A/N: Hello once again, Dearest Readers!

Onwards!

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!

The final portals between Demon World and Spirit World come to a close,
which means the vast majority of Akari's work is done.
She celebrates the closing by going to a sundae shop.

Meanwhile, Kurama's step-father has ordered him to take some time off,
and Kurama runs into Nabu, who has just left the sundae shop for his and Akari's usual napping place.

During their conversation, Akari's snack inside the shop gets interrupted by a dog demon
who goes by the name Isamu and is from her home pack.

Youko and Kurama both feel the influx of his power from outside the establishment,
and Youko begins growling inside Kurama's mind, knowing full well what the intentions of Isamu are,
as well as complaining about the intrusion on 'his' territory.

~!**!~

Hiei mentally walks Shikiyoku through the woods that used to be where he called home,
and as he once again admits to desiring nothing more than her presence,
she begins to fall asleep, leaving Hiei laying in the tree's branches with her in his arms.

When she awakes, Hiei tells her he wouldn't have let her fall as it would have meant losing 'valuable company,'
to which Shikiyoku replies that she doesn't understand him. He tells her it isn't 'supposed to be easy,'
and if it were, she would become bored.

Unlikely. When have I ever been bored around you?

She didn't answer at first, falling silent for a while until it would be obvious her next words were unconnected to their current conversation, mumbling into his cloak.

"...thank you." 3

Hiei had leaned further back, only moving just a little to recline just a bit more, making sure his shifting didn't affect Shikiyoku in the slightest as he did so. By the time he was comfortable again, Shikiyoku had spoken once again, on a completely different topic, he assumed.

Whatever the new topic was.

He didn't reply. He merely rested his head back once more and let his eyes close, taking in a deep breath of the air around him.

~!**!~

Nabu's tail stopped wagging, his tongue hid in his maw again, and his head tilted slightly at Kurama, sensing the odd confliction within. "I will." He responded after a second, considering the gleam in Kurama's eye that said he was paying attention, but not... fully doing so.

~!**!~

Akari stilled her hand in Isamu's not allowing his lips to touch her palm, instead curling her fingers around his thumb to ensure he couldn't do such a thing. "Why are you on the First Layer, instead of the Fourth?"

"Because this place has good bread."

"You're lying."

"Are you sure you're not the alpha here?"

"Isamu."

"Fine, I heard rumors of a dog working for Spirit World, for the new king. A dog without her ears and tail, and with the ability to use shadows to move between the layers." His eyes traveled to her head, lingering there for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "It's a shame. They'd go great with your hair."

Akari gave a dry laugh. "It's easier to blend in this way."

"You did it to yourself? But-"

"No, I didn't."

There was a pause as Tana approached, setting down Isamu's order before she was waved away by the male, who didn't even spare her a glance. "Half of them think you're dead."

"It's staying that way."

"You're not coming home?"

Akari's brows raised high enough to disappear into her bangs. "I have other jobs to see to, and I can't take care of them from the fourth layer. Not anymore."

"So it was you in the hole between the collapsing worlds?"

"Naturally."

"You're like your father."

"Now that is an insult."

"Come now, love. Don't you miss home? The feeling of being with pack-mates and with running with us all again. The fun times?"

There was a pause.

"Come visit for a week. If you still don't enjoy it, then you can leave. Alpha's word on it."

"No, Isamu." Her very core protested her response, her energy moving in sync with the male's in front of her, the bond of old pack-mates reviving. "I don't have time for that."

"Fine then." The male suddenly sat back, releasing her hand and giving another dazzling smile. "I'll stay with you for a week. If I like it, I'll stay."

"Wha- That is not what I meant, not in the least!"

"Alpha says so, Beta must follow!" *

~!**!~

"Nabu-" Kurama started, eyes looking up over the dog once more before giving in to the demanding voice in his mind that was growing louder by the second. He looked back down, giving the dog's ear another scratch, "Would you give me five minutes? I would love to go take a nap somewhere if you want to, but there's something I have to check first."

~!**!~

"Hiei...how do you know of this place?" She opened her eyes again, taking in the blacked mountains off in the distance which she knew marked the end of the territory they rested within. 3

Hiei didn't open his eyes to view Shikiyoku, neither did his expression change in the least. For a minute or so, he gave no actual indication of having heard her, but seeing as he was nowhere near even considering sleep, there was no reason for him not to answer. He was merely relaxing, drinking in the peacefulness.

"You showed it to me when we were sent on a mission for Koenma."

~!**!~

"Isamu, that's not how-"

"I'm staying with you for a week, and that's that!"

"You are not. My home is private, and-"

"Is it an abandoned building?"

"Of course not!"

"You're lying."

She kicked at his chair lightly, huffing at him once. "You are not following me home like a puppy."

"I'm sick of being in control. Let me be the follower for a week! I need a breaaaak!"

"You should have thought of that before asking to be Alpha!"

"I never asked!"

"You didn't decline either."

"True…" There was a pause, and this time Isamu shifted in his seat, twisting the chair around until he straddled it, his arms resting on what was the back of the chair, but now acted as a resting point for his torso. "I may be six centuries old, but I'm still the pup you knew, you know."

"I can see that. Unfortunately for you, I coul-"

"Don't be so harsh, love. I mean, I could force you to let me in your home, but what fun is that? For ol' time's sake, eh?"

"...the answer is still no."

"Oh come oooonnn. You're no fun."

"You're lying."

"Caught me that time!" *

The bell to the store rang again as another customer entered.

[That's him.]

{I see him. Stop it.}

Kurama stepped up to the counter, considering the items in the glass case next to the cash register as he leaned into a hand pressed lazily down on the countertop.

[Let. Me. Out.]

"I want-" Kurama began, "Whatever it is that smells so delicious." He beamed a smile at the person waiting on him.

~!**!~

Koenma.

Why did she know that name?

"Yoku..."

It sounded familiar.

