So Fanfiction was out for a few days, this chapter was originally planned to release on halloween. If you read this, it's working :p.
Reply to comments
Deea Deilin: I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far, hope you'll enjoy the other chapters as much.
KeiEL16: Here you go! Already planned a few flashbacks for this chapter and there's more to come! Though they will be divided between chapters I hope you'll enjoy their developing love story.
Randomcaz: Thank you so much! Hope this adventure will be more exciting than the previous one.
EeveeGirlPower: I'm so glad you enjoyed AOWF, this story will contain some gruesome stuff but I'll be focusing more on psychological horror. Hope you'll enjoy the 'other kind of torture' I'll throw your way. :p
Note
Happy halloween! It's spooky day! Wanted to upload this chapter today and I hope you'll like it, tell me what you think or theorize in the comments, they always inspire me.
English isn't my native language but I'm trying my best.
She had helped Genkai and Yukina in the gardens by watering the plants, smiling as she did so. They were finally free of doubt and worry and were able to sleep peacefully for the first time in weeks. Botan softly opened the doors to the guest room, making sure not to make to much noise. He still sat in the chair, a book lay open upon his lap, his eyes closed.
Botan approached him softly, he slowly woke as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Botan softly chuckled, trying not to wake Yusuke who was sleeping on one of the beds.
"You're horrible." Kurama groaned sluggishly.
"I know, I know." Botan took a seat opposite Kurama. "I just wanted to hear from you, see how you're doing."
"Hmn." Kurama looked down, realizing the book was still open and in his hand he place a bookmark on the open page and closed it. He was about to lean forward to place the book onto the small coffee table when the burning sensation enveloped from underneith his bandages, forcing him to stop.
Botan saw it, reaching out she took the book from his grasp and placed in onto the table. "You shouldn't be moving this much."
"That's what I just realized." Kurama scoffed as he leaned back into the chair. They stayed there in silence, Kurama stared out of the window to the gardens, Botan followed his gaze after a few minutes of dead silence. Yusuke's soft snoring being the only sound in the otherwise silent room.
The silence was interrupted as Kurama finally spoke.
"I'm sorry we worried you so much." He snapped out of his trance and they locked eyes. "I truly am."
"Please don't worry about it." Botan didn't look away, she was hypnotized by the forest green orbs, red hair framed his face like a canvas around a million dollar painting. "I'm just glad you're both doing well." She turned to look at Yusuke who laid sprawled on the mattress.
"Everything's okay now." Kurama swallowed thickly, he could feel a coughing fit rising but did his best to bite through it.
Botan returned her attention to Kurama, her eyes stung, her lungs stung, everything stung so she lowered her gaze.
"Are you okay?" Kurama saw her eyes redden. He leaned forward, ignoring the burning sensation which suggesting he shouldn't. Botan jumped slightly as his hand covered her's.
"Please don't cry." Kurama slightly squeezed her hand. "You don't know half of how much you've helped me."
"How?" Was all Botan could ask.
Kurama gave her a reassuring smile. "You've gotten me through, I don't know about Yusuke, but whenever times were tough, I heard you telling me to not give up."
Botan's eyes widened as the words started to make sense to her. "I was just so lost, I didn't know what to do, I couldn't bare the thought of.."
"Everything's okay now." Kurama repeated. "I would like to show my gratitude to you, after all this, I owe you."
"I'd love some coffee." Botan said, her eyes still puffy from unshed tears.
"Coffee?" Kurama laughed. "Sure, we can get coffee."
Botan rubbed her free hand across her face, trying to hide the tears which were finally falling. Kurama caught one of them as he wiped his thumb across her cheek.
"It's okay." He consoled. "It must've been stressful."
"It was." She sniffled, a smile returning on her face. "I wasn't just gonna let you die."
She smiled at him, a wave of heat rose to her cheeks as she saw him do the same. Her smile was replaced by fear as she saw him double over in a coughing fit, his face contorted in pain and his head almost resting on his knees. Moving out of her chair, she waited for the wave to pass before slowly pulling him back up.
"We'll first have to get you back into the game though." She grinned as Kurama nodded in approval.
...
