Ode to the Scorned
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Chapter 3: Words of Guilt and Repentance
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By now, the delicate pink blossoms of the sakura trees were withering and falling with reluctance from the safety of their branches. Kurama intensely watched the petals as they began to litter the freshly grown grass outside of Yusuke's apartment. Without their attachment to the tree, the leaves would slowly decay, each one being cruelly stepped on by an unknown passerby who didn't even give it a second thought until there was nothing left but small flecks of pulpous soil mixed with dirt. The blossoms, just like humans, were short-lived and rarely impacted another so that it would be remembered after it vanished.
"I don't suppose you have a plan?" Hiei asked humbly, noticing the transfixed expression on Kurama's face.
Emerald eyes met crimson ones while no emotion whatsoever betrayed his calm look. Hiei often found something in the way Kurama conducted himself that could be easily interpreted as him forming a strategy. It had always been something too subtle for Yusuke of Kuwabara to catch, but it had been necessary for Hiei to learn of. He had been deceived by Kurama only once in his life, but he wouldn't allow that to happen again. Kurama was always planning, stepping outside the narrow perspective that others had and pinpointing even the most infinitesimal weakness of an opponent. While blinded with greed, Kurama easily tore down Hiei's feeling of invincibility. That was Kurama's expertise. His power didn't lie with his strength so much as his mind, although that had not always been the case. He had only managed to live that long because he had both strengths, and without both, Hiei knew, Kurama's life in this time would be much shorter than usual. But when tasks became personal, it was difficult to understand what the kitsune thought of or how he planned to get himself out of terrible situations. Still, he had always had a way.
'That's not true.' Hiei thought to himself. 'He didn't have a plan eighteen years ago and it almost cost him his life.'
"If at all possible, I would prefer that the other two aren't involved in the battle." Kurama murmured his eyes closed as he tried to block out the interferences of the cherry trees and the sound of Kuwabara and Yusuke ruthlessly fighting over which video game to play.
"Aa." Hiei replied. "It would seem as though you are starting to think you can't go through with this. You better reconsider."
"The human body is a frail thing, Hiei." Kurama extended his numbing leg out so the circulation could return to it. "I've fought in many conflicts, each time slowly regaining the powers I lost from my former form, but at the expense of this body." He tugged at his pant leg, revealing his gruesome scar that he had tried so hard to hide from them. Its jagged pattern should have been easy to spot from a far distance, yet Hiei could not recall noticing it in the past years.
"What are you getting at?" Hiei narrowed his eyes at him.
"You and I both know that these battles never get easier and only someone with immense strength would dare take Botan from under Koenma's nose. At my current condition, I can not heal the wound Karasu's bombs inflicted on me. I may not walk away form this one with just a simple scar."
Kurama had always been strange, as either human or demon. He knew death better than anyone else for he had been death itself, slaughtering countless lives, and then he had experienced the other end of the sword when he was almost killed. The mere thought of death usually caused a person to panic and question their purpose on earth. Yet Kurama spoke of death as a child would of taking a midday nap. It was just something that had to be done, not that it was always wanted.
"Stop trying to act like a hero. I needed some good practice, so I didn't even intend to let you fight."
Kurama looked at Hiei and smiled. At least he could go there knowing that Hiei understood, this knowledge coming from the untimely jab just seconds ago.
'The cherry blossoms... are there to serve at the pleasure of the tree. It is proof enough that the tree summons the blossoms back every year and they selflessly obey with the understanding that they won't last long. The tree serves a greater purpose than the blossoms, so it should be sufficient that the petals even existed for the tree. But the petals accomplish much for the tree before they too must inevitably expire with time. They attract attention, whether it is good or bad, and that allows the tree to live on through its regeneration in pollen and seeds. It is then that even the lowly blossoms have a chance of rebirth.'
"Are you prepared then?" The red-head nodded wordlessly. It was good to have a companion like Kurama, a man who went fearlessly into battle, still confident in his abilities even if he knew they may not save him in the end. He never made rash decisions in the fear of death, neither did Hiei. "Then let's go before those idiots come in here."
