The Fox's Rose
By MistressTsunami AKA shinchansgirl
Chapter Six
REVISED
11/2/05

You thought I was just a spark.
Something that you could control,
To light the dark.
I am the flame,
That lights the inferno.

-T-shirt from NeonDragonArt "Fire"

Kurama warily brought himself back to the waking world. Everything was heavy. Well, to be more accurate, everything felt heavy. Heavy and…fuzzy. No, not fuzzy, just slow. It took a long time for thought to process, and so it took some time for Kurama to realize that everything was dark because his eyes were closed, not because the lights were out. Slowly opening them, he chanced looking down at his body, expecting to find weights and straps tying him down.

Instead, there was only a blanket.

Kurama groaned, shaking his head and knowing full well that a silk sheet should not feel like it weighed twenty pounds. He shifted beneath the weight, feeling said sheet brush against bare skin everywhere – not an inch of his body was clothed, from what he could tell.

That wasn't good.

Kurama sat up slowly, keeping one hand on his head, reasonably sure that it wasn't about to explode from the pressure. One hand held the sheet to himself, keeping him moderately covered. Once this was accomplished, he tried to slowly think.

He'd talked to Koenma, and was reasonably certain that he had secured a home for himself and his teammates, at least temporarily, and that Spirit World would foot all the bills. That meant paying for the bills. Which meant that they didn't have to work and could focus on school.

For some reason, Kurama got the distinct impression that Yuusuke hadn't done his homework yet, and that he should be doing something about it. He dismissed the thought before it completely processed, trying instead to focus on what had happened after that.

A door opened, but Kurama couldn't clear his thoughts enough to determine where before the sound faded.

"Good morning, my kitsune. I'm sorry about the…accommodations, but until the drug wears off, you'll not be feeling yourself. I wouldn't try anything until then," a male voice informed him. It had to be male – it was deep, and throaty, and that meant male. Of course, he could also smell the male scent in the room. He didn't remember that, in his human body, that shouldn't have been possible.

The words themselves took a few minutes to process, and after few more minutes he'd determined who was speaking to him. The owner was, in the meantime, apparently washing Kurama's face and neck with a wet cloth. "Wha?…Ka…ra…su?" he asked, forcing the sounds past a throat that wasn't completely working properly.

The dark-haired man chuckled, the sound grating through the familiar mask. "Yes. The drug also slows thought process, but don't worry, I won't be…taking advantage of the situation. Although, I must admit, the thought is tempting.

"We'll begin the mating ritual once you're feeling more yourself. This afternoon, unless I miss my guess. And don't worry about your little friends finding you, you're safely tucked into the realm of demons, so unless they want to be killed, they won't be following."

Karasu was gone by the time Kurama had figured out the entire conversation – well, one-sided monologue, really. "Damn you…" he whispered to the walls, and then resolutely pushed away the sheet and stood up, determined to do his best in this fight, whether he was drugged or not.

Besides, if he worked hard enough, his body might get rid of more of the drug than his enemy was expecting.

But first…he needed to find some clothes. If he hadn't completely thought about modesty, the chill of the castle was enough to remind him of his indecency.

"Koenma! We have a problem!" Botan yelled, running into the room where the small demi-god sat, stamping papers as usual. She was breathless, blue hair clinging to her face – glued there from the light sheen of sweat so rare on the ferry girls.

"What is it this, time, Botan?" he asked, hoping against every paper he'd ever stamped that the plague had not spread and there weren't any more demon foxes to placate.

"Yuusuke and the others have gone missing! According to Genkai, they went to the Demon world, but she wouldn't tell me why. She…seemed upset," Botan explained, calming down as she worked her way through the explanation. She was upset still, yes, and worried, that was clear, but it seemed she was beginning to understand something. Koenma couldn't say what. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you sir?" she asked, voice accusing.

"I'm afraid so," Koenma answered with a sigh. He really hated explaining this, but the situation was so rare, and not entirely unique. Having her research it would take too much time away from her duties at the moment, and there were too many dead to have her figure it out herself. "Kurama's been kidnapped…er…more precisely, is being courted. And his 'pack' has gone to rescue him."

"Courted?" Botan asked. "Pack? I'm afraid I don't understand." The situation was too rare to merit a how-to manual it seemed, but at least she was willing to listen to an explanation.

Yuusuke would have been yelling at him by now.

"It's one of the quirks of the kitsune, I'm afraid. More precisely, two of those special quirks. The pack's the easiest to explain, so I'll go over that first.

"A normal fox lives alone, choosing only one mate for life, and keeping its litter only until they are weaned from the mother, then abandoning them to live on their own.

