Disclaimer: all characters recognized do not belong to me. The song used in this chapter "Tears of Pearls" By Savage Garden, also does not belong to me. (Song in first chapter is not mine either.)
AN Guess what! Something exciting happens in this chapter! It's towards the end, and I leave you all with a really nasty cliff-hanger, but that's alright! It could have been a lot worse. (I'm also on something akin to a sugar-high right now). So, I'm going to post this, you're going to read it - and review! YAY! REVIEW!
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Part 5: Escape
"I think it would be best," Kurama said firmly, not moving from his seat on the stiff bed of the room they had rented. He and Hiei were discussing their money situation. Hiei thought they should continue traveling to the next town, Kurama wanted to make an appearance at a local club for some extra Credits.
Hiei, sitting on the window sill and staring into the surrounding scenery, slumped his shoulders. "If you think it's really necessary Fox," he finally said. "Than it must be. If you can find someone willing to pay us - you know I'll sing with you."
Kurama nodded at Hiei's decision. "We'll leave in a few minutes then."
A giggle from the other side of the room turned their attention to Yusuke and Yukina, both of whom were watching television. Yukina especially was delighted with the experience she had only had once before. When Hiei and Kurama had been curious about what television was, they had fed it one of their credits. But the two had quickly grown bored while Yukina became fascinated. Rarely was the Ice Maiden allowed something so simple as watching a box with moving pictures.
Yusuke suddenly looked up. "Oi, Hiei - have you learned all the sounds of the alphabet yet?"
The boy in the window blinked, turning to face Yusuke fully. "Of course, you taught them to me last night."
Yusuke nodded and rummaged through his bag until he found the packet of papers he had written down the alphabet on, and Hiei had been using to copy the letters so that his hand would become familiar with writing. "You can recite them to me while Kurama and Yukina are getting ready."
Hiei brightened. "Okay."
===
The trip into town to find a suitable club was quiet. Hiei and Yukina were once again donning the clothing that made them appear as children. Kurama's hair was hidden and Yusuke was wearing normal clothes, rather than his green school uniform.
"How about that one?" Kurama asked, pointing to a grubby looking club a little ways down the street. Red electrical letters, two burnt out, others fizzing to try to remain lit, spelled out "Noir Falco". A black painting of a large bird was on the door of the club.
Hiei squinted at the letters that were beginning to look familiar to him. The small child-like figure attempted to sound out the words, but as he didn't know all the rules of pronunciation, he could only get "Fal-co" which he didn't know the meaning of. He got the gist, however, because of the painting on the door.
"Black Falcon," Yusuke muttered the translation under his breath. "What a cheerful name."
The other three didn't hear him. They were already removing the articles of clothing that hid their identities. The group of four then started walking calmly down the very busy street - gathering the stares of all who had already heard of them - towards the "Noir Falco". Whispers followed in their wake. It was Kurama and Hiei who stepped up to the ticket window to purchase a spot on the in-list so that they might enter the club later that night. If all went according to plan, they would be immediately recognized and given a deal to sing that night.
As they wanted, the girl at the window gaped and pointed. "It's *you*!" She managed to shriek. "You're Hiei and Kurama!" She hurried to unlock the front doors and ushered them into the club. "Let me go get the manager!" The girl said excitedly, she pointed at some chairs for them to sit in.
They sat.
She ran off.
The club they were now sitting in was fairly well lit, and very empty. Its layout was similar to most clubs of its kind. Booths and tables were pushed against three of the four walls, with a dance floor in the middle of the room. A make-shift stage was pushed against the forth wall. Black lights were placed over each of the tables and were scattered above the dance floor. The walls were painted black with a metallic type of red paint over it like flames. The red would look amazing against the black-lights. On the wooden surfaces of the tables were carved out messages like "This music bites" or "I was here" or "Jin+Touya 4ever". Hiei challenged himself with reading the table top. While he did that, Kurama and Yukina watched slightly amused, but slightly envious that their small companion was becoming quite literate. Kurama extracted a promise from Yusuke to teach them how to read as well.
The group of travelers hardly had to wait five minutes before a short, bulky man walked into the room. His head was rather shiny, probably sweat from the heat of the room, and his clothes looked rich and expensive if unwashed and smelling of body odor.
"Maria tells me that you are famous singers." He said gruffly, stopping next to the table they were seated at.
"Hardly famous," Kurama said politely. "But we are well known." He stood up and bowed, "my name is Shuuichi, sir. But on stage I am known as Kurama. This is my partner..."
