A/N: Hello once again, FanFiction Dot Net Users and Anonymous Readers alike!
Sixty Chapters. Good grief, what were we thinking. xD
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!
Akari escorts Kurama to his home so that he might be able to get cleaned up,
and before he gets into the shower, he calls on Shizuru to get her feel on the situation.
Akari leaves Nabu to watch over Kurama and goes to get new clothes and clean up herself,
and when she returns its to Kurama standing over a counter in the kitchen,
towel around his waist and hair dripping as if he had been interrupted by the phone.
Kurama is talking with Yusuke, and doesn't appear to notice Akari,
who has gotten caught up in examining from a distance the scars covering his skin.
Approaching her after finishing his conversation, Kurama spends a bit of time
'torturing' Akari with some 'innocent' wordplay before going upstairs to change.
The two of them decide to make the trek to Kuwabara's apartment.
~!**!~
After being 'propositioned' by a demon wishing to take her as his mate,
and subsequently denying him and using Hiei as an escape route,
Shikiyoku follows Hiei over to where the demons are gutting their prey,
but she gets called over by the Elder who asks her if she would do a demonstration of her dancing.
Uryo assists her, and the dance calms her body down from the agitation it had gained
from the other demon reminding her how long she has gone without any mating at all.
After the dance, the Elder takes Shikiyoku aside and lets her know that she and Hiei are welcome
for as long as they wish to stay around, and may use the Elders' Tent for the duration of their stay.
And before either Shikiyoku or Hiei realize it, a week passes...
There was a lot of hustle and bustle, demons moving around, some taking tents down as they left for other places to be, breaking away despite any reluctance they felt towards leaving. Each demon had things to do, and with so many demons around, there were times when Hiei was gone all day long, giving a helping hand with anything asked, merely to elongate his time in this world, on this level.
He'd decided a few days ago to stay, whether that meant in this encampment or traveling the levels, avoiding the first and second altogether. And quite frankly, he felt it had been the best decision he'd made in a while.
He felt like he was… at home. As if he belonged. The tribe here welcomed him and Shikiyoku with open arms, even so much as assigning specific tasks to the pair while they stayed.
For instance, Hiei was currently directing flow of traffic in an area that had been asked to be cleared, the trees being taken for firewood. A demon would ask which would be easiest to chop down, he'd burn away excess leaves and such, and then use his energy to break the tree away from the soil, causing it to fall, at which point other demons would use various means of attack to break the bark into smaller logs, others catching and hauling away the log.
It had been something he'd taken from Uryo, that first night of their stay.
Occasionally, a demon would shout at him about some creature or another moving towards camp, and he'd add it to the pile of trespassing creatures after catching it.
Really, he was rather entertained.*
The days began early and ended late for Shikiyoku.
Shikiyoku hardly had her cheek hit the furs in the Elders' Tent-gracious accommodations that remained open freely for her and Hiei's use-but to have her eyes close almost immediately and then find herself opening them again for the next day feeling almost as if she'd never slept at all.
There was no time for thinking about returning to Human World, her Champion did not make any indications as such and so she did not ask, and truthfully the farther away the encounter with the demon-who-would-be-her-mate got, the easier it was for her to forget it, and for her body to forget it as well. She did spend the very next night forced to get up when her dreams turned...graphic, but after skirting the edge of the encampment and dancing that same meditative dance as she had done the previous day until her mind rid itself of such things, she had come back to bed and not been awakened until morning.
The near-franticness of her days also meant she never got a chance to think about the last time she'd gotten to exchange two words with Hiei privately, but she always felt him nearby and had no quiet second to grow concerned or to truly come to miss him. The spell she had woven over the both of them to combine their energy had not even lasted that one night, but the effects of that closeness lingered.
A large portion of those she had bonded ended up permanently taking up residence with the Northern tribe, a few heading off to make smaller pockets of safety, but still remaining relatively near to what was now considered the main encampment. This slight change in numbers did little to relieve how much work was needed to maintain the new size, and for the first few days everyone was scrambling around to keep up with the work, though those few days also consisted of long nights of feasting and that of course did nothing to help. There was talk of eventually merging all the Northerners into one large encampment, but no one particularly wanted to turn into a village or town, so the thought was merely passed around as amusement, with the realization that the main encampment as it was now would likely be broken into smaller parts before too long.
The demons seemed to think Shikiyoku knew much more than she actually did, and there were many one-on-one conferences with members of the tribe on a vast range of subjects, many of which did revolve around desire-usually how to snag the demon of their liking or various seduction techniques-but there were other questions posed at her that she had to wonder what made them think she was any more of an expert than they. Which roots for healing, when was the best time to capture a certain beast...that sort of thing. All of which were completely out of her realm of typical activity.
Probably the strangest task was actually assisting in two separate births that occurred within the week that passed by before she had a moment to lift her head and check her surroundings.
She did in fact end up teaching a few of the more precocious demons some simpler dances they could do at feast-times, and after that the lessons were always packed with eager faces.
After running around during the lit hours for such things as these, not an evening went by when she was not asked to perform. Oftentimes they asked for dance while the fires blazed merrily with eating and drinking all around, but once in a while they wanted stories.
It was during one such late night when Hiei was assisting with clearing away lumber and the occasional creature passing by that Shikiyoku had both told a tale and danced at least twice, and then had been dragged away to the other side of the fire by a handful of the tribesmen where she sat next to Douji on one of the logs pulled up as a part of the giant circle of demons surrounding the blaze, one hand holding a drink of some sort, playing with one of Douji's lur'mogs while the arm of the demon on her other side had been thrown over her shoulders as he laughed and joked with her and the other demons who had gathered around, a few sitting close at her feet, another three or so crowded behind her.
Her smile was genuine as she teased the lur'mog with a finger, her skin glistening with the sweat of her recent exertions, bits of her straight, black hair having come loose from the intricate braidings at the back of her head and the escapees were plastered to her small neck and shoulders which the garb of the Northerners left bare. She had taken to wearing their style quickly after realizing she would not be leaving with any sort of haste, and it seemed like each day a different demon approached her asking if they might weave her hair. Tonight it had beads and ribbons as adornment.
