Yu Yu Hakusho- Another tale

Chapter 9: Kazeha

The wind blew around her short dark blue hair was she watched Akina stand up rather wobbly but then walk without effort while her parents cheered her on. Akina smiled with she turned to look up.
"Akina? What are you looking at?" Her mother bent down to pick her up when she started to wave.
Her father looked confused as he could not see anything.
"She is so cute. What are you waving at?" Her mother nuzzled her cheek as Akina squealed.
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Akina wiped her eyes as she walked downtrodden and upset. She could not tell them what happened at school. She wiped her eyes again as she tried to rub the bruise forming on her cheek.
"Akina?"
She looked up to see the blue haired girl.
"Would like to learn to defend yourself?"
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"And then you take the right hook! Ah! Akina that's too much to the left!" Yusuke shouted out as Akina lost balance and fell flat on her face.
Kurama chuckled as he lifted an embarrassed Akina up to her feet.
"You really are clumsy." Yusuke scratched his head.
"So...Sorry." Akina was red in her face as she tried to straighten her messy hair.
"Hm.... There must be someway to help you dodge attacks.... Barriers sap your energy and you cannot make one for yourself as you tend to protect others." Yusuke pondered.
"I do know one move that always works!" Akina pipped.
"What?" Yusuke looked at her curiously.
"Kicking guys between their legs!" Akina replied cheerfully.
Yusuke sighed and Kurama chuckled as Akina smiled innocently.
"Akina-chan sure is really cute isn't she?" Keiko commented as she watched Yusuke help Akina once again make her form to fight.
"She really is a sweet girl. I can guess why Kurama is showing so much interest in her." Botan sniggered as Akina slipped and skidded on the mud.
"Heh... Botan also noticed? I think they are cute if they decide to get together." Keiko giggled.
"Akina is really shy though." Botan sighed as Akina stood up and dusted herself.
"Akina-chan, you have scrapped your knee really hard." Yusuke commented as Akina looked at her jeans which was now stained with blood.
"Ah... That should be fine." Akina muttered.
"Your body will heal yourself?"
"Nope. It heals normally... if I heal my wound, it will sap my energy." Akina replied as she looked at them.
"Yet you readily heal other people?" Yusuke narrowed his eyes at her.
Akina tilted her head in confusion as Yusuke sighed and just ruffled her head.
"Okay, let's give it another try."
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"Sigh.... A hot bath after so much training is heaven~" Akina sighed happily as Botan laughed.
"You really are clumsy! It's easier to count the number of times you did not fall." Botan wiped her eyes as Akina pouted.
"Despite this, I used to be a good basketball player you know." She muttered as she pulled her knees close.
"Do you still play?" Keiko asked curiously.
"Nope. Had to stop in junior high because I frequently dislocated my ankle." Akina replied softly.
"Did you never try to heal your ankle?"
"No. It's okay. I need something to remind me that I am human after all." Akina smiled brightly.
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The wind blew gently as her soft black hair gently waved. She loved this place. It was quiet, calm and so peaceful.
Peaceful.....
The dreams were getting even more vivid. The face of the woman was one thing but now she was able to see the place and area. Someone had attacked that place and had harmed that woman.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Kurama approached her.
Akina smiled at him and shook her head.
"Just trying to decipher my dreams and all this." Akina replied softly.
She could always talk to him easily. She did not have to hide or pretend around him. She suddenly blushed as she remembered that she had just bawled her eyes out in his arms a few days back.
He was so warm and so comforting.
"Why don't you take it slow, we can decipher it together." Kurama said gently as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Her face flushed warmly as she closed her eyes as he gently touched her cheek.
"You fell really hard, your face is swollen and turning red." Kurama muttered as he gently ran his thumb over her cheek.
I am pretty sure the redness is not because of the face injury Akina felt her heart race.
"It's fine!! Umm... It will get well all on its own!" Akina spoke up as she tried to control herself.
"I understand but you need to do something about it." Kurama chuckled as he tilted her chin up.
Akina felt herself drown in his beautiful green eyes when the wind decided to spoil the mood and make her sneeze. She blushed as Kurama chuckled.
"I...So...Achoo! Sorry..." Akina muttered as she sneezed again.
"Don't catch a cold." Kurama smiled gently as he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.
"It's okay! I never thought it would get cold!" Akina protested but Kurama just shook his head.
"I would like you to be healthy and safe." He replied as Akina blushed.
Akina looked to the ground as a small smile formed on her lips when Kurama suddenly became alert.
"Hiei?" Kurama held Akina by her shoulder and gently stirred her to his side.
"Tch... I was sure she would be here." Hiei seemed to be irritated when he noticed Akina looked at him curiously.
"You. What do you have to do with her?" Hiei suddenly approached Akina who was startled.
"Eh? Huh?" Akina was too surprised as Kurama held her close.
