Authoress: um...yeah...well, last chappie was really messed up, I know...GOMEN
NASAI!!!!!..anyways...I promise this chapter will be long...--;;; I have nothing else to do...so
I'll put as much time as I can in this chappie
Yusuke: snorts nothing else to do? rolls onto the floor, laughing
Authoress: glares okay...I'm kinda handicapped at the moment...--;;;;;;; I got into a bit of a scuffle with a rock and lost...;;; the dudes at the Emergency Room had fun sewing meh knee back together!
Kurama: stares at bandaged leg Oo
Authoress: count 'em, foxy boy! Nine!!! Well...seven to hold the skin togetha' and two to fix up the muscles in my knee...;; Yeah...it was interesting to see a cross-section of my knee...very weird...
Koenma: begins to turn green OO dashes towards the bathroom
Hiei: points and laughs
Authoress: 've mastered the technique of not bending my right leg and still walk around...
Kuwabara: walk? snort YOU WOBBLE!!!!!!
Authoress: takes out note pad and begins to write a new Yaoi story So, Kuwabara...should it be Hiei...hm....or maybe...YUSUKE!?!?!?!?!? laughs manically
Hiei/Yusuke: OO OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDD!!!!!!
Kuwabara: runs in fear
Disclaimer: Really...do you people -think- I own Yu Yu Hakusho?! --;; sighs if I did...I would...um...do things that shouldn't be mentioned in mixed sexual preference company...;;;
Chapter Fifteen
Kurama, going against the instincts screaming inside him, entered the room slowly, letting the waves of youki surround him. He could almost see the powerful energy, cautiously moving around his body, as if it was studying him from all angles. Kurama forced his body to move slightly, keeping his arms at his sides.
He remembered all the things Kuro told him about this delicate time during the bat youkai's life,
and realized he forgot to tell Yukina something, for the child to stop this 'tantrum,' there were two people needed. Kuro told him that he was his younger siblings' "caretaker" as the bat put it,
and that the Yume was Kura's other, and visa versa. That bat youkai continued on his explanation, telling Kurama that the child took on their caretaker's characteristics, their looks,
personalities, and other defining features. Kurama thought such a thing was strange, but he had heard of things even stranger, so he forgot about that topic, until today.
Kuronue stressed that if Kurama ever had to be a caretaker, he needed to make sure that he, or the other person, always stayed near the child. "Why is that?" Kurama asked, glancing over at the youkai who had, yet again, brought up the topic of a bat youkai's childhood. He and Kuro had known each other for nearly a decade now, but lately, Kuro had been talking about children a great deal more.
"Well, if both of the caretakers die, then that kid's alone...we hate to be alone...especially growing up. If you wouldn't have found me that day...when we first met...I probably wouldn't have lived much longer. We...we need another being near us, someone we can trust with our lives...our secrets..." Kuro trailed off, stretching himself across the mound of cushions he had been lounging on for the past half hour. Kurama eyed him for a moment, still curious as to why Kuro was bringing all of this up. 'He's been acting strange lately...I wonder why...' Kurama thought, still trying to gather the nerve to ask what was going on in Kuro's mind. "It...it pains us,
both mentally and physically to not have someone to talk to, to have someone to love."
Kurama's ears perked up as he grinned, pulling himself up from his sitting position against the cave's cold wall, and walked over to the youkai, immediately laying down next to Kuro. "Did you just say you love me?" Kurama asked softly, propping himself up on one arm to look down at Kuro.
"Idiot, of course I love you!" Kuro retorted, lifting his head high enough to brush his lips against Kurama's brow. He couldn't help but blush slightly as he laid his head back down,
realizing what he had just done. "Does that mean I have your consent?" Kurama questioned seductively, shifting his body so he was looming over Kuro, still supported by his right arm. Kurama hadn't ever known he had such willpower, until he met the youkai. When he first met Kuro, he hadn't thought much of the bat, but when he saw that Kuro was quite talented in thieving, he immediately took him in as part of his 'gang.' Kurama had watched the scrawny, malnourished bat slowly grow into a beautiful,
soft-spoken, and very loyal addition to the group. Kurama had first felt a pang of desire towards Kuro when he 'accidentally' saw the bat bathing one day. Kuronue was singly the most gorgeous youkai he had seen, but he knew Kuro better than anyone else. Kurama had felt downcast for weeks, remembering how vehemently Kuro answered to the question about taking a lover. The bat seemed almost apprehensive to do so, but Kurama didn't know why...until he had cornered Kuro one night, nearly forcing himself on the nocturnal demon. Kurama almost lost his control, but regained it when he heard the youkai's protests. Once Kuro stopped shaking from the near-rape experience, he told Kurama he was still a virgin, and he would only have sex with the one he professed his love to. Kurama smiled down at the youkai beneath him, remembering that he called Kuro a 'destiny-believing moron' that night, but he had, slowly, realized that he wanted the demon more than anyone else. Within a few weeks after that night, Kurama became celibate, something that was nearly impossible for him to do. Kurama knew he would give up anything for the raven-
haired demon, but his will-power was truly challenged when Kuro started to get close to him, talk to him almost every night before he took watch, before Kurama went to sleep. Lately, Kuro had become more comfortable with Kurama, allowing himself to drop all guard when he was around the kitsune. Kurama's patience, celibacy, and love for the youkai finally paid off when he heard those words come out of Kuro's mouth.
