Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

MEMORIES

Airi stepped down from the train hesitantly, her injured leg stiff and unbalanced. As she limped through the terminal, distrustful eyes watched her every move. The crushing weight of people's judgments was unbearable. She passed a bathroom and ducked inside, letting out a breath of relief when it became clear that she was the only one there.

Mori, her sweet and faithful Shiba, waited patiently by her feet as she examined herself in the mirror. It was not a mystery why they stared at her. Dried mud clumped together large sections of her wavy brown hair. There was a patch of fresh blood on her bangs from a cut that reopened during her travels, and her clothes were filthy. Most unsettling, though, was the dullness in her vibrant violet eyes, as if the soul which inhabited her body had simply gone, leaving the sad shell of a human being behind.

Quickly, she wet her hands and wiped the blood from her bangs. The rest would have to wait. She dared not stay a moment longer than she needed. They would not stop looking until they found her. Returning to the city of her childhood may not have been the wisest decision, but she had nowhere else to go. There were only two people in the world she considered to be her friends, and they both lived in Mushiyori City.

Flooded with memories of the past, of a life before she became familiar with the darkest corners of human existence, Airi pulled herself away from the mirror and convinced herself to keep moving. Desperate thoughts clung to her. What would her life have been like if they'd stayed? Would she have been happy? Would her mother still be alive?

She made her way towards the exit, suffocated by the realization that this endeavor was her last and only hope for safety. The thought of seeing her childhood friends gave her comfort, but she could not ignore the fear blooming in the corners of her mind. It had been eight long years since they'd spoken. They may not even remember her.

Moving through the crowded city streets, Airi felt the crippling burden of rejoining society. The last time she was around this many people, she had not yet acquired her gift. Now, she felt the energy of every person who passed. If she stayed out here too long, she would surely lose her mind.

After walking nearly a mile, one last right turn landed her on a familiar corner. There it was. The restaurant in which she'd wasted away so many afternoons all those years ago.

She continued watching for what felt like an eternity, trying to work out what she was going to say. How could she possibly explain what she had experienced? It was during this futile exercise that a young woman stepped out of the store, backpack hanging loosely from her hand. Keiko?

Airi reached out with unseen hands, attempting to feel the girl's energy, her life force. It was difficult to recognize her by physical appearance after so long, especially with that shaggy brown hair covering her face. What she found was a grief so oppressive that it clouded the girl's aura. It was a sadness she had only felt once in her life, the night her mother died. Whoever this was had just lost the person she was closest to in the world.

Could that mean... No...

She watched as the girl walked away from her and disappeared out of sight. If that truly was Keiko, there was no way she could approach her in this state. And if she was right, and Yusuke had perished somehow, her arrival would just make things harder for everyone. She could not stand the idea of that. She refused to be the reason for anyone's suffering, no matter how dire her circumstances were.

"Change of plans, Mori."

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Slamming the demon's face into the steel control panel, Hiei laughed cruelly.

"I can do this all day," he taunted. "I know you know something. Are you going to tell me?"