Yup. I love characters like Washigo, too. Then again, he's probably an annoying little pest. Man, canon is so much easier to write because you have a better grasp of how they look and act. I think I prefer canon; its the best way to start with writing.
They needed him. They really did. Kayko, the guys, Ma, even Raizen. Yusuke had spent his whole life avoiding all responsibility. Now, he had to be there for all of them. And here he was thinking his saving the world days were over.
He shuffled aimlessly through the forest, occasionally kicking a stone. "What do those losers need me for, anyway, now that I'm a normal person?" He muttered to himself, before hearing a noise.
"Oh, hey Hiei," He grunted, noticing the black blur beside him. He gazed up ahead. "Now, where are those dragons? Just lead the way."
"Really, Yusuke. Do you seriously think we can just waltz in there and take them out?" Hiei sauntered beside him.
Yusuke shrugged, not even glancing at him.
"You really are too simple!" The demon snapped, shocked at his friend's idiocy.
"Dude!" Yusuke grabbed his teammate's shoulder, forcing them both to a halt. "What have you got up your ass?" Not that Yusuke was all that charismatic himself at the moment.
Hiei didn't expect that. Usually Yusuke would just laugh it off. He knocked away his hand. "Last time I checked, nothing. Does it look like I've got something up my rear?"
"No, you dork! It means you're bitching at me and being an ass!"
"So what else is new? I'm just being the same bastard I've always been!"
Yusuke stepped forward. "Well, it's really pissing me off!"
"And it's taken you how long to realize that?"
"That's it!" Yusuke shoved Hiei aside and walked away.
"What, you're finished?" Hiei taunted.
"Hell, I am!" Yusuke stormed away. "Finished with you and your superior attitude. You know, if you're so much smarter than me, than why don't you beat those dragons yourself?"
"Did you hear anything I told you?" Hiei chucked a rock at Yusuke, hitting him in the skull. "Demon energy won't work! And the darkness technique wouldn't work against 500 of them!"
"WELL, SUCKS TO BE YOU!" Yusuke spun around, picking up the rock and throwing it right back.
"DAMMIT, DETECTIVE! YOU CAN'T JUST WALK AWAY!"
"Watch me!" Yusuke violently gestured and turned away.
"I wouldn't suggest flying solo, right now!" A scratchy unfamiliar voice called from the distance.
"Huh?" The demons glanced around at a nearby clearing. A figure laid on a boulder, puffing smoke rings into the air.
"Dangerous times for demons to be hanging alone, eh?"
What is he? Yusuke clenched his teeth. He looks like some regular Yakuza underdog, 'bout 30, but he's giving off a weird energy. And what would he be doing in Makai, anyway? "Who the hell are you?" He approached the clearing.
"Depends on whatcha mean," The stranger shrugged, broad shoulders moving beneath a worn denim jacket. "That sounds like a pretty generic question to me."
Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's start with the typical. What's your name, are you human or demon, and what do you want?"
"I've lots of names, am neither, and I guess I could use some more cigs." The fighter frowned at the burnt up cigarette, scratching a raven head. The hair was cut extremely short, and cheap studs hung onto both ears, eyebrows, and everywhere else you could fit a reasonable peircing.
"Just list your names, and we'll take a pick. Tell me what species you are, and what you're doing in demon world." Hiei ejected.
"How much spare time ya guys got?" The stranger flicked away the cigarette, counting on gloved fingers. "Okay, my names, lesee... Great Old One, Ancient Wonder, Savior of Mogen, Lightning Master, Dark Lightning Wonder- hey, that don't make sense. How can lightning be dark? Have ya guys heard of such a stupid thing in your life? Bulldog, Lasiif, Wolf, Takashi, and my personal favorite, Rocky."
"We'll just call you 'Takashi', then," Yusuke sighed. "Wait! What the hell is Mogen?"
Takashi sat up, wide-eyed. Yusuke noticed a nasty scar, right across Takashi's brow. "Ya guys don't know?"
Hiei glared. "What is it to you?"
"AHAHAHA!" Takashi burst out laughing, doubling over and pounding on the boulder. "Ya demons crack me up, ya know! Y'all think ya can just storm in, crash a dragon party without knowing about Mogen? Stop! Stop it! HAHA!"
"Just shut up and tell us what it is." Hiei growled.
"It don't exist." Takashi stared at the two as if they were idiots.
"Well, what's the point?" Hiei snapped. "I thought you said-"
"But it did exist. It was the final world."
Yusuke sighed. He didn't like that Takashi character. He makes no sense. He talks in circles, and makes more questions than he answers. He's probably dangerous, too. No shit.
"It's a long story, though. I'm kinda busy, got to bring Mogen back to life n' all." Takashi stood back up.
"Wait." Hiei demanded. "Would what was Mogen now be called 'The Netherworld?'"
Yusuke goggled at Hiei. If that's true...
"I can't tell ya how many millions of lives have been lost because of that." Takashi grunted. "Yea, it's true. And we won't have a problem setting up a new Mogen right here-"
"Not on my watch!" Yusuke leapt at Takashi. The next thing he knew, his face was smashed against the boulder.
Hiei whipped the bandages from around his arm, when he felt some force pin it against a nearby tree.
"See?" Takashi smirked. "No problem at all. Two o' the most powerful demons in Makai can't fight just one dragon."
Oh, God! Yusuke finally realized the full weight of the situation.
"Where are those keys?" Kayko searched her purse. She checked under the seats, in the ignition, they were nowhere to be found. In despair, she rested on the in the drivers seat.
Close your eyes, deep breath. From all the times it had helped her sleep at night, it didn't help her this time. This time there was a nagging voice in the back of her head constantly screaming that this wasn't right.
She opened her eyes again, watching the frost on her windshield. What was going on? I was hoping I could go to Genkai, ask her what's going on. She looked down at the ignition, blinking.
There were the keys.
I-impossible! I checked it three times! She took a deep breath and closed here eyes again.
Turn. She thought subconsciously. An involuntary will.
They jangled. She opened her eyes, studying the keys hanging innocently from the ignition. Turn. The thought willed rebelliously. Slowly, deliberately, the key turned on its own.
The engine started.
Kayko gasped. "Oh, my god." She clutched her chest, allowing a few minutes to recover before pulling out of the parking lot.
She turned onto the freeway. I need to talk to Genkai, Shizuru, Yukina, somebody! This is getting really weird.
The hours passed by as the road wrapped around the mountains, slowly becoming more and more icy. As she slowed down, the car stopped moving all together. She floored the gas pedal, but the car merely rocked back and forth.
"Geez!" She slammed the door open and checked the wheels. They were almost flat, stuck between the ice. "It's this cold weather. The air in the tires-oh!" Kayko slid back into the car.
The road was probably closed by now; it was a blizzard outside. Who knows how long the blizzard would take, much less for someone to find her! If she could walk down to the bus stop and gas station... It was only three kilometers away.
Kayko pulled on her gloves, abandoned her car, and disappeared into the growing whiteout.