Hello! I know I am a little late in updating (I've been trying to get out one chapter a week - preferably Fri/Sat), but here is the next chapter. I'm gonna go get ready for the SuperBowl now. GO GIANTS!!!! Anyway, once again, if you read this story, please, please, PLEASE review. Knowing what you readers think of my story is important because I can use it to help improve my writing, therefore writing better stories for you to read! Anyway, please enjoy!
There is No Love in Death
Chapter 3: Detectives at Work
"So, then all that mythology stuff the teachers talk about in class is real then?" Yusuke asked Kurama as they stood in Koenma's office the next day.
"No, not all of it, but quite a large sum," Kurama replied, "The Elixir of Life, however, was not a mythical item that I knew to exist. I always figured it to be like most other false myths, based on true happenings, but exaggerated due to many different tellings. I thought it mainly to be a story to explain Mt. Fuji's eruptions."
"That myth is very real," Koenma cut in from his desk as he placed the final paper of the stack down, finished with his job for the moment, "As are many other myths you will be reminded of when meeting Machiko."
"What others?" Kurama asked curiously.
Koenma only smiled, "I will let Machiko reveal her true self to you as she sees fit."
"Of course he has to be all vague and not tell us what's going on."
"Vague. That's quite a large word for your vocabulary, detective," Hiei smirked as he made his presence near the double doors known.
Kuwabara snickered at Yusuke's speechlessness.
"I am slightly surprised that you would come, Hiei," Kurama began from his spot in the center of the room, "You did not seem too impressed with either the mission or the girl yesterday."
Hiei chuckled darkly as his gaze turned to the empty wall to his left, "I have always wanted to meet Death."
Kurama frowned at the double entendre but Hiei ignored the unwanted worry.
The doors opened then, and Botan came bouncing through, more cheery than she had been recently. The bags under her eyes and disappeared and she looked as prim and proper as always: kimono tight and straight, hair swept tightly back into a clean pony tail.
"We're here!" she cried as she came to a halt next to Koenma's desk.
The boys and Koenma looked expectantly at the doorway and they were not disappointed, for only a few seconds later the form of Michi Furubashi walked through the door, only a few slight changes made to her physical appearance.
Although she retained her small frame, she stood tall, her newfound confidence causing her to appear to have grown a few inches. Her dark brown hair was now a deep black curtain that fell straight to her waist. She kept her brown eyes.
Her clothing was the last thing the boys noticed: a black kimono with a silver obi, devoid of décor and any other color. Her appearance, as well as her aura was a daunting and depressing one, filled with a cold emptiness that would linger long after she left.
Hiei was right in his assumption.
This woman was Death.
"I see you have not grown, Koenma" Machiko said with a soft smile, "Which means your father is well."
Koenma smiled brilliantly, hopped down off of his chair, and waddled over to the newly found goddess, giving her – much to the surprise of the Spirit Detectives – a small welcome back hug, "It is good to see you again as well."
Machiko smiled and nodded before turning to Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara.
"I must thank you for dealing with my human half so well," she offered, "I do not remember the specifics, but I can only guess that it did not go too well. Michi was not one to be so trusting."
"It would be expected in her predicament," Kurama replied with a soft smile.
Machiko returned the gesture.
"You are even more brilliant now than you were yesterday; your beauty outshines the brightest of stars-"
"Please refrain from such idiotic actions; I know my appearance well enough to not need it described in a cheesy poetic form from a man who will fall for any creature in a skirt."
Kuwabara stumbled back with a shocked look on his face. "You were a lot nicer yesterday," he mumbled.
Machiko did not reply and Kuwabara remained silent from then on.
"It's good to know someone has the ability to shut the fool up."
Machiko turned around in slight surprise and looked Hiei over in a moment of confusion. Slowly, however, recognition dawned on her and her confused expression turned into one of pure loathing.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in pure disgust.
