A/N: Hello once again, Fanficdotnet Lovelies!
Your friendly, neighborhood Star here with another chapter! Took a little longer to get out today than usual. I had somehow missed a chapter completely while moving things over from our GoogleDoc, and only realized it just as I finished up the "previously" portion, meaning I had to go back and find what I left out and make a new doc on fanfic for it. Sigh. Anyway, here it is!
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 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.
(Words in italics and within parenthesis is dialogue between Hiei and Shikiyoku via the bond between them after Hiei becomes Shikiyoku's Consort. As soon as the 'thought' occurs, it can pass between them, and does not actually have to be formed into exact words-feelings and sensations can pass through as well-in order to be picked up and the meaning translated immediately by the other. For the sake of the coherence by the reader, words and sentences are used as normal. It cannot 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).
The Nabu Exception also applies to anyone when they are in an animal form, if the dialogue is in italics and quotations, unless stated otherwise.
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
After eating the strawberry from Shikiyoku's hand,
she and Hiei head to a store with the intention of getting 'sweet snow,'
after which they return to Toriko's home
and prepare themselves bowls of it,
working together until they finish,
sitting down and enjoying their treat in a shared peaceful moment.
Feeling the weight of the silence of the house,
of the absence of Kitoushi and all the others she lost,
the two lay on the couch together,
each becoming distracted by their own thoughts,
before finally distracting each other with previous memories,
finding that their emotions tied to those memories,
were now shared between them in a newly discovered way...
~!**!~
Once they both awaken from their slumber,
Kurama and Akari both admit to wishing they could stay right where they were,
Akari learning that Yomi has Kurama's mother under watch,
partially because Kurama's loyalties are still in question.
Akari also comes to the realization that
she is as well being used in part as a bargaining chip,
making sure Kurama continues to do as Yomi wants.
When Kurama mentions tossing people into the Seventh Layer,
instead of the Ninth, when the time comes,
Kurama insists Akari promise him she wouldn't do such a thing,
and she replies that she promises not to do anything stupid.
Kurama asks her to seal it with a kiss,
which she does,
but he does not let her pull so quickly away
He reflects on the fact that he has not actually kissed her,
not since the incident that resulted in her not sleeping for days.
They begin plotting ways to get out of their situation,
none of them serious or plausible,
but some making them feel better just by hashing them out,
using the banter to make them forget where they are.
As they talk, Kurama wonders to himself if Akari actually realizes
just exactly from where Yomi knows Kurama...
Akari opened her mouth to speak, tone still pleasant. "You know, I-"
Wait.
She blinked and suddenly remembered what Yomi had said.
She remembered him entering this very room one day, calling to Takeo and making him stop mid-strike, ordering the demon to go to another station. Akari hadn't even been in the room an hour before he'd come to fetch her, telling her to follow after him.
He'd chattered a good amount of the way, telling her about how he'd been blinded by a demon that had attacked him, 'stealing his light', as the demon had put it. How he'd been ambushed at a seemingly abandoned place he'd been about to raid, and left to die.
He'd told her about his rise to power, all the way until he stopped at a sealed door and lead her inside, where steam had filtered out and around her feet. Where she'd seen a demon nailed to the wall, no hands, no feet, and barely alive.
"This is the one who took my light from me," Yomi had said. And she remembered feeling horrified, the smell being so foul she hadn't known whether she was going to gag or simply pass out. The demon's voice when it had begged for water had left her feeling the pain of such intense dehydration and malnutrition that she was certain she'd been back with the Black Black Club for a minute.
And then Yomi had pleasantly told her of a new guest that would be arriving, the one who had hired the demon to slaughter him. That that very demon had once been a very close friend before that friend had hired his assassination.
Akari hadn't really put two and two together then, but now that she remembered, it wasn't hard to put the puzzle together. After all, Kurama had shown up about a week later.
...Right. Youko. Youko was that 'friend'.
It certainly did explain a lot about the demon's attitude towards Kurama. And it sent that chill down her spine as if she had seen the tortured demon for the first time all over again.
I somehow feel that isn't the whole story.
How could she have forgotten such a thing? How pleasant Yomi had been about the tortured creature. And how pleasantly he'd shut the door behind them and said the demon's last day would be when the guest arrived.
And then he had dismissed her, saying something about trusting she'd get the job done when the moment came.
She couldn't recall every little subtle threat he made, but if she could, she'd probably be able to sense when one was coming by now.
Which had her realizing that she feared the creature of death, which if she wanted to avoid, she'd have to follow Yomi's every little whim of her to a t. Otherwise, he'd send her to that being himself.
Heh.
Technically, would that pin her as afraid of Yomi?
No. Just the being he would be throwing me to. *
Kurama pulled his head away from Akari for a beat when she tapered off and did not continue to speak, seeing the look in her eyes that told him she had gotten lost in some remembrance or another.
He only shifted a little, resting his head back down and nuzzling his face against hers.
"Remember something important, beautiful?"
~!**!~
Hiei introducing her to sweet snow.
Hiding behind him the entire walk through the offices when Koenma called her to Spirit World.
The complete relief when he appeared and ripped Otento off of her, sneezing when his hair later made her nose itch.
Having the true flame push the two of them together.
That whole encounter, really: the being accepting Hiei, the first fire-oriented demon it had ever met. In the flesh at least. It had called him too reserved, telling him to open up to her, as well as informing them they were perfect mates, and his still-emerging strength and her stamina would produce powerful male children that it wished to meet and bless when they came about. 3
Hiei paused to mull over what Shikiyoku had pulled up, thinking back to meeting the flame that first time and how amused he'd been. How it had seemed to encourage them to stick to one another, how it had pushed them until they were touching, how it had praised him for his power and simultaneously pointed out things that he needed to fix. How it had suggested he open up to someone, as Shikiyoku remembered.