"You can call me Hiei." Hiei muttered, obviously surprising the man with his deeper than expected voice. He nodded in what could be either polite of annoyed, the difference being difficult to determine.
Kurama laughed softly. "And this is our manager, Urameshi-sama. And our song artist, Miss Koorime."
The two nodded politely at the manager. Of course, this was the first time that Yukina would be posing as an actual member of "the band". It was only a ploy in which the four would get that much more money. Especially if they wanted to keep traveling the way they did. The manager looked as though this were his lucky day. "You wouldn't be willing to sing here tonight would you?" He asked, trying not to sound too eager. "That is, if it's alright with your managers." He shot a smile in Yusuke's direction. "I would be willing to pay you what ever you desired."
He would be willing to do that, because at every club Hiei and Kurama had sung at thus far had made triple the usual amount of money than it would in a week. In one night. Three hundred credits each would seem like nothing compared to the real profit.
Yusuke frowned, just like he had at the last club they had shown up unexpectedly at. He wanted to seem like a decent manager, after all. And if they walked in and accepted the job it might seem a bit suspicious. "We just wanted to see the show, and have a bit of time to unwind our nerves." He said, "but it's up to you two, what do you think?"
Kurama and Hiei glanced at each other. The club owner was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet, all dignity forgotten. A little ways behind him, the girl, Maria, was pretending to wipe off a table top. Her gaze was locked on the group across the room.
"Alright." Kurama said softly. "Our normal price is three hundred credits each per night. And of course, three hundred each for our managers as well."
The manager nodded. "Perfect. We open at seven, be here around then. You'll go on at about eight, does that sound good?"
The four nodded and stood up, thanking the man for his kind offer. Now that they had that accomplished, they had a day to waste. Kurama suggested shopping for decent preforming clothes.
Hiei sulked until Yusuke challenged him to sound out any words he saw. The day went by fairly quickly and they arrived back at the Noir Falco exactly at seven. Hiei and Kurama were hurried into their 'dressing room' by the easily excitable Maria, from earlier that morning. Yusuke and Yukina stood backstage, trying to look important. Rather, Yusuke stood backstage while Yukina pulled out what looked to be a stack of tapes. She softly explained to Yusuke that the tapes had been a gift from an old women they had met a month ago, when they had first run away from Hell. The woman had been extremely kind and offered them a place to stay for the night, she had given them clothes and money. She had shown them what kindness and unconditional love was. She told them that they had to find a way to keep earning money. Hiei and Kurama had learned the songs on the tapes and the women had edited the songs so that it was only music. And after that, she had brought them to the club her son owned and requested that he let the two boys sing. They had been an instant hit and newspapers quickly took notice. In a sense, the songs that Hiei and Kurama sung were so old nobody even knew they existed any more, and were therefore original. The woman had died of old age during the last night Hiei, Kurama and Yukina had stayed at her house, and she took their secret with her to the grave.
When Kurama and Hiei finally emerged from their bathroom-turned-dressing-room, Yusuke's eyes bugged. Kurama, as usual, looked stunning. His white and red hair cascaded graceful over his shoulders, fox ears twitching on the top of his head in what seemed to be nervous anticipation. But what was truly stunning was his clothing. Instead of his usual pristine white shirt and slacks, he was clad in a dark red Kimono. A black jeweled flower was on his chest, its thorny stem twisting around the flower and over his shoulder. The red of his clothing went perfectly with his hair, not to mention his complexion. Under his kimono he wore pure black, to match the flower on his chest. Yusuke belatedly realized that it was a rose.
But the real surprise was Hiei. The smaller was, as usual, clad in black. His habitual slacks and shirt, were, like Kurama's, abandoned for the exchange of a black Kimono. Blood red jewels sparkled down his shoulder in the form of a dragon, and his customary Katana gleamed a deadly light from his side. Under his kimono he wore a dark red that was identical to the color of Kurama's kimono, matching the dragon across his shoulder in the process. The two outfits complemented each other perfectly, even more so because the two wearing them contrasted in everything from appearance to attitude.
Plus, they both looked absolutely gorgeous. Much older and mature than Yusuke normally saw.
"Onnisan," Yukina breathed, just as amazed with the sight of her brother as Yusuke was. "You look stunning!"
Hiei's cheeks quickly brightened to pink and he altered his gaze to the floor.
Kurama, obviously seeing this, pouted exaggeratedly. "What about me?" He demanded in a false haughty voice.
Yukina laughed. "You look amazing." She told the fox, "as you always do." She moved to kiss both boys quickly on the cheeks.
