DISCLAIMER: Let's make this very clear...I DO NOT OWN YYH, CCS, YnM and HP. I just BORROWED the characters because my imagination was working overtime. ===================================================================================
Kurama: Eh? Hikari-san? Daijobu?
K.Hikari: I'm fine. I've tried everything including dynamite but nothing's working! The darn writer's mountain is still there!
Yusuke: Mountain?
Kurama: It's what writer's get when they're stuck in a story. It's usually a block but in her case...
K.H.: And you are not helping at all.
Kurama: What'd I do?
K.H.: Ch. Well anyway, I'm glad that I still have readers left even after a very long update. Arigatou minna. Thank you so much. More than a 100 reviews! And I owe it all to you guys! ^v^
Despairing Angel - Sugoi! A new reader! Gomen ne. I intended it to be mystifying. That way you and the characters discover things together. ^_^
Dark Moon Goddess - Arigatou for your support. ^_^
Sammy - Unfortunately Hiei had to go back to Makai. Frontier guard duty. It was his shift. I did make a fan art of him though. It's at my yahoo group page, The Gripe Vines, photo section. The link can be found in my bio. You could print it out and scare your teacher with it. ^_~ I'm inviting you to join The Gripe Vines. It's a support group for fan fiction writers and writers in general. The members help each other in the writing process, like plot lines, tips and tricks of the trade. ^_^ Heck, I'm extending the invites to anyone else who is interested. And yes, Sammy, I will read and help you with your writing. Good luck!
Kaeru Soyokaze - Arigatou! I'm so glad you are still reading this.
Dragon Lady Supreme and Pippin SkyWeasley - Arigatou for joining The Gripe Vines. ^o^ Dragon Lady, I know what's it like to run out inspiration. I was running on empty when I wrote these chapters too so please don't delete your stories. Pippin, read on, I have a treat. ^_^
Kyo-kun - Salamat for letting me use your En-ma hunters. ^_^ Arigatou.
To all who've read this fic...I apologized for being unable to read and review all your stories. Much as I would want to, I simply can't. I only have 24 hours- 6 is spent on sleeping or I get very cranky ehehehe ^_~
Enough chitchat. Chapter 10 folks!
WARNING: Long chapter. Very long chapter. Making up for long updates.
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Word Watch:
Arawn = Celtic God of the Dead, Revenge and Terror
Annwn = Celtic underworld
Empathy = The ability to sense other emotions, someone possessing this ability is called an empath
3 Death Aspects = Entirely my creation, the weakest of the DA are those who escort the willing (e.g. Botan), the more powerful are the shinigamis since they deal with the unwilling (e.g. YnM) and the most powerful and obscure is one known only as Macha. Rumors say that Macha is female in form. Everyone on the other hand either fears or respect Macha since she is the only one who can decide and has the power to decree if a life is over be it god or human.
En-ma= Buddhist God of the Underworld
Koen-ma = According to the YYH canon, En-ma has a son. Literally translated it means En-ma Junior. ^_^
Jagan = Hiei's artificial third eye. It never closes.
Gehenna = One of the 7 levels of Hell according to Angel and Demon lore.
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CHAPTER 10: The Arawn
The city of London sleeps. The normally busy streets are seemingly empty and devoid of life as the rain continued to fall all through the night. A solitary figure walks underneath the foggy street lamps, his form casting no shadows. All night creatures shied away from his approach for they sense what he was. He was an Arawn- a God of Death and Revenge.
As he walked, he sensed the delicate threads of life weave in and out through the city. It would be a simple matter for him to reach out and cut it. But he was not on a mission to retrieve a lost soul nor to investigate an unusual death. He was here to meet another of his kind. Except from where the other came from they called the gods of death shinigamis.
He kept walking, his footsteps making no sound. Co-workers had always chided him for being so attached with the human ways. He had ignored them. Isn't that why they became arawns in the first place? Because they had such a strong attachment to the living one way or another.
He found his destination- a five star hotel with unusual occupants staying within. He started to whistle as he slowly made himself corporeal.
-*-*-*-*-
The sudden loud boom of thunder woke Tatsumi up from his slumber. The folder that he was reading had slipped to the floor and the papers were now scattered on the carpeted floor. He made a move to pick them up and immediately winced as dull pain shot through his back.
