Word Count: 5170

Chapter 10: Highs and Lows

1939

"Raizen?" I whispered. He was sitting on his throne, which was where he mostly stayed now. His power had decreased over the years, but it was a shock to realize just how much. Raizen was once the strongest of all the demon kings, but now he was nearly on a level-playing field. And his stomach…The growls of hunger had become a way for demons from all over the Demon World to mark time.

"Yes, sister?" he asked. I walked over to his throne and sat down on the arm. He moved to wrap an arm around my waist, and I rested some of my weight against him.

"I'm going to go away for a little while," I said.

"Away? Has Yoko finally come for you then?" he asked. Kurama hadn't come for me, and I hadn't seen Kuronue or Yomi either. It had been thirty years since I'd seen those three particular demons.

"No. I just need to get away for a little while. You understand, right, brother?" I asked.

"You miss the Human World and want to get your mind off of it, correct?"

"Right as always," I said with a smile. Raizen pulled me closer to his body until I was situated in his lap. I wrapped my arms around his shrinking body and buried my face in his neck.

"Go, Ray, and don't worry about me. I won't die just yet," he whispered.

"I'll miss you," I said and nuzzled closer to him.

"And I will miss you," he whispered.

"I'll be back soon, I promise," I said and slowly pulled away from him. I gently kissed his cheek and got off of his lap. He gave me a small smile, and I blew him a kiss before turning to leave. Tiger met me outside, and we turned away from the palace.

"Where will we go, my lady?" Tiger asked.

"I'm not sure. We're going to…wander for a while, I suppose," I said with a shrug.

A few months later we were in some random town where no one knew us, and it was great. I was so tired of being called on…If one more person challenged me I was going to go insane! In all honesty, I didn't like fighting. Well, that wasn't the complete truth. I enjoyed a good fight, and I didn't mind killing. Some things just had to be done, and I accepted that a long time ago. But I was four hundred and sixty-nine years old now…I deserved some peace and quiet. And I missed my home…I missed the Human World more than I could say. I missed being human. The only time I ever changed into my human form was if I had serious injuries, but I never got to stay human. I had to switch back immediately, because it wasn't safe. Oh, how I missed feeling my heart beat…

"Get offa me!" a voice yelled. It was a young voice, the voice of a child. I knew I shouldn't, but I stopped walking anyway. Tiger had been asleep in our room, and I had snuck out to go for a midnight stroll.

"Hold 'im down!" a different, deeper voice yelled. I could hear the fleshy sounds of a fight, and I slowly walked into the alleyway. My energy was completely concealed, so the demons never heard my approach. Two fairly large demons were holding down a much smaller, and younger, demon down while a third was hitting him repeatedly.

"Is there a problem here, gentleman?" I asked. The three larger demons looked at me, and the one who had been doing the hitting laughed.

"This is no concern of yours, wench! Now run along before I decide you look tastier than this excuse of a male," the demon growled.

"What has he done to deserve this?" I asked. I heard the demon's deep rumble, but I wasn't afraid. These demons were only upper D-Class. I could defeat them all with a flick of my wrist.

"I don't like the way he looks," the demon said.

"Hmm, wrong answer," I whispered.

"I've had enough of your mouth, wench!" he yelled before running towards me. I waited until he raised his arm to hit me, and my energy incinerated him on the spot. The other two demons exchanged a glance before running off, and the demon they had been beating fell to the ground in a heap.

He was small; his ribs were easy to see and he didn't look very tall. He was only wearing a pair of dirty brown shorts, and I felt my throat constrict at the sight of him. He was so young…he hadn't even matured yet. He had the scent of a seishinryoku demon…very ancient demons…very rare. Their spirit energy was usually much stronger than their demon energies. He couldn't be any older than seventeen or so, and it would be a few more years before he reached maturity. Maturity for demons is very important; it's when they come into their power and most start hunting for a mate. That's why the D-Class demons had been able to attack him; he hadn't reached his peak yet. And if he was a Spirit Demon, he would be weak until maturity.

