A/N: Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction Realm!
Onwards to our chapter!
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 Youko/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.
[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to Shuichi/Kurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}
"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!
King Enma is dead, and Spirit World and Demon World are breaking apart.
While the implications of Spirit World ceasing to exist have not been explored,
Demon World has already joined with Human World, giving Human World a new total of nine "layers."
Akari takes it upon herself to assist in moving the demons from Demon World into Human World
as soon as Koenma opens up the portals between Demon World and Spirit World once more.
Six months later and the transition has slowed down.
Demons who step onto Human World soil automatically find themselves
on the corresponding "layer" that had once been their home level in Demon World.
There are a few people capable of traversing between the layers,
(the usual method of passageways between levels no longer works)
among whom are Yusuke and most of the people he knows.
Yusuke has set up a ramen stand, which has come to be known as the 'New Detective Agency,'
and members of the Task Force assigned to help smooth the transition of unification
use his stand as a home base of sorts, as the stand itself exists on all the layers.
Jin, a member of the Task Force for New Human World, comes to Yusuke with a problem:
there is a demon going around the lower layers and killing other demons by sucking out their energy.
While it's been discovered that what amounts to 'energy sucking' is how demons process their food,
and all are sort of considered 'demon-vampires' at this point, Jin asks Yusuke to set Hiei after this "vampire-demon,"
as whoever it is always manages to escape capture by moving through the layers too quickly to follow.
At first Hiei refuses, though when he comes across the demon and sees the devastation, he begins tracking after,
finally catching up when the demon stops for rest in Toriko's old home.
The demon is in fact a scarred and twisted version of Shikiyoku, and Hiei helps her move past her nightmares
and when she wakes up he notes aloud that she's rather difficult to keep up with.
Akari is still assisting with transferring demons into New Human World, but she also occasionally picks up 'Lost Ones,'
humans (usually children) who accidentally shift layers and don't know how to shift back,
and takes a new one, a boy by the name of Kita, to Genkai's lands, which are now a sort of safe haven for such children.
She informs her underlings to find Youko Kurama and tell him to meet her for a day of leisure.
Youko has been entertaining himself by procuring new shiny objects,
much to Kurama's dismay. To be fair, Kurama isn't letting him have all the fun he wants,
and when Youko is told Akari is looking for him, he sets off to find her...
[I'm only doing this for you, Red. I hope you're happy.]
Youko couldn't help the growl that originated from deep in his chest at a pitch too low to resonate as he blurred through the layers.
{I'm absolutely over-joyed. You're so kind and thoughtful.}
[Your sarcasm is not lost on me.]
{Quite purposefully so.}
[Stop sounding so smug.]
{I learned from the best, silver-tail.}
Youko let out a sigh that could have been either a groan or a growl.
[I don't know why I put up with this.]
{Because you don't have a choice.}
[I didn't ask for your opinion.]
{And yet I freely gave it anyway.}
Youko ran his tongue over his teeth in irritation, making a quiet sucking noise through his lips as he did so.
{And you haven't given me control back, mm? Why would that be? Getting a soft spot are we?}
[None of your business.]
{You know what she'll do if you try something.}
[It's been six months. You have no idea.]
{Suit yourself. But I harbor no pity for the black-eye you'll likely be sporting.}
[Shut up.]
One of Youko's tall silver ears flicked as he finished shifting to the first layer, stopping in place and tilting his head as if listening with an ear as he zeroed in on the energy signature he sought.
His tail flicked once in amusement as he took off towards it.
[You're forgetting, Red.] A wicked grin spread across his lips, revealing a pointy-toothed smile that would give even the most respectable female pause for thought. [She asked for me.]
~!**!~
She nearly jumped ten feet into the air when the silence broke, her entire body reacting with the startle-effect where it seized up, then she whipped around in the direction the voice floated from, pivoting on her right foot, her eyes darkening into void-like pools when, as she turned, flung with a hand a bolt of blackish yellow energy in the direction of the sound in an instinctive reaction which she had no time to think about.
As soon as her eyes returned to their usual dull-green with the release of the energy, her jaw dropped open in disbelief and she made noises as if she were trying to speak but kept forgetting how.
"I-It's you!" She finally stammered, the usual hardness of her voice making the words sound sharp instead of surprised, "Y-You...you're the..." She blinked several times, shaking her head a little as if she did not believe it and was trying to clear her vision, but he did not disappear, "The demon of my-" She shook her head a little again and corrected her wording, "From my dreams."
She reached up with a hand and pressed her palm against her forehead as if trying to fight away a headache, or possibly a hallucination.
When she lowered the hand and he still stood there, she frowned, etching her face with further severe lines, "What do you want?" She asked bluntly, appearing to have recovered from her initial shock, eyeing him like a mouse might eye a cat offering the former a meal. 3
Hiei wasn't surprised by the attack thrown at him, though he didn't see it. He did, however, feel it. The pain shot across his face, momentarily scattering his thoughts and making it very, very hard to maintain his composure. But just as quickly, the pain was gone, only a twinge in his twitching muscles.
He reached a hand up and rubbed at his chin, flexing his jaw as he recovered, his mind working as the Jagan's energy seemed to fluctuate around him a bit, allowing him to assess the pain without feeling it for a second time, along with several other things.
Ruby eyes stared calmly at the sunken face of the female who at first glared at him, and then recovered a moment later and settled for a less severe stare, though it didn't seem any less dangerous than the previous one. There, his mind spoke to him, drawing his eyes over a particular mark along her own features that seemed to stand out against the lackluster skin beneath. That was the pain she had inflicted on him. The sensation of the blade that had cut that particular scar across her face was the sensation he had just felt.
"Want?" he repeated, tone bored and eyes still just as watchful as before. "Absolutely nothing." He paused, dropping to the floor. "I was simply confirming a suspicion or two."
~!**!~
I can't believe the idiot.
Akari ground her teeth as she stood in front of the place where she'd exited the portal, staring at the entrance as it closed up slowly. She'd gotten the last three out of that level of Demon World easily, as they'd already tried passing through once before and was turned away, each for the very same reason.
