Saga 7: Demons, ghosts, & goddesses
Ch.23. War...
disclaimer: I do not own any Yu Yu Hakusho characters except Michiru, Freya, Mara, Lulu, Osho, Jugo, Lenos, Raruna, Shadow Dark, and her sister

Both women were silent for a long time. Michiru was tightly clasping her hands together while Genkai remained lost in thought. 'So...it is her. I knew it. The question is...what is she doing here? Why is she not with her mother? What has happened during all these years? I must know. She is my responsibility for the time being.' The old woman then cleared her throat, causing the brunette to look up for a moment. "Let's...not focus on what you are...but who you are..." she spoke quietly, causing Michiru to nod silently. Genkai then stood up to re-heat the tea, and while doing so, inquired "So, where are you really from?" There was silence for a moment before the young woman answered "I am from a land that your race has not ever seen with their own eyes. And, we prefer to keep it that way, considering my people are...well, somewhat shy."

Genkai then sat back down and nodded, then was silent to allow the girl to continue. "My people are well..." she looked around with a nervous face, then leaned in and whispered into Genkai's ear. When she drew back, Genkai had an emotionless expression on her face, but responded with a simple "ah." Michiru looked back down, her teal eyes scanning the polished wooden surface of the table, then continued on. "My people...we have rarely ever come across a human...except for one particular time..." Genkai raised an eyebrow, but rose a moment later, for the whistle of the teapot told her it was finished boiling. When she brought back the tea & cups, Michiru had her face in her hands, seeming close to crying.

The reikai master then set the tea down and was about to give Michiru a tissue, but she raised her head before she could do anything. Genkai gasped. The brunette's eyes had gone from their deep teal to a light lavender color. Michiru gave a weak smile at the old woman's reaction before continuing on. "I'm sure you knew this by now, although this form...it is not my true body..." Genkai nodded, still observing the lilac colored eyes that shimmered under long soft lashes. "However, I am becoming a bit off topic. Like I spoke earlier, there was only one instance where my kind had contact with a human. It was a long time ago..."

-flashback-

A giant serpent hissed at many peoples with multi-colored hair and long ears. It then reared up and struck, sinking it's fangs deep into several people. Screams of terror could be heard all around the battlefield. The sky was blood red, and boomed occasionally, lightning angrily flashing. Many people fled, others stayed and fought off not just the giant snake, but also several other yokai that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere earlier, and had began slaughtering the villagers. A woman cried out as her husband was torn from her grasp by a giant arachnid, its crimson eyes glowing with malice.

The fields were literally littered with corpses. Everywhere one looked, dead carrion covered the once-green earth. Now, the grass was stained with rivers of blood. Another demon, an ogre, began to jump onto houses, crushing the people inside who were still fleeing from the nightmarish scene. A large snarling black dog-like creature began to clamp down on unfortunate victims, crushing their bodies in it's powerful jaws, and shaking them until it was sure the person was dead, then grabbing a new quarry. Spears, swords, and shields also littered the field, some lucky enough to have struck a yokai. However, over a dozen more demons plowed their ways through the crowds of people, mercilessly slaughtering each one before moving onto another.

Far off in the distance, a woman with long black hair stood in the shadows of the pillars which decorated the castle's entrance. Behind her, she shielded two children, one with dark red hair, the other with long pink hair. The woman occasionally looked out, then winced at the sight of such massacre. The children were silent, although the mother could feel them trembling behind her. She slowly turned around and knelt down, one bright blue eye on the battlefield, another on her daughters. The pink haired child was the first to speak. "Mommy...when will daddy be coming back? When can he stop fighting?" Mara looked into the child's frightened eyes, not knowing how to answer.

Instead, she simply hugged the two of them, while they continued to shiver in fear. "Listen well, my darlings. Your father...he...he is doing the best he can to fight off the monsters...let us pray for his success." Both the girls nodded, then the redhead spoke up. "Mommy. Will...will daddy be alright?" Mara then felt her breath freeze in place. As much as she wanted to deny the fact, her husband would most likely not be coming back alive. She drew her children even closer to her for protection, as well as comfort. "Kaoru...Freya...please...listen to me. Your father...h-he's fighting...the v-very best he possibly can...but..." However, the queen was cut off when a dying soldier somehow managed to crawl at her feet, blood spilling on the marble steps, causing the girls to gasp in terror.

