Death Dimension

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, FUNimation, etc. However, I do own Taikyo, Kathryn and Darryl Verne, the plot, the Shattered Sword Inn, and the alternate universe.

Warnings: This story contains mild shonen ai. If anyone has a problem with that, don't tell me. I don't care. Also, there will be a lot of OOC-ness this chapter, due to certain events that take place.

Hint Answer: The answer to last chapter's hint is used countless times in this post. If you can't figure it out, I'm very worried you.

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I hope you won't mind that there are a few OC's in here. Don't worry, though; they're not major characters that will be continuous throughout the story. They'll probably only be around for the time that the Tantei are in their village. ( Furthermore, there will not be any romantic relationships between any original characters and the Tantei. They will not have major roles, unless you count being an innkeeper or tailor a plot-changing profession. They are side characters that are there mostly because I needed someone to run the shops, etc., and partly because I didn't feel like cheating and using characters from other anime. )

Anybody who complains about the preceding notice or the characters that follow will be very, very sorry.

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Chapter Four: Estatris


Chuckling quietly, the kitsune motioned for Kuwabara to lift Yusuke up. The ningen complied, though still seemed apprehensive of the wings. Kurama also stood, holding the apparently comatose Jaganshi to his chest. "We have no time to waste. For all we know, it could take us the rest of the day to find the edge of this forest, if not longer."

Yusuke sighed, not really hearing the thief as his eyes closed, the pain from the headache causing him to slowly fall unconscious.

'If Koenma doesn't find someway to get us back, I'll... I'll... Damn.'

---

"C'mon, I'm sure that it's this way!"

"The scent of humans resides in the other direction, Kuwabara."

"But I know that it's this way! I know it!"

"...That's the path we came from."

"No, it's not!"

Kurama sighed, shaking his head. The argument was circling again, Kuwabara being as stubborn as possible. And, needless to say, this was beginning to annoy the former Youko.

"Listen, Kuwabara..." Kurama said in an exasperated tone. "Your psychic abilities are obviously dysfunctional at the moment. Right now, following scents is our only hope of escaping this place."

The ningen's shoulders slumped as he openly admitted defeat. "Fine, Fox-Boy, you lead."

Shifting Hiei in his arms again, the kitsune began heading towards the south, feeling slightly relieved when he heard Kuwabara following him. Unlike Yusuke, who would immediately take off in the opposite direction, Kuwabara was at least honest in these situations.

Another sigh escaped Kurama as he ducked under a low tree branch. There was no sign of an end to the forest, and they had been walking for three hours, at least.

'Quite intimidating...'

---

"...Kurama?"

The kitsune suddenly shook his head; he had been in a dazed state for an obvious amount of time, yet he had continued to navigate through the trees without wakening his mind. Surprisingly, they weren't completely off course.

Tentatively, he sniffed the air, his eyes widening as he realized that the scent of humans had grown much stronger. Pausing, he glanced over to Kuwabara. "We're close."

The ningen raised a brow before nodding in agreement. "So, what do we do? Are we just gonna' waltz in there?"

Kurama frowned, thinking this over. "...I'm not sure... We can wait to ask Yusuke-kun once we're-"

However, he was interrupted as the comatose Jaganshi in his arms let out a choking sound, his hands gripping Kurama's shirt tightly as a violent shudder ran through him. Instantly, the kitsune's eyes widened as slight panic seeped into his mind.

He felt Kuwabara peering over his shoulder. "Hey, is the shrimp alright?"

The former thief bit his lip when Hiei whimpered softly, and turned his gaze to the youth. "We need to hurry..."

Kuwabara nodded as Kurama began to run through the forest, slow enough to stay near the ningen. "How much longer, Fox-Boy?"

"We'll be there in an hour, if we keep up this pace." Kurama replied as he pulled the shivering Jaganshi closer to his chest.

---

Why...

Why am I so weak all of a sudden...?

...Not injured...

Any energy I have is still here...

...I feel like...

...I need something...

But what...?

...I'm thirsty...

Garnet...

...What do I need...?

Liquid... Ruby...

...so thirsty...

Scarlet rivers...

Red... rivers?

Rivers of...

...Crimson...

Rivers of crimson...?

Drink.

Drink what?

...the rivers...

Drink... crimson...?

Yes. Yes, drink the red!

...How-?

...Wait...

Blood.

Drink it! The crimson!

...No...!

...blood...