Shikiyoku's eyes were bright with the shine of the fire reflected in them as her merry laughter joined in with the demons around her, grinning and tossing in a comment of her own to them which set them all going again. 3
Demons scattered for a moment as the tree he'd burned through fell the wrong way, taking another tree with it. Hiei made quick work of the leaves in both trees, and even quicker work of the creatures that scattered from the collateral damage as more trees began to fall. After the initial scattering of the demons on hand, each demon who had been helping began working at the trees again, and before more than three trees could fall, Hiei and the others had cut through the bark of each tree and had stopped the domino-effect.
And with that amount of timber, the fire demon decided he'd done enough and sheathed his sword, recalling his energy and extinguishing any flames in the area simultaneously. While other demons gathered logs, Hiei gathered the carcasses of the creatures that had made a run for the camp, and made his way with the ten others who had asked his assistance.
"I think this'll hold us for the next three days, if used wisely." Kiseki commented to Hiei as he caught up. "You've been an immeasurable amount of help."
Hiei glanced at Kiseki from the corner of his eye, a sneer forming on his features. He would have thought this level to be home to fire demons such as himself.
"And those meats will do well for the next two days as well."
Hiei turned forward again as he approached the camp, lazily tossing the carcasses into the tent Kiseki had shown him earlier that week, designated specifically for the meats and pelts of nearby creatures. The loud laughter of the rest of the group passing by drowned out the sound of the rest of the tribe, but only for a minute as Hiei took a moment to breathe, finding that this was probably the first moment since that first night that he'd been able to do so.
And he decided now would be as good as any time to sit around, take a while to relax. "I'm done for the night," he informed Kiseki, who nodded once at him with a grin.
"I thought so."
With that, the fire demon turned and sauntered away from the older male, hands finding his cloak pockets as he followed the energy signature he hadn't had a chance to be around much recently. By the time he was standing nearby, watching her laugh will full intensity, he had realized just how much he enjoyed this. How much he- no they needed this.
It was so much better than being stuck in Human World, under the thumb of Spirit World. Here, they were free to do what they wished, free of any influence from unwanted parties.
And Shikiyoku was happier than he'd ever seen her, hoking with the group as she was. And all he could do was simply watch her laughter. Her pure, genuine laughter.
~!**!~
Akari sighed and held up three fingers to the girl behind the glass, who smiled kindly, nodded, and added a third roll to the bag, despite Kurama's verbal negatory. She took the brown paper bag from the girl, exchanging it for the proper amount of currency before turning to leave the area, saying a quiet thank you as she walked away.
Without hesitation, she passed Kurama a roll anyway, then pulled out a second one and stuck it between her teeth, letting it hang there as she reached in the bag for the last one, Nabu's. She let herself look for the shadow again, but it seemed she'd scared it off.
"T' Kuwawara'sh?" she asked around the roll as she stepped outside, stopped briefly to pass Nabu his own roll, who barked his thanks and accepted the treat with a wagging tail. *
"Sure." Kurama replied absently, unaware until they started down the street that he had somehow ended up with a piece of bread in his hand.
He stared at it blankly for a second as they moved along towards Kuwabara's apartment before finally feeling the heat from it warming his palm and fingers and smelling the mixture of butter on the roll, which instantly had his stomach protesting at him for not consuming it.
With a small smile, he lifted it to his lips and took a bite, surprised at how flavorful he found it to be.
"Thank you." He gave Akari that same smile after swallowing, not realizing until that moment that he had actually been hungry.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku could feel him approaching, and she looked up over her shoulder at him, leaning back a little and her smile growing wider when she finally saw him and caught his red-eyed gaze.
The demons around her continued talking and laughing, having given the lur'mog some of the drink from their mugs and watching it hiccup and grow flushed while it smiled.
She appeared as if she were about to say something to him, her hand slipping behind the demon next to her to reach out towards him, but before she got very far, said demon leaned heavily into her and Shikiyoku shifted back in surprise, bumping shoulders with Douji.
"Give us a kiss, Iro." He kept coming, a bundle of good-humor, and Shikiyoku pulled her hands up to press gently into his chest and keep enough distance between them that he could not reach her.
She let out a laugh as she turned her face back forward so he could not get to her lips when he advanced on her still, "You're drunk, Zareru."
"And you're pretty," He grinned and shrugged, still leaning into her, "What's your point?"
The other demons did not stop their conversation, but they each had an eye on the pair, or rather on the less sober of the pair.
Douji stood, passing the lur'mog to Shikiyoku's lap and grabbing for the arm over her shoulders to get it off of her.
"Aaaaand that's when we take you to bed, Zareru. Here, help me out." He reached out and grasped at another of the demons at Shikiyoku's feet to pull him up and three or four of the other demons stood to help get Zareru off as well, though he blew a kiss at Shikiyoku as he was dragged away, the other demons around her beginning to separate off as well until she sat alone.
Shikiyoku took a drink from her mug as she grinned and shook her head, watching, and held her other hand at the back of the tipsy lur'mog so that it would not topple off her lap. 3
Red eyes had considered the arm around Shikiyoku's shoulder, and at first hadn't cared. He'd considered the hand she stretched to him, and frowned when she'd been stopped. His eyes watched as the other demons were quick to remedy the situation, and before he knew it he was standing there by himself and Shikiyoku was sitting as if she hadn't been with any others.
He eyed her a bit more before moving to stand in front of her, the warmth of the open flame behind him seeping through his cloak and reaching his skin beneath, making his muscles relax. Muscles that he hadn't realized were tense and tired.
"They're rather welcoming." he stated nonchalantly, as if he'd only just noticed. "and despite their numbers, not very bothersome."
~!**!~
Akari pulled away a piece of the bread, using her teeth to tear just enough away that she could eat and speak at the same time, though she didn't dare ignore the buttery, slightly garlic-y, very wonderful taste in her mouth. "It's Nabu's favorite, so I grab it when I can." She rolled the bread away from the inside of her cheek to chew now, eyes glancing down at the dog prancing very happily at her feet, roll still between his chops.
