Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.
OK, I have a new chapter. I'm thinking it's starting to sway, but I threw a few things in to shake it up. It's gonna start winding down, now. I think I'll end the story at like chapter seven or eight, because I'm running out of ideas. But, if I come up with something brilliant, I'll continue. Who knows?
Have fun with this one!
~*~~~*~
Chapter 5: Gone, Body and Soul
Hiei had finally stopped jumping. Koenma attacked again. He decided that, Hiei being the stronger of the two, Kurama could sit out on this mission. The chances of their defeating the monster was cut in almost half, but Koenma decided he needed to deal with that, rather than neither Hiei nor Kurama.
*Will you join them?* Kurama asked Hiei.
*No.*
*Kurama won't be there.*
*I don't care.*
*Yusuke needs you to be there.* Hiei scowled at Koenma. Hiei had a deep seated respect for Yusuke, and Koenma knew it. Hiei could not put Yusuke at risk, when Hiei could take away from that risk. Hiei had to help. Even if Kurama was there, Hiei would have helped, but there was no use telling Koenma that. Koenma would just make Kurama go, too, and Hiei did not want that.
*Fine.*
*You'll go to their school tomorrow.*
*Fine.*
*Go to Yusuke now. He will tell you what he found, so far.* With that, Hiei disappeared again. He started for Yusuke's house.
~*~~~*~
Dawn broke. Hiei got up with the sun. He never had done that before. His sleep pattern always had him wake up before the sun. He tried to remember what happened the night before, why he would be waking up so late. He remembered sitting near Kuwabara, listening to Yusuke tell what they had found so far, with the boy and the Degenerator. Then, he remembered, he had gone to Kurama's. He went to the tree, and sat. How long, Hiei did not remember, just that he watched the youko sleep. Hiei longingly watched the boy toss and turn in his sleep, dreaming about something. Hiei knew what he had been dreaming about. Not only did Kurama whisper out part of it, but Hiei could read Kurama's ki. Kurama dreamt of Hiei, and all Hiei wanted to do was be beside his fox, and settle the bad dreams. Hiei left to go to his own bed, only when he heard Kurama begin to sob his name. It was more that Hiei could handle. Kurama had never been that way. He was a ruthless killer in his prime, and now he was a… human. Kurama had changed so much, since they became friends with Yusuke, but never like this. "It's my fault." Hiei realized. He had ruined Kurama's life, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Hiei followed the boys in school the next day. It was going to be Hiei's job to hold the suspect while either Yusuke or Kuwabara questioned each one, to determine who was to blame. The actual plan was to attack the person, mention the word Degenerator, and see who went ballistic on them. They figured the plan would work as much, since Kuwabara and Yusuke were already known for being bullies. Hiei thought the plan was dumb, but it wasn't his problem, so he just went along with it. He was worried about Kurama, and didn't want to have to be in charge of anything, to further complicate things in his mind. Hiei could fight and kill a simple monster while planning out dinner, but putting Yusuke's life in his hands while he planned an operation would take more brain power. For one of the first times in his life, Hiei enjoyed being a lackey.
~*~~~*~
"So, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yukina, Kayko, and Hiei don't need me anymore." Kurama thought, as Botan told him that Koenma decided they didn't need him anymore, since Hiei decided to help. Kurama wasn't needed, to help prevent the end of the worlds. He would just get in the way. "I'm not even a threat to anyone anymore. I'm not even classified as a fighter. I'm just some beautiful boy, obsessed with flowers." Who cares what he did in his past, or that his Rose Whip could cut through anything, or that he was a famous thief, or anything. didn't anyone remember why Hiei chose him as a partner in the first place? "He was too scared to fight me!!" Kurama was very hurt, that no one thought his strength was good enough. "I'm just not good enough for anyone." Kurama closed his suitcase. He looked one last time at the letter he wrote to Shiori, signed by her Shuuichi, telling her why he had to go. He had to get Yusuke and Kuwabara and everyone out of his mind. He would go to the other side of Japan. He didn't need any money for the train, he could steal it. He was a famous thief, and who would blame the beautiful boy? He would be out of everyone's hair, and no one would have to worry about him anymore, not like they did. "I'm being unfair to Shiori. I wish I could stay, but I can't be around anyone anymore. Especially not… Hiei…" Kurama looked one last time at the letter, and decided to put a rose on it, to hold it in place. He placed a red rose "the color of my hair and they eyes of… wow, major déjà vu" smiling, he left his room.
The famous thief stole enough money to get him as far away from where he was as he wished. He boarded the train and promptly fell asleep. He had been having trouble sleeping at night. "I can't believe I'm actually leaving them."
~*~~~*~
*DIE!!!!!* "I guess we found the monster." Yusuke thought, as Arami, the boy that Kuwabara had been following, attacked. Hiei laughed, as he pulled out his katana, and ran at the boy with the Degenerator. Kuwabara jumped in front of Hiei, though, and Hiei had to cut his running off short.
*Baka! Get out of my way!* Hiei shouted, as he slipped and tumbled over. Kuwabara, having his attention distracted, was punched in the face and stomach at the same time. Arami pushed Kuwabara's body at Yusuke's, and they both tumbled to the ground. Hiei stood up, and began to stare Arami down.
