A Snag in Love
By: Amethyst Tiger
Chapter: 1
Keiko Yukimura paced back and forth in front of Genkai's temple. The old woman who owned it sat on the temple steps, quietly sipping tea and watching the aggravated girl. Keiko had come a few hours ago, asking where Yusuke had run off to this time. Genkai had refused to lie to her and told her that he had gone off to the Makai to train. Keiko had not taken well to this and Genkai did not blame her. Yusuke had a habit running off without telling anyone, but lately he had been doing it more and leaving for longer periods of time, despite his promise to stay around more. Genkai looked up as Yukina appeared by her side. The koorime girl looked worried. "How is she?" She asked softly. "Hm.she won't stop pacing. She's very angry, and rightfully so. Yusuke is being more of an inconsiderate dimwit than usual." Yukina nodded in agreement. Yusuke was her friend, but he really wasn't being fair to Keiko. "I spoke to Kurama only a few minutes ago. He said he and Hiei would go to the Makai to find Yusuke." Now the girl sat down next to the woman and wrapped her arms around herself. Genkai noticed something in Yukina's voice when she spoke of Hiei. The fire-demon still refused to tell her that he was the long lost brother that she had been searching for, but Yukina was smart. "You know." Genkai said simply. She did not look at the one whom she spoke to, but merely sipped her tea and watched Keiko. The koorime girl nodded. "Yes.I know. And I understand why he does not wish to tell me about our relation, but it's sort of hard to miss. I can feel something inside my heart when he is around. I know when he watches me, looks over me.he protects me." Genkai nodded silently. She was happy for Yukina. The girl had been so sad not knowing the whereabouts of her twin, but since she had found out, well, the sadness that had shone so obviously in her ruby eyes was not as evident. "Will you tell him that you know?" She smiled sadly and gently shook her head. Suddenly, a shimmer caught Genkai's old, yet keen eyes. She watched as two tears fell from Yukina's pale cheeks and transformed into sparkling gems at their feet. The old woman patted the koorime's knee. "No need for crying Yukina. You must trust that the love and the bond which the two of you share, will not fail to bring you together in the future." And with that, Yukina's tears ceased and Genkai picked up the gems and held them in her palm. A small burst of ki enveloped them, and they disintegrated. They looked back simultaneously at Keiko who was still pacing. Genkai imagined that she would continue her merciless assault on the ground all night if she had too. No sort of coaxing would ever convince her to do otherwise. She sighed. Yusuke was in for it this time. For someone with an explosive temper like Keiko, she was actually pretty patient and understanding of Yusuke. She knew well enough that Yusuke had become a youkai and thereby had a need to train, challenge his own abilities. He wanted to be stronger and to be with other demons. Keiko knew and understood all of this. She had told him so, but Yusuke was taking advantage of it and she could no longer contain her temper Genkai looked up abruptly. "They're back." Yukina also looked up from her folded hands. "What?" Then she saw them in the distance. The shadows of night were masking them well, but their figures were silhouetted by the moonlight, which shone brightly above them. There were three of them. Kurama's long, flowing hair easily identified him, and Hiei's spiky hair was just as betraying. Yusuke walked in the middle of them. His hair was lacking its usual slicked back style and looked like it could stand a tango with a hairbrush sometime in the near future. Keiko stopped as she too, saw them descending the temple steps. Her arms were folded at her waist and she stood perfectly erect. She did not move, nor did she blink. Even when Yusuke left Kurama and Hiei's side and approached her steadily, she only stared him. Silence was present for quite some time before Yusuke placed a hand on her arm. "Are you ok?" He asked gently. "Kurama and Hiei came and got me. They said that there was a problem, but everything looks alri-" "A problem? Yes Yusuke, I'd say there was a problem." Keiko's voice cut him off as she took a step back in order to escape from his touch. Yusuke looked somewhat confused. "Why? What's the matter?" Her eyes flashed. "You, Yusuke Urameshi, are the problem!" Now Yusuke was more surprised than anything else. "Me? What did I do?" Keiko shook her head. "Everything!" "I don-" "Your doing everything! You disappeared last month with no explanation what so ever! I completely understand that.if it's Reikai business, but Yusuke, you don't just run off because Koenma happens to send you on a mission! No! You run off because you want to go visit the Makai and train and fight and who knows what else! Business is one thing, but going off for your own pleasure and leaving me here to worry about you, is another! How could you do this to me Yusuke?" The boy was shocked at her sudden outburst. For a while, all he could do was open and close his jaw. Finally he found the words to speak. "Keiko, I can explain." "Oh, is that so? Ok, explain Yusuke. Explain to me why you keep disappearing without my knowing. Explain to me why, when you do this, you do it just for the hell of it. Explain to me why you don't seem to give a damn about how I feel about all of this!" Keiko was screaming at him now, her voice echoed everywhere and none of them had ever heard her this angry before. Kurama and Hiei moved over to where Genkai sat next to Yukina. The ice maiden grabbed for Genkai's hand, as she did not like the argument that was