*Anemone's room...Hiei's taking a nap on her couch, and Kurama's playing
her piano...Anemone's at the computer listening to his playing*
Anemone: wow Fox! I didn't know you were that good! *Kurama blushes slightly*
Hiei: *mumbling in his sleep* ...ice cream...
Anemone: OOH! I'VE GOT AN IDEA!!
Kurama: what is it, Mones?
Anemone: we should start a band!!
Hiei: *still mumbling* ...chocolate ice cream...
Kurama: a band?
Anemone: YEAH! You could play keyboard, I could be lead guitar, Mirai Trunks could do turn tables-
Hiei: ...DOUBLE chocolate ice cream...
Anemone: -and Flames can play the drums!
Kurama: that's an excellent idea Mones...but...
Anemone: ...but?
Hiei: ...but where's the whipped cream?!...
Kurama: ...but, we need a lead singer, back-up singers, a bass guitarist-
Hiei: ...and a CHEERY...hell yeah...mmm...
Anemone: hm...OOH! You could sing lead, I could sing back-up, Anneliese could be bass guitar and Ellen can be our manager!!
Kurama: ...manager...?
Anemone: YEAH! We need gigs!
Kurama: but...we haven't even established it as an official-
Hiei: *still mumbling* ...NO! MY ice cream...get away, Kitsune...
Kurama: *sweatdrop* erm...shouldn't we wake up Hiei and ask him if he even wants-?
Anemone: -okay it's settled!!! WE ARE STARTING A BAND, PEOPLE!! *gets hit in the head with a pillow*
Hiei: *who threw the pillow, still sleeping* ...shut up!!...
Anemone: *throws pillow REALLY hard at him, whacks him upside the face, he falls off the couch*
Hiei: *jerks awake* what the hell?!?! *pretty pissed*
Anemone: THAT'S what you get for throwing a pillow at me!
Hiei: the hell are you talking about?! I didn't throw a pillow at you, woman!
Kurama: ^_^' heh...erm, anyway...*turns to readers* chapter 2, enjoy.
Anemone: grr, Hiei...!
Hiei: ...stupid moron...
Anemone: WHAT?!?! *lunges at Hiei, about to get VERY violent*
Kurama: O_O go read!! Quickly!
Chapter 2: A Tail's Tale
"Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?" Yusuke breathed in steady, quick repetition to the woman sprawled over the couch. "Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?"
Her pinched eyes clenched tighter in a quivered wince, a trembled moan escaping through a barrier of grit teeth. Her tense face then relaxed as her sagging eyes pealed open. "Y-Yusuke...?"
"KEIKO!" He beamed. "Okay-honey-I'm-thrilled-you're-awake-but-the-guys-all- left-and-I-gotta-go-with-them-to-see-Koenma-and-find-out-what-the-hell- happened-to-Kurama-gotta-go-love-you-BYE!" with that he pricked a peck of a kiss to the stunned woman's brow and bolted for the door.
"What the-?! YUSUKE!" she hollered after the punk in frustration, the former Detective racing away in search for his companions. He whipped ferociously down the suburban street, and eventually found himself sprinting through Tokyo.
"Kurama?! Hiei! Kuwa?!" he roared into the various alleyways and turns of the city-span as he scanned over for the others. "Aw dammit where'd they go?!"
"Calm yourself Detective," a scoffing tone burned behind. Yusuke whirled around to see Hiei...okay, so one down...but where were-?
"Shorty!" a faint call stung in echoes against the walls of the alleyway. Kuwabara sprinted into view. "Jeez THERE you are! Have you found the portal yet?!"
"I ran into Detective, who seems to have abandoned his mate."
"I didn't abandon her! I waited till she woke up and gave her very clear explanations!"
The hidden orb veiled by a single bandana glowed upon Hiei's forehead. "You merely gave her a rushed attempt of an excuse before leaving her out of the blue."
A brief pause. "Shut up!"
"Fool, be useful and use your Spirit Awareness to help us feel out the portal," Hiei's singeing ruby eyes cast lazily over his shoulder for Kuwabara.
"Why can't you find it...?" Yusuke inquired slowly. "...and why are you looking in alleys...?"
"A new measure of precaution for the secrecy of the Spirit World's existence," a calm voice breathed into hearing. Chocolate, ruby, and onyx eyes each threw themselves for a velvet shadow, Kurama stepping free of it's barrier, his brilliant eyes scanning in opposite directions as his sensitive awareness strained to feel out the gateway's whereabouts. "Koenma has recently decided it is an ill option to merely allow only one portal to the Spiritual Realm...he has made it official to change the portal monthly, as to lessen the chance of a mortal stumbling upon it."
"Oh..." Yusuke panned this over in his mind, allowing his shoulders to shift in a brief shrug.
"Okay whatever...guess I wasn't as far behind as I thought having to stay with Keiko."
"Be quiet and help us locate the portal, Detective," the Dragon half- growled in irritation, allowing his Jagon to glow visible through his sleek bandana as he searched telepathically for the new passageway.
"Hey guys!" Kuwabara's croaky voice stung their attention from the far end of the dank alleyway. "I found it! Over here! By the dumpster!"
"Great...a dumpster...a disgusting mass of bubbling waste rotting into itself with the leisurely slowness of hardened molasses while allowing itself to seep of a vile odor and soften to an appalling extent..." Hiei grunted in annoyance.
"Okay, eww..." Yusuke eyed the Koorime with a sickened sensation swelling over his senses.
