Happiness is Gone

Part 1

"Happiness is one thing that humans shouldn't be allowed to have," a dark-haired female demon said as she looked over the city of Tokyo. "We cannot allow them to obtain such a sweet humanly emotion."

"I agree, Runya." Her white-haired male demon friend said, standing beside her. "I think we'll start with them." He raised his hand up and pointed toward the north. An image of a young dark-haired human and his red-haired friend laughing appeared in front of the two demons. "That friend of his is a demon-traitor, we'll take his happiness as well."

"What about Hiei, Ryu?" She asked, staring intentially at the dark-kaired human. "He is their friend also."

"Yes, I know." Ryu grinned as he turned to look down at her. "How long do you think it would take?"

"A day, maybe." Runya said, smiling.

"That long?"

"I want to have some fun."

Ryu grinned.

Yuusuke picked up his backpack and walked with Kurama.

"Don't worry, Yuusuke, Keiko won't get mad." Kurama said, putting his arm around Yuusuke's shoulders. "She knows that I'll get you to school."

Yuusuke watched the street below him.

"Excuse me," a young girl said, smiling at them. "You're Yuusuke Urameshi, right?"

Yuusuke looked down at the young dark-haired girl and smiled. "Yeah, what do you need?"

"I want to talk to you," she replied, nodding to him.

Yuusuke looked at Kurama then nodded.

Kurama walked away, smiling the entire time.

"I heard about the tournaments," she said, walking with him, holding school books. "Keiko told me after she got real worried about you."

"What?" Yuusuke gaped at her.

"I'm not stupid, Urameshi," she said, smiling up at him, "but I do admire your courage for fighting against Toguro for your teacher. I nearly cried when Keiko told me. I could barely keep myself in one piece." She readjusted her books in her arms as her load became heavier.

"Here, let me carry those for you," Yuusuke said, taking her books for her.

"Thank you," she said, blushing.

"How much do you about the tournament?" He asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Everything," she said, gesturing with her hands. "What I didn't get from Keiko I got from Keiko's friend Botan. She is quite a talker."

Yuusuke rolled his eyes. "Don't I know it?" He paused. "Where do you go to school?"

"With you," she said, smiling at him. "The name's Runya."

"It's very nice to meet someone else who knows about the tournaments," he said, smiling down at her.

"Can you show me your spirit gun attack?" She asked, cheerfully.

Yuusuke stopped and thought.

Runya paused beside him, thinking ~I'm going to have him!~

"No, Runya, I can't," he said, shaking his head as he began walking again.

She ran up to walk beside him and grabbed his arm. "Let's not go to school today, Yuusuke. I want to talk some more. Please?"

Yuusuke grinned. "You're talking my language," he said, then looked at the books. "but what about these?"

"Here," she said, taking her books back and his backpack. "We'll just put my books in with yours and leave this with my brother." She smiled. "He works at the bakery."

Yuusuke carried his backpack to the backery. When they got there, it seemed to be very busy for a regular store.

"Ryu!" Runya called out, cupping her hands around her mouth.

A blonde haired you man emerged from the crowd, a large smile covered his face. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

Runya smiled, taking Yuusuke's backpack. "We're not going to school today, Ryu. Don't tell mom though, okay?"

Ryu shook his head, taking the backpack. "Don't blame me if you get into trouble."

"I won't," she said, grabbing Yuusuke's arm again and pulling him out the door.

They spent the whole day together, from the time Kurama left them together to the time Kurama found them in the park together. Kurama hid behind a tree watching the pair, he felt something odd about the young girl trailing his friend. He watched them intentially. Each time she laughed he sensed a change in her energy pattern. ~Something's wrong,~ he thought as he watched.

"You don't mean that, Yuusuke, do you?" Runya asked, moving to her hands and knees in front of him. "You mean you've got a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, Runya," he said, glancing down at the grass beneath her. "She's so stubborn though. She's gonna kill me when she finds out I didn't go to school today."

"Oh."

Yuusuke laid down and looked at the darkening evening sky. "She's gonna kill me again when she finds out I ditched school to spend a day talking with a girl."

