Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
YSendo: ...yo...
Chapter 8
Aisu and Shiro kept the conversation going while Botan secretly watched them. They didn't seem concerned that Rei was gone, although Zakyou and Yuumei seemed subdued. She shared a look with Shizuru and stood up. Shizuru and Hiei followed her example. Yukina looked up from the conversation and frowned slightly. Botan said cheerfully, "Well, we'd better get going!"
Yukina sighed and stood up. Aisu glanced over at Botan and thoughtfully sipped his refilled cup of coffee. He looked at Yukina and smiled adorably, "Why don't you stay, Yukina? You could have another split."
Yukina laughed and covered her mouth. "I've already had enough sweets for today." She dropped her hand and looked solemnly past Aisu's shoulder. "And Botan's right," she added with a forced smile, "we should leave."
Aisu nodded and turned back to the other occupants of the table when the bell above the parlor door ringed as Botan and her companions left, only to find everyone staring at him. Zakyou raised a brow suggestively. Yuumei was watching from the corner of her eye. Shiro grinned like a maniac who was about to blow up an entire city. Aisu glared at them in turn. "What!"
"Nothing," the trio muttered as they immediately turned to look elsewhere. Aisu sighed and changed the topic. "So, where is she?"
"Not here," Shiro snapped. Yuumei silenced her with a look.
"Moses claims that she's not at Kuwabara's," Zakyou said helpfully.
Yuumei turned to stare at him, "Why would she be there?"
He shrugged. "She was in a fight. They took her to Kuwabara's."
"Where is she if not there then?" Aisu asked.
"Could they have moved her?" Shiro asked worriedly.
"If they tried, she would probably escape," Yuumei said honestly.
"True," Aisu agreed with a nod, "if she escaped, it would explain why Botan was here."
Shiro looked confused. "Why would she come here if Fay was gone?"
"To see if we heard from her," Zakyou said quietly.
"I doubt we would've said that she was kidnapped," Yuumei replied, folding her arms on the table.
"We would've been suspicious of them if we had known," Shiro concluded. "They could tell that we didn't blame them, however."
Aisu twirled his mug on the table, his head resting in his hand, elbow propped up on the table. "So," he said softly, looking at his friends, "where is she now?"
Yuumei looked at Shiro, who looked at Zak. Zakyou shrugged. "Moses can't find her without any knowledge of where she could be."
"Don't have him look," Yuumei mumbled as she looked out the window. "Fay can take care of herself."
Shiro sighed and yanked her wig off. "At least she isn't with the detectives."
"We'll worry about her if she doesn't send any word by the end of the week," Zakyou said as he got to his feet. "I've got to get High Gothic open."
Yuumei stood up as well. "I'll help you."
Aisu and Shiro followed the pair out the door. "We'll see the detectives," Shiro said wearily. She and Aisu turned towards Sarayashiki Jr. High.
Yuumei and Zak walked side by side towards the club when a shadow moved beside them. Zakyou stopped immediately while Yuumei kept walking. A few feet away she stopped. She turned back to see the hooded figure stand behind her friend. She ignored it. "Zak! We're going to be late if we don't hurry."
Zakyou glanced at her and nodded. He went to walk beside her again. Their shadows were gliding along the ground in front of them. A few seconds later, another large, shapeless shadow joined theirs. They arrived at the club an hour later. Zakyou unlocked the door and threw his coat onto the nearby barstool. Yuumei, who left her coat at home, dusted off her black pants and jogged over to the door marked "employees only." Soon, the lights flickered on and dimmed. The silence was broken by the steady beat of drums and bass. The words to the song were indistinguishable.
The man slid off his hood and clasped his hands behind his back. He walked slowly to the center of the room and examined the interior. He turned to Yuumei as she crossed the dance floor.
Yuumei watched her father carefully, silently wondering at the reason for his sudden appearance. The Rogue, as most call him, usually stayed out of sight in both the Human and Demon World. He was able to hide for as much as two years at a time. His dark, almost black, burgundy hair was shoulder-length and tied into a small ponytail using black ribbon. His steel-gray eyes glided over every detail in the room. Yuumei leaned back against one of the silk-covered walls and waited for her father to say something. She didn't have to wait long. Rogue walked towards her purposefully and stopped directly in front of her. He reached up to toy with one of the crystal hair beads. "You're looking as beautiful as always."
