Author's Note: I promised I would update on Monday, so here is the promised update! (For those of you who waited until Monday to check for an update, I also updated last Wednesday because I have poor self-control. So make sure you read Chapter Eight before reading this one, or it might be a little confusing since this chapter picks up immediately after that one.)
My plan is to update again next Monday, but there's a possibility I might update earlier. Who knows? I surely don't. I am still writing ahead though, so updates should at least be regular for a while. Speaking of writing ahead, I'm also thinking of looking for a beta reader to help me keep my ideas straight. If anyone is interested, please send me a message!
Thank you, as always, to everyone who is reading! I hope you enjoy the update, and I've replied to reviews down below!
Post Date: 08 August 2016
Word Count: 6140
Chapter Nine
Fate's Funny Like That
"Hey, Hiei." It's dark outside, but Yusuke can see the fire demon's outline. He's sitting on the porch railing, one leg pulled up and the other hanging over the far side, and he didn't say anything. Just let out a quiet grunt. Hiei's a little better about talking now, unless he's just not in the mood. Yusuke must have caught him at a lucky time. "I'm going to ask you something."
"What?" He learned early on not to ask Hiei if he could ask him something, because the demon normally just gave him some kind of smartass remark. So less asking, more telling.
"Why were you glaring at Reigan at dinner? I thought you were better about trusting people now." Dinner had been…interesting. He and Kuwabara told the others what had happened, with only a few corrections from Botan. Genkai and Yukina had been quiet during the retelling, and Kurama only asked a few questions. The fox left about ten minutes ago though, along with Shizuru and Kuwabara. The two siblings just went to get some more clothes and other necessities, so they'll probably be back tonight. Kurama said he'd be back when he could. Then there's Hiei. He'd sat by Yukina and glared holes through Reigan the whole time, but his auntie didn't seem to notice or care.
"You trust too easily." Yusuke crossed his arms as he leaned back against the railing, and he turned his head just enough to see Hiei's face. He doesn't give much away with his facial expressions, but it's worth a shot.
"It's a weird situation, I know, but other people know her. Genkai, Shizuru, Koenma, Natsume, and Kujou. So do Raizen's other friends. And if she was a threat, don't you think she would have killed us by now?" That was what Yusuke had been afraid of to start with. That some demon was gonna pop out of the statue and start killing everyone in sight.
"She's still weak. If she was an S-Class before, her strength will return quickly. If you were smart, you'd kill her now." Okay, that made him tense up. Reigan slept for a couple of days so he's only really known her for a day now, but she's still family. She's Kuwabara and Shizuru's mother. Raizen's twin sister.
"She's family," Yusuke shrugged. Hiei should be able to understand that, right? He's really protective over Yukina, so Yusuke knows that he understands how family bonds work.
"Makes it even easier for her to stab you in the back." He wanted to get mad, he really did, but it's Hiei. It took the guy a year to trust him, so it'll probably take a while for him to adjust to having someone new around. "I'm going to Demon World."
"Okay. Want me to—"
"Yusuke, Reigan wants to know—Oh, hello, brother." Yukina paused to smile at Hiei, but Yusuke couldn't tell if Hiei smiled back before Yukina looked at him again. "Yusuke, Reigan wants to know if you can come to her room? She wants to show you something."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks for telling me, Yukina. See ya around, Hiei!" he called over his shoulder. He'll let the two say their goodbyes. The temple was quiet as he walked inside, and he didn't bump into Genkai as he made his way towards Reigan's room. The door was open and the light was on, so he knocked on the door frame as he stuck his head inside.
"Yusuke! Yukina found you then?" She was standing in front of the bookcase, the one that ran the entire length of one wall, and she's changed clothes. The jeans and tank top are gone, but her feet are still bare. The shorts she's wearing are pale yellow, and he can see the muscles in her legs because she's raised up on her toes to reach for something on the bookcase. The sweater she's wearing is a dark blue, and it's a baggy turtleneck.
"She did. Said you wanted to show me something?" There's a book in her hands, and she frowned at the front cover before rocking back up onto her toes to return it.
