Hey again everyone! This is the first chapter (cause the last one was the prologue) of A Reason to Live! I was originally going to put it up tomorrow but decided instead to do it today.
Before we go any further I'd like to thank Natsume-chan for reviewing the prologue...That's it. If I get enough reviews for this chapter then I will update by Wednesday or Thursday. If not then I probably won't put up the next chapter until the weekend. Haha now I'm blackmailing you. Lol joking, but seriously it would be much appreciated if you review because that just fuels my drive to write.
Anyways on with the story...
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Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Warnings: This chapter contains mild violence and dark themes (suicide).
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Chapter 1: Blood Stains the Pale
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"You headin' home?" The raven haired man asked, turning his chocolate eyes to the shorter of his companions.
The long, red haired man nodded. "Yes, I have an early appointment tomorrow." He said, his soft voice barely distinguishable over the racquet of the bar.
"Okay, we'll see ya' next week Kurama. Your place this time right?" The taller red head asked in his rough voice as the three of them slowly made their way out of the rowdy tavern.
"Indeed it is, Kuwabara. I trust the two of you will remember to bring the drinks?" The fox demon, Kurama, inquired, his emerald eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Of course! You don't really think we'd forget do you?" The dark haired member of the group replied incredulously. Kurama raised a thin elegant brow at his friend.
"Oh c'mon! Since when have I ever forgotten anything? I have a memory like a goldfish!" The youth boasted, a smug look on his tan face as the three came to a stop on the footpath just outside the building. However his expression quickly became one of confusion as the two red heads flanking him started laughing.
"Actually Yusuke, the correct phrase you're looking for is, 'I have a memory like an elephant'." Kurama managed between his giggles.
"…Oh yeah, I forgot…" Yusuke mumbled to himself causing his more feminine teammate to let out a rather undignified snort.
"Though your way of putting it seems to be very appropriate for you." The long haired man commented haughtily.
"Thank -Hey wait!" Yusuke yelled angrily just as his two friends once more burst into uncontrollable laughter. He glared at Kurama before he turned away and stalked off down the street, grumbling to himself about 'annoying foxes'. Behind him Kuwabara and Kurama, still laughing, said goodbye before parting ways, Kuwabara turning to run after the grumpy hanyou.
The fox demon chuckled as he started walking towards home thinking that tonight had been a good night.
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"Hahaha! You should have seen the look on your face! Oh man!" The raven haired man laughed several blocks later.
His red headed companion floundered. "Yeah…Well…SHUT IT URAMESHI!"
Yusuke and Kuwabara bickered loudly, their raucous laughter echoing through the empty streets as they walked. Even though their friend had left for home twenty minutes ago the two had decided to go for a walk. It was peaceful and that was something both appreciated after all the trouble and violence they had gone through in their short lives.
After several more minutes of hysterical laughing, Yusuke's exuberance dimmed with a soft sigh. Kuwabara immediately noticed his friend and rival's sudden change in attitude.
"What's wrong Urameshi?" He asked, his rough voice laced with concern.
Yusuke looked over at his best friend before sighing once more, his chocolate gaze turning to stare almost helplessly at the heavens.
"It's nothing really. I was just wondering where Hiei was. It's a little disconcerting that even Kurama couldn't find him, especially after how weird he's been acting since he came back."
"Wow, can you even spell that?" The red head asked incredulously.
"Shut up! I'm not that dumb!"
Kuwabara cast a glance at the raven haired man beside him, judging his expression carefully.
"Heh, so the shrimp doesn't want to hang with us, so what? His loss, not ours."
"Guess you're right. I just can't shake the feeling that something's wrong…"
Kuwabara nodded, silently agreeing with the hanyou. There was something wrong and the feeling was only accentuated by the sickly stench of that death hung in the air, carried by the seemingly innocent breeze.
A strong, gust of wind blew through the area sending a strange chill down their backs. The two boys tensed, sensing trouble they instinctively shifted into defensive positions.
"Did you feel that?" Yusuke murmured to the red head beside him, his eyes flickering around the empty street.
"Yeah…" Kuwabara replied.
"Something's very wrong…" Yusuke whispered. "C'mon we have to go!"
The spirit detective sprinted down the street, lead by nothing more than a sixth sense and his demonic and spiritual instincts.
"Hey! Wait up Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled, scrambling after his friend. As the two ran through the scarcely populated streets the human couldn't help shake the terrible thoughts that invaded his head.
'I don't like this feeling Urameshi…It feels like death…'
After ten minutes of running the two finally reached a small park on the outskirts of the city.
Panting quietly, Yusuke slowed. His fierce chocolate eyes scanned the moonlit scene, missing nothing.
The grassy field was carpeted thickly in hundreds of pale flowers, their petals opened wide to absorb the unusually bright light of the full moon.
At first glance the park appeared deserted and, dare he think it, peaceful. But the terrible feeling of 'wrongness' seemed to press in on them stronger and more desperate with every passing minute.
The two men walked warily through the area, their trained eyes searching every shadow thoroughly for any sign of trouble. Finally climbing a small hill the dark haired hanyou caught sight of something black kneeling among the field of flowers.
He silently signaled Kuwabara and slowly they crept closer, coming to hide out of sight just on top of the rise. Their eyes widened in shock at what they saw and Yusuke's breath caught in his throat.
'Hiei…' The name echoed almost mockingly through his mind. Indeed, there among the sea of vanilla was the mysterious fire demon. The shorter man looked hauntingly beautiful. His pale skin and ruby eyes seemed to glow under the ethereal rays that shone down and his face, relaxed and peaceful, was so very different to the harsh expressions he usually wore.
