DISCLAIMER: We don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Never did. Never Will. 'Nuff said.
Chapter 12 The Griffins Identity
Mirae ran as though her very life depended on it, and as far as her pursuer knew, it probably did. Shadow didn't know that Mirae was capable of such speed. But Shadow did have one thing going for her though. She was faster. But she wanted to be careful. Mirae had never acted this way before. Shadow found it disturbing.
"Mirae wait!" Shadow heard herself cry.
Her sensitive ears could pick up Mirae's heavy breathing. She was definitely pushing her limits. And Mirae just continued to go faster. Shadow frowned and took to the trees and began jumping from tree to tree. Mirae was breathing very hard. What could have gotten her into such a panic?
"Hold it!" Shadow called out as she leapt from the trees and landed just in front of her friend and ally. Mirae skidded to a halt. She felt like her very lungs where going to burst. How long had she been running?
'Not long enough.' she thought. She worked on catching her breath. It was pointless to just keep running now. Shadow was in front of her and not going to let her pass. The two just looked into the depths of each other's eyes in to each other's very souls. In Mirae's eyes, Shadow saw fear, true fear. She hadn't seen such fear since.. But what was the cause now? What has caused this? She also saw pleading in Mirae's eyes. Pleading for her to just let her go.
'Please Shadow, step aside. I don't think I can deal with this.'
In Shadow's eyes, Mirae saw confusion, and concern. Also there was determination. Shadow was loyal above all else. That much Mirae knew for sure. She would support and protect her friends and family above all else. If a friend was in danger, she would often show up just in the nick of time. Shadow eyes, they too held a message.
'I won't step aside. What is it that disturbs you so?'
The long silence was at last broken when Shadow spoke.
"Mirae, what is wrong? I've never seen you this badly startled. This isn't like you. Why do you run?"
Mirae was silent a moment longer. As though trying to find her voice.
"I… I…"
It was then that Mirae fell to her knees. She clutched her hands to her head and cried. Actually cried.
Flash back
Through a thin crack, a young eye peeped through the outside, retina darting this way and that in a frenzy of fear. Fast and heavy breaths were heard, as well as held back whimpers. The small eye eventually gained a film of glassiness. After several minutes, the frightened eye blinks, orbs of tears forming and hanging heavily on her eyelashes. Opening a split second after closing her eyelid, the eye frantically focuses in one spot, the retina now slightly shaking, although the vision was trying to focus on what it saw.
Images of flames and bursts of energy reflect in the young girl's single glassy eye, her small body hidden in an old trunk. Screams and shrieks are heard as a buzz from her bulky hiding place. The trunk shakes, as the floor shakes from the blasts. The girl is unable to tear that single eye from that crack. Inside the trunk lay Little Mirae, at the age of 22 (9 in Mage Years) watching in horror the destruction going on just outside her trunk.
Her big brother, Kato, shoved her out of bed, managed to snake their way around the masses of the Enemy, and shoved her into the trunk, locking it with his finger. Magic seal. Only one magically apt with a HUMAN finger can unlatch it.
That was the last time Mirae had ever seen her big brother.
End Flashback
"I, I can't do it Shadow I can't."
Shadow knelt down next to her friend, and placed a comporting hand on her friends back.
"Why? Why can't you do this? Is it that griffin? What is it about him? Who is he? You can tell me. I'm listening." Shadow kept her voice low and comforting.
Flash back
Scared and confused, she sat in the trunk, looking out through a small crack in the trunk she had found almost instantly. Just an hour ago, she was in her bedroom practicing Mage Scripture.
And now, here she was, looking outside, and immediately realized what has happened. A siege.
A shadow cast over her view, and her single eye looked up. Her pupils dilate, and her hand rushed to cover her mouth, dimming her whimper/sob. Finally, her head drops from the small crack of the trunk, hitting the floor of the trunk hard, and she cries loudly.
Under her breath as she holds her face with her two hands, faint murmurs were heard. "...Kato... ::sob:: Mom...Dad... ::sob whimper:: "
Marching was heard from the outside, and Little Mirae halted her crying, looking up and around the trunk, as if expecting to see something, and sits up slightly, her small body fitting with room to spare in that trunk. She then felt many hands grab the sides of the trunk, and felt her and the trunk lifted from the ground.
She dared not look out through the crack again, on the risk of being seen, but stayed perfectly silent, listening to the beings speaking in all directions of her.
"We have one missing."
"...Hyunto won't be too happy."
" 'specially since he wanted her alive."
"Well, we don't know if she's dead, do we?"
"No...but there's a good ch-"
"Alright, drop the trunk, we'll just leave it here for some human to take to a dumpster or something."
The group heave the trunk into a trash bin, them waiting for a loud crash before leaving. They heard it seconds after throwing it. They all nod to each other, and began to walk away.
"Geez, that thing was heavy." "It's a shame we can't open it..." "Yeah, might've been something we could've used..."
