|| A Bouquet of Red and White Roses || [Yu Yu Hakusho Fan-fic] {Edits}

Intended Warnings

They're coming for you.. you know ? They're coming to "save" you.

I grinned at the thought of it and looked up at the red sky above me. Even if that was the case, everything was already decided. I wouldn't turn my back on the words that I left in the letter.

"It's too late for that now", I mumbled, feeling a strong gust of wind from behind me. I turned in that direction and sighed. "My goodbyes were said a long time ago."

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[Ciel POV]

Oka slowly looked across the room with an unreadable expression on her face. I could feel the tension slowly beginning to rise as she glanced around at everyone. After a few minutes or so, she finally stopped and turned to me with a frown.

"Yes ?", I asked, a bit confused with what she was doing. "Is there.. something you need ?" To my surprise, Oka sighed in dismay and placed a hand on the side of her neck. "This won't do", she was mumbling, "What to do.. what to do.." "What won't do ?", I asked. She shook her head and looked back at the others. "I understand that you all want to go to Makai and save Shiori", she was saying to them, "But it looks like I'll have to have no intention of bringing any of you." Asai, who was sitting at the table with Sara sighed. "As if that was a surprise to begin with", she replied, her tone a bit dull and bland sounding. Oka smiled at her. "You sure know how to change the feeling of a situation though. I'll give you that." "Does that mean that the only people who will be going to Makai is you and Ciel ?", Juuji asked. Oka shook her head again. "Really ?", I asked, surprised with her response. "Yeah", she replied optimistically. "In fact.."

"None of you will be going !"

I was overcome with a dumbstruck feeling as I thought about what she has just said. "What !?", I shouted when it finally processed in my head. "What do you mean by none of us are going !??" "Including Ciel ?", Sara asked. "Bingo", Oka replied with a grin. From the corner of my eye, I could see Tsukiya nonchalantly looking my way. He was standing by Azalin with his arms crossed above his chest. "You shouldn't be surprised", he said, "If none of us were going to begin with, what was the chance that you, yourself, would go ?" I grimaced at the thought.

"By why decide to go solo ?", Asai asked. "I mean it makes sense, but was it because of what Shiori said ? That she'd kill us if we got in her way ?" Oka sighed and walked over to the stairs. "That and a few other things", she mumbled as she took a seat, "I'm expecting a warm welcome from someone on the council on the first day I arrive in Makai. It'll probably be Sachi, but then again there's also the possibility that it might be Eion." "Didn't you say Eion was here though ?", I asked. "He is", she replied, "But I have a feeling that he'll go back before we do." Asai laughed from the kitchen and walked over to the living room where most of us were laying around. "How expected of a Guardian", she said with a slight grin, "So cautious of her choice." I noticed her look my way. "Unlike someone I happened to know." I scowled at her. "Are you trying to start something ?", I asked. Asai waved her hand. "Not at all", she replied.

"Speaking about Guardians", Azalin said as she looked over her shoulder, "How is it that a Guardian such as yourself, is so caught up in our current situation ? It seems that there are still quite a lot of things that we don't understand." Oka grinned. "Although I am not obliged to answer everything, I might as well explain my part in this." "Please do." I noticed Oka look my way. "If you could explain the Guardian System", she said. I didn't argue.

"The Guardian System was created some time after the Kekkai Barrier was completely finalized", I began to say as I looked down at my hands. "King Enma created the system in order to protect the three existing worlds from each other. In order to avoid any more disputes, he appointed three specific people to the system as the so-called "Guardians". Each of which would reside in one world. One in the Demon World, one in the Spirit World, and one in the Human World. Their job would be to live among the population or watch from afar for anything that would have appeared as a threat to their assigned world."

"Even so, how does this situation involve the Guardian from Reikai ? Shouldn't this situation be taken care of by the Guardian that resides in this world ?" Oka and I blankly looked up at each other. "Oh ?", she said, sounding a bit surprised, "But she already is. She's been watching the situation for a while now. You didn't know ?" "Really ?", Mizuki asked, wide eyed. She nodded. "Isn't that right Ciel ?", she asked me. "I'm only here as a form of backup if anything else were to go wrong." I shrugged. I knew she was suggesting something. I was well aware of it. I wondered if the others noticed it though. "I dunno", I replied and walked into the kitchen. 

"It's not like I know who it is." 

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"So when do you plan on leaving ?"

"Soon."

Kurama, who was standing beside the fountain, smirked and looked over his shoulder at us. "You don't really expect me to stand back do you ?", he asked, his voice calculating and sincere. "I have a promise with that Klutz. I'm not going to break it because you told me to stay." Oka placed a hand on her hip and sighed. "I figured", she sighed with a slight smile. "Jah, then we'll be moving separately." "Agreed." "I'm sure she'll be expecting you." "I assume."

I looked up at the night sky and grimaced. It was easy to sound so certain yet it was so hard to be certain. There were so many possibilities of right and wrong outcomes. We wouldn't know which one we'd get until things were already over. It was nerve wracking.

"Are you not coming along ?", I heard Kurama ask. I shook my head. "Although I might if something comes up", I replied, glancing over at Oka. "But for now, I'm going to stay behind and watch the others." "The hunters won't be involved in this ?" Oka shook her head and gave him a sad smile. "They already are", she said, sounding disappointed, "However like Ciel, the only thing they will be doing is monitor. So in some ways, yes and no. They will be more like bystanders." "I see", he muttered. I stared at Oka with a blank face. Even during times like this, she was able to keep her composure while showing only a few amount of emotions. I wasn't surprised. She and I stood and different levels. That was all.

But very shortly, that'll change when this plan begins. I'm certain.