Yusuke bumped Kuwabara's shoulder after leaving the office. "You didn't say anything stupid today, I'm proud of you."
"Urameshi I swear to god if I ever have the chance I will smother you with your own pillow while you sleep." Kuwabara grunted.
"Way to talk to your friend." Yusuke laughed.
Kuwabara hummed in disapproval, a voice reached his ears and he turned towards the sound. Botan had caught up with Kurama who was walking a few feet behind them. Unbeknownst to him, Yusuke was still verbally bashing him.
"Should we wait for Kurama?" He asked Yusuke as he gestured towards the him.
"We got here together, might as well leave together." Yusuke grinned, finally halting his assault. They watched them from a distance.
"Hang on." Yusuke said as he saw Botan kiss Kurama on the cheek. "Did you just see what I've seen?"
"I have." Kuwabara answered. There was no denying it, they've seen it, it was Botan. They watched him turn and walk towards him, a sense of shock crossed his features as he saw them staring.
"So..." Yusuke raised an eyebrow at the fox.
"So what?" Kurama replied flustered. His face was starting to match his hair, he was caught in the act and there was no escaping now.
"Oh come on!" Yusuke growled. "Don't act like we didn't see it cause we did."
"Saw what?" Kurama walked past them but Yusuke wasn't letting go that easily.
"You're acting stupid!" Yusuke caught up with him. "It's Botan, isn't it?!"
"Yes." Kurama smiled briefly at Yusuke's dedication of sticking his nose in his business.
"Y-yes?!" Kuwabara hurried after them. "So you admit it?!"
"Yes." Kurama repeated. Reaching the portal, the three of them crossed it without second thought.
"How did.. This.. Came to be?" Yusuke panted as he weaved through the trees and emerged into the public park.
"Will explain it later." Kurama looked around. "We'll visit your house first, Kuwabara." to which Kuwabara nodded in approval.
"No you will explain it now." Yusuke demanded. "How, when, where?!"
"Cause we are interested in each other, when we returned from the Makai at Genkai's temple." Kurama summarized.
"Wait, don't tell me you were doing kissy kissy stuff with Botan while I was sleeping in the same fucking room!" Yusuke scrambled to catch up.
"Maybe it wasn't just kissy kissy stuff." Kuwabara smirked mischievously, earning a look that screamed 'I will kick your ass and sell your kidneys' from Kurama.
"No!" Yusuke yelled. "I don't want to think about it!"
"That didn't happen." Kurama said after hearing Yusuke losing his mind over adulterated thoughts. "I asked if I could repay her for her care and she said she likes coffee, so I took her out for coffee when we were fit enough."
...
Botan had shown up in a denim dress, all the blue made her magenta eyes even brighter than they already were. Kurama stood mesmerized in the park in front of the cafe. Her ponytail bounced with every step she took.
"You look amazing, dare I say it." Kurama said as she finally reached him with a bubbly smile.
"You think?" She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You don't look half bad yourself."
Kurama laughed at her nervousness, hiding his own. Opening the door to the cafe he let her enter first.
"This is such a nice place." Botan looked around as she sat down. "Do you come her more often?"
"I do." Kurama took a seat as well. "My mother likes it, says their coffee is the best in town and I must agree. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I enjoy their blends."
"I'm curious." Botan folded her hands together as a waitress came to their table.
"Can I poor you something to drink?" The charming young girl took out her notebook, ready to write down their order.
"A cappuccino please." Botan said excitingly.
"Just a regular blend for me." Kurama chimed in after her.
"Milk and sugar or do you prefer black?" She followed.
Botan couldn't unsee her staring at Kurama, sure he catches your eye when he walks into the room, but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous when the waitress stared at him. She sighed softly as the waitress finally walked away after writing their orders.
They drank their coffee while talking and laughing about regular things, work and family. Kurama paid and they left the cafe, walking out to the park where they met. Botan twirled a lock of hair around her finger, she wanted to ask but she was afraid to make him uncomfortable.
"Is something bother you?" Kurama asked. Botan jumped slightly, the fact he noticed it made her even more nervous about asking it.
