A/N: Hello, everyone. I know, I'm late updating again, sorry! I'll try to make this chapter worth the wait. the next chapters may contain hints of an AU storyline. I've thought and thought and I have decided that it is impossible to do what I want to do with this story and keep it completely canon. There won't be any major differences; the changes I plan to make occur before the start of the YYH series, in Kurama's and Hiei's pasts. Specifically, that they knew each other when Kurama was still a Youko. I have tweaked Hiei's past a little--nothing huge, he's still the forbidden child of the Koorime, only in my story the thieves who raised him meet a...tragic...end. I have also created a past for Kurama. That should be all. (shrugs) You'll find out about all of it in flashback. Anyway, I hope that doesn't bother anyone, and please enjoy the story.
Review responses:
Yumi: (Blushes) Thank you for the compliment! I can't draw you a smiley face, but I want to. Blame quick-edit.
RainyDayz/LinkCrew: Again, I can only laugh helplessly and offer my apologies--I don't even have the excuse of a hectic schedule this time. I've done nothing this past week but plan my birthday party( I'm turning 18...it feels very weird...). I really am sorry--this is the most trouble I've ever had writing a story, and it's taking a while to collect my thoughts each time so I don't write myself into a corner--I really want this story to be good, because I think its idea is good. Thank you so much for continuing to review; it's really encouraging.( Lol, I could use your idea of reviewing several times under different names to keep after my friend about her story). I can't make you a smiley face because of quick-edit, but...(grins)
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Believe me, this is a good thing. If I were responsible for writing episodes, I doubt we'd have gotten to the Saint Beast saga by now.
Cracks in the Mask
Ch.3--Where no storms come
Kurama ran.
Hiei flew.
Panting, gasping for breath, his legs slapping the ground painfully hard with each step, Kurama soon lost sight of Hiei completely as he tore through the trees overhead. He didn't care. Every screaming, straining fiber of his body was focused on reaching the nice two-story house with the garden out front, the house that smelled like mint potpourri, that was plastered with memories of the last seventeen years of his life, the house that contained the woman that meant more to him than anyone in the world...
The house that was too far away...
Kurama raced through town, causing drivers to swerve, cursing, as he ran right into oncoming traffic, and hearing screams as he shoved happy afternoon shoppers out of his way. None of it registered. How could he have been so stupid? Hiei was right; how many times had his mother been threatened on his account? Her safety should have been his first priority in this situation. It hadn't even entered his mind.
Sweat poured down Kurama's face as he continued to run full force, ignoring the growing pain in his side. He had to have gotten to her already. Kurama had been at Yusuke's house for over an hour. There was no telling...there was no telling what he...
Kurama rounded a corner and nearly collided with a very out-of-breath Hiei. He skidded to a halt and coughed as the catch in his side intensified. He forced himself to look at Hiei, not wanting to ask, not wanting to know...
"She's safe, fox," Hiei said before Kurama could even open his mouth. "She's fine. She was sitting on the couch looking at a photo album when I got there."
Kurama closed his eyes, relief flooding his body. When he opened them, his vision was clouded with spots caused by the pressure he'd put on them. Hiei was still standing in front of him, panting slightly. "Do you think that there was any danger in the first place?" Kurama asked, a little hesitantly. "Would it be a further overreaction on my part to keep watch over her for the next few days?"
Hiei gave a half shrug. "I see no reason to take chances. But you can't be thinking of doing it yourself--your teachers would surely notice the absence of the great Shuichi Minamino."
Kurama's lips twitched in spite of the situation. "You think I should ask Koenma for guards, then?"
Hiei snorted. "Spirit-World-issue guards tend to possess roughly the same intelligence as the spears they carry."
"That's true," Kurama admitted, flashing back on several raids whose success had depended upon this fact. He cocked an eyebrow at Hiei. "So what would you have me do? Shall I hire a band of underworld demon thieves from the pits of Makai? No doubt they'd do the best job."
" No doubt you'd know," Hiei returned dryly. "But there's no need for that. I'll watch her myself."
