Ten months after Aislin vanished off to only gods-know-where, the other members of Team Urameshi gather at the Hatakana-Minamino home in a gesture of solidarity, because although the human-bodied fox has been holding up relatively well, he's beginning to show signs of strain. The children he helped conceive are to be born sometime this month, and he still has no idea where Aislin is. His cousin Rei, damn the woman, is keeping her mouth shut about his mate's whereabouts, as well.
And still no sign of Aislin.
"Be patient a little longer, cousin," soothes Rei from her shared seat with Hiei at the windowsill. Everyone has gathered in the living room, the focal point being the chair in which an ill-kempt Kurama huddles, his laced fingers pressed to his chin. The rest of Kurama's family have wisely chosen to be absent, their own efforts to comfort their grieving changeling having failed. "She will return soon."
"You've been saying that for almost a year now," accuses Kurama in a lifeless voice. "Give me proof, not words."
"I've been using time as a youkai reckons it, cousin. Adjust your thinking."
"We're demons, fox," Hiei growls from the windowsill, worn from worry and sorrow and overwork thanks to Koenma. "You're supposed to be the one with patience. We have decades pass like a year. Act like it."
"Piss off, Hiei."
The fire apparition draws his dignity around him along with his cloak and rises, heading towards the door while letting his words bite acid-deep. "I'll take that as your senseless anxiety talking and let it slide. Expect a thorough beating when the snowflake does return." And he's out the door in a swirl of dark vibes and black fabric.
Kohaku looks between the two, visibly torn as to whether she should stay and see if she can get Kurama to cheer up a bit or if she should go after Hiei before he hurts something. Or someone, like he did that moronic thug that tried to rob him the other day. Then again, maybe she should stay here. The street-rats have been getting thick lately.
"Come on, Kurama!" Yusuke tries joviality, smacking Kurama on the shoulder. "You know Aislin's pulled stunts like this before! Remember what happened after she sparred with me that first time? We spent a whole year waiting for our move, right? What makes this any different?"
All the Detective gets is a very canine growl uttered from behind laced fingers, golden eyes glaring at him from beneath silver-streaked crimson bangs. Hands raised in a conciliatory gesture, Yusuke backs off, grinning weakly. Kuwabara snorts at his best friend in derision from the far end of the couch.
"Don't be such an ass, Urameshi. If it was Keiko you'd be just as worried."
"That's cause Keiko can't take care of herself the way Aislin can!" Yusuke shouts back, the tension in the room finally getting to him. That sparks the inevitable shouting match that Yusuke and Kuwabara apparently must have every time they get together for periods longer than two minutes, that must be done at the tops of their spacious lungs.
Kurama just hunches further in his chair the longer the fight goes on, getting more and more visibly upset as the two young men show no sign of stopping anytime soon. He's just about ready to get up and trounce the both of them when Kohaku speaks up in a wondering tone from her perch on the couch-end by the window.
"Look, it's snowing."
Yusuke and Kuwabara freeze, all three males staring at the fat, fluffy white flakes drifting by the glass panes in total silence. Kurama is the next one to speak. "So it is."
"But it's the middle of June!" Yusuke protests, going to the door and opening it. Hiei is standing in the middle of the lawn, wide eyes watching the snowflakes fall from a pewter-grey sky, oblivious to the white that's beginning to cake on his shoulders and in his hair.
Kohaku lets out a jubilant whoop and runs outside, glomping onto Hiei before spinning around with her arms flung wide. "You know what this means, right?" she calls to the two young men still standing dumbfounded in the doorway.
Dull emerald eyes begin to sparkle; lank scarlet hair begins to fluff. Kurama and Kohaku smile at each other and shout in unison: "Aislin's back!"
From within the house a pleased, "Told you so."
——
"Yes, Aislin is back," Masaya Ichigaki, the Earth Aspect of the Elemental Quartet, confirms when the Team reaches the gates of the Reikai Palace. While everyone else stops, Kurama simply breezes on by, following his nose into the depths of the building. Rei, for her own convenience, had used her quartet's special 'snap-out' technique to automatically teleport herself to the Palace and is already inside. "But you can't see her yet, I'm afraid."
