Synopsis:
She was happiness. She was joy. A charming little girl with who would always see the positive side of things and try to find the good in people's heart. . . That girl was me, at some point. An innocent soul with a pure heart along with the mindset where everyone would get their happily ever after, prince charming and everything like in most fairy tales. . .
But this story is not one of those.
There is no prince charming or a knight in shining armour, but I can guarantee you that there will be dragons with flames, demons from many kinds, creatures from legends, and battles like no other.
But the greatest fight of all is. . . The conflict within the heart with weapons that many know as. . .
Emotions. . .
I am Miyuki Urameshi. The girl who lost her spark, but ended up coming back as the whole damn fire.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or the show's characters, only my OCs. One OC, however, belongs to a friend of mine ( _b.b.e_art_ on Instagram.)
️Warning: There will be cursing, violence, blood and other stuff that you might not like. So read it with your own responsibility. ️
To say the least, this was something that was totally unexpected. I mean sure I already had the feeling this kind of training are not made for the faint of heart, but boy, I didn't expect these teaching methods to be that extreme.
If I don't know any better, they want us to be dead for sure.
However, I had to bit my tongue along with the dust that I would hit every time Master Yara would knock me off of my stance when I was trying to find my balance in the middle of the lake with nothing to stand on but a long thin bamboo tree culm, while wearing ballet shoes. The pointe type that forces you to be on your toes all the time.
Anyways, Yara's shoving ended up with me getting into the water again. I shot up to the surface fast and held onto the that long bamboo stick, too exhausted to use my arms to keep myself up.
"There are some improvements in your stance, but if you don't stand your ground, you will sure end up dead." The blind old lady shouted at me. "Again!" I am not even gonna question how she is able to see my development from afar, but I just let it go and continued on with the training.
"YOU ARE BLIND! HOW COME YOU CAN SEE IT-!?" My brother on the other hand was really pissed off and voice my thoughts to the maximum volume only to end up being smacked by the said master's water whip.
"Oh, quit being a little bitch and get up! We have work to do." Genkai spoke who just got there to watch our suffering.
Thankfully, things ended shortly for the day and we all get to have our moment to breathe.
After dinner I went to take a bath with Ruby's help since I needed someone to change bandages. Even though I still felt a little weirded out by being close to new people, still Ruby was kind of a different case and for once I allowed her in, but I did my best not to get attached to her.
I didn't want to end up hurting her just like last time I hurt him . . .
Anyways after all that, I went to the room where the snakes were and the needle bed, since it was my turn for this day to sleep there. However, as soon as I managed to close my eye. . .
Here it is again.
The same dream that had been chasing my mind for two whole years.
Starting with me waking up in the middle of a beautiful green forest again, surrounded by many magnificent plants and colorful flowers like usual. The full-moon shining brightly above my head as its gentle ray of light helped me see most of the time.
Still, I don't know why am I here. I looked at my surroundings, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was a quiet and peaceful night. The gentle breeze soothingly orders the grass and leaves to dance around its lead while animals like owls and crickets song played along with the night's magical music. The moon above my head shining with its glory in the middle of the high woods that surrounded me.
However, that peaceful silence was cut short once I see that blur of something black flashing from one tree branch to another. The person in black again. Of course, I began to follow it. I don't see the point int this, but after many nights of this same dream, I still want my answers.
What's that thing that is jumping and running away anyway, and why is it in such a hurry?
Now being conscious enough in my dream world I began to catch up to the figure. After many jumps and sprints, it was gone. Again. Although, I also found myself in another magical natural beauty that I had never seen before. A crystal-clear lake in the middle of it all with a bridge that was above it. On one end, where a figure in white was, they had the beautiful green-leaved trees while on the other end of the bridge, it had pretty cherry blossom, Sakura trees.
What's going on here?
I hid behind a tree that was close enough to the bridge. In silence I watched someone standing in the middle of the bridge. I did not recognize that person, yet just like that other figure from before, they were giving some kind of aura that felt. . . familiar. . . ?
I squish my eyes for a better look. It was a young woman. Long hair straight as the wire, but with a colour that reminds me of the orange flames. A headband circling her head while holding up a red mask that matched the colour of her fighting attire while covering the right-half of her face. As for her clothing, there was a black long sleeve covering her right arm while the other half had a short red one. The left-arm was completely exposed while the right side was all covered with a glove. Like she was hiding something from the world.
Who is this woman?
Before I can question it further, I hear heavy footsteps walk past me. My heart stopped functioning for a hot second as soon as I saw the white hooded figure, I had met in last night's dream visit.
