Anemone: oo! Kurama's demon brother!
Hiei: it would seem the Kitsune is in need of family counciling...his entire family hates him *snicker*
Kurama: heh, yes...it would seem my demon family does hates me.
Anemone: well, yes and no...I've got a young idea...it may come to pass later.
Kurama: what?
Anemone: not telling...say your line.
Kurama: *sigh* alright...will you tell me as they read?
Hiei: say the blasted line already...
Kurama: alright, alright...calm down, Hiei. Chapter 21, enjoy.
Anemone: there's a good fox-wolf hybrid demon. Now, onward!
Hiei: *deep annoyed sigh, turns to the readers...sarcasm* run, escape while you can...
Chapter 21: Ryooki, a Kitsune's Kin
Hiei stalked silently behind the staggering Kurama, prepared to assist the fox if chance comes to pass that Kurama collapsed. The dragon was fully aware that Kurama had re-opened a deep wound at his stomach, but decided the steadfast Kitsune would pursue the mission without hesitation under the influence of pain. Gradually, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the girls began a slow trudge after the fox, pushing onward towards the darkness spanning mercilessly ahead. Suddenly, a wave of coldness draped over Kuwabara in a silked layer that whipped away nearly instantly, the boy trembling insanely.
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked for the quivering red-head. "What's wrong Kuwabara?" the girls turned to face the shivering boy. Kuwabara was still tainted with slight posion quantities in his bloodstream, the plant having been unable to absorb every bit...perhaps that was the cause of his current plight. Hiei and Kurama merely halted, not a glance thrown over their shoulders for Kuwabara, but awaiting a response.
"You guys..." Kuwabara stuttered, craddling his arms firmly. "I had a feeling...about...about the next cavern..."
"A feeling?" Yukina inquired softly. "What do you mean, Kazuma?"
"The tickle feeling..." Kuwabara breathed hard, a look of confusion tainting Yukina and Keiko's features.
"The tickle feeling?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Don't you only get those wierd chills around ghosts?"
"Not just ghosts, Urimeshi..." Kuwabara's eyes iced straight ahead, piercing into the darkness and staring with fear ahead. "...sometimes around REALLY strong demons..."
"Your father, Kistune?" Hiei clucked his tongue to his teeth, eyeing Kurama. The fox pressed his emerald eyes shut, and sucked a deep inhale to swell his lungs. The scent he picked up was...it was...different, but, not too different, from that of his father. It smelled faintly of the wolf, but...it also had the blood of a fox.
"No..." Kurama breathed softly. "It isn't my father...but, the scent is similar...and also...quite familiar..."
"Well good!" a deep tone racked their senses, a voice foreign to Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Keiko, and Yukina...and yet, a voice that triggered instant Yoko memories within the crimson-maned Kistune. "At least you can tell the difference between pure-breds and mutts."
"Ryooki..." Kurama stuttered faintly, staring deep into the darkness for the figure just ahead...the figure only Hiei and Kurama's eyes could see. Light swelled into the cavern, the hall-like cave rounding wide in opening. As gold flickered against the jagged walls from an instantaneous flame, there stood the demon...the next foe...and Kurama's demon brother.
"It's nice to see you remember me, Yoko," Ryooki smirked. The group, let Kurama, was stunned at the resemblance. Emerald, an emerald to mirror those of Suichi Minamino, decked narrow eyes, eyes not unlike those of the infamous Yoko Kurama. His mane was thick and sleek, a glossed shade of blood red. His face was sharp, maniacal...evil. He and Kurama were blood brothers...Ryooki, the older of the two, having in his demon form possessed the traits of the fox, whereas Kurama, in demon form, had inherited the traits of the wolf. In truth, Ryooki was identical to Yoko Kurama, but the fur was red and the eyes were green. A stunning green that shot daggers in a glance. Though as similar as Ryooki looked to Yoko, it was scary how similar this same demon was to the human Kurama. Ryooki looked as if locked in the everlasting mindset of 18. A bushy mass of red curled to his leg...his fox tail.
"Oh my, Yoko..." Ryooki chuckled faintly. "As a demon, you had always resembled a wolf, and not a fox...but now, as a human, you had taken on our fair mother Jiaanti's traits. And yet I, as a demon, resembled her at birth...interesting, is it not?"
"Hn..." Hiei grunted softly, ready to draw his glossed blade. "Kurama...I'll take him, so you may fight your father..."
