Author's Notes: I decided that the Kuronue twist royally screwed this thing up, so I un-twisted it for a try. Yes, Kuronue's little romance is still mentioned, but it no longer plays a major part. I think this version is better... it shows that when three reviewers unanimously decide that, it's usually true. ~_~
Another thing... with a slight twist, I think I'm going to have to warn you all that this contains hints of sex.
@};~,~`~,~`~,~`~~The Peony ~~`~,~`~,~`~,~;{@
My name is Shuuichi Minamino. I was born in Meiou, Japan on April 25, 1986, and came to America in 1992.[1]
I've always had a gift with plants, they said. At first, I didn't know what they meant. It's true I love plants and wildlife, but I never knew how intense that was. Until I discovered the 'gift' they always talked about. And my love for a flower blossomed. Literally.
I believe it might've been because she was the first flower I ever took complete responsibility of. I remembered the little seed in the palm of my hand, which I planted in the soil, without too much care. To me, back then, it was just another flower.
Time proved me wrong.
Her little blue petals opened with stunning color. I'd remember it vividly any day, a beautiful flower. They say it's a symbol of love and romance. I always wonder whether the dictionaries purposely follow my soap-opera life.
I was pretty startled when I saw how I could feel how she was feeling. Okay, that's euphuism... I was shocked, looking around in bewilderment, before realizing that the little flower under my care was the one to speak. She opened up more than her petals, she opened up her emotions and life... and I did the same.
I soon realized that I couldn't go on just calling her 'The Peony.' A boyfriend does not address her girlfriend by her species.
I mean, have you ever heard a girl saying: "Yeah, that's my boyfriend, The Human."[2]
After careful consideration, I named her Botan-- the word back home for peony. She was my first, and only, romantic interest.
Before a certain man in a white suit uprooted her.
AND THE SAME GUY SENT ME TO THIS HELLHOLE!! THAT DA
"That's enough, Shuuichi," the lady in the white suit snaps, snatching the paper from me. She scowls. Evidently, my 'introduction' wasn't what she wanted. "The doctor will be with you shortly," she strains through gritted teeth. She mutters something about Japanese weirdoes, then slams the door in my face. Great. Just what I need. Riiiight....
So now I'm left here, staring at the white door.
Damn.
Just damn.
So now my lover's at the bottom of a trash can, I'm trapped in a white room, and there are people more insane than I outside? Great....
The door slowly clicks open. I turn my head to see a blue-haired lady enter the room, wearing the typical white with a clipboard in hand. "Hallo!" she greets with a valley girl accent. "My name is Botan, and I'll be your psychiatrist!"
Huh? Botan?
My Botan? My pretty-peony-girl?
"Botan-maru..." I whisper, standing up, my pants rustling against the seat. In my mind, I see the beautiful flower that I loved.
"What?" she asks, looking up from the clipboard. She freezes, noticing how close I am, and stiffens, drawing in a harsh breath as I trace her cheekbone.
"You're... just like I thought you would be..." I give a slight grin. "So you survived the evil man and managed to survive... didn't you? To see me, perhaps?"
"N-n-now S-Shuuichi, I'm not sure you know this... but... I'm not really...."
"Dead?" I chuckle, drawing her closer. "Or do you mean, ready for step three? Don't worry, I don't want to do that yet, either..." Botan-maru seems to tighten up even more. Maybe she doesn't remember me? Well... I'm sure she'll recognize this. I lean in slowly, eyes half-lidded, lips touching... mmm, yes, this is my Botan... taste and all.... She's back. Just like how I thought she would be.
Unfortunately, I'm pushed away roughly, and a scream pierces the air. I brace myself against the wind of the closing door, and drown in disappointment as I hear a trembling 'click' on the door... locking it.
What the heck possessed her to do that? "Botan?" I squeak in a timid voice. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me already...."
There's another scream from the other side of the white door.
...Is that a yes?
So... does it mean no one loves me anymore? After all, mom doesn't exactly approve of my affair with Botan... I don't think she accepts me anymore....
@~})~
Head resting on arms, arms laid on knees, knees connected to legs, legs connected to feet, feet placed on a chair on which I'm supposed to sit on, the chair belongs to the psychiatrist who runs this hellhole, the psychiatrist is the evil man who threw away Bo-
This isn't helping me take my mind off her.
Umm... the air is a solution of various elements, of which include oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, and neon... Umm... salt is NaCl... Sugar and salt go together... pure sugar is bad for your health, but fructose is good... fructose comes from fruits... fruits are seed pods formed from flowers... one flower is a peo-
Grr.
I sigh, lightly knocking the back of my head against the wall. Whee. The lights are fluorescent, fluorescent light is emitted from the energy emitted from the electrons' movement, the electrons are part of an atom, atoms make up everything in the universe including-
I knock my head against the wall again. This is not helping. At all.
