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"Why am I in this again?" Yusuke grumbled to the toddler prince. He sank deeper into the plush chair before his desk.
"Because you're just gullible enough to believe Keiko was kidnapped." Koenma grinned mischievously behind his pacifier.
The teen raised an eyebrow. "Did I tell you how much I hated you lately? So what am I here for? Another one of your stupid missions, right?"
"Yes. Only this time, I think you've got the advantage. From the information Botan brought me, it looks like Hiei and Kurama separated. She found Kurama tied against a tree semi-conscious. What I want you to do is go down there, make sure Kurama is completely unconscious and drag him back to Reikai! What do you say? No risk involved! If everything goes according to plan, you can be back home by lunch time."
"Hm...there's gotta be a catch somewhere...but what the hell, I'll go." He stood up and yawned. "Is Botan coming? She knows where this Kurama person is after all."
Koenma waved him away. "Yeah yeah yeah, leave me alone. One your way out, tell one of the ogres to make me some muffins!"
Kurama shook his head to clear it. For some reason, he seemed to keep blacking out. There were moments when he couldn't remember anything and here he was tied against this strange tree. He could just barely remember Hiei taking him to Makai, but he couldn't recall anything about being tied to the tree. He bit his lip nervously. Something was wrong with him, but he couldn't figure out how to stop it.
He pulled uselessly against the binding. 'It must be Youko...he must be trying to gain control over me,' he thought wearily. It felt like Youko was trying to separate from his human side, but that wasn't possible. The two shared a body. If they separated, one of them was going to die. Right now it seemed like he was the one who was destined to die.
He sighed. It wasn't fair. Why was he the one who was forced to share his body with a sadistic demon? It wasn't like anyone had asked him to play host to a parasite...
Kurama bowed his head. Hiei was supposed to be here by now. Was he afraid of him? Was he afraid of what would happen if he lost complete control of Youko?
Hiei pulled his black robe tighter around him. He hated to admit it, but he was nervous. What if the few days of being tied down in Makai wasn't enough for Kurama? Maybe his temper had just risen with the days.
He took a final look at the note Shiori had left for her son. "Suichi, I'm going to visit your grandmother. I promised to go get the recipe for the casserole. I know what you're thinking, it's easier to get it over the phone, but you know how she is. You have to be there in person so you can learn the 'special techniques' that go into it. Whenever you get home, give me a call at the number below. You've been gone for a long time, but I know that you're a responsible adult know. Hugs and kisses!"
He almost wanted to laugh at the affectionate remarks put into the letter. It was something he'd usually do with Kurama's calm replies to his sarcastic remarks. But...maybe he'd never see the Kurama he new... if Youko took complete control over the mind, Suichi would never have a chance to live again. He would only be pushed into Youko's subconscious.
"Damn it all. Kurama better be okay."
'Well well well...you're weakening. Your so-called friend didn't leave you with any rations to live on for these past days, has he?'
Kurama jumped at the voice in his head. He realized it to be Youko. He ignored it, hoping it was enough to push it away.
'You can't ignore me. I'm stronger than you are now...and with this particular tree, it'll be only a matter of minutes before you shrivel away.'
"What are you talking about? Shrivel away?"
'This tree secretes a strange aura. It can separate the physical body with the soul. Humans have been known to die when sitting against this tree. Demons are unaffected. But you are a human...you may have your body, but you will only be half a man now. I'll be able to rampage about and have my little killing spree while you suffer.' Youko laughed. 'And it was your idea! That's the irony of it all!'
Kurama gritted his teeth. That explained why he felt weaker. This was a pitiful way to die. Youko would live to torment the human kind.
"Kurama!" Hiei's voice called out.
Kurama looked up at him. He smiled weakly. "I was beginning to wonder if you remembered I was here..."
"I'm not that stupid." Hiei was glad to see the emerald eyes sparkling at him instead of the amber ones. He grinned despite himself. "Lets get you untied."
'Yes...untie me...then I'll be free to kill! All the blood...how I miss the scent of fear and the reek of death...'
"You can't untie me," Kurama said, starting at the silky voice that echoed in his mind.
"Why not? You're going to die of starvation...or worse."
"No I won't. Look, if you untie me, you're only going to let Youko run free to kill."
The ruby red eyes blinked. He wasn't sure if this was a joke. He stared into the emerald eyes. As he stared, he saw that something was missing. The usual sparkle in his eyes was only a dull gleam. "You're not well. Go home, alright? You need your rest."
"I'm not joking!" Kurama moaned weakly.
"Neither am I." He quickly untied the fox demon. "Can you walk?" He blinked and fell backwards. Kurama was glowing!
Kurama's head seemed to split in half. His red hair began to loose the color, fading into an off white color then brightened to a silver color.
Youko stepped out of thee shell that was now Suichi Minamino. He jeered at the fire demon. "Too bad you thought he was hysterical. Looks like he was right all along...but just because you helped me reach this level of separation, I'll allow you to live." He looked back at Suichi. "As for him, he's going to die in a few days. I'd give you a cure but..." He dangled the taunting invitation in Hiei's face.
"But what?"
"But I never liked him. What good was he to me?" His golden eyes flashed with a hateful light. "Give me one good reason to repay him?"
"He shared his body with you..." Hiei murmured uselessly.
"I suppose...but is that enough of a reason to save him?"
"Dammit! Tell me what I have to do!"
"You have to kill. Capture the souls of our victims and feed them to this human. If you stop this killing, Suichi dies as well." He smiled. It was amazing how his angelic looks only hid an evil heart. "So this time, you don't have a choice..."
Hiei took one look at Suichi's pallid face and agreed.
