The Demon Enchantresses
Chapter One
A vessel fell from the sky. It was yet another beautiful, sunny day. He saw it. He got up and ran toward it. He saw the vessel. It was like the one that the dreadful demon had arrived in. But it was empty again. He knew he'd find it this time. He'd find whatever was in the vessel. He knew he would. He'd stop at nothing to get revenge for her...
Yusuke was even more devastated to find the vessel empty. This time, though, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara had followed him. They saw the vessel, and did believe him.
"I told you I saw the vessel! And here it is!" Yusuke was only slightly happy that he'd found the vessel again.
"Yes, and we are very sorry we had not believed you before," Kurama said sincerely.
"I'm going to find that demon. I don't care what happens, I swear I'll find it!" Yusuke promised. He ran through the forest, not hearing his three buddies he left behind, who were now chasing after him. He had told them he'd find the demon and stop at nothing to get revenge, right? Well, not exactly, he thought, but it was close enough for him.
He ended up running out into Ash Park. He looked around. It was full of people, couples, animals, kids playing and climbing trees. As he looked around, Yusuke saw nothing out of place. Everything was as it always has been.
Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara came into the clearing next to Yusuke. They looked around too.
"Doesn't look like there're any demons here, guys," Kuwabara said.
Yusuke kept looking around. He was sure the only way how the demon could exit from his sight was to go through Ash Park. But there was no demon; Kuwabara was right. Kurama started walking along the path nearby, and Hiei and Kuwabara followed.
"Come on, Yusuke. You need something to take your mind off that demon. It's been almost a full year now," Kurama said.
"Just let him stay there. He wants to live with the guilt of putting Keiko in harm's way," Hiei said. He started walking off.
Kuwabara shrugged and followed Hiei. Kurama said one last thing, then walked off with the two. But Yusuke didn't hear what Kurama said. He was too busy thinking. How could the demon escape from here so soon? Unless he can take on human form, it's just impossible! Yusuke thought. It's possible that it could take human form, but it's not very likely. Most demons can only have one special transformation. He leaned against a tree and watched the people play, watched the retreating backs of his friends, and slumped down to the ground.
He was completely oblivious to the time, and he wasn't paying any attention when people started leaving and the park became empty. It wasn't until much later that he realized the sun was setting and it was quiet, everyone quieting down for a peaceful night. He got up and started walking down the path his friends had taken earlier. And he saw someone by a tree. They were sitting in front of it, with their back turned. As he got closer, he thought he knew who it was.
"K...Keiko?" he barely managed to speak when he got closer.
The girl turned around and smiled at him. But it wasn't Keiko. This girl had unusual deep turquoise eyes, long, blonde hair, and she looked a lot more slender and fit than Keiko. But something about her reminded him of Keiko.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were a friend of mine," Yusuke apologized.
"Oh, don't be sorry," the girl said, her soft voice like silk, a beautiful melody in his ears. "My looks like to deceive people." She shrugged.
"I'm sorry," Yusuke said again. "It's just...I lost one of my greatest friends almost a year ago..." He trailed off.
She now had sympathy in her eyes, and perhaps a bit of pity. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. And now that you've lost her, you think I look like her." It wasn't really a question, but he answered, anyway.
"Yeah."
"Oh, do sit down, please," she insisted. "You look so depressed. She must have been a truly great friend for you to still be this devastated."
"Yeah, she was. Everyone kept calling her my girlfriend." Yusuke shook his head. "We weren't goin' out or anything, but we've known each other since kindergarten."
"Aw, that's so sad. How did she um...die?"
Yusuke had tears in his eyes now. "A demon came from some distant planet and ate her."
The girl perked up. "Was this demon invisible?" Her voice was a mix of happiness, sadness, and something else that he couldn't quite place.
"Y-yeah. How'd you know?"
"Because he came to my pla-- erm...my home, and swallowed one of my warriors."
Yusuke looked at her again. Her beautiful eyes were on him, her gaze locked with his. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he asked, "So, where is your home?"
She relaxed a bit. "Far away from here, and we'll leave it at that."
"How did you take care of the demon that visited your home?"
"Well, I ran and told Leader Shinaki, the leader of my village, and he had me gather some warriors. We lost one mighty warrior to that wretched beast. But I defeated it."
"And where is that dreadful beast now?"
"Um, I think it's still in the desert. I'm not sure if my people moved it, though."
