Of Wind and Fire
Golden Foxfyre
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.
Chapter 1
The windfire apparition halted sharply. Even when this far from mortal lands, she felt the danger. Her mother's friend; her sensei felt the return of the shadow. "Mandar." She whispered.
Raven black hair blew in the wind as her elder appeared. "You've sensed it then. You must return, Suzaku, they need you."
A barking wolf caught their attention. The black female loped up over the horizon, her amber eyes grave. The very air of their mountain home was filled with the tension that preceded dark times. The Fallen One had made his move, and not even the beauty of the day could mask it.
"Would you send me alone?" Suzaku queried, her hand falling to the silken fur of the wolf's head.
"No. Morwen will stay with you, as she is your totem animal." Then his demeanor changed. "What I am about to do will set you in the forest miles away from Genkai's home." Mandar chanted in a language long forgotten by the world. "Take care, Nightingale." He whispered as she vanished in a swirl of light.
Their mountainous home dissolved in a radiant glow and was replaced by an old forest that was an early summer green. Sunlight dappled the gloom and the faint smell of moisture rode the air. Suzaku placed her hand to her side, finding the reassuring hilts of her daggers. "Let's go, Morwen."
They set off through the old trees, walking towards a familiar energy. Morwen trotted along, sniffing the air for any hostile scents. All of her instincts were screaming to be cautious, and she would protect her charge as long as she was able to.
Both froze, sensing a hostile energy approaching. "I know you're there." Her tone was low and vibrant, very different from her musical speaking voice. Sapphire blue eyes scanned the forest around them as she tried to pin the threat down.
The demon showed himself, glaring at her angrily. Sunlight reflected off his armor as he approached her. She sank into a guard, ready to fend off any attacks. Morwen flattened her ears against her head and snarled angrily with her hackles raised.
The brush rustled slightly, and a more familiar energy approached. Neither Suzaku nor Morwen paid any heed, as the threat was before them.
"That's enough." A familiar voice declared. "Unless you want the wolf at your throat."
The unknown demon vanished then both turned to find Toguru. Suzaku lowered her guard and approached, knowing he wouldn't harm her. Her gaze silently took him in as she sensed the change he'd undergone. "Why?" He appeared confused about her question. "Why did you do this to yourself?" No wonder my mother didn't like talking about what happened after I was sent home.
Toguru sighed, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose. "You wouldn't understand, Suzaku. Your kind is ever-young."
Tears gathered in her eyes as she gazed at the one who'd saved her life so many times in the past. "I understand more than you know. Even in my homeland, there are those who are mortal, and I have friends among them. Every day time ages them in the way it cannot age me. But that is their gift. To leave the world before they grow weary of it, to die and rest in peace." The salty fluid spilled from her eyes and flowed down her face.
"Was it worth it, Toguru? Loosing the woman you love for this? Being ever-young is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. All I knew has changed, some for the better, more for the worst." She continued to cry and Morwen let out a soft whimper as she realized that the pain of betrayal had at last found Suzaku's heart.
"Don't cry, Suzaku. Tears don't suit you." He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and with the other, wiped the tears from her face as he had done so long ago. How could she understand? According to their standards, she is nothing more than a teenager. One that has quit aging at that. For now and forever will she be this age if she so chooses it. "They are back, then?"
"Yes." Her voice was soft. "I have returned because they did. If you'll excuse me." She ducked out from under his hand. "Morwen!"
The black she wolf gave Toguru one last glower before trotting off after the apparition. As they moved along, her temper quieted until she was able to speak. ~Something about him puts me on edge.~ Morwen sneezed, causing her companion to giggle.
"He isn't what he used to be. That alone makes him dangerous." Suzaku sighed. "Toguru isn't the man who saved my life so many times fifty mortal years ago. I honestly don't understand why he chose this."
~Maybe the shadow fell on his heart long before you and your mother came to help them. He feared age and death, so did something about it.~
They fell silent, listening. The sounds of Genkai training someone came to their ears. "Seems she's still tough on her students." Suzaku declared.
When they emerged from the forest, they walked to the courtyard of Genkai's temple home. A teenage human boy walked along behind her, rubbing his stomach while trying to keep up. Suzaku bit back a laugh, then leapt over the fence, followed by the she wolf.
The teen alerted and turned with a glare. Who are they? What's going on here?
Suzaku approached slowly, as she knew why he was cautious.
"Relax, Yusuke." Genkai turned around. Well, she's grown. "Nightingale Suzaku, it's been a while."
"It has, Genkai-sensei. You know why I've returned." She lightly stroked the wolf's head. Her gaze returned to the other teen. "I'm Nightingale Suzaku. Pleased to meet you." She held out her hand in the pretense of a handshake.
"Urameshi Yusuke." He replied, taking her hand in his and shaking it. Then, he noticed something. He could feel her spirit energy through touch instead of sensing it. Whoa, she's got plenty of spirit energy.
"I see you've noticed." A young voice declared. All three turned around to see Koenma. "She's a windfire apparition. It's hard to sense their spirit energy unless you come into contact with one or befriend one."
