Disclaimer: … (silence of the deeply irritated)
Story Thus Far: Snowboarding for Kurama and Mika! Newsflash for Yuusuke and Keiko and Shizuru's dysfunctional trio set off in search of Hiei.
Enjoy chapter 8!
Finding Hiei
"YAAAAAHOOOO!"
The howl of sheer exuberance shook snow from tall, mountainous pines as a blur of sleek snow-pants, jacket and stylish black beanie. Several high schoolers making their leisurely way down the powdery slope ended their meandering in a sprawling dive to evade the speeding bullet of hooting teenage girl that roared past them. Snow whizzed up in a powdery tail behind her as she cut a sharp grin in the mountain face, yanking her tail-end abruptly left and switching toe-side to redirect her board for the Snowy Summit Lodge.
Twin boarders fresh off the terrain course hooted and cheered her as she cut a sharp turn and sail up and over a tall sloping jump. Punching the air and simultaneously pulling a mid-air tail-grab aroused loud cat-calls from fellow shredders and a crowd of hard core half-pipe gurus. She stuck the landing with a scathing spray of snow and was gone like a flying illusion down the hill.
"You're hot, chica. Way to ride!" called one cheery looking lift operator. Mika unclasped her boots from her board and hefted it up beneath her arm. Once situated she pried her goggles from her face and carefully placed them across the lip of her beanie. She grinned at the friendly young man and flashed a cheerful peace sign.
"Thanks!" she said happily and tromped off toward the inviting glow of the lodge. Warmth poured over her freezing body as she stepped through the doors, sighing blissfully as the happy crackle of heart fires greeted the girl. Setting her board carefully in the rack by the doors, she stomped her boots clean and walked toward the café. Humming to herself, she stripped of her comfortable outer jacket and draped it over an empty seat, dropping her gloved on the table as she moved toward the counter.
She greeted the dreary cashier manning the register and ordered a cocoa, a cookie, a large burger, fries and a coke to accompany her cocoa. The world-weary clerk rolled his eyes dramatically as he went to fetch the said items, returning with the obscenely large meal stacked, haphazardly upon a tray. Poking her tongue out the corner of her mouth Mika dug around in her pockets in search of her wallet. The cashier rolled his eyes yet again and Mika shot him a dark look.
"Here, let me get that for you," chuckled a voice from behind her.
A long, slender arm placed several dollars and exact change on the counter, soft looking hands laying the currency down with showcase poise. The cashier scooped it up and slid it away without so much as a 'have a nice day' and long before Mika could protest her freeloading. The girl spun around to glare at her overly chivalrous benefactor. She hadn't asked for his aid and she certainly didn't need it and this guy was about to find that out the hard…
A pair of smiling green eyes beamed, amused, down at her.
…way?
"Ahh! Kurama! You jerk! Get away from me! I don't know you, remember? What if someone sees us?" Mika hissed frantically, searching the cafe for schoolmates who might recognize her and the resident red-headed eye-candy.
Her paranoia was so heart-felt that the handsome fox-demon burst into gales of melodic, but controlled laughter and seemed distracted enough to steal his latte from. So naturally Mika snatch at the drink and missed when her world-wise guardian lifted the foam cup from her grabbing fingers. He smiled knowingly at the girl who huffed and grabbed her lunch tray in a flurry of thawing snow, dripping hair and frost-bit cheeks.
"Thanks for lunch, Person-With-Whom-I'm-Unfamiliar, I think I'll go eat it now, bye," Mika chattered and made a break for the table.
Much to her disgust and irritation a familiar green sports jacket hung from the back of the chair opposite her own and two blueberry scones sat, awaiting their red-haired, fox-demon, owner. She fumed silently as an innocently smiling youko breezed by her and slid into the chair across from her own discarded clothing and gestured elegantly to the seat opposite him. Huffing once more, Mika slouched over to the table and flung herself into the chair and dumping her food on the table.
"Must you stalk me?" she hissed, over the table at the demure looking fox-spirit.
Kurama a glanced up from his latte, which he previously stirred with a single red straw. He smiled, his hand stirring undeterred by her (from his perspective) juvenile outburst. "Stalk? Mika, I'm hurt. You know full well no self respecting fox burglar ever 'stalks' their chosen target. Not that you are a target in any way, shape or form, but nevertheless I do not 'stalk'."