"...hem..." Kurama clicked his tongue to his teeth. "Well, that's the portal alright..."
"The hell would Koenma put the portal under a freakin' dumpster for?!" Yusuke growled.
"Obviously so normal ningens wouldn't dare approach it, and so only demons and persons of your rank, Detective, wouldn't use it unless for a dire situation," Hiei concluded bluntly, his tone monotonous at how apparent his reasonings were.
The group then cast their eyes straight for Kurama, waiting in silence before he responded. He blinked slowly to the flicking tail brushing against his thigh and swishing gracefully though the air, and bobbed his naturally narrow glare back for his companions. "I dare say that this is worth it..."
"Then by all means, you first," Yusuke stepped aside, a calm half-smirk about his face. Kurama growled slightly in the core of his throat before eyeing the disgusting, greasy, dumpster, and, groaning at what he must do...eased to the ground, and slid beneath the leaking, nauseating metal box of trash. He just barely held in the yearn to purge, his fox-like sense of smell swelling dramatically under the intensity of the vile odor.
"You okay there, Kurama?" Yusuke half-winced at the slight noises of nausea escaping from beneath the greasy, rusted dumpster.
Kurama responded with an annoyed growl, continuing onward with his skid. He was pressed firmly against the concrete of the ground, the rusted, sharp jags of the metal dumpster just an inch north his nose. A drip of ooze tore from the dumpster floor, and ran down the side of the Fox's temple. The calm Kitsune paused in his utter irritation. "Oh joy..." he grunted in frustration. "I certainly hope any information obtained after this is worth it..."
"We won't know until we try," Hiei smirked deviously. "Just inch down a little more and you should collapse into the dimensional tear between the two worlds, Kitsune."
"If I make it to the other side, and none of you attempt to come in after me, you will be sorry," Kurama threatened with a tauntingly calm flavor.
"No worries there, Red...I'm too damn curious about that tail to abandon ya...now hurry up! I wanna get my turn over with..." Yusuke chuckled, though seriously dreading having to himself follow Kurama's route.
The fox stubbornly eased his way further down the dank, humid darkness of the dumpster's underbelly, until a sensation of weightlessness shifted his ankles lower in what felt to be a gel-filled hole. "Alright! Here's the gateway...best be seeing you in a few moments," the fox smiled calmly before pressing firm against the concrete of the ground and slipping fully into the smooth, soft portal and sliding entirely from the living dimension.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Hmm..." Koenma cooed to himself in thought as he examined Kurama's new extension with intent caramel eyes. The fox stood in vexation as he awaited an explanation. Hiei stood leaning to the far wall, watching on with half his attention. Kuwabara and Yusuke were almost as irritated with the child- like Lord as Kurama was. "Yep...it's a tail alright..."
"We know THAT!" Yusuke half-growled in his annoyance. "How did he get it?!"
"Yusuke, shut up...lemme take a looksy..." the toddler pinched to the corner of a page and flipped over, repeating this several times. "Let's see...tails, tails, tails...ah! Here we are! Fox tails."
"What does it say?" Kurama sighed as he strained to remain patient.
"Hmm...absolutely nothing that corresponds with your situation," Koenma scratched his neck in mild frustration.
"Great!" Kuwabara's narrowed onyx eyes tucked back in annoyance. "This makes NO sense..."
"Baka..." Hiei smirked morbidly.
"Watch it, Midget! I only put up with you because you're my beloved Yukina's brother...DON'T TEMPT ME INTO KILLING YOU AND MAKING MY SOUL MATE PISSED OFF AT ME!!"
Hiei merely wrinkled his nose at the moronic fool. "Silence, you idiot...maybe this scenario would make sense if Koenma had bothered to examine the wolf section," Hiei's low tone rang from behind. "Eh, Kurama?"
"Exactly what I was thinking, Hiei," the Kitsune smiled tiredly. "Koenma Sir?"
"Of course! Your wolf heritage!" the toddler exclaimed at himself after remembering Kurama was partially of the wolf breed, again scanning through his documents in a vain attempt to find the source of the red-head's case. "Ah! Now THIS deals with your situation, Kurama!" Koenma half-chuckled arrogantly after having found the proper data.
"Yes?" the red-head inquired calmly.
"It seems..." Koenma began to read aloud the intricate details of the wolf breed's tail growth.
"...that the spines of wolf demons take the first forty-something years of their lives before being able to extend beyond a human's length, and once a wolf demon is about that age, they grow their tail."
"Ah yes..." Kurama drew back in remembrance. "...forty years before a tail is grown."
"But, isn't that kinda old...?" Kuwabara piped in his confusion.
"Moron..." the morbid flame Koorime grunted. "...for a demon, forty- something years is mere infancy."
A brief pause. "Oh..."
"But..." Yusuke bit to his bottom lip. "Kurama's not really a demon anymore...he's been reincarnated into a human..."
"True...care to take up that factor, Koenma?" Kurama dared calmly, his bushy tail brushing smooth to his thigh.
"...well, Kurama..." the toddler sighed half-awkwardly. "Have you ever wondered why you never resembled either of your human parents?"
Kurama drew back slightly, pricking in thought. "Indeed...why is that?"
"Same reason you were able to grow a tail even as a humanoid..." the toddler smirked in his wisdom. "...in your reincarnation, you dragged not only your soul into the empty body of the potential Suichi Minamino, but your genetics as well."