"How did...how did I know of this place?" 3

Hiei took a moment to think back, back to the time she'd shown him this place the first time and feeling slightly as if he'd done this already. But that was alright, even if he had. "You called it your home," he responded calmly, pausing to think back a bit more. "The place where the first fire demon resided, if I remember correctly." He thought some more, feeling as if that wasn't quite right. "He created the crater between the mountains, where the fruit trees are. You liked the fruits and the serenity, I suppose. Also, the story is rather interesting."

~!**!~

Neither demons at the table even so much as heard the bell in the shop ring. Nor did they hear the door shut again.

"You have two choices, love." Isamu said suddenly, tone turning serious for a second, though his smile remained in place. "And you know those choices. Which sounds more… appealing?"

"I choose answer choice C, none of the above."

"That's not how this works, Aka."

"Nuh-uh. None of that. Take all of that and put it back in the box you just opened. This instant."

His chuckle was good-humored and filled with joy. "The lid doesn't quite fit anymore, Aka. I'm afraid the contents grew too much over time."

"Then make it fit. Because that's how it works these days."

"But you kept your hair long for-"

"Not for you, not because of you, it had nothing to do with you, Isamu. My decision."

"As is this one. Two choices, Aka."

She huffed and her tone dropped to a grumble, "How about your demise?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I said neither." *

Kurama waited patiently at the register, though the growl inside his mind had continued increasing the longer he listened to the conversation going on in the corner.

{I'm not really sure why you're so upset about this.}

[And I'm not really sure why you're NOT upset by this.]

{Since when have you ever cared about her?}

[Since when didn't you?]

With one final wrench of effort, punctuated by his last word, Youko wrested control from Kurama, appearing in place of his alter-ego in a small shimmer of silver, which the person serving him didn't seem to notice even as he reached out long lithe fingers for the pastry she offered him, winking at her as he turned and took a few steps from the counter.

{...Youko, what the hell is that?}

[Mm?]

He appeared to glance down at the treat in his hands, feeling his core jolt when he spotted what Kurama had already seen, though Youko only calmly moved a portion of the napkin out of the way and took a bite as if it had been the purpose of his action the entire time.

In that single instant, Kurama gleaned from the fox's mind what their eyes took note of and the meaning behind it.

{Oh. OH. ...that...that explains...so much.}

On the outside of Youko's ankle, in what appeared to be dark ink, a lavishly decorated heart sat on top of his skin, embellishments extending down the front of his foot and up the side of his leg, disappearing into the cuff of the pants of his yukata.

{...and yet so little.}

~!**!~

"Yoku, where are you?"

"Did I...know lots of stories?" She asked curiously, eyes still wandering over the dark mountainsides, wishing not for the first time that she could remember. 3

Hiei gave a small nod to Shikiyoku. "Many, I assume. Though, I only heard a few, personally. one about the dragon, one about the first fire demon, one about the fire you saw earlier." He gave another small gesture, a small shrug, before resettling back into place. "Countless stories, I assume."

~!**!~

Akari had opened her mouth to continue when a spark of energy lit the room up, brought her senses back to the world around her and causing slight alarm, as she hadn't been even remotely aware of her surroundings. Her eyes alighted on Youko, her pupils dilating, almost overcoming her irises in surprise.

Isamu, on the other hand, merely glanced over his shoulder, not even leaning away from the part of the chair he leaned against. "Is that the famous fox thief? On the first layer, no less. Interesting."

Akari opened her mouth to speak, found no words, and shut her mouth again in time for Isamu to turn back to her, expression calmer now than before with the new arrival.

"Aka, whether you believe it or not," he began, completely ignoring the fox, "you're needed at home. Love, you don't understand how much the people have been through in the time you've been gone."

"I-" she paused, suddenly unable to think, whatever spell that had been winding between previous pack-mates broken all over again. Even when she looked to Isamu again, she didn't feel the pull at her core. "I held no power there, so it doesn't matter."

Why in the hell was Youko suddenly here? *

{Don't you DARE just waltz out of here.}

[Why not? My reaction to your female's predicament was simply an emotional response that resulted from the lack of physical manifestation of this mark I now bear. And now that I know my projecting does in fact originate from dear Yoku, it appears as if I no longer care.]

{You OWE me, fox. At least this much.}

[And you'll stop holding it over my head?]

{Probably.}

So, instead of waltzing out of the door, Youko slid in the direction of the two conversing nearby, raising the pastry a little at Akari, "Your recommendation was well-founded, gorgeous." He took a bite as if to emphasize it. Without much care as to whether his mouth was full, he continued speaking, "I'll be waiting in our meadow should you decide to cash in now on the thanks I owe you for this." He didn't bother giving the other demon so much as a glance. "But I would still argue you're the best reason to visit the first layer, no matter how good the bread may be."

Youko nonchalantly started walking away, waving his free hand in the air behind him.

"Don't keep me waiting too long, pup. Or I might come back and collect you myself."

[You know I'm not going to wait terribly long for her.]

{I know. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't entirely sure Tori-uh, Shikiyoku made it into New Human World.}

[It appears she has.]

{Indeed.}

~!**!~

"Yoku...I miss you."

She frowned, though it was not at the information Hiei gave her.

Reaching up to rub at her eyes, she parted her lips to speak, "Did you...did you ever call me...Yoku?" 3

Hiei raised a brow and turned a curious and slightly confused gaze down to Shikiyoku. "No." He replied simply, not even so much as blinking at her.

~!**!~

Akari didn't even catch what Isamu was going on saying now, her eyes staring unblinkingly at Youko, her mind as blank as could be.

"...mother died two years ago and… Aka, you're not listening."

"I'm aware of that," she retorted without hesitation, giving a small huff in the direction of Youko, that being her only answer to his suggestion. But.. the meadow did seem like a pleasant place to be right now. Perhaps that's how she'd celebrate, how she'd spend her time glad that the portals had finally been closed up and-

"You're just as spaced-out as ever, love." Isamu's lips twitched into a wide grin as he turned to look over his shoulder at the disappearing fox demon. "And as always, you have interesting allies. How'd you pull this one off?"

"My secret."

"You're being an awful dog demon, Aka. Remember, we never lie to pack-mates."