Great, I can connect a comfortable position, air, and fluorescent lights to a peony. Maybe I am insane like they say.
I slam my head against the wall. Ow. Admittedly, that does hurt. Um... who cares? Yes, I thought that. No, I'm not suicidal. Go away men in white (MIW?)... wait, I'm already here. Blink. Whee, an asylum.
I have a feeling I'm going to be here for a loooooong time.
@-})~
A knock at the door. Knocking can be heard do to the vibrations in the air, which vibrate the hair cells in the ear, which trigger a reaction in the brain, that tells me to... oh wait, I should probably answer.
"Come in," I say. Yay. So I answered. And then a MIW is going to come in. Hopefully, a WIW (woman in white) will come in instead... like Botan?
Nope, it's definitely a MIW. And my mom comes in after him. Why does she care?
"Shuuichi," Mom whispers, strained. Am I really that hard to bear with? "I can't believe you would attack an innocent lady like that...."
"Who?" I ask, my voice with all sanity intact. Yes, I'm sane. Face it. Everything else is all in their heads.
"Your psychiatrist... Botan...." The sudden revelation hits her, and she releases a shout of frustration, poking the MIW. Er... yay? "WHY DID YOU GO AND ASSIGN HIM SOMEONE THAT CONSTANTLY REMINDS HIM OF HIS PROBLEM?! YOU KNOW THAT HE WAS IN LOVE WITH A PEONY NAMED BOTAN!!!!"
Well, as far as assaults go, Shiori's got it covered. Oh great. Now she's glaring at me. Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm just a poor li'l' insane person! ...Hmm, I just contradicted myself....
"What's wrong?" I asked timidly. Yep, the cute appeal always works. Somewhat.
She sighs. "Nothing, Shuuichi-kun... just try to get along with the people in white, okay?"
Wow. White. So we're not all colorblind.
"I'll try." There. No promises. I'll just try.
Mom grins. "Good... thank you Shuuichi." She leaves through The White Door. Damn, that annoying MIW is still there.
He sighs, making the traditional mushroom cloud come out.[3] "So... anyhow... Shuuichi..." DAMN HE'S SLOW "I've heard about... your condition... as you might want to call it." Condition? What, new, good, fair, poor, like those textbook thingies? AND TALK FASTER, MIW!!! MY MIND CAN HANDLE IT!
Hmm... wait, he can't hear me inside my head.
"Would you mind talking a bit faster, sir?" I request. He blinks. He looks at the clipboard. Right now, I really want to bash him over the head with it.
Scribble, scribble... he takes notes. And then... POOF! "You are going to be sent to a mental hospital."
...
...
...
...Okay, I admit it, that was unexpected.
"Now Shuuichi, I know that might've came as a great shock..."
Shocked? Me? Nope, I can see why, anyhow. It's because the whole world's horribly insane, and I'm the only voice of reason. And then they all decide I'm the insane one because I'm not insane... wait, what am I saying again?
In short... "Not really."
He blinks some more. Geez, how dry do his eyes get anyhow? Oh wait, he wants to know why. "Well... I kinda expected it, from the way you were acting."
"Ahh..." he murmurs. He scribbles something down on the clipboard.
"Follow me, Shuuichi."
I follow. On my way out, I glace at the clipboard. The last comment? 'Secretive.'
I wonder what he means by that.
@~})~
There's a word I can use for all mental facilities.
WHITE!
I think it goes something like this: this is a bleach-overrun world with whitewash galore, and I'm a little colorful dot next to a red dot of a rose.
Wrongfully out of place.
Like I am in all places...? Nah... there has to be some place where everyone's supposed to be... but I know for sure that this isn't it.
The door's shut. Evil door. I need to get out of here. I don't belong here. Everything's so out-of-place to me... it's just too... clean, as a matter of fact. Spotlessly white. Defying all laws of philosophy. I mean, no one can remain innocent forever. Is this some sort of test where they see how dirtily we think and if we can fill the room with blood?
Well... hey, this room ISN'T spotless! There's a dot of red there, in the corner... it... no... it can't... it can't be... it's... blood. The room is reddening. From nothing more than a splotch comes a pool of red. It crawls along the whitewash, making it a deep ruby. It flows up the walls to the ceiling. It drips onto my hair. I scream. This can't be! It... it's just horrifying! "MAKE IT WHITE AGAIN!!! MAKE IT WHITE!!! I'M SORRY FOR WANTING COLOR!!! MAKE IT WHITE!!!!"[4] The walls are soaked with blood. The room is a giant lake... and I'm drowning. I thrash, but I can't seem to swim. I end up curling up on the floor, drowning in life liquid.
