A/N: Hello once again, Readers!
There's a bit of a time-skip that occurs for both Hiei and Shikiyoku as well as Kurama and Akari. For the former, we quickly shift them through the month it takes to get them from the Ninth Level up to the First, and for the latter, day passes to night.
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 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!
Akari wanders away from school after Kurama activates the fire alarm and drags her outside,
and Kurama takes to following her, worried about her walking around town by herself.
He follows her about from a distance until Nabu comes running up in a hurry,
and the two of them run to the park, Kurama finding Akari has collapsed.
Using the sleep-aide the two of them had talked about making for their class project,
Kurama helps pull Akari away from her nightmares and into a dreamless sleep.
As day turns into night, she does begin to dream, in a manner of speaking...
~!**!~
As Hiei and Shikiyoku are standing there in the tree attempting to overcome the mesmer Shikiyoku's mother placed on her,
the two of them realize that the ritual-dance Shikiyoku had done at Shubou's had actually pinpointed Hiei,
pegging him as a companion who did not seek to abuse her, instead of being useless as Shikiyoku had first thought.
Upon such discovery, she is finally able to break through the binding spell placed upon her in childhood,
and she and Hiei finish their quest to question Gekijou.
They learn several interesting things, including the fact that it appears as if King Enma is stealing demons from the First Level,
sending them into Human World to be killed by the Spirit Detectives, possibly as a distraction for whatever he is really doing.
Or possibly to mask the fact that he is completely useless as a ruler in the first place.
Something stirs within Hiei at the prospect, and he makes it his new mission
to figure out if the stories of abductions of demons from their homes on the First Level are true...
Of course Shikiyoku wasn't going to let Hiei go alone. Besides, she felt it more than appropriate that a Spirit Detective finally employ the "investigation" side of their job description.
Granted, how long such a job was going to be in place remained only a matter of time should the stories of Enma be true...
But she kept such thoughts to herself.
Between Shikiyoku and Hiei's knowledge of Demon World, the two managed to traverse the other levels without much incident, keeping to themselves and making as quick of work as possible in their trek.
For Shikiyoku's part, she felt closer to Hiei than ever, knowing of course that he desired to look further into these disappearances helped, and while on occasion she would forget that her penchant for physical contact did not match up with his own feelings on the matter-there was at least once where she'd hugged him about something or other before startling back and apologizing-the journey was not a disagreeable one for her nature.
She knew what he wanted.
And her Champion always got what he wanted.
As the two emerged onto the First Level, lighting crackled across the sandy-colored sky as if there was a constant storm overhead that never released the water it threatened to drop.
Shikiyoku frowned.
The acidic rain was going to be an issue here. The flora and fauna may have built up an immunity, but that did not mean Shikiyoku's skin would appreciate the stinging holes. 3
Hiei hadn't said much of anything on this journey. Not even when Shikiyoku had her moments where she got too close for his liking, at which point he'd simply stared at her and considered the moment before letting it pass and continuing on. The few times they had stopped for rest, Hiei hadn't really slept much, not that it mattered. He'd gotten just enough sleep in to keep his wits about him and appear just as normal as could be.
All because he was torn about the situation.
If Enma was in fact plucking demons from the First Level of Demon World and setting them free in Human World, wouldn't Koenma be informed of such happenings? If so, telling him what they found out would not be wise.
But, there was the possibility of Koenma being completely blind to it, as would everyone else be.
These two contradicting thoughts had circled in his mind, over and over again, creating a swirl of confusion and impatience in his core.
Of course, he'd be pulled from those thoughts occasionally.
And this was one of those moments.
Hiei's eyes focused on the sky now, witnessing the flash of light that moved across the clouds with a storm that never really seemed to have an end in sight. The wind that blew by was anything but gentle, whipping leaves and branches of trees around and around, creating the sound of a creature howling.
He paused in his steps and looked about, as if the foliage around him would enlighten him of the next acidic rainfall. He turned around in a half circle in place, eyes taking in each detail around him in mere seconds before he turned and decided they needed to keep moving.
It was clear that the next cycle of rainfall was soon, as several plants were beginning to close their leaves in defense from the onslaught.
The cloak he now wore, one he'd grabbed from a city they'd passed through, would do nothing against the acid. Nor would Shikiyoku's clothing.
"We'll stop in the nearest public building to wait it out," he informed Shikiyoku, turning his eyes to look at her from the corners. "Perhaps eat while we wait."
~!**!~
The sunshine was warm, inviting, and quite frankly, Akari hadn't been able to stay inside. It simply was just too nice of a day. So, she'd gone to the park, met up with someone she'd been trying to track down for days, to thank him for being a calming presence when she'd been anything but. It hadn't been a planned thing this time, as she'd tried to establish. It just simply occurred as it normally did: Foko simply appeared at the most opportuned of times.
She stood over him now, hands on her hips and tongue stuck out at him, his smile a teasing, lopsided one. "I didn't ask your opinion, Foko."
Again, he chuckled at her and rolled over, laying now on his stomach. "It's free of charge. You don't have to ask for one."
She sighed, eyes rolling up to the sky in slight impatience. "You think you're so clever."
He made no response, and for a moment, silence floated on the gentle breeze between them. She continued to stare, watching the way the sun made his hair gleam and shine, the way the wind made his ear flick every so often. His tail twitched once, and his voice floated lazily to her ears. "You're staring again, Inu."