"She's such a sweet and helpful girl, isn't she? And I don't think I've ever eaten better." She rested one hand on her stomach as she said it, and there was a dreamy look on her face. At dinner, she probably packed away the most food. Which is saying something, because he and Kuwabara really know how to eat.
"Yukina's cooking is the best. Do you need some help?" She was straining to reach one of the top shelves, but the bookcase goes all the way up to the ceiling. There's no way that she can reach the top, but she's looking pretty determined.
"Help would be very appreciated. I've got it all in chronological order, but I moved this one before I was sealed. I think I…no, I know that I put it on the very top. Somewhere out of reach." The last sentence was whispered, and she wouldn't meet his eyes as he walked inside. She raised an arm and pointed to the top left corner, and even he had to balance carefully on his toes to reach what she wanted. While he was at it, he looked at the rest of the bookcase. All of the books were the exact same size, with names and dates scribbled on the binding.
"Do I even wanna know what this is?" He held the slim book in one hand, and he could clearly read the name and dates on the binding. Atsuko Higurashi-Saito, 1952-1975.
"It's nothing bad, I promise. Oh! One more!" She pointed again, this time the top right corner, and he pulled out a book nearly identical to the first. Ryu Nomura, 985-1019. Once he was holding both books, Reigan grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the bed. The blanket was straightened, so someone must have made the bed. The futon he slept on hasn't moved though.
"Now will you tell me what's going on?" They're sitting on the bed, side-by-side, and Reigan's grin is starting to worry him a little. Her legs are pulled up under her so that she's sitting cross-legged, but he has his feet firmly planted on the ground. She reached over and grabbed one of the books, the second one that he grabbed, and her fingers carefully ran over the blank front cover.
"At first, I just wanted to show Raizen his family. He couldn't see them himself because he was worried about the temptation, but I wanted him to be able to see. Eventually it just became a habit. They're all there. Your ancestors and my priestesses." She looked at the bookcase again, and he followed her gaze. All of those books…all of them are his family, and the people that helped keep his family safe. There's so many of them, and she guarded them all. She watched them all die.
"So, who's this?" He tapped the book in her hands, because he knows whose book he's holding. She slowly opened it, and the first page was very simple.
"Ryu Nomura. Son of Raizen and Midoriko Nomura. Born in nine-eighty-five and died in ten-nineteen." She flipped the page, and a pair of eyes stared up at him. It took him a moment to look away and notice the rest of the picture, and it was good. The woman was sitting under a tree, one hand braced on her stomach, and looking out. The drawing was clearly old, but the woman's features were drawn perfectly.
"That was Raizen's...uh…what's the right word?"
"His human lover, Midoriko. She died after giving birth, so Ryu was raised by one of my priestesses. Satomi." The next page showed a much older woman holding a baby, and the older woman was smiling as she looked down at the sleeping baby. Page after page spanned Ryu's life. Reigan was able to capture his first steps, the day he met the woman he fell in love with, and him playing with his three children. Reigan told the stories that went with each picture as she flipped through, and Yusuke listened to her every word.
"And this one is my mom's?" Ryu's book was lying on the bed next to Reigan, and she slowly nodded her head. Yusuke slowly opened the front cover and looked down at the first page. It had his mom's name, her maiden name and her married name, and the day she was born.
"We don't have to look at it now if you don't want to. I just wanted you to know that it was here." It's been a very long day. He asked all those questions about his mom's past this morning, there was that weird meeting in Spirit World with Enma, and then he had that not-so-fun conversation with Hiei. He can wait to see this, but he doesn't want to.
"Drawings or photos?" he finally asked.
"Bit of both."
The very first picture was a drawing of a hospital room, and the angle looked like someone had drawn it while sitting outside of the window. There was a woman sitting up in the hospital bed with a baby in her arms, her husband was sitting next to her with his arms around her, and three young children were sitting at the foot of the bed. His mom's family. There was an actual photo of her standing outside, slightly leaning to one side, surrounded by party decorations. Her second birthday party. More photos. More drawings. The little girl in the pictures stopped smiling after her family was gone, but the smile came back when she was older. There was a picture of his mom ice skating, and she was holding hands with a guy close to her age. They were about the same height, and he had black hair and light brown eyes. In the photo, they were laughing.
