Disclaimer: We only own Ja'aku, Karasunaki, and Shuurai. The name Vlad belongs to a friend.
Opening Notes: Well, after a very long hiatus (that was cleverly disguised as discontinued) this story is back.
I would like to kindly remind the readers one more time: AgentDarkMoose is not the one writing this story; please do not e-mail her with requests to finish her other stories. She has drawn away from the Yu Yu Hakusho fandom. Continuing this story is a one-time situation because I helped co-author it and couldn't see it die.
Secondly…I'm sorry it took me so long to not see it die.
Much longer than I had intended. I asked permission to finish this story months ago and then just…died on the writing ability needed to do so.
Let me apologize for that. I assume most of you gave up on this story and I'm sure we lost a lot of people who were reading it and removed it from their alert lists. Again, let me apologize for delaying the continuation of this story for so long.
Second note: I do believe this might be a rather longer story than either AgentDarkMoose or I had earlier predicted. That is, if it turns out the way my brain just suggested it should.
And now, after all those long, annoying notes, let's get started without delay, shall we?
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Akumu
Chapter Eight (by DemonUntilDeath)
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"We'll be back for you before moon reaches its peak."
Hiei looked back to the door that Shuunai had left, his departing words still ringing in his ears. The moon. The moon was the key to everything, then, though he still knew not what "everything" was. What he did know was that it did not bode well for either him or his fox.
However, from legends, ancient stories, myths, and tales the moon always played a significant part among supernatural creatures; half breeds, werewolves, vampires.
He was sure that a blood moon would spell its name out in definition. It was most likely, having contemplated each and every possible scenario, that Ja'aku would turn them fully tonight.
The fire demon was quiet aware that they were not full vampires at the moment. It echoed what Kurama had said earlier; they did not even know what they were. Caught between a state of living and the undead, their lives as captives were truly Purgatory.
But, as the hiyoukai feared, they wouldn't be captives for far longer. He knew that out of the sheer number of vampires within this concealed mansion there had to be more than just the two of them that had been changed unwillingly.
Which meant there was a way to turn them into mindless, obeying minions.
And Hiei feared that they were running out of time in a most dramatic way.
Kurama slept soundly beside him on the bed, curled on his side to face the fire demon. Hiei had wrapped his arm around the fox when once-green eyes had begun to droop and could not stay open any further. Now the redhead had wrapped himself around that arm, clinging to it as the lost cling to the only comfort they have left.
Hiei didn't mind; he was glad that Kurama would rely on him and only him as they lay, awaiting their deaths, in a manner of speaking. After all, neither viewed a life of mindless servitude as both slave and toy as any form of living that could be called life.
The fox beside him moaned, shifting his weight ever so slightly on the bed to curl himself about that cold arm, skin which no longer held the warmth of living, pulsing blood. Hiei moved slightly closer to Kurama in a means of comforting him and the kitsune fell once more into silent sleep that the fire demon knew the fox would protest to, if could he stay awake longer.
Thoughts of the upcoming danger that loomed mere hours away turned into the contemplation of two things, the first being his promise to his fox. If Kurama's plan fell through; if they couldn't pull it off then he would have to find a way to swallow his own fears and kill both himself and the fox.
The biggest problem being that the only plan Kurama could come up with relied on the ceremonial proceedings to begin.
If they were to fail, Hiei would have even less ability to kill both of them while in the presence of the entire coven. But he had made a promise to Kurama; one he swore to himself that he would not break.
The second of the contemplative thoughts spinning circles in his head was the reverse reaction of the ritual. If they were not yet full vampire, then they were still demonic, or human in Kurama's case. If those were indeed the circumstances, then there would be a way to turn them back, just as there was a way to complete their transformation.
But the fire demon couldn't remember enough legends of vampires to recall any details. He knew that the ritual for complete transformation into a vampire required a blood trade, or exchange of life force. However, he could not be sure of the reverse or countermeasures that would complete a life ritual, returning them to their former selves.
It was too hard to think about; too many variables to consider.
But the hiyoukai supposed it didn't matter for the time being. If there was a way to reverse their current condition then they would find it after escaping from the mansion and from Ja'aku's grasp.
What he needed to focus on now was stopping that ritual before it could be completed and getting the fox and himself out. They had a plan and Hiei could only continue reviewing it over, and over, looking for errors or small holes they might have missed.
As Kurama slept beside him, he could only go over the plan again and pray to whatever god was listening that they didn't mess it up.
---
Yusuke and Kuwabara were not having the best of luck.
Actually, this was very much an understatement of the hell they were paying in trying to get anywhere near the damn mansion.
