Wildfire

Chapter seven: Mustering the Forces

By Funara

Disclaimer: Hard-working, underslept, low-grade feverish fanfiction authors ought to be paid. It just isn't fair. We work just as hard as the actual mangaka! In any case, it's the mangaka Togashi and his affiliates who own these characters. Not little ole me.

Notes: I'm really sorry that it's been so long since I updated. What can I say? School is my number one priority right now. However, now that the tennis season is coming to an end, I'll have lots more free time to write. Doesn't that make you all happy? So, please read and review! I hope no one's given this story up for dead…many of my usual reviewers have been silent recently.

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Kurama shaded his eyes against the sun that shone brightly over the streets of Gandara's capital. It wasn't just a rumor; it really was hotter in the city than in the countryside. The emperor-in-inconspicuous-clothing adjusted the belt from which hung a sword and a small money pouch and the pack slung over his shoulder that contained a few living necessities and some changes of clothing.

Sosen no miko had been right about the assembly—they had given him what he had asked for and had hurried him out of the palace. He had felt a twinge of guilt at seeing the shocked and disheartened faces of his six advisors, but he could not tell them the purpose of his journey. They had probably thought he was abdicating and fleeing.

Though he might as well be doing that—the results seemed to be the same. Genkai had told him to gather a few men and form a party, but it was far more difficult than it sounded. He knew no soldiers, or anyone useful in the capital for that matter. All the almost-friends he'd had were back home.

The redhead's eyes darkened at the mention of "home." How far away he was now, from the comfortingly familiar rice fields and the welcoming houses. He wondered what they had thought when they had learned that he had become emperor. Kurama grimaced. They had probably torn him down, as per human nature. His opinion of it had never been extremely high, and his years in the imperial court had not improved it.

Out of habit, the young man wandered over to the gold and silver traders' stalls, still thinking of his home village. As a boy, he had always loved touching the glittering metals and the beautiful objects that were fashioned out of them. His mother had joked once that with his quick fingers and attraction to treasure, he had probably been a thief in a former life.

Turning a corner onto another road, Kurama found himself in the fruit and flower section and smiled. Here was another area that had always evoked content in him; he had been growing his own garden since he was a small child. Coming upon a fresh fruit stand, he decided he was hungry and picked up a fresh golden apple.

Another hand, daintier than his, closed on it simultaneously.

Kurama looked up to meet the startled gaze of a small girl in a light blue kimono. She gasped. "Your Majesty!"

Abruptly, he remembered her face. "Yukina-san?"

Yukina nodded quickly. "Your Majesty, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the palace?"

"Well, yes, I—" Kurama shot a quick glance at the owner of the stall, aware that they were carrying on a loud conversation that drew attention to themselves. The shopkeeper glared at him and made an angry motion that indicated that he and Yukina were blocking the stall. "Yukina-san, why don't we talk somewhere else?"

The young woman, understanding Kurama's intent, quickly bought the rest of her groceries. They squeezed their way out of the fruit section and walked along a slightly less busy road.

Yukina turned to the much taller young man. "Anou…about my earlier question…"

Kurama smiled at the worried expression on her face. "It's very kind of you to worry about me when we hardly know each other."

She shook her head firmly. "You've helped me so much! I'm trying to repay that in any way I can."

"Sou."

"Dakara…I just wanted to know if something had happened, Your Ma—ah…"

"Kurama," he offered. "As to your question, yes, something has occurred. I had to leave the palace to undertake a task that I can't complete from there."

"But why isn't anyone with you then?"

"I couldn't take any of them with me."

"Why not?"

Kurama vacillated. "Well…"

Yukina blinked before clapping her hands together. "Oh, gomen nasai, Kurama-san. It's your business—I'm sorry for prying."

It was Kurama's turn to blink. "Oh, no, not at all. I can tell you anything you want to know. It's just our location that holds me back." He glanced at the people around them meaningfully.

The sea-green-haired young woman tapped her cheek. "Would you like to come to my home then?"

"Is that convenient for you?"

"Of course." She beamed.

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When the pair of them came upon Yukina's residence, Kurama felt a ripple of guilt pass through him. He had assumed he was doing her a favor by issuing her a home, but this house, though well-built, was by no means comfortable-looking. It appeared as though she even had to cook outside.

Yukina did not enter. Instead, she put her back to the door and faced Kurama with an anxious expression. Kurama frowned. "Is something wrong, Yukina-san?"

