DISCLAIMER: I don't own any yyh stuff, but I do own my original characters and the plot to the extent of all the occurrences that I made up.
a/n: ugh…so bored…:hackhack: and I still have my stupid cold (I swear people are starting to wear masks or something to avoid me…and that my teacher hates me…hm…)
Well since I'm waiting to go with my mom for some final xmas shopping, I guess I'll get a head start on this chapter
XxXRoseVixenXxX: haha, well I'm glad you enjoyed (I get hyper like that too sometimes—ah, make that all the time, hehe)
punk101dess: thank you for that criticism, I'm glad there's someone out there who can give helpful criticism instead of flames (kitkat no likey flames, nuh uh…)
NOTE: okay, for this chapter, since there really isn't much history to Seikoki (or however you spell it)—and unless someone gives me an accurate description of it other than the one I already have, I'm going to have to make up my own and how one trains for it…
So please don't get mad at me :nervous laugh:
Thoughts/Flashback
Fire Angel
:A Day in Waiting:
Sunlight hadn't even risen yet and the dew still shimmered along the grass. Along the shores of the island, the waves crashed lazily into the beach only to recede back into the ocean with a soft whisper. A crisp, morning breeze swept between the trees and shook the sleeping leaves in their boughs.
Not half a mile in from the shores was a small clearing. The fading moonlight lingered softly along the sodden earth as two figures lingered alone in the darkness.
Genkai calmly walked along the perimeter of the clearing; her hand trailing through the air. As she would take each step, a shimmer in the air indicated the concealment barrier was doing its job. Mai stood in the center of the barrier handling Kira's staff. Ever since the other day, she had been trying her best to contact her demon-half, but to no avail, the fire-apparition would not answer her.
Despite this however, she knew Kira was not entirely gone…no she was still there…but faintly; lingering quietly in the back of her mind. The guardian felt the apparition's loneliness and tried to call out to her once more, but she knew this also: no matter how desperately she cried to her, Kira wasn't strong enough to contact her in return…she never would be again…
"Master Genkai…?" Mai murmured as the elderly woman returned from placing up the barrier, "You said that since Kira is becoming so weak her powers are passing on to me…but…" she met the woman's eyes hopefully, "You never said that she would actually die, right? There's still a chance that her soul will—"
The old woman cut her off with a heavy sigh, "No, Mai…" her eyes held vague hints of pity and sorrow, "…I said that her soul is fading away…but I have never witnessed a case like this; I'm not entirely sure what will happen to Kira when she finally gives up her powers to you…"
"So there's still a chance?"
Genkai met her gaze sternly, "…Don't get your hopes up, Mai," she warned, "I never said that…I only said that I didn't know for sure; if you want a direct answer go talk to the sniveling prince up in that box seat of his…But I wouldn't expect the answer you want to hear…" the woman added quietly.
The guardian nodded slowly and let her eyes fall to the ground, "I…I just feel like I'm losing a part of my self…" she whispered.
The elder of the two watched her quietly, "Would you rather lose Yusuke?"
Mai froze and glanced up at the older woman, "What do you mean?"
She cocked her eyebrow slightly, "I told you before; with you as you are now, you're body will not be able to withhold the Seikoki energy that Kira is passing on to you. If you can't learn to control its power and in the same process allow her to pass on, Yusuke's life would be left unprotected…" her voice was forceful when she said this, "It may not seem as though you're doing much to protect him, Mai, but in reality you're doing much more than you realize…
"I probably shouldn't be saying this against that dimwit, but you need to become stronger than he is or at least keep within his range of power," she continued, "Kira has been waiting a long time to finally pass on; you need to let her go and look at the present; Yusuke needs you to look after him…" she paused and met the girl's gaze intensely, "I'm not always going to be around to make sure he doesn't do that stupid crap he's always getting into trouble for…"
The guardian saw in Genkai's eyes a hint of sadness when she said the last part. It made her wonder if she was almost planning on leaving them in the near future…but then again she was getting older and was probably just thinking of the day she would have to die like the rest of them eventually would…
Mai paused for a moment before she sighed, "…I don't want to lose Yusuke…" she whispered. She then met the old woman's gaze seriously, "I'm going to become strong enough to protect him; I'm gonna make sure he wins this tournament," she decided.
