Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

THE LOST SIX MONTHS

Tangled and twisted in soft white sheets, Airi gasped as she awoke from another dream about the man who saved her. Delicate birdsong traveled through her open window, and she gazed out at the lush forest, glowing a deep shade of green after the rain. The sky was a bright, early morning blue, and all that remained of the storm was a smattering of wispy clouds. She played the dream over in her mind, searching for any details she may have missed.

She was back in the alley, the night black as ink. Mori was not with her, and there was no sign of her assailants. Searching the street for something she could not identify, a force pulled her. The lamppost behind her sparked and exploded, her only source of light now extinguished. A strong breeze, filled with darkness, whipped the hair off her shoulders.

Strong hands grabbed her, and suddenly she floated above the city. They moved so quickly that everything below was a blur, the lights, the cars, the trees, all swirling into one. She felt him, close. He was dangerous. Violent.

When they landed, the scenery shifted. Dropped on a jagged rock in the middle of the ocean, the waves ten feet tall around her, Airi was utterly alone. Not just by herself, but truly alone. Despair rushed over her as she waited for the waves to take her. A tsunami rose, forty, then fifty, feet tall, growing, surging. Closing her eyes, she braced for impact.

Those same hands wrapped around her waist, dragging her out of the way. Her eyes opened. She was in a field, with tall grass tickling her legs. Safe again. He was there, somewhere, just out of reach.

Her thoughts were full of him, this person she could not see. She could sense him so clearly, it felt as though she already knew him. He intrigued her. Instinct told her that the answer lay somewhere inside those dreams. Perhaps there was something in Genkai's library that would help.

They'd arrived at her complex two months ago. Soon after Airi was discharged from the hospital, Yusuke approached her, explaining finally how he'd been able to come back to life, to do the bidding of the Spirit World. He was being sent to a powerful psychic in search of a student and invited her to come, hoping she'd be able to learn something about her own powers.

The loud, redheaded boy from the wake found his way there as well. Kuwabara. As it turned out, he was one of the most kindhearted people she'd ever met. Spending time with him while Yusuke trained brought her immeasurable joy. It had been so long since she'd enjoyed human connection.

Looking forward to seeing them both at breakfast, she forced herself out of bed, rolling over the side lazily. She had been sleeping ten hours a night since they arrived. The comfort of Genkai's rooms mixed with the cool night air, and the bottomless fatigue that had built up in her over the past six years. Her wounded leg was healing slowly, and the effects of her head injury seemed to be easing as well.

She dressed in front of the mirror, watching as the ivory linen tunic fell to cover the scars across her arms, stomach, and chest. With the sleeves rolled down, it would be difficult to tell they were there. She wore long pants, no matter the weather, to hide the marred surface of her legs. Some semblance of life had begun returning to her eyes, and her previously pallid skin was developing a healthy flush.

Other than a glimpse of her reflection in windows and doors, she'd gone the entire length of her captivity without seeing herself. She had no recollection of what she'd looked like from ages eleven to sixteen. Her seventeenth birthday recently passed, halfway through her refuge in the woods. Mori had gifted her a pinecone that day as if he'd known.

Making her way through the second story halls, she noted all of the beautiful woodwork on the walls. Animals, bridges, and rivers, carved out of mahogany, created scenes so wondrous they begged her to pause and admire. A breezeway connected to the stairs, showcasing the incredible views beheld only by structures poised atop a hill.