"I don't belong in a pack anymore, Isamu." Akari's eyes slid from the male again and to the door, considering leaving that very second. But, she hadn't seen Isamu in over a decade… And he'd somehow stumbled apun her, as he used to do.

"You know that isn't how I see it, nor the others. But, you'll see for yourself in a week or so, when I win and you come home for good! Finish what we started!"

"Isamu-" He suddenly lurched forward, a hand grabbing at her arm and a single claw just nicking her skin, his index finger quickly covering the scratch before her skin was met with a chill and the sensation of his energy washing over her arm. By the time he pulled away, a dark spot slid around under the place where he'd scratched her, now healed, and a small shape began to take form. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"We did this a lot when you left for trades, remember? This is so I can find you, when you're done frolicking with a fox." The shadow he'd imbedded into her arm settled into a familiar shape, dark enough to appear as a normal tattoo, resting on the underside of her wrist. "So I don't have to hunt you down later. And you can find me whenever too."

Akari ground her teeth. "Get it out. I hate this trick."

"You used to love it."

"Get. It. Out."

"I could follow you to the meadow and then home, but I'm sure you have your reasons for meeting such an ally alone."

Stupid. "Fine." She took in a deep breath. She really, really didn't want to test Youko on his… threat to retrieve her himself. For all she knew he'd just toss her over his shoulder and-

"But just know, if it moves from this spot, I will do harm to you. You know what this is very easily capable of doing," she pierced his even stare with a dark glare. "And that is no threat, but a promise, Isamu."

"Then I will see you when you return, love." His lips turned up in a lopsided smile, his irises softening in a quiet promise. She hesitated, watching him settle again into his pose of straddling the chair, resting both of his bulky arms atop the back of it. "Don't get into too much trouble."

"Yeah, yeah." She gave a deflating sigh, giving in to the smile he flashed at her and deciding she didn't want to argue it any longer. "But don't just sit around and wait on me. Go home, do something productive until you feel me move from my spot. Won't be hard, right?"

"No promises, love."

"You're a moron." With that, Akari let herself fall into the shadow realm to traverse the layers, her energy converging around her in mere milliseconds to drop her from the male's view. *

~!**!~

Youko stalked out of the store, managing to prevent his tail from bristling until he was out of sight of the establishment, but as he approached Nabu and the briefcase Kurama had left behind for the dog to watch, his ears flicking back and forth in agitation.

[But I don't want to stay, Red.]

{You're the one that made the promise in the first place.}

Youko growled, his chest rumbling.

{...I appreciate the promise, if it makes you feel any better.}

Youko felt himself visibly relax and he shifted his shoulders around, making a face that was still indicative of his unhappiness.

[Well, I'd certainly rather she was with you than that damn whelp.]

He grumbled something about 'territory.'

{Trust me when I say you know my feelings on the matter very clearly.}

Youko didn't have to respond. He knew.

The fox let out a little sigh as he squatted down in front of Nabu and gave the pup and friendly scratch on the head between the ears, resting his elbows on either knee as he stared at the dog, unblinking.

"Want to come run around in a meadow?" He reached next to the dog for the briefcase, then held out his arms, waiting to see whether or not the dog would respond.

~!**!~

She appeared to sink back down into her own thoughts, though she murmured a half-serious, "Pity."

"Yoku...come home."

"What home? Where is home?" If there was someone actually speaking to her, and she could not precisely tell, they did not answer her question, which set her frown deeper down onto her brow, though she found she could not place the voice nor the memory the words might have emerged from. 3

Hiei didn't respond to Shikiyoku in any form, not even a small twitch of his brows. His eyelids slid closed and he took to simply listening to the air that moved around him, to the leaves rustling, to her breathing and the sound of her core beating at an odd rhythm. He took a deep breath in, held it for a bit before letting it out through his lips again slowly.

He was completely relaxed.

Just as he used to be.

And for the first time in a while, he stayed awake by choice, not because he couldn't sleep.

~!**!~

Nabu sat patiently, head moving around as he stood guard over the bag he'd been left to guard. Several people looked at him curiously, some with consideration in their gazes before they all, each and every one of them, continued on about their business, leaving him and the briefcase alone, untouched.

Only when a hand was scratching at his head did he turn to look at Youko, his tail quickly making happy sweeps against the concrete in greeting. However, the action quickly stopped, his tail stilling again against the sidewalk and his head turning slightly in curiosity.

But he didn't ask on the other's air, didn't ask what troubled the other. It wasn't his business anyway.

However, at the idea of a meadow…

He turned to look in the direction of the shop Akari had visited, watching a male leave and move down the sidewalk as if he belonged among the other two-legged denizens of the city. As if he had no ears, no tail, no wolf furs over his shoulder and atop his head.

Curious.

He turned back to Youko and eyed the open expanse of space offered to him. "I think I'll pass this time." he began, moving to stand upright. "I still have to go by the park. I developed a particular routine about that." His ears flicked a little and he gave a small sound from his chest, "Rain check, yeah?"

~!**!~

In a blink, Akari was on the sixth layer, where the sun was closer to setting and the air was heavier with humidity that had her sliding her jacket from her arms and simply carrying it along with her. It wasn't like she'd worn it for any particular reason, other than the fact it was comfortable.

Her eyes took in the area she'd dropped herself in, and after a beat's hesitation she realized she wasn't actually far from where Youko had previously lead her. It was a miracle she even remembered where it was, considering her normal tunnel vision.

And, curiously enough, she considered turning back and returning home, despite her confliction about such thoughts. After all, she'd promised she'd be around whenever he called… *

~!**!~

Youko released a disappointed huff of air.

"Suit yourself, I suppose." He started to stand, hefting the briefcase over one shoulder where it hung down his back as he rested his free hand on his waist. He looked at the dog a moment longer. "I guess I'll have to chase all the butterflies myself this time, then."

He started to phase away, ears twitching, and it took a good deal of self-control for him-after turning away and starting to walk for his meadow-to actually stop on the sixth level instead of doing as he wished.