That giant, overbearing, dense, testosterone-filled idiot.
She rubbed at her temples as the last demon who'd stayed behind to oversee the last moments of this portal said his farewell and parted ways. Her eyes slid closed and, absently, she offered a wave over her shoulder to the other in thanks for his service.
You don't send away a demon for being free of their boss, you stupid-
She took a deep breath.
The demon Juun had turned away hadn't reacted to the smell of blood, but to the smell of another world. The blood that had been mentioned had been Juun's. A taunt. A test made by the king of morons. Demons don't eat demons anymore. What era do you think you're in, you dumbass?
The demon had been fired up by the possibility of freedom from whatever mess he'd gotten himself into, as had the other two demons who'd been turned away for the very same reason. All had likely gotten mixed with an underground trade group or something, and had feared leaving. At least, that was her best guess.
It didn't matter, either way. The only problem had been the moron who'd turned them away in the first place. Why did I leave him here to deal with this? She'd known he hadn't been fully fit for the job, but…
Perhaps she'd hoped he wasn't as stupid as he'd played.
What was that saying again?
Oh, right. "Stupid is as stupid does."
She opened her eyes again to see the portal had closed up and she turned away, looking down at the silent dog that watched her with a curious tilt of his head. "We're going back to the first layer." she informed calmly, reaching forward and easily transposing both herself and Nabu to the very first layer of this world, her feet landing on soft soil outside a small pub that had been build by demons only recently. She regarded it for a moment before turning and moving away, deciding that a pub was not the best idea for a day with Youko.
She took in a deep breath, realizing somewhere deep in the back of her mind that he was already heading this way. So she turned and calmly began to saunter her way away from the wooden building, running a hand through her curls and removing her bangs from her eyes.
"So you decided to see him anyway?"
"Might as well, right? Everyone needs a break once in a while." *
Youko pulled his energy in close around himself as he approached on silent feet once he smelled he had gotten close.
{You'd better not ruin this.}
[Me?]
{That innocent tone does nothing to ease my mind.}
The only response was smugness.
"You, pup, look quite lovely today." Youko stopped just behind her and leaned himself over her shoulder slightly to make himself known, his eyes following the curve of her shoulder and the scars that at first peeked out from under her sleeve and then continued the rest of the way down her arm to her elbow.
He reached up as if to trace a finger along one of them-
{I wouldn't.}
Youko threw a silent curse at the presence in his mind, but did stop before actually making contact with her skin.
~!**!~
She seemed taken aback by his response, her eyes shifting to a far-away view almost beyond or through him as she looked inward to remember.
"Strange..." She murmured slowly, voice nothing more than an absent mumble, but somehow for that instant losing the fierceness that her sharp features constantly held, "I always thought he needed?" The word didn't quite fit. "...something."
She blinked and the moment was gone, eyes back on the itchingly familiar demon before her who had brought life to the figure that often haunted what dreams she could while awake recall.
"How did you...get in here?" She demanded, fighting off a shiver, refusing to appear weak while she still did not know the intentions of this one, but aware that the heat of her fever now spread cold chills over her body, making the bits of sweat she felt here and there seem strange and out of place. 3
Hiei raised a brow only slightly at Shikiyoku's mumblings, but otherwise ignored her shift in demeanor for the moment and took to watching her movements, motions that were slightly jerky here and there and were more often than not highlighted by a slight sheen of light that reflected from the sweat he could see along her arms and face.
Had he not known this was Shikiyoku, he never would have seen her as the same demon as before. She was just so… different. Twisted, dark… A complete contrast to the demon of desire he'd known before.
"The same as you." he answered offhandedly, almost considering a shrug but not ever really making the gesture. He stared at her with a level gaze, not even so much as blinking. "Something bothering you, lover?" he suddenly inquired, using the title simply to see her reaction of the word.
~!**!~
AKari hadn't even so much as jumped when Youko's smooth voice was in her ear, his presence suddenly very, very close to her. She did, however, pause and turn to look at him over her shoulder, expression almost curious as she raised a brow. "Do I?" she asked with a thoughtful hum. "I hadn't meant to be." And, the thing was, she was completely serious. She'd simply dressed for the season with the first things she'd found, decided the colors went well together, and went with it.
Her eyes slid to the finger extended to her, then up to the golden eyes of Youko. "Careful, fox." Her tone was even, but every bit a warning as if she'd growled it. She turned and continued walking on, glancing around with her eyes as if something had caught her attention.
Nabu had wandered away, but that wasn't unheard of. He tended to do that when business was done for the day, because, as he'd once said, You work even in your sleep and it's frustrating.
Apparently he felt he needed time away from her on occasion. The thought made her almost laugh aloud. *
Youko let out a huff of air through his nose as Akari warned him and moved away, a single ear flicking in irritation at having already dealt with the presence in his mind telling him as much.
{I told you so.}
He didn't dignify the phrase with an answer. A kitsune was not so easily daunted. He would have to simply attempt...other means.
{I can't wait to see what methods you shall employ.}
Youko struggled to keep the growl from sounding, clenching his teeth together.
{Give up yet?}
[Never.]
{Suit yourself.}
Youko trotted to catch up with Akari, walking smoothly next to her and taking in a deep breath as if to fill his nose with the scent of the layer, instead filling his nose with rosemary and giving Akari a side-long glance.
"What did you have planned? Anything?"
~!**!~
She...she did not know there were others. Others who could...fold the layers around them and pass them over. It was-
The edges of her eyes flinched as if to narrow at him, but did not complete the gesture.
"I do not find your joke amusing, demon." Her have a lover? Didn't he see how...unflattering she appeared?
It made her remember that she could not recall the last time she had laughed out loud.
...and there was this other side to her somewhere freaking out at the prospect, at not remembering this demon as her lover, as he appeared to claim. 3
There was a change in the eyes of the demoness who stared at him. It was a miniscule change, a flash of light that was gone just as quickly as he'd seen it, and with it came a sense of satisfaction from Hiei. There'd been a change, though what it was over, he didn't know. While the word, the term lover had been used in place of her real name, he hadn't actually thought it would create any sort of change.