"Can you hear me?" I asked and lightly touched his shoulder. His long blue hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but a few strands were stuck to his sunken in cheek. His eyes flipped open at my words, and a pair of beautiful cobalt blue eyes stared up at me.

"Get…away…from me," he groaned and tried to roll away. I reached out to grab his shoulder and held him in place.

"Wait! I'm not gonna hurt you. I want to help you, I promise. Where are your parents?" I asked. The boy winced at my words and clenched his eyes shut.

"No parents. It's jus' me," he whispered.

"What's your name?"

"Chu…my name is Chu."

"Well, Chu, I'm going to take care of you so don't you worry. Now, how about we find you a comfy place to sleep?" The boy groaned, but I don't think he was disagreeing. I reached down to pick him up, and I threw one of his arms around my shoulders before wrapping my arms around his waist. We walked down the mostly deserted streets, and I helped him up the stairs of the building where Tiger and I were currently staying. Our small living area had two separate bedrooms, and I carried Chu into mine.

"Where have you been?" I quickly straightened and turned to smile at Tiger. He was standing in the doorway, and his eyes widened when he saw the boy laying on the bed behind me.

"I found him in the streets getting beat by three worthless demons. He's a Spirit Demon, Ti, I can smell it. But he hasn't reached maturity yet, and he doesn't have any parents. I couldn't just leave him like that," I explained quickly.

"You have a thing for saving unfortunate demons, don't you?" Tiger whispered. His eyes were soft and slightly sad, and I felt myself blush. It seems as if the past does repeat itself. I had saved Tiger and taken him in, and now I was doing the same thing for this strange boy.

"I just know a good person when I see them," I replied. I walked over to Tiger and wrapped my arms around his waist. He easily wrapped his arms around me and dropped his chin to the top of my head.

"Would you like to remain here, or should we take him back to the palace?" Tiger asked.

"I think the palace will be better and safer for him."

"Then we'll leave as soon as he wakes up and is able to travel."

"Sounds good to me. Now, let's go get some sleep, Ti." Tiger pulled me into his room, and I fell asleep much easier this time.

.xXx.

"Come on, Chu! You worked hard today. You deserve to have a drink," I said as I pulled Chu over to the bar. The bar being a random stand out in the middle of the men's quarters. There was no bartender; everyone had to serve themselves. Chu and I were the only ones here at the moment though.

"Really, Ray, I don't think—"

"Thinking is your downfall! Now, take a sip of this," I said and pushed a drink into his hands. He tentatively sipped at the drink, and his whole face lit up a second later. The drink was gone in one shot, and I poured him another glass before making one of my own.

Chu had been with us for six months now, and I honestly loved the guy. He had a bit of an Australian accent that never failed to win me over (seriously, the guy could get away with anything as far as I was concerned), and the rest of the men loved him. Raizen had said something about me bringing home strays, but I knew that my brother respected the demon. Even though Chu wouldn't be able to do much until he reached maturity, he constantly trained. He was well fed now too, so his body had filled out and gained a little muscle tone. The poor guy has never had a drink though, and that's just unheard of here in Tourin!

"Ya know, I think I like this stuff," Chu said as he finished off the glass.

"I tried to tell you. Now you can join the next big celebration," I said with a wink.

A few of the men joined us, and I smiled as I watched Chu interact with them. The men respected him for not giving up, and I think Chu respected them because they respected him. It was one big respect circle here. Tiger joined us eventually, but he never drunk as much as most of the men did. He was currently sitting on a stool behind me and letting me rest my back against his front.

"Can you feel that, my lady?" Tiger whispered.

"Feel what?" I asked without opening my eyes.

"Look at your Spirit Demon." I used Tiger's thighs to push me up a little, and I looked through the men at Chu. A swirling purple aura surrounded him, and it seemed to get stronger after every shot. Alcohol…it combined with his spirit energy…Oh, he would make a wonderful warrior once he reached maturity.

"Amazing," I whispered.

"Yes, he will be quite interesting to watch."

