-1Okay, guys, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in so long (it's been forever!) I've been in the hospital! I was so freaked out because they had to hook me up to an IV (and I have a needle phobia! Not good!), and I'm starving because of that crappy hospital food, and I think I must've got the modern equivalent of nurse ratchet! If I never see applesauce again, it will be too soon is all I have to say…
Anyway, I've kept you waiting long enough! ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, or anything except a new hospital toothbrush (ick) and some medications I can't pronounce properly.
The shining shell of a deathly vetch seed was clutched firmly in Youko's clammy palm. Much to his dismay, a deadly coma had stolen his reason. He was no longer calling the shots, but some inner force. An energy that propelled him forward, to he knew-not where. Perhaps his mind had deliberately shut off so he wouldn't have to face the horror of killing his own offspring.
But then he saw Mae, curled up, unmoving, unbreathing on the stone floor, and he knew the real reason his mind was blank. He had grown so used to her, so endeared to her. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen in love with her. And now she was gone, and he was alone with the body who killed her, that was all that mattered.
He shifted the seed between his long fingers, ready to strike.
"WAIT!!!" came a shrill command from above the fox's bowed head.
He looked sharply up to find Koenma floating in midair beside Botan, floating on her oar obediently. The little prince's dinky hand was flung out in front of his face, and his eyes were round and desperate.
"Don't do it! Don't kill him, Kurama, we need him!" the little lord ordered with a grimace.
For a moment, Youko thought to disregard the little tyrant's orders and finish Kuri off properly, but, out of curiosity, he waited for the prince to explain.
"You passed the talking boulder?"
That was the last question the fox had expected, and left him just as puzzled, if not more so, than before. "yes…" he answered slowly.
"And do you recall the stump that sat next to her?" the little ruler asked.
"Y'mean, that was a GIRL?!" Kuwabara asked loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, who were for once wondering the same thing he was.
Koenma seemed irritated. "Of course she was a girl! She's my sister!" he cried.
The room gave one collective gasp. Even Kuri, who had also passed the boulder in passing.
"She used to be quite beautiful, for your information," Koenma sniffed.
Growing annoyed with the stagnant conversation, Youko scowled and asked, "Is there any relevancy whatsoever to this?"
"Oh, right!" the prince raised a finger, "the stump was burnt down by this dragon who was passing for some reason, and the rock is lonely." He peered around as if that should explain everything.
None of them had the slightest clue what he was talking about.
"What do you want, Kuri to be chained to your sister, the rock, to keep her company as his sentence?" Ruki asked exasperatedly. She was silently thrilled when she noticed Hiei's cheek lift in a small smile.
"Of course not! We keep our most dangerous cases in those meadows, trapped and disguised as nature. My sister was a wanted felon, and my father sentenced her to exile as a rock in the meadow of Humanity. Kuri will be sent to keep my sister company, and disguised as another tree, only we won't chop him down unless he's a disobedient shrub."
"And do you extend this sort of courtesy to all of your convicts?" Hiei asked wryly.
Koenma looked immediately defensive. "My father wants to keep my sister as happy as possible in her confinement!" he snapped.
For the first time, Kuri spoke up, and his tone was none-too-happy. "I will not become a TREE!" he roared.
"Would you rather die, son?" Youko asked menacingly.
The boy gulped, but glared all the same. "Would you?" He wasn't quite as deadly as his father, and he knew it.
"I would have enough sense to be afraid of me, Kuri," he spat his son's name for the first time. It tasted bitter on his lips.
Without any further warning, the boy turned on his heel and darted off into the blackness of the shadows to hide. Some tree he would make!
Unfortunately, he had fallen into his mother's trap. Mae, knowing that she couldn't possibly kill her son on her own, had feigned death to prevent such a choice from being made, knowing Kurama would be horrified at his son's wretched behavior. And unfortunately for said wretched son, her affection for the boy had faded exponentially when he had made the choice to kill her. Or try to, anyway.
Her shadow flickered and slid silently to where he hid, shaking. Noticing the frown on his beaded brow, and the slight shake of his shoulders, she knew he was running out of ideas.
It was then, with a mighty yell and a pounding leap, that she chose to strike. She leapt onto his shoulders, detaching herself from the wall, and wrenched his chin back until he looked her in the eye. His pupils were dilated and his face was perspiring. "I hope you find the boulder to your taste, Kuri," she breathed coldly.
"Mae?" Youko's gruff voice called into the darkness. She saw his eyes, large and weary in the distance, and they were soon the only things she saw. She loved him. It hit her like a stone.
"You blew your chance," she taunted her son wickedly, smiling to herself.
"Don't I always?" he muttered darkly as he surrendered to the inevitable. It was time for him to recognize the consequences.
Koenma bound him with spirit chains and left Mae and Youko to themselves.
Said fox immediately rushed to the darkness where he had heard her speak and felt around for her. She reached out a hand to take his gently, and smiled, even though he couldn't see her. She explained to him what she had done quickly, not even pausing for something as silly as a breath.