"Why?"

"Because I don't talk to her like this."

Runya moved up and laid beside him and asked, "Why?"

Yuusuke turned his head and saw her. "I don't know, we just don't have anything to talk about."

"We have lots of things to talk about, right, Yuusuke?" She asked, moving to lay on her side, adjusting her head to lean on her hand.

Yuusuke looked back at the sky and sighed. "Yeah."

Runya sighed before moving to rest her head on Yuusuke's shoulder.

Yuusuke jumped a little but didn't move. Something about her made him feel calm and relaxed, nothing he felt when he was with Keiko.

He sighed. "Isn't your brother going to worry about you?"

"No," She said, "he trusts me."

Yuusuke looked at her then back at the sky. He yawned and settled down on the grass in a more comfortable position.

::Yuusuke::

Yuusuke opened his eyes and looked around. No one. Suddenly, he sensed another presence, worry welled up within him. He sat up, holding Runya with him.

"Some's here with us," he said, looking around.

"Who?" Runya asked, also looking around but really knowing who it is. "Yuusuke, I'm scared."

"Stand up, human," a deep male voice said, from far away. "You're a weakling."

Yuusuke stood, still looking around. "Where are you?"

"Here." A white-haired male appeared in front of them, starlting Yuusuke. "You're a weakling." He pulled his arm back and punched the startled human in the stomach. Laughing, he watched as Yuusuke fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Ryu!" Runya yelled jumping away from Yuusuke. "Don't kill him."

"Calm down, he's not dead." Ryu said, smiling. "What should we do with him?" Ryu pointed to the red-haired demon who came from behind the tree.

"Let's play." Runya said, grinning and she turned to look at Kurama. "Don't you want to play, Kurama?"

Kurama smirked. "It's not likely that I'll be allowed to leave safely."

"He's very smart, Ryu," she said, jumping over Yuusuke's body to stand a few yards from Kurama. "You take Yuusuke back, brother."

Ryu bent and picked Yuusuke up and disappeared.

Runya moved to her left as she watched Kurama's eyes. She moved quicker than Kurama's eyes could predict, she threw punches and hit everytime. Her kicks hit him as did every move she made. After she had hit him enough times to make him kneel and catch his breath, she stopped moving and waited.

"Had enough, traitor?" She laughed, "you're weaker than you used to be, youko."

"Why-are-you-do-ing-this?" Kurama asked, pushing himself to his feet.

"We want you dead, you're all traitors to us." Runya yelled, laughing. "We want your happiness! Humans take advantage of happiness!"

"It's-not-that-easy," Kurama said, standing. "You can't take the happiness of humans that easily."

Runya stopped laughing. She looked at him, then said, "you don't think you could fight me in that condition?"

"I plan to get my friend back." Kurama said, watching her.

"Not alone, though." Hiei said, from a top a tall tree. "You can't take him down that easily, girl."

Runya looked up at Hiei then laughed. "Take me on, both of you! I don't care."

Hiei jumped from his perch, removing his sword as he fell. The three fought earnestly, Runya moved quicker than either of them could follow. She had the upper edge of the fight but with one weakness.

Runya stopped after she had fought both to their knees. Laughing, she asked, "why don't you two give up? You know you can't beat me. After betraying the demons in the tournament, you gave up your right to be demons."

Hiei laughed. Kurama joined him.

"You can't hurt us." Kurama said, watching her as she quieted. "What would you do if Yuusuke found out you hurt his friends? Would he want to be your friend anymore?"

Runya stopped. "He won't find out, not with Ryu looking after that human." She stepped back. "I'll see you around," she said, waving with a bright smile on her face. "Maybe next time you'll be stronger." She disappeared.

"What's with her and Yuusuke?" Hiei asked, holding his left arm as the tip of his sword slid on the ground.

"Yuusuke spent the entire day with her," Kurama said, sitting. "I watched them, something about her struck me as weird. She said she knew Keiko and Botan but neither of them were talking about the tournament which meant that she had to have been there when we were fighting. I continued watching them, until they reached the park. They started talking about Keiko and how much Yuusuke doesn't talk with her but was willing to spend an entire day talking with this new girl."