How it had called him 'child-of-self'.
How he still didn't understand what it meant by the singular word of 'Littles'.
How it had said they were a perfect partnership.
Those thoughts had him smirking in amusement, even releasing a breath that could have easily been deemed a chuckle if one listened.
He remembered how that flame had tasted after offering a bit of itself to him.
Suddenly his eyes were open and watching Shikiyoku, finding himself perfectly content with laying there the way they were currently. How much he enjoyed having her nearby and how lost he'd felt when he'd realized she could have run off with another and left him just as he was before her: alone. How he knew nothing of what to do next, but that for once he didn't care because he didn't have anything to worry about in that exact moment.
Except to lay there.
~!**!~
Akari blinked slowly as she felt her cheek nuzzled and the scent of flowers, of grass, of ferns stirred around her, bringing her right back to where she'd been before she'd gotten lost in thought. She blinked a second time, and realized Kurama had spoken, had even asked her a question.
It took a few moments, but she was able to figure out what he'd wanted to know.
And it made her give a smile.
Does Yomi expect Kurama to do the same to me as Youko did to him?
She ran her nose along his jaw as a small sound left her lips, somewhere between a little laugh and a sigh.
"Nothing you don't already know about," she answered back, eyes closing as she ran her nose along his jawline again. "And if I forgot it in the first place, would it really be deemed as important?" *
"Mm, maybe." Kurama responded. "Perhaps it was so important that you needed to forget it for a while so you would remember how important it really was."
~!**!~
Contentment.
That likely best described her feelings in that moment, in those moments.
Things were not perfect. She was still infected with whatever virus it was. She still had no capacity to return to her demonic form.
But really, were those things she absolutely needed in order to enjoy how far she had come? How far they had both come?
Her eyes opened, green and bright with liveliness.
I never knew how incomplete I really was until I became whole again.
Again?
...perhaps...for the first time.
She blinked at Hiei, lips pulling up into a crooked smile.
(You're alright, kid.) 3
Hiei watched Shikiyoku calmly, his eyes taking in every plane of her features, every shadow cast by her hair, every muscle that twitched when she slowly formed a sidelong smile. He raised a brow at her in response to her… 'praise'.
"Hn."
He let his eyes close again.
(Same to you, woman.)
~!**!~
A small laugh broke past Akari's lips. "You got me." Not that it had the effect Yomi probably wanted it to. *
Kurama stretched out his neck and shoulders, feeling his internal clock going off, warning him that if he did not leave soon he would likely incite Yomi's ire.
They had a meeting of some importance or another today.
Not that he had forgotten what the meeting was about, mind. But in all honesty it was the next steps in the war that really needed to be hammered out instead of batting ideas back and forth, chewing the same knowledge over and over again as if it were going to produce some new revelation. And he was getting bored with it all.
All three kings had within their ranks demons able to traverse the layers, to use the inbetween as transport in order to scout out the Ninth Layer, and the throne.
But all three seemed to have come to a tentative stand-off, each waiting for the other to slip up or to make the first move.
And whoever did would likely have the other two turning on them first.
Kurama felt as if they were all bunkering down for a siege, each waiting for something clever to strike them that would turn the odds in their favor.
He let out a sigh.
~!**!~
For once, Shikiyoku could let her eyes close and relax into the arms of the one who held her without need for worry or concern about what lie ahead, free to let her mind wander off and not feel guilty, not needing to address any issues whatsoever other than the current one that consisted of falling asleep right here.
And sleep she did, dreaming only of the one beside her. 3
Hiei shifted a little before he relaxed again, listening to the soft breathing of the girl next to him as she fell into slumber. It was calming, laying there with no thoughts to mull over, no threat that they had to deal with or even a possibility of such at the moment, and no threat of being even remotely disturbed except by the other- which he didn't qualify as a disturbance of any kind.
And the longer he listened to Shikiyoku's breathing, the easier it became for his own breathing to match hers, and before too long he too was asleep, dreamless for the first time in a long time.
~!**!~
Do I have to get up?
Akari could feel Kurama stretching, lengthening his body out a little, and the thought just happened to run across her mind to check what time of day it was. She'd gotten so lost in time for a while, and when she realized it was likely after dinner time, she blinked.
I don't want to.
Akari slowly shifted around too, even pulling a little away from Kurama so when she huffed out a breath at the cracking bones, she wouldn't be blowing the puff of air right in his face. And when she relaxed again, it wasn't near as close to him as she had been, because that would only make it that much harder for the both of them.
And that thought issued a groan from her.
"Early in the morning again?" she asked, lips twitching into a sly smile.. "I'd rather not be yanked from bed again." *
Kurama narrowed his eyes at her playfully, loosening his hold and then finally releasing her to pull one arm under his head and lay the other along his side.
"You don't want me to fetch you. I do believe I have said that before." 3
"I take that as a yes." Akari rolled so she lay on her stomach, arms under her head as she considered the other. "You're probably the only person who could actually sneak into my room without actually sneaking. I didn't even know you were there until you had me out the door." That's kind of scary. I knew Takeo was there every time.
Or does that mean your presence has no reason to alarm me?