As soon as the flowered grass was beneath his feet, the petals closed in the sunshine, he lazily dropped the briefcase to the ground beside him and let out another restrained puff of air, irritation prickling his ears at delaying, at the thought of tarrying here any longer than necessary instead of being off to search for Shikiyoku.

He could hear somewhere in the back of his mind that Red was telling him something, trying to get his attention, but he expertly ignored the other occupant of the body as he let his form shimmer silver in the air.

Kurama was surprised as he felt the shift that he did not end up on the other side of it, instead finding they had dropped onto all fours, legs lengthening, silvery fur sprouting along their skin, nose elongating until forming a muzzle.

Granted, the meadow underneath them grew farther away, and several more tails were sprouting until Youko caught himself, not wishing to revert to true kitsune-form, and the growth reversed, the trees around them appearing to grow taller once more and the meadow coming back up to greet them as Youko's size became akin to large dog and his tails disappeared until there was only the one.

His nose immediately picked up on the scent of prey and he crouched to the ground, feeling the animal was only a few feet away.

Youko began to creep forward, belly to the ground, one paw at a time, his muzzle hidden in the greenery of the meadow, but his bright yellow eyes gleaming below a pair of ears standing at full attention, and his movements not so much as rustling the foliage through which he scooted.

~!**!~

She somehow found herself unable to become worked up about the strange mutterings of her own mind. Not when the moment was so peaceful. Not with her nose being constantly filled with his scent as it was, her cheek resting against his cloak.

But what now?

"Come home."

Just...go away. She closed her eyes. "I am…" What was the word? "Content. Here."

"But I miss you."

"I don't even know who you are." She tried not to think about how insane having a conversation with something that wasn't actually talking to her could be.

"I want you."

At that, she felt her entire body do something she could not in her limited memory remember it ever doing: she flushed from head to toe, feeling this odd mix of a burning and...perhaps almost...sparkling sensation dance over her skin. And the flush was not from the fever that still heated her.

"I desire you."

Stop it. "This isn't funny." Her teeth clenched together and her frown, which had disappeared in the peaceful moment before, covered her face once more.

It was strange how she had no idea what those things actually meant, and at the same time, she knew what they meant. Or...she did...somewhere...at least. Somewhere in her head. Otherwise she wouldn't react to them. Right?

"Leave me alone." She closed her eyes again, trying to recapture some semblance of the previous calm and finding herself mostly unsuccessful. 3

He'd tried to ignore it. Hiei had tried to let Shikiyoku sort through whatever was going on on her own, but the constant tensing and then relaxing, and then tensing up of her body again was rather difficult to ignore. It made his own mind wide awake, his own body itch to suddenly be up and moving, to do anything but sit there, where he had been comfortable minutes before.

And he tried to ignore it again, and again.

But to no avail.

"What's troubling you?" He suddenly spoke, his voice hardly louder than a lazy mumble.

~!**!~

One step after another, and before long she was following the fluctuations of energy that began to grow ahead of her. Akari made a small sound to herself before tossing her jacket onto her shoulder, letting it hang over the right side of her body as she lazily meandered her way through trees, winding her way through barks of wood until she was standing just on the outside of the ring of trees, pausing briefly in hesitation to glance over her shoulder as if Isamu would pop up out of the blue. She contemplated, again, turning back and making sure he wasn't causing trouble, making sure he actually went back to the fourth layer, but she resisted and turned towards the edge of the meadow she could see now.

Without further pause she moved only two steps into the quiet, serene area, eyes finding something that didn't seem to fit among the sleeping flowers.

First, she realized, it was a very large, very wonderfully-colored, very dangerous kitsune, tails whipping about briefly before it suddenly shifted again, choosing a smaller, rather condensed form of itself, one tail instead of nine.

Any other day, she would have been impressed, likely staring in awe, but today she simply turned to look over her shoulder again, nagging thoughts keeping her from really noting what she'd just witnessed. *

Youko huffed, a tiny bit of grass shivering in response to the air as his nose twitched and his ears suddenly swiveled, tail whispering once through the meadow as he stood up on his lithe legs and turned to see that Akari had appeared, though she seemed distracted.

He blinked at her, staying upright only for a moment before dropping back down to his belly facing her, a single ear turning to see if his hearing agreed with his scent and his sensibilities that she was alone.

{Not quite.}

Youko didn't let the growl that passed over his mind make it to his throat, but he went ahead and crawled forward a bit in her direction, eyes bright and gleaming just above the closed flowers, nose hidden beneath them.

Another scoot.

Then another.

His hind legs came up in what he knew was a playful-bow, tail swishing once in the air before growing still again, his entire attention on the other demon.

~!**!~

Her eyes came open at his voice and she stared for a moment off in the distance.

"Memories. I suppose." She replied. "Only..."

The word hung on the air and she wasn't really sure what to follow it up with. 3

Hiei wasn't sure if he wanted to press on the matter or not, wasn't sure if she would even answer his curious intone. But he asked anyway, because really, he wasn't quite able to ignore it.

"Only what?"

~!**!~

When Akari turned forward again, her entire attention was on the silver fox that stared unblinkingly at her, gleaming among the green he unsuccessfully hid in. And as soon as the tail-end of its body came up in a playful manner, Youko's tail swishing once, she was fighting a smile, fighting the urge to laugh.

She didn't break the silence of the meadow. Why would she speak when her message could be conveyed with a simple twitch of her lips and a small tilting up of her chin? Whatcha gonna do, hm? *

Youko froze in place as soon as he knew he had her attention, eyes still staring at her without blinking, the only indication that he had not turned into a statue being the soft breeze that gently ruffled portions of his fur, sending the silvery strands waving almost serenely along his back.

His nose twitched and he crept forward an inch on this belly. Then again. Then once more, his paws making no sound as they smoothly scooted towards her through the grass.

Foxy-yellow eyes grinning mischievously, he paused in place, his intentions still unclear.

~!**!~

She didn't answer at first. Couldn't, almost.

"Yoku..."

"Only it keeps talking to me." She grumbled, turning and burying her face in his cloak. 3

Hiei was confused, unsure of what she meant by it. A memory, per se, wouldn't talk to her. It wasn't a direct thing, in a way. It would grab her attention, yes, but not make an attempt at conversation. He wasn't sure if she was trying to confuse him on purpose or if she was being genuine.

