Chapter 5: Consequences of Your Actions

A painful burning sensation was the only thing that penetrated Kuronue's dark world. Sweat dripped off his forehead and he could feel dried blood on his temple. And…and someone was saying something, he could hear their voice, faint and far away. The pain in his head surged suddenly and he choked before mercifully passing unconscious.

Something wet was pressed against his forehead and Kuronue winced as it brushed his wound. He was alert this time, able to hear the things going on around him, which were relatively little. Someone brushed past him and Kuronue felt the soft hem of a cloak graze his face. He wanted to open his eyes, to look around, but his eyelids were too heavy. He was forced to listen as someone bustled around him, and then spoke.

"You're lucky to be alive Kuronue."

It was Hyoga. Kuronue tried to say something, but he only succeeded in throwing himself into a coughing fit. Hyoga chuckled and held something under Kuronue's nose, allowing the bat demon a sniff. It smelled sweet, like incense. Kuronue realized it too late--Hyoga had drugged him! His head was swimming and the pain in his head was already nearly gone. Kuronue willed himself not to fall asleep again; he wanted to be able to know what was happening around him. But it was too late. His mind went blank.

Hyoga sighed and worked quickly, gathering his medical tools. Kuronue was extremely lucky. If he hadn't closed the rift when he did, it was likely that the demon would have been cast into the chaotic crossing. The bat demon had fallen back through once he'd closed the connection. Kuronue wasn't dead, but had been badly injured, though the deepest wound wasn't something he could treat. Kuronue had been so sure he could go, so ready to see Kurama, he would be devastated when he learned the truth. But until then, Hyoga would have to let him sleep.

He'd taken Kuronue and set up a camp as soon as the demon passed back through. Using what medical knowledge he had, Hyoga began to try and mend what wounds he could, though there was something embedded far enough into Kuronue's leg he had to put him out. Picking up a small knife, serving as a scalpel, Hyoga began the precise work of cutting out the object, which turned out to be a large hunk of rock.

After he'd successfully removed the rock Hyoga set to bandaging Kuronue's leg tightly in a splint. It was likely he wouldn't be able to walk for a few days. Picking up a bowl of water from his side, Hyoga sprinkled some on Kuronue's brow to wake him. The demon twitched and his power rose, a sign he was conscious. Laboriously, Kuronue forced his eyes open.

"What…happened?" he asked, his voice shaky. Kuronue reached up and felt the wound on his head, which had been cleaned and was starting to heal. "I remember…" But he couldn't remember anything. Kuronue's memory was blank.

"You're quite lucky actually," Hyoga said calmly. "Had I not sealed the passage when I did it's most likely you would be dead now." The shaman collected a vial from the stack of bottles nearby and poured a drop into Kuronue's mouth. It burned like fire and Kuronue was sure there was steam flowing out of his ears. But then the burning sensation stopped and he felt life back in his limbs.

"I…can move!" he exclaimed, but when he tried to sit up he began to cough heavily and had to flop back down again.

"I restored the power to your muscles," Hyoga told him, "but you won't be able to move about freely for a while yet. Your body has yet to recover from its ordeal, and I daresay the rest wouldn't hurt you either."

"Where's…Kurama?" Kuronue felt a sinking feeling in his gut and searched Hyoga's face for answers. Kurama had been right there; he'd felt his hand. The fox had to have passed through with him. He was probably just waiting for him to say something like that before making his appearance.

"He didn't make it," Hyoga replied softly. "He wasn't able to come back." He watched Kuronue take in that information then backed away as the demon rolled on his side to stare at the rocks in the distance. Kuronue had cared about Kurama more than anything and Hyoga didn't know how he would take this new turn in events. It proved Kurama might not be able to return.

Kuronue bit his lip and blinked away tears. Kurama wasn't coming back. He felt for his necklace, then gasped when he noticed it was gone. "Where…?" Kuronue hid his face in the crook of his arm and suppressed a groan. "Damn," he cursed softly.

