A/N: Hello once again, Fellow Ningen!
So, I think I might take to making the chapters longer and experimentally did so with this chapter. Let me know what you think! I could probably make them even longer than this, but I will at least try this length for a while.
Symbols Guide:
* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko/Shikiyoku and Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.
As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."
The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Toriko, or rather her demonic side, comes to realize that her human side and Hiei initiated a pact that places Hiei as her protector.
Two days later and Toriko and Akari go out to eat at a ramen stand to celebrate Akari's improvements at school.
While they are there, Akari spots Otento and drags Toriko along with her as she follows him.
Our four favorite heroes were out and about to attempting to spring a trap for Otento,
and thinking Akari means to betray them, Hiei alerts Kurama
and then attempts to distract Otento while waiting for the others...
Otento's expression did not change when Hiei dropped down into the alley behind him, sending a glance of nonchalance over his shoulder to indicate that he did know the fire demon was there. He remembered the speed of this demon from his previous encounter and he was in no mood to challenge him on that front.
"Surely you don't expect me to leave my back facing you." Otento did not turn around, but he aimed the question at Hiei, his thoughts whirling new tactics already forming in his mind at these...complications. 3
Akari's eyes had moved to the sky when her ears had picked up on the sound of cloth being whipped by the air. She'd witnessed the falling of Hiei into the alleyway, and instantaneously the rut in her stomach had grown exponentially. She was beginning to feel sick; she remembered nothing of Toriko being so involved with this demon, and she also remembered nothing of this being a part of a plan that she had been in on, apparently. She'd been waiting on this 'leader' to confront her, and nothing had happened. Now here she was, expected to know what to do? She glanced back at the panicked Toriko, expression blank but eyes shining with thoughts. Panic.
The group had already hated her. Now, she had no idea what was going on, and her life could be on the line. A frown tugged her lips downward and she turned back to the two males in front of her, thinking as quickly as her mind allowed.
Nothing.
There was nothing she could do to get out of this mess. And no doubt Hiei had told the others, and she knew she was in trouble. But even worse, Toriko was looking for shelter from this demon, who had obviously been around several times, and Akari had lead her right to him. "Hey," she called, her tone even despite her jumbled thoughts and emotions. "This was not specified."
Hiei glared hard at Otento, watching every twitch of his muscles, waiting for another attack like the last time he'd seen him. A sneer broke on his features at his words of his back being to the demon. "You're not as foolish as you make yourself look." His hand gripped his katana, bringing it forth in a silent warning that meant he would kill without question.
His eyes roved between Akari and Otento, teeth still bared as he stood in their way. And when Akari's voice sounded, he glared at her. Surely she didn't think he would believe something like her being unaware? At the very least, she seemed calm enough about the situation, her eyes periodically roving not only to him, but behind her to Toriko as well.
He shifted his grip on his blade in warning, the light from the nearest streetlamp shining across the smooth metal. "I wouldn't." *
As Hiei finished speaking, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke appeared behind him, Hiei in a second brief contact with Kurama having given the location of the others.
There was a moment of tension as the four guys said nothing and did nothing, letting their presence impose itself upon Otento.
For his part, Otento huffed a small laugh, his eyes seeing the new arrivals in peripheral view. He let his gaze catch Akari's and hold it for a moment, "We seem to have been interrupted, darling. I'm sure I'll catch you another time."
Without warning, three blades nearly as thin as needles whistled through the air, tossed forward by Otento's expert hand seemingly out of nowhere on his person. They flew past Akari, missing her precisely, and lodged into the top of Toriko's right shoulder in a neat line, her arm immediately giving out and she slumped down on top of it. Her muscles tightened in distress, but she made no sound, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut again.
"Toriko!" Kurama cried, beginning to move towards her, pulling his rose whip out and sending a vicious lash towards Otento. But in the moment that it took for Toriko to fall over, Otento disappeared into the night air and Kurama kept running at Toriko, Kuwabara quick to join him while Yusuke clenched his fists together and stared up at the sky where he thought he'd seen Otento jump. He came back to himself and glared at Akari as Kuwabara and Kurama ran past her.
"What did you do?" His eyes were accusatory, his question demanding an answer and the muscle in one of his arms twitching as he fought an urge to punch her right then and there. 3
Hiei glared hard at the people in front of him, not even glancing at the three that joined him in the alleyway. His wrist twitched just a bit at Otento's laugh; he wanted nothing more than to behead the demon, but again, something stopped him. For a moment, anyways.
But that moment was all the blonde needed. Within that moment, he had spoken, thrown very small objects across the way, and then disappeared. Hiei would have followed, but every fiber in his being held him there, staring at Toriko and trying to figure out what had just been tossed. He would have followed Kurama and Kuwabara, but he decided to stay by Yusuke, dark eyes training on Akari as well.
Akari's eyes had widened at his words, and panic had become completely evident in her eyes as she watched the three needle-like objects flew in her direction. Contrary to her instincts, she stayed where she was, watching each one whizz by her and hearing them hit the flesh of the girl behind her. She turned to look at the girl, then turned to Otento again, only to see he was nowhere in sight.
Her breath became short, her fists clenching at her sides and her head bowing so her bangs hid her eyes. She heard the people run by her, but didn't look up until she was addressed. And when she lifted her head to meet his gaze, she had a sneer on her features. She knew she wouldn't be able to make an escape like Otento had, and she knew they wouldn't listen to her about the matter.
"What exactly do you believe I've done?" *
"Yusuke!"
The boy looked up to see Botan wheeling in from the darkened sky on her oar, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face.
She landed gracefully on the ground near him, "Koenma needs to see you. Now." She left no room for arguing, but Yusuke tried anyway.
"Botan-"
She cut his protest short by raising a hand, "I'm here to take you all there."
"But-" He pointed a finger at Akari.
"No buts!" Botan asserted, "She's coming to!"
"Botan, we could use you..." Kurama called from where he knelt over Toriko.
Botan's eyes narrowed as she glanced over Akari's shoulder to the red-haired avatar. "Bring her. I'll take care of it when we get to Koenma's, but we need to go now."
