Heyas! It's me again, Sareph. Sorry for making y'all wait sooooooo long for
this wonderful installment of my short story, but I had writer's block and
an essay to battle off. However, I'm ready to start up again, so here we
go! Kuwabara shall do the disclaimer!
Kuwabara: Huh? What?
ME: The disclaimer, fool, the disclaimer! Hurry, before the rabid lawyers show up!
Rabid Lawyers: Grr. . .hey, we're not rabid. . .are we?
Kuwabara: Well, I dunno.
Rabid Lawyers: Well, that hurt our feelings; We're people too! Now onto the suing! NO DISCLAIMER?! GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!(foaming at the mouth, red eyes, long pointy teeth)
ME: KUWABARA!!!
Kuwabara: SarephdoesnotownYuYuHakusho!
ME: Thank you.
Rabid Lawyers: . . .Damn. . .
Suki's dagger pierced the black shape, from which came a screaming, howling bedlam that made Hiei grit his teeth and Ahren wail angrily. There was no time to soothe the outraged child, as more unnatural howling surrounded the three, accompanied by the sinister shapes of the eerie voices' owners. Black wolves formed, streaked with a foreboding silver that gleamed dully in the low light like an unsharpened blade.
Ahren transformed, the dragon demon enraged at being so mistreated. In his true form, he took stock of his opponents and moved over next to Hiei and Suk, protecting them with his silvery body. The largest of the shadow wolves stepped forward, bearing black teeth that gleamed cruelly in the moonlight. Ahren bared his own ivory fangs, emitting a hiss of unholy rage. Some of the wolves shrank back, but the leader growled, and more wolves stepped forward, bristling.
Suki's fear increased tenfold as Ahren shifted to his true form. She knew in her heart that he could not possibly fight of this hellish pack, and summoned her demonic power, letting the power of her human fear and rage fuel it uncontrollably. Her wounds mended as her demon side took over, her father's only gift to the one child that he sired. Every other child had died in birth, but he had seen it fit that this one survive. In her he had sensed a great power, a flawless melding of human and demon. Raw demonic spirit energy coursed through her veins, but her human emotions let her tap into it to such a degree that his hatred for all humans could not give him sufficient reason to kill this beautiful, deadly creature. All that and more flew through Suki's mind as her spirit energy washed out from her like the ocean waves, spreading and receding in time with her heartbeat.
Hiei felt Suki's power rise, and decided to lend a hand. He unsheathed his sword and concentrated, channeling energy into the blade and giving it more than enough power to kill anything foolish enough to let it draw their blood. Ahren inhaled deeply and spat forth a cold blue flame that engulfed several shadow wolves and a tree. The flames died quickly, leaving the horribly burned bodies and charred wood rimed with ice. A terrible power flowed from the dragon demon, burning and freezing Hiei for a second before Ahren gained control and channeled it into claws and flame. With a roar he leapt into the fray, flaming any wolf he saw. Hiei dashed forward, decapitating his enemies. Behind him, Suki was encased in a whirling column of lightning, hurling powerful bolts at shadow wolves left and right.
But still they came, the shadowy forms attacking with teeth and claws, and a strange black flame that they hurled from their mouths at the three fighters. Ahren was rampaging through a large part of the forest, with Hiei jumping through the branches and killing those that Ahren missed or didn't notice. Suki had taken a section close by, her lightning bolts lashing out with fearsome speed and deadly accuracy. But the shadow wolves seemed endless, wave after wave hurling itself upon them. Hiei glimpsed the leader, finally, holed up in a thick cluster of oaks. He was obviously commanding the rest, so Hiei charged. He was thrown back by a shield wall the leader raised. Suki noticed and tried to destroy it with a huge bolt, which simply magnified itself and rebounded on her. She fell to the ground unconscious. Ahren burst into view with a mighty leap, dropping down beside her and assuming a protective position over her inert form. His fiery blue eyes locked on the alpha shadow wolf, narrowing. Hiei was chilled by the look, not because of the rage in those sapphire orbs, but something else. A cold, calculating cunning beyond anything he had ever seen was in Ahren, who swung around and locked Hiei with the same gaze. There was no verbal message, or even any definite words, but suddenly Hiei knew what to do. They had a plan.