"Yes, quite. Now, I'm off for a walk," I said and slipped off the stool.

"Do you need to me to come with you?"

"No, I'll be fine and I won't go far. Watch after Chu for me, yeah?" I waited for Tiger to nod his head, and I was running moments later. I didn't stop until I reached the highest plateau; the one where Raizen had defeated King Zuri. It was a wonderful place to sit, and I could see all of Tourin.

Oh, how the years had flown by. I had changed so much from the weak human who had fallen from the sky; I was powerful beyond belief, and I had seen so much. The battles took their toll on me, but I knew I was the same murderer I had always been. I didn't feel any remorse from killing; I just grew tired of it all. I had a wonderful guard who was always by my side, and there were so many people that I cared for.

Kurama…I missed him so much. Blood of my blood, it killed me to be away from him for so long. I missed Kuronue's teasing smiles and falling asleep in Yomi's arms. I smiled when I thought of the two Shinobis who had guarded me for a few decades, and I briefly wondered about how "Lord" Mukuro was doing. And now I had Chu, someone else to care for.

And Raizen…brother mine. He was slowly wasting away, and I was going to miss him when he was gone. I had a fear that he wouldn't live to see the next century, and the thought tore at my heart. How would I survive without my brother? Then there was the Human World…my longing for it was a constant pain in my barely beating heart. I missed the smells of home. I loved the Demon World in all of its violence and raw beauty, but I missed my home. How long would I have to wait before returning home?

"Ray." The soft voice caused me to jump to my feet and spin around, and my jaw dropped at what I saw. I felt my eyes widen at the sight, and I had to swallow a few times before I could speak.

"Koenma, sir?" I whispered.

"Who else would I be?"

"What happened to you?" I asked and reached a hand out towards him. The Koenma I had first met was five-eleven and looked like a teenage male. The Koenma standing in front of me now looked like a toddler. He still had the same brown hair and golden brown eyes, but he looked only a few years old.

"My father decided this would be a fitting punishment," Koenma said.

"A fitting punishment for what?" I asked. I sunk to my knees before him, so we were nearly eye-to-eye.

"Did you think I could let you escape without any consequences?"

"Let me…escape?"

"My father wanted you dead, and I let you escape back into the Demon World. You were never supposed to live past your original human life, but I knew I could trust you when you agreed to the restriction bands," Koenma said. His energy felt horribly suppressed, so I knew the toddler form was more than just about appearances.

"Oh, Koenma, sir…you should have just let him kill me," I whispered. It was his turn to have wide eyes as he stared at me.

"How can you say such a thing?" he yelled.

"I'm no better than any other demon, and I wasn't a very good human either. I'm a murderer, and I've done things that I'm sure Spirit World will condemn me for eventually," I said with a small smile. I had accepted my fate centuries ago, and that acceptance would never change.

"Your heart is pure," Koenma said quietly.

"If you say so, sir. Now, what brings you here to the Demon World? Aren't ya scared that some big bad demon will come along and eat you?" I said with a wide smile. Koenma glared at me and stuffed his hands in his sleeves.

"Fine. I guess you don't want to go back to the Living World," he said with his nose in the air. My entire body froze at his words, and I felt my skin heat and tighten.

"I can…go back? When?" I asked quickly. Koenma moved his head back and looked at me.

"You can return today, but there are some rules."

"I'll do whatever you want, as long as I get to return." And I meant it. I'd do anything he asked of me.

"It's taken my father centuries to agree to this, and these are the terms we finally agreed upon. You are to remain in your human form at all times. You are completely prohibited from turning into any of your demon forms."

"Okay, that's easy enough. I've missed my human form."

"The most important rule will be the hardest to follow. You are not allowed to fight."

"At all?" To go without fighting…I didn't particularly like fighting, but I couldn't imagine going without it.

"At all. If you fight in self-defense, you'll be banned for five years. If you attack anyone for any other reason, you'll be banned for at least ten years. If you use any demon energy while fighting, the ban can be expanded or permanent. Do you understand?" Koenma asked. It was a lot to ask of a demon, especially one that had been fighting nonstop for over four centuries. To not even fight in self-defense…

"Can I at least use my energy to block unwanted attacks?"

