Insaneningen14: yes, like all other writers, I have started school. And I'm telling you, eighth grade SUCKS. I came back from volleyball practice a few hours ago, and we are in need of a setter. This longer chapter which I have managed to scrounge up should last you a while. So I expect reviews, of course.
Chapter 14:
-(Makai)-
"Get up." Biting her lip, she tried to stay down on the floor on which she collapsed but her body didn't obey her wishes. Although that command certainly didn't hold her back from spitting on the stone at his feet. A crude slap was her return.
"You are to do this task. Your purpose for creation," Ichiro snarled.
"I won't."
"Ah, the last traces of defiance," he sneered. "We'll get rid of that soon."
"Kusotake! You'll never use me!" Yen yelled. "I'll get rid of this curse of yours!" She started towards him with a fiery fist raised. "You d--- son of a bit-!"
"Stop this right now." His cold command froze her body. The fire died out, leaving her to cough and choke on the air she breathed. "Ah, already reacting ayatsuri? Feel as if you can't quite breathe?"
"What did you do!" she spat out between her hard breaths.
"Nothing you didn't agree to ayatsuri." He smirked. "Now, getting back to the former subject… you need to be broken."
"You speak to me as if I'm the animal," she snapped, coughing over for now.
Ichiro grabbed her by the neckline of her clothing. "My animal…" he hissed. Switching his grip to the backline of her top, he dragged her in front of him, making her walk in front of him, stumbling all the way. Eventually pushing her through another door on a higher level up, they entered. Elegantly furnished, their steps echoed on the polished stone floor, bouncing off the scarlet colored walls. A cold stone block stood in the center, rectangular in shape and slightly more than eight feet long and six feet wide, reminding her of a tabernacle in an ancient temple.
"Now…" he tossed her to the floor "…wash up." He pointed to a wooden bowl of water, by which a towel rested as well.
"What!"
"You heard me. Wash up," he repeated calmly. Her body obeyed, kneeling in front of the bowl and dabbing water on her face and hands. Sloshing a bit on her neck, she felt a bit more energized, but still exhausted all the same. Finished, she stood, stonily facing Ichiro.
"What now, prick?" Yen snarled icily.
He chuckled. "The table. Lie down." She sneered, but did so all the same.
"Don't move. Be silent." The last command stopped her almost insult. She glared up at the ceiling, imagining it was her captor. The lights went out. Slowly, one by one, a circle of tall candles were lit. Their smoke permeated her senses, smelling of beeswax and something else.
"Are you sure that you won't give in?" Ichiro's voice mocked her. "Although I don't mind either way."
His command silenced her tongue, but they both knew the answer. 'Never.'
He breathed deeply. "Smell it ayatsuri? These candles are made with the finest wax, and mixed with special herbs from the Demon World."
'Why the hell would I care?' Puzzled by his strange behavior, she kept her ears perked.
"It's called Kistu-nevoi. It enhances one's sexual desires."
Her eyes widened in recognition. 'Kami spare me.'
A sharp knife slit her yukata down the middle. Cold fear gripped her as she felt him touch her; his purred command froze her. "Entertain me."
-(Reikai)-
"Unh…" Yuki stirred. "I feel horrible…" Opening her eyes, she did not see the darkness, but instead found herself in a neatly made bed.
"H-Hiei?" she rasped out. Her throat was parched. She found herself unable to move much. Glancing down she saw that Hiei was right- she was malnourished during her time in the Void. Speaking was a problem, even moving. "Hiei…" 'Where are you?'
"Yuki?" His astonished voice sounded in her head. "Did you…?"
"Help me. I can't get up." Seconds later, the fire demon entered. His face showed shock, although he tried to smooth it out, and some hints of happiness.
"You… You're…"
She closed her eyes tiredly. "Help me. I have no energy."
Hiei nodded. "Do you want me to call Kurama?"
"Yes." Her eyes fluttered open for a minute. "And could you get me a glass of water? My throat is dry." He left to do what she requested. Communicating with the said redhead by speakerphone, the Jaganshi returned with a mug of cold water.
"Here." Helping her sit up against newly propped pillows, he held the cup to her lips, tilting her head back slightly. She took it in greedily, choking on the last few sips. He stopped, rubbing her back until they subsided.
"Thank you." Her speech was not so impaired now. "How long?"
"I've lost track." The question was killing him. 'How did she escape the Void?'
Yuki smiled. "I missed the colors of real world." She leaned on his shoulder; he was sitting next to her on the bed. "Will they come soon? Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara?"
"Soon." Her drooping eyes gave away her current condition. "Go back to sleep. Regain some energy for when they visit."