Ahren watched as Hiei nodded and charged again, never staying in the same tree for more than a second; just long enough for the alpha wolf to see him. Suddenly, the fire demon was in the air, dropping towards the huge shadow wolf with sword raised for a killing blow. The demonic wolf was focused completely on the small form of the fire demon, which was perfect. Ahren blasted the last of the current wave of shadow wolves and leapt silently at the alpha wolf. Powerful jaws closed around the silver-streaked neck. To his surprise, Ahren could not bite through. The alpha leader struggled wildy, but the dragon simply leaned his snout skyward and blasted a huge flame at the clouds. The alpha wolf could not stand the simultaneous killing heat and shocking cold, and his body dissolved into icy ash.
Hiei landed calmly on his scaly back, hopping off and accompanying the dragon child as he floated back down to Suki's inert form. "She's exhausted. We need Yukina," Hiei said. Suki was in bad shape. Her skin was a grayish white, her lips were blue, and her breathing was shallow. She had a large burn on her right arm where she had managed to block the magnified lightning, but it hadn't helped much. Most of her spirit energy had gone into healing herself, and she had tapped into her life force to fight. Ahren snorted, debunking Hiei's suggestion. The dragon-child knew he was practically immortal; he could restore his nurse's lost years without suffering any great loss on his part. He leaned over and rumbled into Suki's ear. Hiei listened as the growl fell and rose in pitch, and sensed the Life energy passing between the two. Soon Suki was back to normal, and Ahren had lost very little. He hoped.
The bruised and battered trio arrived, telling the story of their encounter. Suki guessed that it was probably an attempt to kill Ahren or hold him hostage, which meant Ahren's parents were alive. Botan was the one to break the gloom that hung about the camp. "Hey, girls! I found a hot spring not far from here; shall we check it out?" Keiko brightened, as did Suki. "Botan, you're a genius! Yukina, do you want to come?" Yukina blushed slightly; she still wasn't used to having friends. But she nodded with one of her sweet smiles. "I'll give it a try, I guess." Botan clapped her hands, sealing the deal. "Great, let's go!" While the other girls were getting bathing suits, washing supplies, and towels ready, Keiko stalked over to Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke. "If I catch any one of anywhere NEAR us, I'll tell Suki and then come after what's left of you MYSELF! Yusuke, you peep and your head is MINE."
Yusuke grinned weakly, squeaked an agreement, and cowered under Keiko's glare. Hiei "hn"d, saying he had no desire to see ugly ningen females nude anyway, and Kurama gulped and nodded. Kuwabara grinned stupidly and nodded, too. The instant Keiko had left with the others, he turned to rally his friends...and Hiei. "Guys, they're gone, let's go! We can't let an opportunity like this pass, Urameshi! Don't tell me you don't wanna see Botan all naked, Kurama! Hiei. . .uh, nevermind. . .Yusuke, Kurama, let's GO!" He turned and marched straight into Ahren's tail, which slapped him across the face. He fell flat on his back. Ahren never even noticed as he followed the girls to the hot spring.
Ahren let the warm, wet smell guide him to the hot spring. He passed the girls not long after unintentionally KO'ing Kuwabara, his tough hide protecting him from thorns and brambles the girls had to pick their way through carefully. When he arrived, he took in the scene with a satisfied snort. The hot water had smoothed down the various boulders that surrounded the spring, with the water going at least eight feet deep in one area. The mist rose around him with wet caresses as he slid into the warm water, letting the relaxing currents wash away the battle fatigue. He settled himself in a ball at the deep end, and sort of dozed. His large lungs let him hold in air for a long time, so he didn't worry too much about drowning. He heard splashes after a while, but ignored the commotion and relaxed.
Yukina slipped off her robe, stepping timidly into the glassy water. She let out a sigh of pleasure as the water lapped at her thighs, wading into the deeper end to get a good soaking. Keiko and Botan chatted in a shallow part, laying in the warm, smooth, sandy bottom. Suki was washing herself off carefully, paying special attention to her hair. Yukina started as she sat on something that moved under her, then cried out in surprise as she was slowly raised from the water, the thing lifting her like a crane. She came completely out of the water, looked down, and saw Ahren's head, which she was sitting on. Ahren grumbled in his chest, rising up on his legs and gently depositing her back in the water. "Ahren?! What are you doing here?" asked Botan, staring. Ahren grumbled again, then his eyes lit up when he saw Suki. He waded over to her, his legs and tail moving him smoothly through the water. Suki laughed gently and rubbed his head, scolding him playfully for scaring everyone. Ahren snorted, the action spraying water over her, which made everyone else laugh. Soon, Ahren had settled in, resting his head on a flat rock and listening to the girls chat in drowsy contentment. "Why did he follow us, Suki?" asked Botan, puzzled. "Some demons like a good bath, too. Ahren's still a child, and he missed having someone to play with. He may be smart, but he's still a infant." Keiko giggled and scratched him under a wing, making the wing twitch. Then Ahren dipped both wings into the water and then raised them swiftly into the air, making two arcs of water. He watched his own show, making a kind of coughing rumble and slapping at the falling droplets with his tail, playing in the water.