Mika rolled her eyes even more dramatically that the cashier and tore a disgusting amount of burger from the sandwich, chomping loudly on it. "T-rribly s'rry," she whistled around the gross mass of rolling beef, ketchup, pickle and lettuce (all visible) inside her mouth. She swallowed the entire lot in one go and stuffed fries in her face with almost violent passion. "Didn't know you'd be so sensitive. I meant to say 'stake out' or something more along the thieving line. I apologize!"
Kurama watched, bemused and smiling as she tore the top off her burger and slapped a mess of french-fries inside the sandwich before taking another oversized chomp of food. Once her maw had been stuff full and all means of comeback were occupied with chewing, the fox-demon ventured toward conversation.
"You know…you're father used to eat his fries in his sandwich like that," remarked the King of Thieves lightly.
Mika stopped chewing and blinked at her legal guardian. Kurama tended to keep the past in the past and rarely spoke of it unless Mika asked it explicitly from him. However, Mika at a young age had determined her adopted big-brother as a deeply conflicted individual beneath his calming, placid green eyes. His collected appearance easily masked long cherished anxieties and scars of both his first demonic life as Yoko Kurama, his rebirth as Suiichi Minnamino, reversion to King of Thieves and then finally his return to the Ningenkai. His soul, despite his attractive youthful wrapper, remained ancient, world-weary and wise.
She wouldn't allow herself to forget that, ever. She didn't want to inflict unneeded memories on the already jaded fox-spirit and respectfully held her tongue on the subject of the past. Even the questions of her father, mother and their past she refrained from. If needed, she knew Kurama would divulge the story for her. Else wise he lived in the present and thought deeply on the world around him and the present time.
"Umm…Well, that's kinda cool," Mika said, grinning. "There anything else I do like him?" As if on cue, a large belch rumble dup from her throat and projected across the room. Several people fell silent and stared at the pretty brunette, unable to believe she could be the source of the disgusting bodily function. She waved sweetly at them and looked back toward her slightly disgusted impromptu date.
"Yes. That," he replied and stirred his latte again.
Mika paused a moment before asking her question. "Kurama…my parents…tell me again…"
"They are the two most brave and pure-hearted souls I have ever met in all my centuries of life," he said promptly. "Just because they cannot abandon their station in the Makai does not mean they wouldn't if given the choice between you and all the power in the Demon World. They love you more than life itself, Mika. That is why they cannot be with you and why I am."
The girl sighed and sucked noisily on her cup of Coke-Cola. "Just wish I could see them again…without a time window or demons hanging over their shoulders."
Kurama wisely said nothing, knowing she didn't seek words for comfort and only offered his presence. They sat there; watching the late-night boarding fanatics slowly filter in and the lodge fill. Finishing her burger and fries she tossed her soda into a trash and started in on her cookie. A glitzy shimmer flared up from the other side of the room and all the mountain vacationers clapped and cheered while the manager bowed low, gesturing outlandishly to the giant glowing Christmas tree set up in the corner of the room.
Mika and Kurama watched wild mild interest as the high-schoolers filed forward to place gifts beneath the decorative pine.
"I guess we're all doing that Secret Santa thing this year," said Mika gloomily.
The fox demon glanced at her. "Were you expecting to receive something? Or did you wish to present someone else with a gift?"
Mika huffed at the more-elegant-than-thou youkai and waved her hand lazily. "Nah. I'm broke remember? Besides no one would give me a-"
Kurama glanced up at the sound of giggling and leapt up, cutting her off and throwing his jacket over his shoulder. He assumed a casual stance beside Mika's table just as a throng of school-girls funneled in the doors. He smiled warmly, but in a very sociable way, looking for the entire world like he was merely chit-chatting with her.
"You'd best head off to sleep," he said quietly. "I'll see you in the morning."
The red-head nodded to her as if to say good-night and moved away to find a seat in a solitary arm chair, discouraging company and uninvited attention. Mika sighed and stood up, gathering her hot chocolate, and cookie for later consumption. As she retreated for the stairs, several of the girls from her school cornered her, materializing around her like the ghosts of forsaken wives seeking love and trapped the girl between the wall and railing.