"I just." Botan began. "I'm wondering how you're doing after everything that happened.. I was scared to ask you in the shop cause I didn't want to turn the conversation into something negative but I'm just curious." She watched him as he directed his eyes towards the ground. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer if you-"
"I don't remember a lot of it." Kurama replied, Botan was astonished he actually replied to her question. "There's just snippets of memories."
"You don't have nightmares?"
"No, luckily I don't."
"Are you still in pain?" Botan looked up into shiny emeralds.
"Not anymore, sometimes I would get uncomfortable laying or sitting in certain positions but that has passed." Kurama gave her a reassuring smile. "Never be afraid to ask me stuff you're curious about."
"I'm glad." Botan tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. "Did you mean what you said at Genkai's?"
"Huh?" Kurama hummed, tilting his head slightly to the side.
"About, uhh, me helping you through it." She dropped her head in embarrassment and kicked herself mentally for asking it. She lifted her head once more as a hand touched her cheek and jaw, coaching her head up.
"I do. You did help me." He laughed softly. Botan could smell the cologne on his wrist, a sweet blend of flowers and spices.
She smiled back at him "Then I don't think just coffee will suffice in repaying me." She mentally kicked herself again, knowing challenging him was a fifty-fifty bet. He'd either catch it or look at her like she's an ungrateful good for nothing.
"You're right."
Botan almost chocked on air as the words left his mouth. "What?"
"You're right." Kurama replied. "How about I take you out for dinner sometime."
"As in a date?" Botan nudges, she had already jumped into the deep end of the pool, better swim until she touched the bottom.
"As in a date." Kurama laughed. "How bout next week?"
"Next week sounds good." Botan fidgeted with the strap of her purse.
"Ever visited a Korean BBQ?" He asked.
"Never, but I'd love to try it out."
"Than that's we're we shall go." Kurama nodded. "I'm very sure you'll like it."
"I'm very curious." Botan swayed from side to side, her ponytail following her in her motion. "I'll give you a call on my available nights."
"Wait, you have my number?" The color retreated from Kurama's features for a brief moment.
"Ofcourse I do." Botan laughed at his reaction. "I have all of your numbers in case of emergency."
"Okay then, I'll expect a call with available dates." Kurama sighed in relieve.
"It's a date." Botan summoned her oar when all pedestrians were out of sight.
"It's a date." Kurama replied, watching her mount her oar he wished her a safe trip and waited until she was safely out of sight before returning home himself.
...
"So you went for coffee and asked her out for a second date?" Yusuke summarized.
"Not exactly." Kurama paused. "I wanted to ask her out for a second date but she was quicker to react saying just coffee wouldn't suffice."
"Ah so you took that as an opportunity to ask her out for dinner." Kuwabara turned the key to his residence and entered.
"Basically." Kurama walked past him, entering the living room.
"What do we bring anyway?" Kuwabara asked. "I didn't understand anything from that lecture."
"Necessities, first aid kit cause you never know what trouble you get yourself into." Kurama stated which made Yusuke chuckle in delight. "Think of clean clothes, toothbrush, plenty of water and food."
"I thought Yusuke was bad but damnit Kurama, you're ruthless when you're pissed." Kuwabara scoffed, retrieving said things from the shelves and packing them into a bag. "How long will we stay there anyway?"
"I'm not pissed." Kurama crossed his arms. "I can see why Yusuke likes teasing you so much."
"Finally someone who gets it." Yusuke threw his arms in the air as a sign of victory, to the agitation of Kuwabara. "We won't stay for too long, couple of days at most." He acknowledged Kurama nodding at him.
"Alright." Kuwabara swung the bag over his shoulders. "Yusuke's is just a few blocks away."
They made their way to Yusuke's house, Yusuke walking up front.
...
They sat in the dimly lit restaurant on a saturday night, Botan had arranged to change shifts with Ayame so she could fit in Kurama's work schedule. The other deity had pried information from her and she wasn't that difficult to interrogate. He wore a dark blue button up shirt with black slacks, the dark clothing contrasting the blood red hair.
They ordered loads of food, cooking it on the barbecue installed in their table, accompanied by a few glasses of wine. There wasn't a moment when they were out of stories to tell, they sat there until they were the only ones left.
