Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Love and Hate ❯ Crisis in Glacier Country ( Chapter 1 )

Love and Hate- Chapter 1: "Crisis in Glacier Country"

By Matoko Shizaki

Disclaimer: YYH is copyrighted by FUNimation. I don't own the show...wish I did...

Notes: This took a while to think up so I hope you like it. I think I'd have to dedicate this whole story to Kuwabara fans that feel that he doesn't get enough recognition. I sure feel this way! (If you hadn't noticed, I'm a BIG Kuwabara fan) So here's a break for Kuwa-kun and his fans! Enjoy!!! (No offense meant to fans of other characters such as Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke.)

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The wind was merciless as it tore at the young Koorime maiden as she trudged through the ankle deep snow in Glacier Country. Yukina put down her hood and looked out into the storm. Up ahead she could see a faint light coming from the caves. "Home." Yukina thought happily. "It will be so good to get out of the wind." Slipping her hood back on, she carried on towards the homely light.

Ice reflected the glow of the fire and the sound of dripping water echoed down the cavern. Yukina stepped inside and took off her cloak spreading it out on a rock to dry. "Ling? Kari? Is anyone here?" None of her friends answered and Yukina headed deeper into the cave with only the fire's reflected light to guide her. Her shoes padded across the icy floor calmly and the fire neared. Hearing a scream, Yukina's footsteps quickened. Yukina's heart beat faster and harder then it had the first time she met Kuwabara but this time it was not out of love. Her heart was quickening because of fear.

The main cavern was lit up brightly, so much that the ice on the walls had started to melt. Yukina stepped into something making a splash. Looking down cautiously, the ice maiden realized what it was. "Blood!" Yukina yelped tripping backwards. Bumping into something, Yukina had just enough courage to look back. A sliced and mauled body was propped up against the wall. The slain ice maiden's eyes were open in fright, her snow-white kimono stained with her own blood. More bodies were along the wall as Yukina soon realized. Screaming, she wheeled back and into someone.

The demon chuckled and laid his blood stained blade across Yukina's throat. "Well well, what have we here?" The others came out of hiding and Yukina found herself surrounded. "What we came for!" one cried. "Yeah! Revenge on Hiei!" another said. Yukina braced herself as the blade came neared to her chest. "Don't worry." The demon told her. "Your brother Hiei will join you soon after." As the sword came in for the kill, a demon snatched it up. "Don't use the Sword of Sorrow! She does not deserve such an honor." The others laughed evilly and the demon holding Yukina nodded. "You're right." He drew a long sword and put it to Yukina's chest. "Goodbye ice maiden!" Yukina cried out as the sword sliced her chest, ripping kimono and flesh alike. She dropped to the ground, her sight fading. "Kuwabara..." was all she could mutter.

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Botan followed Yusuke down the street, still in her schoolgirl get-up. "Yusuke, all Koenma said was he wanted you to come to the Spirit World." Yusuke Urameshi, his hands jammed in his pockets, laughed. "Ya, sure. I'm not giving up my vacation for that toddler." Botan stopped. "I told you that you should watch that mouth of yours Yusuke!" Yusuke stopped too. "Alright, well, you're just as clueless about this mission as I am!" Botan frowned. "True. Koenma is going to brief me on it. I shall tell you about it later." The Grim Reaper summoned her oar into her right hand and mounted it. Watching Botan fade into the clouds, Yusuke sighed. "And I thought I'd actually get some time off. Who am I kidding?"

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Kuwabara stopped short in the sidewalk, his forehead turning slightly blue. "What the?" The redhead looked around, trying to pinpoint where the strange feeling was coming from. Shaking off his feeling, Kuwabara continued home, hoping that it was noting.

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The doors to Koenma's office swung open and Botan walked in dressed in her pink kimono. "You wanted to see me Koenma sir?" Koenma looked up from his paper work. "Yes, Botan, sit down." A chair appeared in front of his desk and Botan took a seat. "I guess you've come to hear about the mission I'm sending you and Yusuke on." Botan nodded. "Yusuke refused to take the case unless he found out what it was ahead of time." Koenma bowed his head sadly. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for Kuwabara. Glacier Country was attacked last night." Botan gasped and leaned in. Koenma, for effect, leapt onto his desk. "It was a couple of renegade demons that attacked. Clearly some old..." Koenma coughed. "'Friends' of Hiei's. Everyone was killed to our knowledge even though there was only one target." Botan's fears got the best of her. "Who was the target?" Koenma sat down again. "Yukina."

