To Reach Higher
Chapter: 3
There are elements from X/1999 and from White Wolf's "World of Darkness", like names and 'other' things.
Any element from "Wandering Souls" is a product of Katzzatar, Inc. I do not own!
Daylight.
Vanishing night.
A new day.
Kazuma Kuwabara rolled over to get some more sleep, not yet ready for this day. Before he could get too comfortable, though, his alarm went off right by his head.
Darn piece of… Kazuma pulled his head out of his pillow and gave the clock an annoyed look. School! He shot out of his bed and rushed to get dressed. He was going to be late!
After a frantic search for some clean cloths and an equally-frantic search for his books he took off down the stairs muttering. "Who set the clock to wake me up ten minutes till!"
At the bottom of the stairs two people sat at a table near the door, and both were female. One was as tall as him with a dark brown hair and slim figure, and was currently smoking a cigarette and looking at the newspaper. The other wasn't even half his height, she had teal-colored hair and crimson eyes. She was wearing a blue kimono with a red obi, and was watching him come down the stairs.
"Good morning Kazuma!" the teal-haired girl said softly, the other woman simply grunted in acknowledgement.
"Morning Yukina! Morning sis! I gotta get." He then added sheepishly "I'm a little late."
"Don't worry Kazuma, have a nice day at school." Yukina waved Kazuma goodbye, while the taller woman simply stared at the newspaper and, again, grunted in agreement.
"See ya!" Kazuma thought it was odd the way Shizuru was acting, and why was she reading the morning paper? She never had done it before.
The two watched him leave and it was then that the tall woman finally said something.
"Yukina…wait until Kazuma gets back before you go anywhere."
"Shizuru, what's wrong?"
The elder Kuwabara showed the newspaper to her and knew her reaction the moment the ice maiden looked at the picture.
"I'll stay, don't worry."
Hiei watched from this perch, a tower built high, overlooking the city. It was where he had spent most of his time when he was locked within this foul city of… What are these things! Growling he smashed his fists into the bar leaving a sizable dent, but the feeling it gave was bone-chilling.
The feeling of the construction wanting to hit him back was as terrifying as it was unusual.
After he had returned to this place he had started to notice things. Things he didn't know whether to believe or to shake his head in the absurdity of it all…But nothing could now change the fact, no matter how he tried.
This city is alive!
He always thought that the city was a place of weaklings, humans to stupid and weak to help themselves. But now the city was abuzz with a activity that was darker than the most ruthless of demon settlements in the demon plain!
Hiei didn't know if all the cities of the weak humans were like this and for once he didn't want to know either. Why would a demon 'want' to live in this deathtrap? I've always noticed that a lot of demons came in…yet there were few actually here. Like they've been swallowed up.
The vivid images of when they finally met Sensui for the last time, memories of being swallowed and in the stomach of a monster you just couldn't get out of. Trapped in a wide, yet limited, area.
Hiei growled at the sudden weakness and shrugged it off, his gaze never left the view of the city.
He didn't notice the descending shadows.
Kurama walked slowly from his school, taking a sort-of shortcut, it was the fastest way to avoid is fan-girls. The ally wasn't that big, nor did it have many entrances…yet, every time he walked this path the feeling of being observed was ever-present.
Suddenly his hearing picked up a faint whisper…behind him!
Spinning around with his hand already behind his head, a rosebud gripped, ready to spring.
Finding nothing at all in front of him.
tap…Tap…TAP
After the third sound he lashed out at the rooftops above him, again nothing was in sight. Growing both frustrated and a little paranoid he continued walking down the solemn ally, now on full alert. If it's Hiei or Yusuke I'll make them regret this with a humiliation they wont EVER forget!
Realizing that his attitude had changed suddenly he stopped, a meter away from exit. What's out here? He mentally shouted it out…and received no response. Slowly he took the last step.
BOOM
The loud sound nearly made him jump out of his skin, he started to look around wildly, like a cornered fox he was now on edge and jumpy.