Without realizing it, she gave him reason to believe that she was a demon herself. He didn't say anything about it, though.
"And there was no one in his stomach?" Yusuke asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'm sorry, Yusuke," she replied.
He became alert. "How do you know my name?"
He thought he saw the girl blush. "I'm sorry. I should have told you. I have a psychic power that allows me to read people's minds. If I have proof to believe that you aren't telling me something, I can easily just go into your mind and thoughts and get the answer from there. I'm sorry. I should have told you first. Actually, I shouldn't have done it at all." She looked away, and stared at the ground.
"So what are you, then? Are you a demon?"
She almost looked hurt by this, and stared at him hard, shock in her eyes. Then she relaxed a bit. "Not exactly..."
Yusuke looked at her. "What's your name?"
"Yoshiko. Yoshiko Taki."
"Yoshiko," Yusuke echoed.
"There must be a parrot somewhere nearby," Yoshiko joked.
"Huh?"
"I said there must be a parrot somewhere nearby, silly," she said again.
"Oh. How so?"
"Well, because you repeated my name after I said it," she replied.
"Oh, right. Heh, sorry 'bout that."
"Don't worry about it." She relaxed against the tree.
"So what brings you to this part of the world?"
"Um, well, I'm not sure. I guess I wanted an adventure."
"Oh. So basically you wanted to get away from your village?"
"Yeah, basically."
"Ah."
There were a few moments of silence, and Yoshiko scooted away from the tree and layed down. Yusuke just kept looking down at her as she looked up at the night sky. Oh, what a beautiful night it was. Yusuke started thinking as he looked at Yoshiko. There was just something about her that reminded him of Keiko. But what? He didn't know. He couldn't place his finger anywhere close to what it could be.
"I wonder if there's any place where I might be able to stay the night..." her silky voice broke through his thoughts. She looked up at him, smiling ever so slightly.
Yusuke gave a small blush and looked away, but not even two seconds and he looked back. "You can stay at my place," he said, hardly thinking.
Her eyes brightened. "You mean it?" She realized she said it a little too exciting, but apparently that didn't matter.
He shrugged. "Why not?"
She got up and hugged him, and they walked together to his house...
Chapter One
A vessel fell from the sky. It was yet another beautiful, sunny day. He saw it. He got up and ran toward it. He saw the vessel. It was like the one that the dreadful demon had arrived in. But it was empty again. He knew he'd find it this time. He'd find whatever was in the vessel. He knew he would. He'd stop at nothing to get revenge for her...
Yusuke was even more devastated to find the vessel empty. This time, though, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara had followed him. They saw the vessel, and did believe him.
"I told you I saw the vessel! And here it is!" Yusuke was only slightly happy that he'd found the vessel again.
"Yes, and we are very sorry we had not believed you before," Kurama said sincerely.
"I'm going to find that demon. I don't care what happens, I swear I'll find it!" Yusuke promised. He ran through the forest, not hearing his three buddies he left behind, who were now chasing after him. He had told them he'd find the demon and stop at nothing to get revenge, right? Well, not exactly, he thought, but it was close enough for him.
He ended up running out into Ash Park. He looked around. It was full of people, couples, animals, kids playing and climbing trees. As he looked around, Yusuke saw nothing out of place. Everything was as it always has been.
Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara came into the clearing next to Yusuke. They looked around too.
"Doesn't look like there're any demons here, guys," Kuwabara said.
Yusuke kept looking around. He was sure the only way how the demon could exit from his sight was to go through Ash Park. But there was no demon; Kuwabara was right. Kurama started walking along the path nearby, and Hiei and Kuwabara followed.
"Come on, Yusuke. You need something to take your mind off that demon. It's been almost a full year now," Kurama said.
"Just let him stay there. He wants to live with the guilt of putting Keiko in harm's way," Hiei said. He started walking off.
Kuwabara shrugged and followed Hiei. Kurama said one last thing, then walked off with the two. But Yusuke didn't hear what Kurama said. He was too busy thinking. How could the demon escape from here so soon? Unless he can take on human form, it's just impossible! Yusuke thought. It's possible that it could take human form, but it's not very likely. Most demons can only have one special transformation. He leaned against a tree and watched the people play, watched the retreating backs of his friends, and slumped down to the ground.