"Joke?" he repeated, his own eyes narrowing at her slightly. "You should know, I do not make jokes, Iro." Again, he used terms she'd been called, but refused a single one that he himself had never enjoyed her being called. Seductress just did not...chime right within him.
~!**!~
Akari gave a simple shrug at Foko, her mind popping up with several different answers, some rather ridiculous and others being ones she wouldn't dare use to the kitsune, who'd very easily turn them on her. So, she settled for a mild, slightly sarcastic, "I thought the men arranged the dates?" She turned a taunting glance at him before turning forward again, "I hadn't had time to think of anything specific." *
"I-" Youko put a hand to his chest, "-am no simple man. A demon such as myself comes when a lady calls." He tilted his head slightly downward, smirking, "I am at your service. What would you ask of me?"
~!**!~
Again, he essentially called her lover, though she did not know how she knew the meaning of the term.
Iro...
Again, she remembered how long it had been since she had laughed, but her lips could not remember how to smile, and her brow turned down over her eyes in a frown instead. And instead of laughter, the sound came out as a scoff.
"Tch. If you do not make jokes, demon, then perhaps I addled your brain when I struck you. Have you looked at me?" 3
"Of course I have." Hiei responded without pause, eyes flickering over the many scars he could see. "Your transformation is a rather distinct one. Hard to miss, quite frankly." He gave a pause, his eyes finding her hair and the color of her skin. "It's repulsive."
He wasn't sure what moved within his core, but at his own words, he almost felt as if he himself would cringe. He would have never used that word for her before, but when faced with the simple change from the demon of desire to… whatever she was now… it was the only word her found suited the transformation.
Or, rather, what it had done to her.
"The scars, however, are… different."
~!**!~
Akari rolled her eyes at Youko, reaching a hand up to flip the ends of her hair at him in an almost dignified manner. Again, several responses came to mind, and again she took a second to consider those responses. Instead, she ignored his first words and continued on with, "I have nothing specific to ask for." She paused, turning to glance at him again. "Except maybe a little less sass." She flashed a smile. "Then again, it's amusing. Dismiss that."
Her hands tugged absently at the end of the scarf she wore, fingers toying with the seams out of habit. "Actually, I think it'd be nice to just sit and be for a while." She suddenly said, turning and altering her course with a sweet shop in mind. And I'm hungry. *
Youko only grinned at her when she asked for less sass, his expression unchanging when she just as quickly retracted the statement.
At her request for rest, his smile softened and he faced forward again, keeping the direction his mind had taken hidden behind his exterior countenance.
{Not that kind of rest.}
[Don't like those thoughts, hm? Do they bother you?]
"Doing nothing for once would be wonderful." He added a touch of wistfulness to his tone.
{You're not fooling me.}
[Not helping, Red.]
{And whatever gave you the impression that I was meaning to help?}
~!**!~
She didn't so much as flinch at his apt description, nor the way he appeared to take her in all at once. She stood there just as openly as before, letting him see what he pleased.
As if she didn't know the truth already. Did he assume to startle her? Was he fishing for a reaction? Like she had never looked at a mirror in her life. Avoided them. Maybe. Did she? Frankly, she didn't find that she cared most of the time. Ever.
"Transformation?" She absolutely did not understand his comment about her scars and so discarded it as unimportant, "You use strange words, demon. What are you to me but an intruder that I-" She was going to say have never seen before, but it wasn't entirely true. "-have only seen passing through my dreams." She had already admitted as much anyway, and suddenly had another thought occur. "You are likely a hallucination of my own making, in fact." It fit with her fever. She wouldn't be surprised at all to find that her dreams manifested themselves now. It was the only thing that really made sense. Fool. 3
Both of Hiei's brows rose now, and then furrowed at Shikiyoku. After a beat, he released the same sound she had earlier: a scoff. His sound, however, was a bit more harsh, a bit louder and accompanied by an unamused expression that was more than slightly irate.
As If he was a hallucination.
Had she lost her entire mind?
He scoffed again, this time to himself.
"You're rather foolish. I hadn't thought you a fool, but now I see you're just as dim as the rest." He took a step forward, expression never changing. "I can assure you, I am no hallucination. No product of whatever is eating away at you. At your mind. And I would gladly prove that to you, should you so much as indicate the desire to find out otherwise."
~!**!~
Akari stayed quiet for a moment as she walked, actually fighting the urge to just drop through her own shadow and reappear where she wished to be. After all, that would mean either grabbing Youko and pulling him with her, or leaving him behind and thus abandoning his company.
And, quite frankly, she was tired of using her energy. She'd used it excessively today, and it left her a bit worn.
"I hadn't actually thought the infamous thief took breaks." She paused, hands dropping to her sides again. "Find anything…" she thought for a moment, back to something Kurama had once said, "... shiny enough to pique your interest yet?" *
"I don't, hence..." He replied, waving his fingers a little as if to indicate the truth of his former words. "And it is constantly my endeavour to seek out and acquire whatever should happen to catch my eye. Therefore-" Here he meant to correct her, "-not simply 'shiny,' but rather, multiple 'shinies.'" His eyes gleamed.
~!**!~
She only blinked once as he spoke, letting him finish whatever miniature tirade it appeared her words had provoked before staring candidly at him in silence for a beat.
"You are much more annoying out here than you are in there." She informed him matter-of-factly. 3
Hiei leveled Shikiyoku with a glare. "As are you" he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest in a show of ire. He continued to stare at her for a moment before he decided she hadn't been convinced in the slightest. So he took another step forward. And then another, and then one more.
He held out his hand palm-up, and within a millisecond a small flame formed in his hand, though it didn't stay there long.
Instead, it moved towards Shikiyoku, clinging to the hem of her shirt and catching easily, the smell of burning fabric filling the room.
"Am I still a figment of your mind?"
~!**!~
Akari let out a laugh at Youko's words, a mental image of him sitting atop a pile of jewels sliding across her mind's eye and making it hard to stop the laughter that had bubbled up. After a moment, she took a deep breath to collect herself.