There wasn't a soul anywhere, and with no other scents to pick the person, or thing, out he started to pick up the pace home. Going into a full run after hearing a new sound.
Laughter.
Cold, cruel laughter.
He wasn't taking this path again if he could help it.
"YUSUKE URAMESHI, PLEASE REPOT TO THE PRINCIPLE'S OFFICE"
That was the fourth time he was called to the office today, alone. And school was even out, he wanted to go home and find his friend and smack him until he told him what was going on…and why he was left out of it. Normally he could ignore this but since Keiko had made him promise not to skip, that and the fact that Takenaka was appointed as the new principle made it more enjoyable.
Sighing he let his feet take him where he needed to go, they knew because he had been there too many times to count.
Opening the door he went and took a seat without being told. Despite himself he could never stay angry long with the old man, him being one of the few teachers that had liked him and actually 'cared' about his students. Anyone was equal in his eyes.
Yusuke Urameshi smirked. That's why he got the job.
"Don't worry Yusuke, I'll be short."
Takenaka was broad-shouldered man somewhere in late thirties, or maybe even fifties, his hair was a silver-gray and was combed back. He had hard-lines on his face from a rough life. Yusuke had never asked how he had come to look so old, nor was there reason to. Young or old he was the best teacher he ever had beyond Genkai.
"Sokay." Yusuke nodded knowing that he would keep his word "So what's up now? My future profession? Marriage?…"
He let his words hang, while Principle Takenaka smiled.
"No. But now that you mention it Yusuke we might need to talk about that someday." He chuckled under breath "But, anyways. To be short we have an Exam Administrator coming by in a few weeks and he will be judging our finest students."
Yusuke laughed out loud.
"You know I'm no star-student, so why tell me?"
His Principle nodded in agreement. "It's Keiko I'm worried about. Just make sure she doesn't work herself to death….that's all.
"Oh…alright! I'll make sure she's the same person when the Administrator gets here. She wont turn into a stubborn, over-achieving, no-fun. I promise."
The two chuckled at a private joke, simply enjoying the time. Shaking his head Yusuke stood and nodded and walked to the door, looking over his shoulder.
"Latter old man!" Yusuke shouted sarcastically to his grinning principle
"Latter, punk!" he responded in kind.
They both laughed.
Kurama stopped at the door of his home, gasping for air. Having run over a mile non-stop wasn't the problem.
It was the unnerving feeling he got still.
The laughter had died back about half-way and the only the feeling of being watched remained, it was enough to unnerve the hell out of him. Brushing some of the sweat of his brow he opened the door.
His mother was currently out, most likely with her fiancé, enjoying her life without a care. Sighing he wished he too could have such a life. Someone to love; something to come home to; something to fill the gap of his existence.
"Going semimetal now?"
Although he was no longer the bandit, Yo-ko Kurama, his memories of the past life had given him a sort-of second voice in his headA voice that liked to point him in directions he wasn't planning on taking, ever!
"Shut up!" He mentally growled back.
Silence
Although it was ever-present in his mind, it had no power over him at all, only when he transformed into his past-self did it control him. Fortunately it was willing in nature, making it only when he wanted to.
Still it annoyed him at times. Wanted him to glance at females in ungentlemanly ways, those were the worst. If anything he wanted to kill the savage sex-drive of his former self in the same manner he 'killed' Elder Toguro.
Long and painfully
"You could do to get laid yourself, I have no problems at all."
"BE SILENT!"
Only when he heard the birds flying away did he realize that he had said that out loud.
Muttering curses he stalked up to his room, desiring sleep and reprieve. What he found was the tip of a katana pointing at his throat.
There in front of him was a sight he had not seen in a very long time.
Hiei, terrified.
The demons normally pale skin was alabaster, his veins standing out shockingly well. His Evil-Eye was unbound and his normal eyes looked haunted. Beyond that he looked almost normal, like he had gotten into a fight and was physically no worse-for-wear.