"Suki, there's one thing I don't get," said Botan. "It sounds like Ahren knew what to do in that fight. He was no child then, so what's going on?" Suki sighed patiently. "It's like when I bring out my demonic side; he's just letting a stronger, more primal part of his nature take over to protect himself." The girls pondered that for a while, then went back to chatting about whatever it is naked women chat about in hot springs. (AN: I wouldn't know. . .)
For the rest of the week, Ahren mysteriously refused to return to his human form, instead sleeping outdoors near the girls' tent, since Suki was still physically weak from the battle. The group quickly discovered just how much of a baby he was, as his practice flights often ended violently with a tree losing its limbs. Ahren knew how to hunt for himself, but had to be taught to eat his meals on the spot instead of drawing a mutilated, clumsily killed carcass back to camp and gobbling it there. He wrestled with Kuwabara, who was dumb enough to think he had a chance no matter how many times he was pinned, stalked Kurama and Yusuke for fun, and raced with Hiei. It was like having a hyperactive bull with incredible strength and speed, and the mind of a child. At the end of the week, however, Yusuke and Suki decided it was time to take the baby dragon back home. He had hunted the area dry of wildlife, and his flaming practice was a serious hazard. Also, Suki was strong enough to cast her spell, and did so. She came out of a trance with instructions from Ahren's parents to take him home NOW. So they did. Keiko came along, too. Ahren wouldn't leave without her.
Aaaahhhhhh. . .Another chapter completed at last. I hope y'all like it, and review, and show it to your friends, and make them review, and show it to your pets, and make them review, and show it to the freak with the "Smiling Scream" mask on who's standing right behind you holding a knife and a plastic chicken, and. . .made ya look. Anyhoo, you get the idea. Now GO, my faithful legions of fans!!!
Hiei: Hold it.
Me: What now?
Hiei: Why is that ningen girl Keiko coming to the Makai world?
Me: Because Ahren asked me to let her come.
Hiei: Ahren can't even talk!
Me: What's your point? : )
Hiei: You're doing this to me on purpose, aren't you?
Me: Again, what's your point?
Hiei: . . .damn you. . .
Me: Nyah nyah. ^_________^
Kuwabara: Huh? What?
ME: The disclaimer, fool, the disclaimer! Hurry, before the rabid lawyers show up!
Rabid Lawyers: Grr. . .hey, we're not rabid. . .are we?
Kuwabara: Well, I dunno.
Rabid Lawyers: Well, that hurt our feelings; We're people too! Now onto the suing! NO DISCLAIMER?! GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!(foaming at the mouth, red eyes, long pointy teeth)
ME: KUWABARA!!!
Kuwabara: SarephdoesnotownYuYuHakusho!
ME: Thank you.
Rabid Lawyers: . . .Damn. . .
Suki's dagger pierced the black shape, from which came a screaming, howling bedlam that made Hiei grit his teeth and Ahren wail angrily. There was no time to soothe the outraged child, as more unnatural howling surrounded the three, accompanied by the sinister shapes of the eerie voices' owners. Black wolves formed, streaked with a foreboding silver that gleamed dully in the low light like an unsharpened blade.
Ahren transformed, the dragon demon enraged at being so mistreated. In his true form, he took stock of his opponents and moved over next to Hiei and Suk, protecting them with his silvery body. The largest of the shadow wolves stepped forward, bearing black teeth that gleamed cruelly in the moonlight. Ahren bared his own ivory fangs, emitting a hiss of unholy rage. Some of the wolves shrank back, but the leader growled, and more wolves stepped forward, bristling.
Suki's fear increased tenfold as Ahren shifted to his true form. She knew in her heart that he could not possibly fight of this hellish pack, and summoned her demonic power, letting the power of her human fear and rage fuel it uncontrollably. Her wounds mended as her demon side took over, her father's only gift to the one child that he sired. Every other child had died in birth, but he had seen it fit that this one survive. In her he had sensed a great power, a flawless melding of human and demon. Raw demonic spirit energy coursed through her veins, but her human emotions let her tap into it to such a degree that his hatred for all humans could not give him sufficient reason to kill this beautiful, deadly creature. All that and more flew through Suki's mind as her spirit energy washed out from her like the ocean waves, spreading and receding in time with her heartbeat.
