checks under bed nope, still don't own it.
... or the song by shinhwa
Ch.2 – Classes and Rivarly
Italicized – characters talking in Japanese
Standard – characters talking in English/normal text
=text= - Kurama talking to his fox in kitsune and fox replying back/ Kurama warning someone/ Kurama teaching Yuusuke
::text:: - Hiei/Kurama talking to Fawkes
- text – character thoughts
Bold – are emphasized
Kurama woke up, and groaned softly. It was the middle of the night, for Inari's sake! He sat up on the bed, careful not to disturb the fox on his bed or his now sound asleep roommate.
Malfoy-san seems okay. I can't believe Potter-san and Granger-san despise him. Perhaps it's because I am a fellow Slytherin? –
He pulled the covers up to Yuu-chan's neck, whispering softly, = Yuu-chan, I'm going to take a walk. I won't be long, so don't worry for me if you don't see me here. =
The fox whispered incoherently, = Mm... hai, Kura-sama... =
Kurama smiled softly, and leaned out the window. Ah. It wasn't far down, and... he closed his eyes. Yuusuke's ki was drawing closer. Kurama smiled when Yuusuke appeared under his window. He was smiling broadly, and had his arms out. – Ah, surely, Yuusuke can't mean to jump down... Can he actually catch me? –
Yuusuke motioned him down. – Ah, well. Yuusuke does mean... Well, even if he doesn't catch me, I can land on my feet - He stepped on the ledge, and looked down once more. He smiled and jumped off, flipping himself gracefully in midair. He collided – no, Yuusuke did catch him gently, so collided wasn't the right word. He landed in Yuusuke's outstretched arm with a delighted laugh. "You did catch me!"
Yuusuke stuck his tongue out. "'Course I did. Plus, even if I didn't, you would have landed straight on the ground, anyhow." He let Kurama down, making sure he was steady before he let go.
"This isn't the ground, Yuusuke. This is a small wooden beam about 50 meters up from the ground. Perhaps half a meter thick." Kurama reasoned. "It might have been safer if you hadn't caught me and I landed on the beam myself. I could have hurt both of us."
Yuusuke shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't really matter. I mean, I never did catch you. Even when... Bakken threw you out of the ring. I should've caught you back then. You were hurt enough. God damn son of a bitchYou were fucking unconscious. Half dead, even... And that fucking goddamn bastard had to do something like attack you when you were goddamned unconscious. How the hell did you manage to stay up, anyhow? Most people I know fall down when they faint. They don't stay on their feet."
Kurama shrugged. "It was probably Shimaneki grass inside me helping me. I really can't say. I don't remember, either. Plus, I heard you tell him that his weak punches wouldn't have killed my anyhow?"
"Yeah, well, I lied. He packs hell of a punch. Not as much as me or Kuwabara, but hell, I was actually scared you were dead. Y'know... I left you all alone without any help at all... Botan was busy with Kuwabara... Hiei and Genkai were trapped... Damn... You know what made me so mad? He beat you so hard, and you didn't even snap out of it. It just made me realize how close you actually were to dying. Y'know, that's the reason I risked it all. Getting disqualified for the stupid tournament..."
Kurama smiled and silence him gently, placing a slender finger on his lips. "Shh... Someone's coming." He followed Yuusuke, and leaped up into the tree, landing soundlessly and catching Yuusuke when he almost fell.
"Who's there? I swear, it's one of you transfer kids! That wasn't English! Where're you? I heard you!"
Kurama held his breath as the lantern came closer. It was the caretaker! He kept a hand over Yuusuke's lips to keep him from gagging. Though he felt like it himself. This caretaker was... disgusting!
"Meow."
Kurama nearly jumped, and turned around to find a gray tabby, yellow eyes narrowed.
"What is it, Mrs. Norris? Are they up there? I'm coming up!"
"Mrrow."
Yuusuke's eyes widened. – Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!!!!!
Kurama, in desperation, whispered in kitsune. = Please! You have to leave. I beg you. I don't know if you understand, but please! We can't get in trouble. We couldn't sleep. Jet lag. I – =
= It doesn't matter. = The cat interrupted. She turned around, and looked back, tail up high. She turned back, and sank into an unmistakable bow. = I'm honored to meet the legendary thief, even though you're canine. My master can't climb a tree. You and your friends have my deepest respect. Though... Please, Youko. Try to be more careful. Perhaps your thief senses are dulling. I can't believe you couldn't hear him until it was too late. Well, then. Youko, Urameshi. Good night. Oh, and, Youko. Be more cautious. Not many felines speak a canine language. You were lucky it was I and not some other stupid feline. Most felines don't take the language of canines seriously. = With a smug purr, she leapt down from the branch.