"Yes, blocking is allowed, but that is all."

"Fine. I accept."

"Don't you want time to think it over?"

"My answer will be the same. I need to return home, Koenma. You can't know how much I've missed it," I whispered.

"Do you need to say goodbye, or…?"

"Yes, I'll need to go say goodbye. What will I do for money? I don't suppose my possessions here would be any good."

"We will provide with you anything that you need once you get there," Koenma said.

"Great! Give me an hour or so and then meet me back here, okay? Oh! Can you do me a favor?"

"Yes?"

"I'd like some different clothes. Blacks pants, shoes, a black turtleneck sweater, and some underclothes would be nice. I guess I'll have to leave my weapons here?"

"It would be wiser to leave them."

"Right. I'll have to stay in demon form until I cross-over. It's not safe for humans here."

"I understand. Now, go say your goodbyes, and I'll meet you here in an hour," Koenma said.

"Yes, sir!" I said and saluted the small deity. Koenma disappeared inside of a portal, and I sighed after he was gone. This was not going to be easy…

.xXx.

"Leaving?"

"Alone?"

"To the Human World?"

I looked at the occupants in the room and gently massaged my temples. Raizen looked worried, Tiger looked confused, Chu looked lost, and Hokushin was the only one who had not spoken. I ran a hand through my hair, which was down for once, and sighed. I turned to Chu, the one who I had spent the least amount of time with, and explained.

"I'm a half-demon, Chu. I was originally in the Human World, and I consider it my home. I haven't been there in over four hundred years, and I miss it more than I could ever explain. I'm finally being allowed to return, and it's an opportunity I can't pass up."

"How long will you be gone?" Raizen asked.

"And why can't I go with you?" Tiger added.

"I'm not sure. Koenma didn't give a specific length of time. I guess just until I break one of the rules, so I'll probably be back pretty soon. And I'm going alone because…well, it's just something that I need to do alone. Your home is here, Tiger, and I don't need protecting in the Human World. Nothing can harm me there," I said.

"I still don't like this," Tiger mumbled. I hated to leave him…it would be the first time I had left him in centuries. We had never been apart, not since I first saved him.

"My weapons will have to remain here, since I'm not allowed to fight," I said and unstrapped my precious sword.

"It will stay here with me," Raizen said. I handed the sword to Hokushin, and he put it inside a small chest in the corner of the room. I went to Chu first and smiled up at the boy. He was only a few inches taller than me now, but I knew he'd hit a growth spurt once he matured.

"I'm gonna miss ya, Ray," Chu said.

"I'm going to miss you too, but I want you to stay here until you mature, okay? Tiger, Hokushin, and Raizen will take care of you and make sure you get all of the necessary training. If you're gone by the time I get back, I'll understand. I know you'll have to leave and do your own thing, but I know that this will not be the last time we see each other. I can't wait to see the man you'll become," I said with a wide smile.

"Just you wait. I'll get stronger and take ya on for real. Now how's about a hug before you go running off to play nice with the humans?" Chu asked and opened his arms. I happily went into his thin yet muscled arms, and I tucked my head under his chin. After a few seconds, Chu's arms tightened around me and I looked up at him. His hands moved from my waist to cup the sides of my face, and I felt my eyes widen.

"Chu, what are you—" Chu's warm lips cut off all my words, and I felt my body freeze as he kissed me. Yes, I had been kissed, but never like this… I moved my lips under his and tightened my fingers around his biceps. Against my better judgment, I let him trace the seam of my lips with his tongue before finally allowing him inside. Our tongues danced lazily together, and I leaned into his slightly muscular body. Chu pulled back a minute later and grinned down at me.

"Sorry, Ray. I couldn't let you leave without doing that first," Chu whispered. I smiled up at him and leaned on my toes to give him another quick kiss.