This time, instead of picking an argument with him, she gave a shrug that he didn't see and she moved to sit beside him again, close enough that when she reached out to grab a handful of his hair, it wouldn't pull on his head and create discomfort. Her fingers wove in and out of the silver locks, at first simply detangling them before she began to weave his hair into a simple braid.
"Enjoying yourself?"
"M-hm." she hummed at him with a gentle smile. "It's so soft and… smooth."
He gave no response other than a deep sigh of content. Again, silence ensued, but this time it was more comfortable, as if either one of them could roll over and go to sleep if they so desired. And when her fingers finished their work with his hair, they unwound the locks and started again.
It's such a calm day. Her thoughts strayed from whatever had been previously bothering her, something she couldn't remember at this very moment. And everyone else is in school. Must suck.
After a moment, she gave a sigh very similar to Foko's, who turned his head to look at her, golden eyes flashing with amusement. His white teeth glimmered for a moment as the gears in his head turned, but for the moment, he didn't move. "Do you want me to go to sleep, inu?"
Akari gave a huff of a laugh, but otherwise continued what she was doing, unwinding the woven locks of hair again and, for the third time, starting over out of pure desire to feel his hair in her hands.
And suddenly, she was pulled to the ground, fingers releasing his hair out of reflex as she fell to her side, hazel irises finding amber ones and locking with them. She heaved a sigh for the third time as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, knowing the routine that was beginning.
But before he could poke or prod at her, Nabu was climbing over her side, nose in her face. "You're with Flowers! I should have known!"
Akari laughed. "No, Nabu. Wrong one."
"Foko?"
Akari nodded once and pulled her arm out from between herself and said demon, pointing a finger at the red cloth at the male's waist. "See?"
Nabu turned his head to peer at the cloth, tail stopping all movement before taking to wagging furiously again. "You wore it this time!"
"I said I would, didn't I?"
Akari smiled and pulled away from the male, sitting up.
Now that she thought of it, Kurama could pass at any moment… School was letting out soon and he had the tendency to show up at random.
"I think… I'm going home."
"Leaving so soon? I was having fun." *
Before long, night had fallen across the park, waking Kurama up.
He ruefully thought of both his and Akari's things left neglected in the classroom at school.
Granted, he hadn't exactly been planning on this.
He glanced down at the demon who had her head close to where his heart, her fingers clutching at the pink overjacket of his uniform.
It was lucky his mom was on vacation with her fiancé. She wouldn't have been expecting him to be home this evening and worrying when he didn't appear.
"Akari…" He breathed quietly, moving a bit of hair away from her lips where it quivered from her breath. "Akari, we should probably leave."
He hadn't more than murmured the sentence at her, and got no response as a result.
Even so, Kurama reached up with the hand that wasn't between her and his knee propping her up and gently started to unfurl her hold on his clothing.
He pulled back a little when she shifted in her sleep and closed her grasp tighter.
Eyes kind, Kurama instead moved that arm underneath her knees and slowly stood up, starting to walk in the direction of his home.
~!**!~
Unfortunately, bag at school meant key at school.
Fortunately, a part of Kurama had been a thief as a former occupation.
He entered his home with little trouble, letting the door close behind him as he stepped on the heel of one shoe and slipped his foot out, doing the same to the other before moving farther inside and going up the stairs to his room.
Attempting to put Akari down on his bed was met with more resistance from the girl and Kurama let out a sigh, climbing onto the mattress, shoving a pillow into and leaning up against the corner where his bed sat at the wall with Akari still in his arms.
Moving around until he was comfortable, in much the same pose that he had held for hours in the park, Kurama cleared hair from the demon's face once more, watching for a moment the peaceful expression on her sleeping profile.
And then he blinked.
When his eyes opened again, he felt the haziness of the air around him, alive with the same energy he had seen constantly radiating from the girl ever since that morning in school.
He was standing in the park he had just left, in the middle of the day, and saw Akari and Nabu and...Youko?
Of course he knew this was simply an illusion of the girl's mind, but...what exactly had happened between her and the fox demon to merit this sort of picture? Or was this simply a product of her brain that wished this kind of interaction had taken place?
Kurama could only guess.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku gave Hiei a nod to indicate that she had heard him, then turned to follow the fire demon as he moved off.
As his cloak billowed slightly in the wind, Shikiyoku wished not for the first time that she had acquired for herself a similar article of clothing.
Finding anything that fit had been a problem. And she wasn't about to go walking around as her kind of demon in just anything.
She let out a low grumble about being stuck in human form, and then found her thoughts returning, as it often had the entire way to the First Level, to the information of which Gekijou had so generously provided them.
Heh.
On the one hand, if Enma were gone, there would be no warrant out for Shikiyoku's arrest. She would be free for the first time in over a decade.
On the other hand...actually joining the fake Youko, however 'noble' his true cause might be, felt to Shikiyoku a bit like betraying her former Champion, the real Youko, whom she couldn't possibly imagine contriving something as ridiculous as the fake Youko's plan unless there was something shiny to be had from it. 3
Hiei's feet carried him through the trees expertly despite the distraction his mind posed. He simply couldn't push away the thoughts long enough to focus on what was going on around him entirely. He'd considered just about every turn that the information he'd been given could produce, and none of them seemed worth the fight against the ruler of Spirit World.
At least, not to him.
Nothing seemed worthy of such a battle.
He had to be missing something.
His eyes turned to peer at Shikiyoku again from over his shoulder, this time thoughts shifting to the display in power she'd had back at The Palace.