She smiled and swallowed her mouthful before speaking again, this time on the more serious matter. "You know, I can't come up with much of anything." She began with a small sigh. "I mean, for a reason. They don't seem the type to be doing this for a treasure of any sort, y'know?" When finished speaking, she tore another portion of the cheesy bread away and popped it into her mouth. *
As Kurama listened, he bit through more of the bread.
"I agree." He added once he mouth was no longer full, sighing, "I sincerely wish we were able to at least speak with Spirit World. I'm afraid we simply don't have enough insight into how the system works, and everything I've thought of as a possibility just doesn't ring true."
He took another bite, appearing thoughtful and brooding once again.
~!**~!
Shikiyoku's eyes followed Hiei as he moved, appreciating for the first time the fact that she had not been given a quiet moment to exchange so many words with her Champion in roughly a week.
She chose her statement carefully, "They are indeed...grateful."
Her eyes flickered over to see the last of the group hauling off Zareru around the corner of the tents and found that a frown had settled over her brows.
While she had experienced much camaraderie as the tribe enfolded her into their midst, for some reason the request for a kiss almost felt like a warning instead of a innocent flirtation.
She took another drink. 3
Hiei's eyes followed Shikiyoku's, watching the group until they were out of his sight, at which point he again turned to Shikiyoku, noting the tension in her forehead, the thoughts turning for a moment behind her eyes. And for some reason or another, he felt as if they needed to travel soon, away from this encampment despite the fact that he rather… enjoyed it.
"Your friend-" he began, referring to Shubou, "How far is his camp from here?" He considered stopping by, merely to say hello before they continued on to explore, because really, Hiei wanted to see the whole level. Not just the parts they had seen during their beeline for the information they required, and then their beeline to the first level.
Maybe she'd show him her clearing again, the place she'd referred to as 'home' when they'd first arrived in this level a few months ago.
Had it really been a few months? It certainly didn't feel like it.
"Hn," he hummed out thoughtfully as he turned his eyes around to the flames behind him. There could be other places she could show him, should she desire to do so. "Or any other place you wish to visit?" Because, at this point, he was almost convinced he'd be staying in Demon World for…. quite some time.
~!**!~
Akari nodded at Kurama absently, eyes taking in his expression before turning to her surroundings. She'd completely forgotten her real reason for wandering about at this point, and now she was simply taking in the route to Kuwabara's, making sure she remembered it should she require the knowledge later.
And the breeze was cooler now. Much cooler, and the air was moving enough to cause her bangs to occasionally slide into her view, which she remedied with a small toss of her head from time to time.
"What if.. they're trying to do what we don't think is possible?" she murmured, half thinking he wouldn't hear her musings. *
"The only thing I have considered to be 'impossible' out of all the options would be actually succeeding in overthrowing King Enma and taking over Spirit World." Kurama pointed out, "But why? What would actually be gained for doing it? What would drive any demon to such drastic measures?" Kurama pulled back from his roll as another thought occurred to him, "What could King Enma have done?"
~!**!~
"Shubou is behind us. To the Southeast." Shikiyoku provided, thoughtfully musing upon revisiting Central Tribe. "Though...that puts us within what is also considered Rae's territory."
Shikiyoku considered Hiei with that same thoughtful expression, "Where is it you wish to go, fire-prince? What would you like to see?" 3
Hiei frowned at that revelation; he'd forgotten how close to that place the tribe had been. And it was much too close for his liking. Plus, it would cause unnecessary trouble for the peaceful tribe as well, he was sure. And that was simply… too bothersome. Best to stay away from that area for a while.
So he thought for a moment, until something else popped into mind, very similar to his earlier thought. His mouth reacted as if he'd bitten into the fruit, and he actually had to swallow a bit before letting his lips turn into a smirk and he gave his answer. "Your home." he said calmly, eyes flashing as he thought of the many fruit trees in that area, and just how calm it had been there. "And anything along the way."
~!**!~
A frown pulled Akari's lips downward as she chewed slowly, thoughtfully on the bread between her teeth. If that were the case, someone being dumb enough to go after Enma, then what would have caused such an uprising? It would make sense that it would put herself, Kurama, and the others against Foko and his crew, considering their employment with King Enma's son, but..
Surely no one is that stupid.
But, if there was one thing she knew, it was that Foko and Otento were anything but stupid.
So that would mean they wouldn't, right?
…..
"Surely not." she said after a moment, eyes narrowing as her thoughts churned. What would cause someone to have enough willpower to go against the strongest in all three worlds? Not the power, because Foko doesn't have to take down the big man in order to become the big man.
So what's the underlying reason?
"Akari?"
She turned her eyes to Nabu, frowning. He'd interrupted her thoughts. "What?"
"Why would someone with ill intentions be good to someone else?"
"...They wouldn't, Nabu."
"So why would fake Flowers be nice to you?"
She made a sound of irritation. "I don't know, Nabu."
"I mean, he didn't kill you. And even though I didn't like him, he was never mean to me. He even played actual games Akari."
Another groan. Her head was starting to hurt. "I don't think anyone could take down King Enma, no matter what he did in the past or does in the future. So wouldn't that be a moot point? A lost cause?" *
"Mm." Kurama intoned, unaware of the bits of conversation that occurred between Akari and Nabu. "Unless they know something we don't. So...say, by some twist of fate, they do manage to remove King Enma from power. My instincts tell me that isn't the point, that whatever is in it for those involved doesn't revolve around Enma being gone, though that will certainly be a perk for them. There's...something else. Something I can't put my finger on."
~!**!~
"Anything along the way…" Shikiyoku echoed, considering the statement as her eyes drew back to the fire.
She had the strangest sense as she did so and she blinked, seeing that on the other side of the fire, where others demons were gathered together in small groups, that occasionally one would be gazing back at her for no readily explained reason.
Shikiyoku sighed, her eyes growing a little sadder, and lowered her face to take another drink.