"I almost decided to drop you through a shadow, had it not been that bright red hair of yours that is so eye-catching." *
"Remind me to never dye my hair in that case." Kurama rolled over onto his back. "I'd much rather be stuck with red hair than stuck in a shadow."
After a second he sat up.
"I think just before dawn ought to be good. But there are meetings every afternoon for the next three days, so we will have to cut our time short." 3
Akari's smile turned sly. "I'd know it had been you… eventually." She moved her arms out from under her head and placed her hands firmly on the grass, pushing herself up until she was standing before she responded to Kurama's information. "I hope you enjoy sitting in a boring room. I'll be napping in my warm, cozy bed. Probably."
She stuck her tongue out at him and moved away, towards the direction she knew the door to be. "...meetings suck." *
Kurama stood, staring after her but not moving to follow.
"Don't forget to look like I said something particularly scathing when you leave." He called after her. "Unless you need motivation, in which case I'm sure I could come up with something." 3
Akari didn't even pause, her smile widening briefly before disappearing.
"Nope. All I have to do is think about that stupid smile on Yomi's face."
And even as she spoke the words and the image came to mind, Akari's own expression began to reflect the instant irritation that welled.
"And the idiots in the halls."
And Takeo.
She paused now, turning to look at Kurama with narrowed eyes and a scowl to match the glare. "Happy?"
And as another thought passed, she found it even the more easier to feign anger, which she could feel reaching her eyes.
Satisfied and not waiting for an answer, she turned and continued moving for the door. *
Kurama managed to resist the laugh he wanted to cast in her direction, instead turning and heading toward the Speakers plants to make some adjustments on them and wait for Akari to actually leave the room.
Yomi won't care for your tardiness.
Then it was a good thing he set his internal clock early enough to make time. Kurama still had a few minutes, and the room was not that far. 3
As she walked, Akari released a large sigh of irritation. It really had almost been too easy to fall into it, the anger that had built up during her stay here. And she knew Takeo had very specifically aimed for her to get mad enough to break the barrier she kept being thrown back from.
She'd done well in not losing that tempter….
Until she'd ended up killing the demon.
Akari's hand grasped at the door and pulled it open, and when she was in the hall, she made sure to actually slam it shut behind her before turning and moving towards her room, glaring ahead at the path of demons who looked on.
Yes, I'm in night clothes. Yes, I know you saw me dragged from my room this morning.
No, I do not care.
And those stares only made it fuel the anger more.
The only part of it that's a charade is who I'm supposed to be angry at. *
Kurama timed his exit to occur within the next five minutes, calmly leaving the room and turning down the hall to where Yomi and the others would be expecting him.
There were no guards at the door this time, which Kurama only took note of in passing until he entered the room and let the door shut behind him only to see that Yomi sat on the other side of the long table...and that there was no one else in the room.
Kurama paused after getting a few steps in the door.
"Was I mistaken in believing we had a general war meeting this evening?" Kurama asked lightly, not moving from where he had come to a standstill.
"You were not." Yomi replied, "However the personnel required to attend the meeting changed. You were not told because your presence was still required. Feel free to have a seat, Kurama."
This...could be very bad.
And Kurama expected the worst.
After only a moment of silence, of internal debate, Kurama sat down in the chair nearest him, the one at the foot of the table opposite Yomi.
"We have received news that Mukuro sent out another message to this 'Shikiyoku.' We decided to let it go through so we could find out more about who the letter was meant for."
Kurama did not answer.
"It appears I should have asked you sooner about the demon, Kurama. According to my sources, you know Shikiyoku quite well. As does Youko. Has he been informed that she has finally taken a mate?"
A pause. Kurama said nothing.
"Oh, I am sorry. Mate is not quite the word I mean. I believe the correct term is 'Consort.'" 3
Akari stalked all the way up to her room, even locking the door behind her as had become custom. She ran a hand through the disgusting tangles in her hair while the other hand pulled the large t=shirt away from her skin as if it burned her.
It's a wonder I didn't scare anyone away.
She grabbed clothes from the drawers nearby and then moved for the bathroom, even locking that door as she peeled one article of clothing away after another, letting them drop to the floor in her small trek, a hand sliding into the shower to turn the knob.
And while she waited for the water to warm up, she closed her eyes and decided to test the layers again.
And again she was booted right back to this one. *
"I must say, Kurama, I never expected to run across her again. I thought she was long gone, a distant memory, taken by the same Spirit World goons that hunted down Youko all those years ago." Yomi leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and interlacing his fingers. "But you've known her all along, haven't you? Or at least long enough."
"What are your plans, Yomi?"
"I was about to ask you that, Kurama. I think your expertise here could prove quite useful given that you already have a standing rapport with her. And I can only imagine Youko would be interested in having a hand in stealing her away from her new Consort. From what I hear, his election into the position was fairly assured, especially with the deaths of Douji and Kitoushi."
Kurama blinked.
He hadn't known about that part. He remember who those two were, even if he had never met them directly himself. The demon boy of the Northern Tribe and Youko's very own cousin.
Dead?
"It doesn't matter. What does is that there are now two Kuraku, one on the throne and one to challenge it. I think that's an angle we can shoot for, don't you? It might just turn the tide of the war in our favor."
"And what do you plan to do, Yomi?"
"What do you think we should do, Kurama?"
"You wish to challenge the current Ruler under the ploy of instating Shikiyoku as the new one."
Yomi gave a little nod.
"To my knowledge, she knows nothing of the throne and nothing of how to rule. She was banished from those lands only just able to walk and talk."
"Setting aside the fact that the knowledge is in her very blood, how do you think she might feel of issuing the challenge and, upon winning, abdicate the throne?"
