To Be With You : Yu Yu Hakusho Fanfiction

Chapter 11

They went silent, their own interpretation swirling in their minds.

"I guess befriending a demon was not a crime in those times." Yusuke thought it through, remembering Raizen's story. "Didn't humans and demons worked in tag team to do one's bidding?

"Tag team?" The old lady ask.

Yusuke just then remembered that they were talking to an ancient lady. He must speak in a more understandable matter to her. "Uhhh...."

"Its two or more people working in association toward the same goal." Kurama spoke for Yusuke.

"Oh...." The woman . "I have not imagine a language could.... develop more. Anyways, they do. humans and demons did work together. But it was not usually based on mutual friends. Mostly, it is based on greed on both sides. The feudal lords wanting to gain whatever the foe have. Demons wanted the material rewards and the thrill of a fight."

"Only the fuedal lords who have enough lures can truly reign the demons. If you were just somebody, you'll be as good as a meal or a trinket for entertainment. Though, fuedal lords refrain them in terrorizing humans under his protection, its not uncommon for one to be presented as gift or prize to a demon a lord favors."

Yusuke just shrugged. "Its not much of a difference now. Demons were in human world still trying to dominate, and humans... have this crazy idea that demons have this eternal youthful effect on them. Crazy sh*t happens. Though, I guess its not normal in this life time."

"Humans believe in elixir from demons?" She suddenly asked.

"You have knowledge on that theory?" Koema curiously asked. Is that industry has been working that long?

"I've heard of it from demons before. Some were searching for a proof. Some refered about it like a curse."

"Demons? How about the humans... The fuedal lords? Do they practice it that time?"

"Hm.. I do not think it was practiced. Its was more of a myth. Some demons would come up and talk about it. But they did not really stayed. They would come and go. Though some demons were there to disbelief it, or more like scourge it. I guess it did not captured attention enough."

"Have you heard of this?" Yusuke asked Hokushin.

His right hand man took a second before he replied, "Its more of a myth. You'll hear about it every now and then but no one can really justify. Add to it, that Demon Plane creatures has a long span of life and age very slow or subjectively, its not something we seek out."

"Then why its the demons that ask about it that time?" Yusuke blurted out.

Hokushin smiled "You'll hear a story like this coming from the lower classes that search for anything to help them get power, life energy or believing in myths like this. Those in upper class does not really care, unless its all about acquiring power."

Yusuke would like to ask more but Koenma stopped him. "We could ask another time. Let us focus on your purpose. We have limited time."

Realizing their topic was sidelined, he asked instead. "So back to this friend.. If you don't personally knew.. Can you just tell us what he had been doing there?"

The old lady nodded and continued, "Shirozu called to him, apparently. It was when she found out about her child bearing. He was there as her company during that difficult time."

"Difficult?" Yusuke said unknowingly.

"Yes. It was. Actually, her pregnancy, the way she realized it, it was all in pain. She initially taught that she developed a fatal disease. And for an unknown reason she rejoiced in it. I thought she was mad. She had an enormous abdominal pain. Pain that made her double on her feet and lost her consciousness one day on our healing sessions. When she woke up, I was surprised that she did not know about her other condition."

"She did not want to believe it at first, but she did when she confirmed it herself. She requested to be relieved of her duty. We offered to take care of her, since she was living alone. But she refused. The following day we visited her and there the bear demon was."

"He did not looked like he's there to harm. He was... outspoken. Most of the time I observed them together, if he was not complaining on anything, he would just irritate Shiruzo on something they were arguing about. He only stop ranting when its her time to rest. During her labour, they argued so much but she begged him to respect her wishes. And he was with her until her last breath.. and on."

"Do you know what they were arguing about? And what do you mean by and on?" Yusuke asked. He was noting all that he could. But he trust his companions can list more.

The old lady did not replied immediately. She appeared to be smoothing her non crease clothing. Finally, "They argued something about.. abortion. Thats what it sounded like." She added her last words immediately for she felt a sudden coldness, even in hear dead state.

"So.. he wanted her to abort her child?" Yusuke was not surprised. Who would want to be impregnated by a stranger? And by someone other than your kind.

"I thought it was about that... But during her labour he was splitting
mad at her. He repeated to spat at her 'to transfer the child, and avoid the pain'. Even in her extreme pain, she refused and wanted for her to deliver her child, even if it required her to be 'consumed'. They only stopped arguing when the child was born. She held him in her arms. After I cleaned her, I left them for they seem to be appreciating fondness from the child privately. I only re-entered when I heard his muffled cry. And there she was in the arms of the bear demon, barely closed her eyes. She was gone."

So... she did die immediately after the birth. Yusuke took a while to digest the information. Raizen had no chance to make it to her alive he thought.

When Koenma felt Yusuke was still not ready to follow up, he took the chance. "So the child was left in your care after her death right?"

"No, he did not." The answer that captured Yusuke's attention again. Yusuke raised eye brow compelled the old lady to continue.

"We never saw him again."

"Are you saying that the bear took the child then?" Koenma's mind trying to attach Yusuke's predecessors history to this new detail.

"No. He did not also. When I opened the door to her chamber nobody else was there except the lifeless Shiruzo in the bears arms. I tried to pry where the child was but he said he was in a better place. He carried Shizuro's body outside wrapped in her beddings and urged us to come out. In a blink of an eye the whole house was lit on fire. He commanded us to perform a mock burial for her, then they just disappeared in thin air, and the fire was extinguished upon their leave. Unbelievably, the house stood there faultless. But there was nothing inside of it."

"Koenma... I don't think those were included in the files." Yusuke murmured. Not that he wanted not to be heard. But he was shocked to hear this. Is that the reason why her soul cannot be found? Why take her body?

"We will investigate more about these new details. We'll start with the bear and his visits to Human World during that time."

"But-"

"OMG!!! Our time is almost done! Do you have more questions?! She's starting to fade! My golly! Quick!" Botan's interuption to Yusuke. True enough, the old lady's form was starting to fade. Yusuke doesn't know what to ask next. But the old lady seems to have some in her mind.

She started.., "She gave birth to a boy. A boy who inherited her dark hair, though I heard her say he looked like 'him'. Though she suffered during her pregnancy, I believed she took great care of herself with the help of her friend. She told me that she was given something unimaginable, something she couldn't even gift to herself. Also, the subject of Shiruzo and the bears argument was his request to leave and go with him to the other world. But she always refused. She said she will not be found if she would go there." She smiled to Yusuke. "The boy would grew to be more like you, I imagine." Right now the old lady was almost dissolved to nothingness. "I asked Shiruzo what she planned after her pregnancy, she said she would just wait for a return... Even if took for as long as she knows...."

And with her whispered last words, she dissolved in thin air and back to where her soul was laid.

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