(7-8-05) I have 939 reviews! Thank you!
Well, Eclipse got back from vacation on Sunday, and I went to her house on Monday and stayed until Thursday. So now you get an update. It's been about a week. Close enough. I just feel like updating. I have to start my next story, too... Dammit. I'm having a few small problems getting it started. Once I get past the first main obstacle, the story will go fine. Good news: I started the story that comes AFTER the next one! So once I finish the next one, you won't have to wait for me to start the one after that. Aren't you excited?
Warnings: Oh, joy, the warnings... Yes. I must warn you of many things. First: Karasu. He is in this chapter, and he does harass fox-boy. There is alsogropage in this chapter, seduction, nudity, death, pain, blood, fire, doom, doom, doom, and disembodied eyeballs... There's criminal activity, blackmail, threats, abuse, screaming fangirls, doom, humorous things, kissing, sexual thoughts, sexual implications, sexual abuse, and other sexual things. Youko also does a bit of counseling in this chapter, there's swearwords and adult subject matter, involvement with the mob, memory erasing, love, hate, heartbreaking, misery, references to suicide, yelling, talking, kissing, shouting, dancing, fighting, groin kicking, internal conflicts, external conflicts, some more nudity, some more kissing, some bleeding, blood-drinking, unclear references to masturbation, plotting, lying,espionage,and really long warnings that the authoress got great joy out of writing.
Really, this chapter isn't as bad as I'm making it out to be. XD If you pay attention, half this stuff is in every other chapter, too. I just felt like pointing it all out this time.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Chapter of Doom
The talent show was on Wednesday night. Hiei, Shadow, and Kurama were hosting it, which proved truly... fascinating.
"WELCOME, EVERYBODY, TO THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL TALENT SHOW!" Shadow cheered. She was wearing one of the little clip-on microphones to keep her hands free (not that she'd need them). "I'm your wonderful host Shadow Jaganshi, and you all know me! Also here today to assist my hostly duties is the marvelous Hiei Jaganshi and our friend and yours, Shuuichi Minamino!"
Everyone started cheering loudly.
"Yeah! Okay! Let's shut up now so we can get this show on the road!"
Reluctantly, everyone quieted.
"Okay, for our first talent, we have..." She looked quizzically at Kurama, who held the cards. He glanced at the first one and read the names off.
"Enjoy!" Shadow cheered. She ushered them all off the stage as the first group--some random students singing some pop song--took the stage.
"That went well!" the girl said cheerfully after turning off her mic.
"Yeah. Only around two hours left," Hiei muttered.
"You didn't even say anything, dickweed!"
"What is a dickweed?" Kurama asked.
"It's a word."
The redhead sighed, rolling his eyes. They devoted their attention to the group onstage. When the obnoxious pop song was over and the group left the stage to the cheers of the audience, the trio walked back out onto the stage.
"That was... lovely," Hiei said, the sarcasm lost only to total idiots.
"I liked it," Shadow said.
"You weren't even listening, stupid," Hiei retorted. Kurama subtly hit them both upside the head and proceeded to announce the next performers without giving either of them time to retort and draw attention. On their way offstage, Shadow slapped Kurama in the back of the head, causing him to yip with surprise.
"That was totally uncalled for," he muttered.
"You hit me. I hit you. We're equal," she replied. Uncaring about his response, she put her arms around Hiei and rested her head on his from behind. He put his hands on hers and glanced at Kurama. The redhead was ignoring them in favor of examining his fingernails (which, of course, are so much more fascinating).
When the time came around for Shadow and Eclipse's little psychotic act, Hiei and Kurama went out alone.
"This next one should prove... painfully interesting," Hiei said.
"Nicely put," Kurama muttered. "The next talented group is... Shadow Jaganshi and Eclipse Shinomori, and they'll be doing... God knows what... because it says on the card that they're performing Hamlet."
"Enjoy... whatever fun thing those psychos have in store," Hiei sighed. "Keep in mind they're both taken, since I'm sure they'll be acting skanky."
"Enjoy," Kurama reinforced with a slightly smile. He grabbed Hiei and pulled him off-stage. Shadow and Eclipse were there in baggy jeans and t-shirts. Both quickly kissed their boyfriends before scurrying onto the stage and taking their places. The music started up and the two went into a very... rehearsed... seductive... song and dance.
Everyone watched in awe as the pair alternated between singing, dancing, and stripping down to short shorts and spaghetti-strap belly shirts in what could have only been a long-rehearsed, professionally choreographed performance which they had just made up five minutes earlier.
"I think I'm gonna cry," Hiei muttered in a voice that clearly said he was exaggerating.
"How come?" Kurama asked, his eyes locked on the movement of Shadow's hips as Eclipse took the microphone and the black-haired girl took over dancing.
"Because..." the fire demon muttered distractedly. "She's probably giving half the audience hard-ons."
"Yeah. Prob'ly."
Hiei smacked Kurama in the middle of his chest, making a slightly hollow sound.
"Ow!"
"She's my girlfriend," he snarled.
"Right. I'm sorry, Hiei."
"I bet you are. Real sorry."
Not once had Hiei's eyes left Shadow's body. The way it flowed so easily from one movement to the next, like water... combined with the thought that she was his... that he could touch her and kiss her whenever he wanted... that this particular fluidity she was displaying, the elasticity and agility, could prove fun in other situations... All of this combined in Hiei's mind, giving him a rather high pulse and, had he not had better control, he might have been drooling.
All too soon, the song was over, and Shadow grabbed her discarded clothes and sprinted towards Hiei. She took a flying leap and knocked him flat on his back. Kurama sighed, composing himself before returning to the stage to announce the next group alone.
Shadow and Hiei, meanwhile, were lying on the ground making out. Kurama sighed and nudged them in the side with his shoe. Eclipse stalked up to him and pinned him to the wall, kissing him passionately but stepping back all too quickly with a grin.
"Did you like it?"