Either was possible, he supposed.

He considered what she'd said for a few moments, staying completely silent and not even twitching a muscle when she stilled against him again.

It very well could be telepathy.

"Is the voice familiar?" he finally asked, deciding he'd just see how she'd come about her own conclusions.

~!**!~

Whatever had been nagging at her before was completely forgotten now. WIth the sight of Youko in his fox form creeping forward, she was very easily entertained, very easily able to forget any and all thoughts she'd been considering minutes ago.

If I could shift, I'm sure he'd rather enjoy a game or two.

Except, while she was amused, she wasn't really in the mood for games. Wasn't really feeling… playful.

Though, she did consider picking up the fox, it had been a brief and fleeting thought, only brought about because the situation was rather similar to one she'd experienced with Nabu, who hadn't, at first, enjoyed being picked up a whole lot.

This was… different.

But still, she was amused all the same, waiting with that same tilted smile and raised chin. *

Youko's expression changed as if he could feel the lack of excitement from the other party and he huffed a displeased puff of air from his nose that sent the grass skittering apart in front of his muzzle, after which he promptly dropped his hindquarters and sat up elegantly, his form shimmering until it revealed the more humanoid-fox hybrid sitting cross-legged amidst the meadow in front of her with his hands holding his ankles.

"You and Nabu both, huh?" He looked at her only for a moment before turning his head to the side as if he was looking out over the rest of the hill, frowning. "What's wrong?"

~!**!~

She considered his question before answering.

"I-" She closed her mouth, lips turning downwards. She really didn't know, except- "It isn't unfamiliar." Another pause. "Though I can't decide if that's helpful or not." 3

That was certainly helpful. In no way, shape or form.

The fire demon let out a small breath through his nostrils. He considered it a few more minutes before simply giving up on it; if it was a demon, they'd show themselves eventually and he'd deal with it, if necessary.

Though, he wouldn't deem it necessary unless Shikiyoku herself couldn't deal with it.

"You do know laying in such a high altitude for longer than ten hours is harmful to your body, right?" He suddenly voiced this random fact. "Especially when one is already feeling… unwell." Finally, he opened his eyes to look down at her again, a neutral gaze staring down at her.

"You should consider a place to be for a while that is on level ground."

~!**!~

Akari's expression remained the same lopsided smile of patience as she witnessed the fox huff once at her, sit on its rump, and then transform into the demon who now sat in front of her. She raised a brow at him before dropping her chin a little and giving a shrug. "I've run Nabu ragged these past few weeks. It's no wonder he doesn't want to run around."

She took a few steps forward, closing a bit more of the space between them before lowering herself to sit cross-legged on the ground in front of the fox demon. "You've got quite the form, though. Lots of fur, probably very soft." She gave a teasing grin. "Must be hard to hide from your prey with that coloring though." *

Youko huffed again at the excuse she gave for Nabu, still not looking over at her even as she sat down.

He did however shift his eyes over to regard her at the mention of his fur being soft.

"It is in fact the softest thing in the entire world." He announced, letting his eyes look back over the meadow. "Not that you'll ever get to find out." He raised his nose a little higher in the air.

~!**!~

"Yoku, where are you?"

"In a tree." She tried answering again.

"Yoku, I miss you."

"Then come find me."

She was fairly certain the responses either weren't going through, if someone was indeed attempting to speak with her, or she was going crazy and hearing voices.

Whatever.

Her ears perked when Hiei spoke again and she let her eyes close, feeling his chest rumble with his words against her cheek.

"But you're comfortable." She murmured.

Wait, that...that wasn't what I meant to say.

"But I'm comfortable." She quickly corrected, voice louder this time. 3

Hiei blinked at her a few times and fought the temptation to move, to sit upright again and physically tell her it was time to get moving. But, as she said, he was comfortable- though he knew she meant it in a different sense than the way he'd just used it.

"I know," he responded simply, "it only takes a minute for that comfort to become discomfort up here." He turned to look at the expanse of land around them, then looked down to see just how high up they were.

Higher than he'd thought originally.

Plus, he was still craving something sweet, and had been ignoring it for weeks. Sweet snow would be wonderful.

But, it wasn't about him, in any way. "We don't have to go yet, but the moment you feel discomfort is the moment you need to move. Understood?"

~!**!~

Akari gave another shrug. "It doesn't matter much to me; it was just an observation, Youko."

She mirrored his pose after pulling her jacket from her shoulder, letting it fall to her lap before she let her fingers encircle her ankles and her eyes turned to follow his gaze, though she saw none of the meadow. Her mind was making very avid attempts to wander to a place she hadn't been in years, to think about things she hadn't even considered in a decade.

And that distraction made it hard to come up with anything to say to the fox demon a few feet away from her. *

Youko's teeth pressed together in his irritation, a single ear flicking slightly in the breeze.

He ran his tongue up against the back of his teeth before he parted them to speak up again, "I know he knows where you are."

His jaw worked around the words and he finally turned his head back to the front, staring pointedly at her wrist and the mark he could feel there.

"But if he ever dares to so much as set a foot on these lands, I will kill him for trespassing."

[It's bad enough he was talking to you in the first place.]

{Youko…}

[Don't take that warning tone with me. You know as well as I do what his intentions were.]

"Red...wants to talk to you." He grumbled, shoulders deflating just slightly.

[Make it quick, Red. I have other business to attend to.]

His form shimmered again, but this time in its place came forth the red-hair and green-eyes of Kurama, which blinked a little in the light as he shifted pull one knee up closer to his face so that he could rest an arm on it, reclining back on his other hand.

~!**!~

She nodded to indicate she heard him, the barest of smiles coloring her eyes as she let out a rather contented sigh...until she almost immediately frowned again and sat up on the branch, leaning away from him and turning her head so she could look into his eyes and peering there, suddenly awash with the strangest of feelings that, like the voice, she wasn't...precisely...unfamiliar with.