If her command stayed in place, Shikiyoku had just created the best information broker that he'd ever seen. It was likely that no one would assume the sister to be giving out information. Why would she, when it would put her against her brother in the end fight?
Hiei turned forward again, his thoughts staying on Shikiyoku and her energy this time.
If she had in fact surpassed her mother's ranking, then Hiei assumed she'd be above the lower A class ranking now.
Meaning she was stronger than he. It was a little odd, the thought of the one he was protecting being more powerful than he was in such a system.
Suddenly, Hiei's feet hit concrete, and his eyes focused on the path to the city that lay ahead, eyes finding a building that demons were circulating in and out of. Obviously a public building. Perhaps trade.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the air around him changed and his eyes noticed the demons all scattering in different directions, disappearing into homes and other buildings alike.
He picked up the pace, knowing that if they didn't reach it to the building on time, they'd end up with melted skin and much, much more pain than most any attack could create in one blow.
~!**!~
Akari took a deep breath in, eyes sliding closed. She was so tempted to stay, and his presence was so inviting…
But if she did, and Hiei or Kurama appeared…
She could convince Yusuke and Kuwabara easily of the identity of this one. That was no problem. The other two, however..
"Flowers!"
Akari's eyelids slid open and she turned to Foko, expecting Nabu to be jumping all over the male. But the dog wasn't even nearby anymore, and Foko's golden eyes were trained forward, cold gleam aimed at someone beyond Akari.
She turned around, shifting in the grass until she was looking at the redhead across the park, meeting his confused stare with a wide one.
"How..?"
How had she not felt his energy nearby? How had Foko not felt it and taken off? How had he slipped by?
Nabu sat at the male's feet, tail swishing against the grass happily and tongue lolling as he looked up at Kurama. "You're here! Make the other one leave! I don't like him!"
"Nabu!" Akari reprimanded out of pure instinct, huffing at his words. "That was mean!"
"But he's playing tricks, remember?"
Akari shifted, pushing herself to stand, brushing off the skirt of her school uniform. Why had she put on her uniform only to skip school?
"Inu," Foko whispered, pulling Akari's eyes down to the male who was now sitting up, eyes pointed at Kurama, "caution."
Akari laughed, albeit a nervous laugh before she turned to face Kurama again. "School's out already?" *
Kurama settled into this strange dream-illusion with relative ease, knowing that this was the picture in Akari's mind as he held her in the real world, and closed the distance between himself and Akari with an easy gait.
He nodded to answer her question.
"I didn't see you in class, so I thought I might check and see if you were here." His eyes sparkled, "I knew the day was too beautiful for you to stay cooped up inside."
~!**!~
As they neared the city, Shikiyoku pulled the large hood of the top she'd stolen up over her head to better hide her features, making sure that her hair was tucked away inside it.
This fabric was more resilient than most, and ever since breaking through her mother's compulsion, Shikiyoku had become more aware on an unconscious level that her power subtly permeated the air around her head like a perfume. And that said perfume was now thicker than before.
She made sure the long sleeves were pulled down as far as possible over her wrists, for her skin had also started to take on a natural brilliance of sorts that she could not readily explain.
Thusly covered, Shikiyoku trotted after Hiei as he headed towards a building, just as eager as he to make sure they got out of the rain before it started to fall. 3
Hiei slowed his run to a simply trot, and then to a walk as he approached the building he'd laid eyes on earlier, hand clasping the handle of the door and turning it downwards, pushing it open and quickly stepping inside to allow Shikiyoku in as well.
Just in time for the beginnings of rain to hit the roof overhead.
As the door swung shut behind Shikiyoku, Hiei turned to survey the place, realizing that it was not a trading post, as he had initially assumed, nor was it a pub as was the norm, but instead, it was more like a lounge of sorts. The room opened up into what could only be described as a living room one would see in the Human World, makeshift couches spread out around the area and a small counter at the opposite end of the room meant for eating, a small area for preparing such food and beverages closed off behind such counter.
Soft music was being played on a harpsichord-like instrument by a male demon in a coat who sat in a corner of the room by himself, eyes closed and body swaying with the soft melody that contradicted the pattering rain outside.
And the few demons who were still in the building were speaking to one another in hushed voices, as if someone were sleeping and not to be awoken.
It was oddly calm, he noted. Normally he associated the First Level with constant fights and meaningless arguments.
But here, it was almost as if he'd entered a bubble of serenity, where no troubles could find him. Of course, that wasn't the case, but he didn't let his thoughts shift again.
He merely stepped further into the room, making slow steps across the way, around couches and chairs, until he was standing at the counter, staring at a demon who had his back to Hiei and was tending to a boiling pot.
~!**!~
AKari raised a brow at the calm air around Kurama, hiding the confusion she felt towards his easy acceptance of Foko's presence. Though, at his words, a light smile passed over her lips before disappearing again with a shrug.
"Class is boring. Why stay there when I can lay in the sun?"
Foko shifted again behind her, this time moving to stand, back leaning against the tree he'd been lounging under. "Why should she go to class when I can be of entertainment?" *
"Indeed." Kurama commented to his counterpart. "I suppose I have you to thank for keeping her boredom at bay." He inclined his head slightly to the fox.
~!**!~
There were other things...little things...that Shikiyoku had just begun to notice in the month that it took them to get to their destination.