"Um...K-Kurama...I-" Kuro never got the chance to finish that stammered sentence as Kurama's lips met his in a crushing kiss. The bat squirmed underneath Kurama for a moment,
only stopping when Kurama removed his mouth from Kuro's. Kurama stared down at the demon's flushed face, glad he hadn't lost his ability to make someone speechless with a single kiss. 'Most of the time, that's not even necessary,' Kurama thought to himself proudly, letting his free hand trail along Kuro's jaw, tracing the youkai's beautiful face. "What's your answer, Kuro?"
The bat stared at him for a moment, gasping for breath. Kurama had kissed him once before, but this time it was different, this time, he wanted Kurama to do it again. He tried to answer Kurama, but the words wouldn't come out, so he curtly nodded his head, inwardly wondering what he was getting himself into.
Seeing that small gesture of agreement, Kurama nearly jumped up to do a victory dance,
but, instead, sat up and smiled at the bat youkai. "Stay here a sec," he whispered, letting his hips grind against Kuro's for a moment, then stood up and quickly walked out of the quiet cave.
Within a minute, Kurama was back on top of the demon, this time with much fewer clothes and a great deal more blushing on Kuro's part. When they were both on the brink of collapsing, Kuro asked what Kurama left for, and the youko grinned. "Kiss me and I'll tell you."
The bat couldn't help but lift his head from Kurama's chest up to his mouth and gently pressed his lips against Kurama's, inwardly wondering how an innocent kiss could make his heart beat faster, make him nearly forget to breathe, and, even in such a state of exhaustion, make his lower body react. "I told someone else to take the night watch," Kurama replied softly, wrapping his arms around Kuro's body and gingerly massaged the demon's surprisingly soft wings. Kuro's face paled slightly when he heard Kurama's answer. "What is it?" Kurama asked, worried with the change in his lover's expression.
"Everyone will know...what we've done..." Kuro answered quietly, his face warming as he laid it back down on Kurama's muscular chest. "Like they couldn't guess from all the noise you were making?" Kurama questioned,
getting an embarrassed glare from the youkai. Kuro continued to shoot daggers at him until Kurama firmly grabbed the demon's muscular behind, which made Kuronue yelp in surprise. "Ready for another round?" Kurama asked, inwardly smirking when he felt his lover's answer pressing against his thigh. "I'll take that as a yes..."
Those memories of Kuro, at one time, pained Kurama more than anything else, making him tear at times, others, making him snap at anyone and everyone. He hated being reminded of the only person who loved him for who he was, and who he loved in return, but after nearly a century,
Kurama's heart had finally healed. He knew he would never forget, he would never let himself,
but now that he had a chance to make amends with Kura, he could think about Kuro and smile,
remembering how just one demon made his life worth living.
He knew he took Kuro for granted while the bat was alive, but didn't acknowledge it until he stood besides Kuro's grave, with the mirror that took his lover's life in his hands. He went into a suicidal lifestyle after that, and eventually succeeded in having himself killed. While Kurama felt his body die, he knew that Kuro would hate him for what he had done. In an act of pure shame for what he had become, he entered the Ningenkai and entered the body of the unborn Minamino Shuichi.
Now, after years of having the love of a mother, the friendship of everyone around him, and the kindness he never knew existed, Kurama wasn't ashamed to say he was falling in love again, but this time, he wouldn't be able to get Hiei to say he loved him. Not even on his deathbed, would Hiei ever utter such words, but Kurama had already realized that, and still loved the Koorime. Kurama continued to walk towards the origin of the youki, trying to shake those thoughts out of his head and replaced it with wondering who would be the second, if he was the first. 'It can't be Yukina...but who else has gotten close to Aisu?' Kurama wondered, breathing in relief when he realized he was already standing next to the child's crib.
Aisu's crying had softened since he entered the room, but Kurama could still see that the child was in pain. Kurama gently laid his hand on Aisu's chest, immediately knowing that he wasn't the 'first,' but the second caretaker. The child's face was not different from the last time Kurama saw him, but Kurama could see the baby's hair was different. It now took a blue sheen and looked softer...more like fur than hair. Kurama could tell who the child had taken after, but didn't believe it until he saw Aisu open his large eyes.