Yuumei smiled ruefully as Rogue playfully tugged on the small ornament. "And you're looking as wicked as always."
It was true. Rogue was lean and graceful, able to seduce any woman he could want. Of course, he only needed to get Lady Riku, daughter of Minor Lord Keishi, to ensure an adequate heir for his power. Takai was Lady Riku's first-born. However, Yuumei's older brother was accepted by Keishi as an heir to his throne, for he, himself, had no sons. Lord Keishi oversaw to the education and training of Master Takai, much to Rogue's distaste. At the age of five, Takai was showing signs of rebellion against his grandfather after Keishi decided to throw out his newborn granddaughter, Yuumei, as soon as she had basic knowledge of survival. At two, Yuumei was forced to survive on her own, but Rogue took her under his wing and trained his daughter to be a worthy adversary. Takai now ruled over his mother's land in Northern Demon World.
Yuumei swatted her father's hand away and walked past him to the lounge. He followed. Zakyou was sitting on the sofa and looking at the painting of the 'corner'. Rogue stretched out in the black leather chair and folded his hands behind his head. He swung his foot back and forth. "It appears that Kai is of age to be mated."
Yuumei doubled over in laughter. Zakyou suppressed a grin. Takai's worst nightmare was being chased by tons of females wanting to be Countess Sendo. Yuumei's laughter faded as she looked over how much she knew about her dear brother, yet he saw her only once. Takai never met his father, either. Yuumei looked over at Rogue and saw his eyes glazed over. He knew. He knew he never attempted to reach his son. He knew how much it hurt Takai to be hated for something he had no control over. Yuumei sighed as closed her eyes. He knew!
Aisu leaned against the tree as Shiro ran to find Yusuke and Kuwabara. He jumped suddenly. Looking around, only to find nothing wrong, Aisu rubbed the back of his neck. The chill didn't lift, however. It got worse. His blood felt cold and thick. He closed his eyes to shut out the cold. His body started to tremble. He ran towards safety. He ran down the street and leaned against the wall. He felt sweat on his forehead. 'Sweat? But I'm so cold,' he realized. He turned the door knob and stepped into the empty apartment. He collapsed to the ground and brought his legs up to his chest. He hugged them fiercely to fight off the cold. He closed his eyes and fell unconscious as his heart slowed.
Aisu looked around the ice-covered room. He reached out to touch it and pulled his hand back at the pain that shot through his arm. He was panting as he looked at his hand. It was burned. "It's impossible," he muttered.
"Nothing is impossible, my dear." Aisu turned to see a tall, graceful woman step down the stairs of ice. Her hair was a silvery-blue. Her eyes were a vivid shade of purple. She wore a weightless gown that fluttered around her torso. It had no sleeves and it ended half-way down her thighs. "Dear Aisu," she said in her soft, bitter voice, "I have missed you so much, my love."
She reached out to touch his cheek, but hesitated briefly. "My love. My Aisu." Her hand was smooth and gentle on his skin. Her eyes were mesmerizing. Her body, tempting. Aisu moved back and shook his head to clear it. The woman dropped her hand and smiled at him. "Do you not find me," she opened her arms wide and twirled in a circle, "alluring?"
Aisu watched, trapped, as her gown momentarily shaped to her legs before settling once more. He backed up again as she stepped nearer. He hissed when the wall burned his back. She stepped even closer and rested her hands on his shoulders. She squeezed lightly. With a low, husky growl, she pushed Aisu back against the wall and pressed her lips fiercely to his. His scream of pain was lost in the equally heated kiss. His vision turned white-hot at the mix of pain and pleasure. His hands gripped her waist. She pressed closer. Aisu's grip tightened and she gasped in pain. He quickly forced her off her feet and moved away from the wall. He shook his head to control the instinctual need to make her his. She gripped his knee and pulled on him, urging him down. Aisu moved back, out of her reach. Her eyes started to glow and she leaned back on the floor. She laughed.