Kurama laughed, but before he could say something else, the manager walked over to them, a scowl plastered across his features. He briefly informed them that if the two singers were ready, the stage was waiting. Kurama bowed mockingly to him in thanks, while Hiei kept up his tradition of lifting a finger in a very rude salute.
In true fashion, the lights fell and the music dimmed, telling the crowd that the reason why they were there that night was ready to preform. The girls all shrieked and sighed upon seeing the two gorgeous guys walking onto the stage, while the guys rolled their eyes in both envy and good humor. Yukina signaled to the person at the sound board and soft music began before swelling into a tidal wave of sound. Hiei began singing this time, his eyes locked on the dancing flames painted on the walls around him.
"And we stare each other down, Like victims in the grind. Probing all the weakness, And hurt still left behind. And we cry the tears of pearls. We do it. Oh we do."
His voice carried what seemed to be even more emotions than when he usually sang. It was clear that this was a song that reminded him of his sister - the girl whose tears froze into beautiful and priceless gems. Ice that would never melt.
"Is love really the tragedy, The way you might describe? Or would a thousand lovers, Still leave you cold inside? Make you cry... These tears of pearls."?
Kurama continued the song, his voice making the girls swoon at his feet. He winked at a few of them, his half and half form and personality obviously giving his confidence a boost so that he was comfortable with flirting openly. He carried on singing the next verse of the song, Hiei joining in so that their voices rose and swelled in harmony.
"All these mixed emotions, We keep locked away, Like stolen pearls. Stolen pearl devotions, We keep locked away, From all the world."
With the chorus sung, they went back to individual verses. Always alternating.
"Your kisses rare like pearls, So different and so rare. But anger stole the jewels away, And love has left you bare. Made you cry... These tears of pearls."
Hiei sang, still staring sightlessly at the red flames on the walls. He didn't notice the hoard of girls throwing themselves at his feet, swooning at his deep voice and attractive self. He didn't notice Yusuke's eyes locked on him, in both awe and affection. He noticed nothing except the emotions this song made him feel.
"Well I could be the tried joker,/ Pour my heart to get you in. Sacrifice my happiness, Just so I could win. Maybe cry these tears of pearls."
But Kurama noticed while he was singing. He smiled at the crowd around the stage, winked and "made eyes" at a few of the girls. When ever he did that though, the girls passed out, so he stopped and turned his full attention to the song.
"All these mixed emotions, We keep locked away, Like stolen pearls. Stolen pearls devotions, We keep locked away, From all the world."
Hiei and Kurama once again joined up for the chorus, their voices rising again with the swell of the music. The emotions brought forth from the song rising in their chests like a bird. Like a Noir Falco, just as the club was named.
"We twist and turn where angels burn, Like fallen soldiers we will learn. That once forgotten, twice removed, Love will be the death. The death of you."
Back stage, Yukina and Yusuke watched the two preform and scanned the club at the same time. Yusuke didn't quite know what they were checking for. Yukina had only explained that the man sent after them would be tall, with dark shades and a large coat. The henchmen of Hell, head guard, and Doctor-in-trainng. A man named Togoru who wouldn't hesitate in killing them should he deem it necessary.
"All these mixed emotions, We keep locked away, Like stolen pearls. Stolen pearls devotions we keep, Locked away from all the world."
Just as the song ended, Hiei felt the hair on his arms rise from the chill of air sweeping across the stage. As the only cold he ever felt was that his sister could produce, his eyes focused, even as a new song began pounding through the sound system. He followed Kurama's lead and continued singing, but now his eyes were darting from face to face, looking for what had set off his sister. With a fallen heart and terrified eyes, he finally found the man sent after them. He was sitting in the very back corner of the room. He looked as though he were napping, dark hair mused slightly, shades slipping down his nose to reveal his eyes, which were closed. The habitual long coat was pulled tightly around him, bottles of alcohol littered his table, one was half empty, but turned on its side as though knocked over. Beer dripped onto the floor, puddling around the black boot there.
Hiei felt the ripple of fear race through Kurama when the fox, too, spotted Togoru. The rest of their performance was a blur, neither having anything even remotely akin to fun while singing on stage. Neither could wait for the songs to be over, and both were extremely thankful that the manager had even offered to pay them in advance so that they wouldn't have to hang around afterwards and be mobbed by the crowd.
