Yay! I have reviews...err...more reviews! And I feel loved! And so does Kaeru, and Rei, and etc...even Kuronue, although you know he won't admit it. -.-
Kuronue: There's nothing to admit...
Kia: *rolls her eyes* See? Because she mentioned this fic and because she's a great person, I am recommending Hanyou Lothuial's Kokitsune series...^^ she's on her third book right now, and it's REALLY good! And this chapter is dedicated to her! ^^;; I'm so mean to poor Kuro-kun, but...let's see. Last chapter, Kuronue pissed off Kia and Kelsey with his "heat" question, and ended up running into the very Koorime he's supposed to protect...only problem is, she's TERRIFIED of him. I don't make this easy, do I? ^^ Let's see if things will change.
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"...You want me to teach you how to bake a cake?" Mizu raised a thin eyebrow, blinking at the chimera. "WHY?"
Kuronue shifted, looking uncomfortable, and played with his arm straps, avoiding the kitsune's gaze. "Because there's nothing better to do?"
"Aren't you supposed to be watching Kaeru?" Kia asked, sitting on a kitchen chair the wrong way and resting her chin on her hands, which were placed on the top. "I mean, isn't that the main reason why you're here?"
The chimera glared at the brunette, who gazed back at him calmly. "It's a little hard to watch someone when she hates you, in case you haven't noticed!"
"That's right," Kelsey realized, plopping down in another chair by the kitchen table. "She's frozen you...how many times now in the past three days?"
"Nine," he said stiffly.
Jin began to count them on his fingers. He, Suzuki, Rinku, and Shishiwakamaru were also in the kitchen, rummaging for edibles in the cupboards and refrigerators. Chuu, Zyoshi, Touya and Hiei were at Suzuki's house, preferring to stay there. Rei was off somewhere, and Yusuke had gone off to catch Kuwabara up on the news. Chitsuko and Kurama were somewhere in the house, doing who-knew-what, and Kaeru was in her room. As always.
"There was the time you snuck up behind her..."
"I did not!" Kuronue protested.
"The time you tapped her on the shoulder..."
"Freezing me for TOUCHING her! Geez..."
"The time you asked why she freaked out when she's called Snowdrop...when you asked if Koorime took males as sex slaves...when you asked if Koorime wore bras...when you told Rei that Kaeru'd make a perfect mate for Axe...when you asked her if she froze every male she met...when you tried to ruffle her hair...and when you asked if she had gone into heat yet!" Jin finished triumphantly, grinning.
Kia groaned. "AGAIN with the heat thing, Kuronue?"
"Can't you give it a rest?" Kelsey snapped. "NONE of us are going into heat!"
Shishiwakamaru coughed and Suzuki choked on his bowl of rice. "Uh...thanks for the update, Kelsey...please be sure to let the rest of us know when you DO decide to go into heat, okay?"
A split second later, Suzuki's bowl was upended over his head, the grains scattering all over his face, and Kelsey was grinning maliciously.
Mizu rolled her eyes. "Cake?" she reminded Kuronue, who was scowling at everyone. "I was about to make strawberry shortcake..."
Rinku perked up. "Cake?? I think there's jam in here..."
"Shouldn't we ask Kurama first?" Kia wondered. "Or Shiori? This IS their house..."
"Not to worry!" the blue-eyed kitsune said cheerfully, grabbing a large white bag and setting it on the counter. "I bought everything! There's jam, the cake mix, eggs, milk, oil..." She started pulling things out of the afore-mentioned bag and handed them to Kuronue, one by one. The chimera looked somewhat confused, but both Kia and Kelsey took pity on him. The blonde pulled out a bowl from under the sink, and started putting ingredients in, while Kia explained what each one was and what it was used for.
The other males watched, struggling to keep straight faces. Unfortunately, Suzuki let out a guffaw when Kuronue attempted to crack an egg by smashing it a little too vigorously on the countertop.
Mizu directed an icy glare at the blonde martial artist and tossed him a sponge. "Get that smirk off your face, O Beautiful Suzuki, and clean the egg off."
"Why do I have to do it??" He whined, catching it and reluctantly approaching the mess.
"Because you're you." Kelsey fired off that cryptic remark, before handing the mixer to Kuronue. "Now, remember, don't turn it on until the beaters are IN the-" She spoke too late. The chimera had already pressed the power button and was lowering it into the bowl...which was a mistake. Egg, milk, and cake mix went flying around the kitchen, sparing no one.
"TURN...IT...OFF!" Shishiwakamaru yelled over the whirring of the beaters and the startled yelps of the others.
"Please??" Rinku added tearfully, now cowering, having taken refuge under the table with Kelsey.
"I'm...trying!" Kuronue growled, struggling with the switch, and, in a bad case of fumbling fingers, missing the button and instead pressing the one that said "HIGH". The mixer jerked out of his hands, smashing into the jar of strawberry jam, and sending it flying, where it hit the ceiling and shattered, sending glass shards and strawberry jam raining down. Jin grabbed Kia, pulling her to him and hunching over to protect her from getting cut, and Shishiwakamaru joined Kelsey and Rinku under the table. Mizu and Suzuki were trying to fit inside a cabinet, and poor Kuronue just stood there, bewildered by all the chaos.
