A/N: Hello once again, Fellow Denizens of this FanFiction Realm!
On with the story!
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!
Kurama rocks Akari's world by first giving her a scar across her stomach,
but then telling her that he can remove it,
though the process would also take away all her others.
As she is standing there with him, he tells her that the next time she looks at her scars,
instead of thinking of her past and the painful memories it contains,
he hopes she will see his scar first and think of 'this moment right here,'
whereupon he kisses her, leaving her rooted to the spot as he exits the gym.
~!**!~
Meanwhile, Shikiyoku has taken Hiei to the place she called home when she was younger,
and leaving him to eat the fruit of the trees around them that she introduced him to,
she journeys to the far side of the valley and takes a dip in the hot springs there...
Shikiyoku rested the back of her head on the flat rocks along the shore, sunk down up to her chin in the hot springs and nearly asleep, the part of her hair in the water taking to floating about her shoulders, her thoughts muted and wandering slowly as the haze from the humidity wove around her and the area.
She kept mentally reaching for the pact between her and Hiei, but every time she hesitated and left it alone without actually calling to him. She did want to share this place with him, but...
Truthfully, she felt nervous about it, the emotion floating along somewhere in the back of her head. She wanted him to approve of the valley, to know that he was welcome here, welcome to return in the future even if...even if it was without her.
But what would he care for the place? It wasn't as if she thought he would somehow enjoy the same things as she: the sound of the waterfall, the movement of the mist as it warmed her face, the smooth onyx-like stone underneath her head. And she certainly couldn't picture him getting in the water.
That brought up a fuzzy image of her pulling him in, which, while good for an immediate sense of satisfaction, would not lead to anything Shikiyoku would have wanted to actually witness, she felt sure.
He might appreciate the climate, she finally admitted to herself. But he didn't seem like the type that would find pleasure in laying about for no good reason. Which is exactly what Shikiyoku was doing at that moment.
She hoped he wasn't in a hurry to leave, she thought drowsily. She wasn't exactly sure if she could pull herself away at that moment... 3
Hiei had eaten until he was full enough to be completely content, by which point he had dropped to the ground and taken to wandering around the area. He was curious over what the area had to offer, quite honestly, and for the past few minutes, he'd done nothing more than walk around. His red eyes looked around at all the blackened plants, not even a single insect nor creature moving about.
It was almost eerie, were it not for the peaceful air around the place.
His hands slid into his pockets as he continued walking through the forestry, his eyes taking in the slight change in the air that hinted at water somewhere nearby. He continued in the same direction, his ears hearing the sound of a waterfall in the distance as the humidity continued to thicken in the air, almost sticking to his face.
And just before he broke away from the underbrush and trees, the slight smell of rustic, metallic blood met his nose in the weakest of forms, meaning it had been mixed with another liquid or substance of some kind. Not worried, his pace stayed leisurely until he was looking at the hot spring through heavy mist, crimson peering over at the female in the water and the slight reddish-pink color that moved behind her bare back in the water.
"Heated water keeps wounds open."
~!**!~
She wasn't sure how long she had stood there, stunned still in the middle of the gym, but when Akari recovered, it was only due to the feeling of the sticky blood still moving down her torso against the sweat that had dried on her body.
She felt icky. And sore.
Her mind was still blank, but she robotically moved towards the door, leaning down painfully and grabbing her duffel bag from the floor, deciding it was time to go. She retrieved her sweats from inside and slid them on over the shorts she wore, next sliding the windbreaker jacket over her arms and shoulders, not bothering to zip it up and suffocate the bleeding cut Kurama had given her.
As she exited the door, ogre passed by, and she grabbed his attention.
"Tell Koenma I appreciate letting me use his facilities, and I'm leaving for the day… Likely the week."
Without waiting on a response, she turned and continued on her way, knowing exactly how she could get home without disturbing Botan.
After all, Koenma had been kind enough to create a portal-like doorway for the day that would land her in an alleyway just around the corner from her home. And right about now, home sounded amazing.
Security to think without distraction. Promise of a place to clean up and change.
The ability to sort through her own thoughts and regain her control, preferably before doing anything that might end up with another encounter with the redhead that had baffled her so easily. *
~!**!~
It had taken little effort for Youko to seek out the domain of the inu, her rosemary smell leading him in a bit of a trail around the city, taking him in particular to the park in which they first met, as well as a human school, but he knew neither place was where she slept, for it didn't feel right.
When he arrived at the abandoned building, however, he immediately knew this was the place he searched for, as her smell was concentrated higher here. It gave off the right vibe, too.
He made no hesitation about entering, golden eyes skimming the various newer additions that he could tell were her personal effects, including the actual dog who had definitely not let his entrance go unnoticed.
"An inu with an inu." He smiled down at the animal, but could not recall if he knew the dog's name or not, squatting down with his elbows over his knees to let the pup sniff at him. "It does seem so very fitting, does it not?" He gave the dog attentions, holding his face in both hands and scratching at his fur, but stood up and surveyed the room again after a moment.
"She is not here, I take it?" He inquired of the animal absently, having known it before he set foot on the premises. He stretched, feeling tired and giving a yawn, spying the mat he assumed she used for sleeping.
He sunk down onto it shamelessly, but just as his stomach would have made contact, a bed of golden roses rose up beneath him and took his weight as he collapsed on top of them, one leg and arm hanging down and each brushing the floor, the other arm bent, his cheek resting against that hand like a pillow as his eyes closed and his breathing slowed, his ears twitching occasionally.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku knew without a doubt that it could only be Hiei behind her that spoke up, but her mind fumbled with his words, jostling them around in a semi-asleep fashion.