A tiny smile crept along the corners of Genkai's mouth. The woman watched the guardian a moment longer before turning and taking a few steps away, "That's the Mai I know…" she said with a smile in her voice, "Come on now; there are only so many hours we can spend here…" she stepped next to the barrier and quickly flicked in with her finger saying thoughtfully, "There should be time-reducing spell active too…"
"Time-reducing?" Mai repeated cautiously.
Genkai nodded, "It should give us a little more time to practice…got it from some guy named Dendè…" (a/n: well I thought that was funny—if anybody caught that. Since Justin Cook (voice of Yusuke) used to be the voice of Dendè in the DBZ series for awhile)(but that was just a small little joke; DBZ has nothing to do with this fic).
The woman turned back to her pupil, "Well we have a long way to go before this training is over…stand over there, Mai and hold your staff out like so…" she showed her the proper way and the guardian attempted to do as she was told, "Not like that…" Genkai ordered and corrected her, "You looked as though you were about to shove it up someone's ass…"
Mai stifled a snort of laughter and corrected her stance. It felt weird at first; she had to handle the staff precisely or the attack would turn out all wrong. Her tutor stood before her with her hands held behind her back as she conducted the guardian to the right stances.
"That's better, now…shift your position like so…" she instructed and showed her.
The guardian did as she was told while continuing to hold Kira's staff out in front of her.
"Good…now clear your mind, Mai…" Genkai ordered, "You can't let any distraction in while we're training, understand?"
She nodded without saying a word and closed her eyes.
It was less than a second afterwards when she suddenly heard the elder woman release an attack on her. The guardian cried out in surprise and her eyes shot open. Using Kira's staff, she batted the blast away and watched as it disintegrated against the barrier.
"I didn't say close your eyes, did I?" Genkai snapped, "If you were being that careless in a real battle your opponent could have easily killed you by now. It is possible to clear your mind without closing your eyes…"
Mai glowered but did as she was told once again, this time keeping her eyes open.
But the woman frowned, "You're still angry; don't think I can't sense it; it's written all over your face for crying out loud…Now try it again…"
-
About ten tries, fifteen more stances and a flurry of drills later, Mai collapsed onto her knees wearily. She knelt there for a moment before falling onto her stomach and rolling onto her back. The girl stared up into the sky where the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon of ocean a little bit away.
Genkai seemed almost unhappy when they had finished. Without saying a word, she rewrapped the tattered cloth around her face and removed the barrier from around them. The guardian stared after her silently and sighed.
"Are you disappointed in me, Master Genkai?" she asked quietly while returning her gaze to the sky above. The older woman stopped and rounded back towards the girl.
She too sighed and turned her head away, "No, Mai…but there is still much for you to learn…" there was sadness in her voice, "…You still have not completely come to the realization that Kira is going to leave you; and while you still hold on to that feeling, I'm afraid that there isn't anything I can teach you further…"
Mai tensed and watched her leave. The guardian lay there for a moment of silence; letting the words sink in deeper and deeper…
Then she broke down and cried. Just cried….Tears of failure, despair…loss…She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face deep into the dew-covered earth. Her sobs remained muffled by the grass beneath her.
What am I going to do, Kira? She murmured mentally, What am I going to do without you…?
What would you do without Yusuke? Came her mind's own reply. Tears trickled down her face as she clenched her fists in the moist earth. What would she do without him? Her whole life was devoted to protecting him; if he was gone, she would be nothing…but she didn't want to lose Kira either…
She might never hear the apparition's soothing voice inside her head again…she would feel so alone without Kira's counseling…
But without Yusuke there would be nothing to live for anyway…
"…gods help me…" she murmured into the earth.
