A/N: Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction World!
Starting next week, updates will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:00 am CST (or as close to that time as possible) and continue as such with no other plans of adjusting the schedule. I will, however, be out of town the third week of March and without internet access so no updates then!
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!
Akari and Kurama part ways with the promise to meet again at the meadow that evening,
and Akari is forced to deal with Isamu as she and Nabu try and have a fun day together,
eventually slamming the door in his face and leaving with Nabu to go to the park.
~!**!~
After finishing their sweet snow, Shikiyoku and Hiei leave the house,
and Hiei ends up leading Shikiyoku to the place he used to consider home:
the clearing with the hammock in the tree that he had shown her.
Leading her to the cliff over which he had originally lost his tear-gem,
Hiei steps off the edge into the air, Shikiyoku following shortly after him.
As soon as he was out of Shikiyoku's sight, Hiei whipped about in the air, his cloak whipping around like mad as he did so, tangling around his legs and his scarf tightening around his neck, moving in the barrage of sudden wind until it unraveled and disentangled itself from his person, at which point he snatched it from the air and tucked his arms closer to his body, his energy finally releasing in a bright ball of flame that streamed behind him as he began to fall faster and faster, his eyes bright on the rising trees below, but knowing he had loads of time before he'd have to deploy his safety net.
And as his flames whipped through the air, the night became alive with the insects he'd shown her in the dream land, and their bodies lit up all around him, making him feel as if he were falling through space itself as they hovered in the air, not taking chase after him nor seeming to care for Shikiyoku's presence in the least.
A presence he'd become aware of only a moment ago, and he glanced over his shoulder with bright eyes, though he couldn't see her through his own fireball.
As he continued to fall, the flames grew brighter, more intense, until he became a blazing ball of white through the pitch-black night.
And that was when the creatures began to stir, the sound of a roaring fireball falling through the air stirring many a creature below, sending those that could take flight scattering about, some whipping by him and others going the opposite direction.
He sneered as he searched for a particular creature, and while to any other being it would occur that the creature could very well be dead, he knew better. It only took… patience.
Which was the fun of this all. Challenging the beast to see how long it would take before it rose to the occasion and would leave its nest to redirect any danger away. And the closer he came to the trees below, the wider his lips spread.
And then he saw it, and immediately his flames disappeared, his energy quickly folding into his body again so that he may be able to see behind him as well when it was necessary.
Above him. Whatever.
A screech tore through the silent air, and in the next moment a creature as large as Hiei's own dragon was moving, emerging from the trees and giving another loud, ear-piercing cry against Hiei's intrusion of it's air space as it bat its heavy, leathery wings on the air and launched at him.
As soon as he was close enough, the creature's body erupted into a flame very similar to Hiei's own, and his energy was quick to manipulate it to his advantage, the large beak just missing the fire demon that grabbed at its crown, grabbing feathers that were hidden beneath the flame that quickly dispersed once he had hold of its crown.
It didn't seem to have forgotten who he was, and Hiei could only smirk in pleasant surprise that the large, feathered tail didn't make a swoop at him. Instead, the phoenix stopped mid-flight, mid-charge and hovered in the air, letting him dangle from its head calmly, one foot placed firmly against its skull and his free hand stroking the bright red feathers that quivered under his touch pleasantly.
"Always the show?" *
She could feel somewhere below that Hiei had his own energy out in full-force, though she mostly had her eyes closed since at the speed she descended anytime she opened them it was only for a squint. She could just image the ball of flame with him in the middle of it, though.
She had her own energy starting to curl and move about her, since she did not find actually dancing herself in mid-fall to be doable, she let the strands do it for her, feeling the soft glow of her aura around her and the buzzing of her skin, appreciating for the first time in a long time that exact feeling, since the closest she'd gotten to it was the burning pain tended to leave behind. 3
Hiei clung to the creature with a single hand and his foot firmly in the side of its head, taking a moment to appreciate its calm demeanor about his sudden arrival after so long of not being here and most definitely not challenging it as he did. But, he realized that the creature was old enough that it likely didn't matter how long he'd be gone, because to it, time was nothing. Meaningless.
It made a small sound at him, huffing through its beak and swiveling its black eyes over to him almost curiously.
He himself had his eyes turning up, where he could see the glowing ball of energy falling at him, seemingly weightless.
He'd planned on simply surprising her with the beast, but hey, this worked too.
This way, she'd experience it the same way he did.
The bird turned its head towards Shikiyoku as well, focusing in on her with a curious air, a sound to match leaving its beak in a small stream of smoke.
"A minute longer." he reassured, making for certain that Shikiyoku got to fall just a little longer than he himself had.
And just when she was going to streamline by him, his hand shot through the air and grabbed hold of hers, his irises bright with the gleam of completely and utter childlike joy at having been able to experience this again. And even as they hung in the air, the glowing insects began to buzz about in the air around them and the beast, attracted both to Shikiyoku's light and Hiei's heat. *
It was about the time Shikiyoku decided she might shift between the layers just to be able to see what was going on-Hiei's energy had blinked out-that something caught her by the hand, jolting her into a sudden stop that almost made it feel as if her arm might pop out of her shoulder socket.
She winced, letting out a unexpected 'ow' in reaction, the strands her energy swirling slowly about her now that she no longer fell. 3
Hiei let Shikiyoku hover in the air, holding her by her hand and looking down at her in his utmost form of amusement, a sneer coloring his features. He waited for another moment before pulling her up over his head, releasing her for the barest of moments before catching her again about the waist and proceeding to pull himself up the creature's head, pulling at the crown of feathers he had a hold of and pushing with his feet until he was standing on its head, overlooking the trees that were no further than a hundred yards away now.
He scoffed once as he set Shikyoku on her own feet, the feathers atop the phoenix's head hiding her feet and even covering her ankles. He released her slowly, his eyes watching her carefully as his mind finally registered her small sound of pain.
But he wouldn't apologize for it, because now she could go wherever she wanted, if she'd just open her eyes and look around her.
If she wished, she could see what this layer looked like from the heavens.
