Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. My stories wouldn't be here if I did.
Warnings: Language, blood (wannabe), shounen-ai…
Little Myy: Well, well, what have we here? A new chapter! I promised my dear rebecca85-chan to update either this or Truly Yours before next year, so here it is! I don't like the result, but hey, I never do. So just try to enjoy the ride.
"indicates talking"
::indicates thoughts::
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Chapter 8: The Truth
"Hn. About time", Hiei frowned looking at the red-haired boy. After what Yukina had said he was getting really bad feeling about all this. ::Like it isn't bad enough already.:: He cursed in his mind.
"I'm sorry, but you didn't help me much by breaking the bubbles", the boy shot back, making the fire demon shrug. Then the youth turned to face Kuwabara. "I'm not blaming you for it, but as we all know, we are in a little hurry." He continued with a friendly tone.
"Y-yeah", was all the carrot-top managed to say. He was slightly puzzled. The boy looked just like Kurama could have looked at that age, except Kuwabara had never thought that the fox would have had a short hair. And what did the boy do in the youko's mind in the first place.
"Like you said, we're in hurry, so you wouldn't mind telling us who you are, why are you here and what do you want?" Yusuke said sounding pretty rude, but he had a point.
"I'm sorry. I'm the protector." The boy said like it would explain everything, but seeing the confused looks he sighed and continued. "I'm here to help, but could we walk at the same time as I speak? We have a long way to go." He didn't wait for an answer. The so called protector swished his hand and all the bubbles, expect the purple ones, got out of their way. That made it possible for the others to move without touching them. The green eyed boy started to walk the same way where he had came from and it seemed they didn't have any other options but to follow. "As I said I'm the protector, but I can see that doesn't say anything to you. So I have to tell you little bit of how the mind works." the boy started again, making it sound like an everlasting lecture. "The mind is divided in two. The first part is the place your memories and thoughts are. The ones you use when you're awake and conscious. The other contains subconscious things, like all your dreams, nightmares, fears, and things that even you yourself necessary don't know. The spaces are separated with a wall, so that the reality and fantasy don't get mixed."
"Tell us something that we don't know already." The ex detective said impatiently. The red-head sighed deeply, ignoring Yusuke's comment and continued.
"Normally, these bubbles, which are the memories and thoughts and so on, are in the rooms, but as the demon's attack hit Kurama-sama, the doors flew open and the mind went in chaos. When a mentality is in danger, it creates a protector, to get things back in order." He kept a pause. "I have power over the things that are this side of the wall, but the other side is out of my control. The 'poison' that managed to make his way into Kurama-sama's strong mind went there and took it over. He knows every fear Kurama-sama has and uses them to create hallucinations. He sends them to this side of the wall and at the same time he melts the wall. The bigger the hole is the more hallucinations will find their way here."
"Why are you speaking about this poison, like it's a person?" the slicked-haired man raised another question.
"Because, in a way it is", was the answer the protector gave to them. "Like me, it has taken a form. I look like Kurama-sama when he was in age of 13, because the good and strong memories he has from that time. But the poison…" He didn't end the sentence.
"The poison what?" Kuwabara pried.
"It has taken Youko Kurama's form." The redheaded boy sighed.
"Is there a reason why Youko's?" Yukina asked thoughtfully.
"There is." The boy smiled bitterly. "I get my power from the memories and I look like this, because of the good ones, but the 'poison' gets the power from fears, suffering and he looks like that because of it."
"You don't make sense." the carrot-top said annoyed.
"Well, think it this way. In the past life as a Yoko, Kurama-sama was almost a ruthless killer; he committed crimes that should be punished with death. He had feelings then, of course, everyone does, but culpability wasn't one of them. After dying and being born again he learned to love, he started to think his past actions and… he started to feel guilt from them. He lived as a youko over a thousand years, you can only imagine how many sins he had time to make. All he can do is to live with them. It's more like a reminder of pain than embodiment of fear."
"I still don't get it…" The tall man mumbled, but was interrupted by Yusuke.
"It doesn't matter what it looks like. Let's just get rid of the thing and fix the wall." The man snorted.
"It's easy to say." The green-eyed youth said bluntly. "It will be hard to fight him, because of the power he has gained. Besides that he can control the hallucinations, so you probably have to dodge the bubbles at the same time."
"How do these hallucinations exactly work?" The Ice Maiden asked worriedly.
