Again, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Holds information that got deleted in original!


Chapt. 7

The Shadows and My First Mission

"Where am I?"

"You are in the shadows. Welcome," a feminine voice says. I turn around and see a beautiful woman before me. Her black hair flowed out behind her, as though a breeze was blowing it that way. Stunning red eyes looked at me with great sadness carved into their gaze. Her lips formed a small, but sad, smile. Her long black dress flowed with her hair. Everything about her was so sad.

"Why am I here?"

"Not why, who."

"Who?"

"Yes, look." A full size mirror appears before me. I look at my figure. My black hair had become a silver-gray and the small, sharp bangs that were once red are now big and fat, black bangs that stuck out at odd angles. On the left side, my hair curved out into an interesting style. A blood red gem was implanted under my left eye; I was wearing ruby studs in my ears – which look like human ears. A gray sash hangs loosely around my neck. A short, black, half-cape hung sideways on my left shoulder, the Japanese character for flame embroidered on the shoulder front. A deep red T-shirt was being worn over a gray long-sleeved shirt. A midnight tail flicked behind me.

"What am I?"

"Who."

"Who am I, then?"

"Who you were always meant to be."

"Is this a riddle?"

"You were born a special baby. Demon blood coursed through your veins, as it does now. The blood of warring creatures had come together to create you. The Fox of Fire and the Wolf of Darkness, destined to be together but sworn to be apart. You are a child of warring peoples, only you can bring them together."

"But I am Darkfire, I don't understand."

"You were supposed to look like this, but your parents were murdered and were not there to show you the way. I will show you the way, trust me."

"But I don't know your name. And what if I don't want to bring together peoples that I have never known?"

"Then the world will fall. All you have known will be gone. The world will become shadow…such as this place."

"What is your name?"

She remains silent.

I step towards her.

"It's time to wake up. You aren't supposed to stay in the shadows?"

I jolt forward in a cold sweat. I calm down my breathing and look around. The room was not my own. The smell was unique and familiar, but I couldn't seem to place it. I look around the dark room. I've been here before.

Door opens and light floods upon the bed. I duck under the covers to shield me from the light. My nose is suddenly ambushed with smells of familiarity that can't be misplaced. "Hiei?" I say to no one in particular.

"What?" I peek from under the covers, relieved that the light was gone. I sit back up in the bed, now knowing where I was.

"Why am I in your room…again?" I ask, looking about the room for him. A curtain is pulled back and a soft light illuminates the room. I see him sit on the velvet red seat.

"I brought you here after you collapsed," he says nonchalantly, continuing to look out the window.

"I didn't know you cared," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I don't," he says in a calm, sadistic voice.

I glare at him. I check to see if I am fully clothed before slipping out of the bed and creeping over to him. He just sits there, unsuspecting. Being a cunning fox has its beneficial factors, such as sneaking about. Anyway, I stand behind him, barely breathing, and raise my hand above his head. I fist it and ram it down through his hair to the middle of his thick skull.

I watch him crumple before me; yes, even Hiei crumples under this pain. He falls forward onto the floor and grasps his head. I let out a cold laugh.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR, ONNA!" he screams, jumping up and glaring at me with a fire in his eyes I've never seen.

"I have a name you know," I say coldly, pushing him back into his seat.

He growls at me.

I growl back, baring my teeth, threatening to bite his head off. I stick my tongue out at him, but keep my eyes open. He moves lightning fast for my tongue, but I suck it back into my mouth before he gets to it. "Got ya!" I mock, laughing hysterically. The next thing I know, the nasty tasting fingers of Hiei enter my mouth while it was wide open and laughing. He grabs my tongue and yanks it out into the open. I give a little whimper from the pull.

"You don't like this do you?" Hiei says, smirking at my stupidity.

I shake my head slightly.

"Didn't think so. If you wish to keep your tongue, keep it inside your mouth," he snarls, frowning and releasing my tongue. "Three strikes, once more and you're out."

