Disclaimer: YuYu Hakusho is copyrighted and belongs to its creator, Togashi Yoshihiro.

Author's Note: This story goes along with a lot of my other stories, though it is with the story "Between Peace and True Reality"… Usually I make Alternate Universes of Alternate Universes. So, it's like a collection of stories in different universes, but the same kind of concept. However, this is not the case for this one…sort of… This is more like a time skip, since I so damn impatient and also I'd really like to continue that fic.. I did have chapters already written, but sadly I had lost them.. So, I said "screw it!". And this is what happens.

It's a long waited update for many. Sorry for the wait. I time-skipped a bit to get where it is now. It is not much of a skip, at least for now anyways.

Pairings: Mmm... Surprise? Maybe... ...Errr.. Vote?

Genre: Supernatural, fantasy, humor, horror, and not so much general. It is also an AU, an "alternate Universe" for the setting.

Rating: Undecided at this time.


UNCANNY RECOLLECTIONS

[...Whilst Being Stalked...]

It was dark and not a soul was to be seen for a whole block from here and according to his watch it was now way passed midnight, a few minutes after twelve-thirty. He did not care that he was up in the dead of night, though, since he had requested to be off for awhile, insisting that it would be for the best. Astonishingly, his employers were very much okay with his decision.

He had to drop his classes, too, due to his inconvenience having to now also be a detective. For a few days he had been frazzled about having to quit college, but figured he would just have to go back and catch up once this important mission was complete. Besides, what was more important? His future or the sake of the world going extinct.

King Enma's assistants had drawn out three pints of blood, one for each passing week. In truth, he felt a bit woozy and also in definite need for a drink. Giving blood meant that he could not even let a bottle of booze touch his lips, much to his displeasure.

It had been three weeks since he had touch any alcohol and it felt like absolute murder to him. He didn't consider himself to be an alcoholic since he believed only those who possess severe addiction disorders would be classified as an "abuser". He knew how to drink and he had developed a very high tolerance to the substance.

As for the tests…

So far they had found nothing. There was not a drop of demon blood to be found coursing through his veins.

The fiery redhead did not know whether he should be relieved or not. He was relieved that he was found to be clean, since that meant that Spirit World would not get a wild hair up their ass and possibly either assassinate him or lock him up like that once threatened to do to Urameshi. However, that also meant that he was practically an average mortal, just like all the other humans, which meant that he was up shit creak when it came time to face Sensui and that new fucked up regime of his.

Yeah, talk about something being totally fucked up. Not only did have to find out that Ani was still breathing the hard way, he also learnt that Sensui was still alive and fully kicking. Not only that, but it turns out that the one who bore the name "Dark Angel" is literally a damn angel.

Imagine the horror that was seen upon his own face when he got that memo from Koenma. He could not help but thing to himself; "when will this madness ever end?" And who can blame him? The man who had both kidnapped and anally raped him was back in action. This life of his was really fucked up, it could not get much worse than this.

He also had heard straight from the mouths of babes that Urameshi had actually turned down the offer of ever coming here when Koenma had asked for his assistance.

Leave it to pacifier breath to go behind his back and do such a thing. Did he honestly think that he could not handle this on his own without Urameshi taking the lead in the case whilst rubbing it all in his face?

Then again, the refusal of every coming here to see him was all the proof he needed to know that the raven haired Tourin Prince had moved on with his life. The ex-detective was not about to do anything that may mar his now perfect life, even though it meant he could at last see his best friend.

When Koenma had enlightened of him the news, he seemed awfully disturbed, in fact, crestfallen. "He isn't coming" he had said flatly, "He isn't going to come and neither is he going to help." Then afterwards, he insisted that the best thing to now do was to move on and forget the whole thing. What's more is the fact that the Reikai Prince was adamant about literally forgetting the ex-detective completely.

At first, Kazuma figured that he was well by now busy taking care of and raising a family. Botan interjected and said that Yusuke and Keiko had lost the kid due to birth complications. And when he was about to say something in his defense, Botan had added that Keiko and Yusuke were no longer together and that Yusuke had moved back to Makai. Now, that awfully took him by surprise.

So… What did Urameshi say that made the demi-god so wound up like that for? He had never seen Koenma behave in such a manner in all his life.

