Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Prophecy Breaker ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Prophecy Breaker
calikocat
word count: 2240
Disclaimer: Buffy and YuYu Hakusho do not belong to me.

A/N: A little shorter than I would have liked, but I was struggling with this one some.

Pairings: Yusuke/Keiko, Hiei/Kuwabara

XXX

“So what's up with you and Keiko having to wear traditional clothes during the wedding?”

Yusuke glanced at the closed door of the dressing room Xander was currently using. “That's just what we decided. We considered a more western ceremony but figured a small traditional wedding would be better, cheaper too. Besides the reception is where the party starts, everyone will be dressed more casual for that.”

“Huh. You guys exchange rings over here?”

“Yeah.”

“You get to have a best man?”

“Nah, it'll just be us and the priest standing up front.” Yusuke listened to the rustle of clothing behind the door. “So...How do you feel about meeting Koenma?”

“That's Botan's boss right? The Prince of Death or whatever?”

Yusuke grinned though his brother couldn't see it. “Basically.”

“Any reason?”

“Shizuru suggested it. You're gonna meet him anyway, probably at the wedding. But she said it was important that you meet him soon. She's psychic, and she said you're special.”

Xander snorted. “I'm just me Yusuke.” The door opened and he stepped out of the dressing room. “How's this?”

Yusuke stopped and stared at his brother. “Makes you look like that spy that's always seducing communist chicks.”

“James Bond?”

“Something like that.”

Xander glanced at his reflection. “I look like a waiter.”

“Nah, looks good on ya.”

“So where am I gonna be during the honeymoon? Because I so do not wanna be your third wheel. Where are you guys going anyway?”

“Okinawa. It'll only be for a week. If you want, Keiko's folks would love to have you stay with them.”

Xander looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah. That'd be cool.”

xxx

Xander followed Yusuke down a long hallway until they came to a set of large double doors that looked like they were made of gold, or at least plated in the stuff.

“Pretentious much?”

Yusuke smirked and pushed the doors open, Xander shook his head and followed, and nearly ran into Yusuke who had stopped to stare at his friends. Who they had not been expecting to see.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. “Hey guys. Let me guess, Shizuru said things were gonna get interesting.”

Kuwabara shrugged from his seat on the couch, his hands running through Hiei's hair. Hiei was using his lover's lap for a pillow; he looked bored, almost sleepy. He glanced at Kuwabara as his lover said: “More like get your ass to Reikai or you'll miss the show.”

Kurama gave Yusuke an apologetic smile from where he sat cross legged on the floor, in front of the couch. “I'll admit that curiosity got the best of me.”

Botan waved from a chair next to Koenma's desk. “I just work here.”

Yusuke sighed. “So Koenma, what's up?”

Koenma, who had been grumbling to himself, looked up from his paperwork...and stared at them all, before leveling his gaze on Xander who was now glancing about the large room nervously.

“You!”

Xander jumped, nearly squeaked, and took a step back, bumping the doors. “Me?”

Koenma continued glaring as he all but yelled. “You <i>broke</i> a Prophecy!”

“Um...I'm sorry?”

“Koenma!” Botan scolded, shaking her finger at her employer.

Yusuke shared a confused look with the others before he frowned at the prince. “What the hell are you talking about Koenma?”

“Your brother <i>broke</i> a Prophecy!”

“Xander, what is he talking about?”

Xander, who had calmed down some, stepped away from the door and a little away from Yusuke. However he wouldn't meet his brother's eyes. “There was this Prophecy that said 'The Master shall rise, and the Slayer shall die'. Buffy faced the Master. He drank her blood and freed himself, then he left her face down in a pool of water. All I did was use CPR to pump the water out of her lungs. Guess they didn't have CPR when the stupid thing was written.” He shrugged. “So whoever wrote the thing goofed. Not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?! You forced <i>Angelous</i> to lead you to the Master's lair!”