Chitsuko and Kurama picked this time to wander into the kitchen...and immediately ducked, Kurama doing the same thing as Jin, in order to protect Chitsuko.
"What's going on??" the golden-haired girl cried, stunned by the mess. A splatter of jam landed on her head, and Kurama's mouth twitched at the sight. A second later, he burst out laughing...causing Chitsuko to scowl and scoop some jam off the floor, hurling it at the Youko. It hit his face with a squish. Now grinning, Kurama followed her example and tossed some at Jin. And the fight was underway. Rinku had enough courage to crawl out and was soon splattered in egg yolk and jam. At one point, Rei wandered in, took one look, and was soon running back out, screaming, "The strawberries have attacked!! SAVE YOURSELVES BEFORE THE APPLES REVOLT TOO!" Nobody paid her much mind.
But it was the next arrival that changed things. The atmosphere in the kitchen was loud, with even Kuronue getting into the spirit of the food fight. So no one heard the almost-silent creak of the kitchen door...but EVERYONE noticed when the bowl of batter was swept off the counter by one of Suzuki's flailing arms, sailing into the air, and settling over the head of the unfortunate, unsuspecting victim, cake batter slowly oozing downwards.
Chitsuko and Kia gasped in unison, the latter covering her mouth with sticky hands. Jin, Suzuki, Shishiwakamaru and Rinku were all slack-jawed. Kelsey and Mizu exchanged worried glances, Kurama looked concerned, and Kuronue was horrified.
Kaeru slowly put her hands up, grasping the bowl and removing it from her head. The petite Koorime was covered from head to toe in jam, cake batter, and basically everything else. Her sea-green bangs were plastered to her forehead and her ponytail was dripping creamy batter. She didn't move for a moment, ruby eyes wide and expressing her surprise.
"Kaeru..." Kuronue's voice squeaked slightly and he coughed, clearing it to its former masculinity. "I'm SO sorry..."
"This will make number ten," Jin whispered to Rinku, who nodded numbly.
Suddenly, Kaeru did something that no one in the room was prepared for.
She started to giggle.
Jin's jaw, if anything, dropped even more. "Is she...LAUGHING?"
Kia patted him under his chin, closing his mouth. "Stop gaping. You look like a fish."
"Gee, thanks," the Wind Master muttered, grabbing her in a hug from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him.
"The perfect pair," Suzuki quipped. "Still in love, even when both are covered in cake batter."
Mizu shook her head, turning towards the Koorime. "Mou, Kaeru, daijoubu?"
Kaeru nodded, trying to stifle her mirth. "I don't think I've ever been attacked by a bowl before..."
Jin chuckled. "Believe me, lass, it hurts a lot less than a cookie sheet."
Kia gave him a warning glare. He shut up, winking at the Ice Maiden when the Mirror Holder wasn't looking.
"I believe..." Kurama said quietly. "We need a visit to the hot springs."
"...Does it have to be separate?" Rei poked her head into the kitchen. "Why not coed?"
"Rei..." Kelsey stared at her oddly. "Are you INSANE?! PEOPLE GO NAKED IN THOSE PLACES!!"
"I'm sure Shishi won't mind," Suzuki muttered under his breath. Shishiwakamaru glared at him, and Kelsey rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, and Kurama and Jin won't mind either...or Kuronue."
The three accused shifted, looking everywhere but at Chitsuko, Kia, and all of the girls.
Chitsuko smiled. "There's always bathing suits..."
***
"Cake batter really seems to like you, Kaeru!" Kia seemed perplexed as she held the Koorime down firmly, scrubbing at her hair with a handful of scented shampoo.
"Gomen," Kaeru said sheepishly, wincing as the Mirror Holder kept scrubbing, making her scalp tingle sharply.
"Don't apologize! It wasn't your fault that Suzuki's a klutz!" Mizu grinned, wringing out her silvery hair and handing a comb to Chitsuko, who was attempting to finger-comb the tangles out of her own golden hair. The hanyou smiled gratefully and got back to work.
Kelsey laughed. "Did you see the look on Kuronue's face? He was mortified..."
The smile on Kaeru's face slowly faded and she stared at the heated water, watching the steam rise off the surface.
Kia lifted her hands, dunking them in the water to rinse them, looking at the Ice Maiden in concern. "Gomen, Kaeru, did I scrub too hard?" Her own hair had been detangled while everyone else had been washing and she had volunteered to help the Koorime, who was the messiest of the five girls, with her batter-covered tresses.
"No, of course not, Kia-san!" Kaeru said immediately.
"...It's Kuronue, isn't it?" Chitsuko said gently. When the little Maiden frowned, she laid a hand on her shoulder. "Why does he scare you so much?"
"He's a thief..." was the mumbled reply. "And he makes strange remarks."
