A/N: Hello once again, Audience!
Okay, so, first of all GORE WARNING for this chapter. If you get queasy, there's a bit of a nasty section in here.
Secondly, there is actually quite a lot of time-skippage that occurs in this chapter, as we're hitting on the 'high points' of various important moments in the timeline as everyone is preparing for what Foko and his army are supposedly going to do. If anyone finds themselves confused, feel free to speak up and I'll start putting up a timeline for events at the ends of the next few? chapters. Just keep in mind that when the ~!**!~ symbol appears that not only is it a scene switch, but in this chapter it is definitely denoting the passage of time.
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 calls Kurama out on him hiding his scars while pointing out it is bad that she does the same,
but he counters by saying he has nothing to fear from his, and only does so for the sake of his mother's mind.
This leads to a scathing lecture from Kurama at how Akari has never
honestly and truly tried to rid herself of the power her scars exercise over her,
and leads to the two of them parting ways, Akari appalled at Kurama's suggestion,
wherein she is to walk around naked to get used to herself,
and attempting to rid herself of the thought by tracking down Foko to get some answers.
Eventually, Akari finds herself at Ground Zero where Foko is ushering in the largest group of demons yet,
just before Spirit World can close all portals, but she gets little in the way of answers from him,
save that they 'wish to reclaim what is theirs,' and that Enma being overthrown is simply a by-product.
Akari then heads to Sensui's old apartment to attempt some variation of what Kurama suggested...
~!**!~
As Shikiyoku and Hiei leave Demon World, they are separated by the Kekkai Barrier,
which prevents Shikiyoku-now an A Class demon-from passing through.
However, in the moment Hiei realizes she is stuck, Spirit World shuts down all passageways
between all three worlds, and the resulting shockwave flings Hiei out into Human World,
and Shikiyoku out into Demon World.
After Shikiyoku exhausts herself attempting to break through the mountain to the portal,
and with a quickly unraveling psyche, she wanders the Ninth Level until she somehow finds herself at The Palace.
Shikiyoku has figured out that it is the demon of pain who has been behind it all
from the very beginning: the fake Youko, Otento kidnapping her, and above everything else
the push for the three worlds to become one.
Where a demon of pain once ripped Sekaiju apart, only a demon of pleasure can return it whole once more,
and it is Shikiyoku's intention-with nothing left to live for-to offer herself up as the sacrifice for the ritual.
Simply because he wishes to cause his mate, the demon of pain, consternation,
the demon-king at The Palace offers Shikiyoku the option of "learning pain" as he did,
and ridding herself of the need of a pact and the need of a Champion
as well as rendering herself completely useless for the ritual for which his mate might use her.
Knowing that this demon-king would not let her live long enough for his mate to get her anyway,
and with little mental faculties left to her any longer, Shikiyoku accepts his offer.
~!**!~
After recovering, Hiei immediately gets up and runs to find Kurama, telling the redhead of Enma's actions,
and the portals closing with Shikiyoku left behind in Demon World.
He then questions Kurama on how long Youko has been locked away inside of him...
Kurama did not let any of his thoughts penetrate the level expression with which he regarded Hiei.
"It has been three days, twenty hours, four minutes and counting." Kurama replied, letting a bit of his ire at the situation slip through his façade as he worked his jaw around the words. He let the emotion slide away, concerned for the comrade who was obviously shaken by whatever had occurred in Demon World between he and Toriko's true form.
"You went missing thirteen days ago." He said mildly, "Though I know Demon World time does not often sync with Human World. Any idea how long it's been for you?" 3
Hiei frowned slightly, lips twitching at Kurama's words. Otento had sealed away the fox demon rather well, he could tell by the lack in energy about the room. And quite frankly, the absolute absence of Kurama's presence was pretty unnerving. If something were to happen soon, he'd have no way to help out other than hand-to-hand and whatever tricks he had to have come up with. After all, he wasn't one to go unprepared for a second time.
Kurama's question pulled the fire demon from his thoughts, a brow raising as he thought for a moment.
He hadn't really kept track of the days, to be honest. At least, not at the forefront of his mind. But, when he sat and thought about it, it'd been quite a while. Much longer than Human World time.
"Seventy-seven days." he answered, his response absolute and unquestionable. "Perhaps a few hours longer than that." *
Ah.
That explained the withdrawn expression Hiei now wore quite effectively. Since the fire demon had already attached himself to her before the pair even left, and then getting to spend that much time in their homeworld in one another's company…
Kurama wondered briefly if Hiei even realized why he felt the way he did, protection duties aside.
"We have reason to believe the fake Youko is attempting to get into Spirit World, hence the portals shutting down. Though, we also think it is a distraction and he's actually ushered in an army of demons to Human World under the guise of the threat, since it's easier to get them to Spirit World once here. As to their goal… honestly, if this Youko really is in some capacity or another changing into the fox, I can't say I understand why he would be doing all of this." 3
Hiei didn't have a response for Kurama. He didn't have an answer as to why, because, quite frankly, he hadn't had any time to come up with any reasonable guesses, especially since he hadn't been aware of the demons being carted from Demon World to this world. It made sense, to have an army when attacking Spirit World- if that was indeed the plan.
And there was no reason to doubt that plan.
"Hn." *
"The question I would ask you to consider, if you have not formulated an answer already, is if it comes down to a fight what side you would be taking." 3
Hiei turned a calm stare onto Kurama, as if he could only half believe the question that had been asked of him. "My own." he said calmly, not even so much as blinking at Kurama. "The fools can handle Spirit World without my hand. And if they can't, then they've learned nothing of their own past experiences. You and the dog can handle the impersonator, as you're fully capable." He paused to turn away, eyes training on the smooth wood of the windowsill. "I have my own agenda." *
Kurama felt no surprise at Hiei's answer. Were Spirit World to fall, were Enma to be dethroned, the fire demon would be a free soul once more.