Kuronue drifted in and out of consciousness the rest of that day. The few times he was awake Hyoga was usually nearby, glancing over at him every once in a while to make sure he was okay. Kuronue gathered that Hyoga was planning to wait until he could fly before they left the mountain, but it was beginning to look more like a permanent camp every time he woke up. A fire was burning and it was obvious Hyoga had been gathering some provisions. Kuronue was very bored when he was awake.

But when he was asleep, however, he was in a different world, a world of humans. They were all around him, seemingly oblivious as they passed by. It was so crowded in the humans' world! Everything seemed to be going at once. But then he woke up again, and even though he was glad to be alert, he felt a sense of loss whenever he awoke. He had been hoping to see Kurama, crazy as the idea was.

"Ah, you're awake," Hyoga said, noticing Kuronue's attentive gaze. "It's about time too. You only slept for a few hours that time."

"Gee thanks," Kuronue growled, baring his small, pointed fangs. He longed to sit up, to move about, but his limbs were like lead and he didn't have any feeling in his left leg, the one Hyoga had operated on. Just how long was it going to stay numb? Kuronue longed to ask, but he figured he'd only be told to wait. Instead, he decided to rephrase his question. "How long until I can move again?"

"You can't already?" Hyoga asked in surprise and Kuronue shook his head, not liking the look on the shaman's face. That was obviously not a good thing. "I restored the power to your muscles a long time ago. You should be able to move quite easily."

Kuronue tried to push himself up but his elbows bent and he collapsed back on the ground. "What the hell?" he growled. What was going on? And that look on Hyoga's face was far from reassuring. "What's wrong?" he demanded angrily. "What are you not telling me Hyoga?"

Hyoga shook his head and looked away. This was not a good sign, Kuronue had already guessed that much. He could still be recovering from the shock of being torn between the two worlds. Hyoga hoped this didn't mean Kuronue would be paralyzed, despite the obvious signs. He knew of Kuronue's occupation as a thief and knew paralysis wouldn't sit to well with him. Maybe he just had to rest. Hyoga hoped the solution was that simple.

Kuronue ignored the shaman's silence and continued sharpening a stick he'd found with his claws until it formed a mini spear. He tossed it casually into the air and watched as it fell and stuck point first in the ground, just out of his reach. He growled at the twig and threw a fistful of dirt at it.

Kurama was lost in his thoughts, still standing where Akiko had met him nearly an hour before. What had come over him all of a sudden? He growled irritably and tried to recall what she'd done to make him open up like that. Kurama had told her everything, all about Kuronue, about the rift and its reopening… He growled again, startling a bird that had landed on the grass nearby. Was he going soft? Had this lack of bloody demons and constant threats gone to his head—or more importantly, to his heart?

"No," Kurama muttered to himself. "No. I was a thief, and a good one too. I'm above such weak human emotions." But in his heart, he knew that was a lie. He knew he was just saying that as an excuse, an excuse not to admit something that he'd tried to hide since he'd met Akiko. An excuse not to say he could love.

The amulet around Kurama's neck gleamed and he picked it up, turning it over in his hand. It felt warm in his palm, not cold and dark like before. Kurama looked down at his reflection in the ruby stone and was startled to see, not his own glaring face, but Kuronue's amber eyes looking back at him. "Kuronue," Kurama whispered, but as soon as it had appeared the image vanished, and Kurama saw his own pitiful gaze once again.

"My imagination?" he asked himself, tilting the gem at different angles, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend's face once again. It had to have been in his mind, it was impossible for there to be any other explanation. But maybe this was a sign. Maybe it meant Kuronue wasn't dead. Kurama sighed and shook his head. He was starting to sound like Hyoga. He gently let the pendant fall back against his chest.

It was obvious when Kurama woke up the next morning that something had happened, though what it was he couldn't tell. He sat up from his place in the bushes—he'd grown tired of sleeping in trees—and looked around. Apart from a leaf in his ear Kurama couldn't tell what was making him so tense. There was no wind that morning and it was very warm and humid. A swirl of new smells confused him for a moment as he tried to differentiate one he recognized—Akiko's. She should be there, she usually made her morning rounds at that time. Kurama detected her scent, but it was far away. He decided to wait until she got closer before making himself visible.