Kelsey coughed, mouthing the word "heat" to Kia, who grinned. "I know what you mean."
"And...he's scary..." Poor Kaeru was now sinking down into the water.
"Scary? Kuronue?" Mizu snorted. "FRUIT BATS are scarier."
"You're not used to males being so close, are you?" Chitsuko asked sympathetically. Kaeru nodded silently. "Don't worry. None of the guys will hurt you...they're harmless...annoying as hell, but harmless."
"I HEARD THAT!" Shishiwakamaru yelled indignantly from the other side of the wall that separated the men's and women's sides.
Kelsey rolled her eyes. "If you weren't EAVESDROPPING, you WOULDN'T HAVE!" She yelled back.
"We're not!" Rinku yelped. "You guys...girls...are just really loud!!"
Kia raised an eyebrow, picking up a bar of soap and chucking it over the wall, listening to the pained protest from the other side with satisfaction. "That better? I have more..."
"...No more...I don't think my poor head can take it."
"Oops..." the brunette blinked. "Gomen, Jin!!"
"No, really, throw more," Kuronue called. "Aim for Shishi this time."
Mizu coughed. "Don't make us come over there."
There was a stunned silence from the men's side.
"...NAKED?" Suzuki said at last.
Kurama coughed. "Suzuki, please..."
"Like YOU'D mind, Fox!" The blonde shot back. "Your girlfriend's over there too!"
"...Hey, Kit, I had no idea you could turn the color of your hair..." Kuronue sounded amused.
"You're gonna come over here naked?" Rinku piped. He soon ducked as bars of soap and other projectiles came whizzing over the wall, most of them scoring on the hapless males.
"In your DREAMS!" Kelsey snapped.
"Not even then!" Kia added, which got a giggle from Kaeru.
"Then we'll just have to send someone over to YOU!" There was a grunt and a startled cry, and then Kuronue came sailing towards the girls, wrapping his black leathery wings around himself as he hit the water with a tremendous splash. When he surfaced, all five were watching him...and then there was a chorus of piercing screams and the poor chimera was almost drowned.
***
"...You are truly a baka," Hiei informed Kuronue, seated on Kurama's couch with his katana resting on his lap. Rei had said that the Jaganshi had been sitting there ever since he had arrived...about ten minutes after the group had departed for the hot springs.
"You don't have to keep saying that," the bat demon growled, rubbing his head.
"What is it that you wanted, Hiei?" Kurama asked patiently, looking down at the fire youkai.
"Where's Kaeru?" He replied, answering the inquiry with one of his own.
"To her room," Chitsuko replied, sitting down beside him. "She's exhausted, and I think the whole Kuronue incident frightened her..."
Kelsey smirked. "Frightened me too."
"Hn." Hiei folded his arms. "I needed to talk to her about Zenkai..."
"YOU know about this guy too?" Kia looked over at him, surprised.
"Of course." Hiei gave her his famous "Don't-be-a-baka-ningen" Look. "He's a Koorime hunter. What his reasons are, no one knows, only that he seems convinced that one betrayed him and they all need to die. He won't hesitate to kill ANY Koorime, but his main target seems to be Kaeru...she's always managed to escape him."
"Sneaky little thing," Rei remarked.
"LUCKY little thing," Hiei corrected. "And, apparently, she holds the key to something that Zenkai doesn't want discovered...so he'll kill her as soon as possible."
"Do you know what he looks like?" Jin asked.
"...No. No one's seen Zenkai and lived to tell of it...even Kaeru hasn't seen him, from what I've heard...so she's fleeing a faceless enemy."
Kuronue sighed. "And I'm the idiotic bastard who got stuck baby-sitting her..."
Mizu blinked. "She's not a baby, Kuro..."
Suzuki smirked. "Yeah, he saw today...she definitely doesn't have the body..."
The kitsune glared at him, smacking him on the head. "Stop that, you pervert!"
"Didn't see nothin'," the chimera grumbled. "I was too busy trying to breathe underwater."
Chitsuko sighed, stretching slightly and glancing at the clock over the mantelpiece. "It's getting late...I'll see you all tomorrow..."
"She has a point..." Kia yawned. "Suzuki, can we head back to your house now?"
"By all means." The blonde youkai started shooing his house-guests toward the door, waving to Kurama as they all exited. The Youko waved back, and then he, Kuronue, and Chitsuko retired for the night...or so the chimera thought.
***Dream***
"'Kaasan, waaaaait!" Her mother was going too fast, dragging her through the whirling snow. She whimpered, stumbling and falling face-first into the cold whiteness.
Kazuko hesitated, her turquoise hair flapping as the wind picked up. She scooped up her tiny daughter, smoothing her hair down. "Hush, Kaeru...he'll hear you..."
The little Koorime's forehead wrinkled in frustration. "WHO'll hear..."
"Zenkai," her mother said tersely, looking down at the four-year-old and setting her on her feet. "Don't say anything else..."