"She's no regular girl, Kurama." Hiei said, turning to leave. "She's not going to just give Yuusuke back to you or anyone. If what you say is true, that she is a demon, then if she is in love with Yuusuke, we won't get him back easily."

Kurama stood and followed Hiei out of the park.

Runya appeared inside a dark room. She walked over to the dark corner where Yuusuke leaned against the wall. Kneeling down, she wiped a few loose strands of hair out of his face and watched his breathing.

He stirred and looked around the room. Seeing Runya, he asked, "Where am I?"

"With me, Yuusuke," she said in the same sweet tone she had used when they first met. "Everything will be all right, you're with me."

Yuusuke tried to move but couldn't, his stomach still hurt.

"Don't move," she said, stopping his movements. "You're still in pain." She moved to sit beside him. "The moon looks so very pretty through the sunroof, doesn't it, Yuusuke?"

Yuusuke looked up. The moonlight shined down through the glass that rooved the room.

"Yes, it does," he said, leaning his head against the wall behind him. "It looks so red, why?"

"The moon is mad," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "He sees pain and grieves for those who have it. He sees the ones who cause the pain and wish them dead. Many who believe in this really do follow those guidelines, as long as they are good, the moon is happy for them."

Yuusuke held his stomach and looked down at her. "Do yo believe in this?"

"No," she replied, "my brother told me it as a child." She shivered.

"You're cold," he said, before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

She cuddled closer to him. ~He's so warm but what's going to happen when he finds out about me?~ She closed her eyes felt his warmth move into her.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, meaning his stomach.

"No, not anymore."

"I was thinking," she said, moving away from him. "Let's go out somewhere. Like the beach or something." Runya moved to her hands and knees in front of him. "Together."

Yuusuke looked at her for awhile, before replying, "I don't know if I can."

"Please say you will," she said, a little whinny. "I don't want to go alone, I can't."

He sighed and nodded. "Fine."

Runya smiled before moving up to kiss his lips. He was startled at first but did not push her away. Perhaps he was too weak to push her away or maybe he didn't want to. He was not sure. They stayed together until the morning sun shined in the sunroof. Yuusuke found himself beside a naked young girl, he was surprised at first but soon remembered the course of the previous night. Sighing, he pushed himself up off the ground and dressed.

"What am I going to do?" He asked no one as he watched the shining sun. "I cannot leave her alone yet I need to get back to my friends. What *should* I do?"

"You should stay with me," Runya said, pulling her shirt around her. "I don't want to leave you, Yuusuke." She cried into her knees. "Last night I realized what my true feelings were, I truely love you, Yuusuke but you want to leave." She stood and walked over to him. Her shirt hung down passed her butt. "Say you won't go, please."

He looked down at her innocent face and sighed. "I'll stay with you as long as I can, Runya."

She smiled and hugged him. "I don't know why I feel this way, Yuusuke, it's a strange feeling for me. The only love I've ever felt was that love for my brother."

Yuusuke wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close. "Don't cry, Runya, please. I don't want to see you cry."

Runya wiped her eyes on her shirt and smiled up at him. "Yes. I won't cry anymore."

"Good," he whispered before feeling a strange presence around them.

Runya grabbed her pants before disappearing from his arms.

The door slid open, allowing a white-haired demon through. "I see you're awake."

Yuusuke looked at him. "What do you want?"

"I want your happiness, human. You humans are worthless fools," he said, smiling. "You abuse your happiness."

"Humans are special because they enjoy pure happiness, unlike most demons who only know greed," Yuusuke replied, shaking his fist at him.

"Don't do anything to him, Ryu!" Runya yelled at the doorway. "Don't hurt him!"

Ryu turned to look back at his younger sister. "What do you want with him?"

"Just don't do any harm to him, please, Ryu." Runya ran to stand with Yuusuke.

~Ryu?~ Yuusuke looked down at Runya then back at Ryu. "Just who are you?"

