Redemption

I've come to realize what love really is. When someone holds you in his or her arms and it feels like you've always belonged there. When it's gone, you finally realize that it's gone and you might never experience that feeling again. I have given up so much for a sensation of forgiveness and warmth. I come to grips with reality as I kneel there with the one I love gone, flashes of light echoing around me. Blood slips down my arms, not my own it seems. The body I cradle to me is my protector… lover. Fragile in death as I hold you, I long to be there to calm and watch over you. Will you come back to me? My scream pierces the darkness of the battleground. Come back with me to when this, all around me, started. Only a few years have passed since then, but the innocence seems unreal… fake. My vision fades as I think back to the day I first saw him…

Standing there waiting for someone, god knows what…

Me?

Chapter One

Rebirth

Somewhere in the state of Washington…

"Look!"

"What?"

"That new guy over there, standing against the wall."

"Who? Tall, dark, and handsome?"

"Oh yeah, that one. Isn't he hot?"

" Yeah, compared to all the losers we have here. Do you think he's foreign?"

"Yeah, I heard he was Japanese, something about not speaking the language, but they let him in anyway."

Sorna sighed and pushed her way threw the group of girls standing watching the guy across the cafeteria, she was late again. She tripped, as a foot was placed in her path, and dropped one of her books. "Ouch!" She turned back to see one of the girls, a blonde prep, smiling meanly at her.

"Sorry." The blonde sang out in a falsely cheerful voice.

Sorna didn't reply, frowning at the groups annoying giggles, probably because Mister Dreamy was coming their way. She didn't care, she thought, as she heard one of the girls, the blonde, start to say something. It was cut off as she hurried away, grimacing and feeling sorry for any poor man that fell into the webs of one of those girls.

Sorna pushed her long, thick red hair out of her face as she opened the door to the girl's gym locker room. Gym wasn't her favorite class, but she needed it to get out of high school and senior year. She changed and joined the already in process class as they warmed up, stretching. She grabbed her foot with the tips of her fingers and looked up to see the foreign student enter the gym. He didn't take notice of the class, just the teacher, as he walked forward. Sorna took the time to study this newcomer as he conversed with the teacher. Leather jacket, tight jeans, possibly gay, and black hair combed back out of his face; he looked like a hard ass. She noticed he had a nice body and blushed, averting her eyes as she realized what she had been doing. She didn't have a chance with a guy like this; he would be friends with the jocks in days. She was a nobody, stuck to herself and got A's, a loser. No one talked to her, especially boys, because she didn't. Her thick glasses and long hair that hid her from the rest of the world was enough to keep her from having no friends.

Mister Dreamy finished his talk with the teacher, who didn't look very happy. She looked at him and hard brown eyes found hers, penetrating her very being. He frowned and started to walk over as she busied herself with some nonexistent warm-up. As soon as he stepped up beside her, she knew he was there, she could smell subtle cologne that stirred her senses.

Sorna gasped as a strong hand came down on her wrist and pulled her up, bringing her face to face with him. His eyes smoldered in satisfaction as he pulled her to one of the doors that led to the outside. He yanked it open and led her outside, the door closing, but not before she got a glimpse of confusion from faces inside. She found her voice the minute he released her. "What are you doing?" she asked in anger, yelling.

"Aren't you the one?" He voice was deep and sent shivers up her spine.

"What?"

"The one… you called to me?"

She realized that his English was very good for the gossip she had heard. "I've done no such thing!" She stepped away from him but he did the unexpected, following her into the corner in which she was going. Brick hit her back as she looked at him with mouth agape.

"Do you not remember, you were crying out to me, you were screaming too." He pulled her to him and hugged her.

She was engulfed in remembrance, as if she knew this was where she belonged. She didn't even know this guy. What was she doing leaning into his embrace and wishing that he would kiss her. She braced her hands on his chest and pushed, sending him a few steps back. She wished she hadn't when she saw the look in his eyes, hurt.

"You don't remember, she said that you might not."

"She?" She shivered, forgetting that she was wearing only her gym uniform. It was the middle of winter and she was standing outside in the snow and cold.