Kurama and Kuwabara came up behind Akari, Toriko limp, but held delicately in Kurama's arms, Kuwabara holding her textbooks and bag.
"Alright. Let's go."
~!**!~
"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, ogre, I cannot-" Koenma looked up to see those he called coming into the room and he stopped his sentence, pushing ogre back from where the two of the were bent over some paperwork on the Prince's desk, "Oh good! You're here."
Kurama gently placed Toriko down on the floor, Kuwabara setting her things down next to her, and Botan scurried over to assess the damage caused to the girl while the two boys went to stand with Hiei, Yusuke, and Akari in front of Prince Koenma.
"Koenma! You've got to do something about this demon!" Yusuke immediately gestured angrily at Akari.
"Oh?" Koenma raised an eyebrow quizzically. "And what exactly do you mean?"
"She basically offered Toriko up to some sleazy demon and-"
Koenma held a hand up to stop Yusuke in much the same way that Botan had, turning his neutral gaze onto Akari and holding her eyes for a moment before speaking, "So? Did you actually have anything to do whatever it is he's accusing you of?" 3
Hiei's expression twitched at Akari, but he hadn't had any time to say anything as a voice yelled from above. Red eyes turned up to the skies, witnessing Botan fly in. He scowled. Koenma had been watching. And yet the girl was still living.
He didn't say anything as they were ushered to follow her, to report to the prince of Spirit World. He simply sheathed his katana and complied, deciding that he'd just see how this went.
When he found himself standing in the small office, his arms were crossed over his chest and he was left watching quietly from the side, waiting, watching.
Akari crossed her arms over her stomach, her expression calm. She'd gathered herself in a matter of moments, her thoughts becoming ordered despite the unease she still felt in her stomach. Yet, when she wasn't addressed by the prince immediately, she felt a bit better. By the time Yusuke had said something, she was calm in every aspect, confident even. Why, she had no idea.
Akari raised a brow at Yusuke, then turned the upraised brow onto the prince when he addressed her. "No," she replied calmly, shifting her weight only a bit to appear more casual. "I have not." *
"Fine." Koenma turned back to the others, "Now, we have a-"
"WHAT?" Yusuke shouted, "No. Way. She's has to be with this creepo blondy."
"I would hope-" Koenma stopped, frowning, "Wait, blonde?"
"Yeah," Yusuke said it as if the fact were obvious, "There's been this weird blonde guy stalking short-stuff over there for like a month." Yusuke gestured over his shoulder at Toriko, still laying down with Botan attending her.
Koenma sighed and put a hand to his forehead, shuffling through the papers in front of him until finding the one he wanted and scowling at it, "Tall? Skinny guy? Purple eyes?"
"That's the one." Kurama affirmed.
Koenma glanced over at ogre, "Seems we were a little slow on this one, huh?"
Ogre thought it best not to say anything and Koenma sighed before turning back to the others and going on, "There are rumors floating around that Youko Kurama is in Human World-"
"Well, duh." Kuwabara rolled his eyes, jerking a thumb at Kurama.
"There's more to it than that. He amassing a gang of demons consisting of any he can find in the Human Realm."
"You were doing all that this whole time? You sly fox." Yusuke grinned.
"I must admit that I have no recollection of any such 'amassing.'" A small smile played over Kurama's lips.
"Well, of course it isn't the actual Youko Kurama." Koenma resisted rolling his eyes, "But someone posing as Youko Kurama. The name holds a lot of power. And whoever it is apparently can look the part convincingly enough to gather a loyal following. Obviously, this poses a problem."
Kurama nodded, "If his presence alone is attracting demons into Human Realms, I'm surprised there hasn't already been other results."
"I don't exactly know how he's keeping the demons under control, but it leads me to believe that the demons are smart enough to know how to blend in among the humans, which means nothing less than likely B Class. And remember that there must be a hole of some sort to allow them through. Anyway," Koenma waved his hand dismissively, "The first problem is taking care of this psuedo-Youko. If we kill him it's likely the rest of the mess will clean up easy."
"Sever the head of the snake..." Kurama provided the beginning of the saying.
"Exactly." Koenma frowned, looking down at the paper, "I have no idea what interest this blonde demon has with Toriko, but from what I've gathered he's definitely one of the higher-ups within the chain of command of the false-Youko's gang and you should keep your eyes out for him."
He addressed all of those in front of him once more, "I need just a little more time, but I am fairly certain I can get you the location of this 'Youko's' hide-out and it'll be at that point you'll get sent in to terminate the guy. I did want to make you all aware of the situation so that you'll be on the lookout for any suspicious activity for the next couple of days. Keep your heads up. I don't think this is a situation where we can afford to be caught off-guard. Dismissed." 3
Akari listened to Koenma, half-surprised that nothing more was said about her. But when the topic of the army of demons came up, she stood up straighter, her mind bringing forth the image of the letter she'd been given. She remembered something about an army being mentioned, but it had been such a vague invitation that she hadn't understood.
And, at the mention of Youko, she glanced over at Kurama. She had forgotten that tidbit about the redhead; it'd only been briefly mentioned to her back when Sensui had begun planning the entire ordeal. He'd told her not to tell the rest, and to simply ignore the fact because it wouldn't matter to her. A smile stretched her lips suddenly; at least Sensui's words were useful in some sense, despite everything.
She opened her mouth as soon as Koenma was done speaking, serious all over again. "The way they recruit is by discreet letter invitation. It's vague, no real details given. I've been trying to get answers myself, but I didn't think he was directly involved with the group until today." Her head tilted to the side slightly, her eyes glancing over the people around her. "I hadn't known he was after Toriko. I apologize for my mistake." *
Koenma rustled around the paper pile again, mumbling to himself, "I think the invitation method you're referring to may be specific to your situation. There aren't really any free-roaming demons in the Human Realm for obvious reasons, so most of their recruits are coming from Demon World. We don't have a lock on what portals they're coming through yet."