"Think I'll ask for the bill." Kurama stuck up his hands and made a silent gesture to the waiter.
"Already?!" Botan hummed. "The night is still so young, can't we go somewhere?"
"I have some more wines at my place if you don't feel like going home yet." Kurama thanked the waiter after swiping his card, leaving a tip for the service.
"It's somewhere." Botan snickered as she chugged the last bit of liquid in her glass and grabbed her coat. "Let's go."
It wasn't a long walk before they arrived at Kurama's apartment.
"Wow it's so cosy!" She squealed as she positioned herself on his couch. "I've never seen your place before."
"You haven't?" Kurama hung their coats and made his way to the kitchen where he poured her a glass of water and a glass of wine. Walking back to the living room, he handed Botan her glass and sat on the other side of the sofa. "You like it?"
"I do." Botan looked around, occasionally taking a sip of wine. "It's very much like you."
"Like me?" Kurama couldn't help but smile as she looked around his apartment as if she just discovered fire.
"Yeah." Botan replied. "It's calm, organized, pretty and very welcoming."
"Calm?" Kurama slightly slouched against the backrest of the sofa, his legs crossed.
"You know you're always the calmest one of the group." Botan pulled her legs up off of the floor.
"Not very difficult if you're comparing me with Yusuke and Kuwabara, don't even have me started on Hiei." Kurama pointed out.
"Very true, they're the most chaotic bunch I've ever had the privilege working with." She grinned, swirling the wine around in her glass.
"Poor you." Kurama teased.
Botan stuck out her tongue in protest before taking another sip of wine. "It's good, what kind is it?"
"Raddeck Grüner Veltliner, Silvaner. German wine." Kurama stood up from his seat, retreating the bottle to show her.
"I really like it." Turning the bottle to look at the back before handing it back to Kurama.
He placed it back into the fridge before returning to his seat. "Wanna watch a movie?"
"Oh I'd love to!" Botan nodded in excitement.
Kurama activated his tv and went to the streaming service. "Any preferences?"
"Something scary." She smiled as she eyed the listings of horror movies.
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure." she kept her focus on the titles scrolling on the screen. "That one!"
"Botan are you very sure?" Kurama asked one more time.
She balled her fists in determination "Yes."
...
They had all packed what they needed for their trip into the Makai. The portal to spirit world was still where they left it, they crossed it resulting in the portal collapsing behind them to prevent wandering humans from finding and entering it. Hiei still sat in Koenma's office when they returned.
"Took you long enough." Hiei scoffed. "Let's not stall this any longer."
"Hiei's right, there's no time to lose, I've updated Hiei on how to absorb and seal it though I doubt he'll take my advise." Koenma emerged from the huge stack of paperwork.
"Guess you aren't joining us." Yusuke tried to ignore the piles of paper.
"Sadly I won't." Koenma stuck his hand up in the air. "I got other stuff to do."
"So do we but here we are, cleaning your mess." Yusuke hummed.
"I heard that and it's not 'my mess', I've summoned a portal across the bridge, it won't bring you directly to the location but it's close enough. Please keep me updated on your process and findings." Koenma waved at them hurriedly before stamping away at the papers.
Yusuke walked up front as they made their way back across the bridge, complaining why Koenma hadn't met them outside instead of making them walk all the way to his office and back outside where they came from.
A portal had indeed been materialized, the smell coming from said portal was indescribable. Kuwabara clamped his nose with his hand. "What the hell is that smell."
"Smells like home." Hiei looked at Kurama who frowned at the portal.
"I don't know what kind of dumb you come from but any human dump smell better than this shit." Kuwabara tried his best not to gag.
"You'll get used to the smell." Kurama followed Hiei who had already entered.
The piece of land they were teleported to was soggy and cold, the ground protruding the by now familiar smell. They walked through the muddy forest, their feet occasionally getting stuck, forcing them to help each other and move from tree to tree. They had set up camp in the tree tops when the night fell.
"I still don't get how you find this comfortable, Hiei." Kuwabara shifted uncomfortably on his tree branch.