After waiting for half an hour and killing several hungry flies Kurama spotted Akiko coming toward him. She was carrying something, a package of some sort. It was fairly obvious that it was for him by the way she was holding it. Akiko stopped when she thought she was just outside Kurama's range of vision and hurriedly adjusted the strings on the parcel, fussing with its wrappings. Then she stepped from behind the tree and waved to Kurama as she hurried over.

"Hi. Are you okay?"

"Fine," Kurama growled, but Akiko tugged his ear and gave him a look that said quite plainly she knew he was lying. "Okay, maybe I'm not feeling the greatest, and I don't think you would be either!" Kurama stood up, but Akiko caught his tail and pulled him back down.

He growled at her for touching him and spun around, his sharp claws catching her wrist by accident and ripping it open. Akiko gasped as blood dripped off her arm and splattered on the ground. Kurama watched, his mouth open slightly in surprise, as she tried to stop the blood from staining her clothes further by wrapping her wrist in her jacket. He reached out to help, but Akiko pulled her arm away from him as she staggered to her feet. Throwing Kurama a final dirty look over her shoulder, Akiko hurried away.

The fox demon watched as the last friendly face he knew vanished into the trees. He snorted. "Served her right." Kurama held his hand out in front of him, watching Akiko's blood dry on his claws. His ears drooped slightly. "Why does everyone I know hate me?"

"The nerve of him!" Akiko exclaimed, slamming her door so violently it rattled the paintings on the walls. She stormed through her house, banging random objects in frustration. Sure, it was understandable that his claws were sharp, but you would think he'd have enough sense not to try and hurt people with them! Just the thing a demon would do. Akiko flopped on her couch and turned the TV on, but her thoughts were far from her favorite show.

Something about the look in his eyes when he first saw her that morning kept nagging at her. Usually he had insolent eyes, cold to everyone, but something was different today. He had actually looked calm, as though he was in perfectly normal surroundings. The fox demon she'd seen the past days was tense, always alert, but the demon she had met that morning was so…normal. The thought was slightly amusing, picturing Kurama in human clothes walking through the streets as an ordinary person.

Akiko clicked off the television suddenly and stood up. She would go back and see him. He'd had time to cool down and would probably enjoy having some company. Akiko paused at the door with her hand halfway to the handle. What if he was still mad at her? She'd go anyway and if he was too cranky she would just leave again.

"That's stupid logic," Akiko muttered to herself as she locked the door behind her. If he didn't want her before, then why would he want her company now? She stepped onto the sidewalk without answering her own question. Secretly, Akiko was hoping Kurama would let her stay.

Taking the familiar path down the street and to the park, Akiko let her thoughts drift. She'd walked this way enough to know where she was going without paying good attention. Her thoughts drifted to Kurama's demon friend. What was he like? Akiko longed to ask but figured that would be a sure way to piss Kurama off. She giggled as she wondered if he was half as good-looking as Kurama.

"Well, you sure seem happy today. Can we ask why?"

Akiko's laughter froze in her throat as she glanced up. A sneering face smiled down at her and Akiko realized too late that she had taken the route through Cody's territory. He'd threatened her before, a few days back, but Kurama had intervened and pummeled his face into the street. It was obvious that he'd injured the thug fairly well; bruises and cuts were still visible on his face.

"Your friend's not here to save your butt today. That's too bad, really. I brought some reinforcements along this time." Cody smiled at Akiko's look of panic as the rest of his gang emerged from an alley. "We were in a hurry last time and only wanted some monetary support. But now," he took a step toward her and caught her arm before she could run, "we're after better things."

