Trials of the Soul: Chapter Four
by: Kawaii Kitsune

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho and all the characters in the wonderful show do not belong to me, blah, blah, blah. You get the point. No money, don't sue, blah, blah, blah. Moving on.

Note: italics indicate thoughts.


Everything was explained to Angel on the rest of the way back to the apartment. They were all exhausted when they entered the door. Kurama and Hiei quickly made their way to their bedroom while Angel chose to crash on the sofa in the living room. They were asleep within five minutes.

The three of them began their journey to the Oracle the following day. It was agreed that the sooner they leave the better; there was no reason to wait for Angel's conditions to worsen. They packed what provisions they needed and headed for the nearest portal to the Makai.

The Makai air was hot and humid. The sky was not the clear blue of the Ningenkai; it was deep red. The group did not stop to observe the scenery, however. They made quick passage through the dense forests and only stopped every hour to reexamine their current direction. However, soon darkness fell upon the land and the three were forced to stop for the night. They found a comfortable spot in the center of a large forest and set up camp. Kurama, with a little help from Angel, coaxed the trees to close around them, hiding them from sight and shielding them from outsiders. Hiei started a fire with a small burst of his ki. They rested for the first time in the day.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, each taking small bits of food from their packs. Angel chewed slowly at her food while gazing mindlessly into the fire. Hiei decided to sit apart from the rest of the group, choosing a tree branch as his seat. Kurama stared intently at Angel, thousands of questions gnawing at him inside his head. He finally gave into curiosity and interest.

"Angel, why are you still alive?" he asked.

A little taken back by the bluntness of the question, the girl looked at the redhead in surprise. Then she recovered and almost smiled. "I suppose you've been wondering that for a while, ne?"

"It's crossed my mind, yes," Kurama answered with a smirk, "I'm sure Hiei has been curious as well." He turned his attention to the fire demon on the tree branch.

"Hn."

The fox turned once again to face Angel. "So please, enlighten us with your tale. How did you survive that blast?"

"That blast was meant to separate the soul from the body, destroying both in the process," Angel explained, "The reason it did not work on me is simple: I have no soul."

The couple's eyes widened at the news.

"As you both know, I was created, not born. Thus, I was never given a soul. The spell did however knock me unconscious, which prevented me from escaping when the fortress collapsed on top of me.

"Fortunately, due to the abnormal strength and endurance given to me, I was not crushed; I was simply buried and trapped beneath. After regaining consciousness after an undistinguishable amount of time, I escaped from the fallen rubble. I left the fortress remains and stumbled through the forest aimlessly, no destination in mind.

"I realized that I had nowhere to go. All who knew me either despised me or died because of me. Where could I turn to? I was alone in the world with no purpose in life. And yet, for some reason, I chose to continue living. Strange, isn't it?"

"No, it's not strange at all," Kurama replied.

"But why continue with life if it holds no meaning?"

"How are you so sure that your life has no meaning? Not everything is apparent or obvious to the eye. Some people live their whole existence trying to find their meaning in life. Others decide that they will not leave their lives to fate or chance; instead, they create their own purpose."

"I've lost my only purpose."

"If you truly believed that, you would never have healed your wounds," Kurama pointed out, "You would have let yourself die."

"I did not heal myself back to health."

"Then who did?"

"A widow named Toki. After possibly hours of wandering, I finally found a sign of civilization: a little hut surrounded by tall oak trees. I would not have approached had I not been so weak but I was desperate. I never reached the hut for I soon lost consciousness again.

"I woke up in soft bed, warm and comfortable. My wounds had been cleaned and bandaged and my clothes had been washed and mended. A boy sat besides the bed, introducing himself as Shinta. I then met his mother Toki. They were the ones who found me half-dead outside their hut and nursed me back to health.

"I remained with the two of them for several weeks after my recovery, out of duty more than anything else. The mundane life they led was habitual and meaningless but also pleasant in a way. And so I stayed, and helped out where I could.

"Still, one thing puzzled me. I could not comprehend why they took in a complete stranger into their home and helped her, though they had nothing to gain from it."

