Author's Note: For those of you who don't know, Japanese schools usually
run from Monday - Saturday, with their only day off being Sunday. Just to
clear things up to anyone who might be confused by the opening to this
chapter.
Reaching Your Limits: A YYH alternate universe
Episode 28: Innocent Fun. Shuuichi Learns the Truth
The next day, Hiei was absent from school again. During lunch, Shuuichi had meantioned this to Yukina and she'd laughed a little, blushing. "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. Hiei left this morning to talk to Koenma about the three of you. He should be back after school," she replied.
"Did he want me to meet him, in order to work more with my plants?" Shuuichi asked, not realizing how he'd spoken posessively. He was eager to work with Hiei some more. Yesterday, they had managed to get him to the point that he could control the amount a plant grew. However, he still had a problem with trying to focus on only one plant. Usually, he ended up growing a whole bunch of them.
Yukina smiled and shook her head. "Botan meantioned, when we contacted her last night, that Hiei would be bringing Koenma back with him. We are supposed to meet at Genkai's temple after school. He is looking forward to meeting all of you in person," she replied.
"Can I come as well?" Keiko asked, uncertain if the invitation passed on to her. She wasn't one of Koenma's chosen, but it was obvious how much she wanted to.
Shuuichi smiled when Yukina nodded, and the two girls started talking about what they should cook that night. It was assumed that everyone would be staying for supper again. Since they'd had such a good time preparing dinner last time, the two of them were eager to do so again. Botan would be there as well, although Shuuichi was uncertain if she knew how to cook. Perhaps he should put in his own hand?
"How are things going with the whole manipulating plants thing?" Kuwabara questioned, looking over at him.
Shuuichi smiled and looked around briefly. There were no other students close enough to them if he kept his little show a small one. "Hiei showed me how to control my youki, so I can manipulate the plants with will," he replied, reaching out with his hand toward the small flowers in front of them. They had begun to wilt from the cooling weather, but immediately flourished when his fingers brushed over them.
"That's impressive," Kuwabara said, his eyes wide.
Shuuichi couldn't help a proud grin as he willed the flowers back into their previous state. He didn't want them to die, but he knew that it might be suspicious if the plants around him remained properous during the winter months.
"Youki?" Yuusuke suddenly questioned.
Shuuichi saw Yukina start, her conversation with Keiko stopping in midsentance as she turned toward them.
"Yes, he meantioned that I am using youki when I do this," Shuuichi replied.
"I've never heard of it before. It's different from what I am learning to use," Yuusuke commented.
"Hiei probably meant to say spiritual energy," Yukina said quickly, although Shuuichi could see the worry in her eyes.
He turned toward her, his expression puzzled. "I don't think that Hiei would make a mistake like that. Is there something wrong that I am using youki instead of spiritual energy?" he asked.
Yukina bit her lip, looking relunctant. Then she sighed and took his hand into her own. "Hiei meantioned it to me, and I felt it when you made the flowers grow, but none of us have figured out how it is possible. A human can manipulate their spiritual energy to do different things, but they have no youki. Youki belongs only to demons," she said softly.
Shuuichi gasped, his eyes widening. "But I'm not a demon, so how could I possibly have youki?" he questioned.
"We're still trying to figure that out. Hiei went with you in order to meet your parents, but your mother had no traces of youki inside of her. It could be that your father was a demon, but it doesn't seem very likely. Koenma has been researching into your past in order to find out, but he hasn't picked up anything unusal," she said softly.
"Shuuichi is a demon?" Kuwabara shreeked loud enough that several students turned to stare at their group.
"Of course not," Yuusuke said, hitting him over the head.
Shuuichi bit his lip, confused. His mind was spinning and it felt as though the air around him was cold. The only possible explination for his ability to use youki was for him to be a demon. Still, wouldn't he know if he was? He didn't have any other strange abilities besides with plants. He grew up the same as everyone else, took the same amount of time to heal from his injuries.
