Title: A Rose By Any Other Name
Author: Eblis the Violet
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: Finally, a new chapter! I know it took a while; I seem to have a bad habit of losing interest in a fic for a few weeks, and then starting again. Anyway, this new chapter is pretty long (over 5,000 words- yay!) and hopefully you guys will like it.

A few feet away, in a small, dark corner, Kurama gasped, eyes shooting open. "Rin," he whispered, his eyes filled with sudden recognition. His eyes widened when he remembered what had happened, the unresolved conflict between them when they had parted…Worst still, he could hear the faint rustling of pages, and knew immediately—without knowing how he knew this—that someone was going through that book, the book that must have recorded everything that had gone on between them, all of the pain and hurt he'd caused…He shut his eyes, and tried to think, praying feverishly that it was not Hiei reading it, and hoping against hope that his friend would not hate him after he'd finished.

"Oh, God, Rin…" he whispered, his eyes filled with regret. "I can't believe I'd actually done that to you. If had known what kind of pain I'd inflicted…I'm so sorry, my old friend." Kurama stopped himself and forced his mind to think rationally. What was Rin planning? Was he going to make Kurama watch, helpless, as Rin tortured his friends?

His emotions were affecting him in a way that he'd never experienced before; it was like a sensory overload, with all different feelings going through him at once. As if to throw off his feelings of uncertainty, he shook his head and tried to clear his mind.

If Rin is planning something against me and my friends, it will be simple. Simple, but brilliant—something that won't hit us until it's too late. That's his style—and, considering what I did, he'll probably go for an ironic end, he thought, going through all the possible plans he could think of in his mind.

He glanced into the cave, staring at Hiei's hunched form. He's reading that book, Kurama realized suddenly. He's going to find out about what's happened—that's the only possible reason Rin would let Hiei read it. But…how is that going to help Rin? Can he possibly think that Hiei would go against me, merely after reading that book?

Impossible, he thought, dismissing the idea immediately. He knew Hiei too well to think that he would be swayed by a few pages of writing. Hiei would not trust anything completely unless it was proved right in front of him.

But still, he thought suddenly, remembering what Koenma had told them about Rin, Rin's supposed to be some kind of potions master now. Could he be controlling Hiei's judgment?

He sighed resignedly, overwhelmed by all the possibilities. If he was to prevent Rin from doing what he was planning to do, he needed more information. I need to see Koenma, he thought; at least he would finally have something to do besides watch his friend be lured into Rin's trap.

Meanwhile, Hiei, in his own dark corner, was still reading. Most of it didn't make sense, at least not to him. But it would, in time. Of that he was sure, though he hadn't the faintest idea why.

Flicking his gaze through the pages, he wondered what parts of the book he would have to read.

He tapped Rin lightly on the shoulder.

"Which chapters do I have to read?" he asked, in a voice much gentler than his own usually was.

"The ones in the back," Rin answered automatically, not turning. "You'll recognize them well enough—all of them have got pictures of Kurama and me. Parts of them are narration, some dialogue and action, and others sort of diary entries."

Hiei nodded, though he knew that Rin couldn't see.

He went back to the book, finding the pictures of Kurama and Rin with ease. Then, he read:

Their relationship did not start off romantically, nor was it even a relationship. It was purely a physical thing between them at the time. If they needed comfort or distraction, the two knew they could call on each other. They knew so little about the other that they couldn't name friends or acquaintances. Their "relationship" had no strings attached—exactly the kind that Kurama liked.

Kurama brushed his hair to the side, clearing his vision. "Rin?" he called, impatient. "Where are you? You know I don't have much time."

Rin emerged from the dense forest, carrying a bag filled with what looked like numerous books. Blowing a wisp of hair from the side of his head, he grinned. "Why are you so impatient, Kurama? I thought you wanted to…talk…" His last words were mumbled against Kurama's lips, his voice breathless.

