A/N: Hello once again, Audience!
We skip pretty quickly here from episodes 85 through 88. And when I say 'pretty quickly' I mean within the first 40 lines of the chapter, ha! This is where the parallel with the original story takes off and we hit the true point of 'Alternate Universe' in which one little thing changes (you'll see within those first 40 lines what exactly changes) and it launches us into where our story truly starts!
Symbols Guide:
* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.
As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Toriko accompanied Kurama and the others into the depths of Demon's Door Cave
where Akari finally came face-to-face (and fist-to-face) with Yusuke
after taking her illusion involving Keiko perhaps a little too far.
In an effort to assure him the girl was safe, Sensui had Itsuki bring Keiko to the scene,
only to whisk her away into the Uraotoko...
Itsuki appeared in front of Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, Seaman, and Toriko with his hands on Keiko's shoulders. He shoved her forward at the group and she floated towards them until she collided with Kurama who held her in place.
After exchanging words with them about not wanting to fight and telling them of Sensui's past, the Uraotoko opened its eyes and everyone was able to peer down as the Spirit Detectives, past and present, stared one another down.
~!**!~
The fighting between Sensui and Yusuke wore on as the boy went through Minoru and Kazuya, the latter of Sensui's personality finally getting Yusuke in a compromising position and nearly blowing his head off.
"Shinobu!" Koenma called, getting Kazuya to lower his gun for a moment. "Let him go."
"Shinobu ain't here."
"N-nice timing." Yusuke managed to say.
As the three exchanged words, Yusuke powered up his spirit gun and shot it just as Kazuya managed to kick him away.
Koenma and Kazuya stared one another down, Kazuya starting to explain exactly what was going on in Shinobu's head, split-personalities and all.
Yusuke recovered in due time, knocking Koenma out, and finally managed to call out Shinobu, whose sacred energy proved to be too much for the boy.
Koenma finally saw his opportunity, when Shinobu held the pacifier in his hand, and activated the Ma Fū Kan spell. The cage that formed around the Spirit Detective of ages past contained his powerful sacred energy and decimated all of the low-class demons attempting to get out of the gate. The blinding blue light cause everyone to look away as the Ma Fū Kan filled the entire cavern with its awesome aura.
"Shinobu! No!" Itsuki shouted, clenching his hands together, the first time the demon had grown concerned about the going-ons since the beginning of their operation.
"What's his problem?" Kuwabara yelled at the others, the noise of the Ma Fū Kan drowning out all but the loudest of speech.
"He's dying." Itsuki said under his breath, "He would have been dead in two months anyway and it's all he wanted but to die in Demon World. If it has come to this...I will take him there myself. To die in peace." The green-haired demon blipped out of the Uraotoko and into the cage that Shinobu found himself unable to get free of, even though the interior of the cage had begun glowing a golden color.
Wrapping his arms around the tall, lanky man, Itsuki murmured reassurances into the dying Shinobu's ear and took the both of them out of sight.
Koenma stood with his mouth hanging open, the cage still in place and energy connecting him with it, but no form or shape inside the cage.
"WHAT?" Yusuke yelled, "I WAS READY TO DIE AND EVERYTHING!"
And Koenma had been ready to be the former Spirit Detective's eternal jailer.
Koenma grimaced, the strength of the Ma Fū Kan still flowing before him. "I can't waste it, then. I've got to send it on before it becomes too much!"
Pulling his arm back to his side, Koenma grunted as he gathered his thoughts, then yelled and shot his arm forward again, this time aiming for the hole that lead into Demon World.
The Ma Fū Kan expanded and netted itself across the entire hole, gathering the Human World dimensional fold around itself and leaving no trace that the hole ever existed.
Breathing heavily, Koenma slowly lowered his arm as the hole disappeared, his pacifier hanging in mid-air at the location until the very last drop of the hole was gone before splashing down into the water, its work finished.
The ones left inside the Uraotoko stood in shock until Kuwabara found himself.
"That's it? You mean we're...done?" He almost couldn't believe it.
"I...I believe so. To be honest, I did not exactly expect this result." Kurama admitted.
"Ha, ha! Well I didn't doubt it for a moment! I knew we were going to win!"
"You're a fool." Hiei growled.
"I hate to be the one to bring this up," Seaman started to speak, "But how exactly were we planning on getting out of here?" 3
Akari lay on the side, facing the rock walls of the cavern, barely conscious. Her eyes were open but she didn't quite see the surface in front of her, her mind rapidly going numb and all thoughts fading. She had listened to the past few minutes with as much energy as she could, only barely recognizing what was going on as her mind was becoming more and more clouded by the second. Her energy was tapering slowly as the darkness threatened to consume her, though she resisted with everything in her power.
This is exactly how he wanted it, she thought numbly, her eyes sliding closed in her own defeat. Of course he wouldn't have let me live.
