Sorry about the long wait this time. the next chapter will be up really soon, as its already written...i just have to type it up. i promised a special v's day chapter on valentine's day last year...who woulda thought that i'm still months away in the story from that this year..." i'll see if i can write a one-shot or a side-story for it later today...if i can't, then i'll post the next chapter on valentine's day. promise! RR please
/Kurama to Hiei/ /Hiei to Kurama/ (i'm getting very lazy with languages. besides...this whole chapter is only youkai talking to youkai. you can insert the language of your choice.)
Hiei flitted in the open window after Madame Pompfrey left. "Are you really going to drink those?" he asked, looking distastefully at the multitude of potions littering the small table.
"Of course not," Kurama sighed, "I know what's wrong with me. Its just lack of youki—Harry's body may not need it, but as the controller, I do. Besides, who knows what the rejuvenating potions will do to me and my youki. I've never tried it, and I don't want to." He paused. "Here." He selected two vials, "Give these to Blaise." Hiei's eyebrows rose. Kurama chuckled and answered the unspoken question. "He's hanyou, and can change at will. His youkai side will probably rebel the potions' effects, but his wizard side shouldn't. Besides, he's been taking potions all his life. I should know— I prepared the plants for them. His human body will accept the potions."
"What are you going to call him?"
Kurama blinked in surprise, then again in comprehension, "I can't keep calling him Blaise in human form and Liseab in youkai form, can I…that will make it seem like he's two different people…" Hiei nodded, studying the youko in front of him. Kurama said, thoughtfully, "Well, I suppose I'll ask him when I next see him…which name he prefers. His mother always called him Liseab, but that was before he was accepted into Hogwarts. I do wonder how she's doing…" Kurama's voice had trailed off, his mind wandering back into memories. A touch caught his attention, and his eyes cleared.
Hiei had closed his hand around the bottles Kurama were clenching, as well as Kurama's hand. "Relax." Kurama nodded apologetically and relinquished the vials. Hiei accepted them and stowed the potions into one of his pockets. His eyes never left Kurama's as he searched for something in the youko's gaze. "Are you coming back soon?"
Kurama's eyes widened at the question, then shuttered. "Soon…it would depend on your definition of 'soon,' as I am not entirely sure myself. But, yes, I suppose I'm returning soon." Hiei nodded, satisfied with the half-answer he was given, and turned to leave. As Hiei vanished out the window, Kurama felt a soft touch brush his mental barriers, reminiscent of a gentle kiss. Kurama smiled.
I can wait, it said to him. I will always wait for you, it reminded him. I love you.
When Hiei got to the edge of the kekkai, He raised a single hand and pressed it into the shining barrier. After a short pause, during which Touya recognized his youki and allowed him access, the kekkai slit open to let Hiei in. After the youkai entered, the shield sealed shut, preventing the entrance of any creature: the kekkai was a one-way doorway without Touya's allowance. Hiei traveled quickly, reaching Yukina and the meditating, currently-in-demon-form, Blaise in a matter of seconds. He looked around, and then threw out a small search-circle of youki. Not finding anyone but Yukina and Blaise, he turned a questioning look on Yukina.
"Touya-san and Jin-san have gone to see if they could find any information about Voldemort from the forest dwellers," Yukina explained, correctly interpreting Hiei's look.
"Ah." With that, Hiei reached into his cloak and drew out the vials, which he tossed to the youkai that had just come out of meditation. Blaise caught the vials, and closed his eyes. "Kurama said to-" Hiei cut himself off and watched as the ears, tail, and most assuredly, the unseen tattoo, melt away. When the youth opened his eyes again, they had reverted back to the human black. Blaise quickly tossed the potions down.
That done, he turned to Yukina. "Arigatou, Yukina-san, but I'll be fine now." The petite ice maiden smiled and gently shook her head.
"Let me check first." She placed her hands around his face, and they shone softly. The glow surrounded Blaise's face, and then moved to engulf his whole body. After a moment, just as Touya and Jin walked in, the glow faded and Yukina pronounced Blaise fit to return to Hogwarts. She then expressed her amazement at the potions Blaise has taken by saying how "They worked almost as fast and well as some of Kurama-san's remedies!" which caused chuckles among the group.
Hiei turned to the two who had just arrived. "Well?" he demanded. The smiles instantly disappeared.
Touya and Jin exchanged troubled looks. "Apparently," Touya started, "the problem is bigger than I expected. Voldemort has managed to call upon the…the…" he cast about for the right word."
"Spirit," Jin supplied helpfully.
"Spirit," Touya acquiesced, "of what was believed to be a dead youkai. He has given it a husk, and helped the spirit bind itself to it, thus gaining a physical body."
"What's more interesting though," Jin continued, "is that the way Voldemort helped the binding actually managed to completely and utterly fuse the shell and spirit, so this youkai is now alive, in the truest sense of the word. It's not just a possession anymore."
Hiei frowned, displeased. "Whose spirit was it?" The youkai had all carefully avoided the use of the word 'soul' in reference to the unknown youkai—having a soul was a description that was earned by one, not used and thrown about. To each other, they had souls, but other youkai, especially an unknown one had…something else. 'Spirit' works as well as anything else, Hiei supposed.