The child looked up at Kurama with those familiar eyes, eyes exactly like the one person who was least likely to become attached to the infant. He giggled, his arms waving for Kurama to pick him up, and, as Kurama lifted the small child out of the crib, his eyes widened. Right before his eyes,
Aisu's obsidian hair became streaked with blood red, and his eyes became more slanted, like Youko Kurama's. /Hey, look at that...he looks like me/
[Poor kid]
/What's that supposed to mean/
[Nothin'...Ugly]
/Why I oughta/
[Nani]
:Are the two of you going to shut up anytime soon?: Shuichi asked, his eyes still fixated on the child's blood red orbs, which now did make the baby look more like the kitsune. Kurama gently laid the child's head on his shoulder as he pressed his fingertips against Aisu's spine,
feeding his ki into the child.
Aisu buried his head into Kurama's shirt, his small hands clutching the soft material, as Kurama's energy, a mixture of reiki and youki, entered the small youkai's body. He was surprised to see that Aisu's body was relaxing, as if he was somehow taking all the pain from the child. From his knowledge of youki, Kurama thought that doing such a thing would harm another being, but the child was actually benefitting from it. Kurama recounted all of his conversations with Kuro,
again, and remembered that the bat had told him that growing one's wings was a long and very bloody experience, something no one would want to go through twice. Kurama shifted the child in his arms, but kept his hand on the baby's back, continuing to feed his energy into Aisu. Kurama found that the more energy he gave the child, the more relaxed Aisu seemed. He glanced up from the child when he heard someone whisper his name.
"Kurama...what did you do?" Yukina asked softly from the doorway of the dim room.
"I'm not quite sure..." Kurama replied, walking closer to Yukina. "We're in for quite a day..." He commented quietly, looking down at the child who was now asleep in his arms.
"What's all this about, Koenma?" Kuwabara asked between yawns, only moving from his laying position on a futon to grab for a bottle of water.
"Yeah, I mean, not for nothing, I have to sleep!" Yusuke stated, glaring at the deity out of a half-
opened eye. "It's already past midnight."
"Like you don't stay up past then?" Koenma retorted. He, like the others, had already begun to feel the effects of staying up so long. "Anyways...as I was saying before Kuwabara interrupted me...we have to make a decision about that youkai baby. There's rumors of a war brewing in the Makai...and that's the last place I would want to send him, but at the same time, my father's breathing down my neck...he wants Aisu out of the Ningenkai immediately..."
"You can't seriously believe we'd let him go back to the Makai!" Yusuke pointed out. He had discovered that he, like everyone else on the team, had developed a soft spot towards the orphaned youkai.
"We could have his youki contained until he is old enough to control it...that way, he won't be a danger to humanity," Kurama suggested from the open doorway. Yusuke and Kuwabara whirled around to stare at the red-head, surprised that neither one of them sensed him there.
Kuwabara furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, noticing that Kurama's energy was dangerously low, but the kitsune looked fine, just slightly tired. "Could we do that?" Yusuke asked curiously,
glancing from his youko friend to Koenma. "I mean, would your father allow that?"
"He should...if the boy has no youki, then there is no reason to make him return to the Makai..."
Koenma said thoughtfully. "But, if he doesn't have use of his youki when he's young, who's to say he'll ever be able to control it? He's already a B-class youkai, and he's only a few months old..."
"If you think he won't be able to control his youki when he gets older, we won't return it to him,"
Kurama replied. "Then again, containment like that is very unstable...near death experiences or times of heightened emotional trauma could break it..."
"We'll vote...everyone in favor for Kurama's idea..." Yusuke stated, immediately raising his hand. Kuwabara quickly followed the black-haired Reikai Tantai, but Koenma and Kurama were hesitant. "C'mon, you two...if we let him back into the Makai, he'll surely die...I thought Yukina said you're going to be the closest thing he has to a parent, Kurama...and you, Koenma...would you send an innocent baby like that to his death?"
"Fine...I'll go look up on youki containment..." Koenma replied, standing up from his chair. "I'll be in the Reikai if you need me..."
Kurama watched as the toddler disappeared, then sighed. "It isn't that easy, Yusuke...the methods of youki containment were banned a thousand years ago...by Koenma himself...because they are very unpredictable...and for someone with Aisu's potential, we would need a great deal of energy to create it..."
"What's the containment thing like? He just loses everything, or what?" Kuwabara asked curiously, glancing over at Kurama.