"Shuuichi? Shuuichi!! Focus!" a voice yells from beyond the red stream. I hear a 'WHOOSH!' and my vision is clear. I take a few hesitant breaths. "Shuuichi, what's wrong?!"
"Blood," I gasp, before fainting into that ever-so-cliché darkness.
@~})~
I've woken. Isn't it obvious? Otherwise, I wouldn't be thinking. Blinking, I sit up. A heart monitor is attached for some reason or another. Probably due to that little blood lake thing... but if that is so, wouldn't I also have a ventilator attached?
What is wrong with me?!
I think the MIW know. Well, here one comes right now.
"Wha' happ'ned?!" Darn. Now I sound like a drunkard. Though I must admit, I do feel rather muddled inside my head.
"Mm... you had a little... hallucination, I believe," he replies, checking all the fancy equipment on the heart monitor. Bleep. Bleep. Bleep. Is it supposed to go that fast? And why is there blood on my hands?! Did I kill someone?! I pant for air, closing my eyes, wishing all the red would go away. The blood's in my mouth, I can taste it... I can feel the stickiness against my skin... staining....
~"It's... it's a monster! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!"~
W-w-what?! What's happening?
~"ROSE WHIP!!!"~[5]
What are these voices in my head?! Where did the blood on my hands come from?!
~"Heh... he always did have a way with plants...."~
....
I'm scared. This... it's familiar... but... I can't remember it all...
~"...who are you?! What do you mean?!"~
Is that me? That voice... is it mine? But... mine isn't so... cold....
~"Your intelligence of the Reikai is too high now that I have unleashed your memories... I suppose I'll have to lock them away... until another time."~
~"But who are you?! Tell me now! Youko Kurama fears no one! Your threats do not appeal to me!"~
Youko Kurama? Who's he? It can't be me... I-I-I'm just an innocent teenager, not some infamous crook....
~"The Forbidden Child of the Koorime. And you are a threat to my power."~
What power?! I'm not a threat to anyone, either! Wh-wh-what does he mean...?
~"No... you can't do this...." A scream.~
I don't understand....
~"What happened?! Who are you?! Why are my hands soaked with blood?!"~
Hmm... those thoughts aren't far from mine right now. ...Blood on my hands... blood on my tongue... clueless.
But I remember now. I... I was walking down an alley. I was ambushed by a gang. I was pressed to a wall... then... darkness... what happened next? I... I can't remember. ~"Your intelligence of the Reikai is too high now that I have unleashed your memories... I suppose I'll have to lock them away... until another time."~ Yes, that must've been what happened... someone locked them away... and when I was conscious... there was blood everywhere.
What's the Reikai? What memories? Who was the man who did this? Did he use some sort of supernatural powers to frame me for murder? Wait... was I ever sentenced? I... remember... going back to my mother... crying... then... we went to a huge building... hmm... I can't say I remember much.
Is there anything to remember in the first place?
Bleepbleepbleepbleepbleep. I'm sure that's faster than it first was. "Shuuichi?! Are you alright?!" the MIW asks, panicked. I'm faintly aware that my eyes start to droop.
"B-blood..."[6] I whisper.
@~})~
"Mommy, what's wrong?! Why're we going to that big building?"
"Because of the scary thing that happened to you. Don't you remember it?"
"No... just... red stuff..."
"Well... just wait until they tell you to speak, then tell them everything you remember, okay?"
"Okay."
@~})
That's right... my mother was with me when I told everyone what I saw... she'd know! "Mr. Psych... I need to see Shiori... now..." I gasp, panicked. The room's filling with blood again. This isn't possible... my eyes jerk around the room... what's different between this room and the other? ...The rose!
~"ROSE WHIP!!!!"~
Now I remember... every time I've been around a rose, I saw blood, whether it was a small cut, or... this.
"Get the rose out!" I pant, hugging myself. The psychiatrist looks puzzled, but takes it out of the room anyhow. The blood settles down, draining to the small amount on my hands. The taint... of death?
"Shuuichi!" Shiori calls. "What's wrong?!"
"D-do you remember what happened the day I went to court after I came into the house with blood everywhere?"
Mother looks shocked for a moment before settling down. "Yes... there was a charge against a black-caped man... but you said you didn't remember a thing other than the blood...."
I look at the ceiling. Blood drips down onto my hair and slides down. "...Mother, there's blood on the ceiling... get it off, please...."
She looks puzzled. "But there isn't any."
"There is," I persist, "there's blood on the ceiling, and my hands, and in my mouth... it's... everywhere now...." My vision turns red as it drips from my hair to my eyes. "Get it off... please... get it away!!"
"There's no blood... it's all in your mind...."