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"WHAT?!?" Kuwabara's hands shook as Botan finished telling him the news. "I'm sorry Kuwabara. Yukina is dead for all we know." Tears sprung to Kuwabara's eyes but he fought them off with anger. "She can't be! No!" Yusuke felt sorry for Kuwabara, seeing him suffer like that. "Wait, you said she might be, right Botan?" Botan nodded. "That's what we need you guys to come and see. We need you to find out if there are survivors and find the demons that did this." Kuwabara wiped away his tears with his sleeve and nodded. "The least we can do is try."

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The wind was just a sad as the scene of the crime. The cave was dark with no light or life in it. Spots of blood had dotted the snow outside the cave and the bodies found were laid out in the snow before the four fighters. "None of them are Yukina. She could still be alive." Kuwabara said hopefully. Kurama rubbed his chin. "They look as if they've been killed with the Sword of Sorrow." "The what?" Yusuke asked curiously Hiei answered. "The Sword of Sorrow. It's an enchanted sword that was stolen years ago. None can survive after being struck with it." Kuwabara grinded his teeth. "Well if you wimps are done yapping, I'm going into that cave." Hiei snorted. "Go. Do as you like but I'll say it now: Yukina is dead." Kuwabara growled and charged into the shadows of the cave. Kurama turned to Hiei and sighed. "Why do you say things you don't mean?" Hiei ignored his partner and glanced back at the bodies.

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Kuwabara lit up the cavern with his rei-ken and walked through. The walls were dripping with blood and water from melting. His lonely footsteps echoed down the halls and he shook the snow from his winter jacket. "Yukina?" His calls were unanswered. The main cavern was the same as the rest of the cave. It was bloodied and torn.

A shiver ran up Kuwabara's spine and he cringed. "How many spirits are here?" he cried trying to fight off his fear. "Get a hold of your self Kuwabara! You've gotta find Yukina!" Kuwabara continued forgetting his awareness of spirits and keeping his hopes up of finding Yukina alive.

Kuwabara noticed something shining on the ground at his feet. Picking it up, he studied it. It was the golden locket Kuwabara had given Yukina the last time they saw each other. Kuwabara shuddered thinking of what become of his crush. Something moving in the corner caught his attention.

The fighter shivered but approached. "Someone...help..." an eerie voice called from the shadows. "Huh?" Kuwabara shone his rei-ken's light towards the shadows. Ice was piled in the corner, the trapped creature under it weakly trying to fight it. Kuwabara's eyes widened and he fell to his knees trying to shovel the ice off of the creature. "Hold on!" A cold hand emerged followed by a head. The Koorime maiden's hair hung around her face hiding it. Kuwabara dug her out and he lifted her into his arms. Across her chest was a slash, still bleeding, that had shown through the large rip in her kimono. Kuwabara brushed the maiden's hair out of her face and gasped. "Yukina! Y-You're alive!" Yukina smiled faintly and put her hand to Kuwabara's cheek. "...Kuwabara..." Her eyes were pained and red with weariness. Kuwabara set her down for a second and draped his winter coat over her. The he picked her up again. "Come on, let's go. You can crash at my place." Yukina closed her eyes and muttered, "Thank...you..."

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Yusuke leaned against the wall and watched as Kuwabara bandaged Yukina's wound with care. "There. All done." Yukina smiled through her fever. "Go to sleep now. You'll feel better when you wake up." Kuwabara said holding Yukina's hand. "Thank you Kuwabara-kun..." Yukina muttered before drifting into a sleep-like state. Kuwabara blushed and laid Yukina's hand across her chest. Yusuke smiled. "So, do you think she'll be okay?" Kuwabara put his hands in the pocket of his sweatshirt. "Ya, I think she'll be just fine." Kuwabara glanced back at Yukina and then lead Yusuke out the door, closing it afterwards.

"So, now all we have to do is find the bastards that did this." Yusuke said with a serious smile. Kuwabara clenched his fist. "Ya, and when I find those sons of bitches, I'll kill them with my bare hands!" Yusuke shoved him. "Oh ya, sure." "Hey, c'mon Urameshi! I can beat you so these punks should be no problem." "Since when?" Yukina smiled in her sleep and rolled over. "Some hero..." she muttered.