The two kissed for what seemed to be hours, but could only be a few minutes. Rin withdrew first, belatedly noticing that he'd dropped his sack on the ground. "Dammit, Kurama, must you always greet me this way?"

Kurama merely smirked knowingly.

Hiei skimmed through the pages impatiently, noting that many of them consisted of similar encounters. He stopped short, however, several pages later. From the looks of it, their relationship had become more emotional. Intrigued, he again began to read:

At this point, their connection to each other meant more to them than they would like to admit. It was a shocking sight to behold, considering the reputations the two had. But still, their attraction—maybe even love—grew. Perhaps, in a different circumstance, they would have had their happily ever after. This, however, is the Makai Book of Fairy Tales, and in it, happy endings rarely occur.

It was a time of great unrest…

"What do you mean, Ayame is about to attack? That's impossible! He can't have nearly enough ammunition to pull off a stunt like this," Kurama said, his cheeks flushed and his eyes blazing.

Before him, the servant cowered. "I apologize, Kurama, sir, but this is what they tell me. Your officers thought you should know, since Master Rin and his associates reside in Raizen's kingdom, where Ayame is supposed to attack."

Kurama nodded distractedly and dismissed him. "What am I going to do…?" he murmured, not prepared to admit that he was worried about Rin. "There's no time to send a messenger there and warn him; only I am fast enough, and I can't possibly carry all of them to safety."

Just then, Kuronue entered. "Trying to figure out how to get Rin safe?" Kuronue smiled, although there was no joy in it. "Please calm yourself, Kurama. I came to tell you that I'd thought about this ahead of time, and there's only one way to guarantee Rin's safety." He paused, letting Kurama absorb the information. "The only problem is...he'll be the only one to survive. With luck, though, he won't be able to remember it."

Hiei hardly noticed the movement around him, so engrossed was he in his reading. Hiei, normally always alert, was too caught up with the sudden load of information the book seemed to compile about his fox friend. Not only that—he found that he was curious about Rin's past, too. He had gotten it into his muddled brain that Rin was not as bad as he seemed, and this may have been his worst mistake.

He didn't acknowledge the sight of Rin's smiling face, or the empty flask
Rin held in his hand. He did feel the faint sensation of liquid going through his mouth and down his throat, but he could not be sure. He heard a faint gasp off to his right, so low that he barely heard it. None of these things registered into his mind; he noticed but did not react, not even when a sudden numbing and oddly peaceful mist suddenly seemed to go through his senses.

In the cover of darkness, Kurama devised a plan. It was daring, selfless, and it was to be the final act that would drive the two star-crossed lovers apart. He was the only one who could get to Rin in time, and could only afford to take one of them to safety. Kuronue, his faithful friend, had a plan laid out for him: for a price, an old potions master would provide them a potion that would temporary dull one's senses and make them forget everything they knew. Kurama would pour the potion in Rin's drink, and would be able to take Rin, and only Rin, without any difficulty. There was, of course, the matter of Rin's reaction after the memory charm wore off; Kuronue and Kurama knew this all too well, but chose to ignore it for the time being. Furious and hurt though Rin may be afterwards, Kurama would not let him be left behind, even for the price of his family and peace of mind.

"Rin, wake up!"

It was an urgent whisper.

"Please, wake up. Don't stay asleep so long! You're supposed to be okay."

Rin awoke to Kurama's voice but saw only Kuronue's face.

"I thought I heard Kurama…Is he here?" he asked.

Kuronue's face was solemn. "He's not here. He told me to tell you that," he hesitated, "he can't ever see you again."

"Why?" It was more a demand than a question.

"Because," Kuronue swallowed, "He says he's busy, and that he's outgrown this little 'affair'." His eyes showed how sorry he was, and Rin resented it. He could not stand to be pitied.

Rin did not speak for several seconds. His face grew stony, and his eyes were steely. All at once, his demeanor changed from puzzlement to calm anger.

"…Very well. Thank him, then, for sharing so much of his precious time with me. I'll be going as soon as I can be ready."

