DMG: Well, I think I will be finishing up this case soon, aaaaand… I have an announcement! Lantur is OUT!!!!! After a miserable response the first time, I have received many vehement reviews telling me to get rid of her. Since that was what I intended for her in the first place, I will go at it with a vengeance. 

DMG: And in the dark forest of the Makai they were forced to eat Robin's minstrels…er, they were forced to torture the demon Lantur, and there was much rejoicing. (Monty Python. I don't own it)

Reikei Tantei: *waves little flags* Yay.

DMG: On with the torture! Or, er, the fic…

Aoshi: You forgot the disclaimer.

DMG: How did you get here? This is not your universe!

Saitou: Baka authoress.

DMG: AHHHH!!!!!

Kenshin: DMG does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, that she does not! ^_^

Aoshi: Or Rurouni Kenshin, but that has almost no relevance whatsoever to this fic.

DMG: And I'm certainly not making any money off this, so leave me alone with my delusions.

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        "Explain yourself," Hiei said crossly.

        "Explain what, Hiei?" Kai asked innocently.

        "Yesterday. You said, 'They already know.' What is that supposed to mean?" Hiei's tone told her he was not in the mood for messing around.

        Kai sighed. "Drop behind," she muttered.

        He nodded, and started to walk slower.

        "We've been followed."

        Hiei took it as a matter of course. It really wasn't all that big of a deal. They had been followed before. "For how long?

        Kai frowned. "Since we entered Makai. Maybe before."

        "Who?"

        She shrugged. "All I know is they tracked us too quickly for me," she said darkly.

        Now it was Hiei's turn to frown. "You are suggesting…that someone is…passing information?"

        She hesitated, then nodded. "Yes…it makes sense," Kai said, running her hand through her glossy hair.

        "That's a serious accusation."

        She smiled ruefully. "I know."

        "Assuming this is true, who do you suspect?"

        "I won't say, right now at least."

        "That's just as well. I wouldn't do that to him, not unless I was absolutely certain."

        Kai nearly stared; she caught herself in time. "R-right." Hiei? Caring about somebody else? Now that would be worth looking into… Still, it wasn't all that strange, Kai told herself a little while later. She knew (despite his protests) that he really did care about Kurama, at least, his best friend. I wish he would care about me like that… The traitorous little thought slipped in her head as soon as she dropped her guard. It had been happening more and more as time went by.

        "Dammit!" Yusuke shouted. "Where are they?" Five minutes ago, they had realized that Hiei and Kai were missing.

        "Where are who?" Kai asked, suddenly right behind Yusuke

        "AHHHHH!" Yusuke cried. "When did you get here?!"

        "What are you talking about? I was always here." Kai feigned innocence.

        "Freaky," Kuwabara muttered.

        "Maybe you, moron, should sharpen your senses," Hiei commented.

        "ARHGGG!"

        They walked in relative quiet, the occasional bicker breaking out between Hiei and Kuwabara, but that was normal. Kai felt the weak energies of their pursuers, and by now she knew that Kuwabara, at least, with his exceptional awareness, must also sense it.

        "Uh – guys?" Kuwabara asked. "Just thought you should know – we're being followed."

        Exasperated sighs met this statement, complete with anime sweatdrops.  Everyone else, of course, had already been aware of this fact long since.

        Hiei's comment earned him a disapproving look from Kai, large green eyes reproachful.

        Great, he thought irritably. All I need is to have her angry at me. Kai and those eyes of hers were largely the source of his irritation, them and those feelings they stirred up deep in his soul. Or, wherever those pathetic sap-lovers said they should be.

        "Let's just hurry up," he growled.

        Lantur, walking close beside Kurama, announced that they could reach the stronghold by the next day.

        "Let's camp here," she said. "It's such a lovely spot!"

        Kai had to restrain herself from mimicking her rudely. After all, Kurama liked her, for some reason she couldn't fathom. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

        "That sounds good!" Kuwabara said. "My feet are tired from all this walking!"

        "Hn," Hiei said while muttering something indistinguishable about humans.

        "I don't care one way or the other," Kai said.

        "Then it's agreed," said Yusuke.

        As everyone prepared to bed down for the night, Kai nodded to Hiei. A slight gesture, one no one would pick up on. But Hiei knew what it meant.

        He settled comfortably at the entrance to the cave Lantur had chosen as camp. He noted the defenses with satisfaction; no one could possibly enter the cave without being seen. Then again, no one could get out, either. Or could they?

        Lantur cautiously opened her eyes. It was dark; that was good. She stopped to brush a stray red hair away form Kurama's face and let him sleep. She didn't dare let out a sigh of regret; too many of these demons knew what they were about, and even the big stupid one had sharp senses. She stepped outside the cave and felt two cold metal points touching her throat.

        "One move, and you're a dead fox," Hiei's voice said from the shadows.

        "Exactly what do you think you are doing?" Kai snarled.

        Lantur cursed herself for not checking to see that everyone was asleep. "I – I was…"

        "Just as I thought."

        "You have no idea how fervently I am wishing now that I was wrong," Kai said softly. "But wishes cannot change facts, now can they Lantur?"

        "This isn't what it looks like!" Lantur pleaded desperately.

        Hiei shot her a look of such contempt that she fell silent.

        "Were that it in my power to make you regret the day your father kissed your mother," Kai snapped. "Unfortunately, I believe that is Kurama's choice." She looked to Hiei. He nodded.

Kurama was up in an instant. Realization dawned on him as he assessed the scene outside. Ice filled his green eyes. Jaw tightening, he strode up to Hiei and whispered in his ear.

Hiei grimaced, but motioned for Kai and left anyway. Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were just now rubbing sleep from their eyes, followed also.

Alone, Kurama stared levelly at Lantur. "Why?"

Her blue eyes filled with tears. "I had to."

His gaze did not soften. "What about your family?" he pressed. "What about all the things he did to you? Or did you lie about that as well?"

"No!" she burst out. "It's just that…It was all so very long ago, and he can be very…persuasive."

"Go," Kurama said. "Go crawl back to him or slink off by yourself. I do not care. But I do not ever want to see you again. Is that clear?"

She nodded, and swallowed. As he turned to go, her eyes turned suddenly resolute. Kurama felt rather than saw the knifepoint enter her breast. Sparing half a glance backwards, he saw her body stretched out in the grass, silver fox ears and tail gleaming in the moonlight. Tears still shimmered on her lashes.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

DMG: Well, that one took a while. I thought I'd have more time to work on this now that school's out, but instead I have less! Sorry about the delay. I have good news and bad news: no more Kurama torture, and Lantur's dead. Oh wait, did I say bad news? ^_^

Hiei: Read and Review! OR ELSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Random People of Audience: X_X