10 Years of Waiting
by Kurohi Tatsaki
Day 7 - I'M GONNA WHAT…!
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi, as y'all should know by now.
"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/
Hey, about that lemon chapter, it IS called a lemon for its "racyness" right! Oh, and to clear things up with my 'kaasan, Lemons ARE racy! I don't do limes as well! So there! Not only that, they didn't ASK me to post it! I FELT like it! Hmph!
"If he dies, we all die?" Urameshi Yusuke
An object near the man's head made a shrill noise. The black-haired male groaned and snatched it from the nightstand. Groggily, he flipped open the communicator and was treated to the toddler's also fatigued face. The oar-rider was beside him.
"Wha' is it now, Koenma? Y'need someone to change your diaper?" greeted Yusuke, yawning widely.
"A demon has been sighted in the Ningenkai fifteen minutes ago. I want you to take Kurohi with you and have a look."
"What, now you want me to take the kid?"
"You'll understand why soon enough."
"That's right!" chimed Botan. "You know that forest we went through so long ago when we were rescuing Yukina-chan?"
"What, Tarukane's old place?" asked the man sleepily.
"Yes! The demon is there! Now take Kurohi and GO!"
She hung up.
Yusuke frowned. Well, isn't Botan bein' the bitch this morning...? And I've just been married to Keiko-chan four days ago... I hate my job at times... The brown-eyed ex-delinquent slid out of bed and fished around in his dresser. He found a white shirt and a pair of jeans. He changed quickly, and met Keiko's concerned and curious brown gaze just as he was pulling on his shoes.
"Another case? You haven't had one in a long time. Why now?"
"Dunno. Koenma and Botan just told me to head over to Tarukane's old forest and bring Kurohi with me. She didn't tell me to drag Kuwabara, Hiei or Kurama into this. I'm guessing it isn't very serious."
"Oh... well, bring your cell phone and call if you need help, okay?"
"Okay," he said dubiously, snatching it from the top of the low dresser. "but it just might get crushed if I'm fighting a demon or whatever that specializes in wrestling or crushing."
"Don't worry about it. I can always convince someone to buy you a new one."
"Sure, but something really bothers me..."
"What?"
"Why ask Kurohi to come with me and no one else...?"
The doorbell rang, and Yusuke dashed to answer it. "Well, if isn't it our new Reikai Tantei, Kurohi!"
"Hmph. Let's go," he said dully. He, too, looked like he really, really needed rest. His eyes were red, too.
"Something wrong?"
"Nan da," he muttered, shaking his head.
Yusuke shrugged and followed the boy out the door. "Oh, okay, then..."
The bus lurched often under the boy's feet. His partner flitted atop the buildings to keep up. Damn it... Thing's've gotten worse around here... thought the ex-delinquent as the bus suddenly veered to one side before righting itself again. Stupid driver...
His partner's mind was a mere blank. Sitting in the rising sun had dried his clothes and also given him a small tan this morning. He was still pale, though. He kept on replaying the events of last night in his head. He had promised himself to protect the god from harm, from a distance.
It would be better this way.
The thought made his chest ache once more, and for a moment, his hand flew up and fisted into his shirt, right over his heart.
He focused on the bus and where he was going. He wouldn't be deterred any longer. There was a demon that needed investigating and he needed to hurry. Flitting ahead of the lumbering vehicle, he sprinted to the demon's location. Before he knew it, after flitting through miles of trees, he came to a dead stop.
Standing before him was a winged demon. His violet eyes were on the innocent side, and two horns poked out from the sides of his head, elegantly curving backward to meet the front of his face. His short, silver hair was tied in a loose rattail while the wayward strands poked around. He carried a huge sword across one shoulder and several silver feathers were stuck in his hair.
"Who are you?"
"Yamiryuinu." He said fluidly. "A Dino Youkai, which evolved directly from the Dragon Youkai. We look like old-age Dragon Youkai, but we are not," he said, smiling.
"Why are you here? If I may ask," murmured the boy, hand near the hilt of his deadly blade.
"You may. I am seeking the last Dragon Youkai."
"Why?" asked Kurohi. He wanted to unsheathe his katana, but suppressed the urge.
That sword that boy carried was HUGE! (A/N: Think Cloud Strife's Buster Sword) It was long and a pale blue with white. Cracks in the material looked like veins, and a silver stone dangled at the end of the handle.
"Save him from doom, is all," the Youkai simply replied.