"We should leave sooner rather than later." She sounded wistful, a little melancholy slipping into her tone as if this had happened many times before where she would, as she came to put it, 'wear out her welcome.' Granted, with a visible mark of her Champion, things did not tend to happen quite this quickly. Not that said Champion ever let her stay longer than he wanted.
With her head down, she could see that her skin gleamed in the firelight, and not just with the sweat only now drying across her arms. 3
Hiei frowned slightly now at Shikiyoku, though he didn't turn around to see the cause. He figured it was due to their departure, though really, he himself didn't see it as much of a bad thing. Then again, he didn't know these lands, hadn't seen them all a million times or lived here for… who knew how long. He was curious, whereas she was not.
Still, he felt as if moving on were best at this point. Why, he didn't know. However, he'd learned long ago to trust his instincts.
"Then we'll part," he said calmly, watching her unblinkingly. "There's always time for another visit." After all, demons had much longer lifespans than other beings. And, quite frankly, he felt as if they'd overstayed their welcome, despite the hospitality and cheer they'd been given.
~!**!~
"What if they want to unite the three worlds?" Akari suddenly said, tone thoughtful and eyes distant. It was… closer than Foko taking the power out of mere greed. He wasn't…
He isn't greedy. Not for possessions, I don't think. He's actually rather..
Caring.
"You and I are enemies….. you'd do well to remember that."
He'd said that, and yet…. He'd also once said they were not enemies. So which one was it? Why would a demon who had been so calm before, suddenly declare they were enemies- despite the obvious of Akari's own threat towards him.
He could have killed me then. Why didn't he?
"He's not…" she began, not realizing she was speaking aloud. "greedy by any aspect. He's actually… warm, in his own way." She made a thoughtful noise. If only I knew his real name, then I could…
Then I could research him, find files in Spirit World of him.
Then again, it'd be over by now if that were the case. Right?
She rubbed at her face with her hand, suddenly forgetting the roll in her other hand. *
Kurama's mind froze for a moment, stuck on Akari's observation. He waited for a dismissal of the idea, but it never came. Neither, however, did he feel affirmation that she was correct, exactly.
"So, the fake Youko wishes to unite the three worlds. How exactly would removing King Enma from power allow him to do that? There is still something missing, a puzzle piece we haven't yet." He did send her a smile, "I think that's more on track though. Maybe Genkai would have a suggestion."
~!**!~
"I have not trekked through the Ninth Level in many ages." Shikiyoku found the thought pleased her, considering who her company would be this time.
She grew silent for another moment as she finished off her drink and then sat idly running her fingers over the rim, the lur'mog having fallen asleep in her lap.
"I am..." She hesitated, voice quieter than before as she slowly continued, "Sorry we must keep moving." It was her fault, after all. "I have grown fond of this place. I could be content here…"
Given the circumstances of their pact, of the ritual, Hiei would be forced to wander for as long as he was her Champion, never able to stay long in one place among other demons. Never able to call such a place 'home.' 3
Hiei raised a single, thin brow at Shikiyoku before releasing a scoff at her. As if he'd become troubled with traveling. Did she not pay attention and realize he'd been stuck in one world? Traveling would be a welcomed aspect of his life, to say the least.
"Leaving does not mean you will not return." he countered, turning as if to walk away, but not moving any further than turning his side to her. "If you're fond, then we'll be back." Of course, it wouldn't be right away, but he didn't care. He knew the nomadic life well, after all.
They'd keep moving as much as she needed, and he wouldn't care. Why? Because he hadn't before, why would he now?
~!**!~
Akari made a sound of confusion. "I thought we were going to Kuwabara's?" She asked, suddenly very, very lost. Who was Genkai, and why hadn't she heard of this one?
Great, her thought process had been lost. She sighed and stuffed the remaining piece of bread in her mouth, turning a slightly grumpy look onto Kurama, as if saying he'd lied to her.
"Ma'e up yo' min'." she grumbled around the bread. *
Kurama regarded Akari with amusement. "We're most certainly going to Kuwabara's. I don't think either of us would particularly want to make the trek out to her lands at the moment. I was merely saying that it might be good to run some of these ideas by her. Her wisdom is vast, and she has likely had more interaction with Spirit World in the past than either of us have up to this point."
~!**!~
"Yes, but not having to leave for once would be nice." Shikiyoku sighed again.
She gave Hiei a side-long glance, before voicing her thoughts, "You...do not mind being a wanderer? Even if it is not by choice?" 3
Hiei didn't look at Shikiyoku. He considered her words for a moment before giving a small hum similar to the one he'd made earlier. "If I minded, I would not have suggested a destination." he retorted, finally turning his eyes to her out of the corners.
Quite frankly, he didn't care either way, though he thought he'd probably end up bored sitting in one place for too long, no matter where it was.
~!**!~
Akari huffed at Kurama, accidentally spitting out some of her bread at him, though she merely accentuated the act with her tongue sticking out at him as well. She swallowed the bite of cheesy goodness and wiped the remaining bits of the saliva-encased bread from her chin, turning away as if nothing had happened.
"Maybe next time you should clarify, fox." *
Kurama calmly reached over and flicked off a large bread crumb that had landed on his shoulder when she huffed at him.
"Well, I didn't change our trajectory, did I? So, I'm not exactly sure why you thought we would be going anywhere except Kuwabara's."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku made to stand, scooping up the lur'mog in her lap and placing it gently on the log where she had been sitting, putting her mug beside it.
"Should we leave tomorrow then?" She smoothed her hands down the front of her skirt as she waited for his answer. 3
Hiei gave a small nod to Shikiyoku after turning his eyes onto her, deciding that staying this last night wouldn't hurt much of anything. Plus, they'd both been busy, and likely needed the rest before trekking around the level at various speeds for various amounts of time.
He moved closer to her, looking over her shoulder at the lur'mog asleep on the log. That reminded him… he hadn't seen Ryou, and hadn't really been looking around for the creature either. The creature that was very obviously a close companion to the other fire demon, who he hadn't seen in a week just about.