"Oh, well," she waved a hand almost dismissively, "and here I thought you were going to say something charming and say I had caught your eye." She gave another laugh. "Alas, I was proven wrong." *
Youko appeared to at least get an impression of what first crossed her mind: a dragon with its hoard. He only smiled that same small smile.
"Whatever makes you think I was not also referring to you when I spoke?" He replied slyly, "After all...I am here, am I not?"
~!**!~
She appeared almost bored, did not react to the flame, though her eyes did watch it appear. She let it burn, going ahead and lowering her head as if to watch with interest, though no such thing shone behind her eyes.
"Quite likely. Elaborate, I'll admit." Was her brusque answer, lifting her gaze to him after a moment, "It's rather twisted in there. You should know."
A violent shiver that she could no longer hide moved up her spine and her hands clenched together into fists, a wave of light-headedness causing her eyes to go out-of-focus briefly as a single drop of sweat fell along the side of her face, following the path of the rough patch of skin scarred to her jawline. 3
Hiei stared at Shikiyoku with a blank expression now, carefully controlling his rising ire. She was being exceedingly trying, and quite frankly, he almost considered leaving, giving in because it seemed a lost cause to some degree.
Instead, his eyes turned to the small flame that had begun to lick at her shirt, and instead of simply letting it continue on, he added a bit more energy, a bit more heat to the fire and watched as it moved at her clothing faster, destroying it quicker than before and even threatening to touch her skin. And he didn't even control it.
He simply let it do as it wished, his red eyes turning up to meet her dark, dull, once-green irises. And he waited, letting the fire do as it wished as if it had a mind of its own.
~!**!~
A small hum resounded in Akari's chest, amusement still evident on her features. "Smooth recovery." she taunted, not looking at him. However, a thought occurred to her and she felt her expression shift to match his sly one.
"It must be the jealous males who call you cold and indifferent, because quite frankly, you're about as cold and indifferent as a puppy finding a new friend."
She moved now into the crowds of the busy town, eyes finding her designated stop that was just across the street and to the right. It seemed empty from where she looked on, but she knew that there were others inside. Humans doing their jobs, whatever they may be. *
Youko let out a mock-gasp, "A puppy?!" He exclaimed, "You would call a fox a puppy?" He huffed, "I'm nowhere near as cuddly as you."
~!**!~
She did not at first react, and even when she raised her eyes to him again after looking down at his handiwork, still appearing unbothered by it, her face seemed emotionless.
"...who are you?"
The words came out whispered, hoarse, something within that she did not understand pleading to know the answer, though she knew her face could no longer reflect whatever mental state she felt, hidden well behind her haunting eyes.
A small voice inside her piped up, "Because if this is not real...if this is a dream..." She wavered in place, still feeling the chills from her fever, "I wish to never wake up."
She felt an ache spread over her limbs, her legs giving out with overwhelming weakness, at their limit, and the ground rushing up to meet her as her vision of the demon before her wavered. 3
Hiei had already chosen how to answer the question she posed to him, long before she'd asked it. That didn't, however, make the sting from the question any less painful.
He moved forward as soon as he noticed the twitch in her muscles, as soon as he noticed her knees folding and her entire body going slack. His hands found her shoulders, the fire that had been burning away her clothing simply disappearing even before he lowered her to the ground and sat beside her.
"I desire your presence." The words were part of a conversation he'd thought about a million times over the past nine months, and with those words he was careful to show her how he'd seen her at the time. As someone who he hated to see in the mood she had been at the time.
"But you hate me." The words came out of her lips slowly, almost in a fashion that said she was much more confused than she let on, and her eyes.. She hadn't looked at him for a bit. "You wish to be rid of me…. You don't want me."
At the time, he'd remembered something Kafu had told him, about telling her that she was not hated by him. He'd remembered it, used it to his advantage, in a way. "I would have killed you myself were that the case." he'd said. But, internally, he'd been… He hadn't been sure at the time, but internally, he'd been fighting to keep calm, fighting to do anything but growl at her and spit those words out, because he'd simply hated the mood she'd been in that much. He'd wanted her to… smile.
After a silence, her body relaxed and her lips moved again. "You only wish for my presence? For my...companionship? There is nothing else you would ask me to do for you?"
Hiei let the memory fade from both his own mind and hers, though his Jagan never retracted from her mind. Instead, he finished by saying, "Your Champion. Hiei."
~!**!~
Akari let out a small noise of amusement as she crossed the street, eyes looking towards Youko out of the corners. She opened her mouth to respond, but quickly changed what she was going to say and replaced it instead with, "If you think I am cuddly, then you've been talking to the wrong demon." She pulled open the door to the small shop she'd laid her sights on a while back and stepped inside without pause, turning her eyes to meet a human's, who waved and called for them to sit wherever they liked.
And she did just that, turned and chose a small booth by a window, where she could keep watch should something happen.
"You're like a workaholic."
Akari felt her lips twitch at Nabu's earlier comment before she turned to Youko again. "But you didn't deny my claim." *
"I think you'd be quite surprised at how cuddly I could make you. How cuddly you could be if you'd only let yourself." Youko raised an eyebrow as he slipped into the seat across from her, his face completely void of smile as if he'd just said the most serious thing in the word.
He leaned an elbow onto the table and rested his cheek in a hand, gazing across at her. "But what claim would that be I am supposed to have denied?"
~!**!~
Champion...
The word echoed across her fevered mind as if from a great distance as her waking-dreams trickled away from the visions of once more running at a frenzied pace-this time through, what, a palace?-and into a state she recalled being similar to the latest dream she had-the same sudden warmth that was...of great comfort and felt strangely familiar-the one where she was seeing that other demon, the one that could have been her in another life. Maybe. She wasn't sure in even her wildest dreams she could have looked that way.
But what had he said? Transformation?
...wouldn't that be something someone usually remembered?
Like your memories have been all that accessible in...years? What was the last thing she remembered? Sucking the energy from those demons? How many days ago had that been? When had that started?
The wave of faintness passed, though she could feel that the chills had given way to the heat of the fever once again, and she opened her eyes though they felt heavy, seeing that the demon had not left, which struck her as odd at first.
She blinked up at him.