At this point, Koenma turned his eyes onto each of his four male employees in turn, "And I hadn't been informed of any demon's interest in Toriko either, so it appears you aren't the only one from whom secrets were being withheld. Next time I'd advise one of you coming to me instead of attempting to take matters into your own hands. Who knows what could have happened had you not accidentally stumbled upon the scene that you did tonight."
Kurama didn't bother protesting, having already felt responsible for the mishaps of the evening, and Kuwabara and Yusuke both knew when they were being admonished and said nothing as well.
"Botan, you can take them back now." Koenma ordered.
Botan heaved a weary sigh as she stood up from where Toriko still lay on the ground. Kurama immediately went over to them.
"It's going to take more work." Botan told him. "Those aren't ordinary daggers. I'll take you all back to Human World." She gestured down at Toriko and Kurama obliged by gently lifting the girl again, "I'll have to do more once I get her back to her home, but I think everyone else needs a good night's sleep." She picked up Toriko's things, "Let's go." 3
Akari nodded in acknowledgement of Koenma's view, realizing she should've thought of that. It made her wonder how many demons were actually hiding at this point, but she didn't voice her curiosity for obvious reasons. Instead, she turned to look at Botan, only glancing at Toriko before turning her eyes away in guilt. She hadn't known what Otento had been after, and she'd lead the girl to a place where she'd been hurt. She didn't think she'd be able to tell the girl how mistaken she was for thinking so little of the situation.
So, when Botan began grabbing Toriko's things, Akari offered a hand, picking up a text book and handing it over silently, figuring she wouldn't be wanted around.
Within a few moments, Akari was standing a little away from the group, looking around at the darkened streets that were beginning to empty of people and cars alike. The wind had picked up a bit, carrying the smell of an oncoming storm, but she didn't care. What caught her attention was Nabu prancing his way up the sidewalk, tail wagging and tongue lolling.
"I've been looking for you! We were supposed to play today!"
Akari sighed. "Not today. Sorry." she grumbled, not caring if the group heard her, as she turned to walk away, a hand in her pocket to feel the note she'd kept on her since it'd been given to her.
~!**!~
Hiei scowled to himself when his feet touched the sidewalk and Yusuke and Kuwabara began talking about dinner among other things.
"Man, I'm starved," the two complained in unison, Kuwabara rubbing his stomach and Yusuke looking around for nearby restaurants.
The completely ignored the scoff that the fire demon gave, and they both turned to Kurama. "So, what now? I mean, the demon's gone and Binki Breath is telling us to twiddle our thumbs and wait for orders." Yusuke asked, crossing his arms. "I'm sick of waiting."
"What else can we do? We don't exactly have the information we need," Hiei said casually, hands in his pockets as he glanced at Botan and Toriko. He had already decided he'd follow. *
"I would suggest staying put might be the better option. Keep your eyes peeled, though. I am by no means saying we've seen the last of our blonde demon friend. And anyway, I believe Koenma is much closer to discovering the location of our next mission than he wanted us to think."
Kurama flicked some dirt from the shoulder of his coat, "As for food, there is a lovely ramen shack near here and I could go for a bowl of it myself."
"RAMEN!" Yusuke pumped a fist into the air, "WOO-HOO! Last one there pays the bill!" He took off down the street with Kuwabara protesting loudly and taking off after him.
Kurama waited until the other two were out of immediate earshot, "I don't suppose you were planning on checking to make sure Botan and Toriko make it safely, but if the thought hadn't occurred I would encourage you to consider it." He started to walk away from Hiei and waved a hand in goodbye without turning around to see if the fire demon followed or not.
~!**!~
"Here you are, girl." Botan had little trouble lowering the girl's tiny frame onto the bed in the room Botan assumed had to be hers.
Botan set down the books and things and sighed, eyes turning back to the injury Toriko acquired in the alleyway.
"These things are nasty." Botan stuck her tongue out at them.
She bent over Toriko to examine them, lodged halfway into the top of her shoulder with a solid six inches showing, but all of them no wider than a pencil at the end sticking out, tapering thinner until they disappeared into the fabric of her school uniform. Their silver, metallic sheen was cruel even in the near-darkness, and Botan reached over to turn on the lamp at the bedside table to her right. The yellow glow filled the room with warmth and Botan sighed again, kneeling down onto the floor and resting her elbows on the comforter, framing her face with her hands.
"I really don't know what to do. I could heal the wounds up from the inside and force the daggers out." Botan said aloud to no one in particular, reaching one hand over to gently touch one of the three daggers and pulling back quickly in shock of the sharpness.
The blades seemed to be able to cut from all sides, which explained how they'd gone so deep so quickly. Botan couldn't imagine the force with which the attacker threw them, and these were no ordinary daggers.
She heard a small meow from behind her and turned around to see a black cat with two differently colored eyes trot into the room.
"Hey, there." She reached a hand out which the cat obligingly took a sniff of before allowing her to stroke his head.
After one pet, the cat slipped around her and landed softly on the bed, his eyes worried as he made his way up to Toriko's shoulder and sat down on his haunches to regard the three daggers.
"I know." Botan frowned, "There's something odd about them and I'm not for sure what it is."
The cat said nothing, but continued to stare at the daggers.
"I guess I'll try again." Botan raised up onto her knees so she could reach both hands over to Toriko's shoulder, an otherworldly glow pulsing into existence between her hands and the shoulder.
"Poison?" Botan thought to herself, concentrating and testing the nature of the daggers. "No. Not quite. But there is something..." The light slowly faded and Botan's frown deepened. "I guess I need to get them out, but it would be a lot easier to deal with the wounds if I knew what exactly was going on."
Botan took the larger bottom portion of her kimono's sleeves and wound them around her hands before taken a hold of the first dagger and yanking it out as straight as she possibly could.
The fabric of her kimono did not tear, but Botan could feel the steely edge of the dagger nearly biting through. It took a great deal of effort to slip the dagger out, and as she did so she gasped, the hole left by the dagger suddenly ripping farther down the front of Toriko's shoulder, tearing both the skin and her school uniform.
Moving quickly, Botan dropped the dagger onto the bedside and reached to remove the other two weapons, the cat sniffing disapprovingly at the discarded blade while she did so.