"Are they not up there? Do you know where they are?" The raspy voice again.
With a meow, the tabby led her master toward the other side. Yuusuke let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Well. Are your senses really getting dull?" He examined the pale boy. "I didn't realize, but now that she mentioned it... You are paler, and you usually hear people a mile away."
"You understood it! I never knew you understood kitsune. All this time you were pretending to not know what I was saying..."
"Kurama. I told you I understand it. I just can't speak it. Plus, you're avoiding my question."
Kurama looked away for a second, and leapt down out of the tree. He walked cautiously to the wide lake, and placed a hand in it. He winced immediately. "It's freezing."
"No, baka. Take your hand out." Yuusuke grabbed the pale hand and retracted it, and sat down next to him. "What's wrong?" His intense mahogany eyes bore into Kurama.
"It's winter." Kurama replied softly. "Since I was living all my life in Japan, I got used to Japan's seasonal changes. But here... There are so many plant changes. Everything dies in the winter. Nothing is left alive. I fear that it may have too big of an impact on me... It already is taking affect. My senses are declining, my body is constantly fatigued, and my ki dwindles."
"Oh. You... er... will you get really sick?"
"Depends. I don't quite know. This is the first time I've spent winter in a foreign country. Hiei is lucky. His Koorime side takes over once it starts to get cold. Yukina-san is always protected form seasonal changes by Hiei's ki. Sometimes I wonder is reiki is much better than youki, though people say it's the same. Reiki doesn't depend on elements, it depends on physical things. You and Kuwabara-kun, for example... Your reiki is balanced with guns and cannons, his with swords. And then a fitting example of youki is perhaps Jin-san, or Touya-san. Jin-san's youki is based on wind, while Touya-san's depends upon ice. Wakarimasu ka? "
"Ano... Aa. So... I get it. The plants die, your ki goes along with it. You might be sick, or you might just feel empty. But... I hope it won't be serious..."
"Aa..." Kurama smiled. "Ano, Yuusuke. You're not familiar with Korean music, are you?"
Yuusuke shook his head. "Hell, I'm not even familiar with Japanese music."
"Mm... Well... Do you happen to know the song First Love?"
"That Japanese girl sang it, right? Utada... Hikaru?"
"Aa. But I'm talking about a Korean group, Shinhwa. Their name means mythology. Keiko-san seems to be in love with them. The lead vocal, in particular. Anyhow, I listened to their albums once... And one song caught my attention."
"So... sing it?"
Kurama stuck out his tongue. "You wouldn't understand it, anyhow. I only knew how to read them because they were written in katakana. I only understood them when Keiko-chan explained it to me.
"Sing it, anyway."
Kurama sighed, but cleared his throat and started. ([...1])
"First love... This song is dedicated to my one and only love.
Can you see it...? It's only begun.
Can you feel it...? My love's still a bit awkward
Can you hear it...? My small prayer's not the best, but it has all my heart in it.
I can feel you on my fingertips...
I can see you just at the edge of my sight...
How can I tell you how I feel?
I know I'm grinning like an idiot.
If you see me like this, you'll laugh at me, too.
When I close my eyes, come into my dreams...
I don't want to be apart from you even for a second.
When the sun rises, I'll run straight to you,
Even on a raining day...
I know you'll always be there to wake me up
So I can always go to sleep relaxed.
Thank you so much for being there for me.
The world looks so bright when you're next to me...
([2])
You're my first love...
You're beautiful, I love you, and I'll treasure you always.
No one can block our love; I'll always protect you.
The words were always on my lips but I could never tell you.
I always got frustrated at myself for that and I turned around.
But you called my from afar and told me...
'You don't need to tell me, I know how you feel.'
I can feel you on my fingertips...
I can see you just at the edge of my sight...
How can I tell you how I feel?
I know I'm grinning like an idiot.
If you see me like this, you'll laugh at me, too.
I have pictures of you and me all over my room.
I'll make sure your voice is on my cell; I want to be with you always.
I can't let go; you're my only first love.
We can cherish our love. ([3])
Think about it – all those things came as a blessing to me, a great blessing.
Cause of you, my first love."
Kurama finished, and smiled. "Did you understand anything?"
"Er, hai. Some parts. I mean, Korean is so much easier than English. Why don't they teach it in school? I mean, Korean and Japanese grammar structures are the same, and a lot of words are also similar. Help kids get a better grade in school, too. Anyway, I only got parts where you said things about smiling and laughing and shit."
Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Keiko-chan taught you Korean? Well, in summary, it generally talks about how he doesn't want to lose his love, and it summarizes how happy he is that he has someone to love and someone that loves him." Kurama smiled. "It's a lovely song."
"Lovely, sheesh. All these pop music are so mushy." Yuusuke complained. "But, y'know, I get what they're saying. Pretty much, at least. I mean, they're right. When you have someone to look after, everything seems just easier. You know that person loves you, and you know you love that person back." Yuusuke offered a wide grin. He drew his pant sleeves up and waded in the water. "Sheesh, it's fucking freezing!" He winced, but waded in deeper. Kurama, frowning, drew up his pants as well, and splashed his way to Yuusuke, wincing at the cold. Yuusuke was bent over, searching the water for something. "It's so cold, you get used to it almost right away." Yuusuke marveled. "Will we freeze to death like this?"
"I doubt it." Kurama replied. "The water is freezing, but it's not as cold so we'd die from it. The only way we'd die from this is if we drown. What are you looking for, Yuusuke?"
"Mm. Something I saw. It was around here, I swear..." Yuusuke grumbled, and sat down in the water. He kept on searching the sands, and Kurama wondered just how fast Yuusuke could adjust to the coldness. Well, he was Raizen's son, and Raizen loved the cold. He wore his sleeveless shirt in the middle of the harsh Makai winter, for Inari's sake.
Kitsune, naturally, were quite the opposite. Unless kitsune were born in the winter, which rarely happened, most kitsune were terribly adapted to winter. Especially silver kitsune. Or gold, for females.
Kurama winced softly, but sat in the water, shivering slightly at the cold water on his skin. He watched Yuusuke shift the soft sand, filtering the substance between his fingers. Yuusuke's eyes suddenly lit up, and he pulled out a thing string of silver and a crystal. "I knew I saw something sparkling! Look!"
Kurama's eyes widened. The chain was fine silver, and it was embedded with ice crystals, even though the water wasn't at freezing point. There was a strange but eloquent design, somehow resembling a kanji letter.
No, make that two kanji letters combined. Water and Crystal...
The pendant was made of a clear gem, hinted ever so gently with silver. Kurama took it from Yuusuke's hands and analyzed the ice necklace. "It's not melting. It should have melted, right? It's ice. Isn't it? But how has it been able to - " He blinked. He opened his hand, and compared the necklace with the size of his palm. "Yuusuke, this fits your collar perfectly. It you wore this, the pendant would rest right at your collar bone."
"You know my collar size?" Yuusuke blinked. Kurama nodded absentmindedly, examining the necklace further, searching for a trace of dangerous ki that could be there. He even forgot about the painful cold. "You... damn. I don't know yours."
"I'm much more observative. Plus, isn't it my arms or hands that go around your neck when you decide to suddenly tackle me down and try to devour my lips?"
"Your lips are addictive, that's why." Yuusuke grumbled. He took the necklace and put it around his neck, ignoring Kurama's protests. The necklace glowed a bright blue, and the two ice clasps were melted together. Kurama's eyes widened in surprise, and he reached for the thin chain to break it. A spark caused him to hiss in surprise.
"There's a force field on the thing." He frowned. "Oh, Yuusuke. Why can't you be more careful?" ... Strange... He felt so light-headed...
"There's no dangerous youki or whatever." Yuusuke argued. "Plus, it ain't doing anything to me 'cept lie there and look pretty;" Yuusuke frowned when he looked straight at Kurama's eyes. "Hey, you feelin' all right? You look a bit sick. You're eyes... They're not clear."
"I'm fine." Kurama lied. – It must be because I'm standing in ice-cold water and I have no youki to protect me. I mustn't let Yuusuke know. It can't be too bad. I've never been sick before, so I don't know, but it can't be too bad... -
Kurama stood up from the clear water, treading deeper into the black waters. "Yuusuke, can you hear it...?"
Yuusuke ran toward the bishonen. "Hear what? What... That... What the hell...?"
An eerie music resonated in the black water, the surface clear and still, but the two Japanese boys heard the music clearly. It wrapped around their limbs, tugging them forward, forcing them in a trance... Kurama's eyes closed. The music was so... soothing...
"Shimatta! Get a hold of Yuusuke, I got Kurama!" A voice struck through Kurama's hazy mind.
... Hi...ei...?
"Kuso. Kurama, can you hear me? Kurama!" Hiei shook the tranquil boy, limp in his arms. His Jagan glowed, and he cursed again. "Fuck."
Kuwabara had dragged Yuusuke to Hiei, who was examined as well. Yuusuke's strong reiki had blocked most of the damage to his mind, but he was unconscious from extreme exhaustion.
