Insaneningen14: I'm rather disappointed in you people, but I'll save my lecture until the end.

Chapter 18:

-(Ningenkai)-

For the fifth time, the fire demon licked his lips. 'Sweet blood…' Even now, traces of Yuki's blood remained in his mouth, enticing him. He had been too caught up in the moment, biting her lip to allow the blood flow. Resettling himself in the tree, he stared intently at the elemental through the window.

Stretching, Yuki tipped back in her chair, bending back so that her back and the chair made a right angle. All homework done, some assignments for the next day over, she was free for the night.

'Ten o'clock… I guess I could always go to sleep early…' But a jolt in her tedious position brought her out of her trance. Lips covered her own in a warm, passionate kiss. Eyes went wide in surprise, but then slid down to a half-lidded gaze. She returned the kiss, allowing him entrance. He instantly accepting, sliding his tongue into her mouth. His red eyes glazed over, a wandering hand stroking her hair.

"Hiei…" Her mind was dizzy, faint. "I need air…"

Instantly, he broke the kiss. Yuki was gasping, breathing heavily from the deep kiss. Once she regained a calmer pace of breath, he spoke.

"Koorihana, you've been overexerting yourself the entire day."

"Hiei, I'm perfectly fine." She looked away. A slight jerk to her chair made her notice that the only thing stopping her from hitting the floor was Hiei. Sighing in defeat, she faced him.

"I was slightly tired during the walk home," she admitted, "from Keiko's house."

"And school."

Yuki opened her eyes. "You know about that?" Instantly afterwards, she covered her mouth- stupid slip up.

He glared. "I'm watching you closer than you think onna. If you don't take proper care of yourself, I'll know."

She nodded. There was no way she could wiggle out of the matter (literally and figuratively).

Tipping her back farther in the chair, so that she was practically parallel to the ground, he kissed her again repetitively, short loving kisses, giving her breaks so that she could breath easier.

Nearly tearing her shirt off, he growled possessively as she gasped in pain; he had punctured her lip again, reopening the wound. He sucked on it greedily, running his hand through her hair.

'How did we get here?' Yuki blushed slightly as Hiei lay nearly on top of her, on the bed. "Hiei, we can't…"

He nuzzled her neck, nibbling at the mark. "I know onna." Reluctantly, he released her. Brushing a strand of hair away from her face, he kissed her on the lips one last time.

"Don't give up. You still have a chance to live." He was gone, window open, the breeze entering and chilling the room.

She blinked. 'I only have a month…' She shook her head to clear her thoughts, already muddled by Hiei's show of affections.

"Hey, Yuki?" Yusuke poked his head in. "I thought I heard something up here. You alright?"

"I'm fine," she responded absentmindedly. "I think I'm going to take a shower." Taking her hairbrush and her sleeping clothes, she went into the bathroom across the hall.

The detective sighed. 'Be strong.'

"Yusuke!" Botan tapped on the glass of the window. "Koenma wants you in Reikai."

"Botan, it's nighttime!"

-(Before, Reikai)-

(AN: this isn't Yusuke's flashback, it's just before, okay?)

"Come on guys, let's get this over with." The other three followed the punk, racing down the hallways.

"Don't let him leave Reikai with the artifact!" Koenma called after them. Yusuke nodded, he and Kuwabara taking the front. Hiei dropped back to talk to Kurama, but then sped up, leaving them behind.

"D--- Shrimp," Kuwabara panted. "He could at least wait for us."

Yusuke snorted. "Hiei? You must be thinking of someone else." The detective sped up as well, going at a pace somewhere between Hiei's and Kuwabara's; Kurama traveled at Kuwabara's rate, although he could go faster.

Yusuke slid to a stop when he caught up to Hiei. Staring, the detective didn't make much of the situation. "What the f---?"

Suzu, the rash Forbidden they had seen just before, was battling with another demon. She was whirling her pair of weapons with deadly speed, although not landing a hit on the other. "Don't just stand there! Usubakas! (1) Tasukete! (2)" She made a stabbing motion at the other's torso, but he avoided by moving backwards.