Twice more she took out daggers, twice more Toriko's wounds grew larger until it looked as if some giant animal had swiped three nasty claws from the top of her shoulder down nearly three inches.
But the cuts, though deep, did not bleed, even when Botan tore that portion of Toriko's uniform open and held her hands over the openings. She grunted as the light swelled from her hands again, but the wounds did not cooperate, stubbornly remaining open, and Botan again got the feeling that something else was wrong, she was missing something important.
"Botan. I need you back here."
Botan ignored Koenma's call for a moment, a bead of sweat starting to trickle down the side of her face before she let go of her powers and sat back on her feet.
"Botan." Koenma's voice sounded more urgent.
"Well. I guess it's fine for now. I mean, she's not going to bleed to death, right?" She didn't sound very sure of herself. "I'll check back as soon as I can. You keep an eye on her, now, you hear?"
She aimed the last part at the cat as she stood up and swept up the three daggers from the bed, waving her other arm to call her oar into existence and sitting upon it, ducking as she swooped out the open window into the night sky. 3
Hiei nodded at Kurama and then turned away, taking off in the direction of Toriko's home, his entire being screaming at him to get there. He couldn't comprehend why he felt the urgent need to make sure she was okay. He merely followed his instincts; they hadn't failed him before.
He moved silently through the night, ignoring the sounds of the night life in the trees, of dogs barking throughout neighborhoods, among other animal sounds he didn't care for. He ignored them altogether, moving automatically and on autopilot until he reached Toriko's front lawn. Then, he thought for a moment, assessing the outside of the building before making up his mind.
Like usual, he turned to the trees and took his perch outside the bedroom window, looking into the room in time to see Botan form her oar in her hand. He moved to the shadows, though he didn't exactly know why, and waited until she was gone to slip into Toriko's room himself.
He stared at the open, not-bleeding wounds on Toriko's shoulder, confused. He hadn't seen something like this before now.
~!**!~
Akari walked along the sidewalk, hands in her pockets still and Nabu on her heels, occasionally pawing at her shoes. "Please? You promised!" he begged, a small bark shattering the quiet that had ensued for only a few minutes. "A promise is a promise, Akari."
The demon sighed. "Nabu, it's been a-"
"It's been a long day, blah blah blah. You always say that. It can't be that hard to walk on two legs."
An exasperated sigh was released as she glanced back at the puppy. "I'm sorry. I have a few things on my mind. Can we go in an hour or two?"
"That's when you sleep!"
"I don't plan on much sleep tonight, Nabu. Too many things to think about." she admitted, eyes moving forward again as she saw her little worn-down, ramshackle house in view down the street. "Go find your ball. That will be what we do for a while before going to the park, like I promised."
"Yay!" the dog yipped, over and over, as she climbed through the hole in the side of the building she took refuge in. She would have gone through the front door, but she had locked it earlier, without much thinking. Plus, the nearby humans wouldn't have liked someone going into an abandoned house by kicking in the front door- or even picking the lock. *
"Your friends are rather persistent, Darling." Otento waited until the she-demon got inside before beginning to speak.
He twisted a small, thin blade around in his hands before slipping it away somewhere on his person.
"I will have 'Toriko' sooner or later, but I suppose I'll just have to wait." He smiled and looked up at her, casually staying leaned up against a nearby wall, "I've been waiting a long time, but it's made me quite patient. If you'll assist me in her capture, I can guarantee you a place in our little family."
~!**!~
Maneshi's ears dropped back in distress as he regarded the gashes on Toriko's shoulder and he lay down hunched up on the comforter, a fuzzy ball of worry as Hiei entered the room.
He crept forward inquisitively and stuck his nose as close to the wounds as he dared, sticking his small pink tongue out and tasting the air, moving his head as if to lick the openings before thinking twice and drawing back again, feeling something icky about the marks.
His brow furrowed together and he scraped his tongue across one of the gouges before he could change his mind, immediately jumping backwards with a horrible expression on his kitty-face, tongue hanging out of his mouth with a great sense of distaste.
He even went so far as to begin licking the comforter frantically, trying to remove the flavor and essence of what he'd just done from his tongue. When he stopped, he sat back down on his haunches again, but tip of his pink tongue stuck out of his closed mouth and his expression was still displeased.
Toriko had not moved up until that point, even at the lick of Maneshi's rough tongue, her breath shaky, but steady, no other signs of life from her and her eyes closed behind the thick lenses of her glasses. As Maneshi stared down at her with his tongue out, she began to shiver and blood began to rise sluggishly from one of the wounds, moving so slowly that even when it reached the inside edge of the gash from which it came, it stopped, forming a tense dome but not spilling over as blood started to appear within the other two tears as well.
Maneshi's tongue disappeared into his mouth and he moved back to her, placing a curious paw on part of her exposed skin at the shoulder where her uniform had been torn, but far enough away that he did not get blood on himself. He drew back and shuddered, able to still feel the absolute chill of her that she left on the pad of his paw and briefly shaking the limb in an attempt to rid himself of the clamminess. 3
Hiei inspected the small wounds much like the cat did- minus the tongue. He stepped forward, leaning over the girl and assessing the gouges in her skin. He didn't understand it at all. She had been impaled by knives, but no blood was to be seen. Not at first anyways.
As soon as Maneshi pulled away, flipping out over the taste of whatever was there, Hiei could smell the movement of her blood, the scent getting stronger as it rose to the surface of her wounds slowly. He didn't see it for a few minutes, but he knew it was there. Anger boiled. Why would Botan drop this and just leave Toriko in this state? A small growl left his lips. If only Akari had taken the hit instead, there'd be less trouble in the world. He wouldn't have to deal with this little escapade that was going on- whatever it was.
He eyed the cat as Maneshi calmed down, now curiously pawing at the girl. His reaction to her skin made the fire demon curious as well, and he too stretched a hand out, just touching Toriko's face. She felt cold to him, but then again, most things did. While the cold didn't bother him, he could feel the temperature difference between himself and the girl. He scowled and looked to Maneshi, speaking to the cat without much thought about it.
