Chapter 2
"Kurama…."
Kurama looked all around him but all he saw was darkness. And why should he see anything else? Nothing in his life was happy. Nothing special happened to him.
"Kurama…."
"Who's there?" he called out into the darkness. "Show yourself!"
"You know me, Kurama," said the voice and a bright light shone. Inside the light was a silver kitsune in gold armor and helmet. At the kitsune's hip was a long sword and his armor was decorated with a silver nine tailed fox with a red gold rose in its mouth.
"I know you," said Kurama looking at the kitsune's golden eyes. His eyes. "Otousama!"
Inari nodded. "You are needed, Kurama."
Kurama looked at his father in confusion. "Needed where?"
"In Kitsune Valley. Your brother is terrorizing the kitsune there."
"My brother? Azumamaro!"
Inari nodded again. "You must go, Kurama. It's your duty."
As Kurama watched Inari started to fade. "Wait, Otousama! Please don't go! I don't know what to do!"
"Follow you head, and your heart, Kurama," said Inari. "They can't lead you astray."
"My head? And my heart?"
"Remember, the Golden Rose only obeys you."
"OTOUSAMA!"
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"What happened," asked Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"His father is dead," said Hiei. It was the next morning and Hiei got up to a nonresponsive Kurama. The fox just laid curled on the bed, not moving to anyone or anything.
"His father," said Keiko in shock.
"Wasn't he the King of the Kitsune tribe," asked Shizuru.
"Kurama's father is the King," asked Yukina.
"It's a long story, sweetie," said Shizuru.
"Doesn't that mean Kurama's king now?" asked Kuwabara.
"I don't think he's in a hurry to have the grown placed on his head," said Yusuke.
"What do we do not?" asked Keiko.
"We have to wait for him to recover," sad Hiei. "Then we can help him."
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But that was easier said then done. They had to force feed the fox for three days before Kurama could eat on his own and another four before he was moving around. Hiei found him one the eighth day packing his small travel back.
"Kurama, where are you going?" he asked. Kurama looked at he fire demon in surprise.
"I'm sorry to have awakened you, Hiei," said Kurama continuing to stuff clothes in his pack. "But I don't have time. I have to go."
"Go where?" asked Hiei sliding off their bed. He looked at his lover with serious red eyes.
"Home. To Kitsune Valley. I have to go immediately."
"Then we'll come with you," said Hiei walking over to his travel bag.
"No," yelled Kurama and his gold eyes turned and angry red. "This is personal. Family business."
"Family business?" Hiei's eyes narrowed as he looked at the fox. "And are we not family? We have spent the last seven years together and you don't call us family"
"I have to do this on me own. This is my problem and I'll deal with it."
Hiei closed his eyes and gave an amused smirk. "Next time you plan on being a hero, tell us before hand." He looked at Kurama. "You told me that after you rescued me from Tarukane, remember?"
Kurama glared at him. "That's different. You were rescuing your sister, making sure she was safe. I'm…."
"Going to Kitsune Valley to lead them? I doubt it. Not in that big a hurry. Something happened. Something that requires your immediate attention. Something other then your father dying."
"Shut up, Hiei! You don't know what you're dealing with!"
"But I know what I am dealing with! Damn it, Kurama! I'm not Kuwabara who has to have everything told to twice. What in hells is going on?!"
By then the rest of the group had woken and were standing in the doorway watching the lover's quarrel.
"Because my father's been murdered!" yelled Kurama. Everyone stared at him in shock as Kurama sat on the bed and held his head in his hands. "He was killed, by my brother. And now my sister and the ones loyal to me are oppressing his rule. They sent my cousin, Hoshi, to give me the message to return home, but she never made it. Took them a year and their best runner and she never made it."
"I don't get it," said Yusuke. "Why would your brother do that? I thought blood was everything to the kitsune."
"It is," said Kurama. "But he's my half-brother. Azumamaro of the Gold. He was born couple hundred years younger then me, after my mother died. He never like the fact Otousama favored me above all his children as his heir. I guess it was because I was so much like our father then the others."
"Oh, Kurama-san," said Yukina. She walked over and placed a hand on his arm in comfort.
"I have to go back," said Kurama. "I have to defeat my brother and reclaim my title."
"You're duty to your people," said Hiei, remembering something his adopted sister, Kanna Princess of the Makai Sea, said before she left to return home to her mother's side. Kurama nodded.
"We're coming with you," said Kuwabara. Kurama looked up at them.
"No, that's impossible," he said. "Anybody other then a fox enter the Valley….They'll be killed."
"But you're king," said Yusuke. "You can make any acceptation for us."
"I could vouch for you, but it wouldn't work. The Kitsune Tribunal would take my crown and my life."
"Since when did Youko Kurama, King of Thieves, not take any risks," said Shizuru. Kurama looked up and saw all of their smirking faces. He couldn't help but smile back.
"All right," he said. "We leave in an hour. Let's move out."
Yusuke and Kuwabara cheered and ran to pack their travel bags. Shizuru and Keiko smiled and went to pack provisions for the trip. Yukina went to pack her medicinal supplies. Smiling Kurama turned to Hiei as the other walked toward him.
"Just who taught you about royal duty," asked Kurama, wrapping his arms around Hiei, who was about the same height as Kurama with the fox sitting down. Hiei smirked back and wrapped his arms around Kurama's shoulders.
"A certain princess of the water demon sister of mine," said Hiei. "I guess she knew we were getting together and prepared me for it."
"Kanna, huh? Guess I'll have to thank her," said Kurama with a teasing gleam.
"Kurama!" Hiei punched him in the arm and Kurama laughed.
"Hiei, I was joking. Besides, the clan may be first in my head, but you're first in my heart. And that's a promise."
"And since when were you so mushy?" asked Hiei.
"Since is started having a permanent lover." Kurama smiled at Hiei, who looked in surprise at him. Hiei had heard the rumors about Kurama on his bed partners and accepted the fact Kurama may leave him for another, but he was willing to take the risk because he truly loved Kurama.
"Really," asked Hiei. Kurama just smiled and brought Hiei's head down to kiss him. After a few moments the kiss became so heated that Hiei was moaning and Kurama was purring. After a few minutes they pulled away and looked at each other, out of breath. Kurama laid his head over Hiei's Jagan, keeping his eyes on Hiei's.
"Does that answer your question," he asked. Hiei just smirked and kissed Kurama again.
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Within the hour everybody had packed and left the cabin. It was still dark so those who couldn't see in the dark hung onto those who could. They walked for a few hours before making a fire to rest.
"How long until we reach Kitsune Valley," asked Shizuru.
"It will take us a month to get there," said Kurama. "And another week to go through the Maze of Tree."
"Maze of Trees," asked Kuwabara. "What's that?"
"Exactly how it sounds," said Kurama. "It's a maze of trees so tall they seem to reach the sky. One wrong turn in there and you'd be lost forever. A complete forest that surrounds the kitsune domain. Only kitsune are shown the correct path through it."
"Okay," said Shizuru. "We travel through the Maze of Trees, and after that?"
"Then we find our way to my sister's camp without getting caught."
"And how do we do that," asked Yukina.
Kurama got an angered glint in his eye as he threw a twig in the fire. "Leave that to me."
TBC