"To you?"
"Naturally."
Kurama considered Yomi from across the table.
"She is not a fighter."
"Neither is the first Kuraku."
"The current ruler has much more experience than her. It would not be an easy challenge for her to win."
"Ah, but she is the rightful heir, the prodigal daughter, the true monarch. The man who sits there now stole the position dishonestly."
"Much like you plan to?"
"I would do no such thing. A throne taken by force? She will hand it to me, willingly forfeit her title."
"And what makes you think she would fight the King for it in the first place?"
"That's where you come in, Kurama."
"Me?"
"I plan on sending you and the lieutenant commander to retrieve Shikiyoku from the address that my spies will provide. It is your job to make sure she returns with you, or at the very least never makes it within the walls of Mukuro's fortress."
"You believe Mukuro has the same plan in mind as yourself?"
"No, I am certain Mukuro will insist on not taking that path. That's why he wants her in the first place. Don't you agree?"
"If he gets Shikiyoku, he prevents either yourself from using her to raise yourself to the throne and he stops Raizen from putting her on the throne himself."
"Exactly. Anarchy. That's always been Mukuro's goal. And it is the angle he will take to persuade her to join his cause."
"It will not be so easy, I think. She expressed in no uncertain terms that she would refrain from participating in the war in any capacity. Youko attempted to have her chose him as Consort before we came here in part to have her on your side, or at the very least on no one elses."
Yomi gave a little hum to indicate he had heard what Kurama said. "She may wish to claim neutrality, but the truth is she has the strongest stance of us all."
~!**!~
The smallest of sounds in the house perked Shikiyoku's attention even in her sleep, as it had been so quiet up until that moment.
At least, any noise-her and Hiei's breathing and occasional shifting-was either steady or the source was well known enough that it never cause her to do anything more than barely note it somewhere in her head that quickly filed it away as unimportant.
The air of the room, the sense of the temperature, and weight of the day outside told her it was in fact still morning, and given that there had only been the one alien discord to interrupt the harmony of slumber it did not at first register as much within her subconscious. Especially since there was no accompanying presence or alarm.
Her ears twitched though. Once. Right as whatever it was had hit the table. Tapped it really. Landed, perhaps.
As vague awareness trickled into her thoughts, she drew the top of one foot back to scratch at the calf of the other leg, then let it rest there on top. Somehow she ended scooted up even farther than she started out: when she fell asleep she had the distinct remembrance of being eye-level with Hiei, one arm slipped under his neck and the other resting over it. At some point, though, her whole body moved upwards until the bridge of her nose rested in the middle of the white star of hair above his forehead, the tip of it just touching his hair line and the rest of her face tilted down, her chin tucked towards her chest, in careful consideration of the bandana for the Jagan. Instead of her forearms being up against his neck, they were instead partially resting against the back of his head, her hands unintentionally buried in his hair, the tips of her fingers brushing against his scalp.
Her eyes darted around underneath her eyelids, in the middle of some dream she felt herself slowly being pulled away from, called by the faint 'plop' that had happened moments before.
She made the tiniest noise of unhappiness and frowned. 3
There was the tiniest of sounds that hummed in the back of Hiei's throat as he shifted just a little, the darkness of sleep lightening just a little. He hadn't taken the precaution to have the Jagan constantly sweeping the area during his nap, because he hadn't seen the need to do as such. And even in his sleep, when something just touched the edge of his awareness, his brain filed it away as something that was not necessary for the Jagan to investigate. There was no need afterall, since there was no sign of a threat.
So while he had slipped back towards that dreamless state of sleeping, the fire demon found himself being pulled back into awareness again with the shifting of the person he felt his arms encircling, one hand having gathered a good grip on the shirt of the person as if they'd been moving too much at some point, the other arm pinned between that body and the couch.
And there was this itch. Every time he shifted his head a little, whether it be to rub his nose against the material nearby for a small itch there, or simply because it was time to move a little more, there was the oddest sensation of something stuck in his hair.
Which had him sleepily releasing the material he had been holding and removing his arm from the warmth of the other person so that he may rub at the spot that itched.
When he found fingers instead of… whatever he'd been expecting, his hand retreated and his arm again looped over the midsection of Shikiyoku, who he even shifted closer to as if he thought she might leave.
He was teetering on the edge of awareness when she made a sound, which became the deciding factor and ended up pulling his eyes open to see the skin of her neck and the collar of her shirt. He let his eyes close again, satisfied in knowing she hadn't moved away.
~!**!~
As Akari's hand slid away from the knob of the shower, the last drops from the showerhead dripping quietly to the tile floor, she rubbed the towel over her head and reached for a second, pausing and letting the towel atop her cranium rest for a moment as she wrapped the second about herself and gathered the dirty clothing from the floor.
Layers?
She really didn't feel like trying to figure out the layers at the moment. In fact, the hot water had almost put her to sleep, and really, it had her considering another option.
If I fall asleep and wake as a spirit, I could use the opportunity to figure out how to get back on my own.
Yes… that was a much more interesting and pressing matter to deal with at that moment. Yomi's men could be sent elsewhere when Yomi decided his men were to be sent. She had time, even if she did want to continue to figure out the layers beforehand.
And she wasn't quite so sure that he'd believe her the first time she said she could go to the Ninth Layer. Not after all of the trouble it had been.
So, that would take up more time.
...Perhaps I'll learn to control it instead of simply wandering?