"To tell you the truth," Kurama began, lifting one hand to his chin thoughtfully, "I think I've come to a point where I'm prepared to just sit back and see what happens."
He went on in an effort to explain, "We have some very spiritually aware people, namely Kuwabara's sister Shizuru, who is honestly not picking up anything world-ending from future events. And with Sensui's plan she was definitely in the know of how badly it could turn out for Human World. I find myself feeling that as long as Koenma is able to take care of himself, Botan as well since she is stuck too, that perhaps this 'war' the fake Youko is attempting to start might not have any affect on Human World whatsoever. Or at least nothing it can't handle." 3
There was a moment where the room became silent, save for the clock that ticked away on the opposite wall and the sounds that he could hear from outside the house. For some reason, Hiei wasn't particularly surprised by the revelation of Kurama's thoughts on the matter. After all, the only person who seemed to be causing trouble outside of Spirit World matters was the only person Hiei would love to see laying in a pool of his own crimson life force. The purple-eyed demon was the only one causing mayhem, from the looks of it, while his leader seemed to be doing nothing more than ordering for the true Youko to be hidden away, which he took as a successful attempt seeing as the only indication that Kurama was even remotely nearby was the sound of his breathing and the sound of a human heartbeat.
It was odd, not being able to feel the presence of the fox demon despite the act that he knew the redhead was in the room, sitting in a chair a few feet from Hiei himself.
"I couldn't care less what you do." *
"Is that so?" Kurama countered, "And if I suddenly decided my services would be better put to use by this fake Youko...or say, Otento?" 3
"Assuming Youko allowed for such a thing?" he retorted, fighting a physical reaction to the name that Kurama had enunciated. There was a part of him that wished to issue the very same threat he would issue to any other, but quite frankly, he didn't truly, deep down, want to. Circumstantial or not.
So he settled for a level stare, as if the thought were nothing more than such a thing: a thought. Not even a mere possibility. *
"Just asserting that you didn't really mean what you said." Kurama's eyes gleamed knowingly. "Though, no. I don't think the fox would let me assist either the faker or the man responsible for the state we've found Youko's former Ward in on occasion. If he had his way, I'm fairly certain the both of them would be dead on the floor at this very moment." 3
Hiei continued to stare at Kurama unblinkingly, his irises gleaming with the irritated thoughts churning in his mind. After a few more silent beats from the fire demon, he sat back and turned back to facing the outside world almost curiously, his eyes seeing none of it and mind picturing the mess Kurama had spoke of.
It would be a very amusing thing to see, sure, but…
He was sure the fox knew that Hiei fully intended to take Otento himself, no matter how things 'shook out' around Human World. He couldn't care less about the humans and their 'fate', or even of Spirit World's.
Just so long as Otento was erased from the entire picture. By Hiei's own blade. *
"My only problem with simply sitting back and doing nothing is the fact that inaction could very well be synonymous with assisting both the fake Youko and Otento," Kurama pointed out slyly, finally getting to his point and gauging Hiei's reaction, "And only acting against them or taking preventative measures towards whatever they hope to accomplish would truly be a hindrance to their cause. Something I very much feel Youko would wish to do regardless of Spirit World's involvement." 3
Hiei sneered at the window he was facing, his reflection seeming to sneer right back at him, the red eyes in that reflection flashing slightly with a gleam that seemed to have manifested out of nowhere. He'd never once said that he was going to simply sit back. He had no reason to do so. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind….
Except for when he'd decided to stay in Demon World.
"While you decide, I've already thought it out. You're getting slow, fox." *
Kurama chuckled, "You've had several more months than I, mind."
He let out a reserved sigh, "Unfortunately, all I can see in the near future for myself is waiting, though-"
The phone rang and Kurama stared at it for a second, frowning, "Something I've been neglecting what with the current...issues, but when you pass by would you mind sweeping around Toriko's home for Maneshi? He's been missing."
Kurama reached for the phone, and without giving any greeting of any sort, as he had gotten in the habit of doing given that the caller lately had been one or the other from a particular apartment, answered with, "Any word?"
His expression immediately shifted into a kinder one, "It has been a long time, Yukina."
A pause.
"If it would ease your mind to attempt something to assist me, I certainly will." Kurama smiled. 3
Hiei looked at Kurama through the reflection on the window, ears taking to promptly ignoring the sound that rang through the entire room at an annoying volume. He raised a brow at the prospect of Maneshi being gone. Surely not, as the cat…
Well, actually, it made a bit of sense. Maybe?
He didn't know. He'd simply look when he was done rifling through the demonic relics hidden within the home of Toriko. It wasn't like he had any other plans at this very moment anyway…
Other than searching for a way to get back into Demon World, which he had already assumed to be impossible.
With that thought, the fire demon shifted, readying a hand against the window after unlocking the latch, readying to take his leave when a name caught his attention. He paused, listening with his back still to the fox instead of turning around. It wasn't like she was there. But, he realized he hadn't thought about his sister in a long while, hadn't even considered checking on her.
Maybe…. Maybe he'd wait to see what she was up to. *
Kurama said nothing nor made any movement to wish Hiei a farewell as Kurama fully expected the fire demon to come and go as he pleased as he always had.
"We have actually been meeting once a day, though it's mostly just for sake of appearances. I'm sure any of the others have filled you in? Right. No, I will definitely make sure I am there tonight." 3
Hiei stayed in the windowsill for a few moments, listening to the calm, quiet voice of his sister on the other end of the call. A part of him felt odd that he hadn't thought about checking in on her recently, even before he'd left for Demon World. Which, he realized, was not near as long of a time to the others as it had been for himself.
Thirteen days compared to seventy-seven was quite the difference in time.
And the thought of Shikiyoku still stuck there, for much longer in that world than he would be in this one, had him silently removing himself from Kurama's home by slipping through the window, not even bothering to shut it as he moved at full speed across town.
His sister could wait; he could visit her at any time.