I found a reason for me…
To change who I used to be…
She punched the ground in her despair and let out an angry sob. Rolling again onto her back, she stared tearfully up into the gray morning dawn.
Genkai was right though…Yusuke needed her now…Kira…Kira's time had passed on; the only reason the apparition had remained here this long was to make sure Mai survived to inherit her powers…
"Kira…I…I'm so sorry…" she whispered and closed her eyes letting the sun wash over her; letting its warmth drown out the cold inside of her.
From the shadows behind the guardian, a lone figure watched the girl as she cried to herself. Their sunglasses flashed against the morning light and lit up a curious glint in their eyes.
Mai's thoughts suddenly turned to the detective she was charged to watch over...and she suddenly realized how lost she would be without him and that stupid thumbs-up he always gave her…
A reason to start over new…
"Yusuke…" she murmured as a tear trickled down the corner of her eye, "…gods you're such an ass for making me feel like this…" she whispered to herself, "but…
"…But it's worth it if it means I can be your guardian just a little bit longer…"
And the reason is you…
A hazy glow appeared hovering above the girl as she lay there…but it wasn't from the gray sunlight that enveloped the clearing…
Orbs of pink light drew themselves from out of the air and surrounded themselves around her as if drawn to the radiance around her. And yet she lay there motionless; her eyes still closed and rimmed with her tears; oblivious to what was happening around her. Lying a few feet away was her staff, which had begun to give off a dull pink light as well. The silver and gold veins along the pole started to give off a much brighter glow.
After a moment, there was silence as the girl went still and limp from exhaustion. It was another moment or so before the glow around her also settled and receded back into the guardian's body.
The man watching her stopped a moment before he cautiously stepped out from beneath the cover of the trees and into the clearing. Without hesitation, he calmly took the guardian's staff and the girl in his arms…and brought them both over towards a nearby tree and laid her against its trunk.
Toguro paused for a moment afterwards; studying her serene features…It was a wonder to him how he hadn't sensed the growing power within her. He frowned darkly as he watched her; that power would become stronger eventually…it would eventually become a threat.
His knuckles tightened as his sunglasses flashed in the dawn light; one swift move to the throat would finish it…but he stopped himself and his body relaxed. There was something intriguing about her; almost as intriguing as Urameshi…he thought wondrously.
Casually, he placed his hands in his pockets and made his way to the other side of the clearing where he hid himself once more beneath their shadows. Just awhile longer…he decided…he would watch her…
-
Sunlight danced between the leaves and sent shadows swaying over the guardian's calm features. A bird chirped above her and she stirred quietly. Mai blinked after a moment and opened her eyes to the light streaming in through the tree limbs.
She felt the hard bark of the tree behind her head, and her brow furrowed in confusion. Slowly she raised herself from the ground and looked around at her surrounding. How did I get over here? She thought incredulously.
The guardian blinked into the sunlight above her; judging by its position in the sky, it was hardly even ten…
Mai was still baffled by the means of how she had been moved when she gathered up Kira's staff. She stood slowly and glanced around the clearing with a sigh. The girl rubbed her temples weakly.
She froze suddenly when she heard the foliage rustling behind her. The girl whirled only to find that it was nothing but a few small animals. Frowning, she gathered up her staff and headed back into the trees and towards the hotel.
The girl dragged her staff wearily along the forest floor and stared despondently at the grass beneath her. She felt so lonely all of a sudden…there was an empty feeling within her now…
…She had finally let Kira go…
-
(a/n: well before I get into this part, I realized that Mai hasn't been w/ the yuyu group long enough for winter…so everyone please use your imaginations for this one! Gomen ne! Que sera sera!)
Mai stared up into the night sky as she tucked her hands into her pockets. Her breath billowed out in front of her in a frigged cloud as the people around her bustled down the sidewalks; wasting no time in trying to get out of the cold. It didn't seem to bother her, though; she smiled and hummed softly to herself.
