I know. I know. When you start a story you finish it. I know, now shuddap. I only own the OCs. Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine. Not mine, not MINE!!!

 To be King.

His father had hated him. He had been sent into exile with only servants for company. Often a maid would find him sitting by a window, staring out into the country side with sad eyes. If he wasn't by the window, he was walking along in the walled gardens, looking to the blue sky with longing. He would barely speak to those around him, he would only hole up in his own mind.

Why had his father sent him to this place? He had done nothing wrong....

Other than walking and thinking, he would study. Both of swords and of politics. Both languages and riding.

But one day that changed.

For this man, his life changed with one letter.

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The sound of horses hooves against bare earth is what awoke the gate guard. He looked around lazily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. At last, he looked over the side of the log wall. Through the sharp points of carved wood, he saw the rider and his two companions, their spears shining in the sunlight, the banners attached to them fluttering in the wind.

He called out to his fellow gate guards, and heard the heavy clattering of their boots against wooden planks.

The sound of a crank as the gate was raised was what alerted the townsfolk that someone was here. There was silence in the square behind the gate. No child cried, no dog barked. The huge wooden gates, their metal facing shining in the sun, opened. As they swung slowly open, groaning, a shadow was drawn upon the floor. A man on a horse, riding slowly foreword. When this man rode into the city, everyone gave a gasp and a cry.

He has returned!

The man upon the horse said nothing. He smiled, though. Nodded to the crowd, but just went right through them, the peasants moving aside.

But they all cheered for him. Their beloved prince was back. The boys bowed and the girls swooned. He was a prince. The mans noble face was almost glowing in the warm sunlight, shining with pride. His hair was strait and falling about his shoulders and the color of autumn sunlight, but his eyes were perhaps what made him so handsome.

They were like gold.

And that's how he received his name:

Telso the Golden.

Telso, his horse stopping at the foot of large gray stone stairs, sighed. His father had called him back. He was home.

The prince walked slowly up the steps, thinking about what to say to his father. The castle fortress above him loomed like a shadow of ominous threat. The many guards at the door raised their spears as they saw him approach, but when they saw who it really was, they fell back into position, silent.

Two opened the great stone doors. From the other side, Telso saw ten men pulling the door with ropes. But other than the ten men, the hall was empty.

Stone floors, stone ceilings, marble columns. This is what he saw. The torches flickered in the halls, making the shadows dance. The windows in the great rooms beamed with light, making patterns from the stained glass.

The man began to walk foreword, unsure if to go to his room or his fathers chambers. But as he began to pick the former, he heard clattering footsteps behind him.

Prince Telso, you have arrived. Said the man.

Yes, Pelonorin. I have returned. Telso said, turning.

The King wishes to see you soon, milord. In his study. Said Pelonorin, stooping into a low bow.

I see. Telso said. He began to walk towards the study, far far away from the safe confines of his room.

The bronze door handle flickered in the dancing light. Its cold, hard surface felt malicious against his hand. Telso knocked, removing his hand from the handle. No one answered. He waited for a few moments, then knocked again.

Come in, my son. Said a low voice from inside, muffled through the door.

Telso opened the door. His fathers study was a long, large room. On the opposite side of the door, a large fire flickered in the hearth. Books lined the shelves along the walls, and the rug looked red-brown in the orange light.

Come in, my prince. Said his fathers voice. Telso walked in and kneeled for a moment, before rising again.

I hope you had a safe journey. Said his father from behind the desk. His face was shadowed in flickering light from the large fire in the hearth.

I did, father.Do you know why I sent you to Greenhaven?No, my King.

There was a very long silence from the two. It was broken only by the crackle of the fire logs.

My son, it is your fortieth birthday tomorrow, isn't it? Asked the King at last.

It is, my King. Said Telso smoothly.

Good, good. Said the king, he got up from his chair and walked out from behind his desk.

Many say that Telso was the mirror image of his father, Torin Lortoman, the king. He had his fathers finely chiseled brow and jaw, his sharp slim nose and sleek body. But unlike his father, whose hair was black as jet and eyes were like the night, Telso had his mothers hair and eyes.

Torin paced slowly around the study, often pausing to look at his son from different angles.