taking place. Kurama watched this with his usual calm expression and Hiei with is usual stoic one. "Keiko is right though." Kurama said softly. Hiei nodded. "Yes." He agreed. Yusuke was just being irresponsible and now was paying the consequences for it. The couple fought all the time, however, none of them had ever heard Keiko so very serious and enraged. "I think you're blowing this out proportion." Came Yusuke's sudden reply. He had gathered his wits now and was no longer caught off guard. Keiko's eyebrows raised at this comment. She narrowed her eyes at him, an expression practically daring him to say more. Yusuke, not being one to back down from a challenge, did. "Keiko, I'm sorry you feel this way, but, damn, what do you want me to do? Stop training? I'm not perfect and my life doesn't revolve around you!" Suddenly, the sound of a slap echoed through the air. Yusuke put a hand to his offended cheek. "What the hell was that for!?" Keiko glared at him. "For being a self centered bastard! I NEVER asked you to be perfect! I NEVER asked you to stop training, or to let your world revolve around me! I just wanted you to, oh, I don't know. maybe stick around long enough for me to ask you about invitations, seating, food! We have a frickin' wedding in three months Yusuke! Three! What don't you understand about that?" Yusuke stared at her, once again at a loss for words. He glanced then, at the engagement ring on her finger. He had given it to her last year. He'd nearly forgotten about it. His thoughts took a sudden jolt as he realized that he had forgotten about his own wedding. Perhaps, maybe, he had been spending a little too much time in the Makai. An idea came to him and he couldn't help a small smile. "Keiko.listen, maybe you're right." She looked at him and her expression shifted to one of surprise. "I am?" Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, but I have a solution to our problem." "You do?" He nodded. "Why don't we have the wedding in the Makai? Hell, why don't we start our life there? Technically, I'm still the heir of Raizen's territory. I'll just take it over and we can live together there." All was silent, and Keiko just looked at him blankly for a moment. "Yusuke. We can't have the wedding in the Makai. We can't live in the Makai." Her tone was calm and very to the point. The human turned youkai, blinked. "Why?" Came the question. Little did he know that such a seemingly insignificant three-letter word could cause such a horrible out- burst. "Why? Yusuke, this is what I've been talking about! You haven't been around long enough to even pay attention to what's been going on. My father suffered a stroke two weeks ago. He's in the hospital. Mother is going through an emotional break down and it's all I can do to get her to eat! Also, what about college? I didn't graduate at the top of my class, and go to one of the best universities around, to forget all of my dreams and plans for the future, so I can go and be widely known as 'The Great Urameshi's Wife'! I mean how in the hell would I explain all of that to my family? My God Yusuke, I don't understand how you can be so clueless! All you care about anymore is training, and screwing around in the world next door! Wake up, because you were human before you were demon, and your life is HERE!" Yusuke's fists clenched at his sides. He was nearly shaking with rage and the words that tumbled out of his mouth did not fail to surprise him, as well as everyone else. "Then maybe it shouldn't be." He said, and he immediately regretted it, but was too proud to take it back. Keiko looked as though someone had just pulled the heart from her very chest. "I.I mean.you." Words fell clumsily from her mouth. She looked at his eyes, which were still holding anger and then at the ground. Suddenly, she looked up at him and then down at her hand. Quietly, she slipped the ring from her finger and held it up at eyelevel. "Very well. This belongs to you now." Yusuke stared at the glimmering object that she held in her slim fingers. Keiko's eyes told him that he could have a second chance, if he refused it, but.what if they ended up spending the rest of their lives like this? Arguing all the time, what if eventually, they stopped loving one another? Slowly, he reached up, and took the ring from her fingers. Keiko swallowed hard and nodded. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes as she took one last look at him, before she walked passed him, and down the temple steps, not even sparing a glance back at her former fiancé. Yusuke suddenly, turned and began walking away as well. "Yusuke, wait!" Kurama called after his friend, but the boy did not respond. He merely disappeared into the dark forest that surrounded Genkai's temple. The kitsune started after him, but stopped when he felt a stern grip on his for-arm. He looked back at Hiei, who's red eyes spoke volumes that only he could read. Kurama nodded. They looked back then at Genkai and at Yukina. Genkai wore her usual expression, though her brow was slightly wrinkled in worry. Yukina pulled a handkerchief from her kimono and dabbed at her eyes. However, this could not stop the tears from falling once again. She looked to the two demons, but focused mainly on Hiei. "What.will happen now?" She managed to whisper between her soft sobs. The fire demon smiled slightly, showing as much sympathy for his dear sister as he dared. "It's up to them." He answered. And as though the heavens had felt the tragedy that had just taken place, it started to rain.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, and typing this puts a spear through my poor, fragile heart, but oh well.life goes on! .Or does it!? ::Dramatic Drum Roll:: (Ok.that was weird.)