Her mind let those thoughts slip away as her ears listened to the sudden silence in the cave. Dimly, she made out the voices of the people trapped by Uraotoko, though she wasn't sure if she was imagining their conversation or simply zoning into something to keep her conscious.
In the back of her mind, she knew they were trapped within the shadowy dimensional beast, but it took a few moments for her brain to actually realize that concept. At the same time, she realized that she had been left here alone, one of the remaining few from the actual group still alive, even if barely so. And not for long.
Sensui had left her to die, even kicked her aside like a piece of trash on the side of a road. I was never important. Never an Ace…
Just another pawn.
Itsuki is with Sensui. Uraotoko is still here, despite his loyalty.
Why?
Akari attempted to move, to roll over, but she only managed a small sound of pain that she doubted even the demons would hear. She made the same attempt again, but only managed to let her arm fall from her side and hit the dirt ground, causing more pain to rocket through her being and the darkness at the edges of her vision to explode into stars, which were replaced with more darkness than before. The pain was remarkably similar to her days with the Black Black Club, yet she knew it was nothing like then. Nothing compared to the scars that marked her now exposed arms and shoulders, and the few scars that were seen through rips and tears in her shirt.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. I may have caused a lot of turmoil, and Sensui may be gone and leaving me to die, but…
Her eyes slid open once more and she gave a small sigh. No one deserves to be shackled forever, especially to someone who isn't coming back… He deserves the freedom I never gave myself…
As do the rest. It's the least I can do before I die.
Akari took a deep breath, ignoring the pain of reopening wounds and throbbing pain of broken bones, her mind focusing on the very last of her energy, deciding that instead of it working to heal her, it would be used as a sort of apology. She closed her eyes again and created one last illusion, immersing herself and Uraotoko in the illusion.
The image was simple; Akari stood in front of the lake, unharmed and smiling at Uraotoko. Her hazel eyes were soft despite the anger she had harbored for over a decade. She had reached her resolve, and she had come to terms with her own state of being. With her own demise.
Now, she would do the last thing she could to show that she regretted the past decade.
"Hello again, friend," she said to the shadow beast, who turned his eyes onto her in what seemed to be surprise. It's eyes shifted to her body that lay in the background, something she hadn't filtered out of her vision. "I don't have much time, so I'll be quick." She took a deep breath, feeling the energy she was using tapering off much quicker than she had anticipated.
"Itsuki is gone now, so you no longer need to stay here. You are not controlled by him anymore. You can return to your life doing as you please. You deserve it." She paused at the sound the dimensional beast made in curiosity. She tilted her head only a bit to convey that she was paying attention.
He made another sound that sounded like nothing but babbling, but Akari knew it was an older form of shadow dialect.
"Yes, I'm saying that you are free to go," she clarified, but quickly held up a hand. "However, before you go, may I ask a parting favor?" He lifted a corner of his lips to convey his response. "Please release your captives before you go. It is the last thing I ask of you."
Uraotoko opened his mouth, his words inquiring of the next time they'd talk. Akari merely smiled, though her expression was forced. "Soon, friend. Soon."
And with that, she waved as the rest of her energy dissipated, making the illusion basically collapse and disappear, as if it had never existed.
Back where she lay, Akari felt her lips turn into the very smile she had shown the dimensional beast as his voice echoed in the cavern with his release of the people he held. And then, all was dark, and Akari was left floating in a sea of numb blackness. *
~!**!~
Toddler Koenma shuffled together a group of the papers on his desk in an attempt to straighten them, "Well, nothing ever stays quiet for long, but I would definitely say the success of this mission ought to give us some peace for a while. Great work, team."
Kurama, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Hiei stood around Koenma's office back in Spirit World, Toriko standing awkwardly behind them all, not sure of what to make of the situation or her surroundings.
"How's it coming, Botan?" He leaned over the front of the desk to try and get a look at the blue-haired Grim Reaper who sat on the ground with the body of the girl demon they brought with them out of the cavern.
"She's very injured, Koenma-sir." Botan's voice sounded strained. "But I think I'm getting through."
"Good. Let me know as soon as she starts to open her eyes."
"Why'd we hafta bring her with us." Kuwabara grumbled, "It's not like she's done us any favors."
"On the contrary, Kuwabara," Kurama said quietly, "I believe she is the reason the Uraotoko let us out in the first place. And that's more of a favor than either Hiei or I did for you at the time Koenma decided to instate us as part of your team."
"Yeah, but, at least you were doing something to try and help your mom." Kuwabara continued. "All she's done is antagonize us for no good reason."
"No reason that you're aware of, fool." Hiei sneered.
"Wait, she's gonna be part of the team?" Yusuke protested.
"I believe that is the only logical reason as to why Koenma would have had us grab the body before we left." Kurama eyed Koenma now, who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"Well, um, yes." Koenma laughed nervously, "Even demons need a chance at redemption every now and then, eh?"
