Inside The Fire
Chapter 04:
"More Questions than Answers"
Yusuke flung me into the kitchen like I was a rag doll. My feet left the ground and I flew through the air a second before I landed on the floor in a heap on my side, my head bumping across the smooth surface. Shit, that smarts. I winced as I rolled onto my stomach to push myself up.
"Urameshi! There's no reason to treat her like that!" Kuwabara hollered out from somewhere to my left.
"She's lucky we didn't kill her when we found her!" he shouted back and there was a scuffle of bodies hitting one another.
I chose this moment to pull myself up and move out of the way. I stood against the counter, my hair falling in a heap over my shoulder and about my head in a mess. My shoulder was sore from hitting it with full force against the floor, I didn't bother rubbing it.
"Enough!" Genkai roared.
The two boys quit their fighting but threw dirty looks at one another. They both sat back down at the table with a huff. Kurama and Hiei were in their usual spots and a new body was at the opposite end near where I sat. Frowning, I moved over to my mat when the new person beckoned me to come forward with a wave of his hand.
The first thing that struck me as odd was his tattoo. In bold letters, the marking read 'Jr'. I took my seat and brushed my hair back so I looked a little more decent. Compared to him I looked like an emaciated couch potato. He was dressed in blue and red robes while I still wore my green and black plaid lounge pants and over sized gray t-shirt. I folded my hands in my lap once I was seated next to him and kept my eyes trained on them.
"Your name is Devin Ohayashi, correct?" His voice was smooth and held a sort of power behind it.
"Yes, that's me." I replied quietly.
"From what I was told you fell out of the sky and woke up to proclaim that you were from the year two-thousand two-hundred and sixty."
"That's right," I nodded.
"Hiei also looked through your mind to confirm your assurance that you were indeed from that time, a human and died before showing up here," he paused and I looked up into his coffee colored eyes, "what he found was to be the truth, but that does not out rule you as the enemy."
He proceeded without any comment from me, "Memories are a tricky thing. Your mind could have been wiped and your memories could have been substituted for artificial ones. You would never know the difference, and neither would Hiei's Jagan eye."
I opened my mouth to protest but he held his hand up to quiet anything I wanted to say.
"But, I have another way to test for that. You see, I am Koenma the ruler of the Spirit World, and I am here today to figure out what needs to be done with you." He pulled something out from inside his robe and I stared at it. It was a palm size box much like a voice recorder, except for the two small prongs at each corner of it's top.
"Hold out your index finger please." I followed his direction and a thin wire of blue light zapped though my digit. Out of reflex, I pulled my hand back in a snap and eyed the device wearily.
Though the light hadn't hurt more then a pinprick, it had surprised me. "Thank you, now we just wait a few moments."
"Okay."
"While we wait I'd like to ask if you know anything about current times?" He questioned.
"Nothing, except the music." I answered with a frown.
"Music?" He looked confused.
I nodded, "Yeah, music. In my previous life I was into the music from this time. Today's biggest hits in America make up classical music in two-thousand two-hundred and sixty."
He seemed to understand after my explanation, "Now, what do you know of Hisato?"
Isn't that the name of the dude they asked about the other day? I tried to remember if it was, or if I was mistaken before I just shook my head. "I don't know him."
"Maybe this will help," he said as he sat a photo in front of me. I stared down at the man in the image. His hair was long and white and his skin was tanned. His cheekbones were high and his jaw was strong. The striking thing about him were his eyes. Indigo eyes were narrowed in an angry stare and I shut my own before pushing the picture away. He looked identical to Sean, minus the hair color. Sean was beach-blonde.
"What? You remember your master?" Yusuke sneered.
My head snapped to him and I could feel the hate pooling in my chest and making its way through my veins. I glared at him, "Shut. Your. Mouth." I seethed between clenched teeth.
Koenma chose that moment to clear his throat and I felt myself calm down by increments as the seconds ticked by, "The man in that picture is indeed Hisato. He has stolen from me recently, but even before then he has been kidnapping humans."
"Why would he do that?" I asked in ignorance.
Before Yusuke could make a remark he went on, "We aren't sure as of yet. There have been eight disappearances total."
