A Blossoming Rose
The sun fell across the horizon, mixing red, pink, orange, and purple with the blue that once dominated the sky. The clouds danced in the colors, bathing in what little light was left, until the sun faded away completely.
Though I admit that a sunset was beautiful, it was also rather melancholy and bleak. I find myself asking, how can that be so? With all the bright colors in the firmament, casting a soft glow on all who are caught outside at this time of day. Yet I knew the answer as soon as the question played in my head. A sunset, though beautifully lighting up the sky with colors, signified the end of the day. The sunset puts an end to opportunities, to hopes of the day, to chances, covering them with the darkness that soon follows the bright colors.
Still, a sunset could also put an end to the worries, fears, and pressure a person feels, removing them and giving them a small comfort during the night. An escape, if you will, for a brief night, sleeping peacefully as the moon comes and gently smiles upon them, casting its light.
Speaking of which, the full moon of tonight glowed softly on the earth, shedding a heavenly light on any passerby who was still out of their homes and depended on the celestial body above for guidance. The moon's light called out in the dark of space, requesting the stars to come and join her. They agreed, coming out one at time at first, then in little groups, playing across the sky.
A gentle wind began to tickle the treetops, teasing my long, crimson hair. I'm not sure when I began to think this way, to just sit back and observe the world around me. I feel as though I've been doing so forever, yet in my soul I know this cannot be true.
I looked up at the full moon, recalling the memory of one night where the moon was also full. My mother was sick in the hospital, and her condition was worsening. Up on the roof, Yusuke Urameshi and I were talking, and I had told him how I wanted to use the Mirror of Utter Darkness to save her, to grant her happiness in her life. He had then asked me, "Why would a youkai do this for a human?" I had simply answered, "Why indeed?" But the true answer was locked away, hidden in the chambers of my heart.
As a youkai, I had to keep moving, to keep going. As a thief, this was even more so, and I had to keep running in fear of capture. I had no time to simply stop and rest, let alone notice the way the wind blew leaves of a tree. I always had to keep moving, and I always had to move fast.
Even after I was reborn as Shuuichi, the son of a woman named Shiori, all I was concerned with was putting up with the woman for ten years before my powers resurfaced, and I would slip away and leave her.
I didn't have time for the nonsense that she tried to teach me about, about a flower blossoming for the first time, the smell of the rain, or the soft tune of a song.
Mind, I wasn't disrespectful towards her. She brought me up as to be well- mannered, and asked that I do well in school. To keep my disguise, since she wasn't aware of my true, youkai form, I did as she asked. I studied, and was respectful to those around me. Yet I just couldn't listen to her talk of the world. I knew much about the world already, what did I need to learn more about it? All I could think about was reaching my tenth year, and regaining my powers. Then I would be able to leave her. That became harder when my father, her husband died, but I was still determined to return to my true form.
But something happened, something that altered my plans and my life. When I was younger, before my tenth year, I was asked to do a project in school. When I arrived home, I was looking for something in the cupboard, standing on the stool to do so. However, as I reached up to move some plates aside, my footing on the stool slipped. I dropped the dishes, which shattered on the ground underneath me.
If I had hit the fragments of plates, I could have easily been injured. But because of that woman, Shiori- my mother- I was fine. Unfortunately, she wasn't.
She had caught me before I hit the ground, and the pieces of dishes. However, because of my weight, she fell also, her arms cutting on the sharp wreckage. Even to this day, the scars caused by those remained. That day was when she truly taught me of how beautiful love could be.
I shook my head. That was inaccurate. She had always been trying to teach me the beauty of love and the world. But it wasn't until that day that I actually learned. And it wasn't until that day that I was willing to listen.
And, for the first time in my life, both youkai and human, I slowed down, I took my time. I was able to observe the world, taking in the beauty around me. I listened as my mother talked about such things, about a rainbow, morning dew, the songs of birds, the smell of a rose. And I was able to finally understand this human emotion known as love, and what its like to love another person, and to be loved.
She sometimes called me her little rose, because she said that roses reminded mothers of their children. The beauty and potential growth of a rose, she told me, to a mother, was only equaled to that of her child. That, just as a rose, a child could start out as just a small bud, but bloom into a beautifully full grown adult.
