Another day that may only be a dream, A KuramaXOC
By:~Pinkbun17~
Written: 10/23/24
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I wouldn't mind the rights! Haha!
YusukexKeiko, KuwabaraxYukina pairings supported!
Keep this in mind, readers!
Story Format as always:
*READERS PLEASE READ MEH!*
Youko's Thoughts: I'm still rather annoyed with your recent choices, little Shuichi.
Kurama speaking to Youko in his head/his own thoughts: *Ha! And what right do you have to be cross with me. I am you after all.*
Inner thoughts of other characters: 'Man, if I had to fight with myself all the time, I'd low-key be critically insane.'
Hiei's Inner thoughts/speech when he is talking to someone in their head: ~And who's to say you're of sound mind, hm?~
Anything said in Sinhalese:"And here I thought I had all the mental issues?''
A Few Inventions from the Spirit Lab! (Really my creations...-cue evil laugh-)
Spirit Bands: Comes in various colors, it appears as a typical rubber/silicon wristband, however; it contains excess spirit energy in case of emergencies. The phrase 'Spirited' is on all bands. The only side effect is the material may be a possible minor skin irritant.
Articulation gum: The user gains the ability to speak any language temporally as long as it is carved into the gum itself and spelled properly. This gum requires a bit of spirit energy. Over time, it is possible to gain the ability semi-permanently. The downside is a horrible lingering bitter taste, and must be swallowed at exactly the right time, otherwise one will speak the language backward. (The same thing will happen if it is spelled incorrectly)
–ⲱ–ⲱ–ⲱ—ⲱ–
Quick Recap:
Rejected by Kurama, Aisha reluctantly makes her way home with her abusive father, tied up in the memories of her parents' abuses. The thought of leaving her younger siblings behind to face their parents' cruelty gnaws at her heart, but what about protecting her loved ones from the demons who are after her?
Meanwhile, Keiko had unexpectedly tumbled out of a portal and is piecing things about Yu Yu Hakusho and this second world with Kurama.
Around the same time, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara have all arrived in Aisha's world, spread out across neighboring cities in East Ray of Bos Bngeles. An evil aura has presented itself and unfortunately, the carrot top is the first to encounter it. A plant demon is about to attack a young child, but he steps in to stop it.
From colorful South America, Botan and Yukina (who was also sucked into a portal from the Yu Yu Hakusho world) are making their way towards Kurama in Southern California.
Soon enough, the Yu Yu Crew will be united but with looming forces closing in, and the fate of both worlds, the outcome may not be in their favor…
TRIGGER WARNING: Death, violence, and gore!
‧༉‧.‧༉‧‧༉‧.‧༉‧
Chapter 43: A Villainous Vegetable and a Welcome from the Corpse Party
-Flashback-
Day 6: 5:25 pm
Rosethrone, CA
Third-Person POV:
The carrot top waits for the tiny girl to run for cover and then hollers,
"Spirit Sword, get long!" His booming voice echos around the area, and he stomps forward, ready to jam his glowing weapon into the giant lima bean appearing plant demon.
The demon barely reacts, its leafy vines twitching as if it were more annoyed by his shouting than the actual threat of the Spirit Sword.
Its dull, bored giant red eye blinks slowly at him, but the sheer speed of its other movements has Kuwabara slightly taken back, considering the ugly creature seems so sluggish.
"Seriously? Listen here, you nasty green potato!"
Kuwabara barks, taking a step forward with determination. He steals a quick glance over his shoulder at the little girl who's cowering behind a short steel fence, still clutching onto to her tortoise and her light chocolate colored puppy.
'Damn, she's probably too scared to run further away and came back here. I need to end this quick.' He thinks to himself, frowning.
Her light green eyes reflect a primal kind of fear that no child should experience.
"Don't worry, kid. This big ugly vegetable doesn't stand a chance against me! When this is all over with, I'll grab some butter and salt and roast this thing!" He quips, throwing a cocky grin her way, and she giggles a bit.
But the lima bean demon, if possible, glares even more bored. Its vines rustle as if it's letting out a sigh. Clearly, it isn't impressed by Kuwabara's bravado. It exposes its gnarled yellow teeth in a crooked grimace.
