Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares

Sorry for how short the last chapter was. I'll give you guys a longer one, I promise.

Disclaimer: I do own Yu Yu Hakusho and everything pertaining to it.

New Dreams, Old Nightmares

Chapter Nine: Sanctuary

Kurama closed his phone, and turned to look at Hana. "I have a friend on the way. She'll provide you a place to stay tonight, until you recuperate. Is that alright?"

Hana looked at the boy in front of her. "Y…yes…"

"Do you need help?" he said, seeing her arm hang loosely at her side. "I don't think anything is broken or torn but you should take it easy for a day or two."

She shook her head as she got to her feet, unsteadily. Kurama reached out and placed her uninjured arm around his shoulder, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"So…horticulture is a hobby of yours, right?" she said with a weak smile.

He chuckled, remembering that he had said that a few hours ago. "Yes, it is…"

"Well, it's no wonder the things you do with those arrangements if you're able to do that," she said as they started to make their way to the gate.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about what you saw tonight," he said as they walked together.

"I…don't think anyone would believe what happened…and I don't think I believe it completely either…"

She stopped suddenly, causing them both to stumble. He craned his neck to look up at her. "Something wrong?"

"My knife…" she said, turning around, freeing herself from him. "It's still back there…"

"Stay still, let me get it for you."

Kurama walked swiftly back to the scene of battle, looking around for the object among the charred ground. When a small glint caught his eye, he knew he found what he was looking for.

"Is this it, here?"

"Yeah…" Hana replied. "Thanks…"

Kurama picked the object up off the ground and studied it. It was a small dagger, about four inches long, over half of which was the blade. The hilt had a loop of steel to slip a finger through, giving the user a comfortable and secure hold on the weapon.

"I suppose it's a good thing you had this," he said as he walked back over and handed it to her.

She lifted the right side of her skirt, revealing her thigh. Two thirds of the way to the top, he caught a glimpse of a leather band and sheath, and she placed the small blade back into its home before lowering and smoothing her skirt out again.

His eyebrow was raised when she turned to look at him.

"It was my father's…" she said, turning her face away from him. "I've…had to use it before, and I feel safer if it's with me…"

He couldn't blame her. He carried around his rose (usually) for the very same reason. Crime wasn't a serious problem, but you couldn't argue that with the few people who actually fell victim to it.

"It's alright. It actually helped buy some time, it seems."

"Thank you for saving me…Shuuichi? Or what did the other one call you…Kurama?"

Hana was still kind of bewildered by the whole ordeal. She had just been thrust into a very unfamiliar situation this evening, and she did the only thing she could do.

She decided to go with it. After all, he saved her from whatever…those things, if they were really yokai…were, and he was offering her a place to rest for the evening.

This is probably another dream, she said. It's not like nightmares are anything new to me. I know how this will work. I'll wake up in my own bed, and I'll find out I probably slept on my arm wrong. That's why it hurts so much now. Yeah. That's all it is.

But what if this whole thing wasn't quite a dream?

Oh come on girl, it has to be. Yokai don't exist, not in a graveyard late at night and boys with red hair who work at the flower store can't turn roses into whips or make grass impale somebody. It just can't happen. You're attacked in a graveyard, and some hero rescues you, and it's someone you met earlier today. Do you have any idea how cliché that is?

The redhead looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. She chuckled slightly.

"This is just…unreal…"

Kurama sighed. "Yes, it is…" How was he going to resolve this issue?

Headlights appeared at the gate as he heard a car approaching. He recognized the shape the beams cast as Shizuru's, and looked back towards Hana.

"That's the one we're waiting for."

Hana nodded, and allowed him to help support her again. A car door slammed, causing her to look towards the gate as well. A tall woman with long hair was jogging towards them.

"You two okay?" she called as she closed the last bit of distance between them.

"I'm fine," Kurama said "But unfortunately, her shoulder is injured…"

The tall woman nodded. "I'm Shizuru Kuwabara…I wish I could introduce myself under circumstances that didn't quite suck so much…"

Hana looked at the woman, and took in the curt, direct manner she seemed to give off.