"He's one of a very few left, scattered among the layers now. Most of them died in the collapsing of Demon World." he said nonchalantly as he slid his scarf around his neck again, winding it into place slowly. "Fascinating creatures, if you're able to get close enough to one without being charred." *
As soon as her feet were on relatively solid 'ground,' Shikiyoku rolled her shoulder, reaching over with her other hand to test it as the pain slowly passed.
That will be an interesting pain to test out on another.
She blinked and suddenly became aware of the warmth beneath her, one which rivaled the fire demon anytime she got close enough to feel it.
How long had it been since she'd set eyes on a phoenix?
Her gaze dropped to inspect what she could see of the creature and gave an almost silent huff from her nose.
There'd been one, and her view of it had been from afar, so her interactions with the birds had been nil up to this point. At least directly.
"You two seem to know each other quite well." She commented as she went ahead and sat down, reaching between the feathers to smooth her hand along the bird's skin. 3
"It's been a few decades." Hiei admitted, though his smirk stayed in place as he watched her lower herself to sit. The steady rhythm of the bird's feathers beating against the wind had him looking up, towards the clear night sky and assessing it, thinking of places they could go if he decided she should see it.
If she'd be interested, that was.
He felt his energy slowly begin to mingle with that of the phoenix's, creating a warm space around the three beings that attracted the lit insects that began to slowly move their way, buzzing at a low volume. He tapped his foot once, lightly, on the bird's head, deciding it would decide where to lead them, and it slowly moved higher into the air, eventually up and over the cliff he and Shikiyoku had dropped from.
"This particular phoenix has been here long enough that the demons who take residence nearby worship it as their protector. Which is humorous, because it takes their prized possessions for itself and hoards it, killing any who dare try stealing it back." He scoffed once, eyes turning down forward to see the horizon line in the distance. "They're all fools." *
Sounds a lot like someone I once knew. A particular, silver-furred fox.
"You'd think they might eventually decide having a prized possession isn't worth it." Shikiyoku turned her head to watch the scenery change around them. 3
"Greed is dominant over this area." Hiei replied calmly, eyes watching the horizon as the phoenix flew, seemingly to no place in particular. Occasionally, it made a sound, though in response to what, not even he knew. "This land is rich with jewels, in the right places." His lips twitched. "Not much worth the price for them." *
"I'm fairly certain I've never visited this...layer." Or level, for that matter. When it had mattered. "Not in the flesh, leastwise." She gave Hiei a brief smile before going back to calmly watching the horizon.
She felt tempted to extend her energy around the bird, which is why she hadn't exactly 'put it away' yet. 3
Hiei turned to watch a lit village pass by underneath them some several-hundred feet below, noting the onlookers that paused, tiny dots stopping in the middle of whatever they'd been doing to look up as the bird made a screech through the air, one that announced its presence non-threateningly.
If they could see him, the demons below would have seen the completely amused sneer aimed down at them before the tiny dots ran, disappearing in all directions before the village was out of sight.
"Not worth much." Hiei said after a moment as he turned to the front again, shifting his weight just a bit, the feathers around his ankles rustling his cloak. "Aside from this creature, this layer is dull at best." To him, anyway. Then again, he'd spent his entire life here almost, doing nothing but killing and searching.
And when he wasn't doing that, what had he done?
Nothing. Quite literally. *
"Dull? You mean you don't miss living life as a bandit?" 3
Hiei gave a scoff. "Why would I? As enjoyable as it is to slaughter an entire village, the rewards were never worth it. It wasn't even fun after a while. A chore."
A bore. Because he'd had nothing to conquer here, aside from those who looked upon him with sneers and scorn.
But those hadn't lasted long. *
"You could have moved layers. ...levels. Sought out a different set of clientele. Victims. Whichever you prefer." She turned away from the changing landscape beneath them to watch Hiei as he answered. 3
Hiei chose not to answer her, because by the time he'd considered what she'd just said, he'd had another mission. Another reason to roam this layer. Level. Whatever. There had been no way, in his mind, that the jewel had been moved from one level to another. He'd hunted it down, until he'd come across Shigure.. After that…
Hm.
Really, he didn't know why he didn't simply run from one level to the next. He easily could have.
Perhaps it was simply because he'd been certain this layer had held what he'd been looking for. And it had, but perhaps not in the way he'd imagined it.
Was that it? Was that why he never hopped levels before turning to the Human World?
"Hn." *
She wasn't surprised by his non-answer. He was...young. And a hybrid of conflicting elements at that. She could only imagine the terror he likely spread, especially once he lost his tear, which was in the end the only thing holding him back in any case.
A one-track mind after that, all thought bent on its return. And since he lost it here, why go anywhere else?
Shikiyoku wondered briefly what would have been different had she been picked up by bandits of the Ninth Level when she first escaped the palace.
That would have gone over well. 3
Hiei remained silently standing, hands in his cloak pockets and eyes sliding shut as he took to reveling in the feel of the wind moving by, his hair almost flat against his head. Aside from running, this was probably the easiest way for him to enjoy the sensation, especially when he'd been lazier on days where he'd wanted to feel the wind, but didn't feel like running.
Heh. Remembering the first time he'd fallen and hadn't had his katana was amusing. He'd been resigned to death before the creature had reared its head and screeched at him.
What had made him think to use his energy to draw it to him, he didn't know.
"If you're lucky, the phoenix will let you into its nest." Hiei suddenly said, eyes still closed and lips twitching ever so slightly. "Quite the sight, if you catch it at the right time of year." *
Shikiyoku hardly thought getting into the nest would be her problem. Until recently, she would likely have a harder time getting out without the thing putting her back in.
The image of the bird either grabbing her in his talons or beak and easy as you please plopping her back into the nest reminded her of a similar predicament in her early years when she flitted around the Ninth Level alone.
That had been a difficult escape.
She shook her head and let out a low chuckle. 3
Hiei slid his eyes open and turned to peer down at Shikiyoku curiously in response to the sound she made, barely heard over the sound of the wings and the wind. He could imagine what she was thinking, didn't even have to try to read her mind, because he could imagine the creature seeing her energy, shining and bright, and regarding her with curiosity.
Though, for some reason, he didn't feel as if this one cared too much for living prizes. He'd never seen it take more than the shiny jewels and such that demons often wore to show off their daily thieving journeys.