"Is that…the wedding?" That's definitely his mom in a wedding dress, but he never saw his mom smile quite like that. She looked so young.
"Shizuru had to take the picture. I was crying too hard. I always cry at weddings." All of those books…she's probably been to a lot of weddings over the years, but she still cried at his mom's.
The next few photos were normal, everyday things. His mom cooking while his…that's his dad…sat at the kitchen table surrounded by papers. Grocery shopping. Going for a walk. After a few photos, Yusuke noticed the bump. In one drawing, his mom and dad were lying on their sides and facing each other. Their knees were touching, and they both had their hands pressed against her stomach. Their eyes were closed, but they were smiling. They looked so peaceful, so happy. He reached up to wipe away his tears before they could fall and ruin the drawing, and he felt Reigan lean against his side. She nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder as she touched the edge of the page, and he reached over to grab her hand.
"They were happy." He loves his mom, but he wishes he got to see her like this. Just once.
"They really were." The last picture was of Atsuko sitting alone on a park bench, and he almost couldn't tell that she was pregnant because of all the layers of clothes she was wearing. Still, she looked perfectly happy. He remembers that park. It's the same one where she took him to play.
"Thank you." His voice sounded a little rough, but Reigan didn't call him out on it. She just hugged his arm and hummed quietly for a minute.
"I know Atsuko couldn't handle pictures from the past after what happened to Raijin, so I thought you'd like to see them. You can keep it." He was tempted, but he couldn't. She's kept track of his ancestors for the past thousand years, so she should keep it.
"Only if I can keep it in here." He nodded back towards the bookcase, and her small smile told him that he'd made the right call.
.xXx.
"I don't know, Sis, it's kinda late. Maybe we should wait until morning?" he whispered. The temple was dark and quiet, but Shizuru was determined to go see their mother. His mother.
"She's been waiting twenty years to see us again. Trust me, baby bro, she's awake." They dropped off their bags in their rooms, except for one small bag that Shizuru was still carrying. They turned a corner, and Kuwabara noticed that a light was still on. The door was open so that the light could spill out, and that's his ma's room. Shizuru looked over at him with her I-told-you-so face, and he rolled his eyes at her as they kept walking.
"You made it!" It was whispered, just loud enough for them to hear, because Yusuke is passed out on her bed. There's several books scattered around the two of them, and they all look alike. Weird. "Uh, how about the kitchen? I don't wanna wake him."
"I'll make us some tea." Shizuru darted off, but Kuwabara stayed standing in the doorway. Yusuke's head was in her lap, so she had to carefully ease out from under him to keep from waking him up. Once she was standing, she quickly piled the books into her arms and moved over to the bookcase.
"What are they?" He didn't even realize that he'd walked into the room to stand next to her until she looked up at him, and she smiled. It's a nice smile, and he doesn't even mind the fangs.
"I kept pictures of Raizen's descendants and my priestesses. I was showing Yusuke some of his more colorful ancestors." She laughed quietly as she said it, and he realized that she was looking at the bindings before placing the books on a shelf. Names and dates. There's so many of them.
"It must have been hard to look after all of them without them knowing." Kuwabara knows that he's saved people without them knowing it, but he doesn't know them. She knew them, knew everything about them, and they had no idea that she even existed. "You must have been lonely."
"Sometimes. I had my priestesses though, and I got to return to the Demon World once a year. Then there was Eiji." This time her smile was small and sad, and he didn't know what to say to her. He doesn't know anything about his father, except for the little bit that Shizuru has told him. Once all the books were put away, she grabbed another book and grabbed his wrist. She's a small little thing, but he let her pull him from the room. They were in the kitchen in no time, where Shizuru was already sitting with three cups of tea.
"Took you long enough," Shizuru said as they were sitting down. They're all sitting on one side, with their mother in the middle, and there's a few books on the table. Shizuru brought some of their photo albums from home, and then there's another one of the books from his ma's bookcase.
"I was cleaning up, and I had to grab this. Do you remember it?" Shizuru's fingers ran over the front cover, which had a drawing of a stick family. Four people.
"You." That was one of shorter stick people.
"Me." That was the shortest stick person.