"They are like memories. If something or someone strongly reminds him of them or if they manage to surface Kurama-sama sees them. I believe the same thing happens if you break one of the bubbles."
Everyone fell silent. Now that their fear was confirmed, the thought of what the consequences could be, filled their minds. In the worst-case-scenario they saw the fox turn into a vegetable or even die and neither of them sounded very luring.
Hiei hadn't talked at all since they had started to move. He couldn't bring himself to ask about the situation, not quite sure why. Maybe he was too afraid to know how bad the kitsune's state actually was, which was very unusual for him. Since when had he started to fear words?
The footsteps were the only thing heard in the corridors that seemed to continue endlessly. After 15 minutes walking in the silence Yusuke burst.
"ARGH! I don't get it!" The man spoke loud in frustration making his voice echo in the hallway. "Kurama isn't stupid or careless! So why did he go alone to hunt the demon? And how a low class demon like that one, managed to get a hit past his guard?"
"Actually." The protector boy started officially. "The whole thing was an accident. Kurama-sama dumped into the youkai before Botan-san had managed to bring Koenma-sama's message to him." The redhead slowed down, making the already puzzled group look more confused. "I guess it would be fine... Nothing, he would be angry for… Hmm…" He mumbled to himself before stopping completely and turning to face the others. He clapped his hands together. "I've decided. I'll show to you what happened." And before anyone could protest the youth snapped his fingers and all went black.
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"Great!" Yusuke murmured. ::Me and my big mouth.::
"Are you sure, this won't hurt Kurama-san?" Yukina's soft voice reached the others ears.
"I'm positive. At least any hallucinations won't affect him when we're here." The young boy's voice spoke somewhere in the darkness.
Kuwabara searched his wife's hand to make sure nothing happened to her and suddenly the blackness was gone. They found themselves floating in the air above a deserted street. There weren't peoples, cars, not even sound. The buildings were normal though – apartment houses and couple of shops had colours and texts were all in their right places. The clock was probably something near eight or nine, because the only thing that helped to see were stars and city lights.
"Hey! This reminds me of the time I was dead." Yusuke gave a laugh as he looked how Kuwabara panicked the thought. The big man had loosened his grip from the healers hand and was gaping like a fish on a dry land.
"Hn. Don't act so helpless." Hiei rolled his eyes. "Like you haven't been in a different dimension before."
"Last time we didn't float." Kuwabara complained.
"I think he wasn't talking about the hallucination." Yukina whispered to her husband. This made the carrot-top even more puzzled. Before he could figure what the short man had meant the protector cleared his throat to get their attention.
At that moment the sounds of people's steps and couple cars noises as they passed by filled the air. Couple of persons and vehicles appeared on the street from nowhere. They also noticed Kurama, who was walking out from one of the shops. He was wearing a pair of khaki trousers, a white collar shirt and a blazer. In his hand he was carrying a bag. The man wasn't so pale and even his eyes had the shine, that now was gone. When looking at the healthy form of the fox and remembering the stale figure, it was like comparing an after and before images like they did in commercial channels. The difference here was that this was real, not computer edited. This made Yusuke want to get a hard punch on the face. How hadn't he seen this, when he had visited him? And how hadn't the green-eyed man's mother done or said anything? On a second thought, the ex detective knew how convincing and clever the youko could be.
"Shall we follow him, or are you going to just stay here." The redheaded boy taunted and started to float to the direction Kurama was walking. It took a moment for them to understand how to control their soaring, though Yusuke looked like he had done this whole his life. "I want to remind you, that you must only watch. No meddling in anything that happens." As an answer there were four nods.
They glided in the air slowly keeping an eye on the fox. He walked the streets and ever now and then something appeared first only as a black figure put got colours in some point.
"Why are some things just black figures at firs?" Yusuke asked floating while sitting his legs crossed.
"We see and hear this place as Kurama-sama remembers it. He didn't see every ones faces, so neither do we. The noises we hear are also the same Kurama-sama heard." The boy explained again, like some teacher.
"Riight." The man just said. Ones mind was just too weird to figure out.
The youko turned to across a park, which weren't very far from his house. The protector boy beckoned that they would lower themselves. He settled himself on the grass near the walking route some way further that where Kurama was. The rest followed his example. When the redheaded beauty reached their spot his eyes enlarged and he speeded up. As they turned to look why the man had started running, they saw a man senseless on the ground. The kitsune had bended over him to check if he was alright. Suddenly the emerald eyed man picked the man up and jumped just in time to dodge a violet ball that blew up as it hit the ground.