"Think of the container as a black hole, sucking in every ounce of a certain youki out of a demon,
without killing them...it is literally a tear in dimensions, created by a great deal of energy,
programmed specifically for that sole youkai. It takes time to create, but the most powerful...successful containment was on a D-class youkai...I believe King Yama himself created it...and used all of his power..." Kurama trailed off, not wanting to sound even more pessimistic about the plan.
"Successful?" Yusuke repeated questioningly.
"Hai...if one single thing is off, if something unexpected happens, it would kill everyone within a thousand kilometer radius..." Kurama replied. "If he wasn't such a powerful demon, it wouldn't be a problem..."
"So, why did you suggest it?" Kuwabara questioned, sitting up and examining Kurama. He noticed that the kitsune was about ready to fall over from exhaustion. "Why don't you sit down for a while? I mean, Yukina can take care of Aisu..."
"I guess you're right, Kuwabara..." Kurama said, walking into the room and sitting down in the chair Koenma was in a minute ago. Kuwabara and Yusuke watched as Kurama dozed off fairly quickly, almost the exact instant he sat down.
"If this kid's such a problem...why doesn't Koenma take him to the Reikai?" Kuwabara asked.
"Because, baka, the Reikai is the -human- afterlife, Kurama and Hiei are the only demons I've ever seen there...and it's not exactly like they were invited to live there..." Yusuke replied. "I guess King Yama really doesn't like youkai...but if we can pull this off...we'll have a great Reikai Tantai to take over for us when he gets older..."
"Yeah...he probably would be able to take care of any and all problems..." Kuwabara agreed. "Urameshi...this might sound strange...but, before...when Yukina told us that Aisu was stable...I could feel Hiei's youki...but...it was...warped."
"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara hesitated, staring down at the bottle of water in his hands for a minute before answering the man across from him.
"I mean, that when I felt his youki...it wasn't exactly Hiei's...but really close. It was as if...well...that youki was created from Hiei's....and Kurama's...."
"Duh, idiot...didn't you hear a thing Yukina said? Both of their youki are what stabilized Aisu...moron," Yusuke retorted, rolling his eyes at the orange haired ningen.
"No, I know that...it's just...well, those are who's energies were strongest. I also felt yours...mine...and, strangely enough, I think I sensed Jin and Touya's for a second. All of our energies were all weird..."
Kurama looked from Yusuke to Kuwabara, inwardly telling the two demons in his mind to remain silent for a few minutes. "What do you think Kurama?" Yusuke asked curiously, glancing over at the quiet youko. Kurama shrugged his shoulders, immediately making Yusuke supicious, but didn't get the chance to ask the red-head about it. Koenma burst into the room so suddenly, no one had the chance to react before he went into a detailed explanation.
"Father was in a very good mood and agreed to the containment, under one condition..." were the only words the three Reikai Tantai could pick up from Koenma's rushed speech. Yusuke looked at his boss curiously, his eyes asking what the condition King Yama said was. "His youki is to be permantly contained and Aisu is never to know he's a demon."
"NANI?!" Were the first words coming out of Yusuke's mouth, followed by an angry retort. "And how do you expect to hide the fact he's a demon from him?"
"He'll be forced into a human form..." Kurama commented quietly from his seat near Kuwabara. /Ooo...harsh...never knowing he's a demon/
[I say do it, there's no other way he'll survive]
:But...it's cheating him...doesn't Aisu deserve to one day know who...what he is:
[If I were him, I'd rather live than be a powerful demon and be a danger to everyone around me]
/For once I have to agree with the moron/
[-Moron?- I beg your pardon, fuzz ball]
/ooo...you're gonna get it one day, Scaley/
[Oh, that's original]
"Let's do it..." Kurama's words broke the silence that had enveloped the four men. Koenma nodded his head slowly, as if he were dreading it. Kuwabara sighed, performing the same motion as the deity.
"Yusuke?" Koenma glanced over at the motionless detective who was deep in thought.
"Fine, but what do we have to do?" Yusuke asked, gazing from Koenma to Kurama.
"We need to get some powerful demons..." Koenma replied sarcastically. "Only youki will create the tear...and the youki needs to be far greater than Aisu's level now. Then we have to find a place where we can create the containment...incase something does go wrong..."
"If something goes wrong...we die, right?" Kuwabara piped up from his chair, feeling useless since he obviously couldn't help create the tear.
"Hai." Kurama's grim response made Yusuke lift an eyebrow. The Reikai Tantai knew Kurama knew something, but what exactly, he couldn't even begin to guess.
Authoress: sorry about the short chappie...but I've been lazy, and my buddies hounded me into writing something new...so here it is SAM!!! glares daggers
Yusuke: what is Kurama hiding? TELL MEEE!!!!