Finally, *finally*, an hour later they bowed lowly and booked it off stage. Yukina met them, already in her little girl outfit, holding out the clothing that would disguise the two boys. Yusuke suddenly appeared, holding both the tapes and the duffle bags, not at all disturbed at the weight of two dozen books and all the possessions that the three in front of him owned.
"We'll go out the back door," Hiei said softly, pulling his hat low over his head. "There is a fence there that blocks the path to a forest. If we can get there, Kurama can use his gift to our advantage."
The others nodded and they started for the back door. Upon opening it, they discovered that their chances of escape might not be in their favor. The back lot of the club was piled with boxes and crates, garbage and decay. And it was utterly dark, the only light being that from the open door. Taking a deep breath, they began walking, the door swung shut behind them.
Every breath they took seemed to echo and burst their ear drums. Every crunch of a footstep seemed to shatter time into fragments and leave them panting in pain. The fear that his three friends felt engulfed Yusuke, so that he too was completely and utterly terrified. Their nerves were shaking, just waiting for something to happen.
And it did.
A window they hadn't seen suddenly shattered, glass exploding everywhere. The four who were at that point halfway across the yard were cut from the shards. Yukina screamed, Hiei yelled and Kurama - vanished. With a fox-like bark, the red haired human turned into a five tailed fox and tugged the Ice-Maiden onto his back. He began running while Yusuke and Hiei were helpless, having been closer to the explosion and bearing more wounds. The two were on the ground, unsteady because of the blast. They didn't even notice Kurama had taken Yukina and fled until they were able to make their own escape.
Hiei's hands were pressing against his forehead, blood was dripping between his fingertips. The Jagan there was bleeding. Yusuke's chest had been ripped to shreds, his arms as well, having been pulled in instinctively to protect himself.
"Hiei." A voice said calmly, a figure stepping out of the shadows. "You don't cover your tracks well, do you?"
Hiei only moaned in agony, folding in on himself and clutching at his third eye.
The figure took a few more steps, reaching with one hand into a pocket and pulling out a crystal vail that gleamed in the dim light. "You've found a friend, but didn't you realize that it would only end up in his death, and your capture?"
Yusuke began quaking in fear, his eyes locked on the vail in the mans hand. He switched his gaze to Hiei, his little friend still on the ground and clutching his eye. Black flames were licking at Hiei's body as anger seemed to engulf him. A few of the boxes around him caught fire and the flames quickly spread.
"Leave him alone." Hiei growled, slowly getting to his feet, one hand still clutched to his forehead. But Hiei's balance was off, and he swayed unsteadily on his feet. Blood still dripped steadily from his wound, down his forehead, into his eyes, over his nose and past his chin. The fire around him seemed to darken, an explosion of black flames coming from his small form.
"Hiei!" Yusuke whispered, shocked and frightened.
"You're little fire-works will do nothing to stop me." The man said, walking calmly towards them, the long cloak encasing his body becoming wreathed in flame. But it did nothing to affect him. He kept moving forwards, his hands moving to open the vail in his hands. He began speaking in a tongue that Yusuke didn't understand.
But Hiei seemed to. His posture went rigid, his eyes dropped downward. His whole body seemed to suddenly be made out of stone. The fire that Hiei was engulfed in slowly died down, though the fire still blazing through the back lot did not.
The man chuckled. "That's better," he said in cruel satisfaction.
Yusuke grit his teeth. Hiei seemed to be under some spell, he couldn't just let his friend be stuck like that! He couldn't let the small, almost childlike figure go back to Hell. This was probably going to be the stupidest decision of his life, but Yusuke didn't care. He cared for Hiei, even though they had been strangers just a week ago. With the bones of his knuckles cracking, Yusuke leapt forwards and slammed his fist into Togoru's skull as hard as he possibly could.
The man tipped backwards, right into a burning crate. The crate crashed under his weight, sending a shower of sparks around the lot, setting even more of it on fire. The open vail in Togoru's hands flew forwards, right into Yusuke's open wounds.
And Hiei, it seemed, finally came back to his senses. Because with strength Yusuke never knew the little one had, he gathered Yusuke into his arms and kicked down the fence. Yusuke mumbled something, suddenly delirious with fever. Then, Hiei ran with such speed that he was merely a shadow without a caster, past the railroad tracks and into the woods. Worry filled the small one's being, for his friend was already unconscious in his arms. Sweat dripped down his forehead and mingled with his blood, and Hiei ran all the faster.
He found Yukina and Kurama a mile into the forest, hiding in a cave that was blocked off by plants. Yukina immediately set to work healing Yusuke's and Hiei's wounds, while Hiei himself told the story of what happened.