I can't. I won't.

You need blood...

...stop...!

Blood.

NO-!

BLOOD.

"HIEI!"

The Jaganshi's eyes snapped open to lock gazes with the former Youko, whose own emerald orbs where filled with panic and worry. "K... K'rama...?"

However, before he could say anything else, the kitsune had launched into a barrage of questions. "Are you alright? What happened to you? Do you feel any better than earlier? Did you have another nightmare?"

Hiei blinked before replying. "No, I'm thirsty, no, and... sort of."

"Hiei, how does 'I'm thirsty' tell me what happened to you?" Kurama asked.

The apparition frowned, not knowing why he had chosen those words, before deciding to elaborate. "Hn... In a dream, someone was telling me to drink crimson, and by 'crimson', they meant blood. That's all I know, so don't ask me anything else about it."

Kurama sighed, embracing him for a moment before pulling away. "Do you think that you can walk?"

"Hn. Where to, fox?" Hiei muttered, though he highly doubted that it would matter. It didn't seem like he would be able to stand at the moment, let alone walk. 'I need at least a few minutes... Can't it wait? Damn persistent kitsune...'

Hiei raised a brow when he saw Kurama smirk. The next thing he knew, the kitsune had pulled him into a sitting position and had turned him to face a rather large village before them, down a sloping field.

The buildings were made of wood and what seemed to be a version of concrete. The wood trim was light brown, along with the window shutters. The shingles that made up the roof where black with age, this being the case with most of the paint in the town as well. Many of the buildings had signs swinging from posts attached above the door, declaring them shops, inns, taverns, or stables. However, a few private homes were nestled between the stores.

People, apparently human, were crowding the cobblestone streets, some alone while others were with family or friends. They all wore basic clothing designs in white, brown, black, and gray. The women had on skirts and blouses, while the men wore pants and loose-fitting shirts.

Hiei couldn't stop the look of shock from covering his visage, and he turned to look up at Kurama, his gaze clearly stating, 'What the hell's happened?'

"They're obviously not as advanced as the humans from our own world... This will probably prove difficult for Yusuke and Kuwabara to accept..."

"Hn. What about you, fox?" Hiei murmured, more focused on the town before them than Kurama's reply.

"A thief has to adapt to any environment. Besides, many of the towns in the Makai are like this..." Kurama trailed off, his eyes glimmering with amusement at Hiei's subtle fascination.

Pulling his gaze away from the village, the Jaganshi glanced around the edge of the forest, their current location. "Fox, where's the detective and the idiot?"

Kurama chuckled, nodding towards their left. "Yusuke's over there, asleep. As for Kuwabara, he's wandered off, but he said that he'd be back soon."

As if on cue, the orange-haired ningen parted through a cluster of bushes behind them. Quickly, Kurama lifted Hiei off of his lap and onto the ground beside him, trying not to blush as Kuwabara sent them a quizzical stare.

"Yes, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked calmly.

"Erm... Well, I was scouting out the town, and there're a couple places we could stay at..." the ningen replied.

Hiei rolled his eyes slightly, unseen by Kuwabara. He glanced over at the kitsune while resting his arms on his knees. "Hn, are we going or not?"

"Hai. I'll go and wake Yusuke-kun." Kurama replied as he stood, leaving the Jaganshi and Kuwabara to glare at each other as he made his way over to the sleeping detective.

Hiei glowered up at the ningen. "What're you staring at, baka?"

Kuwabara crossed his arms defiantly. "What's up with you and Fox-Boy?"

The apparition raised a brow, simultaneously letting out a low growl. The idiot had no reason to pry into his business, did he? "The hell are you talking about?"

"I saw him practically huggin' you, shrimp. There's gotta be something between you two, 'cause you weren't trying to kill him for it." the youth said, not noticing Hiei's growl.

'So he does have a brain, even if a very small one...' However, before the Jaganshi could reply with a death threat, Kurama came up with a rather sleepy-looking Yusuke behind him.

"Alright, we should leave now." Kurama announced, going over to Hiei. "Can you walk yet?"

Hiei was slightly thankful for the thief's whispering tone, seeing as Kuwabara's eyes were still lingering over the two. "Hn, yes." He reluctantly accepted the offered hand, and shook himself to rid the dirt from his clothes. Luckily, the ningen's gaze had shifted, so he hadn't seen their actions.