"Loved it," he said.
"Excellent. That was the point."
"What?"
"We did that for you and Hiei."
"And the entire high school," Hiei added. "If you wanted to try to seduce us, you could do it in the privacy of our own homes."
"But it's so much better up on stage, with the lights and the audience and the overall much-more-sexiness," Shadow said, standing up and pulling her boyfriend to his feet. She planted another quick kiss on his lips. "You ready for our talent?"
"Eh?"
She walked to the corner and pulled his sword out of a duffel bag that he had not been aware of. "I think we're up soon, aren't we?" She pulled her own sword out of the bag and kicked the now empty container into the darkness.
"After these guys, there's two more before you," Kurama said, his arm around Eclipse's waist. Shadow paused in the process of hooking her sword on her belt and looked at them
"You two are a couple," she announced with a finality in her voice that just dared them to argue.
"No we're not," Eclipse argued.
"Dude, that wasn't up for discussion! You two make out, you go to each others' houses, you're so casual about touching each other! And you say you don't love each other, well that's poopy-ka-ka, you stupid fools! Now! Say it! You love each other!"
"We don't."
"You do so!" She grabbed Kurama and turned him towards Eclipse. "Say you love her!"
"You love her."
"I do not!" Shadow protested. "Say 'I love you.'"
"To Eclipse," Hiei clarified.
"But I don't!" Kurama denied.
"Eclipse! He's just using you for the sex!"
"He's not getting any sex!"
"You cheap-scape! He's giving you all this attention and you won't even screw him?"
"Our relationship," Kurama said firmly, "is none of your business, Shadow."
"Dickweed," she muttered inaudibly.
Finally, the time came for Hiei and Shadow's sword fight demonstration. They walked out onto the stage, stood a few feet apart and bowed, then simultaneously drew their weapons and started fighting.
Since they were using real swords, both of them ended up with a few nicks and scratches, nothing to worry about, and the audience was cheering and screaming by the end. Yay! Kill each other!
At the very end, when Hiei apparently had Shadow beaten, she flung down her sword and lunged after him with her bare hands. He yelped and ran. Somehow, he knew she'd be ticked if he went off-stage, so he didn't. She chased him around and around until eventually she lunged and he ducked. She sailed over his back, landed on her hands, and flipped herself to her feet, moving into a bow in one fluid motion. Hiei stood and also sort of bowed. Shadow fetched her sword, sheathed it, and slapped Hiei in the back of the head.
"Ow!" he yelped, cringing.
"You needed it," she retorted. With that, she strutted all high-and-mighty off the stage. Hiei sighed and followed, shaking his head.
"Well, that was lovely," Kurama said, stepping back on stage. "They'll kill each other one day, don't worry."
"We will not!" Shadow snapped from off-stage.
"Anyways," the redhead pressed on, "for our next act we have..." blah, blah, blah.
And finally, finally, the successful talent show was over. The trio had left an impression of insanity upon the entire school. Nobody would ever think of Shuuichi Minamino the same way again.
Kurama and Eclipse drove home, but Hiei and Shadow opted to walk. More private, more personal... How romantic. Or whatever.
Now, what is it with me intentionally having these two walking all alone at night and getting surrounded by the mob? It's predictable. But it's convenient for me. However, this time it wasn't the mob.
It was Nakada. And about fifteen of his little toadies.
Though they didn't catch the couple off-gaurd as to their presence, they did catch them off gaurd when they somehow managed to get them separated into two circles, so it was like a figure eight with Shadow in one loop and Hiei in the other.
"What the hell?" Hiei snapped. "Any particular reason you're being particularly vile this evening, Nakada?"
"Yeah," the boy replied. "I want your girlfriend."
"Hiei," Shadow said dryly from the other circle, "I'm being molested."
"Well just stand there and let them why don't you?" Hiei snapped.
"It doesn't feel good in the least."
"You're TOUCHING my GIRLFRIEND," the fire demon growled as the people surrounding Shadow continued to harass her.
"Yeah, and there ain't nothin' you're gonna do about it," one guy said, pressing a gun against Hiei's head.
"Okay, sure, whatever. Nakada, why the sudden change of heart?"
"I still hate her. But something this sexy can't be passed up."
Shadow snorted as the stupid boy pulled at her clothes. "You surely could have chosen a better time and place to rape me, couldn't you? I mean, I am occasionally alone in dark alleyways. Actually... That's a bad habit of mine. You could have found me then, instead of when I was armed and walking with my boyfriend, who is incidentally also armed."
"Your boyfriend has a gun to his head," Nakada said. "So, if you try anything, my friend there will kill him."
"Uh-huh, sure," Shadow said, still standing stock-still as her body was molested.
"Shadow," Hiei called calmly.
"Yes koi?"
"Sic 'em."
A feral growl bubbled up from Shadow's throat. It was like with that tiny command, she'd gone from statue to rabid werewolf in under a second.
"Oooh, scary," Nakada taunted. The girl swung her leg up into his crotch without a bit of warning.
"BITCH!" he screamed. She continued growling at the circle of toadies that was closing in on her. The guy with the gun to Hiei's head cocked it.
"You do anything and I shoot Prince Charming!" the boy threatened. Hiei snorted.
"Nice one." He reached up and snapped the boy's wrist. Shadow, still snarling and now on her hands and feet like a dog, lunged at the nearest weaker-looking guy, clawed wildly at him, jumped over his head, and galloped off like an animal. Hiei waved sweetly at the nearest guy, cracked him in the face, and took off through the gap formed when he collapsed.
"GET 'EM!" Nakada screamed. The capable guys took off after Hiei, who lost them easily with a little tiny spurt of energy.
Shadow was on the porch steps when he darted up the sidewalk. The second the door was opened, Kokuei darted out and sat on the porch, somehow knowing and promising her services as a watch dog.
"Why thank you, kind ma'am," Shadow said, bowing to the dog as Hiei went inside. She followed her boyfriend and cried out in horror the second the door was shut.
