A/N: This is VERY AU, trust me. I've always wanted to see more of Kuwabara fics like this one (well a certain aspect of it anyway, which is the cute part of it). You'll have to read it to figure that comment out. This is also my very first YYH fic, so please don't hurt me too much.

A/N2: This starts out a few years before YYH begins, so don't expect the others just yet.

A/N3: I will have a yaoi pairing in here later on. It more than likely will be either a threesome or foursome. What can I say, I luv all the guys. Yusuke's my all-time fav though. So expect him a lot.

A/N4: Also, this may not make much sense just yet, but I will get around to explaining most of it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the YYH group so please don't sue. I'm just borrowing. :p

WARNINGS: AU, OOC, YAOI, BLOOD, TORTURE, ABUSE, RAPE (NON-DESCRIPTIVE BUT APPLIED)

Not Your Fault
[Prologue]

Kuwabara Shizuru sighed morosely into the fading light of her dismal apartment. The sun was just beginning its decent into slumber leaving the area with rich reds, purples, and blues. Though the sight of the beautiful sunset encasing the darkening sky would normally melt her heart and fill her with peace, today she just couldn't be bothered.

Today was a day for reminiscing.

A day to mourn.

The one-year anniversary of her and Kazuma's parents death.

Or murder as her mind unwillingly recalled with a horrible clarity.

She could still hear their tortured screams and pleadings. Smell the nauseating stench of spilt blood covering what seemed like every inch of the apartment. The cackles of glee from their tormentors with every hit, kick, slash, or broken bone they greedily inflicted upon the defenseless couple.

And if that wasn't horrific enough, if that was even possible, was the sight of her small five-year old brother held tightly in the clutches of one of the men.

There were three.

He was a beautiful baby. Bright copper hair with strips of black hugging his forehead and cheeks, bright blue eyes that you could easily swim in and see his soul, soft pale skin that only a baby could dream of owning. And to top that off a small button nose, oh so red lips, with tiny fingers and toes. Like I said, CUTE.

And if that sight wasn't sugary enough to awe you and put you in a stupor of adoration. Imagine a pair of amazingly delicate cat ears on top of his head twitching this way and that. Small, white fangs just grazing the top of his bottom lip. A long fluffy black-striped tail, with a seemingly mind of its own, swishing back and forth behind him.

Kazuma was a sight to behold. Our little Tiger-chan.

Unfortunately, our assailants seemed to think so too.

Somehow, deep down in her very being Shizuru knew that he was the real reason all of this was happening. The reason her parents were being tortured and beaten to death by these 'DEMONS'. The reason she was tied up, gagged, and bruised herself watching all of this occur with no way of helping or escaping. But looking at him now, she couldn't care less who's fault it was or the reason, that would come later no doubt. She just wanted it to stop.

Kazuma's cubby little face was beat red from all his screaming and crying. Long tear tracks stained his flushed cheeks, snot dribbling down his nose without acknowledgement and completely nude.

That's when her heart officially died. Not even when her parents' cries were suddenly cut off by gurgles and laughter, they were now safe and free, did she break. Not even when the two demons that were just torturing her mother and father started to turn on her did she shatter totally.

It was the uncomprehending look upon Kazuma's face as the human looking youkai began to fondle and caress the poor chibi's flesh that her soul weeped and heart broke into millions of piece.

"I'm sorry." A cute but terribly young, trembling voice suddenly shattered the rooms suffocating silence and breaking her gratefully out of the horrible memories.

"For what?" Shizuru gently asked the small boy lying in her lap even as her slim fingers twirled in his long orange mane and tickling his ears.

The tiny body in her arms twisted within her grasp, curling around her middle and hugging her with surprising strength.

"For making mommy and daddy go away." Kazuma whimpered out softly as he cuddled his face into his sisters' chest, muffling some of his sobs.

"It's not your fault chibi." The brown-headed teen kissed her brothers' forehead gently.

"Not your fault..." Shizuru spoke again, mostly to herself, in bitter hope that she could soon believe it herself.

TBC