"Were you talking to Zane?" one squeaked.
Mika glanced back and forth between each desperate, love-struck face and snickered inwardly. "Sure. He asked me what time it was. Can I go to bed now?"
Several girls gasped and became grossly involved in deep, gossip as Mika tramped up the stairs, answering the siren call of her bed.
-"Please…please don't…I'm begging you. Please don't…"-
Pain. Hot, raping stabd of agony, tearing apart his brain, raiding his thoughts and demolishing his sanity. He sobbed, falling to his hands and knees once again, tears falling from already tear-stained eyes.
-"Why? You know something I want to. Why should I stop?"-
The question burned against the inside of his skull like hellfire and he screamed, clawing at his head and clutching his palms against pounding temples. His body seized up, muscle spasms racking his slender frame and sending him into yet another seizure. Choking, his pale eyes rolled back and his spine arched up off the carpet. He thrashed, limbs jolting and convulsing of their own accord as their owner heaved telepathic sobs.
-"B-because they're my friends…I…don't want to see them hurt."- he said weakly.
-"That is no reason."- was the callous reply.
He screamed again and fell silent, slumping back to the ground as his mind gave in, buckling under the pressure of another. His clenched fingers uncurled and fell open at his sides, blood welling from the gouges dug into his palms by his own nails. Golden cat-like eyes stared unseeing at the ceiling overhead, expression empty, lips parted in shallow breath. No thoughts passed through his mind as he laid there, no more arguments or pleas. Only a low, whispering hum like that of radio silence broken by static.
-"It appears I've broken you're spirit, Koenma. How tragic."-
Static.
-"Hmm…Mika Urameshi and Zane Yokoma is it? I'd best tell Terrasuka before she loses her patience."-
Then no more words trespassed on the silence in the young deity's ravaged psyche. Nothing. Silence there…and nothing more.
"You cannot be for real…" The mutter.
"Excuse me while I pinch myself, check, and slap you. Yes, I'm for real. We're going to Darker Faye and I really don't need your opinion on the matter, Cloudy." The retort.
There came a shuffling of what sounded like a trench-coat, boots on algae covered cave-floor and someone being violently pinched judging by the loud 'OWCH!' of pain Shizuru projected. Alaster made small, grumpy sounds and smacked a nearby clump of familiar algae. The growth squealed in protest and recoiled after emitting a bright, luminescent green glow and revealing the activating of his two, previously hidden companions. Both of whom, were in the throes of what looked like a mean game of tag: Shizuru with her long blade out, Cloud his fangs bared.
"GUYS!" Alaster snarled into the newly lit cavern.
Instantly the two assumed the casual position, Shizuru sheathing her blade in a quick flipping hiss that passed to fast to follow. Cloud turned his snarl into a lazy yawn, and stretched innocently while glancing toward the end of the tunnel they'd been stumbling around in for the better part of – oh, give or take – seven hours and forty-four minutes. Minutes that the, usually laid-back, Alaster could barely take under the social tension amid his two 'teammates'.
With his knowledge of plants Alaster had been quite helpful finding bioluminescent cave algae sprouting from the slippery stones. However, when ever said algae ran out and Alaster could no longer see what his two companions were up to the unsaid adversaries would spring into immediate hostility and proceed to rip each other's throats out verbally ( in Shizuru's case) and literally (in Cloud's case). Though, Alaster couldn't see the wisdom in this, because Shizuru couldn't see in the dark any better than the average human. Though she was skilled in her craft of death-dealing and demon-hunter, she was no night-owl.
Cloud, however, had the gift of shadowkai heritage and amongst the three of them he was easily the most at ease in the new surroundings. From what Alaster gathered, the dark angel saw better in darkness than in daylight and probably drew power from the gloom. What a disturbing thought…
The fox-demon glowered at his guilty teammates and they feigned ignorance to their sin. Cloud coughed. His sunglasses back in place with the new-found light at their disposal. With alien light on his usually life-flushed skin, he looked abnormally … corpse-like. He seemed to be indicating they keep on the move, thought that contrasted violently with his previous displeasure at their destination. If anything, he just wanted to find another patch of darkness to take out his stress on the more than willing Shizuru.