"Leave me alone!" Akiko shouted, struggling to pull free from his grip. Cody's other hand was inching toward her chest and she stomped down hard on his foot. He winced and loosened his grip just long enough for her to pull free. Akiko didn't stop to think before bolting in the opposite direction. She could hear the footsteps of Cody's gang behind her and sped up, trying to ignore her pounding heart and the wind roaring in her ears. Someone grabbed her injured wrist and she flinched, tripping on the concrete at the same time and falling over backward.

"Running won't work, we'll just catch you," Cody said smugly as she struggled against two of his gang. She was much bolder than before, he realized, though couldn't figure out why. Maybe a fight for something more important than her money had spurred some kind of reaction that he hadn't thought of. He wouldn't know, he was always the thief.

Akiko was practically gasping for air from the effort she was exerting to try and break her captor's grip when an idea struck her. When this happened before Kurama had stepped in on her behalf, even though he had no idea who he was saving. She knew the fox demon's keen senses would be able to hear her if she shouted, and she did, loud and clear. "Kurama!"

This caught everyone off guard for a moment as they tried to figure what she was shouting about. Cody was doing some fast thinking and told his goons to drag Akiko into the alley they'd waited in. Hopefully they would be less noticeable from the street if she—and she undoubtedly was—shouting for help. Akiko fought with renewed force as her hopes of escaping diminished as they pulled her farther and farther from the road. She shouted again and was shook vigorously for her efforts.

"Shut up or we'll have to hurt you."

Akiko gritted her teeth as her arms were bound together and managed to work herself into a position where it would be impossible to tighten the rope completely. She hoped more than anything that Kurama had heard her and was coming. He had to have noticed the despair in her voice. Unless he was still mad at her, Akiko knew Kurama could hold a grudge. Then she heard a voice that nearly made her faint with relief.

Kurama landed softly on the ground, his eyes gleaming dangerously. His withering glare fastened on Cody, and the human swallowed visibly. Kurama was wearing his disguise, but that wasn't enough to prevent them from recognizing him anyway. "Let her go," Kurama commanded in his soft, murderous voice. "Let her go," he repeated when nothing happened. "Fine, I don't care, it makes everything so much more interesting."

That was all Cody's nerves could take. Being threatened by another human was one thing, but by a person with pointy fangs and amber eyes was quite another. With a wave of his hand the gang ran in different directions, leaving Akiko in the middle of the alleyway. Kurama watched them go with a look of deepest hatred before kneeling down and scooping Akiko into his arms. He jumped onto a balcony and then onto the roof, landing with a soft thump. In his arms, Akiko shivered.

Kurama gently set her on the rooftop and tenderly began to remove her bonds, all the while allowing Akiko to sob on his shoulder. Poor girl, she must have been scared to death, Kurama thought. He was sure if he hadn't arrived when he did Cody and his gang would have had the time of their lives. Kurama's hand brushed the bandage on Akiko's wrist and he paused, running his fingertips across the wound, trying to tell how deep it was. When the last of the rope had been removed and tossed across the roof Akiko threw her arms around Kurama's neck and embraced him.

"I was so scared," she said, her face pressed against his shoulder so her voice was slightly muffled. Kurama was startled for a moment before pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. She was trembling, he noticed sadly, and he gently stroked her cheek to calm her. She stopped crying but still shook slightly in his arms. Kurama softly wove his hands through her hair.

"I'm glad I showed up when I did," he said quietly, and Akiko pulled away from him just enough to look into his eyes. She looked so helpless, and for the first time Kurama was pleased about doing a good deed. Akiko was still looking at him, and Kurama felt himself lowering his head until he was close enough he could feel her breath on his face. Akiko finished for him; she pushed herself up just enough for their lips to touch.

Kurama allowed Akiko to take her time before pulling away from him. He smiled at her and she blushed, clearly startled by her own daring. Kurama was startled too, but for a different reason. Akiko's kiss had so much more feeling, even if it wasn't as passionate as Rena's. He caught himself before thinking it was also more enjoyable.