Kurama: sneaks out of the room
Authoress: until next time...sayonara...and I think it's totally obvious what's going to happen...but that's just me...please review!!!!!!!!!! ;
Yusuke: snorts nothing else to do? rolls onto the floor, laughing
Authoress: glares okay...I'm kinda handicapped at the moment...--;;;;;;; I got into a bit of a scuffle with a rock and lost...;;; the dudes at the Emergency Room had fun sewing meh knee back together!
Kurama: stares at bandaged leg Oo
Authoress: count 'em, foxy boy! Nine!!! Well...seven to hold the skin togetha' and two to fix up the muscles in my knee...;; Yeah...it was interesting to see a cross-section of my knee...very weird...
Koenma: begins to turn green OO dashes towards the bathroom
Hiei: points and laughs
Authoress: 've mastered the technique of not bending my right leg and still walk around...
Kuwabara: walk? snort YOU WOBBLE!!!!!!
Authoress: takes out note pad and begins to write a new Yaoi story So, Kuwabara...should it be Hiei...hm....or maybe...YUSUKE!?!?!?!?!? laughs manically
Hiei/Yusuke: OO OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDD!!!!!!
Kuwabara: runs in fear
Disclaimer: Really...do you people -think- I own Yu Yu Hakusho?! --;; sighs if I did...I would...um...do things that shouldn't be mentioned in mixed sexual preference company...;;;
Chapter Fifteen
Kurama, going against the instincts screaming inside him, entered the room slowly, letting the waves of youki surround him. He could almost see the powerful energy, cautiously moving around his body, as if it was studying him from all angles. Kurama forced his body to move slightly, keeping his arms at his sides.
He remembered all the things Kuro told him about this delicate time during the bat youkai's life,
and realized he forgot to tell Yukina something, for the child to stop this 'tantrum,' there were two people needed. Kuro told him that he was his younger siblings' "caretaker" as the bat put it,
and that the Yume was Kura's other, and visa versa. That bat youkai continued on his explanation, telling Kurama that the child took on their caretaker's characteristics, their looks,
personalities, and other defining features. Kurama thought such a thing was strange, but he had heard of things even stranger, so he forgot about that topic, until today.
Kuronue stressed that if Kurama ever had to be a caretaker, he needed to make sure that he, or the other person, always stayed near the child. "Why is that?" Kurama asked, glancing over at the youkai who had, yet again, brought up the topic of a bat youkai's childhood. He and Kuro had known each other for nearly a decade now, but lately, Kuro had been talking about children a great deal more.
"Well, if both of the caretakers die, then that kid's alone...we hate to be alone...especially growing up. If you wouldn't have found me that day...when we first met...I probably wouldn't have lived much longer. We...we need another being near us, someone we can trust with our lives...our secrets..." Kuro trailed off, stretching himself across the mound of cushions he had been lounging on for the past half hour. Kurama eyed him for a moment, still curious as to why Kuro was bringing all of this up. 'He's been acting strange lately...I wonder why...' Kurama thought, still trying to gather the nerve to ask what was going on in Kuro's mind. "It...it pains us,
both mentally and physically to not have someone to talk to, to have someone to love."
Kurama's ears perked up as he grinned, pulling himself up from his sitting position against the cave's cold wall, and walked over to the youkai, immediately laying down next to Kuro. "Did you just say you love me?" Kurama asked softly, propping himself up on one arm to look down at Kuro.
"Idiot, of course I love you!" Kuro retorted, lifting his head high enough to brush his lips against Kurama's brow. He couldn't help but blush slightly as he laid his head back down,
realizing what he had just done. "Does that mean I have your consent?" Kurama questioned seductively, shifting his body so he was looming over Kuro, still supported by his right arm. Kurama hadn't ever known he had such willpower, until he met the youkai. When he first met Kuro, he hadn't thought much of the bat, but when he saw that Kuro was quite talented in thieving, he immediately took him in as part of his 'gang.' Kurama had watched the scrawny, malnourished bat slowly grow into a beautiful,
soft-spoken, and very loyal addition to the group. Kurama had first felt a pang of desire towards Kuro when he 'accidentally' saw the bat bathing one day. Kuronue was singly the most gorgeous youkai he had seen, but he knew Kuro better than anyone else. Kurama had felt downcast for weeks, remembering how vehemently Kuro answered to the question about taking a lover. The bat seemed almost apprehensive to do so, but Kurama didn't know why...until he had cornered Kuro one night, nearly forcing himself on the nocturnal demon. Kurama almost lost his control, but regained it when he heard the youkai's protests. Once Kuro stopped shaking from the near-rape experience, he told Kurama he was still a virgin, and he would only have sex with the one he professed his love to. Kurama smiled down at the youkai beneath him, remembering that he called Kuro a 'destiny-believing moron' that night, but he had, slowly, realized that he wanted the demon more than anyone else. Within a few weeks after that night, Kurama became celibate, something that was nearly impossible for him to do. Kurama knew he would give up anything for the raven-
haired demon, but his will-power was truly challenged when Kuro started to get close to him, talk to him almost every night before he took watch, before Kurama went to sleep. Lately, Kuro had become more comfortable with Kurama, allowing himself to drop all guard when he was around the kitsune. Kurama's patience, celibacy, and love for the youkai finally paid off when he heard those words come out of Kuro's mouth.