"HIROSHI NAKADA TOUCHED MY BOOBS!"
"You let him," Hiei said, totally unsympathetic.
"Don't worry. I'm gonna burn these clothes, take a shower, then afterwards we can cuddle and think up death plots for him and all his lackeys. How does that sound?"
"Excellent."
And that is exactly what they did.
The following day at school, Shadow sought out Arisa. She found her with a few of her slut-faced friends, whom she snarled at until Arisa told them to leave.
"What do you want, Jaganshi?" she asked. "You got some problem?"
"Yeah, I have a problem. Nakada tried to rape me last night."
The look on Arisa's face was priceless. "You're lying," she said with horror.
"Nope. I'd show you a bruise, but you don't wanna see it. It's in a personal location."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because I was dancing to give every guy in the auditorium a hard-on at the talent show last night. I bet it worked. Worked on Shuuichi. Sorta. But that's not the point. You know what this means?"
"I can get you more money," Arisa said desperately.
"That's not gonna cut it. After all, why risk all those STDs when I can just show your mother those pictures and the world will keep turning and you'll still be healthy? Assuming your mother doesn't kill you. Ta!" She turned to leave.
"Jaganshi!" She grabbed Shadow's arm. The girl turned and looked at her hand with eyes narrowed dangerously. Arisa quickly let go. "You can't show my mother those pictures."
"Why not? What'll she do?"
"I don't know! She's a religious nut! You can't show her those!"
Shadow's eyes widened, then she burst into psychotic, hysterical laughter. "That just makes it all the much more better! Now, I've got a class to attend!" She ran away to tell Kurama her findings.
Eclipse and the redhead listened attentively to her, and when she finished, Eclipse burst into laughter. Kurama was a bit more concerned.
"Nakada tried to rape you last night?"
"Yeah, it was no big deal, I'll get even," she dismissed. "Now--"
"It was no big deal? How far did he get?"
"He touched me. If he'd tried anything else I'd have ripped off his arms and legs. Chill out, fox."
"But--"
"I'm more concerned with ruining lives. Not dwelling in the past."
"It was just last night. I think you'd be a bit more traumatized."
"Well I'm not! With all the times I've kicked Nakada in the balls, he's never gonna have kids, so we don't have to worry about him spreading his sickness. Especially not if he should accidentally end up on the wrong end of a bus, or a gun. Now, when should I totally destroy the very fabric of Arisa Okawa's life?"
Kurama shrugged. Shadow obviously wouldn't listen to him, so he gave up. "Why wait?"
"Are you implying I follow her home, spy on her until she goes off to screw some guy, then just stroll up to her front door and ring the bell? Are you implying that, fox? ...Because that's exactly what I was planning on doing. You must be a mind reader."
"Uh... sure. You know it."
"You're such a genius, fox. What is Eclipse thinking right now?"
"She's thinking how much she'd like to jump on you and rip out your throat."
"No, she's thinking that she wants you to ravish her passionately," Shadow corrected.
"How would you know?"
"Why else would she be staring at you like she wants to eat you?"
"What!" He looked at the girl. She was chewing on her eraser and staring at the ceiling. "She is not!"
"Is not what huh?" Eclipse said cluelessly when she noticed them looking at her.
"Nuthin'," Shadow said innocently, dancing over to her seat.
Shadow visited Hiei during literature class to tell him her plan. Nakada, not having been grievously injured enough the previous night, was in fact present, but did not hear any of the couple's conversation. However, when Shadow went strolling up to him and tapped him on the shoulder, he acted like he had.
"Hey, jerk-off," she greeted.
"I heard what you're planning," he said. "It won't work."
"Why not?" Shadow asked innocently.
"It just won't."
She shook her head. "You didn't hear a word of what we were saying, did you?"
"I heard all of it."
"Then tell me why planning on having dinner tonight won't work?"
The boy glared. "That's not what you were talking about."
"Yes it was. Honest to God. Hiei! Come here!"
The fire demon walked over and glanced at Nakada, then to Shadow. "What?"
"Tell this moron that we were just planning on having dinner tonight. He seems to think we were plotting some heinous thing."
"Why would he think that?"
"Because you were!" Nakada snapped.
"You're paranoid," Shadow said. "I should be the one being paranoid right now, what with the way you were groping my chest yesterday. Just cuz I gave you a hard-on doesn't mean--"
"You didn't!"
"Whatever. Point is, you'll regret doing that, and also, me and Hiei are having chicken and baked potatoes for dinner. Ja mata! Must get back to class!" She kissed Hiei's cheek and skipped away. However, she didn't return to class. Despite being yelled at about ten times by different teachers each time, she skipped around the school for the remainder of that class period.
Self-appointed spy Shadow Jaganshi stalked silently down the street behind Arisa Okawa, staying just out of sight. Not like it mattered how silent she was, since the streets were typically very crowded at this time of day. But she kept her victim in her sights and followed her until she entered her house. Then she sat. Perched in a tree like Hiei.
She sat there until it was getting dark, and there was still no sign Arisa was leaving. However, her mother did leave, and a guy snuck out of the bushes and rung the doorbell. Shadow pitched a rock at his head. It missed, but barely, and Arisa opened the door to a freaked out guy.
"Someone just flung something at my head!" he complained. Shadow snuck closer to the trunk of the tree she was in, camoflaged entirely when Arisa and the guy glanced up in her direction.
"It was probably just a squirrel," Arisa said. Shadow frowned. Just a squirrel, eh? Squirrels don't take nude pictures of people in parks. Squirrels don't sit in trees spying on people. Squirrels don't-- Then it randomly occured to Shadow that squirrels do live in parks and would easily be able to take nude pictures of people, and squirrels do sit in trees and stare at people while eating nuts. It randomly made sense to Shadow that squirrels are the perfect innocent spies of the animal world, and probably are aliens from other planets come to innocently eat nuts and spy on humans from trees. And that comforted Shadow, and she was no longer offended by being 'just a squirrel.' All these thoughts took about two seconds, and Arisa spoke again like Shadow hadn't just had a brilliant epiphany about innocent furry little critters.