Kurama picked Akiko up and jumped into the air, feeling the normal exhilaration of flight surge through him. Akiko held loosely to his shirt, watching the buildings below them shrink until they looked like small dots amidst a large black blanket. She smiled and laughed out loud in excitement as Kurama wove through the air, holding her tightly as he performed acrobatic turns and flips. He started a steep ascent and flew straight upward until they were among the lowest clouds, where he hovered for a moment, allowing Akiko a look at their misty surrounding.

"It's so pretty," Akiko whispered, gazing at the clouds all around them with a new sense of admiration. Kurama smiled and began his descent so quickly Akiko threw her arms around his neck for fear she would fall. Further toward the ground they plunged, Kurama remaining calm while Akiko panicked, certain he would crash into the ground. Just before they hit the earth Kurama pulled up, flying slowly ten feet above the ground.

"You jerk!" Akiko groaned when she had recovered from their fall. She punched Kurama in the shoulder and he loosened his grip as though dropping her, catching her just before she slipped from his arms. Akiko grabbed his shirt tightly and Kurama chuckled, landing softly on the ground.

Kurama had made sure they would land in a deserted area and just stood for a moment with Akiko in his arms, enjoying her company. It was relaxing for him to be with her, just standing and letting the world move around them. With her he felt he didn't have to be on his guard, didn't have to be alert. Heck, he wasn't aware of much more than her breath on his neck and her gently scent.

"You know, it's funny, when I'm with you," Kurama said, "I don't need to be awake. There's some kind of security that comes, whenever we're together."

Akiko didn't answer, her eyes focused on something in the distance. "Who is that?" she asked, aware that Kurama's sight was much keener that her own. Kurama looked up and saw immediately what had caused that tone in her voice. Someone was coming toward them, though Kurama didn't know enough about humans to know who. "It's a man," Kurama whispered, "about my height, slightly duck-footed. He's wearing a blue uniform, official looking, and carrying a stick."

The man was close enough now that Akiko didn't need Kurama's sight to identify him. "It's a police man. Here, put these on." She pressed a pair of sunglasses into Kurama's hand and he casually slipped them on as he broke away from Akiko. "You tail's not showing, is it?" she asked and Kurama shook his head, grateful he'd thought to tuck it in before he left. She smiled kindly at the officer and nudged Kurama just enough to give him the hint to do the same.

"Good day to you," the officer said pleasantly, glancing from Akiko to Kurama. "There have been some strange sightings around here lately and it's advised you both head indoors."

Sightings? Kurama groaned as he remembered what had happened the previous day and he began to sweat. Could the officer see through his disguise? Did he know he was standing and holding a calm conversation with the demon in question? From the unsuspecting look on the officer's face Kurama was sure that he'd only heard a second-hand version of what had really happened at the park the previous day and probably didn't believe it was a demon at all. He looked as though the thought of a demon in the park was almost humorous.

Akiko, noticing Kurama wasn't going to say anything, hurriedly spoke up, "We were just going. Thanks." She nodded and smiled as the officer tipped his hat to her and strode off in the opposite direction before giving Kurama a panicked look.

"This is great," Kurama grumbled in a whisper to Akiko, "now the law enforcement is involved."

"It just means you can't go back tonight and neither can I. Anyone there from yesterday will recognize me, and you can't show your features to anyone. Well, you've gotten us into a good mess."

Kurama was about to argue but realized it truly was his fault and bit his lip. He was the one that had overreacted with a balloon. "Then what do we do?" he asked, a little sharper than he intended. There weren't many places he could hide in the open, and without human connections it would be nearly impossible to stay hidden for long. Think… The idea came to him just as Akiko supplied a solution, and Kurama was very pleased that he'd thought of it too.

"You'll have to stay with me. My parent's are away for the weekend and won't be back until Tuesday." Akiko glanced at the sun and said with a little more edge in her voice, "We should probably think of leaving. It's getting dark anyway, and we wouldn't want to get jumped by a demon in the dark." She winked at Kurama, who scowled in reply before picking her up again and taking to the air, streaking back toward the city.