Hiei raised an eyebrow at her but did not reply. Could the woman be that idiotic as to not remember who he was?
Everyone stopped and watched the two in confusion.
Machiko growled and subconsciously lowered herself into a defensive position.
"What are you doing here?" she asked again, a bit more angrily.
"I came to see you," Hiei replied with a smirk.
This was obviously not the answer Machiko was looking for.
"I will kill you."
"Machiko! No!" Koenma shouted as the woman began a string of incantations.
"I will have my revenge."
Koenma stood in confusion. Revenge? For what?
"Machiko, I don't think Hiei killed Michi's parents," Kurama responded, "Koenma would have imprisoned him otherwise."
"What?!" Koenma, Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara proclaimed.
"What is this about, Hiei?" Koenma asked suspiciously.
"I did no such thing," Hiei replied, "I merely changed the memories of the girl's parents and to make the story plausible I had to leave a bit of blood."
Hiei brought his left palm out to show everyone an almost completely healed cut in the middle, "I wouldn't touch a human. I much prefer my soul attached to my body."
"No matter how stained it is, I guess," Machiko cut in heatedly.
Hiei gritted his teeth as his hand went to his sword.
"Back to your old ways, then?" she asked with a smirk, "Going to try to kill me again?"
All motion and noise in the room stopped.
In a moment of lost confusion, Hiei's hand fell from his blade and he dropped his stance.
"Machiko?" Botan asked questioningly.
"You heard me correctly," she responded, "This demon attacked me because I refused him a visitation with one of my charges."
"One of your-?"
"Hina," Machiko replied to Botan's next question.
The confused air grew thicker and heavier as questions poured through everyone's mind, but stopped before reaching their tongues. Hopefully Machiko would make sense of her allegation.
"This is a serious charge, Machiko, are you sure you want to make it? If you end up wrong after he is found guilty, a life will be on your soul," Koenma stated gravely.
"How can I forget his eyes? They were red eyes, blood eyes, a killer's eyes."
"Hiei?"
"The woman is wrong. I never set foot in Spirit World before I stole the items from your vault."
"Liar!" Machiko lashed out.
"Hn."
"Alright, the only way I can see to be sure of this is to hear both of your stories. Machiko, you go first," Koenma cut in, doing his best to avoid bloodshed in his office.
The affronted woman nodded her head in both acknowledgement and acceptance, her eyes never leaving Hiei's.
"Sixteen years ago I was tending to my duties, directing souls of the dead from all worlds into their final resting places. Then he came…"
I had just delivered a human child into her eternal home – she had died of some degenerative human disease or other – when he came to me. My quarters are dark, so as to better see the luminescent souls; so all I could see of him were his glowing eyes.
"Take me to Hina." That was what he said. He didn't even introduce himself. He just commanded me, "Take me to Hina."
"I do not let just any living being into my realm. Who are you and what reasons have you for visiting the dead?"
Simple questions that I must have answered before I will grant the living access to the realm of the dead. I decide from their answers whether they are worthy or not.
But he refused to answer.
"It is none of your concern, woman," he replied, "Take me to Hina before I am forced to spill blood. Then who will guide the poor lost spirits to their final resting place?"
The disdain in his voice was clearly audible.
"I do not allow anyone living to pass without judging them. Their intentions must be pure," I argued, "I can already sense your intentions are anything but. Now leave."
"We argued some more about whether I would let him pass and he revealed to me only that he was looking for someone, Hina's child," Machiko proclaimed.
He came closer and I was finally able to see him. Black hair and red eyes.
Being who I am, I am connected to souls and in that respect can be a bit of an empath. He was distressed; he had to talk to her. But I still had yet to learn his name, judge his life and soul.
"I fail to fully see your intentions, and I have yet to hear your name. I must know these before I can decide."
Anger flashed in his eyes and in his blade's glint as he unsheathed it.
"Why is my name of any importance? My intentions are not harmful."
