Chapter Twenty-Three
The Demon World Tournament
News spread far and wide of Raizen's death, but with the news came the whispers and the rumors. Already, Yusuke had assumed his father's role as one of the three kings. One of the rumors that reached Kiara was that both Yusuke and Murkuro were on their way to Yomi's. This knowledge alone unnerved Kiara. Several days passed and Kiara had not heard a word from Kurama, until Master Youda approached their territory.
Sienna rushed from the entrance to Kiara's room where she found the princess sick to her stomach. "Kiara?" she asked as she went to her friend. "Are you alright?"
"Morning sickness. I'll live." Kiara mumbled as she sat back and caught her breath.
"Master Youda is here from Yomi's palace," Sienna said as she gained Kiara's attention.
"Youda? What is he doing here? Is Kurama here?" Kiara asked as she mustered the strength to get on her feet.
"No. No Youko. Just Youda and some guards," she said as Kiara glared.
Kiara walked to the balcony and looked down below. There she saw Youda with several guards waiting. From there she could see the displeasure on Youda's face at being forced to wait outside.
Kiara glared down at him before making her way down to greet their guests. As she exited their home, Kuronue and Kosuke came up behind her. Both looking as menacing as they could. As she approached Youda, he did his best to put on a welcoming smile. Kiara stopped in front of him and crossed her arms in front of her. "Master Youda," she said as she greeted him.
"Queen of thieves, Kiara. Thank you for meeting me," he said as he gave her a slight bow.
"You've come to my home unannounced and with guards. It's the least I could do. How can I help you?" She asked not willing to play his game.
Youda frowned as he realized that he would have to change tactics. "Please. I am here on behalf of King Yomi. I would like to sit down and discuss the current situation that you are facing," he said as he indicated to her home.
"It's such a nice day. Let's talk out here...where all can hear of the situation that Yomi believes that we face," she said as she spoke bluntly to him.
Youda glared at her. It was clear. She had no intention of letting him get any closer to their home. "As I am sure you are aware, Raizen is dead," he said as he waited for any kind of reaction. However, Kiara gave him nothing but the perfect poker face. Youda cleared his throat as he got to the point. "With Raizen's death, it will force demons to pick a side. To either Join that tyrant Mukuro or our benevolent King Yomi. Your territory borders King Yomi's and the two of you have a long history. Everyone here does and it's because of this that King Yomi has extended a hand of friendship and an invitation to join. You will fall under his protection and care. You needn't worry about anything. So I assume I can give King Yomi your pledge?"
Everyone was silent as they looked at Kiara. Kiara glared hard at Youda but kept her power levels low. She didn't miss the fact that Youda had measured her power levels as she approached. "Quick question. Did you happen to speak to Youko before coming here?" She asked.
"Why would I need to speak with Lord Youko on something that my King has asked of me?" Youda asked.
Soft chuckles circled around them as Kiara advanced towards him, her hands on her hips. "Because Youko would have told you not to waste your time. I have no intention of ever joining Yomi. Or Mukuro for that matter. We can handle ourselves and have proven such," Kiara said as she glared at the short demon.
"Foolish girl, do you honestly think that you have the strength to take on Mukuro? King Yomi? Your pride and vanity will get you and everyone here killed!" he shouted at her as he did his best to scare her. Kiara gave him no reaction as she watched his little tantrum. She simply turned on her heels and headed back into their home. Youda gasped in shock as he watched the fox demoness completely ignore him and turned her back on him. Kiara was almost to the entrance or her home when Youda shouted towards her. "You have made an enemy this day!"
Kiara stopped in her tracks before spinning around to look at Youda. Her eyes glowed green as the ground shook around them. The sky, once red and orange, was black. The winds swarmed around them as many of her friends took cover and braced themselves. The device in Youda's pocket began to beep loudly as he pulled the device out and looked at it in shock. Kiara had given him a taste of her power to show that she was the one that Yomi should fear. After a moment, the device exploded in Youda's hands leaving him dripping with fear. Kiara had made her point. The winds calmed and the sky returned to its normal color. Kiara put her hands on her waist and smiled at the afraid demon. "No, Youda. Yomi should be careful to not make an enemy of me," she said before nodding to Kuronue and walking into their home.