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AN Reviews are gold. Make me rich!
.
AN Guess what! Something exciting happens in this chapter! It's towards the end, and I leave you all with a really nasty cliff-hanger, but that's alright! It could have been a lot worse. (I'm also on something akin to a sugar-high right now). So, I'm going to post this, you're going to read it - and review! YAY! REVIEW!
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Part 5: Escape
"I think it would be best," Kurama said firmly, not moving from his seat on the stiff bed of the room they had rented. He and Hiei were discussing their money situation. Hiei thought they should continue traveling to the next town, Kurama wanted to make an appearance at a local club for some extra Credits.
Hiei, sitting on the window sill and staring into the surrounding scenery, slumped his shoulders. "If you think it's really necessary Fox," he finally said. "Than it must be. If you can find someone willing to pay us - you know I'll sing with you."
Kurama nodded at Hiei's decision. "We'll leave in a few minutes then."
A giggle from the other side of the room turned their attention to Yusuke and Yukina, both of whom were watching television. Yukina especially was delighted with the experience she had only had once before. When Hiei and Kurama had been curious about what television was, they had fed it one of their credits. But the two had quickly grown bored while Yukina became fascinated. Rarely was the Ice Maiden allowed something so simple as watching a box with moving pictures.
Yusuke suddenly looked up. "Oi, Hiei - have you learned all the sounds of the alphabet yet?"
The boy in the window blinked, turning to face Yusuke fully. "Of course, you taught them to me last night."
Yusuke nodded and rummaged through his bag until he found the packet of papers he had written down the alphabet on, and Hiei had been using to copy the letters so that his hand would become familiar with writing. "You can recite them to me while Kurama and Yukina are getting ready."
Hiei brightened. "Okay."
===
The trip into town to find a suitable club was quiet. Hiei and Yukina were once again donning the clothing that made them appear as children. Kurama's hair was hidden and Yusuke was wearing normal clothes, rather than his green school uniform.
"How about that one?" Kurama asked, pointing to a grubby looking club a little ways down the street. Red electrical letters, two burnt out, others fizzing to try to remain lit, spelled out "Noir Falco". A black painting of a large bird was on the door of the club.
Hiei squinted at the letters that were beginning to look familiar to him. The small child-like figure attempted to sound out the words, but as he didn't know all the rules of pronunciation, he could only get "Fal-co" which he didn't know the meaning of. He got the gist, however, because of the painting on the door.
"Black Falcon," Yusuke muttered the translation under his breath. "What a cheerful name."
The other three didn't hear him. They were already removing the articles of clothing that hid their identities. The group of four then started walking calmly down the very busy street - gathering the stares of all who had already heard of them - towards the "Noir Falco". Whispers followed in their wake. It was Kurama and Hiei who stepped up to the ticket window to purchase a spot on the in-list so that they might enter the club later that night. If all went according to plan, they would be immediately recognized and given a deal to sing that night.
As they wanted, the girl at the window gaped and pointed. "It's *you*!" She managed to shriek. "You're Hiei and Kurama!" She hurried to unlock the front doors and ushered them into the club. "Let me go get the manager!" The girl said excitedly, she pointed at some chairs for them to sit in.
They sat.
She ran off.
The club they were now sitting in was fairly well lit, and very empty. Its layout was similar to most clubs of its kind. Booths and tables were pushed against three of the four walls, with a dance floor in the middle of the room. A make-shift stage was pushed against the forth wall. Black lights were placed over each of the tables and were scattered above the dance floor. The walls were painted black with a metallic type of red paint over it like flames. The red would look amazing against the black-lights. On the wooden surfaces of the tables were carved out messages like "This music bites" or "I was here" or "Jin+Touya 4ever". Hiei challenged himself with reading the table top. While he did that, Kurama and Yukina watched slightly amused, but slightly envious that their small companion was becoming quite literate. Kurama extracted a promise from Yusuke to teach them how to read as well.
The group of travelers hardly had to wait five minutes before a short, bulky man walked into the room. His head was rather shiny, probably sweat from the heat of the room, and his clothes looked rich and expensive if unwashed and smelling of body odor.
"Maria tells me that you are famous singers." He said gruffly, stopping next to the table they were seated at.
"Hardly famous," Kurama said politely. "But we are well known." He stood up and bowed, "my name is Shuuichi, sir. But on stage I am known as Kurama. This is my partner..."
"You can call me Hiei." Hiei muttered, obviously surprising the man with his deeper than expected voice. He nodded in what could be either polite of annoyed, the difference being difficult to determine.