She started to rise up, her long hair hanging over each shoulder and down to her stomach as she did so, making sense of the word 'wounds.'
"Wha-?" She blinked sleepily. She had no open wounds?
She lifted her arms closer to her face to examine them.
Nope. No wounds there.
What was he talking about?
Her eyes drifted back down to the water that sat lapping against her skin at waist-level and she became more aware of the reddish-tinge in the area immediately surrounding her.
Where did that come from? 3
Hiei eyed the discoloring of the water for a moment before turning away, uninterested. It was clear she hadn't even noticed, which meant it wasn't a painful thing. So, he wasn't worried in the slightest, and his eyes immediately took to surveying the area with interest. The small opening in the trees that he'd just come from was almost entirely hidden by the haze of mist that lazily floated across the grounds, and quite frankly, he enjoyed the area, but wished to see more of the place.
"Your back, I assume," he suddenly spoke up, curious about what caused the bleeding in the first place. He had a guess or two, but made no assumptions for the most part, only looking around and around the springs, searching for the falls he could hear until his eyes laid sight on them, taking in the calming view briefly before turning to approach the rocks curiously.
He still felt the stickiness of the fruit on his face, and figured he might as well rinse it off while here.
~!**!~
Akari had stopped briefly inside the building to wash herself free of the dried sweat on her skin, mainly her face and abdomen to keep the wound from getting infected. Of course, this caused the bleeding to continue at a slightly faster rate.
So when her feet touched the concrete of human world, her mind was running a thousand miles an hour, over and over the moment in the gym. She'd kept her jacket unzipped so that, occasionally, she could look down and assess the stupid wound, which would always lead her right back to those thoughts.
Ridiculous… she thought to herself. Making another scar to prove a stupid point that doesn't even make sense. Over the top. I can't believe this.
Her mind replayed thoughts very similar to those over and over again, since it was all she could actually make sense of at the moment, as she walked to the front door of the house. A hand outstretched and grasped the doorknob, turning it and opening the door before she realized there was a scent that didn't belong to her nor Nabu.
And for the first moment, her mind scrambled, her neck reddened because of course he would show up here after that scene to prove his point or whatever.
But her eyes looked over at where she had put her sleeping mat, and she blinked in confusion.
What is wrong with today?
Nabu waltzed up to her with wide puppy eyes and sat at her feet, tail thumping against the floor as he greeted her. "Flowers is here too!"
"I can see that…" but what she didn't understand was the roses. Or maybe his presence altogether… *
Youko's ears perked as he heard the door open, but he only blinked sleepily once before letting his eyes shut again.
"Inu! You're back!" He could feel the slightly foolish smile on his face at the pronouncement, eyes still closed, his mind still half in dream world somewhere. "I missed you!" He blurted out, not bothering to shift around, but squeezing his eyes tighter behind a lock of hair that had fallen over his face, trying to hang on briefly to the last vestiges of his nap before letting go and opening his eyes up, his smile fading as he more fully awoke.
His nose twitched and he frowned over at her, suddenly on his feet and closing the distance between them, his mind fuzzy as he pointed to the gash across her stomach.
"Did Otento do that?" He asked very seriously, unable to remember if the other demon had marked her or not, but parting his lips viciously at the thought.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku made one turn. Then another.
Her head tried looking over her shoulder, but it resulted in a motion more akin to a dog chasing its tail.
"B-but-" But the only things back there were her scars. And she'd gotten those ages ago, the scar tissue having been smoothed away by time and only leaving the silvery-discolored portions of where her skin had fused back together, marking her with the triple-swipe of the demon who had struck her.
Still drowsy in the haze of humidity, Shikiyoku felt tired with the effort and gave up, moved over, and leaned her arms up on the flat rocks, laying her head down over them and relaxing again.
Did she feel a trickle of blood ribboning down her waist and filtering into the water? Or was that just a trick of the mind? 3
Hiei busied himself with placing his hands in the water and rubbing at his face with his wet fingers, slowly, methodically wiping away any evidence of the fruits he had feasted on earlier. While he was at it, he simply ran his fingers through his hair as well, making the ends droop just a bit as he stood up to his full height again to look over at Shikiyoku, the mist making it hard to see her from here as he was at the source of the spring.
And when he heard her move about, the smell of blood became stronger.
"It would be wise to get out before you bleed out," he advised casually, as if it weren't actually important if she did so.
~!**!~
Akari stood in the open doorway, hand still on the knob, as she stared down at the false Youko and his bed of roses. Her brows drew together at his chipper greeting, sounding almost like Nabu did on most days, and released a sigh.
Maybe she could get away.
But that wouldn't do much good, since he'd been here for a while, it seemed.
She shut the door behind herself and leaned against the wood, ignoring the small creak of protest the worn-out wood made. She was about to question him when his eyes opened, and he crossed the room in mere moments, demanding to know of the origin of her most recent gash.
She stared at him in disbelief. He was just so…
There wasn't a word for it at the moment.
"No," she finally replied flatly, moving to step around him and find her own bandages and things that would help the stinging she felt. Now, so many questions ran through her mind that she wasn't even sure where to begin.
Right, False Youko, at the park-
"I have a question for you," she spoke up quickly, glancing over her shoulder at him. "What happened?" *
Youko blinked, confused, having not moved since she swept past him. He was the one asking her what happened with that cut...how was he supposed to know?
He turned around and plucked the bandages she found from her with ease, pointing to the roses and declaring, "Sit." He left no room for arguments, standing and glaring at her coldly. "Please." He added after a moment.
~!**!~
Bleeding...what? It wasn't as if she felt any different, maybe a little light-headed.
She reached up and planted her palms on the rocks, starting to try and push herself up and out of the water.
Her mind reeled at the movement and she sloshed back down.
Hm, maybe more than 'a little.'
Which mean Hiei was right, for what it was worth. Who knew how long she had been in there, and assuming he wasn't lying about the bleeding, she did not know how long she had been bleeding either.
The second attempt was more successful and she made it into a hunched stand as she reached for the black pants discarded nearby and pulled them on, collapsing to her knees after finishing, reaching half-heartedly for her shirt before realizing putting it on needn't be her first priority at the moment.
First priority felt like...laying down. On the warm rocks. On her stomach of course. Yeah.
The flat rocks gleamed like onyx and retained much of the heat of the humid air and springs around which they lay, and she could feel it permeating even her hair, which was still pulled over her shoulders, onto the bare skin underneath.
Now, without the water confusing her, Shikiyoku could definitely feel something else dripping around off either side of her waist, but she had a hand under her cheek as she lay there, and she didn't feel any pain about any of it, so why not just...fall back asleep... 3
Hiei turned away for the moment as Shikiyoku pulled herself from the water and dressed herself….
Halfway…
He turned back to see her laying on her stomach, her bare back exposed so he could see the open wounds that marred her skin. He analyzed them briefly even from this distance and decided that, at the rate he could see the blood pooling, she didn't need to lay still and chance falling asleep. So, curious about what would happen, Hiei turned inwards, to the bond, and messed with it a bit, pulling and pushing on it to see what would happen.
He considered the idea that perhaps he could send energy through it, but he didn't attempt it as he moved around the edge of the hot spring and to Shikiyoku's side, standing over her and looking down at her open gashes.
"Get up."
~!**!~
Akari huffed at the fake Youko, realizing she hadn't elaborated because of how many thoughts were running across her mind. It wasn't too difficult for him to steal the bandages from her very hand when he decided to do as such, which made her make a sound of frustration.
Otherwise, though, she didn't protest. Why, when it was more energy wasted than was worth? All she wanted to do was lay down and let her sore muscles relax…
"I meant at the park," she elaborated as she moved to his flowery bed that covered hers, not hesitating in simply plopping down so she faced him, eyes never meeting his. She'd already decided he wasn't a threat by this point in time. "You would have attacked Otento, if not for Kurama. I find it odd that the false Youko would go to so much trouble for someone who is often getting in their way." She paused, head tilting to the side as several other thoughts distracted her, making her mind wander suddenly. *
Youko said nothing as he knelt before her and tended to her wound with practiced hands, remaining silent as she rambled a little.
"This will leave a scar." He pronounced quietly once she finished, having seen enough about the damage to know for sure.
He let the room fall silent around him as he sat down next to her, the roses rustling a little and releasing more of their fragrance into the air. He gently tugged at the bandages with his slender fingers to pull them apart and started to wrap them around her torso delicately.
"Otento and I...do not see eye-to-eye about certain things. His threatening of you was in direct defiance of my position, and his own. He has since been reminded of that position." While Youko's voice started out conversationally light, he ended up with more narrowed eyes, part of his upper lip twitching as if to rise in a snarl.
~!**!~
"Mmm...stahp it." Shikiyoku mumbled drowsily into her hand, feeling as if Hiei was prodding her somehow.
"S'warm." She mumbled again in complaint of his demand when he actually came up next to her and spoke. Why get up when she felt so comfortable? She would have asked it, but only managed to get all of, "Why…?" to come out of her mouth. 3
Hiei raised a brow down at Shikiyoku's response, mildly amused that the bond had actually earned him a response. So, he began toying with the bond some more, a bit more aggressively now, in hopes to jar her mind awake.
"Now is no time to be sleeping." Even as he said that, his hands slid into his cloak pockets, his mind silently refusing to allow him to pick her up and move her, telling himself he didn't want to make the wounds worse. "Unless you wish to die out here before your freedom is granted."
He knew she didn't believe her warrant for her arrest could be relinquished, but he had yet to reveal to her his thoughts, his feelings on the matter. "Just know that if you die, I'm staying here and taking over your land."
~!**!~
Akari's mind had wandered inexplicably to the gym room again, analyzing the moments that had lead up to… whatever had happened. She had yet to deem it anything specific, unsure of how she felt about the moments.
He could have simply left, but instead Kurama, who had for some reason taken it upon himself to do so, had given a lecture all his own. It was an odd one to be sure, but as her eyes traveled down again to the gash, she supposed it served the very purpose he had said he wanted it to, because her mind automatically conjured up the image of him leaning closer, his eyes closing and-
She shook her head free of the image just as quickly as she could, only then realizing that False Youko had begun answering her question, and she'd missed part of it. Her mind was forced to focus on his words, though she could feel the emotions from the mere thought of earlier beginning to roll again, making her neck feel a little warmer.
"Demons having problems with control…" she began, tone slightly amused. "How surprising." Of course, she was being sarcastic. "But, again, aren't we supposed to be.. enemies?" she inquired now, her mind suddenly entirely focused on the topic without much effort. "I mean," False Youko is getting annoying to say, "while Youko is a rather empowering name and form to take on," this is ridiculous, "you went a lot of trouble to create the Foko image."
She paused, suddenly aware of the odd combination her thoughts and words had created, blinking at him once very slowly. "Whatever."
With that, she gave up trying to sort through her thoughts. It was just too strenuous. *
Youko continued wrapping the bandages around her middle as she spoke up again.
"Otento has gone insane with lust." Youko warned her, "I caution you in approaching him ever again, though hopefully the lesson I taught him in who our true enemy is will stick for a while and you will not see him for a long time." He completely glossed over her nickname for him, perhaps inwardly thankful that he was considered a "False" Youko, hence 'Foko,' and not a "Pseudo" Youko.
Psoko. Hm. No. Much prefer Foko.
"You need rest, inu." He got to his feet and made to leave, "Try not to let whatever thoughts are mingling disjointedly behind those eyes prevent you from sleeping."
~!**!~
"Hiei," Shikiyoku frowned, her brow drawing downwards towards her nose, "That tickles..." And not in a good-funny-ha-ha way right now, she meant to go on. She wasn't looking, so she couldn't even tell where he was touching her, but she didn't like it in either case.
Her back started to feel itchy and one of her hands twitched, but did not move otherwise to scratch at it. The wounds were starting to pull back together, hence her itching, and the scars they eventually formed as she kept talking looked almost new: three pink stripes across her back, only slightly marred in their appearance by the blood that was drying there and at her waist.
"I didn't ask for my freedom." She grumbled in an irritant manner at him, thinking back to the slip of paper she'd handing Koenma. "And that's what I meant to have happen anyway." For you to have this land. She released a puff of air that made a portion of her hair quiver.
She would release him from his pact one way or another, though, uh, she hadn't exactly meant to let that last sentence slip past her lips.
That's what he desired most: his freedom, right? Freedom from her, freedom from... Well, that's what she had requested from Koenma in any case. That instead of her warrant being lifted, he be free of the toddler-prince's service, allowed to return to Demon World.
And maybe...just maybe, he'd like it around here enough that he might consider calling it a home of sorts.
Sans his own desires being at the forefront of her mind, that's what she desired most for him. And for the valley.
A sleepy half-smile plastered itself across her face at the thought of Hiei returning here after some mercenary mission he'd successfully completed, slipping into the hot springs to release the tension from his tired muscles. ...maybe munching on a sweet fruit... 3
Hiei eyed the gashes across her back wearily as they began to close, a single brow raised. He inspected her back for a few more moments before he tugged on the bond again, a touch more forceful, now simply doing it out of curiosity and… well… because he had been amused.
But her words made him pause half-tug, making the bond stay taut with tension almost like an unfurled spring. The implications of her words made an odd emotion pass through his core, making him feel light as a feather.
She had asked about both of their returns to Demon World? He wouldn't be stuck in the human realm anymore, if this went over well, and he'd be able to do whatever he so desired without being badgered all the damn time.
No more interrupted naps.
No more petty missions.
No more servitude for a toddler.
They'd both be let off, allowed to do whatever in the three worlds they desired, so long as it didn't land them back where they had started. They'd be free.
~!**!~
Akari raised a brow at Foko, firstly deciding that that was what she would call him from now on and secondly confused by his words of a "true enemy". "What do you mean by that?" she inquired calmly as he stood, finished with the handiwork she had actually forgotten about for the moment.
But as he turned to leave, frustration hit her just as hard as earlier. "C'mon, I just got here! At least answer some questions!" she complained, disliking that this would be the second person in a row to "leave her hanging", as the humans had said.
Plus, for the first time in a long time, she didn't want silence. The silence, this time, would be too engaging for her mind and give her way too many opportunities to think, which would give her a headache eventually. "Surely you don't have any place to be that demands you leave such a lovely evening," she said with a tilt of her head and a sly smile, quoting him word for word from the night before in the park. "I mean, I don't bite hard." *
Youko stopped at her first question and shifted back around to face her, fully intending to at least say something as he slipped one hand into the pocket of his loose, white pants.
But when she practically left the invitation open for him to stay, and in such a manner of which he approved highly, he absolutely could not prevent the roguish smile that graced his lips and stayed there as he regarded her with no small sense of amusement.
"You actually want me to stay?" He lifted an eyebrow at her as if the prospect were foreign, "But I thought you considered me an enemy. Surely nothing good could happen of letting one such as myself stay under your roof for any longer than is necessary." If he were not so obviously a fox, one might say his grin turned nearly wolfish, his tail twitching slightly in his amusement. "Won't you get into trouble?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku didn't know exactly what change had come over Hiei, but she did know that he had his hand tangled up in her hair and was yanking at it much harder than necessary. Or something. She wasn't even sure, really. And it seemed out of character even for him to do something that cruel while she lay drowsily on the ground. First the tickling and poking. Now this.
She shifted over enough to get her fingers onto the toe of his shoe to tap at it, trying to get his attention. Or get him to stop.
When that didn't seem to change anything, she managed to turn her head to face him and opened one eye long enough to catch the edge of his cloak and give another pull.
Why wouldn't he talk to her? Or at least let go.
"Hiei...did I say something wrong?" She put her hands underneath her body and started to rise, getting up into a kneel and sitting on her feet, her eyes blurry as she blinked sleepily again and searched the ground for her almost invisible dark shirt. 3
Hiei blinked as something pulled at his mind, gaining his attention and telling him that something else was pulling at him, this time physically. His cloak moved slightly about his shoulders and he glanced down, meeting Shikiyoku's gaze evenly as he pushed thoughts away.
For a moment, he was puzzled by her inquiry. Had he acted like he'd disliked what she had said? He thought for a moment and turned inward to think back, only then realizing what was actually going on. Almost as soon as the realization hit him, he released the tight hold on the bond and looked to the side silently, eyes pointedly focusing on a tree nearby.
"My mistake."
~!**!~
The smile that was turned to her made Akari's own smile become much more sly, wider and showing her teeth. She rather enjoyed doing that, quoting people's words against them. It was something she didn't get to do often, and she took almost every chance she could. But at his words, she rolled her eyes and promptly fell onto her side, rolling so her back was to the door, and thus, to Foko. She lay on her side and released a small huff of air at the pain the abrupt motion had caused, no longer considering getting up and actually doing much of anything for the rest of the evening.
"It doesn't matter," she grumbled in reply to him with a sigh. "None of them know where I live, and even if they did, I rarely get visitors. Might as well entertain the both of us, hm?" After a moment, her smile returned, even toothier than before.
"Unless you're afraid the real Youko will come around." Of course, that wasn't a possibility either, especially after the incident in the gym.
Stop thinking about that. *
"I suppose..." He took a step towards her, "If you promise to lay down, I'll stay until you fall asleep." He went ahead and closed the distance between them, sitting down on the rose bed at her feet with another small rustle of the plants as he did so, leaning back with his hands propping him up from behind, crossing one leg over the other.
"We may be on opposing sides of the coming war inu, but in the end my quarrel is not with you." He sighed as he spoke, thinking that in truth, his quarrel was not with this "Shikiyoku" either, but that she would likely be a casualty, if not a prisoner of war, soon enough.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku assumed he meant his strange hold on her, that she had not yet been able to identify, but as she pulled her shirt on over her head, she sighed, completely forgetting about the bleeding. She left the shirt around her neck and scooted back towards the water.
Had she said something wrong? She still felt confused. And wanting to sleep.
Well, yes. She'd once again admitted out loud to...being willing to die for him. Not typical demon behavior, but without him making her purpose clear, she found herself forced to infer what he wished her to do. And he was much harder to read than anyone she'd ever encountered.
She didn't expect him to respond in the way he had, though. His poking or whatever seemed juvenile in nature for how he had reacted last time.
She sighed once she felt her feet hanging off the rocks over the water, her hands planted firmly on the ground. She shifted around again to sit on her hip, considering just sliding back in the spring to clean whatever was left of the wounds and glancing over at Hiei's feet which had not moved.
She made a noise of protest at having to ask, but went ahead.
"Would you...clean off the blood?" She grumbled at herself for having to ask, unsure if he was still upset with her and therefore unwilling to oblige. 3
Hiei watched her move back to the hot spring, her feet slipping into the warm water as she sat on the edge, shirt only hanging around her neck. He stood there silently for a few moments, eyes wandering about for a while until she spoke up again, her tone hesitant much to his surprise.
Never before had she actually shown hesitancy towards him, no matter the subject.
He hadn't meant to cause that amount of discomfort…
Instead of replying with words, he simply moved closer to the edge of the spring and dipped his hands in, not sure if his own heat would add to the water's temperature right away. But he continued anyway, completely dumping the water he had cupped in his hands over the skin between her gashes, watching the water turn a very light shade of red as it washed away and ran down her back.
He promptly retracted a hand into his cloak and tugged at his shirt, tearing a small portion of it away to help with the cleansing. He didn't dare dip it in the hot water as he began wiping at the edges of her cuts methodically.
~!**!~
Akari gave a single shoulder shrug at Foko's words of laying down, already having beat him to it. She turned her eyes to her feet by curling in closer around herself, making the bandages around her torso tighten and restrict her breathing just a fraction as she listened to him speak and watched him carefully.
"Then who is it you're fighting against? What's this whole thing going to amount to? I mean, a girl was completely destroyed emotionally and mentally. If your quarrel is not with us, then who is it who has pulled your chain so hard to make you bite anyone nearby?"
Of course, she was referring to Otento, since she knew nothing of this particular demon actually doing harm. For all she knew, his ulterior motives would have nothing to do with harming another.
"Also," she began, contemplating her own words for a moment, "the fact that you'd fight your own team over something as small as me, who has absolutely no ability to stop any sort of plans you might have, is a bit of a dumbfounding thing." *
Youko gave Akari a sidelong glance, "Shikiyoku? Destroyed? Unlikely. She is much more resilient than you give her credit for." He shook his head, "Unfortunately, she will be a casualty no matter the outcome, I fear. But one for many is but a small price..."
"And as I said, Otento had overstepped his boundaries when he approached you. When he disturbed any of you. Even his first interaction with Shikiyoku came much too early." Youko's eyes darkened. He had not found out about Otento's little...solo escapade to her house until much later. "His leash has been tightened, I assure you. And he is not one who should be allowed without a leash, as I'm sure you've witnessed, so don't bother with any objections."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku took a deep breath as she felt Hiei cleaning off her skin.
"I'm sorry. For upsetting you." She added, falling silent again as he kept working. 3
Hiei slowly moved his cloth round and round her back, all around her cuts while his free hand occasionally dipped into the water and trickled it down her back. He was almost satisfied, aside from the one that still occasionally allowed a few droplets of blood to for and fall with the water he let fall down her back.
When she spoke up, he had both hands dipped in the water, cupping them together to hold as much as possible to pour down her back and finish the job. He paused above the surface, droplets falling between his fingers and disturbing the otherwise calm surface of the hot spring.
He had no idea what she was talking about.
"Should be," he said, deciding to simply go along with it, more for his own amusement than anything else. "You're hopeless."
~!**!~
Akari chose not to elaborate that she had meant Toriko, deciding that he had just given her the name of the demon half of the girl. She didn't feel like elaborating anyway, so she let it be, only giving a small hum that said she heard him when he continued on. Until his last sentence about casualties.
"'One for many?'" she repeated, her words slightly slurred with the lull her mind had become. She wouldn't sleep yet, because she wasn't actually tired, but her mind sure did like telling her she was. "Care to elaborate..?" she asked, eyeing him slowly.
Then again, if she found out what was actually going on, the information would be useless, since telling the others would deem her a traitor, and she'd lose her head. The thought made her eyes close and a small smile form on her face. It was a good thing no one knew where she'd taken up residence, or she would likely have kicked out this demon as soon as she saw him.
Like instinct should have told her to do in the first place.
"Don't worry about protests there. Keeping him under tight watch seems better than putting many others in danger. If I were strong enough I'd go after him myself. But I think the others have it covered."
She paused, eyes sliding open again to peer at him through a half-lidded gaze. "You're not so bad, y'know. I pictured you to be rather…" she couldn't find the right word, so her sentence trailed off. *
Youko glanced at her, seeing the girl nearing a more restful state, "Can't tell you too much, now can I? I don't want to say that I'd think you would blab about it, but if you don't know, there's no worry in any case."
He regarded her with a small, amused smile as she trailed off, tempted to start putting words in her mouth, but letting her be, instead taking a deep breath of the fragrance that had now practically permeated the room and otherwise staying still where he sat.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku thought of her hope that Hiei would one day be truly free.
"Not...hopeless." She shook her head slightly, "Perhaps...foolish."
She let out a sigh as she looked up over the mist, the pathways black with both the nighttime air and the colors of the trees and bushes, blinking her eyes as she fought to stay awake and not simply slump over.
Unsuccessfully of course were her attempts as she suddenly felt her body starting to lean over the hip she sat on, giving a jerk as she jolted herself away from sleep. Her body immediately relaxed again though, the humidity and clean smell of the hot springs lulling her back towards dreamland. 3
Hiei withdrew his hands from her back just as she jerked herself upright again, Hiei having not noticed at first that she had begun leaning. He'd simply adjusted without pause or notice. But as he sat back on his heels, crouched behind her, eyeing her slowly as he spoke again, this time ignoring the original conversation.
"Dress yourself before you fall in." He wouldn't mind carrying her, but he was not her caretaker, and would not dress her for her. It simply wasn't his job, and he simply refused to do so.
~!**!~
A faint smile formed on Akari's face and she stretched her feet out a little, angling her legs so that they were behind the silver-haired demon while her face nestled into the roses below. Never before had she been so comfortable, and quite frankly, she found that it reminded her of the single rose Kurama had given her.
Only…. better.
"It must be nice, controlling plants," she mused more to herself than to anyone else. "Beds of flowers are surprisingly comfortable. Without the thorns, of course." She gave a small sigh and her eyes slid closed, her mind slowly flashing small images of peaceful moments across her mind's eye in a telltale fashion that normally meant she was close to sleep.
"Thank you, by the way." At first, she wasn't sure what she was thanking him for, so she figured he'd take it as a blanket thank you, including everything he'd done for her thus far.
And again, the image of Kurama popped into her mind, making her release another sigh and shift around a bit, uncomfortable with the direction her thoughts had taken. She wouldn't be able to relax if she ended up confused all over again. *
"Mm." Youko intoned, "It certainly has its perks." He reached down and cradled one of the golden roses in his hand.
"And you're quite welcome, by the way. There is simply no other way to sleep." He waited for the moment he sensed she was having trouble fighting off, but he had promised not to leave until that moment came. So he would not.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku made no protests, starting to stand up unsteadily as she pulled her arms through her shirt and yanked it down, removing her hair from where it had gotten caught underneath and tossing it behind her shoulder to sway, nearly dry, down her back.
There was only one place in the three worlds where she wanted to fall asleep at that moment, even if it was all the way on the other side of the valley, a thought that made her frown.
Another wave of dizziness struck her just as she meant to dash off and she put a hand up to her head.
Just how much blood had she lost?
"Uhm..." She looked around at the water and rocks, the trees and the grass, deciding she needed to have a secondary option at which to rest, but her muddled brain didn't make sense of it all and she nearly decided that sinking back down to the ground might be the easiest course of action.
The rocks were warm at least...3
Hiei stood up as well, wiping his wet hands on his cloak absent-mindedly and again glancing around himself curiously. He half considered wandering away to continue the small expedition he'd been on before stumbling across Shikiyoku in the water. However, he rethought it as he glanced over at the woman again, hearing her hum of contemplation.
He followed her gaze, making his own small sound of contemplation as he thought. He knew that going to take a nap was not a good idea, and keeping her moving was probably the best bet. So, without further ado, he turned to her with a smoldering gaze of demanding gleam.
"Show me more. The area is interesting."
~!**!~
Akari released a sigh, trying to push away the image, but it just wouldn't go away. It made her shift herself around a little more and squirm until her body relaxed entirely, sinking into the roses again as she ceased all movements.
Maybe if she just…. let her mind do whatever it wanted, she would sleep. So, she didn't let herself move around, didn't let the emotions that welled up get to her too much, and after a while, her breathing began to slow. And despite the unrelenting image that her brain almost demanded her to analyze, she felt sleep encase her mind.
Though the image never left her. *
Youko waited until the fifth or sixth deep breath that passed over Akari's lips assured him of her slumber before he slowly got up again, uncrossing his legs and moving into a stand above her, giving only a single glance over his shoulder to assure himself he had not disturbed her or the bed.
As he started to leave, he spied the pup and bent over to give him a lazy pat.
"They'll hold you, gi-inu." He reassured the dog, "But be mindful of her middle section for a few days. She got bit."
Youko left silently through the front door.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku wasn't sure what surprised her more: that Hiei gave her a direct order or that he actually found the area, her favorite of the whole valley, interesting.
Either way, she stood dumbfounded with his request, meeting his fiery eyes with her own slightly confused ones before recovering and giving him a nod.
Though she wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the rocks beneath her, she fought the urge and walked passed him a ways, taking the lead but pausing as she considered what he hadn't seen yet on this side of the valley, the mist curling around her feet when she stopped.
Giving only one look over her shoulder to see if he meant it and would follow, she started walking, her feet steady enough but her mind telling her that anything faster would likely cause her to faint.
The mist continued to swirl lazily about them like so many ghostly forms parting as they walked.
Shikiyoku angled her direction back towards the waterfall, intending to take the incline over which it fell at its easiest portion instead of right up next to it where they might have to climb some.
She followed upstream the brook that flowed past them towards the hot springs, the water here still steaming and the humidity still high.
Upon reflection, she found it appropriately fitting with the place. If there had been water here when the first demon fell, surely it would have been imbued with his flames forever. Or something. 3
Hiei waited while she seemed to take in his demand, his arms crossing over his chest to show that he simply wouldn't take no for an answer. And as patient as he was, he made good to appear as impatient as could be, waiting until she was a little away from him and looking back at him before following after, easily catching up and walking at her side.
He wasn't surprised she chose the waterfall route, since he hadn't been there yet and going the other way would mean a longer trek in the end of it all. He himself found the waterfall to be a rather amazing structure, the water occasionally splashing up and getting droplets on his cloak and face, which he didn't mind in the least. It was a relaxing thing, really.
He didn't say a word as he followed, simply taking to genuinely enjoying the trek, though he did make sure to keep careful watch over Shikiyoku. *
Shikiyoku's ears perked as far overhead she could hear the call of some random creature, or demon, as it flew over the mountains at a high altitude, but its path seemed short as it disappeared quickly on the other side of the mountain and out of view.
At the point where she knew the brook was its narrowest and shallowest, Shikiyoku lightly jumped over it, hardly more than a hop, and started moving perpendicular to the water behind her, weaving her way through the various bits of undergrowth as the foliage around them grew thicker and darker, so much so that neither the plants nor the two demons moving in the midst of them cast so much as a shadow on the ground.
The mist grew thicker and rose higher, actually reaching a point where Shikiyoku knew it was above her head, but upon looking up, could not see through it.
After a few hundred more feet of ducking and dodging through the forest, a single pin-prick of orange light could be seen and it was towards this that Shikiyoku made her path, as straight as she was able.
The forest suddenly cleared out from around them, the mist thinning out just enough to be able to tell what Shikiyoku had been aiming for, what was plainly in front of them now.
Orange light danced from the flame that floated in place before them and cast lively shadows all around it, using the trees at the edge of the clearing and the brushes and grass as its tapestry and medium alike.
The brook must have bent in their direction at some point, because it curved briefly into view, steaming next to the tear-drop shaped fire that did not appear to burn via any conventional means.
It did not float terribly high off of the ground, instead at roughly shoulder level for the two demons that now regarded it.
As its flames seemed to spin and twirl, occasionally a tongue of white or blue would appear briefly at the highest point and then change back to the deeper oranges and reds as the fire pulled back down from its extended reach. 3
Hiei followed silently, looking about in an attempt to memorize each rock formation, each fern they passed, even though it all looked the same to him. He'd been in Human World for so long that he'd forgotten how alike the foliage here grew, how starkly similar one fern grew in relation to another. Each plant was almost identical to its neighbor, a characteristic Hiei hadn't missed of this world.
The fire demon made sure to keep close to Shikiyoku, occasionally again checking the bond. He had, again, considered the idea of seeing how the bond would react to energy being passed through or over it, but like before, he hesitated and decided against it, unsure if it would cause more harm than good. After all, fire demons were known for their destructive energy, whether it was actually being utilized or not.
He was pulled from his thoughts as a light glow began to shine just ahead, and Hiei's entire attention was focused on the only form of light within the area. When he found himself standing in front of the source, eyes trained on it, tempted to touch the small orb of fire. His fingers twitched at his side with the need, but the fact that it burned without anything visibly keeping it going made him weary enough to refrain, his crimson eyes simply staring at it in wonder.
"I assume there is a story behind this as well?" he finally piped up, not even glancing at Shikiyoku as another spout of white flame broke away, seemingly dissipating in the air as the flame returned to its reddish-orange glow. *
Shikiyoku shook her head, too much in awe of the fire to speak at first.
"Demons made up a story about the mountains and the blackness of this place because they can see them. Because they know of their existence. There was only one demon who had seen this secret place with her own eyes." She felt that shyness coming onto her again, but she somehow felt less so about it, seeing as how it would hold a particular interest with him and there was no need to be concerned about whether he would approve of this secret as well.
She tore her eyes away from the fire to glance at him, happy to see that she had been right about how captivating he would find the flame, and she went on, "But now instead of one who knows of this...it's two."
She turned solemnly back to the fire, her eyes unable to stray from it for long.
When she spoke next it was quieter than before.
"I can tell you my story for it...if you like." 3
Hiei stared at the flame, fingers twitching again as the desire to touch the flame resurfaced. But it seemed to pulsate with its own life, and with something that had an energy all its own, there was no telling what could happen. And quite frankly, there was a part of him that said touching it wasn't smart, despite the fact that fire would normally be his companion.
Still, the heat he could feel radiating towards him was a rather magnificent thing, since it didn't seem to even flicker when the wind blew by.
Shikiyoku spoke up, drawing his gaze to her for a moment before it shifted back to the orb of fire, giving a silent nod that displayed he was curious enough to listen. After all, learning new things had become something he'd taken an interest into much more recently, and this was definitely something new. *
"Before the first demon fell from the sky, there existed in the three worlds no such thing as fire. And when he rose from the ashes of this valley that he had burned for six days around him, he rose having conquered the pain of flame, and he drew the fire that encased his body within himself, claiming dominion over it. And the power of fire flowed freely through his veins from that moment onwards."
As Shikiyoku spoke, she started walking slowly closer to the dancing flame who made the shadows around them laugh and twirl.
"But as he stood up, a single tongue of his mighty inferno fell away from his giant form as he towered over the Ninth Level, and he did not notice it leaving him."
Here she was close enough to reach out her hand and she held it cupped underneath where the orb floated as she continued.
"This is that tongue. The first true fire. The purest of all fire. The First Flame that all those with the power over fire know deep within them exists, even though they have never seen it, because they are all his children. Because they can feel within their core a connection to it, to this forever dancing, twisting, curling, pulsing, magnificent flame that the first demon, the original fire demon, left behind. And it will go on burning for eternity, because from this fire, his fire, were they born, and to this fire they will one day return."
Shikiyoku had by this time cupped both hands underneath the fire, its light making shadows flicker over her face in an ancient dance that it had been making steps to since the dawn of time.
When she had finished, she stepped back slightly as the fire whirled faster as if in excitement, changing completely white for a few seconds and releasing a small tongue of itself up into the air that broke away and landed in the palms of Shikiyoku's hands before the orb receded down to blue, then back to the orange and red it seemed to maintain normally.
Shikiyoku almost reverently held her hands cupped underneath the tongue of white fire that now gaily whirled in place just above her skin, and after staring into it for a moment, looking conflicted at the gift, she appeared to reach a decision and walked back towards Hiei.
She carefully tipped the tiny tongue of fire into one hand, using her free one to gently take Hiei's and hold it palm up. She held the hand that had the fire over his, reaching out again for the other hand that hung at his side and placing it next to the first so that he had a bowl-shape similar to the one she had cupped her hands into beneath the orb.
She delicately began twisting her wrist and the flame tumbled head-over-heels into Hiei's awaiting palms, hovering above his skin.
Shikiyoku slowly dropped her hand out from under his, lowering the other to her side as well, and took one step back, her eyes bright and shining as she looked into his, seeing the reflection of the fire that floated just above his grasp almost mirrored by his own inner flame.
"Swallow it." Was all she said, licking her lips and appearing eager for him to do so, to taste of the first flame as she had long ago. 3
Hiei had been listening intently as his eyes stared ahead, his mind creating the images that would implant the story into his brain as much as possible. He nodded once when she was done talking, frowning slightly when she stood in front of the fire, blocking his view of the miraculous sight. But his feet didn't move to get any closer. He merely stayed where he was, watching Shikiyoku's back curiously.
He waited patiently, watching each muscle in her shoulders and back move as she moved about in front of the flame, the glow of the fire outlining her in an orange glow of light that made Hiei positively entranced, watching the glow move in an almost liquid way.
And a moment later, she was turning to him with a bit of the flame in her hands, dancing around and around above the skin of her palm. His eyes followed its motion as if it had him completely entranced, and as Shikiyoku came closer, he could feel the pulsating heat of the orb, feel the energy that was held within it that kept it alive.
So he didn't even consider protesting when she grabbed his wrist and let the flame tumble into his own hand, the flame flickering with the motion before resettling calmly in his palms. He took in the sight before Shikiyoku spoke, making his gaze slide up to her face in contemplation. He assessed her expression, watching her tongue roll over her lips before disappearing into her mouth again. And that was when he decided it must not be too bad.
So, without further ado, he raised his hand to his mouth, and popped the small flame between his lips.
The reaction of his tongue meeting the flame was instantaneous. A warm sensation filled his mouth, accompanied by a flavor he couldn't name in any way. His entire body relaxed, and as he swallowed the flame, he felt his own energy react with it by buzzing at a rapid rate through his veins, almost humming audibly in his ears.
By the time the flame reached his stomach, which only took a few seconds, his entire body was humming with happy energy, as if he'd always been meant to do such a thing. As if this was where he was supposed to be.
It settled in the pit of his stomach, but as far as he could tell, it wasn't going to dissipate. The warmth stayed there, filling his stomach and even warming him up to his core. He could even feel his skin's temperature rising just a fraction, and the amount of satisfaction that overwhelmed him was euphoric.
He had actually forgotten that he was not alone here. *
Shikiyoku had guessed all along that his consumption of the true fire would likely come as a different experience, seeing as how he held flames within already, so she was not surprised to see him practically light up with a glow unlike anything she'd ever seen before and her mouth hung open a little in a smile, a little in awe as she could feel the treat pulsating within him, down his throat and to his stomach.
She tried not to let it show, standing firm by her decision to give it to him instead of eating it herself, but she did feel a pang of jealousy as that story only worked to get her a tongue when the fire had not heard it in a while.
Considering the white color, she must have done a particularly good job at telling the tale as well, though she attributed it partly to the fact that she had not told the fire the story in a long time.
She waited for a bit until it seemed like Hiei came back down into Demon World from where his mind had been soaring.
The twitching of his hand and the desire earlier to actually touch the orb had not been lost on her and she spoke up.
"He will not harm you if you wish to greet him." Shikiyoku stepped a little bit to the side in case Hiei wished to walk past her and do so. "I cannot stick my hand directly within his core, but you will come to no harm. He might reward you with a tongue of your own since he's never been in contact with anyone else, much less an actual fire demon." Her eyes turned bright at the prospect. If the fire really did approve of this spiky-haired warrior, it would be quite obvious. 3
gi-inu - pseudo-dog
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star