Like the way when they stopped sometimes that the creatures would approach her with captivated eyes when she had done nothing to provoke them, and indeed had been trying not to. How her hair had taken on more of a natural shine.
Problems. Shikiyoku thought privately to herself. Nothing but more problems.
Not if she had been in demon form. Certainly not. But with a more humanlike appearance, and a particular mission to boot, she felt as if her very presence could compromise any progress they wished to make. She should have gone back to Spirit World.
More uselessness. A small sigh.
Shikiyoku stopped short of Hiei, stepping to standing next to him, if still a little behind, keeping her head down and her ears open to their surroundings. 3
Hiei stood at the counter in silence for a minute, watching the male on the other side as he continued stirring at whatever it was that was boiling, making the room smell rather…. awful. He eyed the other things around the other demon, finding nothing of interest that would suit his slight hunger. He wasn't exactly ready for a full meal yet, anyway.
"You gonna order or wha'?" The voice seemed to float on the air and echo about the room, but it wasn't a loud voice. In fact, Hiei half thought he hadn't heard the demon at all, until he repeated his question. "You gonna order or just stand there, gawking like a fool?"
The demon turned to look at Hiei over his shoulder, revealing a mouth that seemed to have always hung open, a tongue similar to that of a reptile's, and beady eyes that were filmy, milky in color. Blind. He turned to Shikiyoku. "Anything?" the fire demon asked in one, simple word under his breath.
"The special is our gumbo. Big enough for two."
Hiei glanced at the demon out of the corner of his eye, noting that, as he had suspected, the creature's mouth didn't move a bit, the voice seeming to float out of the open jaw like a record player.
~!**!~
Foko made no indication of hearing Kurama other than watching the other, expression neutral despite his calculating, watchful, cold stare. It was obvious that he wasn't happy about the appearance of Kurama, but he also seemed to think that making a move to leave was not a wise option, instead taking to simply being there.
Like a guard.
Akari sighed again, this time in impatience.
"He's grumpy because he didn't get his nap," she grumbled, turning to look at the silver-haired male who flickered the glare over to her. "I woke him up earlier." There was a pause as she turned away from Foko again, eyes finding emerald ones this time. "It happens a lot. He'll be fine."
"As enjoyable as your presence is, inu, I do enjoy my naps."
"What happened to the playful smirk, hm?" *
"I think my appearance itself is cause enough for his mood." Kurama suppressed a grin, coming farther forward so that he stood next to Akari, "Have you eaten yet, Akari?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku gave a slight shake of her head.
"Not hungry." She breathed back to Hiei just as quietly, her eyes still turned to take in the rest of the room.
Something bothered her, and it took another moment of her resting her gaze on one of the demons in the room to finally discover that when she looked at one, whether discreetly or otherwise, their gaze lifted and looked back at her until she shifted her eyes elsewhere.
It was rather disconcerting considering the fact that her green eyes remained well shaded beneath the hood over her head.
Shikiyoku absently tugged at her sleeves, as if it would make them cover more of her hands.
Maybe I should have considered snatching some gloves. 3
Hiei nodded once to Shikiyoku, eyes never leaving the demon who was now facing him, tongue tasting the air once before disappearing in his open maw again. "Beverages?"
""There's this one," the demon turned and grabbed a bottle from a shelf Hiei hadn't seen, crossing the few feet it took for him to approach the counter before he placed it down, making a small clink against the tiled countertop. "On the house."
Hiei eyed the bottle warily before looking up again. "Why?"
There was a pause and Hiei could have sworn the other's eyes turned to Shikiyoku. And then his mind's presence was touching Hiei's. "She's uneasy. This is no place for fear or squabbles." The demon turned away, returning to his boiling substance, this time speaking aloud. "There's a separate room on the side, normally reserved for…. special guests. Help yourselves, just don't lock the door with every lock. Doing that seals it shut for hours."
Hiei nodded and turned, grabbing Shikiyoku by her upper arm and directing her to the right, as the demon had nodded in that direction. His other hand held out the glass bottled drink to her, a thumb expertly removing the metal cap with a flick. "Until the rain ceases."
~!**!~
Akari raised a brow at Kurama, her eyes crinkling just a little at the small smile in response to his first words. And at his second question, her eyes shifted up in thought. When was the last time she'd eaten? A frown colored her features now as she couldn't quite recall, thinking back to drinking water, but refusing food as it had kept her awake easier.
"Not yet," she finally replied, eyes turning to Kurama again as she all but forgot of Foko's presence. "Not in a while, actually…" *
Kurama placed a hand on Akari's arm, "Then how about we fix that? Where would you like to go? Anywhere at all and let's be there."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku had let her gaze fall to the floor upon her unnerving discovery, and it was about this time that she felt Hiei begin to drag her off and thrust some drink or another out to her.
She took it, but did not drink, keeping her fingers wrapped around a bottle that she somehow didn't really see.
For someone who had been eager for cities at the start of our mission...I think I've had my fill of them for a long, long while.
At least until she could return to them in demonic form. That was always the exception to the rule. 3
Hiei hauled Shikiyoku into the only side room he'd seen, leading her in through the door first before following suit and shutting the door behind him. His eyes shifted to the window that the door had- apparently just for this reason- and eyed a few of the patrons sitting around in the lounge, a few dropping their gazes while one or two watched him as well.
He moved away from the door, pulling down the small curtain that had been tied to allow his curiosity until it hid the inside of the room from outside onlookers. A hand deftly locked two of the three locks before he turned and took a seat at one of the three couches that resided in the rather small room.
