Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.
Loan Me Life
By Zelia Theb
Thread II
Now that Kuwabara was fully caught up to speed on everything from Spirit World to the color of Koenma's pacifier, he decided that he would sit this case out. His defense was that he never got to be a ghost and learn the 'secret Spirit Energy shooting' attack. Yusuke informed him that he was a dolt, and that he would be most obliged to turn Kuwabara into a ghost; all in few less formal words than presented here.
And so, Yusuke was traveling with Botan, who claimed to have been given permission for a human form by Koenma. The detective had been given several gadgets; one which took the form of a watch but really tracked the energies of demons within its range; and the other a large golden ring which would enhance the effects of the 'secret spirit energy shooting' attack (also known as the Spirit Gun; formed by focusing Spirit Energy into the tip of the index finger and then projecting it out like a bullet).
The duo had already encountered one of the three demons on their hit list; a strange muscular brute named Goki. After one discharged Spirit bullet, Goki was dead. The first Artifact of Darkness was retrieved…
"What the hell is this thing again?" Yusuke asked the girl as they walked down a crowded city street. He was tossing a glowing orb up and down a little less gingerly than Botan would have liked. The teen awaited an answer (but received none because Botan was becoming overly nervous). Impatient, he remarked, "Right, I got it. Some orb of soul stealing. I guess this could be a bad thing."
With a fistful of blue hair in each hand, Botan screeched, "Shut up already, Yusuke! The detector is going off!" She began pointing frantically at the boy's wrist.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep your panties on," he muttered, studying the radar, "I guess the next guy is a few people ahead of us."
"Well, go get him!" demanded the ferrywoman of the river Styx.
"Fine! Just shut up so I can hear this damn thing!" Yusuke retorted harshly, "It's not like I got a good look at the guy before he ran off from his other demon buddies!" See, previous to Goki and Yusuke battling, the Spirit Detective had happened upon a chance meeting of the three demons in the woods. The one who seemed to be the ringleader hightailed out of there before Yusuke could see him, and the other one had just finished telling his comrades that he was 'out of the deal' and keeping his item.
"Yusuke."
In fact, he was trying to recall exactly how that other guy looked. The only thing notable was red hair and a maroon outfit that almost looked like a school uniform.
"Yusuke."
The only way he'd be able to identify the ringleader was if he had voice recognition. There's no way that the guy would strike up a conversation with him; he had seen Yusuke. Plus, the boy couldn't exactly try to make small talk with everyone around the target.
"YUSUKE!!"
"Yeah, Botan?" he replied, not really understanding why she was so angry with him.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Oh…that's right…
"Isn't that the second one? The one who defected from the other two?" Botan questioned, pointing to a teen only a year older than Yusuke with long fiery hair.
"I dunno."
"GAH!"
"That's a guy?" the teen muttered, rubbing his head from the injury Botan had just inflicted upon him.
"Yes, and he's pretty good looking too!"
"I'll say…"
The teen passed them casually, only leaving a telepathic message (a tender voice which echoed in their minds) to meet him at a nearby hospital later that evening. Perplexed, Yusuke decided to go ahead and meet him there anyway, against Botan's protests that it could be a trap.
To be quite honest; Yusuke Urameshi could have cared less. This new demon seemed harmless and gentle, so why was he supposed to stop him? The thought of his brunette mother Atsuko flashed in his brain; crying hysterically over the death of her son. He mused if that was the only reason that he had decided to come back to life; but no; it wasn't. Although he truly believed that he had nothing to live for, he kept on thinking that if he could live on; if he could survive; only then would he be able to find a purpose. Even at fourteen, the wait seemed like eternity; and at the time of his death; he was already at his limits.
He did not fit in. He was not academically gifted; he was not musically talented; the only thing that he knew how to do was fight and survive. Even so; his ability to fight turned him into a loner, so it wasn't as if he had some sort of group to join. It was only recently that he became friends with Kuwabara, but Kazuma had already decided to give up the middle school gang life of fighting and turf control.
Something about this case though; he felt it. A chance to fight for a cause. It did not seem that this demon, who had introduced himself as Kurama at the hospital, was going to give him that fight.
Emerald eyes gazed deep into chocolate. Kurama and Yusuke were on the roof of the hospital, awaiting the full moon.
"…Because I can wish for the good health of my dying human mother," Kurama informed the detective.
"Ya know, Kurama," Yusuke started, "I guess that's a pretty bold thing to do, though when most people think of a demon they don't think that they'd wish for the well-being of a human."
"I love her, and have used her," the handsome demon said, "In return for the granted wish, the mirror will take my life. It is a fair payment for giving birth and then sanctuary to me all these years."
Something inside of Yusuke snapped at that moment. The repeated image of his mother blurred his vision, and out sorrow, pity, and remorse for being a bad child, Yusuke leapt for the mirror just as Kurama was to make use of its power. A bright spiritual light enveloped them both, and they found themselves laying on the gravel; a broken mirror between them.
Kurama stood first, unaware of what just happened. Surely, he should have been dead; but he was alive, along with the detective. He hastened down the stairs to the floor of the hospital that his mother was on, making a straight dash for her room. He was stopped by a doctor; a gesture that made his heart leap with anguish. Fortunately, he told him that his mother, Shiori Minamino, had made a miraculous recovery in a split second.
All thanks to Yusuke Urameshi. For if it were not for his brave action; the entity of the mirror would not have seen such an unselfish use of its power and deemed that both boys live.
Speaking of the detective…
On the rooftop, he was joined by Botan, who was back in her pink kimono and hovering above him on an oar. She shook him violently to get him to stand up, and he did after much protest.
"Yusuke!" she yelled with despair, "It's urgent! The third demon has kidnapped a classmate of yours!" She went on to explain that a girl named Keiko (whom Yusuke could vaguely describe as the head of his class; only because he barely attended school enough to really know) was in custody of the third demon. That demon identified himself as Hiei to Botan during another telepathic transmission; and threatened to kill Keiko if 'The Detective' didn't show up for a fight. Botan could not rebel against Yusuke's choice to go; a human life was at stake so taking precautions over what could be a trap was not at the top of her list.
They came upon a seemingly empty warehouse that was only lit up by the light of the full moon. Botan kept her eyes open; both she and Yusuke could sense a very powerful demonic energy which was most certainly Hiei.
A pair of radiating red orbs stared at them from the far end of the warehouse of where they entered. Disappearing suddenly, they reappeared only a few meager feet ahead of the detective. Almond shaped eyes formed around them; it was the face of Hiei, the third demon.
A face with such anger and hatred, but so much loneliness hidden behind it. A face that Yusuke could not help but be bewildered by. The demon was only about a foot shorter than him; enrobed in black; and a tuft of messy and blue ebony locks sprouted from his head in every direction. The palest of blue hair created a starburst shape in the center of the locks.
The slender and lithe demon was caught off guard. The way in which the detective stared at him was not something that he was expecting. It made him uncomfortable, and worst of all; vulnerable. Hiei was not someone that enjoyed being an open book for the world to read. An utter attraction to Yusuke was evident, and he had to shut that out of his mind so that he could kill him. He was alone, he was always alone, so the world had to suffer. One boy would not get in his way; he could not get in his way!
And despite the psychic powers bestowed upon Hiei; he was not able to see that the boy would affect him on a grander scale than ever imagined.
Author's Note
Thank you for all the reviews so far! Spread the Yusuke-Hiei love…
More Hiei stuff on my dA account - check the bio.
Updates are going to go like this - I will be writing an episode of my original fiction (check my bio and go ahead and read it) first and then a thread of this. I'm more likely to update the original fiction if I get some feedback! So go ahead and wander over there and take a look - I'm certain that you won't be disappointed!
Anyone know of a Hiei-Yusuke C2 community or how to go about joining one? E-mail me if anyone knows - I'd love to get Huminshou and a few others up at one.
Thanks!
-Zelia