"I must decide that on my own terms."
"No, if you will not let me by, I will let myself through."
"He attacked me then; he murdered that body then. It is only due to ancient magic lost to most long ago that I was able to escape with my soul."
As she finished her story, no one could meet her gaze, and no one could look at Hiei. It just all fit so well. Could Hiei have killed Machiko to get to his mother when in search of his sister?
"Hn," he disagreed, breaking the heavy silence that had filtered into the office.
"I don't know, it actually kinda fits," Yusuke said.
"I never stepped foot in Reikai before I stole the three items, I already said it once," Hiei reminded the group heatedly, "Don't make me say it again."
"You better have solid proof, Hiei," Koenma began darkly, "Because right now I am much more inclined to believe a goddess than a murdering, thieving demon. Plus, her story of how she was killed matches with the files we have on her death."
"Koenma!" Machiko shouted angrily.
"Goddess?" Kurama asked, "Of what?"
"Of death, of course," Koenma answered nervously.
"You lie worse than Botan does," Yusuke shot at the prince who immediately deflated.
"Sorry mommy," he then said in a much more panicky tone.
"Mommy?!"
Machiko sighed, "One would think that, after all these years, you would learn some discretion."
"You-you're Koenma's 'mommy'?" Kuwabara choked as he tried to catch his breath while laughing hysterically. He eventually broke into hiccups as tears of mirth ran down his face.
"But, for that to happen, with Enma?" Yusuke grimaced, "Eww! And wouldn't he be kinda…large?"
"And you would be the one to go there, wouldn't you?" Kurama asked in a deadpan voice.
"First of all, I am not his mother, merely her reincarnation," Machiko argued, "Second of all, deities do not need to have intercourse to produce offspring. Izanagi himself produced offspring from tears cried in mourning over his wife, Izanami. While I am not down-playing my incarnation's sexual prowess, even she could not have taken Enma. I merely carried him, much like a human surrogate would, so he would be created as a child instead of a full-grown adult as most of us deities are."
"Why would that be of importance?"
"Take a deity's life-span into account, Kurama," Machiko replied, "We live almost an infinite amount of years as adults. Now add onto that the amount of time it would take to physically mature from childhood to adulthood."
"The deity would never die. Of old age, at the very least," he said in awe.
"Exactly," a woman piped in from the now open doors, "I thought you did not like telling the story, Machiko."
"I cannot help but explain things fully when the child forgets to mind his mouth," Machiko replied dryly.
"I can just feel the love," Koenma cut in sarcastically.
"You realize you brought it upon yourself," a strange man said as he joined the beautiful woman in the golden kimono that had already interrupted them, "I told you she was back, onee-chan."
"Yes, Kage-kun, you did," the woman replied with a small smile.
"Ama-terasu…Kage-tsuchi…" Kurama cut in with awed reverence.
"You recognize us, hm?" another man in a brilliant silver kimono questioned jocularly as he joined the other two strangers.
"Tsuki-yumi?"
"Kurama, no need to be so astounded at the presence of a couple deities," Machiko cut in, "You are, after all, in Spirit World." She then turned to the three deities at the door, "And your other brother? Where is he?"
"We left him down the hall," Ama-terasu sighed, "He wanted to prank a couple of oni."
Machiko smiled fondly, "Of course."
She then turned around to face the momentarily forgotten fiend and her smile dropped into an angry scowl, "That gives me plenty of time to deal with you then."
"What does, mother?" a playful voice asked as strong arms wrapped around Machiko's small frame and twirled her around twice before setting the frazzled girl down.
"Susa!" the woman groaned as she tried to shake off her sudden case of vertigo.
"Izanami no Mikoto!" Kurama replied in utter astonishment, "Your incarnation is the great creator goddess Izanami!"
"You are too much like your younger brother," Machiko scolded the pouting man that had swung her around, "I am surprised you are not a toddler as well."