Hiei felt Suki's power rise, and decided to lend a hand. He unsheathed his sword and concentrated, channeling energy into the blade and giving it more than enough power to kill anything foolish enough to let it draw their blood. Ahren inhaled deeply and spat forth a cold blue flame that engulfed several shadow wolves and a tree. The flames died quickly, leaving the horribly burned bodies and charred wood rimed with ice. A terrible power flowed from the dragon demon, burning and freezing Hiei for a second before Ahren gained control and channeled it into claws and flame. With a roar he leapt into the fray, flaming any wolf he saw. Hiei dashed forward, decapitating his enemies. Behind him, Suki was encased in a whirling column of lightning, hurling powerful bolts at shadow wolves left and right.
But still they came, the shadowy forms attacking with teeth and claws, and a strange black flame that they hurled from their mouths at the three fighters. Ahren was rampaging through a large part of the forest, with Hiei jumping through the branches and killing those that Ahren missed or didn't notice. Suki had taken a section close by, her lightning bolts lashing out with fearsome speed and deadly accuracy. But the shadow wolves seemed endless, wave after wave hurling itself upon them. Hiei glimpsed the leader, finally, holed up in a thick cluster of oaks. He was obviously commanding the rest, so Hiei charged. He was thrown back by a shield wall the leader raised. Suki noticed and tried to destroy it with a huge bolt, which simply magnified itself and rebounded on her. She fell to the ground unconscious. Ahren burst into view with a mighty leap, dropping down beside her and assuming a protective position over her inert form. His fiery blue eyes locked on the alpha shadow wolf, narrowing. Hiei was chilled by the look, not because of the rage in those sapphire orbs, but something else. A cold, calculating cunning beyond anything he had ever seen was in Ahren, who swung around and locked Hiei with the same gaze. There was no verbal message, or even any definite words, but suddenly Hiei knew what to do. They had a plan.
Ahren watched as Hiei nodded and charged again, never staying in the same tree for more than a second; just long enough for the alpha wolf to see him. Suddenly, the fire demon was in the air, dropping towards the huge shadow wolf with sword raised for a killing blow. The demonic wolf was focused completely on the small form of the fire demon, which was perfect. Ahren blasted the last of the current wave of shadow wolves and leapt silently at the alpha wolf. Powerful jaws closed around the silver-streaked neck. To his surprise, Ahren could not bite through. The alpha leader struggled wildy, but the dragon simply leaned his snout skyward and blasted a huge flame at the clouds. The alpha wolf could not stand the simultaneous killing heat and shocking cold, and his body dissolved into icy ash.
Hiei landed calmly on his scaly back, hopping off and accompanying the dragon child as he floated back down to Suki's inert form. "She's exhausted. We need Yukina," Hiei said. Suki was in bad shape. Her skin was a grayish white, her lips were blue, and her breathing was shallow. She had a large burn on her right arm where she had managed to block the magnified lightning, but it hadn't helped much. Most of her spirit energy had gone into healing herself, and she had tapped into her life force to fight. Ahren snorted, debunking Hiei's suggestion. The dragon-child knew he was practically immortal; he could restore his nurse's lost years without suffering any great loss on his part. He leaned over and rumbled into Suki's ear. Hiei listened as the growl fell and rose in pitch, and sensed the Life energy passing between the two. Soon Suki was back to normal, and Ahren had lost very little. He hoped.
The bruised and battered trio arrived, telling the story of their encounter. Suki guessed that it was probably an attempt to kill Ahren or hold him hostage, which meant Ahren's parents were alive. Botan was the one to break the gloom that hung about the camp. "Hey, girls! I found a hot spring not far from here; shall we check it out?" Keiko brightened, as did Suki. "Botan, you're a genius! Yukina, do you want to come?" Yukina blushed slightly; she still wasn't used to having friends. But she nodded with one of her sweet smiles. "I'll give it a try, I guess." Botan clapped her hands, sealing the deal. "Great, let's go!" While the other girls were getting bathing suits, washing supplies, and towels ready, Keiko stalked over to Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke. "If I catch any one of anywhere NEAR us, I'll tell Suki and then come after what's left of you MYSELF! Yusuke, you peep and your head is MINE."
Yusuke grinned weakly, squeaked an agreement, and cowered under Keiko's glare. Hiei "hn"d, saying he had no desire to see ugly ningen females nude anyway, and Kurama gulped and nodded. Kuwabara grinned stupidly and nodded, too. The instant Keiko had left with the others, he turned to rally his friends...and Hiei. "Guys, they're gone, let's go! We can't let an opportunity like this pass, Urameshi! Don't tell me you don't wanna see Botan all naked, Kurama! Hiei. . .uh, nevermind. . .Yusuke, Kurama, let's GO!" He turned and marched straight into Ahren's tail, which slapped him across the face. He fell flat on his back. Ahren never even noticed as he followed the girls to the hot spring.