Hiei scoffed back at him, not in the mood to spare any energy for confrontation. Looking down, he saw Kurama had manifested a makeshift hammock by manipulating his energy and radiating it through the vines hanging from the tree.
"Oh come on!" Kuwabara shifted again. "I'll wake up with a sore ass if I sleep in a tree like this."
"That is if you don't fall out." Yusuke snickered, having the same struggles. "Hey Kurama, care sharing?"
Kurama looked up at Yusuke, sighed and increased the flow of his energy, adding more vines to the hammock thus increasing it in size. "How bout you share it with Kuwabara and I'll go annoy Hiei for a change." He looked up at Hiei who's smug smile had disappeared and was replaced by a scowl.
"If you're sure.." Kuwabara hesitated.
"Very sure." Kurama jumped up onto a neighboring tree branch and settled himself there. "I'll be fine here."
Kuwabara and Yusuke hesitantly set foot on the vine constructed hammock. "Feels like a slumber party." Yusuke covered himself with the blacket he took with him. Kuwabara copied him and rolled himself into his own blanket. Kurama and Hiei occupied the branches above the hammock.
The forest was uneasy and the wind blew cold through the still standing trees. Hiei didn't sleep, he was kept awake by the sounds of the forest, their howling winds echoing through the night. Leaves silently fell from the trees causing him to look up in curiosity.
"They're dying."
Hiei inhaled sharply as the voice reached his ears. "Don't you dare scare me like that."
"Caught you off guard I see." Kurama replied softly. "The trees are dying, it seems that whatever is near the mountain of Yami is killing the entire forest. Draining their life energy. I feel it." He eyed Hiei in concern. "Are you still okay with absorbing whatever is doing this?"
"I have to." Hiei answered. "Yusuke and Kuwabara don't have the discipline to keep it contained and I don't want you to get yourself into it, who knows what it might do to a human body like your's."
"Fair point, we're all counting on you." Kurama closed his eyes once more, never drifting off to sleep.
Hiei eyed the trees for a little longer before burying himself into his cloak, shielding himself from the cold of night.
...
"I swear to god if I lose a shoe I'll sue Koenma to get me a new pair." Yusuke pulled his feet out of the mud, almost losing his shoe in the quicksand like ground.
"It should be close by. Uncommon we haven't encountered anyone yet." Hiei commented from above them.
"Can you see anything from up there Hiei?" Kurama asked, visibly exhausted, he hadn't slept well at all, the forest was unease and he felt it.
"No." Hiei replied quickly.
"Kurama, can't you, like, talk to trees or something?" Kuwabara panted. "Being a plant manipulator and all?"
"You said it yourself, I'm a plant manipulator, not a tree whisperer." Kurama turned around to look at him, Kuwabara and Yusuke walked in the back, the trees had refused to carry their weight, the branches collapsing and the trees becoming more rotten the closer they came to the affected area. Kurama looked around and walked towards one of the blackened trees. "I might be able to trace the disruptive source through their roots."
"By talking to trees." Kuwabara pulled his leg out of the mud, allowing him to take another step.
"By manipulating my energy to find our destination." Kurama corrected.
"That's talking to trees." Kuwabara huffed as he finally reached Kurama.
"It's not talking to trees." Kurama shot him an angry glare but sighed as Yusuke chimed in.
"You're talking to trees bud." Yusuke patted his back. "Nothing wrong with it, we're not judging you. We still love you even though you talk to trees."
"Okay sure, I talk to trees." Kurama gave in. "Now let me talk to this tree to ask him where we have to go." Placing his hands upon the hanging tree, he traced it's roots. Upon finding a dead end, a shiver crawled up his spin, making him visibly uncomfortable. The trees seemed to cry, their roots snapping one by one as their life got drained away by the thing, still unseen. It spread itself across the forest like a disease, destroying any life-form it contacted with.
"What'd it say?" Yusuke asked, seeing his unease. Kuwabara took a few steps back to give him space, almost slipping as he did.
He slowly retreated his hands from the collapsing trunk, pointing towards the north-west. "That way, we're close."
We're getting close, Hiei better not cop out on the original plan.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!