Kuwabara growls. "You hear me, houseplant? You're about to get diced!" He charges forward, Spirit Sword raised high, ready to skewer the sluggish-pesky weed once and for all.
However, just as his energy blade is to connect, the demon slithers with surprising speed. One of its thick, bottle-green vines snaps out and wraps around Kuwabara's waist, hoisting him into the air like he weighs nothing.
"GAH! Let go of me, you stupid salad!" Kuwabara screeches, flailing as he dangles upside down in midair.
For a split second, as the world spins upside down, he can't help but imagine Urameshi, Hiei, and Kurama—hell, even Botan—standing there, watching him get his ass handed to him by a giant plant. They'll never let him live this down.
'It's just a ridiculous-overgrown bean! Why is this taking so much Spirit Energy?' He thinks, scowling.
No matter how comical this demon appears, there's no time to dwell on appearances.
It's viney shadow looms over the tan child, preparing to clutch her and her pets. Her little puppy begins to growl, but it instills no fear in the plant monster.
Panic surges through carrot top's veins. He will keep them all safe, or his name isn't Kazuma Kuwabara.
"HEY! I'm not done with you yet!" Kuwabara roars, his Spirit Sword flaring to life again as he twists his body and swings the bright blade in a wide arc, slicing through the vine tangling him.
He lands with a soft thud, onto the dry dead grass of the backyard but scrambles to his feet, sandwiching himself between the unwelcomed plant and the trembling trio (child, tortoise, and puppy).
He swings his sword with all the strength he can muster, the energy blade cleaving through one of the demon's other vines.
Its red eye widens in pain, and it recoils with an ear-piercing shriek, the strange cry echos through the entire neighborhood and Kuwabara notes how hideously loud its voice is. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he grins despite his heavy breathing.
"That's right! I can hurt you, you gross ass legume! You think you're tough? I've seen tougher vegetables in a salad bar."
For the first time, the demon's blood-red eye narrows, as if realizing Kuwabara is more than just a noisy human. Its remaining vines lash out, cutting through the air like whips, ready to strike him down.
Although feeling oddly sluggish himself, he plants his feet firmly on the cracked pavement, and states, "You picked the wrong guy to mess with!" He lunges forward, his Spirit Sword crackling with energy as it elongates. "SPIRIT SWORD—GET LONG!"
The glowing blade slices through the demon's body, severing its connection to the living world. The hideous toothy plant lets out a horrid wail before crumbling into a pile of limp, lifeless bottle-green vines.
Panting heavily, Kuwabara dismisses his sword, his entire body aching from the effort. He turns to check on the girl, who is now standing behind him, her eyes wide with awe and relief. Not a scratch on the kid!
Kuwabara forces a grin, attempting to hide his exhaustion. "See? Told ya I had it handled," he says, his voice a little more breathless than he intends.
The tan, tiny girl blinks, then offers him a weak but genuine smile. "Th-thank you, mister," she whispers and releases her pets from her feeble arms and hugs Kuwabara's long leg.
The light brown puppy bounces around the tall lad happily, and he pets the cute fur ball. Even the tortoise wobbles closer to examine his tired face.
The young man scratches the back of his head, feeling a bit sheepish now. "Ah, no problem, kid. Now you take care of yourself and your little friends."
Waving goodbye to the teeny trio, Kuwabara takes a few glances at the sliced body of the deformed beastly plant.
"Man, what a wimp," he grumbles under his breath. "Didn't even put up much of a fight."
But even though the creature was pathetically weak, it's strange how drained he feels now. He's unsure if it's just the adrenaline wearing off or something else...
Digging out a blue, goofy looking cat patterned handkerchief from his pocket, he carefully plucks a piece of vine and tucks it away.
'Maybe Kurama can analyze exactly what kind of plant monster this bastard was. I have a feeling this thing sucked up my spirit energy.'
Just before carrot top strolls off, the tiny tortoise from before lumbers towards the mangled plant. The shelled little guy pauses. Its dinky black beads for eyes glint with interest, before gradually chomping on a thick, bottle-green vine.
Kuwabara chuckles, amused. "Guess nature finds a way, even if it involves a tiny turtle with a huge appetite. Wonder if it will spout a third head?"