"Father." That was the tallest stick person.
"And Genkai." That was the last stick person, still short.
"My little artist," Ma said when Shizuru was done. He's gotta remember to call her that now, Ma. She opened the front cover, and there was a picture of her and a man sitting on the temple steps. They were smiling, and he had an arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"Is that my dad?" His ma smiled over at him, and she reached over to lace their fingers together.
"Yes, it is. This was taken about two weeks after we met, about two years before we actually got together, but I think we were already starting to fall in love. Your father was a hard man not to love," Ma said quietly. His dad was tall, he could tell that even though they were sitting down, and he does look like his dad. The same build, the same hair, and even the same facial features.
"I look like him." Ma's other hand came up to push back some of his hair, and her dark eyes were already starting to tear up a little. If the rest of the photo album is like this, they'll both be crying like babies before it's over.
"I knew that you were going to look like him from the first moment they put you in my arms, and I was right. Every year, you looked more and more like him. Except for your eyes." His eyes have always been dark, so dark that most people can't even tell what color they are, but they're blue. "My eyes. My father's eyes."
"I look like Father's mother," Shizuru said as the page turned. The photo was old, black and white, but the woman did look a lot like Shizuru. The man looked like him, but with darker hair, and the little boy resembled him so much that it could have been him in the photo.
"This was the only picture that Eiji had of his parents. They were killed when he was fourteen by a demon. He could have gone a different way after that, but your father was an honorable man. He enjoyed fighting, loved the thrill of it, but he only killed if there was no other choice. You take after him on that too," Ma said and let him look at the picture for a little longer.
A few of the stories were sad and made his ma tear up, but most of the pictures made her smile or laugh. She told the earlier stories; little moments between her and his dad, pictures of a younger Genkai usually glaring at the camera, and then there were pictures of Shizuru. He never saw any pictures of his sister growing up, except for the ones taken after he was born. Now he was getting to see her grow up. The day she was born, her first steps, riding on Eiji's shoulders, and there was even a drawing of her curled up in Raizen's lap and fast asleep. Shizuru started crying softly when she saw that one, because she knew Raizen. Knew him and loved him, but he's gone now.
"I know Uncle Raizen finally found peace, but I didn't even react when Yusuke said that he was dead. I didn't know who he was, so why should I care? I was sorry for Yusuke, but…he died, and I didn't even know who he was." He's so used to his sister being the strong one, so it's a little weird to see her crying on someone's shoulder.
"It's better that you didn't know. Now we can mourn together, because you don't have to be alone. Never again," Ma whispered.
"I didn't even know him." The words slipped out, because he was feeling a little awkward. Raizen was his uncle, but he didn't know him. It's hard to mourn for someone that you didn't even know.
"He knew I was pregnant the last time I visited him, and he apologized to me. Said it wasn't fair that I was going to have to leave my son for his, but I told him that it was okay. That I didn't regret my decision. He wanted you to know that he loved you, even though we both knew that he'd be dead before you learned the truth. He loved you, because we all have the same blood. Does that make sense?" Ma was looking up at him with wide eyes, and he slowly nodded. It does make sense, in its own weird way. It's like why Raizen cared about Yusuke, even though Yusuke was born a thousand years after his direct son.
"Yeah, it makes sense. Are there anymore pictures?" They're past the hallway mark of the book now, and he doesn't know if every page was used.
"A few more." Genkai and Shizuru meditating in the sunshine, Ma napping under a large lilac tree, his dad holding himself up on one hand while Ma and Shizuru cheered behind him…and then his dad wasn't in anymore pictures. There was some pictures of Ma as her stomach grew, but all of the faces in the pictures looked a little more subdued. Except for the last picture.
"When was this taken?" Ma was sitting under another lilac tree, but it was bare. Her back was against the trunk, and Shizuru was lying down between Ma's spread legs. Shizuru's head was pillowed on Ma's stomach, and she had one hand resting on the bundle in Ma's arms. They were both smiling, peacefully, and they looked completely unaware of everything around them.
"The day before Yusuke was born. I didn't even know Genkai had taken the picture until that night, when she gave it to me." Ma and Shizuru looked so content; it was impossible to tell that everything would be completely different in just one day's time. "I promise you, Kazuma, I would have chosen to stay with you if I'd had a choice."