"Darker Faye should be just around that bend," Cloud remarked in a drawling and dispassionate voice, one he'd assumed since Shizuru had decided they head for Darker Faye in search of Hiei. Apparently, the dark angel, for all his… err… darkness, didn't much appreciating having to travel deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the Makai. Darker Faye, of course, laid several levels lower than even the one they'd been on and the shadows only grew as they dug deeper. However, this was their only lead, whether Cloud (or anyone) liked it or not. Shizuru, also angry at her quest's sudden turn for the worst, was consoled if only by the fact Cloud would be suffering just as much, if not more than her during their journey.
Thus, their descent into the Makai began on those dysfunctional attitudes.
"Joy," snapped Shizuru and the trio trailed reluctantly behind her as she stormed around the corner and into the next cavern.
And what a cavern it was. Alaster made a small, choking sound unbecoming of a graceful youko and Shizuru fell uncharacteristically silent. Cloud, in contrast voiced what sounded suspiciously like 'tch' in regards to the massive, awning wonder before them. He ignored his two shell-shocked comrades and sat down on the lip of the tunnel exit, legs dangling over the edge into the empty air spanning before them. Almost half a mile down lay the most intricate and beautiful city either Shizuru or Alaster had ever seen.
Jet black skyscrapers (cave-scrapers…whatever) jutted toward the ceiling of the expansive underground cavern. Hundreds of dark spires, and strangely tree-like buildings stabbed violently, yet elegantly upward and dominated the massive underworld – heck, calling it a big cave seemed way to discrediting – in their strange beauty. But beneath the forest of black buildings a foundation of smaller, more complex suburban traffic and construction thrived like a forest's undergrowth. Glittering lights of dancing faerie fire and spirit energy wreathed the metropolis in a greenish radiance not unlike the glow of the algae in the tunnel.
It was glorious and terrible in the evil it represented.
Cloud yawned, a real yawn this time. "If you're quite done. I'm sure all the faerie in the Rings would love to welcome us to their hell-hole. Did I mention your small, demon-friend has horrifying taste in allies."
Alaster jerked out of his trance and blinked at the dark angel. He seemed… sulky. Do shadowkai sulk? Besides that, the fox-demon spoke. "He became allies with Team Urameshi," he said defensively.
"Horrifying taste," the blonde repeated slowly and with… not quite feeling. He was still on some kind of emotion strike since the start of their descent. Shadowkai sulking.
Shizuru ignored the dark angel and stepped boldly to the edge of the cliff, despite Cloud's obvious temptation to give her a long, hard shove. She grinned fiercely out at the expanse of beetle-black city and shot Cloud a happy little grin.
"Oh, Cloudy's just grumpy cause he doesn't like the nasty dark faerie," she cooed. "They chase him and stab him with their evil pitchforks."
"I'll stab you with a pitchfork," replied Cloud. Without any emotion in his tone it was impossible to tell whether or not he truly meant it. He stood up and began to clamber down the long, living vine ropes that fell toward a lower ledge and a long, curving road toward the city. Hundreds of others just like this one filled the outer expanses of the cavern, all stretched out from the metropolis like threads from a web's centre. Alaster followed the dark nngel over the edge and Shizuru came after him.
Clang…Clang…Clang…Clang…
Mika's eyelids fluttered at the rhythmic beat. The gentle ding of silver bells pulsed against her ears several times more and suddenly she jerked up right, gasping in her bed. Whipped her head about so fast, his neck popped, the girl pinned her gaze against the far wall. The looming outline of the bed-room door stood out like a phantom rimmed in yellow across the dark expanse of her chamber. She clutched her pillow in fear, eyes growing wide with terror as she realized the source of the sound.
Slowly, slowly the noise grew in volume. Terror seized her heart and the girl seized up her comforter and threw it around her trembling body as if the soft, downy sheets could protect her from the horror moving undaunted toward her door. Mika's big, brown eyes flickered to her nightstand. There it was! Gleaming, cold and white in the dim moonlight her only weapon against the attack! But could she facilitate its protection in time? Before they arrived?
