Chapter Twenty-six

Kurama stood atop his vantage point, a small hill that looked down upon the ruins decorating the valley below. Upon his arrival in Makai, it had taken him less than an hour to bring the woman, the proud leader of her people, to her knees. She had begged him to show mercy before he was done ripping off her fingernails and tearing chunks of hair from her skull. He had only relented after raking his nails across her face, ruining the image of perfect beauty the whore had depended upon, for she lured men in with that face and with her wanton desires. She had then bent them to her will, only to dispose of them once she had ruined their lives. Kurama's eyes narrowed. The trees provided him shelter, keeping him hidden from any signs of life in the ruins below. Yet, surely the woman had lied to him. A growl of frustration broke through the silence of his mind. He wanted to see his son. Now.

The clang of weapons clashing caught the fox's attention and his silver ears perked up as he pinpointed the sound. Silently, he made his way down the hill, only to move through the forest until he was atop another mound of dirt that the forest had reclaimed with the absence of demons to tame it. From here, he could see the courtyard of what must have once been a grand fortress. His breath nearly stopped as he caught sight of the figure below.

Long, cinnamon hair was pulled up in a ponytail that swayed softly in the breeze. His skin was pale and smooth, no signs of scars or abuse visible. He held two short swords in each hand, his knees bent, as his eyes focused on the attacker. A much older man, his bare chest lined with the scars of battle, lunged. The teenager held his ground and waited until the last moment to simply dodge the blow and land his own strike on the back of his foe. A thin, red ribbon decorated the bare back, but the cut was shallow, a true testament to the boy's amazing control. The burly man, in his forties physically, grumbled and turned back to his assailant. His moves were more cautious this time as he circled his prey.

The teen smirked and closed his eyes, moving his hand behind his back. It was almost as though he dropped the short sword from his fingers, but he spun around before it had time to hit the ground and kicked the hilt of it. The blade went whizzing through the air at the elder man. The would-be victim dodged, his eyes following the immediate threat of the sharp sword rather than the one who had sent it flying. Kurama flinched at the fatal mistake. Faster than even his eyes could see, the old man was pinned against a half-collapsed wall, the second short sword pressed to his throat.

The child stepped back and retrieved the other short sword. He put them both back into their sheaths. A small smile graced his face as he listened to the words flowing from the lips of his elder; clearly, the boy was being praised. He turned, emerald green eyes locking onto Kurama's form and a small smirk played at the corners of his mouth, as if he had known the fox was there the entire time. Kurama shrank back into the shadows. His trees and plants provided enough cover that his physical presence should have gone unnoticed. He had masked his aura well. Even if the boy had sensed his gaze, there was no evidence to support that a creature was actually out there. Kurama stayed where he was, fascinated by this boy.

"I'm going hunting." The young man grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows that had been discarded earlier for training. He looked over his shoulder, smiling softly at the man who looked nothing like him. "Rest well, Father. I know you haven't been feeling well. I'll be the one to bring home a proper meal for us."

The elder male smiled and nodded. "Be careful."

"There's nothing to fear in the forest," the boy murmured, his eyes locking onto the place where Kurama stood with ease. "The plants all bow to me."

If the older man heard his son, he said nothing. The boy moved and, once again, even Kurama's superior vision couldn't keep up with the movement…. Which meant he was faster than Hiei. Somehow, that knowledge sent a shiver down his spine. He watched the old man limp his way into the ruins of a building, what must have been considered their home. The roof overhead had, at least, been repaired. Kurama felt a wave of crushing disappointment. His son wasn't here. He turned away.

An arrow inches from his face had him halting any further movement. A slow smirk spread across his face. "Put the bow down before you get hurt, pup."

An answering smirk, almost identical to Kurama's own, decorated the boy's lips. "Not a chance in hell. Who are you and why are you spying on me?"