*a/n: okay, I don't like to think Kurama stole a body from a living kid...so, for the sake of this, let's just say Shiori knew she was pregnant, but was unknowingly carrying a dead baby in her womb, the potential Suichi having just died, until Kurama took the empty vessel for himself*
"You...you mean, I truly am still demonic?" the fox blinked in shock. "I thought I was merely now the shadow of what was once a Fox-Wolf...but I truly am still such?"
"Partially...because you took an empty body, you had control over the genetical make up...but, you were limited to some human standards...such as, you lacked your silver hair and your fox ears because the human ears were already formed in Shiori's womb," Koenma shrugged.
"I see...and because I still possess my demonic traits, I still have my abilities with plants and the fact that I grow a tail in my forties..."
"Exactly," the toddler nodded primly.
"So wait..." Yusuke paused the explanation in his confusion. "Lemme get this straight...Kurama left his demon body with like his soul and his genes, and put himself in this empty body, and influenced the kids genes, and because of that he could still grow a tail at forty-something years old like a wolf demon would have?"
"Precisely," Kurama half-smirked. "Nice to see you were paying attention."
"Do I never?" Yusuke grinned arrogantly.
"Constantly," Hiei scoffed from behind, still at his leisurely place against the wall.
"But..." Kuwabara was lost. "...if wolf demons get their tails when they're babies, wouldn't Kurama have gotten one when he was a baby...?"
"You fool...weren't you paying attention?" Hiei half-growled. "Wolf demons are infants at forty-years old, that much is so...but, because Kurama still had his fox and wolf heritage, his spine, like those of the wolf breed, couldn't grow until he was about forty...it may seem rather old in your weak race's terms, but not for demons."
"Indeed," Kurama smiled tiredly at the confused Kuwabara. "Not that humans are weak, yet the rest is so...But, what I would like to know, Koenma...is why were my children each born with a tail?"
"Hey yeah!" Yusuke piped. "I never understood that...!"
"Well, Kurama..." Koenma bit hard against his pacifier in strain to explain. "...since you have all your demonic traits, you are the demon parent...Botan, however, is the human one...er, more or less..." he drew back in thought, seeing at the bubbly ferry girl wasn't to the truest of technicalities a real human. "...and, because your children are in fact half demon half human as a result of this pairing between you and Botan, their genes were tampered with in such a way that wouldn't conform to either species. They're spines were perfectly capable to grow in the womb because the human half of them sped their spine formation rather quickly."
"I see..." Kurama drew his brilliant eyes aside...he then shifted in a weighed sigh. "...now to explain this to Botan without her falling unconscious at it's mere sight..."
Kuwabara's onyx eyes quickly ventured for the watch strapped about his wrist. "GAH!" he gasped sharply, his companions glancing for his immediate direction. "The kids! We gotta go pick them up!"
"They're teenagers...they're all part demon...they're fine..." Hiei's calm eyes were pressed shut as he breathed his bit into the scene.
"No, I believe we should go to escort them ho-" Kurama began, before a certain toddler coughed hard to intercede into the fox's sentence.
"Actually, Kurama...Botan is still working, so maybe you'd better go and tell her about the tail issue now...she should be getting back from her latest assignment at any time."
"But...my children..." Kurama began in protest.
"...paranoia..." Hiei half-sang, half-sighed through a smug smirk.
"I, am, NOT, paranoid!"
"Kurama," Koenma's stern caramel eyes set narrow. "Go and tell Botan...your kids will be fine...because Hiei is going to follow them home."
"Nani?!" the Dragon pricked, instantly jerking from his lazy lean to the wall.
"Hiei, just do it...you and your sister live in the same neighborhood, so Ryuuhayai will walk home with Kane-" the toddler Lord strained to ease the Dragon to agreement.
"You're merely fueling his paranoia, Koenma..." Hiei's dagger eyes narrowed firm.
"Hiei..." Kurama half-sighed.
A long pause, emerald locking against ruby. "FINE..." the Dragon growled. "But just so you know, your daughter is a worthy opponent, so you really shouldn't worry of her well-being..."
With that, the Koorime of Flame blurred against the air, grunting his trademark 'hn'.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Botan!" the humanoid fox-wolf called into the checkout station. "Botan! Are you there?"
"Wee!!" a bubbly lighthearted voice giggled into the vast chambers of the Spirit World's marble halls. Kurama smiled broadly as the bluette eased her rower to a halt before her red-headed mate. "Kurama!!" she leapt off the sturdy oar, the wood instantly evaporating into nothingness, and was caught from her spry jump by Kurama's steady hold. The ferry girl pecked a smooth kiss to her husband's lips and eased back slightly, her ivory hands still clasping to his sleeves as he stood with his hands to her waist. She had changed a bit...though she was still as delicately slender and beautiful as ever, and her raspberry eyes were still wide with bubbly innocence, her hair had changed dramatically...it was now to her chin in length, worn in a bushy side part, the majority of the hair to the right, with a single emerald strip down that half. She no longer wore her trademark pink kimono...now about her slim frame she wore one of midnight blue with silver layers, emerald markings, and a teal bodice *a/n: whatever that thing you wear with a kimono is lol*. Her happy grin sparked a smile to Kurama's tired lips.
"Honey! What are you doing here?" she beamed, drawing away in thought. "Hmm...it's not my birthday...it's not Valentine's day...it's not YOUR birthday...and it's not our anniversary...you don't usually drop by to visit me at work unless it's something along those lines..." her breaths then shortened in realization. "Oh no! Is it your birthday?!-"
"-Botan-" he smiled calmly.
