Beyond the Face of Fear

Disclaimer: I neither own YYH nor profit from fanfiction.

Summary: AU—They really shouldn't have lost the Dark Tournament, because Kurama hates traveling through Makai as Karasu's prisoner. At the same time, Hiei is the pesky thorn in Karasu's side who just won't die, and Bui knows a lot more than he lets on.

A/N: This takes place in an AU, starting from Kurama's battle with Karasu. There is shonen-ai, which may or may not be one-sided. HieixKurama and KarasuxKurama are prominently featured.

Warnings: Potentially off-putting (though non-explicit) sexual content, language, and gore.

This is written lovingly as a gift fic for Funara.

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Chapter 1: With a Bang

Though from encircling bonds that held you fast
your elusive form too readily slipped free,
and though to my arms you are forever lost,
you are a prisoner in my fantasy.

—Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, "Which Recounts How Fantasy Contents Itself With Honorable Love"

--

Kurama kneeled painfully in an awkward position, his arms thrown forward to support him. He dared not give in to his exhaustion and keel over, where he could lie on the stone floor and simply not think about anything, for then Juri would finish her count and he would lose.

Before him, Karasu jerked and coughed as the blood-sucking plant drained his veins. Juri had turned to him and started to count again.

The dull roar of the crowd and the meaningless congratulations that Yusuke and Kuwabara shouted at him mingled in Kurama's head, dazing him. His vision swam, and he could not keep track of Juri's count.

He did, however, know when she raised her arm as she declared "Ten!" He also saw Karasu stretch forth his tremulous hand and with a final burst of energy, yank the fanged tendrils from his chest. Several drops of blood sprayed out in an innocuous arc, as if they were pretending to be raindrops that had been lightly shaken off a lady's parasol.

Karasu's narrow avoidance of death had no effect on Juri and Koto, who simultaneously proclaimed Kurama's victory. Kurama, on the other hand, looked into those unbearable violet eyes and shuddered. Yusuke leapt into the ring and supported Kurama to the side, where he slid into a bloodied heap and thought no more.

Hiei was waiting for them with two frightened-looking paramedics, who immediately set to work binding Kurama's wounds. Yusuke caught a muttered, " . . .care of him," from Hiei, who was glowering down at the two fearful youkai. He looked at Hiei curiously, but the fire demon did not look back as he leapt lightly into the arena.

Kurama's deathlike countenance foremost in his mind's eye and staining his vision scarlet, Hiei approached Bui slowly. It was a wonder to him that the tiles beneath him did not bubble and melt at his footsteps, and that fountains of blood did not spurt from Bui's eyes when he met his gaze with a murderous glare: so great was his fury.

When Koto shouted, "Begin!" the brassy explosions of trumpeting fanfare was the accompaniment in Hiei's ears.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said. His gritted teeth belied his words.

"He looks furious," Kuwabara muttered in an awed voice from the sidelines.

"You've always been good at grasping the obvious," Yusuke retorted.

His private musings, however, rendered him deaf to Kuwabara's outraged spluttering—Kuwabara had a point. Hiei usually entered battle with anticipation bordering on indecent glee, or with simple determination to finish the job. Rarely did he allow an emotion as disruptive as anger to affect his fighting. That wasn't to say, Yusuke reflected, that anger always made Hiei a worse fighter; but it usually increased the degree of pain and humiliation his opponents suffered.

Yusuke cast a glance at Kurama, who was being carried away on a stretcher. He turned to Kuwabara as Hiei and Bui began their nimble dance around each other, the prelude to battle.

"Stop me if I ever get mad at Kurama, because I don't want Hiei to have my balls for breakfast."

Kuwabara nodded fervently as Bui sank his axe into the spot where Hiei had stood seconds before, sending tremors through the earth. He and Yusuke both flinched when they heard Hiei's next words.

"Fight like you mean it," Hiei sneered. Bui lifted his axe again.

The two boys watching below braced themselves.

"If you want to die," Hiei spat, walking away from the fallen Bui, "kill yourself." At that point, Bui was already ashamed he had asked Hiei to end his life.

Hiei's rage had been spent, but it had actually diminished his precision during the fight. So despite his humiliation and his injuries, Bui was still conscious enough to feel (rather than see) Karasu's coolly appraising eyes upon him. As he lay there, he felt the weight of Karasu's pending disappointment was more than he could bear.

No.

The word surged up his body in a powerful jolt, starting from his feet and flying up his spine as he jumped up towards Hiei. The force exploded at his fist to knock Hiei down on his face. By the sound of it, he had knocked several teeth out, and possibly broken Hiei's nose. Bui lumbered forward, prepared to do anything to keep Hiei down for the next ten seconds.

