RAMBLE WARNING
Well, this took forever. Not that I didn't have it done, don't get me wrong--I actually have about five more chapters waiting in the wings for you guys--I'm just a lazy pig, is all. Seriously. That and I didn't know how to respond to some of the review responses, but I got it now. And I feel like doing them up here, just...because. So if you don't want to read my lovely angry author's rants, skip down to your review response...or the lovely little line where the story starts. I'll bet it's short in comparison.
First and foremost, to ShinjuJaganshi: Are you absolutely positive you didn't mean to submit that review to The Ohsukah Tournament instead? Because that is the only, only, ONLY place where I would even consider accepting a Mary-Sue into my story. I don't wish to sound rude here, but the answer to your request is a simple, unadorned, flat out "no chance in hell." I have spent months planning out this story, and I am not going to throw away all my hard work just because you asked me to insert a "major" character who is not in canon, and therefore has no place in my AU. I absolutely DETEST canon pairings with an "OC", as you writers like to call your Mary-Sues, and I know I'm not the only one. This is not to say all OCs are bad; the original ones are very, very good...but the ones that are nearly exact copies of Hiei because you want to be so much like him? No. Not for me, thank you.
Yes, you may consider this rude. Yes, you may consider this a flame on your character. IT IS. I don't like people like you who seem to think that because you are madly in love with a TWO-DIMENSIONAL ANIMATED CHARACTER, he/she deserves to be yours, and your relationship deserves to be flaunted to all those who care--and everyone who doesn't. Either get off the Mary-Sue wagon, or get out of my reading path.
I've discovered on this website that all pairings like that never get reviewed, because the large majority detests them--and people don't review something they don't like. If you're going to write a story, at least make it original--and keep your characters and your hot-out-of-character-sexy-relationships to yourself, please. The rest of us should not have to deal with your dreams tainting ours.
There you go; my place in the matter is set and firm. Generally, (note the "generally") Ido not support Mary-Sues. If you'd like to rant at me/with me (and this is to everybody who read that; I know some of you did), go ahead. You know where I'm at.
Now that I've probably scared you all away with my nasty side, let's move on to the other reviewers.
Hedi Dracona: I don't blame you! I feel sorry for everyone, regardless of whether or not they're villains. ...well, in real life, anyway. Animes are a different story. I FEEL YOUR PAIN!! ...sort of.
The Thief Kuronue: I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T REPLIED TO YOU YET!! The email's still sitting in the bottom of my inbox...apparently my "not-updating" streak has passed over to the emails, as well. n.n I have another Mitarai story waiting in the wings, actually...I just have to type it up and make a couple editations, then debate with myself whether or not it's postable. u.u We'll see. And I'm glad you liked the last chapter! The Touya/Kurama scene took forever--I have this big thing with the characters having to be "IC" all the time, and since it was a very emotional scene between two normally unemotional characters...that was the fourth try on that scene, and you only get to read it because Arashi demanded to read it and yelled at me for being a perfectionist. ...well, not really. n.n So thank you! I'm glad to know it wasn't horrible! ...speaking of horrible, if I were to write more Touya stories what would you like to see?
Arashi-chan: Well, you don't have to shove glass up your nostrils; it was just a suggestion. But I guess you can be like Shikamaru and be glass-free, too.
Niana Kuonji: Now THAT'S a good saying! "Nasty fellows always get their comeuppance..." ...me like!
Saria19: Woo...still can't believe this took so long. About your questions--it depends on the overseer, really...you know how all the Freedom Slaves came from different places and in different ways? (Or do you? I forget how much I've posted and how much is waiting in the wings.) It's like that. I like your logic with Karasu and Yusuke, though....very well thought out.
Dragonflyr: Ah, poo, you updated before me! XP I do love your PoC/YYH story, if I haven't said so yet--such a change from your other ones. A better change, if I may be so bold as to say so.
koriaena: n.n What's a story without a couple good secrets? I do feel sorry for Yusuke--he doesn't have any, and tends to get ignored in what's supposed to be a Yusuke-centric fic. u.u
LoUdMoUtH87: Well, I guess it could be considered not punishment--it's more of a training thing, and we all know Yusuke considers training to be punishment. ;)
The Legendary Beckster: Confusing? How so? Maybe I can explain it a bit for you! And you're absolutely right--putting Karasu in the House with the Freedom Slaves would be very, very bad....for him, at least.