"Ah, Kazuko...I fear it is too late for that." A tall shadow loomed over them, and Kaeru gave a small squeak, ducking behind her mother and clutching her kimono tightly in a chubby fist. "And this must be your daughter...you should be proud, she looks just like you..."
"Stay away from her!" Kazuko spat, and Kaeru was surprised to hear a harsh, bitter tone in the Ice Maiden's voice that she had never heard before.
The shadow chuckled. "Oh, no...not this time...none shall escape...and especially not you...and your daughter..." It stretched a cloaked arm, reaching for the Koorime child.
With a growl of rage, Kazuko hurled herself at Zenkai, knocking him back. "I said, STAY AWAY!" To Kaeru's horror, the two became locked in a desperate fight, which ended rather quickly...with a hole in her mother's chest.
"Okaasan...Okaasan!!" Kaeru crawled over to the dying Kazuko, placing her tiny hands on the wound and trying to heal it.
"Iie...No, Kaeru..." The Ice Maiden shook her head slowly, wincing. "Even if you had the skills and the power, it's too late for me..."
"No, no..." Tears began to form in Kaeru's eyes. Kazuko smiled tiredly, lifting her hand slowly to brush them away.
"Listen to me carefully, Kaeru...I want you to stay alive. You must, it's essential!" Her voice trembled, then steadied, becoming firm. "You're part of a great destiny, and Zenkai will NOT kill you...now, go..." Ignoring her daughter's stunned gasp, she rose to her feet, swaying slightly, and faced the shadow.
"You're a fool, Kazuko..."
"Okaasan-"
"GO!" She gave Kaeru a shove, watching the child run as fast as her little legs could carry her. Then she turned back to Zenkai. "Never...not her, ever..."
Kaeru gave a pained cry as she fell, her ankle twisting, dropping to the ground. There was a flash, and the Koorime closed her eyes tightly against the pain and the brightness of the light. If only she could have covered her ears as well...for the most horrible, agonized, pain-filled scream ripped through the air, followed by a high-pitched laugh. The little Maiden struggled to her feet, limping away from the scene, although her heart was breaking. The scream continued, and then slowly died down...and Kaeru turned. She'd regret it for the rest of her life.
Zenkai stood there, his arm protruding through Kazuko's back. The older Koorime slowly dropped to her knees, blood spilling and quickly staining the snow crimson, eyes dull and lifeless.
Another scream split the air...it took awhile for Kaeru to realize it was her own.
"'KAAAAAAASAAAAANNNNNNNN!!"
***
Kuronue was in the middle of a deep sleep, curled up on the floor of one of Kurama's guest rooms (he didn't like the bed too much), when something in his senses prickled, rousing the chimera. He blinked sleepy indigo eyes, propping himself up with his hand, and looking around, ears twitching as he tried to puzzle out what had woken him.
And then he heard it. The soft, muffled whimpers drifting from another room. Kaeru's room.
For a moment, he hesitated. This wasn't really any of his business...but since when had THAT ever stopped him? So he tiptoed out of his room and tested the doorknob to Kaeru's. It turned under his hand and he stepped inside cautiously. "...Kaeru?"
The Koorime was sitting up in bed, wearing a large shirt she had acquired from Kurama and was using as a nightgown. Tears were falling from her eyes, hitting the blankets and pooling in the mounds she had made. "'Kaasan..."
Kuronue was starting to get worried. He cleared his throat and stepped closer to the bed. "Kaeru..."
With a start, she stared at him, eyes widening before the tears fell faster. "He killed her...and he's after me..." Her voice became quieter. "I'm afraid..."
The chimera paused, then clambered on the bed, crawling beside Kaeru, stretching out a long, muscular arm, and pulling her close to him, so that her head rested on his chest. "Hey, it's okay..."
For a moment, the Ice Maiden stiffened...and then became quite limp, sobbing into the bat demon's black shirt. Kuronue wasn't quite sure what had frightened her so badly, or why he was actually doing this, but he felt a strong urge to protect her. So he made soothing noises, stroking her hair...even though he felt rather like an idiot...and he was going soft. He'd better get this job done before he became nicer than Kurama...the change between the redhead and the fox-eared Youko he had once known was frightening. If he ever became like that...well, it was only this time...so he stayed there, continuing to stroke her hair until Kaeru's sobs had quieted and she had drifted off to sleep.
When Chitsuko and Kurama looked in to see if Kaeru was awake, they found the Koorime nestled against Kuronue, head resting on his chest, with his own drooping forward, one arm loosely wrapped around Kaeru.
"...I'm starting to wonder if he's getting soft," Kurama mused.
Chitsuko laughed quietly. "Just let them sleep."
*OOC*
EIGHT pages...x.x I hope you're all happy, my fingers have died and gone to LaLa Land...actually, this is fun! But I'm done. With this chapter. Ha. Ha. Ha. Next chapter!
* Kaeru and Yukina have a reunion! What happens when Kaeru knows who Yukina's brother is...but DOESN'T know it's Hiei! ^^ Confused yet?
* It's time for a trip to the beach! What happens when Kuronue encounters a jellyfish and Kaeru tries to understand the concept of "chicken fight"?