Now he was in a real mess. News did travel fast and the whole city was looking for him. Not only that, but he was forced to hide out with Akiko until he could find away back. Not that he really minded that so much… He stole a glance at Akiko in his arms. She was excellent company, he admitted it, but she was also a wonderful kisser… No, he told himself firmly, you're with her because you have no choice, nothing more. Why were humans sparking his interest like this anyway? Kurama rarely gave many of the demons he saw a second glance, unless they were truly atrocious or gorgeous, but he was watching human females all the time. Kurama pondered that until they were flying over the city.

"Do you remember where you saved me the other day?" Akiko asked, sure that Kurama did remember. "If you follow that road south you'll come to a building with lots of antennas on it. Turn east from there and fly until you find another building with four stories. That's mine."

Kurama wondered for a moment if she really owned the building like she said, but figured it would look stupid if he was wrong and kept his thoughts to himself. He thought back in his memory and retraced his route from before, hovering a moment over the street Akiko had mentioned before spotting the building with antennas and flying toward that.

"What do those do?" he asked, circling the antenna building to look from all sides. Hmm. Could be some kind of defensive mechanism, maybe a shield, or maybe they moved even, and stabbed anyone who strayed too close. Kurama discarded that theory when he took a closer look at the antennas themselves. They were mounted securely.

"That's a transmitting station," Akiko said. "They send out radio signals." She spotted Kurama's confused look and, realizing he didn't understand, simplified the definition as best she could. "It sends out messages to other receivers, which do various things depending on what kind of signal was sent."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Kurama circled the building once more before continuing east. It wasn't long until he spotted a four-story building. "Is that it?"

"Yeah. If you land around back we can get in through another door besides the main entrance."

That sounded like good logic to Kurama and he landed lightly the back lawn. Setting Akiko on her feet the fox demon glanced around, surprised by the lack of humans in this area. It was quiet and no one except them was anywhere near; Kurama could just barely hear voices if he listened hard. Following Akiko through a door he found himself on a stairwell, presumably climbing from the basement to the roof of the building. She started up the stairs two at a time and Kurama followed, hovering slightly to save himself the walk.

"Don't," Akiko hissed. "What if someone were to come up behind us right now and saw you flying like that?"

Kurama groaned but landed on the stairs in front of her without comment. They climbed the monotonous stairwell until they reached the third floor, where Akiko showed Kurama the door leading to the hallway her apartment branched off of.

"Now don't sit here and try to mess with everything," she told him tersely as she unlocked the front door. "If you make a racket and the neighbors start showing up asking questions I swear I'll stew your ears and tail."

"Yeah, yeah," Kurama grumbled, certain that wouldn't be a problem. Akiko pushed open the door and Kurama's eyes went wide and he took a step back. There were things all over the place; big machines that made noise, smaller devices that had lights on them, and everywhere a feeling of impending doom. Kurama hesitantly stepped inside, staying near the door while Akiko followed him in.

"Okay, it's kinda late, but I'll cook something anyway. You'll have to sleep on the couch," Akiko said, indicating the piece of furniture behind Kurama. "My room is down the hall and to the left"—she pointed—"the kitchen is on your right"—she pointed to another, more open area—"and the bathroom's straight down the hall. Don't touch anything, okay?"

Kurama nodded, though he hadn't really been listening to what she'd said. Is this what the human world really looked like? So many machines. Kurama flopped down on the couch to think and take everything in. There was something humming in the room, though he didn't know what it was. His ears were twitching nervously and he was shivering.

"This has to be the craziest thing I've ever done," he thought, looking around the room again. What were all these strange devices? He was tempted to reach out and pick one up, but both his doubt and Akiko's warning not to touch anything stayed his hand. Instead he watched it from a distance, like a predator taking the measure of its prey. Whatever he was watching wasn't very big, and the only thing that it seemed to do was measure something.