"Don't sorry, Shuuichi. We'll get to the bottom of it," Yukina said, trying to comfort him as she pet his hand with her own chilled ones.
He'd never realized how cold her hands were. Then again, he hadn't realized how hot Hiei's body was until yesterday when their hands had touched. Would he have an abnormal body temperature if he was a demon?
Realizing that the others around him were becoming worried with his silence, and that he was starting to go into shock, Shuuichi shook his head. He forced a smile to his lips, his hands trembling a little as he brushed his bangs away from his face for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I was just surprised. It is confusing, trying to figure out how I could possess youki. I don't think I'm a demon," he said.
"You aren't," Yukina replied, smiling a little. "You have the energy signature of one, but you are completely human. That was the first thing that we checked out. When half-breeds are formed between human and demons, the information is stored in the child's archive. Koenma has already had every inch of your information scanned for such information, but it isn't there. That is why Hiei went to go see your parents, to see if one of them was hiding their demonic identity. Since that isn't true, the only other answer is that it's a simple strange occurance."
"You are one of a kind, ne, Shuuichi?" Keiko teased.
He blushed, laughing a little. "Just what I need, to be even more different from everyone else," he replied.
"It isn't so bad, when you have friends. I think all of us qualify for the 'unique' catagory in one way or another," Yuusuke said sagely.
"Kazuma can sense spirits and demons. Shuuichi is a human with youki. Yuusuke is the human with the most spiritual energy," Keiko listed off.
Yukina laughed, joining into the game. "I am the only emotional Koorime. And my brother is the only demon born of fire and ice. Keiko, you are the only girl I know who wouldn't of freaked out at one point or another during the last few days."
Keiko blushed, then grinned. "Someone has to keep him in check," she stated, pointing to her boyfriend.
Shuuichi felt himself relax, laughing along with his friends as they continued to tease each other. Whatever the reason for his possession of youki, it would reveal itself one day. Until then, he would simply concentrate on manipulating it to the best of his ability.
End Episode 28
Reaching Your Limits: A YYH alternate universe
Episode 28: Innocent Fun. Shuuichi Learns the Truth
The next day, Hiei was absent from school again. During lunch, Shuuichi had meantioned this to Yukina and she'd laughed a little, blushing. "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. Hiei left this morning to talk to Koenma about the three of you. He should be back after school," she replied.
"Did he want me to meet him, in order to work more with my plants?" Shuuichi asked, not realizing how he'd spoken posessively. He was eager to work with Hiei some more. Yesterday, they had managed to get him to the point that he could control the amount a plant grew. However, he still had a problem with trying to focus on only one plant. Usually, he ended up growing a whole bunch of them.
Yukina smiled and shook her head. "Botan meantioned, when we contacted her last night, that Hiei would be bringing Koenma back with him. We are supposed to meet at Genkai's temple after school. He is looking forward to meeting all of you in person," she replied.
"Can I come as well?" Keiko asked, uncertain if the invitation passed on to her. She wasn't one of Koenma's chosen, but it was obvious how much she wanted to.
Shuuichi smiled when Yukina nodded, and the two girls started talking about what they should cook that night. It was assumed that everyone would be staying for supper again. Since they'd had such a good time preparing dinner last time, the two of them were eager to do so again. Botan would be there as well, although Shuuichi was uncertain if she knew how to cook. Perhaps he should put in his own hand?
"How are things going with the whole manipulating plants thing?" Kuwabara questioned, looking over at him.
Shuuichi smiled and looked around briefly. There were no other students close enough to them if he kept his little show a small one. "Hiei showed me how to control my youki, so I can manipulate the plants with will," he replied, reaching out with his hand toward the small flowers in front of them. They had begun to wilt from the cooling weather, but immediately flourished when his fingers brushed over them.
"That's impressive," Kuwabara said, his eyes wide.
