Otherworld - 20



Chapter 20 - Yusuke

The next morning Yusuke arrived, using the third portal that Otherworld had to the Human World. Yusuke's sensei, Genkai, had built her dojo around the portal to protect it. He brought Kuwabara and Keiko with him. Keiko was Yusuke's childhood sweetheart and knew all about his participation in the Dark Tournament and his tenure as the Spirit World Detective. Kuwabara was overjoyed when he found out that Yukina was at the Castle also and planned to spend as much time with her as possible. On the other hand, Hiei was extremely unhappy -- especially since Toya was due to arrive tomorrow. In the evening after dinner, the Princess took Yusuke into her sitting room and told him the truth about his father. His mother was a single mother, but not a very good one. She was an alcoholic and Yusuke had grown up pretty wild. The news about his father didn't really surprise him. He never could understand why he defeated so many very powerful Demons when he was supposedly only human - Kuwabara couldn't do half the things he could. And a Battle Demon - that also made sense to him. He was happiest when he was fighting. The Princess was surprised that Yusuke took the news so well -- she didn't need use her power at all. He was excited about meeting his father and he and Jin would set out tomorrow. It was too dangerous for Kuwabara and Keiko to travel through Demon World, so they would have to stay behind.

	Yusuke told Keiko the news later that night. She didn't know what this meant for their future. Would Yusuke stay in Demon World with his father? Being a half Demon would make him like Tasuki and InuYasha, he would not age much more than he already had and his lifespan would now be measured in centuries instead of decades. She ran up to her room in tears, leaving Yusuke feeling helpless. All their lives they always thought that they would eventually marry and raise a family, but that dream might not be possible. Yusuke worried that she would never accept him as a half Demon while Keiko worried that he would want to stay in Demon World where she could not live.

Early next morning, Jin and Yusuke set out. He did not get a chance to see Keiko before he left. A few hours later, Toya and Suzuki arrived. Hiei greeted Toya like a brother, to Toya's great surprise, and the reason soon became clear. Hiei immediately took him to meet his sister. Kuwabara was already there visiting with Yukina. He was almost blue from the cold. Hiei asked Yukina to show Toya around and then dragged Kuwabara off on the pretext that the Princess wanted to see him. The Princess took pity on Hiei and sent Kuwabara and Tasuki on an errand which would take them most of the day. Hiei was so happy he spent the rest of the morning smiling, which made everyone else in the castle very nervous. He was not the smiling type!

	The next afternoon, Yusuke and Jin arrived at Raizen's manor. They had not stopped once to rest; Jin flying above Yusuke while he ran at full speed the entire way. Yusuke didn't feel the least bit tired which made him wonder what else a half-Demon was capable of. Raizen greeted his son warmly and introduced him to everyone there as his heir and son. Finally they were alone. Raizen told his son the truth of his birth.

Raizen had gone to the Human World through Genkai's portal to retrieve a Demon from his lands that had crossed over and had killed several humans. He easily found the Demon and dispatched him. Now he was on his way back to the portal, going through the woods near the dojo when he saw her in the distance. A young human female. Even from this distance he could smell her -- she was fertile! He quickly caught up with her and then slowed his pace until he was walking beside her, his need translating into a mating scent. Atsuko was only a teenager when she met Raizen. Suddenly a man appeared and started walking beside her. He was strange looking with wild long white hair and markings on his face. He had a strange smell and it was intoxicating just to be near him. He was so different from the young boys she knew at school. He was so virile! He began to kiss her, and before she realized what was happening, she was on the ground and he was trying to open her clothes. But she didn't panic, instead she helped him. She wasn't sure if it was his strange scent or just the fact that he was so wonderful, but she wasn't frightened at all. She wanted him to make love to her. It was the one and only time that Atsuko ever saw him and she gave birth to Yusuke nine months later. As the years passed, she judged all other men by Raizen and found them wanting. She began to drown her loneliness in a bottle. Although Atsuko never saw Raizen again, he did not lose track of her. He asked Koenma to keep an eye on his son. As the child grew, it looked more and more that he had inherited the rare Battle Demon powers. He was a true fighter. Koenma made Yusuke his spirit detective to test his powers further. The Dark Tournament had been the final proof -- Yusuke was indeed a Battle Demon.

	Now Yusuke needed training. Raizen set four of his strongest four Demon warriors against his son to see what he was capable of. They trounced him easily, leaving Yusuke battered and bruised. And embarrassed. What the hell had happened?

Raizen told him the problem -- he did not know how to tap into his Demon powers yet. His warriors would teach him how to do that. And they would teach him by fighting him. For the next week, Yusuke spent nearly every waking hour fighting. He was covered in bruises and cuts, but nothing life threatening. On the fourth day, the warriors took it up a notch and this time their blows brought up blood. Yusuke lost his temper and that was what Raizen was waiting for. Raizen felt his son's blood boil and reached into his son's mind and told him how to trigger a change inside of himself.

	Suddenly, Yusuke's hair grew long and turned white like his father's, his muscles filled out and grew rock hard, his eyes turned red, his teeth turned into fangs, and Demon markings appeared on his torso and face, even more markings than his father had. And Yusuke changed more than just physical -- his entire demeanor changed. He no longer fought to learn -- he fought to kill! As his fists slammed into the hapless warriors, he felt pure joy. This was what he had been created for. He had become a true Battle Demon!

Time after time his fists fell, then he used his spirit energy to devastating effect; he was willing to do whatever it took to win the battle. In a very short time, three of the warriors fell were defeated, left unconscious, bloody and bruised from head to toe. Then Yusuke went after the fourth -- the strongest of the four. It was a short and terrible fight; the warrior did not have a chance against Yusuke's Battle Demon bloodlust. And soon Yusuke was close to killing the fourth. Raizen did nothing -- it was up to Yusuke to learn to control his power or become an unthinking raging beast. No one could do it for him.

	Just as Yusuke was landing the killing blow, he stopped his fist a bare inch away from the warriors' face. He had realized what he was doing and stopped just in time. His hair turned back to its normal brown color, although it remained long and wild, and his eyes turned brown instead of red, but the Demon markings, the fangs, and the lean muscular physique remained. Yusuke had managed to control his power. He was now part Demon and part human, a perfect blend of both species. Raizen was very proud of his son. Yusuke had proven that he could control and use the Battle Demon bloodlust. Yusuke was truly his son and heir!

During the time that Yusuke was in Demon World, Hiten took Kuwabara and Keiko to visit Kaede's Village. Keiko fell in love with the little village and the lives that the girls, very much like herself, had made for themselves. She especially felt close to Kagome who not only had mated a Wolf Demon, but was having his baby. Suddenly a future with Yusuke might actually be possible. Living in the time paradox of Otherworld, she could live as long as Yusuke did. Now she couldn't wait for Yusuke's return! Kuwabara, on the other hand, was bored by the simple village life and realized that he was not ever going to be happy here in Otherworld. He also realized that as much as he liked Yukina, a life with her was impossible. He wryly thought that his decision would make Hiei very happy indeed. Hiei pushed Toya into Yukina's company. It was obviously that he had chosen the Ice Master as his sister's mate. Toya's rooms were even in the same wing as Yukina's. But no one seemed to be taking Yukina's feelings into consideration. She was an ice maiden and ice maidens do not have sexual dealings with males. They reproduced without males (the reason why Hiei's birth was so forbidden) and they gave birth to only females. On Ice World, Yukina had no contact with males at all. Nor was it expected of her.

	A couple of years ago, she had been abducted by humans and taken to Human World. She was surrounded by human males who frightened her but wanted nothing from her but the tear gems she could produce. More frightening to her was her own brother. Her mother had forbidden relations with a man and given birth to a male! Hiei was gentle and kind to her, but she soon realized that she was the exception. Her brother either feared or hated by nearly everyone else.