"For a goddess, you sure aren't very merciful," Yusuke muttered.
"If you paid attention to any of the stories of Izanami you would know mercy was not her strong suit. She was, after all, the one who caused premature death among humans. Her anger at her husband's betrayal caused her to bring suffering to those she created," Machiko shot back. She then sighed, "Perhaps I should tell you the whole story."
"It would help clear up quite a bit of our questions, your Highness," Kurama replied softly.
Machiko smiled, "I am no longer Izanami, Kurama, no need to be so formal."
Kurama returned the smile and Machiko began her story.
"You all should know the story of Izanami and Izanagi; how they created Japan and had four children before Izanami died, the last birthing making her gravely ill, and left to the underworld."
Kage-tsuchi shuffled his feet and looked with shame upon the ground.
"It is done and over with," Machiko calmed him before continuing the story. "Out of despair, Izanagi followed her down and found her. She told him not to look at her, but his curiosity got the better of him and when he looked at his deceased wife he saw a partially decayed corpse covered in maggots. Fearing what his wife had become, he fled, and, out of anger, his wife sent the Eight Ugly Females of the land after him. Izanagi barely escaped and had begun pushing a rock to block the entrance when he came face to face with Izanami who threatened to kill all of humanity in one day. Izanagi only replied that he would cause at least fifteen-hundred births a day. Obviously, Izanami's curse did not fully take effect. Instead she released evil and wide-spread pestilence on the land. Izanagi, however, stayed true to his word, allowing humanity to be replenished, as well as to grow."
"Why was Izanami reincarnated then?" Kurama asked, "And where does Koenma come into the picture?"
"I can answer both questions at the same time," Machiko replied, "For that is the part of my story that comes next. You see, Izanami took up a position alongside Enma in helping keep order among the dead. She eventually got on his good side and, in order to appease the other gods for the curse she placed on mankind, she asked for a second chance."
Machiko stopped for a moment and smiled, "Did you ever wonder why my name is Fortunate?"
A few members of the group present nodded and Machiko continued, "It is because Izanami was fortunate that Enma was in a good mood and in need of something that she could help him with. He wanted a son, a child. He could not create a child on his own, he needed a female to carry it and give birth to it. Izanami offered to do him that favor if he gave her a second chance in return. Enma agreed and, after Izanami played surrogate for Koenma, I was created; Izanami's reincarnation and second chance. I was put in charge of placing the souls Enma judged in their proper resting place. The job was given to me as a reminder of the suffering Izanami released on the world; I became the curse that my incarnation placed on mankind, I became Death."
"It seems that Spirit World is quite keen on giving second chances," Hiei cut in from the corner he stood in, breaking the thoughtful silence as everyone slowly accepted the information she had given them.
"And you've run yours out," Machiko replied heatedly, "We have been interrupted long enough. Now, either prove your innocence or suffer my wrath."
Izanami's four older children looked on in confusion and Kurama walked over to them, bowing very low to the divine quartet before offering to explain the situation. The four deities took his offer and listened spellbound while Kurama expounded the details of what they had missed.
"You killed her!" Susa-no-o roared as he turned on Hiei, "I shall destroy you!"
"Susa! Don't," Ama-terasu ordered her younger brother, "He has yet to prove his innocence or admit his guilt, or so the red-head has told me. We must give him his chance. And if he cannot prove his innocence, then Machiko deserves the right to deliver the punishment for his crime."
The Impetuous Male grumbled as he backed down, knowing his sister was right, but wanting to vent his anger on the accused all the same.
"Well, Hiei, do you have any proof that you are not Machiko's murderer?" Koenma asked coldly from his desk, "Do you have an alibi, a witness, anything?"
Hiei glared at the ground before moving the heated yet resolved gaze to his current boss. "I have nothing but my word," he spat, "Do with me what you will."
A roar of anger rang from Susa-no-o but he was held back from completing his attack by two of his brothers, Tsuki-yumi and Kage-tsuchi. Ama-terasu stepped in front of him.