She blinked, expression conflicted, almost confused.

When her lips came apart to finally say something, she still hesitated and the words came together unsure and broken, "What..." She struggled to give coherence to the feeling. "What do you desire?" 3

Hiei raised a brow and shifted his body a bit when Shikiyoku suddenly moved, pulling himself into a more sitting position to face her curiously when she didn't immediately take off, as he'd half been waiting for her to do. And at her question, both brows disappeared behind his bangs and he blinked once. It was almost as if she'd been reading his mind for a moment.

His lips twitched. "Since when were you a telepath?" He turned away from her for a moment, eyes finding the furthest point he could just make out on the horizon line as his lips released the slight smirk he'd been tempted to give. "At this very moment?" he asked, but didn't give her time to answer. "Something sweet."

~!**!~

Akari blinked at the sudden words Youko ground out and turned to stare at him again, her expression very quickly shifting to a guarded one when he too turned to her, turned to stare at the wrist she'd been tempted to work her fingers around. The very wrist that held the odd feeling of another's energy below her skin, of another's shadow moving against her own pulse and telling her exactly where the demon who'd put it there was if she decided she needed to know.

There was a fleeting moment where she became defensive, and she almost gave a retort out of pure instinct; he was a member of her pack and-

Former member, Akari. You're not there anymore. You have no pack, remember?

She didn't even so much as open her mouth to speak when Youko paused, then gave a grumbled string of words she almost dismissed before he disappeared, replaced with the redhead she'd been expecting to show up this whole time.

Unlike usual, she had no greeting ready, had no smile on her lips. Just a neutral stare and a raised brow of patience, half wondering if he had anything to say as Youko had.

She really, really didn't want to argue with him, because she really, really wasn't sure what she would have to say. *

Where Youko had very obviously been tense and on edge, the avatar of the fox demon sat calmly and quietly where he had appeared, taking a moment to close his eyes and appreciate the peacefulness that the wind itself carried here.

Strange that a character such as Youko Kurama could find it within himself to create a place such as this.

[Everyone needs a retreat, Red. A haven. A place of safety. Did you really think our fortress would have four gloomy stone walls with archers manning the towers?]

"What he probably should have said," Kurama began patiently, "Is that the meadow itself is a living creature that would consume anyone able to navigate past the defensive barriers set up in the forest around it, should they be here without his express permission. And even if one made it inside, say via layer-travel, the meadow itself would rise up against them. So, it would be in the demon's best interest not to try and come here."

[I couldn't have explained it better myself.]

{You didn't.}

[Entirely beside the point.]

~!**!~

Ah. So there was something. I knew it.

She blinked at him, expression as neutral as always.

You mean he isn't satisfied with me simply being here? And I'm so very sweet after all.

Pity.

Shifting around, she let her legs hang off the edge of the branch, her eyes very clearly gauging the distance between where she sat and the ground below. 3

Hiei stared at Shikiyoku as she moved and readied to, he assumed, just drop to the ground. He too moved, sliding along the branch and letting his own legs dangle over the side of the branch, his own eyes looking to the ground again.

"Do you remember what Sweet Snow tastes like?" He asked suddenly, lips twitching in amusement as his fingers curled around the branch as much as they could.

~!**!~

Akari gave a small nod followed by an imperceptible sigh. She turned her wrist over to stare at the mark for a moment before using that hand to scratch at her face. "Good to know." She shifted a little and gave another huff of a sigh. "I'll remember that, though it won't be much of a problem. He's a dog, but not a puppy. He knows what no means."

She turned her eyes up to the redhead again, this time her stare a calmer one. She offered him a small smile. "Anything new?" *

You mean besides discovering within the last hour that the spirit I am sharing this body with is eligible to be the Consort to a former demon of desire we haven't seen in well over a year?

Kurama let out a sigh and reclined back onto the meadow, the soft grass giving way under his back as he put his arms underneath his head and stared up at the open sky above them.

"Only things with substantial consequences, as always." He sent a smile in her direction. "Nothing particularly world-ending, however. I hear congratulations are in order for you, though. From what I understand you play a large part in how smoothly the closing of Demon World went."

~!**!~

A vague image of Hiei stand in the middle of a blizzard with his head lifted and mouth open attempting to catch falling snowflakes flew past her mind.

She shook her head.

"These lands have never seen snow." 3

The brow that Hiei raised made his bangs just touch his eyelids, tickle his lashes. It quickly settled into place again and he gave the barest of sounds in amusement. His lips parted in a toothy grin and he shifted between the layers, simultaneously dropping through the air.

"Let me show you what that really means." he called as he fell through the air, only coming back to rest on the ninth layer when he'd safely landed on the ground.

~!**!~

Akari gave a small sigh as well and turned her eyes away from the lounging redhead. "I wasn't the only one; Koenma simply decided I should take on the most when it came to assigning the portal watch." She gave a shrug as if he could see it, then gave a small smile.

"It's going to be odd, not running back and forth between the layers for people who aren't able to do that. Now what I'll be doing is, I guess, whatever I want to do."

She let her eyelids slide close and she remembered the last time she'd tried anything for Genkai's problem, and the issue with children still finding themselves on random layers. She'd been so close last week…

"Still stapling papers together?" Her lips turned up in a wolfish grin. "And filing paperwork? I remember how exciting that is for you." *

Kurama's green eyes opened again and he gave her a wry look. "Terribly exciting. Not world-ending, though my step-father might act as if it is on occasion, but dreadfully intriguing. You have no idea how enthralling such work can be until you're in the midst of it and realize you've run out of staples."

~!**!~

"Is it half as exciting as you're making it out to be?" She mumbled to herself as she watched him drop.

You're the one that had to go and move.

She shifted forward until she felt her balance about to give way and then pushed off the branch, falling straight for the black grass beneath them.

And he was so very comfortable.

If she had been able to appreciate things any longer, it certainly would have been the wind whipping through her hair as she fell, watching the ground rising up to meet her.