Something in the far corner of the room caught the fox demon's eye next. It was large, almost like a table, but he could see something white running the length of it. Standing up, Kurama forgot his warning and stepped over to the table. He reached out slowly and gently poked part of the white border with his claw. Sound erupted from the table and he jumped back, tripping over a chair as he went and just managing not to fall over it. Ouch. Kurama righted himself and massaged his side where he'd hit the chair, aware of Akiko laughing in the next room.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch anything?" she joked, poking her head out the doorway to laugh at the disoriented demon in her living room. "See, that's what you get."

"Yeah? You're lucky I'm not deaf after that."

Kurama rubbed his ears, which were still ringing, and decided it would be safer with Akiko in the kitchen. He stayed near the doorway to watch her, leaning against the wall and trying to appear casual. Whatever she was doing she was good at it. It smelled good too. He closed his eyes and used his nose to monitor what she was doing. Something was burning but she took care of it. Kurama allowed his senses to drift after that. He couldn't smell too much of the outside world through the walls, but everything around him was bold.

"Okay, it's not much but I managed to scrape something together to eat," Akiko said, setting a pair of plates on the table. She nudged Kurama in the shoulder. "I'm talking to you."

"Shush," Kurama told her urgently, and Akiko fell silent because of his tone. Kurama's ears were swiveling back and forth anxiously, and he was looking up at the ceiling. "Akiko, you need to find a place to hide and do it quickly. There's someone here."

"What?" Akiko whispered, but Kurama pressed his hand over her mouth shoved her into the wall.

A cracking noise filled the nervous demon's ears and he jumped aside just in time; a demon appeared where he had just been standing. Kurama didn't waste any time. His senses told him, and he wasn't one to doubt himself; this was more than a normal demon. He jumped high and came down above the demon's head.

"Kurama! Wait, it's me!"

Kurama went rigid and landed to the side. He stared, not comprehending. He knew that voice, it had haunted his sleep those past nights, but it wasn't possible. "Who are you?" he asked in a wavering tone. "Speak clearly or I will kill you."

"Kurama, it's me, Kuronue! Listen to me, I know this looks weird but you have to believe me."

Kurama thought it looked extremely weird, seeing a demon that he had thought to be dead appear right in front of him. He nodded slowly, giving the demon (who looked exactly like Kuronue) a look that said clearly that he was still skeptical. Kurama wasn't a fool, he knew there were demons that could take different forms. "I know a demon named Kuronue," he said flatly, "but I am not inclined to believe that he is you, since I am almost certain he is dead."

"Kurama it's me! I was with Hyoga, he used his powers to create this image of me so I could talk to you. I bear a warning!"

"If that's true," Kurama said, but there was no doubt in his mind; not many demons knew about his friendship with Hyoga, "you should be able to prove it. Tell me, how shall you identify yourself?" Kurama glanced briefly over at Akiko, but she was behind the table so he could barely see her. If they were lucky Kuronue hadn't noticed her.

"My necklace!" Kuronue said desperately. "My red necklace. I lost it when I got trapped the other day."

That was all that Kurama needed. He smiled and pulled the chain from around his neck so Kuronue's amulet would be in plain sight. "You didn't think I would let you lose it did you?" he asked jokingly, then laughed. Kuronue was alive! Despite everything he had survived. Kurama could have jumped for joy, but he remembered where he was and fought the urge.

"Um…Kurama?"

Both Kurama and Kuronue spun around when they heard Akiko's voice. She crawled out from behind the table and stood up, glancing from the fox demon she knew to the bat that had just appeared in her house. Kurama looked happy, she noticed, and she felt a spark of courage. He wouldn't let any harm befall her.

"It's okay Akiko," Kurama said reassuringly, "he doesn't intend to eat us or anything." Both demons laughed and she smiled slightly. He did seem okay, despite being an eerie demon with large ears, but all the same she stayed next to Kurama.

"Now then, Kuronue, you said something about a warning? What's happened?"

Kuronue's gaze grew dark and he replied grimly, "You remember, back when you first passed through, that you took a direct path and thus avoided the Kakai barrier?" Kurama nodded. "Well, it had seemed we had gotten off easy, and it remained a secret that you'd gone. But then, later, I went after you, and things didn't go quite as planned."