“Who's Angelous?” Yusuke asked.

Kurama cleared his throat. “A well known Master Vampire, and a rather bloodthirsty one at that.”

Yusuke's eyes narrowed. “Xander? Want to explain that to me?”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Oh Please. Angel has his human soul. All he does these days is brood and mope after Buffy.”

“Xander--” Yusuke nearly growled.

“Don't you start!”

“Hello!” Koenma waved to get their attention. “I'm not finished!”

“At least you're not shouting anymore.” Botan muttered, which earned her a glare from Koenma.

Xander started walking toward the couch, but Yusuke grabbed his arm. Xander tried to shake him off but realized that the older boy wasn't letting go any time soon.

Koenma continued to rant. “Prophecies are not meant to be broken!”

Xander's eyes narrowed at the prince. “Why are you so wigged about that? Buffy averted that whole Harvest thing, wasn't that a Prophecy too?”

Kuwabara spoke up. “You guys deal with Prophecies a lot?”

Xander nodded. “More than I'd like.”

Koenma slammed a folder on his desk to regain their attention. “Slayers are warriors with mystically granted powers. It is expected of them to occasionally thwart Prophecies. But you are not a Slayer!”

Xander took a step toward the desk and the irate prince behind it, Yusuke still hanging onto his arm. “You don't think I know that? I get it already. I'm useless, dead weight, a waste of space, whatever. But my friend was in trouble, and I was not going to abandon her! It was bad enough Angel was ready to do nothing, even when he's in love with her!” Xander ran a hand through his hair, his eyes clenched shut and he took a deep breath. “I've already lost Jessie. If...if I had done nothing...Buffy would have stayed dead. And Willow would have cried. There's nothing worse than seeing Willow cry. She's cried enough this year.” He opened his eyes again and glared at Koenma. “I'll die before I give up on either of my girls.”

Koenma continued to glare back. “That's beside the point.”

Xander's eyes flashed green and he practically snarled at Koenma. “Have you ever had to sweep up the ashes that used to be your best friend? Willow and I have. After Buffy stopped the Harvest we went back to the Bronze, to the spot where I dusted Jessie. We gathered what was left, put it in an empty coffee can, and berried it under a tree in a park we all used to play in when we were kids.” His glare softened and his eyes returned to their normal deep brown. “Do you know what it's like, having to lie to Jessie's parents? Giving them false hope that maybe their son is still out there somewhere? Alive and having the time of his life on some crazy adventure? Do you know what it's like, going to a high school where kids die and disappear every day?”

Yusuke could feel his heart breaking. No wonder the kid had nightmares. He tugged Xander's arm, which he was still holding, and pulled him back into hug. “Why didn't tell me any of this before.”

Xander coughed, and wiped at his eyes. “It's not something I like to talk about.”

“I can't--” Kuwabara shook his head, eyes wide. “We lived through some crazy shit, but to live every day in that kind of world...” He shuddered and Hiei reached for his hands, grasping them tightly.

“You're lucky to be alive boy.” Hiei muttered.

Xander let out a choked laugh. “You have no idea.”

Botan rose from her chair, glared at Koenma for a moment and then turned a sympathetic face toward them. “Xander. Koenma went about this all wrong. He's just worried because by breaking a Prophecy...You've put yourself on the radar. Higher Powers may take advantage of you now that you've entered their game.”

Xander shrugged, still leaning into Yusuke's hug. “My brother here is a demon king and I live on a hellmouth. How am I supposed to live a normal life?” He snorted. “Besides normal is overrated.”

Koenma sighed and slumped back into his chair. “He is definitely your brother.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and grimaced. “There's no way to keep you from doing something like that again?”

“No chance in hell, and hey, I live there. And really you should be thanking me, because Buffy killed Master and kept the Hellmouth from opening. So we totally averted the Apocalypse...again.”