No one paid her mind as she strolled along the roadside.
Ice lined the roads and sidewalks from the cold weather plaguing them lately. That didn't seem to bring the guardian's spirits down as her smile continued to stay along her face.
She glanced down at the bag in her hand and smiled. Although it was kind of hard not to since St. White's Day was only a day away now. She beamed and quickly counted each trinket in her bag making sure she had one for everyone.
"Kurama…Yusuke…hm, Botan, Hiei, Genkai, Kuwabara…oh! And one for Koenma too!" she smiled to herself and giggled softly as she remembered how tempted she was to buy the demigod another pacifier…
But suddenly, Mai found herself slipping on a sheet of ice beneath her feet and having her feet pop up in the air in front of her. She cried out in surprise as she began to fall towards the hard concrete.
She winced in anticipation of the cold earth. Instead, a pair of arms wrapped around her; preventing her fall. Mai blinked in confusion briefly before glancing upwards towards the person who caught her. She frowned, however when she realized it wasn't anyone she knew.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she cried apologetically and stumbled to her feet, "I hope I didn't hurt you!"
The boy smiled, "No, don't worry about it… I just can't help but wonder what a pretty girl like you is doing out alone the night before St. White's Day!"
The guardian blushed furiously, "Just some last-minute shopping," she mumbled.
He calmly took a step closer to her and she took a nervous one back, still trying to keep her cheerfulness.
"Could I treat you to a movie?" the boy offered while still subtly moving closer to her. The girl noticed that they were growing dangerously close to the brick wall of one of the buildings nearby.
"Or maybe just a walk?" he pondered as Mai found herself suddenly pinned between the wall and the boy.
"No, that's okay…" she said uneasily as she tried to squeeze past him, "I have to head home anyway…"
"Aw come on, I insist…" he coaxed as he placed his hand right beside her head, "then maybe afterwards we could head over to my place—"
Mai jumped suddenly when the boy's face suddenly collided with the brick wall next to her. She sweatdropped nervously as the boy moaned painfully while his leg went into some sort of twitching-spasm.
"He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
The guardian glanced up to find Yusuke watching the boy in distaste and then turning his gaze on her. She blinked and nervously rubbed the back of her head.
"Uh…no not really…" she said and paused when she noticed the boy regain his wits and extract himself from the interior of the wall. He glanced at both of them for a moment before desperately scrambling away from the pair.
Urameshi cracked his knuckles simultaneously, "Good…" he said watching the boy scurry away, "What are you doing out this late anyway…and by yourself too?" he asked before eyeing the bag in her hand suspiciously.
"?" but then the she noticed what he was looking at and smiled, "Oh! Just some shopping for White's day!"
He looked confused, "White's…day…?" he repeated, "Isn't that when they guys are supposed to give presents, Mai?"
"Yeah!" she smiled cheerfully and suddenly fumbled through her bag, "But see? I have gift for everyone…" she paused as she pulled out one of her gifts, "Um…this one's for you," she said softly as she handed it to him; her face burning red, "It's a little early, but since you're already here, I guess it doesn't matter…"
He took it from her hands carefully, "Eh? You got one for me?"
Mai blinked, "Of course I did…why wouldn't I?"
Yusuke stood for a moment before shrugging, "I dunno…I just thought you would have just had a gift for Kurama and he would have gotten one for you…"
"Oh! I do, but I just decided to get a gift for everyone this year…since, you know, it's my first year with you guys…And we kind of skipped out on Valentines Day…" she paused for a moment, "Um...are you going to open it?" she asked meekly.
The detective flushed and mumbled something inaudible.
She smiled gently and suddenly pointed upwards, "Oh look, Yusuke!" Mai cried and stared up at the sky, "It's snowing!"
Confused, the detective followed her gaze to find the flurries drifting down from the heavens above. The guardian smiled as the snowflakes began to flutter around them; gentling catching themselves in her locks of crimson hair.