"Understood. Feel proud, Chu. You're the first to ever kiss the Lady Wolf."

"Get out! I'm your first kiss?"

"The first real one. I don't think I could have had a better first."

"Same here, love," he said and winked at me. I gave Chu one last smile and then walked over to Tiger. He still looked a little upset, and I stepped forward to hug him.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Ti," I whispered.

"I'll miss you too, my lady. I'll be here, awaiting your return," Tiger replied. I kept my arms around him as I looked up into his eyes, and he tucked a strand of hair behind my ears before giving the furry appendage a small stroke.

"I know you will, Ti. Take care of them for me, okay? Train Chu, lead the men, and take care of yourself too. It won't be home if you're not here," I said.

"I'll be here, my lady."

"I love you, Ti." I tightened my arms around his waist, and he returned the embrace.

"I love you too, my lady," Tiger whispered. He released me, and I moved over to Hokushin. Hokushin and I were not as close as some of the others, but we understood and respected one another. Besides Raizen, he was the only other S-Class demon in Tourin. Tiger was an upper A-Class, but he hadn't reached the S-Class level yet.

"Take care of him for me, okay, Hokushin?" I whispered. Hokushin was unfailingly loyal, and I knew that he would do anything for his king.

"Of course, my lady. Just remember to come back to us," Hokushin said with a small bow of his head.

"Always." I stepped forward to give him a hug, and Hokushin readily accepted the embrace. When he released me, I walked over and sat in Raizen's lap. I heard the others leave the room as he wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his neck.

"I know how much you miss the Human World, so I will not ask you to stay," Raizen said.

"Thank you, brother. I don't want to leave you, but…"

"It is your home and you miss it. I understand, Ray. I'm a big boy now; I can take care of myself," Raizen said. I pulled back to look at him, and I returned his smile.

"If anything happens, promise that you'll send Hokushin after me?" I asked.

"Yes. He will be at your side in an instant. I have many years left, Ray. Go and enjoy the Human World while you can. Get some good stories for me while you're gone," he said.

"I'll bring back the best, and I'll even look for the most gruesome ones. I know how much you like those," I said.

"You should go now, Ray. Koenma will not wait forever."

"I know. I just hate leaving you." I rested my forehead against his, and Raizen gently combed his claws through my hair.

"We both knew this day would come," he whispered.

"Goodbye, brother mine."

"Goodbye, sister mine." I slowly kissed both of his cheeks, and I didn't bother with going down the stairs. I knew the others were waiting just outside, and I couldn't handle another goodbye. I turned to walk out onto the balcony and jumped. I was running as soon as my feet hit the ground, and I didn't stop until I was back at Raizen's plateau, as I called it.

"Took you long enough," Koenma mumbled.

"Saying goodbye is never easy," I said. Koenma snorted as he tossed a bag to me, and I easily caught it in my arms.

"I have arranged for you stay with a friend of mine. The clothes you requested are in the bag, and my friend will see to all of your financial needs. Should you need anything, just call. I'm afraid you will have to be under constant surveillance," Koenma said quickly.

"I think I got all of that," I said and rubbed the back of my neck. Everything was happening so fast that it felt like my head was spinning.

"Remember to withdraw your demon energy as soon as you are through the portal. I'm sorry we couldn't speak longer," Koenma said.

"Don't worry about it, sir. But thank you, for helping me return home." Koenma's eyes softened at my words, and he smiled up at me.

"It's been my pleasure, Ray," he whispered. A portal opened beside us, and I threw the bag over my shoulder. I was going home…

"See you later, sir!" I yelled and jumped through. The trip was quick, but I still felt a bit dizzy after stepping through. I heard someone clear their throat, and I lightly shook my head.

"So, you're the demon friend?" a soft voice asked.

"You're Koenma's friend?" I asked as the room came into focus. Two pairs of eyes were staring at me, and I smiled at both of them.