Shikiyoku, however… was without protection. And that was more important at the moment. *
Kurama watched Hiei slip out the window, wondering if the demon would visit his sister first to make sure Kuwabara hadn't tried anything-unlikely anyway-or if he would drop by Toriko's as Kurama originally assumed anyway.
"I'll make sure I come early this time then. She's fine, still on vacation. I just talked with her earlier today. I'm actually considering testing out. Mm. I have this strange feeling it'd be better to finish sooner rather than later. Who knows what state things will be in, and if my soon-to-be step-father does want me to come work for him, it would be nice to simply get it out of the way." 3
Hiei moved quick enough that his presence to the humans would have been nothing more than a slight breeze as he passed by, had he chosen to take the streets instead of the alleyways and rooftops to Toriko's home. It wasn't long before he was actually inside the house, every window having been unlocked making it very easy to slip inside unseen.
As he moved from one room to the next, he took stock of everything inside, searching for signs of Maneshi as he made his way to the closed he knew to be dedicated solely to Demon World relics. And as Kurama had said, there was no sign of the cat anywhere, from Toriko's room to the closet he began to rifle through. *
~!**!~
Since Kurama had no way of testing the energy that lay beyond the door to Kuwabara's apartment, it was the voices instead that revealed the usual crew had a few additions when the avatar let himself inside as had become customary.
"I don't see how yah coulda na' missed me boyo!"
Kurama smiled to see Jin with Yusuke in a chokehold, the black-haired boy laughing and obviously not trying very hard to escape. The fox slipped into the room quietly and sat down on the couch after leaving his shoes next to the multiple pairs at the door.
Shizuru came out of the kitchen and gave Kurama a smile through a cigarette and a nod, carrying the tray with drinks and snacks to the coffee table, but no one else appeared to notice him at first save for Genkai who lifted her eyes when she felt his presence. Or his lack thereof.
He found himself next to Yukina, who after a moment realized he'd sat down and looked at him with wide-eyes.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kurama." She knew without any further indication from the other that his loss was deep-set. She pulled her feet up underneath her on the couch as she turned towards him. "Just sit still for a moment and let me feel it out."
She closed her crimson eyes as she faced him and held her hands over his closest arm, a glow beginning to gleam between them.
"As I was sayin' before me words was tackled outta me," Jin appeared to have been speaking before Kurama came in, but didn't let go of Yusuke who was still laughing, "Touya and me be ready for anythin'. Thought you might need a bit of help for the go-around, and we're feelin' a bit ants-in-the-pants about the way this guy Otento likes to shimmy around the block."
"Not to mention the fact that we were pretty sure Youko wasn't the head of any gang of demons anymore."
Kurama saw that Rinku was also in the room, on the other side of Yukina, and the boy reached forward for a snack.
"We weren't sure," He spoke with his mouth full, "If we could get all of us away without anyone noticing, but we wanted to at least find you guys to let you know what was going on, so we decided the two of us would have to be enough."
"And how many of you are there?" Kurama finally interjected.
The entire room went silent, Jin releasing Yusuke who appeared about as nervous as Kuwabara at that moment.
"Blimey! They weren't just a'tanglin' our knickers!" Jin breathed, "It really is impossible to feel yah."
"So-" Rinku's brow furrowed, "Is that Youko-guy...the real thing?"
Kurama shook his head, "I do not know how much you have been told, but Otento is able to use his energy to lock away the energy of others."
The pair continued to stare at him wide-eyed.
"That's a' real shame, Kurama." Jin shook his head. "I get tah feelin' we be needin' your planty-mojo soon."
"Has much been said about why they are going to invade Spirit World?" Kurama wanted to know.
"Yah know Spirit World closed all portals. I don't know how they're going to get through anyway." Kuwabara pointed out.
Rinku frowned, "There's been a lot of talk about 'taking back what is ours.' Which everyone seems to get all gung-ho about and then fail to explain it to the rest of us."
"'Taking back what is ours?'" Yusuke repeated with a confused expression. "What would Spirit World have taken from Demon World?"
Kurama felt as if he knew the answer to that question, but as he sat with Yukina while she continued to diagnose him, he came up with no answer. Just that...he knew and couldn't remember.
Youko. The avatar thought to himself wryly. The fox probably had an inkling.
"There...is an old legend." Genkai started, hushing the others in the room, "And I considered it before only to dismiss it, but if that is truly the word being passed around-" She looked at Shizuru and frowned, "I'm not sure what to make of it."
"What legend?" Kuwabara prompted.
"A long time ago, when man was still very young, there was not three worlds, but one world, and only a sort of flimsy veil of the afterlife to separate the living from the dead. It is said this land was known as Sekaiju. More often back then did spirits walk among the living, and there were less differences between man and demon back then, namely the type of energy they wielded for spells as is true today, but in any case demons terrorized and ruled over the humans, who lived in fear of their stronger counterparts. Supposedly, that's what drove the Kamis to divide the world, to allow man to flourish, and it is possible that these demons wish for the three worlds to be one again. The legend goes that the humans got to stay here, in what we call Human World, and that the demons were cast out into what became Demon World. In uniting the three worlds, the demons would essentially be 'taking back what was theirs.'" Genkai finished with a bit of a shrug.
Kuwabara's eyes got wide, "B-but aren't demons- wouldn't that-" He looked desperately over at his sister.
Shizuru took a puff of her cigarette and pulled it from her lips to speak, giving Kuwabara a shrug that mirrored Genkai's, "You know as well as I do, little brother, that this is different then what Sensui was planning. Something this time feels almost...as much as I hate to admit it what with that fake Youko and that nasty Otento being involved...right." 3
~!**!~
Hiei had rummaged. And rummaged. And rummaged. It seemed like he'd sifted through demonic relics for several hours, his hands always picking up an object and then replacing it just as quickly when he realized that the object would be of no help to his cause. There were several things that had been interesting, but useless. There were some things he only vaguely recognized from tales. And there were things, many things he realized, that he had no idea what they were. Objects unfamiliar to him entirely, objects that hummed with old power unutilized in likely decades.