He figured the demon was off doing business… and it wasn't any of Hiei's business, so he didn't question aloud. Instead, he stood up straight again and looked at Shikiyoku, meeting her gaze squarely. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shut it again.
It didn't matter anyways. Eventually, they'd return to the place with the fruits. He'd just be patient.
~!**!~
Again, Akari huffed at Kurama's matter-of-fact tone. "I wasn't paying attention." she grumbled at him, still not turning to look at him. I can't believe I did that. "So, if you had desired to change the course, I wouldn't have noticed. Thus, in my mind, I thought you had changed course. Because, as I said, I wasn't paying attention."
"You're babbling, Akari." *
"Perhaps you should learn to be more aware of your surroundings, then." Kurama replied mildly, reaching over and plucking a large crumb of bread from the front of her shoulder before going back to his roll for another bite.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku looked up at Hiei just in time to see him close his mouth as if he had been about to say something and then changed his mind. She let her head tilt to the side, blinking questioningly at him in a silent 'What?' 3
Hiei blinked at Shikiyoku as she turned her head curiously. After a second, Hiei turned away and glanced at the area around him, more to keep his gaze from Shikiyoku's than to observe his surroundings. He had a craving, but wasn't sure it was for something they'd find just anywhere. After all, he hadn't seen them since…
Well, since the area where he'd plucked them from. Months ago. Had that been the first night they'd been in Demon World? He wasn't exactly sure anymore.
Finally, he opened his mouth anyway. "Those fruits.." he began, thinking back to the sweet ones he'd enjoyed the most. "...are there any near here?"
~!**!~
AKari mocked Kurama's words in a quiet tone, saying them in an odd voice that was meant to make fun of his own, though not particularly loud enough for him to hear should he not be listening to her. Then she huffed at him again. "Perhaps you should shut up." she grumbled at him, this time loud enough for him to hear regardless of intentionally listening or not. She was going to say something else, but decided against it, since it wouldn't do much good.
Not like anything else served a good purpose either, but whatever. *
Kurama let out a low chuckle, finishing off his roll as they turned the corner to Kuwabara and his sister's apartment, starting to make his way up the stairs, but choosing to refraining from egging Akari on any further.
His thoughts darkened and he hoped Shizuru hadn't gotten any of her 'feelings' since he talked with her last. Perhaps they all should gather together. Just in case.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's eyes grew kinder, but she had to shake her head, "Not unless any have popped up since the last time I was here."
Which, granted, was several hundred years ago. Ever since she left the Ninth Level and ended up with Youko Kurama. Given how enclosed the blackened mountains were, she doubted any seeds had left their home.
It was Shikiyoku's turn to open her mouth as her eyes brightened with a sudden thought, but she held her breath just as she was about to say something, growing hesitant and releasing the air silently. 3
Hiei turned calm eyes onto Shikiyoku now, having figured as much. As he'd thought earlier, he'd just have to be patient. Wait until he could find some, or until they returned to that area. He was patient enough as it was. What would it be to him to wait a while?
However long that would be.
It didn't matter, he decided.
However, he did catch the brightening of Shikiyoku's eyes and the opening of her mouth, followed by hesitation, then release of whatever words she'd been about to say. He raised a brow at her curiously, mirroring her earlier curious expression, but with his own silent curiosity.
~!**!~
Akari was actually surprised a bit by the silence that followed Kurama's chuckle, but didn't dare make any indication of it as she followed him up the stairs, eyes on his back. Suddenly, she found herself envisioning the scars she'd seen earlier, her eyes tracking the spots she'd traced earlier, despite the shirt he wore hiding them.
Her expression shifted to a neutral one, her mind going blank.
And then she remembered that she'd only seen them because he'd been in a towel, and her eyes turned to the side, though her suddenly somber mood did not change. *
Kurama reached up to knock politely on the door only to have it open with Kuwabara standing grinning on the other side.
"Hey Kurama! Sis said you guys were coming over." He explained as he stepped back to let him in, nodding greetings at Akari.
"I don't seem to recall telling her that." Kurama mirrored Kuwabara's smile as he passed over the threshold into the apartment.
"It's kinda funny, you know," Kuwabara shoot the door behind them as Kurama slipped his shoes off his feet in the entryway, "She's gotten a lot keener on that sort of thing lately. I've stopped being surprised at this point."
"Hey guys!" Shizuru called, coming out of the kitchen with her usual cigarette in her mouth and a tray of tea and snacks, "Right on schedule."
"Anything yet?" Kurama asked her, face momentarily serious.
Shizuru put the tray down on the coffee table as Kuwabara led the others over to the couch. She sat down across from them on the floor, crossing her legs and leaning an elbow on her knee, resting her face it in.
"You know, I've had this weird feeling for the past week about something about to go down, but since it hasn't changed, I'd say we're good for now."
~!**!~
"I...it's, well, nothing much." She lowered her gaze and put a hand to the back of her neck, unsure what suddenly made her feel so shy, "I just didn't know if you still wanted to see what a real party was like back in the old days. You probably don't care, it's not a big deal." She ran through the last few words as if dismissing the entire idea. 3
Hiei's brow rose further at Shikiyoku's first words, half thinking she wouldn't tell him despite his curiosity. But when she did, at first, he didn't recall what she was talking about. His brow resettled into place as he pondered, until he remembered that he'd asked her to remind him at some point. And now that he had, he'd almost forgotten about it.
And now that the question was posed again, his lips twitched in amusement at the idea of it. "I am rather curious."
~!**!~
Akari followed Kurama absentmindedly, only pausing to step out of her shoes when he did, mind now stuck on thoughts of scars, both hers and Kurama's. But, really, she wasn't sure what to think at the moment. He'd let her see his. Twice, actually, and then offered to have hers removed altogether.
She'd forgotten until now.
She moved to sit beside Kurama, legs crossed underneath her, her hands falling in her lap and eyes focused on Shizuru, but not really seeing the female for the moment. He said until it healed, right? I don't have an answer yet, and he hasn't asked me…
A good thing, really. *
"I haven't been getting anything myself." Kuwabara frowned, "And, I mean, I know sis is better at this sort of stuff than me, but if it really was bad, I'm pretty sure I would pick up on something, you know?"