"I do not know who else could have been searching for Yukina, though," Hiei murmured to himself, "If they mean her any harm-"
"Yukina?" Machiko questioned, "What are you talking about? You came looking for her son, not a girl."
"I do not allow anyone living to pass without judging them. Their intentions must be pure," Death argued, "I can already sense your intentions are anything but. Now leave."
"My intentions are simple: to find a child, a boy."
"And what would Hina know about him? She is but an ice maiden-" the woman argued, but he interrupted.
"And the boy's mother!"
Hiei started, as did Yusuke and Kurama, a smile growing on the detective's face as he realized the mistake Machiko had made.
"Well, I am afraid you have just proved Hiei's innocence," Kurama said with a smirk, "Why would he need to ask Hina the whereabouts of his own person?"
"Excuse me?"
"Hiei is Hina's son," Kurama explained for Machiko, "The story fit because we knew he had, at one point, been searching for his sister, but now that we know the man was looking for Hina's son, not her daughter, it is obvious that it could not have possibly been Hiei."
Machiko looked at Hiei suspiciously, examining him thoroughly before sighing sadly, "You are right, it is not the same man. Now that I look more closely, his ki signature is different, though not by much. And he is a bit shorter than my murderer. The darkness in my room, while making it easier to spot souls, makes it more difficult to see the living. I apologize for my incorrect accusation, Hiei." The woman bowed low in an act of contrition before turning to everyone else, "I apologize for the stress I have put you all through at the thought of your friend's guilt."
"Friend," Hiei snorted silently in disgust before leaving in a flash of black, "Who would want me as a friend?"
Machiko, while unable to hear him, sensed his soul's self-hatred and pain. She watched him go, sympathetic to his dark and turbulent emotions.
"If he didn't kill you, then who did?" Susa-no-o asked, "We must find him so I may kill him."
Ama-terasu sighed as she waved her hand at her younger brother, finally giving up on controlling him.
"I think, maybe, it was his father," Machiko suggested, "The similarity of their ki signatures is comparable to that of a parent and child."
"So, Hiei has a dad, huh?" Yusuke asked, "I mean, I knew he had to have had one, but, it's not like we've ever heard of him before."
Koenma called an ogre in and asked for Hiei's classified file, "If the information would be anywhere, it would be here. I just hope Dad doesn't find out that I'm looking in this file or else I'll never be able to sit down again I'll get so many spankings."
It only took a few minutes before the green oni came running back in with a thick file and set it down on Koenma's desk with a solid thump.
"Well, at least it'll be close to the beginning," Koenma said as he looked at the file that was about half as tall as he was. He flipped open the manila folder and pulled out the top sheet.
Silence fell as Koenma skimmed over the fine print, his eyes finally catching the information he was searching for.
"Yuhei! No wonder! This man caused more uproar in the three worlds than Sensui did when he planned to open a tunnel between the Makai and Ningenkai," Koenma explained. "Ogre!"
Jorge came running in and, upon receiving the order to find Yuhei's criminal record and classified file, dashed back out almost immediately with Hiei's record and secondary orders to return the classified information to its proper place.
"It does not matter; I sense that his malevolent soul has been put to rest. We cannot do anything to a soul already judged," Machiko stated calmly, "Let it be. It is in the past now. If you'll excuse me…" The woman walked out the door without finishing her sentence, opening her senses until she locked onto the dark and tormented soul she had suddenly taken pity on. She had to find some way to make up for her mistake, but first she would make a quick side stop.
Chapter 3 Notes
Reikai does not accept the idea of presumed innocence. You are guilty until proven innocent to them.
Izanami's children (in order of age): Ama-terasu, Tsuki-yumi, Susa-no-o, Kage-tsuchi, and Koenma (added for the sake of the story).
Susa-no-o is often called the Impetuous Male