Righty-O!! I, Sareph, am back. I hope you all enjoyed the little skirmish
in the previous full chapter, expect more eventually. Anyhoo, this chapter
shall not have the black fox demons, but maybe they'll come in later. They
took that wrong turn at Albequerqe and got lost. Or something like that.
So, here we go!
Fox Moonshadow: Err. . .whoops? Sorry. Still, thank you for the unintentional idea! ^_______^;
Shiro Ryu: Hmm. . .I like it. . .Okay, that's how it'll be. My ideas weren't too different from that in the first place!
Disclaimer: Kurama, you're up.
Kurama: Hmm? Oh, yes. Sareph does not own Yu-Yu Hakusho, but he does own Ahren and has been given temporary part-ownership of Suki.
ME: Very good. ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Suki moaned softly, her legs on fire and her arm aching. Her eyes slowed creaked open, and she beheld the small girl in the kimono who had formed the ice barrier yesterday, and who was now healing her.
"Don't move, please. The scars are still fresh and weak," cautioned the demoness. Suki nodded slowly, wincing at the stiffness of her neck. Her eyes rolled up and she saw that Hiei hadn't risen yet, but she could pick out his eyes watching her. She glared at him, annoyed at his frank and open suspicion. Then she felt a wave of weakness wash over her and she fell into darkness again.
Yukina got up, stretching and yawning a bit. With Suki, demon in her blood was the dominant side, and she would heal soon. Kuwabara, on the other hand, was still pretty bad off. She hurried into the tent they had hastily erected over him to shelter his tender skin from the elements. Settling down beside him, she acknowledged his small, weak grin of welcome and went to work.
They had created a comfortable routine in two days of Yukina checking on Suki in the morning, patching up Kuwabara a little bit at noon, eating and getting fresh air for a while, then helping Keiko redress Kuwabara's bandages and Hiei change Suki's. Suki wouldn't let anyone but Yukina and Hiei near her for some reason. She obviously didn't trust Keiko, who was still watching over Ahren. She ignored Kurama's attempts to befriend her and apologize, Yusuke's efforts to start conversation, and Botan's bad jokes. But it seemed that she trusted demons like her, or at least trusted Yukina. . .and as Yukina had complete trust in Hiei, he was also tolerated.
Keiko giggled and watched Ahren slap at a bug with his hands and tail. The little ant was running circles around the baby demon, trying to escape. But each time it started to get away, the tail made a wall and drew it back in. Botan patted the baby's head, distracting him long enough to let the grateful ant escape into tall grass. Ahren looked at her reproachfully then crawled over to Suki, leaving Keiko to watch him out of the corner of her eye, away from Suki's acidic remarks and insults.
Suki didn't notice Ahren trying to wake her, and the baby demon quickly gave up. He looked around, searching for someone to play with, and his eyes alighted on Hiei, who was watching him from his high branch. He crawled to the base of the tree and tried to climb it, but fell down. As Hiei calmly looked on, Ahren kept on falling down, climbing, and falling down. Ahren got a little bumped and bruised, but ignored it in his efforts to get to the motionless black form.
Hiei finally jumped out of the tree and picked up Ahren by a chubby arm. Ahren squirmed in the uncomfortable position, but Hiei walked over and plopped him down on Suki's stomach, waking the half-demon with a start.
"What. . .Ahren?" She sat up gently, blinking. "Oh, it's you. What is it?" she asked curtly, noticing Hiei. "He kept trying to climb the tree; he would have hurt himself. Why didn't he accept that he couldn't make it?" asked Hiei. Suki realized he was genuinely curious as to why Ahren would try something that was self-injuring. Gathering the slightly cross infant in tired arms, she explained.
"He's too young to know his limits. He likes you a lot, I think, and he wanted to be with you, to play with you." Hiei stared at Ahren, who stared right back. "Whatever. Just make sure he doesn't hurt himself again. He is your responsibility, or so you said." With that he jumped into the tree, settling into a branch where he could see infant and half-demon easily. Suki sighed irritably, cuddled Ahren a bit and drifted back to dreamless sleep.
