Of Greetings and Goodbyes
Chapter One: The Warning
Shinka Yamazaki was just a normal teenaged girl. Well, a little strange, yes, but seemingly normal. She was a sophomore in high school, and had developed a reputation as a loner, and a very quiet one at that. No one ever really understood her. The way she acted. The way she thought. But above all, her dark sense of humor. She found joy in the pain of others, which was probably why she got herself into at least two fights a day.
It was a Friday afternoon, and the bell signaling the end of the day rang loudly as the large mass of students flooded from Inageshi High. Shinka walked out behind all of the other students, her black high heels clicking against the stone steps. She walked by a group of seniors that had congregated by the gates. They eyed her as she passed, just as they did everyday. She narrowed her crimson eyes in a glare as she passed.
Why do these damn skirts have to be part of the uniform! She thought angrily, tugging at her black mini skirt. Shinka left the school grounds, turning onto the sidewalk and beginning her long walk home.
Shinka lived out in the country, so far out, in fact, that the buses didn't go through that area. Had her parents not been alcoholics, she would have gotten a ride. However, she was forced to walk the distance. At least that's what she told people.
About half way to her country home, just as the blacktop road became dirt, something grabbed her and pulled her to the side. Out of instinct, Shinka aimed a punch at whoever it was, but caught herself.
"Damn it, Yusuke!" she yelled angrily. "I've told you a million times not to sneak up on me!" Yusuke merely grinned.
"Well, then you should have let your guard down, huh?" he said jokingly.
"Whatever. What the hell do you want, anyways?"
"Koenma says he needs to see us," Yusuke replied. Shinka sighed, exasperated.
"And I was so looking forwards to being alone tonight…."
"Boo frickity hoo. Let's go." Shinka followed Yusuke into the trees that skirted the road. Not to far in, just out of view of the road, was a portal. The two stepped through it, re-emerging in an office. Behind the desk sat a toddler who was frantically filling out paperwork. The other members of Team Urameshi were in the room as well. Koenma looked up from his desk as Shinka and Yusuke entered.
"Oh, good. You two are here," the baby said.
"This had better be good Koenma. I had a rough day and I was looking forward to a little relaxation," Shinka said irritably.
"Oh, well, I do hope you forgive me," Koenma said sarcastically. "Now, for what I needed to see you five about. I've received several reports of killings, both in the Makai and Nigenkai. Most of the victims in the Makai were powerful demons. The victims in the Nigenkai were young girls. However, each was killed the same way. They were all found with broken necks, limbs torn from their body, and they looked to have been dropped from a great height," Koenma explained. "What I need you to do is—"
"Track down the killer." Shinka cut him off. He shot her a glare for interrupting before continuing.
"Yes. That's exactly what I need you to do. And you must do whatever it takes to protect other possible victims. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," everyone but Hiei said in unison.
"Good. You're dismissed." With that said, Koenma ushered Team Urameshi out of the room. The door slammed behind them.
"That has got to be the shortest briefing he's ever given us. Plus, he didn't give us any of the reports! Baka baby," Shinka said as a portal appeared before them. They each stepped through, reappearing at the end of Shinka's long dirt driveway in the country.
"Actually, Shinka. Koenma gave me the police reports before you arrived," Kurama said, showing her a stack of manila folders that she hadn't noticed before.
"Well, you could've told me that earlier," she said.
"You didn't ask," Kurama retorted. Shinka sighed and rolled her eyes.
"So when are we going to look these things over?" she asked, grabbing the folders from Kurama.
"How about tonight?" Kuwabara asked hopefully. Shinka looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "It's just that it's Friday and we'll have more time because of the weekend to work on it," he added quickly. Shinka sighed again.
"All right. Fine. We'll do it at my house since were here. That and I've got the place to myself anyways." No one but her teammates and Koenma knew that Shinka really lived a lone. Her parents had died many years ago.
Although only sixteen, a lot had happened to Shinka in those few years. At the age of seven, she had watched as her parents were slaughtered before her eyes. The images of their mangled corpses still haunted her memory. That same day, her older brother, Aki, had been killed by means of decapitation. Years later, after living with a young couple who became her friends and guardians, she killed one of them. His name was Nibori, and Shinka loved him as if he were her true father, even more if that was possible. She never meant to harm him, of course, but something forced her, almost as if there was someone or something controlling her actions. Not long after, his wife, Moriko committed suicide.
Shinka left her second home at the age of fourteen. Within the span of a year, she became an infamous thief in the Makai, and no matter who tried to capture her, she always managed to escape. That is, until she ran into Yukio, a powerful shadow kitsune and apothecary. He had been hired by someone (he would not disclose who) to capture this powerful fire demon thief at all costs. However, taking sympathy for a fourteen-year-old girl just trying to survive to see another day, he offered Shinka a position as his apprentice. Reluctantly, she agreed.
For several months, Shinka worked for Yukio, running errands and such. In return, he took her into his home and taught her of the different plants that grew in the Makai and their uses. In time, Shinka began to secretly work as an assassin, killing both in the Makai and Nigenkai. She became known as the Angel of Death, although her identity never truly became known.
Koenma, hearing of Shinka's crimes and ever growing power sent out Yusuke Urameshi, the current Spirit Detective. Yusuke was accompanied by the rest of Team Urameshi. Eventually, after an extensive fight with the now fifteen-year-old Shinka, where she nearly killed all four of them, they arrested her, but only through the betrayal of Yukio.