The orange haired man had inquired as to why the prince was in such a bitter mood, but all he received was cheerless expression as the question was then ignored. He had asked him a second time, but the prince insisted that it was not important. Kazuma sensed that he was hiding something from him. He'd have to bring it up again later on and when that time comes he would get some answers.

"Shit.. Fuck… Someone needs to definitely clean up this shit-hole. Looks like the garbage dump of Gehenna around here."

Kazuma cursed as he marched his way down a litter encrusted alley as he made his way to his prime destination- a bar and club cleverly named "Lost Paradise". He was stepping and stumbling upon all sorts of empty bottles, cups, and other pieces of trash that was laid around around and about carelessly.

Though the streets were usually filthy like this, it was something that he could not manage to find himself adapting to. Filthy vermin literally crawled the streets like pedestrians, whether it was day or night. And the people who lived here were awfully lewd if not boorish in their demeanors and mannerisms. This place was not famous for its heavy use of drugs and for the wide sale of prostitution for nothing. The very thing it was noted for the most, however, was it's mysterious murder cases. People were dying here and no one had a clue as to who or what was to blame, neither were there any suspects.

This metropolis was ranked to be one of the most dangerous places in all of the world.

Too bad he found that out later, right after he chose to move here. Leave it to him to not fully do his research. Sure, he knew it was bad prior to coming here, but he did not know it would be this severe. All he knew was that people needed his help and he was willing, one way or another.

Whoredom is a very lucrative business here. Here in this urban decay, most of everyone could be anyone's mother or father, even a brother or a sister, but chances are they would deny themselves of actually having lived an ordinary life. Here, people ran from their responsibilities and obtained a debauched livelihood. If you were to insist that you had known them from your past, they would merely make rude comments and laugh in your face.

And as for drugs, acquiring such goods was fairly easy. Most people in this city consider being stoned as the only way of escaping the heartaches of reality other than offing themselves. It was a primary need and was certainly out of the police's control. Hell, even they consumed their fair share amount of heroine.

In comparison with the other civilians, Kazuma was by far the cleanest individual around.

It was a jungle of madness here, even with it's alluring neon signs and lights as they flickered and dimmed throughout the nights. Nighttime was considerably the most dangerous time of all, since that was the time when all of the kooks would come out to play from every crack and dark corner, nook and cranny. It was also the most likely time to either get raped or mugged.

Fortunately for him, the criminals here have learned well enough to leave him be. He was not every whore's best friend for nothing, mind you that he would never even lay a hand upon them in any sort of sleazy way, even if they did insist to offer themselves to him. Some have even gone as far as to name him "The Mafia King" or "The King-Pin" due to him having street punk or thug-like experience. Well, at least it was better than the other names they gave him. Why did they have to give him so many names was beyond him.

Unlike the ghetto he grew up in, people actually turned to respect him here and not just knew him. Pimps and druggies wanted to befriend him like crazy.

Hell, even his fellow witty officers would suggested upon him becoming the new governor, insisting that he would be perfect for the job since the mayor here was a lousy and insufficient one. "He doesn't even run the city" they would persistently inform him, "someone else with higher power does that". He often wondered what they exactly meant by their statements. If neither the mayor or the law were not in charge, then who was?

The only answer he had received in the past was that he was a very powerful and respectable man. His coworkers pointed out that he, Kazuma, would very much like him, claiming that the mysterious man and he had a lot in common with one another. They even had wondered if it was possible that the two of them was perhaps related.

Kazuma could not help but wonder, particularly about how they described the man to have the same sort of hair as his, not to mention possessing similar features with one another. The only difference was that the man was a lot taller in stature and that he appeared phenomenally ageless. He has also heard that the man sported a devilish goatee and though he was charming in personality, he looked like the devil.

Kazuma snorted at that remark. …But still, he wondered.

Perhaps this was why so many wanted to be his friend, believing the two to be the same exact person. To cure their confusion, the orange haired detective decided upon finally shaving away his own stubble, leaving him with a now smooth and clean-cut look. What was the point of keeping it if it made you appear to be somebody else's double?

Surprisingly, Kazuma did not receive any difference in treatment, goatee or not.