"You couldn't pass through," Kurama murmured, and Kuronue nodded.

"That time it was a little more obvious to the three lords what had happened. They were puzzled by your disappearance, but this time they had it all figured out." Kuronue broke off for a moment, but Kurama had a sinking feeling what was going on. "They've taken Hyoga," he said finally, "Lord Raizen has him in custody at his castle. He says that if you don't return and the rift remains open he'll kill both me and Hyoga and send a horde of his own demon assassins after you."

A tense moment passed when no one spoke. Kurama couldn't believe what he was hearing and it made his heart race thinking about it. "So," he began slowly, "if I do return, then what will he do?"

Kuronue shook his head. "I have no idea, but I imagine he'll seal the rift for good and do whatever he finds fitting to you." Dropping his gaze to the floor, Kuronue said bitterly, "If you don't go he'll send assassins after you, if you do go he'll kill you his own way. There's no way to win."

Kurama agreed with that, but he knew what he had to do. If he didn't go back, Hyoga and Kuronue would die. Plus, the rift would probably still be open, and if Raizen found a way to work it he could send demons by the thousands into Human World. Without a Kakai to limit travel to demons less than D class it would be overrun. "Damn Raizen, he's such a human lover," Kurama growled. "It's not like I'm on a mass slaughter or something."

"Ah, you've struck the problem," Kuronue said, and he smirked. "Neither Raizen nor the other two lords can monitor demons in Human World. Once you left the Makai they lost all contact with you, and that scared them. Sure, you could be out here picking flowers with the humans, but they would never know that."

"So they're scared," Kurama suggested, and Kuronue half nodded.

"I think so, but more than that they're unsure. None of them have ever been to Human World and they don't know enough about it to dare try. Supposedly there are warriors from Spirit World scattered in disguise among the humans, exterminating demons so no one would notice their presence. They don't know how strong these bounty hunters are or what they do. In that regard they're unsure." Kuronue's eyes fell on Akiko and she winced.

"So I'm going to die here no matter what I do?" Kurama asked sharply, all his blood running cold for a moment. "There's no chance we could ever fight Raizen, he'd squash us like an E class demon. If only…" Kurama's eyes lit up suddenly and he fired a question at Kuronue. "What about the other two lords? They support demons in Human World, don't they? Is it possible that we could seek backup from either of the other two kingdoms?"

"We have no loyalty to Raizen," Kuronue said to himself, considering the idea. "Mukuro would back us," he said finally, "but I would stay clear of the third kingdom. If we were to pledge loyalty there it could be dangerous."

Kurama's heart skipped and he forced himself to breathe. It could be done, they had a chance. But…

"If we were to pledge loyalty under Lord Mukuro, it could start a war between the kingdoms. Raizen would be enraged that Mukuro provided us protection, and if they were to clash all of Demon World would be thrown into chaos. Even if Mukuro won against Raizen's kingdom, it would leave his kingdom weak enough to be overthrown by the third. All three kingdoms would be united under one rule. We couldn't risk that!" Kurama said urgently. He refused to look at Kuronue when he said, "We have no choice."

A minute passed in terrible silence. Defeat hung over both demons like a cloud, its force weighing on Kurama's chest strong enough to suffocate him. He was about to die, Raizen was going to kill him. Why had he ever come over to begin with? He just had to be curious, didn't he? "Any chances we could bargain with him?" Kurama asked dismally and Kuronue shook his head.

Akiko watched Kurama with somber eyes. True, she had understood very little of what they had said, but she was sure of one thing; Kurama was going to be killed. "I'm sorry Kurama," she whispered, but he just shrugged half-heartedly.

"My time's up," Kuronue said quietly. "Should I give Raizen your decision?"

"Yes," Kurama said glumly. "Tell him I'll be back before sunset tomorrow."

…Kurama's going to die? Think about that one for a moment before you freak out. Is Kurama going to die? I'm a Kurama fan here, so is he going to die? …Let us use our brains here…