'I've never seen him look so…normal.' The spirit detective couldn't help but think.
Yusuke stared in wonder as full, pink lips moved sensually around the words the demon spoke, his almond shaped eyes filled with a fragile sadness he had never seen on the man before. Yusuke strained to hear what was being said but it was far too soft.
However he clearly heard the ominous 'shhhiiink' of Hiei's sword as the demon pulled the weapon from its sheath. The raven haired hanyou stared wide eyed, as the blade ran smoothly across a pale hand, leaving a trail of crimson welling in its wake. He could only watch in fascinated horror as blood glinted on the silver sword, dripping from its hilt and onto a blossom below, staining its pure white scarlet.
Kuwabara stared at the scene in front of them, pain in his grey eyes.
"I don't like where this is going…" The red head murmured roughly.
Yusuke silently agreed, but was too shocked to move. He could only sit there and watch as Hiei pulled his left hand up to join its partner on the metal under the hilt of the deadly blade. A blade Yusuke knew had taken many demons' lives. And it scared the spirit detective to think that it would take but one more tonight.
The swords tip came to rest lightly against its wielder's abdomen.
Another freak gust of wind blew angrily through the park and Yusuke finally broke out of his shock. A surprisingly desperate scream ripped itself from the hanyou's throat.
"HIEI!"
Before he even knew what he was doing, the young man was flying down the slope towards the fire demon.
Chocolate eyes watched as if in slow motion as the sword moved forward painfully slow. The tip of the blade moved easily though cloth and skin, blood spurting from the wound.
Yusuke let out another agonized cry as the metal disappeared further into the small body only to rip out the other side, stained red with blood and gore. Tears blurred his vision as Hiei swayed unsteadily, blood dripped down the demon's pale chin.
Yusuke dropped to his knees besides the shorter male not even seconds after he collapsed. With shaky hands the raven haired teen pulled his fallen comrade's startlingly light body into his arms.
Yusuke had never felt so cold in his life. He trembled uncontrollably, his tears slipping free to burn a blazing trail down his frozen cheeks.
"Yenma please…Please don't do this…" He whispered frantically as he gently tried to wake the unconscious fire demon, unaware of the tears that slid from his face.
Hiei could feel himself falling into the blissful oblivion of death when something hot and wet hit his cheek. 'What…?'
Yusuke sobbed in relief when he saw Hiei's dark lashes flutter upwards, revealing dulled rubies.
"Yu…Yus…ke..?" Hiei's voice came out soft and quiet, nothing like his usual baritone. Yusuke tried and failed to stem his hysterical cries.
Hiei smiled softly, a look that the detective would have loved to see in any other circumstance.
"I…I…I…"
Yusuke felt more tears slide over the lids of his eyes, burning down his face at his friends obvious difficulty speaking, a sign of his failing health.
"Don't speak Hiei…Save your strength." It was Kuwabara who spoke this time. But Hiei couldn't hear him; he had already slipped again into unconsciousness.
Yusuke felt a weight drop into his stomach, slowly spreading numbness through his over stimulated system. He barely registered it when Kuwabara placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"We have to get him to the hospital." He said sadly.
The dark haired man nodded dumbly. Looking at the broken form that lay weightlessly in his arms he couldn't help the dark thoughts that whispered through his mind. Cold, compassionless voices that told him that he was too late, that any attempts to save his fiery tempered friend were pointless.
Angrily he shook the thoughts away and, ignoring his shocked body's protests, stood.
"C'mon." He whispered harshly to his conscious companion, the two of them sprinting into the city's streets once more, racing to get their teammate to the hospital in time.
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'The time is close now, the end is near
My walk through the valley, trails of fear
I feel empty, my penance is overdue
I guess it's too late now, to be with you.
I'm extremely frightened of what will surely be
I sold myself, the death of me
I know you can't forgive me
I know I'm on my own
I know that I've betrayed you
I walk alone.
What exactly is the meaning of this
Just pawns in your twisted game
Severe pain for the lie I'm living
For a love I never could betray.
(Question me not say the Lord onto thee
You have chosen your own fate
And your own destiny.
Denied of this life, is what you are to be
You have chosen your own fate
And your own destiny.)
Lord I pound my fists at you
Won't you just let me die?
Would I not suffer enough?
No inner peace, no afterlife.
(Question me not say the Lord onto thee
You have chosen your own fate
And your own destiny.
Denied of this life, is what you are to be
You have chosen your own fate
And your own destiny.)
I did what I thought was right
All for the love of my life
I know it's sad but true.
Something is very wrong
Condemned to suffer so long
For a love so true…
The question that lies within
Is hard to understand
It still tears at me.
And in my dying breath
My heart holds no regrets
I wouldn't change a thing.
My spirit begins to rise into the heavenly skies
Just to be shunned away by you.
Now all I want is to die, no streets of gold in the sky
And I wash my hands of you!
(Rising to the heaven's light
Just to plea for death
Just to be denied.)'
A Question of Heaven by Iced Earth.
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And there it is. The next few chapters will me MUCH longer. I actually had to split what was originally going to be the next chappie into two because it was simply too long. I've planned it out and there will be eight chapters in total, not including the prologue.
And I will be placing the lyrics to a song at the end of each chapter. THIS IS NOT A SONGFIC. I am simply putting in songs that I feel suit the content of the chapter. I like it when other people do this because it allows me to expand my musical repertoire.
Please read and please, please, please review. Remember; reviews are the energy drink the update hamster in my head's wheel needs to go faster! =)