*You thought you could bring down the walls to the world, ne?* Hiei mocked Arami, as the monster began to form out of his school boy look, and into an intense-looking monster with four eyes and a giant set of teeth. The monster gained about a foot in all directions, and the small Hiei stood, calm and collected, mocking it.
*Maybe you shouldn't mock the big monster.* Yusuke warned, getting up.
*Stay where you are, fool. I have this one.* Hiei shot at Yusuke, forcing him back to the ground with a look. Hiei stood tall, still barely reaching the monster's stomach, and began to shed his shirt. Looking at him, the Arami-monster began to laugh.
*Stupid fire demon. Do you really think you can defeat me?*
*I will defeat you.* With his katana in one hand, he removed the barrier around his jagan with the other, and stood, his three eyes boring into Arami's four.
*Arami's gonna eat the shrimp.* Kuwabara said, dead serious, followed by a slap by Yusuke.
*Shut it! Hiei is more powerful than anything you've ever seen!*
*Well, Arami, are you ready to see how to make a sandwich?* Hiei asked.
*Wha-* Hiei attacked.
~*~~~*~
*Shuuichi! Are you home?* Shiori asked, as she opened her son's bedroom door. *Shuu-chan! Where are you?* Shiori wandered through his room, absent-mindedly looking for her son next to his bed, under his desk, and in all the irrational places to keep a boy. Her eyes fell to his desk, where a rose and a paper lay. She saw her name on the paper. Looking around sheepishly, she picked up her son's paper. Scanning it quickly, she let out a gasp, followed by a scream. *Shuuichi!!!!!!* her body slumped to the floor.
~*~~~*~
*Koenma, sir!* Botan ran into Koenma's office.
*Not now! Hiei is fighting the monster with the Degenerator. I need to see how this works out. Come back when they're through!*
*Koenma, sir. This is rather important.*
*Dammit, Botan, didn't you hear what I said?*
*Koenma, sir… Kurama is gone.*
*What do you mean, gone?*
*He left his house, leaving a note to his mother. I have a copy here. It says,
'Dear Shiori. I have to go. I have things I need to do. My friends don't think I'm useful anymore. I need to find some use in this world. I cannot stay here anymore, around them. Mom, I found love, and it left me. I am just so hurt right now. I'm sorry to do this to you. I love you more than you will ever know. They just don't know what they did to me, when they decided not to involve me anymore. I used to be praised in their eyes, and now I'm left on the cutting room floor. I have to find my place, or I will never be happy. I will find you again, one day. My life will never be complete until I can have you in it again. Just, right now, I need to find me. Love, Shuuichi.'
He took no money, and did not tell anyone where he went. I believe it is because of Hiei and him, and that you decided to ask Hiei to help, in exchange for not getting him to fight.*
*Botan, we made a mistake.*
*Koenma, sir, what are we going to do?*
*Send out people. Look for him, find him. Look in all three worlds. Everywhere. It's important we find him. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kayko, and Yukina will not stand for his being missing. Not to mention Hiei, he'll disappear until he finds Kurama, no matter what kind of fight they're in. We need to find Kurama before anyone notices he's gone.*
~*~~~*~
Kurama got off the train, with a very bad feeling in his stomach. He knew what he was doing was wrong. Now, on the other side of the country, he understood that no one hated him. He realized it was too late, though. He still needed to find himself. He needed to get a job, and work, to earn money. Of course, he could steal everything he needed in a blink, but he felt that getting a job would look better. But, who would hire a fifteen-year-old boy?
Kurama couldn't even rent an apartment. He was feeling very down on his luck. He wandered mindlessly through town. "I wonder where Hiei is right now". Kurama settled down in a nice restaurant, and ordered some food. He thought, pleasantly about his little fire demon, and what he could be doing right now. "Saving Yusuke and Kuwabara, no doubt." Kurama smiled, as the waiter brought his food, and he began to eat.
~*~~~*~
Hiei cut towards Arami, quicker than Yusuke could blink his eyes. Arami, also quicker than anyone could blink their eyes simply stepped back. He laughed at Hiei, which only made Hiei more angry. Dashing at Arami over and over again, Hiei lost his patience very soon. He began making random slices, attempting to throw Arami off balance for just a second. It proved only the opposite. Hiei slipped, over the pavement, and tumbled into a roll. Hiei caught himself very soon, but as he recovered, he found that he no longer had his katana. Arami had grabbed it from him.
*Goodbye.* Arami smiled, as he plunged Hiei's own Katana into Hiei's chest. Hiei felt the blade enter his skin and exit through his back, damaging every organ and bone in it's way. Hiei gasped, as he slumped to the ground. Blood spurted from his mouth and his wound.
*Hiei!!!* Kuwabara and Yusuke yelled, as they jumped into battle. They circled Arami, and Kuwabara was able to grab his arms. Yusuke began punching Arami over and over again, tears streaming down his eyes. Hiei began gurgling out incoherent words, as the blood mixed with his saliva and he began choking. His mind fuzzily leapt from thought to thought, ending on Kurama. Flashes of the red headed kitsune flashed in his mind, as he hazily slipped in and out of consciousness. Vaguely, he heard people yelling his name, but it was too foggy to distinguish who it was.
~*~~~*~
OK, I know this was kind of a short post. They're normally five pages, but this was only four. It's pretty good, right? Just tell me if I'm getting stupid. I normally get stupid after the first coupla chapters. I think it's getting stupid.