Ok. That is the last time I'm going to fall asleep on a couch in this physical form.
When shinigamis are sent to the Land of the Living, they usually take on a temporary physical form. Unfortunately, being in a physical form means they have to conform also to the rules that bind that form. That means if they fall asleep in an uncomfortable position in a couch, they were going to wake up with either a nasty crick on the neck or one hell of a back pain.
He was having the back pain. It was annoying. He contemplated on returning to his spirit form but then stopped. The pain would be gone in a few minutes anyway. Shinigamis heal very fast. He started to gather the papers while his thoughts returned to his dream.
It was the same dream that he, Tsuzuki and Hisoka were having after the events in Meifu. It was like there was this giant jigsaw puzzle and they were dreaming the different pieces of it together. Of the three, Hisoka was the one having the hardest time. Being a powerful emphath, the dreamscape was infinitely more vivid. They had long suspected that what they were dreaming were not prophetic but rather events that had already happened. Like someone's memories. Very powerful memories.
Only this time, there was a new face in the dream. The dream had followed its regular course and culminated into their frantic battle in Meifu with the Accursed wind. But just as he was going to banish the dark mist, he heard a terrified scream. He looked up to see a boy, no more than 15 or 16 from the looks of him, suspended in the air. His mouth was open in horror as he struggled to free himself from the grip of the mist creatures. Before he could even wonder who that boy was or how he got there the dream had ended.
A quick glance at the bedside clock told him it was 3 A.M. A second or two later he realized he wasn't alone in his dark room.
A foxy red head was sitting languidly on his bed. That was ok. Except Kurama's upper shirt was open. Oh, and his dark red hair was mussed. The brilliant green eyes regarded him with the intensity of a laser and Tatsumi felt like a deer caught on a car's onrushing headlights moments before becoming road kill.
"Uh...what do you want?" Instantly he regretted speaking so soon. There was an unmistakable squeak in his voice. He, Tatsumi Seiichirou, never ever squeaks. That was not him. No. when Tatsumi speaks everyone else's squeaks. It was NOT the other way around.
But dammit...no one should look as good as Kurama. He stopped as he realized something. A raven haired, amethyst-eyed beauty floated in his mind's eye . Damn Tsuzuki. Damn all high-level demons, gods and other accursed creatures.
He sighed.
Why is it that all powerful demon spawns come in such beautifully wrapped packages?
"Are you ok, Sei-san?" there was tinge of amusement in the otherwise concerned tone of Kurama. "You look pale."
Gee, you would too when you wake up and find a gorgeous boy with his shirt open, sitting on YOUR bed, in the middle of the night or something, with the lights out, with the two of you alone and you KNOW that you're NOT gay.
But of course he didn't say that. That was very un-Tatsumi-like. So instead he said, " I'm fine, Kurama." And would you please close your shirt? It's getting hot in here, he added silently.
" Atsui, Sei-san? Perhaps you should loosen your shirt."
"Wha...What?"
He wasn't sure exactly what Kurama said. Atsui in Japanese could mean hot. But it could also mean intense passion.
Think nice happy thoughts. No, wait. Think nice angry thoughts. Like Meifu's budget in the red. Or Tsuzuki's life long debt. Heh, think anything but. You DO NOT want to blush in front of Kurama.
And then he realized that the power was off.
Kurama grinned, " Black out."
"This is a 5-star hotel. They should have a back-up," Tatsumi retorted. God, did he sound like a petulant kid? He hoped not.
"Yes it would. They're sending the repair men there now to figure out why it won't switch on."
Tatsumi groaned.
"Ne, Sei-san..."
"What?"
"My record..."
Tatsumi glanced at the kitsune sharply. He saw that Kurama had read the files. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He wasn't exactly under oath not to reveal the files but since Kurama was a youkai-and a very clever one at that- the information that Kurama picked up might be used against them.
After all, there must be a reason why En-ma did not trust the Rei Tantei. It was only his son's argument that more or less convinced En-ma to let them all go to London. That and the call from the Ministry of Magic to all magickal families to send representatives. It was all a bunch of hooey as far as Tatsumi was concerned. There was another reason than magickal exchange of knowledge.