"I know, Ma." All of this has been supremely weird, even weirder than finding out that demons were real, but there is one thing that he knows for sure. His ma loves him.
"I love you so much!" Ma cried out before wrapping her arms around his neck. His eyes widened as she started crying against his chest, and he looked to Shizuru for help. To his surprise, his sister was tearing up as well. She leaned forward so that her head was pressed between Ma's shoulder blades, and he felt her arms wrap around his back.
"She screamed before I took you from her arms, and she wouldn't stop crying as she promised to come back. She fought against the seal at the end, fought to stay with us…fought so hard that it caused a small earthquake." Ma shook even harder at that, and Shizuru tightened her hold on the both of them. "So I'm right. You tried to fight the seal."
"Yes." The answer was whispered, and she even sounded a little ashamed. "I knew that I had consented to the seal and that there was no way around it, but I had to try."
"I love you, Mother."
"I love you, Ma." It sounded like the right thing to say, and he saw Shizuru's smile. Earlier, when they were at home to get a few more things, she told him that he didn't have to push himself. She said that Ma would understand if he needed more time to work through everything, but he told her that he wasn't pushing himself. His whole life, he's always felt like there was someone out there watching over him. It wasn't a bad feeling. It was something warm and comforting. It's the same feeling he gets whenever Reigan looks at him. She's been with him his entire life, loving him, and he gets that she did what she had to do. It sucks, yeah, but he understands it.
"I have got to stop crying so much." Ma laughed as she pulled away from him, and she used the sleeves of her sweater to clean her face.
"Yeah, well, wait until you see the family videos." Kuwabara groaned as Shizuru laughed, because his sister has taken every opportunity to record his life. Pictures, videos, scrapbooks…huh, maybe she had a feeling that their ma would want to see it all someday.
"Videos?!" Ma looked so excited, so Kuwabara tried not to be embarrassed. Shizuru patted the bag on the table, and Ma clapped her hands. "I know Kai has a VCR around here somewhere. I want to see everything."
They moved into another room, where a TV and VCR was set up, and Ma pulled him down onto the floor to sit next to her. She flipped through a photo album while Shizuru worked on the VCR, and Kuwabara explained the story behind each picture. She said that she was able to watch him sometimes, but she mostly watched Yusuke. It makes sense, because she was his ancestors' guardian. She still knew a lot about him growing up, but she listened to every word he said with complete focus. Sometimes he'd look over and catch her wiping away tears, but she always just waved it off and asked him to keep going.
The real waterworks didn't start until Shizuru started playing the videos. Some of them were from when he was really little, like when he was just starting to walk and talk. Shizuru had recorded all of his birthday parties and every Christmas, and Ma reached out sometimes like she could push through the screen and touch the past. There were less videos once he became a teenager, which Shizuru apologized for. Ma told her not to worry about it, because she saw a lot of Kuwabara after he met Yusuke. She also said she never wanted to see the Dark Tournament again, and she admitted that she fought to get free again during the harder parts of the tournament. Ma and Shizuru both cried as they watched him graduate from high school, and he held still as they both hugged him and cried onto his shoulders. It was hard to be embarrassed when they were both so genuinely happy and proud.
"It's no big deal," he mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck.
"It is a big deal. My son is going to be a doctor." There was so much love and pride in her voice, and he's never going to stop blushing.
"A veterinarian. Not a doctor," he pointed out.
"Human doctor, animal doctor, same thing. My son is smart. As for my daughter…a writer, Shizuru? You never let me read your stories when you were little." They had money growing up, from what he thought was insurance and a trust fund, so Shizuru didn't have to get a job. She started writing as a hobby and eventually got published, because she's good. Really good.
"Because I was just writing the stories that you told me when I was little. My stories now are complete fiction." Ma rolled her eyes but kept smiling, and Kuwabara feels a little lighter. He's heard so many stories about his mother, but it's different actually spending time with her.
"Well, I expect to have a copy of your first book before the end of the week. And you need to return to school soon." She pointed at him as she said the last sentence, and it felt like his jaw came unhinged.