"Kitsune are different. They are more like certain wolves and wild dogs in that they gather packs. A pack can consist of many different types of animals or demons, kitsune don't care so long as they are strong. They would defend a pack member even if it cost them their own life, and are extremely protective. Pack members remain as such until they die, or until they betray the pack.

"Kurama has made a pack while in human form. His Youko body didn't care for a pack, as he had already formed and lost one earlier in his life. His human side, Suiichi, for simplicity's sake, ignored this survival instinct when he first included his mother in his pack. In the dark tournament, the rest of the team became pack members, though most did not realize it. Hiei saw it with the others, but I don't know if he knew he was included or not."

"So…Kurama's pack is his friends?"

"In short, yes. It's only half a pack, though. An alpha, or leader, and tetras, or lessers. There is no beta, or second, as of yet. The closest would be Hiei. It would be best not to get between a fox demon and his pack as well, as they can be deadly creatures when cornered. One of the older ones ripped apart a dragon because it stood between him and returning to his pack's cave. The only instance I remember of betrayal within a pack had horrid results."

"Sir?" Botan asked, after a pause.

"The kitsune in question killed the pack member…by engaging in bondage games and raping him to death."

Botan felt her knees go weak, and collapsed to the floor. "That…that wasn't…"

"No, that demon was Kurama's father, and I believe it is safe to say Kurama picked up few habits from him. He's long dead."

"Thank god."

Koenma nodded. "Now, trying to court Kurama; that is, Karasu is seeking to dominate Kurama, and be a part of the pack. However, he is doing so by breaking the chain of command. The mating ritual Karasu has begun will place himself as alpha, and Kurama as beta, his mate."

"But that's not right!"

"Exactly. That's why the pack has gone to rescue him. This type of courting rarely works, and usually ends in the suitor's death, however ungracefully.

"The mating ritual itself is a little more complicated. Karasu lost the first battle, and so Kurama had the choice to take him as a mate, or leave him. Obviously, it was the second choice. Karasu still had the opportunity, however, to court Kurama, and make the kitsune desire him for a mate.

"The kidnapping is the second step in an unsuccessful ritual on the part of the suitor. I'll skip the successful, since we don't have to deal with that. With the kidnapping, the kidnapper is the one who seeks the mate, and the one kidnapped is the one being forced to follow along. The kidnapper will allow one battle, where the one kidnapped may fight for his freedom. If the kidnapper wins, then the pack is his, and he will be become alpha. If he loses and stays alive, he gives up all rights to court the kidnapped, unless the kidnapped allows. Usually, the suitor ends up dead – with most kitsune, he would have been dead after the first attempt. Kurama's human side has been reigning in his killing instinct, although it has not died yet."

"So all Kurama has to do is beat Karasu, no biggie," Botan input cheerfully, trying to find a bright side to the situation.

As always, Koenma brought her hopes into a downward spiral. "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"The only reason Kurama won the last time was because he could become Youko. I…don't know if he'll be able to reach that power now, without the fruit.

"And Karasu's a tricky demon. He's likely to have done something to increase his chances, as he was quite determined to have Kurama at the tournament. I do believe that the others are the only chance he has of truly freeing himself.

"Technically, the pack isn't allowed to interfere with mating rituals. This, however, is only a mockery of one. Karasu is a stalker, yes, but he hasn't done his research. He didn't go through the necessary procedures at the start. If the others find him, he is as good as dead."

Kurama was tired. Tired, hurt, and frustrated, if he wanted to mildly expand on that thought. This was not how he had imagined his love life to be. Why couldn't Karasu see that this wasn't how he wanted it? He didn't want to be dominated by a partner, just as he didn't want to dominate. He'd dropped enough hints, he thought. Of course, if his stalker hadn't understood them, then it didn't matter.

Gods, why couldn't anything be simple in the demon world?

Of course, things were simple: dominate or be dominated. Kill or be killed. But the lines had somehow gotten crossed for Kurama. He wasn't fighting to dominate, he was fighting for freedom, while his opponent wanted to dominate – was still within the clutches of demon-world logic.

His vision blurred, and he relaxed from the stretch to lean against the cold, stone wall.

He thought, perhaps, that maybe he shouldn't think so much.

He sunk to his knees.

The drug was still in his system, that much was obvious, but for some strange reason the effects seemed to be getting worse instead of better.

The room blurred slightly, and Kurama blinked back tears from gold eyes.