Kurama didn't say anything, reaching for a cup of tea before sitting back in the couch and crossing his legs, taking a thoughtful sip.
"I just got off the phone with Genkai a little bit ago." Shizuru added. "She says she hasn't heard anything herself." Her brown eyes flickered over to Kurama. "I went ahead and asked her to come over. Had a feeling you might want to speak with her in person."
Kurama nodded, "I'm hoping she might have some insight into the situation. Maybe something I've overlooked."
~!**!~
"It wouldn't be as intimate as a mind-meld," Shikiyoku hurriedly clarified, "You'd just get to see how things used to go. Just the one memory." She seemed excited at the prospect of sharing such a moment with Hiei. 3
Hiei nodded once in understanding, his lips twitching only slightly in amusement at her hurried words and excited tone. He turned to her again, this time with his whole body, and moved to stand over her. "And how do you propose doing such a thing?"
Of course, he'd never done anything like this, so…. he'd have to play along.
~!**!~
Akari blinked once at herself, considering her options and weighing her own feelings about the offer. If she agreed when he asked, and he was bound to ask, then what would happen after that? If she disagreed, what would happen?
Either way it doesn't seem like…. much of a change. Because he couldn't give her back what Kamiya had already attempted to do. She'd be without ears and tail either way.
Heh. If I had ears and a tail, Koenma wouldn't be able to keep me here.
Her amusement faded. If I agree, my skin would be free, but would my mind? If I disagree, I'd have to handle it all as I am now. It's not so bad right now, but… there are still days where…
Where she could feel each one.
Maybe… maybe he'll give me more time, if I ask. *
"What is it, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked calmly after taking another drink of the tea.
"Huh? What?"
"You've been staring at me since I came in."
"Oh. Uh, well," Kuwabara shifted his eyes away and wouldn't look at Kurama directly, "You just...you feel different, man."
Kurama said nothing at first.
"Like, almost a completely different person."
"I did warn you about what happened." Kurama replied evenly.
"Yeah, but..." Kuwabara winced, "I didn't think it would be...like this."
Shizuru mirrored Kurama's reserved expression as she looked at him, though she appeared thoughtful as she pulled the cigarette out of her mouth, but said nothing.
~!**!~
"Well, I-" Shikiyoku blinked up at Hiei, taking into account once more how much taller he'd gotten over the past couple of months and being momentarily distracted, "That is, when you feel like you're about to step inside of me, just close your eyes and let it happen."
She reached inwardly for the portion of their pact that she had access to and gave it a little mental tug, keeping her eyes on Hiei to gauge his reaction and see if this was even going to work at all. 3
Hiei raised a brow curiously, not understanding what she meant when she said step into her. Physically? DId that mean he needed to be closer? What good would that do? But his confusion remained contained, his eyes calmly watching her as she stared at him just as evenly.
And then there was an odd sensation from the bond, though it wasn't directly noticeable at first. He quirked a brow, mainly to himself than to Shikiyoku, wondering if the bond had reacted to something he wasn't aware of at this moment.
~!**!~
More time, that's what I'll ask for. He can't do anything if I don't have an answer, especially in the state he's in and-
With the tail end of that thought, Akari's eyes focused on the room around her suddenly, bringing her back to the actual moment and the possible conversation she'd been ignoring for a while. Her eyes found the cups of tea and snacks, and before thinking much about it, she reached forward and took hold of the hot cup, moving carefully so that she wouldn't spill it as she sat back again, feet still on the couch and legs still crossed beneath her.
She took a careful sip, not minding the taste but not finding it a favorite either while her ears listened to the lull in conversation, not sure what she'd missed. *
"It did not last long in previous manifestation. I'm sure this is only another minor setback as well. I believe the fake Youko wished to make sure the actual Youko would be unable to be seen."
Shizuru nodded, "Makes sense."
In spite of the reassurances, Kuwabara still couldn't shake off the weird chills he got when he looked at his friend.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku rapidly sifted through memories of nights long ago spent dancing the ritual, finding one appropriate to her desires and beginning to feed it into pact that had started to hum inside of her head.
She could feel her own vision closing in, the darkness of the air around them starting to shimmer, and she shut her eyes as she began to recall that night so long ago, where there had been feasting and dancing and drinking and fighting like nothing that had been equaled since... ...
The light of the ballroom around her sparkled on the jeweled bracelet that sat on Shikiyoku's wrist, over the top of the white gloves covering her arms up nearly to her shoulder. She lifted her hand up towards her face to inspect it closer, the hands that had been placing the jewelry on her wrist pulling back as she did so.
The bright blue of the stone in the middle sparkled and brought a smile to her face as she turned her eyes to the demon before her, his two differently colored eyes-one white, one pink-gleaming at her.
"My thanks, Derrin. Rae. It's gorgeous."
The prince, in his white tuxedo, merely let a small smile grace his lips and he pulled away from her as his platinum blonde-haired mate with her amethyst eyes wove her hands back into the crook of Derrin's arm, her eyes much more mild and kind than Shikiyoku remembered.
The strangest sensation was perhaps the realization that despite both Derrin and Rae's tall and slender forms, Shikiyoku was in fact looking the pair almost in the eye, even though the shoes on her feet did not have a heel taller than an inch or two.
"They're playing our song, m'lady." A bass-timbred voice murmured into her ear, slipping her hand into a hold on his arm and leading her away.
"Your timing is impeccable." Shikiyoku mumbled as soon as they were safely out of earshot, allowing herself to be led away to the dance floor where the music had just changed rhythm and tune.
"Did you expect anything different of me, Yoku?"
Shikiyoku closed her eyes as she felt herself released save for her hand, led gracefully in a circle until she faced her own partner, settling into his frame.
"Ready?" The voice murmured at her again.
"Always."
Shikiyoku opened her eyes and would have stumbled were this not a memory in which she was swept off into the dance with as much poise as ever.
Her partner had no face.