This made him all the more curious. Why did people here respect him so? When he had first came here, he was just like anyone else who decided to foolishly make a living here, there was nothing special about him at all. However, as time passed, it seemed everything was turning itself around. What was once a hellish life filled with constant struggle, was now becoming remarkably easier for him. If he asked for something, people give it to him with no questions asked. It was as if he had became famous here, the very star of this forsaken metropolis that was riddled with scars and thorns. Moreover, everyone here knew his name and who he was, which was quite unsettling when you really think about it.

Perhaps, he'd have to check this guy out, that is when he had the chance. He had heard that this guy was surreptitious in nature and often hard to find. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Confrontations with him, so he had heard, happened by slim strokes of chance.

Too bad he was not like his stalker. Or freakish stalkers, whichever the case. At first, he thought he was being stalked by a peculiar looking girl, but in time he founds himself to also being stalked by a rather very tall man who was just as strange as the girl was.

Dealing with the girl was not so bad, for the moment he would spot her, the moment she would disappear. The same could not be said for the man, however. He was more upfront with what he was doing, like he was purposely wanting him to see him. In fact, the more he saw the man, the less he saw the girl. Putting one and two together, he came up with the first conclusion that they were related with one another.

But…

As time passed, especially during this week, he realized something mighty strange.

The guy had the exact spirit energy as the female did.

Kazuma was not that much of a dumbass, he knew that everyone possessed their own unique spirit signatures. This could not be said for the girl and the man, though. Their's was the same. He wish he could conclude that they were two separate people, but the evidence was already adding up. For one, they were never seen together and neither were they ever around in the same exact place at once.

By reading the energy, he figured out that this stalker was a demon who perhaps had the power of metamorphosis, also known as shape shifting.

From the glimpses he had captured of the demon, he had estimated that the follower right around Ototo Toguro's height, even possessed the same complexion when it came to skin color. However, he was not overly bulky as the younger of the Toguro brother's was. In fact, despite how well physique and muscular this demon was, and he was built like a tank, he was actually more lean and had a longer and more slender frame, gangling. It reminded Kazuma of a snake or a dragon, a shapely body with an incredibly powerful design despite his appearance.

To be more precise when it comes to summing up this man's appearance: The demon has a long neck, long arms, long legs, and a long torso. He has big hands with long piano fingers, topped with sharp nails at the end of his digits. His torso is formed in the shape of a "V", yet, dauntingly fits the Serpentine archetype. He has a sinuous physique; his torso is thin but wide, like a cobra, his oblique and lateral muscles tapering to a typically narrow waist. Viewed from the side, his posture forms a gentle S-curve, his long neck stretching slightly forward above square but sloping shoulders whose blades jut out dramatically, his spine is strong but supple, and each of his muscles rippling noticeably underneath his shirt. He is lean and muscular, built like a tank, but is not overly brawny to the point of being bulky. His torso is rather elongated, his lower stomach stretching endlessly towards an outward projecting pelvis, and he is bendy kneed and centers his weight of the balls of his feet. He has large feet, but they are mostly long and thin, corresponding perfectly with his strong hands.

Like the girl, his hair was black. In fact, very black. The blackest hair he had ever seen. It was like this black was blacker than black itself, if that could even be remotely possible. Hell, the apparition's dark locks beat the Shrimp's very dark and spiky mane. His hair texture appeared to be thick, but also a bit wild and spiky even though it was straight. It was like Urameshi's, only better, more shiny and better well kempt, didn't have that "finger caught in an electric-socket" look. Slick yet with the attitude of a heavy metalist's, that kind of hair. The demon also had two locks of hair that rose above on both side of his temples, curling upward like two little yet thick horns. At first, fiery haired detective thought they were devil horns, causing him to double-take, but it turned out that they were not.