She bit her lip. "Kurama-san, I know I was the one who invited you here, but I need you to keep a secret if you're going to go in."

Bewildered, but sensing this was important, the redhead answered, "All right."

The delicate young woman bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, Kurama-san. This is…of great importance to me." With that, she turned around and carefully unlocked the door.

Kurama barely noted the simple furnishings of the house's interior before his eyes alighted on a figure sitting on a chair at a table, the only occupant of the room. Bare-chested, the young man sat with one ankle crossed over the knee of his opposite leg, a sword balanced on his thighs, a sharpening stone in his hand. He was clad only in black pants that matched the ebony of his hair and set off the curious white starburst in the center. Kurama unconsciously ran his gaze over him, noting how strong he was. When he reached the bright red eyes that watched him pointedly, Kurama realized who this must be.

The door creaked quietly behind them. "This is my brother Hiei," said Yukina quietly. "He arrived here yesterday."

The crimson-haired young man continued to watch Hiei, struck by the guardedness of his pose and the perpetual glare in his eyes. He was good-looking, with his smooth skin and vivid red eyes, but he also exuded an aura of aloofness and inapproachability that probably distanced him from others. Kurama felt an unexpected rush of understanding, the click of a connection, as he was strongly reminded of himself—he had changed similarly to discourage the schemes of the nobles.

Yukina twisted her hands, made uncomfortable by the silence. "He…escaped from the dungeons."

Kurama glanced at Yukina, noting her discomfort. Deciding to make light of the situation, he said smilingly,"Hiei-san, you must be very resourceful to have gotten out. I'm told that even the guards have trouble finding the exit."

At his words, Yukina smiled in relief and moved towards the table, offering Kurama a seat and drink and food. He accepted all and when Yukina bustled off to retrieve a cup, he sat down at the rough-edged table, across from Hiei. His gaze was drawn, almost instinctively, to the reticent young man, and he quietly watched him hone his sword.

When Yukina returned, Kurama dragged his gaze away from the deft hands and turned his attention to Hiei's sister. She set down three cups of tea and a plate of dried fruit, took a seat and waited patiently for Kurama to begin.

"My reasons for coming here are a bit complicated," said Kurama, understanding her expression. "I don't know a lot of the motives behind what happened, so I can't give you an accurate picture. But I'll tell you what I can." And he told her the whole story, beginning from when Shigure arrived at the court to his departure from the palace this morning and the reasoning behind his quest for the Orb. When he finished, Yukina's eyes were wide.

"That's an enormous task to undertake," she uttered softly.

Kurama smiled wearily. "I know."

"How will you go about it?"

He ran his hand through his hair tiredly. "I've received some help from Sosen no miko…but it's difficult to know where to start."

Yukina cocked her head. "I guess so." As Kurama looked out through the window, she observed him thoughtfully and noticed, to her surprise, that Hiei was doing the same.

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Some time later, after Yukina had insisted that Kurama use her bed to take a deserved nap, the two red-eyed siblings sat outside the house, Hiei helping Yukina cook lunch. "That's about it," Yukina announced as she carefully dropped the meat into the simmering pot. Hiei added another stick to the fire.

The two of them sat on the large halves of logs that served for seats, Yukina occasionally stirring the contents of the pot. After a silence, she asked quietly,"Oniisan…what do you think of Kurama-san?"

Her brother turned to her, his almost identical red eyes revealing nothing. "Why does it matter?"

Yukina sighed, a little unused to Hiei's brusque manner after not having seen him for so long. "I think he's a very compassionate person. I'm sure his subjects love him for that quality."

"Leaving me in the dungeons was hardly compassionate of him," said Hiei dryly.

Yukina bit her lip. "That was…my fault for not having been able to convince them to let you go. Not Kurama-san's."

Hiei instantly felt guilt and regret wash over him at his sister's expression. After searching for her for so long, was this how he was going to treat her?

"We should repay him for what he did, now that we can." The young woman glanced at Hiei, who was relieved that her expression was determined and not sorrowful. "He's not really fit to go on a journey like that. He needs help."

Hiei did not finish her thought for her, though he knew what she was getting at.

"Will you go with him, oniisan?"

Hiei looked away and wondered why he had come back, when his sister could summon so much sympathy for a stranger, but not for a brother she had not seen in five years.

Yukina noticed her brother's taciturnity and touched his shoulder briefly, knowing he was probably making the worst out of what she had said. Somewhere along the line, Hiei had become a cold pessimist, and since the death of their mother, it had been Yukina's job to reassure him that he had not been abandoned.