On the other hand, Kurama... Kurama's absence of youki had allowed the attack to wreck havoc on Kurama's fragile mind, and on top of that, his body was intensely ill with an acute fever.
Hiei had wondered when the 'blundering fool' would come to use, but since this wasn't reiki or youki... If Kuwabara hadn't felt the power from the lake and the necklace on Yuusuke, Yuusuke would have been found in a coma next morning and they would have lost Kurama.
An unwanted shiver crawled up Hiei's spine. He couldn't help but a small, defeated smile. Even he, who had despised all warm emotions, Kurama's warm smile had managed to pulled him down into warm grasps of friendship.
He... would not lose Kurama now... Not when Kurama had brought the world to him. He carried Kurama to the shore, wondering if he was short, he would have been able to carry Kurama. He snorted. Of course not... He would have been dragging the bishonen through the water.
He doubted Kuwabara would ever leave Kurama alone if he were unceremonily dragged through the water. He glanced at Yuusuke, who Kuwabara had – as he expected – slung over his shoulder.
"Oi, shrimp. You don't feel the power from the necklace, do you?" Kuwabara was frowning. Hiei was tempted to make a remark on how he actually was thinking, but refrained from it and instead shook his head slightly. "Well... I can't describe it, but as the kanji says, I feel some sort of a watery power. Not like you. Y'know what I mean? You're fire, and all that shit. It's not youki or reiki, it's like the kind that was from the lake. The powers resonating, I think, made that music. I dunno. We'll have to ask Genkai."
"... Aa. Where do we take Kurama? We can't take him to his Slytherin quarters. He's sick."
"Mm, we can't. We'll drop both of them off at Genkai's office. She'll know what happened."
"She'll be asleep." Hiei snorted, shaking his head. "I thought you were actually using your head for once."
"Ba-san? I doubt it. No matter what power she has, she's still ningen, not like you, y'know. Kurama was affected by it, too. I doubt you, Yukina-san, or Botan were. I mean, youkai don't get jet lags, do they?" Kuwabara shifted the dead weight on his shoulder. "When Urameshi wakes up, I'm telling him to lose some fuckin' weight."
"Oi, Ba-san! Open the door." Kuwabara called, kicking the door slightly. "I know you're in here. I sense your ki."
The door cracked open, and an elderly man peered out, chuckling slightly. "Professor Genkai, your students have followed your ki here. I suppose you checked her quarters, she wasn't there, so you followed her ki?"
Kuwabara was blushing in embarrassment. "Er, yeah. Sorry 'bout that, but we've got some sort of a problem."
Dumbledore looked over the two unconscious boys. "Ah... Professor, we seem to have the very problem you were addressing to me about. Your students are quite a say, aren't they? They seem to have found the Water Pendant already."
Genkai looked almost proud when Kuwabara and Hiei walked in carrying Yuusuke and Kurama. Well, until she saw how ill Kurama was. "Devoid of youki and he goes wading in the near freezing water. Lay him down here. Fawkes, come here." Genkai tucked a white sheet around Kurama's shivering body, and called to the phoenix.
Hiei watched the phoenix warily. ::Beast, if you try to hurt Kurama even a bit, I'll... ::
:: No threats necessary. :: The phoenix replied, and his eyes were smiling. He sang softly, and he flapped his wings a bit to cool Kurama's temperature. :: I'm merely helping him.::
Surely enough, Kurama's shivering stopped, though he stayed pale. Fawkes flew up to his porch, singing softly.
"You can speak to Fawkes. Most amazing. I have met only one other who spoke phoenix... Of course, that other person was Yomi. He came to talk to me about Kurama. He seemed to predict, somehow, that Kurama would be residing here, for the elementals. Ah, yes, the elementals. The Water Pendant, you have already acquired." He smiled. "Professor Genkai was addressing the problem, that you four may not be able to control the elements. Once each acquire your own, you will be allowed to use acquired element immediately, but once all four pendants are collected, you four will have to keep the nature in balance. She has addressed that three of you may as well, but Kurama's loss of youki..."
"We won't find them that quickly, will we?" Kuwabara frowned. "Genkai told us about all this, if you wanna know why we aren't surprised. We just never knew what they looked like or how we would find them."
"Actually." Genkai cleared her throat. "It will be quite easy. Kurama will find his last, but you will acquire them very easily. The hard part is after you acquire all four, and how you will manage to keep it from Voldemort's hungry grasps. Remember, the Death Eaters are everywhere."
Kuwabara raised an eyebrow. "From what I heard, they don't sound like much."
