Yu Yu Hakusho: Rise | By : Demonic_Host Category: Yuyu Hakusho > General Views: 657 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Yu Yu Hakusho storyline, characters, or franchise. Nor do I intend to make any money off of this fanfiction. |
Author's Note:
This story is a rewrite of the story Raised; which in turn was a reimagine of an even older fanfiction I had written when I was a teenager. As a re-write of Raised it will have the same storyline. I just want to do it better than I had before. This includes adding a lot of things as well as just overall improve upon the quality of the story (I hope).
However, there are some things I want to make clear right now as it has sprung up multiple times in the past in ways that for a while took away my writing spirit.
This is a reader character; a story told in the second view. This is not a reader insert. What this means is that I will use the 'you' set pronouns when it's referencing the character. I do this because I do choose a background for the reader character as well as a personality. The only way to do a true reader insert is to make a CYOA / Choose Your Own Adventure Story. This is because a TRUE reader insert can not choose things such as backgrounds, personality to choose dialogue, looks, powers, abilities, skills, knowledge, or anything that can actually drive a story forward. To tell a story or create dialogue, the writer (such as I am) has to choose at least a background and personality...which is why this is a reader character story and not a reader insert story.
That being said, I try not to focus on names to help keep the immersion factor of a second perspective story. So if you'd like to insert your own name where I put a character's nickname or moniker, feel free! I just wanted to make it clear at the start that anyone who would like to bash on this fanfic because the character isn't a husk...I know and you're welcome.
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Yu Yu Hakusho: Rise
Chapter 1
There was a feeling of great relief that washed over you as you finally touched back onto solid ground once more. After spending far too long practically trapped inside of a small room on a small boat, even the chaos of a ship being unloaded all around you was welcomed. Though perhaps not as enjoyable for your traveling companion. Being in the middle of so many humans no doubt grated on his senses; not everyone practiced hygiene routines to please a fox's nose. Though to anyone looking, he wouldn't have appeared as the four tailed fox he truly was. Oh no; he'd used an old trick to make himself appear as a more suitable companion for a traveling woman such as yourself - the latest iteration was a Kishu Ken to be precise. You and he both knew that it was just easier if he tricked onlookers into believing he was a dog. That way it was easier to blend in as his true forms tended to draw quite the attention. If he showed himself as he was you had little doubt that there'd be people running away from the 'demon' in their midst. It had happened many times before and you had no doubt that it would happen many times in the future. Not that he particularly cared as far as you could tell; it would just mean that as you were so near to him, you'd have been ostracized by the humans around you as well. Which meant that you would no doubt have been denied food and shelter that you didn't have to prepare yourself. After such an arduous journey at sea the last thing you wanted to do was prepare your own dinner even if you weren't the one having to catch it. A few days of being catered to in order to replace the memory of the ship's rations would have been much appreciated.
Which was why the fox spirit decided to play nice and stay in a suitable disguise. It was a great kindness considering that unlike other fox spirits he seemed adverse to playing tricks on people. Or perhaps it was more along the lines that he was normally a bit vain; not that you helped to tame his ego, mind you. He was glorious in different ways in his natural forms. Though this canine illusion of his was cute. It could definitely grow on you. Idly you reached down towards where they'd be and you weren't disappointed; smooth fur, much like well spun silk, slipped through your fingers as you ran your hands down their spine. Though your reach did not extend all the way from their head to their tails you did the best you could.
"Come, time to find lodgings for the night," you said in a quiet voice.
Your silver companion was quiet as you and he walked towards the local settlement. It wasn't that far from the shore. There were more buildings than the last time you'd been there more than a century ago. Though compared to the cities of the Ming Dynasty you had just traveled through, Hakata was practically just a quaint fishing village. You found a place that accepted the small kernels of gold you traveled with in lui of any particular region's currency. And the room you were respectfully shown to was comfortable enough because of the generous amount you'd handed over. Not that 1 thumb's worth of gold was what you'd consider too much but it had seemed to be enough to help the person overcome their weariness of your features and manner of dressing. The hanfu you had on, while simple for the area you had departed, was apparently a great departure from the outfits that the locals wore. Not to mention the fact that your features didn't exactly blend in either. As you made yourself comfortable on the tatami mat floor of the establishment, you worked on retying the skirt atop of the blouse in an attempt to stick out less than before.