Author's Note: Well, I realized about 5 minutes after I posted the first chapter of this fic, that I had forgotten to put the disclaimer up. So, if you'll look above, there it is in pretty bold letters! Now that, we've taken care of THAT little flaw, I realized that I also forgot an author's note! I like writing author's notes, because I enjoy rambling, so here it is, also.in pretty bold letters! Anyway, here is chapter 2 of A Snag in Love. Sorry it took so long to get it up.I experienced some technical difficulties. (Basically that means I accidentally deleted the chapter and had to rewrite it from memory ^_^,) Anyway, keep sending those reviews, good or bad, I just need input! So read and please enjoy! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Y) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (-.-) KAWAII!!!!!!!!! (")(")o ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~
Chapter: 2
~*~*~*~*~ 7 Years Later ~*~*~*~*~
"Hold still, Hiei, you're only making it worse." Kurama struggled to keep the fire demon in one place. He'd gone and gotten himself injured again while training. "It's not that bad of a wound." Protested Hiei, doing his best to squirm out of Kurama's reach. "It may not be much of one now, but it could easily progress into something worse. Just stop moving for moment, would you?" Finally, Hiei sighed and gave into the care that the fox bestowed upon him. Hiei watched as Kurama grew several small plants from the ground. His delicate looking hands would take a little something from each of them, and then the little plants would die away or shrink back into their seedling form. "Here, can you singe these for me?" He held out his hand to Hiei, who raised his eyebrow at the little bits and pieces of greenery in Kurama's palm. He shrugged though, and with a very small burst of ki, singed them into black, brittle little bits. The fox nodded in approval and then closed his hand, gently squeezing his fist in order to crush what was in it. He reached over the semi-deep gash across Hiei's chest and sprinkled the charred plants into the wound. Hiei hissed in pain. "Sorry, it might sting a bit." The fire youkai glared up at him. "You couldn't have said something sooner?" Kurama shrugged and began bandaging him carefully and neatly, as he always did. "You can put your shirt back on now." He said, once he was done. Hiei nodded and did as suggested by his companion. Hiei finished swiftly and stood up. "Where to now?" The youko looked down at him and smiled. "I was thinking we should--" Kurama froze suddenly. His sentence was cut off and forgotten about as his keen fox ears perked up. Golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you feel it?" Hiei nodded and drew his sword. The pair waited silently. The youkai that they were sensing wasn't far off, and didn't seem to be that strong. However, there were those who practiced deceitful tactics, and in a place like the Makai, it was better to stay on your guard. They saw then, over the hill that they stood on, a small figure approaching them. As it came into view, its looks became more defined. It was a very short demon, no more than 3 and a-half feet tall. It had beady black eyes set low in the sockets and two, neatly folded wings on it's slightly hunched back. His skin was a dark shade of purple, which was somewhat of a contrast to the royal blue trousers and vest that he wore. Long, slick, black hair was held in ponytail that trailed behind him and near equally long arms hung at his side. In one of is over sized hands was a piece of rolled up paper. Kurama and Hiei watched stoically as the little youkai hobbled up to them, panting. "Kurama, is you?" The youkai looked pointedly at the proud, tall, youko in front of him. Hiei exchanged glances with his friend and finally, Kurama nodded. "I am." He said simply. The creature looked pleased. "Good, good. A message for you.here." The creature gently put the note in his hand and then collapsed on the ground. His large hands fanned himself. "Traveled, Sashi has, for two whole days. Did not stop. Not stop for anything! He had to give message to Kurama.important, yes, yes, very important. Kurama must read immediately." The kitsune shook his head at the messenger's speech and then unrolled the paper. His golden eyes scanned the words, his lips moving, but not uttering any words. Hiei eyed the still panting Sashi. The creature had wings, which meant he could fly, or at least, he used to be able to. It was obvious that he had lost the ability rather recently, which would explain why he had traveled on foot, and why he was so out of breathe. However, Hiei did not have much time to ponder this further, as his thoughts were abruptly cut off by a curse. He looked up to see Kurama glaring daggers at the paper. "Bad news, fox?" He asked. The youko looked down at him and sighed in aggravation. "Depends on what your definition of bad is." Kurama said, and then handed the paper to Hiei, who also, quickly read it. "I see. What will you do?" He asked then. "Sashi think, Kurama go! Yomi-sama has bad temper, could hurt Kurama if he does not go. Sashi knows it is bad to get in trouble with Yomi-sama. Yomi- sama punished Sashi, now Sashi can no longer fly." Chimed in the little demon, who had gained his breath and was now standing. Once again, Kurama and Hiei exchanged looks, only this time they were slightly more sympathetic. "He says it's urgent, Kurama. Perhaps we should go." Hiei offered. Kurama sighed. Hiei was right. It was better not to take chances, but just going to Yomi's made him nervous. Yomi was, well, he was nice enough, but every time he was around the Makai lord, he felt as though Yomi was constantly following him. He knew that the blind king hindered feelings for him, but Kurama wasn't interested, as he had not been in the past, and wouldn't be in the future. It was just that with Yomi being so powerful now, he wasn't sure if he could trust him. If he did decide to try something, then Kurama had a feeling that he probably wouldn't be able to stop him. Hiei seemed to pick up on Kurama's feelings. "Don't worry, fox. He won't try anything while I'm there." He said. Kurama nodded, a little more reassured now. "Fine, let's go." Said the fox. He looked down at Sashi then. "You there. Are you coming?" Sashi shook his head. "No, Sashi go not. He just got away. Must go now, he must, he must. Must find clan again. But Sashi wishes luck to you both. Farewell!" And with that, he hobbled off, leaving the other two demons to depart on their own.
