Chapter Twelve

Poison of the Mind

Kurama tried to smile when he and Kuwabara saw Megumi, sitting on Hiei's shoulders, grinning and playing with a tiny ball of blue spirit fire. Her grin tugged at his heart, but painfully so. How had the fire demon taken the hysterical child and turned her back into the sweet little thing Kurama had seen her as before her power had flickered out? And how had he taught her to use fox fire so easily, so quickly? And why had she gotten so upset to begin with?

"Hi, Kama!" She cried, and hopped down, ran over to him, and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "I did it, look, see? Look, Kama, I made reihi!" And she held the little blue ball of fire out to him. "Now I can start really training to be just as good as Angel!"

Inside, the Kitsune cringed, but he didn't show it. Since when had his sister, who had always adored him, wanted to become like Hiei? Absently, he kissed her on the cheek when she hugged him and sent her off to talk with Kuwabara so that he could watch the Jaganshi from beneath his garnet dark eyelashes. The half-Koorime was watching little Megumi as she chatted animatedly with the ningen, something akin to fondness in his crimson eyes. It made bile rise in Kurama's throat. Why was the demon looking at Megumi that way, when he never had before?

His baby sister turned slightly then, her smile slipping a bit as her brilliant green gaze fell on his face. She looked momentarily taken aback, as if she'd seen something in his expression that shocked or scared her. Then she turned back to Kuwabara, as if she couldn't bear to look at her brother anymore, though she often cast glances back at him as dinner- provided by Botan and Atsuko- wore on.

Finally Kurama bestirred himself enough to check the time, and seeing that it was past ten he called, "Megling," making a deliberate attempt at gentleness, "time for bed." The child groaned and said, "Kama! Why do you always have to be such a spoil sport? I don't want to go to bed!!"

Kurama blinked, his jaw slacking just a bit. Meg had never spoken to him like that in all her short life. Kuwabara laughed at her, since to him, it rang as only childish petulance. Hiei came up and ruffled her hair, replying to her, "Sweeting, do as your brother says. You've been up for a long time and been working hard, you need to rest."

"Yeah," Kuwabara said, laughing. "So we can work you twice as hard tomorrow!"

Kurama bit back a sharp retort at their interference, then had to bite his tongue until he tasted blood when Megumi hugged the fire demon and said, "Okay, I'll go to bed. Will you tuck me in, Angel?" Tucking Megumi in, wishing her goodnight, telling her a bedtime story and bestowing that special kiss upon her forehead, had always been his duty and privilege. Why would she suddenly ask it of Hiei?

When she and the Jaganshi had gone into the cabin where the Reikai Tantei were staying, the kitsune leapt to his feet and stormed into the forest, fury and all-too-human hurt throbbing through his veins, his path followed by Kuwabara's disturbed gaze.

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Why is Kama so angry with me, Karasu?

In his mind, her words were faint, for there bond had weakened over the centuries of separation and she now no longer bore his mark, but he could taste the tears in her voice. He very much wanted to kill the silver kitsune, for he had reduced Karasu's mate to tears. It was late, the members of Team Urameshi were all asleep, save this little one who reached out to him.

He is not angry with you, my love. He is angry, and confused, and afraid. Someone is using their powers against him, Koori. Someone is making him see things that are there, and yet are not there.

What do you mean? She whispered in his head, and he wished he were with her. Her pain made him yearn to murder, to butcher, to slaughter, to kill until his ice cold rage was spent. But he instead answered her, Someone is poisoning his mind with their power. Beware of this. Take care of the silver kitsune. If he and your "angel" fall prey to this poisoning, and become divided, I sense something wicked will come to destroy everything you hold dear.

Good night, Karasu.

Good night… my mate.

The demon unclenched his fists and looked down at his palms, which sported crescent marks from his claws, filling with bright red blood. He would go out into the forest this night, to spend his fury, and something, somewhere, would die in a shower of blood, so that, for one more night, Megumi would remain free of his cold, psychotic, murderous desire to see her corpse in his arms.

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In the words of JunoMagic:

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