"Oh my!" Koto screamed into her microphone. "It seems that Contestant Bui, who was down for nine seconds, got a second wind and has come from behind for an unexpected victory! What a twist! This match, like the one before, has given the audience the tension, and the drama, and the bloodshed it has been craving! Can I just say how incredible this all is!"

She continued in that tiresome vein while Juri proceeded with the count. Bui would have rolled his eyes if he'd had the strength.

"Eight . . . nine . . . ten!"

The crowd went wild, but Bui paid them no mind. He turned towards Karasu, who was resting limply in Toguro's arms as healers attended to his chest wounds. His arms and legs dangled freely, though his reclined head rested snugly in the crook of Toguro's elbow. Somehow Bui knew that Karasu had told Toguro to hold him like that so that he'd be able to watch the match.

Through the fine veil of his hair, which had reverted to black, Karasu's eyes peered at Bui with contented approval. As Bui trudged back to his teammates, he let out a sigh. Only Karasu was able to identify it as an indication of relief and satisfaction instead of exhaustion, and he smiled.

"Well done," he whispered.

"Don't talk," Bui grunted. The effort it had cost Karasu to utter his brief congratulations had already caused fresh blood to stain the bandages wrapped tightly around his bare chest. The healers murmured indignantly and tipped some tonic down his throat. Karasu closed his eyes wearily, but the smile still played about his lips. Bui turned his face to the smile like a lizard basking in the sun. Karasu's unmasked smiles were rare.

Hiei's defeat (or Bui's triumph) set the pattern for the rest of the tournament. Kuwabara lost to Toguro Ani, and all of Yusuke's pigheadedness and righteous anger didn't help him, either.

"What now?" Yusuke managed to ask through his mouthful of blood, panting on his hands and knees.

At that moment, Kuwabara felt like he could have punched Yusuke for his transparent attempt at bravado. Apparently Toguro saw through Yusuke's ruse as well, for he gazed down at Yusuke with an obscenely amused expression.

"It's not over yet," he said.

Kuwabara watched despairingly as Yusuke's shoulders sagged at Toguro's words.

"It's over," Hiei said flatly.

Kuwabara wanted to punch him too.

--

The soft murmur of worried voices woke Kurama. Why couldn't they let him sleep? Groaning at the disturbance, he half-opened his eyes.

As soon as he did, Kuwabara was on him. "Kurama! How are you feeling?" He seemed unduly concerned.

"Fine," he mumbled, and he realized that he was telling the truth.

Shaking his head, he saw that he lay in the hospital wing. When he moved, however, sudden pains throbbed throughout his body. It seemed that the wounds Karasu had inflicted would not allow themselves to be healed easily. Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara sat by him, all looking the worse for wear, but whole.

"What time is it? What happened?" he asked, sitting up.

"You've been here nearly seven hours," said Hiei, whose face had been repaired.

Kurama's eyes widened. "The tournament! Is it over?"

Hiei nodded. Yusuke would not meet his eyes.

Both of Kurama's hands turned clammy, and he clutched at the bedspread in sudden fear. "Tell me we didn't . . ."

No one said a word.

"We didn't – lose?"

Yusuke finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Kurama."

He stared at Yusuke, disbelieving his ears.

"Yusuke lost to Toguro, and of course you never expected a victory from him," said Hiei quietly, indicating Kuwabara.

"Speak for yourself," growled Kuwabara.

"You're the only one who won a match," said Yusuke, looking directly at Kurama.

"Then–," Kurama stammered, still trying to grasp the implications. "What's going to happen?"

"Toguro killed his older brother, so we don't have to worry about his wish. Long story." Yusuke smiled ironically, and he held up a tired hand to stop Kurama from asking. "And I doubt Bui will have anything more to do with us. He's free from Toguro now, and that's all he ever wanted."

"That leaves Toguro. And . . . Karasu." Kurama's stomach lurched.

"Right." Yusuke paused. "Toguro's wish is to offer me a second chance."

"What?"

"But there's a catch, of course," Hiei sneered.

"It's fucking rigged," Kuwabara growled.

"He wants to fight me again," Yusuke said, ignoring the other two. "If I win, he'll kill himself. If I lose, my entire team dies."

"But you're injured!" Kurama protested.

He let go of the bedspread as his hands curled into fists. Hiei and Kuwabara merely gave him "I told you so" looks. Yusuke appeared positively resigned to his fate.