"I didn't know you were into baseball, Hiei," I say in innocence, returning my tongue to my mouth.

"I'm not, the buffoons downstairs are," he states carelessly, returning to the outside world.

"Well, if you're done with me I'm gunna go visit. See ya." I walk towards the door. I reach for the handle and Hiei appears before me and knocks my hand away. "What?"

"You know something you're not supposed to," his icy voice growls.

"Really? What might that be?"

"A certain secret that you figured out."

"I hate riddles. Let's see, a secret I figured out," I think for a second. "Does this have something to do with you?"

He says nothing.

"Oh, I see. So it's something about you I shouldn't know." I pause. "I know now. Silly me, I should have known this a long time ago. You don't want anyone else to know that Yukina's your little sis."

He cups his hand over my mouth. "Shut it, you baka."

I push his hand away. "Your secret is safe. I wouldn't tell anyone anyway, I value my life." I push him aside and open the door. I step outside and turn back to Hiei. "You should tell her, y' know. She deserves to know."

"Hn." I shake my head sadly at him and walk down the lonely hallway. I hear a door click shut, but I pay no mind to it. I keep my head down and stare at the floor as I walk. Maybe that's why I ran into him.

"Watch it!" a boy yells. I look up just in time to collide with his chest. We both fell to the ground. I rub my nose and look at the boy with one eye.

"What the?"

"Sorry 'bout that, Darkfire," Kuwabara says apologetically.

"It's ok, Kuwa. Where were ya goin' in such a hurry anyway?" I ask standing up and offering him a hand.

"Hiei's room," he says, taking my hand.

"Why?" I inquire pulling him up and looking up into his gentle eyes – the exact opposite of Hiei's.

"We got a job to do," he says, letting go of my hand.

"Oh, well, I don't think he's in the mood," I tell him, looking back at his door. "Anything I can help with?"

"Erm…not sure. Hold on a sec." He pulls out what looks like a compact mirror. It clicks open and he starts to talk to someone. "Ok, thanks. Bye, Koenma." He flips the mirror shut. "You get to take Hiei's place!" he informs me excitedly. "Since you're just as fast as Hiei, and much more resourceful, and you use your head…Koenma said it was ok."

"Cool, where we goin'?"

"Follow me; we gotta get the other two." He races down the hall and I follow in a light jog. We reach the end of the hall in about two minutes flat, though I could have made it in about two seconds or less at top speed.

"Where's Hiei?" Yusuke asks as we stop in front of them.

"He's in a bad mood, I'm taking his place," I state calmly.

"Welcome then, this will be I tough first mission," Kurama says kindly.

"Hey, Kuwabara, you did check if it was ok right?" Yusuke questions, looking at Kazuma suspiciously.

"'Course I did, Urameshi! I'm not a half wit like you!" Kuwabara defends.

"Come now boys, we have a job to do," I say in a mother-like tone, stepping between the two bickering idiots.

"She's right, come on. A portal has been opened," Kurama says, turning and walking towards a blank wall. He steps into the wall and pink sparks fly from it. He's gone.

"We better follow, come on." Yusuke steps through the wall, followed by Kuwabara. I step towards it cautiously and jump in.

Suddenly flooded with pink and black, I hold my breath. The color fades quickly and I soon find myself on a cliff side. I look out over a pool of black, no color, just black. A, get this, blue sun sparkles on the still surface. A sudden feeling sends chills down my spine.

"Comin', Darkfire?" a voice calls from behind me. I turn and see the other three waiting for me. I run to them and we head for a castle. We stop at another cliff.

"Now what?" Kuwabara asks, looking over the edge.

"Yes, we need to get there, but we are sadly stuck here," Kurama says, also looking over the cliff.

"Your logic amazes me, Kurama," I state sarcastically, looking at the demonic castle. A dark green aura rises from the creeping castle. The putrid smell of blood sweeps the land before it. "I can get there."

"How?" Yusuke asks.

"I can jump over there. For me, it's not a far leap. But for you, your guts would splatter the rocks below," I reply calmly, still gazing at the castle.