He was so angry and hurt that he did not even question why he was in the small tent, or why it Kuronue, Kurama's closest friend, who had to be with him for this. His pride would not allow him to further question the situation; furthermore, he could not care less.

Kuronue nodded. As Rin was about to leave the small tent, the dark-haired demon stopped him.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this now, but I think you have a right to know." His voice lowered, "Ayame's army attacked Raizen's kingdom a few days ago," he paused. "There were no survivors."

Rin froze, realizing what it meant. So he was here, then, because although Kurama obviously had no more interest in him, he was still being kept safe from Ayame. There, was, however, he realized, a punishment, of sorts, for him, hidden subtly in the otherwise caring gesture.

The cruel twist in the situation was that although he had been allowed to live, his family had not. It had Kurama written all over it; Kurama loved irony and subtlety, especially when it was something so heartbreakingly painful. Worse still, technically speaking, Kurama had not done anything wrong; he had not physically hurt him or his family. In fact, he had saved him.

If there was a god of irony, Rin knew he would be there, laughing at Kurama's cruel joke, and at Rin's final farewell.

Hiei turned the page, but the rest of the book appeared to be either blotted or ripped out. There was nothing left of the story; he would never be able to finish it. He frowned, wondering why he felt so let down because of the fact.

"What happened to the rest of it?" he inquired in his usual gruff tone, staring at Rin.

"It was damaged, I suppose. The book is relatively old, and it's been under possession of a great many demons. I guess it was torn or something along the way." Rin seemed unaffected by Hiei's rough demeanor; he merely responded as if they were two friends having a simple conversation. Apparently finished with their "conversation", Rin turned back to the fire, where a small "cauldron" was simmering.

"What is that?" Hiei asked, nose wrinkling.

"It's a potion."

"What is it for?"

"This." Rin replied, pouring some of it into a small glass bottle and labeling it Highly Dangerous. It was an answer to a whole other question, but Hiei chose not to pursue it.

Hiei shrugged and turned back to the book, examining every nook and cranny, looking determined to find any clue that might lead to the conclusion of the story. Unsurprisingly, after a painstaking (if not rather pointless) search, he found none.

"So that's it then," he said, sounding more than a little annoyed. "Kurama saved you but not your family, and didn't want you to know about it; and, since this book was in your possession and it states clearly what Kurama did, you obviously know what he did now. Correct?"

"Basically," Rin nodded. He was occupied with various ingredients and jars that had somehow scattered around him, and he refused to look anywhere but at them.

"So…why are you here? I'm assuming that you're trying to do something to Kurama, most likely bad, so what is it going to be?" Hiei frowned, looking down at the book for the umpteenth time. "There's something missing here. Not just the rest of the story; what's left of it is too sketchy. I mean," he continued, with apparently no regard to who he was speaking to, "why would anyone bother to write all this down? Even if Kurama was a famous thief, why would his relationships, specifically this one, be recorded?"

Hiei stopped, finally recognizing how uncharacteristically he was acting. His little speech had probably been the longest he'd ever spoken to someone in his life, except for Kurama. Worse still, Rin had hurt his sister and kidnapped his friends; there was no plausible reason for him to trust him as he was doing now, and yet he was. Pretending to be absorbed in the book, he prayed that Rin would dismiss his earlier rant to be a side effect of the potion Rin had slipped into his mouth earlier.

Despite what Rin thought, even though Hiei had somehow started trusting Rin (no doubt another one of the effects of Rin's many potions), he was not oblivious to what went on around him. There had been another substance in the tea that Rin had slipped to him; it frustrated the fire demon to no end, because although his mind was working normally (unlike his emotions), his actions would not follow them.

I've got to figure out a way to get my body to follow common sense, he thought. For some reason, I feel like my mind's been split in two—one half is working normally, and the other is following whatever Rin tells me. And that's the half that can control my movements!