He held out a hand, his eyes full of compassion. "Come with me, you've wanted to run away and find where you belong, haven't you?"

She shook her head and stared, wondering how he knew these things. She couldn't believe it, but she wanted to go with him. "One thing?" She looked at him with untrusting eyes, "I want to know your name?"

His eyes softened in a smile. "Yusuke Urameshi." He whispered.

Sorna's eyes clouded over in past awakenings. She placed her hand in his, knowing that this was what she was born to do.

Endless dreamscape stretched out on every which side of her as she fought down the confusion welling up inside her, remembering. She had dreams like this every night since she had started high school, thunder echoing in the distance. He'd come to her in an outfit of pure spun yellow silk, bending over her in happiness. It would fade from his face as he glimpsed her tears, head bent so no one could see them. A figure lurked in the background, that of a woman keeping watch. She would never say anything and Sorna could never see her face, it was hidden by waves of shiny brown hair. The man in yellow silk would draw her into his arms and hold her there, she than would wake up with a longing for the stranger's touch and feel all around her. Sometimes, he'd never appear and she would wake up with tears on her face.

It didn't matter; she came out of her daze and found that she was in a truck with him, Yusuke, speeding down the highway. She didn't care about the dreams anymore, that man was here with her now and she had agreed to come with him where ever, she wasn't sure. "You're the one from my dreams." She was sure as he looked over with eyes of chocolate, his face expressionless.

"Yes," he concentrated on the road before going on, "Morgan said that we needed you a while back when I first meant her."

"Morgan?"

"A friend of Kurama's, it's a long story, I'm sure she'll tell you all about."

"So you've been haunting my dreams because of this Morgan girl. What, does she have premonitions?" She scoffed and turned to look out the window at the scenery of Washington, nothing special.

Yusuke turned toward her and smiled, it went unnoticed to her. "You could say that, she's a little odd. Sorry about the whole 'dream' thing." He grimaced. "Don't take it personally and use the word haunting. It's more like locating someone when their thoughts are fully open during sleep, one thing I can't do but Morgan can."

Sorna didn't respond, just sat there staring out the window. After a while she turned back to Yusuke. "Where are we going?" Was the first thing she could think of now that she wasn't so confused.

Yusuke gripped the steering wheel. He might as well tell her if she wanted to know, but would she freak out? "Chicago."

"Oh."

He breathed a sigh of relief until he noticed the scared look on her face, he didn't like it.

"How?"

Now he knew he was in for it. He hunched his shoulders and prepared himself. "By plane."

"WHAT! I hate flying!" She burst out and then turned red.

He knew this was going to happen. Morgan had told him something might go wrong. She was also smiling when she said this, so it had made him nervous. How was he going to get her on a plane if she had a fear for them? Maybe it wasn't that great of a fear, he hoped. "Why don't you like flying?"

She looked down at her lap. "My father was…"

He waited, noticing the sign for the exit that would lead them to the Washing International airport.

Sorna didn't notice and went on. "Killed." She said it with so much finality that he glanced over to see no emotion on her face. "He was on his way to Boston for a business trip and the plane went down. Some technicality or some crap like that. I was six at the time so that's the bullshit they fed me. My mother loved him so much, she died two years ago and I've been living with a foster family since than. I don't think she got over his death and died because of the grief. I just turned eighteen, so I had planned on moving out of my foster family's home after I finished my senior year. Just thought you might like to know, or did you already? Morgan?"

Yusuke shook his head and sat there. The truck was now parked in the airport parking lot, they had arrived a minute ago, but Sorna hadn't noticed, too absorbed in her story. "Morgan told me this also. I knew you didn't have any family so I asked you to come with me."

"What about my foster family?"

"Taken care of." He told her matter of fact, opening the car door and getting out.

Sorna did the same and realized that she was still in her gym uniform. Yusuke noticed this too and handed her his leather jacket. She draped it around her shoulders and followed behind him to the elevator up to the main building of the airport, check in.

In the elevator, she turned towards Yusuke. "Yusuke?" It was the first time she had used his name.

He noticed it too and cocked his head to one side. "Huh?"