"THAT'S IT!!! I'M LEAVING!!" I toss the covers onto the MIW's head and disconnect the heart monitor. I hear a loud, shrill sound, but I don't care. I just need to get out, everything's so confusing. Tearing down the hall, I bump into some shocked MIW and WIW, who, I think, went to investigate the heart monitor. I don't care anymore.
Someone grabs me by the hand, but I expertly wedge my hand out, dodging a few other attempts to restrain me by the PIW (People In White). I bolt through the door, expertly flipping onto the overhanging sign above the door, hiding in the space while the PIW shout in disarray, unable to locate me. After waiting for hours, I can't hear them anymore, and I jump down.
"THERE HE IS!!!" someone shouts, pointing a finger at me. Three MIW surround me from every side and two grab my arms.
"LET GO!!! JUST LET ME GO!!! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!!!"
"'Course you don't, but you gotta," one MIW growls, attempting to drag me back to the hellhole.
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!"
"~Leave me alone... or I'll be forced to force you to!~"[7]
@~})~
"Leave me alone or you'll be forced to!" Kurama growled, talking out a single rose. His attackers laughed.
"A rose?! Pfft, yeah right!" they hooted, unsheathing their knives.
@~})~
"Kid, I have no time for empty threats."
"~They're not empty... this is your last chance!!~"
@~})~
"This is your last chance!" Kurama warned. The attackers laughed again, but then gasped as a long, green, pointy whip emerged from the rose. Kurama's hair billowed out with a silver color; fox ears sprouted, a tail emerged.
"It's... it's a monster! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!" the leader of the attackers gasped, stepping back.
@~})~
"Whatever, kid."
"~ROSE WHIPLASH!!!!!!!!~"
@~})~
The attackers fell one by one, bathed in blood, as a trembling Shuuichi fell and sobbed.[8]
@~})~
"Hn. Nice work, Kurama. So you're finally in complete control of your power."
I nod, staring down at the dead carcasses down below us on the street. The Forbidden Child of the Koorime stands beside me, cape billowing in the wind, a satisfactory smirk on his lips. "But don't mistake it. I only did so to regain freedom." He 'hn's and turns away.
"You owe me for reviving those memories."
"Yes, I know. Maybe I should pay you now."
One more cry of "ROSE WHIPLASH!!!" rings in the air as the Jaganshi falls to his death.[9]
@~})~
A shriveled petal lies in the palm of my hand. All that's left of Botan is... this.
The wind blows, sending my blood-colored hair in different directions, the breeze tossing it around carelessly. The wasteland here is desolate, except for the critters that feast here. Ones who might've feasted on my Botan.
The quarter moon reflects on discarded metal, casting a bluish glow. I stare at the moon and let what's left of my precious peony flutter to the ground. I hear a scuttling of small feet, but my gaze does not leave the moon.
For hours I stay spellbound, staring off into space, reflecting, remembering the times when I was innocent... and before.
Before I was born... my incarnation life... Youko, the gingitsune... me. Kuronue, Yomi... I remember it all now. I was the cause of their death.[10] I flick out a single rose. I'll be the cause of many more....
@~})~[11]
"Youko... I... I thought we were partners," Yomi choked, blood pouring from his eyes. I smirked and stepped beside him.
"You were getting too... reckless for my style," I slurred, raising a rose. "And since that assassin did such a poor job with killing you... I've decided to finish you off myself."
"Why Kurama?!" he whispered, resting his head against the blood-soaked soil.
"Because I don't need you anymore. ROSE WHIPLASH!!!"
A scream. A laugh.
@~})~
Blood pours along the ground just as quickly as it did when I killed Yomi. So I haven't been losing my touch... how fascinating. I kick the random body away from my path, grinning insanely as it lets out one last pained whimper. I retract my whip, carefully licking off all the blood from it. Not that it mattered... the police were already hot on my trail. In fact, that's what the body was... a policeman. But he couldn't do anything in the end.
Truly pathetic, ne?
I place the rose back into my hair and revert to gingitsune[12] form, quickly climbing up to the roof of the building. I watch in amusement as the police squad catches up and gasps in horror as the find the body. One looks up and sees me on the building, my five tails waving behind me.
"It's him... Herufaia."
@~})~
"Kuronue!! You idiot, we're just about to get a clean getaway!"
"Youko, you know what that pendant means to me," Kuronue snapped back, turning back to retrieve the shiny red object.
"Fine... just be careful-" this was said too soon as sharp bamboo spears shot out, piercing Kuronue's body, forcing him to stay. "KURONUE!" I rushed back, trying to pry him off. In the distance, the guards were fast approaching.
"Leave me here, Youko, just leave me," he muttered, lax fist dropping the pendant. His eyes were dulled, his breathing became harsh. "I'm stuck, I'll die for sure, I know it... save yourself... you have great potential, Youko... accomplish our dreams for me...."