He propped his feet up on the coffee table lazily, crossing his ankles one over the other as he lounged, linking his fingers behind his head as his eyes took to surveying Shikiyoku, taking in the air around her.
"We shouldn't stay on this level long." His words were meant to be a form of consolation for her, though he wasn't sure such words would achieve that with her current mood and their situation. "If this town isn't home to one of the demons missing, then we'll make quick leave and continue to the next. For now, we can only wait." He thought for a moment, trying to recall how long such a downpour lasted on this level.
~!**!~
Akari's eyes turned to the hand now on her shoulder, confused for a moment. Last time she'd seen him, she'd been rather cold to him, practically ignoring him any chance she could. And he'd been just as tired as she.
They'd both been trying not to sleep in class.
He was being oddly friendly with her despite her own attitude towards him. Her eyes again skirted up to meet Kurama's, ignoring the small scoff of the male behind her.
That is, until arms circled her waist and her feet were lifted from the ground. She made a small peel of sound from surprise as Foko turned, heaving her over his shoulder so that she could still see the male she was being carried away from.
"H-hey! Put me down! I wasn't done talking to him!"
"I don't like his presence."
"It isn't your choice! I'm hungry, and I want to eat! Put me down!"
Another scoff.
"Now!"
And suddenly, she was on her feet again, looking up at Foko with a glare to match his, arms crossed over her chest. "I've been here all day, so you shouldn't be complaining."
The glare she received was colder, more harsh than any he'd sent her way. And then he was turning, leaving her standing there, staring after him and sticking her tongue out at his back. "Want to lose that tongue, Inu?" he called without looking back, and Akari quickly pulled her tongue back into her mouth and turned, trotting back to Kurama and sighing.
"You choose. I'm up for anything." *
Kurama wasn't quite sure what exactly would lead Youko to acting in such a manner around Akari, and he let out a loose chuckle at the image her illusion was setting before him.
Perhaps this was what she wished Youko would do around her.
If that was the case, it would be best for the seducing kitsune not to know.
"Alright." He replied, "There's a ramen stand near here. How does that sound?"
He wasn't sure if he should be acting so amiable around Akari when he really just wanted to apologize for all the trouble he'd caused her.
But this was her dream. And she appeared to be enjoying herself.
~!**!~
As soon as Shikiyoku heard Hiei locking the doors, she breathed an audible sigh of relief and reached up to throw her hood back and shake out her long, dark hair, trying to release the pent-up tension that had settled across her shoulders.
She absently rubbed a hand at the back of her neck as she sat down on the edge one of the other couches, listening to Hiei talk.
"An hour at best. Four at worst. But no more." She shifted her shoulders around again and held up the glass bottle to her nose, lightly sniffing at the drink before pulling it away again.
She didn't know what it was, and she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to know. Not knowing made her less likely to drink it, however. 3
Hiei's eyes turned to Shikiyoku at her words, answering his silent question he'd been pondering over. He nodded once and turned away again, staring at the dark red cloak he had grabbed in one of their earliest cities on the trip here. The black lining was almost indiscernible from the rest, the red dark enough to pass as black if one only glanced. The fabric was comfortable, almost a replica of his normal cloak.
The thought of it back in the palace of the Ninth Level made him sigh to himself.
He'd have to find a new one.
His eyes suddenly shifted to Shikiyoku again, zeroing in on the bottle in her hands. "It's a fruity mix," he began, moving a hand from behind his head to wave it in the air, "Hence the reddish-pink color. Nothing more than a rehydration drink meant to calm the nerves."
~!**!~
Akari felt a spark of recognition at Kurama's words, blinking once as a small smile formed on her features. She hadn't visited Shyn in…. who knew how long. Her eyelids slid closed and she took a deep breath, this time much more aware of the scent that rolled off of Kurama and wafted on the breeze around her.
"Sounds good. I haven't been there in a while."
Without another word, aside from her loudly grumbling stomach, she turned and began heading in the direction she'd almost forgotten over the past few weeks.
"Have you eaten at that one yet? The chef… he's a good guy. Acts like his customers are his family." *
"I have. Mother enjoys eating there as often as she can." Kurama wondered what illusion-food would taste like.
He also wondered how long it would be until Akari woke up and they left this serene dream world behind.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's lip twitched and she put the drink down on the table without tasting it. She would prefer for her nerves to stay right where they were, thank you.
She did catch sight of Hiei fiddling with his cloak and her eyes brightened with a humorous secret.
"I've got someone working on that." She nodded her head just a little in his direction to indicate she meant his old cloak, giving him a small smile. 3
Hiei frowned when Shikiyoku set the bottle down. He knew that one bottle would do nothing more than allow one to sit back and relax, even fill an empty stomach. But he suddenly found himself imagining Shikiyoku drinking more than one, leaning back into the couch with half-lidded eyes and a dreamy smile. Those were the first telltale signs of having drank too many of the relaxants.
The other signs normally pointed to something similar to how a human would react to… what was the plant called? He couldn't remember.
But it would have been quite the funny sight, he had to admit.
Hiei returned from his thoughts, raising a brow at Shikiyoku and again glancing down at the cloak he wore. A frown pulled at his lips. How would she have managed something like that, when they'd only been in each other's company, and no other's?