"-Could it really be Valentine's day already?!-"
"-Botan...-" his naturally narrow emerald eyes tucked back in a slight roll.
"-or is it our anniversary?! Oh I KNEW I forgot something!"
"-Botan-" he pulsed in a half-annoyed sigh.
"-No that's not it...Omigosh! Is it MY birthday and I forgot?! Oh Kurama honey I'm sorry I've just been so overwor-"
"-Botan!" he eyed her sternly, gently pressing his fingertips to her lips. "Darling...you didn't forget anything!"
"Oh..." she blinked slowly. "Then why are you here? You know I would normally be home by now..."
His voice was chaffed dry in the farthest depths of his throat, and despite his calm smile and gentle countenance, his eyes seemed to lack sincerity.
"Kura?" she eyed him curiously, her chin tipping sideways as she piped his nickname gently. "What's wrong?"
His brilliantly narrow gaze slowly scanned for behind, the luster of the emerald sheepishly locking in the sight of a bushy mass of silver trailing behind him. Before her raspberry eyes could follow after his towards the left, she felt a strange brushing sensation easing up and down her right thigh. The ferry girl jerked her sights towards it, and shock was her only immediate reaction.
"AH!" she yelped, leaping up into her husband's arms. Kurama was slightly taken aback, instantly binding her close, until he realized his tail had subconsciously slipped towards her leg and grazed her. He chuckled sheepishly, easing his protective brace to a looser hug.
"Well...that's what I needed to tell you about, Darling..."
"Y...you...you have a, have a...?!"
"Well...it may somewhat explain why Ai and Kisho were both born with them..."
Botan could only bob her broadened gaze back to the platinum mass of fox- like bushiness, and tightened her slender fingers to the gnarled grip of his sleeves.
"...you may touch it, if you wish, Love..." the fox smirked calmly. Botan responded with a quick jerk of her head. "You'd best get used to it..."
The bluette could only wince slightly with insecurity, and slowly eased her long hand for the smoothly flicking tail. She brushed to it gently, her husband smiling reassuringly.
"See? It won't be so awkward with it now will it?" he grinned.
"I...I suppose not..." she smiled reluctantly. "No, of course not, Dear!"
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
*Anemone's attic...she, Kurama, and Hiei, Hiei in MASSIVE reluctance, have managed to dig out her brother's old drum set and her guitar...Kurama moved Anemone's keyboard up to the attic, where practice sessions will be held...btw, plot starts in next chapter*
Anemone: *on phone with Anneliese* yup.............yeah.................we were hoping you'd be our bassist....................YAY! Okay we're here about to start practicing....get here as quickly as- *Anneliese suddenly appears in the room, Kurama, and Hiei yelping in surprise...Anemone blinks slowly* ....possible....
Hiei: Liese how the hell did you do that?!
*note: first off, Hiei of the story and Hiei of the skits are completely separate, as are the Kuramas...even though story-Hiei is married and seems about forty-something, skit-Hiei is single and is still in the mind-set of a teenager lol...haha lucky Anneliese...btw Kurama is still about fifteen in the skits, too.*
Anneliese: *grin* at Mones's party, I got Goku to teach me Instant Transmission!
Anemone: COOL! I wanna learn how!! OOH! I'm gonna go see him right now about that...
Kurama: erm...Anemone? The band?
Anemone: huh? OH! THAT! Teehee! *begins to tune guitar*
Hiei: *sitting behind drums, eyeing the drum sticks Kurama gave him curiously* what the hell do I do with these?
Anemone: um...how do I explain this...
Anneliese: you bash them against the tops of the drums. *brief pause*
Hiei: hn...human music is far too easy...and to think I once thought Linkin Park was ingenius, when all the while a child could perform such motions! *starts ramming sticks against tops of drums, making random, loud, out-of- sync bam noises...a/n, Linkin Park IS ingenius!!!!*
Anemone Kurama and Anneliese: AHH! *covers ears, cowers heads*
Hiei: *hits the symbol too hard, it flings off really quickly and strikes Kurama in the head, Kurama instantly collapsing unconscious*
Hiei: *suddenly stops* that was simple! This band business will be far easier than you described, Onna!
Anemone: Fox?! *shakes Kurama, his eyes rolled back in his head*
Anneliese: Hiei you idiot!
Hiei: what?! I merely followed your very instructions, woman! You dare insult me?!
Anneliese: you screwed up! Yeah I dare insult you! *Hiei glares REALLY narrowly*
Anemone: Fox wake up!! Please?! *Kurama begins to drool slightly*
Hiei: *brief pause* he's fine.
Mirai Trunks: *enters, carrying turn-table set* Mones?
Anemone: Future! Thank God you're here!
Mirai Trunks: *notices knocked-out Kurama* what the-?! What happened to him?!
Anneliese: *glares at Hiei* SOMEONE-hiei-screwed up, and that SOMEONE-hiei- sent a symbol flying straight for Kurama's head!
Hiei: you exaggerate human. He's fine.
Anemone Mirai Trunks and Anneliese: *long pause, blink slowly for Kurama, who's drooling slightly, the emerald of his eyes rolled back into his head...they look back at Hiei annoyed*
Hiei: *brief pause* ...hn.
Anemone: *grunt, heavy sigh, turns to readers* while we deal with this and wait for Ellen, you go review, pleasm...latr!