But nothing that would help him find a way back to Demon World.
And he hated to admit it, but he hadn't expected to find anything of use to him here. So, as the fire demon stood in the darkness of the small, stuffy, cramped closet with eyes turning around and around, he released a half-hearted growl of disappointment.
Perhaps if he did find Maneshi, he'd have a chance. At least, he hoped so.
With silent, deft steps, Hiei maneuvered around the many demonic items and out of the closet, shutting the door behind himself just as quietly before he continued moving, energy expanding to envelop the house and every room within as he searched for Maneshi first with his own energy, then with his eyes as he scoured the entire house.
And, as Kurama had said a few hours ago, there was no sign of Maneshi anywhere in or around the house.
~!**!~
"Are we going to live here from now on?"
"No, just for a while."
"I don't think he liked me."
"That's because you're not supposed to be indoors. Not here, anyway.."
"Then why did he let me pass?"
"I asked nicely."
"No you didn't."
Akari sighed and pushed open the door to a very familiar penthouse, the walls a simple white color and furniture to match. Even the coffee tables still had white-painted wood with glass surfaces, just as she'd remembered them to have.
It was odd, walking into the very same flat that had once been home to three people and finding it very empty, very quiet. No greeting, no energy to test her presence to ensure she was not a threat.
No Sensui. No Itsuki.
"Why are you just standing there?"
Akari blinked away images of the two men sitting on the couch and moved away from the door, pushing it shut with a gentle nudge from her fingers. "Nabu, don't get on the couch, okay?"
"Mkay!"
"The bed, however, is all yours."
"What about you?"
"I have my own." But I won't need it.
Akari's eyes moved around the room again, taking in the closed curtains of the wide glass windows, taking in the threshold to the kitchen that opened up on her right, taking in the large flatscreen television in front of the three-seater couch and two single recliners.
One of which had a glass sitting on the floor next to it, filled with what she could only assume to be water. If there had been ice in it, it had melted some time ago.
She paid it no mind and simply tossed her duffel bag onto the soft cushions of the couch, earning a small pouf from the contact before she herself followed suit, staring forward at the black screen of the television.
It's so odd… I'm not sure how I feel about this. *
~!**!~
"So, you're really gonna do it, huh? Testing out and everything?" Yusuke's eyes were looking out the window of the café, absently pulling his hand up to his face to take a drink from the cup he held.
Kurama nodded, reclined at the table with the fingers of one hand wrapped around his own mug in front of him.
Shooting him a knowing grin, Yusuke turned back to face the red-haired avatar.
"I never really thought you'd finish-"
Kurama made a noise of amusement.
"-at least not conventionally." Yusuke leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, frowning, "What's going to be done about Toriko?"
Kurama hesitated to reveal his plan, deciding to raise and lower one shoulder in a shrug.
"I'm not even sure if Toriko exists anymore."
"Oh yeah?" The dark-haired youth met Kurama's gaze and raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?" 3
~!**!~
Several hours had passed. Or, hell, several days for all she knew at this point, and Akari cared very little for the time being. After getting over the initial reminiscing over the flat she'd taken over for a while, she'd gotten down to business, to the sole reason she'd come here.
And it left her just as she'd thought it would: curled into a ball on the floor, eyes squeezed shut and chest moving with her rapid, short breaths. Her knees were touching her chest, her elbows tucked against her stomach and fingers tangled in her bangs and the hair on the very top of her head. She was only vaguely aware of Nabu sitting close by, but other than that, she didn't really make any sense of the world going on around her.
The curtains were closed, making it hard to discern day from night- not that it mattered anyway. She was sure there had been knocks on the door several times- likely cleaning services- but she hadn't bothered to actually get up and see if she'd actually heard anyone else nearby.
And she was only just getting over the first wave of pain, of memories, when she made to move and the skin of her bare stomach and shoulders, arms and legs pulled at the carpet beneath, the sweat that had made her skin feel disgusting causing a slight itch that turned to a pang, and ended up delving her straight into memories again.
And this cycle would prove to be never ending for what felt an eternity. *
~!**!~
"Such a high tolerance for pain." The demon mused, his eyes wandering over the battered and bruised body of the female before him. She did not answer, lungs heaving just to take the next breath. "It's a wonder you weren't a demon of pain in the first place. You seem to have the predisposition for it."
Her eyes flew open and regarded the demon coldly.
"Careful, my love." He appeared amused, "A look like that could kill."
The green color of her irises were dulled, her ashen skin already having lost its sheen months ago, but still she glared.
After several more cycles of inhalation and exhalation, she finally spoke, voice hoarse and raspy. As if from overuse.
"You...should be careful...Renai. You may...get more...than what you bargained-"
Renai lifted his arm and slammed the point of the blade he held between two ribs, just missing her heart.
"I don't think I like the way you're looking at me, my love." He commented mildly as she screamed, her head thrown back and her eyes shutting.
Watching for a moment, the faintest of smiles played across his lips.
"Better."
He removed the weapon and made a wicked, jagged slash down her arm, a wound to join the countless others he'd given her since starting. How long ago had it been? He supposed it didn't really matter.
"But how about this?" Flipping his hold on the dagger, he let the tip sink in past the first few layers of her flesh, ignoring her continued vocalized agony which sounded raw as if she might start bleeding at the throat at any moment and changed pitches as he began carving absently into her skin.
"You know what will stop this." Renai sighed as he kept going, shaking his head slightly. "I'm not really sure why you keep refusing to try."
He finally pulled the blade away and leaned over onto the table, elbow resting on the cold, hard metal and face in his hand as his eyes roved over his handiwork. There were scars on top of other scars at this point.
"Amusingly enough, the longer you allow this to go on-"
A creaking sound had Renai raising his eyebrows, watching as Shikiyoku's cries started to fade, the arm just in front of his face straining against the leather that held her wrist to the table as she writhed.