It felt like he hadn't slept in ages, and the very clothes he had stolen from the drawers of the room seemed to weigh him down like ten-ton iron shackles. He felt chained to the floor, but the only thing holding him down was the thin cotton of his pants….

Panting, Kurama tipped face-forward onto the cool stone floor…and passed out.

Karasu frowned, noting with displeasure that the small group that remained Kurama's pack was getting closer to his hideout. He wasn't prepared to deal with them properly just yet; he could make do, but…he'd rather not. He didn't want to upset his love's pack too much, but if they interfered with the ritual, then he would lose all his progress, and would have to begin again.

He could dispose of them the same way he'd disposed of that boy at the school, but that would make the fox-demon furious with him, not to mention the fact that Human world tended to notice when a group of that size went missing. The demons wouldn't be missed, but after attacking a few of those girls that had gotten to close to his beloved – and the boy that had attempted (and failed) to court the redhead – a few more humans missing would cause trouble.

Maybe he shouldn't have killed them, but they had just gotten too close, and Karasu was a very jealous demon. What was his was His Forever, and no one else was permitted to go near it without his permission. That was the way the demon worked.

He may have looked like his namesake, the crow, but in truth he was more like the fox than any dared believe. A trickster, a thief…and dominating.

It wouldn't be horrible if his plans were delayed – he had rather enjoyed courting the fox – but Kurama hadn't reacted to the ritual as expected. He admitted that there were certain things missing, but he didn't think that was important. The kitsune had proven himself to be strong, and able to hold his own quite well in a rather overwhelming fight. He was even able to secure a victory in that fight, and that led Karasu to believe that - unless the fox-turned-human considered him extremely weak or particularly vulgar - Kurama should have welcomed the advances that came his way. After all, that would have left him as alpha…

But there didn't seem to be much structure to this pack. They were rather…unorthodox. The boy, Yuusuke, was the obvious leader in battle, even as the kitsune led the pack. Yuusuke the fighter, Kurama the intelligence. But how could he allow some human to have even partial control of his pack?

Karasu didn't understand. He felt as if he was missing a rather large and important piece of the puzzle, and yet the piece was sitting right in front of him. He just couldn't see it…

Perhaps it was time to see to his fox. After all, he did need to make sure that the drug was wearing off properly.

That, and he just wanted to see his fox.

Walking into the room that served as a temporary hold for his soon-to-be-mated, Karasu panicked. Kurama wasn't in the bed, but slumped uncomfortably on the floor, pressed into the wall as if he were seeking protection from the air itself. His breathing was labored, and his eyes shut tight. It wasn't an instant before Karasu was at his side, pulling the red-head into his strong arms and brushing sweat-soaked bangs away from the damp face. Kurama's skin was clammy, and wet. As if he had been working out, and overexerted himself.

He needed a bath, but that would have to wait.

"Shh," Karasu whispered as Kurama began to stir away from him, obviously having realized that the chest he was resting against belonged to his kidnapper. "Just rest for a moment, and then I'll take you back to your bed. What were you doing, anyway?"

"…doesn't matter, does it?" Kurama answered, slow and unsure. His voice was slurred, as if he had to think too deeply to make the words any clearer.

Karasu frowned, hugging Kurama's limp body close. "I want to know if you are hurt, or simply tired. I could check you myself, if you prefer?"

There was a pause before he answered, and Karasu allowed it because he knew the drug was bound to make the other slow. "…I am uninjured."

"Good. You'll need a bath, too, but not now. I'm going to take you to the bed, and I want you to stay there until I return. I won't be long," Karasu commanded gently, in what he hoped was a soothing voice. He was careful not to jostle the sick-looking fox demon too badly as he stood, and did his best to avoid harm to the other as he set him on top of all the covers on the bed, brushing the fiery bangs away from the kitsune's eyes. Karasu left.

Kurama kept watch on the door, left ajar when the other left. 'His attitude…has changed. If only he was like this all the time, I could learn to like him, at the very least. Karasu, Hiei, even Yuusuke to an extent; to them it's all a show of power. They have to be the strongest, the fastest, the BEST, or else it's all for nothing.

'I…don't want that in a mate. None of them are acceptable, although only one has even sought to become one. I don't want to be the 'stupid fox' or the beta male. I want an equal. I want someone who will care…

'Like this…'

Kurama drifted back into a velvet haze of black and violet and red, light filtering through his eyelids as they closed to the outside world. There was a press of cold on his face that drew him out what seemed like an eternity later, and he opened his eyes to an unmasked Karasu gently wiping the salty sweat from his face and neck. Worry lined the black-haired man's face, something that Kurama, and probably anyone else, had never seen before.

