Disclaimer:I do NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of it's charaters
Warning: My C key on the keyboard sticks so if I forget to click it hard, sorry
I met Yusuke Urameshi first thing that next morning. I had been woken early to start my training, and he was slowly making his way up the steps. I looked over the edge at him, quizzicly adjusting my scarf. He stared at me for a short moment then went back to the hike. It seemed easy for him, but I could tell something else had warn him out. When he reached the top, he called out,
"Genkai, you old hag! Where are you?"
Genkai came outside, and looked at the teen.
"What do you want Yusuke?"
The teen looked at her, then relayed a message,
"Koenma says that I have to help you train the girl. The reason is, that she harbors something, yadda yadda."
Genkai nodded,getting the gist of the message, and I turned to face her. She said,
"Now we get to work."
The training was rigarous that day. We started with basic warm-ups. Push ups, running, etc. Then moved on to more with my abilities. She had Yusuke hide somewhere in the woods, then sent me to go look for him. He was strong, and each attack he sprung was almost more then I could handle. His power was unmatched by mine, until I got my hands on him. Away from him, being chased, struck from behind, my ability at it's current form was useless. But when I finally stumbled and decided to stay down, That's when I took the advantage. He came over to me, his mocking voice saying stupid things.
"You lost," he chided, his cocky attitude making him most unnattractive.
He reached down, offering his had to me. That was his mistake.
I concentrated on my hand, and grasped his. I thought of his vains, the warm liquid of life flowing though them. Then I thought of the ice in mine. The thoughts messhed together, and I sent the cold within him. Yusuke screamed out, as the firm grip on my hand became tighter with the ice inside it. He tried to pull away, as did I, but we couldn't part our hands.
"Let go!" He yelled, striking at my hand with his free one. I stared at him, my eyes pleading. I wanted to, but I couldn't. The hand I held was slowly turning black.
"LET GO!" He screamed, and struck at my face. The scarf fell away and his skin caught on one of the wires. I couldn't breathe. The pain was so unbearable.
He yanked his hand away, the one that had hit my face, and tried again to pull away the other hand. It was almost completely black now, and was still not releasing.
"Control it," He said, trying a new approach. "Focus!" He cringed as the ice grew more inside his hand. I tried pulling my hand away slowly, tried to ease the ice from inside him. But I couldn't take control!
'Onna,' a voice called softly inside my head. It wasn't a nice voice, really, slightly mocking.
'let him go. Think about the ice melting, release him.'
I pictured the ice melting, like was commanded, but I still couldn't release.
'FOCUS!' The voice said forcefully.
I took a deep breath and focused on the hand. Slowly, my grip loosened, and Yusuke's unmoving hand slipped from mine. It was still black when it fell to rest at his side.
"Alice, what the hell?!?" Yusuke asked me loudly, pulling his disabled hand to his chest.
"Why didn't you stop?!?"
I shrugged and examined my fingertips. Who was that who spoke to me? That voice?
"Come on, Alice," Yusuke commanded. "We're going back."
I don't think he was trying to be mean, the pain of his hand was blazing in his eyes. I knew that for me, this had been somewhat scary. For him, I couldn't believe how sorry I was.
We made it bak to Genkai's before dark, and she took Yusuke into the back room to help him with his hand. I moved slowly to my room, and collapsed.
'Hn,' the voice returned.
'Who are you?' I thought.
'Hiei.' It replied. I recognzed the name and thought of Kurama.
'Yes,' Hiei said. 'Kurama mentioned me.'
'Am I going to meet you?' I asked.
The voice didn't return.
Kurama showed up later that night, and spent hours working on Yusuke's hand. It made me want to leave, to see the deadened fingers and purple forearms Yusuke sported. I wrote an apology on a piece of paper and handed it to my victim.
"I don't care," Yusuke shrugged off my apology. "I'm surprised you almost beat me!"
I growled at him and he laughed.
"Ha!" He cheered.
I slapped the side of his head and left the room, heading to the bathroom. I was getting a little light headed.
I stood, again, infront of the mirror, and removed my scarf. My mouth was swollen from where his hand had caught it, and my eyes looked tired. I reached under the sink and grabbed my vitamins from where I had stashed them.
Slowly, I plunged the needle through the skin of my stomach. It caused a slight pinch, and took my breath away, causing me to shudder.
I looked in the mirror to watch my reaction.
I seemed tired, warn out, lonely. People must of noticed this. The people with me, they must of seen it. I shook my head and put the needles away. I would have to adjust my look.
Replacing my scarf, I walked back to where everybody was. Yusuke's hand was looking better, gaining color and moving now.
"Hey Alice!" He called me over, waving the hand that I had almost destroyed.;
"I have to admit," he began as I came closer to him, "You are pretty strong. I mean, for a girl."
I giggled, making no real noise but the gesture was just as good.
"I mean it!" He laughed, and held a fist out to me.I hit it and sat down on the floor near him and Kurama.
"I heard about your feat," Kurama said when I took my seat. "Very, amazing." I blushed at his recognition.
Genkai nodded in agreement to what was just spoken.
"You did very well," The old woman said. I looked in her direction, to aknowledge her.
"Tomarrow you will train one on one with me, while Yusuke rests."
Yusuke looked apalled at the mention of resting, it hurt his ego.
"Afre you excitd Alice?" Kurama asked me. I nodded with much enthusiasm. "Then answer me this, why were you so appalled by the thought of it the other day?"
Somebody handed me a piee of paper and I scribed my answer.
My brother was trained. My brother, he was strong. he was gifted. I don't want to be like him. If I become like him, Then I don't know who i would hurt.
I knew that none of them could understand. They didn't know the pain I knew. The years of secrcy, abuse, the wires, the screaming, the control, all of it; They couldn't understand. If I became like him, and I hurt people, people that I loved, I couldn't allow that. I couldn't be him. Ever.
~May