"Who cares," she stated. She grabbed the guy and pulled him inside, kissing him. All their problems were forgotten as she led him up to her room. Shadow, having a perfect vantage point on the girl's window, watched them for a minute. Then she glanced around and grabbed a handful of acorns. Lucky this was an acorn type of tree, or she would have had to pitch squeaky dog toys at the window, since that's all she had in her pocket that she could afford to fling against glass. After all, flinging her beloved Henri just wouldn't do.
Arisa and her current partner ignored the first tap on the window. And the second. But as they persisted and got more demanding, the pair--now nearly completely naked--had to look up. And when they did, they saw a girl clad in black from head to toe wearing dark reflective sunglasses and perched on a branch right outside Arisa's window. The half-naked girl in her bedroom nearly screamed, grabbing her shirt and holding it over her chest.
Outside, Shadow chuckled. She walked out farther on the branch and hopped over the windowsill. The window was closed and had a screen in it anyways, so she waved and gestured for somebody to open the window.
By now, Arisa's current partner was infuriated and shouting. But Arisa jumped up and went to the window, opening it.
"What are you doing here!" she shrieked. Shadow shrugged.
"Spying." She tilted her head to the side. "Is sex really so great that you have to do it even when your life is going to end real soon?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Arisa, what the hell is going on here?" the guy was snapping. Arisa shushed him.
"Well I'm just sayin', I mean, I'm gonna show your mother those pictures the second I get the chance, so you might want to spend your last free moments doing somethng a bit more wholesome. Like praying for forgiveness, or eating ice cream."
Arisa's male companion (I almost said boyfriend, but she ain't got one of them) pulled the screen out of the window and grabbed Shadow's collar, dragging her into the room.
"Help! I'm being assaulted by a muscly guy in his underwear!" She looked the guy over. "At least you've got half decent taste in men, Arisa..."
The guy swung his fist at her, but she slipped out of her shirt, then stood and snatched the fabric out of his hand. "You freak, are you trying to rape me too? Boy! I'm popular lately."
The guy seethed, but Arisa calmed him down.
"Jaganshi, what the hell are doing here? Are you just here to annoy me?" she snapped. Shadow shrugged.
"I just figured I'd give you a little warning. I can find your mother with no problem. She was going to a dinner at the church, and you said you had a lot of homework so you could get out of going with her. You having a fanatical religious mother is so much better than just having a normal mother. I bet she'll make you become a nun."
Arisa looked horrified, and she let go of her current male companion when he made a move towards Shadow.
"Aw, man! You're gonna try to kill me, aren't you!" the fire girl whined.
"It seems like that's the only way to get rid of you, you little bitch!" He took a swing at her. Still shirtless, Shadow ducked, then ran and took a flying leap out the window. She caught a branch and swung herself onto it.
"Come and get me, little girl!" Shadow shouted up at him. She hopped down to the ground and waved up, smiling sweetly. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on as he went for the stairs. Arisa hurriedly flung on her clothes as the guy nearly fell down the stairs in his haste to get to Shadow.
Once outside, he found the girl sitting under the tree reading and listening to a CD Walkman. He ran over with every intention of kicking her or something, he wasn't quite sure what, and she looked up at the last possible second. He reached down to grab her shirt collar again and she ducked out of the way, ditched her book and CD player, and ran around the tree, ending up on the same side as him. She passed him and ran down the street. He went after her.
Needless to say, an odd sight met many people that day. Shadow, clad in black, wearing sunglasses and boots, sprinted easily down the street, dodging people while a shirtless boy wearing jeans and sneakers tore after her, pushing people aside and screaming at her.
It was an unfamiliar part of the city to Shadow. Though she tended to wander around aimlessly, she usually didn't pay the least bit of attention where she was going. This is what she did now. She ran like she knew what she was doing, but she didn't, actually...
Thus, when she ended up running into a dark alley and opening the first door she saw, she was very unlucky to have totally, completely, accidentally stumbled upon what seemed to be the HQ of the mob that had been harassing Hiei and her since early in this story.
"Ohhhh!" she said cheerfully as a whole bunch of guys with guns turned to look at her. Her face got serious instantly. "Forget I was here." She slammed the door and took off running back towards her pursuer. Stupid move, yes, but she could deal with it.
The door she'd just shut burst open and just about every guy she'd seen in there came running out after her. Glancing back, she yelped and ran a bit faster, dodging Arisa's partner and getting out into the street before a car nearly flattened her. She screamed and fell on her butt, allowing the mobsters to catch up.
"Get in the car, stupid-head!" Eclipse snapped. Shadow blinked and stared at the people in the car. Eclipse was driving, Kurama was in the passenger's seat, and Hiei was in the back.
"No way, dude! I don't run from my problems!" She jumped to her feet.
"Then what the hell were you doing when we saw you tearing down the street like a nutjob?" Hiei accused.
"Running from Arisa's current fuck friend. He's not a problem, though."
"Running. See?" Eclipse accused. "Now look! You hesitated and now my beautiful car is totally surrounded with armed mobsters. I think we're all dead." She paused, then looked around. "MY CAR IS TOTALLY SURROUNDED WITH ARMED MOBSTERS!"
Shadow felt hands grab her from behind and a gun press against her head. She gulped visibly. "Hiei?"
The fire demon moved and instantly had several guns aimed at him.
Without another thought, Eclipse slammed on gas and her car flew forward into the alleyway, running into several mobsters and drawing gunfire. Hiei jumped out of the car and did a flip, landing on one guy's head and confusing everyone as to where to aim. Eclipse hid her car while Hiei and Shadow went psycho kick-ass on the entire mob.
"How'd you guys find me?" Shadow asked as Hiei pressed his back to hers in the middle of what remained of the circle.