I still had no opening for his hidden features. I couldn't see more of that person besides that sapphire embroider that is decorating the left shoulder area, still. However, now that I am able to see the symbol of it clearly. From the angle I was at, it looked like a bird- no. . . It looked like flames shaping the silhouette of a phoenix.
I watch as the stranger made their way up onto the bridge to meet with that other person in red and black fighting attire. I rub my eyes a little for a clearer vision, but I held my breath as I looked at the two figures intensely.
Who are these people anyway?
"My beloved. . ." Spoke the figure in the white cloak. His voice was a little deep, yet soothing and warm like the sun. The woman softly gasped as she turned to the source of the voice.
"Akio. . . ?" The woman breathed as she hesitantly took a few steps closer. By her left eye, she looked speechless and shocked by the appearance of the young adult man. "Akio. . . " The name ran through her tongue again. Her left hand reaching up to the person's face carefully. . . . No, she pulled the white hood down. I feel my eyes open wider than the dinner plates. Short white hair, that matched his hood, with equally, almost matching pale skin as well. I also noticed the blue scarf-mask that probably covered his nose and mouth.
"Please my love. Forgive me. . ." The young-man, Akio said gravely as he brought up his right hand up and place it gently onto the woman's hand. "I am so sorry for leaving you like this. . .Broken and full of pain. . . You don't deserve any of this. You deserve something better. . . Maybe even someone better than myself. . . " Even though Akio sounded so calm and collected, the pain is still there. . . I feel myself soften up as I continued on watching the scene. . .
"Akio. . . " Called the young woman softly. "You're not the one to blame here. . . " Her voice was so gentle, like a sweet melody of the wind.
"But it doesn't change the fact that you suffered so much. . ." The white-haired young man said as he grasped onto both his lover's hands. "I wasn't there when you needed me the most. . . If only I had listened to you in the first place I wouldn't be gone and you wouldn't have to carry that burden any longer. I am truly sorry Mukuro. . ." He sounded so sincere, genuine, and just as broken. . . as I am. . .
Like me and Sanyu, back in those days when I would visit him at the hospital. . . But after his death. . . Part of me died down along with him. My flame. Leaving me with nothing more than a painful memory that haunts me and a heart that is not only conflicted about the future but also broken like a cheap vase. . . cursed to be unloved. . . .
With a sad sigh leaving through my lips, I turned away from the couple, not wanting to cause trouble by stalking them, nor crack my already broken heart even more by the two, who are pulling out the memories that left a huge scar on me.
As I turned my body to the forest's direction I was suddenly standing, face to face with. . . Akio. . .
I looked around my scenery and saw now I was the one on the bridge, but that mysterious Mukuro was nowhere to be found. How did I even get here?
"There is no need to be frightened little one. I have no intention to cause harm or any of that sort. . ." The white-haired gentleman reassured me, making me look back at him. A mask as I mentioned earlier covering his nose and mouth, but what really got my attention was his eyes. They are as bright and blue as the sapphire, and like that, they were also unfathomable. Around his right eye area, there was a tattoo, shaped as flaming wing silhouettes in a sky-blue colour, something that looked almost like the embroider on his cloak. "It's good to finally meet you face to face, Miyuki Urameshi."
I shook my head slightly, snapping myself out of my trance before I say anything.
"You are not the one I had seen in my dreams. . . ." I stated in a calm and hesitant voice. " What's all of this? And who are you exactly?" I hear the young man sigh a little.
"The name is Akio Aikawa." He started as he stared deeply with those piercing blue eyes, that were flaming with so much energy while many mixed emotions reflected through them. "But a few know me as a Shinobi, a fire bender. . . But most of them had heard of me as the Phoenix of Light." My heart dropped at that.
"The Phoenix of Light?" I asked as I remember about my favourite story, I had read in the book that Shuichi had given me on my 11th birthday. "As in the legend?"
"Indeed, young maiden." Replied in an impassive voice.
"But what does this have to do with all of this?" I asked as I gestured toward the area around us. "What does this have to do with me?" I then pointed at myself as my gaze was still captured by the white-haired warrior looking guy's eyes.
" I am also a vision of your past life who had died over thousands of years ago. " Replied Akio making me froze on the spot. My muscles went stiff as a board while my heart almost stopped functioning. "You see, after my sudden death with my body brutally destroyed, the flame within my soul somehow managed to get into your world and reborn into your body."
" So, like reincarnation. . . " I concluded out loud, earning a small nod from the Phoenix warrior.