* Zenkai shows up...uh-oh...
Kuronue: There's nothing to admit...
Kia: *rolls her eyes* See? Because she mentioned this fic and because she's a great person, I am recommending Hanyou Lothuial's Kokitsune series...^^ she's on her third book right now, and it's REALLY good! And this chapter is dedicated to her! ^^;; I'm so mean to poor Kuro-kun, but...let's see. Last chapter, Kuronue pissed off Kia and Kelsey with his "heat" question, and ended up running into the very Koorime he's supposed to protect...only problem is, she's TERRIFIED of him. I don't make this easy, do I? ^^ Let's see if things will change.
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"...You want me to teach you how to bake a cake?" Mizu raised a thin eyebrow, blinking at the chimera. "WHY?"
Kuronue shifted, looking uncomfortable, and played with his arm straps, avoiding the kitsune's gaze. "Because there's nothing better to do?"
"Aren't you supposed to be watching Kaeru?" Kia asked, sitting on a kitchen chair the wrong way and resting her chin on her hands, which were placed on the top. "I mean, isn't that the main reason why you're here?"
The chimera glared at the brunette, who gazed back at him calmly. "It's a little hard to watch someone when she hates you, in case you haven't noticed!"
"That's right," Kelsey realized, plopping down in another chair by the kitchen table. "She's frozen you...how many times now in the past three days?"
"Nine," he said stiffly.
Jin began to count them on his fingers. He, Suzuki, Rinku, and Shishiwakamaru were also in the kitchen, rummaging for edibles in the cupboards and refrigerators. Chuu, Zyoshi, Touya and Hiei were at Suzuki's house, preferring to stay there. Rei was off somewhere, and Yusuke had gone off to catch Kuwabara up on the news. Chitsuko and Kurama were somewhere in the house, doing who-knew-what, and Kaeru was in her room. As always.
"There was the time you snuck up behind her..."
"I did not!" Kuronue protested.
"The time you tapped her on the shoulder..."
"Freezing me for TOUCHING her! Geez..."
"The time you asked why she freaked out when she's called Snowdrop...when you asked if Koorime took males as sex slaves...when you asked if Koorime wore bras...when you told Rei that Kaeru'd make a perfect mate for Axe...when you asked her if she froze every male she met...when you tried to ruffle her hair...and when you asked if she had gone into heat yet!" Jin finished triumphantly, grinning.
Kia groaned. "AGAIN with the heat thing, Kuronue?"
"Can't you give it a rest?" Kelsey snapped. "NONE of us are going into heat!"
Shishiwakamaru coughed and Suzuki choked on his bowl of rice. "Uh...thanks for the update, Kelsey...please be sure to let the rest of us know when you DO decide to go into heat, okay?"
A split second later, Suzuki's bowl was upended over his head, the grains scattering all over his face, and Kelsey was grinning maliciously.
Mizu rolled her eyes. "Cake?" she reminded Kuronue, who was scowling at everyone. "I was about to make strawberry shortcake..."
Rinku perked up. "Cake?? I think there's jam in here..."
"Shouldn't we ask Kurama first?" Kia wondered. "Or Shiori? This IS their house..."
"Not to worry!" the blue-eyed kitsune said cheerfully, grabbing a large white bag and setting it on the counter. "I bought everything! There's jam, the cake mix, eggs, milk, oil..." She started pulling things out of the afore-mentioned bag and handed them to Kuronue, one by one. The chimera looked somewhat confused, but both Kia and Kelsey took pity on him. The blonde pulled out a bowl from under the sink, and started putting ingredients in, while Kia explained what each one was and what it was used for.
The other males watched, struggling to keep straight faces. Unfortunately, Suzuki let out a guffaw when Kuronue attempted to crack an egg by smashing it a little too vigorously on the countertop.
Mizu directed an icy glare at the blonde martial artist and tossed him a sponge. "Get that smirk off your face, O Beautiful Suzuki, and clean the egg off."
"Why do I have to do it??" He whined, catching it and reluctantly approaching the mess.
"Because you're you." Kelsey fired off that cryptic remark, before handing the mixer to Kuronue. "Now, remember, don't turn it on until the beaters are IN the-" She spoke too late. The chimera had already pressed the power button and was lowering it into the bowl...which was a mistake. Egg, milk, and cake mix went flying around the kitchen, sparing no one.
"TURN...IT...OFF!" Shishiwakamaru yelled over the whirring of the beaters and the startled yelps of the others.
"Please??" Rinku added tearfully, now cowering, having taken refuge under the table with Kelsey.
"I'm...trying!" Kuronue growled, struggling with the switch, and, in a bad case of fumbling fingers, missing the button and instead pressing the one that said "HIGH". The mixer jerked out of his hands, smashing into the jar of strawberry jam, and sending it flying, where it hit the ceiling and shattered, sending glass shards and strawberry jam raining down. Jin grabbed Kia, pulling her to him and hunching over to protect her from getting cut, and Shishiwakamaru joined Kelsey and Rinku under the table. Mizu and Suzuki were trying to fit inside a cabinet, and poor Kuronue just stood there, bewildered by all the chaos.