"Magic," Hiei replied. Shadow seemed amazed.
"You two would be wisest to come with us peacefully. We will shoot you," one guy in the circle said.
"OH, STUFF IT!" Eclipse screamed from down the alley. A rock slammed into the guy's head. He swore and fell over. Hiei and Shadow paused, then launched at the remaining guys.
Arisa had caught up by then and was utterly appalled. She had a few favors with the mob. Now they were all going down the drain. Hiei and Shadow were pummeling every last hope she had of continuing her life as it had been previous to Shadow's interference.
Then, to make it worse, Eclipse joined in. Arisa didn't know much about this girl's martial arts abilities, but they were apparently very near the same level as Shadow's.
It wasn't long before there were unconscious guys strewn all over the alleyway. Shadow stood valiantly among them, hands on her hips, staring at her handiwork.
"I wonder if Yamashita's still around?" she said curiously. A gunshot answered her and she yelped in pain as a bullet grazed her arm. Hiei spun to face their attacker and nearly laughed.
"No wonder you missed," he said plainly. "Yamashita."
"Jaganshi. What the hell are you doing here?"
Shadow was busily lapping up the blood as it ran down her arm, so Hiei answered.
"Apparently we're totally destroying the mob." He shrugged. "How many more of you worms are there?"
A few more musclebound mobster cronies stepped out of the door, machine guns blazing. Arisa's buddy was dead in an instant. Arisa herself was out of their range, standing on the street at the entrance to the alley. Eclipse ducked and scurried away on her hands and knees as Hiei tackled Shadow to the ground.
"You know what?" he snarled. "I'm about sick of this. Damn ningens."
Flames erupted around the remaining men. They screamed. Kurama swore loudly as Arisa's eyes widened several times their normal size. Of course Hiei had to go and lose it.
The fire demon stood up, pulling Shadow with him. She blinked, looking at the charred corpses.
"Jeez, Hiei. You overdid it."
"I know."
Arisa screamed and ran. Kurama took off after her. After all, he's the only one with memory-erasing drugs...
Shadow wandered away, looking around at the unconscious people.
"Hey guys, what're we gonna do with all these dead bodies?" Eclipse asked. Hiei shook his head.
"They're all still alive."
"These ones aren't!" Shadow called from where she stood amongst a pile of ashes. Hiei sighed.
"That was far too quick a death for that bastard Yamashita."
"I bet it hurt, though," Shadow added. "Oh look! An eyeball!"
"Don't touch it," Hiei called.
"Why not?"
"I said so!" He walked over while Shadow waited. He glanced at the eyeball, then it burst into flames.
"Awww..." Shadow whined. "You spoil my fun."
"You'll live."
There was a shriek from nearby and Hiei swore, recognizing Eclipse's voice. He and Shadow took off running.
They found her by her car, her hands over her mouth and her eyes wide.
"What is it?" Hiei asked, seeing and sensing no one nearby.
"They shot my car!" she whimpered. The fire demon got such a look on his face that Shadow couldn't help but explode into laughter.
"You're pathetic," Hiei muttered, taking Shadow's hand and leading her away.
"So what about the corpses?" Shadow asked.
"They aren't corpses," Hiei corrected. "But it won't be any good if they're alive."
"I have an idea," the girl said suddenly, grasping Hiei's arm.
"What?"
She stepped away and whistled loudly. Hiei winced as the high-pitched noise, combined with some sort of energy spike she emitted, fried his senses.
"Jesus Christ!" he cried angrily.
"Gomen nasai, koishii!" she yelped, hugging him as he kneeled over. Shortly, it became apparent why she'd done what she did.
A dark shadow covered the couple and Hiei glanced up as shoes came into his line of sight. He followed long, black-clad legs upwards until he very quickly recognized...
"Karasu!"
"Karasu's my bitch," Shadow explained cheerfully. The crow demon sighed.
"I told you not to call me that," he muttered.
"Shut up, bitch!"
Karasu rolled his eyes. "What did you want? I was in the middle of something."
"Gomen, Karasu," Shadow said, standing up. She still had to look up at him, but it was better than being down around his knees. "See this mess we made?"
"You did this?" he asked, glancing around at all the unconscious bodies.
"Me, Hiei, and Eclipse."
"I saw Kurama on the way here," the crow mentioned. "I was almost tempted to disobey you, but he was with that girl from those pictures."
"Yes, doing some memory erasing, I'd say," Shadow replied. "Hiei lost it and she saw. But that's not the point."
"What is, then?"
"Well, we need to do something to make this all look entirely like an accident."
"So how am I supposed to help you?"
"You're gonna make a big boom boom and fire and people will DIE! But not until I've rummaged any valuables I can out of this place."
"You mean you called me before you'd done that? I could have finished my... activity."
"Oh, shut up. I figured you could keep Hiei company or something. Go hang around Eclipse. Or maybe Kurama will come back while you're waiting."
He brightened slightly at that. Then he glanced at her arm. "You're bleeding," he stated, gathering some of the blood on his finger and licking it off. Hiei twitched. That freak just drank his girlfriend's blood.
"Yeah, it's nothing. I can handle it. Now, you wanna help me out with my pillaging, or would you rather keep gaurd over all these people who will most likely not wake up while you're waiting for Kurama to show?"
"I'll stay and wait and watch these guys," the crow answered instantly.
"Very well. Hiei?"
"I'm goin' with you," he replied.
"Very good. Let's go, then." She led him into the door she'd accidentally opened what had to be nearly an hour ago now. They walked into the abandoned warehouse cautiously. Hiei glanced around, searching for any signs of life. He found a cat.
"A cat," Shadow stated, noticing it the same time he did.
"Yeah."
It hissed and ran out the door. There was a swear and an animal's yeowl of pain from outside. Shadow and Hiei glanced at each other and shrugged, then continued with their search.