Mika's hair clung to her sweat-soaked forehead as the chiming grew louder. They'd turned the corner. They were coming down the hall now and she still had not made a move from the warmth of her bed. The face of the alarm beside her bed glowed a hellish, red 8:32 in the darkness. Eight-thirty! Idiot! Of course they would come for her; she'd known they would yet here she sat, totally unprotected.
Clang! CLANG!
"No!" Mika cried.
Snatching the smooth white weapon from her nightstand she lunged across the room in a blur of speed and desperation. The ringing and jangling of voices grew unbearably loud in her sensitive ears. Kurama had warned her. He'd warned her of this monstrous event. He'd even given her the means to prevent it, but she'd foolishly disregarded him. Now she would pay for it!
The brunette vaulted the second bed and launched herself at the bedroom door. Ripping it open she dashed across the main apartment toward the front door of the suite. Her bare feet slapped the cold foyer planks as she sprinted over them and slammed her shoulder against the door. The locks! She'd forgotten the locks!
Frantic now, Mika fumbled with the many, infernal locks and chains adorning the door jam and fought to rip them open. The sound of wailing voices grew in pitch, nearly deafening her with the awful noise. They already stood the next door down from her own. She had one chance at this. Mika, face contorted in determined focus, yanked the door open. She yelped as the banging of bells and the howling of high, childish voices assaulted her delicate ears and nearly retreated back into her room. Steeling herself against the noise, she stepped around her open door and…
…placed the 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign on the doorknob.
Mission accomplished the girl dove back into her room and smashed the door shut. Laughing manically, the teenager sank to the floor in relief. Snickering she reflected happily on all the disappointment on all their evil little faces now that her protection was in place. The Snowy Summit Christmas Carolers wouldn't come banging on her door now that she had her sign in place. Freedom! Sweet freeeeedom!
"Thank you, Kurama!" she laughed, punching the air in victory. Her friends could say what they wanted about her…she hated Christmas songs and she refused to hear them while attempting to get her rest.
Rising to her feet, Mika sighed happily. Well, after that little escapade sleeping had passed far beyond her ability. Oh well. Mika strolled into the neat, new age kitchen and messed with the mini fridge. Producing a bottle of milk, she dug into the cupboard and pulled out the remains of her cookie from dinner. Munching on the delicious confection and gulping the milk in large swallows, the last think Mika, wanted or expected to hear was the sound of someone knocking on her door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Furious at being disturbed – was nothing sacred? – while the power of the Do Not Disturb sign protected her doorway, she remained in the kitchen, rooted to the tiles in defiance.
"I'm trying to sleep!" she shouted angrily. "Read the sign."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Mika went beyond grumpy now; now she was pissed off! No one could force her to listen to Christmas Songs if she didn't want to. That, like, went against Christmas spirit or something. You can't spread cheer if the people you sing too are ready to off you with a chain saw. Mika decided these dysfunctional carolers needed a serious lesson in proper holiday edict and stormed to the door, milk still in hand. Not bothering to hide the evidence she, indeed, had not been sleeping; she ripped the door open and glared…
Down?
Mika stared at the group of ten-year-olds on her doorstep and blinked. The first child, a red-nosed boy with a Santa hat and scarf, sniffled and stared up at her.
"Mika Urameshi?" he asked in a congested drone.
"Umm…yes?" she said, still staring at the bell, wielding group of elementary kids. Kurama said the carolers hired at Snowy were trained chorus singers from Chicago…not a bunch of snot0nosed little kids who should have the right to go play in the snow instead of singing crummy songs for grumpy people.
"You're Mika?" he repeated as if she'd forget her own name.
"Yeah. Look, guys. If people put up the Do Not Disturb sign it means…don't disturb them. Understand?" she said, folding her arms in a motherly fashion. "It's very rude and you should really-,"
The little boy smiled and exposed a twin set of glittering canines, tapering down into needle points. Mika shut up. The other 'children' also grinned, lips splitting at the corner to pull back across their skull to the ears, baring rows upon rows of shimming fangs. Soon, a gang of grinning, demonic Chucky imitation monsters stood in the hallway, all staring up at her with glowing red eyes.