"Feel… so weak… I need food…" (1)
He transferred some energy of his own to her, hoping it would give her more energy. She smiled as she absorbed it.
"Better… but still tired… thanks…" Hiei stroked her hand tentatively. Yuki relaxed, slipping into a light slumber, still holding his hand. Not wanting to break contact, he leaned back next to her, also dozing.
This was how Kurama found them. From the happiness for his friends, old memories sprang up from within the depths of his mind. How he and Sakura had relaxed into similar positions, enjoying the beauty and peace of the moment.
'Sakura…' His smile twisting into a frown, he left them, closing the door behind him. They deserved some privacy. 'Sakura…'
"Still sour over your lost one?"
Youko. "What do you want," Kurama said flatly.
"It's more of what do you want," shot back the kitsune. "Sakura was perfect for us-"
"Don't say that." The redhead shuddered, supporting himself against the wall. "You wanted her, lust-"
"I have a heart Shuiichi, much to your surprise," he snapped. "I did take into consideration what she wanted."
"You nearly raped her!"
"I was… she didn't seem to mind-"
"She deserved something better than this!" Kurama winced at his harsh words directed at the kitsune. "Just shut up. I don't need you to make this worse!"
He had worked so hard to block those memories of her out. As if he had erased his affection for her with his plants. But he hadn't- they were rushing back to him now.
-(Flashback)-
It was spring, a time where all the trees were starting to bud, and even small flowers formed. Still early enough in the year that the air was frosty, but the green bits were undeterred. I had chosen to walk a different way home than the usual route from school, through the park.
"Where is your boy tonight"
I looked up. A girl was singing a song in another language, English, which I already knew.
"I hope he is a gentleman"
"Maybe he won't find out but I know"
"You were the last good thing about this part of town"
"Miss?" Once she heard me, she unplugged her headphones.
"Hm?" She cast me a glance. "Oh, hi. 'Sup?" Resting them around her neck, she cocked her head curiously at me.
"What are you doing up there?"
"Listening to music." She stretched her arms. "Relaxing."
"You must be out of town," I said amusedly. No Tokyo inhabitants did this on a regular basis.
"Yeah, I am." She tossed her backpack down, following it with a thump. "Ume Sakura. Pleasure to meet you."
"Minamono Shuiichi." We shook hands politely. "So, are you from one of the other islands?"
"Well, I'm actually American- I was born there. My parents are both Japanese, but they moved to the US so I could have different citizenship rights. Mom and Dad finally decided that I need to go back to the old country, so I'm transferring for a year. If I'm good, they might have me here for the rest of high school."
"So you've never been to Japan before?"
"Oh no, I've been here lots of times. But the rest of the family is in Kyoto, so it's the first time I've been in Tokyo. I arrived a week ago." She grinned. "So, you go to Meiou?" (2)
"Yes. How did you know?" I was interested in the girl- she seemed different than the rest.
"I'm transferring there- I did notice the… exquisite color of your uniforms while visiting. Really stands out." She laughed, I joining to chuckle as well.
"When are you starting?"
"Tomorrow. Maybe I'll see you then. What grade are you in?"
"Freshmen."
"Me as well." She slung her backpack on. "By Minamono-kun!"
"Please, call me Shuiichi Ume-san."
She bowed. "And refer to me as Sakura." With a bounce and a wave, she flew off happily.
-(End Flashback)-
'Stop this.' Even more memories teased him, torturing him endlessly. 'I don't want to remember…'
'I want her to be happy…'
-(Makai)-
She felt so violated.
His filth had permeated her body.
Like a disease.
She was resistant to pain. Torture did not easily break her. That was the way she was designed- a perfect spy, the perfect mercenary. Inflicting pain did not get him far.
But she had been too prideful- she thought she was unbreakable.
How wrong… she had been sadly mistaken.
He had found a loophole. One she thought she did not possess.
Ichiro… he had raped her.
She had screamed, begging him not to do what she knew he wanted, all the while kissing him because of his command.
Entertain me.
He had come out victorious.
He had broken her.
She sobbed silently, curling up into a ball. She felt exposed, still in the same room. Leaning against the stone, she felt her old blood smear off onto her face. The scent was thick, odorous, smelling of the candles, blood, and him. Naked and shivering, he had left her there, satisfied with what he had reaped.
I've wiped your memory- you don't know what happened for the past fifteen years of you life. Absolutely clueless. But be grateful, since they're not particularly… pleasing. You owe me for your new beginnings.
I am my own person.
Who gave you right to desecrate my mind?
My body?
My life?
I did…
My memories are the nonexistent proof…
For a moment, she only saw a flash of color.
Deep vibrant red.
Like blood.
