14thShrineMaiden:
Millefiori
Chapter 10
'He's gone…'
'…And I drove him away.'
'Both of them.'
'I wonder if they're in Makai right now, kicking demon ass together.'
"Hey." Yumiko opened her eyes, tilting her head back slightly to look at the grey sky. Mist clung to her as fog shrouded the graveyard. "Really don't know how you're doing in death, but it's kinda hellish here. Though I'm glad that they found your body so you can have a resting place."
"So… I guess I'll give you the news. Just got out of school yesterday- I aced Math, Foreign Language, and Science. English and History are as bad as ever. And all the other classes I did alright in."
"I'm doing a little side job, so I'm making a little more. But the money you left behind was definitely enough." She reached into her bag, pulling out some flowers.
"Bleeding Heart. Pretty, ne?" She continued on as she laid the flowers at the base.
"I'm boarding with Roka now, so everything's fine. I'm going to go to Meiou Private Academy in the fall with Sachi." She made a face. "Still got to wear short skirts for a couple of more years. Though Keiko wanted me to go to the same high school as her."
She got up, ignoring the dampness of her pants. "I miss you." She traced her hand over the granite like stone, whose smooth surface was broken occasionally by engraved words. "I can't tell what's happening to you- not like I really did before though." She slung her bag over her shoulder.
"So… maybe you're happy. You could be in paradise for all I know." She laid a small mooncake on top of his grave. "And I can't tell how you like this stuff." She dusted her hands to loose some dirt and crumbs.
"If you ever do think of me, don't worry, okay? Just remember me. I'll try to do the same." She slung her bag over her shoulder.
Turning and beginning to walk away, she yelled back over her shoulder. "And if you forget, you owe me! Though I'll have to think of what you owe me…" Yumiko waved, and left down the long winding path.
Takeo Uingu Sato
If we don't know life,
How can we know death?
'I miss you, and I still do- I will forever.'
'I'll get revenge for you, Takeo.'
'Lend me your strength.'
-(Reikai)-
"This isn't progressing as I thought." Koenma chewed his much loved binky. "How long has she been refusing this?"
"Around a month. She's been avoiding most of us, except for Kuwabara and Yusuke. Neither Jin nor Touya have gotten close enough either."
"You're not watching her!"
"Don't you remember, you just sent us to go-!"
Shuichi cut of Yusuke. "You are shuffling us between cases so it's rather hard."
He blinked. "I am?"
"What the-!"
"Koenma, Sir!"
'Saved…'
Jorge had burst in. "We've found Yumiko, and a demon is heading towards her!"
"What!"
"Rando made his move already?" murmured Shuichi.
"Come on, let's go pound that demon!"
"Hn. So you can lose miserably to him again?"
"Sh-Shut up! Shrimp! Bite my ankles!"
"How far away from Yumiko is he?" Koenma demanded.
"Close…?"
"You idiot! You can't even tell me!" He turned to the Tantai. "You four go and bring her back! This can no longer be delayed by this insistent stubborn streak that runs in her family!"
"Sure, sure, whatever Toddler."
"I swear Yusuke," said prince muttered. "I don't know why I put up with you."
"…"
"Well? What are you standing here for!"
"Hn, fool"
"Koenma, we need a portal…"
"Oh… Yes, of course." Said object appeared. "Bring her back!" They filed into the portal silently.
---
"Fool, get off me!"
"Shut up Shrimp! There's a punk on top of me!"
"Detective-"
"I'm trying! My foot's caught on your sword!"
"Don't make me use it!"
Shuichi sighed. Helping them out of their predicament he had the daring to give off a little laugh. "It's rather hard to believe that you are some of the greatest fighters."
"Shut up, Fox."
"Where is she?" Kuwabara looked around.
"Over there." They turned in the direction the redhead was looking. His eyes had turned to a lone figure making her way along the path to the exit. He walked quickly after, the other three beside him.
"Yumiko-san."
She turned, seeing him. Growling, she shoved her hands in her pockets and walking faster, away from him. Her untied green hair bounced up and down as she walked down the sloping uneven path.
"We need to talk."
She tried to ignore them. Shuichi sighed, sliding in front of her, stopping her from going forward for now.