Kurama put the man down (and his bag), besides a tree and turned raising his hand closer to his hair. An ugly youkai was standing in the middle of the park passage looking at the fox annoyed. The demon wasn't more than four feet tall and his head was probably one third of his whole height. His skin was deep purple and full of wrinkles. His eyes were completely black and the only clothes he was having was just some kind of brown tunic, with a belt.
"I presume that it was you, who attacked the young man there." Kurama said as he walked closer to the demon.
"You could say that…" The youkai answered with a raspy voice.
"Then I'm sorry for you. Because if that's the case, I can't let you go." The youko said taking the rose from his hair. "Rose Whip!" The demon tried to dodge, but the whip managed to slice the youkai's right leg. "What did you do to him?" The red-haired man demanded.
"Like I would tell it to you." The other one smirked holding his leg. He sent another ball towards Kurama, who dodged it easily. Another swish with the rose whip and the other leg of the purple creature was useless.
"Now, you tell me…" But the plan user didn't get the chance to end the sentence when an ears pitching scream was heard. The emerald-eyed beauty turned to see a young lady that was standing right behind the kitsune, looking horrified. And at the same time a violet sphere hit Kurama on the right arm. The little explosion the orb did, tore the fox's shirt revealing the bruise it had made. He turned to face the other youkai, which was already senseless, face on the ground. The woman had also fainted. Just in case, the redhead went first to see, that the demon wasn't bluffing. He turned the creature around and after a moment of checking he sighed deeply. The youko picked some seeds out of his hair and threw it on the ground. Soon it was a huge flesh eating plant which ate the youkai with only one bite. The flower vanished, when he had eaten its lunch.
"Why did he do that for?" Yusuke asked looking at the protector.
"The youkai had used all his youki for the last blow. He was already dying." The boy sighed. "There wasn't anything that could be done."
When walking to the other two Kurama took his cell phone and called an ambulance. Before the help could arrive the fox grew another plant that immediately blossomed and made some king of polled. Just in case the redhead covered his mouth and nose for that time and also this plant shrank away.
The ambulances sirens reached their ears. The plant user picked up his shopping bag and whit quick pace left the park. The bystanders followed the youko as he arrived to his apartment. He opened the door and before any of the onlookers could get in, the entrance was closed.
"What now?" Kuwabara asked.
"Imagine we're ghosts." The mind creation stated. "We can walk through walls." The youth floated in front of the door and disappeared to the other side. The others followed without a word, except the orange haired man. He doubted for a second, but then decided to follow. As he reached the living room, where his comrades were he noted that Botan was sitting on the couch. The green-eyed man was in the kitchen putting his shopped things away.
"Koenma-sama has a job for you." The ferry girl said always so enthusiastically. The redhead sighed and closed the fridges door.
"If it's about a little purple youkai with a head one third of his height, it's already taken care of." He said tiredly.
"Oh." was all Botan managed to say. "What happened to him? Koenma-sama would have wanted him not dead."
"He wasn't going to talk and besides that he practically killed himself. I just little bit speeded it up." the fox said leaning against the door frame. "It wouldn't have been anyone's win if his body had been found."
"Well then…" the blue haired grim reaper stood up, looking like she didn't find words to say. "I'll just inform Koenma-sama." She took her oar and walked to the back door. "Take care of your arm and good night!" The lady hopped on her transport and the same time the exit closed, blackness arrived.
No one spoke before they were back in the halls full of different coloured bubbles.
"So that's that? Dumb luck?" Yusuke said in wonder. "I can't believe it. Just because some stupid girl started to scream."
"Shut up and walk." Hiei snapped. It sure was stupid, but they could do nothing to change what had already happened. Now they just had to get things fixed.
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Translations (I believe you all know these, but still.):
Kitsune fox
youko fox demon
youkai demon
-sama ending, that could be translated like master or something.
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Little Myy: The chapter! It's over! At last! (I only wrote it million times again and again, because first I didn't know what to write and then I accidentally deleted it.) There will still be probably 2 or 3 chapters and epilogue or something like that.
Oh yeah, and if someone didn't get it Hiei was indicating to the time Itsuki's creature swallowed Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara and Mitarai in the other dimension. And the pollen was to wipe their memories.
Cause I'm so lazy I don't answer to the reviews, but thank you all for them! (And please REVIEW MORE! madman laugh)