"Feeling anything yet?" He asked with ironic intentions and that same light tone, giving her a beatific smile as he stayed leaning on the table.
Shikiyoku's eyes flew open and several things happened at once.
She whipped her head to get Renai in her sights. The male started back at the hollow, haunting deepness to her gaze, seeing the darkness within them that had its own sort of depth in direct opposition to the power their kind usually employed, and he found himself unable to so much as congratulate her on her transformation as he crumpled to his knees next to the metal table.
The tips of Renai's fingers barely managed to grasp at the edge of the table to prevent his complete collapse as his other hand clutched at his chest, the dagger it once held clattering free of his grip onto the table.
He could practically feel the blood pouring out of a wound made from a sharp edge that plunged between two ribs and just missed his heart, the same wound that moments ago he inflicted upon her person.
When her energy struck him again from the inside, he scrambled backwards from the table, any thoughts scattered while he desperately put distance between him and the demon on the table.
Slouching against the wall with one hand at his heart and the other at his head, Renai watched through pain-riddled vision as she slowly sat up, her gaze still locked on him and her own eyes pulsing with darkened yellow power.
Her onslaught lessened briefly as she glanced down at the dagger he left behind. She managed to take a hold of the hilt, turning it about and slipping the flat of the blade underneath her wrist where with a quick tug to the side she cut herself free, easily doing the same to the other restraints at her second wrist and both her ankles.
Just as Renai had caught his breath, mind beginning to piece together, she turned on him once more and this time it was his voice and not hers that filled the room with anguish as he clutched at his head, where he knew the true origin of the pain he felt lay.
As she shifted around and began to slip off the table, eyes flashing at Renai, blood trickled down her skin from every imaginable source possible and left tiny rivulets atop the metal wherever she paused for too long.
Favoring her right leg as she finally reached the floor, it was easy to see the multiple breaks where the limb contorted unnaturally, a portion of the bone at her thigh visible, if only barely, through the blood streaming down her knee.
Staggering forward, her leg dragging uselessly behind her, she clutched at her ribs where several had not mended, but seemed to ignore them as her vision tunneled in with sheer unadulterated determination blazing dangerously in her eyes.
After several shufflingly agonized moments interspersed with her labored steps and his strained cries, she finally stood over him, lungs desperately trying to pull air into themselves as the blood pooled around her feet, but a sort of demented, frenzied exultation in her eyes as she watched him writhe beneath her in helplessness.
The strain on her body proved too much however, and as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her legs gave out from underneath her.
Renai instantly banished her control as he knew her power like his own and caught her before she fell to the floor, grinning instantly at her fainted, exhausted body.
"Well done, my love. Well done, indeed." 3
~!**!~
For several days, Hiei had searched for a way to get back to the Ninth Level, a way to get back to Shikiyoku. And for several days, he continued to come up with absolutely nothing. He'd searched up and down for Maneshi, then searched even more rigorously for a portal to Demon World that hadn't been sealed off completely. Not surprisingly, he'd come up empty handed there as well.
So, to reassure himself, he'd regularly checked the bond within, only to find himself more than slightly perturbed when he found the bond itself to be dull within his mind, occasionally giving a twinge with some sort of disturbance or another. A disturbance he could only guess at. The energy there skipped and had no absolute rhythm, no happy hum as it once had, before the separation.
And it was at such time when confusion roiled over Hiei. He sat in utter silence, half of his mind listening to the words being said to him from Kurama, the other half focused on the bond, checking on Shikiyoku in the only way he could, and finding it agitated still. It hadn't changed once within the past few days.
And as he thought of this, all words even uttered by Kurama became lost, falling on deaf ears as the fire demon again tried to think of a way to get back.
And after a moment, he found it hard to concentrate on the bond, an odd mental image passing by the forefront of his mind's eye consisting of a small black dragon, akin to Ryou but more like a picture of him than the actual being, a dragon that seemed to fade both in color and existence until it was gone.
And then, it seemed, so was the bond. It wasn't muted, like it had done previously. He could tell now that when he searched for the bond, it was simply… nonexistent. No big to-do about it either.
Simply gone. And that feeling, the odd feeling of his mind being so silent, had the fire demon's eyes sliding shut, completely forgetting where he currently sat.*
"Hiei?" Kurama called for the third time, his expression just beginning to be concerned, "Hiei, what's wrong?" 3
Dimly, the fire demon was aware of his name being said, and it took another moment for the fire demon to recover from… whatever had just happened.. and turn a neutral stare up at Kurama, a brow raised as if to say 'go on'. *
~!**!~
Weeks had passed, she was sure. Many, many weeks, because every time Akari opened her eyes, they burned, stung, watered despite the amount of tears she had shed, and then she would close them again and force herself to delve deeper, into memories she'd long since filed away and almost forgotten. She would leave no stone left unturned.
But, she was worn out. And after a while, she realized she'd circled the same memories, the same visions, several times. They still hurt, they still left her entire being shaking with the echoes of pain from those times as if the slices on her skin were new, as if the wetness on her skin was a mix of her own blood and sweat, instead of simply being the sweat from her own mental exertion.
She'd fallen asleep here and there, only getting enough to keep her wits about her when necessary before she became lost to the real world all over again. And she repeated this process. Over, and over, and over again until, finally, she was left laying in a loose ball on the floor, hands near her face and legs loosely extended away from her torso now.
She didn't want to move. If she moved, she hurt. And, well… she already hurt. Her shoulder was numb from laying on the same side of her body for who knows how long, and her eyes burned against the dull light of the night that filtered only slightly through the closed curtains of the room.
After another short while, she realized she was staring straight ahead of her, looking at the door but not seeing it. Not seeing Nabu sitting nearby, nor seeing anything else, really.
Because she still saw faces and weapons, blood and death and… Other things.
Why am I doing this again? Why am I laying here?