The lights came back on. So did the air conditioner.
It was about time, Tatsumi thought. The room was getting stuffy and the red head was only making the temperatures rise.
"What about your record?" he asked the fox.
"You have no details of the time before I joined the bandits."
"Well, I was hoping you could provide that missing part," Tatsumi answered glibly. No, he wasn't expecting the fox would. He knew Kurama couldn't. Not won't, but can't.
Kurama frowned. Was the shinigami playing with him? Either way, he had to know. It was important to him. If he had to make this man suffer in order to get what he wanted he would do it in a heartbeat.
" Tatsumi. I am not the type to beg."
" I know."
" Then answer me."
"You haven't asked me your question, Kurama."
Tatsumi saw Kurama's face become utterly placid. Well, I sure don't want to play poker with this guy. Gone was the slight impatience on the boy. Now there was nothing. Just a cold calm exterior. A sure sign that the youkai side was waiting just underneath that calm expressionless face.
" Very well. Do you have any information about my past?"
" No."
" I tire of this easily, Tatsumi." The green eyes glittered with flecks of gold Tatsumi noticed. So it was true. The ningen-side was fighting a losing battle with the youkai within. He should be careful with Kurama. If everything they said was true about this one then only Yusuke might be able to stop him. And Tsuzuki with his 12 shikigamis would stop Yusuke. Question, who would stop Tsuzuki if that one went over the edge too? Gods, don't you just hate the way the world works sometimes?
" Unfortunately Kurama, we really do not have any information about your past. Only that you do not remember it."
" You are one of the powerful personas of the 3 Death Aspects. You report directly to En-ma. You are privy to information that is denied to the other Death Aspects. How could YOU not know."
"Thank you. I am flattered. But really, I do not know. I doubt any of the Death Aspects do too. Maybe En-Ma or his son knows. You should ask them because I doubt if Macha would answer you."
"Very funny, Tatsumi."
Tatsumi noticed that for a while now, Kurama had stopped calling him Sei-san. And the boy's voice seemed to have changed into someone much older. So he wasn't talking to Shuichi Minamino. He was now having a conversation with Youko Kurama. He wondered how many of En-Ma's hunters had survived long enough to have a decent conversation with the famed Youko. Probably not long.
"But really, Kurama. Why the sudden interest in your past? You weren't too eager to know it before."
The boy did not answer. There was a faraway look in his eyes instead. The pendant that Kurama was wearing suddenly gave off a faint glow. Both males looked at it.
The other artifacts were with Hiei and Yusuke. Yusuke had the mirror, which had transformed into a funky armband. Hiei had the dagger that had turned itself into a thin golden diadem around his head and was hidden underneath the starburst in his hair. For once, Hiei did not need a bandanna to cover his jagan. The diadem seemed to form an invisible seal around his jagan so no one could see it but it did not prevent him from using his third eye.
The ornate jewel on the other hand had transformed into a pendant bearing the same ornate design. It also seemed to have a mind of its own because as Kurama had discovered belatedly, it refused to come off. It did have an interesting side effect - the constant tug-of-war with his ningen and youkai side seemed to have quieted down a bit. At least now he could sleep knowing that when he wakes up he had not massacred his ningen family in his sleep.
" Interesting." Tatsumi stared at the jewel. En-ma had told him to give those artifacts to three of the Rei Tantei members. He was told that they would act as a seal to them, binding their powers but not impairing them. It was En-ma's way of staying in control. Koen-ma had protested saying the Rei Tantei could be trusted but En-ma would not be swayed. And after reading all the Rei Tantei's files he understood En-ma's mistrust.
Yusuke Urameshi was descended from a powerful race of demons that were called the Toushins. The Toushins were a race of fearsome fighters. Once, a long time ago, they were soldiers for the Nefilim- Those who came Down. Now, of his kind, only Yusuke was left. Though he was not of pure demon heritage his human heritage had left him as a hybrid. And as everyone in the Upper Levels knows, any creature crossed with a human results in a much more powerful being than the original. It was something in the human make-up that made this possible. Judging from Yusuke's history the boy was still discovering exactly what he could really do with his abilities.