"Why am I in this again?" Yusuke grumbled to the toddler prince. He sank deeper into the plush chair before his desk.
"Because you're just gullible enough to believe Keiko was kidnapped." Koenma grinned mischievously behind his pacifier.
The teen raised an eyebrow. "Did I tell you how much I hated you lately? So what am I here for? Another one of your stupid missions, right?"
"Yes. Only this time, I think you've got the advantage. From the information Botan brought me, it looks like Hiei and Kurama separated. She found Kurama tied against a tree semi-conscious. What I want you to do is go down there, make sure Kurama is completely unconscious and drag him back to Reikai! What do you say? No risk involved! If everything goes according to plan, you can be back home by lunch time."
"Hm...there's gotta be a catch somewhere...but what the hell, I'll go." He stood up and yawned. "Is Botan coming? She knows where this Kurama person is after all."
Koenma waved him away. "Yeah yeah yeah, leave me alone. One your way out, tell one of the ogres to make me some muffins!"
Kurama shook his head to clear it. For some reason, he seemed to keep blacking out. There were moments when he couldn't remember anything and here he was tied against this strange tree. He could just barely remember Hiei taking him to Makai, but he couldn't recall anything about being tied to the tree. He bit his lip nervously. Something was wrong with him, but he couldn't figure out how to stop it.
He pulled uselessly against the binding. 'It must be Youko...he must be trying to gain control over me,' he thought wearily. It felt like Youko was trying to separate from his human side, but that wasn't possible. The two shared a body. If they separated, one of them was going to die. Right now it seemed like he was the one who was destined to die.
He sighed. It wasn't fair. Why was he the one who was forced to share his body with a sadistic demon? It wasn't like anyone had asked him to play host to a parasite...
Kurama bowed his head. Hiei was supposed to be here by now. Was he afraid of him? Was he afraid of what would happen if he lost complete control of Youko?
Hiei pulled his black robe tighter around him. He hated to admit it, but he was nervous. What if the few days of being tied down in Makai wasn't enough for Kurama? Maybe his temper had just risen with the days.
He took a final look at the note Shiori had left for her son. "Suichi, I'm going to visit your grandmother. I promised to go get the recipe for the casserole. I know what you're thinking, it's easier to get it over the phone, but you know how she is. You have to be there in person so you can learn the 'special techniques' that go into it. Whenever you get home, give me a call at the number below. You've been gone for a long time, but I know that you're a responsible adult know. Hugs and kisses!"
He almost wanted to laugh at the affectionate remarks put into the letter. It was something he'd usually do with Kurama's calm replies to his sarcastic remarks. But...maybe he'd never see the Kurama he new... if Youko took complete control over the mind, Suichi would never have a chance to live again. He would only be pushed into Youko's subconscious.
"Damn it all. Kurama better be okay."
'Well well well...you're weakening. Your so-called friend didn't leave you with any rations to live on for these past days, has he?'
Kurama jumped at the voice in his head. He realized it to be Youko. He ignored it, hoping it was enough to push it away.
'You can't ignore me. I'm stronger than you are now...and with this particular tree, it'll be only a matter of minutes before you shrivel away.'
"What are you talking about? Shrivel away?"
'This tree secretes a strange aura. It can separate the physical body with the soul. Humans have been known to die when sitting against this tree. Demons are unaffected. But you are a human...you may have your body, but you will only be half a man now. I'll be able to rampage about and have my little killing spree while you suffer.' Youko laughed. 'And it was your idea! That's the irony of it all!'
Kurama gritted his teeth. That explained why he felt weaker. This was a pitiful way to die. Youko would live to torment the human kind.
"Kurama!" Hiei's voice called out.
Kurama looked up at him. He smiled weakly. "I was beginning to wonder if you remembered I was here..."
"I'm not that stupid." Hiei was glad to see the emerald eyes sparkling at him instead of the amber ones. He grinned despite himself. "Lets get you untied."
'Yes...untie me...then I'll be free to kill! All the blood...how I miss the scent of fear and the reek of death...'
"You can't untie me," Kurama said, starting at the silky voice that echoed in his mind.
"Why not? You're going to die of starvation...or worse."
"No I won't. Look, if you untie me, you're only going to let Youko run free to kill."
The ruby red eyes blinked. He wasn't sure if this was a joke. He stared into the emerald eyes. As he stared, he saw that something was missing. The usual sparkle in his eyes was only a dull gleam. "You're not well. Go home, alright? You need your rest."
"I'm not joking!" Kurama moaned weakly.
"Neither am I." He quickly untied the fox demon. "Can you walk?" He blinked and fell backwards. Kurama was glowing!
Kurama's head seemed to split in half. His red hair began to loose the color, fading into an off white color then brightened to a silver color.
Youko stepped out of thee shell that was now Suichi Minamino. He jeered at the fire demon. "Too bad you thought he was hysterical. Looks like he was right all along...but just because you helped me reach this level of separation, I'll allow you to live." He looked back at Suichi. "As for him, he's going to die in a few days. I'd give you a cure but..." He dangled the taunting invitation in Hiei's face.
"But what?"
"But I never liked him. What good was he to me?" His golden eyes flashed with a hateful light. "Give me one good reason to repay him?"
"He shared his body with you..." Hiei murmured uselessly.
"I suppose...but is that enough of a reason to save him?"
"Dammit! Tell me what I have to do!"
"You have to kill. Capture the souls of our victims and feed them to this human. If you stop this killing, Suichi dies as well." He smiled. It was amazing how his angelic looks only hid an evil heart. "So this time, you don't have a choice..."
Hiei took one look at Suichi's pallid face and agreed.