They stood there; staring up at the night sky as the people around them began to make their way back to their homes.
"We …should probably get back to grandma's…" Yusuke told her, "You might catch cold…"
Mai drew her attention from the heavens back to the detective and grinned, "Yeah, I guess your right—!" as if on cue, she let out a rather large sneeze. She blinked, but then regained her exuberance once more.
Urameshi let out a short laugh and teasingly hit her over the head, "Come on already; the old hag will probably slaughter me if I bring you back sick…"
"Okay, okay!" she said and blocked his second attempt at hitting her, "Promise you'll open it when we get back?" she asked gesturing towards the package in his hands.
He nodded and placed his hands behind his head, "Yeah I promise…Let's just get out of this damn cold—"
There was a flash beside him and he jumped; turning his head quickly. He relaxed slightly when he realized that it was only Mai as she cupped a small ball of light in her hands. Curious, he peered over to find a ball of flames dancing between her fingers…
"What the hell? Are you sure you're allowed to do that in public?" he inquired, but the girl nodded.
"Yeah; it's made purely out of spirit energy, other humans can't see it remember?" she said calmly "…it just looks like flames, but it really is warm…here…" she said and handed the flaming ball to him. Warily, the detective cupped his hands and let her drop it into his hands. On instinct, he winced as if attempting to endure the scorching heat, but it was just as the guardian had said; it neither burned his hands nor created any type of smoke residue in the air.
"Whoa…" he breathed and smirked playfully as he tossed it from hand to hand, "Did Genkai teach you this?"
She grinned proudly, "Nope, learned it by myself…it helps, doesn't it?"
The detective nodded, "Yeah it does."
Mai laughed at his wonder over the small ball of energy. Eyeing a patch of ice in front of her, she jumped nimbly into the air to land skidding over the ice. She had hardly made contact, before she slid and fell to the ground.
Yusuke shook his head, laughing and stepped next to her and held out his hand, "Smooth…" he told her, "Real smooth, Mai—"
He cried out suddenly when the guardian hauled him to the ground after her. He lost his footing and slipped on the ice, landing next to her. She giggled and as he raised himself from off of the ground, she let herself fall the rest of the way to the ground; staring calmly up into the snowy sky.
"Do you know what snow becomes, Yusuke?" she asked as he dusted himself off.
Urameshi cocked an eyebrow, "Water?"
Mai smiled softly and slowly turned her head to him, "Nope…it becomes spring; no matter what. Without fail every year, the snow always yields to spring…"
Yusuke only watched her in amazement as she slowly closed her eyes; letting the flakes of snow caress her softly.
"It always becomes spring…" she whispered.
(a/n: yes, yes, I got that last part from Volume 2 of Fruits Basket, but I just think that is the coolest line! Cuz it's so true, and that's exactly the way I think of it too!)
-
Yusuke fingered the small chain along his neck and the tiny vial that was attached to it. He smiled slightly when he remembered Mai's clumsy explanation that a locket wasn't manly enough so she had gotten him the vial with a picture folded neatly inside…that had been her White's Day gift for him; and the odd thing was, he hadn't found a moment where he would take it off…
Now the detective carefully removed the cork and the picture from its glass case. He unfolded the film and held in his fingers gingerly. It was the photo they had taken outside of Genkai's temple…but it had just been him and Mai on her own request as Botan had snapped the picture. A small grin formed at the corners of his mouth as he studied the guardian laughing and waving at the camera. The detective had gone ahead with his regular thumbs-up pose that time.
As he took a closer look at it, he realized thoughtfully that it reminded him of one of the pictures he had seen a few months ago when they had been protecting Mai against Ryu. They both looked like that other detective and guardian in those photographs Koenma had shown them…what where their names again? Yusuke puzzled over it for but a moment before shaking his head
Sighing, he placed it back in the vial and tucked the chain beneath his shirt once more. After that, he stood up from his seat on the boulder and held his hands out in front of him again. Mentally, he knew that it wouldn't work even after the hundredth time of trying; he couldn't find a way to fire off a single Spirit Gun attack…
"Damn…" he muttered after his final attempt and eyed his hands as if there was something broken about them.