"I'm not sending you away, oniisan. I love you; you're my brother. But Kurama-san is alone now and about to leave on a difficult journey. He needs someone. And it's not only that. You'll be unhappy here, doing nothing." Yukina willed her brother to understand. "When they took you to training, it was the same. You were so restless, and I knew that only the army could cure you of that." Hiei was listening, she was sure of it.

"I can take care of myself. I'm happy as I am. You need to do what makes you happy." She blinked back tears in her eyes, surprised at her own emotions—but then again, she was sending away a brother she had scarcely begun to know again. "As long as you're happy doing what you're doing, I'll be fine."

Finally, Hiei relented. "All right. I'll go with him."

Yukina smiled gratefully. "Arigatou, oniisan."

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Over lunch, Yukina told Kurama of their decision. The redhead was astonished and had begun to protest, but Yukina stood firm. "It's the best thing for both of you," she said. In the end, Kurama agreed.

Just as they were planning when to start and what supplies to bring, a loud knocking sounded at the door. "Yukina-san!" came a strangely pitched, enthusiastic voice. "It's Kazuma-san!" The three of them glanced at the door and exchanged looks before Yukina hurriedly padded to the door and slipped through it.

Hiei and Kurama listened intently for the few moments before Yukina reentered, flanked by two boys. Kurama instantly recognized them, as did Hiei, whose eyes narrowed dangerously. Their uniforms clearly told who they were—and Kurama remembered the unusual hair color of one of the boys. They were the two soldiers who had brought Hiei and Yukina to the palace.

Yuusuke and Kuwabara did not move far past the middle of the room, opting instead to assess the room's two unlikely occupants from far away. Although Yukina must have told them, they still looked faintly disbelieving.

"Well," said Kurama, breaking the quiet, as four pairs of eyes turned to him, "it seems the only person we're missing is Alaric's empress."

The black-haired boy standing next to Kuwabara was the first one to grin, accepting the comment for the olive branch that it was. "Guess so, ne?" He bounded towards the table, Kuwabara and Yukina following. Each of them took seats. Yukina offered them lunch, but they told her they'd already eaten.

"Yukina-san made us promise we wouldn't do anything to you while we're here," said Yuusuke, "but we wouldn't anyway so—"

"Why are you here?" Hiei glowered at them darkly.

"We've been checking in on Yukina-san," said Kuwabara. "We helped her move in too."

"And what gives you the right to do that?" growled Hiei.

The orange-haired young man appeared affronted. "She had nobody else to help her out, so we lent her a hand and—"

"If it weren't for you two and your unwanted interference, she wouldn't have to live here at all."

Yuusuke butted in before anything life-threatening happened. "Look, uh—"

"Hiei," Kurama offered.

"Look, Hiei," Yuusuke began, nodding to Kurama,"we're not trying to take advantage of Yukina or anything." Kuwabara looked mortified at the thought. "We're sorry we messed up back in Honetadare, but what's done is done, and now we're just trying to help with the cleanup."

Hiei stood up. "There is no need to help with anything. Whatever your intentions, I strongly suggest that you go." He unsheathed the sword hanging at his waist and pointed it towards the door. "Now."

Before Kuwabara or Yuusuke could react to the implied threat, Yukina had stepped between them. "Stop it," she ordered. All four young men looked mildly shocked at her assertiveness. "I don't want any fighting in here," she said. "Please be civil, if only for my sake," she pleaded.

Hiei and Kuwabara seemed to calm down a little at her words, and Yuusuke breathed a sigh of relief. Kurama, although equally grateful the situation had been defused, felt a slight twinge of…something…at Yukina's ability to soothe Hiei.

"Anyway," commenced Yuusuke,"so we all know we're here. Yukina-san told us that Hiei escaped from the dungeons," he added for clarification. "But," he glanced at Kurama,"why are you here, Your Majesty?"

Kurama smiled. "There's no need to address me with a title. Call me Kurama."

Yuusuke blinked. "Uh…okay. So, why are you here, Kurama?"

"Surprisingly enough," said Kurama, "my reasons for being here actually have to do with everyone in the room, one way or another." And once again, he explained about his voluntary leave-taking of the throne and what he planned to do now.

Strange, he thought, telling the story, I have no qualms about telling these strangers information I withheld from my own advisors. Kurama wondered if it was an effect of spending so long meticulously picking his words and what he chose to divulge. It felt good, though, to trust so freely, and moreover, it felt right. In any case, if the information got back to the assembly, there was little they could do.

