We still don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
::the sight of worry::
"So where's this castle we're supposed to be razing?" Yusuke asked.
Kuwabara stared at the forest for a long minute. "That way."
"So, just how are we supposed to raze a castle?" Yusuke asked the inevitable question.
"I figure I use my super aura sword of doomation, and you do your thing, and we kill a lot of demons, and hopefully that'll be it," Kuwabara said confidently.
"Kuwabara..." Yusuke trailed off and looked uneasy.
"What?"
"Doesn't it make you worried?" Yusuke blurted. "There's something out there, something strong enough to hurt, capture, maybe even kill not only Kurama, but Hiei too. At the same time."
"Oh, come on, Urameshi. We all know you're the super-strong one among us," Kuwabara said grudgingly. "Even the midget knows you've got something on him. I'm not saying that this is going to turn out to be easy, but, well, you've beaten them both."
"Correction," Yusuke said. "I've beaten Hiei. Once. Out of sheer luck. I was strong enough for my reigun to hurt him, though, so that must count. I've never been up against Kurama. He just acts like I did. I mean, we've all smacked each other around a bit, occasionally had to fight each other, et cetera, but the only one I've ever really and truly beaten was Hiei. And that was a long time ago. And he wasn't really using a sword, any weird fire things, or...anything."
"Yeah, well, we'll be fine anyway," Kuwabara told him.
Yusuke shook his head. "I know I've been dismissing a lot of this other stuff, but something's wrong here, you know?"
Kuwabara shifted a bit. "Well, I know something's wrong. There's something out there that's nasty enough to do God knows what to Kurama and Hiei, and we're going to go walk up to it like nice little sheep and attack it."
"But how is it that strong?" Yusuke demanded. "It doesn't feel right. Koenma didn't act like it was that strong. No one is acting like it was that strong. Well, maybe the hysterical guy with the green tongue. He was freaking out. But Botan and Koenma didn't seem to think he was that much of a threat."
"Koenma flipped out like I've never seen before," Kuwabara said.
"But he called Ramandai a 'pathetic little upstart'," Yusuke argued. "He's always told us what to expect, and I don't think he's expecting Ramandai to be that bad. I think he just thinks that Kurama and Hiei screwed up really badly somehow."
"Maybe they did," Kuwabara said doubtfully.
"...you don't think they did, did you?"
"No," Kuwabara said regretfully. "Pity. It would've been so much more fun to have just walked in without a fight and rescued them."
"I want to find out where they went," Yusuke said suddenly. "Let's follow the way they went. That'll show us what not to do!"
Kuwabara looked briefly doubtful, then pointed out a direction. "That way." He hesitated for a second as the two changed direction, then started again. "Urameshi..."
"Yeah?"
"What is going on with those two?"
Yusuke's eyes glowed. "It all has to do with the way – "
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE WAY KURAMA STANDS!"
Somewhere, in a castle not too far away, one rather muddied redhead in particular thanked a very large amount of gods for this proclamation which seemingly came from on high.
Yusuke calmed down a touch. "Well, you must agree that it's certainly mellowing Hiei out."
Kuwabara shuddered. "Can we not talk about demon sex?"
"I don't think he's actually getting any," Yusuke said thoughtfully. "Which is actually quite odd, considering that Kurama – "
"GAH!"
"They're pretty much the best and most longstanding friends they each have. I mean, as for Hiei, Kurama might be the only person he would even hint at calling a friend," Yusuke relented, actually giving what might be a relatively truthful answer.
"What about you?"
"Sparring partner and test dummy. I think he's shy," he added thoughtfully, just for the express purpose of watching Kuwabara go into mild shock.
"And Mukuro?"
"I've heard 'crazy robot lady' a good deal."
"And me – wait, that was a stupid question."
"You already know what he thinks of you. And vice versa." Yusuke shrugged. "I would say this is probably just some crazy demon logic."
"You're referring to Kurama as a demon a lot more lately," Kuwabara added.
Yusuke looked blank. "But since his mother died, he's been acting like one a lot more, too."
Kuwabara's eyes went wide. "Urameshi, don't kill me for this, but...what if they weren't kidnapped? If Kurama's not acting so much like a human, and everyone can tell that he's got a severe influence over Hiei's staying clean..."