He turned his eyes down to the orange and white feathers of the creature he stood on.
He couldn't really decide if that's what would happen or not.
Though, he would be lying if he said it wouldn't be amusing. *
Shikiyoku's hand smoothed back and forth of the bird's skin and she looked down to watch the motion, chagrin coloring her features.
"Hopefully it wouldn't be an issue." Shikiyoku murmured to the phoenix, "I'd hate to hurt you." 3
The fire demon watched Shikiyoku calmly, regarding her calmly before giving a small sound. "This one is actually quite docile. Unlike the normal phoenix, the only thing it cares for is its home lands being invaded. The only reason it invades another's land is for food, and when it can't find what it wants, jewels are its compensation. Almost similar to a tantrum."
Hiei made an amused sound at the back of his throat.
"So long as you replace what you take, it doesn't mind. Take without replacing, then you're a dead fool." *
Pulled from her thoughts, Shikiyoku wasn't sure if she and Hiei were talking about the same thing.
Granted, the train of thought she was on led to his last words creating a ridiculous scenario in her head where she was the one being taken and someone was having to figure out what to replace her with.
Which was assuming, once enthralled, the bird would allow it in the first place.
The image in her head still had her letting out a silent laugh. 3
Hiei shifted around until he was facing the opposite direction, watching the lights in the distance disappear as the bird flew away from any form of civilization, its wings fully extended and tail fanned out in its entirety. Flames licked at the ends of its wings and tail, coloring the sky where it passed, never flying low enough to damage the lands below.
He considered moving down its back, but decided to stay where he was, as it was much easier to keep balanced here, where the bird moved less. It was less trouble to simply stay where he was.
"Find something you enjoy yet?" He suddenly asked, genuinely curious. *
His question had her mind replaying everything from the moment she enjoyed his compelling her to follow him up to present, where she enjoyed spending time in his company. It wouldn't have mattered if they were flying through the air or stuck inside Rae's palace without hope of escape.
And the fact that he shared all of this with her at the very least simply because he wanted to share it with her, and not because he had to, made it all the more...enjoyable.
She toyed with teasing him about his wording, since she had yet to search for something to enjoy while with him, because truth was he is what she enjoyed.
The thought struck her with a certainty she hadn't realized until just then. At least, she hadn't considered it since their bond had been severed.
And it left her a little...speechless, so that all she came up with was a quiet noise of affirmation in response for him. 3
Hiei gave a small, almost imperceptible nod to Shikiyoku's response, his eyes turning to the landscape again to watch it roll by. He remained silent, but the skies were by no means quiet as the phoenix occasionally screeched, and more often than not made a sound he assumed was directed to himself and/or Shikiyoku. He shifted his weight just a little, so that his was facing the female, but was looking over her, watching the land pass by and occasionally pushing away random memories that would surface about said area.
And he simply enjoyed the scenery, as he hadn't done so in several years. *
Shikiyoku glanced at Hiei as he moved, lowering her gaze to let it settle on the horizon, though she was more lost in her thoughts than actually seeing the landscape.
She began shuffling together the demons she'd been in contact with recently.
There was...Uryo. In the club, when she had barely managed to run before draining him. She felt his mark as she turned away.
And Kafu. She remembered feeling the mark on him as she and Hiei left the room, though she took no notice of it or really understood it at all at the time.
She gave a little sigh.
There was Taka and Kitoushi, of course. And while she had yet to hear from Uryo or Kafu, there was little chance the former pair would be 'resigning' any time soon. They made that clear simply by sticking around the First Layer.
To be fair, Taka couldn't leave. But leaving wouldn't be like him anyway.
And then...there was...well...
Shikiyoku found her eyes drifting back to the fire demon standing over her. 3
Hiei's mind's eye filtered through several memories at once as he watched landscapes pass by, listening to the sound of his own cloak moving through the wind with the wings of the phoenix. The sound of Shikiyoku's hair and clothing doing the same; feathers rustling and flames crackling at the bird's wings and tail. The occasional screech.
It was...pleasant.
His eyelids slid closed and he took to feeling his surroundings, focusing on the air and the warmth that carried on the wind. The calm atmosphere between himself and Shikiyoku.
And he rather enjoyed it. It was so much better than sitting in the house with the cat and the bird. *
"And we were meant to love. And to show the others how to do the same."
Shikiyoku shifted a little where she sat, Renai's voice echoing in her mind as it had taken to doing a lot of late.
She was fairly certain Taka wasn't capable of love, which means out of all of them, he would...certainly be the one Renai would pick for her. It would be...a whirlwind of existence to say the least.
Kit she was fairly certain already loved her in his own way, or it was near enough to it that revealing to him the nature of it would be a simple task. And she knew she would be most comfortable with Kitoushi, given their past. A future with him was a clear one to track indeed.
Shikiyoku blinked as if clearing her eyes of the images her mind conjured and attempted to actually take in the sights around her, faintly smiling as she finally managed to soak in a bit of the beauty. 3
Hiei felt the altitude change as the bird swept higher into the air, the temperature dropping a few degrees as they continued to climb higher and higher, the humidity thickening as they passed through a cloud or two. He opened his eyes here to stare at the clouds they were now flying over, slowly raising his gaze to stare at the twinkling lights of the heavens above their heads.
The air was heavy, and it was almost too difficult to breathe.
He tapped his foot once on the bird's head, the creature screeched, and then turned its trajectory, going another direction and swooping so that its tail just stirred the clouds.
He turned his eyes down to Shikiyoku again.
"This layer is always riddled with clouds." *
Shikiyoku pulled her knees up closer to her face and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on top of her wrist, her eyes bright and her lips giving off the barest hint of a smile, the mist from inside the clouds settling over her skin like so many dewdrops, though she didn't seem to notice.
The bird underneath her, having catch an updraft, had accosted her senses with his scent, which consisted primarily of what the humans referred to as 'charcoal,' right after the flame upon it had been burnt out, and was mixed strangely with cinnamon. 3
Hiei continued to stare at the heavens above as the bird flew on, not saying anything more to the obviously-distracted Shikiyoku. The stars twinkled and flashed at him as he stared, the air seeming to thicken the longer they remained in the cloudy-atmosphere. His face began to feel odd with the humidity that mixed with his naturally higher body temperature, and after a few minutes of it he became physically uncomfortable.