The machine then beeped a high pitched note, and again before Koenma could pick up the device. He studied the screen that lit up with a hazy blue-white light. He read it with wide eyes a moment before glancing at me. I watched him expectantly wondering if I was going to be condemned to death or some horrible fate. Not like my luck has been that great thus far anyway, I added in my head.
"The machine is telling me that you are indeed a demon." He said, "The race of demon can't possibly be right though." He reached out with his free hand to grasp my chin and tilt my head up to look at him. He examined my face and I tried to not show how uncomfortable he was making me.
"You said her eye and hair color changed, was that confirmed?" He asked out into the open air, not breaking eye contact with me.
"According to her memories, yes." Kurama spoke up.
He frowned in concentration and let go of my head. I sat back and rubbed my cheek, eying the prince wearily, "What's going on?" I asked wanting answers.
My question was ignored, "Hiei, I need you to focus on her chest, can you tell me if you can find anything out of the ordinary?" My cheeks flushed and I fought the urge to scramble out of the room.
"Hn," Hiei answered. His eyes closed momentarily. When his eyes opened he pointed to the middle of my chest. "There's a gem," he explained and I raised an eyebrow, What's a stone doing in my chest?
Koenma nodded and I looked back to him, "Then it is true."
I rubbed my forehead feeling exasperated and exhausted, these people were giving me the run around. "What are you talking about?" My voice was more tired then I thought it would have been.
"It seems that you are a very rare sort of demon, we just confirmed it by finding the jewel in your chest." Koenma explained.
Not like any of that made anything clearer for me, "Meaning?"
"I'll explain," he sighed, "you are a Hōseki demon. They are unique for the reason that they produce and house a jewel in their bodies. I'll tell you more about that later. The Hōseki are rare because most have been killed for said gem, they are highly valuable, even more so then the hiruseki stone. They come into their powers late in life, most usually staying dormant until they're around three hundred years to five hundred years old."
He paused a moment in thought and we were all silent, "With their powers blooming late, they were very much like humans. The leader of the tribe at the time asked for relocation into human world and my father granted it, but they had to return once their powers were awoken. Hunters still went after them, demon and human alike. They were slaughtered and their stones were sold for trillions on the black market. I assumed they were extinct, you could very well be the last one."
"Yeah, that's wonderful and all, but if she's so rare why would Hisato throw her out?" Yusuke griped.
"It's very unlikely that he would have been using her, Yusuke." Koenma replied.
"What do you mean?" He barked.
"Think about it," he turned to look at the brunette, "she's a Hōseki demon. They come into their powers late and she would have been living in the human world if she was from this time. Meaning, she wouldn't have fallen out of a sky portal into human world. That displaces the theory of her being thrown away. And with her powers the way they are, she's useless. The machine I just used to check her told me everything from her race to her weight. She really is nineteen years old, which is way too young for her to be using her powers."
I tried to ignore the blow to my pride at being called useless when Genkai spoke up, "The only other theory left is her own, that she really did die and fall back into the past. But how would it have happened?"
"Time exists on many different levels," he started, "while we're in this present time, there are millions of different tangents our time-line could break off into just by a simple change of movement, idea, or question. Everything changes something for our future. Devin being shot in her time could have been what was meant for her, or it might not have been, we'll never know. Though, it could have been what brought her to us. Also, something from this time could have changed to bring her back to this moment. We can never be sure, but it does make the most sense. It isn't every day you come across something as peculiar as her."
"That doesn't explain why her aura is awake though. She may be young, but her demon energy is definitely there and growing." Kuwabara added.
"It does explain it, in a way," Kurama answered his friend. "If she was a human in her time, and turned to a demon when she was pulled back, it could have overwritten the time gap most need to gain their strength."
Koenma nodded, "That's the most likely cause."
"So what do we do with her?" Yusuke asked.
Koenma frowned, "Spirit World intelligence knows little to nothing about what Hōseki demons can do. Hisato may end up wanting her if he catches wind of her appearance. Our best bet is for her to remain here and be taught how to control her energy. It's wise to be prepared if she does turn out to be strong."