Yusuke's eyes went equally wide. "The two most wanted demon criminals in the Makai loose again? Aw, crap. Your intuition had better not be backing you up on this."
"It's not," Kuwabara said with relief. "But it's a lot better than thinking that they're dead."
Yusuke was forced to agree.
Hiei stared uncomfortably at Kurama as he continued to hack up blood. "That really doesn't look good. How the hell did that happen when you were just holding your breath for a while?"
"I don't know," Kurama gasped. "Maybe I ruptured something. And I wasn't holding my breath. I was sodding incapable of breathing while you and Ramandai exchanged pleasantries for ten fucking minutes!"
"That doesn't sound good either. How're you going to be useful if you're spouting blood all over the place?" Hiei asked.
Kurama smiled. "How about I just lounge around and look pretty?"
There were several comments made pertaining to this offer from surrounding cages. Hiei rolled his eyes. "You're fucking popular."
"No," Kurama replied. "Just whichever of them finishes me off is rewarded."
"He really wants me, doesn't he?" Hiei asked quietly.
"You think?"
Hiei burst out laughing, which prompted Kurama to stare at him oddly. "This is beautiful. You're the youko, and everyone's ignoring you. This a new feeling?"
"Shut up," Kurama said mildly. "You're not concerned at all, are you?"
Hiei glared at him. "That's a trick question, isn't it?"
"You're the one who can take off whenever you feel like it!" Kurama said, sounding thoroughly annoyed. "Why aren't you?"
Hiei got up. "Actually, I'm seriously considering getting my sword."
"Do you have the faintest idea as to where it is?" Kurama pointed out.
"Damn you. Aren't you supposed to be flighty and obsessed with small shiny things?"
"Aren't you supposed to be taking off?"
"Not without my sword, dammit! And don't try and cough up your lungs, it makes me nervous."
"Woo, I've found something that makes the great and terrible Hiei uneasy!" Kurama then went back to his convulsive coughing.
Hiei sighed and went back over to the muddy redhead. "Oh, come on, stop the spitting up blood thing. It's going to be fun enough getting out with you covered in more seals than I've ever seen in my life total. I really don't need you dead once I'm out of here, because then my life becomes so much more boring."
"All those humans and no one to talk to?" Kurama teased.
"All those humans and no one to help me plot their horrible, screaming deaths," Hiei corrected.
"I don't help you plot their horrible screaming deaths. I listen while you plot them on your own, and then I distract you."
"That's it, I'm getting my sword, just for the express purpose of stabbing you," Hiei muttered.
"Now that's not going to get you laid."
"I'm so going to kill you," Hiei said, attempting to return to his normal colour from the dead-white he'd turned.
Kurama ducked Hiei's swat at his head. "You know, I'm just saying this stuff to get a reaction. You never used to do stuff like this."
"That's all your fault," Hiei complained, adding a magenta stripe to his radical new facial colouring.
"I know," Kurama said with a grin. "I try."
"Why are you doing this to me?" Hiei demanded, leaning forward. "Why?"
Kurama blinked. "You've started talking a lot more lately."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"We're going to die soon. Or at least I am, if we don't get the hell out of here. Grant me some last entertainment," Kurama said dramatically.
"..." Hiei glowered at him. "Keep this up and I'm just going to read your mind and be done with it."
Kurama looked vaguely struck. "You know, that's an excellent idea."
"...?"
"Ah, you're not talking again," Kurama murmured. "I don't know how to tell you what you want to know."
"Do you even have the faintest idea what I want to know?" Hiei inquired.
Kurama smiled recklessly. "Look and see."
Hiei shrugged and looked.
"So that's it," Yusuke said. "There's the castle over there," he said, looking through the scorched remains of the trees. "They came here, and that's as far as you think they went deliberately. Crap."
Kuwabara was busily kicking through the charred rubble. "Urameshi. Something's wrong here."
"Again?" Yusuke wailed.
"Look at this," Kuwabara said with an expressive flail. "How often does Hiei do stuff like this?"
Yusuke thought it over. "He's a fire demon."
"Who uses a sword," Kuwabara retorted. "If this were the Kokuryuuha or some such thing, I think we'd know it. And there would be a lot less forest. This was just...fire. Hiei doesn't...really...do that."
"He's done a couple fire stunts lately," Yusuke pointed out.
"Yes, well, this is a little bigger than a 'fire stunt'," Kuwabara observed.