Crystal Koneko: Uh...sure. Hiei's story. Read it. Yes. n.n Judgement Day for Karasu! ...or more like Put-Him-Back-In-His-Place Day.
Spatial Monkey: Why don't you...read and find out?
kit-kit: You know, in certain situations our brains don't react as properly as they probably should. Have you ever had a total blackout where's there's something so obvious you should know it, but it just doesn't seem to come to you? That could have happened to Yusuke, or he could have been testing to see if Hiei really was going to send him out to fetch it. Perhaps he thought that if he pretended not to know anything, Hiei would do it himself. Also, where Yusuke may have gotten wood from at Suzaku's could be totally different than where Yusuke is right now--or perhaps he didn't fetch wood at all. If I recall from Chapter One, Yusuke was a field worker, and I'm pretty sure fetching wood would be more under the "house-maintenence" type of work, which was the female slaves' responsibility. Not all slaves did everything.
Tsuiraku Tanrei, flamin, HarmonyHanyou,and Yarrie: Thank you all for reviewing, and for your patience with my fast-as-a-snail updating!
What2callmyself: It got through, don't worry! And for Hiei's story...I'm not telling you! XD ...yet, at least.
Queen of Roses: Sorry about the shortness of last chapter...this one's a bit on the small side, as well. Next chapter should make it for it, I think. And yes, your timeline assumptions are correct--Karasu got the living daylights beaten out of him last chapter. And I don't mind your ramblings one bit--I asked, I'll beat myself up if I have a problem with it! Which I don't. I would love some descriptions of your next stories--oh, and should you want a beta-er at any point I'd be more than happy to volunteer!
Koritsune Dragonrider: More chocolate! HOORAY!!
aqua-flames: Yes way. And I haven't abandoned your email (we have been emailing each other, right? Or is that someone else?); like all else it's sitting in the corner, waiting patiently to have something done with it. Don't worry; it hasn't grown mold yet.
cc: Yes...I can understand how you'd think it was action-less. Some chapters are...that's the way the story goes. ((blink)) Hiei's eyes? Something was wrong with his eyes? Did they turn...neonpink or something? Actually, Kurama was only out of it for...two or three days, I think. It seems longer because he wasn't in so many chapters, but...he's better now, so rejoice! HOORAY! n.n And thank you for your patience with the "number-one story"!
bakurakrazie: DEAD?! KARASU'S DEAD?! What makes you think I'd kill off one of the most deliciously fun villians before the big climactic ending?! n.n I'm glad you liked the auras! Oh, and "hn", of course. Hn and moo to you too. (I loved that!)
Anonymous, ano, ano, ano, ano, ano, ano, ano, ano, ano, and anonymous: YES I AM GOING TO UPDATE!! You have no idea how much this freaked me out, to open my inbox and find ELEVEN reviews, ALL from you (and don't say "ano and anonymous are two different people", I know you're lying), with nothing more than "you going to update?" again and again and again! You act as if you're Toguro and I'm Yusuke! I hate to sound rude, but I. HAVE. A. LIFE. It's called "HOMEWORK" and "CHURCH" and "FRIENDS" and "FAMILY" and "OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS". GET THIS STRAIGHT: WHILE I ENJOY WRITING THIS STORY, I AM NOT HERE JUST TO MAKE YOU HAPPY BY UPDATING. IF THE RESPECT YOU HAVE FOR THE AUTHOR IS SO LOW THAT ALL YOU CAN DO IS DEMAND, DEMAND, DEMAND, THEN WHY READ THE STORY AT ALL. I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU SPENT READING THIS, BUT NOT THE TIME YOU SPENT REVIEWING. IT IS AN INSULT TO ME THAT YOU THINK I NEED ELEVEN REVIEWS SAYING THE SAME THING TO GET THE POINT. I AM AWARE IT HAS BEEN OVER A MONTH AND I AM SLOW, LAZY, A BAD GIRL, OR EVEN A BITCH IF YOU WANT TO GET NASTY, BUT THAT. IS. MY. PROBLEM. SOME PEOPLE MOVE SLOW; I AM ONE OF THEM. IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET PUSHY, GET LOST.