"They aren't much, actually." Dumbledore smiled. "Only some of them are challenging enough. But be aware of them, on any account. They can be anywhere among us."
Hiei nodded. "I'll know when they're near... I have a question, since you won't let me in with my Jagan... Why was Kurama put in Slytherin?"
Dumbledore smiled. "In Gryffindor lies the solemn fire, the brave waters and the loyal earth. In Hufflepuff lies the gentle ice and the playful oar. In Ravenclaw lies the sharpest mind. In Slytherin lies the purest wind. That's an old saying coming down from centuries ago. I have waited for you seven all this time. Yuusuke, the brave waters. Hiei, the solemn fire. Kazuma, loyal earth. Yukina, gentle ice. Botan, the playful oar. Keiko, the sharpest mind. Kurama, the purest wind. It is said that you seven will be able to come over a great evil... Who knows if that is Voldemort or if that is something greater... But it is up to all of you to defeat it."
"... Kurama was chosen as wind, not earth?" Kuwabara frowned. "Isn't his element earth?"
Hiei shook his head. "His youki is based on plants. Not quite the same, and this seems to have nothing to do with our youki except me. Plus, the purest wind... Who else is purer than Kurama?" Hiei smirked.
Kuwabara nodded, looking doubtful. "All right, if you say so..."
Genkai cleared her throat. "It's getting late. You two go back to your dorms... Professor, I'll leave these two to your care?"
"Yes, yes, Genkai, I've got it all under control. I'll send them right away to Poppy, and they'll be fine."
Hiei looked back at the unconscious pair. He hoped he could trust this ningen nurse...
Yuusuke groaned as he shook his head. "What the... Where am I...?" Ugh, he had a killer headache. "Kuwabara...?"
"Yeah, yeah, Urameshi. You better thank me for this. Kurama almost died yesterday. Did you forget his youki's gone? If it weren't for that phoenix, Hiei would have killed you already." Kuwabara shook his head. "Though, thanks to you, I got to miss all the morning classes. Kurama's not awake yet, but he's okay. Anyway, I'm supposed to explain - "
"Urameshi." Hiei's voice was as cold as ice. Yuusuke winced.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I for - "
Hiei's sword was positioned at his throat. "You forgot his youki was gone?" Hiei's crimson eyes were fire, dangerously icy. "Will you... also forget poison kills when you feed it to him? Will you forget fire burns when you push him in? Will you forget water drowns when you push him under...?"
Yuusuke closed his eyes. "... All right. You're right. I... I really have no excuse. You can... kill me... "
Hiei's sword was trembling... and Hiei sheathed it. Yuusuke looked up, surprised. Hiei was looking down. "Do you love him, Urameshi...? Do you... care...? Why... Why is it that he cries for a bastard like you? Why is it that he can't find a decent person? Why must he worry constantly about you...? Why do I know I won't be able to stand his tears when he finds out I've killed you?"
"Hiei." Yuusuke smiled. Kurama's tears... Perhaps the best existing weapon against Hiei, right after Yukina... "Hiei, why don't you stop worrying about him?" Yuusuke stood up, stretching his stiff muscles. "He has me now... And I swear... something like yesterday won't happen again."
Hiei turned around. "... We're late for our classes..."
Yuusuke boosted Kurama up. Kurama had to insist he attend the classes today. And to top it off, first class had to be the plant class. If it wasn't Herbology, Yuusuke might have persuaded Kurama stay in bed. But no, Kurama wanted to attend. Well... Kurama did need the nourishment of plants...
And Kurama was light... Ah, screw it all. It didn't matter, anyhow. Kurama's cheeks were flushed with fever, and he was leaning heavily on Yuusuke, but Kurama was thin, and Kurama's determined eyes wouldn't let Yuusuke carry the ill teen back to the infirmary. How the nurse would respond, he dreaded to know.
"Yuusuke, are we... there...?" Kurama whispered, leaning heavily on the taller, more muscular boy.
"Nope. I told you, I'll carry you if you'd just let me..." Yuusuke had no idea why Kurama insisted on walking. It would've been much easier if Kurama would just... "Daa! Kurama!" He sighed. "Ah, kuso... Kurama...."
Kurama was on the floor, cheeks flushed. He was coughing shakily. "Gomen ne, Yuu-chan... Gomen..." He gasped. "The... I need the plants... Yuusuke..."
Yuusuke picked Kurama and started running, full speed into the Green Room. All he could see was the red of Kurama's blood as it trickled down the corner of his lips to his snow-white shirt.