"No!" Yusuke seethed lowly, Hiei pricking only slightly to side-glance over his shoulder. "Let me fight...the only reason Kurama's hurt is because he gave up his Spirit Energy to me..."
Kurama pricked. 'He knows I am hurt as well? I assumed only Hiei had noticed...'
"...I wanna make it up to you, Kurama, for lending me all your Spirit Energy...I still have some of my own...let ME fight," Yusuke stared narrow eyes for his fox friend, Kurama still standing with his back to the boy.
"No." Kurama stated flatly, beginning a slow stride towards Ryooki. "No one shall fight Ryooki but me."
"Don't be stupid!" Yusuke wailed. "You're supposed to be the smart one on the team! How can you even consider taking this on when you don't have any energy?!"
"Enough, Detective," Hiei snarled threateningly. Yusuke pricked at the dragon's behavior. "Kurama is indeed the strategist of the group, none of us doubt that...and it is because of his cleverness that he decided upon taking this fight as his own...no one knows Ryooki's methods better than his own brother."
"But..." Yusuke stuttered. "It's been 15 years since you became human, Kurama! 15 years at least since you last saw your brother! What makes you think he hasn't gotten new moves?!"
"Just shows how much you know about Fox Demons, Detective," Hiei side-glanced the boy with a smug look about his calm expression. "Fox's never change their main tricks...they instead grow more sharp-witted as time passes and they age, allowing them to advance their tricks...but they never get new moves...they only tweak them to be helpful and cunning in battle...and since both our friend Kurama and his brother are half fox, this should be a tricky fight, seeing as they never changed their moves, and they should be able to read each other like a book."
"All the more reason for me to go instead of him, Hiei!" Yusuke wailed. "He doesn't know my moves, I can beat him!"
"Have wisdom, Detective," Hiei sighed heavily. "it may be that Kurama fighting is an advantage...because he knows Ryooki's strengths and weaknesses. However, sending you in with that limp gunning arm would have been pointless...not to mention extremely reckless and foolish on our part. Kurama is a ruthless fighter and I think he can stand up to the challenge of sibling rivalry."
Yusuke could do no more than gaze angrily at the dragon...for Hiei was right...as always. With a heavy sigh, Yusuke bit the bullet and faced the battle...Kurama had already stepped up to the depths of the cavern.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Jiaanti," the wolf half-snarled to his mate. "Our sons have met up with each other. Which do you think will win?"
"How dare you allow our own children to duel like this!" the she-fox wailed in anger. "How can you even think to do this?!"
"Because Kurama is no longer our son, my dear..." he smirked. "But Ryooki is...do you not wish to root for Ryooki?"
"No! I shall not choose between my pups!" Jiaanti snarled, rushing away from her mate's cavern. Shadows hid her figure as she sped further and further into the depths of the Kyorgin Caves, her breaths sharp. In one lighting, her form was visible.
Jiaanti was a marvel of looks. Her hair was a sleek-silk mane of blood and silver, each shade shimmering in massive ripples. Her ears crowned the top of her head, little fox ears each deep scarlet with a lick of white to the tip. Her eyes were narrow, each the faceted shade of emerald that decked Kurama's human countenance. Her face was slender and flawless, the picture of loveliness. Crimson lips tugged in a concerned, tired frown, and scarlet smears of eyebrows sagged in dread. About her slender figure was an Irish-Celtic gown of velvet, rich, deep green, leaving her shoulders bare and her hands covered, let her exposed fingers. She was flawless in every way, the definition of beauty. To top off her loveliness, was her bushy fox tail, deep scarlet and tipped with a lick of white. Jiaanti, mother of Kurama.
"I must help Kurama...his father is mad."
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Anemone: coolios!!
Kurama: indeed, you put my mother in! Thank you, Mones.
Hiei: well, I suppose I take back what I said before...your ENTIRE family doesn't hate you...just everyone but your mother.
Kurama: *to Anemone* is that the idea you proposed earlier?
Anemone: yup.
Kurama: I like it.
Hiei: your never critical of anyone, Red...Mones, is this the last family member? Please don't tell me your going to add his long-lost sister or anything...
Anemone: oo! A sister...interesting idea, Flames...I might have to consider it...
Hiei: gah?! No! I was saying don't do that!
Anemone: lalalalala can't hear you lalalalala thinking about the new idea you gave me lalalalala...
Hiei: ugh, dammit!
Kurama: ahem...please review, readers. Thank you.