He was completely oblivious to the time, and he wasn't paying any attention when people started leaving and the park became empty. It wasn't until much later that he realized the sun was setting and it was quiet, everyone quieting down for a peaceful night. He got up and started walking down the path his friends had taken earlier. And he saw someone by a tree. They were sitting in front of it, with their back turned. As he got closer, he thought he knew who it was.
"K...Keiko?" he barely managed to speak when he got closer.
The girl turned around and smiled at him. But it wasn't Keiko. This girl had unusual deep turquoise eyes, long, blonde hair, and she looked a lot more slender and fit than Keiko. But something about her reminded him of Keiko.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were a friend of mine," Yusuke apologized.
"Oh, don't be sorry," the girl said, her soft voice like silk, a beautiful melody in his ears. "My looks like to deceive people." She shrugged.
"I'm sorry," Yusuke said again. "It's just...I lost one of my greatest friends almost a year ago..." He trailed off.
She now had sympathy in her eyes, and perhaps a bit of pity. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. And now that you've lost her, you think I look like her." It wasn't really a question, but he answered, anyway.
"Yeah."
"Oh, do sit down, please," she insisted. "You look so depressed. She must have been a truly great friend for you to still be this devastated."
"Yeah, she was. Everyone kept calling her my girlfriend." Yusuke shook his head. "We weren't goin' out or anything, but we've known each other since kindergarten."
"Aw, that's so sad. How did she um...die?"
Yusuke had tears in his eyes now. "A demon came from some distant planet and ate her."
The girl perked up. "Was this demon invisible?" Her voice was a mix of happiness, sadness, and something else that he couldn't quite place.
"Y-yeah. How'd you know?"
"Because he came to my pla-- erm...my home, and swallowed one of my warriors."
Yusuke looked at her again. Her beautiful eyes were on him, her gaze locked with his. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he asked, "So, where is your home?"
She relaxed a bit. "Far away from here, and we'll leave it at that."
"How did you take care of the demon that visited your home?"
"Well, I ran and told Leader Shinaki, the leader of my village, and he had me gather some warriors. We lost one mighty warrior to that wretched beast. But I defeated it."
"And where is that dreadful beast now?"
"Um, I think it's still in the desert. I'm not sure if my people moved it, though."
Without realizing it, she gave him reason to believe that she was a demon herself. He didn't say anything about it, though.
"And there was no one in his stomach?" Yusuke asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'm sorry, Yusuke," she replied.
He became alert. "How do you know my name?"
He thought he saw the girl blush. "I'm sorry. I should have told you. I have a psychic power that allows me to read people's minds. If I have proof to believe that you aren't telling me something, I can easily just go into your mind and thoughts and get the answer from there. I'm sorry. I should have told you first. Actually, I shouldn't have done it at all." She looked away, and stared at the ground.
"So what are you, then? Are you a demon?"
She almost looked hurt by this, and stared at him hard, shock in her eyes. Then she relaxed a bit. "Not exactly..."
Yusuke looked at her. "What's your name?"
"Yoshiko. Yoshiko Taki."
"Yoshiko," Yusuke echoed.
"There must be a parrot somewhere nearby," Yoshiko joked.
"Huh?"
"I said there must be a parrot somewhere nearby, silly," she said again.
"Oh. How so?"
"Well, because you repeated my name after I said it," she replied.
"Oh, right. Heh, sorry 'bout that."
"Don't worry about it." She relaxed against the tree.
"So what brings you to this part of the world?"
"Um, well, I'm not sure. I guess I wanted an adventure."
"Oh. So basically you wanted to get away from your village?"
"Yeah, basically."
"Ah."
There were a few moments of silence, and Yoshiko scooted away from the tree and layed down. Yusuke just kept looking down at her as she looked up at the night sky. Oh, what a beautiful night it was. Yusuke started thinking as he looked at Yoshiko. There was just something about her that reminded him of Keiko. But what? He didn't know. He couldn't place his finger anywhere close to what it could be.
"I wonder if there's any place where I might be able to stay the night..." her silky voice broke through his thoughts. She looked up at him, smiling ever so slightly.
Yusuke gave a small blush and looked away, but not even two seconds and he looked back. "You can stay at my place," he said, hardly thinking.
Her eyes brightened. "You mean it?" She realized she said it a little too exciting, but apparently that didn't matter.
He shrugged. "Why not?"
She got up and hugged him, and they walked together to his house...