He burst into the room, muttered an apology, and helped Kurama up. Kurama was looking better already, and his green eyes returned to their former glory. He stood up shakily, and nuzzled his face in a wide, broad leaf. He was whispering a few words in relief, and Yuusuke greened, smiling apologetically at the professor. "Ah... what's your name again?"
"Professor Sprout. Wasn't that child sick?"
Yuusuke suppressed a laugh. – Child, huh? Kurama's probably lived ten times as much as you did! – But he smiled, and replied, "Plants help him."
Sure enough, Kurama was smiling and laughing happily as if to prove he'd never been bedridden nor coughing up blood. Professor Sprout smiled. "It's nice to see a Gryffindor and a Slytherin getting so well along together." She smiled sadly. "I haven't seen such relationships, ever, except Mr. Weasley's radiating love for Mr. Malfoy does feed the love plant I'd planted between them. And although Mr. Malfoy won't admit it, he has a strong love for Mr. Weasley, as well. The plant only feeds off pure love."
Yuusuke's eyes widened. "How'd you know all that?"
Professor Sprout laughed. "I am not oblivious to my students... and..." The professor smiled, and held up a pot of crimson rose-like flowers. "The love plants have already responded to the love you have for each other."
Kurama laughed in delight, and asked politely for the pot. Yuusuke couldn't help but laugh. Typical Kurama... If it were him, he'd just have taken the plant...
When the beautiful flowers reached Kurama's hands, they blossomed even further and because even more beautiful. When Yuusuke cautiously reached out, the flowers seemed to laugh and sparkle. Professor Sprout smiled. "Ah, there you go. See...?"
Kurama giggled again in delight, and Yuusuke grinned. "May... May I take one?"
"Go right ahead. Just break the stem. Because the love plants grow on love, they don't need roots. They'll sure not need it around you two." Professor Sprout picked two stems and handed one to each, smiling. "They'll grow to protect and love you."
"Aa... Thank you!" Kurama smiled. "I just hope Yuu-chan won't be jealous."
= What... is that plant? = Yuu-chan looked up curiously, circling the rose-like flower. = It is so much like a rose yet it is without thorns. Is it even a flower? I can feel it's alive, yet it has no roots for nourishment nor leaves to photosynthesize. What is it? =
= Professor Sprout called it a love plant. It feeds off my love for Yuusuke. = Kurama whispered, smiling. = Not too loud, Yuu-chan. Malfoy-san is near. =
= You seem... well. Not like how you were the last few days. I supposed live plants do help? =
= Of course! I'll be visiting the Green Room frequently... do you wish to accompany me? =
= Aa. = The fox's golden eyes narrowed. = Besides the professors and your friends, I do not trust anyone here at all. Not even that Potter. =
= A, honto ne? How about Ronald-san? =
The fox's black furs seemed to be blushing red before he turned, raised his nose and replied curtly, = He's... all right. =
= Aa! A certain fox is attracted to his innocence? Don't worry, Yuu-chan. I'd be drawn to him as well, because foxes are drawn by innocence, if not for Yuusuke. =
Yuu-chan stayed silent, but made himself comfortable in his master's lap, Kurama stroking the fox slightly. "Good evening, Malfoy-san."
"You weren't there at dinner." Draco observed.
"No, I wasn't. Thank you for noticing." Kurama replied.
Draco handed him a cup of warm cocoa and a piece of bread. "I heard you weren't feeling well."
Kurama looked up, surprised. Was this a part of this ningen he'd overlooked...? Kurama took it and sipped it a little. "Thank you."
Draco turned around, and unknown to Kurama, he smirked. So the teen had finally fallen into his trap...
= Kurama-sama?! = Yuu-chan cried, when Kurama dropped the mug, the contains spilling and the fragile mug breaking into pieces. Draco smirked and turned around, walking on the bed.
"You think I don't know about your plant traps... Youko? I tried to do this one knight I'd drugged you... But your traps caught me. But now, it's winter... they're all... dead... Shut up!" Draco pointed his wand at the growling fox, and roped sprang from it, binding the fox helplessly. He did the same to Kurama, binding his wrists and ankles to the bed. A smirk grew on his lips as he tore away Kurama's clothing. "... Can't have such a beauty go unstained... can we... Kurama..."
Yuu-chan slowly lapped Kurama's wounds, making sure he didn't bother Kurama's distraught sleep. Plagued by nightmares or not, Kurama needed it, and he wasn't going to wake his master up. He would go get someone, anyone... if Draco hadn't sealed the door shut. And Kurama's loss of youki didn't do much good. The others wouldn't be able to sense the terror he had gone through.
