A/N: Concerning my re-wioop-ing project: Chapter II of "re-WIOOP?" consists of Chapters III-IV of the original WIOOP?


Was It Out of Pity?
Chapter II
Edited: June 6, 2007

'Why do I continue to come here?' he wondered. 'I hate this place.'

However, in spite of this undeniable fact, he as of late found himself taking brief leave of his position to visit this world he so loathed, this world of disgusting humans, this Ningenkai. Strange; when he was forced to reside here before he had vowed that should he ever return home, never again would he delve into this pathetic realm. Though his job included guarding the border between the Makai and the Ningenkai, then he only had to linger about the very edge of the latter. Now, he found himself in the middle of the same city he had been imprisoned in before, when he was still forced to do Koenma's bidding.

He came to rest at the top of a telephone pole. In his current squatting position, he bore a striking resemblance to the crows of which were perched upon the various cables that ran from one pole to the next. For some reason, his presence did not disturb them.

Surveying the scenery below him, he caught a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and raised an eyebrow at what he saw.

Kurama. The Fox was coming out of a small building. Some sort of restaurant, he assumed, judging from its appearance. Now he was walking down the street.

A strange feeling came over him. He desired to go after the redhead. To see him, talk to him. Odd. Out of the two, Kurama was normally the one who pursued him. Why, he was not quite sure.

By now he had turned a corner, no longer visible to him. He made up his mind, and went after him. But it seemed that he had vanished.

Eventually, after some searching, Kurama resurfaced. He found him in the park amidst the blooming Sakura, sitting on a bench beneath one of the great trees. He was stretched out, sprawled back, his eyes closed—he appeared to be completely oblivious to the world around him. He wondered if he had fallen asleep. Or perhaps he had lost himself in the sweet perfume of the cherry blossoms. Kurama had always struck him to be one to take such delight in so simple of pleasures.

A warm breeze caressed Kurama, lifting his hair and playing with it. He gave a soft sigh, feeling content. True, he was greatly troubled by his inability to conjure a single memory from the month past; but this gentle wind acted as a force of sympathy, bringing him comfort on unseen wings. It was hard to remain so ill at ease when surrounded by such a peaceful environment.

Something brushed against his face, but it was not the soft, silky feel of a stray Sakura petal caught in the breeze. This felt coarse and heavy, like a thick fabric. He opened his eyes and looked up. "Hiei?" he murmured, wondering if he was seeing things. Maybe he had gone to sleep, and this was all a dream.

Hiei stared down at him, feeling the urge to smile. Kurama was gazing up at him, a confused look on his face, his bright emerald eyes full of question. It was an expression that one may see upon his face perhaps once in a blue moon, if even that often. For some reason, it was rather cute.

However, 'cute' wasn't Hiei's cup of tea. And neither was smiling. Therefore, his lips remained in their fixed formation, Hiei's customary frown.

"No, Kurama. Your mind has gone the way of the worthless humans. I am merely a hallucination, the best thought your brain could generate still, considering how it's turned to sludge."

To his surprise and confusion, Kurama laughed at the insult. "Hiei, I believe you're not so far from the truth", he declared. "I agree; my brain has become sludge."

"Hn?" While many people—in the Ningenkai especially—superficially coveted their own beauty, Kurama took great pride in his superb intelligence. It was unwise to insult it. Yet here he was, agreeing with Hiei that his intellect was obsolete.

"Surely my brainpower has decreased considerably," the Fox continued. "It's become so mediocre that it can't do a simple task such as remembering what it is I've done for a month." He laughed giddily. "Can you believe it, Hiei? An entire month! I may as well have no brain, if I can't even retain the faintest trace of a memory."

His good mood was evidently exaggerated. Kurama had lost his memories of last month; that would explain why Hiei did not find the situation he had expected. "Hn." He looked around them. "This isn't in your neighborhood," he commented. "Not even in the same area of town."

Kurama gave a dry, hollow sort of laugh. Hiei appeared unconcerned about his dilemma. Then again, why should he? It was not as though he were the one troubled by memory loss. "I felt the need to get out," he replied. "Feel the wind, see the Sakura." He absently looked up at the flowered canopy above them. "I had originally hoped to clear my mind and answer a few questions. But I suppose that backfired. Now I'm left with even more questions that I have no answers to."

