Destiny

Standard disclaimers apply. Yu Yu Hakusho and all it's characters are not mine, I'm merely borrowing ^_^ Chapter done in Kurama's point of view. Okay, Youko Kurama's to be precise, so it's a bit different. After all, it wasn't stated that Kurama was the goody-to-shoes Shuuichi when he was a youko, ne? This is just a short flashback if your obvious intellect or even the italics wouldn't permit you that knowledge. Lime alert, almost lemon actually, but I'm too tired for that…not to mention too young. Hit me on the head if ever this fic turns out lemon, okay?

Chapter 3

A muffled scream shook the thick vegetation, abruptly ceasing my steps as I whirled around to its direction. Usually, it shouldn't have bothered me. Makai was filled with screams, whether it is by innocent souls that had lost their way in the hungry mouths of predators or by the predators themselves who had finally found their match. I tried shaking the thought of seeking the voice's owner, leaving all hope that she, or whoever the voice's owner was, was alive or on it's way through an escape. It was always like that. And they always end in death.

But as I tried to step away, another ear-crushing scream kept me still. This time, it was followed by a muted growl. My eyes narrowed at the sudden scene that flashed through my head. A girl with a youkai. Very much typical.

And yet, I found myself in a sudden sprint towards the sounds, with only the girl's voice leading me on my way. She better keep screaming, I thought to myself, Or else I might change my mind and leave her instead. Patience was not really my virtue, I only practice it when needed. And I hardly find rescuing a girl necessary. But something in the vulnerability of that voice had me captivated, pulling me to accept the hidden plea. One wouldn't regularly find me a knight in shining armor, but there are times when I could spare the time. Not that I cared, such deeds just give me a good excuse to kill, a great way to practice my skills.

I reached her quickly enough. I looked around to find a girl that resembled that of a human's body, with a huge youkai awaiting his time to pounce at her. His eyes blazed with a burst of fury as I noticed the blood that trickled down from his left eye. My gaze shifted down to the ground and found an oar with bloodstains on the very tip. I would have smirked at the thought of a girl even laying a finger on this giant monster. Must be the shame, explains why he's so furious. I then shifted my gaze to the girl. A pink kimono and possessed an oar. Of course.

Reikai.

She certainly was a Reikai ferrygirl, which gave me all the fine reasons to mind my own business. I never really was acquainted with that realm, and I have no plans of starting to do so. I was a thief after all, and there's a possibility that this girl would turn me over just after I rescue her. I've had a lot of idiotic men to go along such ferrygirls, all of them turned over to Reikai. After a night's pleasure, they're all left to their doom. Such women are cold, pitiless bitches as I see it.

I was about to turn back and walk away, but her ice shattering voice made me stop. "Wait!" she called out, only to yelp in fear as the youkai growled at her and taunted another step towards her. "Help me, please!"

I stared at her, seeing the tiny evidence of tears in her eyes. She wasn't looking at me though, she was looking at the youkai who had somehow found its way to take two more steps. She was backing away with every move, her whole body trembling beneath the cold winds. I watched them, neither of them deserving the right to live in my mind. But it had been long since I've killed somebody, and I find myself thirsty for the bloodshed that had been caused by my own hands yet again.

What the hell.

My whip slashed through the muscled body of the youkai, too quick to allow him a scream. The giant weight of his body made the ground quiver as it fell to its back, eyes and mouth opened in obvious shock. He wasn't ready for that strike.

What a fool.

I stared at the corpse that lay ungracefully in front of me, my feet moving forward to let me pick up the oar that lay discarded on the ground. I then looked at the girl who was still trembling in her place, her pale hands wrapped around herself in fear. I gave her a sardonic grin, gesturing to the oar in my hands. "Is this yours?" I asked her.

It took her a few seconds to look up at me with tearful eyes. It took a few seconds more for her to nod her head. "Anou…t-thank you for saving me. C-Can I have my oar back?"

I didn't move, with only a disdainful grunt as my reply. I walked back to the lifeless body that laid sprawled to the ground. I stared in obvious distaste as blood flowed out of his body from where my whip had wrapped itself on him. I held the oar tightly in my grip, poising it on top of the other eye. I looked at the girl from the corner of my eyes just as I heard a surprised gasp, feeling her voice shaking in her throat. I smirked wryly with my back to her as I swiftly stabbed the oar to the youkai's eye, leaving him with both eyes now blind. Not that he needed it anyway, he's dead. I wasn't trying to hit him really, I just want to play with the girl a little further.

The sudden sound of sobbing started to wake me from my play as I turned back to find the girl crying, her face buried in her palms. I watched her impassively as she shook in her place, almost violently enough to may have bothered me. After a while, I found myself stepping towards her, dropping her oar as I did so. I couldn't give it to her now, it might just scare her even more with the blood I just placed on it.

