Chapter 4
Is it supposed to do that?
They used inhuman speed to get to Kurama's house, as the sun was setting and Shiori was cooking. "Mother! I've brought a friend today!" Kurama announced his presence in the kitchen. Shiori, the dark haired woman who was Kurama's mother, turned and smiled. "Oh, hello, Hiei, so nice to see you again. You and Suichi are such good friends. Suichi, take your friend to wash up; supper is almost ready. I assume you are staying the night, Hiei?" she pinned the Koorime down with her kind eyes. He nodded, staring at the floor. "What is that you have there? That's a strange shape for a bundle," she said, pointing her whisk at his shrouded egg. Hiei stared down at the parcel and lied, "Clothes and stuff." Kurama led Hiei to the bathroom, although the fire yokai knew the house inside out and backwards.
After they had eaten and helped with the dishes, Hiei sat on the bed in the guest room, the spirit egg as far away from him as possible. The lights were off, but that was not what made him stare perturbed at the elliptical orb. It was glowing from the inside. Kurama walked into the room with some towels and reached for the light switch. Hiei grabbed his hand, "Look," he pointed to the egg. Kurama turned and stared with wide eyes. "Is it supposed to do that?"
"Dunno, the brattling only gave me a few meager shreds of information about it. If it doesn't turn into a monster within a month or so and eat me, it should become something else."
"Well, if Yusuke's turned into that adorable thing called Puu, then yours may very well be just as sweet."
"Don't say that! It might hear you!" Kurama walked over to the egg and touched it curiously. The surface was smooth, like ceramic, almost glassy. The color had changed from the plain white to a dark charcoal. Though it glowed, it was icy cold.
"Hiei, I think the egg has lost some heat. Maybe you should it close to you and keep it warm like birds do to their eggs."
"I'm not touching that monstrosity any more than I have to." He said simply, crossing his arms.
"But it could die without heat!"
"Spirit eggs are different than normal eggs, how do you know if it will die?"
"How do you know it won't?"
"…Hn."
"I'm not going to tell you what to do; I'm just telling you what I think is best. Well, good night, Hiei." Kurama turned and left him after placing clean towels on the bed. Hiei glared at the door, sighed, and picked up the egg. Maybe Kurama was right, maybe he wasn't; but with a spirit egg, you don't take chances. Hiei slept that night with the egg in his arms on his stomach, so it could share his perpetual heat.
As usual, the yokai woke with the sun, drawing his katana and jumping into a battle stance at the first sound. 'Wait, what is that infernal racket!' he eyed a strange object that clanged raucously. 'Die, vile contraption!' he sliced it in two halves so fast, it kept ringing for a few second before the halves fell to the ground. With the egg in one hand and his blade in the other, he examined the object. The outside was made of round metal and the inside was a mess of tiny gears and springs. Poking the remnants with his foot, he turned a piece over that had a sticker label: ACME antique alarm clock. Price: $4,000. 'Oops.'
"Hiei, what was that noise?" Kurama said blearily as he walked into the room. Hiei spun around, hiding his katana behind his back and dropping the covering of the egg over the clock. "Nothing," he quickly lied.
"Have you seen an antique alarm clock in here? Its mother's favorite clock: a family heirloom. I could have sworn it was in the guest room…"
'Oh shit.' "Hn, haven't seen it. We're wasting daylight here, baka kitsune!"
Kurama nodded shuffled out the door, "You get in the shower while I make breakfast. No use being smelly with an empty stomach." Slightly irked by the remark, he pointed the sword at him as if to strike but Kurama's back was turned. When the fox was out of sight Hiei hastily shoved the pieces of broken clock under the bed. When they both had showered and eaten, they left the Minamino residence. Kurama came across his old backpack and lent it to Hiei to carry the egg in. Hiei kept the blue cloth around it as padding to protect it.
"Where are we going?" Hiei asked, relieved the streets were relatively free of the normal bustle.
"Well, we're going to a dance tonight, right?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, we have to get you dressed for the occasion- get back here Hiei!" Kurama wrapped his rose-whip around Hiei's ankle as he tried to flee.
"I am not dressing up! Nor am I going to let you dress me up like some stupid-"
"Hiei! Look!" a stream of black ki was leaking out of the zipper to the backpack. Hiei nearly dropped it in an attempt to shed the parcel and draw his katana at the same time. The stream ended almost as soon as it had begun. They stood, wide-eyed, even being the seasoned yokai they were. "It reacts to anger… interesting." Kurama turned his whip back into a rose and stuck it under his hair.
"It is supposed to do that?" Hiei said, poking the bag with his sword from a safe distance.
"I suppose it does. The creature inside is formed by your thoughts and emotions, and it shows externally."
"So… now what?"
"We continue to the tailor, of course! That's what we're out here for!"
"N-!"
"Don't even try to say no; I have a rose and I will use it to get what I want, so you had better submit!" Kurama loomed up on the smaller yokai, emerald eyes flashing yellow. Hiei shrunk to a chibi-size and cowered behind the backpack. "I don't wanna!" he wined, "That tailor felt me up the last time I let you buy me clothes!"
"But those pants fit like a dream, didn't they?" Kurama changed from a scary giant to a motherly… father. Hiei shifted his feet and stretched the fabric of his pants. "Yeah…so?"
"Alrighty then! Lets get you fitted for that flamenco suit!"
"Flamingo-what!"
Ten minutes later
Goddamnit I hate you, Kurama.> Hiei said in telepathy. The old man that was doing his fitting was a shriveled little creature at least ninety years old, with glasses. Not just coke bottle frames either; they were like ashtrays that made his squinting eyes the size of his twitchy palms. The old man began the task of measuring Hiei's inseam; the length from the floor all the way up his inner thigh. Oh God, he's headin' north. Get off me ya' old-fucker!
Really Hiei, I don't see what the problem is.> Kurama responded in his mind, letting Hiei hear his thoughts.
You've got a perfectly normal woman fitting you, that's why! I got stuck with this lecherous prune-mutant who takes advantage of his 'field!' Hiei shivered and stepped off the stool. "I've got my pants done. Can I leave now?"
"Not yet, you have to get your jacket fitted too."
"What the hell for!"
"It's called an outfit, Hiei, everything has to match."
"Wait a minute… why are these pants light blue?"
"That's the color of the outfit, of course! And it isn't light blue, its powder blue."
"Oh no, you're not going to-"
"Too late they're already paid for."
"Why you-!" the backpack let out another rip of energy from its place on a chair in the waiting area. The woman waiting in the chair next to it jumped and scooted farther away.
"Happy thoughts, Hiei! Happy thoughts!"
With a great deal of self-restraint, the yokai unclenched his fist, letting his hand bleed freely after having nails dig into his own flesh. "Happy thoughts…" he muttered, "Happy…happy thoughts!" he spat and stomped back to the stool, shaking the entire store with each step.
Weeeh! I wish I had a pet rabbit. I don't know why I brought that up, but I do. My sign language teacher is taking care of a rabbit for a friend and he lives in the classroom. He's got floppy ears and his name is Domino! He lollops around the room when my teacher lets him down and he is sooo friendly. I want a bunny…;-;