Koenma sighed and nodded. “I'm happy the human realm is safe for the moment, and you're right we in Reikai are deeply glad that the Hellmouth was not opened fully. So consider this my thanks... Go ahead and give it to him Botan.”

“Yes sir.” Botan reached into her sleeve and brought out a green egg, carefully she handed it to Xander.

Xander looked at her. “What? No green ham?” At the confused stares he shrugged. “Culture reference. So do I want to know why you're giving me an egg?”

Koenma rolled his eyes. “Just keep it with you, when it hatches you'll have a spirit beast to keep an eye on you, and provide backup.”

Xander blinked. “What if I don't want a giant blue chicken for a sidekick?”

“Puu is not a chicken!” Yusuke said as he lightly cuffed Xander's shoulder.

Xander wiggled out of his arms with a snicker. “Whatever.”

For the first time during their conversation Koenma smiled. “I don't know what it will be. If you're anything like Yusuke, and at this point I think you are, your spirit beast will be a fairly gentle creature. It will be loyal and will hopefully keep you out of some trouble.”

“Fine, cool, but seriously...a blue chicken?”

Yusuke made a grab for him and Xander dodged, grinning at the attempt to catch him.

“Well, he used to look like a baby penguin.” Kuwabara offered with a snicker.

Xander's grin widened. “Really. So what's the deal with this whole spirit beast anyway?”

Botan smiled at him. “It's a beast that's tied to the life-force of the individual whose soul it reflects. When Yusuke became a demon Puu turned into a type of Phoenix.”

Xander looked at his brother. “So as a human your soul was cute and fluffy like a baby animal?”

Yusuke could feel himself blush. “Shut up.” He turned to Koenma. “Is Xander safe from whatever Higher Powers you mentioned?”

Koenma shrugged. “I'll keep an eye on things, but the beings called Fates...they watch over destinies and report to the Powers That Be. I only judge the dead and try to keep the balance between three realms. I don't know everything that will happen. But I'll do what I can.”

“So the kid is flying blind.” Yusuke grumbled.

“Not a kid!” Xander reminded him.

Kuwabara shrugged. “Flying blind is what we all do Yusuke, it's part of living.”

“Unless you're Shizuru.” Kurama offered.

“Yeah, but even she doesn't know everything.” Kuwabara grinned.

Yusuke snorted. “Doesn't mean I gotta like it.”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Welcome to my life.” He glanced at Koenma, a calculating gleam in his eyes. “So, you're the guy who's gonna judge my soul when I die?”

Koenma looked at him and nodded. “Yes.”

“Any hints? How am I doing so far? Aside from that whole Prophecy breakage thing.”

Koenma narrowed his eyes. “I can't tell you. That's against regulations.”

Yusuke grinned at Xander and motioned to his friends. “This'll be good.” At their confused looks he just kept grinning.

Botan giggled. “I think you've sealed your own fate Koenma.”

Before Koenma had time to do more than look confused Xander had already begun his attack. His eyes grew wide as they began to water, and his lower lip started to tremble. Koenma gaped at the boy before groaning. Yusuke laughed while Kurama and Kuwabara stared in shock.

Hiei smirked. “That is always an effective weapon. It's Kazuma's favored tactic of getting his way. Though...I think the boy pulls if off better.”

Kuwabara nodded. “Xander, I bow before your power and technique.”

Kurama began to chuckle and Yusuke only laughed harder. Xander continued his attack on the Prince of Reikai.

Koenma looked desperately at Yusuke. “Make him stop!” Yusuke only laughed harder, sinking to the floor next to Kurama. His gaze went back to Xander and he nearly fell out of his chair when the boy let out a whimper. “Alright already! I surrender! You're doing great! You're on the good list! The good list I swear! Now quit it already!”

Xander's face changed in an instant, to a smile bigger than any they'd yet seen on the boy. He gave Yusuke a thumbs up. “I am King of the Puppy face.”

“Evil child.” Koenma muttered.

“Yeah, but I'm on the good list.”

XXX