Glancing at his wrist, a yellow silicon band adorned with the phrase, Spirited, the carrot top is grateful there's a bit of energy still within the bracelet.
Texting the group chat, Kuwabara begins his journey to Kurama's condo in the city of Borrance.
According to GPS, it's about a 20-minute drive from the city, Rosethrone he's currently in. After a quick online search, he finds a local bus route and heads towards the closest stop.
'If there's more of those overgrown lima beans out there, we're seriously gonna struggle…'
Interrupting his thoughts, several voices, screaming frantically in Spanish, echo down the alleyway he just left.
'Annd that's my cue to bounce.'
:༅｡.｡༅*･ﾟﾟ･*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅*ﾟ:༅｡.
Five minutes later
Remembering he had a few sticks of articulation gum in his pocket, he quickly carves the word Spanish in Japanese.
'I know this will come in handy again.' The tall male smirks to himself.
૮₍ •. • ₎ა ૮₍ •. • ₎ა
-Flashback-
Day 6: 5:45 pm
Englehood, CA
About an hour has passed since Hiei stumbled into this second human world and so far, nothing has colored any sort of positive thought in his mind.
This town he's been exploring has a strange, disjointed feel to it—an uneasy blend of the old and new, as if someone has haphazardly patched two different worlds together.
On one side of the street, old, dilapidated businesses sit with windows boarded up or broken, their signs faded and peeling. What had once been local shops and small family-owned places were now ghosts, abandoned to rot under layers of graffiti and grime.
Their cracked sidewalks and empty lots are like scars, remnants of a past that had been carelessly discarded.
Yet, towering over these relics are sleek, glass-covered modern arenas, hotels, and high-rise condos—gleaming structures that clearly belong to a different class of folks. The disparity is stark and uncomfortable.
Bright LED billboards advertise luxury apartments, boutique gyms, and pretentious cafés, offering a lifestyle that's completely out of place among the ruins that surround them. The new is suffocating the old, and it reeks of gentrification.
Hiei's sharp gaze glares at it all. He senses the bitterness hanging in the air—those who had once lived and thrived here had been forced out, booted from their homes, no longer welcome in this polished version of their city.
Only the shell of their existence remains, slowly being swallowed by the flashy, cold structures that loom overhead.
He clicks his tongue in annoyance. "Humans…" he mutters, his eyes narrowing as he steps past a gated construction site, where a half-finished tower gleams in the fading light.
The prosperity of this place is as fake as the smiles on the billboards. The contrast reminds him of certain parts of demon world, and it leaves a foul taste in his mouth.
~A demon attack could happen here, and it wouldn't even be the worst thing that's happened to this city~, he muses darkly.
Using his third eye, he scans the area for any signs of unusual energy, but once again, nothing has given him any real reason to act.
Although it's eerie quiet, the heavy atmosphere gnaws at his instincts, telling him something isn't right.
His boots tap lightly against the cracked pavement, passing shadowy alleys and forgotten corners where weeds have begun to claim back what the city has neglected. Even that little noise feels like a disruption to the heavy silence pressing down on him.
Venturing further into the older section of town, it's then a revolting, but familiar stench smacks him across the face.
~Perhaps I spoke that too soon.~
The scent of rot faintly clings to the wind, barely noticeable at first, but grows stronger as he approaches a set of old, rundown buildings.
The place appears long abandoned—crumbling bricks, shattered windows, and rusted metal gates that hang crookedly on their hinges.
Curiosity—and a nagging suspicion, drives him forward.
Stepping through the broken doorway of one of the crumbling structures, its sign is too faded to make out.
Inside, darkness ravages the space, and dust swirls in the stale, but foul, air.
His penetrating stare cuts through the gloom, making out debris and scattered furniture. Old chairs, shelves, and abandoned goods litter the floor, as though the occupants had left in a hurry, or simply never returned.
Once again, the nasty scent of decay slaps his senses—stronger now, sickly, and unmistakable. His nose twitches in disgust, and as he steps closer, he fights the urge to gag.
Slowing his pace, he treads silently, careful not to make a sound. Once more he senses no demonic presence, but his instincts scream at him to be ready, and his hand reflexively hovers near the hilt of his sword.