Kurama fell silent, studying the boy closely in the light that filtered through the canopy above. Cinnamon hair held a reddish tint even in the scant light. His skin was indeed pale, though not sickly. If planted next to Hiei, the two would see eye-to-eye. The jaw, the way his eyes narrowed, even his glare -- all these things were traits that Kurama could link directly to Hiei. The hair had belonged to the twins' mother. But the eyes… The eyes convinced Kurama that this couldn't be his son. "I thought you were someone I was for whom I was looking. I was wrong."

"Hn," the teenager huffed and lowered his bow, though his eyes remained fixed on Kurama. He was being cautious. "Get out of my forest."

The glare definitely belonged to Hiei, as did the heat pouring from the body so near to his own. "What's your name?"

"What business is it of yours?"

And the untrusting attitude, the sharp tongue. Two more traits that could be directly associated with Hiei, if this was his son. But it wasn't. Kurama was nearly convinced of that. He hadn't contributed to the twins' existence, other than forcing Hiei to ejaculate into a small plastic cup in order to artificially inseminate the bitch. But Tahir had been the doctor to examine everything, to make sure Hiei's little floaters were a viable sample. He had examined Hiei's genetic sequence, and Kurama knew for a fact that his own was on file in the hospital, along with blood and tissue samples. If Xander had spliced them together… Kurama shook his head and brushed past the boy. "Never mind. I don't have time for this."

"Vacana?" the stout, elder man Kurama had seen in the ruined courtyard questioned from behind them.

The teenager turned, an angry frown flitting across his face. "I told you to rest. I can handle an intruder myself, Father."

Kurama's ears perked up. "Malik?" Now that he had a better view of the man, he recognized him immediately. The man had once been a great general in charge of training all the young recruits in Hiei's army after the fire demon had taken control. Malik was the reason Hiei's forces were so indestructible. Malik had also disappeared more than a dozen years ago, shortly after the death of his beloved mate.

Kurama remembered the fit of rage Hiei had thrown at his disappearance. No one could replicate Malik's training methods, and the power of his army now depended on those who had already been trained. His new recruits were weak, and no trainer following Malik had been able to do quite the job that their predecessor had. Kurama had been the one to stop his lovely mate from bringing the man back in chains and forcing him to continue his work. Malik's eyes widened and he bowed his head. "My lord."

Old habits died hard. "I was quite certain you went off to join your mate in death," Kurama murmured. "It was a miracle you even survived her loss. Many speculated that you were never truly mated; that she was only your lover."

Malik held out his wrist, a flicker of anger marring his features for a moment before it was gone. The mating mark was clear, even in the meager light. "I was mated, and I still wish I would have died that day. But, fate had other plans. A dragon forcibly pushed my soul back into my body, telling me that I had a child to raise."

"Father, do you know this stranger?" Vacana moved closer to the elder man but his eyes still didn't leave the threat.

"He is the mate of my leader," Malik answered, putting a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "Lord Kurama is his name. Treat him with respect."

"Your mate was incapable of children," Kurama pointed out. "So how did you find this child?"

"One of the maids thrust him into my arms when I returned to the castle shortly after my mate died. The kid was screaming, wouldn't shut up. Nothing she did would quiet him, and a nasty cut at the side of his neck was bleeding horribly. The child only stopped his crying when I picked him up and started carrying him away." Malik let a sheepish smile cross over his face. "At that time, Vacana had ruby eyes. I thought he looked strikingly like your son. I brought him to Lord Hiei's chambers, but he already had his son beside him. Prince Ayden was sleeping soundly in his father's arms. No one claimed Vacana, and I was searching for a reason to live, so I took him in. Plus, his eyes started to change to green after a few years, so I figured he couldn't belong to Lord Hiei."

Vacana shook his head. Once again, anger flashed across his face, this time mixed with hurt. "This man was just leaving, Father. You don't need to relive the life you had before. Those memories will only haunt you later."

Both adults ignored the younger man. "Malik." Kurama's voice was sharp and commanding. "You are to return to your old post. These years have provided quite a lengthy vacation, and the army has never recovered from your loss." He lashed out and grabbed a pale arm, jerking the boy towards him. "You are coming with me."