"Any way we could get over there alive?" Kuwabara asks, worry ringing in his voice.

"No, I'm still a little weak from Yusuke and Hiei's battles. Tell me what to do and I'll do it." I turn to them with a straight face.

Yusuke and Kuwabara stare at me like I'm nuts. Kurama looks at me, and then he says:

"I guess there's no changing your mind. We need to retrieve an artifact, The Devil's Key. We don't know how heavily it will be guarded though. It looks like a regular stone, but it has a distinct mark – the Japanese character for demon. You know what that looks like?"

I nod.

"Good luck then."

"WHAT?" Kuwa and Yusuke scream in unison.

"You're gunna let her go alone?" Yusuke says in worry.

"Yes," Kurama answers calmly, still looking at me.

"You really think she can do it alone?" Kazuma asks, his gentle eyes filled with worry.

"I know she can."

"Don't worry, Kazuma, I'll be back. In once piece even," I say, trying to reassure him. I give them a warm smile before I turn and jump from the cliff. Landing gracefully on the other side, I turn and wave at the boys. I turn back to the ominous castle before me. I take a deep breath and push the door open.

Fresh blood floods my nose, causing me to cover it quickly. I look through the blackened room. Bodies littered the floor, demons and humans alike. At the other end of the room a shadowed figure moves about. The murderer.

He looks up at me. "Dessert, this is a wonderful day!" booms the figure from the room. The door slams shut behind me, engulfing me in darkness. I use it to my advantage.

I becoming one with the shadows, I move to the big figure gorging itself on the flesh of its kill. "You shouldn't do that," I say in a deathly voice. I take a leaf and slit his throat before he even has time to react. "Easy." I move from the carcass and head for a door I spotted earlier.

It swings open easily to reveal a training room. And, like in the room before, the door slams shut behind me. "That's annoying."

"What? Scared that you're locked in?" a voice hissed.

"No, it's just that the whole door slamming and locking is used way too much." I stand still, waiting for any movement. A demonic aura fills the room, and everything smelled the same.

"Well, get used to it," the voice hisses again. A body materializes before me. A tall, dark man with a green cloak concealing his body smiles evilly at me. His short, spiked hair looks orange, but I know it's blonde. "You seem a worthy opponent for a female."

"Gee, thanks." He looks about six foot two, much taller than me. I smirk at him and he just keeps smiling. He disappears again. I frown. "That's my trick." I raise my energy a bit more, sending black flames sparking from my body like lightning.

A yelp emits from a corner. I turn to see the man huddled there holding his face. My flame got him good. I take this opportunity and send a blade for his neck. He gasps and rears back into the corner. I stop it at his flesh, a small trickle of blood streams down.

"Wha-what do you-you want?" he stammers in fear.

"Where's The Devil's Key?"

"Will I li-live?"

"Depends on the information."

"In the center room of this castle. The bottom level. Each level has its own guardian, like me," he says quickly, praying that I'm generous.

"Is there a way to get to the bottom without dealing with the guardians?" I ask, pulling the knife away slightly.

"Yes, yes there is!" he answers excitedly.

"Will you show me?" The blade inches back a little more.

"Yes, yes!" He removes his hand from his face and shakily stands up. I see the burn I inflicted upon his right cheek. His skin was mangled and scorched, barely below his eye. It slightly resembled a dragon. "Um…" He points to the blade that still hovers before him.

"Oh, sorry." The blade flies back to me and I catch it with ease and put it in a pocket. "Lead the way…uh," I look at him again, "what's your name?"

"Shi, my name is Shi," he says, eager to stay on my good side.

"Well, Shi, let's go." He steps to the opposite wall and knocks on it three times. It opens up and reveals an ominous staircase. He steps down and turns back to me.

"Don't worry, these stairs are perfectly safe." He turns and continues down, I follow closely behind. "You know, I never wanted to become a guardian, they threatened my family. I didn't like the fact that they killed people. I kept to my room and only injured the people that made it past Skaw, the first guardian," he spoke with certain sadness in his voice. The scars he carried were ones that you can't get from battle, and those are the worst.