He has sensual eyes with a distinctive horizontal shape, which slant inward towards his nose. These eyes of his have dark rings, as if someone had outlined his eyes with black eyeliner and then applied a light shade of gray upon both his eyelids and around his eyes. The irises of his eyes and even the very pupils themselves, just like the female, were also a vibrant or piercing blood red. Those eyes shined like fire, like two red hot cigarette liters, the very ones you would find in most automobiles. He has a long face, an angular shaped head, pointy elfin-like ears, high cheekbones, a long thin nose, and a dominant chin. Upon his chin there is a dimple. His arching eyebrows have a certain thickness, not too thick, not too thin; they broaden a bit as they curve to a point and then become burly as they fringe out upon the ridges. He has thin lips to accommodate his large mouth, seemingly reptilian. Overall, he has smooth, yet, very manly looks. Kazuma also considered him to be dusky and swarthy, sometimes even rugged, and most of all devilishly handsome (emphasis on the "devil" part).

The detective's realized that his cheeks had heated up. The orange haired human did not know why, but when he thought of the demon, he found certain parts of him responding in ways that he really did not approve of.

For one, he did not know who the fuck this guy was. Two, this weirdo was purposely stalking him. He wondered what he wanted with him, it had to be something else other than actual interest in a person such as himself. Out of all of the people he's ever come across of, Kazuma found this demon to be the hardest one to read; like there was an invisible force field that served as a block or a wall that seemed to be impenetrable. And he's psychic, so what does that say?

It was not that Kazuma did not swing that way, on the contrary, he was actually bisexual. He had a secret crush on Urameshi for years, hell, even one on Hiei. But the reason why he was so uncomfortable was mostly because of what had been said in the past…

"Nobody wants Kazuma, people only get stuck with him", a statement that was mustered to everyone by the courtesy of none other than his older sister.

However, no matter how cruel that remark sounded, it was very much true. Whoever really wanted him had to have lost their freaking mind or perhaps was at wits end and thus was very desperate. If anyone proved to him that he could not be loved, it was Yukina. After all, his testaments of love meant nothing to her and proved that when she had chosen to be with Kurama. He even had the unfortunate circumstance of stumbling upon the two having a game of tonsil hockey, feeling all over each other like there was no one else there to see.

He sighed inwardly.

Most of the opposite gender was shallow anyways, at least from where he was seeing. He tried dating a few times, but all of the girls he had been with were either using him as a rebound tool or had found better looking men than him and thus cheated and left him. And boy did he hate it. He hated it with such a passion so much that he had declared to mark dating off the list of his things to do in life. In fact, in less than a year of making such a decision, he realized that he was not really all that attracted…to females. His attraction to males, on the other hand, was an entirely different story.

Most females believed him to be a pussy disguise, that is that he should have had a vagina instead of a dick and making foul comments about how he was more bitchier than a lady is on her period. He could not believe as to why they would think such a thing. He was a man, after all, pure one-hundred percent grade A male. Though, they all insisted upon him being a woman trapped in a man's body. "One just doesn't see it until someone gets to really know you, Kazuma, then they realize about how you are much less of a man than you throw yourself out there to be. You shouldn't strive so hard to convince others."

That was nothing new to him, though, since both Urameshi and his sister constantly made such remarks about him anyways. They always teased him for his love of cats and about how he was very tidy, even noticing how certain things did not match or blend well together. They even made jokes about how he was more girlfriend or wife material than an actual boyfriend. Of course, he claimed to be manly, very manly, but they always countered back at him that there are girls in existence who love to fight just as much as he does.

…He always failed at winning those arguments. All he could do was sit there with a petulant glare and growling feline-like as he made terse retorts during their cracks about him being a complete gay in denial.

Of course, he knew Urameshi was merely joking for the sake of getting his goat for kicks. Hell, Yusuke did not even know about how he, Kazuma, swung both ways. Pretty much, the ex-detective believed him to be straighter than a ruler, especially since because all he had ever heard about was girls from the spirit swordsman when he talked about dating.

But, he knew his sister was different. She knew more than she ever let off. In fact, she knew him so well that it was scary. She could use all kinds of shit against him, blackmailing him to do whatever she pleased. This was how she got him to come home when she wanted him to and how she got him to do the chores around the house. "You owe it to me" she would say, "for putting up with your ass. God, Kazuma, maybe mom and dad should not have adopted you after all."

…Wait. Was he adopted?

Pfft. Yeah, right.

Hold on for a second there, pal…

Actually, come to think of it…

It could be a possibility and he really didn't know either way. It would seem as though he could have been, with all of the secrecy in the family and whatnot.