Toriko perked up at his words, regarding the toddler-prince in a different light.
"Okay." Botan finally heaved a large breath, lowering her arms. "I think she's coming around. Give it another minute or two."
George stumbled through the walls of the office carrying a chair and rope, "I'm not really sure why you needed this stuff, Koenma-sir. But here it is!"
"Took you long enough!" Koenma scowled, "Now, get the girl and tie her up." He gestured at the demon still passed out on the floor.
George looked back and forth from Koenma to the girl, "Do what?"
"Pick up the girl," Koenma said slowly, his temper rising, "Put her in the chair, and tie her to it."
George made soft noises of protest as he moved towards the girl, "Sometimes I just don't understand you, Koenma-sir."
"You aren't supposed to understand me, ogre. You're just supposed to follow orders."
"Yes, sir." George was easily able to lift the girl and place the chair down in front of Koenma's desk, putting her in it and tying her up as her head lolled around in the moments before waking.
"Now, everyone, come here," Koenma motioned for all those in the room to come forward, "Where she will see you when you wake up. On either side of the desk now, thank you. Yes, that's it." He encouraged them as they did so, "And put on your best frowny-face. Let's see what she does when she wakes up." He shifted his own expression to neutral and waited for the demon to open her eyes. 3
Akari felt odd, drifting in this state of darkness the way she was. She didn't have any thoughts that were meaningful, only small thoughts about things such as the time, how long she'd been like this, and others. Her most recent thought was the only one she lingered on:
This isn't how the rumors of death go.
She wasn't sure what she had expected, but definitely something other than this. The rumors of her life flashing before her eyes seemed nothing more than that, rumors. However, she did know one thing that wasn't happening, and it left her confused.
There was a Spirit World, everyone knew that. Everyone also knew that once you died, you would visit King Enma's son for placement. Yet, here she was, floating in this odd state of being that even she didn't know how to define. She didn't feel as if this were death, but was it really life either?
All at once she could feel the discomfort of a continuous twinge of pain through her body and, internally, she winced.
Wait, there isn't pain in death, is there? She tried looking around herself, but still she only found darkness with the occasional twitch of her muscles and the oddest sensation of something tightening around her abdomen, arms, and her wrists. She felt awareness creeping in and became aware of the restrictions, which brought her to realizing she hadn't actually died after all.
Slowly, she began hearing a voice. It was a small voice, and it sounded rather funny to her. She couldn't make out any words, but soon enough, she was able to feel the sensation of artificial light on her eyelids, warming them only slightly. Several things hit her at once, all ranging from pain caused by the position she was sitting to curiosity of the voice she could now clearly make words from. It was only a few words, but it was clear that someone was waiting on someone else to awaken. Was it her being waited on, or someone else?
Akari took slow stock of herself before making any movements, any indication that she was awake. She found that for the most part, she had been healed of any dire wounds, which left her a bit confused and, admittedly, breathless with shock. Her head pounded only slightly, and she found she was not fond of the material she was bound by to the chair she only just realized she was sitting in.
Finally thinking it was time to figure out what was going on, she let her eyes slide open. Immediately her eyes burned from the intense lighting, causing her to blink rapidly until her vision cleared. The silence in the room made her look up, lifting her head to meet the eyes of several people. For a moment, she merely met their gazes, and then her thoughts caught up to her and she realized where she was. Oh hell. I'm not dead. Her expression shifted from confused to sudden neutrality, feigning the calm she didn't feel even in the slightest. This… sucks. She had accepted her death, even welcomed it, and now here she sat, bound by ropes to a chair, very much alive and feeling discomfort. Part of her was angry for having been robbed of her own acceptance, but another part of her felt… grateful. For the moment, she wasn't exactly sure which part of her won over, so she merely feigned calm...
Finally, she spoke.
"You know, if you're going to tie someone up, at least make sure they can tie a decent knot," she said, wiggling her arms to show the loose ropes. However, she made no move to rid herself of them. After all, she was outnumbered and felt much too tired to do anything. "Also, there's no point in tying someone who is without energy."
Slowly, she met the gaze of the red-eyed demon, Hiei, who was staring at her with flashing orbs, as if her words had issued a challenge. Then her eyes roved, meeting everyone's gaze in turn before meeting the toddler's gaze. "I assume you are Koenma," she inquired, raising a brow as she slid lower into her chair, more for her own comfort's sake than anything else. "While most would appreciate the gesture of life, I find that I do not much appreciate being brought back for something of this nature. Even if I wanted to fight, I'm outnumbered and have nothing to fight with." *
Not wishing to appear badly in front of this potential new recruit, Koenma resisted given George a good whack for not tying the demon up properly, but he could feel his jaw clenching around his pacifier and a vein somewhere near his forehead twitching with annoyance.