Overall, they found a giant shitload of money in a combination safe that Hiei got frustrated with after one try at the lock and tore open. Shadow's jaw dropped when money and jewels and valuables of all sorts fell out.
"Sweet Jesus! It's a gold mine!" She lunged on it and began stuffing it all in her pockets. Hiei left her to that and continued wandering. He determined that everything in the entire place must have been stolen, and so it didn't matter what he took. A few things of interest found their ways into his pockets, while Shadow ended up laden down with all the money and jewels and gold and other such stolen goods that were in the safe. But that's okay. It all fit in her pockets.
Then, they wandered into a room that put Shadow into fits of ecstacy.
Vehicles. Stolen cars, trucks, vans, and, to the girl's extreme joy, motorcycles. She squealed and ran to the first one she saw.
"They trashed mine, I'll steal theirs!"
"Not like it matters, as all of them are dead, or going to be," Hiei said. "Take your pick."
Shadow was overjoyed to find that the mob was arrogant enough to leave the keys in the ignition of all their vehicles. It didn't take her long to select the perfect motorcycle, and she started it up and squealed with joy when it worked perfectly.
"I love it! This is wonderful!" She hugged Hiei tightly. "I love you!"
"I didn't have anything to do with it..." he said.
"I don't care! I love you anyways! I'm just full of love right now!"
"Well, that's good," Hiei said, patting her back. "I love you too. Why don't you try out your new motorcycle?"
"I will!" She jumped on it and tore out the door. Hiei sighed, took a walk around the room to see if there was anything of interest. He chuckled to himself as he pushed the button to open the garage door on one wall. Kurama, Eclipse, even Yusuke had cars. He figured it wouldn't hurt Shadow to have one too. There were times when it would have come in handy.
Though he didn't know much about cars, he'd had to sit through Yusuke's rants and lessons about cars and women enough times to know what was good and what was bad. He also knew what Yusuke--and most other guys--found attractive in women, and he'd heard a few sex tips that he wished he hadn't. Stupid virgin half-ningen boy had no use for such things, especially with a girlfriend like Keiko, who probably wouldn't want sex until they were married. Which, in Hiei's opinion, didn't seem to be something about to occur in the near future.
Anyways, so he went through the cars, examining them while listening to Shadow's ecstatic cheers and the sound of the motorcycle engine outside. While he was doing that, Kurama returned from erasing Arisa's memory and ditching her in her bedroom at home. He stopped dead when he saw Karasu leaning on the hood of Eclipse's car while she gently caressed a dent on the side where a bullet had grazed it, cooing soft words of comfort to the metal.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, looking at the crow.
"I was summoned," he stated. He managed a small smile. "I haven't seen you in a while, Kurama."
"You mean you haven't been sulking around outside my bedroom window?" the fox asked sarcastically.
"Not lately. Shadow forbade it, unless she gave me permission. I've taken to sulking around in the woods befriending fluffy bunny rabbits," he said honestly, with a little smile. Kurama stared for a second.
"You're not kidding."
"No. I'm not."
"You're wacked," he stated bluntly.
"Aww, Kurama, I resent that."
Eclipse shushed them from her place on the ground near the back wheel of her car. They looked at her curiously and she continued stroking the long dent in the car, now quietly singing a lullaby. Karasu tilted his head to the side.
"Why is she doing that?"
"She's wacked too," Kurama replied. Then, to Eclipse, "Don't you have something in your trunk to repair that stuff?"
"Shush!" Then she noticed Karasu and cried out, jumping up. "No wonder she can't sleep! You're sitting on her!" She batted at the crow until he got up, stepping away quickly from the psychotic girl and hiding behind Kurama.
Shadow went zooming past on her new motorcycle, cheering loudly. On her return, she swerved into the alley and ran over a few of the mobsters, coming to a stop with her front wheel about two inches away from Eclipse's car. The brown-haired girl screamed.
"She's never gonna relax now! First he's sitting on her, now you almost ran into her! You scared the b'jesus out of my sweetheart!" She knelt and began stroking the car again, only the front this time, where Shadow had nearly crashed into it, nuzzling her cheek against the cold metal and purring sweet nothings. Shadow backed up her motorcycle a bit and leaned over towards Kurama.
"I think your friend there is having a love affair with her car."
"I hope not," the redhead stated. Shadow glanced around.
"Where's my Hiei?"
"I don't know. He hasn't come out yet," Karasu said, glancing at the door. Kurama shifted a bit. The crow's very close proximity was making him a little uncomfortable. Shadow noticed but ignored him in favor of driving back into the building to find Hiei. She found him in the vehicle garage place, carefully backing a black truck out into the alley on the other side of the building from where Karasu and the others were gathered.
"What are you doing?" she called.
"Stealing this from a bunch of dead mobsters," he replied through the window. Shadow blinked.
"When did you learn how to drive?"
"Um, I'd say about a minute and a half ago," he replied, concentrating more on the driving than on his girlfriend.
"Why?"
"There have been several times that having one of these stupid ningen vehicles would have been considerably more convenient than hitching a ride with the fox or Eclipse. I figure, with so many right here to choose from, why not take advantage of the opportunity?"
Shadow nodded. "Very, very wise of you, koishii. Very wise indeed."
"I thought so." He managed to get the truck out and onto the street. "We could also hook a trailer up to it and haul around your motorcycle."
"You're a genius!"
"But I'm not getting a license."
"That's fine. You won't be driving much anyways, considering how it took you like, forever to back out of the garage thingy."
"I don't want to drive."
"Then why are you?"
"Wanted to see if I could."
"You can. Now get out. Kurama can drive this thing to our house, I'll ride my bike, and you can ride with one or the other of us. Just not with Eclipse. She's gonna have to take her car to the emergency room here soon."
"What?" Hiei asked, getting out. Shadow shook her head.
"She's over there making love to it or something. It's got a tiny dent from a bullet and she thinks it's the end of the world. She's stroking it and cooing love songs to it."