Hiei had to watch Ahren at noon so the girls could get a break. Yusuke's chest was still tender from the vicious slash Suki had given him, and Kurama was stuck with a bad limp for a bit longer. Keiko was tired and snappish from Ahren, as was Botan, and Yukine was too busy tending the wounded for babysitting.
As the only energetic, completely mobile member of the group, Hiei got stuck with the baby. He decided to just watch it while letting it do its own thing, which turned out to be pulling his hair. If it wasn't for the fact that it was a baby dragon demon with adult dragon demon parents, Hiei wouldn't have tolerated such treatment; But as it was he was stuck with gently detaching the demonically infantile grip from his spiky hair every five seconds while Ahren gurgled and giggled happily, blissfully unaware of Hiei's smoldering eyes.
Hiei had managed to achieve some semblance of rest, getting used to removing the tiny hand and resting against the tree trunk of the large oak. He was therefore instantly alert when he realized that the tiny hand was no longer tugging his head off, and saw that Ahren was gone. The fire demon looked around, seeing everyone busy or asleep, with Suki propped up against a nearby beech. *Okay, I'll be gone for a few seconds while I look for the brat, no problem* he decided, vanishing from the unaided eye in a burst of speed. He circled the campground in seconds, picking up Ahren's tracks and following them into the forest. He was worried when he saw them mix with strange, demonic tracks. Like paws, but with larger claws and a strange form. He also picked up a whiff of foul smoke far off, and followed it like the wind.
As he drew closer he recognized Ahren's wail, and came upon the baby demon gripped in the jaws of a black mist. Without warning, a scream came from behind. "Let go of him, damn you!" Suki shrieked, letting fly one of her daggers. It pierced the black mist, which faded away, revealing...
Mwaaahahahahahaha!!! Jeez, I should do that more often. Cliffies are pure evil; but then again those of you with half a brain have figured some of it out by now. For those of you who are distracted, don't care, or otherwise, I say nothing except this (actually, this is for everyone) REVIEW! Loveya!
Fox Moonshadow: Err. . .whoops? Sorry. Still, thank you for the unintentional idea! ^_______^;
Shiro Ryu: Hmm. . .I like it. . .Okay, that's how it'll be. My ideas weren't too different from that in the first place!
Disclaimer: Kurama, you're up.
Kurama: Hmm? Oh, yes. Sareph does not own Yu-Yu Hakusho, but he does own Ahren and has been given temporary part-ownership of Suki.
ME: Very good. ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Suki moaned softly, her legs on fire and her arm aching. Her eyes slowed creaked open, and she beheld the small girl in the kimono who had formed the ice barrier yesterday, and who was now healing her.
"Don't move, please. The scars are still fresh and weak," cautioned the demoness. Suki nodded slowly, wincing at the stiffness of her neck. Her eyes rolled up and she saw that Hiei hadn't risen yet, but she could pick out his eyes watching her. She glared at him, annoyed at his frank and open suspicion. Then she felt a wave of weakness wash over her and she fell into darkness again.
Yukina got up, stretching and yawning a bit. With Suki, demon in her blood was the dominant side, and she would heal soon. Kuwabara, on the other hand, was still pretty bad off. She hurried into the tent they had hastily erected over him to shelter his tender skin from the elements. Settling down beside him, she acknowledged his small, weak grin of welcome and went to work.
They had created a comfortable routine in two days of Yukina checking on Suki in the morning, patching up Kuwabara a little bit at noon, eating and getting fresh air for a while, then helping Keiko redress Kuwabara's bandages and Hiei change Suki's. Suki wouldn't let anyone but Yukina and Hiei near her for some reason. She obviously didn't trust Keiko, who was still watching over Ahren. She ignored Kurama's attempts to befriend her and apologize, Yusuke's efforts to start conversation, and Botan's bad jokes. But it seemed that she trusted demons like her, or at least trusted Yukina. . .and as Yukina had complete trust in Hiei, he was also tolerated.