~!**!~
Akari nodded her head to show she'd been listening, her small smile in place as she walked alongside the male. Her hands searched for pockets, finding none in this skirt, but she didn't mind. She merely let one hand fall to her side again, the other reaching up to smoothen out the mess the loose bun on her head had become.
"Have you made him laugh yet?" she asked after a moment, eyes zeroing in on the stand now that could be seen just a few blocks away.
And in no time at all, she was waving away the flags that hung over the entrance and ducking into the small ramen stand, eyes moving from the ground and up to peer at Shyn, who didn't turn to look at his new customers right away.
"I'll be with you in just a moment! Sit wherever you like!"
"Gladly," she responded to the older gentleman, who paused and peered over his broad shoulder at her, grin quickly coloring his features.
"I knew it was about time for another visit." *
Kurama felt...strange about the passage of time here. As if it didn't happen at all. Perhaps that was merely an oversight of the girl sleeping in his arms, currently without a care in the world and as safe as she could possibly be. She did not have to worry about such details.
Kurama only nodded when Akari asked her question, moving after her into the makeshift building and then finding a seat among the many empty ones the restaurant had open.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's eyes glanced back at the bottle as she rubbed her hand at her neck again.
"I don't know if you've realized it yet, Hiei Jaganshi," Shikiyoku lifted her gaze back over to him, nose slightly higher in the air and a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "But I'm actually quite amazing. There's a lot I can do that you couldn't even imagine in your wildest dreams." 3
Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku after a moment, brows drawing together as he took her words in stride. Of course there was a lot he didn't know. He'd thought of that much earlier in their journey. But this had him curious, tempted to ask who and how she had planned for another cloak to be made.
And then a thought struck him. If his cloak, something he'd worn for a vast majority of his life, was with a disgruntled queen who had missed her opportunity to keep a prize within her grip…
His eyes shifted to the door for a moment as he considered the possibilities. It wouldn't be unheard of if they were being followed, being watched. It wouldn't surprise him if there were demons, legions of them, hunting him down in various ways.
Enma knows the many different ways to track a demon. By their scent, via spellwork - albeit a bit more difficult - or maybe even another demon with an eye like his. It wasn't exactly uncommon for a demon to make an attempt at the Jagan. Surely he wasn't the only demon with a third eye by now.
After a moment, he resettled back into the cushions of the couch, deciding that if they had been hunted down, they would have run into problems by now. In fact, he half considered the thought of each and every guard, each and every military personnel from the Queen's rule being dead, at Uryo's hands.
The thought brought a sneer to his features for a moment.
And then he was turning to Shikiyoku again, thoughts once more on their current conversation. He eyed her steadily for a moment before his lips parted. "Hn. I suppose I give you this one."
Normally, he would have sneered and rebutted her words with a snide comment all his own, but quite frankly, he'd found less reason to do such a thing as of late.
~!**!~
Akari slid into a seat on Kurama's left, eyes on the back of the chef who held a towel in his hands as he turned to her and Kurama, eyes shining with mirth. "I know what you're having," he said to Akari before turning to Kurama, "what'll it be for you this time?"
Akari leaned forward on the counter, placing her crossed arms on the surface as she leaned a majority of her upper-body weight onto it. Her eyes were turned to Kurama, shining with cheer. She wasn't sure why he was being so cordial, considering her attitude the days before, but she found she rather enjoyed his presence.
Likely more than she enjoyed Foko's, at the moment. *
"The same as her." Kurama replied easily, tipping his head in Akari's direction.
He noted her looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Something of interest, Akari?" He turned to look at her, small smile on his face.
~!**!~
"You'll have your old cloak back soon enough." Shikiyoku finally sat back into the couch, mysterious smile on her face, "Being in my company affords you certain...advantages should you desire something strongly enough. Call it..." She acted as if she searched for the word, "A perk. If you will." 3
Hiei sneered at Shikiyoku, that being his way of showing his utter amusement at her. And quite frankly, he was thankful for her resourcefulness, as mysterious as it was. He flashed his teeth at her for a moment before turning his head away.
"I hope you don't expect special treatment."
~!**!~
Shyn nodded and turned away, leaving Akari and Kurama to themselves. And the demoness merely turned her eyes away from Kurama when he called her out, her smile widening only slightly.
"Nothing really. Just…" she paused before shrugging. "You're acting differently than I'd expected you to be." *
Kurama cast his eyes down at the counter, "I owe you an apology. For all the trouble I've caused you."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku scoffed, "Tch. From you?" A single dark eyebrow lifted, her smile gone, nothing more than a ghost that flickered over her lips, "Not likely. Don't go doing me any favors now. Unless you wish to be rid of me," Here she finally broke into a wicked grin that mirrored her glittering eyes, "As I'm sure to drop dead from the shock." 3
Hiei made the same hn sound at Shikiyoku, eyelids sliding closed at her as he fought the twitch that threatened to touch his lips. Even at her last comment, he seemed able to keep himself under control, his expression a mask of calm as he shifted, one foot planting on the ground while the other balanced on his knee, which rested on the cushion of the couch.
For the moment, he said nothing. He merely sat there, listening to the acidic rainfall outside and the sound of Shikiyoku's breathing.
Maybe he hadn't slept enough the night before, like he'd thought. He could feel his body sinking into the cushions, his mind calm now that he was certain they would not be bothered, as he had realized that the substance it was made from could only be penetrated by… well… itself. It was something that was commonly found in palace walls or walls that outlined cities.