My lips tightened, ears twitching at the sounds of the guards approaching. I traced Kuronue's face one last time before taking his pendant and dashing away, leaving him....
@~})~
Kuronue was possibly the only person I ever cared for truly in my heart. He asked for me to accomplish our dream for his spirit... that was his last wish. Our dream... to have ultimate control over all the lands... to rule as King of the Spirit World, then Makai... the Ningenkai would be no trouble at all.
I lick more blood from my rose. We're one step closer.
It's the full moon. Approximately a week from the beginning of my abandoning of the past. Since then, my hair has turned silver, and my ears are slowly morphing onto the top of my head. Fuzz sprouted from my behind and turned into a tail. My green eyes turned to a brilliant gold. I am now truly Youko. Youko, the thief, the traitor... the future ruler of the world.
It's ironic they tag-named me Herufaia. In Japanese, it means hellfire... a description of what I will do to them. Or... am doing to them. Truly, I torture them until they all slowly burn, with the power and mercilessness of the fire of hell... until their flesh hangs burned from cracking bones; until they're nothing but piles of ash, and I rule the world.
Herufaia. Fitting. Watch out world, here comes the fires of hell....
@~})~
I killed them. And I loved it. I loved their blood flowing over my hands, I loved the fading in their eyes, I loved the sadistic sheen glow that the moon above gave my silver hair as the wind carried on the scent of blood... and most of all, I loved it because it was wrong.
Wrong to them, that is. But then what about my life? What about the hardships then? Is it nothing to them just because I happen to be a lower caste?! Just because I'm not of royal blood?
They'll pay. They'll pay for the things that happened before... and they'll pay now. In blood. The blood that flows beneath my feet right now.... Is this hurting you Koenma? Or is this nothing but paperwork?
"KURAMA!!" I swivel around to see who has used my name with such disrespect. A blue-haired girl runs up to me. No, it's not Botan the WIW. It's someone else. "How DARE you kill my brother... BEFORE I EVEN MET HIM!"
I smirk, pulling out the infamous rose. "Now, would you really want to fight me about it?"
"...Yes."
@~})~[13]
The girl slumps on the ground, eyes half-lidded, hair tossed randomly, splayed in blue blood. There are sirens again, but they instantly fade as they catch sight of my hair and tail. I smirk, narrowing my eyes, tucking the still-bloodstained rose back into my tresses. "This is what happens to those who oppose me," I hiss, narrowing my eyes and kicking the ice maiden into a pile.
"SHUUICHI!"
I turn and narrow my eyes at the one who dares to address me by my inferior ningen alias. A black-haired ningen runs up, fury and disbelief in her eyes. "S-S-Shuuichi... h-h-how...? WHY?!"
"I am no longer 'Shuuichi,'" I reply coldly, tossing my silver hair over my shoulder.
~"Oh really?!" an inner voice giggles.~
~"...Shut up," I growl at it.~[19]
"Then who... no, what... are you?!"
"Youko, greatest thief and the future ruler of the world," I respond, flicking out a rose. She freezes, stepping back slightly. "But since you helped reincarnate me... I shall spare you... for now. But do NOT cross my path again." I turn to the Ice Maiden. "As for you...."
"Brother, brother... I-I-I'm coming," she faintly murmurs. I strike her body once more, and then she's silent.
@~})~
It's amusing how those fools THINK their plan is secret, when it's all in plain view. They're just too idiotic to look up above them, peering through a window. I see Koenma yelling frantically at all his ogres, pointing here and there. His pacifier falls out of his mouth, and I see a blue-haired girl give it back to him. It's human-Botan.
But, by watching them, I think she's better off being called baka-ditzy-ferry-girl. Evidently, she, too, has learned her past.
(I mean, do you REALLY call this thing soundproof?)
Koenma-baka continues to ramble on and on about some so-called 'top-secret' plan to capture me. I couldn't laugh more. It was all blatantly obvious.
I take out a rose and smirk, twirling it for the heck of it. These beings are truly overly obvious.
Oh, a trap just like last time? What now? Oh, a ward? Still think I'm E+[14] like last time?
Same old, same old?
They need to get a life. I'm not like I was back then. I'm much stronger. Much, much. People always thought the rose was my prime flower. In truth, it's the peony. The rose is just more powerful, but the peony is my true soul. Just as it was the beginning of my insanity, it also is the symbol of my future reign. The future... that I shall rule.
Oh, Koenma, don't forget a little note from me.