Jaganashi Hiei was a taboo child to begin with. A product of the forbidden union between a fire demon and a snow maiden. His red eyes betrayed his corrupted lineage. Such children were not allowed to exist according to the order mandated by the Heavens. It could only bring much suffering and misfortune to the three Realms. And now with the Commandments weakening, everyone up there was raising a racket about how they should have disposed of the taboo child in the beginning. It was only Koen-ma who had stood up for his friends. It was rather interesting to see that En-ma's son, despite his looks and age, could be so mature and courageous at times.
And of course, there was the mysterious Youko Kurama. A demon fox with no past. Everyone in Tenkai preferred keeping complete tabs of those in the Lower Realms, especially those in Makai. So when Youko entered the scene sans a complete history and endeared himself by giving everyone in Tenkai a migraine, THEY were NOT happy.
But something in En-ma's eyes told Tatsumi that the elder god knew more than he let on and was keeping quiet about it.
"Did you know, Kurama," Tatsumi began. " That when another one like you tried to hold the artifacts, it rejected him?"
That got Kurama's attention.
"Another one like me?" the green eyes had flecks of gold in them.
Tatsumi nodded. " Yes. A creature neither demon, human nor god." He took a deep breath and locked his eyes with Kurama, " An itan."
At the mention of the word something seemed to click in Kurama's mind.
Voices. Loud voices talking over his head. Angry or scared he could not tell.
'Destroy him! He is an itan!"
'Urusei!"
And then as quickly as that came there was another faint memory of him and another man.
'Arigatou.'
'I rarely give gifts. I take them.'
It was like a mirror breaking. Kurama gasped. His eyes widened, " Clow Reed!"
Tatsumi merely raised an eyebrow, " So the rumors were right. You did meet the sorcerer."
The boy was still shaking his head. Meanwhile, the pendant continued to glow softly in the dim light.
"And," Tatsumi observed. "From the looks of it he hit you with one pretty strong memory spell."
There was a soft growl from the boy, " When I get my hands on that..."
Tatsumi laughed softly, " Don't bother. No one from the three Realms knows where he is. Probably reincarnated but I doubt it. He's somewhere about having a good laugh I suspect."
"So he's alive then?" Kurama was still not looking very happy about this. If Reed were alive he'd make that bloody sorcerer pay for messing with his mind.
"Nope. Dead as a doornail. Man saw his own death coming. Even the exact place and time. That probably explains why no one could figure him out. I gather things like that do things to your mind."
No response from the boy. Just a lot of growling.
"Can we get own with the discussion or will you continue growling like that?"
Just a sharp hn from the teenager.
"Gee, you're beginning to sound like Hiei, Kurama." Despite his teasing manner, Tatsumi actually felt protective over Kurama. The same way that he would never admit that he cared a lot about Tsuzuki and the rest of the 18 employees of Ju-Oh Cho.
Outcast. History unknown. Personal monsters to haunt you always...for the rest of your life and maybe even the next life. Like Tsuzuki with his unknown heritage and Hisoka with his curse of empathy. And now, Kurama. It was odd thinking and feeling that way. Both Kurama and Tsuzuki possessed great and terrible powers. Enough power to make Tenkai wary of them. And yet somehow there was something lost and broken in those two. Tsuzuki hid his with a smile and a carefree laid-back attitude. Perhaps Kurama hid his behind that cold cruel exterior. Perhaps he was not even aware that he was lost and broken.
" Stop analyzing me."
" Sorry," Tatsumi said. " Force of habit, you know."
" What's this about an itan?"
Tatsumi took a deep breath and continued, " An itan? An itan as I said before is neither demon, god nor human..."
"Spirit?"
"Uh...not quite spirit either..."
"Itan...you mean titan?"
"Are you done interrupting me? If it was titan you'd think I'd probably said so by now."
"Oh. I thought you were still a little groggy and sleepy."
Tatsumi gave the fox his trademark look. The one that sent employees of the Ju-oh Cho running in the opposite direction when they see him coming down the corridors with THAT look.
Kurama was unfazed. It seemed the boy was getting his pace back. At least the disconcerting gold flecks in his eyes were gone.