Which the bird seemed to sense, because a solid minute later, the phoenix was lowering its head and shortening its wing span, lowering itself closer and closer to the ground below before continuing to fly just over the tops of the trees.
And a few minutes later, the bird was hovering in the air, making a few calls into the silence before moving on, repeating the sound, and then becoming satisfied with its surroundings and touching down on the solid ground.
Hiei reached down to pet the bird once before he leapt from its body, landing on the ground with the barest of sounds.
It was silent, save for the sound of a pond being disturbed nearby.
A pond that stilled after a moment.
The fire demon took to looking around the trees, finding no particular reason why the bird would stop here unless it were thirsty, which it gave no indication as it simply lowered itself to rest on the ground calmly, wings tucked to its body and head lowered.
He turned to say something to Shikiyoku, but a sound caught his attention and his eyes cut to the sides, fully expecting a demon to come charging at the beast.
And he was completely and utterly surprised by a small flock of orange-red birds, all aflame, bursting from the darkness and immediately invading his personal space, wings flapping and flames crackling about his head.
The fire demon merely relaxed and stood still, eyes sliding closed in irritation as screeches began to sound, one after another as talons occasionally pulled at his hair.
One bird landed on each shoulder, and three others remained in the air, fighting over…
He could only guess what.
"This is ridiculous." *
Shikiyoku could feel the shifting altitudes, knowing the bird sought a place to land and remaining where she sat until she lost sight of Hiei off the other side of the phoenix's head, though she presumed the fire demon had simply hopped off to the ground.
She stayed a moment longer, petting the bird as she slowly unwrapped herself and stood up, jumping down onto the other side where she could run a hand along the neck and chest as she stepped around it in the direction Hiei had gone.
Coming around the corner, at the sight of the chicks giving Hiei a rather warm greeting, Shikiyoku's delighted laughter rang clearly in the air, not meant tauntingly or teasingly, but purely a charming sound at the attentions of the smallish creatures-at least in regards to the parent nearby-and as she stepped away from the large phoenix near her, her laughter died down to intermittent chuckles, though she found nothing clever to say about Hiei's 'predicament,' her eyes only glittering merrily as she found him in the midst of the light. 3
Hiei waved a hand once at a bird that chattered loudly in his ear. He waved his other hand at the bird that grabbed at his hair, and batted his arm at the bird squawking the loudest, but each bird seemed only more enticed by the idea of winning against him as well as its brothers and sisters.
The two on his shoulders were as calm as could be, even ducking away from the fight in the air.
The fire demon gave a scoff of annoyance and glared up at the creatures, a stone-hard glare that shifted to Shikiyoku when he heard her laughter.
Every bird, save one, stilled in the air for a moment, each turning to see the source of the sound that had startled them. Hiei batted his hands in the air once more, and the birds scattered, only a single phoenix chick remaining and quickly settling in his hair, using its beak to move his dark locks about until its wings were tucked against its body and it was completely content with being where it was.
Hiei's glare lightened up when he saw the remaining four birds make a quick flight to Shikiyoku, suddenly disinterested in the fire demon.
"Simple creatures." *
"So you might think." Shikiyoku replied, her eyes brightening further as the birds made for her this time, whereupon she sat down so they didn't knock her to the ground in their apparent excitement. "Creatures that appear the simplest are most often hiding the deepest thoughts."
As she cooed at the nearest one, her energy tremored excitedly around her, waiting until they approached before reaching out to greet them. 3
Hiei stood in the place he'd been overtaken, eyes turning up to look at the bird that lowered its head into his view, a small line of smoke leaving its nose as it made a single sound at him in cheer. "You're not staying there." Hiei growled, but otherwise made no move to remove the phoenix that puffed out a stream of fire before diving its head to hide among his hair, resting atop his head calmly with quivering feathers.
He considered reaching up and extracting the bird from its perch, but decided he'd rather not deal with the talons it would wield against him. Or the beak, for that matter.
"How ridiculous…" He thought of the creature that had once hid in his scarf, gave a scoff, and then suddenly remembered the time Uryo's friend, Ryou, had done the same to Shikiyoku.
Which reminded him that the last time he'd actually spoken to Uryo, the demon had asked about the little creature, saying he'd been missing.
Hiei took to looking around, eyes suddenly searching for the tiny black dragon, though he was certain he wouldn't find the animal on this layer. *
The birds all excitedly clamored over Shikiyoku, and she took turns stroking each of them, giving them attentions which they all appreciatively squawked and chirped for, butting at her arms and hands until they each finally settled somewhere upon her, sending her chest shaking with chuckles as they all more slowly murmured back and forth to one another, eyes half-lidded in whatever conversation they were holding and she smoothed her fingers along beaks and shoulders and puffed up chests.
"I take it this wasn't an intended portion of the ride?" Shikiyoku looked up at Hiei. 3
Hiei turned a stare to Shikiyoku, though the amount of disgruntledness had died down once the birds had left his space. The phoenix atop his head chirped once, a bit of smoke rising from his hair at the release of the sound, but otherwise it quieted like the rest of them.
"Not exactly." he admitted, taking to staring at the little birds as the much larger phoenix stretched its long neck to peer over Shikiyoku curiously, then settle with around her calmly, its eyes closing.
It did this on purpose. he mused, staring at the birds in consideration.
"You're as popular as ever." *
"I can't imagine why." Shikiyoku stuck her face closer to the one that had settled at her front, talons locked firmly about her ankle as she rubbed her nose gently against its beak, getting a sort of chirp-click from it as its eyes closed and it responded to her in the same manner.
Her energy had slowly folded away during the whole ordeal and she pulled back, taking a finger and running it from just below the chick's beak down the front of its chest.