In all my arrogance, I flick the rose through the window, where it crashes through to land right where Koenma's hat used to be. It swings, pinned to the wall. The toddler freezes and turns around, widening his eyes as I glide to the moon on Fuyouka Shokubutsu.[15] I cast my silhouette on the rooftops below as the prince of Reikai whispers, "Youko Herufaia Kurama strikes again...."
@~})~
I was always destined to gain power. Always. Yomi knew it, Kuronue knew it, heck, I think even li'l' Shuuichi knows it. After all, the little guy inside me hasn't been protesting all this time. I think he likes this little power surge, too. That's why I chose him, for heaven's sake. He's like me.
Why else would I cope with the little psycho?
Then again, I'm just insane as he is. Insane's a good thing.
An undeniably dominative trait in the world's future rulers.
~"You read my mind," Shuuichi giggles.~
Hmm... yes, we're awfully close to each other in mind and spirit... closer than anyone thought, neh?
That's why I like how he thinks. Because he thinks like me. Because we're one and the same.
I suppose you could say I fell in love with myself.
To be truthful, I think I just did.
@~})~
"You come back here, you rascal!" a hunter growled.
I leapt forward with all my energy, but a rei-gun is fired, and I'm sent sprawling toward the Ningenkai
I supposed that the only thing I could do is merge with an unborn baby. And thus, my memories were locked away by the strangest of things... insanity, unborn desire... power.
"...the devil hath power
T' assume a pleasing shape"[17]
Maybe that's why I chose Shuuichi as my new vessel, even if it meant risking my memories. Because he was too much like me. Destined to rule. Destined to gain control. And I was the devil himself, offering him a promise of power.
A promise even the strongest couldn't resist.
@~})~
I love flower gardens. They're just my element, I suppose. One would say it seems too innocent. But it's not. It's just the blooming of insanity.
I'm standing in one now. A peony meadow, to be exact- little signs of insanity that I flourish in. My favorite setting... for a killing. An assassination.
Of this ningen who dares to interfere with my plans.
"You're not my son," Shiori spits, glaring at me.
"Wasn't it obvious?" I ask, picking a peony.
Shiori's eyes are fixed on the plant. "The blue peony. I hate then now. I hate them with all my heart. They turned you into a ruthless killer. The peony isn't a symbol of love and romance, it's a sign of unshown insanity and a horror story untold. That's what I think. You're just... just a demon taking my son's innocent spirit."
I laugh. She doesn't know how true her words are. "Very true, little lady." I spread my Youki through the peony, allowing the stem to grown into a long rope. It slithers across Shiori's arms, tightening around her chest and neck, strangling, twisting. Her face writhes in agony, quickly reddening.
"You're not Shuuichi... you're truly Herufaia," she gasps, falling on the field of peonies once more, where they all wrap around her, pulling her down into the ground, on her way to hell.
There's a nice silence in my mind.
~"..."~
~"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT!!!" Shuuichi sobs.~
~I scowl. "Get used to it."~
~"N-n-no! You can't do this!! You can't kill everyone I know!"~
~"Watch me."~
~"NO!!"~
I seal him away where he can only watch as I rule. When I have no more use for him, I'll simply destroy him.
Not now, though. Never now. After all... he'd make a nice 'bed toy.' And who knows, maybe he'll become more than that... something closer to what Kuronue was to me.
I pick a single blue peony and laugh.
@~})~
Okay, so I'm the ruler of the world, now what?
It was pathetically easy, too. All you have to do, really, is create a diversion and kill the beings while they're running around in chaotic horror.
I laugh, seeing all the precious texts of Reikai laid out in front of me. The world is mine. MINE! MINE FOREVER! I know all the secrets... everything....
"Youko-sama, the ghost of a Crow Youkai wishes to see you," George mutters, bowing.
"Crow?" Now I'm interested.
"Yes, he said his name was... Kuronue."
Yes, I'm interested. Very interested. "Let him in."
"As you wish, your majesty," he mutters again, bowing and rushing out the long hall.
He reappears with the infatuation of my past life. And this Youkai... looks mad.
"Youko, you promised me that when you ruled the world, you'd share it with me," he snaps. "What happened to that promise?!"
"It went poof as I destroyed everything. Now leave."
Infuriated, he grabs me by the collar. "YOU PROMISED, YOU TRAITOR! I DIE FOR OUR DREAMS' SAKE AS WELL AS YOURS, AND HERE YOU'RE TELLING ME IT'S FRICKIN' REPEALED?! AFTER EVERYTHING?! EVERYTHING?!"
I growl and flick out a rose.
Or at least I think it's one. It's rather soft for a rose.
"ROSE WHIP!!" I yell, flicking it out. But instead of a rose, there lies a blue
peony. It starts stretching, and its vines wrap around Kuronue's arm, snaking
to his chest, his neck.... This was not supposed to happen.