Each thought that passed was brief, and by the time she was sitting on the bed, completely dressed, she had already deduced what she knew wouldn't work when she wore the necklace- which she assumed would soon be a prominent thing for a good while.
So when she did curl up underneath the covers, it took a good deal to quiet her brain before she could fall asleep, which put her right where she'd wanted to be.
Standing at the side of her bed, staring at her own body. *
As if of one mind, Yomi and Kurama sat back in their seats, Kurama crossing his arms over his chest and Yomi letting his wrists sit on either thigh.
They had a plan.
And a damn good one at that, Kurama had to admit.
Yomi was much more rational now, a demon Kurama could find equal grounding with.
He also noticed how carefully Yomi took into consideration every little thing Kurama had to say, the two of them weaving together something Kurama could legitimately say might actually work.
Of course, it all centered around Shikiyoku's willingness to join them, and neither he nor Yomi had any way of controlling her or her actions, but they both hoped that perhaps by sitting her down and presenting her with their plan she mind concede it was sound and agree to assist them.
First thing first: to retrieve her.
Kurama warned Yomi that it would be likely he would not only be receiving Shikiyoku, but her new Consort as well, which Yomi's sources had informed him was the Cursed Child, Hiei Jaganshi.
It could...prove to be a wild card thrown into the deck that might unhinge their plans, but should Shikiyoku chose to come of her own accord, to at least listen to Yomi, Kurama could not see Hiei actually protesting.
At least he hoped Hiei would not protest.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's mouth opened in a small yawn, a little noise escaping her lips as she did it.
Her eyes fluttered open before releasing again, finding a strangeness in how bright the room felt but how her immediate sight had been of a darkness she could not place.
At least, she could not place it until she shifted again and her hands smoothed themselves down the back of Hiei's head to rest on either side of his neck.
Oops.
Somewhere, she supposed if he minded her position he would have moved her himself.
She pulled in a deep breath through her nose and her eyes opened again, blinking once before staying that way. 3
More shifting from the person against him, the rustling of his hair and that itching sensation again, and Hiei's eyes came open for the second time. He found it almost impossible not to give a small yawn and shift again, moving his shoulder so that his arm may not be so deadened here in a few moments.
He knew it was morning, but truth be told, he wasn't even sure if it was the same morning and they'd only slept a little while, or if it was a new day entirely. And his vision was bleary.
Nonetheless, he felt well rested and completely relaxed. He could still feel the residual heaviness from before he'd fallen asleep, but really, it was only at the back of his mind, as if he didn't exactly have to feel it if he didn't really want to address it at the moment.
So he left it there and gave a sound of content.
And the brilliant thing about the connection he could feel in his mind linking him to Shikiyoku? He didn't have to put his question of how she slept into actual words.
~!**!~
To test her earlier deductions, Akari had decided to close her eyes and will her spiritual self back into the physical body on the bed, had tried touching the arm and even laying in place of herself and found each result to be just as null and void as the first attempts she'd made a few days ago.
And for a while, it left her sitting on the opposite side of the bed, arms crossed and brows furrowed in thought.
There had to be a trick to it. Except she was beginning to feel restless, as if she needed to get up and move around, to wander.
She wasn't so sure that was a good idea, considering Yomi's listening ears. If he was listening.
She slipped her feet up onto the bed and fluidly moved to stand on the mattress, eyes staring down at herself and arms still crossed. She grumbled a few choice words as if there was anyone else around to hear them.
And again, since it was the only thing she could think of, she closed her eyes and willed herself to become one whole being. She concentrated hard on that thought, and after a while she found herself actually relaxing, her restlessness dripping away and an odd sense of calm falling over her.
She took a deep breath as she lowered herself to sitting crosslegged on top of the covers, fingers locked in her lap and eyes still closed.
Not so bad.
Another long, deep breath, and even the shadows in the room stilled as if they were going to sleep. A small smile formed on her lips. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open and lifted her head, vision blurred and the only thing registering in that vision was a dark form in front of her.
She blinked and that form came into focus, causing her to lurch back and fall from the bed, away from the nose that nearly touched her own and the eyes that stared at her and at the same time through her, pulling the covers with her and creating noise as her own voice filled the room, but not from her current state of self.
"We're playing with a dangerous thing."
She stared up at the edge of the bed she'd fallen from, watching herself standing on the edge and looking down where no one should have been able to see the spiritual form of herself.
"We're not meant to be here."
And then Akari was sitting upright in bed, the covers around her waist and the image of her own body standing in front of her with the most twisted, darkened expression ingrained into her brain. And the timbre of her voice…
And as she looked around the room and saw the shadows in the room each moving as they should be, none reacting to a threat, she realized she had been dreaming the whole time. *
~!**!~
She didn't really...feel like moving, though she had to admit her curiosity for whatever thing had been placed on the table.
Letting out the large breath she took in, Shikiyoku considered the impression Hiei sent her.
(I haven't slept like that since…)
Well. That was strange.
She wracked her mind for an instance, a frame of time, in which to compare her sleep.
And came up with nothing.
(...ever.)
The realization had her eyes closing as she smiled, sending Hiei her answer coupled with the pleased notion that he was the source of how well-rested she felt.
(And you?) 3
Hiei considered Shikiyoku's answer for a moment before he drew in a breath and shifted his shoulder around, feeling the odd sensation tingling through the arm that had previously been numbed. He relaxed again with a sense of satisfaction.
At the return of his silent question being aimed at him, Hiei's answer was quick in the form of pleasant metaphorical nod of affirmation, accompanied with the feeling of complete and utter satisfaction and the feeling of being worry-free.