"I know it must be shocking to you, but it's true. You became the one who was worthy enough to carry on with the Flame of Light." The young adult with snow-white hair, and sky-blue eyes continued on.
"How. . . ?" My question came out shakily. I was speechless and I didn't know what to think about it. This sounds like a really big deal, but then again, is this real or just my mind making things up.
"You are not losing your mind I can assure you that little one." Said Akio as he placed a hand on top of my head and began to ruffle it like Yusuke would, making me look at the young gentleman questioningly but also with wonder filling my heart along with. . . Warmth. . . . "As for your question, the reason why I didn't showed up earlier in life is because a part of your soul, our soul had been asleep for a long time, until recently that accident with the fire hit your left shoulder. You see, when I first got this chance to take the Phoenix powers, it marked me on that same area. The fire had awakened the Phoenix side of yours, but I must warn you, this kind of power can be really harmful if there's no proper training or a stable control."
"I. . . I see. . ." I replied with a weak nod as my hand went up to the said shoulder which was covered by bandages still. "So, I have inherited almost everything from you? Including your powers?" I stupidly asked, because it was all so overwhelming.
"Indeed, young maiden, including some fragments of my fighting skills and memories that I had created in my past life." Akio replied with a small nod of his head. "The ones you used when that boy was in danger."
"What?" I asked him in a daze. Fighting skills and memories? When he said the last part, I knew instantly that he was talking about the situation where I saved Kuwabara from the thugs. So that's how I knew how to fight. . .
But this is. . . it doesn't make sense. . .
"You will learn everything soon enough, but sadly I have to go right now." Said Jack-Frost guy before pulling his hand away. "The only thing I can tell you is that your flame will rise once the time is right. Until our next meet, please be patient, alright?" He then held out his left hand toward me. I regained my composure and nodded before reaching for his hand with my right one for a shake. Unexpectedly the dream did not end there. Instead, he grabbed onto my right wrist making me grasp onto his as well in reflex. Then I felt the warm sensation enveloping my wrist. A burning one in fact. The pain forced me to cry out in pain and fell onto my knees. I shut my eyes close as my fingers grasped onto that hand as if my life depends on it.
The burning stopped as soon as it came, making me open my eyes, and gasp in surprise. The hand that is holding me was different and when I trailed up to its owner, I saw. . .
"Hiei?" I breathed out flabbergasted as I look deeply into his ruby-red orbs. When he made eye contact with me, his facial expression reflected my own like a mirror. Immediately we let go of each other and I look at my wrist to see what had happened. There was a tattoo on it. One half of the Ying-yang. I had the yang with a black dragon inside of that shape. I looked back at the demon boy before me, but for some reason, sudden fear began to took over me as I saw his frame fade into dust. "Wait!" I called out as my hands reached for him, but it was too late. He was gone.
What is going on here?
Why was Hiei here? Him out of all people? And what happened to my wrist? What does this tattoo mean?
Before I can even question it any further the solid ground underneath my feet disappeared, making me fall into oblivion.
In an instant, I shot up from the bed as the cold sweat covered my forehead. I looked around myself. I was still in Genkai's special room again.
"OUCH!" I wince as I looked at my hand to see a small drop of blood coming out of my palm.
Oh yes, the bed is made out of needless while I am also accompanied by the snakes for the night.
"Damn it." I curse as I carefully lay back down with the spirit energy that protected me from these ugly things. I need to inform Master Genkai and Master Yara right in the morning about this dream. When I explained it at first hand to the both of them, they told me this might be a sign of something. I didn't really believe it of course, . . . not until now. I looked at the wrist where my tattoo is supposed to be, check if it was really there.
It was. . . How is this even possible?
I shook my head gently before closing my eyes once more. I'll think about this in the morning, for now, I need to rest while train hard.
"What did they say?" Ruby asked as she helped the exhausted apprentice out of the bathtub that was filled mostly with ice than water.
"They told me not to worry and everything will be fine as long as I keep training right." The Urameshi girl told her right before wincing at that small amount of pain that still remained within her sore muscles.
"And what about that shoulder of your?" The water bender friend asked curiously as she brought new and fresh bandages since the ones Miyuki is using had been all washed up in the dirt that she had got from the brutal training she and her brother went through together, both from the Famous Psychic and the Legendary Elemental Master.
"It needs to be sealed." Replied Miyuki as she pulled out her kunai knife and cut the bandage off of herself. "It will have to do for a while since Genkai warned me about the danger if it's exposed. Not to mention how deadly it can be for me or others if I ever lose control over it."
"Understandable." The other teen girl nodded in agreement before wrapping the bandages around Miyuki's chest and shoulder area. "And that mark on your wrist?" She asked curiously.
