Ride like the Wind
By: JapanCat (I'd be afraid if it weren't written by me...)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
1849, Southern California
It was almost midnight. He still rode through the blackness of the night, just as tired as his horse was. His green eyes stared off in the distance, hoping his destination was near.
"Almost there... I hope they don't still follow me there... And I hope you don't fall over in weakness..." he mumbled under his breath. Thanks to that bounty, I can't stay home in San Francisco anymore. Hopefully I'm right in thinking they won't kill Mother with me gone...
He mumbled to his horse again, "Hold on a few more hours. We'll be in Mexico by then..." Or I hope so...
The was the sound of hooves on the desert sand. They still pursued him!
"Get back 'ere ya bastard!" a bounty hunter growled, firing his gun and nearly missing his target's leg.
The red haired boy was kicked of his horse at that moment and he got up and stumbled away. There's a river nearby. If I go in it...
And he fell in without knowing it...
"Damn it!" the same bounty hunter growled, firing in the river. "He... That damn bastard got away! Damn it!"
"Calm yourself, Christopher... He won't get far. I know where this river leads to..." the speaker was an exorcist- a demon that was an exorcist. His blue eyes smiled there dark smile. "And... I know a man who lives there. One I almost got years ago. A reunion with him wouldn't be so bad, yes?"
He narrowed his eyes. (The exorcist would have killed him for that if we was able to see this.) "Sure, Zeru. Sure..."
---
The fisherman yawned. "Well, let's see if I caught any fish today..." He tugged on his net. This thing's heavy! Did I actually catch something for once?
He tugged harder and pulled out, not a fish, but a person. The fisherman rose an eyebrow. Is... Is he... Dead? What a waste. He barely looks fifteen or fourteen. Must not be a local either. His hair's red. What're these kids...?
The red head twitched and sat up before he stared to cough up water. Between coughs, he asked, "Where... Where am I?"
"Where are you? Guess you really aren't from these parts. What the hell were you doing?"
"Eh... That doesn't really matter. I just need the town's name."
"Good luck finding that out. I don't think anyone here knows that."
"...Maybe I'm still in California..."
The fisherman raised his eyebrow again. "California? You kidding me?"
"Huh?"
"You're in Mexico. Come back two years ago and then we'll be organized. That war messed us up here."
"Mexi... I Made it!" His eyes lit up and he jumped to his feet.
"Made it? What, are you racing buddies at home 'r something?"
I dunno if I can say anything about it... "Yeah..."
He sighed. "Damn kids..."
"...Um... I'm going to be here a while because I have to... Wait for my friends to show up and stuff. Can you help me out over here?"
"Say it like you mean it. And to think I believed you a while... I'm Suzaku. For reference."
"I'm Shuichi Minamino."
Suzaku eyed him for a second. "I think I might have something for you to do... Let's see what everyone has to say first."
"Huh? You mean like you're giving me a job?"
He chuckled. "Yeah. A job..."
"Sure..." Should I be afraid?
---
The bartender was cleaning a glass when Suzaku and Shuichi came into the bar. "'Ey Suzaku. Who's that girl? You finally find yourself a girlfriend?"
"No. It's a guy. But I thought he was a girl, too. He's an American. Californian."
"Huh. You mean like them forty-niners or whatever they call 'em?"
"Guess so. Dunno what the hell a kid like him's doin' in Mexico. School's still in."
"What do you think we're gonna do with him? He's not gonna solve our problem with them rich people."
A raspy, silent voice was heard from the corner. "I'll tell you what we'll do. We're gonna give him to the mayor."
Shuichi heard the bartender growl under his breath, "There's the devil's messenger."
If you saw him for the first time, you would have thought so, too. His ruby eyes growled ominously in the darkness. They were cold, filled with hatred... His hair was black as midnight with an outburst of white like a splash of water and defied gravity in spikes. His face looked emotionless. He was slightly muscular and his skin was slightly tanned. (He spoke with no accent... Is he really American? And for that matter... Why is everyone here speaking English! Shuichi thought.) He looked like he was almost sixteen but he was really twenty-five!
The strange man continued, his voice colder now. He probably heard the bartender's comment. "We could give him to the mayor. He'll find a use for this idiot. If he's happy with him-don't see why he won't. Idiots like idiots.-he'll be lighter on us and maybe give the land he took back. Maybe lower the prices or something. If it's just the prices, we'll but it ourselves, share the land until we get all of it back. We're all happy."
"That's crazy talk!" the drunk, Chu, gasped with a hiccup.
"Better than what'd you come up with."
"So you mean we'll sell him as a man whore?" Koto, a female fox demon, asked.
The guy nodded. "Most likely."
"Can't you think of a better way to work things out with your mayor! You elected him.."