Ahren let the warm, wet smell guide him to the hot spring. He passed the girls not long after unintentionally KO'ing Kuwabara, his tough hide protecting him from thorns and brambles the girls had to pick their way through carefully. When he arrived, he took in the scene with a satisfied snort. The hot water had smoothed down the various boulders that surrounded the spring, with the water going at least eight feet deep in one area. The mist rose around him with wet caresses as he slid into the warm water, letting the relaxing currents wash away the battle fatigue. He settled himself in a ball at the deep end, and sort of dozed. His large lungs let him hold in air for a long time, so he didn't worry too much about drowning. He heard splashes after a while, but ignored the commotion and relaxed.
Yukina slipped off her robe, stepping timidly into the glassy water. She let out a sigh of pleasure as the water lapped at her thighs, wading into the deeper end to get a good soaking. Keiko and Botan chatted in a shallow part, laying in the warm, smooth, sandy bottom. Suki was washing herself off carefully, paying special attention to her hair. Yukina started as she sat on something that moved under her, then cried out in surprise as she was slowly raised from the water, the thing lifting her like a crane. She came completely out of the water, looked down, and saw Ahren's head, which she was sitting on. Ahren grumbled in his chest, rising up on his legs and gently depositing her back in the water. "Ahren?! What are you doing here?" asked Botan, staring. Ahren grumbled again, then his eyes lit up when he saw Suki. He waded over to her, his legs and tail moving him smoothly through the water. Suki laughed gently and rubbed his head, scolding him playfully for scaring everyone. Ahren snorted, the action spraying water over her, which made everyone else laugh. Soon, Ahren had settled in, resting his head on a flat rock and listening to the girls chat in drowsy contentment. "Why did he follow us, Suki?" asked Botan, puzzled. "Some demons like a good bath, too. Ahren's still a child, and he missed having someone to play with. He may be smart, but he's still a infant." Keiko giggled and scratched him under a wing, making the wing twitch. Then Ahren dipped both wings into the water and then raised them swiftly into the air, making two arcs of water. He watched his own show, making a kind of coughing rumble and slapping at the falling droplets with his tail, playing in the water.
"Suki, there's one thing I don't get," said Botan. "It sounds like Ahren knew what to do in that fight. He was no child then, so what's going on?" Suki sighed patiently. "It's like when I bring out my demonic side; he's just letting a stronger, more primal part of his nature take over to protect himself." The girls pondered that for a while, then went back to chatting about whatever it is naked women chat about in hot springs. (AN: I wouldn't know. . .)
For the rest of the week, Ahren mysteriously refused to return to his human form, instead sleeping outdoors near the girls' tent, since Suki was still physically weak from the battle. The group quickly discovered just how much of a baby he was, as his practice flights often ended violently with a tree losing its limbs. Ahren knew how to hunt for himself, but had to be taught to eat his meals on the spot instead of drawing a mutilated, clumsily killed carcass back to camp and gobbling it there. He wrestled with Kuwabara, who was dumb enough to think he had a chance no matter how many times he was pinned, stalked Kurama and Yusuke for fun, and raced with Hiei. It was like having a hyperactive bull with incredible strength and speed, and the mind of a child. At the end of the week, however, Yusuke and Suki decided it was time to take the baby dragon back home. He had hunted the area dry of wildlife, and his flaming practice was a serious hazard. Also, Suki was strong enough to cast her spell, and did so. She came out of a trance with instructions from Ahren's parents to take him home NOW. So they did. Keiko came along, too. Ahren wouldn't leave without her.
Aaaahhhhhh. . .Another chapter completed at last. I hope y'all like it, and review, and show it to your friends, and make them review, and show it to your pets, and make them review, and show it to the freak with the "Smiling Scream" mask on who's standing right behind you holding a knife and a plastic chicken, and. . .made ya look. Anyhoo, you get the idea. Now GO, my faithful legions of fans!!!
Hiei: Hold it.
Me: What now?
Hiei: Why is that ningen girl Keiko coming to the Makai world?
Me: Because Ahren asked me to let her come.
Hiei: Ahren can't even talk!
Me: What's your point? : )
Hiei: You're doing this to me on purpose, aren't you?
Me: Again, what's your point?
Hiei: . . .damn you. . .
Me: Nyah nyah. ^_________^