She'd forgotten what had provoked her to do this to herself. She'd forgotten what had made her want to relive each and every moment, one by one, over and over again. Had Sensui been here, he would have pulled her from the floor and given her an objective to fill.
But he wasn't here. And she was doing this to herself because…
Because…
The lights were unnaturally bright for her sore eyes, though they did nothing to deter her from seeing the male standing in front of her, nor the whip that encircled her wrists. She knew that in the moment, she'd glared at the redhead, but here, Akari merely stared up at Kurama, expression a frown and eyes darkened. Her energy, just as it had done then, wrapped around the whip, making as if to deaden the weapon, but being unable to do so.
Her growled demand to be let go floated on the hazy air, only to be countered with a strike that stung ten times more than the strikes she'd recently been enduring over and over again. Perhaps it was her own imagination, but this whip seemed sharper, meant only to leave the impression of pain right where it struck and doing so very, very well. It echoed throughout her body, and while she growled, there was a part of her that stung at the attack..
And even now, it was hard to look away from the stare the green eyes pierced her with, hard to ignore his close proximity, as if it had been a simple way to say that he was a type of support.
"Now. That's deep enough to leave its own scar. f you want to be rid of it, I can take it away, but if I do so, all of your other scars will be removed in the process. Is that what you wish?"
No.
She'd panicked then. Now, however, no such emotion bloomed or bubbled to the surface.
"I will wait for your answer until after the mark I gave you sets in." A pause floated on the dreamy air. "Until then, I sincerely hope every time you look at yourself in the mirror, you will first see my scar. And that instead of thinking back to past moments belonging to those underneath it, you'll instead be reminded of this moment."
And that had been when he'd leaned forward, ending his speech with a gesture that had, for a very long time before then, been a type of threat to her. And the gesture was warm in its own way, despite the lingering emotions she had felt that day, the anger and the surprise by his see-sawing actions and words. Despite everything she'd thought afterwards, every moment she'd told herself she hated that moment, that person…
When her eyes slid open again, she was admitting to herself that he was the very reason she hadn't simply bailed, and ended up dead by this point in time. And while she half thought she was doing this for the person who'd pushed her into doing such a thing, she realized she was pushing herself because of this person, when no one else had done such a thing.
And she'd done nothing but nip and pick at every flaw she could find about Kurama.
Well… that's rather silly of me.
She gave a short, dry huff intended to be a sound of amusement, but it turned into a small cough that jerked her body. Her tired, shaking body that didn't hurt save for the one mark she'd just remembered. And despite her shaking muscles, her protesting arms and legs, she shifted herself around on the floor until she was on her rear, a hand on the floor to help push herself to stand.
First, a shower.
Then… then she'd venture as she wished, because staying inside was not going to help the progress she could already feel she was making. *
~!**!~
A few more days passed.
As Shizuru aptly put it at one of their weekly gatherings: it felt as if all three worlds were holding their breath, waiting for something either too fantastical or utterly terrible to happen. What exactly, she couldn't say, but the air was charged with something.
They only began to get nervous when the visits from Jin and Rinku or Chuu or Touya stopped completely, unsure of what that could mean, and concerned for the demons who had so willingly decided to play the double agents.
Kurama made no further progress with the Youko within, but it was heartening to see how far along Shizuru had come in her training, and even Kuwabara finally admitted it would be great to be alongside her when it came time to fight. 3
~!**!~
He wasn't sure when he'd stopped looking, but after a while, Hiei gave up on the possibility of getting back to Demon World and had taken to simply looking for the source of his agitation. And, just as it had been with getting himself back into Demon World, his efforts had proved more than simple fruitlessness.
The purple-eyed demon was no easy catch.
And it made his temper very, very short, even as he slid into Toriko's home again, taking to once more searching for Maneshi, though at this point he knew that too would be just as useless.
Nothing at all had changed since he'd arrived in Human World, and he didn't see why-
In the midst of this thought, the fire demon paused and flared his nostrils at the air, picking up the smallest hint of a scent that was… new, to say the least. Not as stale as the air that hadn't been stirred by any other than himself and...
Whoever else had been here.
He slid through the house on silent feet, ruby eyes searching for any signs of the person still inside, and instead finding something that left him… surprised, to say the least. Relieved, because a part of him had thought...
Well, whatever he'd thought, the material he now stared down at, accompanied by the glittering of a very decorative sword in the light of the room, was now completely washed away and replaced with the knowledge that Shikiyoku was alive, and in good enough shape to send along his belongings and a small, folded sheet of parchment.
Without pause, Hiei took the clothing in his hands and with a flourish simultaneously incinerated his current outfit and replaced it within half a minute with the newly returned articles. He took absent note that everything fit perfectly, despite knowing he had grown taller somewhere along the way, and as he swung his old cloak over his shoulders-finding accurate adjustments had been made to it as well-the stirring of the air made the scent of the person who must have kept it in her possession for quite some time permeate the immediate area. And while one hand held his sword, the other held open the note that confirmed what he already knew.
With all my love
-S
Without further ado, the fire demon turned and made a very quiet exit from the house, turning now to join the others, something he had yet to do, and check on his sister with his very eyes.
Now that his mind had been settled, even if just a little, there was no reason not to step in for a moment.
~!**!~
"So... you wouldn't mind giving a hand, should it come down to it?"
There was a pause that was interrupted only by the thoughtful noise Hagiri made as he sat forward on the park bench, elbows resting on his knees and his chin in his hands. "It isn't like I've got anything better to do. And, this will…" his sentence trailed off, his eyes taking on a faraway gleam.
Akari understood without his saying. "Honestly, I'm hoping I won't have to ask you to come in. But, if things go south and we need the help… I won't hesitate to call on your abilities. Especially since you will be out of harm's way, for the most part."
He gave a dry laugh. "I can handle myself."
The silence stretched on and Akari's ankle bounced slightly, as if in time with a tune she had stuck in her head. Her arms both rested along the back of the bench, her eyes on her former team member. "You've changed."