And then curiosity.
(What stirred you?) *
While she did not actually do so, there was this definite impression of her flicking her eyes at the table all the way on the other side of the room near the kitchen, seeing it from the top as if she stood over it.
And in the middle?
A letter.
Probably. She didn't really know what had fallen, but the noise her brain provided her with simply placed the sound as something more letter-ish than perhaps a package or something heavier.
She wryly mirrored his own curiosity, bending hers at whatever object actually came to rest on the table.
...which she had yet to rise to investigate. 3
(Ah.)
He supposed that explained the very first time he'd began to lean towards awareness. But it also meant that whoever had come in and out was powerful enough to hide themselves from both of their sensibilities, getting in and out without being noticed until whatever had touched the table had made some sort of noise or another.
He considered getting up to investigate.
...He could.
But did that mean he wanted to?
Absolutely not.
His eyelids came closed and he shifted down, slinking down further into the couch cushion.
And yet that curiosity grew.
(We should look.)
But he didn't move either. *
It's probably important.
It probably should be looked at.
Who the hell would send you anything?
(And employ a layer-runner at that?)
Kafu. Horu. Uryo.
(It isn't as if you are entirely without contacts.) It could be from Rae-don't care-or even Renai-eeh-or quite possibly...
Youko?
He had left to join the war, didn't he? Could it be news of that?
...if she had to guess, he knew she had not picked him, as his mark would have disappeared just like any other stray ones she missed along the way.
(It could be some sort of complaint about that fact.)
If it was a complaint, it was likely more of a tirade, since the fox had assumed his place at her side was a sure-thing.
(Probably expected me to come crawling to him and beg him to-)
...
(Ass.) 3
Hiei didn't get everything she was thinking about, only certain little snippets here and there of some possibility or another, and each one made his lips turn into a wider smirk of amusement than the other. And while he was completely amused, it also made that curiosity grow.
Because while she didn't exactly give him the name of the one who would be complaining, he did have a general idea.
There were only so many, after all.
And the thought of someone complaining via letter was…
Entertaining.
He let out a scoff and was suddenly moving, his arms releasing Shikiyoku so that if she did not wish to get up, she did not have to.
He'd bring it to her if that was the case.
Because while he was her Consort, he'd only read if she wanted him to.
So he slid away from the couch and meandered towards the kitchen table.
(Might as well.) *
There was only a small sense of unhappiness as Hiei left her, and not only for the fact that the couch was all the colder without him, and when he rose, she slipped her left shoulder out from underneath her and slid onto her back, her left side catching the last vestiges of warmth Hiei left behind as she stretched her arms above her head and lengthened her legs down the couch, ending up with her left knee bent and leaning against the back of it and forgoing lowering her arms, wrapping them around the arm of the couch and closing her eyes, half wishing she might fall asleep again.
(If it's Youko, I'm going to slap him so hard…) 3
Hiei had to resist the scoff that time, but he didn't resist the widening of his sneer at the thought, at the image that crossed his mind's eye very briefly. Amusing, to say the least. While he hadn't caught the whole thought, there had been just enough of the impression passing through to create the image. He dismissed it, however.
(If you're staying, I'm returning. Leave me room or I'll sit on you instead.)
He paused and leaned into one of the kitchen chairs, stretching his back as he simultaneously looked at the blank envelope. A frown quickly replaced the smirk he had been wearing, because he was more than certain Youko would have stamped it with the smell of a flower or another, if not an actual flower itself.
No matter his emotions on the matter.
He slid the paper away from the center of the table and turned it over, finding just as many markings on the other side as the first: none.
(Nothing.)
He turned and moved for the living room again, letter at his side and eyes on the couch.
He wouldn't mind curling up again. *
Shikiyoku only expressed a half-hearted protest at being forced to move, and only since the position she obtained felt rather comfortable.
The other half of her wanted him to come back and she shifted again, bringing her right shoulder underneath her this time and backing up against the back of the couch with her left hand catching her weight when she threatened to roll forward.
(Nothing?)
She frowned.
(Any one of the people I might expect correspondence from would leave some sort of calling card or another. A mark I would associate with them. Something.)
(Strange.) 3
Hiei gave the impression of a nod as he circled the couch and extended the paper envelope to her. (I thought so.) He lowered himself to the edge of the couch, stretching out his body the full length it could go before relaxing again, watching her curiously. *
She took it from him with her left hand, shifting a little so she would lean back into the couch.
The paper seemed...thick. More like parchment.
Shikiyoku flipped it over, half-expecting a seal with a ribbon underneath it, like one of the invitations for some high-end ball or party back in her seductress days.
A sniff of the air gave her nothing but Hiei's scent, which while her eyes were still on the letter, did curl her lips upwards a little, though the frown still sat across her brow while she considered the thing.
(Seamless too.)
(Folded?)
Shifting more so that her other shoulder would come out from under her, trapping her pleasantly between Hiei and the couch, Shikiyoku reached up and ran a finger along the shorter edge, feeling that there should be a part that allowed her to slip her finger between the folded-over page, but finding none.
The other side was the same.
(Ah.)
Remembering something from a long time ago, Shikiyoku ran a finger from short-edge, across the parchment, to the other side, her touch leaving behind a small trail of yellow energy.
Another frown and she flipped the letter over in her hands to the backside, doing the same.
Her eyes lit up when this time she was rewarded with her energy staying on the paper for a second before gathering together right in the middle and making a glowing yellow heart-shape before the glow disappeared and a seal came into view.