After all, he did not look one iota like his parents. His father never liked him and his mother behaved as though she merely put up with his existence. Hell, it could be true, after all, he did find out later that their supposed "father" was not the biological father of his sister. Imagine the rage that his mother's husband felt when he realized that.

In truth, the man who had married his mother actually adopted her last name and not the other way around. How bizarre is that?

Come to find out, the Kuwabara bloodline and heritage is that of a sacred one. When one is born a Kuwabara, the clan refuses to have any of it's members to have their surname changed to any other surname. It's a rule, Kuwabara must not lose his or her own name for it defines who they are.

Surprisingly, the man who was Shizuru's real father actually reminded him of Urameshi, a lot. He was a weird man with a witty sense of humor, yet he knew how to play it cool and was very open-minded, knew his shit very well. It was he who was with Urameshi when it came to inviting Yukina to live with them. He did not live there as of yet, but he pretended as though he already did. Consequently, that made him pissed.

After living here in this city for a year, Kazuma had gotten a letter from his family concerning the news about Shizuru's father and mother finally getting married. Kazuma did not go, of course, since he could not bring himself to. He felt unimaginably guilty, especially since this new father of his seemed to have wanted him desperately to attend, but he had refused nonetheless.

Back to the subject of adoption, he had long since been enlightened by his family that Kuwabaras do happen to take in other members of their family, that is IF a child is parentless. Kuwabaras stick together like glue, at least that is how it is supposed to be. The Kuwabara family is very tight knitted one, they'll even take family secrets to the grave with them.

…But if the woman he had come to know as his mother really isn't his mother…then who is?

Holy shit.

Not only did he not know who his father was, but now, he was questioning who his mother was now. And to think, all of this came from the recollections of the past, tagged along with having your life-fluid drained away from you into a cup. ...And people say that you need to see a psychiatrist to do this, to recover suppressed thoughts and memories. Hah! He proved whoever said that to be wrong, dead wrong.

Damn, he needed a drink.

He turned and made his way down a alcove with a short flight of stairs. Upon his way, he flicked his hair out of his face, which was now barely reaching his shoulders, and entered into the underground bar.

oOo

It's never solely justified, I can't explain
Here in my clouded wicked mind, my one mistake
You want it? I got it
The walls around me closing
Dementia, bipolar
Fighting to keep this alive

It's never solely justified, I can't explain
Here in my clouded wicked mind, my one mistake

You want this? You have it
The time of constant static
You will not control my mind
Not this time

It's never solely justified, I can't explain
Here in my clouded wicked mind, my one mistake

It's my tragedy
It's my hypocrisy

You wanna run away
IT'S MY TRAGEDY
In the end you'll have to stay
IT'S MY TRAGEDY
I'm ditching all the pain

It's my tragedy
It's my hypocrisy
It's my tragedy
It's my hypocrisy
It's my tragedy
It's my hypocrisy
It's my tragedy
It's my hypocrisy

IT'S MY TRAGEDY

YOU STOLE THE BEST FROM ME!

oOo

Somewhere, unseen by the naked eye, stood two dark silhouettes. One possessed an aura which shined with such pristine, gold with flakes of violet purple, a sign of his power and identity.

The latter mysterious figure spoke; "So, the kid's finally questioning his own existence." His voice was laced with intrigue.

"Should we go inform our Lord, my love?" The other figure inquired, curious. "After all, from what you've revealed to me, it appears that he's perhaps catching on."

"Hn. You should know by now that The Master already knows. After all, he knows all." Came his reply. "So, until we receive our orders… …Let's just wait and see, watch with attentive eyes and listen closely."

"…Hmm. At least the boy has finally taken a step closer in the right direction, yes?"

"Yes, but it's only one step in many for the long journey ahead."

…TBC…


Author's comments:

Sorry for the cruddy chapter.. I tried to give what had happened in the past three weeks.. And more. I did not want to leave people out of stuff. Sorry if it confuses anyone. It's been awhile since I've written anything to this story.

I decided to just add this chapter to the already existing story instead of beginning a new. I also did not want to skip to far, since that would take a whole lot out of the story development.

Up next… Want to know what happens in the bar? If you do, please review!

Please comment and review! I greatly appreciate it.

The song is "Tragedy" by Free Reign.