As it turns out, Yukio had been working for Koenma the entire time. This treachery completely destroyed Shinka's spirit.
Koenma forcibly recruited Shinka to Team Urameshi, something which she was not at all happy about. Slowly, as each member of the team, even Hiei, gained a portion of her trust, Shinka's spirit slowly began its long journey of healing. As the months passed by, Shinka began to open up, although she still maintained her dark and angry personality.
Shinka and Kurama became close friends. Because Shinka trusted him the most out of the group, she often confided in him. He was the only one who knew of her complete past. Kuwabara annoyed the hell out of her, and Yusuke... Well, Yusuke had his moments. Hiei and Shinka shared a rather strange relationship, almost bi-polar in a way. One minute the two would act as if the other was not even there, and the next, they would be at each other's throats. Yet, there were times when they would actually engage in conversation, a rare action for the both of them.
The group began walking up Shinka's long driveway leading to the old farmhouse that lay in the distance. Shinka lead the way with Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara behind her, and Hiei dragging behind, as was his custom. Kuwabara approached Shinka.
"Hey, Shinka? I was wondering if—" he began.
"Are you asking me out, Kuwabara?" Shinka interrupted.
"Well, yeah," he said sheepishly. Shinka sighed angrily.
"How many times have you asked me since I joined the team?"
"About fifteen."
"And what have the answers always been?"
"'No'?"
"Okay, so WHY THE HELL WOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENT THIS TIME!" she shouted and Kuwabara recoiled. Kurama chucked slightly as Yusuke burst into laughter.
"Hn. Bakas," Hiei mumbled.
Eventually, they reached the two hundred year old farmhouse that Shinka lived in. She lead them up onto the wooden porch, and reaching into her pocket, pulled out a set of keys. She put one into the lock on the door and turned it. The lock clicked and she opened the door. It creaked on its old hinges. She allowed them all in and lead them into the living room.
"You guys can make yourself at home. I'm just going to go change out of this damn uniform," Shinka said heading for the stairs. She went into her room and grabbed some random clothes from her dresser. She changed into a black tank top and baggy black pants. She took her midnight black and blood red tipped hair from its messy bun and brushed it out, allowing it to cascade down her back. Shinka then hurried back down stairs to where the gang was waiting.
Hiei was sitting in the window seat as he usually did, staring blankly at the world outside. Yusuke and Kuwabara were sitting on the floor arguing about some pointless thing or another. However, Kurama was sitting on her only couch, sifting through the police reports on the homicides. Shinka sat next to him.
"Figure anything out?" she asked, looking over his shoulder. Kurama shook his head.
"Nothing so far. All we really know is that the victims were all killed in the same way, but there's no pattern. Nothing," he explained, handing her a few photos. She sorted through them. They were all pictures of the victim's bodies. She smirked.
"Well, whoever this killer is, I like his handiwork." Kurama gave her a strange look, as did Hiei. Shinka smirked again, knowing they both were thinking the same thing. That she was insane. It is, after all, what everyone else thought.
"Well, we have a long night ahead of us if we want to figure anything out," Kurama sighed.
"I know! We should order pizza and pick up some movies!" Yusuke exclaimed now that he and Kuwabara had stopped bickering.
"You know, Yusuke. I think you're trying to make this into more of a slumber party," she said, giving Yusuke a skeptical look. Yusuke grinned stupidly.
"Okay, I'll go order the pizza." Shinka stood and went to her kitchen and picked up the phone. She ordered a large cheese pizza and was told it would be ready in twenty minutes.
"Twenty minutes," she said walking back into the living room.
"Twenty minutes!" Kuwabara groaned.
"Actually, more than that. It takes a while to walk into town. Unless you can get a portal there," Shinka informed them. "But you two idiots are picking it up either way, so get moving."
"What about Kurama or Hiei?" Yusuke whined.
"Kurama and I are going to work on the case and what makes you think Hiei will go get it?" Yusuke and Kuwabara had no answer. "Exactly. Now move!" she ordered. Yusuke and Kuwabara scrambled to their feet and went out the door. Shinka sat next to Kurama again. Just as her, Kurama, and Hiei began going through the police reports, Shinka's phone rang. Puzzled, she allowed it to ring a few times.
"Who the hell could that be? No one has my number and it's not listed," she said to know one in particular as she went to the kitchen. She picked it up, that puzzled look still on her face.
"Hello?" She kept her confusion out of her voice. Laughter came from the other end of the line. Evil laughter.
"I'd watch your back if I were you, Sereg'wethrin." It was a male voice. Shinka's eyes widened.
"How do you know that name?" she demanded. Sereg'wethrin was what she was commonly called in the Makai by those she had worked with. The voice laughed again.
"You'll found out in time. Oh, yes. You'll find out in time." The voice laughed again before the other line went silent for a moment before the dial tone rang in her ear. Shinka stood there, the phone still to her ear, in a complete state of shock.
That voice… she thought. Just then, Kurama walked into to see what was going on.
"Shinka?" he said quietly, seeing her standing there, her eyes wide.
"That voice…" Shinka said aloud, her voice shaking.
"Shinka? Is everything all right?" Kurama came closer. The receiver fell from her hand and smashed on the floor.
"Impossible…." she whispered. "He can't be back. He can't."