"Hiei, what are you talking about? What has Akina got to do with all this?" Kurama asked a little strongly.
"Tch.... That half demon has been turning up everywhere she is." Hiei pointed at Akina who looked confused.
"Hiei, you need to calm down and talk to us. Akina is confused as well." Kurama said as Hiei stepped back annoyed.
"Fine." He muttered as he turned to look at Akina who just stepped closer to Kurama.
Suddenly Hiei's band burned as his Jagan opened. Akina was stunned when her eyes drooped when she swayed and fell on to Kurama.
"Hiei!" Kurama mildly growled as he took Akina in his arms as she slept.
"This girl... One of her seals have been broken. There is a lot of weird circumstance surrounding this girl. Especially considering that the half demon... she has Tenko blood as well." Hiei looked at the unconscious Akina.
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Kurama gently watched the sleeping Akina as her breathing deepened, he gently cradled her face as he got up and walked to the door. He turned to look at her and then slid the door shut.
"Hiei! What do you mean this demon has Tenko blood? And what do you mean as well?" Yusuke demanded as soon as Kurama joined them.
"The girl with you. I can sense her blood, she has Tenko blood in her, not to mention the seals I saw in her mind resembled the seals of reincarnation, something Tenko reincarnates are born with but in her case, someone placed the seal while she was growing up." Hiei muttered.
"Are you sure it is the Tenko reincarnation?" Kurama asked silently.
"I am. The half demon has been monitoring this girl. I feel she might be the one who placed those seals on her, but that is not all. There is something in that girl, something powerful asleep." Hiei grumbled as Kurama and Yusuke looked at each other.
"Then she is the reincarnation from the noble lineage.... Otherwise..." Kurama suddenly stopped talking when all of them became alert.
"She is here."
The figure stood at the foot of the futon and slowly approached her when she suddenly jumped away.
"Finally! Now you cannot get away." Hiei smiled at her when she suddenly rushed out of the room.
"Hey! Wait up!" Yusuke followed her out with Hiei.
Kurama checked up on Akina who was still fast asleep and then rushed outside.
"Who are you?" Yusuke demanded when she dodged him.
"I don't need to answer you!" She replied when she returned a punch.
"Kazeha, wasn't it? Why are you following that girl around?" Hiei asked when she just smirked.
"Wouldn't you like to know! I wont let you open her seals anymore!" Kazeha shouted when she suddenly created a barrier that pushed both Yusuke and Hiei away.
"You do have the blood of the Tenko tribe! Tell me! That girl! Is she also one of the Tenko tribe people?" Hiei swiped at her only to be blown back by her barrier.
"I will not let you use her! I will not let you destroy her peaceful life!" Kazeha shouted as she sent a ball of fire which they all dodged.
"HA? We are not using her Stupid! We just want to help her defend herself!" Yusuke yelled angrily.
"As for her breaking the seals, she has been doing it on her own. Akina is rather powerful, you knew the seals would not be able to hold her down." Kurama tried to approach Kazeha when she sent another blast of fire his way.
"Akina cannot open the seals! I finally placed those memories away! If I do not protect her, I can never face our Queen in the other world!"Kazeha sounded frantic.
"What do you mean queen?" Yusuke stopped as he looked at Kazeha.
"Anyways! I will not let you all have your way! I will protect Akina!" Kazeha clasped her hand together as a few sickles of blue fire rushed at them.
Even when they dodged the sickles, they seemed to follow them around.
"We also only wish to protect Akina! You cannot hide from her what she really is, she is aware that her abilities are not normal!" Kurama reasoned as he used his whip to destroy the sickles.
"You don't understand! She has suffered enough! Akina... Akina deserves to live a normal life without all this!" Kazeha lifted her hand when...
"Onee...Onee-san?" A soft voice made Kazeha lose her balance.
"Now!" Yusuke quickly grabbed Kazeha and pinned her arms behind her.
Kurama turned to see Akina stand on the veranda confused and scared. Her eyes were wide as she seemed to be muttering something under her breath.
Kazeha looked pained and unhappy as she watch Akina fall to her knees confused and lost.
"Onee-san... You... You ....Eh?" Akina shut her eyes tightly as brought her hands close to her forehead.
"Akina!" Kurama approached her when she looked at him with tears in her eyes and then turned to Kazeha.
"Forgive me Onee-san! I am sorry! I am sorry!" Akina screamed out as she felt the tears fell down her cheek.
"Stop! Akina! It's not your fault! Stop! Please let me go! I have to replace the seals!" Kazeha yelled when Akina screamed out suddenly releasing a huge gust of wind which knocked then off their feet.
"What the!" Yusuke was taken aback while keeping his hold on Kazeha.
"Akina! Calm down! It's okay!" Kurama managed to approach her as he grabbed her hand.