I looked up into his coffee eyes and he smiled warmly at me, "What do you say Devin, think you'll be alright with that?"
I nodded, "Yeah."
"Good, in the mean time I'll have Ogre look up anything that can help you with information about her. I'll also send Botan to help get her set up here." Koenma directed this to Genkai as he stood to leave, she just grumbled out a reply.
After many apologies for Yusuke from Kuwabara, I was back in my room. My futon was folded in my arms along with the blanket as I went to put them away. I was just shoving the two into the shelf space when there was a knock on my door.
"One second!" I called as I gave one final shove and closed the door.
When I opened the door that had been banged on, I was immediately surprised by a new girl. Her long blue hair was in a high pony tail and her eyes were a soft peony pink. Her smile was large and she waved with her other hand held behind her back.
"Hello, Devin! I'm Botan and I'll be taking you shopping today." She said in, was that a British accent? I blinked in confusion for a moment before snapping out of it.
"Oh, hello. Nice to meet you." I managed to get out before she pulled around her other hand which was crowded with a stack of clothing.
"Here, I brought you these so we could go out into town. Get dressed and hurry back to the kitchen." She shoved the clothes into my arms and I shut the door when she skipped away.
The clothing was dumped onto the vanity and sorted. She had even brought me shoes. My current clothing made its way onto the floor and I dressed in the undergarments first. Finally having panties was nice, I had gone commando the past few days and it wasn't very comforting. In my own home I wouldn't have cared, but in a house full of unfamiliar men it was just too much.
The bra actually fit me and I was glad. The soft material of the bra didn't pinch or leave me hanging out of the cup. Next I danced into the dark skinny jeans I was given and pulled the white long sleeve over my head. My hair had to pulled from underneath the collar and I brushed it out with my comb to remove any tangles.
The shoes were simple white tennis sneakers and they also fit me. I tied them and walked out to the kitchen. Now if I turn here I should be there, right? I thought as I moved around the bend. I had indeed made my way to the familiar room. Not bad for never paying attention. I almost smiled, but kept it hidden as I stood against the counter.
"Perfect! It all fit, right?" Botan had jumped up and took to examining me.
"Yes, it's fine. Thank you." I bowed slightly to her and she giggled.
"Good, now, I have a cab waiting for us at the closest public road." She turned back to the table, "Ready to go, Kurama?"
Said red-head stood and smiled at her, "Of course. Let's get going."
I followed them out of the temple and groaned when I saw all of the steps, I didn't know this place was so big. Luckily, there was no snow or ice on the steps to slip on and we made our way through the woods at the bottom of them. A beaten path marked our way back to civilization. I stared up and around the trees in hidden glee. They were all mostly bare except for the evergreens, and they stood high over our heads. It's beautiful out here. I thought as I took everything in.
As promised, the cab was parked at the side of the road near where our path let out. Kurama opened the door for Botan and I before climbing in on the other side. The blue haired beauty gave the man directions and we were off. We passed other cars and Botan chatted to us while we rode down the road.
"We're going to the Sukiya shopping center. It's the closest mall to Genkai's." She explained.
The rest of the ride passed by with the other two chatting while I stared out the window. The world was zipping by in an array of grays and greens, then more colors mixed in when we were out of the country and in the city.
It was about fifteen minutes until we pulled to a stop in front of an oversized building. Botan paid the man and we filed out and inside out of the cold. I looked around at the bright neon signs in wonder. I didn't have much time to gander at all of the people before Botan locked my arm with hers and pulled me off toward one of the shops. She handed me a hand basket and pulled me down an isle of totalities and hair supplies.
"Okay, let's see, with that hair you'd probably look good with-" She trailed off in thought and Kurama was right behind us. I looked at the wall behind her at the hair brushes and different clips. I picked up a black brush from one of the shelves and examined it, my thumb moving over the rubber bristles. I dropped it in the basket and grabbed a few packs of plain black hair bands.
"Here you go." She dropped the make up in the bag and I stared at it all, I didn't usually wear anything more then the occasional eyeliner and concealer.
"Am I that bad to look at?" I joked.