Hiei: it would seem the Kitsune is in need of family counciling...his entire family hates him *snicker*
Kurama: heh, yes...it would seem my demon family does hates me.
Anemone: well, yes and no...I've got a young idea...it may come to pass later.
Kurama: what?
Anemone: not telling...say your line.
Kurama: *sigh* alright...will you tell me as they read?
Hiei: say the blasted line already...
Kurama: alright, alright...calm down, Hiei. Chapter 21, enjoy.
Anemone: there's a good fox-wolf hybrid demon. Now, onward!
Hiei: *deep annoyed sigh, turns to the readers...sarcasm* run, escape while you can...
Chapter 21: Ryooki, a Kitsune's Kin
Hiei stalked silently behind the staggering Kurama, prepared to assist the fox if chance comes to pass that Kurama collapsed. The dragon was fully aware that Kurama had re-opened a deep wound at his stomach, but decided the steadfast Kitsune would pursue the mission without hesitation under the influence of pain. Gradually, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the girls began a slow trudge after the fox, pushing onward towards the darkness spanning mercilessly ahead. Suddenly, a wave of coldness draped over Kuwabara in a silked layer that whipped away nearly instantly, the boy trembling insanely.
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked for the quivering red-head. "What's wrong Kuwabara?" the girls turned to face the shivering boy. Kuwabara was still tainted with slight posion quantities in his bloodstream, the plant having been unable to absorb every bit...perhaps that was the cause of his current plight. Hiei and Kurama merely halted, not a glance thrown over their shoulders for Kuwabara, but awaiting a response.
"You guys..." Kuwabara stuttered, craddling his arms firmly. "I had a feeling...about...about the next cavern..."
"A feeling?" Yukina inquired softly. "What do you mean, Kazuma?"
"The tickle feeling..." Kuwabara breathed hard, a look of confusion tainting Yukina and Keiko's features.
"The tickle feeling?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Don't you only get those wierd chills around ghosts?"
"Not just ghosts, Urimeshi..." Kuwabara's eyes iced straight ahead, piercing into the darkness and staring with fear ahead. "...sometimes around REALLY strong demons..."
"Your father, Kistune?" Hiei clucked his tongue to his teeth, eyeing Kurama. The fox pressed his emerald eyes shut, and sucked a deep inhale to swell his lungs. The scent he picked up was...it was...different, but, not too different, from that of his father. It smelled faintly of the wolf, but...it also had the blood of a fox.
"No..." Kurama breathed softly. "It isn't my father...but, the scent is similar...and also...quite familiar..."
"Well good!" a deep tone racked their senses, a voice foreign to Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Keiko, and Yukina...and yet, a voice that triggered instant Yoko memories within the crimson-maned Kistune. "At least you can tell the difference between pure-breds and mutts."
"Ryooki..." Kurama stuttered faintly, staring deep into the darkness for the figure just ahead...the figure only Hiei and Kurama's eyes could see. Light swelled into the cavern, the hall-like cave rounding wide in opening. As gold flickered against the jagged walls from an instantaneous flame, there stood the demon...the next foe...and Kurama's demon brother.
"It's nice to see you remember me, Yoko," Ryooki smirked. The group, let Kurama, was stunned at the resemblance. Emerald, an emerald to mirror those of Suichi Minamino, decked narrow eyes, eyes not unlike those of the infamous Yoko Kurama. His mane was thick and sleek, a glossed shade of blood red. His face was sharp, maniacal...evil. He and Kurama were blood brothers...Ryooki, the older of the two, having in his demon form possessed the traits of the fox, whereas Kurama, in demon form, had inherited the traits of the wolf. In truth, Ryooki was identical to Yoko Kurama, but the fur was red and the eyes were green. A stunning green that shot daggers in a glance. Though as similar as Ryooki looked to Yoko, it was scary how similar this same demon was to the human Kurama. Ryooki looked as if locked in the everlasting mindset of 18. A bushy mass of red curled to his leg...his fox tail.
"Oh my, Yoko..." Ryooki chuckled faintly. "As a demon, you had always resembled a wolf, and not a fox...but now, as a human, you had taken on our fair mother Jiaanti's traits. And yet I, as a demon, resembled her at birth...interesting, is it not?"
"Hn..." Hiei grunted softly, ready to draw his glossed blade. "Kurama...I'll take him, so you may fight your father..."
