Chapter 46
A sudden jolt woke Kurama right out of a deep sleep where he was chasing some small furry animal who was bold enough to steal a priceless artifact from him. Sharp emerald eyes searched the gloomy room landing on Dobby the House-elf trying to catch a large buzzing insect with a butterfly net. It was a bit of a surprise. He didn't see the Weasleys' House-elf that often despite the rather tight living arrangements. It was supposedly the mark of a good House-elf. But despite Dobby's protests Shiori and Mrs. Weasley insisted on cooking and doing the laundry. They felt that cleaning such a big house was work enough for him especially since Kreacher, Sirius's House-elf, couldn't do much given his age. The yoko stretched his muscles causing a few stiff joints to crack. Dobby flailed about emitting exerted squeaks before finally nabbing the vermin with an 'Aha!' of success.
"Good morning Dobby. You're certainly energetic today." he greeted. The small elf whirled around to face him.
"Oh! Kurama sir! Dobby's sorry! Dobby didn't mean to wake you!" Dobby bounced in distress. Kurama waved off the apology lazily.
"It's alright. Sleeping in isn't a healthy habit anyway. So what did you catch? A moth?"
"A grasshopper of some sort."
Dobby bounded over to show him. Tangled up in the fine mesh of the net was a large green bug. Two red spots sat above its wings on its back. A long needle-like mouth, not much different from a mosquito's, snagged on the net as it twisted its head looking for escape. It tugged its spiny six legs futilely in an effort to untangle them. The yoko raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"It's a Makai insect." Dobby gulped.
"Is that a bad thing?" Kurama gave him a reassuring smile.
"Not really. They're not very smart. There's probably a distortion nearby that it accidentally flew through."
"Oh, that's good! Breakfast will be ready soon." With that he popped away.
The yoko roused a grumpy jaganshi from bed and readied himself for the day. He took some extra time watering his various plants as Hiei dressed as slowly as he could. Out in the hall a heated argument was already in full swing between the Weasley siblings and Hermione. Ginny had a jar in her hands. Kurama couldn't tell what it was about with all the raised voices piercing his ears. When Ginny spotted him she immediately rushed over to him.
"You see it don't you?" she asked.
"See what?" Ginny just about pushed the jar into his face. Trapped inside was another Makai insect.
"Another one?" Hiei grumbled. Suddenly the others crowded around the two yokai.
"There's nothing in there!" Hermione insisted.
"Yes there is." Kurama said calmly. "You just can't see it."
"Why can't we?" Ron asked.
"You need to have a sixth sense to see certain things." Hiei replied blandly.
"Like thestrals?" Hermione provided.
"Exactly." Kurama replied.
"How did they get here?" the twins asked.
"There must be a distortion nearby that they accidentally passed through."
"Is it deadly?" Ginny probed.
"Sort of. If infests a human the host would be driven to violence, destruction, and murder." A few paranoid eyes flicked to the jar in Ginny's hands.
In the kitchen Molly and Shiori put the finishing touches on breakfast. Kreacher set the table around Arthur who was skimming through the Daily Prophet. He looked up as they entered and motioned for the yoko to sit next to him. Perplexed, he obeyed. No sooner had he sat than the paper was thrust into his hands. The front page alone was filled with articles the editor felt were more vital to inform the public. Numerous large bold titles competed for the reader's attention. Voldemort returns? The Reikai prince's demands. Yoko Kurama lives! It raised his eyebrows.
"Someone's been busy." was all Kurama could say.
"Will this hamper the investigation his lordship is instituting?" Arthur asked.
"I don't think so." he admitted. "All this is a feeble attempt to turn the public away from Koenma. In the end, everyone has to answer to him when the time comes."
Breakfast was a little rambunctious that morning. Hermione pilfered the paper and proceeded to point out the flaws in the articles. Ron sulked over not being able to see the Makai insect his sister caught. Kurama disposed of the vermin for safety's sake. Fred and George were obviously brainstorming about something to do with pranks earning them the undivided attention of their rightfully suspicious mother. Hiei was his usual surly self, shoveling eggs and ham into his mouth like he suspected someone to just take the plate away from him. A frantic knock at the door made everyone pause.
