Author's Corner: Hello dear readers! I do apologize for the long wait. I was sent to a 3-day HR Conference in Cebu last week. It was both a learning experience and vacation. It has been two years since I last visited Cebu. I got my grades from my practicum this term and I got 3.5 ^^v Not bad considering I was juggling practicum and my full time work. I'll be on residency until January of next year which means more time to review for my major comprehensive examinations and more time to write fanfictions! (YEY!).
As always, let me take this opportunity to personally thank everyone for your continued support. Your reviews/comments/suggestions are very much appreciated.
heartluv, AimAnnieBuddy, and majo18: Thank you for constantly reading this fanfiction. Your reviews are very much appreciated.
Kinishira22 and Smexy Kitten: Thank you and I am truly overwhelmed by your support and encouragement.
Kurama M. Kitsume and darkangel: Kababayan thank you for reading and leaving your reviews.
Lexx096: Thank you for reading my fanfiction. I truly appreciate the review and comment you posted. I hope you will enjoy the succeeding chapters.
Feature Fanfic Recommendation: Ladies and gentlemen, please take time to read sweetcanine's Bubbleheads. It is a good read. The story is lighthearted and I cannot wait to see what will happen next!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own YYH and its characters. Let us all thank Togashi-sensei for creating these well-remembered and loved anime characters.
STAND STILL by Danielle Winters
Chapter 5: Flicker of Hope
Maya watched her beloved Shuichi as she helped him in his task. He was busy examining over the body of the person they called Koenma. She watched him as he furrowed his lips in anxiety. Maya held her hand to her chest. She could still hear in her head what Ayame and Kurama had discussed earlier.
"Ayame-san." Kurama called to the brunette deity sitting on the corner of the room. The deity stood from her seat and approached Kurama. Maya noticed the pained look on the deity's face. Kurama offered a small smile to Ayame. "You should be happy Ayame-san, a fragment of Koenma's soul has been left on his body. The symbol on his forehead had started blinking the moment I tried to touch this body. Furthermore, his pacifier has started to glow as well. I have reason to believe that these are signs of defense. I think the extraction of his soul was not completed." Kurama explained. Ayame's eyes widened and she did not make any effort to stop herself from cyring uncontrollably.
"You…you don't know how happy I am to hear what you said Kurama-san." Ayame said in between her sobs. "It gives me great relief to know that not all hope is lost."
"We will leave you with him for the meantime. I'll meet up with Yusuke and tell him about this." Kurama said as he lightly tapped Ayame's shoulder. She nodded at him and Maya while smiling amidst the tears flowing from her eyes. They then left her alone with her beloved fiancé.
Upon closing the door, Kurama breathed a sigh of relief. Ayame was right, not all hope is lost. He was about to walk downstairs when he felt warms arms wrapped around his waist and a warm body leaned on his back.
"Shuichi-kun…" Maya softly called. "Aishiteru…hontou ni aishiteru." She uttered in desperation.
"Maya-san…gomenasai for dragging you in this situation, This may seem so overwhelming to you but I promise to explain everything after." Kurama said as he gently unwrapped Maya's arms around him. He felt Maya tighten her hold of him.
"I'll go wherever you go Shuichi-kun. I'll be here for you no matter what happens. I can wait for your explanations but please don't send me away or leave me." Maya begged.
"Maya-san…I'll only put you in harm's -" Kurama was cut off when Maya released her hold of him, ran to his front and tip-toed to kiss him on the lips.
"Aishiteru Shuichi-kun…let me stay here with you…please." Right then and there, Maya made the resolve to make Shuichi hers by staying with him no matter what the cost.
Meanwhile, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Raizen and Mukuro (who was begrudgingly dragged away from Hiei) were in the Ramen Shop discussing the turn of events in Makai. Mukuro explained their situation before she and Hiei escaped from Makai. In return, Yusuke relayed to her what Ayame had explained earlier. Mukuro closed her eyes and slammed her fist against the wooden table in anger and desperation.
