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Kurama didn't feel up to partying. While everyone in the room mingled and dance, Kurama found himself hiding in the corner next to Hiei. The two were silent, just watching the rest of the party have a good time. Kurama wasn't much of a wall flower, but his human body was aching. Before the first night of the party started, he had tried several times to transform to Youko. No matter how hard he tried, though, there was a barrier separating his two selves that he couldn't seem to break. It'd been like this for more than a year, and Kurama couldn't figure out why. And he didn't dare tell anyone else.
"You look pale," Hiei said.
"What?" Kurama glanced down at the fire demon.
"I said, you look pale. More than usual."
Kurama chuckled and pushed his hair from his eyes. "Yeah, it's probably the cold." "How long have you had this cold?"
Truthfully, Kurama had no idea. Half the time, he didn't have the symptoms and he felt fine, but he had gotten more than twenty colds over the past year--more than he's had in his life. His assistant, Feiku, had this fantastic cold remedy that would completely wipe any symptoms away, but recently its affects were wearing off. Every time Kurama got a cold, his body felt worse and worse.
"A couple of days," Kurama shrugged. "I had one a few weeks back, and a few weeks before that, too. It's just stress."
"Baka," Hiei spat. "That's not a cold." Kurama shook his head. He'd thought about that himself, too, but he'd been to several doctors in Ningenkai and Makai, and they all said it was nothing to worry about. No matter how many colds he'd gotten, there was nothing wrong with his body, he just was stuck with the nuisance cold. Some doctors did agree it was stress, and others suggested it was allergies. Whatever it was, Kurama craved Feiku's remedy.
"It must be. There's no other explanation."
"Maybe your body is telling you its time to make a permanent change back to Youko," Hiei suggested. "You're spending most of your time in Makai, anyway."
"It's not that easy to just permanently transform," Kurama pointed out. "You know that. It'll take years of practice and discipline--time I don't have."
Hiei rolled his eyes. "You're a work-a-holic."
"Oy, you two!" Yusuke ran over before Kurama could retaliate. "What are you doing? There are so many people that want to meet you. They keep talking about how you kicked ass in the Dark Tournament."
"Hn."
"I--" Kurama wasn't sure why no part of him wanted to meet the noble men and women strung through the crowd. Most of him, if not all of him, wanted to pass out and fall fast asleep for days on end. But, he knew that wasn't who he was or who anyone else knew him as. He finally answered, "Okay, I'm coming. Just give me a minute."
Yusuke turned his back and weaved through the crowd, disappearing behind a couple dancing. Kurama turned to Hiei, smiling.
"What are you so happy about? You were miserable a moment ago."
"Come on," Kurama beckoned the fire demon and they followed Yusuke's trail, searching through the hundreds of faces for him. Finally, Kurama spotted him off in the distance talking to Koenma and King Daifuki.
The two walked up to Yusuke and Kurama put on his best smile. Every part of his body was in much worse pain than before, but he decided to grin and bear it. He'd been through a lot worse than a cold, after all. If it even was a cold--he shook his head to himself, of course it was. What else could it be if several doctors couldn't figure it out?
"I'm glad you've come, Kurama," the King's wrinkly hand patted Kurama's shoulder. "How is Yomi doing? I tried to send him an invitation, but he never got back to me. And no one seems to know where he is, not even Shura."
"I'm not even sure where he is," Kurama answered. "It's been years since I've last seen him, and from what I heard, he's taking a sort of vacation."
The King nodded, his lifeless eyes suddenly lit up with understanding. "I don't blame him!" He turned to Hiei, who was eyeing the wall on his right.
"What about Mukuro, Hiei? Do you know why she hasn't come?"
"She doesn't like parties," he said.
"And what a shame that is!" the King chuckled. He turned away from the group for a few moments and let out an "Ah!"