"Right. Itan then, " Kurama conceded with a slight grin. "So I'm an itan?"
" Seems like it."
"Doesn't sound so bad. I could be a bakamono- a monster from Gehenna. You know how ugly those things are? Come to think of it. I've never met anyone in Gehenna who actually looks good."
Tatsumi groaned. Amazing how a conversation could wander in so short a time.
"And now, I bid you good night or good morning Kurama. We have a long day tomorrow and you are wasting my time."
" Chotto. " the old voice returned. "We're not done yet."
Tatsumi glanced at the boy, "Let me guess. That was an ice breaker?"
"You're too serious did you know that."
"Look who's talking. You're the one who wants to know something."
"Fine. I won't interrupt." The pendant stopped glowing.
Tatsumi looked at Kurama then at the window.
"Why don't you get your friends here and we'll talk about it together."
Kurama had no need to follow his gaze. He sensed a gathering of chi that was suddenly gone as soon as it started. It seemed another shinigami had touched down in the land of the living. " I see."
-*-*-*-*-
Four sullen teenagers either sat, stood or sprawled somewhere in the room that Tatsumi was staying in. A very bouncy shinigami that reminded him of Tsuzuki on a sugar high was flitting across the room examining the said teenagers. Except, he wasn't called a shinigami and Meifu wasn't called Meifu. Here in Europe, shinigamis were called arawns and Meifu was called Annwn.
"Blimey! So there really is a descendant of the Toushins left!"
Yusuke was too sleepy to swat at the man. Besides, the bed was so soft and inviting. Who in their right minds hold meetings in this ungodly hour in the morning anyway? He grabbed a pillow and buried his head into it.
The man went over to Kuwabara and studied the groggy teen, "Wow. This one's got a lot of potential."
Kazuma just dribbled on the collar of his pjs then promptly keeled over the rug and started snoring.
"If he had half a brain, " Hiei snorted in the corner.
The arawn's eyes widened in excitement. He was about to go over to Hiei when Tatsumi spoke up, " I suggest you restrain you're curiosity on those two unless you want to experience a second death."
Hiei was glaring at both shinigamis. He didn't like the arawn. For one, he was too...chirpy. And those light brown eyes were just sparkling way too much. He couldn't stand cheery people. Tatsumi on the other hand, well, there was no way he was going to forgive the shinigami. The man was a kagetsukai and had used his powers on him to restrain him. Never mind if Kurama said it was for his own good since he had a tendency to burn things down-even the plane they were riding on.
Kurama, on the other hand, was quietly sitting in a corner of the bed but was giving off vibes that said 'if you come near me you're going to regret it'.
The man looked disappointed but heeded Tatsumi's advice. He plopped himself down on one of the seat cushions and looked at Tatsumi, " You probably know the general story, yes?"
Everyone else nodded.
"Ok. I'll give you the details to what's been happening here."
He was interrupted by Kurama dialing room service.
Tatsumi raised an eyebrow at this. Kurama just shrugged and pointed to the two snoring pair.
"I doubt if coffee will work," Hiei said derisively.
"Make that 4 double espressos," Kurama said to the phone before hanging up.
The two went on snoring.
"Here let me help, " the arawn said. He got to his feet and stood over the sleeping forms. A ball of crackling electricity appeared on both his hands. He tossed it towards Yusuke and Kazuma.
The two shot up like they had been shot by lightning, which in a way they had.
"AAaarrrGHHH! I'm up you freakish old woman!" Yusuke yelped. Then he blinked as he realized it wasn't Genkai who'd rudely awakened him.
"GACK! What was that for?" Kazuma exclaimed.
"Good you're awake, " Tatsumi said. " I suggest you STAY awake or the next time it won't be just lightning balls up your ass."
Something in Tatsumi's face reminded the two teens of Genkai in her good days. Of course Genkai's good days usually mean bad days for Yusuke. So Yusuke settled instead on glaring at the one who tossed the lightning. The man responsible was shorter than Tatsumi and looked no older than say 20? He was in direct contrast to Tatsumi's business like manner. In fact, the man reminded him of a male version of Botan.
" Hi! You can call me, Pippin!"