Golden Foxfyre
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.
Chapter 1
The windfire apparition halted sharply. Even when this far from mortal lands, she felt the danger. Her mother's friend; her sensei felt the return of the shadow. "Mandar." She whispered.
Raven black hair blew in the wind as her elder appeared. "You've sensed it then. You must return, Suzaku, they need you."
A barking wolf caught their attention. The black female loped up over the horizon, her amber eyes grave. The very air of their mountain home was filled with the tension that preceded dark times. The Fallen One had made his move, and not even the beauty of the day could mask it.
"Would you send me alone?" Suzaku queried, her hand falling to the silken fur of the wolf's head.
"No. Morwen will stay with you, as she is your totem animal." Then his demeanor changed. "What I am about to do will set you in the forest miles away from Genkai's home." Mandar chanted in a language long forgotten by the world. "Take care, Nightingale." He whispered as she vanished in a swirl of light.
Their mountainous home dissolved in a radiant glow and was replaced by an old forest that was an early summer green. Sunlight dappled the gloom and the faint smell of moisture rode the air. Suzaku placed her hand to her side, finding the reassuring hilts of her daggers. "Let's go, Morwen."
They set off through the old trees, walking towards a familiar energy. Morwen trotted along, sniffing the air for any hostile scents. All of her instincts were screaming to be cautious, and she would protect her charge as long as she was able to.
Both froze, sensing a hostile energy approaching. "I know you're there." Her tone was low and vibrant, very different from her musical speaking voice. Sapphire blue eyes scanned the forest around them as she tried to pin the threat down.
The demon showed himself, glaring at her angrily. Sunlight reflected off his armor as he approached her. She sank into a guard, ready to fend off any attacks. Morwen flattened her ears against her head and snarled angrily with her hackles raised.
The brush rustled slightly, and a more familiar energy approached. Neither Suzaku nor Morwen paid any heed, as the threat was before them.
"That's enough." A familiar voice declared. "Unless you want the wolf at your throat."
The unknown demon vanished then both turned to find Toguru. Suzaku lowered her guard and approached, knowing he wouldn't harm her. Her gaze silently took him in as she sensed the change he'd undergone. "Why?" He appeared confused about her question. "Why did you do this to yourself?" No wonder my mother didn't like talking about what happened after I was sent home.
Toguru sighed, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose. "You wouldn't understand, Suzaku. Your kind is ever-young."
Tears gathered in her eyes as she gazed at the one who'd saved her life so many times in the past. "I understand more than you know. Even in my homeland, there are those who are mortal, and I have friends among them. Every day time ages them in the way it cannot age me. But that is their gift. To leave the world before they grow weary of it, to die and rest in peace." The salty fluid spilled from her eyes and flowed down her face.
"Was it worth it, Toguru? Loosing the woman you love for this? Being ever-young is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. All I knew has changed, some for the better, more for the worst." She continued to cry and Morwen let out a soft whimper as she realized that the pain of betrayal had at last found Suzaku's heart.
"Don't cry, Suzaku. Tears don't suit you." He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and with the other, wiped the tears from her face as he had done so long ago. How could she understand? According to their standards, she is nothing more than a teenager. One that has quit aging at that. For now and forever will she be this age if she so chooses it. "They are back, then?"
"Yes." Her voice was soft. "I have returned because they did. If you'll excuse me." She ducked out from under his hand. "Morwen!"
The black she wolf gave Toguru one last glower before trotting off after the apparition. As they moved along, her temper quieted until she was able to speak. ~Something about him puts me on edge.~ Morwen sneezed, causing her companion to giggle.
"He isn't what he used to be. That alone makes him dangerous." Suzaku sighed. "Toguru isn't the man who saved my life so many times fifty mortal years ago. I honestly don't understand why he chose this."
~Maybe the shadow fell on his heart long before you and your mother came to help them. He feared age and death, so did something about it.~
They fell silent, listening. The sounds of Genkai training someone came to their ears. "Seems she's still tough on her students." Suzaku declared.
When they emerged from the forest, they walked to the courtyard of Genkai's temple home. A teenage human boy walked along behind her, rubbing his stomach while trying to keep up. Suzaku bit back a laugh, then leapt over the fence, followed by the she wolf.
The teen alerted and turned with a glare. Who are they? What's going on here?
Suzaku approached slowly, as she knew why he was cautious.
"Relax, Yusuke." Genkai turned around. Well, she's grown. "Nightingale Suzaku, it's been a while."
"It has, Genkai-sensei. You know why I've returned." She lightly stroked the wolf's head. Her gaze returned to the other teen. "I'm Nightingale Suzaku. Pleased to meet you." She held out her hand in the pretense of a handshake.
"Urameshi Yusuke." He replied, taking her hand in his and shaking it. Then, he noticed something. He could feel her spirit energy through touch instead of sensing it. Whoa, she's got plenty of spirit energy.
"I see you've noticed." A young voice declared. All three turned around to see Koenma. "She's a windfire apparition. It's hard to sense their spirit energy unless you come into contact with one or befriend one."