Kuronue smiled at Kosuke and Sienna before ushering Youda and his escorts out of their territory. When he returned, he and Sienna walked up to the war room to find Kiara looking over maps and glaring darkly at them. Sienna slowly approached her friend, resting her hands on her shoulder. "Breath, Kia, breathe. You need to stay calm," she said as she placed a hand on her bump to help remind her.
Kiara took a steady breath before looking up at Sienna and resting her head against her's. "Thanks. I didn't mean to lose my cool like that but I couldn't help it."
"You held out longer than I thought you would. I'm proud of you but I think for the time being and for the sake of our future niece or nephew, Sienna should handle all visitors," Kuronue said as he wrapped an arm around her back and ushered her to a chair. "Youko would never forgive us if we let something happen to you or the baby."
Kiara allowed Kuronue to lead her to a chair and smiled up at him. "Alright, I'll let you two be in charge," she said before a knock came to the door. "Come in."
Nimue, a neko demoness with superior intel gathering skills, walked in and gave a small bow. "Lady Kiara. Lady Sienna. I have word from Yomi's territory," she said as she approached the maps in front of them.
"What is it, Nimue?" Sienna asked as she looked over the maps with her.
"King Yusuke will be at Yomi's palace tomorrow. Murkuro is on his heel," she reported as she marked the map with their locations.
"What have you learned?" Kiara asked as she tried to get up to join the two of them but Kuronue kept her back.
"Milady, I have no information on King Yusuke's plans but Mukuro has a war party with him. He seems to be prepared for anything," she reported. As soon as the words left her mouth, Kosuke gave her the cut off sign as he indicated towards Kiara.
Kiara pinched Kuronue as she walked over. "New assignment! I want you and Axel to go to that meet up! Watch Kurama's back and come back with what the hell happened. Nothing good can come from those three meeting up," she said as Kuronue tried to fight her back to relax in the chair.
"If you don't relax, I will ground you to your room!" he said as he did his best to glare at her.
"Bring it, fly boy!" Kiara growled.
"Kiara! Go take a nap or I will call the doctor!" Sienna said as she glared at her friend. "And you know what will happen if she says that you are not ok."
Kiara glared at her friend before complying. She knew exactly what Sienna would do. If Kiara got a bad report that something was wrong with her and her baby, she'd send for Kurama immediately, and the last thing she wanted to do was worry him. Without another word, she stormed from the war room and went up to her room, slamming the door behind her.
"So...um...when did you get all big and bag and SUPER sexy?" Kuronue asked as he walked up behind his mate.
"What do you mean 'when'? I've always been that way," Sienna laughed before turning back to Nimue. "Alright, let's plan this out how she wants. Unfortunately that hormonally over stressed vixen is right. We need eyes and ears on the inside. You and Axel will go to this meeting but don't let anyone see you then get your asses back here."
Just then the lights dimmed and Axel emerged from the shadows. He had the unique skill of being able to emerge his body in shadows where he could not be harmed and could see all. When Kiara had found him all those years ago, he was nearly dead as light would burn him. He had made a mistake while traveling that left him vulnerable to the light. Kiara saved him and gave him a home. There, he fell in love with Nimue and the two have been Kiara's number one spies and assassins.
Axel walked over to Nimue, his hand in hers as he looked down at the map. "If we move tonight, he will have a better chance of getting more information on what Yomi has hidden here," he said as he pointed towards a spot on the map. "Mass amounts of light and energy pulse from that area."
Nimue rubbed her tabby orange hair under Axel's chin as he pulled her in close to him. His own long black hair melding with hers. Sienna watched the odd moment of affection before shaking her head. "If you can do it without getting caught or missing that meeting then go for it. But don't take any unnecessary risks. You know how she gets when one of us gets hurt," Sienna said as the two smiled at her.
"She is a rare demoness, our Queen of Thieves," Axel said before bowing to Sienna and returning back to the shadows.
"There are many rare demons here," Sienna said as she dismissed Nimue and she and Kuronue left to see their son.
The following day filled Kiara with dread as she sat atop her balcony, watching the direction of Yomi's territory. Sienna had filled her in on the plan with Axel and Nimue, but all she could do was wait. A part of her had hoped that Kurama would have returned that night but he didn't. He didn't even send word. No doubt Youda had reported back on the encounter to both Kurama and Yomi. She was curious to see if Yomi would respond back to her but all she was met with was silence. By midday, she was agitated and snapping at anyone who came near her. Even Sienna wasn't spared but as dusk fell, she saw movement below. Nimue and her mate, Axel were walking out of the forest, with Kurama beside them.