"After all, I try so terribly hard to be as fierce as possible." Her head tilted to the side a little as she watched the bird's feathers fluff up further, hunching down lower to the ground. 3
Amusement crept its way into Hiei's eyes as a small gleam. At least she enjoyed it. And they weren't being eaten. He shifted about, turning around to look in the direction the chicks had come from, almost curious as to why they'd been over there. Sure, they needed water, but it wasn't like a creature of fire enjoyed being even remotely near the substance for too long.
He brushed the curiosity away and turned his eyes elsewhere, again looking about for the creature he already knew wasn't anywhere near the area. He'd just have to remember to keep an eye out for Ryou. Just in case.
Hiei took three steps, to stand at the base of the nearest tree, and then lowered himself to the ground with his back leaning against the bark, his legs crossing one over the other. He let his eyelids slide shut, figuring that they'd be here awhile if the birds really didn't want her to leave so soon. Then again, they could just move through the layers if they wanted. But… he wasn't opposed to sitting around and taking a minute to relax.
"Wake me if you get bored." *
"Bored?" She looked up at him, stopping for a moment.
As if by some invisible cue, the chicks around her all gave two incessant chirps of strikingly similar pitches to the syllables Shikiyoku just used, each one turning their eyes onto Hiei.
Shikiyoku's gaze flickered from each chick in confusion before she finally gave out a little chuckle and reached to stroke the one in front of her again, at which all the birds hunched up again in their poofy manner.
"How could one get bored when surrounded by such affection?"
The chicks all murmured their ascent. 3
Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his body around just a fraction more until he was completely comfortable, at which point he settled against the bark and released a small breath of amusement at the mimicking of Shikiyoku's lone word the birds had issued.
He didn't answer her, because really, he didn't have an answer. He wouldn't know one. *
~!**!~
"This one's going to hurt, my love."
The pain of his knife stabbing deeper into her arm had her screaming, certain that this time he would sever the limb from her body. Had she not been strapped down, the convulsion she made would have ripped the dagger further into her flesh.
When the blade slipped out of her, she sent a dark glare in Renai's direction.
"They all..." She heaved for air, "Hurt."
"If you have enough sense of mind to comment, they aren't hurting enough."
For the first time, she saw his eyes grow cold and he slammed the tip of the dagger into the side of her face where she could feel it nearly scraping against her cheekbone.
It was true: the sensation of the blade tearing down the side of her face and then over her lips, leaving a gaping wound, gave no room in her head to question it. It simply...hurt.
Sometime earlier in the night, Shikiyoku had managed to lay on her side on the ground, the chicks only waiting just long enough for her to settle before perching over various portions of her body, one nuzzling itself up between her arms.
Outside of her nightmare, a thin line along her face began burning as she mentally struggled to free herself from the threat she envisioned so realistically, after gouging along her jaw, moving further along to do the same to her neck.
Shikiyoku shivered even as the burn spread to cover the rest of her, dark-yellow energy beginning to pulse in an aura around her in response to the threat that was only in her mind.
Where the burn spread, the scars appeared, sapping her skin of color.
The change woke the chicks and they chirped to one another quietly in concern, each one shuffling or huffing as the energy swirled around their talons, but did them no harm.
They could feel the chill that settled over the skin, and each felt determined to remain in place, fluffing themselves out as big as possible in the hopes of lending her some of their warmth.
The nightmare may have passed, her energy folding away, but the effect did not, and even in sleep she shuddered, eyes almost coming open in a fevery daze as she broke out into a chilled sweat. 3
Hiei hadn't been dreaming. He hadn't even really been fully asleep. He'd drifted in the half-asleep state, occasionally falling back and forth between the two states of awake and asleep, but never really being committed to either state of being.
So it didn't take much more than the small amount of sound from the birds to wake him, to pull the fire demon into the awake and aware state of being that had his eyes slowly sliding open to glance over at the quiet commotion.
At first, his blurred eyes saw nothing out of the norm. But after he blinked a couple of times and he actually focused, he noted the scars that now sapped all color from her body, standing out like marble on concrete and looking harsher than she'd looked even a few hours ago.
If it had even been that long.
Her energy was darkened and swirled slowly around her like a thick cloud, and the fire demon felt a sense of caution when he slowly moved to stand, noting she was still asleep, but also very aware that if she felt threatened, she could just as easily attack.
So instead of immediately grabbing for her, he spoke first in an attempt to wake her enough to let her know she wasn't in danger.
If you attack…
…
"Shikiyoku," he began, voice loud enough to hopefully gain her attention. "...are you awake?"*
"Mmm, no-" Her voice came out all mumbled against her arm, her cheek smooshed into it. She shifted uncomfortably, frowning, "Buh Ah will be if thif damn bird doesn't stof gnawing on mah ear."
One of the chicks, the one at the top of her shoulder, had leaned over and started chewing at her earlobe, to which Shikiyoku let out something between a sigh and a growl and flopped over onto her other side, actually facing in Hiei's direction now.
The birds on top of her lifted from her body with several small whooshes of noise, landing back on her once she finished, puffing themselves out again when she shivered. 3
Hiei took a few steps until he was standing over Shikiyoku, a brow raised as she answered in a very lucid manner that had his nerves calming immensely. His body relaxed and he released a small puff of air. Now that he knew she wasn't…. dangerous at the moment…
"Yes, well, get up. We need to move." He looked to the larger, parent phoenix that stared at him blankly, its head raised high and its feathers shaking a bit as it woke itself in preparation for their departure. "Go back to the First Layer."
Before you decide to try and kill someone and regret it later. *
Shikiyoku's eyes came open just a little before closing again, and she snuggled further against what basically amounted to a blanket of downy feathers that felt soft and warm.
"...don' need tah do anyfing." She breathed, hoping he would just leave her alone and go back to sleep like she herself wanted to do. "S'comfy." 3
Hiei scowled at her. "This…. is no debate." He kept his tone even and was able to keep his own sleep-mind at bay, forcing himself to be wide awake despite her current lack in threat. But that didn't mean it wouldn't change.
So without another second's hesitation, he stepped closer, crouched down and moved her about with his hands, managing to position her so he could slide his arms underneath her to make it easier to lift her and go.