"Of course not!" Botan beamed at me and waving her hands to shoo off the thought.
The perky woman pulled me around the rest of the store until I had a few bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and then I still had my brush and hair ties. I also still had the mass of make up in my bag, not wanting to turn Botan down and make her feel bad. I paused at the display of Tampons and went to grab a box when Kurama stopped me.
"Demons don't usually go through the same menstrual cycle as humans, I doubt you will be needing those." He smiled a little at my wide eyes and red face.
My mouth formed an 'o' and I quickly trotted off after the blue haired girl.
This is ridiculous. I frowned as I stared at Botan's back. She had my arms filled with all sorts of clothes. Jeans, sweat pants, slacks, shorts, yoga pants, and the materials ranged from denim to cotton. I'm also sad to inform you this was the pile I had already tried on as well. We were standing in the check out line waiting for our turn. When it finally came and the elderly woman ahead of us was done, I dumped my arm load onto the counter with a sigh. I rubbed my sore wrist and stood back as the price scrolled over the front of the machine.
My eyes went wide when the total passed something close to three hundred American dollars, "You really don't have to get me so much, Botan." I rested my hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, us ferry girls get to do this every once in awhile. It's fun buying someone else clothes for once." She smiled at me.
"Ferry girl?" I questioned, if the cashier had heard us I'll never know. She didn't make any indication that she was listening to us as she folded the pants.
"She's the grim reaper basically." Kurama whispered quietly in my ear and I nodded, it made sense that women did the job based off what I felt when I passed on.
"That will be twenty-five thousand yen altogether, Miss." The young cashier said with a smile. I'd be smiling too if I had her job with a commissioners salary while Botan shopped.
Botan swiped her credit card and I took the bags, Kurama took them from me with a smile and I sighed. He had become more friendly after our meeting with Koenma. Though I still caught him giving me odd stares now and then. Progress is progress, right? Right.
I moved away from the creepy fox and caught up to Botan who was speed walking to a boutique filled with frilly dresses and expensive tops. Groaning, I bowed my head and wandered in after her. She was pulling down several dresses, some pink, others white, but when she went to grab a long yellow gown of sorts, I had to intervene.
"Nothing yellow, ever." I said holding her wrist and giving her a little push in the other direction.
"But Devin, it would look so cute on you!" She whined.
I sighed and continued to move her to the opposite side of the room, "I appreciate all of this, but I'm really not a dress person Botan. I'm happy with jeans and t-shirts."
She stood firm on her buying me two dresses, and I caved. I mean, she was the one buying me all the stuff. Not long after my little intervention, I was being pushed into a cramped dressing room with five lacy and puffy dresses. The first I managed to slip into made me look like I worked in a cosplay cafe. Botan gasped when I stepped back out for her to see, and I grimaced.
"This is really unnecessary, Botan."
"This pearl white brings out your features so well though!" She pouted.
The skirt ended above my knee with a mass amount of mesh material under the fancy lace. The chest piece had delicate stitching and it came up to a tight collar that fit snugly against my skin. The shoulders were puffy and made my skin itch.
"I could imagine you holding a parasol with that outfit, Devin-san." Kurama added.
I flushed and looked away, and I could hear a bubble of laughter rise from him. He seemed to enjoy egging the ferry girl on. Botan had already ran off to get one from somewhere in the store. I took the opportunity to get out of the dress and had it in my arms just as Botan showed up with the white lace umbrella in her hands.
"Oh, I wanted to see you with it!" She frowned.
I sighed, "Can I pick one I like if I get this one?"
Blue swished everywhere crazily when she nodded and I handed her the dress again. There had to be something not so lacy in this store somewhere. A simple black dress caught my eye, it was trimmed to fit the body, but not in a skin tight way that was distasteful. From around the knee it fanned out and gave the wearer room to walk. The silhouette was A-line, and I found my size quickly and handed it to the blue-nette without trying it on.
"You sure?" She questioned at the check out counter.
I nodded, "Positive."
The cab had left us off at the same path from where we had emerged earlier that day. The trunk popped open and I snatched up my bags. They crowded my arms and threatened to topple me over but I kept out of Kurama's reach. I wasn't incapable of carrying my own things.