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"Yomi-sama. Your guest has arrived. He has brought a companion with him as well." Yomi looked up from what he was doing. "Kurama is here? And you say he has brought another too? Fine, bring them in. Clear this room immediately. This is a private meeting and I do not wish to be disturbed." The servant bowed deeply. "Yes my Lord." He walked over to help Yoda who was already shooing demons out of the large room. Yoda and the servant were the last to leave and shut the doors behind them. Yomi waited a little impatiently. He wanted to see Kurama again, that alluring youko. Indeed, the fox had betrayed him, but he still couldn't wipe him from his mind. So, instead of hating his thoughts of the silver youko, he embraced them. The only down side to seeing Kurama, was that he had brought someone with him. Now their visit would not be quite as intimate as he had hoped. Ah well, but another time, another place perhaps. At about that time, the two large doors opened and in walked Kurama, adorned in his youko form and usual white garments, golden eyes flashing beautifully, but deadly. Yomi could not suppress a smile. For although he could not see him with his two eyes, his mind and senses showed him a most beautiful sight. That smile did not go unnoticed by Kurama who moved a little closer to Hiei. Yomi frowned a little at the fire demon, and Hiei returned the look. "Kurama, and.Hiei. You both came. I'm sorry to have summoned you on such short notice." Yomi said, offering a smile to the pair. "Yomi, we did not come here to exchange pleasantries. In your message you said that there was an urgent situation. That is the only reason we're standing in front of you right now." Kurama said, rather bitterly. He had his arms crossed and was looking quite annoyed. Despite his body language, and insinuated verbal insults, Yomi still smiled. He just couldn't help it! The king cleared his throat briefly before taking on a serious facial expression. "Yes, there is a problem. It has to do with Raizen's heir." He said. The mention of Yusuke grabbed Hiei and Kurama's attention immediately, killing off any hostile feelings that they had previously had. "Yusuke? It's about Yusuke?" Kurama asked. Yomi nodded somewhat gravely before motioning for them to sit down on the cushions that were situated around a black, marble table. He joined them, sitting on the opposite side, and then placed his elbows on the tabletop and folded his hands together. "Ten days ago, I received word that a rather powerful and intellectual band of demons was headed toward Gandara. They were being led by a youkai who we've yet to learn the identity of, however, he is extremely strong and could become a future threat. Anyway, after I heard this, I sent out more soldiers to patrol my territory, as well as the city. Despite my efforts, the band managed to get past my guards and create some havoc, although, it was nothing that couldn't be repaired almost immediately. We chased them all the way to the border and beyond. Given a little more time we could have caught them, but as I said, these demons are rather intelligent, and therefore, evaded us by slipping into Raizen's, now Yusuke's territory." "So? What's stopping you from going after them?" Asked Kurama, tilting his head slightly. All of the information Yomi was giving didn't mean anything to him. All he really cared about was how Yusuke was involved. Hiei glanced at Kurama and then at Yomi before speaking. "The three Makai lords have a sort of pact. Neither can enter the other's territory without permission given from that particular ruler. That's why they could not pursue them." The fire demon was silent after that explanation, also waiting patiently to find out how Yusuke was tied into all of this. Kurama nodded his thank you to his friend and then turned his golden eyes to Yomi. "If that is the case, Yomi, then why don't you get permission from Yusuke. Surely he wouldn't deny you. Further more, Yusuke is very powerful, and despite how me act at times, he is also quite intelligent. He could handle these youkai as easily as you." Said the fox. Yomi sighed in frustration. "I realize that, and believe me, I've tried to contact him, but to no avail. He won't send back any sort of message. I've already sent three, all of which seem to have been ignored. Oddly enough, I haven't been able to speak to him for quite some time now. I've also considered that he would handle the enemy on his own, and yet, I've received word that they are still at large." "Have you contacted Mukuro?" Hiei asked. The king nodded. "Indeed. She has heard nothing of the youkai, and has not spoken or had any contact with Yusuke for a long time either. It's rather strange really. Although Yusuke was competing with me during the tournament, I've always held respect for him. For a period of time, he did not necessarily want to take Raizen's place, and if I remember correctly, wasn't going to. Then, about, 7 years ago, he came to me and told me that he had changed his mind. He wasn't the same then, as I had remembered him. After he took over Raizen's territory, I rarely heard from him, but received word that his own city was not very suitable for living. That it was somewhat neglected. I simply can't make sense of it. So what say you to that?" Asked Yomi, shifting his position slightly. Kurama and Hiei looked at each other, both of them recalling the events that had occurred seven years before. The break up between Yusuke and Keiko had truly been tragic. For everyone knew that they were meant for one another. However, there was no amount of coaxing that could repair their broken relationship. Shortly afterwards, they heard that Yusuke had decided to succeed Raizen and was now one of the three Makai lords. Every now and then, Kurama and Hiei would see Yusuke, but it was by pure coincidence that they would run into each other while training or traveling, or something like that. Now that they thought about it, no one, including them, had actually been in Yusuke's territory. "If that band of youkai begin operating from within Yusuke's borders, it could spell serious trouble. You two know Yusuke. I called you here because I thought that perhaps your would know what the trouble was, and how to fix it." Yomi said suddenly. His words pulled the other two demons from their old memories and urged them to think of the present situation. They looked at one another, golden eyes meeting crimson. A wordless conversation took place and a silent decision was made. "I think I know what the problem is, Yomi, and I think I know how to solve it. You see, in all the worlds, there is only one who can pull Yusuke together and put his mind back on track." "Keiko Yukimura." Hiei answered Yomi's unspoken question. Kurama