"So in the end they are using Makai as a pitfall again. Cowards!" Mukuro billowed.
"As long as Enki is in Makai, they will have a hard time succeeding." Raizen said confidently. "Enki will give them a hard fight."
"Yomi is still in Makai as well. Also, The Spirit Guards has been deployed there already to reinforce the kekkai barrier between the realms. Let's just hope that Enki stops the sacred guardian in Makai. I think that kekkai barrier does not have the same capabilities as the one Botan had set up in river Styx." Kuwabara added.
"Enki, with or without Yomi will be enough to hold Makai together. We need Yomi here in Ningenkai more in anticipation that a sacred guardian may have been deployed here even before the kekkai barriers in Reikai had been placed." Raizen asserted. "You guys don't stand a chance against sacred guardians and at this point, only the Mazokus have the power level that can match up with these idiots."
"Oyaji are you underestimating us?" Yusuke huffed. "We are strong and I can prove it to you by fighting you right now."
"I think that is not wise Yusuke, although I hate to admit that Raizen is correct on his assumption. We do not stand a chance against these sacred guardians." The group was surprised when they saw Hiei still clutching his side because of his injury, make his way towards them. Mukuro stood from her seat and assisted Hiei.
"So you're awake." Yusuke remarked.
"Hn." Was the flame demon's cocky reply.
"What made you say that we don't stand a chance against these sacred guardians huh?" Kuwabara challenged.
"Because I tried fighting one and that's how I got my injuries." Hiei retorted. There was a deafening silence that befell among the group and no one dared try to speak or stir the conversation to continue. The silence was broken when they heard footsteps coming from the stares and the main door of the ramen house opening at the same time. From the stares came Kurama and Maya; from the door, Yomi revealed himself. Kurama's eyes widened upon seeing his old friend in Ningenkai while Maya hid behind Kurama. She was scared upon seeing Yomi and Mukuro.
"Speak of the devil!" Yusuke commented as a playful smirk showed on his face.
"It seems everyone is here…and I sense Raizen among us." Yomi remarked as he entered and closed the door behind him.
"I was given a temporary second chance at life." Raizen said. Yomi did not comment on what he heard. He approached the group and sat on one of the wooden chairs.
"It is nice to see you here Yomi." Kurama said as he approached the group. Maya was still gripping his arm.
"One of the spirit guards was gracious enough to let me pass and to come and tell you the situation in Makai. I was able to put up the kekkai barrier after Mukuro and Hiei escaped to Ningenkai. The spirit guards are reinforcing the kekkai barrier already." Yomi reported.
"I guess for now, we do not have to worry about the exodus of panic stricken demons here in Ningenkai." Yusuke remarked.
"Enki-san has enforced measures to secure the boarders before I left. He has ordered a massive search on the sacred being in Makai. I believe that someone had thrown the sacred being miles away because of extreme emotional aggravation." Yomi explained while Mukuro coughed and cleared her throat. Everyone looked at Mukuro who was looking away from them.
"All is fair in love and war as the humans would say it." Raizen teased.
"Indeed." Yomi agreed much to chagrin of the only female Mazoku. "I also came here to warn you as well that the barrier between our realms will only be able to hold off the demons up to our power levels but not the sacred guardians. Only a divinity from Reikai can create a barrier that can contain a sacred guardian. It will take a lot of time to reinforce the barrier to match it to the level of the barrier that a god or goddess can created. At this point however, if the sacred guardian in Makai reaches the barrier, he can just tear it apart and instigate the exodus of the demons in your realm. Finding the sacred guardian is Enki's utmost priority now." Yomi added.
"Unfortunately, the divinities we can count on are injured or stuck somewhere. Koenma's soul has been ripped from his body. Ayame-san's ki can only cover a limited radius while Botan's stuck in river Styx holding off the sacred guardian in Reikai and the souls who escaped from the gates." Kuwabara retorted.
