Chapter 8: Two Morning Meetings with a Side Order of Teasing and Fighting Please
Hiei woke to an annoying beeping sound and looked to the nightstand. 'No, it's not that stupid ningen contraption.' He thought, noticing it was not the alarm clock. He sat up and looked around the now semi-lighted room from the morning sun trying to get through the curtains. The sound was coming from his clothes. Reaching over, he grabbed his pants to pull out his compact from Koenma, flipping it open, he saw the face of Mukuro.
"Hiei, there you are. I have news of Yomi." She didn't even stop to let the news set in. "He was seen at a border crossing on the east side of your ningen town. It was not seen, however, as to whether he crossed over or not."
"So he may already be here?" Hiei said, not liking the news.
"And there is more I'm afraid, a red head was also seen hanging around the crossing and the description fit Kurama's." She paused to let that news sink in.
"No, it couldn't be, I'm at Kurama's and he's right here." Hiei said looking over to the other side of the bed, only to notice the red head was not there. He sent out a mental scan and realized the fox was nowhere in the house or within miles of it.
"Damn, he's not here. What in the hell is he thinking comforting Yomi for what…the seeds last night, damn." Hiei didn't realize he was talking out loud until Mukuro interrupted.
"You need to find them. I would hate to think what would happen to the fox if you don't. I tried to notify Koenma, but he was unreachable. If you see him, let him know that you are at his disposal until further notice…and good luck." She closed the link.
'Unreachable…that's right, there's a meeting at Genkai's.' He thought and didn't waste anytime. In less then 5 minutes, he was standing at the door to the main room on the temple grounds. Hearing voices, he stepped in.
"They should be here any minute." Yusuke voice was heard. "If not, you can contact him."
"Well one's here." Kuwabara said, noticing Hiei standing just inside the door.
"Okay, that means Kurama should be walking in any minute." Yusuke said.
"He's not coming." Hiei said, walking over to the group already sitting at the round table.
"What do you mean, he's not coming…this is about…" Koenma didn't get to finish as Hiei interrupted.
"He's gone to confront Yomi." Was all the fire demon could get out before everyone starting talking at once.
"No way, he did not…what was he thinking…stupid fox…oh my…damn….."
Koenma broke the voices by saying. "That leaves you to tell us what's going on. And before you protest, Kurama's told me most of it, so all you will be doing is filling in the blanks." He hoped Hiei would not catch the small lie, Kurama had told him some, but not all, he wanted information and now he put the fire demon in the situation to give it to him.
Hiei knew that Kurama would never tell much to the demi-lord.
"Hn." He said.
"Okay, I'll start." Koenma started. "I know that Kurama was being watched by Yomi because he wants Kurama to be his heir. Is he still being watched?" Hiei nodded. "Okay, second I know that you and Kurama have a relationship…now hold up…I'm not finished." The Lord had stood up and put his hands in a 'hold up' manner when he saw the look on Hiei's face. "I don't know, nor do I want to know, exactly the relationship you have, what I do know is that Yomi does not care for it one bit and that is going to cause trouble. I saw the 'spirit of words' sphere and know Yomi is coming here to the Ningenkai."
"Mukuro contacted me not 10 minutes ago and said Yomi was seen at the portal crossing on the east end of town, no one saw if he crossed over." Hiei added.
"You said Kurama went to confront him?" Yusuke asked, getting up.
"Yes, someone saw someone matching Kurama's description…."
"But how do you know it was fox boy….." Yusuke continued.
"Because he wasn't in bed this morning." Hiei said softly and lowered his head, trying to cover the blush coming to his cheeks.
"Oh, you mean when you went to get him for this meeting, you could have missed him, maybe he got up early to run some errands." Kuwabara said, getting up and standing next to Yusuke.
"No baka." Hiei growled. "When I woke up and looked over, he was not there and I scanned the area and he wasn't in the house either." He didn't have to worry about the blushing because he was turning red with anger.
"No idiot…Hiei said fox boy wasn't 'in' bed." Yusuke said, looking more closely at Hiei. "So you stayed at Kurama's last night?" He crossed his arms, grinning.
"Remember Yusuke, he said 'woke up and looked over.'" Botan couldn't help but to get in on the teasing. She was happy for both of them.
Hiei's anger red turned back to blushing pink after realizing he'd let that slip.
"You did stay at fox boy's last night…good for you." Yusuke praised, walking over to slap the fire demon on the back.
"Hn." Was all he could get out because he was mad at himself.
"Wait a minute, let me get this straight." Kuwabara said, placing his hand on his chin and looking up to the ceiling in thought.
"This could take awhile." Yusuke teased, placing a bent arm on Hiei's shoulder.
"Both of you…in the same bed…I think I'm going to be sick…yuck, that's just gross." Kuwabara was spitting and hacking at the thoughts he was getting.
"By the way blockhead, you owe me twenty bucks." Yusuke reminded.
"Well I for one don't want to hear this now…we have to find Kurama and find out what's going on. You can tease or whatever later." Koenma said.
He got all nods in response.
"Hiei, were does the portal on the east end of town go?" Genkai asked.