Kurama laughed softly. "And this is our manager, Urameshi-sama. And our song artist, Miss Koorime."
The two nodded politely at the manager. Of course, this was the first time that Yukina would be posing as an actual member of "the band". It was only a ploy in which the four would get that much more money. Especially if they wanted to keep traveling the way they did. The manager looked as though this were his lucky day. "You wouldn't be willing to sing here tonight would you?" He asked, trying not to sound too eager. "That is, if it's alright with your managers." He shot a smile in Yusuke's direction. "I would be willing to pay you what ever you desired."
He would be willing to do that, because at every club Hiei and Kurama had sung at thus far had made triple the usual amount of money than it would in a week. In one night. Three hundred credits each would seem like nothing compared to the real profit.
Yusuke frowned, just like he had at the last club they had shown up unexpectedly at. He wanted to seem like a decent manager, after all. And if they walked in and accepted the job it might seem a bit suspicious. "We just wanted to see the show, and have a bit of time to unwind our nerves." He said, "but it's up to you two, what do you think?"
Kurama and Hiei glanced at each other. The club owner was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet, all dignity forgotten. A little ways behind him, the girl, Maria, was pretending to wipe off a table top. Her gaze was locked on the group across the room.
"Alright." Kurama said softly. "Our normal price is three hundred credits each per night. And of course, three hundred each for our managers as well."
The manager nodded. "Perfect. We open at seven, be here around then. You'll go on at about eight, does that sound good?"
The four nodded and stood up, thanking the man for his kind offer. Now that they had that accomplished, they had a day to waste. Kurama suggested shopping for decent preforming clothes.
Hiei sulked until Yusuke challenged him to sound out any words he saw. The day went by fairly quickly and they arrived back at the Noir Falco exactly at seven. Hiei and Kurama were hurried into their 'dressing room' by the easily excitable Maria, from earlier that morning. Yusuke and Yukina stood backstage, trying to look important. Rather, Yusuke stood backstage while Yukina pulled out what looked to be a stack of tapes. She softly explained to Yusuke that the tapes had been a gift from an old women they had met a month ago, when they had first run away from Hell. The woman had been extremely kind and offered them a place to stay for the night, she had given them clothes and money. She had shown them what kindness and unconditional love was. She told them that they had to find a way to keep earning money. Hiei and Kurama had learned the songs on the tapes and the women had edited the songs so that it was only music. And after that, she had brought them to the club her son owned and requested that he let the two boys sing. They had been an instant hit and newspapers quickly took notice. In a sense, the songs that Hiei and Kurama sung were so old nobody even knew they existed any more, and were therefore original. The woman had died of old age during the last night Hiei, Kurama and Yukina had stayed at her house, and she took their secret with her to the grave.
When Kurama and Hiei finally emerged from their bathroom-turned-dressing-room, Yusuke's eyes bugged. Kurama, as usual, looked stunning. His white and red hair cascaded graceful over his shoulders, fox ears twitching on the top of his head in what seemed to be nervous anticipation. But what was truly stunning was his clothing. Instead of his usual pristine white shirt and slacks, he was clad in a dark red Kimono. A black jeweled flower was on his chest, its thorny stem twisting around the flower and over his shoulder. The red of his clothing went perfectly with his hair, not to mention his complexion. Under his kimono he wore pure black, to match the flower on his chest. Yusuke belatedly realized that it was a rose.
But the real surprise was Hiei. The smaller was, as usual, clad in black. His habitual slacks and shirt, were, like Kurama's, abandoned for the exchange of a black Kimono. Blood red jewels sparkled down his shoulder in the form of a dragon, and his customary Katana gleamed a deadly light from his side. Under his kimono he wore a dark red that was identical to the color of Kurama's kimono, matching the dragon across his shoulder in the process. The two outfits complemented each other perfectly, even more so because the two wearing them contrasted in everything from appearance to attitude.
Plus, they both looked absolutely gorgeous. Much older and mature than Yusuke normally saw.
"Onnisan," Yukina breathed, just as amazed with the sight of her brother as Yusuke was. "You look stunning!"
Hiei's cheeks quickly brightened to pink and he altered his gaze to the floor.
Kurama, obviously seeing this, pouted exaggeratedly. "What about me?" He demanded in a false haughty voice.
Yukina laughed. "You look amazing." She told the fox, "as you always do." She moved to kiss both boys quickly on the cheeks.
