All For the Love of You
chapter 12
by Manille
"Misako-chan?"
My eyes fluttered open as I heard the nurse’s voice. I looked up.
In front of me was Kaasan, sleeping, but not peacefully. She was stirring slightly, her lips quivering. Then a tear slid down her cheek.
I sighed heavily, sadly. "O-kaasan," I murmured.
I felt the nurse’s hand on my shoulder. I turned around and raised my eyes towards her. "How is she?" I asked quietly.
"She’ll be okay."
"And the baby?"
"It wasn’t hurt. It’s fine."
My breath came out with a whoosh. "Thank heavens," I whispered to myself.
"You’ve got visitors," the nurse continued. "Do you want them to come in?"
"No, I’ll just…" I pulled myself up with a grunt. "I’ll go out myself."
"Okay."
My hand traveled to my forehead, its left side bandaged. Even my throat was bandaged. I looked at my reflection on the mirror beside Kaasan’s bed. Wow, was I a sight. My hair looked like it wasn’t combed for months. Black bags hung under my eyes, and I was as pale as the ghost of the Christmas Past. It was complimented by bumps, the bandages, and still more wounds.
Not really caring about my appearance, I walked out of the room with a look at Kaasan.
I stopped when I saw the man in front of me.
Saikaku!
"Misako," he whispered.
Tears suddenly shot up my eyes. "Saikaku!" I voiced softly. My heart was in my mouth. There he was, his compassionate eyes, his loving arms, wanting to hug me.
Before I knew it, I was weeping in his arms, finally crying out all my fears. He rubbed his hands on my back, trying to comfort me. "Misako, everything’s gonna be all right," he murmured in my ear.
But my fears still got the better of me despite Saikaku’s consoling. I felt so helpless and tired. "I was kidnapped, Saikaku. She used me to get Toosan. If I had been more careful, then nothing like this would have happened. It’s all my fault…." Another cry escaped from me.
"No, it wasn’t," Saikaku said soothingly. "Look, Misako. Some people are here."
People? I pulled myself away from Saikaku and looked at the men who stood behind Saikaku.
Four of them. Kazuma-san, Hiei-san, Shuichi-san and Koenma-san!
Shuichi-san stepped forward and put a hand on my hair. "Misako-chan, we’re here to help your father," he said softly. His green eyes were compassionate but encouraging. "We’ll make sure nothing will happen to your father."
"But how?" I asked, unable to fathom what they were saying. Right, help. But how can they compete with…that woman? Ashiga? She looked so powerful that she even brought us to another dimension.
Koenma-san stepped beside Shuichi-san. "Kurama, I’ll take it from here."
Kurama? "Who’s Kurama?" I demanded.
"I’m Kurama, Misako."
"Huh?" I looked at Shuichi-san. How the hell did he become Kurama?
"I’ll explain everything," Koenma-san said. He led me to the far end of the corridor. With questioning eyes, I looked at Saikaku. Saikaku simply nodded once encouragingly.
"Misako?"
I looked at Koenma. "Yes, Koenma-san—sama."
"No, you can call me Koenma-san," he said. Then his eyes grew serious. "There are lots of things that need to be explained, but let me start with Saikaku first."
I looked at Saikaku again. His eyes never left me. "W-what do you know about Saikaku?" I asked Koenma-san.
"He’s your childhood friend, best friend, and now your boyfriend."
I gulped. Does the Prince of Reikai really have some kind of a crystal ball?
"Misako-chan, I know that you told Saikaku about the rei gan thing and everything else your father had told you. But Yusuke forgot to tell you one thing—you shouldn’t have given the information to anyone, not even your best friend."
"And…?" I began to feel nervous.
"You see, those information are highly secret. If it leaks out, we’ll be in danger. The Reikai, the tantei, you…even Saikaku."
"W-why Saikaku? Don’t tell me he has ki too."
"No, he doesn’t. But since he is the one who knows, he might get into trouble with some evil spirits trying to get more information about the tantei and you."
"W-what about me?" I asked apprehensively.
"You are the daughter of Urameshi Yusuke, Misako. And if they learn that you inherited his ki too…."
"Was Toosan that popular?"