"Why not?" demands Yusuke and Kuwabara in unison.
Masaya lifts a hand, ticking off reasons on his muscled fingers. "One, you're not her mate. Two, she's tired from traveling. Three, because she's volatile, and four, she's volatile because she's in labor."
Even Koenma looks up from his paperwork at the ecstatic cheer that shakes the very foundation of Reikai Palace. "It's about time they got here," he mutters, going back to work.
A day later, the enthusiasm has ebbed into impatient waiting. Hiei has literally worn a path into the thick carpet lining the floor of the Spirit Detective suite, the place that the Team stays during emergencies, merely from his constant pacing. After hearing the good news, no one could bear going back to Ningenkai, so what's left of the group has decided to remain here for it to be over.
Yusuke has taken over one end of a matched pair of couches, sprawling as much as he only gets to when Atsuko doesn't have friends over at the Urameshi apartment. "Damn, I had no idea givin' birth takes this long. Kurama must be goin' nuts."
From one of the armchairs emerges a distracted, "He's helping with the delivery. He doesn't have time to go nuts." Curled there is Kalerian Sohma (no, not one of THOSE Sohma), his bishie nose buried in an old leatherbound book, the title in kanji so old that no one who cares to read it, can. Hiei could, but he's more interested in pacing. The undeniably-bishounen young man is the Water Aspect of the Elemental Quartet, Rei's direct counterpart and her best friend. He's been in here since before the others arrived, filling the room with his special brand of telepathic calm. It's gotten everyone except Hiei to be impatient rather than ready-to-bolt, and the only reason Hiei's immune is because he has his shields up too tight.
"So why aren't we allowed in there again?" Kuwabara asks from the other end of the couch, a handheld video game taking up little of his attention.
Kalerian sighs, closing summer-sky orbs and leaning back until his head is cushioned on his long, green-blue hair. "Because," he repeats calmly for the hundredth or so time, "to give birth a youkai must be in their true form. The only people who've already seen said true form are Kurama and Hiei, one of which is too nervous to help and the other is already helping. Yukina, Kaze, Koudo and Kasai—Kohaku Kudo, Masaya, and Rei to you, I guess—are Healers, so their presence is required, but unless Aislin asks for the rest of us, we are sooo not allowed in there."
"Che," Yusuke grumbles to himself. "You'd think we'd have earned that kind of trust by now."
A wicked grin lights up Kalerian's face. "Also, you'd be pretty much useless as a midwife, so Rei told me to keep you guys out from underfoot."
"What about me?" protests Kohaku from the windowsill, occupying Hiei's usual seat since he's still walking in circles. "I'm a Healer, too! And I've helped out with births at my family lairs. How come I'm not allowed in?"
A thumb gets jerked towards the pacing kajihenge. "I wanted you here to make sure Hiei doesn't set something on fire."
"Oh."
"All right," Rei says tiredly, walking into the room while drying her hands on a towel. The Team practically stands to attention—Hiei actually does—intent on every word that comes out of the red-head's mouth. "Good news and better news. Good news is, is that Kurama survived delivery."
"Better news?" This is from Kohaku, her glitter-dusted ears lifting in curiosity. Rei just smiles at everyone.
"Aislin wants to see you."
——
A few minutes later everyone has gathered outside the door to Aislin's hospital room, where Masaya and the Wind Aspect Kohaku Kudo stand as impromptu guards. The susurrus of voices alerts Yukina to their presence, and she slips out of the room in silence. Then she turns to face her friends with a broad smile and some last minute instructions. "Please remember that for Aislin-san to show you her true form is a sign of deep trust, so a misword from anyone will likely earn you a quick death from her mate," she says, only half joking. "Also, please remember that Aislin has been gone a while and has just had a long delivery, so voices down."