The Princess, who was passing by at the moment, stopped when her father spoke. She glanced at the group of guys she was with, recognizing them from earlier. Their names escaped her, except Koenma's, but her father was calling--she had to blindly answer.
"Hello," she sang, nodding at the group.
"Hello, Princess!" Koenma chirped, holding his hand out. She gave him her hand and he kissed the top of it softly. "Might I say you look lovely tonight?"
Hiei and Kurama exchanged glances as Yusuke tried to hold back his laughter. As soon as the Princess turned to her father, Koenma shot Yusuke a threatening glare, warning him to keep his mouth shut. Although he hadn't told anyone, Koenma was planning on entering the contest for the Princess's hand. She was beautiful, delicate and Koenma was more than thrilled at the idea of becoming Southland's newest king, instead of having to do paperwork all day.
"Father, I'm exhausted," Itoshi whispered to the King.
Without answering, he raised his eyebrows. She immediately pursed her lips and looked back at the group.
Her eyes fell upon Hiei.
"Have I met you somewhere?" she asked. "Have you ever been to the castle, I mean."
The King suddenly started to cackle. "What? No, he's never been here."
"I've never been here," Hiei repeated, avoiding eye contact.
Her foggy memory was the only thing allowing him to stay in the castle, or keep his life. Even if the guards couldn't catch him, the King had some of his highest generals in the room, waiting for any signs of danger or threats. The generals, from the stories Hiei had heard, weren't demons to be messed with. They kept the Southland's reputation of strength up.
"Maybe you look like someone," the Princess sighed. "Father, I'm going to go find mother."
With that, she disappeared. The King beamed at the group and leaned close. "If you don't mind me saying, she's a little nervous. She's never been around so many people in her life, but she will relax soon. Now, have any of you met General Lotus? He is my top guard and one of my closest friends."
As he led the group through the crowd, Hiei seized the opportunity to hang back and leave. He made his way towards the entrance to one of the corridors that led to his room. No one noticed as he left the room and walked up the flight of stairs.
The hall in front of him was a labyrinth of doors, windows and other corridors. He took a step, trying to remember exactly where his room was. Since he and Kurama didn't bring a guest, they decided to share a room. Well, it was more of Kurama's idea, but Hiei had no objection. He'd stayed in the same room with Kurama multiple times and the red-head was a deep, quiet sleeper that let Hiei have his peace. Besides, although he'd never admit it, Hiei wanted to keep his eye on Kurama and that cold--or so he called it.
He turned down a corridor and stopped suddenly. Princess Itoshi greeted him around the corner, surprised herself at his entrance.
"Wrong turn," he murmured. Before he could speed off, she touched his hand. Her touch electrocuted his skin, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. All his life, he was rarely ever touched, unless it was during a fight. Yet, there were her finger tips, placed delicately on his hand. And a part of him felt--comforted--by it. He yanked his arm away and glared at her hand.
"Where do you need to go?" she gazed at him.
She smelt like the vanilla pies Keiko always made whenever Hiei visited. He was suddenly intoxicated by the scent, forgetting who he was for a moment. Her golden eyes waited for his answer, but he just stared at them, breathing in her scent.
"Your name is Hiei, right?"
His name snapped him from the hypnosis.
"Hn."
"Well, where are you trying to go?"
"I can find it myself," he snapped, turning away from the Princess and going back to the main corridor.
His stubbornness never ceased to surprise even himself. After spending years bouncing from Makai to Ningenkai, he began to wonder if he was softening up. Even Mukuro had pointed out he was different from when he first came to her. Long ago, there was always someone new to betray him, or for him to betray. But now--he couldn't remember the last time he felt abandoned. In fact, he started to feel he belonged somewhere. It nauseated him.
"Wait!" her voice was delicate, too sweet to be a demon's.