"What do you suppose this is?"
~!**!~
Akari ducked into the hole in the wall, Nabu bouncing on his feet behind her impatiently. The moment her nose smelled the air of the house, she knew there was an intruder, and she paused, looking up briefly. With a smile at the male, she continued, standing at her full height near the makeshift entrance to the building. "Why do you care for the girl?" she questioned, genuinely curious, but now with gears turning in her head. `"She isn't very popular, not even amongst the humans. What's got you wrapped about her?"
Her head tilted a bit to the side, calmly assessing the movements he made, eyes seeing the blade he slowly slid out of her sight. A silent warning. "And what family? I haven't been spoken to about anything yet." *
Otento sighed, "I told him you'd be of great benefit, but he never listens to me the first time around. As for the girl, she's not only of great interest to me for more personal reasons, but she's titular in our plans. Whether you assist me or not, we will have her. And soon."
He smiled, "It'll be up to you to decide which side you want to be one when the battle lines are drawn, and should you choose the winning side, I'll be in touch." He turned to leave.
~!**!~
Maneshi knew Hiei had to be speaking to him, and he fought to move beyond his cat-self, staring unblinkingly at the fire demon, but visibly tensing, trying to break free in order to talk back. He shook his head violently and squeezed his eyes shut as the smell of Toriko's sluggish blood invaded his delicate nose and the thought of her possibly dying let him tear past the overlying cat he'd been stuck as for much too long.
"She.." He struggled for a moment longer, gritting his teeth together, "The daggers..." He opened his eyes again and turned his head up to Hiei, "It's a virus. Saps her heat in the first stages."
He stuck his tongue back out at the thought, remembering the awful taste, "I have no means of which to cauterize her wounds, but closing them is the first step. Her life energy is leaking out through them as we speak and it will do so in exponentially larger amounts until she is dead."
He looked back over at the blood, unable to feel her life energy draining, but her shivering grew stronger and he stepped up onto her stomach, curling up and attempting to share whatever warmth he could with her, laying his head down over his front paws. 3
Hiei eyed the cat patiently, waiting for an answer as he seemed to struggle. He realized that Maneshi must have the same sort of story as Toriko, as two different persons inside one. In this case, a cat. It seemed the feline persona was stronger though, and that made him much more patient than he normally would have been, despite his growing unease.
When Maneshi finally answered, Hiei released a small breath, as if he hadn't thought the cat would answer him at all. He listened, his eyes roving over the girl on the bed as he took in the new information. A virus? He hadn't heard of such a thing being used as a weapon, other than chemical warfare. For a few moments, he felt like it was something that might just wash away, vanish after a while. But at the cat's last few words, his eyes widened and he gritted his teeth, his fingers flexing as a small part of him bowed up in anger and slight desperation. He was her protector, yet he had not a clue of what to do.
So he did the first thing that came to mind: he extended his own heat to her by letting his energy unfoil around him quietly, in small amounts so that the heat wouldn't be overbearing. If she was losing body heat, would this help counter it? He looked back at Maneshi. "How do you stop such a virus?" He briefly thought about calling upon Kurama, but for the moment, he didn't know if it was necessary, or if Maneshi could tell him of a way to get it taken care of without the help of others.
~!**!~
Akari eyed Otento, weary and yet interested, curious. The girl was necessary? Why? What could she do that would help a team of demons? What did they want to do overall? She raised a brow, indicating her unspoken questions and her waiting for him to continue, but he did not. Instead, he turned to leave, and her frown become more prominent.
"That's it?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. "That's all you have to offer? A family circle? Listen, I've been sold that very same story, and look where it ended me. I would consider your offer, except that you only extended it with vague words and instructions of meeting, which haven't happened before now. You're in and out. The last man that offered me a family the way you are, ended up trying to kill me. Understand, I do not take that lightly. If you want me to join your ranks that bad, you are going to have to provide me with something to go on, other than claiming of a family." *
Otento stopped when the girl began speaking, a ghost of a smile passing over his features. "This man...he was a human making an offer, no?"
It almost wasn't a question, but he posed it before turning back around to regard her thoughtfully, letting the words sink in before going on.
"You're in league with four very infamous males who are strongly tied to the Spirit Realm. And you question our caution? True, you are a catch in and of yourself, I won't deny, but it isn't as if we absolutely need you for our plans to go off without a hitch. I extend the offer only because I know how wretched it can be having to slave underneath another human. Demons deal with things much differently than any human or inhabitant of the Spirit World. So, what about yourself? What can you offer me to prove that you aren't simply going to run off to your master with whatever information I pass along?"
~!**!~
Maneshi's ears perked as Hiei's energy wove around the room, but his eyes never left Toriko.
"You are...fire demon, correct? If you have the ability, first cauterize the wound. We can take care of the virus after her life energy has stopped bleeding away. That is the more immediate problem."
The image he projected into Hiei's mind was of a heated knife burning the skin of an open wound back together. Painful, but necessary. Though, in place of the knife, a fire demon's heat and hand could do much the same kind of searing of the gouged area, if the demon knew how to control it. 3
Hiei raised a brow at Maneshi, but nodded in response to his question. He would have thought that his abnormally high body temperature would have given it away to someone like Maneshi, who seemed very well educated in the manner of demons and all things alike. He considered addressing that, but didn't; now wasn't the time for idle chat, he knew. Instead, he stayed silent, listening to the breathing of Toriko and the voice that spoke in his mind again.
This time, when his eyes turned to Maneshi again, it was in slight disbelief at the image he had been shown. But he recovered quickly, realizing it was the only way to do this. He ground his teeth and huffed a breath of air through them, hearing it whistle just a bit. "You want me to burn her skin, while she can still feel it?" he clarified, eyes closing in preparation. There was a reluctance to this, but there was also the feeling of duty masking it, telling him it had to be done and he had to be the one who did it. "Fine."
Hiei's eyes slid open again and he stepped forward, now standing so that his thighs nearly touched the edge of the bed. he raised flexing hands, thinking, concentrating hard on how much energy he put into them. "This better work," he grumbled before he made contact, feeling and even hearing the heat reacting with her cold skin.