Kurama blinked, taken by surprise. Hiei was not normally one to volunteer to help with anything, let alone keeping a quite possibly pointless vigil over a ningen woman. "Are you sure, Hiei?"
Hiei waved the question away impatiently. "What else have I to do all day? No one will notice if I disappear into the shadows for a while."
"Thank you, Hiei, that would be a great help," Kurama said, the tension in his mind easing. There was no way that anything could happen to Shiori while she was under Hiei's protection.
Hiei shrugged again, dismissively. "You should go home," he remarked. "It's nearly sundown. I wouldn't want to hear the Makai Thief Lord scolded for staying out too late."
Kurama laughed quietly. "You should eat with us," he said, knowing full well Hiei would never agree. "I believe we're having macaroni and cheese."
Hiei rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer. "I'll follow you home. I should be able to keep watch over the house from that large tree near your window."
Kurama turned toward him. "Thank you for doing this, Hiei," he said again, with sincere gratitude. "Although I'm not the one you're supposed to be watching..."
Hiei gave a crooked smile. "Don't do anything you don't want me to see."
Kurama covered a grin as Hiei bent his legs, then vaulted into the canopy of tree leaves like only he could. Although his body was starting to feel the exhaustion that came from the sudden rush, then loss, of adrenaline, he realized that he really did feel much better, mentally, now that he had enlisted Hiei's help. He knew Hiei; once the fire demon had made up his mind to do something, he was totally reliable. He would make it his life's mission for the next few days to guard Shiori. Smiling, Kurama glanced once more up at the trees before picking up his discarded book bag and resuming his walk home.
===============================
The boy leaned against the brick wall of a convenience store, following Kurama with his eyes and thinking about the scene he'd just witnessed. The dark-eyed man face in his communicator studied him with raised eyebrows. "They were right, you know," he said mildly. "You would have done well to attack the woman."
The boy's face tightened slightly as he continued to watch Kurama. "We discussed this. I'll find another way. I've found another way."
The boy's insolence didn't seem to bother the dark-eyed man; instead, he appeared to be amused. "Yes, I remember. You explained your...reservations...about harming her quite thoroughly." He looked at the boy for another few seconds, then glanced away as he realized that he was receiving no attention from him. "Still," he said, idly examining his hands, "he never would have forgiven himself if she'd died. It was the perfect opportunity."
"It will be a better opportunity now," the boy insisted, still not bothering to look at the communicator's screen.
The man chuckled. "As you say," he said, his lips curving into a small smirk. He broke their connection without bothering to make a goodbye.
The boy let out a slow breath. It was almost time. There would be a little more watching, then...
He turned and walked down the alley next to the store, aware of how easily he faded into the shadows. That's one thing you and I have in common, Koorime, he thought. Let's see if there are any others.
===========================
The tall, yellow ogre stood nervously in front of Koenma's overflowing desk. The Reikai prince was looking at him very hard, his hands splayed on the papers in front of him. All activity in the normally bustling office was, for the moment, stopped, as everyone watched Koenma apprehensively.
"What do you mean, 'There is an anomaly?'" Koenma asked the ogre in a dangerously quiet voice. "What anomaly?"
The ogre hesitated, obviously not wanting to be the bearer of this news. "In this...in this case, sir, it's a fluctuation in the dimension wall...sort of a warped space...it might just be a monitoring glitch, but...It's just that...it was located in Yusuke's city, so we felt we should tell you..."
Koenma put his face in his hands. Why did it have to be now? It's barely been a month since the last mess...
"Uh...sir?" Jorge said tentatively from beside him. "Are you all right?"
Koenma took a while to answer. When he did, it was only after a deep, calming breath. "Get me Botan."
He leaned back in his chair and thought, not for the first time, that Earth was really more trouble than it was worth...
========================
A/N: Whew, there's another one done...it was a little shorter than I'd planned, but we're done with the "preamble" now...things will heat up in the next chapter. I really hope you liked it. Thank you for your encouragement so far, and I'd appreciate more, along with suggestions if anyone has them. I will try to update as soon as possible! (Insert forbidden smiley-face here.)