Telso was used to this. He would endure hours of looking over. Both by the generals sent by his father and his father himself. But even so, Telso felt... unnerved by this.

At last, Torin the King walked up to his son and faced him.

You are growing up into a true King. He said. For a moment, if only a moment, Telso felt that his father really loved him. The banishment away from his home was now erased from his memory. For a moment, the fact that his father had hated him for a long while was gone.

There were only those two eyes full of warmth. Only a bond between the two. No mistrust, no hate.

And it would only take Telso one night to figure out that his father hated him still.

Pelonorin ate dinner that night with Telso. The two old friends talked for a long while in the private chambers of Pelonorin over a large roast and a glass of fine wine.

The people missed you, Telso. Said Pelonorin, cutting the meat away from the bones, They couldn't believe it when the King sent their beloved Prince away.If they couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe either. Said the Prince, taking a sip of his wine. It tasted light and sweet, a fragrance of berries rose from the liquid.

There was a loud rapping at the door. Pelonorin looked annoyed and sighed. He pushed his not empty plate away from him.

May I enter, lord Pelonorin? Asked a voice of a man.

Yes, you may.

A messenger stumbled in, bowing low. A letter was folded in his hand.

From the King, it is for you, Lord Pelonorin. The boy said, still bowing.

I see. Said Pelonorin as he grabbed the letter his black eyes scanned it, and then looked at Telso.

My Prince, the King requests an audience with me. We have finished dinner, so if you don't mind, would you return to your quarters? I can have one of the servants clean up.I think I shall retire. I am wearied from the day. Said Telso. As Pelonorin walked out, the messenger following him, Telso drained his wine and left.

In his large room, Telso took off the long green cape and scarf that he had worn all day. He dipped his hands in the cool water left in a pewter bowl for him by servant girls and washed his face. Just as he was about to remove his shirt, there was a knock at the door.

Pelonorin? You can come in. Said Telso as he quickly made himself presentable.

Pelonorin entered with his eyes lowered. But even when the man looked up, his eyes were shadowed by black hair.

Pelonorin? What tis the matter?I wished to bade you goodnight sir. For it is the last time I shall see you before you are grown. Said the other, his eyes still lowered.

Oh yes. My coming-of-age is tomorrow. I shall be forty at midnight, an adult. Said Telso, What did father have to say?That's why I am here, Telso. Said Pelonorin softly, Your father sent me here to make sure you are ready. Ready so that when he passes, you can rule.

Telso then detected something about his friend that he had never noticed before. A certain... animal like air was about him. Then the Prince got the same sensation he had experienced in his fathers office, one of fear.

Pelonorin walked foreword slowly. He was only a few paces away from Telso when he stopped. His black eyes were filled with.... Telso couldn't tell what emotion were in his friends eyes.

What? What now?

Telso never knew what had happened next. It had happened either so slow or so fast. At one moment, his friend was standing away, the next, he was kissing him.

Telso pushed Pelonorin away, his gold eyes wide.

What. Was. That? The Prince breathed.

Your test. Your fathers ordered test. Said Pelonorin, glaring at Telso.

My father ordered you to kiss me?! Yelled Telso.

That, and a little more. Said Pelonorin. He began to walk foreword. Telso found his back against the cold stone wall. He looked everywhere for something to defend himself. There was nothing.

Pelonorin was stronger than the Prince. He lunged, tackling Telso and clamping a hand over his mouth. Telso bite Pelonorin hard, drawing blood that streamed out of the open wound and into Telsos mouth.

Feisty, aren't you? Asked Pelonorin, sitting on Telsos chest, crushing the Prince.

Get off me. Said Telso, spitting blue blood over the stone floor next to him.

No. Long have I desired this, and I know you have done the same. Said Pelonorin, leaning foreword to give the Prince a kiss.

Someone will hear you. This is treason, Pelonorin. Please, don't hurt me. Said the Prince quietly, his oxygen was running out.

No, they won't. Said Pelonorin.

Telso tried once again feebly to throw off Pelonorin, but he had no air left for strength. He passed out on the floor to his one time friends' cruel laughter.

Darkness, coldness, sadness.