"Hana Sakamoto. Can I put off shaking your hand for a while?" she said, causing Shizuru to smile in surprise.

"Well, she's taking this well, isn't she, Ku…Shuuichi?"

"What was all that with 'Kurama', just now?"

Kurama grimaced slightly, and turned towards a confused Hana. "Please, call me Shuuichi. Kurama is another name only known to a small number of people…"

"Yet, somehow," she said with a smile, "it seems to be widely known to those types of monsters you killed? An advisor to Enki-sama?" Since this was just a dream, she was going to enjoy this as much as possible.

"You certainly don't miss much, do you?" he said with a nervous laugh.

Shizuru obviously saw how deep of a hole they were digging for themselves with this girl, but her immediate concern was treating her injuries. "Can we talk about this later? We need to get you in a sling so you can rest…"

Hana nodded, as she leaned onto Shuuichi again. Wohoo, hot guy holding me. This nightmare isn't so bad after all…

The three of them made their way back to Shizuru's car.

Kurama and Shizuru were seated at the table in the kitchen. The shower upstairs was running, since Hana beat a hasty retreat there as soon as they came in the door.

"That was certainly interesting," Shizuru said. "How'd you know her?"

"We met earlier today. No, wait, technically it would have been yesterday," he answered her, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I met her at the mall, she stopped in the shop, looking for something for her parents."

"Poor kid…did you have any idea?"

"No, I didn't. She seemed so cheerful earlier today, I never would have guessed that they were gone."

"She seems like a nice enough girl. It's a good thing you got there in time to save her," Shizuru said, standing up and walking towards the refrigerator. "You want something?"

"A water, if you have one," Kurama answered.

Shizuru tossed him a bottle, taking a stronger drink for herself before closing the door. "I don't get it," she said, breaking the seal on the container. "I thought that the patrols in Makai were keeping yokai out of this world."

"I would think so too. But unfortunately, the losers of the last tournament are greatly outnumbered by those who aren't too enthused with Enki-sama's rule."

"You've sensed them too?"

He nodded. There were vague traces of yoki every now and then, but they usually came from very weak yokai that just were trying to make a way for themselves in Ningenkai. "Not all of them are bad. I know a couple of them myself. Tonight, however…yoki of that strength is a very rare occurrence in Ningenkai. They're usually stopped by the patrols."

"Aren't Hiei and Mukuro part of that group?"

Kurama nodded before taking a sip of his water. "I don't know what to do regarding Hana."

Shizuru sat down again. "Her arm was tweaked really bad. She can stay here tonight, if she doesn't mind sleeping in my brother's room."

He laughed slightly. "No, I don't think he'll be needing it tonight, given the rate he was going when we left Master Genkai's…"

"What do you plan to do tomorrow?"

He looked down at the ground. "I have an appointment tomorrow, it's an important one. Enki-sama has called a council. I'll have to mention this to him."

She nodded. "What about Hana?"

"It seems she was the victim of an unfortunate attack. I don't sense any reiki in her, certainly no yoki, so she would not be a target of opportunity."

"She can stay as long as she needs to, but it would be quite awkward if Kazuma came home and saw an attractive girl in his bed."

"I believe she will be gone tomorrow, one way or another," he said, biting his lip.

"I don't like it when your voice drops like that. It scares me," she noted.

"I'll be gone in Makai tomorrow. I can get some healing herbs while I'm there to take care of her injuries. As far as I know, Enki-sama has summoned the former rulers of Makai, and their second-in-commands as well. Hiei should be there. I'll try to get him to come back with me."

"You're going to have him erase her mind? That seems excessive, Kurama," Shizuru said in a shocked voice.

"I can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect. But I think it would be best if she didn't remember what happened tonight."

Shizuru thought for a moment, hearing the water rushing through the pipes as the object of their discussion was still bathing upstairs. After a short time, she addressed Kurama in a softer voice. "Maybe she should."

This time it was Kurama's turn to register a look of confusion. "What purpose would that serve?"

"Well…I was thinking of what Genkai said earlier. About using the compound to create a bridge between the two worlds. I think Hana could handle knowing the truth. Well, maybe not all if it, but she deserves a shot."