"Ramandai," Yusuke said, snapping his fingers. "That guy...Aven Vincent. He said the guy who killed Kurama's mother went up in flames. Ramandai isn't supposed to be a fire demon...but he's leaving a trail like he is one."
"Why does everyone we run across have this thing for Hiei? He's a short, bad-tempered, foul-mouthed idiot with a wicked ability with a sw – oh, God," Kuwabara trailed off as Yusuke dissolved into helpless and rather perverted laughter. "I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE SHARP POINTY THING, DAMMIT!" This didn't help at all. "Ka-ta-na, Urameshi! Sharp! Pointy! Thing!"
"Everything you say can so be taken the wrong way," Yusuke said gleefully.
"I'm not meaning it like that, though! I'm telling Keiko-chan!"
"Aaagh! Nonononono! Please no! She's gonna kill me!"
"And I'm telling her where you hid Icha Icha Paradise!"
"You do and I'm telling Yukina, who'll tell Hiei, who'll kill you!"
"Urameshi, that's a very empty threat," Kuwabara pointed out. "They're both demons."
"I, uh, Shizuru?"
"Eeeep!"
"This is all really amusing, this discussion about Hiei's ability with a sword, but it's not getting us anywhere," said a purring voice from behind them.
"Gah!" Kuwabara yelped, whipping out his lightsaber – er, aura sword.
"I'm armed!" Yusuke added, pointing at the trees as he whirled around. "Ramandai?"
"Ah ah ah," said the purring voice, yet again from behind them. Both boys twirled again. "Back here," said the voice from its original direction.
"Stop moving and we'll turn – or, Urameshi will be stupid and turn around anyway," Kuwabara finished.
Aven Vincent waved one clawed hand at the pair. "Yo. I'm just playing around."
"What do you want?" Yusuke demanded fiercely. "We heard what you did to Kurama, you know."
Aven Vincent nodded. "Oh, I liked him. He fought like no one I've ever met before or since. I had no idea how much was growing under that muck in that room. I kept his ears," he added. "He wouldn't beg, either. Begging is so undignified. It was very dignified...well, for a while. Oh, stop glaring, I'm here as your reinforcements. Well, reinforcement, singular."
"So Koenma is worried," Kuwabara said thoughtfully, re-absorbing his aura.
Aven Vincent licked his lips. "No, I'm worried. I just told you about Kurama. I know him. I've been in his mind, I've torn his flesh from his bones, I've forced him to babble his worst nightmares and his hopeless dreams to keep from saying what I want to know. I also had the pleasure of working over Hiei at a different point in time. Nothing normal could take these two out," he added with a respectful glance at Yusuke. "And nothing normal can become a fire demon. I looked it up. The only way known to do that is to slaughter a hundred fire demons, drink the blood (which is quite a lot, mind you), and set yourself on fire. Well, it's a little more complicated, but that's the gist of it." Aven Vincent shrugged. "If those two are in trouble, I'll bet that they're in a lot of trouble. Let me tell you, having been around for a while, we were always terrified that those two would band up together."
"Well, now they're working for you," Yusuke pointed out.
"Which is an excellent thing," Aven Vincent retorted. "I'd much rather have them working together and for us than have them working separately and against us. Kurama keeps Hiei from flipping out and killing anyone who annoys him, and Hiei acts as Kurama's anti-conscience. He sees Hiei's general rules of engagement as pertains to life, and that keeps him relatively sane. Unlike this crazy," Aven Vincent said, shuffling through the ashes. "Anyway, I'm here to lend you two some assistance." He licked his lips again.
"Excellent," Yusuke said with a smile. "You got any idea how to storm a castle?"
"First, we go to the castle. Then we go kill everyone in it. Then we tear the place down. Though something tells me if we don't leave Ramandai for everyone's favourite youko, our lives are so not worth it."
"Ah, that hurts," Kurama said with a wince.
"You're resisting. It hurts more," Hiei said automatically. "It's natural to hide your thoughts."
"So you're just ripping them out?" Kurama asked, starting back into a coughing fit.
"Or you could stop resisting," Hiei retorted. "I don't read minds like you think I do anyway."
"How did you – now that was a stupid question in the making," Kurama muttered. He waited for the biting retort, realized one was not forthcoming, and looked up.