She smiled at the funny image of his bangs falling in his face. Cute. "I'm not promising I can do this, I mean, get on a plane, but I'll try." The doors opened to the main building and noise pressed in on them. Yusuke nodded and took her hand, leading her threw the crush of people with baggage. She glanced down at their intertwined fingers and was sure he had just taken her hand so he wouldn't lose her. At least she hoped.

Yusuke was thinking other thoughts. As he headed over to a check in counter for American Airlines he pondered about Sorna's hand in his own. Nice and smooth, her fingers were warm against his grip. He stopped in front of the counter and the man behind it looked up.

"May I help you sir." He took in Yusuke's tattered appearance and Sorna's wide-eyed excitement as she looked around in awe, her hand still in his. A look of disgust crossed the man's face and Yusuke slammed his hand down on the counter. It attracted the man's gaze and some travelers passing by.

Yusuke gritted his teeth, trying to keep his temper down. "Listen buddy, I don't need you shity attitude, especially around the brood. Got it?" He pointed a finger in the guy's face.

The man made up his mind that this young man was more then meant the eye and busied himself with a question and his computer. "Name?" he asked politely.

"Darkheart."

Sorna peered around Yusuke's arm at the commotion and looked around, hopping that none of the passing guards had taken notice. Fortunately, they hadn't and Sorna breathed a sigh of relief. She peered back around Yusuke's arm and watched as he gave information to the man standing behind the counter. Darkheart? What kind of name was that? She would have to ask him later. After the name, the man looked up at Yusuke with a look of respect in his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir, I had no idea that you would be traveling with us today." He stammered.

Yusuke growled as the man handed them two tickets. "Next time, I suggest that you judge on character before appearance." The man nodded and Yusuke turned away, pulling Sorna with him.

"Even though you can't judge me on it." He muttered.

Sorna smiled, catching what he said.

"Okay, close your eyes and no peeking." Yusuke took Sorna's hand and guided her down long hallway that sloped gently down to the ground of the terminal where the plane they were going to take was parked.

Sorna was shaking all over, she had been as they had walked threw the entire airport to their plane. She was beginning to think that they would be the only ones on this flight, but she couldn't help and feel like Yusuke was giving her the royal treatment. As they had walked, he had tried to calm her fears, pointing out planes that were taking off and landing outside the windows. He had bought her a coffee and after that they had proceeded down here to an almost deserted section of the terminals. He had explained that this area was where most of the privately owned planes were parked. It had got her thinking that maybe Yusuke was a really rich kid from the city and he had just come out here to get away for a while. He had probably made up Morgan and the other guy he had kept mentioning, but that didn't explain the dreams. Then he had told her to close her eyes and taken her hand.

"Look." He whispered in her ear. She opened her eyes and gazed in wonder at a sleek jetliner. Even under an overcast sky it was still impressive. Yusuke watched Sorna's reaction and knew she wasn't used to luxury like this. He wasn't either, but Morgan had told him that it would be easier to take the "company" jet. Less people, fewer hassles had been her exact words. He was glad that he had taken her advice now, watching Sorna turn towards him with glee on her face, all fear, it seemed, gone.

"Do we get to travel in that?" she asked him, hoping that she wasn't dreaming all this, the plane, Yusuke with his gorgeous smile. She frowned as she thought this thinking that she didn't have a chance with a guy like him. He could have any girl he wanted so why would he want her?

He nodded and flung out his hand towards the jet. "Whatever my lady wishes." He said with a funny smile on his face and in his eyes.

She giggled and stepped forward. "What," she looked down, "no red carpet Yusuke?" She asked with an arch of a brow.

Yusuke scratched his nose and thought about this one. "Damn, you're a picky one, aren't you?"

She laughed as the steps unfolded to the jet and a stewardess appeared.

"That's my cue." He stepped up beside her and offered his arm. "Shall we board?"

"Certainly sir." She took his arm and walked up the steps with his guidance.

The stewardess smiled. "Welcome to AirSpirit Express, we take you anywhere you want to go." She stepped back and they entered, the steps behind them folding back up and sealing one women's fate and another man's future.