The brown-haired boy was taken aback. "D-doom? I'm perfectly fine!" the Dragon Youkai stuttered.
Violet eyes grew wide. "You're whom I seek?"
He nodded. "Hai." His tail twitched against the ground.
The Dino Youkai sniffed the air. "You smell like a hybrid."
"That is what I am," came the slow reply.
"Found your love yet, then?" eagerly asked the Dino Youkai, serpentine tail lashing left and right. His grin didn't fade.
"Yes," The Dino Youkai brightened, if that was even possible. "but he doesn't love me."
Confusion and dismay replaced his happy expression. "He?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Kurohi! Is this the guy?" yelled Yusuke, running up to catch with the nimble hybrid. The blue-eyed boy nodded.
"Yes. He claims to want to rescue me from death."
"And a fast one at that! At this rate you'll be dead in three weeks!" he yelled at the other demon.
"T-t-t-t-t-three w-w-weeks!" He couldn't breathe. He fainted, crashing on his back in the grass and weeds.
Yusuke gazed at the non-fainted Youkai. "Something I missed?"
"I'll explain. Sit, please."
The matured male sat down cross-legged in the grass. The Youkai before him sat on a rock just in front of him, a safe distance away. With one hand, he rammed his large sword into the ground and leaned against the tree behind him.
"Kurohi is a Dragon Youkai. The last," began the Dino Yokai. "He is of an ancient race who's love-lives refer to their death. No love at all results in a normal lifespan of a couple millennia. Unrequited love results in a below-average span, and what you humans call 'True Love', results in an eternity of existence." At this, he smiled slightly. This was the precise reason why Shirokoori, the dark Dino Youkai was so pissed and determined to kill the heir of...
"He could live forever, then?" asked the black-haired boy, unintentionally cutting off the other boy's thoughts.
He had been in so much of a rush his hadn't slicked back his dark hair.
The well muscled, dragon-winged boy nodded once. The wings were brown, but the leathery flesh between the bones was dark crimson. "Their age would be unaffected. If Kurohi were to have requited love, and love the one of his affections, anyone associated in a positive way with him would live as long as he."
"So, the positive effect is better than the negative, right? If he dies, we all die?" Yusuke was afraid the answer would be "yes".
"If he dies, his race is extinct," he replied coldly. "Anyone associated with him will be unaffected. But, you see, if he doesn't find a female partner, you can say goodbye to the remaining Dragon Demons if his love is still unrequited. Whether male or female."
Kurohi stirred on his back in the grass, but didn't wake. His tail flicked once, perhaps in instinct from some strange dream.
Either way, that trip into unconsciousness should help him, mused Yusuke.
"I'll keep an eye on the boy. You go ahead and report back to your boss."
"How do you know I was under orders!"
"My father has ties with Koenma-sama, but directly, I do not. Understand? Oh, and go ahead and tell Koenma-sama that my father's title is Ryu Youkai Mikado Teupo-sama." 1
It just makes no sense! he thought. Kurohi'll die before his time and what the hell am I gonna do about it! I don't know what to do! Who does he love anyway! I'll murder the one who'd hurt him! He stormed into Koenma's Office and said, "That demon you sent us to investigate is son of Ryu Youkai Mikado Teupo-sama!"
The toddler dropped his stamper. "WHAT!" He slammed his tiny hands against the smooth surface of his desk. He leaned forward and Yusuke approached, hands clenched into fists by his sides.
"Yeah," replied Urameshi. His fists tightened until the knuckles when white. "His name is Yamiryuinu. He says that Kurohi might die in three weeks unless 'his love is requited'. I have no idea who he likes but apparently, it's a guy."
His boss was silent. This was his fault, wasn't it!
Damn it...
Botan feigned concern. "Oh, how terrible! Kurohi'll die? Damn it." I hope he DOES die! Then, I won't have to worry about Koenma-chan going out or falling in love with the wrong people!
"That's right 'damn it'! If we don't help, you'll know what'll happen! Also, I hate to sound cold or anything like that, but you know his abilities! We'd also be losing an asset, and don't forget... he's Kurama and Hiei's friend, and I've seen his speed. He's amazing; a large pity upon who'd hate him." With that, Yusuke left, slamming the door.
Koenma winced. Botan massaged her fiancé's small shoulders, supposedly unaffected. "Thing's'll be okay. Don't worry, koi." (A/N: gags)
"I don't think they will be, this time," murmured Koenma, clenching his
"Then do something! Set him up with someone other than you!"