Just as her feet would have touched the ground, she pulled the layers around herself and came to rest easily from her place inbetween them, blinking expectantly at Hiei from where she stood. 3

Hiei turned and watched Shikiyoku drop to the ground next to him, giving her a single sneer in amusement. "I'll let you determined that for yourself." In the next moment, he was turning and moving through the forestry, simultaneously traversing from the ninth layer to the eighth, the eighth to the seventh, and all the way down to the first layer, a single destination in mind.

~!**!~

"That must be the absolute highlight of your day, procuring staples for your empty stapling mechanism!" Akari was positively grinning now, each tooth flashing in the evening light. She gave a small sound of amusement, stopping the sound before it could become an actual laugh by taking a deep breath in through her nostrils.

"Okay, okay, I'm done." she finally adhered, raising a hand in the air in surrender. "No more office humor."

She took another deep breath of the air and settled for a small smile at the redhead. *

"It's a live or die trial, you can be sure." Kurama replied evenly, his expression never changing. "So, what are you going to do now that the portals have been shut?"

~!**!~

Curiosity set ablaze at the fire demon's response, she only followed him...

"Yoku..."

...down through the other eight layers until he stayed on the first, finding that, as before, staying between the first and second allowed her a freedom of movement she did not think she could managed were she to run along one or the other. 3

Once Hiei's feet touched the first layer, his pace slowed and his eyes took a swift glance around to figure the quickest trek to where he wished to be. And once it was established, he shifted gears and turned into an alleyway, cutting the quickest path to the house he'd stored some of the Sweet Snow in the last time he'd procured some of the sweet substance.

He slowed to a lazy saunter when he was just down the road from the house, his right hand finding his pocket as he turned a glance to Shikiyoku, wondering if she had any reaction to where he was leading her.

~!**!~

Akari took in a deep breath, "There are still kids being transposed from one layer to the next. While I can take them back to the first layer, they always end up right back on the second, so Genkai's been taking them in and teaching them about Spiritual Energy." She paused, visualizing the bricks she'd pulled from the land of the buildings that had once existed on all layers, and now only stood on a single one. "She still needs the temple to exist on every layer, to make things easier for that, so that will be my main focus."

She took another deep breath. "After that, I'm not entirely sure. I guess I'll just waste time until Koenma decides he needs another hand again." *

"How many buildings have you found that exist on more than one layer?" Kurama wanted to know. He didn't remember Youko taking any particular notice of such buildings on their treks to the other layers.

~!**!~

When she finally became sure that Hiei was truly staying on the first layer, she did go ahead and pull herself there to join him, though her shoulders hunched over just noticeably when she did so.

The weight of existing on the layer seemed heavier than on the ninth, her feet feeling as if they would drag along the ground should she let them.

Anyone passing by hardly gave the demon a look when they passed, though her ashen skin and bare arms covered with scars surely would have caught someone's attention. Truth be told, there were few that could see her, their minds dismissing her existence since they could not explain it.

She had stuffed her hands in her pockets, making her appear smaller, but she reached up to rub a set of fingers at her neck, over a scarred bit of tissue that itched. 3

Hiei gave a sneer at Shikiyoku before he turned forward again, not even pausing when he reached the door, extending his free hand to simply twist the unlocked knob and stepping inside without pause, heading straight to the freezer and pulling out the bucket of Ice Cream he'd stored in the uppermost part of the contraption.

And only when he had the lid pulled from the small tub did he look up at the ceiling, taking note that the lights were on, when he clearly remembered they had been off when he'd been here last.

He took to inspecting the house, the tub still in hand and his other hand reaching for a drawer, as if he noticed no change in the room. He produced a spoon from one of the several drawers he'd opened, took a scoop of the sweet snow, and then passed the tub and spoon to Shikiyoku, never even glancing at either the woman or the treat.

~!**!~

"Initially, only two. Now, however, I've seen a multitude of them. Too many to count, which was actually really helpful. And more crop up every time I go on a search, meaning someone is making them do that. Which would be helpful if I could find any clues to their presence, but I'll just content myself with procuring their means of causing the entire thing." Akari gave a smug grin. "They're obviously not too worried about it, since I'm not being hunted. Though, that would be rather interesting." *

[That indicates there is someone who knows how to do it, however.]

{Indeed. It also indicates there are likely many more demons able to traverse between layers that we don't actually know about.}

[What, you mean Koenma hasn't called for a census of all demons capable of doing so?]

{And who exactly would respond to such a call? No demons I know of.}

[My point exactly.]

"Aren't you able to slip between the layers? Without shadows?"

~!**!~

She followed Hiei obediently, if only half-aware of their movement, lost in the expanse of her mind.

She almost ran into him when he stopped to grab something out of the freezer, and absently took to staring at him as he moved around until she blinked and suddenly realized they were in the house he'd found her in...and that the lights were all on.

Her eyes darkened and her other senses kicked up, taking an experimental sniff of the air and working her way past the energy of the fire demon who had just come back up next to her, holding something out with the obvious intention for her to take it.

Without particularly paying attention to what it was, she did reach out for it, but something moving at the top of the stairs, followed by the scent of energy, and she never actually took ahold of the thing, the stuff falling onto the tile with a clatter.

In that moment, she had shifted a single step, positioning herself between the figure that had started to come down the stairs and Hiei, a ball of crackling dark-yellow energy coming into existence in her hand.

"Yoku..."

This time, the voice wasn't coming from her mind, and she was sure of it.

"Is this how you greet old friends now?" The deeper voice carried easily across the house, and she moved slowly out onto the carpet, drawn by the voice and the familiar way with which this demon spoke to her.

"Old friends are difficult to keep." She provided, hoping to stir the demon into speaking again.

"You of all people should know that isn't true, my lady." The demon appeared to be glancing down at his feet as he came down the stairs, though when he looked up, the tall black ears at the top of his head came to attention from the midst of his long, black hair that fell straight down his back, some of it rustling back and forth over his chest as he moved.

Something about the gracefulness and efficiency of his movements lended itself to being catlike, if that wasn't already obvious by the shape of the ears and the long slender tail that moved slowly back and forth behind him as he came into view.