~!**!~
Akari blinked at Otento in surprise at his words, the way he shaped them so that they struck her very core, almost made her angry at the fact that he seemed to rub in her naivety about the situation that had been dealt then. However, as he continued to speak, she was slowly growing a smile, a slightly angry and malicious smile that bared her teeth. After a moment of silence in the room, she let out a laugh.
"If you believe I consider them my bosses, then I don't think you've been observing very well." she retorted, arms crossing tighter across her chest as she met his gaze squarely. "I can assure you, they do not appeal to my interest even in the slightest. It's merely the only way I could keep from being killed at the time of the contract." Her eyes rolled to the ceiling, as if thinking. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what to do, but she wanted to do something about the situation she'd messed up. And this seemed to be the easiest way, so far.
"If I hadn't told them of the invitation, why would I tell them of your plans?" she suddenly countered, a brow raised. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't enjoy associating with the group of misfits. Her smile grew, her demeanor shifting to calm again as she continued talking. "As long as I am not dragged around like a puppet, I don't think we'll have much of a problem. I do, after all, enjoy my free roam." *
Otento's gaze was unrelenting as she spoke, as if his eyes could bore into her very soul.
He waved a hand dismissively and broke his sudden mood, "That's all very fine and good, I suppose. We could consider you a probationary member for the moment if you'd like."
He put one hand in his pocket, acting as if the conversation were drawing to a close, but lifting the other and holding up two fingers, "In two day's time, you'll receive information that will guide you near our base of operations, and I will meet you there if you're for certain about joining us. It'll be up to you to decide."
He pointed at her, "But don't show up unless you're prepared to abdicate your current status as a lackey of Spirit World. The boss won't be pleased to have someone try and double-cross him." Otento took his leave.
~!**!~
Toriko's eyes flew open as Hiei touched her, her instinct to rise up the instant she felt the pain, her muscles tensing in agony, and at the exact same moment, Maneshi rose up onto his feet and hissed angrily, arching his back and the fur on his body standing on end.
"DON'T YOU DARE MOVE." He seethed, glaring at her and accidentally projecting his thoughts into the air where both Hiei and Toriko could hear them, though he spoke specifically to Toriko and it was obvious. He planted his paws firmly on her torso and his claws extended slightly into her uniform, his tail lashing once.
She trembled in pain and coldness both, but made no sound, her lips slightly parted in a pant and her eyes staring up at nothing as Hiei continued to work, her mind filled with only the excruciating pain of her skin being sealed together.
"Oh, come now, love. It's not that bad." A sultry voice whispered to her from the back of her mind. "I've been through much, much worse and lived to revel in it."
Toriko's eyes slowly closed as the voice continued to speak.
"You simply have to embrace the pleasure in the pain. The two are in fact the same thing, after all." The voice coaxed Toriko's attention away from the closing wounds, and as Hiei finished, it faded away into slumber once more. 3
FOr a mere second, Hiei grit his teeth and shot a glare at Maneshi, his silent way of telling him to keep her calm, though he wasn't sure that was possible. He could smell what he was doing to her flesh, and it made his stomach roll, even though he'd smelled this many times before. He still held his hands in place, watching Toriko's wounds as they bubbled and burned, sealing together with the amount of heat and pressure Hiei applied. For once in his life, the smell almost sickened him, the tense girl underneath him made his stomach churn.
Though, it was soon over, and after a few minutes, he pulled away, letting his energy quiet and pull away, becoming hidden once more. His eyes turned expectantly to the cat, a frown on his face as if to say he hoped to never do that again. It had almost been physically painful to him as well, as if there was some sort of bond…
He closed his eyes at the thought. How foolish he had been. Of course there was a bond. The bond of the promise. That's why she'd said it would kill her to break it. He released a slow breath through his teeth before opening his eyes again, expectantly watching the cat. "And now?"
~!**!~
Akari felt her smile widen at Otento and her head tilted to the side a little at him. She waited until he was done talking to let her arms fall to her sides, a single hand pulling out the note he'd handed her a little over a week ago. Still neat and folded, she held it up between her index finger and her middle finger, just be her face to show she was about to reference it. "So I assume the meeting of Big Boss Man isn't happening until then?" she said casually, tossing it aside carelessly. "Alright, fine. Whatever floats your boat, blondie."
She then gave a small wave and a nod. "Have a nice trip home. See you whenever." This time, she made no attempt to stop Otento from leaving. And when he was gone, she turned to Nabu, who stared up at her with round, brown eyes filled with confusion.
"Are you going to be mean to people?"
AKari gave a huffy laugh and turned away. "Of course not. I haven't intentionally harmed a person yet, Nabu, and I won't begin now. I will not fall to the status of those who have befallen me."
"But I thought-"
"It's okay, Nabu. I have this under control."
"So…. does that mean we can go play now?" *
~!**!~
Maneshi sighed when the deed had finished and walked over to Toriko's shoulder, starting to lick at the bits of blood left behind and the tender, pink skin Hiei newly cauterized together.
"Now?" He looked up at Hiei briefly before returning his head to her shoulder to begin licking again, "Now, we have merely bought ourselves more time. The virus will turn inward and begin eating through her demonic energy first. It's a rare virus that died out in Demon World eons ago."
He mused quietly to himself for a moment, then went on, "If she is strong enough, she will be able fight it off, but she currently does not have enough energy at her disposal to live through the battle. Whoever did this had to know her condition."
He sat down on the bed on his belly as he worked, curling his front paws underneath himself, "I cannot try to reach Shikiyoku and do this work with any sort of efficiency."
Maneshi's eyes flickered over to Toriko's face, pale and drawn. She shivered again. "We will need her complete help if we are to save her, but we need her now before it is too late. Toriko blocks much of her own power because she fears it, and it will be her undoing in this instance."
Maneshi paused his work to stare at Toriko and feathered his consciousness into Toriko's mind tentatively. There were no coherent thoughts, only an awareness that her breathing was shallow but she needed to keep breathing, and an overwhelming desire to rid herself of the cruel chill that settled over her bones.