It wasn't too long until food was brought to the room. As the host left you to your meal, the fox's illusion melted away. No doubt with the way that he curled around you he wanted attention. It was just that your stomach had already accepted the scents of the food before you, gurgling to remind you of how hungry you were. Ship rations were not the most conducive to appeasing your taste buds. Nor had they pleased the silver fox you traveled with though he ate it none-the-less. Instead of paying him his due homage, you simply sat some of the grilled fish dishes closer to him. You could tell that the grilled fish brought in for him as well was far more pleasing. As you ate in relative silence, you opened the sliding door to your room just a little. Just enough to take in the view of the internal garden as you ate.
Perhaps he'd been a little too sated with the meal after such a long journey because when you finished he'd moved the trays away with his tails and stood before you in full glory. You smiled at him, feigning innocence, even as his muzzle touched your own nose.
"Very well," you said, rubbing one hand down towards the tufts of hair at his cheeks.
He lowered his head slightly so that you could place a small kiss just before his nose. Though even as you did so you felt him changing from one form to another. A clawed tipped finger, gently hooked, traced from your eye to your mouth. He hooked his hand under your chin and moved in for a kiss that was almost chaste before rubbing his now humanoid nose against your own. The fox spirit stood up from his kneeled position, white fabric falling and settling in a graceful way. You leaned back on your hands as you stared up at him. He really was beautiful.
"Try not to get in too much trouble," was what you told him with humor clear in your voice.
"Where is the fun in that?"
"I am quite sure you can entertain yourself somehow."
"Oh, without a doubt. Though perhaps I should advise you of the same."
You turned his words on him with a smile, "Where would the fun in that be?"
The look in his golden eyes was probably as amused as your own. Though the slight frown on his lips contrasted it. Onlookers might have even thought that such a fox before you harbored dark intentions with such an expression. You felt his tail flick you in the face on purpose as he turned around and with just a couple of steps, he'd gone beyond your sight. You stood up, one hand over your stomach as you appreciated the full sensation that came after such a meal. With just a little preparation you made your way towards the entry of the house. You lingered there for a moment until of the family members, or servants as you couldn't be sure based on clothing cues just yet, came out to see what you could possibly need.
"Is there a place where I can wash myself in this town?"
"Yes!" They answered with a smile. It seemed that the young woman quickly remembered to bring her tone back down to a more reasonable level as they continued to talk. "There was a bath house built but a month ago. Our town is blessed to have such a place. Or you may visit Joutenji or Shofukuji but they are more than an hour away."
"The bath house sounds lovely. I am sure it will show me the splendors of your home just as the temple would. Could you tell me how to find it?"
The young girl smiled at you as she nodded. It seemed that she was extremely pleased by your kind words concerning her home. You had a feeling she would have been which was why you chose to phrase it that way. Getting information out of people and perhaps reaping other such benefits tended to be easier when someone was happy with you. Plus you wanted to be a gracious guest as you acclimated yourself to the changes in the culture since you'd last been there. Thankfully though, while the girl was pleased that you found her home and her hometown pleasant she was direct enough. You were able to get out of your lodgings and find your way to the bath house with relative ease. Not only that but she had even introduced you to a family that you'd been able to buy spare clothes off of. Such a helpful little girl.
The bath house was nice. You washed down with a man made running stream of warm water as well as a rag before going into the real pearl of the place. The room was hot and steamy, perfect for relaxing in. So you did just that. You relaxed so much that you might even have fallen asleep if it wasn't for the fact that the door opened up. Another person, wrapped in a strip of cloth just as thin as the one you'd been given, moved into the room. He took up the other seat on the far side. Though as you tried to relax against the moist wall once more, the sound of him splashing more purified water onto the hot coals, started to cause prickles between your shoulder blades. You opened your eyes to see that the man had continued to lean forward as he stared at you.
"What are you?" he asked rather directly, perhaps even rudely.
"Foreign," you answered easily enough.
"From the continent?"
"Yes. Though I came from a land much farther away which is not controlled by the Emperor Zhèngdé."
"You look like a demon."
You raised an eyebrow at this man. "Do I? I am not. I am a human."
"Where is your husband?"
"I do not have one," which was true enough as far as he was concerned.
"Then where is your family?"
"They are no longer alive."
"You travel by yourself?" This time he didn't give you enough time to respond.