She shifted her feet slightly as if preparing to release her energy, but something about how familiarly the voice spoke to her still held her back, blinking at his tall and wiry form, the hidden strength of his lean muscles easily visible-at least for his arms-through the sleeveless black yukata he wore.

"I mean you no harm. Surely you remember that much." The bass timbre of his voice took on some amusement at sensing her desire to attack him still.

He paused in mid-step on the stairs, taking in her scarred form and harsh expression for the first time, his heterochromatic eyes-one blue and one brown-widening with concern.

"Yoku..." This time when he breathed her name, it held the full extent of how distraught her appearance seemed to make him, and he swiftly and silently padded down the last of the stairs, making it across the room in less than a second and moving with such compassion in his eyes that it was all she could do but stare at him as he came right up to her.

Upon reaching her, he gently wrapped his lithe fingers around the side of the shoulder with the hand primed to unleash her energy, though she could feel the firmness in his grip that would not let her move it if she could even form a coherent thought enough to do so.

His other hand came up with slender fingers to tip her face up towards his as he bent down from his much taller height to meet her.

She found herself lost in that gaze when he began to move his face down towards her, confusion blinking over her eyes.

"It is my most desperate wish," He murmured, regarding her through half-lidded eyes, "That you should never again have to be in such a state, my lady."

At the last of his words, he pressed his lips against hers and kissed her deeply.

She twitched at the contact, suddenly made aware of his hand and how uncomfortable touch made her, and initially tried to back away. His hold on her shoulder prevented that.

Her core almost immediately started pumping madly in her chest, and her eyes closed as a feeling akin to ice ran chillingly into her veins with each beat.

In the next second, the change started where her lips met his and was almost unnoticeable, slow.

Color began returning to them, and the effect spread outwards from there, as if peeling back her ashen-grey skin, licking away like fire at her scars. The former luminescence to her skin returned, the scars disappeared to be replaced by a healthy glow.

Moving faster now, when the change reached her scalp it shimmered visibly down her hair, filling out the layers and rustling them slightly as its fullness returned, filling the room with an almost imperceptible smell.

At the same time, the change continued down her neck, and from there must have burst onwards with exponential energy, for it quickly came back into view out from the tanktop to proceed down her shoulders, and it was safe to assume the rest of her body as well.

A glow started to appear on the demon's right hand, the one still tipping her face upwards, and etched in what could have been black ink, blooming from the yellow shafts of light that radiated straight upwards, a heart marked the back of his hand, extensions swirling a little up his wrist and forearm before resting in place as the glow disappeared.

Needless to say, the energy in her hand winked out of existence as her whole body relaxed and filled out, and when the demon pulled away from her, his eyes were squinting a little at the edges with a cat-like smile that he echoed with his lips.

She blinked up at him, stunned to find herself standing under the gaze of-

"Iro!" She exclaimed his name a little breathlessly, all of her memories rushing back to her at once as she recognized the face of her second Champion: their frantic escape from the Ninth Level because of events that led to her accidentally enchanting Taka-and neither of them wished to kill the bird-demon-heading to higher levels at the behest of her Champion's cousin, Youko Kurama, whom they had been in contact with. And the subsequent sacrifice of her Champion that allowed her a chance at escape, though she got hit by the weapons of those who chased them and only now realized his existence had been erased from her memories by those weapons. Youko had come looking for her, had rescued her, though at the time she had not known who he was other than her savior.

"I-...I thought you were dead." She blinked up at him, eyes wide.

Both of his eyebrows moved upwards and he did not retreat from his stance so close to her, still standing with his mouth hovering just over hers.

"Me be killed by something so frivolous as an injury? Even one of the mind and body?" He clucked his tongue at her. "And here I thought you knew me better, my lady."

She blinked at him twice more, and a wave of memories struck her again in the next moment.

Shikiyoku pulled herself out of her grasp, looking over at Hiei, and the cat-demon let her go-if with a little reluctance that she did not seem to notice.

She faced Hiei was a frown reminiscent of what had seemed to be her permanent expression while in her other form, crossing her arms over her chest while giving him an unreadable look.

"Hiei." Her voice was stalwart, reserved. "I do hope you'll find it in yourself to forgive me for what I'm about to do."

She sized him up, sending her eyes roving from his head to his toes and back again and nearly breaking what she meant to be a severe expression as she drank in his form with a restored mind.

A single dark eyebrow rose on her face as she continued, "Though, I would remind you that you did tell me I could do whatever I pleased."

At that, the cat-demon behind her appeared quite taken aback at the audacity, aware of how dangerous uttering such words to Shikiyoku could be.

"Bold of you to say such things to a demon like myself." Taking a single step towards him, she smirked and her arms came down before she broke the mood entirely by the sudden, pure smile that parted her lips while she closed the last distance between them with a final bounced step and a small leap that allowed her to fling her arms over his shoulders with a great deal of abandon and delight, clasping them together behind his neck as she left the ground to gently tackle him with a hug, ending up with her cheek pressed firmly against his and her lips near his ear.

"Fire-prince..." Her voice was so low even she could barely hear it. "I remember..." Her throat seized up and she found she could not continue, wary even of trying to speak with him through her mind, so stirred had her emotions become.

She remembered everything. From the very beginning of her time in Human World. When he had unintentionally made the pact with Toriko. Even him finally finding her that night not too long ago.

Her chest and shoulders shook once in a silent laugh as she kept being flooded with memories, and she gave a little pressure against the cheek next to hers, nuzzling it affectionately as she closed her eyes, and then buried her face in his neck, her scalp, her skin starting to hum happily with energy she felt she could release if she wanted.

But for the first time, it did not happen automatically and she was aware of that fact, aware that if she wanted, her power would rest in a haze around her body. She knew that she could increase the shine of her skin, of her hair, of a million little things that would make her appear more desirable, that it had all happened before without her direct notice or attention.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she hoped the fire demon wouldn't hate her too much for this.

It had been so very long. Longer than he had thought. At least a decade. Perhaps more.

It didn't matter. Not anymore.

Though, she supposed he could kill her in an instant for this if he really wanted to.

She smiled. 3

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star