Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ The Shaman Files ❯ A Talk in the Dark ( Chapter 2 )

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Chapter 2 - A Talk in the Dark
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Kurama lay in his futon awake. Staring up at the ceiling. Kasato. It had been years. Centuries. Kurama closed his eyes and thought back, long ago. Not on his memories, not the memories of Shuuichi. The memories from long before he was born. His past life, when he was the Youko Kurama. The great thief. The powerfull nine tails. Feared and respected by all. He thought back even further. Before he had his nine tails. Back to a time when he had six tails.
He wasn't alone back then. He had friends. Kasato and Rin. Both six tails like him. Kasato was quiet. Not the friendly type. He was especially cold towards people they didnt know. The only people he'd ever open up to were Kurama himself, and Rin. Kasato loved Rin. He never once came out and told her, but it was obvious, everyone could tell, even Rin knew.
But Rin's heart went to another. It was Kurama she cared for. Kurama remebered her. She has long hair as white as snow, and violet eyes. Her hair ended in curls. She had a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. And yet, Kurama did not return her love. He was fond of the girl. He just wasn't in love.
The three kitsune had taken a sojourn into the human world. They stood on a forrested mountain. Kurama was standing by a lake, he cupped some water in his hand to drink. It tasted wonderfull, fresh, cold. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the lake. He blinked and sniffed the air again. He smelled it, very very faintly, smoke. As if something was burning. He turned around to his friends. Kasato was leaning against a tree watching Rin, as she lay in the grass, watching the clouds. "Do you two smell that?"
Rin sniffed the air. "All I smell are the flowers." She said.
Kasato sniffed the air, his ears perked and he looked around. "...fire?"
Rin sat up and sniffed the air again. "I smell it too. ...wait, whats that?"
The three stood up, they all senced a presence. A powerfull one. far stronger then any they'd ever encountered before. Kasato went to stand by Rin, protectively. Kurama stayed by the lake, listening. A man walked out from behind some trees on the other side of the lake. He was a human. Handsome actually. A well chiseled face. The kind you'd expect to see on a lord. He smiled at them. It was a kind and relaxed smile.
"Hmm, three kitsune. Six tails no less. Would one of you like to come with me? I can offer you great power. Far beyond your wildest dreams." The man was dressed in strange clothes. They did not look Japanese.
Kurama's curiosity was piqued. "Power? What type of power?"
"Kurama, let's go. I have a bad feeling." Kasato said.
Rin nodded. "Something is not right about that man."
"He's just a human." Kurama said.
The man laughed. "I'm beyond normal humans. I am a shaman."
Kurama flicked his tail. "Shaman? I am neither impressed nor intimidated. But you sound so sure of yourself, I cant help but wonder, just how are you intending to give us power?"
The man crossed his arms. "Join me and I will tell you."
Kurama grinned, baring his fangs, his ears flatteining against hs head. "Hrm, maybe I should just see what your capable of the old fashion way, hmm?"
"Kurama, lets not do this...something is not right." Rin said. Looking around.
Kasato hissed. "Something coming."
The trees behind the man were pushed asside, catching fire as they fell and burning to ash before they hit the ground. A creature stood behind him. It was tall, close to 15 meters tall. It's body shimmered, but it was not solid, it was made entirely out of flame, oozing along as it walked, like liquid fire. Its face consisted of two circles that might be its eyes, two antlers grew from its head.
"...what is that?!" Rin cried out.
The man smiled. "This is the Spirit of Fire. My over soul." The Spirit of Fire walked into the lake and there was a blast of steam, all the water had evaporated. "Now then, Kurama is it? You've been rather smart mouthed, so, I believe I will take you wether your willing or not. You need to learn some humility and I believe I can teach it to you. Think of it as a favour."
"KURAMA!" Rin shouted out.
"Rin, Kasato! Get out of here!"
Kasato stared at the Spirit of Fire. "I'm not leaving you behind."
"Dont be an idiot!" Kurama said. "Take her and go! He'll kill us all. Escape with her!"
Kasato stared at Kurama, then grabbed Rin by the arm and started to run. He'd gone about two steps when Rin slashed him with her claws. "Kurama!" She shouted and ran back to him.
The Spirit of Fire was fast. Before Kurama or Kasato knew what happened, it had snatched Rin in it's hand. Their was a scream, a terrible screamk of pain that echoed all over the mountain. A scream of suffering and agony. Then silence. The Spirit of Fire's hand was empty.
"The purest form of fire." The man explained. "It burns all. Skin, muscles, hair, blood, bones, teeth....even the soul. Even the ashes. Nothing is left. Rin has gone to oblivion."
Kurama could only stare. How could this have happened. In less then a second. Rin was gone. He fell to his knees. This was his fault, he'd taunted the man. Why hadnt he listened to his friends?! A kick to the back of the head sent him sprawling to his face.
Kasato glared down at him with loathing. "...you bastard! She's dead! Dead because of you! ...you could never let go! You always lead her on! Even now...she went back for you.....you selfish bastard! Why couldn't you let go?!"
Kurama could only stare. He tried to speak but no sound came from his lips. He stared. He watched as Kasato walked over to the man. He watched as the Spirit of Fire lifted them both up in it's hands, not burning either. He watched as it reshaped itself into some sort of giant bird. "You will be one of my harbringers." He watched it fly away.
Kurama jerked up in bed, sitting up, breething hard. He pressed his fingers against his cheek and was not suprised to find them damp. He pushed back the covers and pulled on his pants. He left the bedroom. He needed something warm to drink.