Koenma frowned. "He told me he loved me, Botan. He asked me to question which one I really loved, but I'm not so sure. That's why I don't think thing's'll be okay this time around..." The old toddler groaned and bit his pacifier.
Botan frowned. So, the boy was STILL after HER Koenma, huh? She'd have to convince the twerp otherwise. Of course, it WOULD result in his death, but, ah, it was worth that.
After all, what's one more Dragon Youkai in the afterlife?
Kurohi awoke in a soft bed. His head pounded like hell and he ached everywhere else. In his pain, he clutched the sheets he laid upon, but doing so didn't quell the low agony. He sat up and gasped. Wait, he was going to die?
No, it couldn't happen! He was well and alive! His heart, no matter how inhuman, beat with the will and power of life! How could he DIE!
He didn't WANT to die!
...but this ache in his heart...
He opened his blue eyes and looked around. It looked like a rich-boy's bedroom. A chord in him struck that this place was vaguely familiar, but he knew not from where. He closed his eyes to see if he could recall it, but it was as if all his memories of the past were locked away and enshrouded in fog to boot.
He felt something missing after a moment or two; he peeked under the sheets and abruptly shut them, blushing furiously. After a moment, someone entered the room and he yelled, "WHERE THE HELL ARE MY FUCKIN' CLOTHES! IZZIS SOME KINDA JOKE!"
The boy was taken aback. It was the boy that told him he was gonna die. This time, he wore a loose, blue and white kimono. His rattail was down. "U-um, I brought you here for your own good."
"My own good!" he shrieked. "I've lived okay on my own for as long as I can remember!"
"Oh? How far back is that?"
The last Dragon Youkai paused. How far DID his memories go? He knew he couldn't remember much at all past his first meeting with Koenma... besides the fact he went to Ningenkai first.
"I see," replied the creature, interrupting his thoughts. "Tell me, do you remember anything before coming to the Ningenkai?"
He paused again, then slowly shook his head. He clutched it in pain. "No..." he moaned.
"Okay. Memory-unlocking is an easy task for me, but very, very hard on you. You think you're up to it?"
A challenge? "How long will it take?" he asked, looking past his hands.
"Not too long. But it'll give you one hellava migraine."
I don't care. Koenma doesn't love me anymore, so what's so bad about dying? "Pain in my head ain't rare. I have nothing to lose. It might kill me?"
"If you're not strong enough."
"I'm tough!" he said, to keep up the charade that he was well both physically and mentally.
"All right, then. I have two methods. We can go ahead and I can use my powers directly, very hard on you, or we can do something to quell the pain in your head by means of... distraction, and have it be a bit less painful."
"No WAY I'm havin' sex with you!" he retorted sharply. "You sure as hell AIN'T gonna be my first!"
"Does that have a double meaning?" he asked slyly in his child-like tone. He raised an eyebrow.
"N-no... I mean, I... haven't..." he seemed sheepish. He blushed furiously and looked away. "...done it... before..." (A/N: After all, he didn't like the women, and didn't like any of the men he came across! Of course he's gonna be a virgin!) "...Even... WITH my Youko blood..."
"Now THAT'S strange..." the demon prince murmured.
"What is?"
"People of Youko, usually wild ones, sleep with just about anyone," said he offhandedly.
"I may be wild, but I'm not FULL Youko!"
Yamiryuinu strode over and sat on the bed beside him. "Of course. I could smell that you're not full-blood Youko, fire demon, or really, anything."
The boy frowned. "Look, can ya give me my memories back or not!"
"You might wanna lie down."
"I WON'T LET YOU FUCK ME, DAMN IT!" Kurohi insisted.
"I'm not going to," he replied. "If you're flat on the bed, you won't have to waste energy sitting up."
Kurohi cautiously did as told. "First of all, where am I?"
"My room," he replied simply. "Now close your eyes and relax. Pain won't come until after, but you'll need your strength so you can overcome it."
With that, Kurohi felt like a wind was pulling his spirit out of his body.
Everything became dark.
End Day 7
1 At times, the Dino Youkai refer themselves as Dragon (Ryu) Youkai because of their heritage. They are a proud race and most have very complex honor code rules.
Started 3/30, 2:30PM, Finished 3/31/03, 5:52PM Revisions: 10/11/03 & 10/12/03