Though, when it came time to climb up the large set of stairs, I regretted my decision. I tripped twice before readjusting my arms and jogging up the steps. When I reached the top I didn't stop for rest and made my way into the temple by kicking open a few of the doors. Please don't fall, please don't fall. I chanted to myself when I kicked off my shoes and stomped down toward where the kitchen was.
When I walked through I got many odd looks and just hurried past them. I was out of the room before Yukina could say hello to me and I reminded myself to greet her properly later. Finally I was at the hall that housed the bedrooms of some of the temple occupants, this included me. I scurried past a few empty rooms before dropping everything at my closed door.
I breathed in a deep gulp of air and opened the door. The bags slid into the space when I pushed them with my sock-clad feet. I really wasn't a fan of shopping for clothing and frowned at the pile of bags. Leaving my door open, I rolled up my sleeves and took out the package of coat hangers I had picked out. The plain white plastic contraptions found their way on top of my keyboard and I hung up the dresses on the rack on the inside of the closet door.
The rest of the clothing had the tags removed and was placed in the dresser. Each type of clothing had its own drawer and I filled them all to the brim. I was glad to finally have things that were mine and wouldn't have to worry about using anyone's borrowed clothes anymore. I was moving my shoes into the closet on the empty shelf under the blankets when I felt a presence.
Closing the door, I saw Hiei in my doorway watching me. I raised an eyebrow at him and moved over to the last bag. He's the one I argued with that first day. I remembered. He's also the one who saw into my mind. I glanced back again and he was glaring at me. I stopped mid-placement of a bottle of perfume on my vanity before finally setting it down.
"Do you need something?" I asked.
"Hn," he scoffed and was gone with a swish of his cloak.
Strange guy, I shrugged and went back to setting my things around the room. My brush ended up on top of my dresser with my hair bands. The sweat pea scented body wash and other toiletries ended up in my new bath bin. Botan had insisted I get one that matched my hair, so it was purple. I shook my head remembering her antics throughout our mall trip.
My room was rearranged, my clothes were changed into ones that were my own and my hair was up off my shoulders. Feeling better then I had since I arrived here, I walked in long – that really weren't very long considering I was only five foot two – strides. Botan smiled at me when she saw me and I handed her back her clothing and shoes. I held my own under my arm along with the old bath basket and greeted Yukina with a small smile.
"You look nice Devin." She complimented.
I instinctively looked down at my plain navy long-sleeve shirt and light blue skinny jeans, "Thank you, I'm glad to be wearing something that fits me. Here's your bin, I appreciate you letting me use it."
She took it with petite hands and sat it on the floor next to her, "It was no trouble."
Genkai cleared her throat loudly and stood. She was out of the room when I heard her yell for me, "Well, girl, are you coming or not?"
I trotted out of the room, my long waist length hair thumping against my back as I moved. The old woman sat outside in the cold on her front porch and I stood next to her, immediately wishing I had brought a jacket. My new white tennis shoes slipped on over my socks and fell into place when I tapped the toe on the wood deck.
"Now listen up, you'll be going through training to unleash and control your demon energy. But before we can do that we have to make sure you wont break or keel over and die on us before we can get anything through to you." She huffed.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"You'll be running laps around the temple to build up your stamina. I want five laps out of you along this loop," she handed me a small map to study and pointed out the landmarks on the piece of paper.
I memorized it's shape and listened to her details as she continued, "After your five laps you will be coming back here to do one hundred reps of sit-ups and push-ups, understand?"
"Yes," I nodded at her and moved down the steps onto the cobblestone.
"Stretch before you go so you don't hurt yourself like a dumbass," she crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl, "when you're ready to go Hiei will be accompanying you so nothing attacks you."
I stopped mid-lunge and gave her a confused look, because I was. "Attack me?"
"What are you a parrot? Yes, attack you. There are things living in these woods that would find you a delicious snack." I felt myself go pale.
"Alright, thanks." I sighed and cracked my neck.