The building's back is hunched in shadow, swallowing the meager light that dares to penetrate its narrow corridors. And then, as he turns a corner, the source of the stench, like a festering wound, slams into him, unveiling a putrid truth.
Bodies.
Piles of them, both human and demon, intermingled as a blood-soaked canvas, each body a brushstroke of tragedy.
Hiei's breath catches in his throat for a split second, but he composes himself rapidly.
The young man has witnessed enough brutality and death in his life that it hardly fazes him, but the sheer number of them piled like garbage sends a flicker of unease through him.
The corpses are in various states of decay, some fresher than others, but all of them carry the unmistakable signs of violence.
Bits of flesh and bone are plastered to the walls and cement floor, and the odor of death is a pungent cocktail of iron and vile actions.
Hiei creeps closer, crouching near one of the piles of rotted flesh—a demon, its eyes glassy and lifeless, its chest torn open. Nearby, a human lies in a similar condition, their limbs twisted unnaturally.
It wasn't just a demon attack. Whatever had done this had been methodical, brutal, and indiscriminate.
Hiei's brow furrows, and he mutters under his breath sarcastically,
"What a way to welcome someone."
His hand clenches again around his sword's hilt as his eyes sweep over the carnage, as if to burn it to his memory.
The creature that created this mess had left behind no signature, no trace of its power, as if it had moved through this place like a shadow.
Suddenly, a faint sound echoes from deeper within the building—a shuffle, barely noticeable over the silence. Hiei stands immediately, muscles tense, his sword now drawn.
"Who's there?" His voice is low, deadly.
For a moment, nothing. Just the eerie stillness of the abandoned building.
Then, a faint, terrified whimper—a human sound.
Pushing forward, Hiei's crimson eyes flash dangerously, his every step deliberate, calculated. The source is coming from a small storage room at the end of the hall, the door slightly ajar.
Shoving the door open with the tip of his sword, he menacingly sticks his weapon out.
Inside, crouched in the corner, like a wounded animal, is a human man. He's a silhouette of suffering, his clothes are filthy, caked in blood – his own, perhaps? The man's mahogany brown eyes, unnaturally wide, seem to hold the echoes of a thousand screams.
"What the hell happened here?" The Jaganshi holder demands, still holding his weapon up.
The older male, perhaps in his 50's only lets out a screech, a high-pitched, animalistic sound that sends a shiver down Hiei's spine.
The crimson eyed male backs away, shoving his sword back into its hilt, and he realizes this person is no longer of sound mind. Using his third eye, Hiei dives into the frighten man's thoughts.
The screams, the terror, the carnage – the man's mind is a shattered landscape littered with the ghosts of his own nightmares.
The images of demons, their grotesque forms mangled and of humans being twisted, and torn dripping with blood, is seared into his memory. The man had seen things no human should ever witness, and it's erased his humanity.
Just then, the shell of a man lunges at Hiei, his eyes brimming with primal fear and desperate rage. The third eye holder sighs, knowing this man was no real threat, but rather a casualty of torment.
Raising his fist and with a swift, clean motion, he knocks the older male out cold. As the human crumbles to the floor, Hiei gently places him in a leaning position and even covers him with the blanket the man had with him.
Hiei stands there, watching the man's chest rise and fall, and the man's expression exposes a semblance of peace in the temporary oblivion of sleep.
Anger arises in the fire demon, and exiting the building, he calls the detective, informing him of the shit show he just stumbled upon.
~ Just another reminder—this world has no place for sympathy. Instead, it festers with madness and fear, corrupting both demons and humans alike.~ Hiei grimaces to himself.
"Damn it all... to have it shoved in my face again and again…"
﹏
To be continued…
My Notes:
Wow, it's been months since I've updated this story, all I gotta add is my personal life had taken a dive, but yay for spooky season! This chapter is about 12 pages long with 12 inch font. Just wanted to add that I don't think Kuwabara would know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise, haha. I appreciate all the activity and interests/reviews I've seen in the past few months, and it really encourages me to write! This story has been tangled in angst and tragedy, but I hope for a better future for our beloved characters. Take care and enjoy Halloween!
Rock Out & Peace on!
ᗊ*
~Pinkbun17