nodded, and continued on. "Yes, she was his fiancé, and best friend before that. It was seven years ago that they broke up three months before the wedding. They still cared for each other, but things were said and.well, it all ended badly. My guess is that Yusuke is emotionally scarred from that, because believe me, he still loves her." Yomi nodded. He understood that well enough. Kurama, he still cared for Kurama. He still remembered the pain he had felt when he found out that it was the youko who had hired that assassin to try and kill him. It was these feelings that led him to have sympathy for Yusuke. Although he was not clear on what had happened between this Keiko and Yusuke, he did know that they had to get them back together. "Then there is only one course of action that I can see. We need to find this girl and bring her back here. We're racing against time though. As mentioned before, I do not know the identity of the demon that leads this group and his powers are a mystery. We need to act as quickly as possible." Yomi said. "Easier said than done I'm afraid. You see the last time Yusuke and Keiko ever saw one another was at Kuwabara and Yukina's wedding. We tried to get them to speak to one another, but that also ended in an argument between the two. Keiko is stubborn, and coaxing her to come see Yusuke.could prove to be difficult." Stated Kurama. Hiei nodded. "Not mention that Keiko could have found someone else by now." He added. However, Yomi shook his head at both remarks. "I don't care what methods are used, just find a way to get her here. We don't have time to brood over it." Kurama and Hiei nodded in agreement. Then, Yomi rose from his seat, and the two other demons followed his example. They all said their good- byes to one another, although the comments were out of politeness and habit, more than anything else. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"To the Ningenkai?" Kurama nodded at his friend. "Yes. I think we should find Kuwabara and Yukina. If anyone will know about Keiko, it'll be them." Hiei nodded. "Let's go, then." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By: Amethyst Tiger
Chapter: 1
Keiko Yukimura paced back and forth in front of Genkai's temple. The old woman who owned it sat on the temple steps, quietly sipping tea and watching the aggravated girl. Keiko had come a few hours ago, asking where Yusuke had run off to this time. Genkai had refused to lie to her and told her that he had gone off to the Makai to train. Keiko had not taken well to this and Genkai did not blame her. Yusuke had a habit running off without telling anyone, but lately he had been doing it more and leaving for longer periods of time, despite his promise to stay around more. Genkai looked up as Yukina appeared by her side. The koorime girl looked worried. "How is she?" She asked softly. "Hm.she won't stop pacing. She's very angry, and rightfully so. Yusuke is being more of an inconsiderate dimwit than usual." Yukina nodded in agreement. Yusuke was her friend, but he really wasn't being fair to Keiko. "I spoke to Kurama only a few minutes ago. He said he and Hiei would go to the Makai to find Yusuke." Now the girl sat down next to the woman and wrapped her arms around herself. Genkai noticed something in Yukina's voice when she spoke of Hiei. The fire-demon still refused to tell her that he was the long lost brother that she had been searching for, but Yukina was smart. "You know." Genkai said simply. She did not look at the one whom she spoke to, but merely sipped her tea and watched Keiko. The koorime girl nodded. "Yes.I know. And I understand why he does not wish to tell me about our relation, but it's sort of hard to miss. I can feel something inside my heart when he is around. I know when he watches me, looks over me.he protects me." Genkai nodded silently. She was happy for Yukina. The girl had been so sad not knowing the whereabouts of her twin, but since she had found out, well, the sadness that had shone so obviously in her ruby eyes was not as evident. "Will you tell him that you know?" She smiled sadly and gently shook her head. Suddenly, a shimmer caught Genkai's old, yet keen eyes. She watched as two tears fell from Yukina's pale cheeks and transformed into sparkling gems at their feet. The old woman patted the koorime's knee. "No need for crying Yukina. You must trust that the love and the bond which the two of you share, will not fail to bring you together in the future." And with that, Yukina's tears ceased and Genkai picked up the gems and held them in her palm. A small burst of ki enveloped them, and they disintegrated. They looked back simultaneously at Keiko who was still pacing. Genkai imagined that she would continue her merciless assault on the ground all night if she had too. No sort of coaxing would ever convince her to do otherwise. She sighed. Yusuke was in for it this time. For someone with an explosive temper like Keiko, she was actually pretty patient and understanding of Yusuke. She knew well enough that Yusuke had become a youkai and thereby had a need to train, challenge his own abilities. He wanted to be stronger and to be with other demons. Keiko knew and understood all of this. She had told him so, but Yusuke was taking advantage of it and she could no longer contain her temper Genkai looked up abruptly. "They're back." Yukina also looked up from her folded hands. "What?" Then she saw them in the distance. The shadows of night were masking them well, but their figures were silhouetted by the moonlight, which shone brightly above them. There were three of them. Kurama's long, flowing hair easily identified him, and Hiei's spiky hair was just as betraying. Yusuke walked in the middle of them. His hair was lacking its usual slicked back style and looked like it could stand a tango with a hairbrush sometime in the near future. Keiko stopped as she too, saw them descending the temple steps. Her arms were folded at her waist and she stood perfectly erect. She did not move, nor did she blink. Even when Yusuke left Kurama and Hiei's side and approached her steadily, she only stared him. Silence was present for quite some time before Yusuke placed a hand on her arm. "Are you ok?" He asked gently. "Kurama and Hiei came and got me. They said that there was a problem, but everything looks alri-" "A problem? Yes Yusuke, I'd say there was a problem." Keiko's voice cut him off as she took a step back in order to escape from his touch. Yusuke looked somewhat confused. "Why? What's the matter?" Her eyes flashed. "You, Yusuke Urameshi, are the problem!" Now Yusuke was more surprised than anything else. "Me? What did I do?" Keiko shook her head. "Everything!" "I don-" "Your doing everything! You disappeared last month with no explanation what so