"NO! NO! NO! I TRIED TO KILL HER! NO!" Akina screamed as she continued to cover her ears and kept her eyes shut tight.
"She is too strong! This energy is no joke!" Hiei tried to fight against the force of the winds which seemed to be getting stronger by the second.
"No! Akina! It was not your fault! You wanted to protect us! Please Akina! I have to stop her! Please!" Kazeha pleaded when Kurama managed to pull Akina into his arms.
"Akina. It is not your fault. It's okay." He whispered gently in her ear as she shook her head.
"I... I was so angry.... I...I... just wanted to..." Akina muttered when Kurama held her head against his chest.
"You wanted to protect them right? They understand you. Don't blame yourself anymore." Kurama stroked her hair as he felt the wind around them calm down as Akina leaned on to him.
Her eyes fluttered as she looked at him dazed and confused.
"What...am...I?" She whispered as her eyes drooped.
Kurama lifted her as she went limp. Her breathing evened and she soon was asleep again. Tears were still stuck to her eyelids as she whispered sorry over and over again.
"Akina... Akina... It is my fault... I should have... I should have never tried to make you use your powers!" Kazeha broke down
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"Will you tell us everything?" Yusuke asked as Kazeha was tied up in the corner of the room.
"I have nothing to tell you! I need to replace the seals on Akina!" Kazeha muttered when Yusuke felt a vein pop.
"Just tell us already!" Yusuke rammed his fist on to Kazeha's head.
"Ouch! You jerk! What you guys want with Akina? Why are you trying to help her release her powers!" Kazeha yelled back.
"We are not trying to release her powers! We just to help her control them! We care about her just as you do!" Yusuke argued.
"Then allow me to seal them again! Please! If her memories and powers flood back, she will lose herself again!" Kazeha pleaded.
"What do you mean lose herself again?" Kurama asked sternly.
"Will you help me place the seals on her again?" Kazeha looked at Kurama, her eyes pleading with him.
"I don't think you will be able to do that anymore. The seals on the girl is breaking, she will not allow you to seal them again." Hiei spoke softly.
"What do you mean?" Kazeha turned to him.
"That girl was not born with these seals. You placed them forcefully, she is breaking them on her own. The seals of reincarnation once breaks, it cannot be replaced or resealed." Hiei explained as he casually leaned on the wall.
"Why do you want to seal her powers so badly? Akina still had some of her powers despite the seal." Kurama asked gently.
"Akina...You have guessed who Akina is. Haven't you?" Kazeha
"No" "Hm" "Yes"
Yusuke turned to Kurama who had said affirmatively.
"Oi! Kurama! Who have you guessed her to be?" Yusuke questioned.
"I am hoping to be wrong but from the rumours I have heard about the Tenko tribe and after seeing her powers up front, Akina... She is the queen's infant daughter's reincarnation isn't she?" Kurama turned to Kazeha who sighed in defeat.
"It's more complicated than that.... Akina... Akina is our Queen's daughter. She is the actual heir. Queen transported her dying soul coincidently to the body of her reincarnation and the souls merged." Kazeha replied solemnly.
"HA! HOW DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE! Do you mean the queen had for foreseen her reincarnation and sent her soul into the reincarnation's body?" Yusuke was baffled.
"It's not as simple as that. When the empire was attacked, Akina... despite being a baby, managed to protect our queen but it ended up endangering her life. Queen had to protect her, so she need to transfer Akina's soul. When she used the dimension time portal and looked in the future, she fount that coincidently Akina had reincarnated but only in body, so she transferred Akina's soul in time. Akina's ancestors were originally from Tenko, so it was easy for the soul to merge with the body. So Akina is really the queen's daughter, our princess and heir to our kingdom's legacy." Kazeha narrated.
"So she is the lost heir everyone is looking for. I was sure its just a legend." Hiei muttered.
"Akina's powers were no joke. Because she is not really a reincarnation, she was not born with any seals. Her aura and power got her into unwanted attention and trouble. Being bullied by her peers, feeling abandoned by her own family and she was so alone... All I wanted was for her to feel happy... So...when she was 9, I offered to train her... to use her abilities." Kazeha looked down.
Kurama remained silent.
"Akina's barriers were no joke, once she was able to use them correctly, she used her energy to heal those within the barrier, she also had the ability to purify possessed souls...be it human or demons. Her powers began to grow even more powerful.... I was sure I could bring her to Tenko and have her inherit her right but...." Kazeha shut her eyes tightly.
"What happened?" Yusuke asked dreading the worse.
"I did not take in account how mentally she had been defeated, how alone she really was... how close to...self loathing she was. How helpless and exhausted she was. Since she is so docile, the bullying in her school escalated... Her aunt, you all saw her.... Was tormenting her. We were dealing with a possessed human being when... Mako... Mako slaughter the human before Akina could purify them." Kazeha's lips trembled.