And at the sight of the seal her fingers twitched as if she wanted to drop it, distaste for whatever was likely inside quite evident. 3
Hiei's eyes had slid away from Shikiyoku's face and to the letter, watching her fingers search methodically for a way to open it. Here and there he got slight impressions or another from her that were laced with a twinge of consternation, but otherwise he couldn't exactly read her fully.
And for some reason, his amusement about the thing disappeared as he noticed how many different tactics she had to try in order for it to finally accept her energy and bloom a seal he couldn't see.
(Someone didn't want it opened by another.)
And he could feel her distaste, her silent protest of some sort that drew his eyes up to her face again.
Someone important, it seemed.
And he sent her the impression of patience, reminding her he was there.
(Might as well get it over with.) *
Not out of a need of reassurance that he was in fact beside her, for she already could sense this steady sort of contentment that she felt a little surprised she had begun to associate with him being this close, but more of a habit really, her eyes flickered in his direction as she gave a little smile before looking back at the letter.
And letting out a sigh.
(...do I have to?)
She felt she already knew what the letter would contain.
Though there was a bit of...surprise? perhaps? in the fact that this seal with neither Yomi's nor Raizen's.
(This...is from Mukuro.) 3
Hiei hadn't replied to her first silent inquiry, sensing another thought slowly traversing his way as she reluctantly informed him of who it was from.
And for a moment he didn't give her a response of any kind aside from a blink. Couldn't even formulate a response.
Yes, he knew who Mukuro was. For a long while, he'd avoided the Eighth Layer simply because he didn't care for the war that had been brewing for as long as he could remember. He didn't care for the beings who fought to rule over one another, because he hadn't been involved.
And from what he understood, this one was the strongest, cruelest of them all.
Which had him blinking again.
If it was from such a being, did that mean the war was advancing faster than before?
She could toss it aside, but he had a feeling it wasn't something one did with a letter from one of the three kings.
(...open it.)
He was reluctant too, but he knew there was a reason for it. And he also already knew that he didn't like that reason for the letter. *
Shikiyoku gave out a little groan.
(But I don't want to go to war.)
(And who knows what Mukuro has planned for me.)
(If she knows who I am, then Raizen and Yomi do too and I-)
Another groan.
(I'm probably better off dead.) 3
Hiei sighed internally and reached for the letter, deciding if she wasn't going to open it, then he was. She'd already brought the seal forth, after all.
And it was highly likely they were being watched, to ensure she got the letter anyway. *
Shikiyoku narrowed her eyes playfully at him and twitched the letter away from his reach.
(My letter.)
Watching him, she broke the seal and slipped her fingers underneath the fold, giving out a heavy sigh and bending back the top page just enough to see the introduction, noting that there was a second page under the first.
(To: The Second Kuraku, Shikiyoku, Demon of Duality, Daughter of Omoni-Demon of Desire, Former Ruler of The Ninth Level-and Heir Apparent of what is now the Ninth Layer of the Joined Dimensions;
From: What is now the Eighth Layer of the Joined Dimensions, and from myself, Mukuro, Demon of Rage, Ruler of the Southern Sector of the Eighth Layer: greetings.)
(...you've got to be kidding me.) 3
Hiei… hadn't been expecting such an introduction.
And it had him giving the loudest scoff he'd ever made. Even if the entire demon populace knew who this demon was- and he was pretty sure every demon alive knew who Mukuro was- then that intro would have either done the job for them…
Or set them into laughing at the amount of ego behind the words.
(Chatty.)
(I don't like him.)
(Useless information that everyone already knows.)
(….)
(Next.) *
Shikiyoku glanced over at him.
First of all:
(Her. Mukuro is a woman.) 3
Now that was new.
(Hn.)
Everyone had always referred to Mukuro as a king, simply because of how he- she?- hid behind the mask-like bindings around her head and hi-her- reputation for cruelty matched- no, surpassed that of the other kings.
(...Okay.)
(Next.) *
('King,' is only a title, a job. Genderless. 'Queen' of Demon World is another occupation entirely.)
(...she prefers that people do not know, however.)
The next impression was...confliction about the introduction.
While Shikiyoku had not 'grown up in court' at the Palace, her years as the seductress had taught her much about the formalities one might expect.
...and it was perhaps her own title that bothered her more than Mukuro's.
...okay, it was her own title that bothered her much more than Mukuro's.
Second Kuraku...Demon of Duality...Daughter of...
Omoni.
She had not thought about her mother's name in a very long time. And being no longer considered a 'Demon of Desire' herself had never been made so painfully clear before, bringing up thoughts that had her jaw flexing as her teeth clenched together in her mouth, thoughts whirling around a loss of identity, her tainted energy...
Coupled with, (I don't want to be the Heir.) 3
Hiei's scowl deepened as moments ticked by, seconds turning to minutes and Shikiyoku's thoughts spiraling downward, her emotions getting darker. He continued to watch her for a moment before he broke in with a feeling of content with who she was.
Followed briefly by: (what do you desire?)
He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the wrist that held the letter and tugged her hand down to rest on the couch, attempting to draw her eyes to his.
(Look at me.)
(...what do you desire?) *
(To have nothing to do with it.)
She readily met his gaze.
(To spend each moment with you.)
But that's not what this letter was about, was it?
The long lost, the last, of her line. The kings probably expect her to take the throne back, or at the very least assist them in obtaining it.
...likely on the threat of her own life if she did not. 3
Hiei raised a brow.
He had already known that.