"Oh, yes. Actually, to some, he still is. He made a big difference in the Makai—he started a tournament there that made the Makai a more peaceful place. He won in the Ankoku Bujutsukai—and it was a very good fight. And he’s a Class-S youkai warrior, a very powerful one in its standards."
I still couldn’t get on the trail. "What’s a Class-S youkai warrior?"
"Well, the ki, rei ki and youki are classified into different classes," Koenma-san patiently explained. "From lowest to highest, there are the Class-E, Class-D, Class-C, Class-B, Class-A, and the most powerful of all is the Class-S. I have classified your rei ki, Misako. Because of the extraordinary rei gan you created—for a first timer—I classified you as a Class-D warrior."
I gulped again. "You mean to say…I’m a warrior?"
"Even if you don’t like the sound of it, you already are."
"But…I’ve already turned my back on my rei ki. Just like Toosan—you may not be able to classify him now because his powers are dormant already."
"That’s true."
"I’m like him, too. I’ll never use my rei gan again!"
"But that doesn’t mean it’s dormant already. You can still use it."
"I don’t want to anymore!" I insisted, and I meant it. Suddenly, I resented Koenma. Toosan was right—if it weren’t for this Reikai tantei thing, I’d also be living a normal schoolgirl’s life. But because my toosan was once a Reikai tantei, and one of the most powerful beings with rei ki, or youki, or whatever, I was getting my end of the deal. And a very stupid of a deal.
"You want me to be a tantei, don’t you?"
"Yes."
"I promised Toosan that I won’t!"
Koenma closed his eyes, seemingly annoyed by this insistent, hardheaded girl in front of him. Finally, he sighed. "I want to tell you about Ashiga first."
Ashiga. The woman’s face began to come into my mind again. The most beautiful face I had ever seen, actually, but the fact that she kidnapped my father didn’t help. That woman who took my Toosan away, who hurt my Kaasan. That bitch.
In my heart, I still firmly believed that my wonderful kaasan is the most beautiful woman in the world.
I took a deep breath. "Okay."
"Ashiga was the last person your toosan fought with," Koenma started. "They fought here in the Ningenkai, a few months after Yusuke returned from the Makai. No one knew about the fight except for him and me. Your father beat Ashiga, of course. Ashiga is a human—I’m sure you know that—but she can create dimensions, which could only be destroyed by your Kazuma-san. But unfortunately, Kazuma-san has also turned his back on fighting, long before your father and Kurama did."
So Kazuma-san and Kurama-san have ki, too, but also dormant. And what about Hiei-san? I threw a glance at him. His eyes were closed as he leaned back on the wall behind him. As I felt it now, I could sense something out of him—like an aura. Maybe his ki was still active.
I shook my head in puzzlement. "Ashiga kidnapped my father just because of his rei ki that he can not manipulate anymore?"
Koenma put a hand on my shoulder. "As of now, we do not know what Ashiga really wants—complete dominion over the three worlds, I really do not know either. But just imagine—Ashiga already has ki. She can also create dimensions. What more could he do with Genkai’s spirit waves and your father’s rei ki and youki—one of the most powerful of all?"
"But it’s like what Kaasan had said—there are lots of others who has ki much stronger than Toosan’s."
"Maybe Ashiga couldn’t bear the fact that Yusuke defeated him years ago. Eye for an eye, as she had said." Koenma shook his head sadly. "I’m sorry, Misako. That’s all I know about Ashiga. I’ve alerted everyone in the Reikai about Ashiga and told them to find more information they can get about her."
I sighed heavily. This was too complicated, even for me to understand. Okay, put Koenma’s explanation in one word: trouble.
Fine.
For a summary, Koenma simply meant that Ashiga was a powerful human who kidnapped Toosan out of revenge. He did not know if Ashiga wanted the world or what, but she was gathering powers.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say that she was also after Toosan.
And if she were, I’d tear her limb from limb. Toosan was my Kaasan’s, and nothing could ever change that, not even that bitch. That…that…. I mentally cursed her.
"So, Koenma-san…what are we going to do?"
Koenma nodded once. "Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei agreed on helping us, although Hiei is the only one who can still manipulate his youki. And as for Saikaku, he also agreed."