"I am Ryu, just as she told you before but we're not human." Ryu said, laughing. "She's a wind demon as am I."

Yuusuke glanced down at Runya, surprised, and saw tears run down her face.

"I'm sorry, Yuusuke." Runya said, looking up at him. She turned back to her brother. "You're not to hurt him, Ryu. Got that?"

Ryu laughed. "As you say, sister, as you say." He turned and left the room, laughing the entire time.

Runya closed the door behind her brother and sat leaning against the wall. She wrapped her arms around her knees and rested head face against her knees.

Yuusuke watched her for a moment before he heard the sound of soft crying. He moved over and sat beside her.

"Stop crying, Runya," he said, pulling her close to him. "I'm not mad, just surprised."

"I lied to you," she complained, looking up at him. "Doesn't that matter to you?"

"Not now." Yuusuke sighed. "Right now I just want to go home."

"You can't," she whispered, wiping away her tears. "Ryu has a sheild up around this room, so you won't be able to get out unless he wants you out."

"Can't you let me out?"

Runya shook her head. "I don't have enough power to take down his barrier."

"Don't worry, Runya," he said, looking up. "We'll find a way out of here."

Kurama wrapped Hiei's arm in bandages as they listened to Botan talk.

"This demon, Ryu, isn't one to triful with." Botan said, sitting on Kurama's bed. "Even you, Hiei, will have trouble matching his speed along with his power. His speed rivals the speed of his sister, whom you two have already met. She isn't quite as speedy as her brother but she as more strength than he does."

"What are we going to do?" Kurama asked, looking at Botan with worry. "Is there anything either of us can do?"

Botan thought. "Not right now. Yuusuke has to find a way out for the most part by himself. Once he is outside the prison then you two can help bring him home."

~Five days later~

Yuusuke leaned against the wall in a large room. Runya sat beside him, leaning against his shoulder.

"Will you stay here forever?" Runya asked, hugging his arm.

Yuusuke nodded. In the past couple of days everything from his past had slipped from his mind. All he knew was that of his current life with Runya and Ryu. He enjoyed spending the entire day with Runya. Whenever they were together, he'd relax and forget about his worries.

"That's good." She cuddled closer to him. "I don't ever want you to leave me."

"I don't want to leave either." Yuusuke said, he looked down at her. "But I don't want to stay inside either."

Runya stood. Her dark dress hugged her upper body but had a loose skirt that hung down to her knees. She wore her hair back in a long braid that hung down passed her butt. Smiling she took Yuusuke's hand in hers and pulled him from the couch. They walked together out of the large open room to the long hallway. Her bare feet slapped against the cold stone floor.

"We can't go far, Ryu wouldn't want us to wander too far from here," she said, leading the way to the garden.

Yuusuke nodded.

When they reached the garden, Yuusuke's spirit seemed to rise. The only regret to staying with the two demons was the fact that his spirit and will to fight was gone. ~This garden is very beautiful,~ he thought to himself as he watched the flowers twitch in the wind.

"Those at black roses from the human world," Runya said, rubbing the dark petals of the flowers. "I thought they were beautiful when I first saw them and wished to grow my own. This is my garden, I come here to get away from Ryu to train myself."

"You grow such pretty flowers here," he commented as he knelt to look straight into the flowers. "I see the dark colors and think of you, Runya, and what you did to me. Somehow I don't think I could live without you."

"And I don't think I could live without you, Yuusuke," she said, smiling and kneeling down beside him. "Do you enjoy your life here?"

He turned and looked at the young girl beside him. "I enjoy my time with you, Runya." He reached out and brushed a few strands of loose hair out of her face. "I emjoy your company very much when I feel alone."

She looked up at the sky through the clear glass. "When I'm alone, I think of my favorite place and I imagine that I'm there with the one I love," she sighed with a smile.

"Where is your favorite place?"

"Right here." Runya chuckled and turned to face him. "And I imagine myself here with you, Yuusuke."

Yuusuke blushed and turned back to the black roses.

~To be continued . . . ~