Hiei glared, not engaging himself in the battle though. "I don't take orders from anyone."

"Come one Hiei, spill a little blood and you'll be in a better mood." Yusuke grinned, leaping in and throwing a barrage of punches at the demon's gut. With an 'oof' he flew against the wall. Suzu flew at him, but she was deflected by a bolt of lightning.

Osamu stood, glaring ferociously, at his towering height. White-blue hair whipped around him; his eyes were closed in concentration. Bolts of lightning and drops of water danced around him in a sphere, protecting him from intrusion.

The globe expanded; Suzu tried to avoid it but got shocked slightly. Drawing back against the wall, she started to glow white, eventually becoming a flash of light. The light wove its way through the lightning, striking Osamu in the chest.

"Join us!" She turned back into her humanoid form, having him in a strangle hold, threatening to snap his neck. "I am a Conflicting! I know the pain you have gone through!"

"Never!" he roared. "You'll never know!" Lightning struck in a fury around him, water whipping in circlets. "Never comprehend!" A burst, and there was an explosion. Once the dust cleared, the others saw Osamu, panting, in the center of the room. Suzu was unconscious on the side, worn out and disheveled.

"Only Yuki can understand," he whispered to himself brokenly. "Rin…"

"OI!" Yusuke stood there, fists formed, eyes glaring. "Get over your little heartbreak and fight me already! That's what I came here to do!"

Osamu smiled kindly- not a smirk, no hidden arrogance; it was genuine. "As you wish." He ran at Yusuke, engaging himself in hand to hand combat with him. Both managed to land a couple of good hits.

Understanding it was Yusuke's fight, Kurama walked over to Suzu. Apparently unharmed except for bruising and soreness, he sat by her, watching the others. Kuwabara stood on the sidelines, clenching his fists, and glaring at them both. Hiei also watched on the side, waiting for his chance. The kitsune knew Hiei was on uneasy terms with the Forbidden for harming Yuki, and mixed with his want for bloodshed, there was a harsh dislike for Osamu.

Breaking a sweat, the two fighters jumped back, eying each other with some respect.

"Shotgun!"

Osamu barely dodged, the attack grazing his abdomen. Wincing slightly, he clenched his fist. Making a throwing motion at Yusuke, thousands of tiny water droplets flew at him, crackling with electricity. "Drop-Lightning!" Yusuke maneuvered around them, several touching his left hand though. Wincing, he examined it, discovering it to be numb and unmovable.

"Heh." The detective grinned. "Nice fight. I'll give you a chance to turn in what you stole from Reikai."

Osamu sported the same facial expression, amused. "Did you really think that I'd give it up?"

"Nah, but now I can say I tried."

"You're just like your father- his attitude and style of fighting." They resumed fighting, mixing up their attacks, Yusuke taking another numbing blow to his right lower leg, Osamu receiving an attack on his right arm. The detective took a step forward and aimed at his lower torso, but Osamu dodged up and back and-

CRUNCH

He withdrew his fist. "What the…?"

Osamu was also shocked. Trembling, he inserted his hand into an inner pocket, drawing out the newly-broken artifact. Kurama sucked in a breath; Hiei glared slightly, but was a tad bit surprised.

"I- I was going to use it… to heal Yuki." Setting it down on the ground, he shook out his pocket. Small bits of glass fell to the ground tinkling. "It was her only chance." The kitsune closed his eyes momentarily in memory.

The Forlorn Hope.

"She would have no more conflictions. She would forget about me and Rin."

"Who's this 'Rin' you're talking about?" questioned Kuwabara.

"Yuki's mother." They turned to Suzu, now conscious. "She was a koorime."

"I killed her." Osamu was now crouching, staring brokenly at the artifact. "My mate…"

"You killed your own mate?" demanded Hiei roughly. "That is unforgivable."

"I- I didn't mean to," he whispered. "She… Rin… she took my daughter… all to herself…" He looked up. "I was her father. Her ototo- I wanted to have her love me too."

