I'm still here!

Thank you all for staying with me up until this point. Good reviews mean the world to me. They help me realize what I need to work on and develop me as an author. Plus, they make me happy.

In this fic, I'm going to focus more on developing Medra's emotional depth. I realized that, earlier, she may have come off as a Mary-Sue, when it's quite the opposite. Medra is not invincible, nor does she take her life for granted. In fact, it could come tumbling down at any second.

This will also be fun to write because I had no idea what the hell was going on and still don't. @_@ It all became a little too weird for me.

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Yu Hakusho, don't you think you'd be watching this instead of reading it? It would make everything a hell of a lot easier...

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Origins of an Angel

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Yusuke stormed down an empty street, snow blowing in eddies around his ankles. "Dammit..." he muttered, remembering his recent conversation with Koenma. He scowled and bundled up further in his coat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yusuke's fists slammed down on the desk. "Why CAN'T she be a Spirit Detective?! She's been on a lot of our missions, she can fight, she's got power... why CAN'T she be-?!"

"Calm yourself, Yusuke!" Koenma shouted, lowering his voice to normal levels as Yusuke scowled and subsided into one of the chairs. "Believe or not, there ARE reasons that Medra cannot be a Spirit Detective."

"Then tell me," Yusuke growled.

"I was getting to that. First, although you say she has experience, she only met your team about two years ago, in the Dark Tournament. She has not had the chance to go on many missions." The little god held up his hand to forestall Yusuke's protest. "I know, she can already fight, but you can't deny that training can only do so much. She does not have the field experience necessary to join the team."

"That can be remedied, if you'd only let us take her along," Yusuke muttered.

"Second, she loves Kurama."

"What does THAT have to do with anything?!"

Koenma looked at him gravely. "Because she is in love with him, she might take foolish risks on his behalf. Can you honestly say that if it came down to his life or the team's, she would choose the team?"

Yusuke thought, ~Of course she would. Medra's no fool, she would sacrifice him for the good of the team.~

~... Wouldn't she?~

"And third, she's a girl."

"Okay now, that's just unfair," Yusuke said bluntly. "Since when do we have gender discrimination?"