My jaw dropped. "What?! Saikaku??"
"Yeah?" I heard Saikaku ask.
"No." Koenma waved a hand towards him. Saikaku was still looking at us intently. "Yes, Saikaku."
"What does he have to do with this?" I growled angrily.
"Misako, you told him about your family’s ki heritage. Like I told you, it’s top secret. We can not risk anything."
What was he trying to say? "I trust Saikaku completely, Koenma. He wouldn’t breathe a word about it."
"Yes, I’m sure. But we’re not taking any chances."
My chest heaved. Was Koenma trying to say that he had to make Saikaku shut up…forever?
Just because I told him?
"What are you going to do with Saikaku?"
"Train him," Koenma said in a low voice.
"And make him a Reikai tantei?"
"No, not exactly. We are just going to train him so that he could protect himself. That’s what I meant about taking risks. We couldn’t just leave him with the information. He also has to protect himself from getting those information leaked."
Damn it, this was too much.
Saikaku got dragged into this mess because of me. Me! The one whom he trusted for so many years put him into trouble, damn it!
"And as for you, Misako. I ask you, what do you want to do?"
I looked at him, my eyes fierce and determined. "I want to save my father."
"And be a tantei."
"No, not a tantei. I want you to train me like how you’d train Saikaku. But please…don’t turn me into a tantei. I promised Toosan that I wouldn’t."
"But this is an altogether different case, Misako. You have the rei ki. Your training will be different from Saikaku’s. And you know we also can not take any chances. In the Reikai, in special cases, those who have ki are being chosen to become a tantei."
"Well, your stupid rules suck, Koenma."
I suddenly bit my lip, regretting what I had said. There I was, talking to a prince, and I told him that his rules suck.
Koenma looked at me indignantly.
"Look, I’m sorry, Koenma-san," I told him. "But I’m not a special case. I just want to help Toosan."
"You are a special case, Misako. You’re Yusuke’s daughter. And if you go there without being trained, you’re better off not to go there and save your toosan."
"Can’t I just be trained without being a tantei?" I asked again.
"Misako, you’re as hardheaded as your father was," Koenma said. Then, smiling, he touched my hair. (Why did everyone love to touch my hair?!) "Misako-chan, being a tantei is one thing. Saving and your father—and the world—is another."
Finally, he left and joined Hiei-san, Kurama-san and Kazuma-san.
"Saving your father—and the world—is another."
Koenma’s voice rang in my ears as I approached Saikaku. "Did he tell you?" he asked me.
"Did he tell you?"
"Yes. He told me everything."
That guilt—it clutched my throat again. Why did I ever have to feel guilt? "Saikaku…I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I shouldn’t have spilled everything to you. I should have understood in the first place that it’s top—"
"Shhh." Saikaku put a finger on my lips to refrain me from going any further. His touch sent chills down my spine. "Look, Misako. I’m glad you told me."
"So…you’re not mad?"
"Mad? Of course I’m not!" he declared firmly. Then his face grew serious. He traced my cheek lightly with his thumb. "For you, Misako, I’d do anything."
My heart swelled with Saikaku’s utterance of love for me. I threw my arms around him, feeling another stream of tears flow down my cheeks. Why did he have to be so kind to me?
"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you."
Saikaku tightened his arms around me.
Yes. He’s going to help me save Toosan.
But what about me? Will I be a Reikai tantei? What about my promise to Toosan?
I murmured my predicament in Saikaku’s ear even as we held onto each other.
"What do you think, Misako?"
"I really want to go with you, Saikaku," I said. "But the promise…Toosan wouldn’t be happy to hear that I’m already a tantei."
"But you do want to help your father, don’t you?"
Of course I did! More than anything, I wanted to save—or at least, help save Toosan. I’d do anything for my father…and for my mother.
…Even break a promise—even if it’s one to Toosan.
…Even be a Reikai tantei, such a dangerous job.
…Even die.
Enlightenment surged through me. Yes, I’d become a Reikai tantei. I’d save my father even if it means dying for him.
He gave himself up to keep me safe, after all.
"Saving your father—and the world—is another."
"Yes," I uttered softly to Saikaku.
"Of course."
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