Anemone: wow Fox! I didn't know you were that good! *Kurama blushes slightly*
Hiei: *mumbling in his sleep* ...ice cream...
Anemone: OOH! I'VE GOT AN IDEA!!
Kurama: what is it, Mones?
Anemone: we should start a band!!
Hiei: *still mumbling* ...chocolate ice cream...
Kurama: a band?
Anemone: YEAH! You could play keyboard, I could be lead guitar, Mirai Trunks could do turn tables-
Hiei: ...DOUBLE chocolate ice cream...
Anemone: -and Flames can play the drums!
Kurama: that's an excellent idea Mones...but...
Anemone: ...but?
Hiei: ...but where's the whipped cream?!...
Kurama: ...but, we need a lead singer, back-up singers, a bass guitarist-
Hiei: ...and a CHEERY...hell yeah...mmm...
Anemone: hm...OOH! You could sing lead, I could sing back-up, Anneliese could be bass guitar and Ellen can be our manager!!
Kurama: ...manager...?
Anemone: YEAH! We need gigs!
Kurama: but...we haven't even established it as an official-
Hiei: *still mumbling* ...NO! MY ice cream...get away, Kitsune...
Kurama: *sweatdrop* erm...shouldn't we wake up Hiei and ask him if he even wants-?
Anemone: -okay it's settled!!! WE ARE STARTING A BAND, PEOPLE!! *gets hit in the head with a pillow*
Hiei: *who threw the pillow, still sleeping* ...shut up!!...
Anemone: *throws pillow REALLY hard at him, whacks him upside the face, he falls off the couch*
Hiei: *jerks awake* what the hell?!?! *pretty pissed*
Anemone: THAT'S what you get for throwing a pillow at me!
Hiei: the hell are you talking about?! I didn't throw a pillow at you, woman!
Kurama: ^_^' heh...erm, anyway...*turns to readers* chapter 2, enjoy.
Anemone: grr, Hiei...!
Hiei: ...stupid moron...
Anemone: WHAT?!?! *lunges at Hiei, about to get VERY violent*
Kurama: O_O go read!! Quickly!
Chapter 2: A Tail's Tale
"Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?" Yusuke breathed in steady, quick repetition to the woman sprawled over the couch. "Keiko?Keiko?Keiko?"
Her pinched eyes clenched tighter in a quivered wince, a trembled moan escaping through a barrier of grit teeth. Her tense face then relaxed as her sagging eyes pealed open. "Y-Yusuke...?"
"KEIKO!" He beamed. "Okay-honey-I'm-thrilled-you're-awake-but-the-guys-all- left-and-I-gotta-go-with-them-to-see-Koenma-and-find-out-what-the-hell- happened-to-Kurama-gotta-go-love-you-BYE!" with that he pricked a peck of a kiss to the stunned woman's brow and bolted for the door.
"What the-?! YUSUKE!" she hollered after the punk in frustration, the former Detective racing away in search for his companions. He whipped ferociously down the suburban street, and eventually found himself sprinting through Tokyo.
"Kurama?! Hiei! Kuwa?!" he roared into the various alleyways and turns of the city-span as he scanned over for the others. "Aw dammit where'd they go?!"
"Calm yourself Detective," a scoffing tone burned behind. Yusuke whirled around to see Hiei...okay, so one down...but where were-?
"Shorty!" a faint call stung in echoes against the walls of the alleyway. Kuwabara sprinted into view. "Jeez THERE you are! Have you found the portal yet?!"
"I ran into Detective, who seems to have abandoned his mate."
"I didn't abandon her! I waited till she woke up and gave her very clear explanations!"
The hidden orb veiled by a single bandana glowed upon Hiei's forehead. "You merely gave her a rushed attempt of an excuse before leaving her out of the blue."
A brief pause. "Shut up!"
"Fool, be useful and use your Spirit Awareness to help us feel out the portal," Hiei's singeing ruby eyes cast lazily over his shoulder for Kuwabara.
"Why can't you find it...?" Yusuke inquired slowly. "...and why are you looking in alleys...?"
"A new measure of precaution for the secrecy of the Spirit World's existence," a calm voice breathed into hearing. Chocolate, ruby, and onyx eyes each threw themselves for a velvet shadow, Kurama stepping free of it's barrier, his brilliant eyes scanning in opposite directions as his sensitive awareness strained to feel out the gateway's whereabouts. "Koenma has recently decided it is an ill option to merely allow only one portal to the Spiritual Realm...he has made it official to change the portal monthly, as to lessen the chance of a mortal stumbling upon it."
"Oh..." Yusuke panned this over in his mind, allowing his shoulders to shift in a brief shrug.
"Okay whatever...guess I wasn't as far behind as I thought having to stay with Keiko."
"Be quiet and help us locate the portal, Detective," the Dragon half- growled in irritation, allowing his Jagon to glow visible through his sleek bandana as he searched telepathically for the new passageway.
"Hey guys!" Kuwabara's croaky voice stung their attention from the far end of the dank alleyway. "I found it! Over here! By the dumpster!"
"Great...a dumpster...a disgusting mass of bubbling waste rotting into itself with the leisurely slowness of hardened molasses while allowing itself to seep of a vile odor and soften to an appalling extent..." Hiei grunted in annoyance.
"Okay, eww..." Yusuke eyed the Koorime with a sickened sensation swelling over his senses.