"There you are, Yusuke…" Mai called as she stepped out from beneath the trees. Obviously she had caught the detective by surprise when he nearly did a face-falter into the ground. She noticed then the bandages along his cheek and forehead, "Those aren't from me, are they?"
Urameshi raised an eyebrow, "Nani? (What?) Oh these?" he asked gesturing towards his wounds, "Nah, these are nothing compared to the injuries you could give me…" he frowned after he had gotten a better look at her, "Man, you look beat…"
Mai shrugged quietly, "Couldn't sleep last night," she lied casually, "But you're not any better," she observed and he gave her a sheepish grin. The guardian rolled her eyes and gestured for him to sit down. He gave her a quizzical glance, but did as he was told.
She withdrew from her jacket a roll of gauze she had gathered from the hotel infirmary, "Take off your shoe, will you? And show me that heel of yours…" she ordered quietly. Yusuke grumbled something about being mothered too much by her and received a quick smack to the arm. The detective winced before he continued to remove his shoe.
Without saying a word, the guardian diligently wrapped the gauze around his injured heel. Urameshi watched quietly as the girl bandaged his wound in silence. Something felt odd about her…something was different…
"Is there something wrong, Mai?" he asked cautiously just in case she retaliated in her fury.
Her head jerked up as if she had been deep in though, "Hm? No…no it's nothing…I…I've just been thinking…"
"'Bout what?" he inquired as the girl tied the final knot on the bandage. She didn't answer him, though as she tucked the gauze back into her pocket. The detective cocked an eyebrow as if to persist in his inquisition, but still she said nothing. Mai held her arm gently and turned her head away from him; her eyes looking glazed and distant…
Yusuke wouldn't give up however, and wouldn't yield his gaze to her stubbornness. She tried to ignore him, but the detective could tell that it was becoming harder and harder for her to; as if she wanted to tell him something, but couldn't find the right words to say it in…
After a moment in their silence, Mai slowly turned her eyes on him; almost as if she wasn't moving at all. The detective started in surprise when he saw the tears filling her eyes…but it wasn't only her tears that caught his attention, but the dim glow fading swiftly from her azure orbs…as if her conscious state was slipping away from her…
"Mai?" Urameshi questioned worriedly as a crystal tear slid down her cheek, "What's going on…?"
An empty smile formed at her lips; bitter sweet…just…empty without any emotion almost… "Have you ever had a part of you ripped out, Yusuke?" she asked softly; her voice distant, "As if someone had torn out a piece of your very essence and thrown it to the wind?"
The detective frowned, "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, "Where are you getting this from?"
She laughed hollowly and looked down at the ground, "…Do you remember Kira?" she inquired now; ignoring him, "…When we were fighting Ryu, Koenma told you about her, right?"
He nodded slowly, "Yeah…so?"
The bitter smile of hers remained along her face, "…She was a guardian like me…" she murmured quietly, "…And even though she died fifty years ago…her soul was reborn within me, and she has been with me ever since our first battle with Ryu…sort of like a second person living inside of me…
Urameshi cocked an eyebrow warily, but said nothing as the guardian remained in her dream-like state; it was almost beginning to scare him: What the hell was she talking about? More importantly, what the hell was going on with her!
Her eyes raised themselves slowly to the sky as she watched a stray cloud pass by above. It almost seemed as though she was in a daze…as if she was recalling a dream…or in this case maybe a nightmare…
"She's gone, Yusuke…" she breathed in hardly more than a whisper. And without warning tears began streaming full-force down her cheeks, "Oh gods, she's gone…and…and I feel so alone…"
The detective noticed how tightly she clutched the fabric of her blouse between her fists; almost to the point of turning her knuckles completely white. He watched as her shoulders trembled violently.