I'll need more time to think about how I'm going to get out of this mind mix-up. I saw Kurama here earlier…A light bulb seemed to light up on his head, and he remembered the sound of someone gasping and who it must have come from.

He must have been here until the time Rin slipped the potion into my mouth while I was reading, because I heard him gasp! It had to have been Kurama—Botan wouldn't risk coming here, and no one else would know about this mission. But…

Hiei tried to concentrate on finding Kurama's ki, and to his great relief, he had not lost the ability to sense energy. He couldn't control it, of course, but his awareness was there anyway.

He's not here. Good. He probably went to get Koenma—if that kami can't help us out of this mess, what with all the information he has on the Makai, no one will.

Settling back on the wall behind him, he sat down and fixed his intense gaze on his two teammates. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten all about them, even if he was under some kind of chemical influence. Some tantei I am, he thought disgustedly.

Since there was nothing else to do but wait, he observed as much as he could of his surroundings, not paying any attention to his "captor." Rin was busying himself with his potions and ingredients, and the pile that he had been amassing seemed to have tripled in size. Too absorbed in his task, the demon was not taking any notice of his surroundings.

Satisfied that he would be able to look as he pleased without any disturbances, Hiei started with the nearest corner of the cave.

Kurama panted with effort, and held his side. He wished that he had not left so quickly; he knew now that he had been foolish to have set off at such a fast pace. Now, it would take him even longer to reach Koenma. The communicator that he usually always held with him was not there; it had been left behind in his haste to reach Yusuke and Kuwabara. He cursed himself for making such a foolish mistake.

I can only hope that Koenma will be there when I come, he thought desperately. If I even get there at all.

He made his way through the Makai forest with caution, using his ki to sense outside of the wood. After what seemed hours, he made it through, his face marked with scratches and his clothes torn. Now that he was out of the forest, he only needed to find a place in which he could summon a portal without attracting attention.

Gazing around him, his keen fox eyes spotted an abandoned hut a half mile away. Resolutely, he started to walk towards his destination.

Hiei watched the rise and fall of Yusuke's chest, and noted that his breaths were, fortunately, no more shallow than normal. Good, he thought. At least he won't suffocate or something before we get out of this mess.

Both detectives were slumped against the wall, their chained hands the only things holding them up. Already their wrists were showing welts, a result of the amount of pressure the chains were applying on them. Otherwise, they appeared unhurt.

He kept watching them, looking for signs of consciousness. He found none; Yusuke's raven black hair was falling softly on his face, the gel losing its hold on his hair. It covered most of his eyes, and if he had been awake, he would surely have found it irritating and would try to brush it aside. His clothes were loose and surprisingly clean, for their corner of the cave consisted of more stone than dirt. His jeans appeared a darker blue from the dim light, and his white t-shirt glowed.

Kuwabara seemed in a similar state, except for the fact that he made even more of a picture of discomfort than Yusuke. Because of his tall frame, his legs were bent at an odd angle on the floor, and they were forced to bend halfway. His clothes, a pair of baggy jeans and a white sweatshirt, were rumpled and creased. His head lolled to one side, making him look as if he were sleeping peacefully.

Hiei sighed and tried to look somewhere else. The sight of his friends, so helpless and unprotected, made him feel melancholy. He did not go so far as to think that he felt sorry for them, but there was a certain wrongness, he felt, in the way that they lay there looking so forlorn.

He got up and stretched his legs, yawning like a cat. He blinked his eyes almost sleepily and looked around for Rin. The demon was still going through his large collection of jars and potions, and did not look as if he would be finished soon. Glad that he still had ample time to keep observing, and that Rin was sufficiently distracted, Hiei stood up and walked over to the pile of books in which Rin had recovered the Makai Book of Fairy Tales.