"When...when did you last see her?" 3
Hiei stared calmly down at the demoness whom he used to know, his red gaze never even wavering as she opened her eyes and peered up at him. Such an empty stare.
He raised a brow at her question, "You mean you?" he clarified, though he didn't wait for an answer. "For me, it's been a little under a year, I think." He paused to think, his mind making quick calculations. If she'd stayed on one level, it could have easily been…
"For you? At least a decade. Perhaps longer." He shifted where he sat, turning so he could stretch his legs out in front of him without kicking her. His eyelids slid closed as what he'd just said sunk in. A decade. She could've been this way the entire time. That single fact lead to many things passing through his mind, and made it much easier to see why she didn't remember him as he did her. Or even herself, it seemed.
~!**!~
A lopsided smirk pulled at Akari's lips, making the skin by her eyes crinkle in amusement. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to convince me to cuddle." Her eyes turned to the waitress who had stepped up to their booth, a pad of paper in one hand and a pen in the other.
"I'll have the Classic Sundae," she informed calmly, finding that for the first time in months, something sweet sounded appetizing, instead of her normal salty preferences. *
Youko let his eyes flicker only briefly to their server, "Cherry milkshake?" He wasn't positive they could make one, "Or vanilla will do if not."
He turned his yellow gaze back on the demon across the booth, face still void of 'humor.'
"I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I only endeavour for you to at least take note of what others already know to be your...potential."
{Ugh.}
[I thought you were going to let me work?]
{That was absolutely terrible.}
[Thank you.]
~!**!~
Eleven months since he'd seen...
She let her gaze shift to stare at the ceiling, "Did you...did you miss her?"
Trying to associate herself with whom she assumed he was referring to, the demon she kept seeing, did not settle well with her, and she found maintaining the distance that it was another was...easier. 3
Hiei chose not to answer her, his eyelids staying shut and his lips passing a very small, inaudible sigh. He'd thought that finding her would release his tension, but… But it seemed that his tension had only magnified, doubled. He wasn't calmer, not on the inside anyway. How could he be, when the person he'd found wasn't the same person he'd once admitted to wishing to stay close to? The same person who'd been left behind…
The same person he felt he'd failed.
So, he didn't answer, because truthfully, she had asked a question that was a dangerous one to him, and the answer would never be… simple.
~!**!~
Akari noted the leaving of the waitress before turning back to Youko, watching him with gleaming eyes despite his humorless expression. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and made a small sound at him, though its meaning she didn't quite know herself. "My potential specifically speaking, or my species potential as a whole? You know, rumors of groups don't often include the individual differences. So, while my kind are normally filled with… potential, as you put it, I myself couldn't, quite frankly, care less. Though, your words are flattering." She gave a lopsided smile again, one that portrayed her continuing amusement. "Also, I'm quite aware of my own potential. I simply choose not to act on it." *
"Shame to let all that potential go to waste." Youko mourned, his eyes glittering at her and letting out a melancholy sigh as he continued looking at her.
{Don't say it.}
[Why on earth not?]
{Do I really need to explain?}
[Do you really an explanation would help?]
{No.}
[Then don't bother.]
"So, before I completely lose my mind contemplating your potential, what have you been up to this last six months?"
A groan from the other occupant of his mind nearly had Youko breaking his expression of interest for an amused one.
Nearly.
~!**!~
She shifted around a little as if to get more comfortable, unaware of his silence in regards to her question.
"Hi-ei." She worked the two syllables around her tongue, her eyes closed. Hearing it move past her lips, hearing it in her own voice, made the edges of them lift in what was almost a smile. At least the faintest resemblance to one. The closest she could ever remember getting. "It...I like it."
Why does his touch seem so familiar?
Without realizing it, she had bent a single hand up to brush her fingers against the place on her shoulder where he'd caught her.
"I would bet she missed you." She recalled the way the eyes she had been looking through regarded the other one. There...would have been much to miss.
I missed you. 3
Hiei turned his head towards Shikiyoku again, a single eye opening to peer at her for a moment. Outwardly, he gave no reaction, as if her words meant little to nothing to him. As if he'd heard them a million times and learned to dismiss them as soon as he heard them.
Inwardly, he cringed a bit, and this caused him to turn his head away from her again and let his eyelids slide shut once more. He didn't know what caused her to be like this, but he wondered if there actually was a way to bring her back, the she-demon he once knew.
So far, he hadn't seen much change in her demeanor. He wasn't even sure she could change from this mindframe.
"The demon of desire promised her presence." He suddenly said, tone even as if he were merely talking about the weather outside or some rumor he'd heard. Things change.
~!**!~
Akari rolled her eyes again, her smile fading and the gleam in her eyes only slightly diminishing. Quite frankly, she wasn't sure how to react to him, his presence overall despite her having been the one to call on him. But, really, she'd expected it to be the redhead. The only reason she'd said Youko Kurama was to make it easier for the moron to understand and-
She took a deep breath.
"Dealing with idiots." she replied after a minute, giving a shrug and completely waving away Youko's…. admittance. "Working." She turned her eyes to the window to view the outside world, her ears momentarily taking in each and every sound she could hear within a mile or so, her eyes looking for anything out of the norm.
If there was even such a thing at this moment. Hell, she didn't even know what was normal anymore.
As soon as she realized she'd slipped into working thoughts again, she peeled her eyes away from the outside world and focused on the world within this building, the smells and sights within her immediate range. "Nothing that'd be of interest to you, anyway. What about yourself?" *
Youko appeared to brush off her interest a little, responding with a shrug, "I have only been contriving ways to obtain what I want, and occasionally following through with those plans as I see fit. As for you though, you'd be surprised at what interests me, I think. Humor me?"
~!**!~
My presence is a poor replacement for-
The word he used echoed in her ears and her eyes came open again.
That...that word it...it meant something...important. She couldn't remember.
...desire...
She scrambled up from the floor to a sit facing to him, leaning forward with vested interest and peering at his face, blinking, something fighting inside to break through the haze of her fever.