ever! I completely understand that.if it's Reikai business, but Yusuke, you don't just run off because Koenma happens to send you on a mission! No! You run off because you want to go visit the Makai and train and fight and who knows what else! Business is one thing, but going off for your own pleasure and leaving me here to worry about you, is another! How could you do this to me Yusuke?" The boy was shocked at her sudden outburst. For a while, all he could do was open and close his jaw. Finally he found the words to speak. "Keiko, I can explain." "Oh, is that so? Ok, explain Yusuke. Explain to me why you keep disappearing without my knowing. Explain to me why, when you do this, you do it just for the hell of it. Explain to me why you don't seem to give a damn about how I feel about all of this!" Keiko was screaming at him now, her voice echoed everywhere and none of them had ever heard her this angry before. Kurama and Hiei moved over to where Genkai sat next to Yukina. The ice maiden grabbed for Genkai's hand, as she did not like the argument that was taking place. Kurama watched this with his usual calm expression and Hiei with is usual stoic one. "Keiko is right though." Kurama said softly. Hiei nodded. "Yes." He agreed. Yusuke was just being irresponsible and now was paying the consequences for it. The couple fought all the time, however, none of them had ever heard Keiko so very serious and enraged. "I think you're blowing this out proportion." Came Yusuke's sudden reply. He had gathered his wits now and was no longer caught off guard. Keiko's eyebrows raised at this comment. She narrowed her eyes at him, an expression practically daring him to say more. Yusuke, not being one to back down from a challenge, did. "Keiko, I'm sorry you feel this way, but, damn, what do you want me to do? Stop training? I'm not perfect and my life doesn't revolve around you!" Suddenly, the sound of a slap echoed through the air. Yusuke put a hand to his offended cheek. "What the hell was that for!?" Keiko glared at him. "For being a self centered bastard! I NEVER asked you to be perfect! I NEVER asked you to stop training, or to let your world revolve around me! I just wanted you to, oh, I don't know. maybe stick around long enough for me to ask you about invitations, seating, food! We have a frickin' wedding in three months Yusuke! Three! What don't you understand about that?" Yusuke stared at her, once again at a loss for words. He glanced then, at the engagement ring on her finger. He had given it to her last year. He'd nearly forgotten about it. His thoughts took a sudden jolt as he realized that he had forgotten about his own wedding. Perhaps, maybe, he had been spending a little too much time in the Makai. An idea came to him and he couldn't help a small smile. "Keiko.listen, maybe you're right." She looked at him and her expression shifted to one of surprise. "I am?" Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, but I have a solution to our problem." "You do?" He nodded. "Why don't we have the wedding in the Makai? Hell, why don't we start our life there? Technically, I'm still the heir of Raizen's territory. I'll just take it over and we can live together there." All was silent, and Keiko just looked at him blankly for a moment. "Yusuke. We can't have the wedding in the Makai. We can't live in the Makai." Her tone was calm and very to the point. The human turned youkai, blinked. "Why?" Came the question. Little did he know that such a seemingly insignificant three-letter word could cause such a horrible out- burst. "Why? Yusuke, this is what I've been talking about! You haven't been around long enough to even pay attention to what's been going on. My father suffered a stroke two weeks ago. He's in the hospital. Mother is going through an emotional break down and it's all I can do to get her to eat! Also, what about college? I didn't graduate at the top of my class, and go to one of the best universities around, to forget all of my dreams and plans for the future, so I can go and be widely known as 'The Great Urameshi's Wife'! I mean how in the hell would I explain all of that to my family? My God Yusuke, I don't understand how you can be so clueless! All you care about anymore is training, and screwing around in the world next door! Wake up, because you were human before you were demon, and your life is HERE!" Yusuke's fists clenched at his sides. He was nearly shaking with rage and the words that tumbled out of his mouth did not fail to surprise him, as well as everyone else. "Then maybe it shouldn't be." He said, and he immediately regretted it, but was too proud to take it back. Keiko looked as though someone had just pulled the heart from her very chest. "I.I mean.you." Words fell clumsily from her mouth. She looked at his eyes, which were still holding anger and then at the ground. Suddenly, she looked up at him and then down at her hand. Quietly, she slipped the ring from her finger and held it up at eyelevel. "Very well. This belongs to you now." Yusuke stared at the glimmering object that she held in her slim fingers. Keiko's eyes told him that he could have a second chance, if he refused it, but.what if they ended up spending the rest of their lives like this? Arguing all the time, what if eventually, they stopped loving one another? Slowly, he reached up, and took the ring from her fingers. Keiko swallowed hard and nodded. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes as she took one last look at him, before she walked passed him, and down the temple steps, not even sparing a glance back at her former fiancé. Yusuke suddenly, turned and began walking away as well. "Yusuke, wait!" Kurama called after his friend, but the boy did not respond. He merely disappeared into the dark forest that surrounded Genkai's temple. The kitsune started after him, but stopped when he felt a stern grip on his for-arm. He looked back at Hiei, who's red eyes spoke volumes that only he could read. Kurama nodded. They looked back then at Genkai and at Yukina. Genkai wore her usual expression, though her brow was slightly wrinkled in worry. Yukina pulled a handkerchief from her kimono and dabbed at her eyes. However, this could not stop the tears from falling once again. She looked to the two demons, but focused mainly on Hiei. "What.will happen now?" She managed to whisper between her soft sobs. The fire demon smiled slightly, showing as much sympathy for his dear sister as he dared. "It's up to them." He answered. And as though the heavens had felt the tragedy that had just taken place, it started to rain.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, and typing this puts a spear through my poor, fragile heart, but oh well.life goes on! .Or does it!? ::Dramatic Drum Roll:: (Ok.that was weird.)