"I'll get it." Kurama stood up and swiftly answered the door. On the doorstep was Botan wearing some kind of jogging outfit. Her light blue hair was falling out of its ponytail. The wide eyes and labored breathing immediately set him on edge. Next thing he knew she had fisted her hands into his red polo shaking him as she blabbered incoherently. The other popped their heads in to see what was going on. Kurama could only imagine what it must've looked like. Luckily Hiei explained that it was a coworker of theirs. After a while the shinigami calmed down.
"Now what's going on?" he asked.
"The Four Saint Beasts demand that the Reikai take down the barrier around their castle." a sniffling Botan replied. "If we don't they'll flood the Ningenkai with Makai insects."
"And Koenma opted for option three and wants us to kill them?" She nodded. "So is that what got you upset?"
"He wants me to try to keep the damage to a minimum!" the shinigami wailed. "I'm not a fighter! What am I supposed to do?"
"Bug spry?" Hiei supplied. "Fly swatter?"
"They're yokai! How will that work?" Botan protested.
"Most yokai will die if their internal organs are smashed, drenched in a powerful chemical like acid, or drowned." the jaganshi drawled. Botan shot him a disbelieving look.
"Really?"
"Time is of the essence. Is there anything else?" Kurama reminded her.
"No. Not really. I'll be sending Yusuke along as soon as I can." she told them.
"Then we should probably leave soon." Kurama abruptly turned on his heels and ascended the stairs. Gathering his plants he placed one in each room. Should any Makai insect, or opportunistic yokai for that matter, sneak in they'll take care of it in a split second. Not that he trusted the wards Dumbledore placed on top of the already existing ones but there was no such thing as fool proof. Then he dug around in his room. Under the bed he kept what should've been a large ordinary jewelry box next to a chemistry set he had converted for his own use. Inside was all kinds of seeds, salves, and poisons. Selecting some of the more deadly poisons he put the box back and headed back down stairs. Shiori and the others looked at him with varying looks of astonishment and concern.
"Be safe dear." Shiori said softly.
"I will. Stay inside, just as a precaution. You might want to think twice about going into work today Mr. Weasley." He gave them a comforting smile before firmly shutting the front door behind him, Hiei, and Botan.
xXx
Thunder and lightning ruled the darkened skies. Electricity charged the humid air. The wind carried the scent of rotting things. Vegetation impossibly thick provided plenty of cover. Using the trees as a look out Kurama and Hiei scouted out what had become known as a city of outlaws and criminals, a city deserving of the title City of Yokai. Crude huts surrounded a castle that could rival Hogwarts in size. Dark weathered stone gave it a foreboding appearance. Through the brilliant crisscrossing energy that compromised the barrier Kurama could see lesser yokai shuffling about. A few camped out on the other side of the barrier obviously awaiting orders from the Four Saint Beasts.
The Four Saint Beasts weren't very high up on the food chain but they seemed to disregard it. Four yokai sharing the same twisted ideals banded together in a strong coalition among minor yokai. Many likeminded souls came to serve them. Soon it was a criminal organization that did as it pleased. Soon enough the four became arrogant, thinking themselves kami and were practically worshiped as such by their followers. Being small enough to exploit the occasional distortions between the three realms of reality the Reikai had little choice but to cage them like the animals they were. Had they been allowed to roam free there would be little doubt about the massacring of defenseless ningens for both nourishment and pleasure. It was why Koenma was so hard pressed to dispose of them.
And Kurama was happy to do it. Not only were the Four Saint Beasts were primitive feral beings but a royal pain. There were numerous times when some of their men, like many others looking for an easy score, trying to coax him to their side. He made sure to kill every one of them to keep the secluded ruins he occupied secluded. But his little paranoia didn't prevent that bounty hunter from stumbling into that hidden glen, somehow bypassing the most dangerous plants he used to protect it. By some stroke of luck he managed to lure the hunter far away from it before he figured out that it was his hideout. Since then his deadly wards ensured all stayed away. How did he know? If someone came across a mountain of gold he was sure he would've heard about it. Ningens weren't the only ones who liked to brag.