"Um...K-Kurama...I-" Kuro never got the chance to finish that stammered sentence as Kurama's lips met his in a crushing kiss. The bat squirmed underneath Kurama for a moment,
only stopping when Kurama removed his mouth from Kuro's. Kurama stared down at the demon's flushed face, glad he hadn't lost his ability to make someone speechless with a single kiss. 'Most of the time, that's not even necessary,' Kurama thought to himself proudly, letting his free hand trail along Kuro's jaw, tracing the youkai's beautiful face. "What's your answer, Kuro?"
The bat stared at him for a moment, gasping for breath. Kurama had kissed him once before, but this time it was different, this time, he wanted Kurama to do it again. He tried to answer Kurama, but the words wouldn't come out, so he curtly nodded his head, inwardly wondering what he was getting himself into.
Seeing that small gesture of agreement, Kurama nearly jumped up to do a victory dance,
but, instead, sat up and smiled at the bat youkai. "Stay here a sec," he whispered, letting his hips grind against Kuro's for a moment, then stood up and quickly walked out of the quiet cave.
Within a minute, Kurama was back on top of the demon, this time with much fewer clothes and a great deal more blushing on Kuro's part. When they were both on the brink of collapsing, Kuro asked what Kurama left for, and the youko grinned. "Kiss me and I'll tell you."
The bat couldn't help but lift his head from Kurama's chest up to his mouth and gently pressed his lips against Kurama's, inwardly wondering how an innocent kiss could make his heart beat faster, make him nearly forget to breathe, and, even in such a state of exhaustion, make his lower body react. "I told someone else to take the night watch," Kurama replied softly, wrapping his arms around Kuro's body and gingerly massaged the demon's surprisingly soft wings. Kuro's face paled slightly when he heard Kurama's answer. "What is it?" Kurama asked, worried with the change in his lover's expression.
"Everyone will know...what we've done..." Kuro answered quietly, his face warming as he laid it back down on Kurama's muscular chest. "Like they couldn't guess from all the noise you were making?" Kurama questioned,
getting an embarrassed glare from the youkai. Kuro continued to shoot daggers at him until Kurama firmly grabbed the demon's muscular behind, which made Kuronue yelp in surprise. "Ready for another round?" Kurama asked, inwardly smirking when he felt his lover's answer pressing against his thigh. "I'll take that as a yes..."
Those memories of Kuro, at one time, pained Kurama more than anything else, making him tear at times, others, making him snap at anyone and everyone. He hated being reminded of the only person who loved him for who he was, and who he loved in return, but after nearly a century,
Kurama's heart had finally healed. He knew he would never forget, he would never let himself,
but now that he had a chance to make amends with Kura, he could think about Kuro and smile,
remembering how just one demon made his life worth living.
He knew he took Kuro for granted while the bat was alive, but didn't acknowledge it until he stood besides Kuro's grave, with the mirror that took his lover's life in his hands. He went into a suicidal lifestyle after that, and eventually succeeded in having himself killed. While Kurama felt his body die, he knew that Kuro would hate him for what he had done. In an act of pure shame for what he had become, he entered the Ningenkai and entered the body of the unborn Minamino Shuichi.
Now, after years of having the love of a mother, the friendship of everyone around him, and the kindness he never knew existed, Kurama wasn't ashamed to say he was falling in love again, but this time, he wouldn't be able to get Hiei to say he loved him. Not even on his deathbed, would Hiei ever utter such words, but Kurama had already realized that, and still loved the Koorime. Kurama continued to walk towards the origin of the youki, trying to shake those thoughts out of his head and replaced it with wondering who would be the second, if he was the first. 'It can't be Yukina...but who else has gotten close to Aisu?' Kurama wondered, breathing in relief when he realized he was already standing next to the child's crib.
Aisu's crying had softened since he entered the room, but Kurama could still see that the child was in pain. Kurama gently laid his hand on Aisu's chest, immediately knowing that he wasn't the 'first,' but the second caretaker. The child's face was not different from the last time Kurama saw him, but Kurama could see the baby's hair was different. It now took a blue sheen and looked softer...more like fur than hair. Kurama could tell who the child had taken after, but didn't believe it until he saw Aisu open his large eyes.