"...hem..." Kurama clicked his tongue to his teeth. "Well, that's the portal alright..."
"The hell would Koenma put the portal under a freakin' dumpster for?!" Yusuke growled.
"Obviously so normal ningens wouldn't dare approach it, and so only demons and persons of your rank, Detective, wouldn't use it unless for a dire situation," Hiei concluded bluntly, his tone monotonous at how apparent his reasonings were.
The group then cast their eyes straight for Kurama, waiting in silence before he responded. He blinked slowly to the flicking tail brushing against his thigh and swishing gracefully though the air, and bobbed his naturally narrow glare back for his companions. "I dare say that this is worth it..."
"Then by all means, you first," Yusuke stepped aside, a calm half-smirk about his face. Kurama growled slightly in the core of his throat before eyeing the disgusting, greasy, dumpster, and, groaning at what he must do...eased to the ground, and slid beneath the leaking, nauseating metal box of trash. He just barely held in the yearn to purge, his fox-like sense of smell swelling dramatically under the intensity of the vile odor.
"You okay there, Kurama?" Yusuke half-winced at the slight noises of nausea escaping from beneath the greasy, rusted dumpster.
Kurama responded with an annoyed growl, continuing onward with his skid. He was pressed firmly against the concrete of the ground, the rusted, sharp jags of the metal dumpster just an inch north his nose. A drip of ooze tore from the dumpster floor, and ran down the side of the Fox's temple. The calm Kitsune paused in his utter irritation. "Oh joy..." he grunted in frustration. "I certainly hope any information obtained after this is worth it..."
"We won't know until we try," Hiei smirked deviously. "Just inch down a little more and you should collapse into the dimensional tear between the two worlds, Kitsune."
"If I make it to the other side, and none of you attempt to come in after me, you will be sorry," Kurama threatened with a tauntingly calm flavor.
"No worries there, Red...I'm too damn curious about that tail to abandon ya...now hurry up! I wanna get my turn over with..." Yusuke chuckled, though seriously dreading having to himself follow Kurama's route.
The fox stubbornly eased his way further down the dank, humid darkness of the dumpster's underbelly, until a sensation of weightlessness shifted his ankles lower in what felt to be a gel-filled hole. "Alright! Here's the gateway...best be seeing you in a few moments," the fox smiled calmly before pressing firm against the concrete of the ground and slipping fully into the smooth, soft portal and sliding entirely from the living dimension.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Hmm..." Koenma cooed to himself in thought as he examined Kurama's new extension with intent caramel eyes. The fox stood in vexation as he awaited an explanation. Hiei stood leaning to the far wall, watching on with half his attention. Kuwabara and Yusuke were almost as irritated with the child- like Lord as Kurama was. "Yep...it's a tail alright..."
"We know THAT!" Yusuke half-growled in his annoyance. "How did he get it?!"
"Yusuke, shut up...lemme take a looksy..." the toddler pinched to the corner of a page and flipped over, repeating this several times. "Let's see...tails, tails, tails...ah! Here we are! Fox tails."
"What does it say?" Kurama sighed as he strained to remain patient.
"Hmm...absolutely nothing that corresponds with your situation," Koenma scratched his neck in mild frustration.
"Great!" Kuwabara's narrowed onyx eyes tucked back in annoyance. "This makes NO sense..."
"Baka..." Hiei smirked morbidly.
"Watch it, Midget! I only put up with you because you're my beloved Yukina's brother...DON'T TEMPT ME INTO KILLING YOU AND MAKING MY SOUL MATE PISSED OFF AT ME!!"
Hiei merely wrinkled his nose at the moronic fool. "Silence, you idiot...maybe this scenario would make sense if Koenma had bothered to examine the wolf section," Hiei's low tone rang from behind. "Eh, Kurama?"
"Exactly what I was thinking, Hiei," the Kitsune smiled tiredly. "Koenma Sir?"
"Of course! Your wolf heritage!" the toddler exclaimed at himself after remembering Kurama was partially of the wolf breed, again scanning through his documents in a vain attempt to find the source of the red-head's case. "Ah! Now THIS deals with your situation, Kurama!" Koenma half-chuckled arrogantly after having found the proper data.
"Yes?" the red-head inquired calmly.
"It seems..." Koenma began to read aloud the intricate details of the wolf breed's tail growth.
"...that the spines of wolf demons take the first forty-something years of their lives before being able to extend beyond a human's length, and once a wolf demon is about that age, they grow their tail."
"Ah yes..." Kurama drew back in remembrance. "...forty years before a tail is grown."
"But, isn't that kinda old...?" Kuwabara piped in his confusion.
"Moron..." the morbid flame Koorime grunted. "...for a demon, forty- something years is mere infancy."
A brief pause. "Oh..."
"But..." Yusuke bit to his bottom lip. "Kurama's not really a demon anymore...he's been reincarnated into a human..."
"True...care to take up that factor, Koenma?" Kurama dared calmly, his bushy tail brushing smooth to his thigh.
"...well, Kurama..." the toddler sighed half-awkwardly. "Have you ever wondered why you never resembled either of your human parents?"
Kurama drew back slightly, pricking in thought. "Indeed...why is that?"
"Same reason you were able to grow a tail even as a humanoid..." the toddler smirked in his wisdom. "...in your reincarnation, you dragged not only your soul into the empty body of the potential Suichi Minamino, but your genetics as well."