The man was extremely tall, especially for a human. He had to stand at six-seven, and his tall form was leanly muscled. His dark hair was cut short, and a pair of calculating eyes stared at me. The woman was much shorter; she was even shorter than me. She couldn't have been over four-nine, but I knew better than to judge someone by their size. The way she held herself told me that she was a fighter, and I could see the strength in her honey brown eyes. Long pink hair reached her waist and was twisted back in a braid.

"My name is Genkai, and this is my partner, Toguro," the woman said.

"Partner? So, what do the two of you do?" I asked.

"We kill demons," the man, Toguro, said. His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, and not in a good way.

"Ah, I see. I guess now would be the best time to change then, huh?" I asked. I pulled my demon energy in and sighed as it seemed to disappear. Only the light blue of my spirit energy was left, and I felt the steady thumping of my heart.

"So, you're a half-breed?" the man asked.

"Quiet, Toguro. Come with me," the woman said. The man made a noise deep in his throat, and I moved to follow the woman. I followed her deeper into the small…house? I wasn't really sure since I had only seen one room. It looked like a traditional Japanese home with wooden floors and walls, and Genkai opened a sliding screen door.

"So, is this your house?" I asked.

"Yes, and this will be your room. I'll give you a few minutes to get settled. We were just getting ready to eat when Koenma arrived, but we decided to wait for you," she said.

"Oh, thank you! I'll just get dressed and then be ready," I said. She nodded her head once and closed the door behind me. I quickly pulled off my clothes and looked at the ones Koenma had brought me. A simple pair of bra and panties, two things I had gone without in the Demon World. Black slacks and a black turtleneck sweater; socks and a pair of black shoes. Yes, they were perfect.

I had just ran a brush through my hair when someone knocked on the door. Genkai stepped in after I answered, and she looked me over. I'm sure I looked a lot different now, especially with the clothes and my hair covering all the scars. I smiled over at her and tossed the brush on the bed.

"So, what's for dinner?" I asked.

"It's breakfast," Genkai said.

"Breakfast? It didn't feel like morning when I left…" Then again, maybe time didn't work exactly the same. Or, the more logical, Chu and I had spent too many hours sparring and had decided to take a break just before morning. It was easy to lose track of time sometimes…

"Yes, breakfast. After we finish eating, I will take you into town so you can buy whatever you need. We can't take too long though. I have to have time to train."

"Train? For what?"

"I'm competing in the Dark Tournament in a little over four months."

"Dark Tournament? What's that?"

"It's a tournament where teams of demons, or humans, compete for an ultimate prize," Toguro said. He was sitting on the floor in front of a table, and I plopped down at the opposite end. Genkai sat next to me, opposite Toguro.

"What's the prize?" I asked.

"Whatever the winners want," Toguro answered. It sounded like a dangerous prize to me, but I guess it was really good motivation.

"Can I watch?" I asked. If I couldn't fight, I could at least watch others.

"We'll see," Genkai said quietly. I nodded my head at her words and turned to my food.

The meal was ate in silence, and Genkai hurried me out after we finished. She said she wanted to come back to train as soon as possible, so I ran after her. Shopping didn't take long because I didn't honestly need much, and I was allowed to watch the two train when we returned. I wasn't allowed to fight, but who said that fighting was all about participation? I thought it was a nice change to be a spectator for once. And no one knew me here, so there wouldn't be any more challenges.

Genkai and Toguro, whom I'm starting to realize are in some kind of a relationship, lived on the outskirts of a city. The forest wasn't much to brag about, but they definitely had their privacy. And watching them fight…wow. I was seated on top of a large boulder as they clashed again and again, and my eyes were glued to the sight. They were both extremely powerful psychics, that much was obvious, and I could have watched them fight for hours.

Oh yes, my time here in the Human World was going to be amazing...

Ending Note: And there's Chapter 10! There should be a lot of familiar faces in this chapter. I know this one was rushed, but that's how I wanted it. Ray's only thinking about her past, so it makes sense to me that some parts would be rushed through.

PS: Chu is, by far, one of my favorite YYH characters. Could you tell? Anywho, writing accents is really hard...so if I mess up, let me know and tell me how to make them better!