"No!" Yusuke seethed lowly, Hiei pricking only slightly to side-glance over his shoulder. "Let me fight...the only reason Kurama's hurt is because he gave up his Spirit Energy to me..."
Kurama pricked. 'He knows I am hurt as well? I assumed only Hiei had noticed...'
"...I wanna make it up to you, Kurama, for lending me all your Spirit Energy...I still have some of my own...let ME fight," Yusuke stared narrow eyes for his fox friend, Kurama still standing with his back to the boy.
"No." Kurama stated flatly, beginning a slow stride towards Ryooki. "No one shall fight Ryooki but me."
"Don't be stupid!" Yusuke wailed. "You're supposed to be the smart one on the team! How can you even consider taking this on when you don't have any energy?!"
"Enough, Detective," Hiei snarled threateningly. Yusuke pricked at the dragon's behavior. "Kurama is indeed the strategist of the group, none of us doubt that...and it is because of his cleverness that he decided upon taking this fight as his own...no one knows Ryooki's methods better than his own brother."
"But..." Yusuke stuttered. "It's been 15 years since you became human, Kurama! 15 years at least since you last saw your brother! What makes you think he hasn't gotten new moves?!"
"Just shows how much you know about Fox Demons, Detective," Hiei side-glanced the boy with a smug look about his calm expression. "Fox's never change their main tricks...they instead grow more sharp-witted as time passes and they age, allowing them to advance their tricks...but they never get new moves...they only tweak them to be helpful and cunning in battle...and since both our friend Kurama and his brother are half fox, this should be a tricky fight, seeing as they never changed their moves, and they should be able to read each other like a book."
"All the more reason for me to go instead of him, Hiei!" Yusuke wailed. "He doesn't know my moves, I can beat him!"
"Have wisdom, Detective," Hiei sighed heavily. "it may be that Kurama fighting is an advantage...because he knows Ryooki's strengths and weaknesses. However, sending you in with that limp gunning arm would have been pointless...not to mention extremely reckless and foolish on our part. Kurama is a ruthless fighter and I think he can stand up to the challenge of sibling rivalry."
Yusuke could do no more than gaze angrily at the dragon...for Hiei was right...as always. With a heavy sigh, Yusuke bit the bullet and faced the battle...Kurama had already stepped up to the depths of the cavern.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
"Jiaanti," the wolf half-snarled to his mate. "Our sons have met up with each other. Which do you think will win?"
"How dare you allow our own children to duel like this!" the she-fox wailed in anger. "How can you even think to do this?!"
"Because Kurama is no longer our son, my dear..." he smirked. "But Ryooki is...do you not wish to root for Ryooki?"
"No! I shall not choose between my pups!" Jiaanti snarled, rushing away from her mate's cavern. Shadows hid her figure as she sped further and further into the depths of the Kyorgin Caves, her breaths sharp. In one lighting, her form was visible.
Jiaanti was a marvel of looks. Her hair was a sleek-silk mane of blood and silver, each shade shimmering in massive ripples. Her ears crowned the top of her head, little fox ears each deep scarlet with a lick of white to the tip. Her eyes were narrow, each the faceted shade of emerald that decked Kurama's human countenance. Her face was slender and flawless, the picture of loveliness. Crimson lips tugged in a concerned, tired frown, and scarlet smears of eyebrows sagged in dread. About her slender figure was an Irish-Celtic gown of velvet, rich, deep green, leaving her shoulders bare and her hands covered, let her exposed fingers. She was flawless in every way, the definition of beauty. To top off her loveliness, was her bushy fox tail, deep scarlet and tipped with a lick of white. Jiaanti, mother of Kurama.
"I must help Kurama...his father is mad."
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Anemone: coolios!!
Kurama: indeed, you put my mother in! Thank you, Mones.
Hiei: well, I suppose I take back what I said before...your ENTIRE family doesn't hate you...just everyone but your mother.
Kurama: *to Anemone* is that the idea you proposed earlier?
Anemone: yup.
Kurama: I like it.
Hiei: your never critical of anyone, Red...Mones, is this the last family member? Please don't tell me your going to add his long-lost sister or anything...
Anemone: oo! A sister...interesting idea, Flames...I might have to consider it...
Hiei: gah?! No! I was saying don't do that!
Anemone: lalalalala can't hear you lalalalala thinking about the new idea you gave me lalalalala...
Hiei: ugh, dammit!
Kurama: ahem...please review, readers. Thank you.