"You're not here for a fight." Koenma began, "Or at the very least, not here to fight with us."
"Though I'm sure we could provide you a weapon if you have a death wish." Hiei scowled.
Koenma raised a hand to stay Hiei from further remarking. "No, I'm afraid you don't really have a choice in the matter. I had you brought back and you owe me the debt of your life. In exchange, you are going to serve with Yusuke alongside the others in his job as a Spirit Detective."
At that news, the room erupted into arguments, with Yusuke being the loudest protester along with Kuwabara. Botan voiced her opinion along with George, but the three other demons remained quiet, Hiei closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall in the midst of matters that did not pertain directly to him, and Kurama never moving his gaze from the demon in the chair, his expression giving away nothing of his feelings on the matter.
Toriko didn't really understand any of what was going on, as even her thoughts of Spirit World lay far back in the recesses of her mind among other darker secrets she tried desperately to suppress.
The thing most worrisome to her at the moment was the close proximity of Hiei, who stood on the same side that her, Kurama, and Botan had moved, with George, Kuwabara, and Yusuke on the other side of Koenma. After his strange behavior in the Game Master's cavern, Toriko felt grateful for his lack of interest in her as she hadn't really known what to do at the time. If things had gone her way, she would have been safely back at home as soon as the whole situation with Sensui had been cleaned up. Still, she regarded him tentatively out of the corner of her glasses, careful that he did not see her watching. 3
Akari listened to the commands of Koenma, for a few minutes her brain unregistering the meanings behind them. She simply watched him with a raised brow, choosing to ignore the comment from Hiei and the sudden shouting from the two human boys in the room. If she had had demon ears, they likely would have been turned backwards in irritation and pain from the volume change in the room. And, once her mind too caught up with the conversation, realizing the meaning behind Koenma's words, her expression shifted.
Hiei took note in the change in the female who sat tied in the chair. He found himself quietly amused at the expression that blossomed across her features: a mixture of surprise, confusion, anger, and several other emotions. Her lips had turned downwards and her eyebrows had pulled together, her eyes widening to saucers. Her body had tensed in her slouched position, and he thought he saw the skin near her forehead move at about the time the two fools began yelling at Koenma. Almost as if she had ears atop her head. his mind whispered, and he glanced over at Kurama, curious if his comrade had caught the motion. As his eyes shifted, he realized Toriko was standing silently beside him, her eyes cut to the corners. He merely stared at her for a moment before giving a scoff and turning his attention back to the girl who had begun shifting in her chair, obviously unhappy.
"Let me get this straight," Akari spoke, though she doubted Koenma heard her over the loud protests in the room. "You healed me to simply have me as a slave?" Her stomach churned, her mind calling forth the very same thoughts she had had about Sensui a few weeks ago: This is not how it's supposed to go. This isn't right. I do not accept this. She clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes at the prince as her own thoughts repeated themselves, her own words of being used the same way again striking her anger. "If that is the only reason, then perhaps you should have let me die, because I have no desire to serve someone merely because they believe they did me a favor by saving my life."
"That can be easily arranged," Hiei spoke up again, not caring what Koenma said this time. He felt that this was useless and a waste of time.
Akari merely glanced at him, but didn't meet his gaze before turning a hard stare back to Koenma, trying to hide the shake from her voice as she spoke again. "I am not a mere pawn for your desired use." *
The noise in the room died down as the demon continued speaking and by the end of her speech, Koenma's eyes were narrowed, having heard every word, "If that is truly how you feel, then I will personally arrange for your death post-haste."
He cleared his throat, "Let me make it perfectly clear that I do not need you. As you can see," here he gestured to indicate either side of him, "I have more than enough employees in my service, and my offer to you is not one of necessity, but rather one of compassion. As it stands," Koenma shuffled through some of the papers on his desk, "The penalties against you for assisting Sensui in his mad plot to destroy the earth as we know it lands you some pretty hard time in Hell upon your death. If you are interested in the position that I am offering you, perhaps we can come to an agreement of some sort as to the length of that time, to the point of negating it entirely should you work hard and earn it."
Here he looked back up at her, "However, if you mean to throw my words back in my face, may I remind you that you are speaking with the Prince of the Spirit World, and while I have given you some slack up to this point because of the uniqueness in your case, my mercy is not everlasting and it is at my behest to withdraw my offer at any time I see fit."
He produced a writing utensil from somewhere and pushed both it and a sheet of paper in her direction towards the end of his desk.