Hiei said nothing as Yusuke took up the lead, the youth seemingly over his 'transformation'. He led the group out of the safety of the trees, straight into the bright sunlight which covered them completely.

The Jaganshi suddenly froze, glancing down at the light which poured over him. Somewhere in his mind, a voice was yelling at him to get back into the shadows immediately.

'But... Why would I need-?'

His thoughts were cut off as he felt an instantaneous burning sensation on his skin, followed by a tremendous pain. It spread over his entire being, feeling almost as if he was scorching.

Hiei looked around wildly for some source of attack, only to find nobody but his teammates and the forest behind them. He couldn't sense anyone capable of magic; there was only the sun-!

The pain intensified dramatically, and despite himself, the Jaganshi let out a screech as he fell to his knees. Before his eyes were clenched shut, he was sure that he saw some sort of steam rising up from his skin. The sudden scent of blood filled his senses, and Hiei knew it to be his, which only caused another shriek to escape him.

Up ahead, Yusuke and the others spun around as they heard his cry, Kurama immediately running to the apparition's side, Yusuke close behind. The kitsune literally flung himself down to Hiei, his own eyes wide with terror.

...Crimson...

...Blood...

Before the apparition knew what he was doing, he had lifted his wrists to his mouth, subconsciously noting that his demonic fangs had become much longer as he dug them into his veins. The garnet liquid spilled from the wounds, cascading down his arms as he licked at it hungrily. His shrieks became louder as the burning reached an unbearable level.

His arm was wrenched away as Kurama's panicked voice reached his ears. "Hiei, stop! What're you doing?"

Yusuke watched on in horror and shock as the Jaganshi continued to scream and attempted to bite himself, while Kurama tried to hold him back. However, something suddenly clicked in his mind, and he dove into the fray.

"Kurama, move!" the detective yelled, pushing past the kitsune, who lept away. The apparition's crimson eyes were filled with emotion, so unlike the usual ice-cold expression; confusion, pain, and obvious fear. Scorch marks covered him, more appearing every minute. Blood was dripping out of the burns, which Hiei was valiantly trying to lick.

Yusuke bit his lip as he hurriedly pulled the Jaganshi into the shadow on his lap, covering him from the sun's rays. Hiei whimpered, his struggling ceasing, though that didn't dull the detective's worry at all.

The youth glanced back at his other two companions. "We need to get him inside. Anywhere will do."

"Yusuke, what's-?" Kurama started, his voice shaking noticeably, but Yusuke interrupted him.

"There's no time to explain, Fox-Boy! Let's go!" he shouted as he took off for the village, thankful to hear Kuwabara and Kurama behind him.

Yusuke dashed down the sloping hill, his wings spreading behind him without his consent. Fortunately, though, they blocked some of the sunlight from reaching Hiei.

The detective wasn't aware of the blood that soon covered his shirt as he reached the crowded streets. His eyes scanned the buildings, settling on the closest one that read 'The Shattered Sword Inn' on the sign. However, after less than a minute of being in the drove, he realized that no path was going to be formed to let them through.

Yusuke winced as someone elbowed him in the ribs, resulting in him kicking them right back. As the person spun around to confront the offense, the Tantei had already disappeared.

A small sigh of relief escaped him as they reached the targeted building, and Yusuke shoved open the wooden door to reveal a shadowed lobby area, complete with a small restaurant and bar. Across from the entrance was the apparent registration desk, which the group strode over to.

They came to a stop in front of it, and Yusuke took up his role as the leader. He shifted Hiei in his arms, earning a whimper from the apparition. Yusuke tried to ignore it as he spoke up. "W-We need a room."

The chestnut-haired woman didn't look up from the long roll of parchment that she was reading. The curly strands hid her eyes from view, so the Tantei didn't know if she was looking up, or not. "'You got money?"

'Money! Oh, great... This is just like some stupid fantasy role-playing game at the arcade... Always treating the new players badly... We'll just have to cheat, then.' The detective bit his lip before nodding. "...Yeah."

"Let me see it." the innkeeper replied gruffly.

A small leather pouch suddenly landed on the desk in front of her as Kurama spoke up from the youth's right side, sounding slightly frustrated. "There. Please, we have to get to a room immediately, as one of us needs medical attention."

Yusuke's eyes widened and he turned to stare at the kitsune, who gave him a look that clearly stated, "What, you think I'm a thief for nothing?"