In a flash, Kiara made her way to the entrance and straight into Kurama's arms. Kurama held her tightly as he buried his face in her dark brown locks. Nimue and Axel smiled at the couple before walking into their home. For the moment, the two foxes were content to be in each other's arms before separating and making their way to the safety of the war room. Once they were safe behind lock doors, Kiara turned towards the three demons. "Someone tell me what the hell happened," she said as Sienna forced her into a chair, giving her a stern look.
Kiara complied as she looked between the three demons. Nimue smiled as she took a seat on the table. "As of this morning, the three kingdoms have disbanded," she reported.
"WHAT?!" Kiara shouted as she shot out of her seat before being pushed back down by Sienna and Kuronue. Kiara glared at her friends before looking to Kurama for more answers.
Kurama chuckled and nodded. "I'm free and clear of Yomi. And you owe Yusuke some credit. He was the one who managed to convince the other two kings to give up everything in lew of a Demon World Tournament. The tournament will decide the fate of Demon World and who will lead it," Kurama explained as he smiled to Kuronue. "All demons are welcome to compete for the title of King."
"YES! My time to shine!" Kuronue shouted.
"Hush you!" Sienna said as she looked at the shocked Kiara. "Kia?"
Without warning, Kiara busted out laughing. "Damnit! Now I owe that fool an apology! Leave it to a halfwit to save the worlds," she laughed before looking towards Kurama. "So we can go home now?"
At this point, Kurama shifted uneasily, gaining Kiara's and Sienna's attention. "Well, you see. To back Yusuke in order to convince Yomi to go along, I said that I would be fighting in the tournament," Kurama said.
Kuronue walked over to Kurama and slapped him on the back. "And I am joining as well! Side-by-side, my man! We can do anything!" Kuronue shouted in excitement.
All the while Kuronue celebrated, Kurama kept his eyes on his mate. Waiting to see how she would react to him putting his life on the line again. Sienna, however, wasted no time slapping both her mate and Kurama. "Are you two completely stupid?! Have you learned nothing?!" She shouted at them.
"Love! That hurts!" Kuronue said as he ducked another swing from her.
Without a word, Kiara stood up from her seat and left the war room. Sienna glared at the two demons before turning to leave but was stopped by Kurama. "I'll talk to her. This is on me," he said before following behind his mate.
Sienna glared at his back before a throat clearing behind her caught her attention. "So would like to know what we found in that room?" Nimue asked.
"Yes, go ahead and give your report. I'll deal with the fools later," she said as she took a seat at the table and listened to the two demons.
Kurama was fast on Kiara's heel's before coming face to face with her door. Not only had she slammed the door in his face but she had locked it and he knew that she had chosen a lock that he couldn't open. In his frustration, he slammed a fist against the door. His eyes glowing gold as he glared at the wood in front of him. Forcing himself to take a breath, he knocked gently on the door.
"Kiara. Open the door," he said as he tried to convince her, but he was met with silence. Over and over again he called to her as he tried to get the door open. Demon energy swirled around him. His temper rising until he had fully transformed back into Youko. Just as he was about to slam another fist into wood, the locks released and the door opened to his mate glaring at him. Without a word, he pushed his way in and slammed the door behind him. "Don't you ever do that to me again."
Kiara glared at Youko as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, rising to the challenge. "I'm sorry, last I checked, I am a fully grown demon who can do as she wishes in her own room!" she threw back at him.
Youko glared at her as he advanced towards her, towering over her small frame. "That may be, my love but you don't shut your mate out. You don't lock me out. Ever!" he growled as he locked his hands on her hips, pulling their bodies together. A soft growl came from deep within him as he felt her bump push against his hard abs.
Kiara growled back as she pushed at his chest, pushing him away. "Don't you dare!" she growled at him.
"Dare what?" Youko said as he once again approached her, this time taking her into his arms and carrying her toward the bed. He knew the moment, he did this, whatever rage was buried deep within her would intensify and he wasn't disappointed.
