AN: ::sighs:: My poor fic is getting neglected again...
Kurama: You mean Dark Lust? For shame Youko-chan!
Me: u.u I know, I know...but I don't know what to write for the next chapter...
Hiei: Have you ever considered actually thinking something out?
Me: Thinking.......something out? Why would I do that when I could just wait to be struck by inspiration?
Kurama:Well, real writers don't always work purely from inspiration you know.
Me: Gee, I'm not that stupid...
Hiei: Oh?
Me: -.- ANYWAY! My turn to answer reviews. Kurama, Hiei, you two can both do the disclaimer, got it?
Both: Yes ma'am!
Ein- I thought the same thing...but if Kuwabara went, well, we all know how loud he tends to be...But yes, Hiei is being a little bit of a klutz, but that's okay! We still love him, don't we?::kurama nods:: Oh, if the last part kinda seemed random, well, that's how its suppose to be. Yup, random little snippets of stuff...
Shippo-chan4-Thank....you....shippo. I feel so fortunate to be graced by your random ramblings and supposed stupidity once again...Yeah. I don't think I'll hit Hiei because he'll hit back. And the diary....well, worry about later. Oh, and nice job getting people to review. Three reviews is great...
Katyfoxdemon2-Don't worry, you're not rambling...::is obviously referring to shippo's review::We will soon find out who the stranger is!::Okay, I think you saw that one coming...Yeah, that's about it.
Me:Wow, three reviews. That must be a record...Anyway, you two do your thing...
Kurama:Youko-chan wishes she owned us and YuYu Hakusho...
Hiei::...but she obviously doesn't. So don't sue her...
Kurama:...or accuse her
Hiei:...or bother her about it because we just told you...
Both:She doesn't own it!
~~~A Child's Sacrifice~~~
~~~Kurama's Pov~~~
I was tempted to rub my arms in an effort to relieve the cold until I finally met with the icy eyes of the stranger. He had a slender build, but seemed strong. His hair draped in icy whips over his shoulders and back. He was nothing like the demons we had encountered thus far. He seemed much stronger and more skilled...
"Well, well, well...Two demons from the forest? That's odd. I thought those only to be rumors. Am I wrong?"
His frosty gaze penetrated my mind. I stuttered to make a simple, believable lie, but failed. He grinned coolly.
"Don't worry. I'm not an enemy. Why don't you come with us, you look a little chilled..." He laughed to himself and began walking away. What choice did we have but to follow?
~~~Hiei's Pov~~~
Kurama seemed a little too willing to follow this guy, whoever he was. My thoughts were interrupted when the mysterious demon entered what appeared to be a bar. He led us deeper inside, past a bunch of drunk and stumbling apparitions, down a flight of stairs into a downstairs room. Once inside I met the gazes of many apparitions. These demons were more diverse than that of Seria. Most had more human-like appearances. The cool demon sat at an empty table and motioned us to have a seat.
"So, I'm guessing your a couple of Shiri's boys, right?"
"We're not Shiri's boys, we're demons who were tricked into working for that little brat." I spoke sharply.
"So, still up to his old antics, is he..."The man muttered.
"I'm guessing you're a faction revolting against Yameou, correct?" Kurama said calmly with his hands clasped, elbows leaning gently on the table. At the mention of Yameou the room's eyes all seemed to turn on the three of us.
"Hm. Very perceptive. Perhaps you're too trusting."
"I doubt it. If you knew anything about either of us, you would have already had tried to kill, that is, if you were on his side." The fox did like to play a dangerous game...The stranger smiled.
"Enough of this. My name's Dominique. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you."
"Hn. You almost make me wish I felt the same." Dominique had clearly lost his serious tone and instead responded with another grin. He almost reminded me of the puffy-haired idiot...
Kurama smiled. "Don't mind him. That's Hiei. My name is Kurama."
"Ah, Hiei and Kurama. Good." He was about to say something when Kurama began.
"We need to get down to business right away. How many people are there in your faction? What locations have bases? We also need to know the week points of the town, the strong points, anything you can tell us."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He laughed and sat back in his chair. "Calm down there! One thing at a time my friend! And," He said, eyeing a waitress, "How's about a drink while we talk?"
Kurama half glared. "Now is not the time for that. We only have until midnight. At that time we are due back to Seria. Now please, we must discuss this. It's vital."
"Alright then. The faction...We have roughly 60 members. Most of them are fighters, some can at least defend themselves, and a few shouldn't be within 10 miles of a fight. We're short on weapons, rations, and morale. Lately we haven't been looking up. But maybe with your arrival, you could cheer the gang up a bit."
Sixty? This guy thinks that sixty demons, some not even fit to fight, could take on an entire demon army with the aid of an allotment of worthless villagers? What a fool! How could anyone without the exception of that puffy-haired lump could be that stupid!
"You didn't think sixty fighter's would suffice for this, did you?"
"Heh, in all honesty, I wasn't really sure. I've got some sharp demons in my ranks. I figured it would be worth a shot if I had to."
"Well I'm sure as hell not going to risk my life on some fool's maybe." I said standing up. I was about to head up the steps when I nearly tripped over an outstretched leg. "Grr...watch you--"
A young boy lay on the ground, his limbs quivering. At least, what was left of them. His arms were twisted and mangled. His skin stained in red. One of his eyes was glazed, blind. His body was marked with distinct cuts and gouges. The wounds....they almost seemed fresh. But who would beat a child so badly?
"That boy....is a product of what these lands have turned into. Yameou's tyranny has lasted too long. Children aren't even safe in the streets. And his sick rituals...This boy escaped from a ceremony performed last year. Blood ran through the streets like rainwater. Just imagine the deafening cries of the children who were beaten, tormented until they died the most horrible, disgraceful, and most painful deaths imaginable..."