Mai shook her head and clenched her eyes shut as the tears continued to flow, "It's like a part of me has been ripped out from my soul; it's not even like I'm myself anymore…" she whispered in disbelief, "I could always feel her before; watching over me and making sure I was alright…but it's gone…she's gone…"
"You're burning up, Mai…" Yusuke said worriedly as he swiftly felt her forehead, "You're ill; you're not making sense—"
"You wouldn't understand…" she suddenly murmured darkly, "You don't know what it feels like to feel torn apart like this; I can't stand it! She's never coming back…she's never coming back, Yusuke!" she sobbed and buried her face in her hands, "It was either Kira or you! I betrayed her; she's never coming back because of me!"
Urameshi studied her inquisitively, "What do you mean it was either Kira or me?" he shook his head, "Never mind. Come on, Mai, I'm gonna take you back to the hotel; you're not well…"
He reached out and grasped her hand gently, but she ripped it away crossly, "I'm not sick!" she insisted as tears formed again in her sapphire eyes, "I had to make a choice, Yusuke!" she shouted angrily, "I had to become stronger to protect you; so I could remain your guardian! But in doing so I had to destroy Kira! Don't you understand!" she sobbed tearfully, "I destroyed a part of myself for you! I didn't want to lose one of my closest friends because I was too weak to protect them!"
The detective tensed when she said this and stared at her incredulously as she began to weep uncontrollably. Urameshi stood there for a second in a stunned silence as he let the words sink in while Mai's sobs were heard muffled between her hands. Slowly, he dropped to his knees beside her and studied her carefully.
"You…you would do that for me?" he asked wondrously.
Mai nodded forcefully; her eyes never meeting his, but she didn't say anything more to him. Her body trembled as she continued to weep pitifully and as the detective continued to watch her.
"I…I just feel so alone, Yusuke…" she murmured, "…You don't know what it feels like to have a part of you ripped out…it's such a terrible feeling; as if you don't want to go on while you're still feeling that empty inside…" a tear plummeted to the earth, "But I have to go on…don't I? That's the reason I did this in the first place…"
I just feel so alone…
Urameshi paused a moment before carefully letting a small smile grow along his lips, "What are we going to do with you, Mai?" he wondered, "When are you going to learn that you're too damn sensitive for your own good?"
The guardian slowly removed her hands from her face, but once again said nothing to this. She sniffed loudly and wiped furiously at her teary eyes.
His smile brightened softly, "You're not going to be alone while you're my guardian; don't you know that?"
It took a moment before Mai slowly lifted her eyes to his; they were puffy and red, but still they held traces of her sorrow. Her azure orbs fixed hopefully at him; as if his words were too good to be true.
"Do you mean it?" she whispered; her voice quaking from her weeping.
Yusuke gave her his thumbs-up, "If I didn't, I wouldn't have said that would I?"
A weak smile played at the corners of her mouth as she nodded slowly. She wiped irritably at the remaining teardrops in her eyes, but did no good as a new wave of tears poured from the guardian's eyes. Urameshi seemed a little confused when she began to cry again…and even more baffled when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist; sobbing into his shirt.
He blinked and stared down at her, but didn't try to disturb her as she drenched his front with tears. The detective then uncertainly placed his hands gently on her back to try and steady the shaking she was suffering from.
"Thank you…" she murmured into his chest, "…Thank you for being my friend, Yusuke…"
-
a/n: hm…well I feel like I need to add on, but for right now (since it's getting pretty long on this Word document) I'm just gonna leave it like this and get to the rest in the next chapter…
and okay, so I lied a little bit; I said there would be some fluffiness in this chapter—and I guess there was a little bit—but it was a bit more angst-oriented than I expected…ah o well…
But, wow, this is like déjà vu! It's like all of my reviewers have disappeared :Sniffle: ha, but I'll cut you all a break since it's the Holidays and you're probably all celebrating w/ your families…
Merry Christmas! (or just Happy Holidays to all of you who don't celebrate xmas : )