She fought him every step to the bed and even as he pinned her down. This was her Youko. Kurama was tender and logical. Youko was power and dominance. The vixen deep within Kiara purred as her mate tried to dominate her but like any good vixen, she wouldn't submit without a fight. For a moment, she yielded to him, giving him what he wanted. She waited until his grip loosened slightly before knocking him in the head and pinning him beneath her body.
Youko struggled against her while doing his best to not hurt her but she placed her thumb right at his pressure point, causing him to freeze and glare up at her. "Don't YOU dare!" he growled in warning.
"You are by far the stupidest kitsune I have ever met!" Kiara growled back. She grabbed his free hand and placed it on her bump. "You are about to become a father! When are you going to learn?!"
Youko glared up at her even as his thumb gently caressed her bump. He knew that beneath his hand was their child. A small innocent who knew nothing of the world they would be born into but he knew that he had to do the right thing for this child. That was to make sure that it was born into a world worth living in. "I'm doing this for our child," he said softly. Kiara glared at Youko but waited for an explanation. "The world as it is now is too dangerous and unpredictable. Our child is innocent and pure and I will be damned if I don't do everything in my power to make this world safe for our baby. Damnit, Kiara."
Kiara listened to his words before getting off him and laying next to him. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tight into his arms. "You can't make the world perfect, Youko. Where there is light, there is darkness. But together we can keep our baby safe from all that is horrible in these worlds. But you can't do that if you run off and get yourself killed...AGAIN."
Youko rolled his eyes as he placed his hand back on her bump. "Last time. Then I'll just do work for your dad. I gave my word to Yusuke and I won't let him down," he promised before he quickly moved his hand away from her. "Was that?"
Kiara chuckled as she put his hand back. "Looks like someone wanted to say hi," she said as they felt another kick. Kiara watched with amusement as Youko's golden eyes widened with excitement. She smiled softly as she placed her hand on his as their baby continued to remind them that they were being squished between the two of them. Kiara took her mask off as she watched her mate admire her bump before forcing Youko to look up at her. "I don't care if you win or lose. But I want my mate to come back home and help me raise our baby. I will never forgive you if you die again. And keep in mind, that when I take over Spirit World, I will make your after life a living hell."
Youko couldn't help but smile as he kissed her and pulled her close. Kaida dug her fingers deep into his silver locks as she pulled him deeper. Youko growled as he ran his hands down her back, gripping her ass and grinding his hips into hers. "Is it safe? Will we hurt the baby?" Youko asked as he pulled away before kissing down her neck to his mark.
Kaida chuckled softly as she took her shirt off and pushed Youko's tunic aside. "It's fine. You can't hurt the baby," she said as she pushed Youko to his back and climbed on top of his naked body.
Kaida woke to pitch darkness. She was snuggly tucked against Kurama's naked form, his arms wrapped around her bump. Kaida slowly wiggled her way free of Kurama's arm as she dressed and put her mask on. She stood over the bed and smiled at her mate before making her way out the balcony and into the night forest.
Kiara moved quickly and quietly through the forest before coming to her old home. A thin layer of dust coated the entire interior. As she made her way towards the back of her home, she found the demon she was looking for. Nakita sat on the sofa, rubbing her bump as she waited. "Sorry I'm late. I overslept," Kiara said as she dusted off the cushion next to her sister.
"It's ok. Haru and I were just talking," Sayaka said as she smiled up at her sister.
"Who is Haru?" Kiara asked.
"My son," Nakita said, a little surprised at her words.
"How do you know?"
"There's this crazy doctor named Shigure that lives at Murkuro's. And he told him that Hiei and I are having a son. So we have named him Haru," she said as she looked at her sister. "Explain something to me, we got pregnant around the same time, why don't you look as huge as I do?"
"No clue. I probably haven't been taking care of myself as I should have," Kiara said as she rubbed her own belly. "Did you get my spirit of words?"
"Yes, but I don't understand. What are you planning?"
"Hiei has entered the tournament?"
"Yes! I'm furious with him. Kurama?"
"Yes. He made a promise to Yusuke and the fool is sticking to it," she said as she rubbed her eyes.
"So what is your plan?"
"When was the last time you used the full extent of your powers?"
"Are you serious?"
"Do you remember that idea I had back at that 'fun' house?" she asked as her sister nodded. "Well I think I'm going to put it in action and I need your help."