"Are you feeling better?" Karasu asked.

Kurama nodded, surprised to note that he did feel better, if only slightly.

"That's good," Karasu said. And was that a hint of a smile on his face? "I was getting concerned. You were drifting in and out and…mumbling. I couldn't make anything out. My guess is, since the ritual fight is obviously out, then it's best to talk."

Kurama nodded once more. "Yes…there are…several things…that need…discussed." One his hands gently touched the one Karasu had laid on the bed. "You aren't…a bad…choice, Karasu…I just…don't know…if you're the…right one."

"Shh," Karasu admonished gently. "Not now. We'll talk later. You need to rest."

Yes, it wasn't so much a smile as a smirk, a quirk of the lips, but it was there.

"Hey, shrimp, you sure we're going the right way?" Kuwabara demanded.

"Hn," Hiei grunted, not even bothering to look back at the other, or correct the demeaning nickname. "Of course I'm sure."

"You know," Yuusuke spoke up, "Kuwabara may be right; it's kinda deserted here, Hiei."

"High class demons like their privacy," Hiei answered, as if the explanation was obvious in and of itself.

It wasn't. "What do you mean?" Yukina asked.

Hiei cringed internally, but didn't let it show on his face. He hadn't wanted to bring her along, but the others, including herself, had insisted, saying that she was part of the pack as well, and Kurama may need her healing powers if Karasu had managed to secure some sort of battle. And then to have her ask the questions he thought even a human could understand…

He was glad no one noticed the slight cringe or, if they had, hadn't commented on it. "The less others are around, the less others can listen in and ruin your plans, spilling secrets to the enemy. Fewer spies, fewer betrayals, and fewer pests, as others are less likely to come in if they think that you can and will kill them if they come near."

"I see…but that's so lonely," Yukina commented.

Her brother merely nodded, once more glad that she did not know the truth of their relationship.

"Hey Hiei," Kuwabara interrupted, for once not focused on his one-true-love. "What's that?"

"What's what, human?"

Kuwabara pointed. Hiei squinted, focusing a small amount of energy from his Jagan. "Low-level demon. Servant, most likely."

They paused, resting as the demon made its way towards them. Well, it was more like Yuusuke paused, and everyone else followed suit. Hiei didn't know why they bothered – it wasn't like any of them were tired, after all – but didn't protest. The demon would reach them anyways, it seemed, and while they were in a hurry, no amount of harrying could make the humans move faster.

Hiei took the time to inspect the newcomer as she approached. The small creature appeared to be a wolf at first glance, but had the torso of a human female covered liberally with fur. Pink flesh flashed across her stomach, throat, face, and legs, showing her half-wolf-demon status. The other half wasn't so easily determinable, but it was demonic in nature. "Hello, strangers, and welcome to master's lands," came her oddly distorted voice as she approached. Half whining dog, half cheerful human. It was easy to see that she didn't often go out among others, else she would have tried to refine her voice to the more human aspect. She didn't appear to be a hunter, either, and her intelligence level didn't seem to be very high.

Hiei wondered why Karasu kept her around, unless the demon had a strange fascination with canines.

It…was possible.

The demon's tail wagged merrily, showing that something had gotten her highly excited. "Night's afraid that we aren't up to par, since we're moving soon into master's new home, with his new mate. But master said you can stay at the castle, cause you're master's mate's pack. Master says you more than welcome. Night can show you rooms to sleep in."

The smile she gave was wolfish in nature, but only because of the sharp teeth it revealed and the slightly husky tone to her panting.

"Are you Night?" Yuusuke asked, stepping forward as the leader of their group. No one seemed to mind or protest the action.

The she-wolf nodded in answer. "Yep, that's me. Master says Night talks too much, but lets Night stay cause Night can take care of castle alone, and master didn't want someone around who couldn't. Master doesn't tell Night much, but he was pleased to bring new mate home, Night could tell."

"She's weird," Kuwabara whispered, more to himself than anything.

"Did they have any fights?" Hiei asked.

Night seemed to think about it for a minute, looking up at the sky in a way that may have looked cute to any other canine demon. Hiei thought it was foolish to bare her neck so cleanly to attack. "No…but master's mate looked sick. Master brought him in and he was limp, and sleeping. Master looked really happy, that's how Night knew was mate. Master never look so happy. Pack stay, make master happy?"

Yuusuke smirked. "Lead the way, wolf-girl."

Night smiled. "Master says you more than welcome. Night show you rooms, then take you to master, no?"

No one made to comment when she began her monologue, not even Yukina; they simply followed the she-wolf back to her home.

TBC...