The child looked up at Kurama with those familiar eyes, eyes exactly like the one person who was least likely to become attached to the infant. He giggled, his arms waving for Kurama to pick him up, and, as Kurama lifted the small child out of the crib, his eyes widened. Right before his eyes,
Aisu's obsidian hair became streaked with blood red, and his eyes became more slanted, like Youko Kurama's. /Hey, look at that...he looks like me/
[Poor kid]
/What's that supposed to mean/
[Nothin'...Ugly]
/Why I oughta/
[Nani]
:Are the two of you going to shut up anytime soon?: Shuichi asked, his eyes still fixated on the child's blood red orbs, which now did make the baby look more like the kitsune. Kurama gently laid the child's head on his shoulder as he pressed his fingertips against Aisu's spine,
feeding his ki into the child.
Aisu buried his head into Kurama's shirt, his small hands clutching the soft material, as Kurama's energy, a mixture of reiki and youki, entered the small youkai's body. He was surprised to see that Aisu's body was relaxing, as if he was somehow taking all the pain from the child. From his knowledge of youki, Kurama thought that doing such a thing would harm another being, but the child was actually benefitting from it. Kurama recounted all of his conversations with Kuro,
again, and remembered that the bat had told him that growing one's wings was a long and very bloody experience, something no one would want to go through twice. Kurama shifted the child in his arms, but kept his hand on the baby's back, continuing to feed his energy into Aisu. Kurama found that the more energy he gave the child, the more relaxed Aisu seemed. He glanced up from the child when he heard someone whisper his name.
"Kurama...what did you do?" Yukina asked softly from the doorway of the dim room.
"I'm not quite sure..." Kurama replied, walking closer to Yukina. "We're in for quite a day..." He commented quietly, looking down at the child who was now asleep in his arms.
"What's all this about, Koenma?" Kuwabara asked between yawns, only moving from his laying position on a futon to grab for a bottle of water.
"Yeah, I mean, not for nothing, I have to sleep!" Yusuke stated, glaring at the deity out of a half-
opened eye. "It's already past midnight."
"Like you don't stay up past then?" Koenma retorted. He, like the others, had already begun to feel the effects of staying up so long. "Anyways...as I was saying before Kuwabara interrupted me...we have to make a decision about that youkai baby. There's rumors of a war brewing in the Makai...and that's the last place I would want to send him, but at the same time, my father's breathing down my neck...he wants Aisu out of the Ningenkai immediately..."
"You can't seriously believe we'd let him go back to the Makai!" Yusuke pointed out. He had discovered that he, like everyone else on the team, had developed a soft spot towards the orphaned youkai.
"We could have his youki contained until he is old enough to control it...that way, he won't be a danger to humanity," Kurama suggested from the open doorway. Yusuke and Kuwabara whirled around to stare at the red-head, surprised that neither one of them sensed him there.
Kuwabara furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, noticing that Kurama's energy was dangerously low, but the kitsune looked fine, just slightly tired. "Could we do that?" Yusuke asked curiously,
glancing from his youko friend to Koenma. "I mean, would your father allow that?"
"He should...if the boy has no youki, then there is no reason to make him return to the Makai..."
Koenma said thoughtfully. "But, if he doesn't have use of his youki when he's young, who's to say he'll ever be able to control it? He's already a B-class youkai, and he's only a few months old..."
"If you think he won't be able to control his youki when he gets older, we won't return it to him,"
Kurama replied. "Then again, containment like that is very unstable...near death experiences or times of heightened emotional trauma could break it..."
"We'll vote...everyone in favor for Kurama's idea..." Yusuke stated, immediately raising his hand. Kuwabara quickly followed the black-haired Reikai Tantai, but Koenma and Kurama were hesitant. "C'mon, you two...if we let him back into the Makai, he'll surely die...I thought Yukina said you're going to be the closest thing he has to a parent, Kurama...and you, Koenma...would you send an innocent baby like that to his death?"
"Fine...I'll go look up on youki containment..." Koenma replied, standing up from his chair. "I'll be in the Reikai if you need me..."
Kurama watched as the toddler disappeared, then sighed. "It isn't that easy, Yusuke...the methods of youki containment were banned a thousand years ago...by Koenma himself...because they are very unpredictable...and for someone with Aisu's potential, we would need a great deal of energy to create it..."
"What's the containment thing like? He just loses everything, or what?" Kuwabara asked curiously, glancing over at Kurama.
"Think of the container as a black hole, sucking in every ounce of a certain youki out of a demon,
without killing them...it is literally a tear in dimensions, created by a great deal of energy,
programmed specifically for that sole youkai. It takes time to create, but the most powerful...successful containment was on a D-class youkai...I believe King Yama himself created it...and used all of his power..." Kurama trailed off, not wanting to sound even more pessimistic about the plan.