I gulp in horror as his body collapses. This was not supposed to happen. He was only supposed to die. Only get threatened, maybe shed a bit of blood... not like this!
I shake out my hair, releasing all my flowers.
They're all peonies.
All of them are blue peonies.
No roses, no seeds... just blue peonies.
What happened?!
@~})~
~"What happened, what happened?!" Shuuichi frantically screeches, running around in my mind.~
I set the pretty idiot free. And now he's going completely insane on me. This type of insane, I do not like. It's not helping me any.
~"The peonies... what's going on with them?!" he screams.~
I want to kill him. Maybe I should. Hmm, but then I'd waste his power-hungry prettiness. Threaten? Yes, threatening always works.
I point a blue peony at my head. ~Shut up in there.~
~"..."~
~"..."~
~"Yes, that's right Shuuichi, shut up."~
~"AAAAAHHHH!!!!"~
I sigh. ~"What now?!"~
But I get no response other than a scream, a cracking sound, and a squeeze on my forehead. I see stars for a moment, then everything's... quiet. I look at the peony to see it perfectly still, not moving a petal.
~"See? Nothing's wrong."~
But I don't get a response. In fact, I don't even feel him in there.
~"S-S-Shuuichi?" I gulp.~ Oh Inari, what happened?! Did... did...? I stare at the peony, and three life sources seem to float inside it, all drowned out by haunting laughter.
@~})~
No more threatening with the peonies, no matter how tempting it is. It's out of control. It has a merciless desire to kill. I sigh from on top of my throne. It's no fun when you have a whole bunch of ogres in front of you and you're not allowed to scare them... no fun at all.
Nope. No fun.
I sigh and twirl a peony. Now I'm wondering what happened to Botan-peony-maru... I enslaved the ferry-girl... but what happened to the peony that started it all? Started this insanity... this death wish. Started it all.
Hmm... yes, I remember now. In a landfill. But then... why do all these blue peonies look exactly like that one?!
@~})~
"Youko!!" The cry rings through out my hall, and I lift my head to stare at the intruder. He's about 5 feet, 4 inches... give or take. He looks rather reckless, with greasy black hair... and a very impatient look.
"Who dares to address me so informally?!" I hiss back, rising.
"Yusuke, future ruler of Reikai!" he shoots back, pointing a finger. It's rude to point. But then, he doesn't look all that polite either.
"And what makes you think you can beat me?" I smugly reply, reaching over and plucking a rose from the vase beside me. And this time, I make sure that it's a rose. But as my fingers touch it... its petals curl and change into a sky-blue tint. The thorns smooth out until it has a smooth stem.
The blue peony.
DAMN!
"Well, I thought you at least had sense to use a rose... but with a peony, it's not like you can actually beat me!" Yusuke cracks. The peony quivers... like it had a life of its own. Now beyond my control, it streaks across the room. Yusuke, in surprise, blindly fires a blue beam – the spirit gun, I believe – and it splits the peony in half. Sighing slightly in relief, he points his finger at me, charging it with the same blue glow.
I shake my head at his plain idiocy. I take out another peony.
I spread my Youki into its system.
And then... and then...
I can't say I quite know what.
I'm once again conscious of my thoughts as my vision blurs back into focus, Yusuke's body spread in tatters across the floor, the blue peony in the center of the room... innocent, limp, deceiving.
@~})~
Revelation, revelation. They didn't realize I can hear them, but I can. I have fox ears, after all. The slaves are conspiring. Not that I thought they could actually do so... I'm much too powerful for them, and they know it.
But that's why I was extremely surprised when they actually went and did something.
They found Yomi.
And... gods... he's... alive. And powerful.
Damn.
@~})~
Blood drips from both of our bodies. Exhausted, heaving... I made it clear to myself that the peony was a last resort. I tried a knife. I tried the gingitsune form. It didn't work. Even though he was blinded, he's still much more powerful than I would've ever thought. I suppose my past's coming back to haunt me.
My power is threatened. He's too powerful to manage without my trusty plants. Or, formally trusty.
I don't like that lapse of unconsciousness.
But honestly... do I have a choice?
"Yomi, our match was... very interesting. But it's time to end this," I slur, taking out a peony and drawing my Youki unto it.
His ears stiffen. I suppose the slaves told him about this, too. Well then, he'll know what'll happen.
To be truthful, neither him nor I quite understand what's happening now. The peony is turning into a vine... and slithering up my arm. It wraps around my neck. "Sto-" my cry is cut off mid-word as the peony wraps around tightly. Little black dots hover in my vision. Yomi's ears twitch quickly, trying to put together what's happening. Then I can't see him anymore, as this vine stretches around my neck, crushes my skull.
And then I'm hovering above my body.
...but that just made no sense. I'm... me. How can I be on top of myself?