"Alright."
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"I'll leave her for you, Kuronue. I can't stand her voice." Kurama departed from the house, quickly disappearing in the shrouded mist of the night. That woman had a strange aura about her, and her screams echoed in his ears bringing only the slightest feeling of guilt before he distracted himself with the victory of his latest heist.
Back at the house, the black-haired demon proceeded to recklessly toss the furniture across the room, demolishing anything that would have indicated that a peaceful family once lived there. Botan trembled in fear and pain, her hand still stinging from the acidic saliva from Kurama's plant. 'Well, at least I know now that no one was just faking their pain when they fought Kurama.' Botan though with dull sarcasm as she tore a bit of cloth from her jacket to wrap her hand. It was too late to try to hide from the bat-youkai because he had already found her, so as soon as her bandage was secured she tried her best to stay still, hoping he would soon tire of his destruction and leave.
He made his way through the back of the house, tearing apart every room as though in search for something. Botan pushed herself up and ran to the door and out of the house. Dawn was breaking, hindered only by a gentle downpour of rain which revealed the devastation of the night's raid. Small orange embers were smoldering as the precipitation fell steadily. Another crash from inside the house caused Botan to continue to run.
'They will save me, I know they will.' She thought to herself. 'Koenma will send Yusuke and the others...' No comfort came from the thought, however, because Kurama's cold eyes, which had been so willing to let her die, frightened her even though he had gone. Though he was certainly different from the Kurama of her time, this was Kurama in his true self. It was also what the Kurama of her time strived to reclaim. And in the end she couldn't be sure if this was the true past. If it was, then if they defeated Kurama in this time, it would surly end his existence in her time.
"Where are you running off to?" Came a deep growl.
'I can't let him catch me!' She felt the rain start to fall harder; her lack of rest added to the weight of her watered-down clothing began to slow her adrenaline rush. She was easily overcome from behind, her face smashing against the moist ground as her body skidded to a stop. The weight of the demon above her constricted her lungs. She braced herself for an attack only to feel his rough hand against her other cheek, flipping her around from underneath him.
"Let me go!" She demanded, turning away from his unrelenting glare. "When my friends come..."
"They won't." He answered quickly. "You heard Youko. There isn't a person alive that can save you. Except me." He leaned over her, his face coming closer to hers.
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The sky of Makai was already turning black, evil thriving in the slow growing abundance of dark. Kurama trudged on, his pace becoming annoyingly faster, each step becoming more difficult for Hiei to keep up with. It took too long to walk the paths of Makai searching for any particular demon or whatever it was that took the deity, and as the moments passed by, Kurama's anger began to build up. Hiei figured that pretty soon his anger would blow their cover. He needed to draw Kurama's attention away from the thought that the detective's assistance might already be dead.
Yet nothing came to him. Hiei grunted inwardly at his lack for words. Comforting anything wasn't something he was ever good at, nor did he ever want to be. His jurisdiction included Makai, and he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Inside, Hiei knew that he was mostly at fault for ignoring the spirit detective and his little group. They were essential to the safety of Makai, though he would never admit to such. But Kurama was really mad about her kidnapping. A smirk graced his lips for a moment.
"How have things been in Ningenkai?"
"What do you mean?" Kurama said through lightly gritted teeth.
"I haven't been back there in a couple of months."
"I wasn't aware you were concerned with our dull lives."
"Maybe it isn't as dull as I thought." His grin grew as his words started to corner the fox. "You've broken several Makai and Spirit World rules to get over here, without so much as a clue as to her whereabouts. You're standing on a very thin wire, Kurama, and it's about to snap."
"Does your speech have a point, Hiei?" Hiei fully enjoyed the ire that surrounded Kurama and could have sworn that his eyes were burning with fury.
"You'll pay a great price for all this, no matter the outcome." He said more seriously. "The child gave you orders and you disobeyed them. Your presence here may not help the situation at all."
"That is a risk... that I have to take."
"Why?" He abruptly stopped.