This is what Telso felt. He felt darkness on all sides, coldness on all sides, sadness from inside.

But he heard something. Voices...

This one looks hurt pretty bad. Said a voice. It was loud and ugly, but compared to what Telso had heard the night before, whispering malicious things in his ear, it was like an angles voice.

Compared to the rest of the group, I think he got lucky. Said a deep voice without care or concern.

Is he breathing, Kurama? There was a slight weight on Telsos throat.

Yes, Yusuke. He's still alive. Said the man with a smooth and soft voice.

Let's get this guy outta here. He might know something about the attack. Said the same voice as the one who had told the man to test breath.

Telso felt warm, caring arms around him, gently lifting him up. He tried to open his eyes, to push the man carrying him away, but he could not. Once again Telso fell asleep.

A light was falling on him. Cool, soft light. Almost like winters sun. But the warmness of a blanket kept the chill away from Prince Telso. Someone had cleaned his wounds, the cuts and scars from Pelonorins' rape.

He opened his eyes this time. The sun from the window cut into them, but as his eyes adjusted, he could make out the room. Strange doors and floors of wood. Nothing like stone walls and doors of home.

Telso sat up, rubbing his hands into his eyes. He then looked at the room through the cracks between his fingers.

What was he going to do? He thought. What was he going to do?

The sound of a door creaking. Telso looked to the right, to the source of the noise

It was a girl with crimson eyes and light aqua hair held in a red ribbon. She had a pretty, young face with no scars. But in her eyes was a pain that Telso did not know.

You are up? Asked the girl in a smooth, calm voice. It was nice sounding, pleasant like a cool river.

Telso did not answer.

The girl sensed that he did not wish to speak. She bowed deeply, giving him a soft comforting smile. Turning and shutting the door, she left.
So, the guy's up? Asked Yusuke Urameshi, stretching his arms out wide. Behind him, the trees blew in the wind and sent leaves scattering across the wooden deck.

Yes. He does not want to speak though, at least to me. Said Yukina

Now who would not want to talk to you, Yukina my sweet? Asked Kuwabara, who swooped out of no where and held Yukinas hands in his.

He looked... sad... Tormented from the inside. Said Yukina.

He was hurt very badly. Said Kurama, sitting on the deck gazing out into the forest of yellow-gold.

There was silence, save from the rustle of leaves in the wind.

Perhaps we should try and talk to him. We have to find out who attacked that settlement in Demon World.

Yukina nodded.

The door opened again. Telso looked up. He was still tired, so he had not risen from the bed.

In walked three men he did not know. One had short black hair slicked back and chocolate brown eyes filled with misciehif but still caring. The next was a tall man with orange hair and beady black eyes. The third was average height, with bright red hair down to his mid back and dark green eyes.

Said the man with the slicked back hair. Telso did not answer.

Said the second, the tall one. Telso did not answer.

Said the third with the green eyes. Telso still did not answer.

I have to say something. They will hurt me if I don't. Pelonorin brought me here so they could hurt me.

 Telso mumbled

The three looked at eachother. Telso knew that he must of sounded strange with his raspy voice.

Please kill me. Said Telso, blinking away tears.

Asked the tall one with the black eyes.

Said the Prince. He stood up, very shakily, glaring at the black haired boy with dead eyes, You're going to torture me so just get it over with.Woah, woah. Said the boy with the black hair, We're not going to kill you. We actually need your help.

Telso searched deep brown eyes. There was no hurt in them, nothing dangerous. But there had been nothing hurtful in Pelonorins' eyes... How could he trust this boy not to hurt him?

My name's Yusuke Urameshi. Said the boy with the slicked back hair. He held out a tanned hand.

Telso shook it weakly. It felt callused and hard, the hand of a fighter.

This is Kuzuma Kuwabara. Said Yusuke, pointing over to the ugly one, And this is Kurama. The red haired man smiled softly. Telso sighed. He would have to be careful about what he said next. He then stood strait, looking at Yusuke with nobility that the other two felt.

And I am Telso Lortoman, Prince of the Spirit Realm.

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How do you like it? It's different, isn't it?

I got the idea from.... I don't know where. This is only my second story, and trust me, Saxophone Girl, will be updated soon

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!