When Genkai saw me standing there awkwardly still she yelled at me, "What are you waiting for, get going slacker!"
I jumped a little and jogged off away from her, trying to remember how the map had been marked out. I could hear something moving in the trees around me and I did my best to ignore it. Concentrating on my breathing instead, I took the first turn and jogged along the dirt path at a steady pace. Physical exercise had never been my 'thing'. My ankles had a tendency of twisting without my knowledge or spraining extra easily. So far I hadn't experienced any pain.
A black blur moved over my head and I sped up, Wasn't Hiei supposed to be out here with me? I wondered glancing around. When something dropped down next to me, I veered to the side and skidded in the gravel, almost losing my balance.
"Shit!" I hunched over and held a hand over my...heart? My eyes widened when I couldn't feel a heart beat.
Hiei on the other hand did not look amused. He stood there in the spot he had dropped down to and glared at me. "What is it, baka onna?" he spat.
"My heart isn't beating." I said trying to not panic. The heck, am I the living dead now? My thoughts raced.
The red eyed demon rolled his eyes, "Demons do not have heart beats, they have cores, what you're experiencing is normal."
I sighed in relief and let my hand drop. Quickly, I realized how cold it really was out here and I started jogging in place. "Sorry, I'll get back to running, and thanks." I said a little awkwardly as I started off again.
I didn't bother watching to see if he replied as I got back on course. The path Genkai had put me on was basically a loop. There were no odd turns or weird paths through heavily covered areas. When I passed Genkai on the porch she shook her head at me.
"You're slow! Pick up the pace, kid!" She yelled at me.
"Okay, okay!" I yelled back and my shoes pounded the earth harder.
Running, really, really wasn't my thing. The back straightaway was where I was located when I got a stitch in my side. I threaded my fingers and raised my arms over my head as I slowed. The cold air made my throat thick and I coughed. I stopped and coughed a few more as I hunched over. Finally feeling relief, I jogged around the last bend and decided I just needed to get it over with. When I passed Genkai I kicked myself into a sprint. I slid around the first corner and my feet slammed the gravel on the back stretch.
My lungs pulled in frigid air as I panted and bolted around the next corner. I could see the front of the temple coming into view and I stopped in front of the old woman. I took a minute to pull air into my burning lungs and she pointed at the ground expectantly. This is when I remembered that I had more to do. With a sigh I dropped to the ground and worked on my sit-ups.
Fifty reps later I was on my hands and knees doing push-ups. My arms were shaking and I had to restart a few times until I was in the proper position. I struggled to hold my thin body up and I realized how out of shape I really was. Soaked with sweat and my teeth clenched, I lowered myself and back up, I could feel myself wanting to slip down onto the ground and just give up.
Knowing that I would just have to restart from the beginning if I did so, I kept going. Slow as I was, I was going to get this done and go take a shower. With my mind focused on that, I moved back down, then up. Thirty-seven, I counted in my head. Oh yes, this was going to take a while, indeed.
Two hundred reps of exercises later, I was exhausted. Sweat soaked my clothes and dirt smudged my jeans in various places. My hair clung to my forehead as I sat at the dinner table. I wasn't entirely sure on what was served, but I ate my bowl of rice and some sort of sauteed shrimp with an odd sauce. Yukina had engaged me in conversation a few times, but when I finished my tea I excused myself.
The walk to my room was a slow one. The halls were dark and I staggered along without much thought. My fingers ran along the wall until I felt like I was at the right door. When I went to open it though, I came face to face with a shirtless fire demon. I flushed and look away with a mumble of, "Wrong room."
After that I shuffled quickly to the next door and threw myself inside. My bath kit was close to the door and I grabbed it and a pair of pajamas. My walk to the washroom was rushed and I locked the door behind me before leaning against it. I should paid more attention to which door I was at, clumsy me. I sighed.
Peeling the dirty clothes from my sore body, I scrunched my nose and kicked off my jeans. My hair tie came out from my hair with a tug and I maneuvered myself over to the soaking tub. I filled the large container with steaming hot water and went back to the bath stool to wash myself off. Feeling the grime leave my body was relaxing as I lathered myself up with the new sweet smelling soap.