Youkai. They were youkai.
"Good," said the little demon boy. His childish human voice sounded perverse and evil speaking in the guttural tongue of the Makai. He giggled in a satanic little string of laughter and went on. "Gotta make sure we get the right girl."
Then they swarmed her. Mika screamed, but the first little monster leapt up and clamped a pair of huge, clawed fingers over her jaw, stifling her voice and knocking her back into the foyer of her suite. Mika's head banged against he ground and star erupted behind her eyes. Horrible, skittering claws danced along her body, grabbing, snatching and nicking the exposed skin of her bare legs. (Mika cursed herself for wearing only a T-shirt to bed)
"Get off!" she snarled. "Disgusting little twerps! DIE!"
Blue light burst from her body and hurled the demonic children across the room to crash into the walls around the suite. Several of her neighbors shouted for her to keep it down and Mika instinctively dropped her voice. Cursing oaths to make even the youkai hesitate, Mika flipped to her feet and fell into an immediate boxing stance, quick feet bouncing from one to the other as her first glowed with energy. The youkai who hadn't exploded on contact with her B class spirit energy staggered up, covered in bleeding abrasions and bruised from her pure, untainted youki.
"You're going down you evil carolers from hell!" she whisper screamed.
NEVERMORE! screeched a red-head little girl. The child raced across the room, awning red mouth gaping like a fanged Raggedy Anne doll, blood dribbling between each needle of her barracuda fang forest. She leapt into the air, spitting blood and gore all over the teenager. Disgusted beyond words, Mika punched the air and blue youki burst from her knuckles in a blinding flash. The demon vaporized mid-air but as she did the remaining three bounded across the floor, springing like hellcats, hungry for flesh.
"You won't escape, bitch!"
"The fox won't protect you! HE'S DEAD!"
"We ripped his pretty head off! Now we're gonna rip yours off, girly!"
"Kurama's dead! You're next!"
"LIARS!" she screamed back and opened fire.
Mika basted each and everyone one of them, getting absolutely spray-coated with demon blood as she did. An instant later only the oily smoke of demon residue remained and the bloody mess all over Mika's scratched legs and arms. Taking one look at herself, Mika rushed to the sink and puked into the basin, the metallic odor of blood and death clinging to her skin. Almost in tears, she rushed into the bath room and leapt into the steaming shower. Ripping her clothes off, she scraped her skin raw with a lufa sponge and lathered herself madly in body wash and antibacterial.
Suddenly it occurred to her…if five demons had found her – by name, even – who's to say more didn't lie in wait? The idea of facing a mob of youkai naked did not appeal to the girl. Snatching a towel she raced into her bed room, drying as she went and dug a sweatshirt, panties and sweats from her suit case. Yanking them on, she grabbed her sneakers and jammed them on before sprinting madly for the door. Kurama! She had to find Kurama! He would know what to do! This was his field of expertise; he'd know what to do.
The brunette leapt into the hall, slamming the door behind her as she did. The gory mess of demon blood would vanished by morning light. Without a living body to sustain it, youkai DNA simple burned away in the Ningenkai so the maid wouldn't suffer any. Mika swiped her damp hair from her eyes and began to run down the hall toward the lodge.
"Mika!" shouted a familiar voice. "Mika! Over here!"
A tall, red-headed figure stepped around the corner and Mika burst into tears of relief. With a cry she flung herself into the fox-spirit's arms and wrapped her own limbs around his neck to bury her face in his shoulder. The fragrance of rose, earth, and plants filled her senses and she cried hard into her guardian's shirt. Kurama sank to a crouch in the hallway, shushing the hysterical teenager and holding her tightly while the shock passed.
Mika stuttered into his neck, forcing the words out because she knew she had to say them. "D-demons. They've found us. They called me by name, K-Kurama."
The youko nodded, brilliant emerald eyes glittering in the hallway lights. "I know. I destroyed several groups already. Everyone on the first floor is dead, but you slew the last of them."
"T-they said they'd killed you a-and they looked like kids. KIDS! Kurama I killed a bunch of kids!" she said in horror.