Kurama started to open the door to the kitchen open when he heard a noise. He opened it just a crack and peaked inside. Manta was there, sipping some tea. The girl, Tamao was there as well.
"So you couldnt sleep either, Tamao?" Manta asked.
"N-no. Ever since those visions...I've always been nervous. What will happen to Yoh. And all the others."
"You're worried about him, huh?" Manta asked. "Even though he's engaged to Anna."
Tamao nodded.
Kurama frowned.
"I care about Yoh. But, he doesnt belong to me. He belongs to Anna. And...Anna belongs to Yoh. No matter how I feel."
Manta smiled a bit.
Kurama blinked. Strange way of phrasing it but then this girl was strange.
"Well, atleast you help somehow. I always feel like a burden." Manta sighed.
"....you help. Alot." Tamao said.
Kurama pulled the door closed softly, to not make a sound and decided he didnt need a warm drink after all. Maybe some fresh air was better.

Horohoro sat outside by himself. He was turning the prayer stick his sister made for him in his hands. Once again Tao Ren had saved him. Once again he was wrong. Just once he'd like to save the others. He sighed at the silly notion. The more things went the less and less likely it seemed that he'd get to be the Shaman King.
He tossed a stone. "I have to be the Shaman King. I have to plant my Fuki field and save the Koropikles. Their counting on me. All of them."
"And you think moping is gonna help? Idiot."
Horohoro turned around. Tao Ren was standing there, he'd probably gone out for a walk and just got back in time to hear him talking to himself. "Shutup! And I didnt need your help this afternoon!"
"Yes you did. You're weak, undisciplined, untrained, unfocused and uninteligent. You'd be dead now had I not intervened." Tao Ren corssed his arms.
"...says you. And if I'm so worthless why'd you save me?"
Tao Ren turned his eyes to study Horohoro. "Sometimes I wonder that myself. Hn. I need you. You're a member of my team. If you die I'll be disqualified from the Shaman Fight."
"Psshhh. You only picked me cause you said Yoh needed the strong people on his and that I suck."
"Yes. And now I need you to stop acting like an idiot and shape up or I'm going to lose to Yoh's team because I cant count on you. Stop holding back. You too are powerfull."
Horohoro remained silent.
"....get some rest." Tao Ren looked up at the roof, then headed inside.
Horohoro sat there for about ten minutes. Tao Ren told him to go to bed, so, he'd stay up.

Hiei was sitting on the roof, looking down at the two teenage boys. It was hard not too. The idiot was very loud. Hiei senced a presence loom behind him. A powerfull presence. "Couldn't sleep, Fox?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing." Kurama answered, sitting down next to his friend. "What do you think? Is he holding back?"
"He's an idiot." Hiei said flatly.
"An idiot who gave you quite a fight from what I understand."
"Chocolove was interesting. This one was just anoying."
Kurama chuckled. "Yet you keep watching him."
"Hn. It amazes me that a creature as stupid as him could function. Kuwabara is a genius in comparisson."
"Perhaps what bothers you so much is that you only see the glaring differences between the two of you. Perhaps if you took the time to get to know him, you'd see that he's worth respecting."
Hiei snorted. "I doubt that."
"If you were Tao Ren, would you want him in your team?"
Hiei went silent for a moment, finally he turned to look at Kurama. "What do you care what I think of an idiot?"
Kurama opened his mouth to answer but a loud splat made him blink and forget what he was going to say. Hiei had fallen onto his elbow, a snow ball plastered to the side of his head and the most priceless look of shock on his face Kurama had ever layed eyes on.
"I CAN HEAR YOU TALKING UP THERE, ASSHOLES!" Horohoro shouted from the ground below.
Hiei stood up and stared down at Horohoro, his face showing more emotions then Kurama had ever seen Hiei show before in his life. It went from disbelief to sheer anger to frustration to disbelief. Hiei moved his mouth as if wanting to say something but couldn't find words. He drew his sword and held it as if he was going to attack but just stood there, blinking. He touched the snow on his collar and then looked at his fingers as if to check and see if this had trully happened. Hiei then satred at the youko. It was at this point that Kurama realised he was holding his sides, laughing so hard that tears were rolling from his eyes.
Hiei turned around and walked inside.
Kurama stood up and looked down at Horohoro. He kept chuckling. Idiot or not, there was something refreshing about that gesture. A snow ball, it was so innoscent. Perhaps that's what bothered Hiei so much about Horohoro. Hiei'd given almost everything up to attain his power. His youth, his sister, his right arm, his emotions. Here was a boy, on the path to become as strong as him and he maintained his innoscence, had the heart of a child and showed his emotions openly. Could it be that a part of the fire demon was jealouse?
Kurama looked over at the trap door through wich Hiei entered the inn. It was late, and Kurama should try to get atleats some sleep. He followed Hiei in.