She had never cared before this moment, never so much as considered how she lost her own name somewhere along the way, but-
"Hiei...who am I?" 3
Hiei turned to Shikiyoku again, her question calling for a curious gaze from the fire demon who stayed quiet for a few more moments. He kept a single brow raised at her for another moment, and when it resettled into place, he turned his eyes away from her and instead took to watching out the window nearest him.
"You are Shikiyoku, once hidden behind a human personality named Toriko. Once a demon of desire who strived to have a purpose, purpose I was not fit to give you." He paused, thinking about the tribes they had visited. "You were well known for your rituals, which brought entire tribes together for merry celebration even I couldn't resist." He let his eyelids slide shut again. "You were once wanted by King Enma, but your warrant has been lifted with the death of the king and instatement of his son, who'd promised you that freedom."
"At least, that was you eleven months ago. A decade ago."
~!**!~
Akari sat back in the cushion of the booth, her hands landing in her lap and her fingers linking together as she watched a single ear atop Youko's head flick a little, either to brush away a strand of hair or acknowledge a sound in the distance. Her eyes lowered just a little, to meet his even gaze.
"I've been maintaining control over portals in several layers, two of which have closed recently, leaving only one to be monitored on occasion. Simple maintenance when something goes wrong or damage control when someone screws something up." She paused, thinking of Juun and having to fight the irritation that bloomed with the mere thought of the male. "Also helping Genkai when necessary."
She paused, eyes gaining a gleam. "Which, may I pick your brain for a minute?" *
"Busy, then." Youko replied mildly, letting his head tilt to the side as he held back anything else he might have had to say in response and indicating for her to continue with her inquiry.
~!**!~
She closed her eyes as he started speaking, giving in to the visions of which he spoke that came unbidden to the front of her mind, his voice calling them forward and leading their direction. Were these...were these her-My?-memories?
Shikiyoku.
The name sounded...foreign, but everything this demon said about...well about her-About me?-seemed to ring true.
She opened her eyes as he said the last words and looked at him again.
I desire your presence.
She blinked at him, then looked down at her hands which were presed over her knees, the scars there nothing special, nothing she hadn't seen before. She lifted one of them and brought it to her face, slowly rotating it.
Then...if that is what I was...how did it come to this?
"I-Is..." She hesitated, still gazing at her blemished, ashen skin, "Is a Champion anything like a...Consort?" 3
Hiei didn't turn to Shikiyoku, didn't look at her when she asked her question. Quite frankly, there were several things he had to consider before answering. His initial reaction was to say no, but really… He wasn't sure what the word Consort would mean in relation to Champion.
If there was any relation.
"You would have been the one to know that." He answered calmly, actually shrugging just a little. "A Champion was… a sort of guard for a demon of desire. Or, likely, for any other demon who could manipulate types of emotions. A Champion's duty is to protect their… Ward- you- and be a source of…" Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure about his own title.
Or, rather, the title he used to have.
"As to the relation between a Consort and a Champion, I do not know."
~!**!~
Akari nodded once at Youko before going on. "It's something I've been looking into for months, but quite frankly, it's a little… over my head." she admitted, giving a shrug. "There are a few buildings that I've noticed to exist on all of the layers at once, and I just so happen to need use of something like that. However…" She paused, turning her eyes to the side to peer out the window, as if slightly embarrassed to have admitted her inability to understand. "I haven't found anything that stands out to make such a thing happen." She turned her eyes again to Youko, almost completely ignoring the waitress who sauntered her way to their table, set down their orders and promptly left them to their conversation. "Any ideas as to what would allow something like that?" *
"Initially? None. What makes it that you or I can blur between levels, but other demons cannot? Even ones stronger or faster than we?" Youko replied, "I have not bothered myself to notice any such structures, so direct sight and interaction with such a building might give me further clues or spark an idea of some sort.
[Anything come to mind?]
{I have paid no more attention than you. We have both been too distracted by other things to notice.}
"If you have need of one so badly, have you attempted relocating a building already doing so? Worse case scenario it loses whatever grants it that ability as soon as it is moved. You could test it prior by simply taking a piece of the building, like a brick used in the wall, and removing it, checking to see if it maintained the same properties as the rest of the structure when moved away."
{Well put.}
[We were both thinking it.]
{We're both of above-average intelligence.}
[Are you insulting the lady?]
{No I-}
[Should I tell her what you said?]
{...Should I even bother to protest? You'll twist my words in any way you see fit, silver-tail.}
[I would never intentionally make you look bad in front of the woman you love.]
{I never said I love her.}
{Actions, or in our case, emotions or thoughts, speak much louder than words, Red.}
[Have I mentioned lately how annoying you are?]
{You know, I think it has been a while.}
[You're annoying.]
{Thank you.}
~!**!~
"...of comfort." She found herself murmuring almost inaudibly as she looked at him. The idea pleased her for some reason, leaving something akin to peace settling across her core, though her face gave no sense of it.
She appeared to forget her original question, sitting back as something behind her hollow eyes tried to stir again.
"And you are her-" She struggled with something, "Are...my... Champion?" 3
Hiei's expression gave away none of his thoughts on the question presented to him. Truthfully, the answer would be no, he wasn't her Champion. Not anymore. But there was a part of him that wished to be, wanted to say yes. What caused the internal conflict, he didn't know, but he'd later think about it, when he didn't have hollow, blank eyes watching him, his every move.
"Not any more." He finally admitted, turning an even stare on to her that veiled his thoughts effectively, making him appear nothing more than the calm he wanted her to believe he was. "I was, before we were separated by the Kekkai, and the portals between Human and Demon world were shut down."
"Forget me."
He hadn't forgotten her, not even for a moment. It would have been easier to do so, he realized, but really, he hadn't been able to even consider it.
"I didn't forget you, like you asked of me."
~!**!~
Akari released a sigh. "I tried that. It diminishes the ability of the building to exist on the layers little by little, and after a while, the ability to exist on only one layer is all it does. It takes about a week and a half for it to happen, but still, it happens." She paused, thinking of the drywall she'd broken away from the home that had existed on every single layer, and of the wooden beams of the shed that did the same. It had happened to both structures, every time she tried it.