After this admission, Kurama grew quiet. He appeared to be lost within his own musings. Hiei also remained silent, not wishing to break the other's train of thought. Inside, he almost feared to do so. Seeing the way Kurama had acted mere minutes ago… He would not be surprised if the Fox snapped.

"I suppose today hasn't been a total waste," he said after a while. "At least I got to smell the flowers." He looked over and gave him a small smile. "Don't they smell pleasant?"

In truth, Hiei preferred the scent emitted by the rose- though he was not about to voice that thought. He shrugged his shoulders instead. "If that sort of thing appeals to you," he muttered.

Kurama had expected such a response. Hiei was not one to spill his thoughts and feelings over such affairs. "What about you, Hiei?" he asked. "This park isn't exactly in your neighborhood either. Or your world, for that matter." He looked Hiei up and down. "And it would seem you've shed your uniform and chosen to don the past instead."

The redhead was correct. Hiei was in fact wearing the same black cloak he always did prior to becoming Mukuro's second-in-command, and thus receiving a job that included a slightly more colorful, elaborate wardrobe. He did enjoy his job—it was better than nothing at least—but it did grow tiresome indeed. There were times that he felt there was no other option than to put on his old class and take off for a while. No job; no orders; no cares. Just him, a solitary figure, at one with the lonely wilderness, without a single conscious thought in his head. Perhaps, without ever meaning it, this had become one of his getaway times.

"I don't work all the time, Kurama," was all he said.

"Of course," Kurama replied. "I doubt there is anyone who devotes the entirety of their time to work. And if I am wrong, and there is such a person, then surely that must be a dull way to live." He examined the park, noting how it appeared rather deserted when compared to earlier. Much time had passed since he had left that morning. Judging from the sky, it was already late afternoon. Everything that resided within the sun's grasp was given a reddish-gold hue that grew darker as the daylight faded. "I should return home," he told Hiei. "I've been away for a while, and Mother was acting odd as it was this morning."

'His mother,' Hiei thought. 'No surprise there.' "Yes, do what you will then."

He nodded. "Then I suppose I'll be off." He rose from the bench and stretched. "Thank you for listening to me, Hiei, even if that wasn't your intention." Hiei rolled his eyes, making Kurama smile. "I enjoyed seeing you again, Hiei. It's been too long."

"Hn."

His smile faded a little. "Yes, well," he shrugged his shoulders. "Good-bye." He began to walk away.

"Good-bye," Hiei echoed, though he remained where he stood. Then, a moment later, he spoke again. "Kurama?"

Hearing his name, he stopped and turned around. Hiei was staring at him, an intense look in those large garnets that were his eyes. "Yes?"

Hiei continued staring wordlessly at him for a minute or so. "I'll be nearby," he finally said, "should you feel the need to have someone listen to you again."

Kurama nodded, feeling strange suddenly. "Thank you, Hiei. I'll keep that in mind."

He received a curt nod, and then Hiei disappeared in a dark blur. The Fox stared at the spot where Hiei had stood, then pointed his toes toward home.

A few blocks away from his house, Kurama suddenly smiled. Hiei's words were still fresh in his mind. Perhaps, despite all the confusion, something good had come out of the day.


"Shuichi, I'll need those figures by next week."

"I'll have them done by then," Kurama promised.

"Good. I'll see you tonight."

"Good luck with your meeting, Kazuya." Kurama gathered his papers into his briefcase, bade farewell to his step-father, and left the office. Today had been such nice weather—foreshadowing the coming spring—that he had opted to walk.

He passed a park on his way, full of bare Sakura trees. Upon further examination, he noticed the branches were adorned with little buds. Kurama smiled, looking forward to seeing them bloom into the lovely flowers they would be within a month's time.

He arrived home and greeted his mother and step-brother. After socializing with the two for a while, he retreated upstairs to work on the figures. A half-hour later, Shuichi informed him he had visitors. Kurama abandoned his paperwork for the time being and admitted his guests.

Yusuke and Kuwabara came in. "We've got problems," Yusuke declared before Kurama could even say hello.

The Fox gave a sly smile. "I'll say you do," he joked. "Where shall we begin?"

"I'm not kidding," Yusuke said exasperatedly. Kurama quirked an eyebrow.

"What is it?" he asked in a more serious tone.