Kurama was already shaking his head. "Not with the level of unrest in Makai right now. Until this is all settled, I would think it wise that less people know about what's going on."

"That's the problem, Kurama. Every ningen with a sense of spiritual awareness already knows about Makai and Reikai. Think about it. I can probably think of a few dozen that we've met over the years off the top of my head. On the other hand, every yokai knows about Ningenkai. This coexistence thing has to be a two way street."

She saw the doubt on Kurama's face. "I suppose you have a point…"

"Look, I'm not suggesting that we release a news report or hold a press conference or anything like that. But there are a lot of humans here who would be able to handle the truth. She seems strong enough to be one of them, from what I've seen."

He smiled. "You're the only one I can never win an argument with, Shizuru."

"Why do you think we get along so well?" she smirked.

"She could still be delusional about all of this. She did say she thinks this is all a dream…"

"Well, let's wait until tomorrow, when she wakes up and realizes that it isn't. If she handles it well, you heal her. If she doesn't, then have Hiei do his thing."

"You certainly have every angle covered."

"Just give it a chance, okay? This whole progression thing has to start somewhere."

Kurama pondered it for a moment, then nodded. "Very well."

They heard the shower shut off, and both of them went silent.

Hana pulled back the curtain with her good arm, trying to use her injured one as little as possible. The shock and adrenaline had finally worn off, and it hurt. Given how cruelly that yokai had lifted her in the air, it was a miracle it hadn't been dislocated.

Two towels were sitting on the back of the toilet, and she grabbed one. She slowly dried off the lower half of her body, so she would be able to sit on the edge of the tub and let her hair drip for a while.

"I never thought this would come in handy again," she growled under her breath. She was quick with her left hand, quicker than she should have been, something she had learned back after her parents passed on…

She winced in pain as she used both hands to wrap the towel around herself, stepping out of the tub and sitting on the edge as she did so. She hung her head back, closing her eyes at the peaceful sound of the water making small noises as it fell.

She toweled off her hair as best as she could, and had managed to dress her lower half when there was a knock at the door. She jumped.

"Are you okay in there?"

"Y…yes!" Hana called, trying to get her nerves to calm down.

"Okay then," Shizuru said through the door, her voice muffled. "There are clothes for you there on the sink, they're some pajamas of mine. I hope they fit. I'll help if you want me to, if your arm is hurting…"

Hana bit her lip. She was very proficient with one hand, but there were a few things she couldn't do with her arm in the shape it was in.

"Is Shuuichi out there?" she asked nervously.

"No, he's downstairs."

"I do need some help, actually," she said, relieved that it was a female she was talking to, and not the redhead. "I don't think I can put the sling on myself…"

"I'm coming in, okay?" Shizuru said, opening the door a crack, waiting for Hana's approval to enter the room completely. She shut the door behind her.

"How's the arm, kiddo?"

"It's getting really stiff in the shoulder…"

"Ah," she said in understanding. "Come here, so we can get some clothes on you."

Hana hesitated slightly, before Shizuru chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm not into girls."

Hana gave a relieved laugh. Shizuru helped her put her own bra back on, since they shared a different cup size, and since Hana would have never been able to clasp it in the back. With that task completed, Shizuru asked another question.

"We should keep that arm in the sling tonight. Do you want it to be under your top or over?"

"Under's fine," Hana replied as Shizuru opened the box that had the sling in it. She adjusted it to size, and gently placed her arm in its cradle.

"It looks like you've done this before," Hana said with a small smile, seeing how gentle Shizuru was with her ministrations.

"I have a kid brother who was always getting into fights. I've had to treat my fare share of pretty serious things."

"Is that how you know Sh…Kurama?"

Shizuru picked up the unbuttoned pajama top and held it so Hana could slip her good arm through the sleeve.

"Yeah. My brother is a good friend with him. I've known Kurama for about, oh, going on three years now."

"Umm…what exactly is he? I mean, I saw him take the roses, and do something with them, and he killed those monsters so fast…"

Shizuru started buttoning up the front of the shirt. "It's…complicated. You want the short answer or the long answer?"