To those of you who are not ano, anonymous, or ShinjuJaganshi, please note that I was not yelling at you; I have no intention of insulting you, nor do I wish for you to stop reviewing. I am just fed up that people seem to think I'm only here to write for them. You know who you are. I'm just one person, guys. I know I'm slow, and other "one people" update more often, but please; try to be a little more considerate! If you think it's been too long, send a review my way and ask what's up! Give me a way to contact you back, and pat you on the back for caring! But don't do what "ano" and "anonymous" did...it is a waste of your time, of mine, and it makes the author mad.
Now that we've got that settled, congrats to Niana Kuonji for entering the Writer/Reader Reversal for...um...September, October, and probably November! As she is the ONLY ONE who entered, we've gotta hand first place over to her...and as a result, since it seems nobody really cares about the Writer/Reader anymore, we're going to take a straw poll:
Who among you would actually enter the Writer/Reader Reversal?
Be honest; the results will determine the fate of the contest.
Now that I've doubled the chapter length, let's get to the real story. Sorry to take up so much of your time.
Chapter Twenty:
The Only Family I Have
"So...now what?" Disturbed by the eerie silence that had fallen once Hiei had successfully lit a (normal) fire, Yusuke asked the question that had been weighing on his mind.
"We wait," came the reply.
"Wait? Wait for what?" A sudden clash of thunder and lightning cut him off, and he looked instinctively to the mouth of the cave. A thunderstorm? But there hadn't been any rain clouds earlier—
A second flare of lightning lit up the cave, but it was somewhat obscured by the two figures standing in the entrance.
The moment was effectively ruined when one of the figures laughed.
"We brought dinner," said Jin, as he held up two rather large fish.
Botan shivered. "And just in time, too. Goodness, what a storm!"
"You even got a fire going for us! How nice of you, shorty!"
"I told you not to call me that."
"Have you seen Yusuke?" (Botan apparently hadn't.) "I haven't felt even the slightest of energy signals from him—do you think he's alright?"
"I don't know," was Hiei's response, as he turned back to the fire. "Why don't you ask him?"
"Hi," said Yusuke.
"Oh, Yusuke! Thank goodness you're alright, I was so worried—not that you couldn't handle it, Hiei," and she went off into nervous laughter.
"So how're you liking our training mission?" Jin asked, as Hiei pulled out his katana and began gutting the fish.
"I dunno," Yusuke answered, fascinated by the delicate care Hiei was giving the dead creature. "It makes sense, but—that doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Right on!" Botan cheered. "You're absolutely right, Yusuke—we need to know how to do things without our powers, of course, but whoever said Toguro's way was the best way."
"We've got this down to an art," Jin went on, "Finding each other, anyway. Soon as you wake up, you mask your energy; every so often, you let out a tiny trickle (just a little bit, so the monsters don't sense you). The others of us pick it up, respond with their own trickle, and from there on it's just a case of finding the rose among the daisies!"
"Which basically means following the energy until it gets stronger and you find each other," Botan finished.
"I get it." Yusuke reflected on this new piece of wisdom, absently taking the speared fish Hiei handed him and sticking it in the fire (hopefully, to cook).
"Wonder what the others are doing," Botan said, quietly breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Yusuke agreed, watching the rain fall outside their dark shelter, "Me too."
..::--::..
"I thought we had an agreement!"
"Maybe we did," Kurama admitted, allowing Touya to push him back onto the pillows, "And maybe that was yesterday's agreement." Touya laughed.
"Nice try. If that didn't work on Yukina, then it's not going to work on me."
"I hate you people."
"Right, I'll keep that in mind when you finally have the strength to get out of bed without collapsing."
"I do not collapse," Kurama protested, well aware that his head was spinning even from the half-hearted attempt to get up a few seconds ago. Time for a subject change. "Wasn't there Training today?"
"No."
"I see." Pause. "So...where is everybody, then?" Touya shrugged, and quickly managed to excuse himself for some random reason Kurama didn't catch.
They're hiding something from me, he thought, as he stared at the ceiling, You figure somebody else would come to see how I was faring—Yusuke, at least, considering he practically killed Karasu—but nobody has. Either they're all incredibly stupid and uncaring, or—
Or Toguro's done something with them.