His friend heaved a sigh. "Botan came by earlier."

"Yes?" He examined the expressions on the two's faces. They normally did not look so melancholy.

"She told us that Koenma wants to see the three of us in his office as soon as possible."

Kurama furrowed his brow. "Why?" He had hoped that, with the establishment of a new government in the Makai, the Reikai Tantei would no longer be necessary. He remembered the decision he had made during the Makai Tournament he was forced to participate in. After it was all over, he had looked forward to a relatively peaceful life as a citizen of the Ningenkai, with his family. Immediately, he was wary of anything that might jeopardize that dream.

"We don't know all the details," Kuwabara told him. "I guess Koenma will fill us in when we see him."

"What do we know?" he asked.

"From what Botan said," Yusuke continued, "Hiei's in trouble."

"What?" They were being sent to Hiei's aid? The entire time Kurama had known him, Hiei had been very capable of fending for himself. Or, in the very least, he had never been in so serious of trouble that it required action such as this mission. Hiei's predicament must be major, if Koenma was calling the three of them in. "Are you sure?"

Yusuke felt a small victory won. He knew Kurama would not be anxious to resume Reikai Tantei business. Yet at the mention of Hiei, Kurama's morale had noticeably shifted. He and Kuwabara had suspected as much. They both knew he was close to Hiei, and would not hesitate to help him were he in trouble. "I wouldn't lie about something like this, Kurama," he said sincerely. "That's what Botan told us."

Their friend was silent, apparently deep in thought. Finally he looked up at them. "Well then," he said in a soft, resigned voice. "When shall we leave?"

"Um, we'll meet you outside," Yusuke suggested. Kurama nodded. His companions left the room.

He rose, straightened up his papers, and stowed them safely into his briefcase. He fetched his shoes and went downstairs, debating what he should say to his mother to explain his absence.


The Fox woke with a start. He took a few deep breaths, and slid out of bed. He turned on the lamp and checked his clock. Midnight. Kurama groaned; he had been asleep for only two hours. It seemed much longer than that.

That dream…. He remembered receiving a job assignment from Kazuya the month before. He was to figure the company's revenue. The revenue that, until that morning, he had forgotten. After coming home that evening, he checked his briefcase. The paperwork was there, only partially completed. Kurama had apologized to Kazuya over and over about the figures being incomplete and a month late. Kazuya simply brushed his worries aside, and informed him that someone else dealt with the revenue. He knew his step-father was trying to console him, but it still made him feel rather worthless. That had been his assignment; he did not want others doing what he was supposed to.

He understood, sort of. All day he had been disturbed because he could not remember. Tonight he had dreamt of the last solid memory he had before the month-long blank. Well, the first part of the dream he knew had been true. He did not know if the part with Yusuke and Kuwabara, and the reference to a mission, was real or not.

Feeling anxious, he began to pace about his room. He was too distracted to sleep. He heaved a sigh and went downstairs.

Everyone was asleep; the house was dark and quiet. Kurama went into the kitchen. The ceramic tiles made his feet cold. He raided the refrigerator and made a sandwich.

While he wolfed down the sandwich and a glass of milk, he contemplated his restless night. His inability to remember troubled him a lot. He had to work tomorrow, though. Kazuya told him he could take a few days off if he wished, but Kurama declined. Somebody else already cleaned up his revenue mess; he wanted no more special treatment.

Kurama finished his snack and returned upstairs. He rummaged in the bathroom medicine cabinet until he found a bottle of sleeping tablets. He wanted to work efficiently tomorrow; and to do so, he could not stay up half the night due to vivid dreams.

He returned to his room with the tablets and water. After checking to make sure his alarm was set, he downed the medicine, turned off the lamp, and crawled into bed.

The sound of thunder rumbling could be heard outside, accompanied by the tattoo of rain hitting the earth. He smiled. One of those frequent spring storms had come. Rain. He loved everything about it.

He uttered a soft sigh and curled up in the bedding. Perhaps the next time he saw Yusuke or Kuwabara he could validate whether the dream's second portion was true.

Outside, the wind began to howl, ravaging heavy fabric and soft spikes. Lightning flashed, illuminating a dark, red-eyed figure crouching on a tree branch outside Kurama's window, staring inside. Lightning flashed again, and the tree's occupant had disappeared.