Author's Note: Well, I realized about 5 minutes after I posted the first chapter of this fic, that I had forgotten to put the disclaimer up. So, if you'll look above, there it is in pretty bold letters! Now that, we've taken care of THAT little flaw, I realized that I also forgot an author's note! I like writing author's notes, because I enjoy rambling, so here it is, also.in pretty bold letters! Anyway, here is chapter 2 of A Snag in Love. Sorry it took so long to get it up.I experienced some technical difficulties. (Basically that means I accidentally deleted the chapter and had to rewrite it from memory ^_^,) Anyway, keep sending those reviews, good or bad, I just need input! So read and please enjoy! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (Y) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (-.-) KAWAII!!!!!!!!! (")(")o ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~
Chapter: 2
~*~*~*~*~ 7 Years Later ~*~*~*~*~
"Hold still, Hiei, you're only making it worse." Kurama struggled to keep the fire demon in one place. He'd gone and gotten himself injured again while training. "It's not that bad of a wound." Protested Hiei, doing his best to squirm out of Kurama's reach. "It may not be much of one now, but it could easily progress into something worse. Just stop moving for moment, would you?" Finally, Hiei sighed and gave into the care that the fox bestowed upon him. Hiei watched as Kurama grew several small plants from the ground. His delicate looking hands would take a little something from each of them, and then the little plants would die away or shrink back into their seedling form. "Here, can you singe these for me?" He held out his hand to Hiei, who raised his eyebrow at the little bits and pieces of greenery in Kurama's palm. He shrugged though, and with a very small burst of ki, singed them into black, brittle little bits. The fox nodded in approval and then closed his hand, gently squeezing his fist in order to crush what was in it. He reached over the semi-deep gash across Hiei's chest and sprinkled the charred plants into the wound. Hiei hissed in pain. "Sorry, it might sting a bit." The fire youkai glared up at him. "You couldn't have said something sooner?" Kurama shrugged and began bandaging him carefully and neatly, as he always did. "You can put your shirt back on now." He said, once he was done. Hiei nodded and did as suggested by his companion. Hiei finished swiftly and stood up. "Where to now?" The youko looked down at him and smiled. "I was thinking we should--" Kurama froze suddenly. His sentence was cut off and forgotten about as his keen fox ears perked up. Golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you feel it?" Hiei nodded and drew his sword. The pair waited silently. The youkai that they were sensing wasn't far off, and didn't seem to be that strong. However, there were those who practiced deceitful tactics, and in a place like the Makai, it was better to stay on your guard. They saw then, over the hill that they stood on, a small figure approaching them. As it came into view, its looks became more defined. It was a very short demon, no more than 3 and a-half feet tall. It had beady black eyes set low in the sockets and two, neatly folded wings on it's slightly hunched back. His skin was a dark shade of purple, which was somewhat of a contrast to the royal blue trousers and vest that he wore. Long, slick, black hair was held in ponytail that trailed behind him and near equally long arms hung at his side. In one of is over sized hands was a piece of rolled up paper. Kurama and Hiei watched stoically as the little youkai hobbled up to them, panting. "Kurama, is you?" The youkai looked pointedly at the proud, tall, youko in front of him. Hiei exchanged glances with his friend and finally, Kurama nodded. "I am." He said simply. The creature looked pleased. "Good, good. A message for you.here." The creature gently put the note in his hand and then collapsed on the ground. His large hands fanned himself. "Traveled, Sashi has, for two whole days. Did not stop. Not stop for anything! He had to give message to Kurama.important, yes, yes, very important. Kurama must read immediately." The kitsune shook his head at the messenger's speech and then unrolled the paper. His golden eyes scanned the words, his lips moving, but not uttering any words. Hiei eyed the still panting Sashi. The creature had wings, which meant he could fly, or at least, he used to be able to. It was obvious that he had lost the ability rather recently, which would explain why he had traveled on foot, and why he was so out of breathe. However, Hiei did not have much time to ponder this further, as his thoughts were abruptly cut off by a curse. He looked up to see Kurama glaring daggers at the paper. "Bad news, fox?" He asked. The youko looked down at him and sighed in aggravation. "Depends on what your definition of bad is." Kurama said, and then handed the paper to Hiei, who also, quickly read it. "I see. What will you do?" He asked then. "Sashi think, Kurama go! Yomi-sama has bad temper, could hurt Kurama if he does not go. Sashi knows it is bad to get in trouble with Yomi-sama. Yomi- sama punished Sashi, now Sashi can no longer fly." Chimed in the little demon, who had gained his breath and was now standing. Once again, Kurama and Hiei exchanged looks, only this time they were slightly more sympathetic. "He says it's urgent, Kurama. Perhaps we should go." Hiei offered. Kurama sighed. Hiei was right. It was better not to take chances, but just going to Yomi's made him nervous. Yomi was, well, he was nice enough, but every time he was around the Makai lord, he felt as though Yomi was constantly following him. He knew that the blind king hindered feelings for him, but Kurama wasn't interested, as he had not been in the past, and wouldn't be in the future. It was just that with Yomi being so powerful now, he wasn't sure if he could trust him. If he did decide to try something, then Kurama had a feeling that he probably wouldn't be able to stop him. Hiei seemed to pick up on Kurama's feelings. "Don't worry, fox. He won't try anything while I'm there." He said. Kurama nodded, a little more reassured now. "Fine, let's go." Said the fox. He looked down at Sashi then. "You there. Are you coming?" Sashi shook his head. "No, Sashi go not. He just got away. Must go now, he must, he must. Must find clan again. But Sashi wishes luck to you both. Farewell!" And with that, he hobbled off, leaving the other two demons to depart on their own.