The
walls started to thicken. The room grew smaller. Aisu looked for a
way out. The woman's voice echoed off the nearing walls. "You
will learn, my sweet Aisu. You will learn to give in to your lust.
You will learn to not reject my desire. My Aisu, my gentle lover,
you will learn!"
Aisu sat up so fast that his head hit Hiei's who was leaning over him for some unfathomable reason. Hiei was thankful that he was hit in the temple, not the Jagan eye. They massaged their heads and Aisu smiled in apology. Yukina giggled from behind the pair. "That was amusing and one-of-a-kind!"
Hiei growled lightly and moved to leave. Yukina stopped him by shoving a bowl of cookie dough into his arms. "You finish them. The recipe is in the book. Ask Kurama if you need help."
He left mumbling something to himself. Yukina rushed to the doorway and yelled after him, "Oh, and get Genkai in here!"
"No, need to shout, girl! I'm right here." Genkai looked at Aisu. "I hope you're well enough to leave," she rasped.
"Give me a minute."
Yukina laughed and slid out the door, towards the kitchen. "I'll make sure Hiei doesn't burn anything!"
Kuwabara and Yusuke entered the room, followed by a very distressed Shiro. There was a growling suddenly. Kuwabara touched his belly, "Not me."
While Kuwabara fussed over his stomach, Yusuke laughed. "It's probably Hiei growling! Yukina sent him to work in the kitchen."
The growling came again and Aisu blushed faintly. "Actually, that's my stomach. I'm starving."
Shiro pushed Yusuke and Kuwabara aside and grabbed Aisu's shoulders. She shook him fiercely. "DON'T YOU DARE SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! WERE YOU HURT!
Aisu grabbed her wrists and said seriously, "No, but if you keep doing that, I might be missing a head."
Shiro pounded her fists uselessly against his shoulders. "Don't joke with me now! Do you have any idea of how horrible it was to find you suddenly missing? Yuumei would've had me skinned!"
"Glad to know I'm loved," Aisu muttered sarcastically.
Yusuke laughed and said, "Come on, let's get some of Yukina's cookies!"
Kuwabara hesitated. "Urameshi, I don't think they're edible."
"Huh?"
"I mean, I saw Hiei reading the cook book when I was looking for Yukina."
Yusuke grabbed his friend's shirt and dragged him out the door. "Don't be a coward. You're not afraid of Three-Eyes, are you?"
"Of course not!" Kuwabara replied with pride and dignity. Under his breath, he muttered, "It's his cooking I'm afraid of."
"You know, as well as I do, that Yukina would not let Hiei cook. I'm not sure why though," he said, scratching his chin.
"Hiei's temperament," Kurama, who was just walking down the hall, said simply.
"Oh," Yusuke and Kuwabara breathed. Kurama raised a brow at Aisu, who pinned the frantic Shiro down and was trying to calm her. The action only enraged her further. "Think of Yuumei, girl! What would she do if I told her you were trying to rip my head off!" he yelled.
"You wouldn't dare tell her that!" she screamed back.
"You bet?" he answered.
"Yeah, I do!" she replied. Aisu got off her and bolted to the kitchen. Shiro got to her feet and dusted off her bottom before charging after him. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama looked at each other. Then, they ran to the kitchen. Genkai sighed and mumbled something about peace and quiet, but no one listened. She left towards the meditation room.
Rogue paced back and forth in front of the bedroom door. Zakyou watched him wearily. Yuumei disappeared only minutes before into the room. Rogue turned and walked back to the window. 'What's taking her?' He shifted his weight from one foot to the other restlessly. 'How long does it take her to dress!' He turned and collapsed beside Zakyou on the floor. He locked his eyes on the door.
It opened soon after. Yuumei walked out in a silk button-up shirt and black jeans. She wore her boots. Rogue stood up and framed his daughter's face with his hands. "What the hell took you so long?" he snarled.
Yuumei sighed. "I was in there for three minutes."
"It was eternity, Mei."
Yuumei shrugged and glanced at the sleeping Zakyou. She sighed again and turned towards the door. "Come on, father."
YSendo: Review, and good-night. (it's 21: 30 here 9: 30 p.m.)