The books in Rin's small library were all old, torn, and dusty. Most were thickly bound with leather and contained demon languages that even Hiei could not decipher. The others that he could understand were largely books on potion making, and looking through them, Hiei discovered the potion that Rin must have used on him. He did not know why he was so certain that it was the potion, but he was; it was an unshakable feeling, one of such certainty that he knew it could not possible be false. Deciding to read it and try to find out its characteristics (more specifically, how to remove its influence), he smoothed out the page and moved further into the shadows, trying not to attract Rin's attention.

The page was worn, faded, and creased, and it was difficult to see the words. However, Hiei found that if he strained, he could see the words in their entirety. Just barely, but it would be enough. Settling down, he read:

Anictus Quietus:

The art of separate heart and mind

In concocting this potion, one must be aware of the dire risks and consequences. The essence of this potion is inherently Dark, and such magick can be unpredictable. In addition, said potion is very complicated—only highly skilled potions masters should think to try it.

Well, Hiei thought, at least now I know how good of a potions master Rin is; unless he had someone else make it for him. If that's the case, I think my opinion of him would lower considerably.

Laughing at himself for thinking so dryly, he read on.

The very core of this potion is the fine line our bodies draw between our minds and our exterior (physical action). Many have studied it; at last, an explanation was found. The invention of this potion followed soon after.

What the demon had discovered, when trying to uncover the secrets of the brain and body, was that our thoughts and our actions could be separated into two different sources: our actions come from our heart, and thoughts come solely from the brain. The influence of the heart on our actions is indirect, but very distinct; a part of our brains are designed for thought processes and emotions, while the other is designed merely for our actions. When a particular emotion overtakes us, it goes directly to the heart, which consequently influences our reactions.

In this delicate balance of thought and action, of emotion and reaction, we each carve unique personalities of our own. The fragile balance is complex and confusing, and few try to understand it.

Once this understanding was reached, however, and made concrete, demons were eager to exploit it. Thus, the potion "Anictus quietus" was concocted; it provides the caster to have physical control over a demon's actions by dulling their senses.

The potion provides power over demons' hearts, and so only casts an influence on their actions and emotions, but not their thoughts; it "separates heart from mind". The potion preys primarily on the victim's emotions and physical being; their senses dulled, and their emotions complacent, they will be compelled to do as the caster wills. The victim is granted the luxury of thoughts but not actions, and is rendered powerless.

Note: Anictus quietus is a versatile potion and can be used variously. It must be noted that the most common use of it is to cause the illusion of love, creating a "love potion" that persuades the victim to fall in love with the caster. It is, in fact, the only "love potion" known anywhere; the love potion of fairy tales and legend is rooted to Anictus quietus, and they are one and the same.

Numbed, Hiei read further, but the pages only seemed to contain the various ingredients and steps required to make the potion. Searching almost desperately, he tried to find any scrap of information that could help flush the potion from his system. There was nothing—absolutely nothing. His mind grew foggy and unfocused; he found that he could not seem to concentrate fully on anything around him. He grew dizzy and tired, very, very, tired. With a sigh, he slumped against the wall and seemed to fall asleep instantly. The book lay forgotten by his side; after a few moments of stillness, the book floated through the air, hovered for a few moments, and landed in Rin's hand. Smirking in a satisfied manner, Rin regarded the demon with a pleased look.

And to think, I'd thought that the plan wouldn't be enough to trick Kurama and his friends, he thought. Now I can see that it was more than enough—in fact, it was too much!

Laughing silently, he continued with his work, looking through his books and potions supplies as if nothing had happened.

Kurama straightened and stared unwaveringly at the lone, abandoned hut not 10 feet in front of him. It was the perfect place to summon a portal to the spirit world; it was deserted, dark, and isolated. No unsuspecting demon would be able to see him as he prepared to leave the demon world.

Yet he hesitated; he was not so sure, now, that it had been the right decision to leave Hiei and his friends with Rin. There's no telling what Rin might do to them if I'm not there to stop them, he thought worriedly. But then, I didn't exactly intervene or anything there did I? Laughing tiredly for no reason other than to break the silence, he walked closer to the hut. After all, he supposed, if he was not going to do anything while he was in the cave with them, watching and not doing anything, it would be better for him to go to Koenma and accomplish something useful.