"You're capable enough to not need any favors done," Hiei suddenly piped, mind waking with a slight jolt and his eyes sliding open lazily to view the female he now sneered at. "My job is that of a body guard, nothing more, nothing less. Errand boy is not within that description."
Of course, he was only half kidding.
~!**!~
Akari's brows furrowed at the change in atmosphere, and Kurama's words suddenly had her looking around the small shop. For the first time, she realized that this may be something other than a simple dream. Her eyes focused on Kurama again, the realization that he was not simply an entity in dreamland having her feeling very, very cautious.
Foko's appearance in this illusion could have ended much differently than how it had.
She sighed, good mood now almost entirely gone. Again, her gaze shifted, this time to watch Shyn, who stood over his stove. "I don't know what you're talking about."
While she had, in the beginning, been completely confused- something that hadn't changed- and angry about the situation, the only thing she found herself angry about was….
Herself.
If she'd just… ignored it, his gesture, and gone on as she had with every other scar, then she wouldn't be here.
Though, she had to admit, the redhead wasn't exactly easy to forget about, especially when he did things like scar and kiss people.
"Stupid fox." *
Kurama chuckled.
"At least you finally fell asleep." He peered at her out of the corner of his eyes. "I thought I was going to have to resort to drastic measures."
~!**!~
"Any favor that I would wish to have would certainly not require something so mundane as an errand-boy." Shikiyoku replied primly, "My tastes are much more refined than that."
She sunk back into the couch, pulling her feet up to her chest and closing her eyes. The weariness of their travels, their constant vigilance, hit her all at once and for the first time in weeks she relaxed.
"Besides-" She mumbled quietly, "-you've done so much already." 3
Hiei slid a single eye open to stare at Shikiyoku, appearing almost entirely uninterested in what she was saying. Even a few moments after she'd finished speaking, he did nothing more that watch her with his one open eye, a brow slightly quirked at her as if he had no clue what she was referring to.
And quite frankly, for the moment, the only thing he could think of was the moment before they'd reached the castle, where their energies had locked together.
Thinking over it, he could still feel his energy reaching out, mingling with hers, even as they sat in the quiet room.
It made no sense.
After a moment, he released a small sigh and let his eye slide shut again. "Don't be a fool." After all, he hadn't done much more than simply do his job. And that he hadn't even done very well either.
~!**!~
Akari grimaced. She couldn't remember falling asleep, especially not at the hands of the male beside her. She thought, mind making a very avid attempt to look back, but all she came up with was…
Foko. The park. Braiding his hair and him braiding hers.
She grimaced again and turned her face away, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand. After realizing this was an illusion, she was painfully aware of his every move, his every breath. Since she was apparently asleep, it was very likely she wouldn't remember this, as if it were a dream.
But that didn't mean he'd forget it.
"You know, I was mad." she suddenly mumbled, still keeping the back of her head towards him and chin in her hand. "Mad because…" she took a deep breath, "you scare me sometimes. And.. in the gym… I wasn't sure what was going on or what had warranted an attack."
She stopped there, eyes sliding closed as she became more aware of her own exhaustion, making the scene seem to waver, though his presence never did. "I don't understand you, and… I think it scares me." *
"Then understand this, Akari, know this one absolute truth," Kurama reached over and gently took her chin in his hand, knowing she was likely close to the illusion falling away to her sleep. He moved his face closer to hers, tipping her cheek towards himself, "I wish for nothing more than your happiness." He pressed his lips to her cheek and then let his hand fall away as he delicately pulled back.
~!**!~
"Tell me...how well do you deal with pain?"
Shikiyoku shot up in the couch in a cold sweat, eyes clearing to reveal the room in the lounge, and nothing more.
Her chest heaved with the anxiety of her dreams, which were all but fading from memory, but still that one phrase echoed inside her mind and she could not shake it.
"How well do you deal with pain?" 3
Hiei had been so comfortable, so close to sleep.
Actually, his mind had been nine miles past sleep when the sudden alarm shot across his mind, his muscles first tensing even in his sleep. His body shifted once before his eyelids flew open and he was sitting upright, red eyes quickly taking in the area as more alarm seemed to run across his mind.
But he saw no threat, so his eyes traveled to Shikiyoku, who stared wide-eyed and wild ahead, breaths coming quick and sweat glimmering on her forehead and nose.
He frowned. Her alarm was out of place, odd, and he wasn't quite sure why her sudden awakening had awoken him. But for the moment, he watched her, realizing she must have been dreaming.
"Shikiyoku," he called in a calm voice, watching her carefully as if she were capable of attacking at any moment. Was she even completely awake?
~!**!~
AKari hadn't been expecting the gentle fingers that pulled at her chin, and her eyes flew open to see the male who drew closer. For a moment, her body was stock still, unsure of his motives or thoughts behind the gesture until she realized that she was in control here. If he stepped out of line, she cou-
She blinked once at the words he uttered and the gesture he made, staring at him in open surprise now before her lips turned down just a little, a hand moving to her cheek where his lips had touched. She took in a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak.
Only for the redhead to disappear, leaving her alone in darkness that was both very satisfying to her tired being, but frustrating to the part of her that had wanted to speak.
In her sleep, the demoness shifted, pulling herself closer until her arm moved, her hold on his shirt releasing as she instead wrapped her arm about his neck, her nose finding Kurama's collarbone easily, almost as if doing so would keep her from forgetting what she'd been about to say.
And thus, keeping him from escaping her.