Shuuichi couldn't help a proud grin as he willed the flowers back into their previous state. He didn't want them to die, but he knew that it might be suspicious if the plants around him remained properous during the winter months.
"Youki?" Yuusuke suddenly questioned.
Shuuichi saw Yukina start, her conversation with Keiko stopping in midsentance as she turned toward them.
"Yes, he meantioned that I am using youki when I do this," Shuuichi replied.
"I've never heard of it before. It's different from what I am learning to use," Yuusuke commented.
"Hiei probably meant to say spiritual energy," Yukina said quickly, although Shuuichi could see the worry in her eyes.
He turned toward her, his expression puzzled. "I don't think that Hiei would make a mistake like that. Is there something wrong that I am using youki instead of spiritual energy?" he asked.
Yukina bit her lip, looking relunctant. Then she sighed and took his hand into her own. "Hiei meantioned it to me, and I felt it when you made the flowers grow, but none of us have figured out how it is possible. A human can manipulate their spiritual energy to do different things, but they have no youki. Youki belongs only to demons," she said softly.
Shuuichi gasped, his eyes widening. "But I'm not a demon, so how could I possibly have youki?" he questioned.
"We're still trying to figure that out. Hiei went with you in order to meet your parents, but your mother had no traces of youki inside of her. It could be that your father was a demon, but it doesn't seem very likely. Koenma has been researching into your past in order to find out, but he hasn't picked up anything unusal," she said softly.
"Shuuichi is a demon?" Kuwabara shreeked loud enough that several students turned to stare at their group.
"Of course not," Yuusuke said, hitting him over the head.
Shuuichi bit his lip, confused. His mind was spinning and it felt as though the air around him was cold. The only possible explination for his ability to use youki was for him to be a demon. Still, wouldn't he know if he was? He didn't have any other strange abilities besides with plants. He grew up the same as everyone else, took the same amount of time to heal from his injuries.
"Don't sorry, Shuuichi. We'll get to the bottom of it," Yukina said, trying to comfort him as she pet his hand with her own chilled ones.
He'd never realized how cold her hands were. Then again, he hadn't realized how hot Hiei's body was until yesterday when their hands had touched. Would he have an abnormal body temperature if he was a demon?
Realizing that the others around him were becoming worried with his silence, and that he was starting to go into shock, Shuuichi shook his head. He forced a smile to his lips, his hands trembling a little as he brushed his bangs away from his face for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I was just surprised. It is confusing, trying to figure out how I could possess youki. I don't think I'm a demon," he said.
"You aren't," Yukina replied, smiling a little. "You have the energy signature of one, but you are completely human. That was the first thing that we checked out. When half-breeds are formed between human and demons, the information is stored in the child's archive. Koenma has already had every inch of your information scanned for such information, but it isn't there. That is why Hiei went to go see your parents, to see if one of them was hiding their demonic identity. Since that isn't true, the only other answer is that it's a simple strange occurance."
"You are one of a kind, ne, Shuuichi?" Keiko teased.
He blushed, laughing a little. "Just what I need, to be even more different from everyone else," he replied.
"It isn't so bad, when you have friends. I think all of us qualify for the 'unique' catagory in one way or another," Yuusuke said sagely.
"Kazuma can sense spirits and demons. Shuuichi is a human with youki. Yuusuke is the human with the most spiritual energy," Keiko listed off.
Yukina laughed, joining into the game. "I am the only emotional Koorime. And my brother is the only demon born of fire and ice. Keiko, you are the only girl I know who wouldn't of freaked out at one point or another during the last few days."
Keiko blushed, then grinned. "Someone has to keep him in check," she stated, pointing to her boyfriend.
Shuuichi felt himself relax, laughing along with his friends as they continued to tease each other. Whatever the reason for his possession of youki, it would reveal itself one day. Until then, he would simply concentrate on manipulating it to the best of his ability.
End Episode 28