A thought hit her and she blinked, her eyes focusing on the ice cream that was now in front of her, her hand mechanically reaching for the spoon that was within the glass. Is it only the building, or the land as well? She couldn't remember, not even when she looked back at the memories of the area. If it's the land, then maybe there's something special about the location.
She stuffed the spoon in her mouth and let it hang there, her tongue rolling over the sweet strawberry flavor she'd chosen to pick from first. Or perhaps…
She pulled the spoon from her mouth after a moment and again turned to look outside, as if her answer lay just beyond the glass. Her eyes searched for something, though what it was she wasn't sure. And after another minute or two, she turned back to Youko again.
She gave a short laugh. "Maybe asking for your presence wasn't such a bad thing after all!"
Of course, she was only kidding. *
[Hear that, Red? She likes me.]
{I wouldn't go quite that far.}
[You wouldn't.]
Youko watched her thoughtfully as she appeared to turn inward to her own remembrances.
"The only problem I have with the turn this conversation has taken," Youko sat back, milkshake in one hand and the other arm thrown over the back of the booth, taking a sip through the straw that had been provided with his beverage before going on, licking his lips of any stray liquid, "Is that we seem to be forgetting our time together is supposed to not relate to our work."
He tilted his head, his long hair whispering silkily against his bare arm, "So, I'm going to have to respectfully ask you to stop any work-related thoughts you have going through that pretty little head of yours."
~!**!~
She wished...she wished he was. Or perhaps...she wished they had not been forced to part.
Surely this-she glanced down at her hands again-did not happen until after they were separated. She felt a certainty about that particular musing. Surely he would not have let it happen.
Let what happen? You don't even know yourself. Demon of desire? Then what does that make you now?
"I am...not sure what drove me to ask you to forget me." She admitted, going further, "I tend to remember very little beyond the last day or so."
She didn't think it had always been that way. She thought it was probably whatever sickness she had contracted, though she couldn't remember who or what had caused that either.
When she met his gaze again, there was no disguising the relief that had relaxed her face, severe as she appeared, "But I find myself grateful to you for ignoring my stupidity and seeking me out anyway. If I ever thought I would thrive alone, if that is why I asked it of you, then I was a fool." Her lips twitched as if she wished to smile, "And you were right to let me figure it out on my own."
Her eyes shifted as if searching for the right words, sifting through the memories she could make no sense or order of, but feeling as if she was on the right path anyway, "My presence is likely poor substitute for what you once knew," She looked back to him again, "But if you can stand it," She shrugged, "I cannot deny I would appreciate the company." 3
This time, when Shikiyoku spoke, Hiei turned his eyes to her and looked at her. He saw the scars on her face that made her appear as a totally different person. He saw the lack of color in her skin that had once been radiant with an otherworldly glow, a glow she had once tried to hide. He saw the dim color in her eyes that, if he looked long enough, was some sort of green, though nowhere near their true color he remembered. They held none of the life they had before, held none of the happiness she'd shown him the night before they'd left the Northern Tribe. Her lips were thin and cracked, seemingly no longer able to show the wide smile, or part way for a laugh that he remembered coming from her mouth when he'd approached her that night.
Even if a fire were to be glowing nearby, it wouldn't even remotely resemble the person who'd sat by the fire that night. The glow would do nothing but highlight the differences, the stark contrast between the woman she once was and the demon she now was.
He didn't even go on to think about her hair, her energy, or even her voice. If he did, he would never be able to pull from those thoughts and respond to.. whatever she'd just said.
He had missed her. And when he'd suspected the demon who stole the energies of other demons, he hadn't suspected her to be this different. To not remember him when she had seemed so fond of him, so determined to keep him nearby and even desperate to do something to make him happy.
"I have no other place to be," he finally said, again turning his head to the side and his eyes to the window, as if expecting someone to be there, watching and listening. "My work, for the time being, is finished."
~!**!~
Akari raised a brow at him as she stuck the spoon into her mouth again, regarding him with a calm look before she spoke around the utensil and treat on her tongue. "You shtarted it." She grumbled at him before flashing a small smile. "You ashked, I anshwered." She repeated the motion of withdrawing the spoon, dipping it in her sundae, and sticking the spoon in her mouth before sliding it away again, eyes never leaving the fox demon.
"You," she said after she swallowed, gesturing with her spoon to him, "caused this conversation. So, don't be reprimanding me for continuing it." Again, her lips parted to flash her teeth in a smile. "So, choose another topic, mister picky." *
{It really is your fault.}
[Must you both be against me at every turn?]
{Of course.}
[Cheeky.]
"I think that might be rather difficult, pup." Youko replied mildly, "After all," He leaned forward onto the table in a confidential manner, "What have you done these past six months besides work, mm?"
~!**!~
His answer was...unsurprising, she supposed, since she didn't feel like she knew what was 'normal' for him. He had nothing better to do, so why not? He would probably leave her whenever he pleased, or when he realized-
You know, funnily enough, she still didn't feel hungry. She'd had no close company in a very long time, or she had killed anyone who had been in her company for any amount of time. She couldn't really be sure. At any rate, she wasn't exactly salivating over the prospect of feeding on this demon's energy. Which was...progress?
Which was a good thing, since she still felt too weak to do anything else but stand and make it to the bed. And probably wake up half a mile away this time.
"Before you...truly decide to remain here, you should be made aware of-" She became distracted by a drop of sweat that pooled at the nape of her neck and slid down her back beneath the collar of her shirt, "I do not know if whatever illness I have is catching, but I understand if it is something you do not wish to risk by being nearby." 3
Hiei still didn't look at Shikiyoku as she spoke, as he'd already deduced as much about her… illness, whatever it may be. After all, it had muddled her scent, twisted it and made it… well, there was no explaining it other than saying it was unrecognizable. Just like everything else about her.
He made a sound in his throat that, had it left his lips, would have been a scoff at her. "I'll do as I please. Worry about yourself." he retorted, tone almost irate as if she'd struck a nerve.
But really, he had nothing else to say, because everything else was simply… unacceptable for him to say. He'd rather have her think him cruel and indifferent than weak and simple-minded.