"Actually he threw himself on there. We don't get that damn thing you call democracy here that much. Why else do you think we're all pissed off about him?"
"H... But... Petition. That's simple."
"I'm one of the few people in this room who actually literate."
"How about..."
"You're ain't gonna get it easier than we planned. Get over it."
Shuichi shook his head and walked out. I try to escape one mess and I get into another. Isn't that great? ...Mother...
"Ho there, American!" A demon greeted him. He had flaming red hair that stuck out in messy spikes. He had childish ocean blue eyes and poking through his crimson locks was a small horn, about one inch in length. He looked like he was always smiling. (Shuichi would find later that he still appeared to be smiling when he was serious.) His ears were pointed at that moment, a fang sticking out of his mouth. He was actually twenty-three even though he had the spirit of someone much younger. "I'm Jin!"
"Um.. Hi?"
"I'm gonna introduce you to the... Poor side of town because those stupid rich people have like an invisible line between us. I looked! Really!"
"Sure..."
"I'm the town freak! I'm, from Ireland 'til... I guess my parents forgot me here. They took me here a long time ago and told me to stand on that corner over there and wait. So I waited and waited... And I'm still waiting! In fact I live on that corner!"
How awful... He was abandoned and didn't realize it!
"And Chu's the drunk and..."
"That guy."
"That guy? What guy? There's a whole bunch of guys here! I mean it's like...!"
"The one that said all that about the mayor."
"Hiei? He's my bestest best friend! And he's really sensitive about his height so don't say anything!"
"O... Okay."
Jin went on but Shuichi wasn't listening. Hiei... Where have I heard... Wait... Wasn't there a person who killed people in New York and in Chicago named Hiei? Is he the same guy or am I thinking some else...?
---
"Alright, moron. Let's go..." Hiei growled.
Shuichi stared for a while. "Oh. Right."
"Don't 'Oh. Right' me. Hurry the hell up. You should have been ready before I showed. You know what was coming."
"Right. Right..."
"Damn kid."
"Why're going on foot? Don't you have...?"
"Gone. Sold them so we could keep the land we have. Don't have it easy like you do. Barely able to survive. Or... Most of us are..."
...Is that why he's so skinny...? He's been giving up his...?
"Hurry the hell up!"
An hour passed in silence.
"Hey, out of curiosity, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Shuichi asked, mostly because he wanted to break the silence.
"Why? You gonna marry her?" Hiei asked.
"A sister?"
He sighed.
"Huh?"
"It's... No one. No mother. No father. No one left. I'm the last one."
"Why?"
"You ask too many questions."
"Sure..." He's... He has no family? That kinda explains a lot. All I have in Mother... So if she does die, then I'll be all alone, too... I wonder how she's doing... I hope they didn't kill her... "ACK!"
"I know you're stupid, but you should at least watch where you're going. Dumb ass."
"What's your problem! If you think I'm stupid, then why take me? Do you hate me being an American?"
"...I hate you. I hate you all. Just die already..."
"So why'd you...?"
"Shut the hell up before I shoot you. I don't give a damn if you have people at home. I'll do it and with little remorse, you hear? Go."
Oh... I just touched a nerve I wasn't supposed to touch...
He later wrote a note to his mother:
"Dear mother,
I made it to Mexico. Well, I'm in a bigger mess. I'm supposed to see a mayor and I'm hoping I would be able to see you soon even if I have to go through this. The person taking me there is Hiei. I'm not sure I would have a pleasant trip. I feel I may be close to death here. I'll just hope I'm going to bee you. I hope things still go well for you...
Love,
Shuichi"
End Chapter 1
Notes:
1. "Come back... here."- California became part of the Untied States after the Mexico-American war which ended in 1848. It was started because Mexico and America argued over where the border should be set. America argued it be at the Rio Grande. Can't quite remember Mexico's argument.
2.Forty-niners- miners who went to California in 1849
3. "School's still in."- I don't quite remember how school worked out back then and don't intend on looking. I'll assume they had it the same as we do now.
Hi. You have just read the first chapter of Ride like the Wind. I worked really, really hard on it. Flame it if you want, but read it to the end and then flame it to I can laugh about that. Some of you might know me from other stories, if so, hey there! If this is the first of my stories you've read, welcome to my insanity.
I gave away an important point about this story that you might want to know in Battle of the Rising sun and in Yusuke the Detective. (In chapter 28 in the Detective one and 24 in the Sun one...) So yeah. Where's the romance? You'll find it later. Oh, and I have nothing to do with any organizations and this is a complete work of fiction. Some of it might have happened but don't use me as a reference for your report because I'm not getting sued for this. I have a few facts here and there but that's it.
Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated.