A/N: Hello once again, Dear Reader!
I won't lie, this chapter contains an interaction with Akari and Toriko that totally makes me cringe every time I think about it and it took me that much longer to get through it editing-wise than any other scene so far in the RP. It's a tough scene and you'll see what I mean when you get to it.
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 is still struggling with the pain from her body having to heal so much,
and ends up with Hiei getting fed up with her and carrying her off to bed
before he settles himself down on the nearby window-sill.
~!**!~
Meanwhile, Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara manage to successfully make their way down the cave where Akari and Kurama are being held
just as Otento lowers the barrier behind which those two are kept so that Gashiru might demonstrate his powers...
Otento wasn't stupid.
Though by the way in which he just released his captives and delivered them into the hands of their would-be rescuers, he certainly would have thought himself as much if he were anyone else observing the situation.
Luckily, he knew Terepo wasn't stupid, and that it would only take half a minute for the other demon to get them out of there.
"Now would be an excellent time for you to demonstrate your abilities." Otento suggested to Gashiru mildly, his tone light. "I suggest you don't wander too far."
Gashiru nodded, his eyes flicking briefly to Terepo who already had his eyes closed and his head bowed.
It only took a second for Gashiru to realize he would have no power over the two "captives" as he could sense absolutely no energy within them, and as such had nothing to work with. The more energy one had, the stronger Gashiru grew, so he turned to the three intruders.
Strong. Weak. And very strong. Gashiru threw a hand out towards the young man with slicked-back black hair and immediately an aura of blue demonic energy erupted outwards from him, enveloping all three.
"Now. What is the saddest thing that could ever happen to you, hm?" Gashiru's bright blue eyes seemed to grow larger with concern, "Death of a loved one? Losing in battle?" The aura around them seemed to shudder different shades of blue as it wafted about their bodies.
~!**!~
Toriko did not mind the silence of the room, but Hiei's presence continually drew her back to all of these questions she had for him.
Granted, the one floating around in the forefront of her mind wanted to know what he wished her to do for him, but she didn't understand that one and dwelling on it kept puzzling her and left her quiet.
She tried to think of other things, like how he ended up in Human World, and tried to relax so she could rest, but the buzzing of her mind over that previous, single thought was such that she found herself unable to let it go.
Attempting to negate the strange desire to ask him what he might wish of her, she rationalized that he was a very capable person that likely didn't need anyone to do anything for him at all, so why should she want to know in the first place? And for that matter, what would she of all people be able to do for him anyway? She would probably just annoy him with such a question. Best to keep quiet.
Her and Maneshi let out a sigh at the same time, though for two completely different reasons. 3
~!**!~
Yusuke's arms fell from their crossed position to dangle at his sides, his hands clenching to fists as he looked at the three demons, readying for a fight. But in the next moment, the will to fight was gone, and his mind was suddenly a dark place with images of his worst nightmares flashing across his mind's eye, the graves of his friends, the image of himself standing before Koenma and being dubbed the reason behind their deaths, since he hadn't been able to do his job.
The only thing that pulled him from those mental images was the sudden sound of Botan next to him, who let out an ugly sound that followed with tears. "Oh, he's gonna have my head for this one! I should've known it wouldn't be as reliable in situations like this!" The tears that ran down her face were fat and fell to her shirt.
Kuwabara made a small sound next, causing Yusuke, his own vision blurred, to glance at his best friend who had tears just as big, if not bigger, as Botan's, though he tried wiping them away.
Yusuke himself felt a few tears slip, and he wiped at them, sniffling. "I'm surrounded by idiots." he blubbered out, lips quivering just a little.
"That was mean, Urameshi!"
"Yeah, why would you say that to your friends! It's hurtful!"
Another voice joined in, more even than the others. "You're all morons. You run in, playing cops and robbers, and all you can do is cry like babies."
"Akari, why would you say that?!" Kuwabara wailed, arm rubbing his eyes, the tears staining his sleeves.
"Yeah, and here I thought you were a nice person!" Botan followed.
"This is so stupid," Yusuke added, turning his blurred vision to Otento. "Why? Why would you take my friends?!" *
Otento's expression did not change as he watched Gashiru manipulate the energy surrounding the three intruders.
"Quite satisfactory. I do think we should be going now."
Gashiru stepped back and placed a hand on Terepo's shoulder just as Otento moved to do the same.
They were gone without so much as a flash.
~!**!~
Kurama felt stirrings in his mind around the time that Otento and the others first approached, but having not sensed any immediate danger, he stayed for the most part, asleep. Right up until the moment where the barrier came down and several things happened all at once.
He heard Yusuke's voice, recognized Otento's, heard Akari moving, and by the time he knew Kuwabara, Botan, and Yusuke were all bawling their eyes out about situations that he felt certain had not happened, he was on his feet, his mind already caught up to the situation and his body standing next to Akari's.
Not that either one of them could do much, he surmised. He still felt the orb of darkness Otento had somehow placed over his energy, and he guessed that it was much the same for Akari.
He also felt no more rested from his slumber than even when he woke up before. He thought perhaps it had something to do with the combination of not being able to access his energy intertwined with Youko's release. One or the other would have not rendered him feeling quite so weak, but with both hanging over him, his body felt worn out from the transition and unable to recover with his own demonic energy.
And so, when Otento and the other two disappeared, he felt his vision collapsing and he wavered in place for a moment as he tried to keep his feet underneath him.
"Sorry." He mumbled to Akari as his shoulder bumped into hers.
As he opened his eyes again, he could see the darkness creeping in from the sides and he knew no more as it appeared the ground rose up to meet him. 3
Akari stared at the scene in utter disbelief, unable to understand at first what was going on. Her mind, still tired but raging with different thoughts, caught up to her only as the trio of demons disappeared. Still, the three who had initially appeared as help and were reduced to tears, stood there wiping at their faces. Their complaining had ended, their sniveling quieting. She sighed. "So much for your idea of Heroes."
"Shut up!"
"Tsk tsk." Akari replied, glancing over at Kurama when his shoulder hit hers. "Too bad you guys-" Her words stopped as Kurama fell, her eyes widening as she reached to catch him, only able to grab at his arm. She made a strained sound and tugged, keeping him from simply smashing to the ground.
Except his body weight pulled her with him, merely out of exhaustion. Pretty soon, she found herself beside him on the ground, all breath lost. She struggled to regain air, eyes flashing up at Yusuke and Kuwabara. "A little.. Assistance would be great."
Despite their condition, the two boys made their way forward, still wiping at their faces, and hauled the redheaded fox demon from the ground, Yusuke getting a decent hold before Kuwabara let go and reached to help her up as well.
"What did they do?" Botan asked, but Akari didn't answer right away as she swooped down and retrieved the seed she had dropped, sticking it in her pocket before the others noticed.
"Nothing except kept us holed up." She paused, giving a yawn and looking at Kuwabara, who stood close by with a hand reached out in an offer of assistance. "What time of day is it?"
"Almost evening," Kuwabara answered as he simply reached for her, pulling her despite her small protest and crouching in front of her. "You look tired. At least-"
"Fine." Akari feigned irritation as she climbed onto his back, letting him carry her. In truth, she didn't think she'd be able to walk too far anyway.
"Now let's get outta here."
"Agreed! Koenma will want an update!" *
~!**!~
The next time Kurama remembered anything, he immediately took note of the fact that he was lying down, seconded only by the fact that he still had no access to his demonic energy.
That explained why he still felt so exhausted.
His senses told him there was nothing to be concerned about in his immediate vicinity, though he could feel someone very close by, and someone else near, but not as close.
He took his time in coming around, since he did recall the last time he got up with a jolt that he had collapsed to the ground less than half a minute later. Plus, he felt rather comfortable, and he didn't really have anything to do that was of a huge concern since he could always catch up with school-
Kurama's eyes flew open and he did not recognize the ceiling over him, knowing within a heartbeat that he was not in his own home.
Mother... His thoughts turned to her and how worried she might be with him having been missing for... Kurama examined his internal clock and realized that he had no idea how long it had been since he'd seen her last. He suddenly felt antsy about laying there any longer, but without the use of his demonic energy to recover himself, any move he made would have to be even more calculated than usual.
As he lay there considering his options, the smell of rosemary swept across his nose and he glanced over briefly out of the corner of his eye to confirm what the smell already told him.
Akari lay there, and it appeared she had just begun to wake up herself.
"How are you feeling?" 3
Something stirred in her peaceful mind. Akari tried pushing it away, to sleep longer because in reality she didn't feel as refreshed as she thought she should, but despite her best efforts, she became aware of light on her eyelids.
Wasn't there something I have to remember?
Nothing came to mind, so she didn't let herself fully wake up right away. Not until a mental image of a darkened cave came to mind, causing a small disturbance within her. It was enough to make her aware of her surroundings, of the warmth that was around her body and of the clean, dirt-free air she could now smell. No insects crawling in her hair, no dirt on her face.
Where am I?
Her eyes slid open, seeing a ceiling fan moving slowly above her. This wasn't the place she called home, but it was much more appealing. Much more comfortable. The air that moved wasn't stuffy and thick with dust particles or mold. It was… pleasant compared to that.
A voice captured her attention, pulling her eyes to the side before she let her head turn just a bit as well, hazel meeting green calmly. "Quite frankly, amazing." Despite her discomfort with her energy still unable to be manipulized, this was the truth, unlike the last time he'd asked her a similar question.
Suddenly, she wasn't sure which question to ask first: their whereabouts, or of his being, as courtesy would have it. So she stuck with that, going along the topic. "You look ten times better than the last I saw you," she said with a teasing smile, still not moving to sit up.
After all, the covers over her were quite warm and comfortable. *
Kurama's eyes had moved back up to look at the ceiling and they softened a great deal when she told him how she felt.
Her next comment, however, did manage to pull a smile to his lips.
"I'm afraid I must apologize if I fell against you earlier. I fainted much faster than I thought I would." His voice held no small ounce of chagrin at the admission. He blinked twice up at the ceiling before saying anything again, "How are the others?" 3
At first, she didn't respond to his apology. She didn't know how, or what to even say. No one had actually apologized to her for something before that was as small as that. It wasn't as if he'd done any harm, right? So she didn't respond to it at all.
But at his question, she sighed and propped herself up on her elbows, this time taking a long look around the room, as if that would deduce where they were. "I wouldn't know. Last I remember was leaving the cave. Do you know where we are..?" She paused, looking for pictures, since humans rather enjoyed things like that, but not finding any. *
"I believe this is Kuwabara's apartment." Kurama responded without hesitation.
At that, the doorbell rang and a feminine voice from the back room called out, "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
Shizuru appeared half a second later from somewhere in the back and as she entered the room, she stopped for a second and pulled the lit cigarette out of her mouth and regarded the two on the floor with a smile.
"Well, hey there. It's good to see you finally awake. How're yah feeling, you two?" Shizuru looked back and forth between the two of them. 3
Akari nodded at Kurama's insight, deciding it must be true since he recognized it so quickly. But at the sound of the doorbell and footsteps, then a feminine voice calling in her's and Kurama's direction, she tilted her head back to look at the person addressing them, seeing the woman upside down instead of making an effort to sit up and turn around.
A frown settled on her face. She had seen this woman once before but…
"Fine, thank you," she replied naturally, but as soon as she finished speaking she remembered where she'd seen the female last: When she had been attacking them with Sensui and Sniper.
And at that moment, she could only imagine the look on her face as her stomach churned with horror, confusion, and humiliation. Why would a human who had been attacked by someone she had associated with let her in their home? *
Shizuru's cigarette ended up back in her mouth and she regarded Akari with kindness, feeling in a sense what the girl was thinking.
"You're alright, kid." She kept moving around them towards the door, "I don't think my little brother would have carried you in like he did if you weren't."
"Oh, hey, Toriko." Shizuru said after swinging open the door, "They just woke up." Shizuru stepped back to let her inside.
Kurama noted that Toriko came in moving a little more stiffly than normal, though she betrayed no uncomfortableness on her face, her eyes hidden behind the thick lenses of her glasses.
She resolutely walked over to them at a fairly marked pace and knelt down next to Kurama, sitting back on her feet and regarding both him and Akari next to him with a fairly serious expression, in no small part due to the fact that her hair was pulled away from her face in its usual, severe-looking bun, not a single piece out of place.
"It is good to see you both finally awake." She said softly, regarding both Kurama and Akari equally.
Kurama tried not to seem surprised at the lack of hesitation in her voice, but the absence of her usual stammer took him aback and he didn't answer her for a moment. 3
Akari hadn't replied to the woman aside from turning her eyes away, remembering very clearly falling asleep on Kuwabara's back. But as the door opened, she looked again, curious, to see Toriko making her way into the apartment, Hiei a step behind her.
Her eyes followed their every movement, up until Toriko was crouched on the opposite side of Kurama, speaking in a way that she assumed enveloped them both. She opened her mouth to respond, but a sound caught her attention, coming from a nearby room, that sounded like small feet sliding on…
"Help!"
In the next second, a small dog came running into the room, barking madly for help as he tucked his tail away from the cat that chased after him "It's a monster!"
Nabu zoomed by, Akari reaching out and just missing him, the cat following in a hissing haze.
And it took everything in her power not to yell at the dog in frustration as he came running back, running across Kurama's lap first and right into hers before continuing through the apartment again.*
Kurama turned back to Toriko after his eyes followed Nabu across his body, hearing a noise that sounded like a bit of laughter from the girl.
Her hand was up covering her mouth, her eyes dancing behind her glasses and an open-smile clearly hidden behind her fingers as she also watched the small dog do another circle around the entire apartment, his little body a mere streak across the floor.
Shizuru let out a long laugh of her own, her hands down in her pockets. She was going to go back to her room before the terror began, but at the moment there didn't seem to be a safe route to do so. 3
Akari, at this point, was sitting up completely, a hand rubbing her temple in embarrassment. She wasn't sure how to handle this, since she hadn't expected the pup to be here. Even in the next rooms, she could hear the claws of the dog scraping against the wood with the loss of traction and a loud yelp that told her he'd been swatted.
"Nabu," she grumbled, looking up to see the dog reentering the room, "what do you think you're doing?" As he zoomed by again, she plucked him from the air, having timed it better this time, and plopped him down on her thighs, watching the cat stop in front of her, tail swishing madly behind him it and a hiss escaping its mouth.
"I just wanted to play! But-"
"Cats do not- do you understand me?- play with dogs."
"Some do."
"Obviously not this one." Akari moved her arm away from the swat aimed at Nabu out of instinct, waving her hand in front of the cat's face. "He's done. It's your territory. Go nap or something." *
Shizuru walked over and grabbed the cat around his waist, "That's quite enough out of you too, mister." She hiked the cat up against her hip, "I'm sure you didn't do anything to provoke the dog, huh?" She asked it. "Let's go." She marched out of the room with the cat still in her grasp.
"His name is Nabu?" Toriko asked, her voice still quiet. "He's very handsome." 3
Akari watched the human woman, Kuwabara's sister she assumed, pick up the cat and haul it from the room, sighing to herself as she placed her hand on Nabu's head and rubbed so that his ears flopped back and forth. She almost didn't catch Toriko's question, but she didn't look up when she answered. "Yeah, he's a pain."
"That's mean."
She rubbed a little harder before releasing the dog, who stayed in her lap, but turned in circles until he was curled up where he could see the others in the room, tongue lolling in cheer from Toriko's comment. "He thinks he's the best thing to walk on four legs."
"Do not!"
"He says thanks though," she finally finished, smiling down at Nabu. "So, how long have we been out?" *
Toriko hesitated.
Apparently she herself had missed a day or two somewhere along the line, and when she woke up trying to get ready for school, thinking that it was Monday, it was actually already the middle of the week. That had been a day ago. And she still didn't make it anyway. Her body was having none of it. Today was the first day she'd even been successful at an attempt to get out of the house, and that was only because she heard from the others about Kurama and Akari being kidnapped and summarily rescued, as well as the fact that they were recuperating at Kuwabara's apartment.
"I think it's been two days since they found you and brought you back." She finally answered. 3
Akari paused. Two days? A frown settled on her face. That means Nabu was alone for at least three… Her hazel orbs finally lifted from Nabu and settled on Toriko, letting that sink in as she looked over the girl who seemed almost as if she hadn't been harmed at all. Completely healed if one ignored the bandages. Sure, she looked a bit shaky, but that was about it.
"We were worried," Nabu whined quietly, slowly reaching a paw out to touch Kurama with a small yip to accentuate.
At that moment, when silence filled the room, Akari's stomach gave a painful churn, making a sound that reminded her that she hadn't eaten since lunch the day Toriko had been kidnapped. A nervous laugh escaped her as Nabu's head swung around so he could look at her face. "I hadn't realized it had been that long. Surely didn't feel like two days." *
"Oh!" Toriko exclaimed, "That reminds me."
She reached for the satchel that had been hanging over her shoulder and removed it, setting it down in front of her and opening it.
She pulled out a large green bento box and passed it over Kurama's stomach to Akari, getting another yellow one out and frowning down at Kurama.
Before she could say anything, Kurama propped himself up on his elbows.
"I think I can at least manage eating something." He said as he slowly pushed himself up to a seated position cross-legged on the sleeping mat and Toriko handed him the box she held.
"I wasn't sure how much food Shizuru or Kuwabara would have on hand," Toriko explained, "And if you weren't awake, I planned on leaving them for you. But you seem to be alright now." She smiled at them both before going on, "I did not know what you liked, Akari, so I tried to give you lots of things."
At that point, Toriko pulled out another box, black this time, and set it next to her. The fourth one was red, and she held it out for Hiei to take from her.
Getting to the bottom of the satchel, she also pulled out a plastic baggie with raw meat in it, her cheeks blushing slightly as she started to stand up.
"When I called Shizuru, she said there was a dog hanging around that wouldn't leave Akari alone." She said in explanation, moving over to the kitchen with measured steps and pulling a plate from a cabinet after finding one. The fingers around the plate spasmed violently and she nearly lost hold of it before she could bend over and place it on the ground, emptying the baggie onto it and then going to sit back down to the last bento, opening it and retrieving the eating utensils from inside, starting to eat herself. 3
Akari reflexively reached out to accept the box passed to her, gently sliding it from Toriko's fingers and setting it in her lap right by Nabu, staring at it for a moment. Thoughts of her days with Sensui passed by her mind, trying to recall when the last time was she'd had something like this, and coming up short. She looked up again, watching Toriko continue to pull out bento boxes, even something for Nabu, her chest suddenly feeling heavy. She didn't know what was coming over her.
When Nabu was suddenly gone from her lap, in the kitchen with Toriko, Akari took the moment to open and view the inside of the box, taking in the varieties of food from rice, to sushi, among other things. Her eyelids slid closed, suddenly recalling the only instance similar to this...
"You're a smart girl, Akari. I'm glad to have you around."
A bright smile lit up her face as she met Sensui's gaze, a mouth full of rice and bread, her hand shoving another piece of breath through her full lips despite the protest her muscle gave. The restaurant they were in was quiet aside from the soft music in the background, making it easier for her to hear him over her own pain. "Me too," she mumbled through her food.
"Your physical therapy is doing wonders. In about a month, you should be able to start training, right?"
"Mhm!"
"Good, then eat up," he said, a smile on his face as he passed another bento box her way, violating the only rule of the restaurant. "You're going to be my prized team member. The center of it all."
"Of what team?"
"We can talk about that later. For now, just take care of yourself, and I'll do the rest."
Her teeth clenched together, her fingers tightening around the small box only slightly. "Thank you," she finally managed to the girl, not sure if her mumble would be heard or not, but not looking up.*
Toriko's head tilted slightly as she considered the way Akari regarded the meal, worried that there was nothing in it Akari liked. She quickly swallowed the piece of food in her mouth.
"I-I could see if Shizuru has something else." Toriko stammered, taking the expression to be one of a hesitation in regards to the food in the bento.
Kurama's eyes immediately went to Toriko, taking note of the stumble as well as how Akari looked at the box in her hands.
"It's delicious, Toriko." Kurama reassured her as he continued eating.
Toriko's eyes flickered over to meet his. She knew what he liked and they both knew that, but Toriko stayed silent and went back to looking down at her food and eating quietly. 3
Akari didn't look up at Toriko despite the floundering she suddenly felt in her chest. She hadn't meant to upset the girl, it was just…
"You're a part of our family now."
Those had been what Sensui had said that night when he had passed a third bento box, letting her eat to her heart's desire. He'd accepted her with open arms and a smile, took care of her even, and she'd come to think of him as a fatherly figure.
Until she'd started keeping tabs on this very group. That's when her little illusion had fallen apart, leaving her to think she'd never have a home again.
Yet here she was, a bento box starkly similar to the very first one she'd ever had in her lap and a room full of people who didn't seem to mind her presence. They might not have been so open to her in the beginning, but now, as she thought of several moments with this group, she realized that they felt more like a family than Sensui ever had.
Almost robotically, she lifted a piece of Sushi from the box and plopped it in her mouth, and for the first time, she didn't mind the taste. "Thank you," she repeated, head bowed so that her hair would hide her blurred eyes from the people in the room.
And not even Hiei's scoffed "Pathetic" disrupted the warmth she felt. *
"It actually is good." Toriko said with a second piece in her mouth, staring down with amazement at the bento as if she herself could hardly believe it or Kurama's words. She started blushing again and swallowed, stuffing another piece in her mouth.
That sort of thing had been happening over the last day or so, where something got lost between her mind and her mouth and she said things she only meant to think, or even thought things that she meant to say. She hadn't done the latter in front of anyone up until now, though.
Her uncomfortableness wasn't lost on Kurama, someone who had known her for several years now, and he wondered briefly just how long he had been asleep. She didn't appear to be acting like the Toriko he remembered. There were moments, to be sure, but...
He continued watching her carefully as he ate, taking note of how unsteady her movements were, catching her muscles tensing at inopportune times.
"Your mother thinks you're on a school trip." She said quietly after swallowing another bite as she stared down into the bento, feeling Kurama's eyes on her even though he tried to be as discreet as possible.
Her words released the tension in Kurama's mind and he let out a noise of relief, catching her gaze and nodding a silent 'thank you' in her direction as he chewed his food.
"I'm not really for sure how." She admitted. "She said you were the one who called and told her." Toriko shrugged a little, at a loss. 3
Akari went on eating in silence, eyes on the bento box as she tried to get herself under control. Now wasn't the time to have a breakdown, and she surely didn't want the others noticing. So she kept her head down, stuffing another piece of the raw fish in her mouth, releasing a small breath to calm herself and force her vision clear.
Hiei spoke up, adding to what Toriko said, "I assume it was the demon who captured you. Why a demon would make a precaution like that just so a human wouldn't notice, I have no clue." His arms crossed over his chest, his eyes slowly roving back and forth between Kurama and the silent Akari, searching for wounds that were obviously not there. The only thing that bothered him now was still being unable to sense the two. He glanced at his own bento box, taking a small bite from it as he thought about that.
"How did you end up in that situation anyway?" he suddenly asked, voicing the biggest question he'd had since being told of the circumstances. After all, it was almost unheard of that Kurama was taken by surprise, even if by teleportation. His reaction time was just too swift. *
"They have a demon who is quite adept at the art of teleportation. I was quite literally one second in the park, and the next taken away." Kurama sighed, "With my cyclic transformation into Youko having just ended, I found myself with nothing to use to counter a capture that took a single second."
Kurama did not let his gaze turn to Akari, who he remembered very clearly having something going on in her own mind at the exact moment they had been teleported. So, not only was he weakened by Youko, his attention had been tunneled on her and whatever condition had overtaken her. 3
Hiei listened, his eyes watching Kurama keenly as he added another bite from the box into his mouth, since he had the opportunity. He considered the fact that Yusuke would likely have the same question, but it was too late to take back the question now- not that he wanted to.
Of course, he should've remembered the transformation. How could he have forgotten it? Perhaps he had simply assumed he'd transformed after being locked away wherever they had been held. But for now, he was satisfied with the answer, giving a nod to convey that he understood. He didn't have to add his own witness with that demon, which had been only slightly different in the fact that there had been about a minute's pause before they'd disappeared.
"So, from what we've seen so far, they have a teleportation demon, a demon able to hide energies, even over distances," he paused for a moment, feeling the lack of energy from the duo again before continuing, "a demon who can appear as another." His eyes suddenly lit up at the memory of a similar demon that he had killed, making his eyes flicker to Akari again when he remembered that she'd had a hand in that as well. "I killed one, and after that demon, four others remained, out of those we only know of three of their abilities." *
The more the others spoke, the darker and more unwoven Toriko's thoughts became.
She began to have flashes of memories shade her mind's eye as she tried to remain calm and concentrate on getting food to her mouth.
At the mention of a "teleportation demon", she twitched, the sudden sensation of the floor dropping out underneath her and then reappearing feeling very real. She felt the presence of that dem-don't think that word-err, being nearby, or so it felt in her head, though she knew at that very moment there were only friends in the room with her.
Other images, bits and pieces but never a whole, winked in and out in her head. Rough voices. Even rougher hands. Darkness. Blood. Lots of blood. Her blood.
Her heart began beating faster, but she found she could not pull away.
...a demon who can hide energies
A picture of Otento flashed in her mind, his violet eyes and platinum-blonde hair his prominent features.
...a demon who can appear as another
A silver-haired demon flashed into her mind, his tail and ears present, but inconsequential. A second, one that appeared as her, though she knew she was strapped down.
Voices began talking again in her head. Many voices. None of them kind.
"I do not trust the dog will truly pull through for us. She has already found herself another pack."
More touching. More abrasiveness. The voice faded back in.
"It is a simple task for me to project our images into the room. That is in large part what I do, after all."
"I thought the very same myself. And this way we will be safe from her influence."
Toriko's hand spasmed again as more sounds and impressions of hatefulness and lusty behavior overtook her senses. The immediate pain of her body brought her back to the present as she lost control of the bento she held and it fell off of her lap and onto the floor.
She could not see straight still, a darkness clouding her vision and she rose to her feet abruptly, unsteadily.
Swiftly turning away, she moved for the front door as fast as the pain in her muscles would allow, throwing it open and letting it slam shut behind her. 3
Hiei hadn't taken notice of Toriko's change, only going on to say, "The demon that was slaughtered was likely a demon who borrowed energy from another, hence why she looked similar to another of our group." His head tilted just a bit as he thought about the scene, trying to remember the demons he'd only seen a flash of. "That's about all I gathered-"
His words cut off at the sudden sound of food hitting the floor, his eyes flashing to Toriko in time to see her stand and leave without a single word to the group. However, when he turned inwards for the bond, he felt it was stable and undisturbed, completely contradicting the sound of the slamming door.
Akari had glanced up when Hiei began speaking of the demons he had noticed, her mind confirming what she too had noticed about only a few of the demons, though not as many as he. She considered bringing up the demon she and Kurama saw yester- no, two days ago, but the air in the room shifted only slightly, grasping for her attention and making her eyes slide over each person in the room.
Kurama, quietly listening.
Hiei, talking naturally about the information he had gathered, no shift in his tone.
Toriko, sitting, staring at her hands, eyes distant and expression odd…
Suddenly, she knew what was happening to the other demon, and threw a glare up at Hiei. Why hadn't he thought of that? Why hadn't he thought of the emotional scarring, the physical pain that would come with the topic for her? Her eyes turned back to Toriko and she shifted, trying to move so that she could reach across Kurama and grab her attention, attempt to pull the girl from that process that Akari herself knew too well.
But by the time she had moved, the girl had dropped her food, stood and left the apartment, leaving her staring after her. She set her teeth and suddenly reached out, using Kurama's shoulder as light support as she pushed herself to her feet, the blanket around her waist falling to the floor, making her realize she was in pants and a tank that were not hers.
The thought was brief, though, as she passed her bento to Kurama. "I'll be back," she mumbled before turning and making her way to the door and outside just as quick as her stiff body would let her. *
Toriko only made it down two flights of the stairs before her rapid pace to leave had her collapsing onto the concrete of one of the landings. She fell to her knees against the wall, scraping her forehead on it as she leaned forward, both of her bandaged arms bending painfully as she hugged herself, becoming as small as she could as she sat there, her shoes woefully forgotten next to the door of Kuwabara's apartment where she had removed them before going further inside.
Unbidden tears were falling from the corners of her eyes, her legs shaking from the abuse she'd just put them through, and the rest of her trembling as occasionally a sob would shake her.
Some distant part of her mind was not sure why she was reacting so violently, as it examined the memories she had and dryly pronounced that they weren't in fact hers, but from the other side.
She trembled again, wishing that the voice inside of her would reassure her, the voice that always managed to appear when things got this bad. The one that would give some commentary or another, sometimes an encouraging word or a distraction, and then draw her away into a darkness that Toriko only now realized was in fact unconsciousness.
But she heard not a single peep as the unraveling continued, bits of her mind floating unstably about, awash with the color of blood and bruises. She felt the injury in her calf, felt it, as something slashed across and opened it for the first time.
Please...please help me... Her voice echoed against the emptiness of her own thoughts, and she realized she was actually and truly alone. 3
Akari looked around herself as the door shut behind her, taking a deep breath and trying to stretch her muscles as she found the stairway that lead down. Her entire body protested, telling her to go back inside under the warmth and safety of the living room of the apartment she had slept in. But her mind refused and she continued, taking steps only as long as her already tired legs would let her.
Not moving around much for three days had taken a toll on her.
One by one, she took the stairs slowly, an arm always touching the railing, always leaning on it in case her knees wobbled or her feet only dragged against the cement. And it felt like an eternity before she was able to see Toriko, slouched against a wall, tears falling from her eyes that were squeezed so tightly shut. A frown settled on her face as she continued, finally dropping herself onto the same step Toriko was on, reaching forward without hesitation and lightly tapping the girl's cheek as she called to her.
"Toriko." Her voice was small, almost a murmur, so she spoke again. "Toriko, look at me." Her voice was louder this time, but still gentle, to convey she was not a threat. "I need you to look at me, to meet my gaze. You're okay. You're safe now." *
Toriko blinked through the tears and saw the concerned face bending over her through the lenses of her glasses, but made no sense of it. She nodded, indicating that she could hear the person she thought might be Akari, but listening and understanding felt beyond her at the moment.
I'll be fine, She couldn't manage to say, She always talks me through this. She'll be here. Any second now. She blinked tears again, expecting a voice to speak from within her that she could hardly comprehend might never come. 3
Akari noted the nod, realizing she was heard, but was she understood? A frown settled on her face, but she quickly replaced it with a gentle smile as she reached forward, both hands on either cheek of Toriko's face. "I know you're afraid. It's scary, Toriko, I understand. But you have to meet my gaze. Okay? It isn't real. Not here, not now. Not anymore. Not ever again." She moved a hand and tugged lightly at the glasses covering her eyes, to see them better.
"Look at me. Right now, I need you to look at me, to see me. I'm real. I know it's hard, I know it hurts, but it's okay." She eyed the bandages around the girl's arm, her smile faltering. Suddenly, she pulled the girl from the wall and wrapped her arms around her, out of instinct, and pat her back. "Listen to my voice. You don't have to talk, just listen, okay? I'm here, and no one else is. I'm not going to hurt you, and I won't let anything happen. Just breath." She took in a slow breath, then let it out through her nose. "Can you do that?" *
Toriko could manage no coherent words of protest when she felt her glasses being taken from her face, so she merely squeezed her eyes shut tightly and kept them that way.
It must have been about the time she felt the solidity of the wall falling away that a thought she hadn't considered before wavered for only an instant across her mind.
She isn't coming.
The voice that had, from her earliest memories, been a cornerstone in her existence...was not coming.
This one thought came to Toriko as a sudden blow more harsh than any that she vicariously felt herself being subjected to at that moment.
Without that voice...what was she to do? Her suffering had never gone away on its own before. She had always been blessedly given a reprieve that came outside of herself.
She started to shiver, goose bumps forming on her bare shoulders, and she could feel them prickling underneath the bandages wrapped around her arms.
For some reason...being alone felt very cold. 3
Akari wasn't sure what to do other than sit there, repeating herself over and over again to the girl who was now shaking in her arms. She couldn't help but wonder how Kurama had gotten through to her the most recent time she'd had a spell like this, but since she couldn't remember, she thought back to Sensui.
He'd done numerous things ranging from talking to, at one point, literally shaking her from it violently. Of course, she knew not everyone would respond the way she did to things like that, so she didn't try it with Toriko.
She pulled back from the girl, hands again on her cheeks, but this time tapping on both cheeks lightly. "Come on, look at me, Toriko." Her false smile was gone, her calm nothing more than a small string she felt she was tugging on. She wanted to help this girl, but not knowing how was making her feel rather useless.
So, she tapped harder. "Toriko! Listen to me, right this instant!" It was the only way she knew to get the girl's attention, and she sure as heck didn't want to be any more demanding or forceful. "You are not alone. I've been there too. All you have to do is look at me. Let me know you can hear me. I'm saying this again: you are not alone." *
Outside somewhere, Toriko felt her face touched, her eyes still closed tightly, but it pulled her away enough that she could hear the words that Akari spoke to her. And they made her laugh.
Somehow, from somewhere inside her, laughter welled up and bubbled passed her lips. But this was not a laughter sprung from joy. It came from a darker place, some corner of her soul that light had not brightened in many, many years, and it was a cruel laugh. A laugh lined with her true age, with memories that she even now feared to consider, and somehow the laughter helped clear her mind. Because the laughter made her very, very angry.
She still did not open her eyes, she had not lost that singular fear, but her mouth twisted from one of despondency into one that held a certain wickedness within its grin.
"Alone? You think you've been...alone?"
It somehow felt as if it was not her saying these words, but that Toriko herself had taken a backseat in some strange manner and the words welled up from that same dark corner from which she laughed.
For once, perhaps for the first time, she thought of the past fifteen years of her existence and took stock of them: forced to live among a people that were not her own, and not openly, but in fear that they might take notice of her, that she might be found out. She did not thrive when alone, she was no introvert. She recharged surrounded by others, and such a transition made her very heart ache for interactions that her mind would not allow her to have.
And then it was not the past fifteen years, but instead a distant time long past. A command from another to leave her homeland, to run to safety to save her own life and never come back. To stay away from others...
"You may talk of alone when you've forced into hiding for centuries to save your own life. You may talk of alone when you've been separated from everything you know and hold dear, kept in isolation without another to share in your misery for so many decades that you've since lost count."
Toriko spoke out of the overflow of that dark place, still feeling as if it was not her saying any of it and yet knowing that it was all true. She realized in those moments that physical pain could not hold a candle to a prison of one's own devising: a prison of the mind, a prison in which there is no outside stimulation that can stir you...
Out of that same dark place came an anger Toriko did not understand, one that could not believe this...this worm would dare claim to know about such isolation, this child, this youngling with barely enough years under her belt to no longer be considered an infant.
Her body shook more as tears kept falling from nowhere, something inside of her almost ready to snap. 3
Akari felt the color drain from her face at the laugh that suddenly filled the air, pulling her hands away from the girl who, despite the cruel sound, continued to cry and shake. Out of pure instinct, she scooted a little further from the girl, placing her back on the railing of the stairs that continued downwards.
And as the mouth that no longer seemed to belong to Toriko spoke, Akari's eyes widened first in shock, then in anger that made her body begin to shake. She didn't dare interrupt the female. Why would she? The demoness would simply wait until everything was on the plate…
And yet with each word, each additional dry laugh between sentences, Akari's eyes narrowed further. Her body shook more, and the anger she felt inside tried hard to get to her energy out of pure reflex, but grasping at nothing but an orb of darkness. A barrier within herself.
But what made her angrier was the images that flashed across her mind with each word about being alone, with each remark she made came a new image each time that she'd pushed away so very many times in the past ten years.
And suddenly, when the girl was done talking, Akari was picking up with her own words, not giving Toriko time to continue even if she had wished to do so, a harsh glare on the girl. "Yes, I understand your life sucks and you feel useless because you were alone. I understand you've experienced more simply because you've lived longer. However, for you to assume-" Her words were cut short with a hitch in her breath at the images that flashed again, threatening to take over.
But not this time.
It only added to her anger, and tears of rage were suddenly building up.
"I have been alone, trust me, I have. I have been alone for years, where my only company was of those who wished to play with me, to use me for their sickest desires. I've been alone and left to die numerous times, only for my only hope to not come through and for me to continue breathing through every sickening second. Yes, your power draws disgusting people to you, but at least they were brief encounters."
She took in a deep breath, a snarl following it out through her teeth. "You may have closed yourself off from the world, but I had no choice. I was snatched from my own home, thrown into a building, and toyed with for years. I had been kept alone for so long that even now, I do not recall how long I had been held, and only by the grace of a madman was I taken from that place. And only by the grace of my own will did I survive afterwards."
Another breath, this time her voice at a roar as she suddenly stood. "You complain about being alone, but with this type of thinking, this act you have put on for self preservation… It will land you in the very same position. And I hope to Enma you don't kill those who care for you in the process." *
From that place where Toriko felt as if she sat as second-fiddle, Akari's words still reached her and she heard herself chuckle again from where she sat with her eyes closed and her head slightly lowered.
"Ah, that I were in your place." Another chuckle, "For you were not made to appreciate it. You were around others. You were allowed interaction. You were not alone." A beat again, but this time only her cruel smile in place of the laugh, "I would have enjoyed myself and then died as soon as my energy was depleted. That's what we do. That's what we were born to do. To be used up. And then to die. How's that for the life of a demon?"
Toriko's eyes opened slightly and she saw the greyness of the concrete, and then the shine of her glasses for which she started to reach.
"But we are too different for ourselves and our situation to compare." Toriko heard herself allow, felt the realization that in this moment she and the pup were not alike. Her arms dropped from around her body, a spasm shooting up the left one as it remembered its pain from the past week. "My alone can never be your alone." Toriko finally managed to get the glasses in her hand. 3
Akari felt her fists shaking; when had she formed fists? Her eyes were so blurred from tears now that she almost couldn't see the girl sitting in front of her, and quite frankly, she didn't think she wanted to. But she could hear every single word, no matter if she wanted to or not, and they only made her see red. A dark, dangerous red that she'd only seen once in her entire lifetime, and she had killed during that time.
And without thinking, without even considering it, Akari swooped down, her anger fueling every motion her body took, and grabbed the girl by the straps of her dress, lifting her from the ground and slamming her back into the wall, a snarl escaping for the third time.
"Someone like you who doesn't see the value of the people who obviously will not let you be alone deserves a suffering death." Her eyes were dark, her grasp on the dress so tight that her knuckles were white, and were her energy free, she likely would have been attacking. "You don't see that there are at least two people in that apartment who give a rat's ass about your pathetic self-pity. And one of them helped rescue you, not because of the bond you share, but because he wanted to. I for one would have loved that in my days, but you don't seem to give a shit." She took a long breath, hissing between her teeth, "And your Champion deserves better. I hope he gives you what you're looking for: death."
And with that, she released the girl and turned away, continuing her way down the stairs, not to go home, but to keep herself from making a mistake. "Good luck," she called over her shoulder as she walked, each step heavy as if she'd never even been physically weak in the first place. *
A temper-tantrum. How cute. Truly befitting of her age.
The thought did not sound like her own, the voice that said it much crueler than kind, weathered with aged and dismissing the worm as too young to actually understand.
She said nothing, eyes closed, wicked smile never wavering as she let the little fit wash over her without giving the other any indication of a reaction.
No! Toriko finally felt herself able to struggle to take control again the longer Akari spoke. No, that's not what I- Please don't-
When she was dropped, her legs collapsed after Akari moved beyond her sight and her head slammed backwards against the concrete, jarring even her closed eyes and sending stars into her vision.
In that instant, Toriko found herself with no more resistance and she metaphorically stepped back into her own skin, coming into the awareness that her glasses were miraculously unharmed in her hand, both hands planted firmly on the landing and she stared down at its grey color on all fours, blinking and finding that her body did not wish to respond to her commands to move to go after the girl that had left in a huff.
Instead Toriko tried little things: licked her lips, finding them salty from tears, moved a hand to her eye, finding it wet from the same.
Even in control again, Toriko felt disjointed and out of place, associating the last few minutes akin to an 'out of body experience' that she remembered reading about in one of her textbooks for school.
It...it scared her. Above all else, she felt terrified, rooted to the spot at the thought that somehow she had not been in full control. Like she had been stuck in some sort of nightmare where she watched herself do and say horrible things that she had not and never would mean.
But then, where had they come from?
The...the other one.
Of course.
The black-outs.
But I didn't black-out this time.
Would that happen more now? Could her other side somehow wrest control from her at any moment?
But...but I was meant to shield her from the world. To...imprison her. To keep us safe.
Finally the terror of the previous minutes began to wear off and Toriko shakily brought herself to a stand, her eyes blurry as pain shot across her body.
There would be no way she could go after Akari with any sort of haste, and the thought that she had pushed the other away tugged at her almost as painfully as moving tugged at her body.
She let her hands brace herself heavily against the wall for another moment, and then she turned and forced her legs to take her up the staircase as fast as possible, getting back to the entrance of Kuwabara's apartment and leaning into the door frame.
"K-Kurama," Toriko lifted her glasses to her face as she looked to the redhead, "Please...Akari...she ran off and-"
Kurama had looked up in alarm before she even came in the door and he started to rise.
"-and I'm too slow. And it's my fault, but I-" A spike of fear at recalling what had happened between them had Toriko's words catching in her throat.
Kurama sent her a gentle smile, wondering at how something could be this soft-spoken demon's fault but wanting to be reassuring, "We'll find her." He turned to the young dog nearby, "Won't we, Nabu?" 3
Nabu jumped up from where he had been laying, feeling the sense of alarm in the room and slowly meandering forward when Flowers called him. He stood at his feet and looked up at him, giving a small bark of understanding before jumping forward on his hind legs once and taking the lead.
~!**!~
Akari walked down several flights of stairs, though didn't really see them as they were, but as stairs she'd seen so long ago. She could feel the blood on her hands, the wicked smile in place as she saw the image flickering in and out, not really a stable scene.
But when she reached the bottom, she turned left, moving until she found some benches that stood in a small courtyard, completely vacated. But by the time she was seated, she was inside her own mind, still walking through a building, this time a person dragging behind her who squirmed and shouted for help.
"No one is going to help. They left you down there, all alone, with me. Surely you knew that one day, I'd get out of that ridiculous knot, right?"
"P-please! Just let me go!"
A laugh bubbled from her lips, her vision red as she turned to the grown man she dragged by the hair across the tile. "Like you did for me? Sure, I will."
Minutes passed by, and his yelling, screaming for help went on and on, begging for mercy here and there. But they had reached her favorite room, where other demons were left, dangling by their hands. Several looked up, but she doubted they saw her.
Akari blinked, and she was looking at the courtyard again, sitting with her arms stretched out across the back of the bench and one leg crossed over the other, staring at a wall of another apartment complex. There were humans, children playing with their family. The scene made the shaking rage calm into a dull anger that only roiled beneath the surface.
Too bad she was under watch. A part of her could really use a good fight about now, if only to shake away the uneasiness she felt. Of course, not the humans. "Maybe Yusuke will be willing to… lend a hand." she thought to herself, eyes sliding closed.
And from there, the scene continued. *
Kurama followed the eager pup down the staircase, his mind ablaze with events that he hadn't even seen take place and hadn't listened in to out of respect of privacy between the two.
Nabu led him to a small courtyard, but the pup whined as Akari came into view, and it wasn't all that difficult to feel why. There seemed to be a cloud around her, once whose depth made Kurama's thoughts turn back to: what exactly happened back there?
Without saying a word, he approached her, sitting on the other side of the bench and staying silent, knowing that she knew he was there without him having to speak.
~!**!~
Toriko had managed to step back from the door frame to let dog and redhead by, gathering strength as she watched them trot down the staircase before she started to follow, closing the door to the apartment and making her way down to the bottom floor just in time to see the direction Kurama and Nabu had gone.3
Shizuru - sizzle
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star