I looked at it once last time. No, definitely, I couldn't give it to her. "You're all right," it came out firmer than I had intended to, and I doubted whether that had helped her or just made her feel worse. I really didn't know why I cared, but I felt like I needed to help this girl, discarding the thought how much I despise Reikai. Hell, if she turns on me, I'll kill her, simple as that.

I watched her back away from me, her sobs getting more and more louder each time I try to touch her. I tried coaxing her, but it seems as though she couldn't trust me. I don't blame her, actually, I found her wise for not trusting me. I'm still in the process of deciding whether or not I'd kill her as well, or at least blind her the same way I had that youkai.

But all thoughts slipped my mind as I felt a heavy warmth falling to my chest, leaving me to lose my footing. I fell back as I find myself gazing down the girl's body, my eyes locking at the sudden closeness. She must have fainted. I scowled at myself for losing my guard. If that was an attempted attack, I should be as good as dead by now.

But as I gazed down at the innocent show this girl had proved to me, I found myself wrapping my arms around her, lifting her up in my arms. I wasn't sure on what I would do to her, but she badly needed relief from everything that has happened. Her body was filled with scratches and bruises, and I caught myself fingering a light wound in her pale lips. So maybe I was too late after all. Suddenly, I found myself regretting what I did, I shouldn't have scared her like that.

She was unconscious enough to allow me to take her with me to my lair. It started to rain hard, leaving us both soaked to the skin as we finally reached shelter. I set her down on my own bed as I went to another room to dry myself. And as I did so, the memories of her screams, her fearful eyes, her trembling hands, all came back to me in a sudden blow. I couldn't believe the impact it had done at such a short instant. Was I caring for her too much?

I shook my head at the possibility, pulling a thick cloth as I walked to her again. I stood still for a while, gazing down her body, watching in disbelief at the sudden interest I found as I looked down at her kimono, watching it stick to her lithe frame. The rain had soaked her all right, and I find myself admiring the effects. I admit, she was beautiful despite her being a ferrygirl.

I shook my head as I started to take off her obi, my fingers lacing around her waist as I tried removing each cloth. I draped the blanket I took from the other room around her, before I pulled the rest of her clothing away, voiding me of any view of whatever might be the source of the warmth that started to spread through my body. Damn, I hate it when such instincts bother me, especially whenever I try to do what I needed to. She was a part of Reikai, and I have to keep my guard around her.

They're all the same.

But only a fool would neglect the heated looks I'm giving her now. And yet, only a blind fool would neglect the fact that she was beautiful. Hell I hated myself. It was obvious.

I wanted her.

Much as I tried to restrain myself, my hand betrayed me as it started to creep up from the side of her waist, crawling up to her arm as my fingers laced around hers. I leaned to one side to let my other hand extend its way up to touch her face, my fingers tracing their way from her neck, up to her cheeks. They crawled up to her forehead, easing the slight crease on her brows, resting atop her closed lids, all the while as my other arm started its caress on her arms again. I leaned down to gaze at the innocent face, her skin smooth and soft beneath my touch.

I shut my eyes as I tried once more to pull away, only to find my body deceiving me as I pulled her closer. I clenched one hand to a fist, battling whether or not I should knock my head on the wall or not. I shouldn't do this. I don't normally do this. Usually it's my men who do this mostly, and never have I tried, for I always find better things than take advantage of women. But she…this girl was…different. And as much as I try to regain my sanity, I take a sudden look at her and all thoughts of decency dies down. I wanted her. Badly. And this time, I have no attempt to stop myself anymore.

I buried my face on her neck, finding myself in a fury of wild kisses, clutching the blanket that served as the barrier between us, almost ripping it apart at the sudden surge of lust inside me. I couldn't understand it, I never felt like this before. Nor have I even bothered to ask anybody. But now I couldn't think of anything but her, almost growling at the impatience and lack of satisfaction in what I was taking. She was everything I wanted, and yet I didn't know how I should act, how I should hold her. It was heaven and hell, clashed up in a mist of confusion that I had to stifle a yell for the vague pain that I felt.

Nothing was helping me.

I struck the stone wall beside the bed, feeling the blood trickle down as the sharp wedges pierced through my skin. I winced in pain, but I found this kind of pain more familiar than the other. I hated yet welcomed the new feeling, finding myself calming down as I stared coldly at the river of blood from the side of my palm. It was distracting me enough.

But not for long.

I was shocked as I heard a faint moan from her lips, her body shivering abruptly beneath me, causing me to want to hold her close again. But her next moan made me lift myself up, if not drive me further down the edge of sanity. My breathing was rapid and shallow, feeling the warmth creep up my face, drenching me with my own sweat as I longed for her once more.