Kurama laughed, but before he could say something else, the manager walked over to them, a scowl plastered across his features. He briefly informed them that if the two singers were ready, the stage was waiting. Kurama bowed mockingly to him in thanks, while Hiei kept up his tradition of lifting a finger in a very rude salute.
In true fashion, the lights fell and the music dimmed, telling the crowd that the reason why they were there that night was ready to preform. The girls all shrieked and sighed upon seeing the two gorgeous guys walking onto the stage, while the guys rolled their eyes in both envy and good humor. Yukina signaled to the person at the sound board and soft music began before swelling into a tidal wave of sound. Hiei began singing this time, his eyes locked on the dancing flames painted on the walls around him.
"And we stare each other down, Like victims in the grind. Probing all the weakness, And hurt still left behind. And we cry the tears of pearls. We do it. Oh we do."
His voice carried what seemed to be even more emotions than when he usually sang. It was clear that this was a song that reminded him of his sister - the girl whose tears froze into beautiful and priceless gems. Ice that would never melt.
"Is love really the tragedy, The way you might describe? Or would a thousand lovers, Still leave you cold inside? Make you cry... These tears of pearls."?
Kurama continued the song, his voice making the girls swoon at his feet. He winked at a few of them, his half and half form and personality obviously giving his confidence a boost so that he was comfortable with flirting openly. He carried on singing the next verse of the song, Hiei joining in so that their voices rose and swelled in harmony.
"All these mixed emotions, We keep locked away, Like stolen pearls. Stolen pearl devotions, We keep locked away, From all the world."
With the chorus sung, they went back to individual verses. Always alternating.
"Your kisses rare like pearls, So different and so rare. But anger stole the jewels away, And love has left you bare. Made you cry... These tears of pearls."
Hiei sang, still staring sightlessly at the red flames on the walls. He didn't notice the hoard of girls throwing themselves at his feet, swooning at his deep voice and attractive self. He didn't notice Yusuke's eyes locked on him, in both awe and affection. He noticed nothing except the emotions this song made him feel.
"Well I could be the tried joker,/ Pour my heart to get you in. Sacrifice my happiness, Just so I could win. Maybe cry these tears of pearls."
But Kurama noticed while he was singing. He smiled at the crowd around the stage, winked and "made eyes" at a few of the girls. When ever he did that though, the girls passed out, so he stopped and turned his full attention to the song.
"All these mixed emotions, We keep locked away, Like stolen pearls. Stolen pearls devotions, We keep locked away, From all the world."
Hiei and Kurama once again joined up for the chorus, their voices rising again with the swell of the music. The emotions brought forth from the song rising in their chests like a bird. Like a Noir Falco, just as the club was named.
"We twist and turn where angels burn, Like fallen soldiers we will learn. That once forgotten, twice removed, Love will be the death. The death of you."
Back stage, Yukina and Yusuke watched the two preform and scanned the club at the same time. Yusuke didn't quite know what they were checking for. Yukina had only explained that the man sent after them would be tall, with dark shades and a large coat. The henchmen of Hell, head guard, and Doctor-in-trainng. A man named Togoru who wouldn't hesitate in killing them should he deem it necessary.
"All these mixed emotions, We keep locked away, Like stolen pearls. Stolen pearls devotions we keep, Locked away from all the world."
Just as the song ended, Hiei felt the hair on his arms rise from the chill of air sweeping across the stage. As the only cold he ever felt was that his sister could produce, his eyes focused, even as a new song began pounding through the sound system. He followed Kurama's lead and continued singing, but now his eyes were darting from face to face, looking for what had set off his sister. With a fallen heart and terrified eyes, he finally found the man sent after them. He was sitting in the very back corner of the room. He looked as though he were napping, dark hair mused slightly, shades slipping down his nose to reveal his eyes, which were closed. The habitual long coat was pulled tightly around him, bottles of alcohol littered his table, one was half empty, but turned on its side as though knocked over. Beer dripped onto the floor, puddling around the black boot there.
Hiei felt the ripple of fear race through Kurama when the fox, too, spotted Togoru. The rest of their performance was a blur, neither having anything even remotely akin to fun while singing on stage. Neither could wait for the songs to be over, and both were extremely thankful that the manager had even offered to pay them in advance so that they wouldn't have to hang around afterwards and be mobbed by the crowd.
Finally, *finally*, an hour later they bowed lowly and booked it off stage. Yukina met them, already in her little girl outfit, holding out the clothing that would disguise the two boys. Yusuke suddenly appeared, holding both the tapes and the duffle bags, not at all disturbed at the weight of two dozen books and all the possessions that the three in front of him owned.