"Koenma will take care of the girls. They'll get back to Ningenkai safely," he said in a colorless tone. Kurama wanted to shake him.

"Is that all you can say? Don't you care?" he demanded. "If Genkai were here—," he began. Invoking Genkai was a low blow, and he knew it.

"If Baa-san were here, she'd send me to him saying 'good riddance.'" Yusuke's eyes were unexpectedly bright. "I failed her. And all of you."

"You haven't told him the worst of it yet, Yusuke," Hiei said coldly.

Kuwabara fired up at this. "You little bastard," he said. "I don't know what your fucking problem is, but a rock has more sensitivity than you're showing right now!"

"We don't have much time left for sensitivity," Hiei retorted.

"Shut up, both of you," Yusuke said without feeling. He looked straight at Kurama. It was difficult to know how much courage it took to say his next words while meeting Kurama's eyes. "Karasu asked for you as his prize. You'll live even if I lose. I don't think he's going to kill you."

"Oh please no," Kurama said before he could stop himself. "No."

The prospect of being Karasu's prize for the rest of his life was too terrible to consider. It was the first time Kuwabara had ever looked at him with pity in his eyes. Yusuke looked away, and Kurama saw that the dams on his tears had finally broken. He turned to Hiei, feeling like a drowning man grasping for a life preserver.

In a rare display of support, Hiei reached forward and squeezed his hand. Kurama was stunned. Hiei never submitted to touch from others, let alone initiated it.

"Karasu doesn't know what a dangerous wish he's made," Hiei said.

Were his words a promise? Kurama searched his face wonderingly and realized that all hope was not lost. He smiled painfully at Hiei, but it was a smile nonetheless, and Hiei tucked it carefully into a steel-plated compartment of his heart.

A nurse came by and shooed them away from Kurama's side, saying, "Visiting hours are over for today."

"Bye, Kurama," Yusuke said, offering his hand to Kurama.

"Kick Toguro's ass," Kurama said, making Yusuke laugh a little at his uncharacteristic use of profanity.

"Kurama," grunted Kuwabara, shaking his hand as well. "If you see Yukina . . ."

"I'll tell her you were thinking of her," Kurama said quickly. To his credit, Hiei didn't say anything. Kuwabara smiled weakly.

"Thanks." He turned to follow Yusuke, who had already started out the door.

Kurama's heart didn't break as he realized he'd probably never see them again, but it palpitated dangerously. Hiei was the last to leave.

"Hiei," Kurama said desperately, wanting to cling to him.

"Do you trust me?" Hiei asked impassively.

"Well . . . yes," Kurama said, taken aback.

"Then don't do anything stupid while you're in his clutches, and remember that the feeling is mutual."

Kurama blinked as he watched Hiei walk away. The Jaganshi was full of surprises today.

The nurse who had driven his teammates away then asked whether he'd like a sleeping pill.

"Yes," Kurama said instantly, too exhausted physically and emotionally to relish the prospect of agonizing in bed the whole night. He wanted several well-deserved hours of sweet oblivion.

She gave it to him with a glass of water, which he swallowed quickly. He closed his eyes and thought no more.

--

When he wakened, he was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar hotel room. He started to sweat as his suspicions raised their noses and sniffed the wind. A voice from the doorway confirmed his fears.

"You've woken in time for dinner."

Kurama wished he could blind his eyes to the hateful sight of Karasu smiling at him. The crow youkai was apparently on the road to recovery.

"But you've just missed your friends' execution."

Yusuke . . . and Kuwabara . . . and Hiei.

"Karasu doesn't know what a dangerous wish he's made."

"Do you trust me?"

Hiei.

A brief wave of nausea swept over Kurama. When he had successfully contained his urge to retch, he blinked at the strange prickling feeling in his eyes. The last time he had wept was when he'd thought Shiori was about to die.

"No dinner for you, then," Karasu said, watching Kurama closely. He left, locking the door behind him.

If Kurama hadn't been choked with his hatred and fury, he might have noticed that Karasu had effectively left him alone to mourn in private, which, under other circumstances, would normally be considered decent and sensitive.

He was left alone with his grief in the darkness, but he was unable to give vent to it satisfactorily. For one thing, it would have meant an irrevocable acceptance of what had happened. For another, grieving was far too passive. He'd much rather get even—scratch that, he wanted revenge in excess. But he didn't have the strength to think about that now.

Instead, Kurama dissociated himself from the circumstances by shutting down completely.

It had been a long day.

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A/N: I hope to update this weekly, but more importantly—Funara, I hope you liked this. Happy birthday, dear!