Hiei shook his head. "What does Kurama see in her?"
"I don't know. Probably the same thing you see in me."
"I doubt it."
"Why? What is it you see in me?"
Hiei kissed her lightly. "Well," he started. "You're pretty, for one."
"Eclipse is pretty."
"She's also psychotic."
"I'm psychotic."
"Not so much so as her. She's psychotic 90 percent of the time and sleeping or eating the other ten percent."
"You forgot the time she spends with Kurama."
"Okay, so she's sleeping or eating nine percent and making out with Kurama the other one percent."
"What else do you see in me?" Shadow persisted. "Other than looks."
"You're strong, for a girl, and independant and smart. You don't care what anyone else thinks of you. You lie like a pro, you're a dishonest, thieving, scheming bitch, and you're not afraid of manipulating people to get what you want. But you do have something of a code that keeps you from being totally obnoxious with those traits."
"Why thank you. I especially liked the scheming bitch part." She kissed him. "C'mon. I think we got plenty of riches for our efforts, don't you?"
"Yes. Definitely."
"We'll get Kurama to drive the truck. Did you get the key out?"
Hiei held it up, smirking. Shadow nodded approval and turned her bike to return to the other alleyway.
The second Shadow had left Kurama and Karasu out of her sights, the crow had been up to no good. He saw that Kurama was uncomfortable, but that he didn't really want to show it. Sure. The great Kurama could handle standing near the freak as long as he didn't do anything, right? Right.
Kurama jumped when he felt a hand brush against his ass. "Karasu," he growled. The crow rested his hands lightly on the redhead's hips. Eclipse, who'd normally have jumped on anyone for touching the fox in such a manner, was oblivious, still cooing sweet nothings to her Mustang convertible.
"What is it, Kurama? Do I make you... nervous?"
"Get your hands off me."
"Oh, but pretty fox... I could do so much for you. Give me a chance."
"Get. Your hands. Off me," he repeated through clenched teeth.
"Shh. I'm not hurting you." His hands roamed upwards to the fox's chest. Kurama let out a shuddering breath, trying to control himself. Every instinct was telling him to grab the crow's wrists and break them both, but he knew Shadow would be pissed. Why he cared what Shadow felt at this point was beyond him, but he did. He felt warm breath on his neck and closed his eyes tightly, teeth clenched with rage. He could deal with that. His chest was being caressed--luckily through a shirt--by a demon who'd so badly tried to kill him several years ago, and that same demon was very close to him. So close, in fact, that he felt the crow's lips brush his ear when he cooed, "I think I love you, Kurama."
Kurama's eyes snapped wide open at that, then, if possible, grew wider when he felt the crow place a gentle kiss on his neck. The only thoughts in Kurama's mind went something like this: Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Get away, get away. I can't kill him. Ew. Get away.
And yes, Eclipse is a total of three feet away, but she's got her eyes closed and wouldn't have cared about her friend even if she'd had them open. She was too busy cooing some love song to the car. (I bet you thought only guys were that devoted to their cars)
The fox drew the line when he felt Karasu's hips press against his ass. That in itself wouldn't have been too bad. Well, it wouldn't have been as bad. But Kurama had to draw the line at having the crow's hard-on against him.
"Okay, Karasu," he snarled, pushing the crow away. "That's too much."
"What?" the demon asked.
"That!" Kurama snapped, pointing. Karasu glanced at his crotch, then at Kurama's, and was disappointed to find that the fox was not aroused.
"You didn't like it?" he asked, his gaze not leaving Kurama's crotch. It disgusted Kurama that his ningen heart felt a twinge of guilt at the tone of the crow's voice.
'GUILT!' Youko screamed, startling the redhead so badly he jumped and winced. 'GUILT? Minamino, I thought better of you! You stupid boy! You can't feel guilty! That's what he wants!'
'But...'
'Shuuichi,' the fox said with more patience than the boy thought he'd ever heard from him, 'I stand for a lot of your mushy ningen crap... ew. That sounded sick. Anyways, I stand for a lot of your stupid ningen emotions. Your love for your mother. Your love for Eclipse--'
'I don't love Eclipse.'
'Your denial about loving Eclipse,' the kitsune continued as if Kurama hadn't spoken. 'I stand for your stupid school, your movies, your video games, all the things you do that I believe are a waste of time. But I'm not gonna stand for you feeling guilty about not being aroused by Karasu. It's Karasu, Shuuichi! Or have you forgotten he wanted to kill you? Have you forgotten that he said all that crap about destroying what he likes? Have you forgotten that you hate him? You love Eclipse.'
'No I don't.'
'Shut up, yes you do. I'd rather you were stuck with...' His mental voice took on a hint of disgust as he said, 'that girl...' It was obvious he was revolted by the way the girl was petting her car. There was a pause as Kurama gazed at Eclipse and he felt Youko mentally shudder.
'I would rather you were stuck with a girl who loves a hunk of metal for the rest of your life than that you fucked Karasu. So if I catch you feeling guilty about or because of that stupid crow, you'll regret it.'
'I'm sorry. I'm not feeling guilty anymore.'
'Yes you are. Look. He's moping, and your damn ningen heart pities him. Well there's nothing short of fucking him that will help him get over his misery, so it's better he's miserable. Got it?'
'Yes.'
'Are you feeling guilty anymore?'
'No.'
'Are you going to ignore him and never give in to him?'
'Yes.'
'Next time he touches you like that, what will you do?'
'Crack him in the face with my elbow.'
There was a thoughtful pause. 'That would work. But I was thinking more along the lines of breaking his wrist, then his heart.'
'You want me to rip out his heart?'
'No, stupid! For being smart, you sure are an idiot. I want you to tell him you're with Eclipse.'
'But I'm not.'
'YES YOU ARE!'
'Jesus Christ! You just want me to be with somebody so you can get laid!'