But I waited, as she fluttered her eyes to adjust them to her surroundings. Although I doubted that it helped, my lair was dark enough to blind her. Yet she must have felt me on top of her, as she gasped in obvious shock at that revelation. My eyes narrowed, placing my forefinger on her lips to cease any sign of protest. Not that she had any, she was merely staring back at me with those drowning pools of purple. And I found myself drowning all over again.

I found myself caressing her cheeks, the sudden assault of this new openness had its hold tightly on me again. I stared into her eyes and allowed myself to lose my remaining sanity in her, allowing my mind the thoughts that I had long tried to suppress since the first time I've been with her here in my lair. And as suspected, I sank, deep into her warmth like a child seeking for shelter.

She was a fool to welcome me.

"You're bleeding," she whispered, finally breaking the silence that covered both of us as she cradled my hand in hers. Her touch was gentle and warm, and I found myself staring at her as she nursed my wound. I would've said something, but stopped at the sudden flash of memory the wound had given me. Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable.

I quickly sat up and snatched my hand away, turning back from her as I recollected my thoughts. I don't know why I cared, but I couldn't look at her now. Not now, now that I was gravely sure I would come to dangerous heights for her. Hell, I would've taken her then and there if she only didn't wake up. I cursed myself for being careless, and cursed again at the sudden spark of hurt as I left her touch. I wanted to touch her again, and yet forbidden myself to do so in fear of losing myself. She hadn't completely had my trust yet.

"Let me see," she said, her voice barely a whisper. I held my breath as she tenderly took my hand from me, holding it in a gentle caress, frowning later on at the damage I must have done to it. The feel of her fingers trailing down my hand was not left unignored as I felt my heart beat drumming its way out of my chest. "What did you do to yourself?" she asked me, looking up to glare into my eyes. "You should be a little more careful."

I blinked at that. Was she scolding me?

My eyes narrowed at her, but this time, I let my hand remain where it was. For some apparent reason, I found her touch…welcoming. I don't want to think about it, but I wanted us this way. At least, if not for the sudden burst of lust I felt for her just a few minutes ago, at least I'd find the satisfaction of having her touch me. But I wouldn't tell her that. I still kept my guard. "It's none of your business," I snapped at her, but my voice gave me away. It was almost…gentle.

She smiled. Much to my surprise. Fuck what I said then, the voice completely opposed to whatever fury I tried to show on that remark. "I can take care of this if you want me to," she offered, fingering my wound, her smile still intact. When I didn't reply, she sighed and lifted her hand above mine, a faint glow emanating from her palms. A feeling of warmth and coolness mixed itself at that light, replacing the pain with a pleasing sensation that I couldn't help closing my eyes. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but I found myself not protesting. I was certainly not myself. I opened my eyes to find my wound gone, my hand good as it was before. My breath caught at that, abruptly shifting my gaze to look up at her. She shrugged. "It's nothing, just a little something given to us ferrygirls."

I was right. She was a ferrygirl. And yet…I find her different from the others. All the others I've known all looked like petty demons themselves, playing with unsuspecting youkai's minds. I know their main task was to escort human souls to Reikai, but heaven knows what they do in their past time. Manipulative creatures. Was this what she's trying to do?

I hate to think she was playing with me. For at the very instant that I found out about how I felt about her, I would never again welcome the thought of her being like all the others. I wanted to believe she was different. I wanted to believe her kindness was honest and true. I wanted to believe that she wouldn't cost me anything, to believe that she was a blessing.

But all roses have their thorns.

I looked away from her, as a sudden pain surged up my chest, almost suffocating me. I couldn't look at her, lest risk myself drowning at the depths of her gaze once again. I couldn't let her melt me just like this, I can't let her take off my guard by a mere gaze.

But fate failed me again as I felt her hands coming up behind my back, crawling up to my shoulders. A muffled gasp escaped me as I felt her hand pulling me to face her, feeling her lips touch mine in a light, feathery touch that almost drove me to the edge. What was she doing?

My hands came up to her wrist, pushing her away from me only to be met by a gentle struggle. She got out of my grip easily enough. She has made me weak at her earlier assault, as I found her coming closer to me to hold me in a light hug. She rested herself on my chest, her eyes crawling up to meet mine. My eyes narrowed at her, gripping her arms tightly that she winced in pain. But that, I ignored. "Are you sure about this?" I asked her, my voice coming out in a trembling croak. She didn't answer me, only slithering up to bury herself in my neck, feeling her lips caress my flesh. I shut my eyes at the torture I was giving to myself, trapping me in my own will to keep my guard.

Hell.

My mind raced, my heart jumped. I wanted her, I can't deny that. It will not be my fault if something happens to this girl.

With that thought held in mind, I shifted all other doubts away and pulled her closer in a deep kiss.

End of chapter 3