Chitsuko and Kurama picked this time to wander into the kitchen...and immediately ducked, Kurama doing the same thing as Jin, in order to protect Chitsuko.
"What's going on??" the golden-haired girl cried, stunned by the mess. A splatter of jam landed on her head, and Kurama's mouth twitched at the sight. A second later, he burst out laughing...causing Chitsuko to scowl and scoop some jam off the floor, hurling it at the Youko. It hit his face with a squish. Now grinning, Kurama followed her example and tossed some at Jin. And the fight was underway. Rinku had enough courage to crawl out and was soon splattered in egg yolk and jam. At one point, Rei wandered in, took one look, and was soon running back out, screaming, "The strawberries have attacked!! SAVE YOURSELVES BEFORE THE APPLES REVOLT TOO!" Nobody paid her much mind.
But it was the next arrival that changed things. The atmosphere in the kitchen was loud, with even Kuronue getting into the spirit of the food fight. So no one heard the almost-silent creak of the kitchen door...but EVERYONE noticed when the bowl of batter was swept off the counter by one of Suzuki's flailing arms, sailing into the air, and settling over the head of the unfortunate, unsuspecting victim, cake batter slowly oozing downwards.
Chitsuko and Kia gasped in unison, the latter covering her mouth with sticky hands. Jin, Suzuki, Shishiwakamaru and Rinku were all slack-jawed. Kelsey and Mizu exchanged worried glances, Kurama looked concerned, and Kuronue was horrified.
Kaeru slowly put her hands up, grasping the bowl and removing it from her head. The petite Koorime was covered from head to toe in jam, cake batter, and basically everything else. Her sea-green bangs were plastered to her forehead and her ponytail was dripping creamy batter. She didn't move for a moment, ruby eyes wide and expressing her surprise.
"Kaeru..." Kuronue's voice squeaked slightly and he coughed, clearing it to its former masculinity. "I'm SO sorry..."
"This will make number ten," Jin whispered to Rinku, who nodded numbly.
Suddenly, Kaeru did something that no one in the room was prepared for.
She started to giggle.
Jin's jaw, if anything, dropped even more. "Is she...LAUGHING?"
Kia patted him under his chin, closing his mouth. "Stop gaping. You look like a fish."
"Gee, thanks," the Wind Master muttered, grabbing her in a hug from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him.
"The perfect pair," Suzuki quipped. "Still in love, even when both are covered in cake batter."
Mizu shook her head, turning towards the Koorime. "Mou, Kaeru, daijoubu?"
Kaeru nodded, trying to stifle her mirth. "I don't think I've ever been attacked by a bowl before..."
Jin chuckled. "Believe me, lass, it hurts a lot less than a cookie sheet."
Kia gave him a warning glare. He shut up, winking at the Ice Maiden when the Mirror Holder wasn't looking.
"I believe..." Kurama said quietly. "We need a visit to the hot springs."
"...Does it have to be separate?" Rei poked her head into the kitchen. "Why not coed?"
"Rei..." Kelsey stared at her oddly. "Are you INSANE?! PEOPLE GO NAKED IN THOSE PLACES!!"
"I'm sure Shishi won't mind," Suzuki muttered under his breath. Shishiwakamaru glared at him, and Kelsey rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, and Kurama and Jin won't mind either...or Kuronue."
The three accused shifted, looking everywhere but at Chitsuko, Kia, and all of the girls.
Chitsuko smiled. "There's always bathing suits..."
***
"Cake batter really seems to like you, Kaeru!" Kia seemed perplexed as she held the Koorime down firmly, scrubbing at her hair with a handful of scented shampoo.
"Gomen," Kaeru said sheepishly, wincing as the Mirror Holder kept scrubbing, making her scalp tingle sharply.
"Don't apologize! It wasn't your fault that Suzuki's a klutz!" Mizu grinned, wringing out her silvery hair and handing a comb to Chitsuko, who was attempting to finger-comb the tangles out of her own golden hair. The hanyou smiled gratefully and got back to work.
Kelsey laughed. "Did you see the look on Kuronue's face? He was mortified..."
The smile on Kaeru's face slowly faded and she stared at the heated water, watching the steam rise off the surface.
Kia lifted her hands, dunking them in the water to rinse them, looking at the Ice Maiden in concern. "Gomen, Kaeru, did I scrub too hard?" Her own hair had been detangled while everyone else had been washing and she had volunteered to help the Koorime, who was the messiest of the five girls, with her batter-covered tresses.
"No, of course not, Kia-san!" Kaeru said immediately.
"...It's Kuronue, isn't it?" Chitsuko said gently. When the little Maiden frowned, she laid a hand on her shoulder. "Why does he scare you so much?"
"He's a thief..." was the mumbled reply. "And he makes strange remarks."
Kelsey coughed, mouthing the word "heat" to Kia, who grinned. "I know what you mean."