Mentally and emotionally, though, he was a wreak. His stance was like walking a tightrope with a gun at the back of his head: torture or death.
"What…"
"SHUTUP!"
Kurama's face edged in worry as if Hiei was about to explode, figuratively or literally he couldn't yet tell. The blade hadn't so much as moved an inch, despite the subtle shaking of his hand. Kurama stayed silent and waited for his demonic friend to say what was wrong.
"She…I…wouldn't save…couldn't save….dead…me…blame."
Kurama listen to the ramblings and couldn't only understand that someone died and he thought he was at fault. WAIT!
"Yukina?"
Hiei dropped his sword and stumbled back, grabbing his head and moaning in despair, he stumbled into the chair by his desk. Muttering too low for him to hear.
"What's wrong Hiei!" Kurama's mask of indifference was shot-to-hell now; utter fear laced his being. "Has something happened to her?"
"Me."
Kurama grew more confused.
"Me…me, me, ME!" with each word he slammed his head into the desk, splintering it piece by piece. "I," he stopped beating his head "I killed her…it got in my head….thing, got in my head…"
Kurama was a mere foot from Hiei when the demon sprang up and dragged the kitsune's face inches from his.
"It made me want to kill her…kill her to be free from obligation…I…I, think I wanted it?" Hiei looked away "Made we want to slit her throat, see her bleed…FOX!" His gripped tightened to a near chokehold. "This world is a deathtrap…I need to leave to get this voice out of my head…I…I…I"
The kitsune was now wondering what he meant, Hiei wasn't 'truly' afraid of anything. But these thoughts terrified even him.
"Kurama don't tell anyone, not the human or the Detective…and especially Yukina." Hiei's face was grim "Watch your back and don't let any shadows into your mind."
Hiei blurred and vanished. Kurama stood like a statue, mind frozen in stasis.
"He's not coming back…is he?"
For once he agreed wholeheartedly, silently he closed the window…and locked it tight.
Genkai walked slowly on the rough path, showing a nimbleness that belied her body, matching the steady pace of her companion.
Once they had arrived, albeit that it took a while to inform his sister that he need to meet her here, they walked along the road until they got to a path leading into the forest.
A path that looks like it hasn't seen a traveler in decades.
"So can you tell me anymore about Mr. Sumeragi, anything at all."
Kazuma was still curious as to whom might be good enough to get Genkai's reconciliation. She wouldn't lead him on, she was to honest for that. But still, knowing ones teacher is a critical fact of life.
The old woman smiled, nodding her head in agreement.
"Despite the fact that he isn't the strongest person in the world, he still is one of the top-twelve most lethal. Subari Sumeragi is the greatest at making, using, and creating new charms…curses…and more. So I guess the title 'Greatest Charmer in the History' would be acceptable."
"The greatest in history!"
A silent nod and several minutes of silence.
"Exactly how far does he live from civilization?" Kazuma asked again.
"Not much farther now, just a few more miles."
"Would it be rude to ask why he lives all the way out here?" the teen asked calmly, not trying to insult Genkai's choice "I mean, it seems kinda shady living just a few miles from Tarukane's mansion."
"Good point." Genkai stated bluntly "I cant tell you, it's personal. Only he can tell you, if you really want to know why he chose here…but there is one more fact I'll leave you with."
The forest was getting darker and more thick, the path was thinning and it was had for the teen to keep his attention on two front. Still he tried, so far successfully.
"And that is?"
Without so much as slowing her pace or turning, she said with a hidden smile.
"He's seven thousand years old."
The teen tripped over a rock that he had missed as his thoughts went blank. Picking himself up he jogged to catch up to her.
"What did you say!"
"Where here."
Kazuma Kuwabara looked at one of the oddest sites he's ever seen. The trees had strips of white paper nailed into the bark and symbols etched into the trees themselves. There were thousands of the symbols everywhere as far as he could see, even though the brush and forestry covered most of his vision he could see that the wall of paper and weird words went far. Some crisscrossed and others stood alone.
Crazy! "I guess we are."