The boy jerkingly raised his head. It made me feel sick just to look at him. This deformed, disgusting figure...To think it was once the youthful body of a child...
I took my seat back at the table. We began to talk about our plans, our strategies. It would soon be midnight....
"Dominique!" A voice called from above. "Dominique! It's Yameou's men! They're coming down the street! You must hurry!"
"Dammit! Already?" He looked worriedly around.
"Dominique, they've brought him! What are we going to do? Oh!" I could hear footsteps walking to the door and the sound of splintering wood as someone broke through.
"Where is Dominique! I demand to see him now!" I loud, malicious voice boomed. "Our good friend owes a small debt to his Lord and he must pay now!"
Dominique stole a nervous glance at the crippled boy. He gave a cracked smile to him and gave an honest effort to nod. "es.....va vwright.......tivime, Domin....dominique." He fought so hard with his words. It crushed me to listen. How it must have felt for him to be so weak, yet to try and be so strong...
"Fvor....Seria..." Dominique's solemn expression told me what would happen next. Kurama jumped from his seat.
"You're not going to--" Dominique glared back.
"This is his choice, not mine." He began walking up the stairs. "For Seria..."
~~~Kurama's Pov~~~
I raced up the stairs, not far behind Dominique. A dark man stood near the doorway. What was he going to do to the boy? Murder him, it seemed. Finish what had been started...
Dominique cradled the boy gently in his arms. The dark man ripped him from his grasp. The boy let out a shrill whine and he grabbed him by his hair, dragging him outside. People had gathered outside.
"This," he paused, holding the boy out for all to see, "is what Yameou does to traitors!"
I watched as he drew a dagger from his pocket. He cut the boy's hair from his grasp, causing him to fall. Throwing it aside, he leaned down, grasping his neck and pulling him up. Torch light flickered on the dagger as he brought the weapon into the child's stomach, twisting and wrenching it. He pulled it out sharply and brought the blade back to the boy's head, to his throat. He slowly, painfully slit the skin, causing deep, crimson blood to flow from it. And then he plunged it fully in, straight through his neck to his heart.
I turned my head. This was far worse than anything I had ever witnessed. How anyone could do something so dreadful vexed me. And to a child no less! Because he wanted to live, because he fought to free he had to die. I wouldn't stand here. I could not let the boy's sacrifice go to waste. It didn't matter if they found us out. Not one of them would stand when I was finished.
"You!" I said as laughed at the boy's bloodied body. "You realize you will have to answer for such a crime, do you not?" Hiei grabbed my arm.
"What do you think you're doing!" I shook my arm from his grasp.
"I'm not letting them get away with this kind of torture, it's indefensible." I stepped closer.
"What makes you think you can stop me?" He said mockingly. His men began grinning and the townsfolk looked on inquisitively.
"What I think isn't what you should be worrying about. They're a waste on last words..."
~~~Dominique~~~
I watched as the demon reached in his crimson hair, pulling from it a red rose. Petals danced in the air as he brought it in front of his body, slicing the air as the flower transformed into a thorny whip. Some of the men began to back away and the townsfolk began to flee. But the leader merely laughed, charging him. He was a fool to think he could take their leader. Far too confident. He would need help...
"Don't get involved." Hiei said to me, looking on. "You'll just get in his way."
"How foolish. I've seen this man's strength. You're friend will be slaughtered!"
"Kurama's danced with death many times before and so have I. And we're still here, are we not?"
I brought my eyes back to the skirmish just to see the razor edge of Kurama's whip tearing through one of the soldiers. He hadn't even taken a step back. Three more charged him and those men fell soon enough, their bodies severed at the waist.
Kurama held a wide stance with the whip wielded in his right hand, his fingers laced around its center. The remaining grunts were hesitant to attack until their leader barked to order to charge.
"How foolish knowing you will die yet you still charge? I pity you..." He said as he quickly ducked through their blows, lashing his whip in a halo around his body. They dropped. The leader's fervor grew at the sight of his dismembered men.
But his skill was not that of the grunts. This Kurama was merely lucky, I'm sure of it! No demon I had ever seen other than Yameou could compare to this one. He's as good as dead...
~~~Hiei~~~
I watched Dominique out of the corner of my eye. He was so anxious and tense. He obviously has no perception of how strong Kurama or I are. But even a fool would notice Kurama's impeccable technique.
I ripped my gaze from Dominique as a saw a spray of blood splatter on the ground. Kurama's dominant hand had been slashed, his rose whip now back to it's original state. He frantically dug in his robe pocket. What was he searching for? Kurama, just pick up your rose!
"Kurama!" I yelled as the leader drew in for the kill.
Kurama hastily removed his unscathed hand which grasped a red tropical flower. A burst of energy released it's true form. "The Bird of Paradise Broad Blade!" Kurama brought the branched-bladed sword straight up, cutting straight through the breast bone of his attacker. The fight was over. No demon could take a hit like that and survive.
Dominique gaped at the scene. Seven bodies littered the ground. Kurama looked despairingly at the eighth. "A child's death should not be the outcome of war, no matter who is fighting..." Kurama solemnly retreated, the weight of the child's death obviously weighing heavily on his heart.
"To my journal, I think I finally am getting used to writing in here. My dad was right, it feels good to reflect back on the day. The nicest thing about this though is no matter what I have to say, no one is going to critisize me. I can just be myself! I don't have to act like an adult if I don't want to. But still, my father said a great responsibilty is going to fall on my shoulders one day soon. I want to be mature, but at the same time I just want to be a kid. Is that so bad? Shiri, aka The Squirt