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"Yomi-sama. Your guest has arrived. He has brought a companion with him as well." Yomi looked up from what he was doing. "Kurama is here? And you say he has brought another too? Fine, bring them in. Clear this room immediately. This is a private meeting and I do not wish to be disturbed." The servant bowed deeply. "Yes my Lord." He walked over to help Yoda who was already shooing demons out of the large room. Yoda and the servant were the last to leave and shut the doors behind them. Yomi waited a little impatiently. He wanted to see Kurama again, that alluring youko. Indeed, the fox had betrayed him, but he still couldn't wipe him from his mind. So, instead of hating his thoughts of the silver youko, he embraced them. The only down side to seeing Kurama, was that he had brought someone with him. Now their visit would not be quite as intimate as he had hoped. Ah well, but another time, another place perhaps. At about that time, the two large doors opened and in walked Kurama, adorned in his youko form and usual white garments, golden eyes flashing beautifully, but deadly. Yomi could not suppress a smile. For although he could not see him with his two eyes, his mind and senses showed him a most beautiful sight. That smile did not go unnoticed by Kurama who moved a little closer to Hiei. Yomi frowned a little at the fire demon, and Hiei returned the look. "Kurama, and.Hiei. You both came. I'm sorry to have summoned you on such short notice." Yomi said, offering a smile to the pair. "Yomi, we did not come here to exchange pleasantries. In your message you said that there was an urgent situation. That is the only reason we're standing in front of you right now." Kurama said, rather bitterly. He had his arms crossed and was looking quite annoyed. Despite his body language, and insinuated verbal insults, Yomi still smiled. He just couldn't help it! The king cleared his throat briefly before taking on a serious facial expression. "Yes, there is a problem. It has to do with Raizen's heir." He said. The mention of Yusuke grabbed Hiei and Kurama's attention immediately, killing off any hostile feelings that they had previously had. "Yusuke? It's about Yusuke?" Kurama asked. Yomi nodded somewhat gravely before motioning for them to sit down on the cushions that were situated around a black, marble table. He joined them, sitting on the opposite side, and then placed his elbows on the tabletop and folded his hands together. "Ten days ago, I received word that a rather powerful and intellectual band of demons was headed toward Gandara. They were being led by a youkai who we've yet to learn the identity of, however, he is extremely strong and could become a future threat. Anyway, after I heard this, I sent out more soldiers to patrol my territory, as well as the city. Despite my efforts, the band managed to get past my guards and create some havoc, although, it was nothing that couldn't be repaired almost immediately. We chased them all the way to the border and beyond. Given a little more time we could have caught them, but as I said, these demons are rather intelligent, and therefore, evaded us by slipping into Raizen's, now Yusuke's territory." "So? What's stopping you from going after them?" Asked Kurama, tilting his head slightly. All of the information Yomi was giving didn't mean anything to him. All he really cared about was how Yusuke was involved. Hiei glanced at Kurama and then at Yomi before speaking. "The three Makai lords have a sort of pact. Neither can enter the other's territory without permission given from that particular ruler. That's why they could not pursue them." The fire demon was silent after that explanation, also waiting patiently to find out how Yusuke was tied into all of this. Kurama nodded his thank you to his friend and then turned his golden eyes to Yomi. "If that is the case, Yomi, then why don't you get permission from Yusuke. Surely he wouldn't deny you. Further more, Yusuke is very powerful, and despite how me act at times, he is also quite intelligent. He could handle these youkai as easily as you." Said the fox. Yomi sighed in frustration. "I realize that, and believe me, I've tried to contact him, but to no avail. He won't send back any sort of message. I've already sent three, all of which seem to have been ignored. Oddly enough, I haven't been able to speak to him for quite some time now. I've also considered that he would handle the enemy on his own, and yet, I've received word that they are still at large." "Have you contacted Mukuro?" Hiei asked. The king nodded. "Indeed. She has heard nothing of the youkai, and has not spoken or had any contact with Yusuke for a long time either. It's rather strange really. Although Yusuke was competing with me during the tournament, I've always held respect for him. For a period of time, he did not necessarily want to take Raizen's place, and if I remember correctly, wasn't going to. Then, about, 7 years ago, he came to me and told me that he had changed his mind. He wasn't the same then, as I had remembered him. After he took over Raizen's territory, I rarely heard from him, but received word that his own city was not very suitable for living. That it was somewhat neglected. I simply can't make sense of it. So what say you to that?" Asked Yomi, shifting his position slightly. Kurama and Hiei looked at each other, both of them recalling the events that had occurred seven years before. The break up between Yusuke and Keiko had truly been tragic. For everyone knew that they were meant for one another. However, there was no amount of coaxing that could repair their broken relationship. Shortly afterwards, they heard that Yusuke had decided to succeed Raizen and was now one of the three Makai lords. Every now and then, Kurama and Hiei would see Yusuke, but it was by pure coincidence that they would run into each other while training or traveling, or something like that. Now that they thought about it, no one, including them, had actually been in Yusuke's territory. "If that band of youkai begin operating from within Yusuke's borders, it could spell serious trouble. You two know Yusuke. I called you here because I thought that perhaps your would know what the trouble was, and how to fix it." Yomi said suddenly. His words pulled the other two demons from their old memories and urged them to think of the present situation. They looked at one another, golden eyes meeting crimson. A wordless conversation took place and a silent decision was made. "I think I know what the problem is, Yomi, and I think I know how to solve it. You see, in all the worlds, there is only one who can pull Yusuke together and put his mind back on track." "Keiko Yukimura." Hiei answered Yomi's unspoken question. Kurama nodded, and continued on. "Yes, she was his fiancé, and best friend before that. It was seven years ago that they broke up three months before the wedding. They still cared for each other, but things were said and.well, it all ended badly. My guess is that Yusuke is emotionally scarred from that, because believe me, he still loves her." Yomi nodded. He understood that well enough. Kurama, he still cared for Kurama. He still remembered the pain he had felt when he found out that it was the youko who had hired that assassin to try and kill him. It was these feelings that led him to have sympathy for Yusuke. Although he was not clear on what had happened between this Keiko and Yusuke, he did know that they had to get them back together. "Then there is only one course of action that I can see. We need to find this girl and bring her back here. We're racing against time though. As mentioned before, I do not know the identity of the demon that leads this group and his powers are a mystery. We need to act as quickly as possible." Yomi said. "Easier said than done I'm afraid. You see the last time Yusuke and Keiko ever saw one another was at Kuwabara and Yukina's wedding. We tried to get them to speak to one another, but that also ended in an argument between the two. Keiko is stubborn, and coaxing her to come see Yusuke.could prove to be difficult." Stated Kurama. Hiei nodded. "Not mention that Keiko could have found someone else by now." He added. However, Yomi shook his head at both remarks. "I don't care what methods are used, just find a way to get her here. We don't have time to brood over it." Kurama and Hiei nodded in agreement. Then, Yomi rose from his seat, and the two other demons followed his example. They all said their good- byes to one another, although the comments were out of politeness and habit, more than anything else. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"To the Ningenkai?" Kurama nodded at his friend. "Yes. I think we should find Kuwabara and Yukina. If anyone will know about Keiko, it'll be them." Hiei nodded. "Let's go, then." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
