Fanfic by Yomi no Miko
Chapter 27: A new order
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Five hundred years after I left the East, I had already built my own city. I had also my own fortress, which was far more interesting than those decadent places I used to attack as a thief.
I can't say it was easy. Nothing comes easy in Makai. However, Gandara lived through its dark days, and survived to become the first, and maybe the only place I dared to call home.
As for me, everything changed so fast. I wasn't that rash youkai anymore. The lack of one of my senses made me think twice before acting. I think it made me less arrogant as well. When it became known that I was as powerful as Mukuro and Raizen, I decided I would never threat any of them before my own territory and army were settled. A war at that time would have caused no more that useless bloodshed. Instead, I tried to make Gandara a nice and safe place to life, even for the weak. I wanted smart youkai to live in my city even more than the strong ones.
So, that's how I changed the order of things in Makai. In the West, there was Raizen, still the ancient Makai king, despite the fact that he was retired, or so it seemed. In the North, there was Mukuro, a powerful youkai that started to control those lands after that stupid war that I joined centuries ago. She was the most feared S class youkai by the time I founded Gandara. In the meanwhile, I became the ruler of all lands in the South of Makai, with few exceptions. I wanted more, of course, but finally I had learned to wait for the right moment.
The only lands that remained without a ruler was the East. The situation was far too complicated there, with its lots of thieves, hunters and low class youkai. I had lived there for so long and still I didn't feel any desire to own that land. I knew Kurama still lived there, and that sometimes he attacked some places in the North. But for many years, I didn't have the time to think about it.
For many years, not all of them.
Some years later, I decided it was time to get some hunters after the youkai that blinded me. I thought the guy was dead, but instead, he was brought to me alive and in good health. He confessed, of course. And even though I already knew what he had to confess, having it thrown at my face by that useless piece of youkai wasn't as easy as I believed it would be. So I had his eyes ripped off. I had him tortured and imprisoned. I kept him like that for centuries, rotting little by little, begging for death. And every time he screamed the youko's name, I realized there was still anger in me, enough for both and still beyond mercy.
However, I didn't search for Kurama. I didn't
kill the guy. I didn't release him either. I just let him there, and hoped
my rage'd be buried alive with him.
Then one day, I received a visitor. An old friend who insisted to see me. For a moment, I thought he was Kurama and that if he had found courage to face me again. However it was not Kurama waiting for me in one of reunion rooms, but Kaizo. For the first three minutes, we remained silent. I could feel his eyes on me, a little tense and curious at the same time.
"Yomi-sama. Wealthier than he believed he'd get, but not that fat."
"Not that wealthy either."
"Gods... It's really you."
I knew he was trying to be nice, after all I had changed a lot. When I left Kaizo's house, I wasn't strong enough even to be a bounty hunter like him, and now... At that moment I realized for the first time that I had turned out to be someone far different from the youkai I met in my youth. Kaizo, who I always believed to be so self-assured, seemed so beaten and ordinary as any other traveler. He was still my old friend though, and I treated him like one. In a few days, he recovered his strength and became acquainted with the city. I knew that he had come for a reason other that paying a visit to an old pal. In fact, his presence brought many memories back to me and at that time, I was sick of it. I had become powerful, and powerful youkai don't need to have a past. However, I had one and Kaizo just made it even more impossible to deny. One side of me wanted him to stay so that I could remember, and the other wished him to leave so that I could forget. It was a very confusing time. The time when I found out I actually had to do something about the pain I thought I had left behind.
One night I took Kaizo to a large balcony at the last floor of the building. All Gandara could be seen at that place. It's still one of my favorite places although I'm unable to appreciate the landscape.
"You know..." he said "When I heard all that talk about Gandara, I knew it was you even before I heard your name. At the same time, I refused to believe that someone from the East could have gone so far... I don't know why."
"I was lucky, I think. Coming back to the South was the only plan I made that worked. But I can understand your surprise. None of us seemed to have a goal at that time, much less me."
"None?"
"Oh... I almost forgot. I don't know if I can call it a goal, do you?"
"No, I assume..." I almost could feel his eyes on me "Yomi, do you remember mine?"
"Yes." How could I forget?
"What would you do if I said that I carried it out."
"I'd congratulate you."
"I killed him, Yomi."
"I guess you saved me some trouble then."
"I had to tell you, that's why I came."
"Are you free now?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"You carried out your revenge."