But not. More… beautiful…
And the feeling of silk.
She struck her fist against the floor, creating a small crater. 'Leave me alone!' Pounding the stone once more 'If I traded my past life for this, it must have been hell!' Blood now trickled from her fist, created by sharp shards, mingling with her tears of despair.
-(Ningenkai)-
A group of girls clustered together during homeroom, getting a good chat session before classes. "Did you hear?"
"The old new girl- she's coming back!" (AN: old new girl XD)
"Hunh? The one with silver hair?"
"That's the one!"
"I heard that she's been in the hospital."
"How long has it been?"
"Weeks… It's late October now, and she came in the beginning of September."
"How did you hear this?"
"I overheard Yukimura, you know, Urameshi's girlfriend? She was talking to him and Kuwabara; Minamono-kun was there as well."
Several envious sighs were heard. "Do you think he likes her? Minamono-kun and Aki-san? (3)"
"I should hope not," a brunette put in indignantly, overhearing. "Why would he want to choose that sick girl over any of us?"
"He treats her like a friend, not girlfriend," a calmer-headed one put in. "Besides, she could have plenty of boys as well."
"Humph. She just better not hold us up in class," A dirty-blonde remarked.
"Nah, she's smart. Remember?" The calm one again. "AP Math, and she whizzed by all the tests along with Minamono and Yukimura. And she's taking Latin."
A sniff. "She probably cheated off of them." The brunette.
"She's decent," was the only reply.
"A bitch," replied the brunette. The dirty-blond nodded with her, apparently agreeing.
"'Scuse me, but I do believe that you're talking about my friend." The girls turned to look at an angered Urameshi. With several squeaks, the chat group dispersed, leaving him.
Yusuke shook his head. "Girls. They're so mean to each other."
Keiko smacked him lightly. "Yusuke! Stop making sexist comments like that!" Before he could retort, the teacher entered and class started. The rest of the school day dragged by as well- school seemed even more slow to the slick-haired punk, seeing as he and the others would visit Yuki this afternoon.
Kuwabara caught up to him, period after lunch. "Seems the whole school knows that Yuki's coming back."
Yusuke nodded. "Let's ditch. I've had enough of this. We'll catch up to Kurama later."
"I don't know," the orange-haired male said hesitantly. "Shizuru wanted me to catch up on my studies…"
Yusuke showed some surprise. "Okay." He eyed him for a moment. "Sure you're the real Kuwabara?"
He groaned. "Shut it Urameshi."
The punk grinned. "That's more like it." He sauntered out the doors.
Keiko joined the tall redhead. "He's been having a bad day."
Kuwabara jumped slightly. "You just let him go!" This was also not the usual Keiko.
"He's worried about Yuki. So am I." She smiled. "Will you say hi to her for me? Tell her to get better soon."
"Okay. I'll remember."
"We all miss her." Keiko smiled. "Will she be able to come with us this weekend? For Halloween?"
"She might." Kurama stepped up next to the chatting pair. "She seems to be getting better."
"Fleshing out?" Kuwabara asked worriedly. "She looked so thin before."
"I assure you, Hiei is taking care of her." Kurama's eyes sparkled slightly.
"Are you going trick-or-treating with us on Saturday?" the brunette asked. "Yusuke said he'd come. Botan said she might pop by."
"Probably not. I have a paper to do for Latin."
"Come on Kurama, can't you put off studying for one day?" Kuwabara wheedled.
"No, I'm very sorry. I'm quite busy over the weekend." He smiled gently. "Excuse me, but I have to go to class." Ducking into a crowd of students, he disappeared.
They both sighed, before both going off to their own classes. 'That's Kurama for you. Always evasive. One can't really find out what he's thinking.' Keiko smiled gently to herself. 'He puts himself at such a distance from us all. I hope he can find something to anchor him down into the Ningenkai all the way.'
:End Chapter
(1) Even though Yuki's been 'sleeping' (more like in a coma) she's still weak because she hasn't eaten, or drank, for the matter. Although it is unrealistic, please go along with it for the story's sake, and the fact that she's a demon, and part water at that.
(2) I did say that Kurama is going to the same school as Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, and Yuki in previous chapters. However this is before- I'm saying that he transferred, I guess.
(3) Aki Amaya is her ningen alias, if you have forgotten. Aki is Jiro's last name as well, since he 'adopted' her.
Insaneningen14: okay, now I'm wanting… six reviews. KTO, get your brother to review.
I didn't get enough reviews for any of my story, but as I was told by my mom, tonight is the moon festival or somewhat. Even though I'm not nearly asian enough to celebrate, happy whatever. I don't even like moon cakes. I'm such a bad Chinese child…