The man leached forward as you started to form the word for 'no'. He grabbed your wrist and pulled you out of a door you just realized existed. You didn't bother to struggle right away. Nor did you particularly care that all you had on was a thin wrap. What bothered you the most was the fact that you knew his fate already. It was not going to be a kind one. As the man continued to pull you beyond the reaches of the oil lamps and up into the hills, you let out a deep breath and prayed for the spirit of the man before you in a language he wouldn't have been able to recognize. The trees were in their greenest finery and the ground smelled fertile enough. The smell of decay and moss was even mild compared to the scent of all the living trees around you.
"Please, let me go," you asked him.
Once and only once would you ask him.
The man, whose covering magically stayed on despite the track, just laughed at you and shook his head. Once he'd gotten to a small hut that definitely needed some repair you saw that he wasn't alone. There were a bunch of men in various states of dress; some even had rusted, chipped swords. They had no idea what they'd just done.
"She will bring us a lot of money," one of the men called out happily.
"Despite looking like a demon?" you asked as you frowned as you predicted their fates inside of your head.
The sadness dissipated the moment the man dragging you slapped you in the face. You felt the heat from his strike and knew that it would bruise. Despite the pain you remained standing and, after you used one finger to whip away the moisture that had gathered because of the hit, you took in a deep breath. It would be mercy if you were the one to kill them.
"Does everyone here agree with this abuse?"
"It seems like she will need to be broken before she will be of profit for us," one of the men called out.
Your captor went to strike you again. This time instead of feeling pain you grabbed the man's hand as he drew back. You twisted his hand and brought him down to his knees with ease. Within a moment the man had a dislocated arm and you pushed him into the dirt. The men hanging out near the hut moved into action as you pulled the soul out of the man underneath you.
"Demon!" one shouted.
You shook your head at them as you dodged a sword strike. The man under your foot was no so lucky. The sword sliced into the arm which you had twirled around to dodge out of the way of the swing with.
"I am human."
The man that swung at you was the next to fall as his soul was pulled from his body. His flesh fell to the ground as it tried to cope without the soul; you hadn't taken the spirit energy that kept the body alive. Right now there were just two husks of men at your feet.
"Demon whore!"
Blood splatter hit you in the face, slipping between your lips, as the man's head was split open. Within seconds the hut was filled with the blood of the men that would have raped and sold you into prostitution. You didn't feel the slightest amount of pity for them given that you believed you had given them every chance. Though you weren't the one to kill any of them. No, if you had there would be a lot less mess around the area.
You picked out a small chunk of brain that tried to slip down between your chest. Unlike the man that had pulled you out into the forest, your covering hadn't stayed up during the journey without you holding onto it. Which meant that as you engaged in the fight it had fallen down. When you looked back up, expecting to see enraged golden eyes you were shocked to see red instead.
"You are a demon whore."
The last thing you saw was a twisted, sick grin as he used his claws to slash your throat.
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Kurama shot up from his bed, calling out for a name that he hadn't said aloud for centuries. The man took a deep breath as he pushed his bangs off of his clammy forehead. Kurama pulled back the cover and sat on the bed. His hands rested on his knees as he steadied his heart beat. As he stood up he had a flash of silver in the mirror where red should have been, and gold where there was now green. He blinked once to push back what remained of sleep. The dream he'd just lived through was part memory, part nightmare. One that was particularly more disturbing than he cared to admit. It was something beyond the moderate carnage that he had inflicted upon the band of men.
The young man looked down at his hand. Realistically he knew that there would be nothing on his fingers. Not even the claws that had been there in the nightmare. But the feel of blood plagued him like a phantom he couldn't shake even though his hands were clean of it - literally and metaphorically. He knew that he had seen the memory from your perspective, sadly that wasn't unusual for him anymore, but he also knew that wasn't real. It felt real and like a fog in his mind it obscured the actual memories. He focused on the fact that it wasn't real; he hadn't done that.
Kurama pushed through the fog as he got dressed and ready for the day of work. Everything, up to the cruel words his other form had said to you, had happened. The change seemed to be at the end where reality turned into a nightmare. He had never called you a demon's whore. Nor had he ever spilt your blood like that. His hand stilled on the tie that he finished knotting as he looked into the mirror.
Koenma.
He needed to speak with Koenma. If the nightmares were returning then something had to be wrong. He hoped that these last five years of assisting Spirit World had bought him enough good will with the child ruler that maybe, just maybe...
He tried to force down the hope. After five hundred years it was too much. Especially with the human heart he had gained. The most he could allow himself to hope for was to find out if you were well. Anything more and he might be tempted to rescind his own decision.
Still...the hope pulled at his core with such veracity that he almost forgot to tighten his tie as he headed out of the apartment.
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