Keiko giggled and watched Ahren slap at a bug with his hands and tail. The little ant was running circles around the baby demon, trying to escape. But each time it started to get away, the tail made a wall and drew it back in. Botan patted the baby's head, distracting him long enough to let the grateful ant escape into tall grass. Ahren looked at her reproachfully then crawled over to Suki, leaving Keiko to watch him out of the corner of her eye, away from Suki's acidic remarks and insults.
Suki didn't notice Ahren trying to wake her, and the baby demon quickly gave up. He looked around, searching for someone to play with, and his eyes alighted on Hiei, who was watching him from his high branch. He crawled to the base of the tree and tried to climb it, but fell down. As Hiei calmly looked on, Ahren kept on falling down, climbing, and falling down. Ahren got a little bumped and bruised, but ignored it in his efforts to get to the motionless black form.
Hiei finally jumped out of the tree and picked up Ahren by a chubby arm. Ahren squirmed in the uncomfortable position, but Hiei walked over and plopped him down on Suki's stomach, waking the half-demon with a start.
"What. . .Ahren?" She sat up gently, blinking. "Oh, it's you. What is it?" she asked curtly, noticing Hiei. "He kept trying to climb the tree; he would have hurt himself. Why didn't he accept that he couldn't make it?" asked Hiei. Suki realized he was genuinely curious as to why Ahren would try something that was self-injuring. Gathering the slightly cross infant in tired arms, she explained.
"He's too young to know his limits. He likes you a lot, I think, and he wanted to be with you, to play with you." Hiei stared at Ahren, who stared right back. "Whatever. Just make sure he doesn't hurt himself again. He is your responsibility, or so you said." With that he jumped into the tree, settling into a branch where he could see infant and half-demon easily. Suki sighed irritably, cuddled Ahren a bit and drifted back to dreamless sleep.
Hiei had to watch Ahren at noon so the girls could get a break. Yusuke's chest was still tender from the vicious slash Suki had given him, and Kurama was stuck with a bad limp for a bit longer. Keiko was tired and snappish from Ahren, as was Botan, and Yukine was too busy tending the wounded for babysitting.
As the only energetic, completely mobile member of the group, Hiei got stuck with the baby. He decided to just watch it while letting it do its own thing, which turned out to be pulling his hair. If it wasn't for the fact that it was a baby dragon demon with adult dragon demon parents, Hiei wouldn't have tolerated such treatment; But as it was he was stuck with gently detaching the demonically infantile grip from his spiky hair every five seconds while Ahren gurgled and giggled happily, blissfully unaware of Hiei's smoldering eyes.
Hiei had managed to achieve some semblance of rest, getting used to removing the tiny hand and resting against the tree trunk of the large oak. He was therefore instantly alert when he realized that the tiny hand was no longer tugging his head off, and saw that Ahren was gone. The fire demon looked around, seeing everyone busy or asleep, with Suki propped up against a nearby beech. *Okay, I'll be gone for a few seconds while I look for the brat, no problem* he decided, vanishing from the unaided eye in a burst of speed. He circled the campground in seconds, picking up Ahren's tracks and following them into the forest. He was worried when he saw them mix with strange, demonic tracks. Like paws, but with larger claws and a strange form. He also picked up a whiff of foul smoke far off, and followed it like the wind.
As he drew closer he recognized Ahren's wail, and came upon the baby demon gripped in the jaws of a black mist. Without warning, a scream came from behind. "Let go of him, damn you!" Suki shrieked, letting fly one of her daggers. It pierced the black mist, which faded away, revealing...
Mwaaahahahahahaha!!! Jeez, I should do that more often. Cliffies are pure evil; but then again those of you with half a brain have figured some of it out by now. For those of you who are distracted, don't care, or otherwise, I say nothing except this (actually, this is for everyone) REVIEW! Loveya!