Malik opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it, torn between parental instincts and duty to the leaders he had served so faithfully. "As much as your forgiveness means to me, I can't allow you to take my son."

Kurama jerked roughly on the pale arm as the young demon tried to struggle against his hold. "Actually, I'm quite certain this is my son. I'm taking him to perform some tests that will prove whether my assumptions are correct or not. I know you well, Malik. Your loyalty is more important to you than anything. You ran away only to escape yourself and your guilt for not being able to save your mate from death on the battlefield, and the shame of having survived her demise. Go back to your duties. I will inform you when I know more information about this child." Once again, he jerked the limb in his iron grip roughly as the boy tried to wiggle his way out of the clutch.

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Kurama was used to the cursing and sputtering as he dragged the fire demon from the forest. He was also accustomed to the feeling that his palm was burning when the boy heightened his temperature in hopes that it would force the silver fox to let go. Hiei's body heated itself to dangerous temperatures during intimate moments. The silver fox was used to handling searing flesh without being burnt. He dragged the child all the way through the portal before dropping Vacana neatly on his rear. Silver once again turned to fiery red, and emerald eyes met identical emerald orbs.

The fox smirked as the boy's eyes darted to the portal, then back to Kurama, as if judging the distance and if he could outrun the other. "Don't even think about it," Kurama warned. "You are in my territory now. The plants here obey my whim. You'd be bound before you even made it halfway there." He reached down and grabbed the boy's arm. They were in the national park just outside city limits. Kurama pulled out his cell phone.

"Kurama, I assume your search went well," Xander answered after the first ring. "Your son called the office three times on behalf of his father when your cell phone was out of the service area."

"He must be worried." Kurama frowned a bit. He hated making his family worry about him. "Did you tell them I was fine?"

"I simply told them that you were in no danger and none of your enemies were even on a high enough level to pose a small smidgen of a threat," Xander answered. "I've pinpointed your location with the GPS device installed in your phone. A car will arrive in less than five minutes to return you to the medical facility. Please stop by the gas station and pick me up some energy drinks on your way. I'm afraid dealing with your personal crisis has caused sleep to become nothing more than a hobby."

"Of course. Have I told you how much I value your friendship lately?"

"No, but I do expect a demonstration, which will involve energy drinks and banana nut muffins." Tahir cleared his throat, as if his demands were embarrassing. "As it is, I feel I should tell you that the backseat of the car is secured with child locks. Once your son is in, he will not be able to get out until you open the door from the outside. And there is a shatterproof glass barrier between the backseat and the front seat to ensure compliance. I shall have the labs prepped for your arrival."

As always, Xander hung up without saying good-bye. Kurama chuckled to himself. Xander was absolutely in love with banana nut muffins. He ignored the strange look that the child had given him. He had forgotten, as he did so many times, that demons grew up without this sort of technology. The sight and usage of a cell phone probably confused the sheltered child. As promised, the car pulled up next to them within five minutes. Vacana, as he was called, jumped back, a glare reaching his eyes as he stared at what he considered to be a threatening beast. Kurama opened the door to the backseat and shoved the child in before slamming it shut. Kurama took the passenger's side up front.

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The ride to the medical facility was full of screams and curses, of biting, clawing, and burning. Ayden, and Kurama was quite sure this was the real Ayden, was terrified of the car. Kurama had to remind himself not to be frustrated, that the demon in the backseat probably didn't remember much of his time with his real parents and that rides in the car were new and strange to him. Ayden reacted much the way any trapped demon would in such a situation: like an animal trying to claw its way out.

Xander waited for them outside the medical facility. He raised an eyebrow as he saw the thrashing teenager in back. "I trust the fireproof seats were a wonderful idea?"

"Xander, you never cease to amaze me." Kurama got out of the car and opened the back door. Vacana came tumbling out and did his best to clutch the sidewalk beneath him. Kurama simply hauled him up and dragged him, kicking and screaming, into the building. The first floor was for actual patients who were participating in less dangerous clinical trials and were there for observation. The floor was supposed to be their place of comfort. It was only natural that the behavior of the young demon caused nurses, doctors, and patients alike to gawk.