"Your avoiding us is highly irrational," he said politely.
"Stop stalking me out!" she snapped back, trying to make her way around him, but not succeeding.
"You need to come to Reikai with us Yumi."
"Oh, shut up Yusuke. Can't I just go there once, when I die?"
"Sato-san-"
Her eyes flashed dangerously. "My name is Uingu Yumiko," she ground out. "Please do not mistake my surname again in the future."
"Hn."
"Yumiko-san, just come-"
BOOM
A gravestone nearby had suddenly shattered. The others had gotten away without harm, but Yumiko had merely moved so that none got into her eyes. Blood dripped down her legs and one side of her arm- several jagged chips of stones had made contact with her skin.
Turning to look at the attacker, she scowled, tucking a strand of olivine hair behind her ear. "What the hell do you want?"
"Don't remember me?" The hood was not low enough to hide the smirk adorning the shadowed face.
"Well, I know you're a demon. You smell like s---. No offense directed to you two," she said, her last comment at Kurama and Hiei.
"Who took the leash off the bitch?"
"Shut up. Nothing will really distinguish you from any other low class demon."
He/she snarled, lunging at her. She sidestepped him, and stuck her tongue out.
"Did I state the truth? Sorry, sorry."
"Does Ryoto ring a bell?"
"Oh. You. Did you gain weight or something? You have a beer-belly." The others sweat-dropped.
"D--- brat…" A kick caught her in the gut by surprise, sending her tumbling over backwards.
She was gasping slightly. "You're as weak as ever."
"Shut up!" She tried to block his punch, but failed. "You and your cousin were always walking over me! It was humiliating!"
"Then you never were as tough as I thought."
"Even now! You still insult me!"
"Got a problem with me- Stop it." She glared at Yusuke and Kuwabara. "I'm handling this perfectly-" She was cut off by another kick. "Let me handle this, d--- it!"
"What, need your boy-toys to save you?"
She froze in her reprimanding. "Oh, this is stupid." She stalked up to the demon. "One: I don't need 'saving'. You're weak, C class at most."
"Two: I do NOT have boyfriends or boy-toys!" She caught his foot, and ducked under his fist. Swinging her own, she caught him hard in the… privates area… So, obviously, he collapsed in pain. She stomped several times before turning away.
"And tell that Rando bast--- that I'm going to kill him first." She glared at the moaning Ryoto. "Got it!" He nodded feebly. "Good." She kicked the back of his head, leaving him unconscious.
"That was vicious…" Kuwabara and Yusuke were dot-eyed, slightly intimidated by her attack. "Wouldn't want that to happen to me…"
She turned away, starting to walk again. "…"
"Yumiko-san, you still must come with us."
"No."
"A particular reason?"
"Got other pointless stuff to do."
"Like?"
"Hm. Well, since it is summer break… try to develop muscles and stamina, and trying to prevent my brain from becoming brown mush by doing math, annoying my friends online. Camp is in a week."
"Yumiko-san, if you don't comply with the direct order from Koenma, I will have to take you by force."
"Believe it or not, I do have stuff to do. Pointless stuff, but stuff nonetheless. Reikai, Rando, etc, are on the very bottom of my list."
'Can you see my lies?'
'Can you believe them?'
"You need to come now Yumiko-san. Koenma isn't the most pleased by 'your insistent stubborn streak that runs in your family'."
"Hmph." She glared. "Not my fault. But if he wants to talk to me, he has to come see me.
"He is the Prince of-"
"Reikai. So that means there are portals abound. He can move his lazy ass far enough to crawl into one."
"Hn. As if the brat would do that"
"He insists that you come."
"Yeah, well, do I look like I care!"
"That is the Prince of Spirit World you are insulting."
She snorted. "Doesn't matter to me."
He sighed, grabbing her by her arm and starting to pull her with him.
"Hey! Dude, get off! I don't want to see him!" Her yells fell on deaf ears as Shuichi dragged her along.
Hiei snorted. "Lover's quarrel."
"What!"
"Shut up you!" Her insults died away as they went back into the portal.
: End Chapter
14thShrineMaiden: reviews for my reward- please!