Yup. Definitely Botan.
" The details please," Tatsumi interrupted before the man completely lost all track of his objective.
"Oh, uhm yes, ok." Pippin settled back down and just as suddenly exclaimed, " Gee, you people sure pick up the English language fast, you know that?"
Everyone in the room face faulted. One Botan was tolerable. Two? Aaaarrggghhh!
It was taking a lot of Hiei's self-control not to wring the man's neck. Only Kurama's wary glances shot his way held him back.
Pippin apparently did not take the hint. He went right on babbling," I mean you, Tatsumi, I can understand. You've been a shinigami for close to a hundred years or more, right? And you have interacted with other foreign bureaus so it's natural for you to pick up the language..."
"We're wearing charms that translate any language into something we can understand and vice versa," Kurama answered. He considered himself to be a pretty reasonable person but really it was too much to ask at four in the morning.
Pippin looked startled. Something in the way Kurama said the words slowly made him noticed something. He thought he'd heard Kurama speaking in English but he was really speaking in Japanese. Or was he speaking both at the same time?
"Pretty cool, huh?" Kuwabara spoke up. " I mean I thought I was going crazy too when I thought they were talking in two languages at the same time but you barely noticed. And when you try to focus on it you don't pick up the other language at all."
"Yah. I tried having fun with it once," Yusuke grinned. "Everyone hears us talking in their native language so I walked in a big room with lots of foreigners! The Americans thought I was speaking in English. The French thought I was speaking in French, the..."
Everyone else groaned at this. That was exactly what Yusuke did when he got his amulet. Keiko had to drag him out of the embassy.
"Oh! May I see the amulet?"
"Can I kill them now, Kurama?"
"No Hiei. Hang in there."
"You think you've got it bad?" Tatsumi said to Hiei. " They left me in-charge of the Brotherhood of the Fools." He held his head. His migraine was coming back.
Kazuma's amulet was a simple silver and black choker. It was Yusuke's armband that got Pippin absolutely hopping. "But this...but this..." He was completely sputtering.
"Now?"
"Not now."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm going to do it myself!"
It took a lot of fast moving on Tatsumi's part to reach Pippin before Kurama got to him first.
"Alright. That's it! Yes! We're wearing Sumerian artifacts made by god knows what for god knows who! Not only does it translate words for us it helps us shield our powers too. BUT it does not restrict us in anyway so if YOU don't get to the point NOW you will be praying to whatever gods that you believe in that THIS amulet DOES restrict us!"
The room was eerily silent. Everyone stared at Kurama who was still shaking a little at his outburst. Kurama never lost his composure no matter what the situation. Ever. This was new.
"Hey, how come my amulet's not Sumerian?"
Kurama stared at Kazuma's open curiosity and then started to laugh crazily, " Boy. Did I lose it or what?"
"Yes you did. What's wrong?" Hiei said. His friend was not acting normal. That worried him.
"I...nothing." Then he sank to his knees and held himself to stop shaking.
"Oy, Kurama. " It was Yusuke. There was worried note in his voice.
"Back of guys," Kuwabara said. " He's aura's pretty funky right now."
For once, Hiei agreed with Kuwabara. His Jagan was hurting from seeing the angry swirls of color in Kurama's aura. He'd long ago suspected that there was more underneath that calm cool exterior but just what exactly was tormenting the fox?
"It's more urgent than I thought," Pippin said gravely. "Then I will tell you a story about Creation...the Enuma Elish. The reason why we're all here in the first place."
TBC
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K.H.: Pippin! Bet you were surprised to see your name huh? ^_^ I know some of you are probably asking where this is leading. Let me just say that this fic occurs way ahead of the source material so I had to put in a lot of ground work. Once I got that out of the way it should be clear sailing. It was quite a struggle on my part not to turn this into a boring narrative and I'm still not satisfied with it. Believe me, I'd been sitting on this chapter for so long just to see if I could it improve it. No dice. So here it is and I hope I didn't do a too sucky job. It's part mystery, part adventure folks so it may be confusing at first. Mystery writers, I need help here. Any pointers? Please? I would love to entertain questions and comments. It would really help sort out those dang plot bunnies.
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