Walking purposefully through the brown, dry grass, the grass crackled beneath his feet as he strode. The sun was setting and glowing a bright orange, and was nothing more than a faint orange semicircle on the horizon. The door creaked--an old, weary, sound, and he peered cautiously into the room.

It was dark and dank, the walls slightly moist from mold and mildew. The ground seemed to be consisting of dirt, but, upon closer inspection, Kurama could see that it was in fact a stone floor; it had been so overcome with dirt and grime that the stone could not be easily distinguished. Stepping lightly into the room, he took a deep breath, and summoned the portal.

In seconds the portal, large, forbidding, and somehow giving off the impression of loudness (although the hut was still shrouded with silence), it emitted faint sparks of black nothingness in the air. Kurama looked around him one more time to make sure that no demon could witness it before stepping into the portal.

He emerged into the spirit world, right outside the gates to Koenma's palace. He went up to the large yellow stone and addressed the oni that must be surveying him from inside, saying, "It's me, Kurama. I have something important to tell Koenma. It's about the mission."

He was allowed in instantly.

Following the oni through the palaces many confusing corridors, he stared aimlessly at the many portraits of Enma and his son. Wow, he thought dully. I guess Koenma isn't the only one with a thing for grandness.

He stopped short when he encountered Koenma's door; it was by far the largest of all the doors in the previous corridors, and the knobs were ornately decorated with artifacts that Kurama could not name.

"Well," Koenma called impatiently from somewhere inside. "You're the one who wanted to talk to me, Kurama. What is it? And why are you alone?"

Kurama entered and noted that Koenma was waiting right beside the door. The prince was in his toddler form, and Kurama was glad; Yusuke and Kuwabara always found his teenage form more comforting, but it tired Koenma out very quickly. He did not want Koenma to feel weary when he might be the only one who could help him.

"It's about the mission," he began. Koenma waved his hand in a dismissing manner, looking impatient.

"Get right to the point, Kurama. I know you're here for a good reason. You have the scent of the Makai on you, and you look like you've just seen a ghost." After a pause, he added, "figuratively, of course. It's obvious that it was something major; else you wouldn't be here in that state. So, out with it. What's happened?"

Kurama nodded, only slightly thrown off that Koenma had caught on so quickly. I knew he had to be the prince of the spirit world for something more than jus beingt his father's son, he thought, grinning slightly. Koenma's slight cough brought him back to reality, and he spoke, starting from the beginning.

After a full 20 minutes, Kurama was all talked out, and his throat felt hoarse. He sat on a nearby chair and sank down onto it gratefully, suddenly feeling more weary than he would have thought possible. Koenma regarded him thoughtfully from his seat behind his desk, chewing his pacifier solemnly. Altogether, Kurama thought that he was acting far calmer than he had any right to. He was too worn out to pursue it, however, and he let Koenma continue to gaze around the room in the same contemplative manner.

Minutes of silence passed between them, Kurama somehow forgetting all about time, and the fact that his teammates were still being held captive. It was as if he had entered a time stop when he'd stepped into the office; everything that had happened no longer felt real.

But it is, he told himself firmly. It's very, very, real.

Remembering this made him think of his teammates, and the danger they were in. He stood up and strode all the way in front of Koenma's desk, almost nose to nose with the kami. His green eyes blazed with an indefinable anger. When he spoke, his voice was tight with barely suppressed tension.

"Well?" he asked, never taking his eyes off Koenma's. "Are you just going to sit there and stare, Prince Koenma? No disrespect meant, your highness," his voice indicated otherwise, "but I came here because I thought maybe you could help. I wasn't accomplishing anything while I stayed there watching, and revealing myself would have been too risky. Do you have anything in your archives that might help us, or not?"

Each word was low and enunciated carefully, while the prince and Kurama never once broke eye contact.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Koenma replied calmly.

.To be continued