The connection I felt to my human mother was deep. She taught me that life should be lived to the fullest and that we should enjoy every moment that we're alive, and she showed me that there was so much more to life than just material needs and desires, and that your own needs and wants could be outweighed by the needs and wants of the people you cared for. So, even after my powers had reached their full potential, I found that I couldn't just leave my mother anymore. With father gone, I was the only one she had left, and I cared for her too much at that point to hurt her.
So, you could imagine my distress when my mother became ill. When the doctors told that her disease was incurable, I was very afraid for her life. Was I going to lose her, just like that? Even with my powers as a youkai, I was powerless to help her. I could only watch as her health continued to deteriorate.
That was when Hiei, a fire youkai I had met when I was younger, accompanied by Gouki, another youkai, came to me and asked for my help. They wanted to steal the artifacts of darkness to rule the human world, and Hiei wanted me to accompany them. Initially, I was going to refuse, when I remembered that along with the Orb of Bast and the Youkai Sword was the Mirror of Utter Darkness. The Mirror of Utter Darkness would reflect to the owner whatever their heart desired, and grant that desire.
So I went along with them, and after we gained our artifacts, I pulled out of the group. Hiei wasn't too happy with me about that, but I had no desire to control the human world. All I was concerned with was helping my ailing mother.
Yusuke, a spirit detective, was looking for the artifacts of darkness that we had stolen. After gaining the Orb of Bast from Gouki, I met him, telling him to wait for three days before I returned the Mirror of Utter Darkness. I knew very well the powers of the mirror, and I knew its powers hit its peak in the light of a full moon. I had also learned that in order for the mirror to grant the owner's desire, it must take their life.
I wasn't uncertain about my decision at all. If that's what it took to save my mother, then so be it.
The night of the full moon, I told Yusuke about my mother, and what I planned to use the mirror for. When the full moon revealed itself, I awoke the dormant glass, asking it to fulfill my request.
As it was doing so, however, Yusuke offered his own life so that I would still be alive after it granted my wish. When I asked him why, he told me that he had seen the sight of a mother after losing her son, and it was unnerving.
I suppose I hadn't thought of how my mother would feel after she had lost me. I wasn't sure, I suppose.
If my mother had taught me the beauty in love, then Yusuke taught me the beauty in friendship. True, we weren't friends at that time, but when we were, that memory came in handy more than once.
So, because of him helping me and my mother, I felt the need to repay Yusuke. The youkai part of me, though still evil, wouldn't rest until I was out of his debt. My human side, however, wanted to thank him for his aid. That chance came when Hiei used the Youkai Sword on Yusuke's girlfriend, Keiko, to turn her into a youkai. Even though I had known Hiei much longer than Yusuke, I had to do something to help him, since he was trying to save someone HE cared about.
Ever since then, Hiei and I joined up with Yusuke and his friend, Kuwabara, in spirit detective cases. Over the way, I began to learn much more than I ever thought possible. As a youkai, I thought I had learned everything I needed to know about the world. But because of my mother and Yusuke, I learned that there was so much more than that, and that everyone still had something to learn.
Maybe everyone is like a rose, and the more we learn, the more we grow, until we can fully bloom into the people we were meant to be.
I watched as the sun began to rise in the east, once again bringing light to the dark world. I hadn't noticed how much time I had spent just standing there, gazing at the stars and moon, reminiscing over these thoughts.
I felt the soft warmth of the rays as the sun continued to ascend, spreading its light to the farthest corners of the night sky, driving the darkness away for all who opposed the shadows. The stars began to fade, promising the figure of the moon that they would be back that night. As the sun grew in the sky, the moon began to lose its light, as it hid in its corner of the sky.
I inhaled deeply, letting it out in a content sigh. Indeed, I did enjoy sunrises better than sunsets. Sunrises promised a new day, a new beginning, and a new chance to achieve what you wanted. This time of day brought with it new promises and new opportunities to grow and learn.
After all, every rose needs the light of day to grow and blossom. With the dawning of a new day, blossoming roses can grow, and blossoming people can learn.
As I have learned, that is the way life was meant to be.
The End
I have no idea what the name of that sword is that Hiei had after stealing those artifacts of darkness, so I made up a name. Hope you all don't mind...Anyway, what did you all think? Did I make this sound really bad? Please be nice in reviewing, this is only my first Yu Yu Hakusho story, and depending on the reaction, this could be my only one or not. Let me know! And please, try to keep down on the flames. Thanks for taking the time to read this! Later (or not)!