The soldier held out his hand, which Mara took and squeezed. "M- message...for...Q-Queen...M-M-Mara..." he stated, slumping forward and breathing heavily. When Mara let go for a moment, she realized he had given her a parchment, so she quickly unfurled it. It read:

To Queen Mara, of the tribe of the East
We have heard your plea for help, and are sending someone as soon as possible, although we may not reach your kingdom for several days...


At that point, Mara gasped, but read on

We have, however, sent a warrior who may be able to assist you in this crisis until we can arrive.

You should know, she is a human, but a very powerful one at that, one who is skilled in the art of war.

We apologize for the wait, but please hold out until we can come here.

Evacuate whoever you can, take your children and hide!

The battlefield is no place for women or children, I promise you that.

The warrior will most likely arrive two days or so ahead of us, so hopefully she can hold off and possibly even defeat the creatures before we arrive.

I know a human sounds weak, however, we ourselves have witnessed this young woman in action and have found that she is quite strong.

Do not worry, Queen Mara, we are riding our fastest horses to your kingdom.

Stay alive for us.

Your brother, Teiou

Mara gripped the paper tightly, then let it fall. Normally, she would have disagreed to humans entering Veldoon, however, over half of her people had already been slain by demonic beasts. This was the only way. 'Perhaps this warrior will not speak of our country once she leaves. If she does, our tribe will be in danger of humans as well.' She thought silently, but then turned back to the dying soldier, who was breathing heavily. She grasped his hand again, a sign she was still there. "My good sir. You are very brave to have come here and greatly strong to have made it through these conditions. I thank you for your courage. When the war is over, you shall be awarded a hero, I promise you."

The soldier managed to smile before Mara continued on. "Now, dear sir, please rest, for you have done enough, and your journey must have tired you. But, I promise you, you shall be known as a hero." The man nodded, then replied in a low voice. "Thank you, my queen. Once I have rested enough, I vow that the rivers of your country will run black with demon blood. Long live Veldoon. May you and your family survive..." With that, the soldier then slumped downward, all signs of life gone from his body. Mara traced the symbol of a safe trip to the 'Paradise on the Other Side' as Kaoru and Freya began to quietly sob for the brave man's death.

After completing the crest, Mara turned back to her children. "Kaoru, Freya. Please, listen to me. I want you to enter the palace while you still have the chance. When you find the library, look for the table with a bust of a bird. Lower it's wings, and you shall find a trap door beneath it. Enter, and continue down, for there is a tunnel that will lead you out of Veldoon. Keep going until you reach-" However, before she could continue, a giant bird demon flew up behind her and screeched, causing the girls to scream, and Mara to gasp in terror. The yokai had small beady eyes and fire ran across it's wings constantly. The bird then opened it's giant beak and let out a large stream of fire that headed straight for Mara, Kaoru, and Freya.

Suddenly, the bird was shot down from the sky by a beam of light. Mara opened her eyes slowly after using her body to shield her daughters who were scrunched in balls beneath her. She then looked around and noticed a pink haired young woman in Chinese clothes, who had her index finger pointed at the demon a moment ago. Her violet (A/N: I can't remember her eye color, so let me know if it's purple or not. Thankx) eyes then looked down at the woman in the white dress stained with blood covering two trembling little girls. All three looked up at their savior, while the woman offered her hand to Mara. Mara then noticed that the girl's ears were short, and immediately realized that this mysterious person must have been the great warrior her brother spoke of. As she stood up, Freya and Kaoru inched behind her, and peered out shyly from the folds of the white dress. Mara was the first to speak. "Thank you. You saved my daughter's lives, and even my own. Are you from the human world?" When the girl nodded, Mara quickly glanced at the battlefield, then turned her gaze back to the fighter who was also observing the war. "May I please inquire as to your name?" She questioned quietly.

It seemed like an eternity before the woman spoke. However, when she did, it sounded soft and controlled. "I am Genkai. I have come to help you." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wow, that chapter went by fast! Well, now you guys know how Genkai knew Michiru, or Kaoru, being her true name. I know you're itching to find out what Kaoru's heritage is and all, but sad to say, you won't find out until waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay later. I know, you hate me, don't you? It's understandable. Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW!! I love getting reviews! They can really brighten my day. I hope you liked this chapter. I decided things were getting too peaceful, so I decided I would have a flashback about a bloody memory. Well, now you also know why Kaoru is so frightened of demons! They slew her people, destroyed her village, and almost killed her mother! What will happen to her dad? I'm working on it, so gimme some time. On to the next chap! Ja ne for now!