*a/n: okay, I don't like to think Kurama stole a body from a living kid...so, for the sake of this, let's just say Shiori knew she was pregnant, but was unknowingly carrying a dead baby in her womb, the potential Suichi having just died, until Kurama took the empty vessel for himself*
"You...you mean, I truly am still demonic?" the fox blinked in shock. "I thought I was merely now the shadow of what was once a Fox-Wolf...but I truly am still such?"
"Partially...because you took an empty body, you had control over the genetical make up...but, you were limited to some human standards...such as, you lacked your silver hair and your fox ears because the human ears were already formed in Shiori's womb," Koenma shrugged.
"I see...and because I still possess my demonic traits, I still have my abilities with plants and the fact that I grow a tail in my forties..."
"Exactly," the toddler nodded primly.
"So wait..." Yusuke paused the explanation in his confusion. "Lemme get this straight...Kurama left his demon body with like his soul and his genes, and put himself in this empty body, and influenced the kids genes, and because of that he could still grow a tail at forty-something years old like a wolf demon would have?"
"Precisely," Kurama half-smirked. "Nice to see you were paying attention."
"Do I never?" Yusuke grinned arrogantly.
"Constantly," Hiei scoffed from behind, still at his leisurely place against the wall.
"But..." Kuwabara was lost. "...if wolf demons get their tails when they're babies, wouldn't Kurama have gotten one when he was a baby...?"
"You fool...weren't you paying attention?" Hiei half-growled. "Wolf demons are infants at forty-years old, that much is so...but, because Kurama still had his fox and wolf heritage, his spine, like those of the wolf breed, couldn't grow until he was about forty...it may seem rather old in your weak race's terms, but not for demons."
"Indeed," Kurama smiled tiredly at the confused Kuwabara. "Not that humans are weak, yet the rest is so...But, what I would like to know, Koenma...is why were my children each born with a tail?"
"Hey yeah!" Yusuke piped. "I never understood that...!"
"Well, Kurama..." Koenma bit hard against his pacifier in strain to explain. "...since you have all your demonic traits, you are the demon parent...Botan, however, is the human one...er, more or less..." he drew back in thought, seeing at the bubbly ferry girl wasn't to the truest of technicalities a real human. "...and, because your children are in fact half demon half human as a result of this pairing between you and Botan, their genes were tampered with in such a way that wouldn't conform to either species. They're spines were perfectly capable to grow in the womb because the human half of them sped their spine formation rather quickly."
"I see..." Kurama drew his brilliant eyes aside...he then shifted in a weighed sigh. "...now to explain this to Botan without her falling unconscious at it's mere sight..."
Kuwabara's onyx eyes quickly ventured for the watch strapped about his wrist. "GAH!" he gasped sharply, his companions glancing for his immediate direction. "The kids! We gotta go pick them up!"
"They're teenagers...they're all part demon...they're fine..." Hiei's calm eyes were pressed shut as he breathed his bit into the scene.
"No, I believe we should go to escort them ho-" Kurama began, before a certain toddler coughed hard to intercede into the fox's sentence.
"Actually, Kurama...Botan is still working, so maybe you'd better go and tell her about the tail issue now...she should be getting back from her latest assignment at any time."
"But...my children..." Kurama began in protest.
"...paranoia..." Hiei half-sang, half-sighed through a smug smirk.
"I, am, NOT, paranoid!"
"Kurama," Koenma's stern caramel eyes set narrow. "Go and tell Botan...your kids will be fine...because Hiei is going to follow them home."
"Nani?!" the Dragon pricked, instantly jerking from his lazy lean to the wall.
"Hiei, just do it...you and your sister live in the same neighborhood, so Ryuuhayai will walk home with Kane-" the toddler Lord strained to ease the Dragon to agreement.
"You're merely fueling his paranoia, Koenma..." Hiei's dagger eyes narrowed firm.
"Hiei..." Kurama half-sighed.
A long pause, emerald locking against ruby. "FINE..." the Dragon growled. "But just so you know, your daughter is a worthy opponent, so you really shouldn't worry of her well-being..."
With that, the Koorime of Flame blurred against the air, grunting his trademark 'hn'.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Botan!" the humanoid fox-wolf called into the checkout station. "Botan! Are you there?"
"Wee!!" a bubbly lighthearted voice giggled into the vast chambers of the Spirit World's marble halls. Kurama smiled broadly as the bluette eased her rower to a halt before her red-headed mate. "Kurama!!" she leapt off the sturdy oar, the wood instantly evaporating into nothingness, and was caught from her spry jump by Kurama's steady hold. The ferry girl pecked a smooth kiss to her husband's lips and eased back slightly, her ivory hands still clasping to his sleeves as he stood with his hands to her waist. She had changed a bit...though she was still as delicately slender and beautiful as ever, and her raspberry eyes were still wide with bubbly innocence, her hair had changed dramatically...it was now to her chin in length, worn in a bushy side part, the majority of the hair to the right, with a single emerald strip down that half. She no longer wore her trademark pink kimono...now about her slim frame she wore one of midnight blue with silver layers, emerald markings, and a teal bodice *a/n: whatever that thing you wear with a kimono is lol*. Her happy grin sparked a smile to Kurama's tired lips.
"Honey! What are you doing here?" she beamed, drawing away in thought. "Hmm...it's not my birthday...it's not Valentine's day...it's not YOUR birthday...and it's not our anniversary...you don't usually drop by to visit me at work unless it's something along those lines..." her breaths then shortened in realization. "Oh no! Is it your birthday?!-"
"-Botan-" he smiled calmly.