"This is a contract stating that when you have served your time under me in an equivalent amount as to negate the demands of Hell on your person, you will be free to do as you please. It also states than any wrongdoings committed during your time as my employee will still count against you, and after the third misdemeanor on your part, the contract will be null and void, releasing you from the protection of the Spirit World, as well as my service, and immediately forfeiting your soul into Hell for the duration of your sentence as it stands now plus the three strikes against you. It also goes on to say that once the contract has been fulfilled, you will be free to do as you please, no longer under protection of Spirit World or myself, with a clean slate. All former crimes forgotten. At that point, any wrongdoings will of course tally up once more against you in preparation for your death and you could obviously land yourself right back where you started should you choose to do so. As a gestured of good faith..." Here Koenma pulled back the contract and signed it first, "I am officially obligated to stick to the letter of the contract as it stands now should you choose to accept."
He pushed it back to the edge of the desk and steepled his fingers to await her answer, "Are you interested? Or should I prepare for your immediate departure to Hell?" 3
Akari immediately silenced herself when Koenma spoke up, his tone and expression very easily conveying that she had struck a nerve with her words. Normally, she would have sneered in a situation similar to this, but at this moment in time, she did not feel very amused about the reaction she had received, especially as the prince went on about the possible duration of her time she would spend in Hell, if she so desired it. That had struck a chord in her being, causing her to listen to every word he spoke and re-evaluate her position and her thoughts on the matter. Which would she prefer? Hell for a very unmeasurable amount of time (or at least it would feel like), or simple service for a few years until she was home free? As he continued to lecture, getting his point across very easily to the female, she found herself sitting up much straighter and working out of the loose ropes that bound her to the chair in which she sat. When she was comfortably unbound and sitting on the very edge of the chair, she let her eyes follow the motion of his pen as Koenma himself signed the contract, and she silently began reconsidering her thoughts.
On one hand, she had practically already died, but this would be the second time in her life she had been cheated of death. But, would it be the second time she be used as a pawn to simply be thrown away at the end of their game? Would this time yield the same results as the last time she found herself in a situation rather similar? Would it be worth it?
You're already sitting here, alive. she told herself, her lips twitching as the gears in her mind twisted in thought, her eyes glued to the paper in front of her. The Prince of Spirit world cannot merely use someone and them have them erased, like Sensui could. But, how long would I be under his every command? How long would I serve his every whim? Surely no longer than the life of the two humans of the group, right?
Koenma's question brought her back into the room mentally, and her brown eyes shifted from the paper to the two humans who stood on the side. They were rather young humans, but as a demon, the lifespan of a human went by much faster than it appeared it would. It wouldn't even be a dent in the time that could span across a demon's life. She shifted her gaze to the other members of the team, eyeing them as her mind came to its own conclusion that completely went against her earlier statements. No matter how much she didn't like being saved simply to become a member of the very team she had antagonized, she found that the idea of Hell was much less appealing.
Her eyes met Koenma's, her expression slowly reverting to calm once more. "All I have to do is respond to your every whim, and then I am free? No catch, no loophole?" By now, her expression gave no trace of her thoughts, of her feelings. She gave a brief sound that, normally, would have resembled a sigh, but she cut the sound off before it had been completed. She stood and stretched her weak and tired muscles, her lips sealed to keep any sound from leaving them. And then she merely stepped forward and leaned over the paper, forcing herself to sign the contract swiftly before her mind changed itself. As soon as the last letter was formed, she let the pen fall to the wooden surface and she stood up straight once more, ignoring any lingering twinges of pain. "Now what, sir?" *
Koenma immediately perked up and reached for the pen and paper, inspecting the name at the bottom briefly before handing them both over to George for safekeeping.
"Well, for the moment, you're free to go! My employees occasionally get to have a vacation-"
"Going back to school does not a vacation equal." Yusuke grumbled.
"Yeah." Kuwabara chimed.
"A vacation," Koenma glared at the boys, "From my services. From the protection of Human World. To get back to your lives." He turned to the demon in front of his desk, "Akari, is it? You'll be free to wander about Human World as you please, though your access to the Demon World is obviously barred, as stated in the contract. When I require you, I will get in contact with you, most usually through Botan, here." He gestured at the blue-haired Grim Reaper beside him. "But for now, I think the aftermath of Sensui's rampage will take care of itself. Do you have any other questions before Botan takes you all back?"3
Akari stayed silent, even after Koenma explained the 'vacation' that his team normally took. The only thing that rang in her mind, but she didn't say aloud, was where would I go? She hadn't exactly done much in the Human world. When it came to the subject of where to stay, Sensui always kept her close by; she practically lived with him and Itsuki. She had remained indoors for the longest of time, simply to gain his trust that she wouldn't cause him any problems. And then, when the leash had been loosened, she had still stayed nearby, never really leaving the apartment he had resided in unless he asked a favor of her.
At Koenma's words of Sensui's aftermath, it took everything for her not to cringe. Instead, she simply crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head no, that she had no questions. She'd figure it out on her own, and in the meantime, would stray as far as the prince would allow her. I suppose I could become more acquainted with the Human world. Perhaps even mingle with the human populace until it is no longer necessary… *
~!**!~
Settling back into a routine was a lot harder than Toriko thought it would be. Her class work seemed a little duller, her classmates even more so. She avoided any of them as much as possible, and they all seemed to respond as much the same, staying farther away from her than usual. Even when she, on the rare occasion, worked on furthering her abilities with Kurama, her progress seemed frustratingly slow, her fear of truly seducing him still keeping a powerful hold on her body and mind, locking her energy away at every turn. After that one beautifully satisfying moment with her cat, Maneshi, she never seemed to be able to capture his attention again, getting stuck with severe glares he sent in her direction any time she tried.
It was on one such particular day, when both a session with Kurama and then her solo attempts with Maneshi had left her in a much deeper depression even than usual, that she had been forced to shop for groceries if she wanted to eat anything for dinner, having put off the chore for as long as possible as was her usual habit. Her depression was not so overwhelming that she could not move from one spot, and on the contrary she found herself ravishingly hungry, coming out of the store with more bags and packages than was likely necessary, her stomach roiling and squeezing in protest as the sights and sounds of the grocery had left her in an even more agitated state of hunger than before. It wasn't as if the bags were particularly heavy, she wasn't human after all, but her small stature did pose a slight problem in how well she could see around her parcels, so much so that she didn't see the man until she already ran into him.
"Whoops!" His pleasantly tenor voice spoke up as they collided.
Toriko managed to keep a good hold on most of the food, but a few toppled off the top and she made a noise of dissatisfaction as she felt their weight shifting out of her grasp.
Fluidly, the gentleman in front of her swept the falling packages into his arms.
"My apologies!" He cried, sending a half-bow in her direction, the packages securely contained in one arm, "I was so busy enjoying the beautiful day that I was not watching where I was going. I hope you're not injured?"
Toriko's glasses had gotten askew somewhere in the shuffle and she kept her eyes at the ground until she could shift the parcels she still held around enough to slip them back up her face, finally looking up to take in the man now beside her.
His expression was one of concern as she had not answered his question yet, and she shook her head, slightly in awe of his platinum blonde hair and vibrant purple eyes and feeling speechless next to him.
"That's wonderful! I'm so glad." He stood at least a foot taller than her, though the food she held almost reached his chin. "Allow me to assist you." Before Toriko could make any indication to the contrary, he relieved her of at least the top half of the groceries. "I hope you don't have far to go!"
Toriko shook her head again, feeling very uncomfortable with social situations in general and even more so with this almost over-exuberant stranger.
"Lead the way then!"
For some reason, the fact that she didn't seem to need to say anything to him comforted her, if only a little, and she started to continue down the sidewalk, the man falling into step beside her.
Toriko concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, but the man seemed more inclined to chatter on, and he did so.
"Are you cooking for your whole family? That's a lovely gesture for you to buy the groceries and cook the meal. Didn't anyone else offer to go with you? This seems like a terribly large amount of food. Is it for the whole week? That probably is the more efficient way to shop. Looks like enough food for a whole week at least!"
Toriko only half-listened as he yammered on, appearing no more or less satisfied when she did not attempt to interrupt him with answers to his questions, not even pausing in between each one to take a breath before jumping off onto the next thing that came to mind.
He didn't even appear to notice when Toriko got up to her front door and put her packages down by her side to fish the keys out of her pocket, though after unlocking it she hesitated and he did finally take notice.
"Oh! We're here!" He frowned a bit. "Do you live by yourself?"
She nodded, turning the knob to open the door just enough that she would be able to elbow her way in while her hands were full, turning to him and casting her eyes down at the ground, but holding her arms out for the groceries he held.
The man had grown quiet just long enough for the silence to seem strange after his non-stop nonsensical jabber from their run-in until now.
His brow was turned down over his purple eyes, though Toriko sensed only concern and not any malice in his expression.
"Do you go to school?"
"Meiou High." Toriko said quietly.
The look he gave her was unreadable, but she held out her arms more adamantly.
"Oh!" He laughed and broke his somber expression, "Yes, sorry. I wasn't expecting you to invite a complete stranger into your home." He gently gave the groceries back, "And very smart of you too." He winked. "You're a very pretty girl."
Toriko swiftly turned away from him as a blush shot up her neck to her cheeks, easing her front door open as quickly as possible.
The man just laughed at her again and gave a wave as he started to turn to walk back down to the sidewalk.
Toriko whipped back around just as suddenly, almost losing control of her packages again.
"Th-thank you!" She called, feeling obligated to maintain some semblance of Human World normality.
He waved again from the end of her walkway, "Just promise me you won't buy as many groceries next time!" He grinned and continued down the sidewalk before she could respond.
Toriko stepped quickly inside the door to put the groceries down, picking up the pile she sat down first and bringing them in as well, shutting the door behind her and locking it before slipping off her shoes and scurrying to the kitchen to begin putting things away. 3
For the past couple of weeks, things had been peaceful, just as Koenma had said it would be. The humans had continued about their clueless lives and the team had all but disbanded, getting back to whatever they were doing before the end of the world scenario that had been forced upon them. Like usual, Hiei had been simply roaming around, sometimes staying in the warehouses south of town and sometimes just wandering through the shadows of the town.
Occasionally, like today, his curiosity would get the better of him, and he'd take a look at what everyone else was up to. He'd watch the humans filter in and out of large buildings that Kurama had referred to as schools, looking like nothing more than livestock as they came and went. He would reside in one of the trees that skirted the school grounds and watch, seeing if he could figure out the daily routine of some of the people inside and, occasionally, see what the members of Team Urameshi were up to. Eventually, he'd end up bored out of his mind and walk away, only to return when nothing else piqued his interest.
For instance, at this very moment, he was stretched languidly on one of the branches of a tall tree nearby a house of a familiar person. His eyes were closed and he was on the brink of slumber when the hubbub of the human life picked up, the noise on the streets increasing in volume as groups of children ran amok and, with their friends, made evening plans that in no way involved whatever they were supposed to be doing. He hadn't moved other than opening a single eye to watch the groups of people. He'd taken to sitting in the spot recently, more on a whim than for any specific reason.
For a while, he simply stared, as if he were, for once, interested in their desires, their thoughts, their means of amusement. However, the concept perished as he saw Toriko lumber down the sidewalk, a couple of bags in her arms and an unfamiliar person by her side, obviously helping her carry the heavy load. At first, he thought nothing of it; he had seen this at least a hundred times with the humans. While most people would walk by a girl who had too much to carry, there was almost always one person who thought to be the hero and offer their strength, their assistance.
But something bothered him. So much so that he moved just a fraction to sit up, back against the bark of the tree and both eyes keenly watching the male, energy hidden like always. He was chattering, like any human would do. However, he silenced abruptly, and that caught Hiei's attention much more than anything else. His ruby eyes were narrowed as he witnessed the blond's lavender irises moving to the ground.
Purple is not common on this plane of existence. Not even with false coloring techniques. He watched carefully, momentarily considering what could happen next; it was odd how he felt no threat from the male who seemed so disappointed in not being invited inside. So, even as he retreated, Hiei kept his eyes close on the person until he was out of sight.
~!**!~
Akari had been doing the same thing for the past few days. She'd been too pent up in the building she had taken over to stay any longer. After all, she didn't much care for sitting in one place anymore. So, she walked the streets, amongst the humans. They seemed uncaring of her existence, as if she actually belonged or perhaps wasn't even there. But occasionally, she would be stopped and questioned, always by men in uniforms who had seen her pass by multiple times. Each time, she had successfully waved them away with a calm explanation of searching for a certain store, and they would point her in the direction they thought she needed to be.
As she walked, she kept a close eye out for those men, making sure she slipped unnoticed out of their sight. Once, she wandered into an alley where a group of men had assembled, and each had told her to get a move on. When she had done as instructed, clearly uninterested, they had taken it as some sort of challenge. They had charged, spitting threats about her telling no one about what she saw, or they'd "end her life". She'd been tempted to fight them, but just as the thought had crossed her mind had Koenma's words echoed in her ears. Instead, she had merely disappeared from their sight, turning and running around the corner before she jumped high onto the rooftops. At least it hadn't been larger than a one-story building. Afterward, she had taken a short nap in the park, unbothered.
Now, she walked the street with a companion on her heels. She glanced back at the canine and eyed the pup wearily as it wagged its tail and yipped at her, its tongue lolling to the side. She gave a sigh; she'd been trying to get rid of it for some time. Yet it always ended up right behind her. "You're hopeless," she grumbled to the dog, earning another yip. Perhaps if she went into the nearest store, it would leave an-
"Hey! No pets in the shops!" A man called to her, making her stop halfway through the glass door of a clothing store. "You should read the signs before entering," the man continued as he approached. As soon as Akari laid eyes on him, she felt irritation blossom in her entire being. "Didn't I see you yesterday?"
Akari released a small sigh; the same police officer twice in a row? What luck she had. "Yes sir. People do leave their homes, correct?"
The look on his face was nothing more than false calm, his eyes betraying the slight exasperation. "Yes, except you're out during school hours. Aren't you supposed to be in class?" He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow. "You're too young to be out of school."
"I was sent on an errand."
"Where's your uniform?"
"I've changed."
"What school do you attend?"
"Does it matter?"
"Do your parents know you're out on your own?"
"I live alone," Akari retorted, her irritation now completely evident in her tone and expression. She had never been a fan of the 20 questions game.
"Where do you live?"
"Currently on the outskirts of town. I walk each day."
"I think you're lying to me."
"I believe you are paranoid."