"I didn't mean it that way!" Koenma snapped. "Let me explain. If she was to join the team, she would be the only female member. As such, she would most likely be used as bait for any missions that require it - and sometimes, you may not get there in time." Koenma looked gravely at Yusuke. "I'm sure you wouldn't wish to see her used that way."

~~~~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yusuke growled. ~Of course I wouldn't. But she deserves a chance.~

~But... what Koenma said... makes sense...~

"DAMMIT!" he yelled into the night. "You're not supposed to be right!!!"

"Yusuke!"

Yusuke looked up as Botan swooped in on her oar, wincing a little and rubbing at her ears. "Hey, Botan," he said.

"Do you think you could turn it down a little? My ears are ringing," she said. Then she pulled an envelope from her sleeve and held it up. "Koenma has asked you to call a meeting in your apartment," she told him.

"Oh, has he?" Yusuke remarked sarcastically, then started walking away.

"He said to bring Medra!" she called after him.

Yusuke froze. ~Medra?~

~But... why?~

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An hour later, Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Medra and Botan were all in Yusuke's living room. Botan spoke first. "We have recently recieved a letter from a little-known group of demons in the Makai." She paused for dramatic emphasis. "It's addressed to Medra."

All heads turned to look at the girl in question, who looked stunned and pointed a finger at her chest as if to say, "Me?"

Botan nodded. "I have the letter here, if any of you would like to read it."

The boys all crowded around the piece of parchment, while Medra leaned over their shoulders and tried to read it.

To Medra Tsunimayo and the Reikai Tantei:

("Hey, you said it was addressed only to Medra!" "I did not! I said it was addressed to her, not only her!" "Everyone shush, I'm trying to read." "And we all know how much of a struggle that must be for you." "Hey, I heard that!" "SSHH!")

We would like to ask your assistance in a matter that greatly concerns us. We know of the truth behind your wings, powers and past. If you, also, would like to learn of this, come to Mount Arayahh in the Makai within four days. We will be waiting for you.

- The Kallaed'im

"Well, that was short," complained Yusuke, as he dropped back to his seat.

"Kallaed'im..." Kurama mused. "That means `Winged Ones' in an ancient dialect of Makai speech."

"Do you think we should go?" asked Kuwabara dubiously. "It might be a trap..."

"I believe that is up to Medra," Kurama said, looking over at her.

The girl in question had not moved from the spot where she stood. She looked a little pale, although she jerked her head up when she realized that everyone was staring at her. She smiled weakly. "I... I need some time to think about this. Could I have that letter, please?" Botan gave it to her without a word. "Thanks."

She retreated behind the nearest door and closed it behind her.

No one spoke for a moment.

"Do you think she knows she just went into your room, Urameshi?"

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Medra leaned back against the door, then slid down and sat on the floor with a bump. The letter shook like a leaf in her grasp. She put it down gently, as if it were a bomb that might go off, then buried her head in her hands. One thought circled round and round in her head. ~No one was supposed to know... no one was ever supposed to know...~

Finally, she raised her head. The piece of parchment sat there innocently, yet she shuddered at the sight of it. ~What do they mean? Do they know? What's going on?~

The letter had spoken of her true past. No one here knew that - that she was not really of this world...

Ostensibly, she had come from Oregon, in the USA. She and her parents had moved to Japan after an ill-intentioned person had discovered her wings. (Luckily, both her parents had taken a course in Japanese and subsequently taught it to her.) Feeling guilty, she had run away and been blown to Hanging Neck Isle, where first Jin and Touya and then the Tantei had found her. They had brought her home.

But now...

She moaned softly, and got up to go sit on Yusuke's bed. What if they knew? What would they think of her then?

For she was not what she appeared.

In truth, these past two years had been the best ones of her life - and very nearly the only. She knew she had a past here, but she couldn't remember it clearly - it came to her in flashes, like a long-forgotten dream. Her true past was not very long, but very confusing. The first thing she truly remembered was finding herself in an odd place and seeing a young girl looking down at her with a shocked expression. Things had happened very quickly then. She got a crash couse in humanity, though some things seemed oddly familiar, and the very next morning had requested to be put into a show she had found in the girl's head. And it had worked. She remembered the long fall, the odd pulling, a sense of strain quickly snapped, like a rubber band, and then... she was there.

She had found a place here, in this new world. She was accepted and loved. She had a vague inkling that this wasn't the first time, that she had been somewhere before - but it seemed impossible. Before she had been in the girl's head, she remembered nothing. And now, someone may have found out her true past.

She shivered, and tried to think about the situation logically. There were several possibilities. First - and she dreaded the chance - they might have discovered her otherwordly origins, and wanted to confront her about them. Second, this might be a trap, and the whole thing was a lie intended to intrigue the team and bring them into the enemy's hands. She wasn't sure what enemy, but the Reikai Tantei seemed to have made quite a few. Third, they might have connected her with some vague, ancient legend, decided that she was the "chosen one", and asked for help; when all they really needed was someone to bless their crops, or do rituals, or whatever it was heroes did after the prophecy was fulfilled. And fourth -

She caught her breath as a new opportunity presented itself to her, then shook her head in denial. No. Impossible. They couldn't have... There was no past for her to discover.

... Or was there?

Maybe - just maybe - they were telling the truth. Maybe these "Winged Ones" really did have the answers to her past. Maybe they could fill the void in her memory she had struggled with for so long.

Medra suddenly realized something and hung her head, feeling like a fool. How could she have thought they would have the answers when she didn't come from this world? It was a paradox, impossible to answer.

But they would never know...

... If she didn't try.

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All looked up as the door to Yusuke's bedroom opened. Medra stood in the doorway, looking solemn and thoughtful.

"Well?" Kurama spoke into the silence.

She looked up, startled, and then a slight smile crossed her face. "When do we leave?"

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CUT!!!!

I'll just leave you in suspense there. Sorry it took so long to get this up, but I was on vacation and couldn't get to a computer. @_@ ^_^ But I'm back!

Read & Review, peoples! Ja!