Hiei was staring at him with an expression that was about three parts shock, three parts fear, and one part confused elation. Kurama was doubly stunned – one, because Hiei had a facial expression that could be noted by the casual observer, and two, that fear was part of this expression. Fear was never among the noted-by-casual-observer looks. Amusement and shock usually dominated this area.
"Okay, I give. What am I thinking?" Kurama asked.
"One, you're a possessive bastard," Hiei said lightly.
"We knew that part."
"Two, you...like...me?"
"And you have a serious inferiority complex there. Can we go to the non-obvious things that seem to be a serious issue?"
"Three..."
"Ow!" Kurama broke in.
"Yes, and stop fighting me," Hiei answered, then blinked. "Okay, maybe I should have waited for you to actually figure out what questions you were going to ask."
"Three?"
"Three...you're...why the hell are you afraid of me? You of all people!" Hiei stared at Kurama. "I'm hurting you now, but that's not...what you mean. And...and this continuous relationship thing. You still want to be friends, and...I...ow!" Hiei's third eye snapped shut. Rubbing his forehead, he continued, "You have safeguards like I've never seen."
"It's probably these seals," Kurama said tiredly. "So here I am, stripped of all my abilities, barely able to move, let alone breathe, and now I'm utterly humiliated. Is this the bit where I die horribly?"
"Oh, stop angsting," Hiei said impatiently. "You don't have some crazy demon obsessed with you."
Kurama raised his eyebrows. "Want a list?"
"Forget I said anything. Why are you afraid of me? You're not afraid of me physically. What am I going to do to you?" Hiei demanded.
"I don't know," Kurama replied. "That's why I'm afraid. I can't predict what you'll do, as far as...all this goes."
"You think I'm any better?" Hiei demanded. "Look, I just saw my sword. I'm going to go get it. I'll be right back. Don't move, don't cough up anything vital, and don't touch the barrier."
"Are you being concerned?" Kurama asked as Hiei got up and headed for the bent-open areas.
"Hn. Watch this." Hiei paused before he reached the barrier and looked around at the other cages. "I know you'll be rewarded if you finish him off," he said loudly. "And I'm leaving the cage. Nevertheless...if any of you even breathe on him, realize that I am getting my weapon...and I'm sure that the one who harms me dies horribly. Now if you'll excuse me." With that, he deftly stepped through the bent bars and darted across the room to where his sword was abandoned in the muck.
The second Hiei broke through the barrier, Kurama sat up with a gasp. "Get your sword!" he screamed. "You just triggered a trap spell on your Jagan! I can feel it in the seals on me!"
"I what?" Hiei snatched his sword out of a pile of corpses. As his fingers brushed one body, he whirled back to the pile, feeling sick. A new feeling, to be sure, but...
"These are the fire demons he killed," Hiei breathed as the body he'd touched began dropping off bits of skin where his fingers had been. "He left them here...for me to see..."
Any further thoughts on the matter were cut off by Kurama throwing himself at the bars. "Hiei, get out of here!" He fell back into coughing and dropped back to the ground in a splatter of blood. "Get out of here..."
My body won't respond again, Hiei suddenly realized. I'm reacting like this...because my body won't move. It's shock...?
"It's me," said Ramandai softly, running his claws gently through Hiei's hair.
Yes. Yes, I am evil. Mwa ha ha?
KuramasKitsuneGirl: Hee, thankyou!
MikaSamu: More for you!
Niana Kuonji: Eee. Amusing review!
kikira-san: I'm glad you think so! I have OOC issues. ::blush::
lilmatchgirl007: Thanks!
Liviania: BURN, MY LAUNDRY, BURN!
uma: Raised with the slang, sorta. It was an attempt to Brit-i-cize me. Or something. ::shruglike:: I just kinda go with it. ::blush::
Lachwen: Here you go!
Blue Moon Fox: Thanks!
Kerei Kitsune: I figured it warranted at least SOME notice.
Kooriya Yui: Please don't get into trouble. Thanks though!
Henrika: And he only gets angrier. ::grin::
Sailor Comet: Erm, well, erm...I was looking for something really painful to me, and ended up clutching my hands and whimpering for a bit. So I figured I had something there.
SweetMisery: Doesn't he just, though? ::grin::
Kuranga108: Well, there they go...
please review! thankyous!