There was...supposed to be one, but instead of where she expected a rakish smile and roguish lips, the image was fuzzy and incomplete. In fact, the entire body of the one she had placed herself into was hardly there, though she felt it firmly underneath her hands.
There was no...no hair color, no indication of skin type or eyes or...well, anything.
She could remember nothing...but to make it even worse, she couldn't even remember who it was supposed to be, who it was she had even forgotten…
Shikiyoku flinched as if she had been hit and suddenly the night rushed back in around her as her eyes flew open, wide and staring forward at Hiei but seeing nothing.
She blinked a couple of times, opened her mouth as if to speak, but did no such thing as her eyebrows drew together in a cloud over her face. 3
He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but after a few moments, Hiei understood what Shikiyoku had meant by stepping into her. He felt the bond hum, move, flex almost in his mind before he himself felt as if he were being pulled forward, coaxed into…
Into a room he recognized, into the eyes of someone staring at a jewel. He himself admired it and the way it glinted, before his eyes moved upwards and a voice seemed to float on the dreamy air about him. He recognized the face he looked up into as well, recognizing it as the companion of the female he'd escaped during the first week or so of his stay in Demon World.
He didn't understand why she was showing him a scene similar to the one he'd experienced, but he watched anyway, half expecting things to get crazy, or something.
And then he felt as if he himself had been pulled away from the conversation, and his eyes found… something that he assumed was meant to resemble someone.
He frowned slightly, suddenly feeling… uncomfortable as he was pulled into the dancer's embrace.
And then the scene was fading away, and a moment later, he was staring at Shikiyoku, feeling slightly confused but not saying anything about it.
He noticed she made as if to speak, but when she didn't, he raised a brow at her curiously, suddenly very amused that she didn't seem to have pulled forth the memory she meant to show him.
Though, the faceless, formless person still had him curious.
~!**!~
Akari sipped, looking over at Kuwabara and catching the smallest muscle movement from him, but ignored it since it seemed nothing more than… a shiver at most. She lifted the cup to her lips again, using both hands to hold the cup and look at the two sitting opposite herself and Kurama.
Another moment passed and she was glancing curiously at Kurama, as if waiting for him to say something because, truthfully, the silence felt awkward to her.
Maybe it was because she'd been wrapped in her own thoughts, hadn't been paying attention…. *
"Shizuru, have you ever done any training with Genkai?" Kurama asked suddenly.
She shook her head, "Nah. Haven't had time. The old lady said she could teach me a few things, but between work and looking out for this block-head I've never gotten to."
"Hey!" Kuwabara protested.
Kurama just nodded, "I think you would be a prime candidate to master Reikibuki."
"Reki-what-ee?" Kuwabara repeated.
"Your sword, numbskull." Shizuru whacked her brother upside the back of his head.
~!**!~
"Sorry." Shikiyoku said after a moment of opening and closing her mouth, "I guess I didn't really think having only a part of the bond to work with would make any difference, but that's not the memory I meant to show you in any case."
Shikiyoku's eyes squeezed shut and she put the back of her hand up between her eyebrows as if she could press the remembrance of who she had been dancing with back into her memory.
When had she forgotten? How could she have forgotten? She seemed to have the impression that the male had been very important, but how in the three worlds was she supposed to know when she couldn't remember who he was or what he looked like.
The loss of such a thing left Shikiyoku feeling disconcerted. And almost...afraid. 3
Hiei felt his brow twitch upwards just a fraction more than before as Shikiyoku spoke, though he said nothing as he'd suspected as much. However, the level of disturbance she seemed to feel about that memory and the lack of facial features of the main subject drew her brows downwards even further before her hand hid them from his view.
He remained quiet a few moments longer before he moved to make way for the tent in which they'd inhabited for the past week. "Dwelling on it will do nothing," he said calmly as he moved away, though not glancing back at her as he moved.
~!**!~
Akari's brow raised a little at Kurama's question to the woman across from them, though she could certainly see why he had asked such a question once he explained. Shizuru seemed to have quite a high level of intuition, and quite frankly, there was something about the brunette that struck Akari as appropriate for such a technique.
It would be a curious thing, to have Kuwabara's sister using the same technique, and even more amusing if she ended up being better at it than he. The thought made her lip twitch at the male she hadn't realized she'd turned her eyes to.
It took a moment for it to register, but Akari became aware on some level that she could just hear soft footsteps outside, closer than any of the traffic down on the sidewalk, heading, she presumed, to this very apartment. However, curious as she was, she made no indication and simply shifted the way she sat, uncrossing her legs and planting her feet on the floor as her eyes turned to Shizuru again, wondering if the woman was also aware of the approaching person. *
Kuwabara reached over for his own cup of tea, his eyes suddenly taking note of how many drinks there were and he scratched at his head, about to ask Shizuru why there were more drinks than people when she suddenly got up without a word and went over to the door, opening it to reveal Genkai about to knock.
The short old lady nodded approvingly in greeting.
"The offer still stands, you know." Her gravelly voice was met with a grin from Kuwabara when he saw who was at the door. "I would take you on as an apprentice in an instant if you so much as said that word."
Shizuru backed up to let the door open further inward, putting a nervous hand up to the back of her head as she smiled sheepishly while Genkai came inside.
Genkai waved away whatever Shizuru was about to say, "I know, I know. You 'don't have time.' Pity."
Without further ceremony, the woman moved over to the couch, hands clasped together behind her back, and hopped up inbetween Akari and Kurama, reaching forward for the last cup of tea and taking a drink before she visibly relaxed, eyes closed as she appreciated the flavor.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku found her feet following after Hiei as she grimaced again and rubbed some more at her forehead, finding now that she looked several instances of this...person whom she felt to be the same one each time, throughout her memories. In an unsettlingly large amount, in fact.
Hiei's apparent unruffled reaction did ease her concern, but her frown did not disappear.