For a moment, he was silent. Then, he abruptly pulled her into his arms and glared furiously down at her, and being a shadow-demon, she could see in the dark. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" he said fiercely before planting a punishing kiss on her, and not stopping until he thought she had been adequately reprimanded.
She pulled back with a small smile curving her lips and tugged at a lock of his silvery hair.
He understood what she was saying, and began to transform back into Kurama.
Soon, green eyes stared deeply into hers, and had softened slightly. "I thought you were…" he didn't finish the statement, and she didn't need him to.
She cupped the back of his head and kissed him properly, fully convinced when she was finished that he knew she wasn't dead. Not even close.
Two days later, after paying Kuri a visit in his new home beside a coquettish rock and scolding him with a furious passion, the gang returned to Koenma's castle. He made a nice tree, all rustly and bark-covered. Mae nearly laughed all the way home, and made a mental note to bring a camera the next time she paid a visit, just to remind him to be a good boy when he was released.
"Well, gang, job well done!" Koenma complimented over the glossed top of his desk. Mae wondered idly if that wood didn't look familiar. Perhaps that's how they furnished the castle: wait until a convict becomes too unruly, then chop him up and shape him into a lovely armoire. She recoiled from the chair she sat upon and chose to stand for the remainder of the meeting.
She had stayed near Kurama on their journey back, but they hadn't spoken of what would become of them after the mission was over. After they returned to the castle. She wanted to stay with him. Wanted to spend the rest of her life happily. And he made her gloriously happy.
They were dismissed, and all walked into the hall. Yusuke hurried off, muttering something about having to get back and report to Keiko, Kuwabara was distracted when Yukina walked by suddenly, and followed her like a clumsy puppy, and Ruki and Hiei were standing idly by the door.
Someone took her hand, and she didn't have to look up to know it was Kurama. He smiled back at her and led the way toward the door.
She dug in her heels, not caring that her sister and Hiei were overhearing this, or that ogres were watching curiously in all directions.
He turned to her curiously and raised a brow in question.
"Stay," she pleaded. It was one word, but he got her point, and didn't tease her by acting dumb about it.
Clearing his throat, he leaned close to her ear and breathed, "I was going to ask you to stay when we reached to door." He chuckled softly into her hair.
She gaped at him for a moment, resentful that all her worry had been for nothing, but euphoric that he had just, through devious routes, accepted her offer.
"And I thought we might return to the house where all this began." he continued mildly.
She nodded, and gave a watery smile before casting a glance back to her sister and Hiei, watching in rapt fascination. "We should go," she laughed, draping an arm around his waist, as he slid one over her shoulder. And they did. Back to Mae's first home in the middle of the forest where everything started. If not for that place, they might not have made it to where they were now.
Hiei, in the meantime, was eyeing Ruki warily. Her face was purple once more, and he had learned that that lead to-
"WAAAAAHHHHH!" she wailed, tears splashing down her cheeks.
"Shouldn't you be happy for your sister?" he snapped, masking his indecision. He had no idea how to comfort her still.
"I 'sniff' am! I j-just 'sniff' am 'sniff' overcome!" she finished with no small effort.
He frowned and realized they were the last two on the floor, and would eventually have to leave.
She did, too. In fact, she was dreading it as much as he was.
"Well, 'sniff' g-good b-bye, 'sniff' Hiei," she sobbed, wiping her eyes as she stalked down the long hallway.
"Aren't you staying?" he asked quietly, looking at her retreating figure through the corner of his eye, keeping his face down. Would this be the last time he looked upon her? The final chance he got to take in her lovely face?
She stilled. "I didn't think so."
His breath caught in his chest as he digested what she had said. She was going. "I see."
"No one asked me to," she explained with a small sniff.
Hiei's heart did an odd flip, similar to when she had first bid him goodnight so long ago. There was still time. "Consider yourself invited."
She straightened and whirled around to face him at last. "Do you mean it? You're not just guilty because of my sister- oh, wait. You're not like that." she shook her head slightly.
"I mean it." he nodded with a crooked smile.
Suddenly, she gave a giant sigh and relaxed her shoulders, uttering "thank god!" before flinging herself into his arms.
He held her tightly, then pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Ruki didn't think, out of all of the boyfriends she had ever had, that any had done something so sweet.
"I guess you'll be staying?" he asked, amused.
She nodded and laughed, and together they left the castle, off to a new and much brighter future.
Epilogue:
Kurama and Mae eventually married (Ruki was the maid of honor), and visit Kuri the tree every month. He's getting better. And he's got a big crush on Ms. Boulder. Koenma's not happy about that one though. His sister falling for a con. Ha!
Ruki and Hiei are living together in the underworld (they made a tree house to live in so Hiei would be comfortable).
Botan and Koenma are married and expecting their first daughter in June.
Ta da! After all the wait, it's over! I hope you're happy with the ending (I know the tree house thing is a bit much, but what can I say?). Thank you so much for your support, and I hope to write another soon (and this time I hope not to visit the hospital!)
I'll be gone in Thailand for the next long while, but I'm fairly certain I'll have internet access there, and will be able to write often! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I wouldn't have done this without you!