"But, I, you…we just…and I can…What about you?" He's almost done with his second year of college, but he can take some time off. He just found out that his mother is alive, so school can wait.
"I am going to stay here and recover my energy, and I'll probably annoy Kai while I'm at it. You're at the end of the school year, and you'll have a week off to spend with me. When you start back next month, I'll come visit you whenever you have free time. Then in July, when you get your summer break, you can come back here. You are not going to put your life on hold for me, Kazuma. We're going to move forward together." She held his hands as she said it, and Shizuru threw an arm around his shoulders.
"She's right, baby bro. You worked really hard to get into college, and you don't have to give it up." He did work hard to graduate and get into a college, especially after everything he went through at the Dark Tournament and with Sensui. Getting back on track hadn't been easy, but how can he go back to taking classes when knows that his ma is here?
"What about the seals?" That's another thing that's been on his mind for the past couple days. The scar on his left ankle isn't a scar at all; it's a magical seal that hides his demon energy, and it can be removed. Shizuru has one too.
"You have plenty of time to decide what to do about the seal. Your demon energy is sealed, yes, but your psychic energy isn't. Your psychic energy will slow your aging some now that you're in your prime, so you have time to decide if you want to live out your life as a human or remove the seal to become half-demon. Can I make a request?"
"Yeah, sure." Huh, so maybe Shizuru's psychic energy is why she hasn't seemed to age much over the years.
"Live out your life a little before making a decision. Finish college. Become a veterinarian. Maybe fall in love. I'm talking to you too, Shizuru. Live your lives for a little longer." She's holding one of his hands and one of Shizuru's now.
"Becoming a half-demon won't stop us from living our lives, Mother. It'll even give us more time together," Shizuru said quietly. Yusuke's a half-demon. His ma's a demon. His closest friends are demons. They're all going to live for a very long time, and he doesn't want to grow old and die before they even reach their prime.
"It'll make your lives more complicated. Just, think about it for a little while." Ma's eyes were wide and pleading, and Kuwabara looked over at Shizuru. Together, they slowly nodded and then looked back at their ma.
"We'll think about it," Kuwabara finally said. Ma smiled and leaned forward to wrap an arm around each of them, and he means it. He'll think about it.
"Alright, off to bed. We can talk more tomorrow." They all stood up together, and Ma took turns wishing him and Shizuru goodnight. Several tight hugs and light kisses later, he and Shizuru started walking to their rooms.
"She's just like you said," Kuwabara said quietly. Shizuru told him that their ma was warm and loving, which was a little different than the stories of the Mazoku demon that killed for centuries. For thousands of years. It's almost a little hard to picture her as a warrior. Almost, because he remembers the look in her eyes when Enma mentioned killing them. That look was pure murder.
"It's because she loves us," Shizuru shrugged. Like it was the simplest thing in the world, and it kinda is. Kuwabara called out a goodnight and then went to his room. It's been a really long day, and he could use the sleep.
.xXx.
"You look horrible." Reigan laughed at the statement and turned her head to watch Genkai sit next to her. She's sitting outside on the temple steps, because she's not ready to go back to sleep yet. What if she doesn't wake up for another couple of days?
"And you look just as lovely as I remember." It was Genkai's turn to laugh, and Reigan was thankful that there was nothing nearby for Genkai to throw at her.
"I'm old, Rei, and only getting older. There were a few times when I thought I wouldn't live long enough to see you released." Reigan hummed at that, because Genkai has aged over the past twenty years. Genkai is going to be seventy-eight this year, and she's been through so much.
"I saw the Dark Tournament. Every single moment of it. I thought for sure you were a goner." Watching Toguro kill Genkai had been hard to watch, but it was nothing compared to being forced to watch her friend die in her nephew's arms.
"So did I. I have Koenma to thank for keeping me around."
"It's a good thing too, or I'd still be stuck in that statue." They both laughed at that, quiet and easy laughter, and Reigan leaned back so that her elbows were braced against the porch.
"I blamed you for their deaths for a long time, but I know better now. You were only allowed one day out of the year to actually speak to your own blood, so how could you know that demons were planning on killing my family that very same day?" Sango, Hanako, Yuriko…the last of her priestesses.