She settled again with a small sigh of content. *
Kurama found himself sitting back against the wall of his room, much like he expected, with Akari still draped across his lap.
He briefly loosened his hold when she started shifting around, surprised that she did not in fact pull away, but came closer.
His smile was kind, his eyes gentle, and he couldn't help planting a soft kiss in the midst of her light red hair, filling his nose with her rosemary scent in the meantime.
"Rest, pup. You are safe here." He murmured.
Kurama leaned his head back against the pillow in the corner of the wall behind him and gazed up at the ceiling, lost in thoughts that swirled around the female in his arms.
His shift in attitude towards her had been a subtle thing. But that moment when her life hung in the balance and he wrested back his demonic powers...he would not have been able to do that when they first met.
Kurama's eyes had closed sometime during his inner dialogue and he felt himself on the verge of sleep, knowing that the desire for her happiness stemmed from some deeper part of him that had discovered without his direct notice something the rest of him had been acting out all along.
He cared for her.
~!**!~
Her energy formed a hazy barrier around her body, licking off of her skin to caress the air around her, leaving the rest of the world looking like a shimmering oasis far off in a desert from Shikiyoku's eyes behind it.
This was in fact a physical manifestation of the aura that constantly surrounded her, growing denser in response to her panicked awakening.
Pain.
They were two sides of the same coin, pain and pleasure. And at the same time, each one was the absolute antithesis of the other. The only beings in this world who could actually counter and manipulate her own energy without her consent. But, she had nothing to fear, right? All the demons of pain had died off long ago.
Then why could she not shake Gekijou's words?
"Hm?" Shikiyoku absently responded to her name after a moment, looking over at Hiei, her eyes glowing and piercing through the hazy veil of energy with perfect clarity, appearing as if she had not become aware of herself yet. 3
Hiei's eyes took in the haze around Shikiyoku after a few blinks of his eyes, clearing away the sleep now that he was certain there was no threat inside this little room. The glowing green orbs that turned to him from behind the odd barrier of energy was almost off putting, as he could easily see she was not really seeing him yet. It was almost as if she were dreaming, but responding to the world around her anyway.
He didn't know what to say. His mouth remained closed as he eyed her, the energy around her moving, almost slithering through the air as if searching for a target. Searching for the source of her distress.
He didn't think using the Jagan in this instance would help.
Finally, his mind strung words together for him and he spoke. "There's no one here, no one attacking. We're alone." *
Shikiyoku blinked a couple of times upon hearing Hiei pipe up again, her eyes slowly scanning the room around her.
She frowned a little, pulling herself from her thoughts to actually comprehend what Hiei was saying and respond.
Well. Right. They were in that lounge. No one here.
Shikiyoku's unease did not lessen, but the energy around her did-fading away until only the usual scent remained-when she took note of the fact that she was not in any immediate danger.
Gekijou did not seem old enough to know about demons of pain, and it was this one thought that allowed a dark cloud to settle over Shikiyoku's heart.
It meant that either someone had told her-unlikely since these demons weren't supposed to exist anymore and it had been so very long ago when they were alive that few knew about their former existence, Shikiyoku only knew because of stories from her mother-or...they did still exist, and Gekijou knew one. And for some reason the second option seemed to be the more likely of the two. 3
The frown set on Hiei's lips pulled even further downwards as the haze around Shikiyoku began to lift, leaving him looking into her face as if nothing had been between them previously. For the moment, he eyed her with an even gaze, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees, feet planted on the floor firmly as he sat on the edge of the couch he'd taken residence of.
After another moment he took a breath in to speak, hesitated, then spoke up anyway. "Thinking on it does no good here." He gave another short pause to consider her again. "It's an issue that will be solved with time, not by worrying." *
Hiei's voice drew Shikiyoku's eyes back to the fire demon and she regarded him with a neutral expression while he spoke.
Should she tell him? Was it worth explaining her concern?
If nothing came of it later, then the knowledge would be useless anyway.
She needed to try and control herself better in either case.
Shikiyoku sat back again, settling down as if to return to sleep, and took a deep breath through her nose and tried to remember that they were safe for the moment, calming her nerves and setting her mind on the task they would have at hand. 3
Hiei sat still for a few moments, taking to resting his chin on his fingers that linked together to create a platform. He stared unblinkingly at Shikiyoku, even as she went still again and seemed ready to go back to her previous state of sleep.
He wasn't sure if she would be going into a peaceful sleep at this point, or only return to whatever had awoken her in the first place.
After a few more moments of contemplation, he pulled himself up to sit upright, then moved to stand, crossing the area between the two couches. He stood over Shikiyoku for a brief moment before inching by her and sitting on the free spot next to her, leaning back and crossing one knee over the other, the arm nearest Shikiyoku lifting and laying across the back of the couch. He took in a deep breath before leaning his head back, closing his eyes to lounge quietly.
If he'd learned anything over the past month, he'd learned that while he didn't quite enjoy contact, he didn't mind being near. And it seemed to help. *
As soon as Shikiyoku's eyes had closed and her brain edged towards sleep, the voices and images from the dreams she had just recently left began whispering across the surface of her mind, causing her face to twitch.
Just before she released her hold on the land of the waking, she felt a warmth wash over her and the distractions were gone, her body relaxing into a more peaceful state.
Her eyes flickered open once, seeing the dark cloak and confirming the presence she had felt settle next to her.
Closing her lids again, she let out a tiny sigh and let sleep take her. 3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star