When I was fully shaved and well rinsed of any and all soap, I let myself slide into the soaking tub. A low hiss slipped past my teeth as I let the hot water lap at my aching muscles. Once fully seated in the tub, I relaxed my head back against the padded rim. My thoughts wandered easily as I always found a soothing bath the best place to think.
So, I'm a demon now, I lifted my palms up from the water and examined them. I don't feel any different, besides the whole not having a heartbeat thing, letting my hands drop I looked up into the steam as it coiled and swirled up toward the ceiling. I'm officially in the past as well, and so much is different here. I smiled a little, Morgan would flip to know this was possible, she never believed in time travel or anything 'nerdy' like that.
Slipping down into the water, I sunk to the bottom and laid on the floor of the tub. My lungs stilled and I relaxed. Slowly air leaked from my parted lips and bubbled up to the surface. I could faintly hear a banging sound from somewhere. It echoed through the water and sounded muffled by the fluid. I pushed off the bottom of the pool and broke the surface, the banging continued.
"Hey, Devin, you okay in there or what?"
"I'm fine Kuwabara, just about to get out of the tub."
"Oh, alright, just making sure you didn't fall asleep in there or something."
"Thanks."
Heavy footsteps signaled his departure and I pulled the chain that secured the plug. The water began to spiral down through the piping and I climbed out. Water clung to my body and I twisted my hair to wring out any excess, my thoughts wandered over what Koenma had discussed with me this morning. Supposedly, I was one of the last remaining Hōseki demons. They don't even really know anything about me. I frowned, I'm still Devin, just because I'm not a human doesn't mean I'm not me anymore.
The heels of my hands pushed against my eyelids as my thoughts faded. My skin felt flushed and the sensation left as soon as it came. My head pounded behind my left eye in a headache and I groaned. Just trying to make sense of everything made me feel overwhelmed (more so than any college exam ever did.) I let my hands drop from my face to get dressed. Plain black pajama pants and a gray spaghetti strap shirt was all I wore, and underwear of course. I did my daily routine of brushing my hair, teeth and such before grabbing my new bin and leaving the wash room. While I was walking back, Kurama was passing me with his own things and he smiled politely at me. I nodded to him and hid myself in my room.
The futon wasn't as comforting on this night, for what reason, I don't know. Sighing for the umpteenth time, I flipped over on my side and got up. The blanket was strewn across the floor and I moved to the vanity to pull the lamp cord. The light burned like a beacon in the dark room and I went back across the room to the dresser. The bottom drawer opened with a yank, the contents consisted of a variety of hooded zip-up jackets and pull-overs. I grabbed the first one I saw and kicked the drawer shut with my heel.
Black cotton blended material hung somewhat loose on my frame when I had the sweater zipped up. The sleeves passed my wrists and my fingertips barely showed at the ends, even the bottom of the thing hung past my hips a few inches. I left the hood down and kept my arms crossed over my chest as I wandered through the temple. When I came into the kitchen I found the cleaned tea pot sitting on the stove top and I pondered what I even wanted before I started opening cabinets in a hunt.
The higher cabinets weren't too difficult for me to reach, but they were up there. This is where I finally found my main goal: hot cocoa mix. I smirked when it finally showed itself and stood on my tippy-toes to grab one of the packets from the box. Setting my prize on the counter, I filled the teapot and started one of the four burners on the stove. Now I just need a mug, I looked around carefully, trying to think of where they would be exactly.
It didn't take too long to find the glasses and mugs that were nestled in a side cabinet. I picked up the large black cup and dumped my cocoa powder into it, a plume of chocolate dust floated up when I tapped the packet and I moved away from it instinctively. I've had a good share of drink powders end up my nose one way or another, this did not need to be one of those times. Watching the kettle, I saw steam begin to rise from the spout when a soft whistling began to ring. The pitch and volume grew and I shut off the burner and took the kettle by it's hard plastic handle. The temperature of the grip area was far worse then I had originally expected. I rushed the container onto the counter, hot water splashed around and onto my wrist in the process.