"Before leaving for the Human World, I always went to my lilac tree. I'd sit under the fresh blooms and meditate; I'd focus my sight on my priestesses, to see if there was any danger approaching. A few times I was able to tell that something would happen in my absence, and I would remain in Human World instead. Raizen always understood, and I was able to save my priestesses or a member of their family. I did the same thing the morning that they died, and I saw nothing. Just their usual routine. I felt no danger, so I left."
"The attack wasn't planned." She knows the conversation isn't easy for Genkai, but it's a conversation that they should have had a long time ago.
"No, I don't think it was. I can only see what's planned. I think the demons were just passing through when they felt their strength and decided to attack them. Returning to find them dead…I lost myself for a bit. I tracked down the demons, all eight of them, and killed them. Slowly. Fed on them and made sure that their spirits would not move on."
"Is that why demons feed on humans? To consume their spirits?"
"For most demons, yes. You have to consume the human to consume their spirit; flesh, blood, and bone. The power of a human spirit…it's intoxicating. Demon spirits don't pack the same punch." She grinned as she said it, to flash her fangs, and Genkai hummed quietly.
"You ate them as punishment, for killing your priestesses."
"For killing my family," Reigan corrected. "I guarded Raizen's bloodline but didn't make contact, because I was afraid that watching them die generation after generation would drive me crazy. Yet, despite that, my priestesses became my family. I watched them grow, love, and die. Over and over. Still, I couldn't stop caring for them. I loved your mother and father, loved your sisters, and I love you too. Even if you're not one of my priestesses."
"I'm not so sure about that sometimes. I did make your nephew my apprentice." Genkai crossed her arms before looking over at her, and Reigan resisted the urge to reach out to her. She was there when Genkai was born, held her hands as she learned to walk, and told her bedtime stories.
"Fate's funny like that." Genkai knew that Atsuko's last name was Saito and that her maiden name was Higurashi, so she had no reason to believe that Yusuke Urameshi was Raizen's descendant. Reigan asked Genkai not to look after Atsuko once she was sealed away, and the psychic did as she asked. So she didn't know that Atsuko changed their names. Fate really does have a sense of humor.
"I forgave you a long time ago for what happened to them, Reigan. I want you to know that." Yeah, well, Reigan still blames herself. She'll never get the image of their lifeless bodies out of her mind, and she'll never tell Genkai that Sango had still been alive when she reached the temple. Fading fast but still breathing. Sango had used her last words to forgive her and to beg her to watch after her youngest daughter, and Reigan had roared when her heart stopped beating. Killing the demons that took away her priestesses had been easy, even with her weakened energy, because of her rage.
"You're talking like you're dying or something, Genkai."
"I'm not getting any younger."
"Forever, Kai, remember?"
"Humph, we'll see about that. Now go to bed before you pass out on my porch."
They walked into the temple together, and Reigan called out a quiet goodnight as they went their separate ways. The light was still on in her room, and she leaned against the doorway as she smiled at her nephew. Yusuke was stretched out on the small bed, with one arm and both feet hanging off the sides, and he was snoring quietly with his mouth wide open. It's almost like looking at Raizen again. The only difference is that Raizen snored louder. She grabbed another blanket out of the closet to cover him up with, and she stretched before lying down on the futon on the floor. Sleep does sound nice, and she'll wake up tomorrow. She will.
Ending Note: Family feels! Remember, one of the genres of this story is family, and family plays a giant role in this story. Also, I apparently like making my characters cry. I promise that there will be happy times soon. Now, as for demons eating humans for their spirit…I made that up. I was thinking about why Mukuro and Yomi wanted to eat humans so bad and why not eating made Raizen so weak, and that's what I came up with. The power doesn't come from the human, per se, but from the human's spirit. If there's any questions about that, I'd be happy to attempt to explain better!
For those of you who missed Hiei, he will be in the next chapter! He's going to be around quite a bit after this chapter actually, because this is a Hiei story. But, because I'm in a good mood, here's a small teaser from the beginning of the next chapter!