"Haven't we all?" He turned to her for a moment, sitting upright again and resting his back on the wood calmly. "Have you heard from Itsuki?"
"Nope. And I don't think we ever will now that Sensui is gone."
"Good."
"Well," she said calmly, leaning forward and uncrossing one leg from the other, setting her feet firmly on the grass as she stood to stand. "I owe you one, whether I have to ask of your services or not." She gave a small smile at the male. "Hagiri, take care, mkay?"
"Same to you."
And with that, she turned and left the teen behind, hands finding the pockets of her jacket as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, adding more warmth to the air. After all, she still had work to do before returning. *
~!**!~
"I seek the leader of your guild."
"You tell us who you are and what you want with him first."
The dark cloaked figure did not at first answer, and the prying eyes of the two demons guarding, or rather blocking the way forward could not penetrate the heavy cowl that completely cast the face behind it in utter darkness, the long robe preventing anyone from being able to tell what kind of figure the demon underneath them cut.
"My business is not with you."
The guard who spoke up had felt the concealed eyes considering him before saying anything.
"Unless you tell us who you are, you don't get to go anywhere. The leader doesn't make deals with worthless, low-life no-names who just rolled into town."
Granted, the entire city was abuzz with the arrival of this newcomer, who had strolled directly into the epicenter of the mercenary portion of town, a strange power rolling off of whatever remained hidden within the cloak.
"Then you can inform him yourself that I am not a 'worthless no-name.'"
The guard laughed, "Yeah, yeah, you and everyone else in the world. Look, he isn't interested in your job. Whatever it is."
"And what makes you so certain I come here with a job for him?"
"Then you tell us what your business is with him, and we'll decide whether it's worth his trouble, you hear?"
"I am not here to discuss anything with you." The tone of the voice, already steely and harsh, took on a darker pitch as the cloaked figure started forward to go inbetween the two guards, appearing almost to float along the ground.
The one who had been talking stepped over to block the way, looking down at the shorter demon with a glare.
"Move. I will not repeat myself."
The guard growled and started to reach towards the hood of the cloak, intending to flip the fabric back and reveal whatever hid behind it.
The other guard blinked and his partner was on his knees, howling in pain and clutching at his heart though there seemed to be no exterior damage.
The hood turned to him as the other fell over, screaming. He said nothing, did not so much as even look to see what had hit the guard as the cloaked figure began to step around the writhing demon.
"What's going on here?" A tall, wiry demon threw open the door and stepped up, eyes taking in the fallen guard, the silent guard, and the dark cloak. Curiosity blazed in his sharp face and his brilliantly bright blue eyes. "Well?"
"Someone to see you, sir." The standing guard gave a gesture to the other demon.
The guild leader let his gaze rest on the hidden figure.
"He's actually quite useful. I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill him." He requested mildly, giving this stranger a crooked, roguish grin.
The guard on the ground stopped screaming, but curled up into a ball and did not appear to be willing to get up.
"My office awaits," He stepped to the side and gestured for the demon to enter. Once the demon had passed him he began to shut the door, but glanced at the standing guard, "My thanks for not being foolish."
He closed the door and turned to see the demon had stopped near the other side of the room.
"What can I do for you?" His long legs carried him over to the desk and he sat down casually, making sure the three swords at his waist were out of the way as he did so, scratching a hand absently at the shadow of stubble on his face, and pushing a lock of white hair that had come loose from the low ponytail behind his ear.
The cloaked demon waited another beat, until the guild leader looked up again, then reached up and pulled back the hood, letting it fall away.
The guild leader sucked in a breath.
"You."
The dark-haired demon tilted her head downward slightly in a nod, green eyes regarding him with a hollow, gaunt expression.
"I offer you my services." Her voice was hardened, cold.
He only stared at her, taking in the scars that decorated her face and what he could see of her neck, the hair that was braided and had fallen out of her hood down her back.
Her eyes were like pits of darkness and he shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts from the macabre direction they had begun to take without his direct notice.
"Not the same services as before, methinks." The guild leader leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his chin with one hand as he rested his other underneath that elbow in thought. He could not help the brief stare one particular scar of hers warranted as it seemed harsher, deeper, perhaps crueler than the rest of those on her face. It started at her scalp and wound down to disrupt her eyebrow, leaving a slight inconsistency in her eye-he could only image what her eyelid looked like when closed-as it continued to crescent beside her nose all the way to her lips where it cut down over them to leave a nasty partition and end beneath her chin.
"The end result will be the same."
He couldn't get over how remarkably stark the difference was in even just the tone of her voice from when he had seen her all those years ago, walking down the streets of his city.
"If I didn't know it was you...I wouldn't know it was you." He said lamely, feeling how differently even the air was about her. "What happened to...where is your Champion?" The guild leader recalled the short, fiery demon who had accompanied her that day he rescued her from the lower-life demons of the city.
Her haunted eyes only stared at him and he thought he might get lost in that gaze until she blinked and broke the contact, looking down at the ground.
"Gone." The fierce cut of her jaw belied nothing of her feelings on the admission, her voice remaining just as rough as it had been when she first spoke.
The guild leader made a noncommittal sound.
"If you had offered only days after you arrived in the city that first time, I would have declined. Rae and her demons are still in an uproar about you, even this many years later, and even here in this city we feel her wrath. They know you're still on the Ninth Level, but they haven't been able to locate you." He regarded her with a neutral expression. "Now I know why."
He rubbed at his left shoulder, over the spindly tattoos there that disappeared underneath the sleeveless tunic he wore.
"I can honestly say that something has come up very recently that you would be quite useful in handling…" He finally replied with caution.
"If my presence ever became a burden, or my identity a compromise, I can assure you I would not stay here."
The guild leader almost shivered at how wrong her presence felt. Now that he knew what she had once been, the energy he read from her itched at the back of his mind.