Maneshi did not feel Shikiyoku's immediate presence, but he knew the woman had to be stirring somewhere at the prospect of her impending death. He withdrew into himself completely for full concentration and went back to licking at Toriko's wounds, a soft glow settling on her skin as he covered it fervently with a wet sheen from his rough tongue. 3
Hiei listened to the feline, taking in each word and thinking about them each and their meanings, their implications. Briefly, he felt the feline's consciousness leave his own mind, his head turning to Toriko and his eyes glossing over only slightly, telling the fire demon what he needed to know. By the time he understood exactly what Maneshi was saying, he was sitting on the edge of the bed beside the girl, dark eyes watching the wounds carefully as the rough cat tongue raked over them. He could see them glowing, and he figured Maneshi had a power of his own, but brushed the thought away.
Instead, he blocked out the cat entirely, not giving him the ability to say more even if he tried. He instead concentrated on Toriko, searched for the subtle change from the human to the demon, Shikiyoku as Maneshi had referred to her as. And, after a moment of feeling around in the girl's consciousness, he felt the small difference, and the discovery made his eyes light up with determination and a spark of slight anger. "Wake up," he commanded of the demon, his mental voice strong and unrelenting. "You have no time for sleep." He paused, waiting for a moment before his energy bombarded her; perhaps if she became uncomfortable with the extreme temperature change, it'd stir her as well. "Shikiyoku, you will listen to me. You will wake up, and you will not die. Not today." *
A voice called to her from somewhere far away, stirring her from her slumber. At first, she thought perhaps it was Toriko, but quickly dismissed the idea. The girl never talked with her. She was too afraid to. And besides, this voice sounded less incompetent than what she expected from Toriko.
As she woke up further, still half-asleep, she cringed as she immediately felt the oppression of Toriko's consciousness bare down on her, pushing her farther away. Even in her drowsy state, she knew there was something wrong, something more than the simple jolt of pain that had let her briefly console her mostly-human side, the side she had been forced for over a decade to hide behind.
The remembrance of the warrant the Spirit World had out for her arrest made her cower deeper within the embrace of Toriko's prominent personality. They had promised to tear out her hair, to rip out her eyes. She trembled at the thought and withdrew underneath the blanket of Toriko's mental arms. She had done everything within her power to slip between their fingers, and this was the price she now faced, to hide behind the one thing that had been more powerful an emotion than any passion she'd ever known.
Fear. And that fear had taken the shape of a timid persona whose strength far outweighed whatever drive she had left to fight it. She had doomed herself to this fate in order to survive, but had her continued life been worth the price? It did not matter. Not now. Not when it was already done. Her awareness fluttered in an effort to break past the sleep. But sleep was so nice. Sleep. And dreams. 3
Hiei scowled, almost growled, when he felt her stir, and then retract from him. Really, he hadn't connected with the strong demon persona, but he had felt it, felt her interest at first. And then something had made her go back to how she had been. And that made the insides of Hiei boil in irritation.
"I made this ridiculous pact with you, and you aren't letting me keep up my end of the deal," he snarled into her head, his energy continuing to flux in and out around him to continually change the room temperature, still using it as an odd tactic in hopes she'd notice and dislike it. "I don't know nor care what has you cowering like a child behind its mother, but you will be waking up, even if I have to force you to. Wake up, you foolish coward." If anything, he knew how much he angered this woman when he called her silly insults. And for now, he would use it to his advantage. "Or maybe you actually wish to die like a coward? How foolish. A demon going so far as to hide herself, so she wouldn't be killed, only to kill herself by letting something so simple as a virus run through you. Perhaps you deserve what you've gotten." *
Hidden as far behind Toriko as she was, falling back into sleep as she had, it was not so much the voice's words that made her proverbial blood run cold with irritation-as she could not make out exactly what was said-so much as the emotion woven into the things whispered against her consciousness. That much of it did reach her and she began to shake again, but this time in fury at the very nerve of this mind touching hers that felt like such a youngling, ordering her about as she somehow got the feeling he was.
"N-no," Toriko tightened her hold, her cage, about her other side, "No, you can't." It was Toriko's turn to tremble. Even if she didn't understand why, she knew for a fact that this parent-persona inside her could not be set free.
"It is saying horrible things about me, child." She protested, almost whining before demanding of Toriko, "Let. Me. Go." She struggled harder, writhing within Toriko's grasp and rattling against the bars of her prison.
"N-no. What he's saying doesn't matter! P-please, please don't go!"
"He is a NUISANCE is what he is! Why did you let him in here in the first place! Let me drive him out!" She gathered the chains that held her, "Let. ME. OUT!"
With each word she pulled at the links of mental metal that bound her, heaving one final jerk and managing to wrest power from the girl, unleashing the entire pent-up fury that she had been boiling onto the intruder in her own mind and practically shrieking at him, "How DARE you!" 3
Hiei felt the being stir again, and this time, he silenced, waiting. He could feel the growing energy, so his own retracted, leaving the room at a normal temperature, but his consciousness stayed within hers, feeling the struggle between the two personas. He waited as patiently as he could, his very soul quivering, telling him he was wasting time, losing the person who he had sworn to keep safe. He hadn't realized how dutiful he felt towards this situation, but a very strong part of him was extremely distraught at the thought that the person he'd promised to protect, had bound himself to, was dying all because he hadn't thought of an attack being launched at her.
Suddenly, he felt the stronger persona win out, and his own mind was bombarded with a rather loud exclamation. Despite that, he found a sneer forming on his face briefly before it disappeared. He didn't wait for her to realize something was wrong. "You are dying, and as your Protector, as you said before, it is my job to keep you alive. This is the only way." He waited, forcing his mind's voice to sound calm despite his inner emotions. "I assume you want to live, but Toriko's energy is depleted." *
She checked herself and withdrew her sudden outburst almost as quickly as she'd released it, floating at about a simmer until Hiei, as she now recognized the presence out from under Toriko's veil, continued speaking.