Kurama shoved the child in to the elevator. Xander took out a sedative and injected it into the small body while Kurama was busy wrestling with him. Apparently, the elevator caused just as much of a reaction as the car had, if not worse. This time, the young one had nothing to claw or try to tear apart to force his own release. The body sagged after a few minutes. Adrenaline caused the drug to be absorbed quickly, and soon the boy was out like a light.

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An hour later, Xander sat back in his seat and smiled broadly. "The identity of your son is confirmed. This is Ayden, flesh and blood."

Kurama scooted an energy drink forward – a bribe. "How can you be so certain?"

"When you first proposed administering the complicated invitro fertilization process to me, I was appalled. You kept dropping hints that you weren't happy that you would not be able to contribute your own genetics. So, I altered the genetic sequence of Hiei's little floaters and included some of yours."

"You spliced together two sets of DNA?"

"It's rather simple," Xander shrugged and tugged off his reading glasses. "Yet, Hiei's genes are far more dominant, since I only had a sample of the tissue in your human form. Your demon form's genes would have been dominant to his. So, many of your traits became recessive rather than dominant. Apparently, though, your green eyes are a dominant trait rather than a recessive one, which is why his eyes changed colors." He slid the chart over to Kurama. "However, I'm afraid my work was flawed."

"The genetic mutation."

"Yes, it was my fault. I messed up the order of a particular sequence and, hence, a genetic mutation. In our actual Ayden, rather than the copy, the mutation barely has any effect. His white cell count is simply higher than normal, while his red count is lower than normal. His cuts will have trouble coagulating, but other than that, his functions should be normal." Xander smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "I never thought my mistake would actually make it easier to identify him."

"What should I do from here? He wasn't raised here, nor does he seem to remember me at all. I'm afraid taking him home would only cause him more mental anguish."

"Hiei is extremely adaptable. He may protest change, but he can flow with it when the need arises. Ayden seems to display the same traits. Being thrust so violently into a world of technology is unsettling. I think you should explain to him, in a clear manner that will leave no room for misunderstanding, everything that has happened. I think that, once in your home, certain things will trigger, at the very least, a feeling. He'll start to trust you, and his family, once he has the opportunity to get to know you all."

"What about Hiei?"

"Hiei never abused that child," Xander scoffed. "He loved his son very dearly and he spent a great deal of time with Ayden. I believe that Ayden will remember him, if he remembers anyone at all."

"Vacana."

"What?"

"His name is Vacana now. He doesn't recognize the name Ayden."

Xander plucked out a book on human rehabilitation from a massive bookshelf lining an entire wall. "Page 193 talks about how to rehabilitate a human who was kidnapped as a young child. Also, don't call him Vacana. His name is Ayden. Reinforce that, so he gets a sense of his new identity."

Kurama nodded. "Thank you so much, Xander."

"Don't forget about those banana nut muffins. By now, you owe me a lifetime supply." Xander plucked his reading glasses from the table and tucked them into the safety of his lab coat. "I had Ayden transferred to the back of your car. You should get him home before he wakes up. His second car ride won't be much different from the first, and your car seats are very flammable." He gave his friend an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "When you get home, put him in your bed and surround him with things that smell of the entire family so he associates that with safety. Also, remove all traces of the copy. That would only confuse him. When he wakes, make sure Hiei is the first thing he sees."

"Thank you." Kurama headed down to his car and began the drive home, needing to get there as soon as possible. He needed to kiss his mate, to apologize for all the hell they had gone through unnecessarily, and thank whatever higher powers there were that he had his child back. There was no doubt about it. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Hiei was mad that he had never returned the phone call.

Author's Corner: Yay, another update! Thank you all of those who have reviewed. I really enjoy writing this story, and I've been super inspired lately. So, please keep reading and reviewing. The reviews really do inspire me. Next chappy will be up within the next few days.