Kuwabara did not frightened her. She knew that he liked her, but also knew that he could not live in her world. He was a human and therefore safe. She could enjoy his silliness and his attention without fearing him. But Toya! Toya was an Ice Master and Hiei was pushing them together. She was scared to death of the handsome Ice Master. And more than anything, she was scared of her own feelings. She liked being with Toya and that frightened her more than anything else. She had no one whom she could confide in or ask advice. The only other female in the Castle was the Princess and she was more terrifying than anyone -- she had five males and Yukina could not even conceive of having one!

	Toya seemed to be the only one not pushing her. He let her take the lead and gave her as much space as she needed. He stood there on his balcony in the bright sun! He finally had a chance to live in the light. If it took a mating between him and Yukina to stay in the light, he would gladly do just that. Whatever it took to stay here in the sun and not have to return to the dark, cold world he had known his entire life.

When Kuwabara returned from Kaede's Village and announced that he would return to the Human World forever just as soon as Yusuke returned, Hiei was overjoyed. The very thought of that particular human with his sister had been absolute torment to him. Everyone in the Castle had been having fun watching the little Fire Demon, who had never shown any interest in the romances of the Castle, playing matchmaker to his own sister. They were almost sorry to see it all end. When he heard about the decision, Hiei went directly to the Princess and just stood there in her arms, his head on her shoulder, sighing in relief. This had been very hard for him -- getting involved with other people like this -- and he was glad it was over. The Princess was the only one that had not laughed at his efforts. Even Kurama could not keep a silly grin off his face!

	Yusuke and Jin returned the next day. Yusuke still had his long Demon hair and markings, but his hair and eyes remain brown. He only hoped that Keiko would accept him like this. He walked up the path from the gate to the castle when suddenly Keiko ran out of the castle. Without a moment's hesitation she ran into his arms. Yusuke had returned to her and that was all that mattered. She excitedly told him about Kaede's Village and the possibility of living there. It was a life that could work for both of them. All the anger that had always been such a large part of his life now had a reason and a purpose. He would use it to protect Otherworld. And traveling to visit his father would be no problem. Keiko would return to the Human World to tell her parents. Kuwabara and Kurama would go with her. Then Keiko and Kurama would return to Otherworld.

Yusuke could no longer return to the mainstream Human World; the Demon markings on his face, his fangs, and his long, wild hair would tell everyone he was not really human. While he could turn into his white-haired Demon form, he could no longer turn back into a human. While Keiko was gone, he would see to the building of their home in Kaede's Village. Kagome had already told Keiko about the problem with getting pregnant in Otherworld, but they now had three options when the time came to start their family: Kaoru's dojo in Japan of 1878, Kagome's family home, and Genkai's dojo. Keiko spent a week with her family, saying goodbye to them and her friends. She told her family the truth, but she told her friends that she and Yusuke were married and living in a different city. Kurama also took the opportunity to visit his human mother. She was overjoyed to see her son again; he had visited on several occasions, but it had been a while since the last time. Finally, they were both ready to return to Otherworld. Keiko promised to visit her parents as often as she could and then went through the portal to her new life. With the help of Kouga and his Wolf Demons, along with nearly everyone else in the Village, their house was completed by the time Keiko arrived. At Kurama's request, Keiko was taken to Kaoru's dojo for lunch. He used that time to create a garden for her like he had for Kaoru and Kenshin. When Keiko got to her new house, it was so beautiful she couldn't believe it! Brand new furniture had been fashioned for them by the villagers and by the Princess' craftsmen. Beautiful rugs were spread on the polished wood floors. Brand new dishes and glassware sparkled in the kitchen. A huge carved bed dwarfed their bedroom, a present from Raizen.

	Keiko wrapped her arms around Yusuke, holding him tightly. He bent to kiss her. All the rage he had always known was no longer there. He understood now where it came from and, if he needed to, he could tap into it, but it no longer consumed him. At Keiko's side, he would have a chance at true happiness.


[Author's Note: Yusuke is pronounced "Use-Kay"]