"Who the hell is Mako now?" Yusuke sputtered.
"Did you say Mako? What has the b****** got to do with this?" Hiei was suddenly alert and awake.
"Mako... She is like me. A Tenko demon.... She.... She is the one who betrayed us...." Kazeha's eyes filled with tears as she kneeled.
"Mako is involved in a lot of evil plans in the demon world. She is highly dangerous, even the spirit realm is unable to keep her under control... But Mako had Tenko blood? That is unbelievable." Kurama looked at Kazeha whose bounds were being removed by Yusuke.
"Mako's mother had been raped by a demon.... Initially everyone thought it was best that the foetus be killed as any child of Tenko born from such violence tends to be violent themselves... but Queen... Our kind queen decided to give Mako a chance. On her birth, Mako's mother tried to kill her but Queen took her under her... Just as she took care of me." Kazeha tried to keep the sadness away from her voice.
"What about your father?" Yusuke asked curiously.
"My father is from Tenko... My mother.... She was a frivolous demon whom my pitiful father fell prey for... My mother however is very loyal to our Queen especially because she took care of me as her own daughter. Akina is always my little sister." Kazeha hugged her knees.
"Why did Mako betray your tribe?" Kurama asked as Kazeha looked up.
"Mako... Something has always been wrong with Mako. Initially we could not notice it, Mako was power hungry... She always thought that she would inherit the Tenko powers.... She had all of us fooled... But Queen had fallen in love with a human spiritualist.... Akina was born from their love.... Mako....realising that a true Heir was born.... First orchestrated the death of Akina's father.... Queen went into early labor in shock but she and Akina were safe.... Next... she targeted the kingdom..... She was a part of the barrier keeper.... She... let down her barrier allowing all the demons to raid our kingdom. I happened to have gone to visit my mother's tribe.... When I returned.... Queen was barely alive... she had tortured so badly... Akina's soul had already been sent away.... I promised Queen... to protect and watch over Akina." Kazeha could not stop her tears.
"Why is Mako targeting Akina?" Kurama asked quietly.
"The Heir's right is a power sphere filled with the ancient souls of Tenko rulers.... Akina ideally would inherit it when she turns 12, but Mako had destroyed the kingdom... so she thought she could use the sphere but the Sphere rejected her and hid itself. Mako needs Akina's blood to activate the sphere." Kazeha replied softly.
"So this Mako person has been the one spreading the rumours about Akina?" Yusuke pondered.
"Not just Mako... There are many powerful and evil demons who want to use Akina. Akina has many powers still asleep... I hoped the seal would mask them but.... I dont know what to do anymore." Kazeha sighed in defeat.
"Kazeha-san."
Kazeha turned to look at Kurama who was looking solemn.
"I understand how much you want to keep her away and protect her but we cannot do that anymore. What we need to do is help Akina control her powers. Don't worry about her, our will to protect her is the same as yours." Kurama said softly.
Kazeha's eyes widened.
"Don't tell you.... About her...." Kazeha starred at Kurama who just gave a soft smile.
She closed her eyes and smiled in relief
"I shall trust you guys.... But... Please allow me also to join you. I need to watch over her, after all, I promised queen that Akina will be safe and sound." Kazeha wiped her eyes.
"Whatever but I will not trust you." Hiei muttered.
"I don't expect you to trust me off the bat! But atleast I ... I hope I can stay in front of her." Kazeha smiled as she wiped her eyes.
There footfalls as Keiko rushed into the room.
"Oh.... We have a guest?" Keiko looked at Kazeha.
"I shall explain later, what happened? Why are you in such a hurry?" Yusuke asked.
"It's Akina-chan.... She has a terrible fever... and anyways! Just come. She is acting weird!" Keiko grabbed Yusuke's hand.
Kurama's eyes widened as he ran out of the room.
They rushed into Akina's room to see Botan and Yukina crouched next Akina who was sweating profusely and in a feral position. Kurama knelt besides Akina.
"Akina? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked as he touched her shoulder.
"I... My back burn...My chest hurts... I..." Akina muttered painfully when she suddenly screamed clutching her back.
To their shock, bright white wings burst from her back, tearing her shirt and a strange pale blue light surrounded her as white feathers floated in the air.
"Her wings... No... No...." Kazeha fell to her knees in horror.
"What's wrong?" Yusuke grabbed Kazeha.
"I can no longer hide her.... She is slowly showing her Tennyo powers.... What should I do?" Kazeha muttered
Akina's body suddenly rose up, her hands and legs hung limply as her wings straightened out and suddenly they vanished. Kurama caught her in his arms before she touched the ground.
She was still unconscious but the air around her had changed. Power and spiritual energy radiated from her.
"We will need to protect and watch her more closely. Everything changes with this." Hiei muttered.