He gave a small frown, guessing very easily what she was thinking in regards to the letter, after her repeating the titles addressed to her. He remembered her showing him of the day she'd been banished, and how she'd overcome that mesmer with his own help. And how she'd walked away, wanting nothing to do with the title that people saw as hers.
And he knew she wanted nothing to do with anything to do with any of it. At all.
So it was easy to guess how she thought Mukuro, like the other kings, would likely want her to take the throne.
Except..
(Mukuro is the one who does not wish for things to change, yes?) If that was so, wouldn't that mean he- no, she wouldn't want that to change as well?
(Keep reading.) *
Shikiyoku only paused a moment longer, resolved to read on, but-
(Mukuro wishes to destroy the throne. To be rid of any ruling powers.)
Her eyes went to the letter as she unfolded it further.
(And that likely means being/getting rid of me.)
Scanning the page before reading it, she snorted.
(If you thought the introduction was eloquent, you're going to love the rest of this stuff.)
...
(And as well, a word of congratulations to Cursed Child, Gouka, Hiei of the Evil Eye, Master of the Darkness Flame, for his recent elevation as Consort to Kuraku.)
(Kuraku,
Your recent exploits in the battle against the invading dead have not gone unnoticed by my people, and it is because of your prowess that I investigated further and am now extending the invitation to have you join me in my cause.
It has come to my attention via these investigations that the conflict between myself and my enemies is no secret to you, and neither is it a secret to me that you have thus far expressed no intentions of overthrowing the current Ruling Family and claiming your birthright.
Know that my summons for your presence is not borne out of a desire to place you on the throne as Raizen might wish, nor do I intend to see you challenge the throne only to abdicate it to myself as I am sure Yomi is planning. Instead, I would offer you haven from either of them, protection at my fortress, with the understanding that whatever knowledge you have of the recent events is yours to do with as you please.
However, since the sudden revealing of the existence of the Tenth Layer, the Veil, that which has been come to be called 'inbetween' among the public, my enemies have begun to rally powerful demons to their side who can traverse the layers as we all believe it is through harnessing this power we shall gain the upper hand and succeed in the impending invasion of the Ninth Layer, and, at the last, the Palace.
It is now no longer a fight for control of the entryways into the Ninth Level-which has for decades placed us at a stalemate since the denizens below covet the knowledge of passage and have forever denied us-but instead we race to obtain a way between, and have found that way through those demons capable of moving between and circumventing the need for those entryways.
We each strive to increase the number of those in our ranks who can do so.
And that is where we circle back to you.
Should you freely choose to accept my invitation and find me in the Mobile Fortress, I will spare no expense at the endeavour to cure you of the disease I am told you have been plagued with. There is a lab here fully equipped and assigned to you, as well as a staff intended to be at your disposal should you decide to you have need of them.
But know this, Kuraku: Should you decide to reject me, I will not hesitate to kill, to hunt you and Gouka down myself. I will not allow either Raizen or Yomi the opportunity to use you as they see fit.
I look forward to seeing you.
-Mukuro) 3
Hiei felt as if he was actually reading the letter over her shoulder, each word coming to mind as if his own eyes scanned the heavy parchment. And at the very first paragraph, he'd given a small sound of amusement- I worked hard for it, thank you- and promptly continued concentrating, listening as it were, to the words that his mind picked from the bond between them, reading at almost the same rate as the person reading it first hand.
He'd been quickly intrigued with the passage concerning her disease being cured. It seemed to grab his attention in a vice-like grip and refuse to let his mind register the rest, the Jagan coming open to reread that one passage all over again to make sure he'd understood it correctly.
It would be…
Having that sickness alleviated from her would be wonderful. It would lift a bit of the weight at the back of his mind, would help him to know that even if they ended up separated by some means or another, she'd be safe should she switch. Because he now felt it critical to plan everything out one step at a time, to plan for the event of a separation, just in case.
And now that Mukuro had entered the picture, it seemed to add to that, making the gears in his head turn.
...But if the disease was eliminated…
He blinked and cleared his mind in time to hear the last passage, and displeasure set in clear on his features.
All three kings knew of her by this point, that much was evident. And all three had their own uses for her. And all three would very likely offer the same thing Mukuro had, if not in so many words.
A chance to cure her own disease. A shot at the throne.
A throne she didn't want.
Which is what seemed to make this demon top contender, if they didn't have a say at all.
Which, he felt they didn't.
Because while he'd be agreeing for Shikiyoku's sake, to keep her from being hunted, he knew she'd be agreeing for his sake, to keep him from being hunted.
His scowl deepened and he let his eyes close.
….At least she wouldn't be thrown to the throne… *
Shikiyoku did not want to do it.
Did not want to get involved, did not want to so much as set foot on the Eighth Layer.
Not ever.
And not now especially, since apparently everyone and their demon sibling knew of her existence. Of her stupid bloodline, her legacy.
(And that damn throne has nothing to do with ruling anything.)
Not that she would know, exactly, having never held the position.
But was Renai really doing all that bad of a job?
...at least he was leaving her alone. And he had known the whole time of her background.
Raizen would put her on the throne. Yomi would have her challenge Renai and then pass the position to him. And Mukuro?
(...there's no way I can be left alive and at the same time fulfill Mukuro's wishes.)
Shikiyoku didn't even care about the blasted offer to help find a cure.
(Why cure me when you're just going to kill me anyway?)
Shikiyoku made a noise of unhappiness and nestled up against Hiei, her thoughts reflecting the noise she just made until-
(Gouka, huh?)
(...it suits you.) 3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! BOOP! -Star