But...why? Why would he—all of them—unless...unless Karasu came back--!
: Calm down,: said another voice, : You're being foolish. Even if this Karasu did come back, who's to say that's the reason they're all gone? Maybe Toguro threw a training mission for no reason, and pulled them all into it. This could all be a coincidence.:
I suppose you're righ... Hang on a second—where was that voice coming from?
A low laugh reached his ears—but not from the outside.
: Isn't it obvious?: teased the new voice, : Come on, Kurama, I thought we went over this before! If I'm sharing a body with you, then shouldn't I be able to communicate?:
:GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!: He screamed, "GO HAUNT SOMEONE ELSE!"
: Sorry to disappoint you, but I can't do that. Even if I wanted to, I'm afraid I'm stuck with you until you die.:
"But why me? Why am I the—"
: Kurama, Kurama.: He could almost see the fox spirit shaking his head. :Let me show you...:
And all went black.
..::--::..
When Yusuke woke up, it was sudden—one minute he was fast asleep, the next wide awake, staring into the darkness of the cave. The fire had long since died, so there was no light; the sky was still obscured by clouds.
He lay there, listening to the light patter of rain on trees, rain on stone, rain on ground. He could hear snoring on his left; gentle breathing on his right.
Jin and Botan.
Where was Hiei?
A gentle sigh, barely heard over the raindrops.
Yusuke, eyes adjusted to the darkness, looked over to the cave mouth. As silently as he knew how, he got up and padded over.
"Nice rain," he commented quietly.
Hiei didn't respond.
Yusuke tried again.
"What do you think the others are doing?"
"Sleeping, like any sensible person would be." Go back to sleep, said the unspoken words. (Yusuke was starting to see that with Hiei it was all about the unspoken.)
"Wonder if Kurama's woken up."
"He's probably fine." He has to be.
Yusuke looked at him. "You really care about Kurama, don't you?"
"As do you," Hiei snapped immediately, turning away. A silence passed. "He was my first friend."
"Known him long?"
"Longer than you." Snap; quiet continuation. "I was already a Freedom Slave when he arrived."
...the sharp knock on the door he'd come to expect from Genkai.
"What?" he called, not bothering to get up from his position staring at the ceiling.
"Don't be rude," Genkai snapped back, as she opened his door. "I've got someone for you to meet."
"Hn?" Interested, he pulled himself up, all three eyes heading towards the stranger in the doorway.
Red eyes locked with green, and Hiei instantly knew that this boy was something special.
"Hi," said the five-year-old Kurama. "Why does your hair stick up like that?"
"So...I'll take it you've been here longer than Kurama."
"Of the current Freedom Slaves, I was fourth." Despite the fact that Hiei was—voluntarily—giving out this information, he still managed to keep his slightly superior attitude, an attitude Yusuke was beginning to suspect he kept because he was afraid to show just how hurt he was inside.
Funny, how many people he knew like that.
"How many slaves like us there were before me, I couldn't tell you even if I knew myself. You should know by now that if Toguro sees no use for a person, he will not hesitate to get rid of them—I don't know how. All I know is that once they're gone, we never see them again. Never."
"Did you know people like that?"
"We told you about Chu—him and a bratty little kid named Rinku. Rinku was only with us for a month before it became apparent he had no use whatsoever. Chu was there for the war, and he probably would be with us today had Karasu not done what he had."
"Don't tell me." A cold feeling spread over Yusuke as horrid ideas ran through his head. "Karasu killed him?"
"Not quite." Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't think it was possible to hate Karasu any more than he did already. "Chu was sort of—a father figure for Kurama. Not the best, considering his addiction to sake and other alcoholic beverages, but the closest thing he'd ever had. After the war, Kurama was probably the most emotionally scarred of all of us, save perhaps Touya. It was Chu who helped him out of his depression—needless to say, with the open hero-worship Kurama was giving him, Karasu got jealous."
And where were you when Kurama was like this? Yusuke wanted to ask, but kept quiet.
"It was only Toguro's intervention that saved Chu's life—and we haven't seen him since." Pause. "But you have to be used to it, if you're a Freedom Slave. One loss after another—and it will be this way until we die."