Everyone but Hiei nods, the fire apparition standing to one side to wait his turn. In his own gesture of respect Yusuke snags the slightly-shorter male by the shoulder and pushes him toward the door. "G'wan, Hiei. You get the honors of goin' in first."
Giving Yusuke one of his rare smiles, Hiei slips into the room on cat-quiet feet. The rest of the Team waits a minute or two with surprising tact before beginning their own visits.
Inside is a scene of utter tranquility: Aislin sits in a rocking chair by the window in one of her favorite wool dressing gowns, her hair translucent, snowy white with streaks of wine, peacock blue and emerald laced with gold by her ears, which are now sharply pointed like an elf's. A sapphire Jagan is half-opened on her forehead where her teardrop demon mark used to be; the peacock-blue color now traces rounded, stylized lightning bolts down each cheek, two dots on either side of the second of three jags.
A small pair of wings, scaled and feathered in pale blues, grays, and pure white, lay folded against her back between the rungs of the rocker. Nine tails also drift around her hips and between the rungs, tipped in the faintest of grays. Two furry, fox-like feet peep out the bottom of the dressing gown, black claws the only color on the pale cream fur. The feet match the rounded ears sitting on top of Aislin's head, the creamy white softness of an Arctic fox.
Kurama stands beside her, an infatuated grin on his face, both of them looking down at the single bundle of blanket cradled in Aislin's arms. Hiei is already beside his friends, standing with his legs pressed against Aislin's as he leans over to see, hands resting on the carved wooden arms of the rocker. A silly smile makes his crimson eyes glow softly in delight, and he shares proud looks with his dearest friends.
"Come on over and see our son," Kurama says in an undertone, looking over at the three still hanging about by the door—Rei and the other Elementals are tactfully staying outside, allowing Aislin's friends some degree of privacy, while Yukina goes to call Genkai with the good news. "Promise, we won't bite."
"Neither will this little angel," Aislin chuckles softly, brushing the backs of her fingers against her baby's cheek. "At least until he gets some teeth." Kohaku works up the nerve first, going over and giving her friend a gentle hug.
"Missed you," the wolf says quietly, before looking down. She can feel her face light up in the same silly grin that Hiei is wearing, because the baby is just that cute. Apparently her expression encourages the boys, because they come over with congratulations and hugs, and coos for the baby in Aislin's embrace.
"You look gorgeous, Aislin," Yusuke comments, lightly tweaking one furry ear. "No wonder you pretend to be human most of the time: you'd be beating the guys off with a bazooka if you walked around like this." Aislin bats his teasing hand away with a laugh at the same time Kurama comments that any beatings would likely be delivered by him, not his wife, because Aislin is all his.
"Well, mine and the baby's," he amends, emerald eyes glowing as he delicately touches the black-and-silver tuft of hair sprouting between the silken, folded ebony ears. A moment or two later there comes a soft knock at the door, Ivory peering around it with her hand held over her eyes.
"I heard the good news but couldn't get away from Mom any faster. Can I look?"
"Of course, chibi-Yoko," Aislin murmurs, and the silver vixen takes her hand away, lighting up at the sight of the ice-fox.
"Oh, wow, Aislin-sama, you look fantastic!" she enthuses quietly, coming over with a big stuffed teddy-bear in her arms. "I brought this for the baby, I hope you don't mind. I asked the maker to put one of my protection fuda in it as an added precaution." The toy is as big as her torso, which means it's actually bigger than the newborn, with thick, plush brown fur and large, dreamy black eyes set in a sweet face. Kohaku's eyes light up; we can see that Ivory is going to be asked where she got the bear later once visiting hours are over.
Kurama and Aislin share a chuckle, the renard giving his adopted daughter/biological niece a grin. "Why would we mind?" he inquires in a merry undertone. "I had one like that when I was little and adored it. Every child should have some soft toy as big as they are at some point in their youth. And the fuda was a marvelous idea." Ivory beams at her role model, giving the fuzzy bear a squeeze and making the tiny bells attached to the big neck-bow chime faintly.