"You thought that with her mother out of the picture, she would turn to you," said Yusuke.

The demon nodded. "Yes… yes…" He just stayed there, rocking slightly. "Rin never would have allowed me to touch her. Never comfort her when she cried, never hug her when she got hurt… I wanted so badly to be her father."

"Yuki still has a chance," interjected Suzu. "She can take the journey-"

"She kept on saying… that I was the one who made her daughter suffer. I passed on my plague to her. She thought I was a water demon." He made a strangled noise; Yusuke could see a tear run down his cheek, dropping to the floor. "I never wanted Yuki to be hurt. I just… I loved Rin more than anything… and I thought she loved me enough that she could accept me."

"…" The fight had obviously died down; everyone's attention was centered on the demon lord in the center of the room.

"From what the Akazuno no Tankyuusha say," began Kurama softly. "Your daughter still has the chance to live." The demoness nodded emphatically. "If you-"

"No," he whispered hoarsely, slightly louder. "I can't allow Yuki to be hurt anymore."

"From what you say, you've been making very few good choices for her future," stated Hiei bluntly. "As long as it is for her benefit, you should allow it."

He looked up. Cold eyes, clear, like the color (or lack thereof) of diamonds, shining with some shed tears. "There is one more chance. One more. One more before I can admit defeat to the Forbidden Hunters." He rose to his full stature. "One last chance. There is one more chance- I have to succeed. I have to do it- for Yuki." With a powerful leap, he jumped to the window ledge. Everyone just stood there, watching him.

"I will help heal your plum blossom too, Kurama." With a swift kick, the window shattered. He hurled himself out of it, the others letting him go. They had the artifact, broken though it was.

The kitsune closed his emerald eyes. "A devoted father."

"Or a father in want of devotion. He lacks love in his life," put in Suzu. "Few Forbiddens gain it; even less of them retain it." She turned to the others. "I have failed my mission- and you yours, in a way. Please, tell Koenma that if he wishes, I can fix the mirror, as compensation for my failure." She melted into Yusuke's shadow, and disappeared from there.

The detective sighed, taking out his communicator. "Koenma?"

"Did you get it!" They could see George peeking over the worried prince's shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Oh thank the gods." He collapsed against the back of his chair.

"But… it's broken."

"WHAT!"

"Koenma sir, they did get the artifact back-"

"Both of you! Stop worrying! We can fix it, right?" Kuwabara looked at the prince through the communicator.

He huffed. "None of the people in Reikai can. We'll have to contact the Akazuno no Tankyuusha-"

"We met them. One of the people said she could fix it as compensation."

"She broke it?"

"Nah. I accidentally punched it in his pocket."

"Yusuke, you have to be more careful-"

"Whatever binky-breath. Can you open up a portal so we can go home?"

Koenma sighed. "I don't know why I put up with you Yusuke." A glowing blue portal appeared. "Good night."

"Thank you Koenma," the redhead said, when Yusuke didn't respond. He nodded before the screen went black.

"Who is your plum-"

"I can't tell you Hiei."

"Fox, you-"

"Please Hiei, you don't understand. I can't take it." Kurama cut the connection abruptly, entering the portal.

-(Present Reikai)-

"One more chance…" Jiro stared off into space. "What could that option be?"

"He never said anything," commented Kurama. "No indication of the choice whatsoever, except it was definitely not the Journey the Akazuno no Tankyuusha take."

"He does not want to associate with us. He shuns us, saying that we will bring pain." Hotaka calmly sat down, having just stepped through a shadow with the help of Suzu.

"Osamu is distrustful, cunning- we had not expected that he be so connected to Yuki as a father. He will do anything to have us not guide her on the Journey," she put in.

"What other way is there?" asked Kuwabara.

"We are quite sure that there is no other way besides the Journey."

"Start with the obvious," put in the kitsune. "Sometimes secrets are in the open- the best place to hide them."

"A scientist." Everyone glanced over to the shadow. "Osamu could have created a defective experiment."

"What did you see when you went to his compound?" questioned Koenma. "Anything strange?"