He pulled himself to the present when he realized her blunt gaze waited for his answer.
Giving a sharp nod, the guild leader replied, "Welcome aboard." 3
~!**!~
A week and a half. That's how long she'd been at this, losing sleep constantly to get this over with, then regaining it during the daylight hours just enough to continue what she'd been doing. Of course, occasionally, Akari would leave the flat entirely and wander about Mushiori, find food or something that entertained her to help maintain her sanity.
And after she'd spoken with Hagiri, she'd made sure to spend much more time getting acquainted with herself than she had before, the memories passing and leaving behind less pain than the day, even less pain than the hour before.
Until she'd gotten back into the routine of sleeping nights and working during the days. Sure, she dreamed about those days, about the pain and about everything else, but she almost felt detached from it, on some level. As if it had happened too long ago to remember each detail as clearly as she used to.
There were still a few nights, however, when her dreams would be vivid concoctions of each moment, vivid mixes of memories that occasionally hurt more than anything else.
And it was one of those dreams that had her eyes flying open, her mind scattered and her breaths coming short as she stared up at the darkened ceiling. The ceiling that was… too dark almost..
The darkness moved, shifting slightly, and Akari was sitting up, sitting at the feet of the figure standing over her that, for a moment, had snuck in on her. Until she realized that the figure had no facial features, no matter how long she looked at it.
She gave a small sigh and tugged at her energy, intending to lull the shadow back into its original position, wherever it had come from. But it didn't move. It merely stood over her, its own energy licking about her skin and creating an other-worldly chill as it moved a step closer.
It wasn't attacking, but…
Passive aggressive, are we?
"What's stirred you?" she inquired, and at first, the only response she received was another wave of cold energy that sent her skin riddling with goosebumps, completely contrasting the sweat that had settled over her during her dreams. And still, she waited for an answer.
We are not mere underlings.
She raised a brow at the form. "I'm sorry?"
No master.
This time, the chill that moved around her settled, the energy staying in the air around her. She understood that the unhappiness of this one was directed at her, likely even having stirred for quite some time. However.. She knew how to treat her shadow companions, her shadow helpers. She hadn't once-
"I am your master and you will do as I tell you."
Akari blinked, her mouth becoming the 'o' shape of shock. Had she said that?
"Now remember, sweetheart," her instructor had spoken, voice gentle as she addressed the very young girl in front of her, "you must never deem yourself a shadow's master, a shadow's puppeteer, because once you've insulted them enough, they will consume you entirely." There was a pause as young Akari had memorized these words, then nodded. "And should you ever anger your allies, the sooner you apologize, the better. Understand?"
Akari's eyes focused on the shadow looming over her again, taking in the way the edges of its shape moved with the emotion it gave off. She took in a deep breath and lowered her head in a respectable fashion, hands finding her lap as she crossed her legs. "I deeply apologize. I was not in my right mind then, and had I been so, I would not have said such a thing to you." She gave a small pause, feeling in the air that the energy around the shadow had also paused, as if waiting for more. "I am not your master, and never will be. Should you find it necessary, any strike you send will be accepted without any hesitation, and should you accept my apology, I will be in your debt."
The room became silent again, and for a moment, Akari fully expected to be struck by the energy she herself had served for her entire life, harvested when needed. But no attack came. Instead, the energy withdrew. All forgiven. Never happen again.
"Of course." Akari mumbled as she looked up, just in time to see the shadow sink into the darkness of the room, not even discernible as being her own personal shadow in the darkness of the room. *
~!**!~
"Shikiyoku. Look at me." Kyonshi grabbed for her arm, his eyes pleading that she turn her gaze upwards.
Shikiyoku kept her face cast down at the ground for a moment longer, not wanting him to be able to look into what she could feel most keenly were dull, haunted eyes.
She could vaguely recall the first time this demon had come up to her what had to have been decades ago at this point. He had asked to have her as his mate, complimenting her strength, and she had dismissed him as a fop from the Seventh Level, one of those demons who had invested too much interest in that 'Victorian' era of the humans.
Now, she learned he had been seeking her out ever since that day, finding her now as she finished up a job for the guild, and in this moment entreating that she come with him, join him, not even as a mate, but desiring to help her, and asking for her companionship.
"You do not want this." She said quietly, aware for the first time how sharp her voice sounded nowadays, how cruel and twisted it had become. You do not want me.
"If you can see nothing else, see my sincerity?" He pleaded, searching her sharp features, her fierce face, so different from the one he proposed a union with all those years ago.
Shikiyoku still hesitated, then finally let her eyes come up to meet with his.
He smiled.
"Come with me. Please." Kyonshi shook his head slightly, "If for no other reason than to allow me to share in your company."
"I am no company worthy to be shared." She resisted looking away, and he had brought his other hand up to her chin, not letting her.
"I think you and I will have to agree to disagree." A small smile danced across his face as he released her chin and let a white-gloved hand trace a scar that started at her forehead and stretched down over her eyebrow, her eye-she closed both of them as he reached it-and curved down her cheek where it disrupted the line of her lips with its wickedness, making that portion jagged. "I don't think you understand just how much I fancy the macabre."
Shikiyoku let his voice wash over her while her eyes were closed.
"And I have yet to explain exactly what I would be getting out of this...companionship, besides your esteemed self." He leaned over and whispered into her ear, letting his lips brush against her skin in a way that at one time would have pleased her and now garnered no reaction from her at all. "You...have much demonic energy...and I...have a large appetite." 3
Kyonshi - Chinese "hopping vampire"; jiang shi; jiangshi; chiang-shih; reanimated corpse
So, the slices of Shikiyoku's life in Demon World are intentional in how they are both disjointed and indeterminate insofar as how much time has passed between each scene that occurs. It's supposed to convey in that manner exactly how she is experiencing her existence-that is disjointed and without direct notice of the passage of time-where there are only specific moments where she even looks up and notices anything around her.
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star