~!**!~
Akari gave a hum, actually having to think about the question presented to her. Because, as of late, she'd done nothing but work, work, work. She'd visited Koenma at least once a week for updates, and was more often than not given a new objective that easily took her entire day away. And, as this morning, she'd sometimes find a child on the streets of the second layer and had to deal with that as well. Pile that on top of her researching the buildings that existed on all layers, overseeing portals and the crews who maintained them, and her basic day-to-day necessities…
Well, recently, she hadn't had any time to do anything but work.. And, now that she thought about it, it'd been that way for a while. No wonder Nabu thinks I'm a workaholic.
Instead of saying this, she turned up a sly smile. "I would say it's business in the front and party in the back, but I don't quite think that it's… enough to describe my days."
She suddenly remembered Juun, who had invited her to a pub a few weeks back. The thought made her lips twitch and a sour feeling churn in her stomach. All of which she didn't allow Youko to see. *
"So then...if work is all you're doing," Youko's eyes gleamed, "Then what is it you're avoiding?"
~!**!~
Her thoughts were muddled, but her shrug at least gave off an air of disinterest while her feelings remained locked away as she rubbed again at her forehead, trying to will away the dull ache of hunger and the more prominent aches of the fever.
"It is not my place to warrant your undivided attention, so I would not ask it, as I imagine you will come and go as you please." She made as if to get up and quickly decided against it when her vision wavered.
Did food make the fever lessen? She couldn't remember if she'd tried it before.
Well...not food, exactly. More like...feeding.
Did she dare try and sleep? If he left, perhaps. She would likely irritate him if he was a witness to her nightmares and her penchant for sleep...running.
She couldn't imagine feeding in front of him. What was he to think? Likely that she might feed upon him.
Though...she felt no desire to...3
Hiei didn't respond to Shikiyoku, not even with a glance in her direction. Instead, he shifted about, moving himself across the carpet until he was leaning against the wall, under the window he'd abandoned earlier. He crossed his ankles and folded his arms over his chest, eyes again closing as he made himself comfortable where he sat, designating it as his spot for the rest of his stay, however long that may be. He wasn't even sure himself how long he wished to be here.
"How many hallucinations have you had?" he suddenly inquired, genuinely curious. Perhaps if he was able to pinpoint the type of disease she'd contracted, he could… ease her out of it… somehow.
Likely call on Youko later, if he had to…
~!**!~
Akari paused with the spoon just in front of her lips and a brow raising high enough to hide in her bangs. "Avoiding?" she repeated, as if he'd asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Simply because I enjoy staying busy, you believe I have something to avoid?" she asked before sticking the spoon in her mouth.
She wasn't avoiding anything. At least, not that she knew of. Not to her direct notice.
Except, maybe…
Well, I wouldn't avoid that, as it's a minor thing and I've already prepared for that conversation.
Okay, maybe she had avoided it for a while, the offer she still had yet to talk to Kurama about. But, really, she'd just ended up busy. And rather enjoyed having something to do.
So, she shrugged at Youko. "Ever consider I enjoy being busy, rather than sitting around doing nothing or wasting my time chasing material things?" *
[How does that saying go?]
{I'm not helping you.}
[Too late.]
"Methinks she doth protest too much." Youko murmured, "I mean, obviously you couldn't possibly have been avoiding us," He gestured to himself, "As if that were the case you probably would never have asked for the company."
He took another drink, "But I suppose if you aren't going to tell me, I'll just have to start imagining what it could be." His eyes flashed, "Though I have to warn you, my imagination has been running rather wild lately."
~!**!~
She felt a pang in her core that she silent told to go away. Now was not the time, after having been reminded of it, to be hungry.
"You, um, would have been the first." She replied matter-of-factly.
No, stop it. Didn't you just eat? And a good many of them too. Or how long did it take to get back? And how long did you sleep? Maybe it was days. You don't rightly know.
"As far as I can remember." She quickly added, "But I'm still fairly certain the answer is 'none.'"
Have I imagined him at other times? Or were those only in my dreams?
What I wouldn't give for a clear head. Then, maybe, I would know how to ask him...3
Hiei nodded to tell her he acknowledged her words before he delved into his own thoughts, momentarily deaf to the world around him as he began to force his mind clear, force himself to ignore anything and everything that threatened his view of this person and who she was. He brushed away memories, brushed away thoughts on how she used to be and how she used to act.
Which, actually, wasn't too different from how she was now. Perhaps he need only to get past her exterior, her energy, and her voice to begin finding the similarities and bring them forth to her. Maybe that would…. change a few things.
After her wrath had subsided and her curiosity, her thoughtfulness had taken over, she seemed… similar to the mindframe she'd been when he'd seen her last. At least, a little anyway.
When he came back to the world, came back to the room he'd made himself comfortable in, his lips moved without his permission, his mouth saying words he hadn't even known he was about to say.
"If you have something to say, simply say it." He wasn't sure what had called for that prompting, but he didn't look at her to find whatever had caused those words to be pulled from within.
~!**!~
Akari shrugged again, delving her spoon into the leftover ice cream and leaving it there, her fingers releasing the utensil and her elbows coming to rest on the tabletop, her chin resting in both of her hands. "What a smart cookie you are." she mused with a small smile. "I mean, it takes a genius to know I am not avoiding you of all people." She gave a small laugh before shrugging at him again, her tone calm when she spoke this time. "Well, I'm not the one inside your head, so your imagination has no effect on me whatsoever."
She let her eyes slide closed and a moment of silence pass from her before she spoke up again with heavy sarcasm. "Though, you were beginning to sound a bit like a shrink, and I was worried you'd make me tell you about my dreams for a minute there." *
"If I didn't know any better, I might think you were patronizing me."
{It's a good thing you don't know any better.}
"And if you want to tell me about your dreams, I'm certainly not going to stop you." Youko took another drink, "I'd be particularly interested in any of them that concerned me."
{Of course you would.}
"Should I tell you of the ones you've had a starring role in lately?" He inspected his glass of milkshake, pulling his hand from the booth where it rested and reaching in without ceremony to fish out a cherry he spotted.
{Just kill me now.}3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star