"Yes, but..." Shikiyoku squeezed her eyes shut again, scrambling for something she could equate it with that he would understand, "What if...what if you found one day that you suddenly couldn't remember your sister. That...you knew you had one, or something, but you had no memory of her. Every time she should be in your mind's eye...she's just...not." Shikiyoku finally opened her eyes again, shifting them to the left to look at the ground. "Would you not also find your spirit unsettled? When you cannot place a cause or reason to it?" 3
Hiei didn't even glance back as Shikiyoku spoke to him, her words floating between the distance from herself to him until they reached his ears in a question he wasn't sure how to answer. If he'd somehow forgotten Yukina, but still had memories where she was supposed to be…
Unsettled as he might be, he wasn't sure what he himself would do. Likely tear Demon World apart looking for such an important puzzle piece, as he had then, but… Shikiyoku was not him.
He chose not to respond, instead taking to thinking over different causes of such a thing. It could have been purposely done, he knew, by that party. Or, it could have been done by Shikiyoku herself, if that particular person had lead her to a situation she'd rather not remember.
Sure, there were other reasons, other causes to such a thing happening, but really he didn't think many of them over at this point.
~!**!~
Akari found herself unsurprised when Shizuru suddenly stood and made for the door, all eyes in the room seeming to follow her as she opened the door to meet the older woman on the other side. Needless to say, she was a bit impressed, as this woman did not rely on hearing or smelling as a demon like herself would, but only…. instincts.
And then in the next moment, she recognized the smaller, older woman who moved into the room and even made herself comfortable in the space between Akari and Kurama, at which the demoness responded to by giving more room by leaning against the armrest of the couch.
The last time she'd seen this woman was a couple of months ago, when Sensui had attacked the apartment the entire detective team had been gathered in. And instead of leaning further away as she would have a few weeks ago, she instead found herself fighting a twitch of her lips.
A lot's changed, I think. *
"What are you all staring at?" Genkai pronounced suddenly in a grumble, opening her eyes to see, as she had felt, the faces of everyone in the room looking at her.
Shizuru had moved to sit back down next to Kuwabara on the other side of the coffee table. Genkai reached forward to grab for one of the cakes on the tray.
"Can't an old lady enjoy some tea in peace?" She briefly took stock of those in the room, "And where's Yusuke? Isn't he supposed to be the leader of this sorry outfit?"
"He, uh," Kuwabara laughed perhaps a little nervously, "He said he had something important to do."
"More important than the end of the world?" Genkai asked grouchily.
"He said it's always the end of the world around here." Kuwabara provided. "And that Keiko would kill him if he didn't go shopping with her today."
"Heh." Genkai smirked and pulled her tea up to her face. "He's more scared of her than anything Spirit or Demon World could ever throw at him."
"For good reason." Kuwabara piped up.
~!**!~
"He was...important. I can't shake that feeling." Shikiyoku said softly aloud, mostly to herself if it would help her sort through the mystery. "I don't even really care why." She let out a frustrated sigh and decided to leave it alone. "I'd much rather have forgotten Taka." 3
Hiei released a scoff before turning amused eyes back at Shikiyoku. "That can be arranged."
Of course, he wasn't sure he could do such a thing as thoroughly as Shikiyoku seemed to indicate, even if he were fully serious. Though, the thought of the other demon being wiped away was… appealing, to say the least. He turned forward again, waving away the tent flap and pausing to glance at the demons moving by, both watching his surroundings and allowing Shikiyoku to go first, though he wasn't quite sure why he was doing as such.
"Perhaps it's something that must be triggered." he mused aloud, not really meaning to do so.
~!**!~
Akari turned away from Genkai when the older woman spoke up about being watched, amused for a moment as she again lifted her cup to her lips, finishing off her own tea and watching the people who spoke as the conversation turned to Yusuke.
Who wasn't here because of a girl.
She made a small sound of amusement to herself before speaking for the first time since she'd entered the apartment. "Of all things… Well, I guess someone has to keep him in line, hm?" *
"She's certainly well-equipped for the task." Kurama replied mildly.
"You should see the back-swing that girl's got." Shizuru chuckled, "I've never seen anyone else able to take that boy down a notch with a single hit."
Genkai smiled into her tea cup as she took another sip. "So. What kind of end of the world situation are we dealing with this time? I know we've all had our separate briefings, but making sure we're all on the same page would be a good place to start."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku just stuck her tongue out at Hiei as she passed by him when he let her inside the dark tent.
"What are we if not a series of memories? Take our experiences away and we are nothing." She answered his first comment loftily.
She stepped further into the tent to let him inside as well, making a thoughtful noise.
Shikiyoku huffed, "I don't know. I don't remember the last time I tried to actually think about my time in the cities." She reached up to rub at her forehead again. "Who am I missing?" She mumbled. 3
Hiei raised a brow as he followed Shikiyoku inside, his eyes quickly adjusting to the complete darkness of the tent. She had a point, really. Every being was simply growing on experiences, which turned to memories, which turned to… well, a certain aspect of one's personality, he supposed.
He was of no help here, it seemed.
"If it's that important," he began calmly as he made himself comfortable among the furs on the ground, lounging lazily with his hands linked behind his head and legs crossed at the ankles, "then it will come to you." His eyes slid shut, though for the moment he didn't plan on sleeping. Merely…. relaxing. He hadn't had a chance to do that in a week now, and he felt a calm moment was in order.
~!**!~
AKari leaned forward, setting her empty cup on the table and sending a small look to Kurama, as if asking where to start. However, when she leaned back, she gave a small sigh. "As I'm sure you know, there's an impersonator of Youko running about, gathering demons and causing… trouble, to say the least." She paused, unsure if she should start from the beginning or simply go on with what she and Kurama had discovered in the past two days. *
"His right-hand man is called Otento," Kurama picked up, "And their main target appeared to be Toriko for a while, going so far as to kidnap her with the help of a demon with abilities to teleport. As far as I know, she was titular in their plans, but would not work with them and was tossed aside." 3
Zareru - 1: to be playful; to gambol; to be amused (with something); to play; to sport; to frolic; to joke; 2: to flirt with
Reikibuki - "Spiritual weaponry arts" or "Art of spiritual weaponry"
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star