"No protests." *
"I'm protesting." She mumbled, even as she let him pick her up, ending the words with a breathy growl that didn't actually vibrate in her throat. "You're lucky you're so warm." She flexed her energy around herself at him, the threat brief and half-hearted at best. 3
"Don't flash that energy at me." Hiei warned quickly, tone even and calling for no arguments whatsoever. "I'm warmer anyway, so your complaints are invalid." Even as the birds began to chatter at him in loud protest, Hiei was folding between the layers, traversing all the way down to the First Layer in a matter of moments before he was turning and heading towards her house, knowing that, in the least, Kitoushi would be there.
Because he can fix it. I can't. *
Shikiyoku let out a long sigh, not even bothering to lift her arms and just leaning against him, unsure if she could get them up to his neck anyway.
She was certainly still weak enough like this. That hadn't changed.
Not that I expected it to.
And he may be warmer but-
"Hiei, I was so comfy." She grumbled at him. 3
"And I wasn't?"
Hiei gave a small sound of annoyance. He'd almost managed to fall into actual sleep. And of course it would be that moment when he had to get up. Be aware. He knew it wasn't her fault, but he couldn't help being just a little irritated that he'd had to get up and move.
He could always go back to sleep. When she was okay again.
He slid to the inbetween layer and managed to stay there long enough to take off, his normal speed now quadrupled, which made it so much easier to run and arrive at the destination he'd intended. He landed on the First Layer again and pushed the front door open calmly, silently stepping into the house and looking about for the demon he had hoped to encounter first. *
Shikiyoku had her face buried against him, and responded anyway with, "Then why did we moooooove."
So unfair.
She meant to say something else, but it died before getting past her lips, coming out as a huff of air that still held all the indignant petulance the words themselves would have contained. 3
"Huff all you like. It changes nothing." Hiei gave a scoff and turned to move up the stairs, noting that Kitoushi wasn't in the downstairs area, and deciding Shikiyoku could at least lay in her own bed. With covers. Where she can sleep and hush. So he can go back to his nap.
If it were even possible.
He nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and moved into the room, standing over the bed and using one hand to pull back the covers before he set her down. He made sure her head was on the pillow and such before his hand grabbed for the covers, and he unceremoniously tossed them up and over her head, covering her face entirely.
"Now stop complaining and sleep." *
Shikiyoku muttered a string of curses at him, already almost asleep and starting to daydream, though she whipped the covers back from her face so she could breathe minus the stuffiness.
Her thoughts had turned to complaints against her illness, which sent a shiver down her skin even though she could feel the hair at the back of her neck stick with dampness.
The fever, the ache. At least she was whole in mind again-and for the moment felt no hunger-but her thoughts spiraled in the direction of how she had managed to contract the illness, and she very quickly found herself face-to-face once more with a disease-furied Kyonshi, his mind beyond coherent thought above his desire to feed, which drove the pair of them into a savage fight as Shikiyoku strove to save her own life, in the end forced to take his.
Their battle flitted across her awareness, her energy slowly building up around her as if he were there now, attacking her now, and she was being forced to defend herself. 3
Hiei moved away from the bed and across the room, grabbing the chair from her desk and pulling it to the end of her bed, placing it so that when he sat down, he could prop his feet up on her mattress and be completely comfortable. He crossed his arms over his chest and let his eyelids slide closed again.
But just as he'd thought, his very being was focused on the energy of the only other one in the room, analyzing it, constantly checking it, especially when it began to thicken around the woman under the covers.
"Shikiyoku," Hiei mumbled her name out, not even opening his eyes. "You're not fighting; you're not being attacked." His energy, without his direct notice, began to blanket the room, causing the temperature to raise several degrees within the four walls of her bedroom. "You're in a house, in a bed."
~!**!~
"Akari?"
She was dreaming. A ridiculous dream, one she didn't understand nor care to actually pay much attention to, but dreaming nonetheless. She shifted slightly in her light sleep, earning a huff against the side of her face from the dog who'd laid next to her in the grass and the sun.
"Akari?" his call rang again, throwing away the dream and bringing her eyes open a little.
"Hm?"
"The sun's setting." Nabu's chin rested upon her shoulder, and he was laying on his stomach, tail moving back and forth a little and eyes watching her. "Didn't you say you were going to-"
"Mmmmm-hm."
There was a pause where the dog continued to watch Akari, but she didn't move from her comfortable position under the tree.
She was almost asleep again when she became aware of a shadow falling over her face, blocking out the sun's rays, and thus her source of warmth. "Go away." she grumbled. "I was enjoying the warmth."
"Is this how you spend your days, love?"
"When you're not around. Now moooovee. You're blocking it."
By this time, Nabu had shifted and was no longer resting his head on her shoulder. "She gets grumpy when you block the sun. Especially when she's half asleep."
"I'm sure she'll deal with it." the voice replied as Akari turned over, facing her back to Isamu. "Are you… pouting?"
"No, I'm napping. Or trying to. Whaddya want?"
"I came to apologize."
"You can apologize by moving out of the sun." There was a short pause, and then she felt the warmth of the sun's rays on her back. "Thank you."
"Am I forgiven?"
"...yeah."
"Good. How about dinner before you leave? You know, for the fox de-"
"Kurama."
"His name is Flowers."
"Okay then…. Dinner?"
"...not hungry." *
~!**!~
At his voice, her eyes came open just barely, enough to see the room, enough that her energy paused in mid-swell, but did not recede as she fell back into more feverish dreams, where perhaps it was not Kyonshi this time, but it did not matter who the demon, only that they fought, and her energy continued pulsing slowly as if alive in an aura around her where she lay on the bed.
The battle raged on simply because she did not wish to kill him, did not know how, forcing him back repeatedly with blasts of pain that he powered through in his attempts to get at her, leaving her only course of action to retreat-since she knew nothing of fighting-until she could no longer evade him and was forced to send him to his knees once more.
When their clash had nearly come to its end, with him having captured her and beginning to draw her life energy away in a manner she had not seen from him before, something within her snapped, energy snaking out of her body like strands. Where these strands had once drawn demons together by encircling and binding them, her power now sought to end his life, coiling about him in the same manner as it had surrounded countless others, but tightening until it sliced through his flesh.