"How can you say that?" Yusuke exclaimed, horrified. "Don't you have any hope for the future? Any at all?"
Hiei turned away.
"I gave up hoping a long time ago."
"That's bullshit!" He could not believe this. "You're a Freedom Slave, and you don't believe that someday we'll be free? That we can kill Toguro—" His bracelet gave a mighty crackle, and electricity shot through his whole body, effectively ending that statement.
"How can we?" Hiei snapped, watching as Yusuke doubled over in pain. "You've seen what those bracelets do; how can we even think of revolting when we daren't speak of it without getting electrocuted?"
"You can at least..." Using the cave wall as leverage, Yusuke pulled himself back up. "...have some hope, Hiei! There's ten of us and one of him; we'll come up with something. Besides," he paused as a thought came to him, "I've got people I need to see again." And for the first time since returning to Suzaku's plantation, Yusuke's thoughts went back to all the people there. His mother...the Kuwabaras...Shiori...Keiko.
Keiko...
Hiei watched his reminiscing for a moment before turning away, closing his eyes.
"There's no one out there for me."
Yusuke blinked, startled out of his sudden thoughts of a brown-haired beauty.
"What?"
"You heard me." The attitude was back. "No one's there—I have no family, nobody who even knows I exist! And if they did know, they wouldn't care—they'd just try to kill me." Again.
This was another thing Yusuke couldn't believe, and started to say so.
"That's ridicu—"
"They threw me off a CLIFF!" Yusuke took a step backwards at the barely suppressed rage in Hiei's voice. "A fucking cliff! What kind of a family does that? Would you want to go back to such a place, a place where they try to kill you within an hour of your birth?" His hands were balled into fists, his whole body visibly shaking with his effort to control his emotions. His aura, so tightly contained a moment ago, burst into angry life around him, black flames stretching, lashing out at an invisible wall. Yusuke was overcome by the sheer power of it; energy waves were flinging outwards from the tiny person, each bearing an emotion so thick he could practically taste it. Anger. Pain. Sadness. Loss.
As quickly as it had come, it was gone.
"There's no one out there for me." A soft plink, barely audible over the rain; a tiny black pearl rolled away into a corner. "This is the only family I have—" His eyes snapped open, blazing with hatred out at the rain. "And I'll be damned if I ever let them get taken from me.
"DAMNED."
Yusuke had nothing to say.
"There are times when I think you may have had the worst of it, Hiei." Yusuke whirled around; Hiei didn't move. Hands thrust into his pockets, Jin continued. "Worse than me, worse'n Touya, heck, even Genkai! At least we're not afraid to admit our weaknesses. At least we don't keep it all bottled up inside us, restrained until it bursts—"
"SHUT UP!" Hiei spun around, katana out and leveled at Jin. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!"
"Which is exactly my point!" Jin was not going to give up. "You said it yourself, Hiei, this is the only family you've ever had—and like it or not, we stick with that. Families don't keep secrets from each other—that's not what a family's about. It never has been and it never will be. We can't live together with such a wall between us, Hiei—and if you're too scared to bring it down, maybe you don't belong here." Red eyes widened; Hiei went so still Yusuke wondered if he was dead. "And if that's the case, then you can go back to your murdering family. Because I sure as hell don't want to be pulled down by the secret you refuse to tell us."
All eyes were on Hiei at this point, watching his face. Watching those million thoughts pass from ear to ear, behind that unnatural third eye. Waiting for a reaction.
Yusuke was the first to notice that his sword was shaking.
Held by an unsteady hand, it was most definitely wavering, even as those red orbs filled with what Yusuke could've sworn were tears.
"Fine," Hiei finally said, as the katana was returned to its sheath. His voice contained a thousand emotions behind the fragile wall he still fought to keep. Taking a guess, Yusuke pulled all his curiosity and turned it into friendly, calm energy, releasing the grip he held just a little bit, in the hope that Hiei'd pick up the peaceful vibes and finally let go. He felt Jin do the same a moment later, and slowly, like watching the last drop of water fall into a glass, Hiei's expression changed from strained to what could almost be sorrow. A deep, deep sorrow, spawned from a painful wound that had not been touched in years.
"I'll tell you my story."