"Whoa," said Yuusuke when Kurama had summed up the situation. "So you're going to wander around looking for an Orb that nobody has seen for centuries. And on the advice of some old lady?"

Kurama winced. "That's putting it a little harshly, Yuusuke-san."

"But it's basically what you're doing."

"Not quite. Sosen no miko provided me with an object and a method that I could use to pinpoint the location of the Orb."

Yuusuke perked up. "Really? What?"

"This." Kurama pulled the elegantly carved Half Box from his satchel and placed it on the table.

"What does it do?" asked Kuwabara, sounding as though he expected the box to leap up and start sniffing the floor.

"The composition of the box will help locate the Orb," explained Kurama. "It has to do with energy content and some laws of nature."

"Okay…" said Yuusuke, who had never touched a book in his life and had never had any education beyond that of learning simple arithmetic. Kurama put the wooden box back into his bag. "Still seems like a big job to me."

"It is," answered Kurama.

"You'll probably need assistance."

"I already have some."

Yuusuke blinked. "Who?" Kurama nodded towards Hiei. Yuusuke looked dubious. "Well," he said, failing to sound confident,"I'm sure Hiei will be a great help, but shouldn't you get some local aid?"

Kurama was amused. "Are you inviting yourself along for the trip?"

Yuusuke waved his hands. "No, no, of course not!" He sweatdropped. "But I mean, you're going to need more people. And I can take off, and no one will miss me. And…well…" Kurama waited for the real reason. "It's kind of boring around here. Politics bore me. But if you let me come, I can be in the middle of all the action! And make a name for myself!" The black-haired teenager looked at Kurama hopefully. "And I'd be a big help too, of course."

The emperor laughed. "Come along, then, if you want." Yuusuke pumped his fist in a victory gesture.

"Hora, Urameshi can't get all the glory," interjected Kuwabara. "I know the roads around here too."

"No you don't," said Yuusuke. "The first time we came here, you said to take a left at the fruit vendor and we—"

"That was you, not me!"

"No way, I know my way around—"

Kurama coughed. The two teenagers stopped bickering. "Both of you are free to come, but…what about your families?"

Yuusuke shrugged. "Ka-san will understand. I don't see her that much anyway. And well, I'll explain to Keiko."

Kuwabara nodded. "Tou-san and Ka-san want me to get some experience in the world. Nee-san too. Shikashi…what about Yukina-san?"

Yukina blinked. "What about me?"

"Well, your brother won't be here…" he scratched the back of his head nervously. "And if we're not here, there won't be anyone to protect you."

The beautiful young woman smiled gratefully. Kuwabara's cheeks were slightly red. "Kazuma-san," she said, putting a hand over his,"thank you very much for your concern. I appreciate it. But as I said to oniisan earlier, I can take care of myself pretty well. So please don't worry." Kuwabara nodded quickly, his entire face flushed.

Kurama hid his smile behind his hand and looked over to see Yuusuke suppressing a smirk. Hiei, on the other hand, looked distinctly murderous and was directing this fiery glare at Kuwabara. Without thinking, Kurama laid a hand on Hiei's arm. To his surprise, Hiei did not pull away but instead, relaxed a little. Kurama felt an agreeable sensation run up his spine at Hiei's reaction.

"Well then," announced Yuusuke, breaking up the atmosphere. "I guess that means the four of us are going. Kuwabara and I have to go back and get some supplies and talk to our families."

Kurama nodded in agreement. "How much time will you need?"

"Two days, maybe."

"That's fine. Can you meet us at the city gate in two days' time then?"

Yuusuke nodded and then turned to Kuwabara. "We should go now."

Kuwabara agreed reluctantly, and the two of them thanked Yukina for her hospitality, collected their things and proceeded to leave. Yukina and Kurama waved them off, Hiei in the background. When they were out of sight, Yukina turned to the redhead. "It looks like you've completed your first task, Kurama-san."

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anou- uh…/um…

sou- I see.

dakara- so/therefore

gomen nasai- sorry

oniisan- brother

arigatou- thank you

hora- hey/look here (as in "Look here, buddy, I have no money" kind of 'look here')

ka-san- mother

tou-san- father

nee-san- older sister

shikashi- but

Notes: Rolling right along here. I feel like I've inserted too much character chemistry and will regret all the relationship hitches I've created. I hope not. And romance is hard to write. Reviews?

My birthday is in two days! Part of the reason I thought I'd treat you guys to a nice long chapter.