If she had not lost her mind to the disease he had passed to her before that moment, it fled her when his blood splattered against her body, and she could not cope with the knowledge that she had taken another's life.
As this scenario repeated in her mind, stuck in a loop of delirious visions, a shape darker than the shadows of the room around it walked calmly in the direction of the bed, making the simple, silent leap onto the covers near Hiei's feet without so much as disturbing the mattress and beginning to purr in a steady, thrumming sound that would have filled the room had it not been so low a pitch.
The black cat regarded Shikiyoku's state almost mournfully through his heterochromatic eyes, at least what he could see of it, which was her scar-riddled face, and feel of it, which was heavy in the air around her what with the thickness of her energy.
As he analyzed it, he gently leaned against Hiei's shoes, rubbing his sleek body along them as he moved forward, his tail curling neatly around one of the feet and smoothing off it as he passed, turning back and going the other way in the same manner, his eyes fixed on Shikiyoku.
Kitoushi sat down near Hiei's ankles, tail raising and lowering steadily in thought as he turned to look at the fire demon over his shoulder. 3
Hiei didn't notice the quiet presence until it was rubbing at his feet, which brought his eyes open and onto Mane-
Kitoushi.
That was going to be weird for a while.
He watched the cat wind around his crossed feet, considering the form the demon was in and easily deducing that it was not by choice, otherwise Kitoushi would have fixed the problem at hand by this point. His eyes turned to Shikiyoku, whose energy continued to darken and swell throughout the room.
He thought for a moment, occasionally turning his eyes back and forth between Shikiyoku and the furball at his feet before reaching out through the Jagan to the cat.
"How long will you be in this form?"
~!**!~
There was a pause on the air as Nabu gave a sigh and Isamu echoed the sound with a sigh of his own. "But I cooked and everything."
"You did not," Akari began, the image in her head one of Isamu creating an open fire to roast over in her home, "do what I think you did, did you?"
"Of course not. I've learned the ways around the human mechanics."
"Too bad."
"Nabu, wanna go with me?"
"Love, you should eat before-"
"I said I'm not hungry, Isamu. You should find something to entertain yourself with." Finally, Akari rolled onto her back again and sat upright, eyes open and turning to the sun that was almost entirely below the horizon now. "I'm not a kid you have to look after. I can handle myself."
Isamu lifted his hands in surrender. "I was just making sure. Have fun on your date." He turned to leave, his energy pulling on shadows from the area. "I'm going to check on the pack for a while. I'll be back tomorrow morning."
Akari huffed through her nostrils at the male who stepped into a shadow and disappeared, She turned to Nabu, who raised his eyes to her as well and turned his head slightly. "Are we leaving now?"
"Yeah, might as well."
"I hope he doesn't come back in the morning."
"Nabu, you're being mean. Remember your own words about being like that?"
"Of course. But nobody takes their own advice." *
~!**!~
A sense of annoyance passed over the shoulders of the small cat as he looked away, back out over the bed at Shikiyoku, for whom as of this moment he could do little.
Not annoyance at the fire demon, but most assuredly aimed at the question that filled the space between them.
"Until the morning." Like clockwork, really.
Dusk falls, and until the sun rose, the former Champion found himself unable to change freely as with the rest of the day.
Something to do with having been stuck for so long, something he found he had thus far been unable to avoid.
Something that until this very moment he had honestly not cared one way or the other about, taking the shift in stride and being unsurprised that he had to spend a certain amount of time within twenty-four hours in the form he had worn the most since parting with her.
His ribcage expanded and contracted in an exaggerated motion, releasing a silent, sighing breath as he stood up, eyes wary of the energy that had just started to lazily flow in his direction.
It blessedly did not turn on him, but as Kitoushi approached her with soft steps across the blanket, moving upwards towards her head, he felt as if he waded through a gelatinous substance and it had the hairs down his back standing on end, every feral instinct within him warning him to flee.
He pressed a paw onto her arm, warning her of his presence.
The touch drew her lids back from her eyes and her dark gaze focused in on him, though not before he saw her lips move and form a single name: Hiei.
Kit could feel that if she had the capacity to move, she would have scooped him up into her arms, saw the desire to do so in her eyes and he blinked once at her, slowly closing his eyes and reopening them before lightly stepping over her torso to her other side and approaching her head where he curled up between her shoulder and the side of her face, still purring steadily as he had been since he entered the room.
Her eyes came back shut as his soft fur settled against her cheek, and her face moved just enough to give him a nudge that indicated she was pleased with his proximity, though her expression remained severe and incapable of portraying the emotion.
"...I am sorry I cannot change you."
The voice had her eyes opening to half-mast.
"There is no need for such apology. No need for worry."
Kitoushi's ears flicked backwards briefly as he nestled the top of his head against her neck, becoming a small, black ball of softness with his pink nose hidden by a single paw.
"Why not?"
"Why no need for worry?" She blinked and her eyes closed again. "Worry is a waste of energy. It does nothing. Solves nothing.
"You grow sicker each time you are like this. And I-"
Shikiyoku waited for a moment as if she expected him to go on, unsure of where he had been going with the sentence.
"I do not wish for you to die, my lady."
It wasn't what he was going to say and they both knew it, but Shikiyoku did not comment on it.
Her face twitched almost humorously.
"I do not think you would let me." 3
Hiei shifted just the slightest, sliding a bit lower in his chair and crossing his arms tighter over his chest. His eyelids slid closed again and he settled for a bit, his lips turning down in a frown. So, Shikiyoku was to be in this form until morning? He didn't like it, but then again, what could he do about it?
Nothing.
He wasn't… anything but a demon to her at this point. No special bond or mark. Nothing but his mere presence to offer, since she seemed to enjoy his presence.
Which… was the only thing keeping him here, even with Kitoushi in the room, curled up with Shikiyoku as he was. The fire demon could just as easily leave her in his care for the night and return later, if he desired.
He was almost tempted to do just that.
Except he stayed still, simply because he could. Because he wanted to.
~!**!~
Akari shifted a little and pushed herself to stand, Nabu doing the same as the topic died away and shifted to another. "You know, I really like your group of friends. They're all… unique in their own way."