"And...he's scary..." Poor Kaeru was now sinking down into the water.
"Scary? Kuronue?" Mizu snorted. "FRUIT BATS are scarier."
"You're not used to males being so close, are you?" Chitsuko asked sympathetically. Kaeru nodded silently. "Don't worry. None of the guys will hurt you...they're harmless...annoying as hell, but harmless."
"I HEARD THAT!" Shishiwakamaru yelled indignantly from the other side of the wall that separated the men's and women's sides.
Kelsey rolled her eyes. "If you weren't EAVESDROPPING, you WOULDN'T HAVE!" She yelled back.
"We're not!" Rinku yelped. "You guys...girls...are just really loud!!"
Kia raised an eyebrow, picking up a bar of soap and chucking it over the wall, listening to the pained protest from the other side with satisfaction. "That better? I have more..."
"...No more...I don't think my poor head can take it."
"Oops..." the brunette blinked. "Gomen, Jin!!"
"No, really, throw more," Kuronue called. "Aim for Shishi this time."
Mizu coughed. "Don't make us come over there."
There was a stunned silence from the men's side.
"...NAKED?" Suzuki said at last.
Kurama coughed. "Suzuki, please..."
"Like YOU'D mind, Fox!" The blonde shot back. "Your girlfriend's over there too!"
"...Hey, Kit, I had no idea you could turn the color of your hair..." Kuronue sounded amused.
"You're gonna come over here naked?" Rinku piped. He soon ducked as bars of soap and other projectiles came whizzing over the wall, most of them scoring on the hapless males.
"In your DREAMS!" Kelsey snapped.
"Not even then!" Kia added, which got a giggle from Kaeru.
"Then we'll just have to send someone over to YOU!" There was a grunt and a startled cry, and then Kuronue came sailing towards the girls, wrapping his black leathery wings around himself as he hit the water with a tremendous splash. When he surfaced, all five were watching him...and then there was a chorus of piercing screams and the poor chimera was almost drowned.
***
"...You are truly a baka," Hiei informed Kuronue, seated on Kurama's couch with his katana resting on his lap. Rei had said that the Jaganshi had been sitting there ever since he had arrived...about ten minutes after the group had departed for the hot springs.
"You don't have to keep saying that," the bat demon growled, rubbing his head.
"What is it that you wanted, Hiei?" Kurama asked patiently, looking down at the fire youkai.
"Where's Kaeru?" He replied, answering the inquiry with one of his own.
"To her room," Chitsuko replied, sitting down beside him. "She's exhausted, and I think the whole Kuronue incident frightened her..."
Kelsey smirked. "Frightened me too."
"Hn." Hiei folded his arms. "I needed to talk to her about Zenkai..."
"YOU know about this guy too?" Kia looked over at him, surprised.
"Of course." Hiei gave her his famous "Don't-be-a-baka-ningen" Look. "He's a Koorime hunter. What his reasons are, no one knows, only that he seems convinced that one betrayed him and they all need to die. He won't hesitate to kill ANY Koorime, but his main target seems to be Kaeru...she's always managed to escape him."
"Sneaky little thing," Rei remarked.
"LUCKY little thing," Hiei corrected. "And, apparently, she holds the key to something that Zenkai doesn't want discovered...so he'll kill her as soon as possible."
"Do you know what he looks like?" Jin asked.
"...No. No one's seen Zenkai and lived to tell of it...even Kaeru hasn't seen him, from what I've heard...so she's fleeing a faceless enemy."
Kuronue sighed. "And I'm the idiotic bastard who got stuck baby-sitting her..."
Mizu blinked. "She's not a baby, Kuro..."
Suzuki smirked. "Yeah, he saw today...she definitely doesn't have the body..."
The kitsune glared at him, smacking him on the head. "Stop that, you pervert!"
"Didn't see nothin'," the chimera grumbled. "I was too busy trying to breathe underwater."
Chitsuko sighed, stretching slightly and glancing at the clock over the mantelpiece. "It's getting late...I'll see you all tomorrow..."
"She has a point..." Kia yawned. "Suzuki, can we head back to your house now?"
"By all means." The blonde youkai started shooing his house-guests toward the door, waving to Kurama as they all exited. The Youko waved back, and then he, Kuronue, and Chitsuko retired for the night...or so the chimera thought.
***Dream***
"'Kaasan, waaaaait!" Her mother was going too fast, dragging her through the whirling snow. She whimpered, stumbling and falling face-first into the cold whiteness.
Kazuko hesitated, her turquoise hair flapping as the wind picked up. She scooped up her tiny daughter, smoothing her hair down. "Hush, Kaeru...he'll hear you..."
The little Koorime's forehead wrinkled in frustration. "WHO'll hear..."
"Zenkai," her mother said tersely, looking down at the four-year-old and setting her on her feet. "Don't say anything else..."
"Ah, Kazuko...I fear it is too late for that." A tall shadow loomed over them, and Kaeru gave a small squeak, ducking behind her mother and clutching her kimono tightly in a chubby fist. "And this must be your daughter...you should be proud, she looks just like you..."