"Koenma has fallen?!" Yomi uttered in disbelief.
"He has not." Kurama interjected. "When I tried to examine him earlier, the symbol on his forehead and his pacifier glowed. It means that his body is trying to protect itself from outside forces and it will only be capable of doing so if a fragment of his soul is left on his body." Kurama explained.
"You mean to say that these beings did not complete ripping Koenma's soul from his body?" Yusuke clarified.
"Correct. Either George or Ayame-san unknowingly casted a spell around Koenma even before his soul has been completely severed from his body." Kurama answered.
"But he is still useless! He is still unconscious." Kuwabara said in exasperation.
"But our enemies are not aware that they did not complete the extraction of Koenma's soul. We have the upper hand on this game because we can just steal the soul and put it back on Koenma's reikai body." Hiei surmised. Kurama nodded in agreement while Raizen just smirked.
"Stealing the soul is a much more feasible plan than fighting a war among realms with just us." Raizen remarked. "After all, Yomi and Kurama here are master thieves and Yomi's a Mazoku. The rest of us can stay here and prepare for the worst." He added.
"Wait a minute! The dweeb was defenseless when these sacred guardians attacked. What makes you sure that he can re-establish balance and what-not once we return his soul and he wakes up?" Yusuke questioned.
"Koenma-sama can exercise his power of ultimate judgment while Botan will use her death scythe to forcibly rip the souls of sacred guardians from their reikai body." For the nth time that evening, the group was caught by surprise when George the Ogre made his presence known. The group was too busy discussing and planning their move to the point that they did not notice the blue ogre resting on a quiet corner after Ayame came with Kurama in Koenma's temporary quarters earlier.
"George! How long have you been there?" Kuwabara asked.
"Since you guys started planning. I was asked to step out by Ayame-sama earlier when she brought Kurama and his girlfriend to examine Koenma-sama's body." George answered.
"We really do have the upper hand here if Koenma can use the ultimate judgment." Raizen remarked.
"Oyaji, you seem to know what the ultimate judgment is?" Yusuke snorted.
"The ultimate judgment pertains to the worst punishment Reikai can bestow on any soul. Any trace of your existence will be eliminated and you neither go to paradise or hell. You are sent to limbo until your soul fades into nothingness." George explained.
"All of you sound so optimistic about stealing Koenma's soul. Maybe you have forgotten that we have no idea where they are keeping it as of the moment or whether it's still intact." Yomi commented. "It's as if you are demanding us to search all three realms which is a complete waste of time, energy and resources."
"I agree on Yomi with this one." Mukuro said.
"I think they are pretty obvious as to where they have taken the soul. If one of their goals is to reinstate Enma-daiou as the rightful leader of Reikai, the only logical course of action that these sacred guardians will do is to bring Koenma's soul to Enma as proof that he has no competition for the leadership of Reikai. Enma will be allowed to do as what he pleases with his son's soul." Kurama theorized.
"Assuming that they brought the dweeb's soul to Enma-daiou, all we have to do is go to where Enma is imprisoned and steal Koenma's soul before he does something with it." Yusuke surmised and Kurama nodded in agreement.
"And where is he imprisoned?" Kuwabara asked. Everyone turned their attention to George the Ogre.
Haruko watched in amusement as she watched Genkai and Toguro-otouto struggle against the swarm of souls trying to topple the deity of death who has casted the powerful kekkai barrier around the river Styx. She was enjoying the fact that she didn't need to exert too much effort in fighting off the Spirit Masters for the souls were doing it on her behalf. Haruko, however, could not help but admire the unparalleled dedication of her successor but she knew that it was in vein. Once Enma taker his throne, he can destroy the kekkai barrier that the deity created. Enma's ki is far more superior to the newly appointed goddess of death.
"My dear spirit masters, as much as I am enjoying this carnage, I am afraid that I need to end this party the soonest." Haruko said as she held her scythe. Toguro-otouto and Genkai both glared at her.
"So you're finally going to fight us." Genkai said in amusement.