"No!" Kurama said fiercely. Gripping her shoulders he forced her to look at him. "You killed the lowest form of demon. Animals who live for death. You did good, Mika. Don't you ever think otherwise, ever."
She nodded, too shocked to speak. Kurama sighed and stroked her hair the way he did when she'd been only ten. "You did a very brave thing. I'm proud of you, but we have to move before-,"
"At last!" A sultry, feminine voice laughed richly from the other end of the hall. "At long last! The Legendary King of Thieves! I've found him!"
Kurama whipped his head around and flicked his wrist simultaneously turning to see who spoke and arming himself. His distinctive red hair, long cut short, could no longer conceal every seed he carried. Instead the fox-demon hid the organic weaponry on his person and within easy reach. In place of long hair, he took to wearing long-sleeves shirts much lick the one he wore now. A tiny, brown seed fell between his thumb and forefinger, erupting into a long, curving blade of razor grass as his merciless green-gold eyes found their target. At the end of the hall, dressed in a simple, black gown of ebony satin stood the palest, most tragically beautiful woman Kurama had ever seen.
Her alabaster skin seemed frail and filmy in the florescent lighting, her dark gown making her brilliant lavender eyes gleam like gems under the veil of glossy black hair, cascading down her shoulders. The dark red curve of her lips stood out like blood against paper, her smooth complexion haunting in its perfection and cruel splendor. Her eyes burned with an unfeeling emotion that performed a pale mimicry of lust in eyes that had forgotten how to feel such things.
Instead cold hunger devoured Kurama's countenance from fifty feet away. She smiled. An expression so horrible and sad Kurama stepped back to make sure Mika remained safely at his side. He reached his hand out to brush Mika's shoulder, assuring himself of her presence.
"Who are you?" Kurama said tonelessly.
The woman continued to smile…and smile…and smile until – like the children in the hall – her face split and yawned wide to expose a ring of undulating red flesh and fangs. Kurama's gold and emerald spliced irises grew hard as he tensed for battle. Mika stood and clenched her hands until they glowed a hot blue and waited, feeling ill at the woman's hideous transformation. The ruined features of the beautiful woman gargled and slithered revoltingly. Then two serpentine tongues lashed from the back of the woman's throat and from them, her low, lovely voice spoke on.
"I am Terrasuka," she replied, bowing formally and remaining quite polite. "Sister of Karasu and you will die by my hand, beautiful fox. You and the Toushin's child."
"Is it…always like this?" Alaster ducked as several knives whizzed over his ears. Eyes wide he slowly stood and jogged to catch up with Shizuru and Cloud who wove amid the chaotic crowd with little better luck than him. Alaster skirted closer to Shizuru as a couple cat-calls followed his passing and attempted to somehow hide next to his adopted sister and vanish in Cloud's oversized trench coat. Shizuru glared at the two cat-callers and they shrunk away from her menacing honey-hued stare and into the shadows.
"Yeah." Cloud nimbly dodged a pair of rolling, punching faerie and continued down the broken, cobbled street.
The Faye world throbbed around the trio like some great, orgasmic heart, a rushing, hot-blooded surge of life, death and passion. Where humans would walk, faeries flew, glided, skimmed, teleported and flitted amongst themselves. Hundreds of smooth skinned, waifish faces passed in a blinking blur of colorful shades: pink, purple, blue, green, red, yellow orange, black and blue. Shizuru, for a moment, paused to watch the passing of an ethereal looking pixie wreathed in a glowing white aura. Her entire body seemed meshed from liquid porcelain and her hair alive.
Cloud caught Shizuru's attention by tapping her hard on the shoulder.
"Light sprite. She won't last long down here," Cloud told her. "Let's go."
"Go where? You don't know where Hiei is," she snapped, falling into step beside the immortal.
He cast her a sideways glance, garnet eyes skimming over her. "Sure I do. There's only one Guild he could possibly belong to since he likes his time to himself, has a violent streak and a nasty reputation."
"Really?" Alaster inquired, stepping around a petite black faerie. "Which one?"