The sound wakes the baby, who opens big blue eyes already turning gold and gurgles, waving chubby fists at everyone with a broad smile. Kohaku smiles back at the tiny cub, Hiei's fingertip grasped in one fragile hand to the sound of more happy gurgles. "I didn't think babies could smile the day they're born. Even youkai babies. The wolf babies I've helped birth usually just sit there and blink at you for a few days before they start getting personalities."
"This little one has a lot of joy in him," Aislin says softly, tickling her son under the chin and winning an even bigger smile from him. "He can't wait even a few days to share it."
Koenma proves to be the next, brief visitor, the brightly-wrapped present he brings turning out to be one of the most useful items in babyhood: a pacifier. A purple one, to be exact, flavored and scented like a basket of fruit. Tiny hands are reaching for it with a delighted burble the second Kurama dangles it over his son's head, and contented sucking sounds are soon being made. Since the prince had walked in in time to hear Aislin's explanation, he offers one of his own. "Since he probably wasn't expecting another turn in the worlds of the living so soon, I'd say with what little he likely remembers he's happy just to be with the people he cares about again." And with a brotherly kiss to the ice-fox's cheek (graciously allowed) Koenma returns to his duties with one last warm smile sent over his shoulder.
Ivory grins down at the baby, familiar mischief beginning to sparkle in her eyes. "So you're his real mother now, Aislin-sama? I'd say I'm a bit envious but you've been our mother since the day we walked into the Lair. And I've got my human mom, too, so I can't complain." And she tickles the bottom of one tiny foot.
The baby bounces in Aislin's arms, gurgling more to let the silver vixen know that that really tickles! Another knock on the door heralds Yukina's return, the ice maiden smiling at some interesting news. "Aislin? There's someone here who wants to see the baby. May I let him in?"
"Who is it, Yukina?"
"Believe it or not, Aislin, it's Kou-san." It only takes a moment before a startled Aislin regathers her composure in order to nod, the muscular lion youkai slipping in as soon as Yukina relays his clearance. A relieved smile softens battle-hardened features into someone incredibly handsome as he gives his congratulations to the new parents, and shakes his head over the baby.
"Kid, you really do have some crazy luck," he whispers, burble-laughter the baby's response to a familiar, trusted face. "Glad to see you back on this side of the Styx." He delicately ruffles the tuft of silver-streaked black (or is it black-streaked silver?) with one finger, said finger quickly getting grabbed and waved around by a chubby hand. The smile turns warmer; another heart-melted conquest. "Hey, Aislin-san, if you ever need a babysitter for this one once he's older, if I'm still around then, look me up?"
"You'll have to take a number, Kou-san," Aislin replies with a wink and a nod at the others, "but I'll keep it in mind. Thank you."
"Nah, thank you. Broke my heart escorting him over the river." And, handing a grinning Kurama a new baby blanket made of warm polar fleece, decorated with a picture of a chibi fox, Kou heads back to work.
But it's Hiei that asks the question everyone wants answered, as he gazes fondly down at his godson. "Well, Kikan-chan? What have you named him?"
A conspiratorial smile is shared between husband and wife before the ice-fox replies, "We decided to name him Obsidian Eclipse Minamino."
Kurama chuckles. "But we'll keep to Eclipse, for short."
Obsidian Eclipse Minamino—Eclipse for short—lets out a chortle that reminds everyone that they're supposed to be paying attention to him, and having done so, goes back to sucking on his fruit-flavored pacifier, content with his world and the increasingly cohesive thoughts going through his new little head.
He protected everyone he loves, and they're here around him, or most of them, anyway. He'll have to wait until Kohaku can get Suzume to come, so he can make her smile again. And thanks to his sister's secret, he was able to play the biggest trick yet on Koenma.
He wasn't the one to get his memories wiped by Shikyo. That was his doppleganger. So he doesn't just remember a few things.
He remembers everything.
——
END