The Shinobi exchanged another glance. Jin shrugged and said, "That's another thing—no one knows who this demon is."
"All we have managed to find out is that the Forest creatures believe he is immensely powerful and that he died quite a long time ago. About…twenty, was it?" Jin nodded. "He died about twenty years or so ago, from the state of his spirit when Voldemort called it. Apparently, he has avoided the ferrygirls and has passed through numerous hosts throughout the years. He used possession to stay alive."
"Twenty years ago…" Hiei frowned as thought back. His eyes widened. "But that's around the time of-"
"The Tournaments." The four voices said simultaneously. The silence that fell was grave. The three had participated, and the one that had watched, reflected back on what had happened during that time…especially Hiei.
The Dark Tournament that Hiei and Kurama had participated in as part of Team Urameshi. It was there that Hiei had first summoned the Kokoryuuha, and there that Kurama had been able to access his youko self again. There that they had befriended the two shinobi, as well as many others, who had been opponents. There that Yusuke had gained the full use of his reiki, and there that Kurama had first told Hiei he loved him, although Hiei did not understand at the time.
Three years later, the first Tournament for the rule of Makai, the first thing Yusuke had organized when he succeeded Raizen. Youkai from all over Makai had gone to compete. It was there that, as Kurama fought Shigure, that Hiei realized how he felt, how he couldn't forget Kurama, how he couldn't lose Kurama, how he…how he loved Kurama.
"But…but including the audience members and the youkai that had died between the Tournaments, there must have been hundreds of thousands of youkai killed! We'll never be able to figure out who it is!" Yukina cried, aghast.
"No…" Hiei frowned, mind working quickly. "If Voldemort wanted to create a powerful army, he would need a powerful youkai. The ones that managed to die as an audience member or the time in between the Tournaments are too weak for him to want to waste energy binding to a body."
Touya nodded. "Also, this youkai is strong enough to avoid the ferry girls and completely merge into what was, previously, an empty shell. He'll be very strong."
"Leading us to believe," Jin finished, "That he must be someone who had fought."
"Correct," Touya said. Hiei just grimly nodded.
Blaise, who had been quiet so far, looked at the four grave youkai and said, "Can't you ask one of the ferrygirls who escaped?"
Hiei shook his head. Jin explained, "Normally, that would be the quickest and easiest way to figure this out. Unfortunately, the sheer number of youkai who had died in the Tournaments outweighed the number of ferrygirls. Their ability has a limit, and they had reached it then."
"Many of the youkai, yet not all, that were killed chose to avoid the ferrygirls if they were powerful enough," Touya continued. "Most of them have probably disintegrated, as trying to keep your soul yourself together requires a lot of youki, and as a spirit, you are unable to generate more to replenish yourself. Still, there are ways to stay alive, most commonly, possession. That is what this youkai did."
Blaise frowned, not happy, but understanding…somewhat. Hiei spoke after another silence. "I'm going to Reikai to get a list of names from Koenma or Boton. It may not have everyone whose soul is unaccounted for, but most of them should be on there. The more powerful youkai, in any case. It should, at least, give us a vague idea of who we might be dealing with."
/Thank you, koi. / Kurama's mental voice was tired. Outwardly, Hiei showed no change, but inwardly, he was surprised. /You were listening/ Both of them kept their barriers strong and up all the time, but between each other, it was slightly down. They could listen in on each other without the other realizing it, though they were both careful not to abuse that trust./Hai. I started after I heard Voldemort's name. Harry is my charge, and he, as well as I, needs to know what he's up against. / Hiei agreed/Hn. /
Aloud, he said, "I'm going to talk to Kurama, he needs to know this, then I'll leave for Reikai." This was met by sounds of agreement by the others. "Blaise, come with me, I'm going to bring you back. Jin, see if you can get any more information about who Voldemort brought back. Touya, stay with Yukina- the kekkai shouldn't be necessary…your youki is depleting. Yukina, replenish your youki: you, too, are running very low." Jin nodded and flitted off aimlessly. Touya settled by the base of a tree, in a half-trance, letting his own youki build up and staying alert at the same time. Yukina folded her legs under her at the base of another tree and entered a full healing trance, slowly replenishing her youki reserves. Hiei and Blaise went off in the direction of Hogwarts, the kekkai already gone by the time they had reached the edge of the clearing. Birds flew overhead.
Remus Lupin was sitting at this desk, sifting through old photographs and memories. He was trying to remember why the redhead in the photo on Harry's desk had been so familiar, not being able to shake of the feeling of recognition every time he saw it. He's seen him before…he's sure of it…
chapter owari
i'm going to start chopping out uneeded languages soon (like icean) after i get past chapter three for the re-write ". also, i have another idea that might work better for when yusuke and hiei first come to hogwarts. i'll write that, post it, and have you guys vote on whether i should change it or not...after i write it. when its up, i'll let you know in an AN. also, there are obviously changes in some history, especially liseab's, so if you're very confused, i'm sorry. this was somewhat of a spur-of-the-moment change, please don't kill me.
LISEAB'S NEW HISTORY:
chapter 20, during the explanations of what kind of demon liseab is... start when he shifts, then read on until after kurama finishes talking.