"We'll go out the back door," Hiei said softly, pulling his hat low over his head. "There is a fence there that blocks the path to a forest. If we can get there, Kurama can use his gift to our advantage."
The others nodded and they started for the back door. Upon opening it, they discovered that their chances of escape might not be in their favor. The back lot of the club was piled with boxes and crates, garbage and decay. And it was utterly dark, the only light being that from the open door. Taking a deep breath, they began walking, the door swung shut behind them.
Every breath they took seemed to echo and burst their ear drums. Every crunch of a footstep seemed to shatter time into fragments and leave them panting in pain. The fear that his three friends felt engulfed Yusuke, so that he too was completely and utterly terrified. Their nerves were shaking, just waiting for something to happen.
And it did.
A window they hadn't seen suddenly shattered, glass exploding everywhere. The four who were at that point halfway across the yard were cut from the shards. Yukina screamed, Hiei yelled and Kurama - vanished. With a fox-like bark, the red haired human turned into a five tailed fox and tugged the Ice-Maiden onto his back. He began running while Yusuke and Hiei were helpless, having been closer to the explosion and bearing more wounds. The two were on the ground, unsteady because of the blast. They didn't even notice Kurama had taken Yukina and fled until they were able to make their own escape.
Hiei's hands were pressing against his forehead, blood was dripping between his fingertips. The Jagan there was bleeding. Yusuke's chest had been ripped to shreds, his arms as well, having been pulled in instinctively to protect himself.
"Hiei." A voice said calmly, a figure stepping out of the shadows. "You don't cover your tracks well, do you?"
Hiei only moaned in agony, folding in on himself and clutching at his third eye.
The figure took a few more steps, reaching with one hand into a pocket and pulling out a crystal vail that gleamed in the dim light. "You've found a friend, but didn't you realize that it would only end up in his death, and your capture?"
Yusuke began quaking in fear, his eyes locked on the vail in the mans hand. He switched his gaze to Hiei, his little friend still on the ground and clutching his eye. Black flames were licking at Hiei's body as anger seemed to engulf him. A few of the boxes around him caught fire and the flames quickly spread.
"Leave him alone." Hiei growled, slowly getting to his feet, one hand still clutched to his forehead. But Hiei's balance was off, and he swayed unsteadily on his feet. Blood still dripped steadily from his wound, down his forehead, into his eyes, over his nose and past his chin. The fire around him seemed to darken, an explosion of black flames coming from his small form.
"Hiei!" Yusuke whispered, shocked and frightened.
"You're little fire-works will do nothing to stop me." The man said, walking calmly towards them, the long cloak encasing his body becoming wreathed in flame. But it did nothing to affect him. He kept moving forwards, his hands moving to open the vail in his hands. He began speaking in a tongue that Yusuke didn't understand.
But Hiei seemed to. His posture went rigid, his eyes dropped downward. His whole body seemed to suddenly be made out of stone. The fire that Hiei was engulfed in slowly died down, though the fire still blazing through the back lot did not.
The man chuckled. "That's better," he said in cruel satisfaction.
Yusuke grit his teeth. Hiei seemed to be under some spell, he couldn't just let his friend be stuck like that! He couldn't let the small, almost childlike figure go back to Hell. This was probably going to be the stupidest decision of his life, but Yusuke didn't care. He cared for Hiei, even though they had been strangers just a week ago. With the bones of his knuckles cracking, Yusuke leapt forwards and slammed his fist into Togoru's skull as hard as he possibly could.
The man tipped backwards, right into a burning crate. The crate crashed under his weight, sending a shower of sparks around the lot, setting even more of it on fire. The open vail in Togoru's hands flew forwards, right into Yusuke's open wounds.
And Hiei, it seemed, finally came back to his senses. Because with strength Yusuke never knew the little one had, he gathered Yusuke into his arms and kicked down the fence. Yusuke mumbled something, suddenly delirious with fever. Then, Hiei ran with such speed that he was merely a shadow without a caster, past the railroad tracks and into the woods. Worry filled the small one's being, for his friend was already unconscious in his arms. Sweat dripped down his forehead and mingled with his blood, and Hiei ran all the faster.
He found Yukina and Kurama a mile into the forest, hiding in a cave that was blocked off by plants. Yukina immediately set to work healing Yusuke's and Hiei's wounds, while Hiei himself told the story of what happened.
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AN Reviews are gold. Make me rich!
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