As the trunk was lifted, Goosebumps rose from her thin arms, her dirty blouse showing some goosebumps from a few rips. Her torn blue skirt led to her bent bare knees, sitting with her body along the length of the trunk.
She closed her eyes, those orbs of salty tears finally escaping from her eyelids, sliding down her dirty cheeks. She felt the world, more like the trunk, spin, and violently tumbled in the trunk, a small grunt coming from Mirae when the trunk smashed into the ground.
She again covered her mouth, with both hands this time, and carefully heard the group walk away. When she was certain she was gone, she screamed and cried...having a child tantrum...She couldn't hold it in anymore.
...She had just seen her entire family and clan killed...
End Flashback Mirae gathered her strength and got to her feet. Arms now at her sides her fists tightly clenched. When she spoke, her voice seemed certain and very grim and sad. Her eyes seeming to fog in painful remembrance, her voice weakens to near a near whisper. Her head turned to the side, eyes averted to the ground and she finally utters the painful sentence that was circulating though her mind.
"Because…. He is, in direct connection to the Mass Murder of the Gahoshato Mages…." The darkness seems to further shadow her face from view. "…. That was Hyunto. Direct descendant of the one who destroyed my entire family…." She faltered and shuffles to turn her back away from Shadow, ashamed of not her fear, but her painful memories resurfacing.
Shadow sighed sadly and walked to her friend and stood so she was not facing her. Shadow placed a gentle hand on her ally and friends shoulder to detour her from turning away. Shadow cared not whether Mirae looked at her or not. Only that she listened.
"Mirae listen to me. You have every right to be afraid right now. You have every right to want to run away. But..." Her voice was quiet and gentle. She had paused to collect her words. This was a very delicate matter, and she had to choose her words carefully. She had to find the right words to return her friends courage and strength to her. "But you can't leave us. Not now. Not when we need you the most."
Mirae shook her head.
"No Shadow. You don't understand the whole situation. It's because he's a Gryphon that the spell didn't work. They're immune to our-MY brand of magic. And That Mirror, the one that Hyunto is having Kurama retrieve, The Forbidden Mirror. It can be used to locate people. They will use it to find me, and it will show everyone around and close to me. "
Mirae paused, she was friends with so many now. And the clan would do anything to get to her. The thought of all the people who would be put in danger because of her. They would all be put in grave danger. They could all be killed. Well, maybe Hiei will surv-, NO! Not even Hiei deserved to be put though the kind of torture the Gryphons where capable of.
"I can't let this happen. As long as I'm around, all of your lives are in danger. I won't let that happen!"
Shadow spent a brief moment just gazing at Mirae. There was no way she was going to let her continue to think that their lives were in danger just because she was around. She resisted the light impulse to slap her friend in the face to bring her back to her senses and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder instead. She held her in a firm yet gentle grip so she made sure, Mirae was looking in to her eyes.
"Mirae, listen to me. If, what you say is true, then odds are, we are gong to get attacked anyway. And, if you leave us now, we won't stand a chance. Mirae, we stand by you willingly. We care about you. Well, Ok MOST of us care about you. And if our lives are in danger, it's because we WILLINGLY put them there. You said earlier that your magic won't work. Well, then you still have something of great value that we can use. You can tell us what we are up against. We can use any information you have on this threat. You're my best friend, and I for one am not going to abandon you. Besides, didn't you also say earlier that you were going to help Kurama, for your brothers sake?"
Mirae smiled, slightly sad, her confidence and strength fast returning and looked downward, her expression lightening to a simply humble façade, and her words uttered mechanically memorized.
"Hyunto Nasashango: Griffon. Direct descendant of the clan leader, Jyunta Nasashago. Nasashango Griffons are mainly occupying a fortress found only by fellow Griffons. Total Griffons, 113."
She looked up somewhat weakly, seeming to be holding her façade of humbleness.
"How can I further help? Gahoshato Mages and Nasashango Griffons are polar opposites in energies, and them having the upper hand, are immune to my breeds of magic abilities…. I'm just about useless if not for intelligence on the enemy in this scenario…."
Shadow let one hand drop to her side, and kept the other on her friends shoulder.
"We'll just have to find some other methods for you to attack then." She said simply like it would be the easiest thing in the world to find and do. Shadow was content and happy with the fact that Mirae was willing to fight. With her arm still on her friends shoulder she lead Mirae back to the clearing where they left the boys.
"Come on, Lets get back. Those boys are probably waiting for us. And Hiei probably took off already."
Mirae smiled. It was good to have a friend you can count on. Well, more than that, but words can't possibly fit the bill of how good it exactly was. Not nearly.
ShadowFox777 hear! I hope you all enjoyed that. Mirae and I certainly enjoyed writing it. It makes us happy. You know what else makes us happy? REWVIEWS! So, please, leave us a review, or 2, or 3, or 4, or-