"Fight you? Don't make me laugh. You're nothing but dust on my clothes." Haruko mocked. "And I pity my dearest Botan as well. So tired and already at her limits. I wish to end her pitiful state." She added. Botan just looked at her with an angry but weary expression.
"It is you who I pity Haruko-sama!" Botan said.
"Me? What is there to pity my dearest? Soon you will feel what I have felt and will wind up in the same path that I chose." Haruko said back. "You will grow tired of ferrying these souls when you know at the back of your mind that their existence shall end…might as well end it than prolong their miserable lives. Oh my dearest! You don't know the joy it brings when you use the scythe." Haruko added in a sing-song tone.
"I'd rather go to limbo than be the cause of the untimely deaths of any human or demon. We do not exist to toy with their lives or to exert power over them." Botan retorted.
"Such an idealist!" The former deity of death remarked. "We are gods and we exist to exert our power over their pitiful existence!" Haruko billowed angrily.
"You're wrong! They have free will!" Botan said back. Her tone was firm and confident which surprised Genkai.
"It's no use arguing with you dearest. This chaos shall spread in Ningenkai. Makai's inhabitants will bring havoc in Ningenkai and at the end of it all, Enma will rise, like a phoenix, subduing the demons back to their disdainful realm and seizing absolute control over Ningenkai and Reikai." Haruko said triumphantly.
"As long as I am here I will not allow that happen! Ningenkai have powerful warriors that can defend their realm from your forces." Botan countered. Haruko merely sneered. Genkai and Toguro-otouto fended off the souls that threatened to pull Botan from her post. "As long as we are here, we will never let you push through with your plans!" Botan shouted.
Haruko laughed maniacally from what she heard from Botan, Her eerie laughter echoed throughout river Styx. Her laughter seemed to have given energy to the souls struggling to topple down Botan and her protectors. When Haruko had stopped from laughing, the serene expression on her face was replaced by a murderous look, one that seems to give off the aura of blood lust. She held her scythe and took a stance as if preparing to attack. Sensing the danger they were in, Genkai summoned her Spirit Wave while Toguro otouto prepared to grab Botan and usher her to safety; however, both Toguro and Genkai were surprised when Botan summoned her own death scythe.
"Kekkai barrier complete." Botan said seriously. "And now, all of you shall go back to where you were placed after your judgment!" She billowed as she closed her eyes and began saying an incantation. Haruko froze on her spot upon hearing the words Botan was chanting.
"Oh river of life and death, open thy streams and flow to the seven gates. Serve the judgment bestowed on these souls and lead them to their rightful place. I command thee, calling your name given eons ago, Styx, swallow the chaos and let your powerful stream carry them forth to the gates." Botan swung her scythe and the river's already chaotic state had produced tsunami like waves and the paths to the seven gates turned to streams of water. "HEED MY CALL AND CARRY FORTH MY COMMAND. I AM YOUR GUARDIAN AND I COMMAND YOU, SERVE THE JUDGMENT!" And the tsunami like waves carried the swarm of souls that had escaped back from its gates. Once all the souls were carried inside, the gates closed itself and apparitions wearing black cloaks appeared on the gates. These apparitions were holding scythes similar to Botan and Haruko's scythes.
Botan smiled at her handy work as she felt her eyes slowly falling. The last thing she saw was the image of a man with fiery red hair and was smiling fondly at her.
Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei and Kuwabara froze. They felt cold and nervous for some unknown reason. George the Ogre stood and rush outside the ramen shop. The others followed the ogre and they were surprised when the ogre fell to his knees. Maya looked at the sky and smiled.
"Look, the sky has cleared up!" She cheerfully remarked. Everyone followed suit and noticed that the sun was rising.
"What is this weird feeling!" Kuwabara commented as he clutched his chest. "It feels like that time when we lost Genkai…"He added.
"Botan…you didn't…" George uttered as he slammed his fist against the pavement.
TO BE CONTINUED