First was the spell that continuously played defeat and failure into their ears and their heads. Kuwabara had finally snapped at the seventh smack Yusuke had dealt to his head to keep him from loosing himself in a trance of despair.
Then of course there was the innumerable amount of traps set and rigged around almost ever inch of the mansion. There were traps to sense movement, wards to sense energy, monitors to catch the beating of a heart and the pulse of fresh blood.
It was a "bloody friggin' nightmare" in the words of Yusuke.
By the time they managed to draw within range of the keep, they were tried, frustrated, cut, scraped, angry and still fighting off that damn despairing voice of a spell.
But as Yusuke touched the cold walls of the mansion, the two pressed up against the back of the house, his mind cleared of some of the definite fury that had been building up. The voice slowly faded to a cooing that eventually disappeared altogether as they caught their breaths.
With a clear mind, the two detectives could once more easily recall why they had suffered through those traps and the wards, all while trying to remain unnoticed by the vampires within the mansion.
They had something they had to do now and they would not fail to complete their mission.
"Kurama and Hiei are in here, somewhere," Kuwabara whispered as he looked straight up at the mansion towering over them. There was a balcony about three stories up that would make a perfect entrance if they had a way of getting up there.
"Yeah, and we've got to get them out by midnight," Yusuke whispered as he followed his friend and companion's gaze. "Can you get your spirit sword to wrap around that railing?"
The soft question was not answered by a voice but rather by the low hum of energy as Kuwabara called upon his trademark weapon, keeping the energy low enough to fall under the sensing wards still within range of them, but distant enough that they could call upon their ki.
The sword extended in its flashing orange and yellow light up to the railing, a pole of sorts before the top began to wiggle around like Jello in an earthquake. After a frown of concentration on Kuwabara's part, the sword snapped to attention and then went limp at the top before it reached tentatively out and wrapped around the railing several times, then twisted around itself to hold tight.
"Alright," the orange-haired detective whispered. "You go first, I'll make sure it holds tight."
Yusuke nodded and grabbed onto the line of energy. He supposed that it would have burned any other person, human or demon, had he not been so close a friend to Kuwabara. He knew so much about energy that he easily recognized the ability of Kuwabara's ki to accept Yusuke's touch as one of friend and ally.
He used his upper arm strength to climb up the rope like energy, silently thanking Genkai for her years of hellish training that she had forced upon him rather unwillingly.
As he hopped over the railing, holding out his hand in his customary gun position, checking for any trouble, he motioned over the railing for Kuwabara to follow. The teen rolled over the railing, landing with a disturbingly loud thud before climbing up and banishing his rei-ken.
Yusuke slowly opened the balcony door, amazed that it was actually unlocked. Exactly how stupid were these vampires!
They slid into the dark room, Yusuke lighting his finger with the small simple glow of his blue energy. It lit up the room to reveal an unused bedroom, judging from the dust that lay in layers atop the furniture. Kuwabara let out an impressed and awed gasp at the extent of the large room and the unbelievably fancy furnishings.
Yusuke would have let out a low whistle if he wasn't so worried about making noise.
"Come on, we've got to find them quickly," Yusuke whispered instead and the two set out deeper into the mansion, praying they weren't already too late.
----
Kurama raised sleepy red eyes to look at Hiei above him. With a slow blink of understanding, the fox realized his head was in Hiei's lap.
The fire demon gave a very small smile of reassurance as his fingers ran through Kurama's darker hair. The fox leaned into that touch ever so slightly, closing his tired eyes once more but not falling back into the world of sleep.
"How late is it?" he whispered softly as the fire demon continued to run his fingers through fine, soft strands that released the smell of lavender. Hiei briefly noted in the back of his mind how fake those flowers smelled; they were but shampoos and other falsities. He recalled when the fox's hair had smelled of real, natural roses.
Just as briefly, he wondered if he'd ever smell that scent again.
"We've less than an hour," the fire demon replied softly, though his voice was stiff and worried behind the mask of cold bravery. Kurama squirmed a little in his lap, moving around slightly to grow closer to the fire demon, as if the fox had suddenly grown cold.
Hiei frowned at the thought that the fox might never be warm again.
"I don't think Yusuke and Kuwabara will make it in time," Kurama whispered as he gently began playing with the fabric of Hiei's black pants, beneath the robe-like garment the vampires had forced upon both of them.
Hiei didn't want to admit it, but neither did he. They both knew how well this mansion was guarded, considering that even Kurama could find no way out of their dilemma unless the vampire's guards were dropped during the ceremony.
Those cold, pale fingers paused on Kurama's hair, fingering a strand of the dark red color. "We'll be okay, fox," he whispered softly. "We can do this on our own if we must."