"Short's fine."

"He's a good guy. You want the long answer, you'll have to talk with him."

"Your brother…can he do the same things?" Hana said. She was still cautious, but it was starting to give way to her curiosity.

"Not quite. But he used to be able to…"

"Can you do anything?" she asked, looking up at the older woman as she finished buttoning up the last closure on the front of the top.

She shook her head and laughed. "But, you know how every group of superheroes has that one normal person with no powers that seems to hold the group together?"

Hana laughed lightly at this statement.

"I hope you don't mind sleeping in my brother's bed for the night. It's clean, but you know, the whole 'boy's room' thing."

Hana shook her head. "No, I don't mind…do you have a hairtie I can borrow?"

Kurama stood up, hearing the girls walk down the stairs. Shizuru led the way, going into landing area, making room for Hana to step next to her.

"Everything alright?" he asked her.

"Yes, and…" Hana said, blushing slightly as she bowed. "Thank you for saving me…Shuuichi." She hesitated to call him by that name, since she still wasn't too sure what to call him. She peeked up at him from her bowing position, asking with her eyes if she had offended him.

"I'm just glad you're safe. These types of attacks are becoming more common, I'm afraid. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time…"

Hana straightened up. "Ms. Kuwabara says I can stay here until my shoulder heals. It's pretty screwed up right now."

"Hey, don't be getting all nice and proper on me now," Shizuru pouted.

Kurama smiled at her. "I'll come back to check on you tomorrow afternoon, then. And I'll have something that will help heal you faster."

Her eyes brightened, and she nodded, reminiscent of the smile she flashed him in the shop earlier.

"I must take my leave," he said. "Shizuru has my number. Give me a call if anything unusual happens, alright? I don't think you're in any more danger. These attacks are becoming more frequent but it seems as if you were just a random target. You'll be safe here and I'm only a mile away in case anything happens."

Hana laughed, as if she had suddenly remembered something funny.

"Something amusing?" Kurama asked as he had his hand on the doorknob.

"Yes," she said, smiling at him. "I think I just went from owing you coffee to taking you out to dinner."

Kurama took a second to realize what she was saying, then laughed himself as it hit him. "I assure you, that isn't necessary. Coffee will be fine."

"I seem to remember," she said, placing her finger on her chin in an amused way, "that you were opposed to me even owing you coffee in the first place. Now I offer dinner, and you say coffee is fine? What am I going to have to offer for you to take me up on dinner?"

The question was completely innocent, but Shizuru wasn't going to let them get off that easy. "Better wait till that arm heals."

Hana's face turned as red as Kurama's hair for an instant, and Kurama slapped his palm to his forehead before dragging it through his hair, chuckling at the absurdity of what she just said.

"And on that note," he said, "I should probably be going. I don't know what time Kuwabara is going to be here tomorrow. Do you want to call him to inform him of the situation, or should I?"

Shizuru flashed a wicked grin. "Oh please, let me do it. I'll have a lot of fun teasing him that a hot girl slept in his bed."

"You're horrible, you know that?" Hana turned and said.

"Strangely enough, I can live with that."

"Good night, you two." Kurama jokingly said, placing emphasis on his speech. He opened the door and turned to look back at the two women.

"See you tomorrow, Shuuichi," Hana said as she gave another bow out of respect.

He smiled. "You can call me Kurama, if you wish. It's perfectly alright."

Her eyes danced back at him. "Okay!"

With a final wave, Kurama shut the door behind him and started the walk back towards his home.

Tadaa! Chapter 9. I seem to have a remission into my sickness, and as a result I've been putting my insomnia to good use. But! That is okay, because it took me a while to write this chapter.

I'm happy with the way the story has gone so far. The other characters will all play prominent roles, but I'm sorry it's going to take about a dozen chapters to get to them. I like to be thorough in my writing, since the story I have planned would be just like another saga.

Read and Review! I'd love to get some feedback. I'm also making slight revisions to previous chapters as I go back and realize there were a couple of grammatical errors and other continuity issues that would conflict with the direction of this story.

And by "do", I mean "do not."

Kusanagi