'So you can get laid and I can feel some small degree of the pleasure, just like with everything else you do. You need a sex life, boy. You're nearly eighteen years old. I never went that long without sex.'
'I know,' the redhead replied coldly.
'Point is, you love Eclipse. It's obvious. Deny it and I'll poke your brain!'
'You can't do that.' Kurama felt a sharp pain in his head and cried out loud. "Ow! You stupid!"
Karasu looked up, eyes wide and slightly watery.
"Not you," the boy said quickly. He felt the pain again. "Ow! Stop it!"
'You just felt the need to comfort him. Don't do it again.'
'Yes, master,' he replied sarcastically.
'That's right! Now, I want you to drag Eclipse away from her car and tell her how much you love her.'
'But I don't--OW! What are you doing?'
'Poking your brain. Not in a literal sense, stupid. But I've been up here all your life, so you'd think I would figure some things out by now, no?'
'I hate you, Youko.'
'I know, I know... Now GO CONFESS YOUR LOVE FOR HER! So you can get laid!'
'Stupid!' Kurama snapped at his counterpart, but he found himself walking over to Eclipse. He knelt in front of her and took her hand gently off the car. She looked at him.
"Can I talk to you for a minute? It's really important."
"Sure. Just keep your voice down. She's finally asleep."
Kurama sighed and stood up, pulling the girl to her feet and leading her away. He ignored Karasu's looks and listening ears as he took her to the dead end of the alley. Holding both her hands in his, he sighed a bit.
"This may be an odd time to tell you, but I was just thinking... And I have to tell you." 'Only because of you, stupid fox.'
'TELL HER.'
'Yessir!'
"What is it?" she asked quietly.
"Well... I love you."
She stared for a second, then a smile appeared on her face and she squealed, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him, then hugging him around the neck and squealing again, letting go with her legs so she could jump up and down squealing.
'Jesus. I didn't quite expect that reaction,' Youko muttered.
In the entrance to the alley, Hiei looked at Shadow. "Why didn't I get a reaction like that?"
Eclipse was now jumping up and down and up and down and up and down saying, "I love you, I love you, I love you!" on each jump and landing. Karasu's eyes widened to an unimaginable size, looking quite out of place on his face. Shadow walked up to him and took his hand in both of hers.
"I'm sorry, Karasu," she said gently. "If it makes you feel any better, you can hang out with me and Hiei until the suicidal tendencies pass."
"But... they love... he loves..." The crow was lost for words and merely whined pathetically.
"It's okay," Shadow cooed, hugging him. "You could cry on my shoulder if I wasn't so much shorter than you."
Karasu sobbed. "But..."
"Get over it!" Hiei snapped. That was it. The demon burst into tears, sliding to his knees and sobbing on Shadow's shoulder. Hiei, previously glaring, looked surprised, eyes wide with wonder. He'd never quite expected that reaction. Shadow grabbed his hand and put it on Karasu's back.
"Rub his back! Make him feel like somebody cares!"
"I'm not--" Shadow glared. "...Fine..." He began awkwardly rubbing the pale demon's back while Kurama and Eclipse kissed passionately in the corner. Their first real, passionate, meaningful kiss.
And this was one of the worst possible moments for Random Surfer Dude to show up, but he did.
"Hey, dudes and dudettes," he said, showing up just as Kurama and Eclipse's lips and tongues parted. Everybody but Karasu looked up.
"RSD!" Shadow cheered. "I'd hug you, but my hands are full right now."
"That's like, totally cool by me. I just thought that, y'know, maybe I'd like, stop by and tell you that there's uh, some cop cars on the way here."
"There's what?"
"Cops, dudette."
"Thanks a million, RSD," Shadow said. "Is that it?"
"Totally. Oh, and congrats, Eclipse, you've got like, a totally tubular guy."
"Thanks!" she chirped.
"Like, bye all."
"Bye-bye!" He continued walkind down the street.
"Well how's this gonna work?" she asked. She looked back to her friends. "Hey, lovebirds, sorry to separate you so soon, but Kurama needs to drive my new stolen truck to my house while Hiei and I go by means of my new stolen motorcycle, unless Hiei wants to ride with Kurama. Eclipse, you can come to my house too, if you want. I have plenty of bedrooms, y'know."
"We're not gonna fuck yet," she stated coldly.
'Yeah, that's what she thinks,' Youko taunted.
'That's what I think too, fox. So we're not.'
'You suck. So badly. I need laid.'
'I know, Youko. It's not my fault.'
'Yes it is. You could have banged any number of your drooling fans years ago with no ill effects to yourself.'
'Drop it before you start.'
'Hmph.'
'I bet Shadow wouldn't object to you screwing Hiei.'
'Aww, you naughty boy. I'm telling them you said that.' There was a pause. 'Then I'll screw him.'
'I DIDN'T MEAN IT!' the boy cried desperately in his head. Youko's laughter was all that answered.
Shadow stroked Karasu's hair for a second, then stepped back. "Karasu, you can come to my house, okay? We'll try to care about you a little so you don't feel as suicidal..."
There were police sirens now audible in the distance. Shadow pushed Karasu away. Hiei had already dragged Kurama to their new truck and given him the key. Eclipse jumped in her car.
"Okay! Here's how it's happening. Hiei, you're riding with Kurama. Karasu, you're riding with me."
"What?"
"GET ON THE FRIKKIN' MOTORCYCLE!"
"Yes ma'am!"
And so, in that manner, they all made it back to Shadow's. Kurama and Eclipse hung around in Kurama's bedroom, bonding. Karasu sprawled out on the couch and slept while Hiei and Shadow watched TV from her sacred fluffy recliner.
All the police found was that an explosion had been "caused by a gas leak." It had luckily totally destroyed the entire mob. How coincidental.
I had questions from people... Kokuei means 'dark shadow' or 'silhouette' and shugotenshi means 'guardian angel.' You can see why the dog would prefer Kokuei to Shugotenshi... Though she is sort of a guardian angel...