"Let me think…it leads to the outskirts of the Suna no Jikan (1) in the Makai." Hiei said.
"Then you better start there." Koenma said.
a)a)a)a)
Kurama walked in the desert sun lost in thought. It hadn't taken much to get through the portal to met Yomi. He was feeling a little guilty about not telling Hiei his decision. 'Wonder if he knows I'm gone yet?' He thought. While he was cleaning up the 'spirit of words' sphere, he had seen a piece of paper in with the glass. The little piece had coordinates on. This had been Yomi's last chance to see if the spirit yoko was willing to come to him and it had worked. Kurama had decided that it was time he confronted the Lord face to face and end this game once and for all. Youko was 'adamant' about ending this and Shuiichi was just plan 'scared' as always. Kurama agreed with Youko, which was rare.
He hated deceiving the fire demon, well deceiving wasn't quite the right word, but he did try and get Hiei to go to bed so he could leave. He had been surprised to hear from Youko that Hiei had stunned him, making him blackout. If the spirit yoko hadn't been able to wake him, he wouldn't be doing this right now. But things had worked out a little better than he'd hoped. He now had the mental connection back and knew Hiei could track him with his jagan. And the best thing that happened, is he got to show the little fire demon how much he loved him and got showed in return.
"It seems you're happy about something…care to share." Yomi said picking up the quickened heart beat of the red head.
"None of your business Yomi, how much further are we going?" Kurama voice was stern. He needed to remember to control his body's reactions.
"There is a small hut not to much further…I wanted us to be alone so we could talk in private." Yomi said. He was walking with his hands in his coat pocket just a few steps ahead of the fox.
"We are alone now or can you not tell." Kurama said sarcastically, stopping and opening his arms, indicating the never ending desert they had been walking in for about an hour.
"I'll let that one slip for now…of course I know there's no one around. This is where I have been staying since the end of the tournament." The Lord stated.
"Where is your son?" Kurama asked, walking to catch up.
"I don't know." Yomi said with sadness in his voice. "He left shortly after we came here."
"For what it is worth…I am sorry." Kurama said, lowering his head.
"Don't be." Yomi cheered up. "He'll be back some day. He wanted to go and explore on his own. Kind of reminds me of me when I was always leaving you and not following orders." He said, stopping. "We're here." He gestured to a small domed hut made of molded wet clay that had dried in the hot sun.
Stepping in, Kurama made out very few items, a rolled out mat, bedding obviously, a chair with a small table and a small cooking pit that took up the middle of the floor.
"Sorry it's not much, but…" Yomi didn't get to finish.
"Okay Yomi, I am here, now let us start talking. I want to settle this once and for all." Kurama said.
"Okay." Yomi said, taking a seat on the only chair.
"First, I told you 'no' on being your heir. I have accepted an offer already. Second, anyone else I catch following me or Hiei will be killed. Third, you have no threat in claiming me as I have already been claimed by Hiei." Kurama managed to say all this calmly, but his pulse was rising and his voice was getting raspy.
"Whoa…slow down." Yomi said, holding up a hand. "Don't get upset just yet. I get a chance to state my side, don't I?" He gestured for the fox to have a seat on the rolled out mat. "Have a seat Kurama and let me get you something to drink. Your voice sounds dry." He reached over to the fire pit and picked up a tea pot that had been sitting on the rim next to the smoldering embers, pouring two mugs.
"Here, it's not much, but it should wet your tongue." Yomi said, handing over a mug. He sensed Kurama actions. "Now don't worry. Here, I will take a drink of mine, I didn't poison it." And he took a big sip out of his mug, smiling as he swallowed.
Kurama accepted the mug. Looking at the dark contents, he held it to his nose, smelling. 'Green tea.' He thought and nothing smelled off about it. Wetting a finger, he rubbed it around the lip rim and smelled it before taking a lick. Nothing tasted out of the ordinary.
"Always cautious." Yomi said, still sensing the actions of the fox.
Kurama took a small sip and still not finding anything wrong, took a bigger gulp to wet his dry throat.
The red head stared at Yomi while casually putting a hand in his hair and pulling out a seed, which he then placed in the sand floor. As he took another sip of tea, he made a slurping sound as he again placed another seed in the sand on the other side of him.
"You are awful quiet, what are you plotting?" Yomi asked, moving his head as if to listen.
"Nothing, I just want to be left alone and now that I told you everything, I think I will be leaving." Kurama said and placed the mug down hard to get his point across. He went to stand up, but the next thing he knew, Yomi was on top of him, pinning his arms to his side and straddling his hips.
Kurama knew Yomi was going to try something. He cried out and the seeds he had placed in the sand burst worth and began to wrap around the Lord. Yomi cried out in frustration and released a ball of energy, disintegrating the vines that held him.
"You will pay for that trick." He said calmly, reaching forward and grabbing Kurama by the throat and squeezing.
Kurama grabbed at the hand holding him and called forth the seeds he had placed in the sand outside the hut. When he had spread his hands to indicate the area, he had thrown seeds everywhere.
The fight was on…
End Chapter 8
(1) Suna no Jikan- meaning - Sand of Time