"I'm sorry."

"Why? This is not your doing."

"You are a fox, something about my destiny binds me to them."

"Yes, you are the special child that was banished from the wolf clan seven years ago. Have you come to save me?" he turns his silver eyes back to me.

"I was sent to retrieve the key, but I will help you free." My face remains straight the whole time, but I feel sorry for him.

"They sent you alone?" he asks, turning forward again.

"I was the only one who could make the jump."

"Oh." The rest of the journey was made in silence. The winding stairs continued on for what seemed like forever. We stop at a large, wooden door.

"This is the room, the last test awaits you."

"Test?" I reach for a blade.

"You must find the stone, I can't help you."

"Wait for me; I'll help you to the outside." I step through the doorway into a large, circular room. Scattered about the floor, stones of equal size, color, texture, and design await me. I look at them all. They are all the same, but only one of them is the key while the rest are just normal stones.

I wander about the room, inspecting the stones. I dare not pick them up for fear of any traps. They all have the Japanese character for demon on them. I search a while longer.

"Everything ok?" Shi calls from the door.

"Yea, great." I'm about ready to give up when, out of the corner of my eye, I notice a strange aura glowing. I calmly walk over the strange glow and notice it's a stone. Could this be it? None of the others have a demonic aura, I bet this is the one. I squat down before it. "Looks safe." I touch the demonic stone. A burst of power floods from it and engulfs the room in a blackish purple mist.

"So, you are the Chosen Child," a great voice boomed around me.

"No," I answer in seriousness, standing my ground.

"Only the Chosen Child can touch me and release my power. You must be," it booms again, like thunder in a storm.

"A chosen one for what?"

"Why tell what you know?"

"Just checkin'. Why would The Devil's Key help me with my destiny?"

"In time, child, you will know what you must do." The blackish aura fades as quickly as it had come, leaving me standing in the room looking clueless.

"That helps a bunch," I say sarcastically, picking up the stone. I turn and walk back to Shi. He looks at me.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, come on. We gotta get outta here." I take his hand and race up the stairs. He stumbles behind me the entire way, but we make it to the top in record time. I burst through the door into the lighted room. Guards greet our return. "Hey guys, move if you want to live," I order in a deathly voice that would make Hiei hide.

Nothing.

"They're powerful, be careful," Shi whispers in my ear.

I smirk. The guards rush towards me. Arrows wiz by my ears, daggers fly close and energy attacks scrape slightly. Poor aim. I hold my hand up and summon a dark energy forth. The blast is released and the guards fall dead. "Come on, Shi, let's go."

Nothing.

"Shi?" I turn back and see the fallen fox with an arrow in his head. "Damn, I thought I could save him." I bend down and shut his eyes. I stand up again and bow. "Thanks for your help." I turn my back to him and race out of the castle.

The doors burst open easily and the cliff edge comes into view. I close in on it quickly and leap up and out. I can see the tree boys staring at me with shocked faces. I can't make it. I start to lose air, but just then – by sheer luck – the castle blows up. The force pushes me flying into Yusuke and Kurama.

"Ack! You ok, Darkfire!" Kuwabara asks worriedly, picking me up off the two boys.

"I got it," I say proudly, thrusting the stone towards Kurama.

"Good job," he says. He goes to take it but the stone rejects him by sending black lightning to his fingers.

"Hm? Guess the stone was right," I say, poking the rock.

"What?" Yusuke says, looking at me.

"It said that only the Chosen Child could touch it." I look up and see them staring at me. "Oh, heh, heh! Long story, maybe Koenma knows, ask him!" They continue staring. "Listen, I gotta get goin'. Open a stupid portal and let's go," I say with more seriousness.

Kurama turns away and walks through a portal; apparently they had it waiting for a while. The other two follow shortly and I walk in after them. The same lights flood around me and disappear quickly. I step out into an office. "Huh?" I look around frantically.