"Stay away from her!" Kazuko spat, and Kaeru was surprised to hear a harsh, bitter tone in the Ice Maiden's voice that she had never heard before.
The shadow chuckled. "Oh, no...not this time...none shall escape...and especially not you...and your daughter..." It stretched a cloaked arm, reaching for the Koorime child.
With a growl of rage, Kazuko hurled herself at Zenkai, knocking him back. "I said, STAY AWAY!" To Kaeru's horror, the two became locked in a desperate fight, which ended rather quickly...with a hole in her mother's chest.
"Okaasan...Okaasan!!" Kaeru crawled over to the dying Kazuko, placing her tiny hands on the wound and trying to heal it.
"Iie...No, Kaeru..." The Ice Maiden shook her head slowly, wincing. "Even if you had the skills and the power, it's too late for me..."
"No, no..." Tears began to form in Kaeru's eyes. Kazuko smiled tiredly, lifting her hand slowly to brush them away.
"Listen to me carefully, Kaeru...I want you to stay alive. You must, it's essential!" Her voice trembled, then steadied, becoming firm. "You're part of a great destiny, and Zenkai will NOT kill you...now, go..." Ignoring her daughter's stunned gasp, she rose to her feet, swaying slightly, and faced the shadow.
"You're a fool, Kazuko..."
"Okaasan-"
"GO!" She gave Kaeru a shove, watching the child run as fast as her little legs could carry her. Then she turned back to Zenkai. "Never...not her, ever..."
Kaeru gave a pained cry as she fell, her ankle twisting, dropping to the ground. There was a flash, and the Koorime closed her eyes tightly against the pain and the brightness of the light. If only she could have covered her ears as well...for the most horrible, agonized, pain-filled scream ripped through the air, followed by a high-pitched laugh. The little Maiden struggled to her feet, limping away from the scene, although her heart was breaking. The scream continued, and then slowly died down...and Kaeru turned. She'd regret it for the rest of her life.
Zenkai stood there, his arm protruding through Kazuko's back. The older Koorime slowly dropped to her knees, blood spilling and quickly staining the snow crimson, eyes dull and lifeless.
Another scream split the air...it took awhile for Kaeru to realize it was her own.
"'KAAAAAAASAAAAANNNNNNNN!!"
***
Kuronue was in the middle of a deep sleep, curled up on the floor of one of Kurama's guest rooms (he didn't like the bed too much), when something in his senses prickled, rousing the chimera. He blinked sleepy indigo eyes, propping himself up with his hand, and looking around, ears twitching as he tried to puzzle out what had woken him.
And then he heard it. The soft, muffled whimpers drifting from another room. Kaeru's room.
For a moment, he hesitated. This wasn't really any of his business...but since when had THAT ever stopped him? So he tiptoed out of his room and tested the doorknob to Kaeru's. It turned under his hand and he stepped inside cautiously. "...Kaeru?"
The Koorime was sitting up in bed, wearing a large shirt she had acquired from Kurama and was using as a nightgown. Tears were falling from her eyes, hitting the blankets and pooling in the mounds she had made. "'Kaasan..."
Kuronue was starting to get worried. He cleared his throat and stepped closer to the bed. "Kaeru..."
With a start, she stared at him, eyes widening before the tears fell faster. "He killed her...and he's after me..." Her voice became quieter. "I'm afraid..."
The chimera paused, then clambered on the bed, crawling beside Kaeru, stretching out a long, muscular arm, and pulling her close to him, so that her head rested on his chest. "Hey, it's okay..."
For a moment, the Ice Maiden stiffened...and then became quite limp, sobbing into the bat demon's black shirt. Kuronue wasn't quite sure what had frightened her so badly, or why he was actually doing this, but he felt a strong urge to protect her. So he made soothing noises, stroking her hair...even though he felt rather like an idiot...and he was going soft. He'd better get this job done before he became nicer than Kurama...the change between the redhead and the fox-eared Youko he had once known was frightening. If he ever became like that...well, it was only this time...so he stayed there, continuing to stroke her hair until Kaeru's sobs had quieted and she had drifted off to sleep.
When Chitsuko and Kurama looked in to see if Kaeru was awake, they found the Koorime nestled against Kuronue, head resting on his chest, with his own drooping forward, one arm loosely wrapped around Kaeru.
"...I'm starting to wonder if he's getting soft," Kurama mused.
Chitsuko laughed quietly. "Just let them sleep."
*OOC*
EIGHT pages...x.x I hope you're all happy, my fingers have died and gone to LaLa Land...actually, this is fun! But I'm done. With this chapter. Ha. Ha. Ha. Next chapter!
* Kaeru and Yukina have a reunion! What happens when Kaeru knows who Yukina's brother is...but DOESN'T know it's Hiei! ^^ Confused yet?
* It's time for a trip to the beach! What happens when Kuronue encounters a jellyfish and Kaeru tries to understand the concept of "chicken fight"?
* Zenkai shows up...uh-oh...