The woman lowered the parchment and grabbed the bag, reaching in to examine whatever was inside of it. Finally, her brown eyes wandered up to them. She didn't seem to be at all fazed by the blood-covered Jaganshi, instead sighing in exasperation. "You're truly an idiot if you think that you can take a va-"

Yusuke interrupted her. "Look, we know. Just get us to the damn room!"

The woman paused in thought before sighing again. "Fine. Just follow me."

The Tantei simultaneously nodded, Kuwabara mumbling something about "pushy old women", even though the innkeeper seemed to only be in her late twenties.

She led them into a hallway on their right after grabbing a small key from the board behind her. Kurama went into a tense state-of-mind, keeping next to Yusuke so that he was by Hiei, while Kuwabara brought up the rear.

"Anyway, I'm Kathryn Verne. My husband Darryl and I run the inn, along with a ranch on the outskirts of the town. This building has three floors: the one above us, the ground-level, and the tavern down below."

Yusuke raised a brow at the word 'tavern', noticing that Kuwabara's eyes also lit up. However, he pushed back his burning questions about the drinks they served for later. "Anything else we should know?"

Kathryn stopped in front of a polished oak door with the brass number thirteen on it. "Well, well... unlucky thirteen... Ah, yes. This is a high-class place we're running, and I don't want your kind messing it up. If you've got any... unpreventable... problems, you take it outside; or, better yet, get out of town until it's through."

Kurama stiffened. Was he imagining it, or had she looked at him as she had said that...? 'No, she wasn't. Why would she have a reason to...?'

Not noticing the kitsune's quizzical stare, the innkeeper pushed the door open after unlocking it and motioned for them to get in before she changed her mind. "Before I forget, there's a first aid box in one of the drawers. If you need anything else, I'll be at the front desk. And if I'm not there, then I'm in the middle of private business that no one needs to interrupt."

The detective's right eye twitched - he had understood the subtle hint, and wasn't enjoying the mental images - as he entered the rather large room. It had three twin-sized beds in it which had dressers next to each, along with a small table in the corner. Across from the door was a glass floor-to-ceiling window, which coupled as an entrance to a balcony.

Kuwabara let out a low whistle as Kathryn shut the door behind them after handing Kurama the key. "Nice place."

The former Youko didn't take the time to admire the décor, instead striding over to the nearest dresser and pulling it open to reveal a wooden version of the familiar white box. "Yusuke, set Hiei down here. I'll take care of the injuries..."

The youth complied, gently placing the apparently comatose Jaganshi on the sheets. Kurama immediately set to work while Yusuke grabbed a chair from the table. He placed it next to the bed as Kuwabara collapsed onto another, soon falling asleep.

After a while of silence, the kitsune spoke up in a whispered tone. "There's time now to explain. What's wrong with my koi?"

The former human bit his lip. It wasn't the fact that Hiei and Kurama were lovers that startled him - as he had known for quite a while and had grown used to it - but he didn't want to worry him any more than he already was.

Kurama's gaze narrowed. "Tell me. I of all people deserve to know."

Yusuke sighed, giving in. "...Alright... You've heard of vampires, right...?"

"Hai, but I'm not too familiar with them..." the thief replied slowly.

"Then here's a short review." Yusuke said, resting his head and arms on the back of the chair as he watched his friend bandage Hiei's wrists tightly. "As most books and movies say, a vampire is an animated corpse that survives by drinking the blood of the living, and is considered to be a source of great evil. I don't really like the whole corpse part myself, but hey, I'm not the professional here.

"They don't age or die, really, being immortal and all. However, a couple of things can harm one, like Holy Water, a Crucifix - or anything religious for that matter, stakes, silver, and... sunlight."

Kurama's eyes went wide and he made to interrupt, but Yusuke continued. "Let me finish. Along with being immortal, a vampire has amazing strength, shape-shifting abilities, telekinetic and hypnotic powers, and isn't affected by human weapons, though there're a few exceptions. Also, they can heal automatically or by feeding.

"Speaking of that, back to the whole blood deal. Without drinking fresh blood roughly every day, a vampire will truly die. If they don't for a long period of time, they'll fall into a state of hibernation where they don't move, only sleeping and remaining in the dark until they return to Hell, or wherever. Though, when the vampire's feeding... If the victim isn't killed, they'll become a vampire in two to seven days. No one really knows first-hand."