"It's called compassion," explained Kurama.

"Yes...compassion. Still a foreign concept to me." Angel continued, "And I suppose it was this 'compassion' that drove me to run when youkai started to hunt me and made me a threat to the mother and son.

"Then the spells started.

"Between the hunters and the power struggle within me, it soon became increasingly hard to stay alive. More than once, I lost the will to go on, but somehow I survived. And I found you. I decided long ago that I would put my fate in your hands; you had no choice in my birth but you will have one in my death." Angel fell silent, indicating that she was finished with her tale.

"Hn, coward," said Hiei.

Angel turned her face upward to look Hiei in the eye, somewhat startled by the unexpected comment.

"You want to avoid taking responsibility for your life so instead, you throw that task upon us. What a selfish and cowardly thing to do."

"Angel, what do you want to do?" asked Kurama. "I...don't know. I just..." I just don't want to be alone anymore. She put on her emotionless mask and turned away from Kurama's searching gaze and Hiei's intense stare. "I want to rest." She stood up and walked over to her tent, stopping at the flap but not turning back to face the couple. "Oyasumi nasai, Kurama-san, Hiei-san." Then she entered without another word.

She's changed, thought Kurama, Still as indifferent as ever but no longer an emotionless shell. The fox smiled as he remembered the similarities between Angel and a certain fire demon.

"What are you grinning about, fox?" Hiei asked.

"Nothing," Kurama replied with a mischievous look, "But I think I'll go to bed as well." He strolled over to their tent and look back seductively. "Care you join me?"

* * * * *

The night air was silent except for the chirping of Makai insects around their camp. The sky was clear but there were no stars to be seen. The glow from the yellow moon was the only source of light in the darkness of night. A gentle breeze blew across the land, rustling the fabric of the tents.

Hiei lied awake on his back, listening to the breathing of his lover next to him and lost in his thoughts. The sudden appearance of Angel had startled him, disrupting his comfortable life with Kurama. He didn't trust the girl, not after what she put them through the last time they had met. His fox may be gullible and forgiving but Hiei did not have that luxury. He could not trust so easily; such tendencies could get him, and the redhead, killed someday. The reason he decided to go on this excursion was because he did not trust their "daughter" alone with Kurama. Or so he convinced himself.

A rustle came from outside.

Hiei immediately stiffened and rolled into a crouching position, ready to pounce. This action woke up the sleeping fox, who slowly opened his eyes.

"Hiei, what-"

"Shh." He silenced Kurama and pointed to his eye, signaling for him to listen.

Kurama instantly concentrated and listened for any unusual sounds. Then, he heard them.

"They're heading for Angel's tent," whispered Hiei.

Kurama nodded to confirm the statement. "What should we do?"

"Why should we do anything?" Hiei snorted, "She can take care of herself."

A deep resounding scream interrupted Kurama's reply. The couple quickly made their way out of the tent and into the open. They could not have prepared themselves for the scene.

Five darkly clad figures surrounded Angel a few feet away from her tent; another figure lied at her feet, burned to a crisp. What surprised them the most were her eyes. They glowed a demonic red, as if they were on fire. Steam rose from the ground under her and the temperature rose as well. She looked up from the body lying on the ground and transferred her gaze to the closest figure.

He abruptly burst into flames, screaming in agony as the fires melted his skin and reduced him to ashes.

The remaining figures backed away quickly, trying to flee from her deathly glare, but there was no escape as Angel promptly administered the same execution upon all of them, picking them off like flies. Soon the field was filled with charred bodies and the smell of burning flesh.

Then she turned her attention to the only two who remained: Kurama and Hiei.

End of Chapter Four


Lots of talking and background information. Hope it wasn't too boring. More of the plot will be revealed in the next chapter, along with The Prophecy (if all goes according to plan). Also, if anyone cares, I can form a mailing list of all those who want to know when the next chapter is up. If you want to be on the mailing list, somehow get your e-mail address to me, whether through e-mail, AIM, or review. Thank you! ^_^