At that, the veins in his neck protruded, yet his expression stayed ever-so-calm anyways. "If you are not lying, then take me to your school so I can make sure that you were indeed sent for an errand. If you cannot do that, then I will be forced to-"
"Why trouble yourself? I am a mere child on an errand that could have been done by now. You're wasting both mine and your time."
The man clenched his teeth and took a step forward, now visibly showing his anger with her. "You are disrespecting an officer. It would be easier if you simply give me the information I asked for instead of dodging my questions."
Akari had finally had enough. For the moment, she didn't think Koenma would care if she simply used her energy to walk away from a situation, so she met his gaze full on. In her mind, she pictured the simplest of illusions: him standing before her, talking. And when she was sure it had taken effect, she stepped around him. Or at least, she had tried to. Instead, she ended up grabbed at the elbow and pulled back to where she had been standing, a growling dog at her side and an angry human in front of her. "I'm not done asking questions." *
"Akari! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Kurama jogged the last couple of steps to end up beside the demon girl. He continued addressing her once he stood at her side, "I'm so sorry I was late coming to get you." He straightened to his full height and turned to the man. "Is there a problem here, sir?"
Akari felt her entire being tense as her mind processed what had happened, and she didn't have much time to think before Kurama was beside her, talking not only to her, but the officer as well. She only glanced at him, her expression quickly going blank and calm before she turned back to the officer, her mind making quick calculations. There was no way another person, another human had broken an illusion, not that quickly.
"You know this young lady?" The officer had released his grip and turned to Kurama, his expression still conveying irritation. "Mind explaining a few things for me? Students out before classes are over is prohibited." Akira scoffed and met his gaze again, trying once more to use her illusions, this time not breaking the eye contact. No reaction occurred, and he kept talking. "Are you family?"
Akira frowned and turned her head to the side, away from both people near her. "Hardly." she grumbled, not hiding her sulking. What is wrong with me?
~!**!~
Hiei eyed the small house for a moment, gears turning in his brain before he moved. In one swift motion, he was standing on the ground, looking around himself before turning back to the house. He eyed each window, each door, before he found one that would suffice. Like he would with any other team member, Hiei simply let himself in. How? Well, he simply hopped up onto the nearest window and sat on the windowsill, testing the glass and shaking his head slightly when it gave way, allowing him to slide inside. He glanced around the small bedroom only briefly before shutting the glass window and leaving the room. It didn't take him long to find his way downstairs, walking into the kitchen where he could hear Toriko bustling about.
"Care to enlighten me on your most recent guest?" he called, hands stuffed in his pockets as he stood in the threshold that separated her kitchen from her living room. *
Toriko jumped at the sound of the male voice behind her, unexpectedly interrupting her focus and causing her hand with the knife to slip, slicing the side of her thumb open. She balled the thumb up in a fist to try and stop the blood that had already begun to spill over her skin a bit and whipped around, eyes widening as she recognized Hiei, though her fear did not decrease any at the recognition. Her one hand tightened absently over the knife she held as their eyes locked, Toriko feeling her energy shimmering over her uncovered eyes and tingling across her scalp.
"What do you want? How did you get in here?" Her voice was laced with the same energy, compelling him to answer, but she shivered and the moment died, the nakedness of her eyes in front of a near-stranger pulling her thoughts completely away from her questions so that she scrambled behind her for her glasses.
She finally turned away when she could not at first find them to place the knife next to the cutting board and snatch up the glasses, hurrying to slip them on over her eyes before facing Hiei again, a bit of her calm restored as she stood hidden behind the frames of her glasses once more.3
Changed the strength of the Ma Fū Kan so that there would be no doubt about Sensui becoming captured in it, which lead to Itsuki losing his mind a bit and running off with the former Spirit Detective. As a result, Yusuke does not die (which means his Mazoku blood is not activated) and the subsequent Alternate Reality takes a different path than the canon universe. May I be the first to officially welcome you to our story!
Anyone who cares about the logistics of the spell (I'm one who cares, personally) Koenma's using: In the anime, it doesn't properly contain Sensui because Koenma used it to revive Gamemaster and thus reduced the power of it (all part of Sensui's plan). In our version I like to think that somehow Koenma and Kaito (who was carrying Amanuma) missed each other so Koenma did not get the chance to bring the boy back, though I would say Koenma later files a bit of paperwork to make sure Amanuma returns to the living or something. Mostly for Kurama's sanity if not our favorite Prince's at the very least, heheh.
Minoru - to bear fruit; to ripen
Kazuya - mass-produced arrows; arrows for target practice
Koenma – King Enma Junior
King Enma (or Emma in Buddist terms) is also called Yama (king of the world of the dead, who judges the dead)
Ma Fū Kan – (wiki) Demon Seal Ring
Uraotoko – (wiki) a living dimension demon
Botan - button
or
1: tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa); moutan;
2: wild boar (meat)
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star