Okay... rewind... the peony slithered across me... killed me... oh, so I'm dead?
I'm a ghost then, right? I look down, and I see Yomi backing away from my body. The baka probably figured out what happened.
Yet I haven't. What happened with the peony? Why did I lose? Why did I die?
What started this all? The peony... or more?
@~})~
"Why look Youko, the girl wields a peony," Kuronue mocks, standing alongside me as we watch the little kitsune-girl hold a peony in front of her.
"Be warned, I hold many powers with this," she threatens.
I laugh. "Right. A love symbol is an ultimate weapon."
A flash of defiance crosses her eyes, and she concentrates her power on the peony. It starts to hiss and extends a long vine. But instead of attacking us... it attacks her.
The kitsune-girl squeaks in surprise, stepping back, but the peony consumes her in long, snakelike vines. Kuronue and I laugh long and hard, watching her defeat herself. Literally.
Her eyes go blank, and the peony seems to put her under a spell. "Beware the vengeance of insanity," she drones in a monotonous stupor. Then she falls, dead.
[18]
@};~,~`~,~`~,~`~~Chapter Notes~~`~,~`~,~`~.~;{@
[1]Two things. One, I'm not sure if that's his real birthday- I've heard that it's either April or June. Also, I know, Yu Yu Hakusho ended years ago. *wince* Another thing... from here down, it's rather informal... remember, he's insane. *shrugs* Sort of.
[2] My friend did that once. She had ice cream thrown at her head afterwards.
[3] You know, that white thing that comes out of people's mouths when they sigh in anime? I think I've seen this mostly in Pokemon.
[4] From here, it's going to dive straight into horror and angst... then it's going to flip and go to romance. *blinks* Or so my original plan went. ^^;; My new plan? HORROR 'TIL THE END!! AND IT KEEPS GETTING DARKER AND DARKER!!!! MWHAHAHAHAH!!! BACK OUT WHILE YOU CAN!!!!
[5] Two things. One, the things in ~ and italics are voices in his head that are not conscious thoughts. Two, this isn't as AU as everyone thought it was. ^^
[6] *wails* I NEED TO KNOW WHAT BLOOD IS IN DEMON LANGUAGE!!! Oh, and pretend the next scene is in Japanese ^^;; I couldn't translate all that stuff myself....
[7] *sweatdrops* "~blahblah~" is a person subconsciously voicing an inner subconscious thought. Am I confusing you? *sweatdrops* To put it shortly, Shuuichi didn't really want to say that, he just said it. Or shall I say now, Kurama?
[8] Yes, it's kinda hard to understand the flipping back and forth... just explain why you're confused in a review, and I'll explain the whole thing to ya.
[9] Blame it on the plot holes. I had no idea how to repay Hiei later, and if I did, it'd screw it up... besides, I had trouble transiting.
[10] Yeah, I know, Kuronue was impaled by bamboo spears in a trap and Yomi was only blinded... but remember, for Kuronue, he managed to convinced Youko to save himself, and for Yomi... it's AU! It'll be explained later. ^^ Very very soon later....
[11] Yeah, I know... too many notes X_X But anyhow... there was heavy symbolism with what he did in that scene. The shriveled petal was a sign that his past was in such disorder and shrunken by insanity, and letting it drop means that he's letting go of it and moving on. ^^;; And the scuttling of feet was a mouse carrying it off... I wanted to tell people that in the fic itself, but he was staring at the moon. But anyhow, that means someone else is bearing his past, but much less painfully... in this case, person-Botan and Shiori. (Though, it's true they're still pained by it.)
[12] "Gingitsune"= silver fox. You know, that cute cuddly-looking spirit fox form? ^^
[13] *sighs* I would've LOVED t' pull a graphic one on you peeps... but I don't know how Yukina fights. -_- Oh, and if you read a little more, I'd like to add that at this time, crooks might want to dress up as Youko and pull a few big ones ^^
[14] I don't know Youko's demon class at the time when he was wounded by the hunter, but I know it was low, since he was wounded and only had enough energy to escape to the Ningenkai. Oh, and later, you WILL see how he forgot and it was made AU ^^
[15] "Floating Plant." They're a pair of razor-sharp wings that Youko uses in an YYH video game. I call them "Razor Wings," but that's just me.
[16] There is no note 16. I just revised this thing, and I was too lazy to move the numbers ^^;;
[17] Hamlet—2.2.628-29
[18] yeah, so this thing ends with a flashback. So what?
[19] Yeah, I know these notes are out of order. But anyhow, from now on, things in ~ are just mental talk.
@};~,~`~,~`~,~`~~Owari~~`~,~`~,~`~,~;@
Endnotes: I think this version is better than the previous one. More... peony-focused.