"Because I..." He slowed down, and then stopped as well. "Botan was gathering all of us for a mission, and as she left for Kuwabara's house, something possessed my younger brother."
"Why didn't you mention that earlier?"
"You know as well as I do what happens when Koenma involves himself and the others in important battles." He paused. "We can't afford that much bloodshed this time, not when there's an innocent life on the other side."
"And so you've concluded that you must protect her from both her kidnapper and her friends?"
He wanted to explain that it was much more complicated than that, but Hiei was talented at wording things down to their simplicity in order to receive the answer he wanted. It was in those instances that Kurama did not speak to him in order to keep from incriminating himself. Hiei was the only person who constantly kept him on his toes. He was numerous steps ahead of the others, but Hiei was never far behind, continuously making him question his own motives and powers. Life was always black and white; even with his other accomplices, but Hiei had a fairer balance of respect and lack of fear for the kitsune, and most likely thanks in part to Kurama's human form.
"Then you'd report me to your superiors?"
"I don't have superiors, you fool." Hiei glared at the red-head whose sense of humor easily angered him.
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"I see." She whispered, leaning against the wall with the phone pressed to her ear. "No, nothing's wrong... I just wanted to know if there were any events coming up... No? No, that's fine. Actually, Shuichi hasn't been feeling well, but I was wrapped up in work and forgot to excuse his absence.... If you could do that, that would be great. Alright, thank you."
Shiori slid down the wall, clutching the phone close to her heart. It hadn't been the first time he had lied to her, and she never knew when to expect him home, if he chose to go back home. From his birth, he had always been... different. It was something that her husband had noticed earlier than she had, all the while she had excused his placid behavior as a boy being content with his surroundings. She should have known known that no child could ever be so accepting of their life. At least not the way Shuichi had been.
And it wasn't as though her husband hated their son. That was far from the truth. They had once been a truly happy family. Shiori drew her legs up close to herself and rested her chin on her knees. Her husband had grown weary of their son before he died, but she had not noticed until recently. After he died, Shuichi slowly began to change. He had been so young. She had believed he was young enough that he should have been able to get over his death quickly. But he had turned his back on the world, absorbing himself with school.
It hadn't been his obsession with knowledge that was disturbing because he gave her a great pride like none other in her life. But there were instances where he treated her... like she was mediocre. She felt herself choke at that thought. He had every right to think so. He was much smarter than anyone she had ever known. She would have ventured to say that he had the power to be violent... until her own accident that left her arms blemished.
After that, Shuichi became a completely obedient child, overly so sometimes. Shuichi was the definition of perfect. He had grown into a handsome, smart, loyal young man. And still, he seemed to be living another life. One which wouldn't allow Shiori to guide him and where he could possibly...
"How's the field trip going for him?" Kazuya knelt down next to his wife, reaching out for her shoulder in concern. "Is everything alright?"
"Oh, yes. He's having a great time." She offered a weak smile. "But he won't be able to call until they get back." As she stared into the gleaming brown eyes of her new spouse, a tinge of guilt rushed through her as she realized how easily she was able to lie to him. Shuichi was her life, and she felt she had to protect him at all costs. In any case, her son would do the same for her and she truly had no idea where he was.
"Well..." He sighed. "Then let's go out and find something for us to do then."
"Okay."
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"You're fortunate that we stumbled upon you tonight." Kuronue's hot breath met at her ear before he spoke again. "Who knows what demon waits out there for you."
Botan scanned the rainy field, screams emanating from the forest just yards away. Cries were met with vicious roars from lower class demons, a battle for the right to live ensued before her eyes.
"Why have you done this?" She yelled, receiving a smirk as he stood up above her.
"Betrayal." He smirked wickedly, grasping her shirt by the collar. "Have you ever been betrayed?" Botan glared and answered his question with silence. "Don't you find fallen angels interesting in the least? They are, as the name states, angels, aren't they? Yet it is the blood on their hands which so prevents them from living a virtuous life."
"There's not virtue in slaughtering people!"
"Don't be naive." He hoisted her into his arms, taking flight in the rainy skies. "Do you think there is no way to repent enough for past sins just to be with someone?"