A sharp hiss passed my teeth and I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt quickly. I'm too accident prone for my own good, I frowned and hit the tap for cold water before passing my burn under the faucet. Leaning on the counter, I watched as my skin reddened and swelled. When I shut off the water and dabbed my skin dry with the nearby dish towel, I sighed. The spot was tender and the sensation of anything touching it made it ache and itch all at once.
Great, I pulled my sleeve back down and went back to the kettle. The handle was cooler and I picked it up carefully, the water turned my powder into murky brown water that evened out into hot chocolate after I stirred it. Sipping at my cup, I moved out through the kitchen and to the front porch. The night air was crisp and frigid. The space before the top step became my seat and I crossed my legs under myself, wishing that I had more footwear on then just socks.
The hot drink warmed my body from the inside out and I held it between my hands as I looked up at the night sky. There were no street lights or skyscrapers to clash with the stars. The small beams of light had a comforting feeling as they mixed with the moonlight. The waning moon was pale and shining, casting small shadows over the surrounding foliage.
Another sip of my cocoa, another thought. Why me? I continued my starring contest with the twinkling stars. Why of all people would I be brought back? Was this really my fate, to die and become someone new? My grip on my cup tightened, Can I handle it?
The headache threatening to start told me no, I wasn't ready. The pain taunted me, 'How would you be able to handle this new life if you couldn't take care of yourself in your old one?' it questioned.
Somewhere, my subconscious whispered back to it, unsure, 'I don't know.'
Morning was fast approaching, yet I was still on the porch in the same spot, starring at the sky. Light footfalls could be heard above me, and I vaguely wondered who could be on the roof. When I caught sight of cherry red eyes as he dropped from the roof, I knew it was Hiei. His cloak swirled around him as he landed on the cobblestone.
"Ohayou," I said softly, not looking at him. My gaze had already moved back to the purplish sky.
Hiei said nothing and when he hadn't left yet, I looked at him. He was studying me with narrowed eyes and his seemingly constant frown. This is when I noticed something I hadn't before. His hair, which I had originally categorized as black, was not. Under the gentle light of the moon I could see the shine of deep blues. My head tilted in study as I concentrated on the colors that could be seen in the dim light. Soft wisps of white ran through his spiked hair around his forehead and temples, and I looked away at long last.
"You're supposed to be inside." He said after a second, the sentence sounded more like a command then a statement.
"I know." I didn't look back at him.
"I could kill you for disobeying," the comment sounded offhand and uncaring, because it was.
"Yeah, you could." I agreed in an even tone.
I heard a faint growl and looked back at him. Hiei was glaring at me threateningly, his posture portraying the sour mood he was in, "Then you must be incredibly stupid, or want to die."
I shook my head and stood, my arms stretching over my head with my empty cup clenched in my right hand, "I just wanted fresh air, no need to get worked up."
He 'hn'd' and was gone in a blur of black, I wandered back into the kitchen to put my cup back and go change. Everyone else would be up soon and I had a feeling Genkai would be expecting me to be ready to do some work.
Disclaimer & Author Notes:
I only changed a few things in this chapter. So far I'm not sure what I'm going to do after chapter seven. I can't remember any idea I had for this story, but I know I'll end up with some sort of weird idea eventually.
I had originally planned on completely re-vamping this whole story, but I sort of like it how it is. It just needed some story and plot fixes. And Hiei's ooc-ness, of course.
I'm still going to swap it around, don't get me wrong. I am working on making fixes. But I just can't find any that need to be made yet. Chapter one was my main problem, so far. Now I'm sort of just tidy-ing up as I go along. The next few chapters most likely will be re-written in total. I think?
Finally, I'd like to say one thing. I do always reply to my reviews personally and they help me know if I'm working in the right direction. So, instead of begging for reviews like some authors, I'm going to just encourage you to review, and this will probably be the only time I will. They help me know what I need to work on and what I may be doing wrong or what you want to see more of, even, so feel free to leave me one.
Mkay, that's the end of my little speech.
See you, Space Cowboy.
Devin, Morgan, Sean and Hisato are of my creation and belong to me.
The characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho cannon belong to Yoshihiro Togashi.