Hiei stopped in his tracks. He heard her tiny feet dance across the floor. Regret overwhelmed him for stopping as her small figure came into view. Her thin lips pursed as they made eye contact. Obviously she'd never been so ill-treated. She was a princess, after all. Hiei was sure all who met her clung to even the tiniest breath she took. She must've been pampered, spoiled--and he couldn't tolerate it.
He wasn't some play thing for her to manipulate, he wouldn't jump when she said jump, or dance when she told him to. No matter what happened when she was little, he wasn't under her control. If she threatened him, he would deny it. He refused to let her memories as a child push him up against the wall. He decided if she figured out who he was, he would flee again. Simple as that. There was no need to be afraid of her or the guards.
He smirked to himself. He felt like he was the stubborn, untrusting, paranoid him again.
"If you're looking for your room, all the rooms are in the direction you were headed before."
"I wasn't," Hiei lied.
"Oh, well then where are you going?"
She asked too many questions. Even the giant oaf didn't ask so many questions. There weren't a lot of spoiled demons in Makai to Hiei's knowledge, but this girl topped all of them. Her irritating questioning and her touching. Even when she'd caught him when she was young, she asked too much. Couldn't she see that he wanted nothing to do with her? He wouldn't follow her around like a mindless puppy or succumb to her seductive atmosphere.
He glared at her, waiting for her to get the message. She just sighed and leaned against the wall, making it obvious that she wouldn't leave. They held eye contact for a few moments and finally she broke the silence.
"I know I've seen you before. I just--can't figure out where."
Baka. How bad he yearned to grab her hair all tell her to get lost.
"It's your eyes. I know your eyes."
Her idiotic, questioning look burrowed into the depths of his hate.
"And the way you walk. I can't explain it. Are you sure we haven't met?"
"Yes," Hiei snarled. "I'm going to my room."
He turned on his heel and left her behind him as he made his way for his room--wherever it was.
Itoshi kept her distance from the strange boy, but watched him walk down the hall. She stayed frozen as he got farther away, not wanting him to leave her sight. He was different from the other guests downstairs. When she caught his eye contact, his fiery stare nearly threw her off her feet, yet it intrigued her. It wasn't this actual eyes but the way he looked at her that reminded her of…wherever she knew him from.
He suddenly stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. Even in the distance, she could see his eyes vividly. They narrowed as the two held eye contact. What was he doing? She knew that there were some odd people in Makai, and in every world, but he was stranger than anyone she could've made up in her own imagination. He seemed to be threatening her, telling her to stop staring at him, yet he was staring at her.
Hypocrisy is an ugly thing, her mother always told her. If someone wants you to treat them a certain way, they must do the same. Otherwise, they're hypocrites.
This boy, Hiei, obviously wanted to be left alone, but he hadn't budged since they made eye contact. She wanted to shout, ask him why he was staring, but she was afraid of the response. In fact, there was something frightening about him. She met him, but she didn't know from where and he refused to tell her. He was too mysterious, more than a stranger should be.
Yet, she wanted to solve him, figure him out, examine him…learn who he was from his toes to that strange bandana.
"Princess!" someone bellowed. She snapped her head to see Anakii running up the stairs, holding her dress above her feet. "Everyone is waiting for you. Apparently, your father wants you to address the crowd and thank them."
"Again?" Itoshi moaned.
"Yes. What were you doing out here anyway? Let's go."
Before Itoshi followed Anakii down the steps, she glanced down the hallway where Hiei was. He'd vanished, leaving Itoshi feeling defeated. Soon, she told herself, she'd understand him and he'd understand her--not look down upon her.
Hiei opened the door to his room and leaned his head against the wall.
Visions of Itoshi as a child poured into his mind, reminding him over and over how she had been the one lucky creature who didn't fall victim to Hiei's sword. And it came to bite him in the ass. His hand still tingled from where her skin had met his. She didn't seem to hinder or wince at his glare. He knew that his cruel aura weakened, but the feeble princess didn't even flinch…
Maybe--she wasn't as fragile as she put out to be.