"Sometimes, I think I am. Sometimes, I think I'm not. Odd, isn't it?"
"So, you must be a rich youkai now. I heard even Mukuro had offered a reward for Kurama's head."
"If I wanted gold for Kurama's life, I would not have brought him to Mukuro. I would have brought him to you."
That statement demanded a proper answer but I remained silent. If he had brought Kurama to me, I would have paid. So why would I bother to lie?
"Anyway..." he continued "I'm glad I never expected to profit from this particular killing. Kurama's body disappeared."
"You missed it?"
"No, it vanished before my eyes."
"How clever."
"One last smart trick. If I were an ordinary hunter, I'd be terribly disappointed..."
I guess I was supposed to laugh from the irony that the most famous thief of Makai had prepared himself a bodiless death. Now he'd really become a legend. But instead, sadness seemed to overwhelm me. Kurama was dead and I had just congratulated his assassin. I tried to make an effort to believe that this dark feeling was anger 'cause I had lost the chance to break his neck myself, but deep inside, I knew I already missed him. How stupid! Closed eyes are very deceptive, and I'd never let Kaizo or any other youkai know that even after all those years, I still suffered for that son of a bitch.
"Ah... I almost forgot. I brought you this."
He gave me a piece of white cloth. At the moment
I touched it, I knew it belonged to Kurama. His smell made my senses spin
and I thanked the gods that he was dead. No one should ever have that kind
of power over me. I don't remember what I said before I left Kaizo alone.
I took me some time to get used to the idea that Kurama was dead. Even
when I found the youkai that blinded me, the feeling that that it wasn't
over yet never abandoned me. However, my past had finally been buried and
so had the secret behind my lack of sight. I was free too. In a strange
way, I was.
Kaizo spent some years in Gandara. He gave up being a hunter. Instead, he began to help me with the city administration. Kaizo was a smart youkai, and got along well with the commanders. In the beginning I thought that his presence would tie me to the past, but it was just the opposite. Even Kaizo seemed anxious to get rid of it. I never blamed him for killing Kurama. It had been fair, at least. And all thieves are killed sooner or later and in Makai there are destinies worse than death.
One day, Kaizo left. He decided to travel and
never came back. I was told that he was killed in the North, but I never
got to know for sure no matter how many youkai I hired for that purpose.
Recently, I was informed that Kurama is alive. First I thought it was a joke or that another thief was trying to use his name. The story I heard was far too absurd. Kurama had become a ningen. I didn't mind it till a close friend told me that he had seen a redhead ningen turn into a silver youko during the Dark Tournament in the Ningenkai.
At that time, Raizen's kingdom had become week, and Mukuro started to fear that I could try to rule Makai alone. I had a whole set of new problems to think about, and nevertheless, the news about Kurama playing human took my mind out of the work and reminded me of that hateful weakness I had buried inside of me. Almost absent-minded, I started to think about bringing him back, before he could regain his full power. I was the ruler of the greater Makai kingdom then. I'd never let Youko Kurama go free again.
So the most unexpected thing happened. The Kurama I met was the Kurama I knew and at the same time, a whole different youkai, or ningen. And then there was Raizen's heir,Yusuke, a new Tournament... and Shura, my son. Even Mukuro turned out to be a woman. And in the middle of all that, there were those impressive pair of green eyes, who sometimes seemed so lost in anger and regret that even my most secret dreams of revenge were quickly forgotten.
I always knew it was him. Even during the years in which I could deny it, I knew that Kurama was behind the attack that almost killed me. And then I realized I didn't hate him for that more than I had hated him every time he hurt me in the past.
I can say that I'm a lucky youkai though. I made it. Gandara is the best city ever built in Makai and I'm so strong that no one dares to think about threating me. I have a son, he's nothing like anything I ever planned before and I'm grateful for that. He's smarter that I used to be and that makes me stupidly proud. And as for Kurama... He returned to Ningenkai some days after the end of the Tournament... Surprisingly, it was nice to see him again. My weakness turned out to be less painful and bitter than I thought. I'm even glad to know that he's doing well as a human. In the end, maybe Kurama was really cursed. One way or the other, he seemed to gain control of his steps as a ningen, a control that somehow he didn't seem to have before. I could have made him stay, but as I imagined, after all those years, I was still unable to hurt him back.
Sometimes, I still think of him. Just sometimes.
Deep inside I know, I still love him just like the day I saw him for the
first time.
* The End *
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Shrine to Yomi-Sama -