Saga 7: Demons, ghosts, & goddesses
Ch.12. An unexpected visitor disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Yu Hakusho characters except Michiru, Jugo,
Lenos, Raruna, Shadow Dark, her sister, and Freya

Michiru sighed in peace as she gently scrubbed the dirt & other grime away with a rag while on footstool. She rung out the cloth dipped it in more hot water and continued washing her beaten and dirty body. 'These people...they have been so kind to me...but...' she paused for a moment, closing her eyes. 'I must warn them! I'll never be able to forgive myself if I didn't.' Michiru took a moment and looked at her hands. They had become calloused over the years, and hinted of scars. In fact, bruises and scars covered many areas of her body.

Without warning, Michiru felt hot tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She buried her head in her hands, trying hard not to cry. But it proved to be fruitless as she began to sob, her tears changing into feathers once they left her face. 'Why...why? Why must I be tortured every single day by the simple thought of my family's death?' she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but the tears continued to come. Shakily, she covered her mouth, trying to stifle her continuous sobbing and sniffling.

Michiru shut her eyes tight, trying to halt the flow of her crying. Her heart was pounding, as if just coming out of a frightening experience and her breath became more rapid. 'Freya...please...help me...' the young woman thought in her mind. Shivering, she clasped her hands together to keep from shaking and bent over slightly, her head touching her hands in a prayer like gesture. 'I feel...so...alone now. Please...give me...strength...' she silently begged, her hair hanging down limply by her face.

She sat there for a moment, trying to regain peace, when a sudden feeling of calmness washed over her like a small wave. Michiru felt her heartbeat return to it's normal pace and her breath slowed as well. Michiru ran a still slightly shaky hand through her chestnut hair, and then crawled over to the large underground bathtub. She looked carefully at her reflection, and rubbed her bloodshot eyes. When she opened them, what she saw made her gasp and jump back.

There, in the water's reflection shone an image of her sister. Michiru crawled forward cautiously, and looked back at her sibling's reflection. She was just as Michiru remembered, long red hair and long ears. Her green eyes spoke of mischief and she smiled when Michiru looked at her. "Freya." Michiru whispered in a shaky voice. Freya looked at her, still smiling.

The young woman brought a hand close to her face, trying to determine if she was becoming ill. 'Normal temperature.' She thought to herself. Michiru caught a glimpse of Freya rolling her eyes and supposedly sighing. Michiru turned her gaze back to her sister, eyes beginning to tear up again. "It IS you...oh Freya, I...I've missed you so much!!" she sobbed, grasping the sides of her arms. She looked down at Freya who had a look that said 'Don't worry about me'. She winked, causing Michiru to chuckle through her weeping. "Still the same mischievous sister you were back then, huh?" Michiru said. The image nodded, causing Michiru to laugh a little. "I...I really do miss you...Freya." She whispered, wiping away a tear. Freya smiled again.

However, before Michiru could finish, a single tear that had been sliding down her cheek suddenly dripped into the water, causing the image of Freya to vanish. "No!! Freya! Please don't leave!" Michiru said, scrambling towards the edge. She leaned over, looking for any trace of her sister. None. The girl leaned back and rubbed her eyes more before standing up and heading back towards the stool.

'Freya...why did you come?' she thought as she started to wash her hair. 'You came...to tell me something. I know it...' She scrubbed vigorously, pondering on the visitation of her sibling. 'But why...' As she looked up, she froze. There, on a mirror opposite from where she was had a word written on it. Michiru quickly dumped water over her head and scooted over to examine it. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Beware. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- Whoo. Whadda chapter. I'm not too happy with this one though. I guess it's just too short. I dunno. But, send in your reviews and tell me what you think! So, Michy got a visit from a dead family member. Scary. Kids, don't try this at home! XD