"-Could it really be Valentine's day already?!-"
"-Botan...-" his naturally narrow emerald eyes tucked back in a slight roll.
"-or is it our anniversary?! Oh I KNEW I forgot something!"
"-Botan-" he pulsed in a half-annoyed sigh.
"-No that's not it...Omigosh! Is it MY birthday and I forgot?! Oh Kurama honey I'm sorry I've just been so overwor-"
"-Botan!" he eyed her sternly, gently pressing his fingertips to her lips. "Darling...you didn't forget anything!"
"Oh..." she blinked slowly. "Then why are you here? You know I would normally be home by now..."
His voice was chaffed dry in the farthest depths of his throat, and despite his calm smile and gentle countenance, his eyes seemed to lack sincerity.
"Kura?" she eyed him curiously, her chin tipping sideways as she piped his nickname gently. "What's wrong?"
His brilliantly narrow gaze slowly scanned for behind, the luster of the emerald sheepishly locking in the sight of a bushy mass of silver trailing behind him. Before her raspberry eyes could follow after his towards the left, she felt a strange brushing sensation easing up and down her right thigh. The ferry girl jerked her sights towards it, and shock was her only immediate reaction.
"AH!" she yelped, leaping up into her husband's arms. Kurama was slightly taken aback, instantly binding her close, until he realized his tail had subconsciously slipped towards her leg and grazed her. He chuckled sheepishly, easing his protective brace to a looser hug.
"Well...that's what I needed to tell you about, Darling..."
"Y...you...you have a, have a...?!"
"Well...it may somewhat explain why Ai and Kisho were both born with them..."
Botan could only bob her broadened gaze back to the platinum mass of fox- like bushiness, and tightened her slender fingers to the gnarled grip of his sleeves.
"...you may touch it, if you wish, Love..." the fox smirked calmly. Botan responded with a quick jerk of her head. "You'd best get used to it..."
The bluette could only wince slightly with insecurity, and slowly eased her long hand for the smoothly flicking tail. She brushed to it gently, her husband smiling reassuringly.
"See? It won't be so awkward with it now will it?" he grinned.
"I...I suppose not..." she smiled reluctantly. "No, of course not, Dear!"
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
*Anemone's attic...she, Kurama, and Hiei, Hiei in MASSIVE reluctance, have managed to dig out her brother's old drum set and her guitar...Kurama moved Anemone's keyboard up to the attic, where practice sessions will be held...btw, plot starts in next chapter*
Anemone: *on phone with Anneliese* yup.............yeah.................we were hoping you'd be our bassist....................YAY! Okay we're here about to start practicing....get here as quickly as- *Anneliese suddenly appears in the room, Kurama, and Hiei yelping in surprise...Anemone blinks slowly* ....possible....
Hiei: Liese how the hell did you do that?!
*note: first off, Hiei of the story and Hiei of the skits are completely separate, as are the Kuramas...even though story-Hiei is married and seems about forty-something, skit-Hiei is single and is still in the mind-set of a teenager lol...haha lucky Anneliese...btw Kurama is still about fifteen in the skits, too.*
Anneliese: *grin* at Mones's party, I got Goku to teach me Instant Transmission!
Anemone: COOL! I wanna learn how!! OOH! I'm gonna go see him right now about that...
Kurama: erm...Anemone? The band?
Anemone: huh? OH! THAT! Teehee! *begins to tune guitar*
Hiei: *sitting behind drums, eyeing the drum sticks Kurama gave him curiously* what the hell do I do with these?
Anemone: um...how do I explain this...
Anneliese: you bash them against the tops of the drums. *brief pause*
Hiei: hn...human music is far too easy...and to think I once thought Linkin Park was ingenius, when all the while a child could perform such motions! *starts ramming sticks against tops of drums, making random, loud, out-of- sync bam noises...a/n, Linkin Park IS ingenius!!!!*
Anemone Kurama and Anneliese: AHH! *covers ears, cowers heads*
Hiei: *hits the symbol too hard, it flings off really quickly and strikes Kurama in the head, Kurama instantly collapsing unconscious*
Hiei: *suddenly stops* that was simple! This band business will be far easier than you described, Onna!
Anemone: Fox?! *shakes Kurama, his eyes rolled back in his head*
Anneliese: Hiei you idiot!
Hiei: what?! I merely followed your very instructions, woman! You dare insult me?!
Anneliese: you screwed up! Yeah I dare insult you! *Hiei glares REALLY narrowly*
Anemone: Fox wake up!! Please?! *Kurama begins to drool slightly*
Hiei: *brief pause* he's fine.
Mirai Trunks: *enters, carrying turn-table set* Mones?
Anemone: Future! Thank God you're here!
Mirai Trunks: *notices knocked-out Kurama* what the-?! What happened to him?!
Anneliese: *glares at Hiei* SOMEONE-hiei-screwed up, and that SOMEONE-hiei- sent a symbol flying straight for Kurama's head!
Hiei: you exaggerate human. He's fine.
Anemone Mirai Trunks and Anneliese: *long pause, blink slowly for Kurama, who's drooling slightly, the emerald of his eyes rolled back into his head...they look back at Hiei annoyed*
Hiei: *brief pause* ...hn.
Anemone: *grunt, heavy sigh, turns to readers* while we deal with this and wait for Ellen, you go review, pleasm...latr!