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.
Grabbing a bowl of porridge, Airi joined Yusuke and Kuwabara, and poured herself a steaming cup of green tea from the pot in the center of the table.
"Morning, Airi!" Kuwabara yelled.
From where she sat across the room, Genkai hissed at him.
"Good morning," she said, chuckling. "Yusuke, how are you?"
She could feel his energy this morning. Drained, exhausted, and frustrated.
"Been better. That old hag is freaking crazy."
In an instant, the bite-sized psychic was at his side, pulling him by his ear.
"Come, Yusuke. Time for that old hag to kick your ass again."
Kuwabara snorted, tea spraying out of his nostrils. Airi smiled; sometimes the small age difference between them felt like decades. Despite the fortitude of their spirit powers, they were still boys at heart.
"Looks like it's just you and me then," Airi said, once he'd wiped his face.
"Ah, sorry Airi, Genkai told me to practice my with sword today."
"Well, good luck. See you at dinner then."
Unbothered, she finished her tea and cleaned up their plates. A day in the forest would suit her just fine.
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Sitting on a rooftop overlooking the city, Hiei removed the fabric he kept tied around his forehead, revealing his Jagan Eye. It was hopeless, trying to sense his sister's whereabouts, for he had tried countless times without success. He focused on the memory of her, her physical form as well as her spirit. She was nowhere to be found.
Sometimes, he came to terms with the fact that in all likelihood, she was dead. This was a truth he could not accept for long. His reason for living these past few years had been nothing other than to see her safely back to her home.
"Hello, Hiei."
Kurama. The final screw to come loose in their well hatched plan. It was his fault that Hiei had lost possession of the Shadow Sword and was therefore unable to create the legion he needed to find his sister. He took in the sight of his former companion, long hair blowing in the mighty gusts of wind that swept around the rooftop. There was something different about him. He seemed... at peace.
"What do you want," he said flatly, retying the cloth over his third eye.
"I know you are not happy to see me. I come bearing an offer."
"What could you possibly offer that would be of any interest?"
Kurama took a seat next to him, gazing out over the city. It was dyed a dusty pink from the sunset, and any other person might have found it beautiful. After a long while, he spoke.
"Koenma has extended an opportunity to erase our crimes against the Spirit World."
Unexpected. Koenma promised to hunt us to the ends of all three worlds.
"And what does he require of us in exchange for this pardon?"
He felt Kurama's eyes on him, weighing him. He fears my reaction.
"He's asked that we assist his Spirit Detective. Our power would be... useful."
Anger flashed within him. Yusuke Urameshi. The brittle human who bested him in battle.
"Why the hell would I want to help that fool?" Hiei asked, outraged.
"Look beyond Yusuke," he said. "Being in Koenma's good graces might just put you in line to receive information. Details about the whereabouts of an ice apparition, perhaps?"
The chances of that toddler being able to help him find Yukina were scant, at best. Working with the Spirit Detective was not something he ever intended to do. However, he had made a promise at his mother's grave. No stone would remain unturned until he found his twin, dead or alive. If this opportunity held any prospect at all, he had to take it.
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Returning from the forest around midday, Airi snuck into the kitchen to make a light lunch. The old man who cooked for them, whose name she did not know, only appeared in the mornings and evenings. Yusuke and Kuwabara were able to make it through the day, but years of starvation in the facility retained her from being able to pass up a meal.
She carried her bowl and a fresh cup of tea to the library, hidden deep within the center of the complex. The ceilings were close to fifteen feet high, filled to the very top with shelves. On one wall, circular windows framed the trees outside. Turning on a small desk lamp, Airi settled in and opened a book on dream weaving, its time worn pages yellowed and rigid.
Written by an ancient sect of powerful psychics, the text was clearly meant for those who already held an understanding of their talents. She filled her journal with messy notes, stringing together thoughts and ideas that seemed related. The masters wrote of the importance of dream manipulation – one's ability to recognize that they are dreaming so that they may sculpt it to serve their purposes.
In the footnotes, scribbled haphazardly, was a recipe for a tonic that supposedly would enhance this ability. Squinting to make out all the ingredients, she realized that she had seen each of them in Genkai's store. Untroubled with asking permission, she leapt from her seat and headed back to the kitchen. In its dusty closet was everything she needed.
Skullcap, mugwort, valerian, yarrow, blue lotus.
Setting them out on the counter one by one, it occurred to her that were no measurements in the book. Her mother had been a talented herbalist, passing on to Airi much of what she knew. She was familiar with the basic properties of each herb and let this guide her. Placing them together in a jar, she filled it to the brim with water and covered it. The instructions outlined a month-long process, with the concoction placed on a windowsill under the light of the moon for a full cycle.
That night, before climbing into bed, she positioned it safely on the ledge. It would be a long month. Patience had never been her strongest trait.
There was a knock on her door, and Yusuke popped his head in.
"Got a minute?"
She nodded. He entered and closed the door behind him, but did not speak.
"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine!" he answered, unconvincingly. "Well, no, not really."