Cloud stopped in front of a wide open turn off. Shizuru and Alaster stepped up next to him and inspected the large, vacant street with narrow, squinting eyes. Before them, a dark road stretched away into the shadows, dimly lit by flickering orbs of hanging faerie fire. The strangely plant-like sky-scrapers loomed like demons over the eerily lifeless street. While the citizens of Darker Faye buzzed and zoomed by the shadowy street (like life in hyper-time) the dead and unearthly calm of the street seemed to leer an ill omen to the three top-siders.
Cloud tipped his head back, soft blond spikes slipping across his forehead, shadows playing across his blood-painted irises like phantoms of dark satin.
"Assassin's Guild," he said and began walking.
The soft sound of his boots on the stone seemed to vanish, soaked up by the heavy silence, bane to any sound. He turned and jerked his head down the street, indicating his two companions follow.
Shizuru said something like 'gods damn it' and marched resolutely into down the sound sucking street and caught up with the dark angel. She shoved him as she passed, but not hard as she could have, obviously talking her anger on the nearest person for no other reason than she was probably nervous. Cloud eyed Alaster patiently, waiting. The youko's eyes flickered with a shadow of uncertainty. His tail lashed with apprehension but after a moment he too followed the dark angel into Assassin territory and into the awning mouth of the silence.
They journeyed deeper and deeper into the quiet streets. Soon the buzzing flurry in the central streets became missed, and then longed for. For nearly twenty minutes the silence stretched, neither Shizuru nor Alaster daring to break it lest the words be taboo. Cloud kept his head low, his shoulder hunched and his hands in his jacket pockets. Typical brooding creature of darkness façade, but it seemed oddly appropriate here.
"We're close," Cloud said suddenly.
Alaster jerked, startled and his tail fluffed very slightly at the sudden noise. Shizuru's ocher eyes whipped to the dark angel with the look of a spooked animal before she calmed enough to glare at him. Cloud ignored them both and paused to incline his head. His garnet eyes bounced around the towering structures around tehm as if searching the buildings for some celestial sign of guidance…or maybe a murderer.
Shizuru's hand trailed to her long blades and Alaster casually ran his fingers through his mane of watery blue-silver. Cloud's intense look of scrutiny never slackened and he slowly turned to face a long dark alley-way to his left, hands still deeply buried in his jacket. He ducked his chin, glaring at the shadowy niche as if to burn it with his gaze.
"I never thought I'd see a dark angel set foot in the Darker Faye," remarked a deep, sarcastic voice. "Especially you."
Without missing a beat Cloud replied, "And I never thought I'd see a Jaganshi associate with faerie." He paused and added, mimicking,"Especially you."
The shadows shifted and from the blackness a piece of the darkness broke away from the whole and stepped into the dim street. Long black jacket enveloped the speaker's wiry frame, 'long' being a relative term seeing how that frame stood only about four feet off the ground at best. That didn't include the rebellious explosion of ebony-black spikes jutting defiantly up from the newcomer's head, the centre of his rigid tresses stained by a brilliant white starburst. A black head band encircled his forehead in a neat ring and his former white scarf had been replaced by a set of black, rune etched leather loops. The jacket's sleeves looked cut out to expose corded arms and the tattered white bandages winding up the speaker's right arm all the way to his elbow.
Hiei Jaganshi bared his tapered, ivory fangs in a fierce smile so feral it terrified even those who knew him.
"The fool's older sister, the Fox's kit and the dark angel reject. What a touching get-together," he sneered.
His viciously exotic features turned beautiful and terrible with that smile. His bright scarlet eyes stared at them with ruthlessness so deep Shizuru blanched just looking at him. Then – to their horror – he grabbed the hilt of his katana from its sheath and attacked.
Later stranger…
Author's Note: I suppose this is my version of a Christmas special. Evil Christmas carolers and a Hiei début. I hope this is enough to satisfy your reading for now. I felt very inspired while writing most of this, so it's probably some of my best writing in a while. I think I was more focused on Mika and Kurama because the little details were more important in their situation.
Cloud8.9: (covered in chopstick wounds) Send money. I can't pay my medical bill.
Cheezit: Oh stop whining you baby! Hey! Syco! We have a Teen Titan story to write! Hurry and wrap up your author's note already! (taps foot impatiently)
Me: Anyway, thanks for reading and please have a Merry Christmas!