"I didn't ask." Miyuki replied truthfully.
"I see." Ruby nodded her head as her dark- chocolate-brown orbs couldn't help but look at the blank expression that she would always see on her newfound friend and training partner's face. Something that concerns her from time to time.
"You should smile more." Ruby suddenly blurted out, earning Miyuki's questioning eyes.
"I beg your pardon?" The black-haired girl asked, clearly puzzled by the sudden advice.
"Sorry, it's just. . . " Ruby trailed off as she nervously bit into the bottom of her lip. "I had never seen you actually smile during these past months. I mean for someone as nice as you are you always look so moody like Master Yara when she is cranky in the morning."
"Hn." Miyuki as usual, just hummed and looked away with a poker face. "I don't find things that are worth to smile. . . " She replied softly as her gaze lowered down to her lap. "Not after he left. . . " At that sentence, Ruby's eyes softened up as she looked at Miyuki with sympathy.
"Who is 'he'?" Ruby asked carefully, not wanting to drive her new friend away or piss her off in any way because looking at Yusuke, she knew bad things always happen when he is pissed off. However, to her relief and a bit of sadness, Miyuki just sighed and got up from the edge of the bathtub as soon as the student of Yara's finished up with her shoulder.
"I don't want to talk about it." Was all Miyuki said before turning away and grab her new set of warrior clothing that had been given by Master Yara as a small gift for 'letting herself get her butt kicked by her so-called favourite master'. As she picked them up her eyes caught that familiar long and blue ribbon that she would always wear to keep her bun up. It had been one of her many precious possessions that she had managed to keep from her childhood. "Ruby?" The female spirit detective called, making Ruby flinch slightly because she spaced out a little. Miyuki turned her head as her blue eyes looked over her shoulder to meet up with Ruby's hazel ones. "Can you uhm. . . . Help me with my hair?" Miyuki asked a little shyly taking her water bender partner off guard, but soon an excited grin danced its way onto her face.
"I would love to!" Ruby exclaimed now becoming all bubbly and happy just like Botan. Something that made Miyuki mentally cringe at the girly acts and stuff.
"Don't get too excited, it's just hair." The black-haired girl said blankly as a big sweat drop rolled down on the back of her head. Ruby sighed and shook her head with an amused smile on her face.
"Okay-okay, you Miss Grumpy Cat." Ruby joked making Miyuki glare at her but look away with arms crossed in an instant. A gesture that made Ruby burst out laughing while Miyuki's cheeks turned pink from embarrassment. She hated being like this, but she didn't deny the fact that she enjoyed small moments like these, even though she never showed it to anyone openly. "Now let's get that hairbrush." Ruby exclaimed before pushing Miyuki onto the soft mattress and sat behind her friend with the brush in hand.
The next day, at the Urameshi's flat, Keiko stopped by and asked Atsuko about Yusuke and Miyuki as she usually does since, she missed them so much while worrying about them.
"I just don't think it's considerate." Keiko pointed out.
"Today makes six months, and those two swear that's something important." Atsuko replied to her as she placed a hand behind her neck.
"I know. . ." Keiko said a little disappointed. "But-."
"Miyuki gives a phone call every couple of weeks. " Atsuko told the Brunette girl. "So, I know Yusuke and her are still alive. I wish they would have told me what kind of camp this is but that's my kids for you."
"Oh, Atsuko. . ." Keiko trailed off as she looked down with a sad expression on her features. " I can't help wondering if it's even worth waiting for him. . ." This thought deeply hurt her, no wonder why. She had been doing this for a really long time now and after each incident, her conflict within her heart just grew bigger while her confidence in being able to find a chance to be in a relationship with Yusuke just gets lower.
"Oh Keiko, cheer up!" The mother exclaimed happily as she grabbed the brunette by the shoulder. "One thing I had to learn now is that Yusuke always comes back." Her words kind of infuriated Keiko on the inside, but said nothing and just dibbed her goodbye to Atsuko and left the building, feeling annoyed more than usual.
"Easy for her to say that." Keiko said out of frustration. "Mothers are obligated to care." But her mood soon switched to the flip side like a coin as soon as she saw a familiar figure walking toward her direction. He was wearing a dirty white t-shirt and blue jeans. His hair was a mess and he looked a little jacked up, but despite all that, he was smiling widely as soon as he looked at his childhood best friend.
"Long time no see." Yusuke greeted the girl who held a shocked expression on her face.
"Yu-Yusuke!" Keiko cried out as tears of joy welled up in her eyes.