She slid over and he tossed himself onto the bed beside her.
"Honestly, Airi, I don't know if I'm cut out for this. You can feel people's energies. You must have noticed that mine is gone by the end of every day."
"I did," she admitted, tipping her head against his shoulder. "I know it's hard. But I can also feel you getting stronger, Yusuke. Every night you may have nothing left, but every morning you have a little more than the day before."
He wrapped his arms around her and sighed.
"It's stupid but... I miss Keiko. Without her yelling at me all the time, it's like I lose my motivation."
She laughed, remembering all of the occasions she'd witnessed that very thing.
"Well, I won't yell at you like that, but I'm sure Genkai wouldn't mind."
It was his turn to laugh. The sound of it comforted her. She had not heard it enough since they arrived. They sat in silence for a while, reverting momentarily to their nine- and six-year-old selves. She'd loved him like a brother, once, and took great happiness in finding her way back. He had a good heart, and did not deserve the suffering that followed him like a shadow.
Just as she started to nod off, his voice startled her.
"What the heck is that?" he asked, pointing to the jar on the windowsill.
"A tonic," she said. "To help me dream. It won't be ready for a while."
"Still trying to figure out who that guy is, huh?"
She nodded.
"Well, I hope it works. It looks disgusting."
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Airi was back in the alleyway. This time, she fled from an invisible attacker, always at her heels. No matter how fast she ran, she could not outpace them. A silhouette flashed in front of her, moving so quickly she barely noticed it. With a thud, she ran headfirst into a tall man. Blood dripped down his face from a wound she couldn't see.
"You bitch!" he yelled, raising a knife high in the air.
And then she was swept away, surrounded again by that same, dark energy as they flew over the city. It was him. Something tugged at the corners of her mind.
"Dream," she heard, from somewhere out in the ether.
It's a dream.
She reached out, with her hand or with her energy, and felt around for him. Her fingers burned like fire. She cried out.
"Who are you?"
The world shook around her, parts of the city disintegrating, morphing, into something unrecognizable. All that remained in focus was the outline of her stranger. He was short in stature, only an inch or two taller than herself. She could make out a cloak of black, blending seamlessly into the night around them. The fire was coming from inside of him...
"Show me your face," she begged.
Eyes, red like molten copper, apparated before her. Above them something glowed, though she could not tell what it was. The form of his face slowly clarified. He felt so familiar...
The bed was drenched in sweat as Airi stumbled out of her dream. It was the middle of the night, and the moon shone brightly through her room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure, the afterimage of the man in her dream. Memorizing the details before sleep took her again, she felt the fulfilment of a successful mission. She would not forget his face.
Running down to breakfast that morning as fast as she could, excitement coursed through her. Yusuke and Kuwabara just sat down and were both yawning too much to eat.
"I did it," she said, sliding into a chair next to Yusuke. "I saw him."
"Right on!" he said enthusiastically. "So, what does your knight in shining armor look like?"
"Yeah, is he a hottie?!" Kuwabara added.
Mortified, her cheeks began to heat. That was a detail she'd planned on leaving out.
"Oh my god, he is! We gotta find this guy, you need a boyfriend," Yusuke said, elbowing her in the ribs.
"I absolutely do not. I can barely handle the two of you," she jested.
Expecting them to laugh, she was caught off guard by their solemn expressions.
"It was just a joke..."
"We do not have time for jokes," a voice said from behind her. "Girl, come with me."
She followed with great apprehension, winding through the vast expanse of the complex. It occurred to her that Genkai probably became wise to the herbs she'd stolen and was about to reprimand her. Based on what Yusuke told her of their sessions, especially when he misbehaved, she was not looking forward to the encounter one bit.
They entered a plain room, massive in size but lacking in everything from decorations to furniture. Airi glanced around nervously.
"Relax, child," Genkai snapped. "I am not mad about the herbs. Hell, I was proud of you for taking the initiative."
Her shoulders dropped, relieved.
"This is about your powers. The brat still has a long way to go. He thinks he is much stronger than he is, and he'll need guidance and backup when he leaves here. If I told him this myself, he would call me an old bitch and storm off.
"I suspect that your gift is not bestowed upon you naturally," she continued, ignoring the look of astonishment on Airi's face. "This makes it even more difficult to control. You've done well on your own, learning to keep your memories and thoughts behind closed doors. There are many more uses you will someday learn. Today I will teach you one of them.
"With this, you will be able to redirect your spirit energy, sending it inwards to exist in a space so far away from the surface that it renders you virtually undetectable. If you master this, you can harness it to appear invisible to any who wish you harm. This is a defensive talent, girl, and one that will keep you safe while the others fight."
"Oh, I see," she said, eyes downcast.
"Do not be discouraged. The aggressive, offensive talents are revered in this world of men, but it is often the overlooked who prove to be the most dangerous. Every foe will underestimate you. You wish to fight, but your role in this is a far greater burden. You must be responsible for their wellbeing."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean that fighting takes its toll on the body, and the body heals. The damage done to the mind is not so easily fixed. It is your duty to learn how."