The kitsune merely nodded, his fingers shaking against Hiei's clothing. The fire demon slowly moved his hand down and captured those quivering digits within his own, feeding his fingers through Kurama's and holding onto that contact closely.
Kurama gripped his hand just as tightly, staring up into those crimson eyes above him with a look that reminded Hiei of something he'd never had, nor ever felt before in his life.
Salvation.
Within those eyes was his hope and his life and his only chance of escape. Without Kurama he could not have handled everything they'd been through and without him he would not have the purpose, the motivation, or the strength to break the bonds Ja'aku and his minions were trying so desperately to wrap around them.
Something quivered in Hiei's stomach as instinct more so than thought slowly fed his spine to move and bend his upper body down slowly, deliberately despite the lack of such. Hiei's lips grew close to Kurama's as their breaths mingled against one another. Tingling lips brushed against one another, sending shivers down both of them.
Slowly, as the blood moon rose outside their secluded prison, their two lips met in a desperate release of pent up emotion that even Hiei could find no other word for than love.
----
Shuunai pushed open the door and stared in a single moment's surprise at the sight before him.
The newly-turned fox was laying within the safe confines of the fire demon's arms, his head against Hiei's chest and eyes half lidded in content and nothing more. The hiyoukai, arms wrapped protectively around Kurama's chest, had his chin laid on the fox's head and looked as if there was no place he would rather be.
It was odd to see such acceptance in their eyes when even Shuunai could sense the dread flowing from their minds.
But their hearts and their souls seemed content to never move from that spot; to die with one another would be a privilege that neither could surpass in thought.
However, the moment only lingered for a second before two pairs of dull, red eyes turned to him and stared without emotion or conscious care of his presence. Slowly, Kurama slid off the bed and onto his feet, never once releasing the hand that was gripped tightly and securely within Hiei's.
Karasunaki and Vlad filed into the room after Shuunai finally woke from his stupor and moved to allow them entrance. The two immediately moved over to the soon-to-be additions to their coven and made to grab their arms in firm, commanding grips.
Hiei growled, however, as Karasunaki's hand grew within Kurama's touch and the fire demon pulled away from Vlad. Kurama gently squeezed his hand and took the first step, walking right past Shuunai without complain or disobedience, pulling the fire demon by their interlinked hands.
The watching vampires glanced and one another, each shrugging off the newly concluded minds of their fellow vampires.
Obviously they had accepted their fate.
---
Kurama's hand shook within Hiei's as they started down the small stairway that would lead to a preparation room, where neither knew what would happen beyond that point.
The ever present touch of his fire demon calmed his nerves greatly, but he still could not keep the quiver out of his step or the shake out of his grip. Hiei slowly ran his thumb over Kurama's skin, keeping a circular motion with his digit to try and calm his fox's apprehension.
"We can do this," he whispered softly, uncharacteristic from his normally harsh, cold tones that he shared even with the fox. Kurama glanced down at the whisper, his red eyes softening from their wavering loss and slowly he let a smile slide across his features.
"Yes, we can," he whispered back before their three escorts caught up with them, Shuunai taking the lead down the stairwell and through the halls.
The walk seemed like it lasted forever; a never ending mile to their deaths.
The fox briefly wondered if this is that the "green mile" felt like to those on death row. Had they all felt the rushing apprehension of a possible escape, a glint of hope that never came true. A brief pause to wonder what would happen if the trap door never fell, if the rope broke, if the electricity failed, if the needle was filled with only water.
That Yusuke and Kuwabara would show before the blood moon reached its peak.
Was it crushed just as their apparently brief lapses of dread were? Was the reminder that the door was always checked, the rope always secure, the electricity always on, the needle always tested…
The mansion always protected. The vampires never off guard.
Was the always falling feeling in your stomach normal? Did it happen to those criminals that walked to their inevitable doom, escorted by their executioners?
And was it fair?
Did they deserve to have their days drawn out in the knowledge that it would all end in death; a death they had no control over themselves. They couldn't end it at the beginning but had to suffer through till the unchangeable end.
No, it wasn't fair.
But it wasn't their choice to make, either.
Their hands tightened around one another as Shuunai pushed open the double doors that led to the last room they would ever see with eyes that were free to look where they wanted.
----
See, now that wasn't so bad.
I hope.
Not a lot of action, more romance and angst. Sorry.
Well, anyways, I hope this was acceptable. I know it was short compared to the last chapter, but I've been so anxious to get it out that I didn't think the length would bother many.
Please review, but once more, do not e-mail AgentDarkMoose with requests to continue her other stories. Thank you very much for returning to continue reading.