Kuwabara entered the living room. He couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about their enemies and wondering what was going to happen. Bokuto no Ryu was sitting on the couch, watching television. "Hello, Kazuma. Couldn't sleep either, huh?"
Kuwabara shook his head and sat down in an arm chair. "Not really, no. I keep wondering what's gonna happen. I mean, everyone seems pretty confident and all and I understand the whole deal of believing in our leaders but still....I dont know. I feel like were charging into a wolf's den with blindfolds on."
Ryu nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I wish we had a better plan." He lit a cigarette.
Kuwabara blinked. "Hey wait a minute, you were the one who said we should listen to them."
Ryu nodded. "Yeah, we should. Like I said, Yoh's never once steered me wrong but that doesn't mean I always like what he says. It's a matter of faith, but sometimes we all question our faith. But whenever I do that, I think about my Best Place and everything seems better."
Kuwabara scratched his head. "Best Place? Where's that?"
"It's different for everyone, Kazuma. Mine is a place Yoh will help me create one day. I'm thinking of a sushi bar, but, not a regular one. One where you can go when you're down on your luck, had a fight with your friends or familly, a place where you'll always feel welcome, where you'll always feel safe. A perfect uthopia where people wont fight and everyone will help one another. That's MY Best Place."
Kuwabara sighed. "Sounds nice and all, but, no offence, it's a bit idealistic."
Bokuto no Ryu took a long haul from his cigarette and blew smoke from his nostrils. "It's my Best Place. Not your's. Do you have one? Somewhere, something or someone who makes you feel safe? Where you feel comfort. Something that will give you strength in your greatest time of need, that you would gladly die for?"
An image of Yukina flashed through Kuwabara's head and he blushed. "...I think so..."
Bokuto no Ryu smiled like some sort of a sage. "Then take care of her Kazuma. Take care of your Best Place."
Kuwabara thought the other punk's words over.

Botan was heading to the front doors. It was time to get back to work.
"Leaving already?"
Botan blinked and looked over at Chocolove. "Oh, hi. Yeah. I got to get back to work. I think the Harbringers are active again." She sighed. "Sometimes this job gets on my nerves."
"Why's that? You dont like being a spirit guide?"
"No, it's not that, I mean, it's a great honour to do this job. Plus I get to help Yuusuke out wich is always fun! He's one of my best friends you know. And it makes me feel important. But if Im not dealing with Yuusuke I'm dealing with Koemma, if I'm not dealing with Koemma I'm dealing with the dead, if I'm not dealing with the dead I'm dealing with Yuusuke. I never get a chance to just be a girl, ya know?"
Botan was looking out the window as she said all this, she turned back to Chocolove and blinked. He'd donned a big red clow nose, floppy shoes and was wearing a flower pot on his head. He looked quite ridiculous. He reached up and squeezed his nose, making a loud honk. Botan laughed, in truth more at him then with him, but it was such a comical sight.
"What are you doing?"
Chocolove grinned. "Feeling a bit less stressed?" Chocolove asked her.
"Yeah, a little, ..thanks. I needed that." She continued to laugh quietly under her breath.
"Such is the power of laughter! I'm glad you like my brand of humour."
"Actually, it's kind of lame."
Chocolove's shoulders slumped.

Yoh lay awake on his futon, lying on his back. He was not suprised to hear his door creak open. Anna entered, wearing her kimono, closing the door behind her. She placed his combat uniform on a chair. "There. I fixed the tears it got in the States." She looked at him. "You better fight bravely."
Yoh smiled at her assuringly. "Don't worry. I'll give it my all. I mean the worse that can happen is I'll die, right? At wich point everyone else will die too, so, we'll get to hang out in heaven and just relax there. See? I've thought this whole thing through."
Anna snorted. "You're a complete idiot." She undid the ties to her kimono and let it fall to the floor. She crawled into his futon.

Yoh's ghost Amidamaru the samurai, Ryu's ghost Tokagero the brigand and Tao Ren's ghost Bason the chinese warrior sat around in the basement of the inn. Watching some of the mindless spirits that haunted the inn float by.
"I'm worried about this. Demon shamen are among the most powerfull in existence." Bason said in his deep voice. "The Tao familly has fought them in the past, but it's never easy."
"If anyone could do it, it's our master's. We've seen them do the impossible before." Tokagero hissed. "It's these new guys I'm worried about."
"Don't worry about them, de gozaru." Amidamaru said. "I have greath faith in all of them. Especially Yuusuke. He has a hidden strength in him and a heart of gold. I like that boy alot. I say we should trust them all for now, de gozaru."
The three ghosts nodded, each of them happy that they can help in death, where they failed to help in life.

Yuusuke lay on his futon snoring. He rolled over and scratched himself in his sleep. This was just one more battle to him. A battle he would win. Because he had to. He couldn't understand what everyone was so worried about.