone else for a little while?

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"Kira!"

Kira looked up from her locker. It was Yusuke, and Suuichi, everyone knew him. The only question was, what was a punk like Yusuke doing with a goody-goody like him?

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She looked up. Kurama immediately saw the bruise on her arm, it was hard to miss.

"This is Suuichi."

They shook hands, "I thought I'd never get to meet you with all your groupies swarming around you."

Kurama laughed lightly. He was supposed to be checking for signs that she could possibly be abused, so far he found none. "So Yusuke tells me you have a cat."

The smile slipped from her face. "You've been talking about me?"

"You could say that." Her face was emotionless, and only an expert could see in her eyes the betrayal.

"And yes, I have a cat, Autumn."

"I'd love to come and see him." Lie. He was a fox. Fox dog. Dog + cat bad.

"It's a her."

"Sorry about that."

"It's nothing. And you can't, come see her…I mean." She noticed the questioning stares. "My parents work late, they don't like me having friends over when they're away. I hope you understand?"

That line was too well rehearsed, it came without a second thought. "Of course."

The bell rang, and the two boys silently cursed it. "I better go. Can't be late!" She walked away.

"Well?" Yusuke asked the redhead.

Kurama gave a pitying glance to her back. "I think you might be right, Yusuke." He turned. "But we can do nothing until there's more proof."

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Kira trained after school every day for the next week. She was deemed an expert by now. She could use telepathy and a katana, so far very efficiently. Enough to almost be a master. But she had to prove it.

Kira knew what she was getting herself into, but she had to reach her revenge somehow. Ryo ran with a bunch of villains, and she was their next recruit. Personally, she had no regrets, this was what she wanted.

They stepped in front of the large double doors in the dark corridor. Kira felt silly in the black, hooded robe they gave her. But she put it on anyway. This was where she'd make sure she was good enough, and that Ryo wasn't deceiving her, like all the other people in her life.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The doors opened.

They stepped in.

The room was completely silent.

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A/N: Ack, what will happen? Oh no! And where is she? Review and I just might tell you! By the way, I'm trying for at LEAST eight reviews per chapter, so don't get all spaz-y if I don't update in a day. I love writing, I just feel discouraged if no one reviews, get it? And for all the phantom-readers out there who read and don't review, it is you guys that are holding this story up.

Also, here is where I'd like to thank ILoveAnime89, who e-mailed me personally abd got me off my butt and made me update! Thank you very much! I'll also be updating Candyland really soon, within the next couple of days as well. Thank you again!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, nothing new, right?

A/N: That's all folks! Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the other things that are copyrighted in this fic.