"Successful?" Yusuke repeated questioningly.
"Hai...if one single thing is off, if something unexpected happens, it would kill everyone within a thousand kilometer radius..." Kurama replied. "If he wasn't such a powerful demon, it wouldn't be a problem..."
"So, why did you suggest it?" Kuwabara questioned, sitting up and examining Kurama. He noticed that the kitsune was about ready to fall over from exhaustion. "Why don't you sit down for a while? I mean, Yukina can take care of Aisu..."
"I guess you're right, Kuwabara..." Kurama said, walking into the room and sitting down in the chair Koenma was in a minute ago. Kuwabara and Yusuke watched as Kurama dozed off fairly quickly, almost the exact instant he sat down.
"If this kid's such a problem...why doesn't Koenma take him to the Reikai?" Kuwabara asked.
"Because, baka, the Reikai is the -human- afterlife, Kurama and Hiei are the only demons I've ever seen there...and it's not exactly like they were invited to live there..." Yusuke replied. "I guess King Yama really doesn't like youkai...but if we can pull this off...we'll have a great Reikai Tantai to take over for us when he gets older..."
"Yeah...he probably would be able to take care of any and all problems..." Kuwabara agreed. "Urameshi...this might sound strange...but, before...when Yukina told us that Aisu was stable...I could feel Hiei's youki...but...it was...warped."
"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara hesitated, staring down at the bottle of water in his hands for a minute before answering the man across from him.
"I mean, that when I felt his youki...it wasn't exactly Hiei's...but really close. It was as if...well...that youki was created from Hiei's....and Kurama's...."
"Duh, idiot...didn't you hear a thing Yukina said? Both of their youki are what stabilized Aisu...moron," Yusuke retorted, rolling his eyes at the orange haired ningen.
"No, I know that...it's just...well, those are who's energies were strongest. I also felt yours...mine...and, strangely enough, I think I sensed Jin and Touya's for a second. All of our energies were all weird..."
Kurama looked from Yusuke to Kuwabara, inwardly telling the two demons in his mind to remain silent for a few minutes. "What do you think Kurama?" Yusuke asked curiously, glancing over at the quiet youko. Kurama shrugged his shoulders, immediately making Yusuke supicious, but didn't get the chance to ask the red-head about it. Koenma burst into the room so suddenly, no one had the chance to react before he went into a detailed explanation.
"Father was in a very good mood and agreed to the containment, under one condition..." were the only words the three Reikai Tantai could pick up from Koenma's rushed speech. Yusuke looked at his boss curiously, his eyes asking what the condition King Yama said was. "His youki is to be permantly contained and Aisu is never to know he's a demon."
"NANI?!" Were the first words coming out of Yusuke's mouth, followed by an angry retort. "And how do you expect to hide the fact he's a demon from him?"
"He'll be forced into a human form..." Kurama commented quietly from his seat near Kuwabara. /Ooo...harsh...never knowing he's a demon/
[I say do it, there's no other way he'll survive]
:But...it's cheating him...doesn't Aisu deserve to one day know who...what he is:
[If I were him, I'd rather live than be a powerful demon and be a danger to everyone around me]
/For once I have to agree with the moron/
[-Moron?- I beg your pardon, fuzz ball]
/ooo...you're gonna get it one day, Scaley/
[Oh, that's original]
"Let's do it..." Kurama's words broke the silence that had enveloped the four men. Koenma nodded his head slowly, as if he were dreading it. Kuwabara sighed, performing the same motion as the deity.
"Yusuke?" Koenma glanced over at the motionless detective who was deep in thought.
"Fine, but what do we have to do?" Yusuke asked, gazing from Koenma to Kurama.
"We need to get some powerful demons..." Koenma replied sarcastically. "Only youki will create the tear...and the youki needs to be far greater than Aisu's level now. Then we have to find a place where we can create the containment...incase something does go wrong..."
"If something goes wrong...we die, right?" Kuwabara piped up from his chair, feeling useless since he obviously couldn't help create the tear.
"Hai." Kurama's grim response made Yusuke lift an eyebrow. The Reikai Tantai knew Kurama knew something, but what exactly, he couldn't even begin to guess.
Authoress: sorry about the short chappie...but I've been lazy, and my buddies hounded me into writing something new...so here it is SAM!!! glares daggers
Yusuke: what is Kurama hiding? TELL MEEE!!!!
Kurama: sneaks out of the room
Authoress: until next time...sayonara...and I think it's totally obvious what's going to happen...but that's just me...please review!!!!!!!!!! ;