Her former rage as whatever he'd said previously drained away, but instead of some sort of resolve at his proclamation, she fell into a resignation, uncaring as to whether he sensed it or not, but waiting until he finished to give him her wry reply.
"...and if I die, you're released from my service." She gave the mental equivalent of a shrug, "So, what should I care about my fate? For that matter, what should you care? You'll get your 'freedom' and I won't have to live like this anymore." She accompanied the words with the impression of a gesture to indicate her prison.
"Leave me alone." She hadn't meant to sound quite so dejected, but with him inside her mind, she felt exposed at the realization that she could not as well hide as she was used to.
While she could not literally turn her back to him in a physical sense, she did so mentally, expecting him to pull away. 3
Hiei had felt the shift, but had spoken anyways, at first not caring that she had simply calmed the way she had. However, he was struck by her words with a strong sense of confusion; he hadn't ever actually met a demon who wanted to die. He had normally only seen demons foolishly challenging him, thinking because of his small size, he would perish quickly. He had always said they had a death wish, but really, he'd never met someone who had outright decided they didn't care if they lived or not, much less simply give up and allow death to take them. At first, he was speechless, confused by the surprise and the even stronger emotions that raged on.
In a second though, he felt a single emotion win over, and without meaning to, he gave an audible laugh. It was a dry, humorless laugh, but louder than a laugh he'd ever shown another. His strongest emotion came forth: distaste. Disdain. Disgust.
"You're even weaker than I had imagined. Not only do you now have a protector, but you're throwing him away because of a selfish desire. You're weak, just like your human persona. Dying merely because you dislike being caged." he paused, releasing every ounce of his disgust into her mind so that she knew how much he felt towards her words. "You're worse than the filth you enchant. You're worse than a common slave." His thoughts became darker, but at the same time, he said something that wasn't exactly dark. In fact, it was probably the nicest thing he'd ever say to a person, even with the disgusted tone he used. "If you dislike a situation so much, you change it, not kill yourself and run away. Coward." And with that, he drew away.. If she wanted to counter him, she'd have to live to do so. *
Hiei left her by herself.
"Good riddance. Meddling youngling. Sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."
He may not have been privy to her thoughts, but she made them anyway, feeling Toriko almost toddling up behind her in the meantime.
"I could overwhelm his sensibilities with a single THOUGHT if I so desired!" She yelled it after him almost because of the fact that he was already gone. "How's THAT for weak, you stupid kid?!"
"Sh-Shiki?"
She paused in the middle of angrily shaking her fist at her empty mind, feeling something coming in contact with her leg, and her heart nearly stopping at her name. No, not even her name, but a nickname in fact. A pet-name. She looked down to see Toriko clutching at the leg of her pants.
"Poor child...you are so young." She dropped down to one knee and Toriko came around and threw her arms about Shikiyoku's neck. "You are just a toddler where I come from. Barely one decade under your belt."
Toriko pulled back far enough to look herself in the eyes and Shikiyoku nearly started back at their shine of tears, unsure how to handle them.
"Sh-Shiki...I don't want to die..."
She heaved a sigh, one that held over a thousand years of breath, over a thousand years of memory. She finally sat all the way down and drew the younger one into her lap to coddle her.
"You can't understand." She spoke as if to both herself and Hiei. "You are too young. And I would bet you've never even had a chance to sit down and talk with a demon as old as me, EH?" She began the last part dryly, but nearly shouted it up at the ceiling of her mind as she finished.
She sighed again and rested her chin on the top of Toriko's head. "Some protector. Hmph." She let a snort of disapproval out through her nose, "Flat out accuses me of tricking him into it, and then practically eats me alive when I offer a solution."
She looked down as Toriko trembled once in her arms, reaching over to stroke her hair and feeling very strange. "Shh, child. Hush." She wasn't quite sure how she felt about essentially consoling herself.
She silently fought back and forth with her options, wishing that she had the luxury to do so all the time. And if it weren't for some very specific complications... She glared down at Toriko, wishing that the girl could understand and accept herself, but the original reason for her creation slipped across her memories and she shuddered.
Standing abruptly, she let go of Toriko and stood over her, hands defiantly on her hips. Toriko looked up at her, eyes wide and full of questions. She refused to look down for a moment longer, but finally dropped her gaze and let out a small noise of protest as she gave in.
"Alright, fine."
Toriko clapped her hands and began skipping about Shikiyoku's legs.
"But I'm not doing this for HIM, I'm doing it for YOU."
Toriko stopped in her front as Shikiyoku made her declaration, her hands clasped together and her eyes bright, though her expression turned solemn at the end of her short speech and she spoke up quite seriously as only a child can.
"He is rather attractive, isn't he."
Shikiyoku frowned, scrunching her face together at the girl's announcement. "Shaddup, you scrawny weakling."
"Yes, Shiki." Toriko replied, turning her face down in obedience.
She rose to engulf their mind with her consciousness and Toriko faded away completely. She searched very carefully within her thoughts for the remnants of the pact that she could not recall forming with the fire demon, finding it and scraping through it for the bond they had. Without her memory of their agreement, she did not have as complete control of the bond, but she could feel through it that he was still nearby.
A wicked grin spread over her mental thoughts and she reached through their bond with as much demonic energy as she could muster with the seals still coveting her power.
She didn't figure he would understand exactly what was happening, and the pact threatened her silently that she was towing a thin line, but she dismissed it and grabbed for Hiei's attention with as much of her abilities as she could muster, seducing him back to her mind so that she could talk with him and get him to take the stupid bobby pins out of her hair.
Her voice took on its usual sultry purr as she coaxed him back, "Alright. C'mere you sexy, flame-retardant little bastard. Let's see who the weak one really is around here. We've still got words..." 3
Shiki - simply another way to shorten 'Shikiyoku.' Personally, I have always equated 'Shiki' as something a younger or more childish demon might call her (sort of similar to the honorific -chan if you're familiar with those), but in any case it's always seemed like a slightly more endearing term, whereas 'Yoku' seems more like -san, that is more formal or respectful.
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star