Akari gave a small smile to herself as shadows formed a large circle beneath her and Nabu, opening up and letting them fall through and land on the grass of the meadow that was still dimly lit with the sun's rays as well. Rays that were very quickly dying out compared to the First Layer.
"They're something."
"I think I saw Grump the other day. But I can't be sure, because I was half asleep and he moves too fast." Nabu looked about the meadow with interest. "Is this where you and Flowers meet up every time?"
"Yeah. Wait until it gets dark. You'll love it." Akari stretched her arms over her head and turned in a circle where she stood, taking in her surroundings. "It's too bad you can't see in color. That's the best part." *
~!**!~
Youko finally sat up from where he had been hunched over, working, his legs crossed beneath him with the heart-shaped mark visible and facing upwards should he ever take the moment to glance down at it. Which had only happened once or twice.
[I hear you, Red.]
The other occupant of his mind had been the only reason he sat back, stretching his arms upwards and feeling the muscles at his shoulders protest at how long he had been curved over.
{It's getting late.}
[I see that.]
Youko reached forward, grabbing for one of the things in front of him as he stood up, placing it deep within his pocket.
{You're okay with this?}
[For now. I think taking time for preparations was the best move. I doubt, highly, that I'm the only one in the running.]
He stretched again, and his image shimmered, moments later the red-head standing in his place.
Kurama could almost feel the fox curling up like some small animal, giving a yawn.
[And your own excursion will give me a chance to rest.]
Bending down, Kurama picked up his own portion of what Youko had been leaning over for some time now, the entire day really, and then blurred between the layers, starting to move and make his way with relative ease to the meadow Youko had claimed, where he landed with ease on the grass, beginning to look around to see if he was still alone. 3
Akari let her arms rest on the top of her head after stretching, eyes roving the area she was in and realizing she was pretty close to the trees on the opposite end of the meadow than she usually made an attempt to appear in. Oops.
And before she could take one step in any direction, Nabu was taking off, running in the direction Akari had meant to land in the very beginning. She gave a sigh and followed after, his enthusiasm making her smile as she noted how low his head was and how quick he'd locked onto the scent of the person who had entered the meadow.
Faster than she had, actually.
Nabu sped through the meadow, head down and tail streaming behind him as his feet pounded on the grass, his eyes set on a familiar person who had almost literally dropped in without his notice. He only slowed when he was within two feet of Kurama, at which point he circled once and then stood in front of the male, tail moving furiously through the air. "I came to cash in the rain check!"
Akari dropped her arms as she slowly meandered in the direction Nabu had gone, watching the dog interact with the redhead fondly.
This is so much better than….
Well, that wasn't a very nice thought. *
It didn't take long for Kurama to hear the rustling of the meadow, turning to watch with amusement as a furry shape tore across the landscape towards him.
By the time Nabu had stopped in place and mentioned the 'rain check,' Kurama had bent down and placed the wicker basket in his hand on the ground next to him, and while doing so he recalled the offer Youko had made.
He found it amusing that the dog didn't seem to notice he was not with whom Nabu had spoken and, subsequently, made the promise.
Kurama turned and squatted down to the dog's level, elbows resting on his knees and looking Nabu in the eyes.
{Mind if I borrow something for a while?}
[Mm? ...oh...sure.]
The question had only barely roused the fox from his slumber, after which he quickly 'turned back over' and went back to sleep.
"And what rain check would that be, Nabu?" 3
Nabu's head turned in curiosity, his tail still wagging furiously- enough that his body moved a little with the motion- and he stutter-stepped in place a moment. "About games and chasing butterflies?" His head turned a little more in curiosity as he eyed the male, suddenly realizing there'd been a brighter shine to his eyes the last time he'd seen this one. And his voice had been deeper than it was now.
His entire body stopped moving.
"Right?"
Akari had caught up by this point, a brow raised and her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She eyed the basket on the ground and then disregarded it, instead curious of the conversation.
"What did I miss?" *
Kurama turned his head up to give Akari a pleasant smile as she approached, nodding his head slightly in greeting, "We were just having a serious discussion about chasing butterflies, weren't we, Nabu."
He turned his attention back to the dog, eyes gleaming. 3
Akari's lips parted just a little in confusion, her brows lowering over her eyes. Butterfly chasing? When did that come about? "By all means, have at it." She waved a hand at the meadow. "I have no qualms with it. Actually, it would be amusing to see you," she nodded at Kurama once, "chasing butterflies."
"Well, he… I don't know, I'm confused now. Didn't we talk about the meadow and I give you a raincheck?" There was a pause, and then the dog's demeanor shifted into one of irritation. "...if that demon is back too, I don't think the house will be the same."
"Demon?"
"...that… that one demon that-"
"I'm quite certain you haven't run into him, Nabu. He's being hunted, remember?"
"Too bad that other one isn't hunted too." he added with a huff. "Inviting himself into our territory like that." *
Kurama lifted a single hand to his face, palm up, and blew gently across the top of his skin in Nabu's direction.
As the air moved towards the dog, a butterfly roughly the size of his palm swirled seemingly out of thin air and came to rest just on top of Nabu's nose.
"I don't think he realizes about Youko and I." Kurama let his eyes flicker briefly to Akari, before turning back to Nabu with amusement as the butterfly's wings slowly opened and closed. 3
Nabu's eyes quickly turned to the end of his nose to watch the insect, any further discussion forgotten for a moment. His tail moved back and forth in muted happiness, his maw closed firmly.
"I hadn't thought much about it." Akari admitted, giving a shrug. "I guess I never realized that when he saw you, he saw Youko's form. Makes it confusing, I guess." She turned to watch the dog, who briefly looked to her, then back to the butterfly, conflicted. "Though how I'd explain it…. Heck, I don't really think I could."
Nabu hesitated once before his eyes turned to Kurama. "There's two of you?" *
"There is only one of me." Kurama pulled his hand down from in front of his lips, resting his elbow on top of his knee as he watched the butterfly and placed his cheek in his hand. "But I share this body with another."
Kurama didn't turn from Nabu, but let his eyes move to look at Akari.
"You'd be welcome to join us, you know. There are more than enough butterflies to go around." 3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star