... Yuu-chan hated it all. How could anyone hurt his master? How could anyone hurt anyone... like that? Kurama-sama had woken up due to the assault and he'd begged the blonde to stop. Yuu-chan shook his head. Kurama-sama needed to be cared for at this moment, and he wouldn't let the disturbance carry him away from his master.
"Kurama...? Are you... Hey! Kura - "
"Leave me alone, Urameshi." Kurama's haunted eyes were hidden by his crimson bangs and he let the hidden tears floor. "Go away."
"Kurama, what – Kurama!"
"Leave, Urameshi... I... I don't... I hate you!"
Yuu-chan forced his master on the bed. = Hate... him... Kurama-sama...? = He let out a low laugh. = Don't lie to yourself, Kurama-sama... You think yourself dirty... and unworthy of his love. You must go back to him, Kurama-sama... You love him, and don't deny it. =
Kurama was sobbing brokenly. = Every night, Yuu-chan. Every night, I beg him. Every night, he hurts me. I can't make it stop, Yuu-chan. My powers won't work in the winter... What do I do? Yuu-chan... What can I... do...? =
Yuu-chan turned his head. Kurama-sama had no need to waste his breath. It was he who was forced to watch his master go under the worst terror imaginable. It was he who helped his master get to the showers where he'd helped his master wash the blood from his legs.
If only... they weren't held by Draco's spell... If only...
Draco crushed the rose-like flower in his palm, eyes cold with fury. "Why is this still alive...? It should be dead!" He jabbed the wand and sneered, "Crucio."
Kurama's agonized screams filled the room, and Yuu-chan whimpered, crawling under the bed. "I- I don't know, please – don't - "
"Shut up. It's still alive. I don't want to see this again, or you'll pay. You hear me?" With a slap to Kurama's tear-stained cheeks, Draco left, shutting the door tightly and throwing the crumbled flower in the fireplace.
Yuu-chan crawled up on the bed, and pulled the thin blanket over his master's trembling form. He nuzzled the trembling bishounen.
"What did I do...? Yuu-chan... the flower..." Kurama sobbed. Draco had prohibited Kurama speaking Japanese or kitsune, and even when he wasn't around, Kurama was too terrorized to defy. Thankfully, Yuu-chan understood the language. After making sure his distraught master was asleep, Yuu-chan gazed into the fire. He winced. He hatedfire...
But the rose-like flower was there, shining in its glory. Yuu-chan's snout formed a small smile. Yes, Kurama-sama loved Yuusuke-sama, all right. He took a deep breath, faced the fire, and darted in the burned logs. He bit the flower in his snout, and as soon as he did, he felt warm hands on his fur, protecting him from the hot fire.
Yuu-chan looked around, shocked. Kurama-sama's hands...? Ah. The flower...
The love flower, or otherwise called the bearer of memories. Yuu-chan's thinking of Kurama's caring hands protecting him from most things and the loyalty and love he had for his master had activated the flower and had protected him... and Draco's spell. He knew he had only one chance. Draco would be back soon and torture Kurama again. He couldn't let it happen, not when he could finally do something about it. Yuu-chan held the flower in his teeth and darted out, glancing worriedly behind.
"Yuu-chan...? What are you doing here...? Where's... Isn't that... So Kurama was lying..." Yuusuke was a wreck. His flower was still as vivid and bright as Kurama's was... and he understood. "What's wrong with him, Yuu-chan? He's not okay... is he?"
Yuu-chan headed out, looking back pointedly. = Please follow. =
Yuusuke stood up, and Yuu-chan thanked Inari Yuusuke fully understood kitsune. This was going to make it much easier.
"Where's the damned fox?!" Draco slapped Kurama again, striking his now-raw skin.
"I don't know! I don't – IYA! Leave me alone!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Kurama's eyes widened, and Draco's eyes held sadistic coldness.
"Japanese...? How many times do I have to goddamned tell you, don't. speak. That. Language." He hastily pulled off all his clothing. "I guess you just have to be taught."
- Iie! Yuusuke... tasukete... -
Iie! Yuusuke... tasukete...
Yuusuke looked up. – Kurama! - "The password...?"
Yuu-chan spoke in kitsune to the painting. =Crucio.=
Yuusuke's eyes widened as the painting swung open. "You can't be serious."
Yuu-chan merely bounded away, and stood at a door. Yuusuke reached out to open it. The moment his hands reached the knob, Yuu-chan's ears laid flat on his ears, and a shrill, agonized scream resonated in the room beyond. Yuusuke's mind registered what had happened. Yuusuke had realized... Kurama was avoiding him because Draco was raping him. He thought himself dirty, worthless.
Needless to say, Yuusuke's reiki spiked way up.