Once the coast was clear Hiei and Kurama carefully wormed their way through the barrier. The thing about most wards and barriers was that their net like structure, though stable, provided free entry to all so long as you don't disturb it. Since many can't see the barriers and wards let alone how they work many didn't know about it which only made things more convenient for Kurama. Quickly the two yokai took cover in another thick patch of green using the fragrant plants to mask their scent. No one noticed. So far so good. Before either could so much as ask what now a pair of startled oaths followed by two bodies just dropping from the sky landed in front of their hiding place. Kurama and Hiei raised an eyebrow. One of the bodies stirred after a moment. Slowly Urameshi Yusuke got to his feet brushing dirt off his school uniform. His companion was a little slower getting up. He had curly orange hair that made the Weasleys' fiery locks dull in comparison. Narrow eyes sat above a slender nose on an angular face. That broad muscular body was easily six feet tall. The man slapped off some offending dirt from a uniform identical to Yusuke's. In the bushed the two yokai shared a look.
"Man, what the hell…" he complained in a deep voice.
"Well it's your fault for just jumping into a strange portal like that!" Yusuke snapped.
"Oh yeah?"
It didn't take long for the lesser yokai to descend onto the quarreling pair. A sizable horde pressed down on them. Fighting broke out. They were outnumbered and no matter how strong they may be they were getting overwhelmed by the numbers. Hiei and Kurama bolted out into the fray. Blood sprayed out as corpses fell to the earth. Startled cries broke out as the others realized that they were being attacked and by whom. Quickly the weaker yokai backed off. Kurama snarled, sending them running for the hills. He turned to Yusuke.
"You certainly know who to make an entrance don't you?" Yusuke scratched his head, confused that a strange silver yoko was talking so friendly with him. His brown eyes landed on Hiei and it clicked. He blinked.
"Kurama?"
"As attractive as I may be in my ningen form I can't allow the wrong people to find out about you-know-who." the yoko replied.
"Ah, I gottcha. Anyway, Kuwabara this is Kurama and Hiei. They're on our side."
"Wait, that little runt is some badass yokai?" Kuwabara pointed at Hiei. The jaganshi growled at the insult.
"And your point hime?" Hiei challenged.
"What'd ya call me?" Kuwabara balked.
"Did I stutter or something?"
Kuwabara made to cold-cock the smaller but being as fast as he was Hiei stepped out of the way. The taller wound up falling to the ground from the momentum.
"Now let's try to play nice and get along, alright?" Yusuke said. The yoko could've sworn he saw sparks fly as the small yokai and large ningen glared at each other.
'Easier said than done.' Kurama thought quietly.
xXx
Omake
Kurama was walking down the hallway in the Black family home when he heard the ripping of fabric and animalistic growls. Curiously he poked his head into the study. A large shaggy black dog was attacking the tapestry of the Black family tree that hung on the wall. It looked like Sirius had another row with Kreacher. With a sigh Kurama transformed into a yoko. He calmly approached the Animagus.
"What are you doing?" he barked.
"What does it look like?" Sirius growled back moodily. Kurama sat down and cocked his head.
"Okaasan isn't going to be very happy with you if you keep this up."
Sirius just ignored him. Four silken silvery tails flicked back and forth. This was just ridiculous. Sure Sirius had a few issues concerning his family but did he really have to be so damn touchy about it? And why take it out on the house? He lived there! Just because he was being so rude Kurama pounced on Sirius. The Animagus let out a sound stuck between a surprised yelp and a frustrated growl. Soon enough the two were locked into a wrestling match. They rolled about the room. Tuffs of fur flew. Somehow Sirius broke away to attack the tapestry again. Kurama defiantly took hold of a corner, determined to win this. Threads weakened by age groaned from the pressure of being pulled in opposing directions. It was wall art, not some bit of rope to be used in a game of tug-of-war. Someone cleared their throat. Kurama looked over to see Shiori standing in the doorway with hands on hips and the curious head of Hermione and the Weasleys peering around her. Obediently Kurama dropped his corner of the tapestry. Sirius didn't notice.
"Sirius!" she shouted. He dropped the tapestry in surprise and whipped around to face her. "Really, how old are you?" A fuzzy black muzzle jerked towards Kurama as if to say 'he started it'. Kurama replied by crawling over to his mother being as cute as he could manage. He whimpered in apology. Shiori turned away shaking her head slightly. Everyone stared after her.
"Merlin, he's huge!" Ron commented while staring at Kurama.
Translations:
Makai- demon world
Yokai- demon
Yoko- demon fox
Jaganshi- one possessing a third eye which enhances mental powers.
Reikai- spirit world/land of the dead.
Shinigami- grim reaper
Ningenkai- human world
Ningen- human
Hime- princess
Okaasan- mother
Kami- god/gods
AN: Hoped you all enjoyed it! Please Review!