Before he could say anything else, Kurama spoke up in a shaking voice. "Y-Yusuke, that c-can't be... Hiei can't be a v-vampire..."

The detective raised a brow. "Really? There's actually a bunch of ways to tell... First of all, he was burned by the sunlight, and was trying to kill himself by drinking his own blood. Second, have you ever seen any living person so pale? No, didn't think so."

While Yusuke continued to list off the evidence, the kitsune's eyes began to water as he stared at the Jaganshi forlornly. 'This isn't real... It can't be real... No, this whole thing is a dream... Just a dream...!'

"And finally..." Yusuke announced, reaching over to Hiei and prying his mouth open slightly, revealing the elongated fangs. "Explain those."

---

Yusuke sighed as he leaned against the railing of the balcony. Kurama had fallen asleep almost an hour ago after the detective had finally convinced him about what Hiei had become. Kuwabara was still snoring loudly on his own bed, and didn't seem like he was going to be waking up any time soon.

A sudden knock at the door caused Yusuke to jump, his wings flaring out behind him. He growling in irritation; it would take quite a while to get used to them.

Letting out another sigh, the youth headed back inside and over to the door, which he opened to see Kathryn. A groan escaped him when he saw the stack of parchment in her hands, but he greeted her anyway. "Hey, what's up, Kat'?"

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Call me that again, and Darryl will have your head. I'll have you know that he has little tolerance for other men near me, so you best watch yourself."

A lop-sided grin covered Yusuke's visage as he let her in. "I'll remember that. So, what can I do for you?"

Kathryn sat down on the vacant chair as the detective leaned against the wall. "I never caught your names."

Yusuke frowned, suspicion in his eyes, but complied anyway. "Alright, then... I'm Yusuke, the oaf on that bed over there is Kuwabara, the red-head is Kurama, and the vamp' is Hiei."

She jotted it down on the scroll with the quill at her side. "Keep him under control. If he gets out of hand, then I'll have to call the authorities. It's one of our policies to deal with non-human creatures."

Yusuke nodded in understanding, knowing that she was referring to Hiei. However, before he could say anything else to assure her that it would be taken care of, Kathryn spoke again. "...You're not from this world, are you?"

The detective's eyes widened, and he instinctively lowered into a fighting stance. "What makes you think that?"

"Now, now... No need to fight. Trust me, it would be over soon, and I'd be the one lying on the ground." the woman chuckled. "It's obvious. No normal dark angel would enter the Shade Realm unless they were forced to, because humans hunt them, idiot. (Do you know how many people saw you today? There'll be a bounty on you soon.) Vampires only leave the Shadow Realm to feed. Also, any vampire is smart enough to not venture out into the sunlight! Even a human child knows that! And, on top of that-!"

She cut herself off when she saw the youth's blank look. "...You're not following me, are you...?"

Slowly, Yusuke shook his head. "No... I kind of lost you around the 'Shade Realm'."

"I knew it... Typical male." Kathryn said, sighing. "Alright... Where should I start...?"

"Try, 'where are we?'. That could help." Yusuke replied, sweat-dropping.

A surprised look appeared on Kathryn's visage, obviously saying, 'You don't even know that?' However, she responded with the simplest answer possible.

"Well, we're in Estatris."

Another groan came from Yusuke as he looked up at the ceiling, already feeling a migraine forming.


A/N

x. Once again, I apologize for the delay. I didn't intend for the mentioned events in real life to happen.

x. Those of you who are planning to complain about the innkeeper, please see the note at the beginning of the chapter. ( She has a husband. Isn't that proof enough? )

x. If you can't visualize the town, just imagine your average RPG village.

x. I know that Hiei's out-of-character. I'm sorry, but I'm trying as best I can.

x. That last few scenes were done in a rush to get this out. Sorry for the lack of quality. ( But hey, the entire chapter is 4,533 words and fourteen pages. Give me some credit! )

x. If you don't understand anything, don't panic. There's a long, lengthy explanation for everything in the next chapter. ( Okay, so maybe you should panic... )

x. koi: the shortened version of the Japanese word koibito, which translates to 'lover' or 'mate'.

x. All vampire information is from w w w dot vampires dot monstrous dot com.

x. "Estatris": pronunciation: ES-ta-tress; the world located in the dimension that the Tantei have been sent to.

x. Hint: A clue for what Kurama is was mentioned in the chapter. It's kind of subtle, though some of my friends figured it out right away. n.n; Whoops.