"I wasn't expecting you back so soon." Hiei let his eyes flick around the room before settling on Mukuro, who was sprawled back in her favorite cushioned chair. She's moved back to the palace since the end of the last Demon World tournament, but the palace is just as dark and drafty as the giant moving bug had been.
"I need information on someone." Mukuro was slowly chewing on a piece of fruit, so she just raised a brow at him. It was her way of telling him to continue. "Raizen's sister."
FireStorm1991: I feel like this wouldn't truly be a Hiei story if Hiei wasn't rude to start out with. Hiei and Kuwabara…they're still at odds, but they're not as hateful towards each other as they used to be. Still, writing for them has been a lot of fun so I hope readers like how I portrayed them. I just can't see Yusuke and Kuwabara hugging and crying over being long-lost family members, but I can see them fighting and laughing about it. (PS: I promise that I am going to reply to your message soon. Probably tomorrow.) Thank you for the review!
shirohara: Well, I write for myself, mostly. It's my story and my ideas, but I write for my readers too. Especially the ones that have stuck with me over the years. And I can easily just not write those scenes in extreme details if it makes someone uncomfortable. Haha, I've already got some Genkai scenes planned that I'm just dying to write. It's going to be pretty funny. Thank you for the review!
Nyxiana: You're reading the new story! I've missed you! (I still have your story bookmarked and get alerts when you update. You should yell at me to remind me to read and review; it's about the only way I get things done. lol.) I wouldn't call myself a mastermind, but I do love writing the feels. I'm so glad you've been enjoying the story! Yeah, I got the idea to write this story to make up for the mistakes in LWIYF. At least what I think the mistakes are. Like Hiei and Reigan interacting! It's been a lot of fun to write so far, so I'm happy that you're reading. Thank you for the review!
purple-pygmy-puff16: You're welcome! I didn't plan to update early last time, but I have really bad self-control. Seeing so many reviews, reading so much niceness, just made me want to update faster. So I did. Haha, I'm not that creative. Anger and paranoia because of love is an old cliché, and I'm not afraid to write the clichés. (I kind of prefer them actually.) Those scenes are probably going to be mixed, depending on the current mood of the story and my own personal mood. Thank you for the review!
silentworld11: By all means, keep writing your story in the reviews! Because I am loving it. I also agree that brown eyes are the best; I always wanted brown eyes growing up, but I wound up with hazel eyes that have a tendency to turn green. I can definitely see Genkai with someone like that though, especially after Toguro. Can I use your ideas to write a one shot for Genkai? Or just a quick little story? I'll give you credit and everything. Hiei was absent a lot during LWIYF, but he's going to be in this story a lot more. I just started work on Chapter 20, and writing Hiei is fun. He's more physical and sarcastic than the others, and that's always fun to write because I'm not a very sarcastic person usually. You're welcome for the early update, and I'll be looking forward to your storied review! Thank you for this review!
bubbles22293: I'm glad you like the post dates! I decided to put them up mostly to remind myself to update regularly, but I'm glad they're helping you too! I also hope you're liking the story? Thank you for the review!
exhia529: It's okay! I gave a date and then updated early without warning, so that's on me. Yeah, I didn't want that constant worry of Enma trying to kill them all. They need to be drama-free. (At least for a little while.) This is kind of like my twist on the whole soulmate thing. Now Rei and Hiei both know that they're supposed to have a future together, supposedly, but it's not love at first sight. I love the Jagan so much, you have no idea, so it'll pop up randomly. Hopefully this story will be as thrilling as LWIYF, or even more so! Some scenes make me a little weepy or sigh, but I'm a horribly emotional person and a little biased. Haha, and I don't think I'm allowed to get mad at you for promoting my work. Thank you for the review!
SakiHanajima1: I think I'm pretty good at making things up on the spot. I had a lot of practice during LWIYF. Shikaku is going to show up a little here and there, but she plays a really big role in the story later on. Much later on. (This story might wind up being pretty long. I'm working on Chapter 20, and I think that might be the halfway mark. Possibly.) More Hiei is coming up though, and that's going to be fun. I'll let you know if I get enough time to watch Assassination Classroom, because it looks very…interesting. As for Genkai, you'll have to wait and see! Thank you for the review!