"Demon's can't repent. You don't feel that you should be held accountable for those lives you ended, and that is why your hands will always be stained in blood." Anger welled up in her chest. "She had children!"
"She was well taught in deceiving people, though I should have guessed you were none the wiser. That woman was a demon just as I am. Her hands stained just as mine. And for what reason do you think her life is so different from mine? If we can't repent, what do we do?" He chuckled to himself. "Just think of me as a demonic savior. Nothing can excuse our sins and we can't all suffer forever, can we? I just brought her suffering to an end sooner than she would have liked." He glanced down at the blue-haired girl and gave an annoyed sigh. "I let her children live, didn't I?"
Botan quietly bided her time, the rain sending shivers throughout her body. The demon that held her scowled out in the distance, rain fused with thick blood dripped from the rim of his torn hat.
'This is Kurama's life.' She bit her lip as the blood trickled onto her arm. So many innocent lives ended, for the sake of one scorned man. How can he even be the same person I know? It can't be this has to be some sort of illusion. But Koenma had mentioned Kurama's past atrocities. I don't even know what to think anymore...'
"You actually brought her back?" A voice broke her thoughts as Kuronue's feet touched the ground. "Where she will no doubt attract the attention of every bandit within yards of here."
"Or perhaps she already attracts your attention?" He smirked. "They've all got their own women to keep themselves preoccupied. Once again, Kurama, you are the only demon without one."
"Village women," He waved Kuronue past the entrance of their dwelling, a noticeable grimace tugging at his face. "Are nothing but a nuisance. I thought you would have learned that by now, Kuronue."
Kuronue tossed Botan a nearby bed and turned back to his accomplice. He walked up within inches from the kitsune-youkai and paused.
"I worry about you sometimes."
"And why is that?" Kuronue extended his arm and smacked his friend on the shoulder.
"No man can go too long without the touch of a woman. Honestly, without those 'nuisances,' what reason would your men still have for fighting for you? Women are good for motivation, and while you prefer those youkai wenches, they can never compare to the gentleness of humans."
Kurama stepped away. "Their touch will make you weak. Don't expect me to save you when you live solely for the happiness of a human woman. Their lives are expendable and their only purpose, my friend, is to line my pockets with their gold."
"No amount of treasure can save your soul, Youko." He brushed past the silver-hailed kitsune. "I'm not going to preach to you, but you've been acting strangely for the past few weeks. Maybe you're in need of a well deserved break, Kurama. I had things I had to do anyways; she's all yours tonight."
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KaraKurama: I'm trying to answer that question, but it's still a little cloudy in my own mind. I have so many directions I want to go with this story, but I don't want it to be another "Oh, they look at each other and just fall in love blah blah blah" kind of story, you know? So I hope to actually get Kurama in a scene with Botan in the next chapter, then maybe.... something will happen. Heh.
Magus Black: Thanks for dropping another review and I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. I hope it's worth it.
Licensed to Kill: I've been struggling to keep an original idea for my plot when I've spent so long reading others stories before I wrote mine. I just wasn't completely satisfied at how these two always end up being paired (i.e. they gaze into each other's eyes and fall madly in love even though they've been looking at each other since Kurama came into the picture, but we'll just add in that he loved her then too), but I'm afraid my stab at it may just be what I wanted and not so much what anyone else wants. In any case, it's extremely helpful to have reviews like yours because it assures me that I might have something going here. Thanks for being so positive about my story. That means a lot to me and helps to quell my... ahem... writers block. I'll try to keep some torture in there, since that's what happens in most of my stories, but I hope not to overdo it.
Crescentmoon-cat: I was sort of iffy about making Youko too mean to Botan, but I'm somewhat sure of what I'm going at with this now. I don't like the idea that Youko would fall in love with just any blue-haired girl he met because it's not really his character, you know? Anyhow, thanks for reviewing.
Lord of the dark Fluffiness: Let me start off by saying I love your name thingy (what is it called? shrugs). Anyways, thanks for dropping a review.