"Lots," said Kuwabara. "Dead bodies, everything was all burned down-"

"Sorry everyone!" Yusuke entered through a portal. "What did I miss?"

(STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE)

Koenma gave an annoyed glare at the detective. "Yusuke, you have to be on time-"

"Several low-class demon bodies had been burned, not well though. One demon escaped into the forest, leading due south of the sight. We didn't follow the tracks, as they were leading us away from our target," said Kurama quickly, sparing Yusuke the wrath of the little ruler. "Osamu's castle was razed; burned down- the fire originally was also at such a high temperature that it melted most of the rocks of the walls. "

"There were two demons-" muttered Hiei "-a fire demon that burned down the castle after it fell and a plant demon that uprooted the walls."

"Fire and plants" murmured Hotaka "a forbidden pair."

"Another renegade Forbidden Child? How is that possible!"

"Calm down Suzu," stated he. "Do not jump to conclusions. It is a possibility, not yet a probability. The stars have not yet predicted a Forbidden birth among us."

"But the stars said an unbalance-"

"The only unbalance in this time is Osamu," Hotaka tersely responded.

"Osamu-"

"Suzu," he growled, but stopped his train of thought, noticing the stares around the room upon the two of them. "I apologize. Our behavior was out of order."

"No offence is taken," responded Kurama lightly. "But what did you mention about the stars predicting an unbalance?"

Glancing at the older, but getting no response, Suzu spoke. "The stars say that a Forbidden unbalance will occur, one not meant to be, where a line between demon and human will blur."

"Very vague," commented Koenma.

"Usually they are more precise," said Hotaka. "But we can only assume this time."

"A line between demon and human will blur," pondered Jiro aloud. "That does not necessarily mean Osamu- especially since I don't know any relationship with him and humans."

"Osamu said he struck a deal with a weaker demon. (1)" Everyone's attention went to Yusuke. "Do you know that demon?"

"I've never heard of anyone having a deal with Osamu," said Koenma thoughtfully. "Though I'm sure Jiro could-"

"Aki Ichiro." The Karyuudo grimaced. "The little bast---."

"Isn't your last name Aki?" Kuwabara asked.

"Yes."

"That's just a freaky coincidence, right-?"

"He's my twin."

"WHAT! Are you saying my uncle is the one behind all of this s---!"

"Trust me, he's worse as a brother," replied Jiro. "I didn't enjoy being related to the b----y little demon. Kept on going about how he was a pure-blooded demon and how he would inherit- but I whooped his cocky little ass every time. Didn't like to be beaten by a filthy hanyou," he swore under his breath, although everyone could hear; they sweat-dropped. "Oh, did I want to strangle him every time his head got too big to sit on his shoulders."

"Eh… Jiro, I need you to find out some information on your brother. What he's up to."

He grinned. "I'll be more than satisfied to do so. Got a portal? The same place where you dropped these four off." A blue one opened next to Koenma's desk. "Thanks." He disappeared into it.

"You four, I want you to keep an eye out for anything strange. And make sure you take care of Yuki. We don't know if her father will come after her or not, but we don't want either to be harmed." They all made some form of assent, filing into the portal to the Ningenkai.

"Can you fix it?" Koenma anxiously laid out the remains of the Forlorn Hope. "My father will return soon."

"Of course," responded Suzu. "It's simply a job of melding light and shadow. I can finish it in three days."

"Good," he sighed. "My father will be back in five. Do you need any accommodations?"

"It'd be safer to not leave Reikai with the artifact, so yes- I'll stay here for the next few nights."

"Thank you so much." Fake tears streamed out of the toddler's eyes. "You don't know how much this means to me." They sweat-dropped.

: End Chapter

(1) Look at chapter nine for reference

Insaneningen14: okay. Let's get straight to the point. YOU PEOPLE SUCK AT REVIEWING. I still don't have the Halloween chapter up, and you know why? Cause I was waiting for intended amount of reviews. And I did not get them. So at this rate, the actual Halloween chapter might go up in December.

FIVE REVIEWS.