Prayer: OHMIGODDDDDDD I CANT BELIVE I MADE DRACO RAPE KURAMA... ;-; WHAT THE HELL AM I THINING??!?!?... It's all Yoola's fault! She told me to make them go through pain ;-;
Dongwan-kun: -0-... anyway.... Onto the Japanese... Wakarimasu ka? = Do you understand?
Minwoo-chan: Ano, Yuusuke. = Hey, Yuusuke.
Dongwan-kun: Aa. = boys say this as yeah. If you were a girl, you would say "ee" instead of "aa."
Minwoo-chan: Shimatta = Damn it
Dongwan-kun: Though I know everyone knows, kuso = damn
Minwoo-chan: A, honto ne? = Ah, really?
Dongwan-kun: Iya = same thing as Iie.
Minwoo-chan: Iie! Yuusuke, tasukete... = no! Yuusuke, help...
Dongwan-kun: Ah. Explanations about the group Shinhwa. They're a k-pop group made up of 6 Korean young men. You'll notice they're my muses, as well! KYAAA Andy, Junjin, and Eric are the rappers, and Hyesung, Dongwan (me!) and Minwoo are the vocal. The song First Love came out in their 3rd album, which was in... I think, 2000. The part about where Keiko is obsessed with them... Shinhwa (especially Hyesung, the lead vocal) is very popular in Japan, China, Taiwan, and many other parts of Asia. Hyesung is actually one of those boys that are very feminine that aren't in anime. He's sometimes actually mistake for a girl. (like that time he had long hair wig thing in ayd) and his personality is also very feminine, and he cries often (even though he's a 24-year-old guy)... but... well.
Minwoo-chan: reads from paper ([1]) I translated it into English instead of writing it in Konglish, because it just would be too long and way too awkward for me and the readers. The translation might be a bit clunky because I translated them, instead of getting them from a site.
Dongwan-kun: reads from another sheet of paper ([2]) I took out the English rap here cause it doesn't make sense.
Prayer: Receives death glares from Eric and Andy and Junjin But it's true! They don't make sense ;-; ANYHOW. reads from sheet of paper ([3]) this part sounds okay in Korean, but when I translate it into English, it sounds wrong, so I didn't put it in. Roughly, it says, 'We can make our love and make it through the night'. That's not what they meant (hopefully), so I just erased it. Oh yeah! Also, Kurama's a bit OOC in this chapter... ;-; he's too bright and cheery...
Respond to reviews:
PURPLE!!! – YOOLA! xD... It is NOT a great story! I am NOT a great writer!... 0.o anyway, let's put that aside. Hehe... you did bug me, and here it is! Yes, I know you like Tenshi, though she didn't appear here. She'll appear in all the other chappy, I swear! I did set your rabbit as a model for her, though..
tbiris: hehe.. thanks. And I did continue! See?
darkshaman817: yeah, jimmyn. A chock full o' yaoi-ness. XD but you read it, right? And you bugged me, too –0-
Anonymous: WOW! Another shinhwa fan! See? I did include Dongwan. I was going to rotate them all, but Dongwan and Minwoo were gonna be next chappy, and Andy and Junjin were going to be this one, but you requested it, so here he is! My favorite is Hyesung... Ain't he so pretty!??!
LiLsTuBbOrNgRl: hah. Whatever, ally. You're my sis...xD
LadyRonin: thanks! Sorry I took so long x0x I was too lazy... ehehe..
The Baka Authoress: it DID suck. Yeah, I did include a dictionary.. thanks for the suggestion!
FluffysBijin05: Yup, it'll be LONG before Ronniekins gets the courage up! Especially in the next chappy when he finds out the love of his life raped Kurama.. ;-; oo poor ronniekins...
What2callmyself: Kurama's place in Slytherin was explained in this chappy, but the height thing... hmm... let's see. I thought Yukina and Hiei's height (or the lack of it) would stand out, so I had the two tallest guys help!... not that that helps, ne? hmm... Say Kurama's 5'6 and Hiei's 5'1"... then, now Kurama 'gives' Hiei 3 inches.. then Hiei grew 3 and Kurama lost three... so Kurama's now 5'3" and Hiei's 5'4"... and of course, I did want Kurama to be shorter than Yuusuke.... Hehe... after all, it is nice to look up at your man, as botan-chan says!
Kaoru: I love Kurama, too! xD I'm sorry I couldn't update so fast.
Clow Angel: o.0 grammer errors. 'm sorry! I'm such a crappy writer ;-; You're my first reviewer... xD thanks! Hehe.. I'm a both HK and a YK fan, but I lean more towards YK... and I wanted to do something different. xD