A/N: Hello once again, Fanficdotnet Lovelies!
Your friendly, neighborhood Star here with another chapter!
Symbols Guide:
* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for 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!
Akari realizes that Yomi and Youko
were part of the same gang a long time ago,
and wonders to herself if Yomi expects Kurama
to do the same thing to her that Youko did to Yomi.
Eventually she leaves the training room,
and Kurama soon follows after,
heading to meet Yomi for the scheduled war meeting.
Upon arrival, only Yomi is there,
and as Kurama sits down, Yomi reveals
that Mukuro sent a letter to a "Shikiyoku,"
and that Yomi has discovered the relationship
between both Kurama, and Youko in the distant past,
stating that he does remember her,
though he thought those that took down Youko
had also disposed of Shikiyoku as well.
Kurama discovers that both Kitoushi and Douji are dead,
and that Shikiyoku has taken Hiei as her Consort.
Yomi's plan is to have Shikiyoku challenge the throne,
and her then immediately abdicate it to Yomi.
He plans to have Kurama fetch her,
convince her that the plan is sound,
and bring her back to the Eighth to join them.
Meanwhile, as soon as Akari falls asleep,
she finds her spirit once more out side of her body,
eventually being scared back into herself by a voice she does not know...
~!**!~
Having slept soundly next to Hiei on the couch in Toriko's home,
Shikiyoku is awakened by a letter delivered onto the table.
It is from Mukuro, informing Shikiyoku that all Three Kings
know of her and her connection to the throne of the Ninth Layer.
Apparently, Raizen wishes to return her to that throne,
Yomi wants her to obtain the throne and pass it to him,
but Mukuro offers Shikiyoku sanctuary
and all of the science at her disposal
to research a means to rid Shikiyoku of her disease.
And Mukuro promises to hunt down and kill
both Shikiyoku and Hiei
should the offer be refused...
Hiei refrained from answering, the wheels in his mind turning over and over. He'd already considered what Shikiyoku had pointed out, about Mukuro killing her at the end of it all. And he had tried not to think about it. Yes, he wanted the answer to her illness, the one that threatened her life every time she was put in a dangerous situation….
Which could become much more frequent if they didn't respond accordingly to Mukuro's letter.
But he knew without a doubt that if they didn't go, Mukuro would hunt her to the end of the line, and the fire demon knew his own limits. He wouldn't do much against someone of that standing, even with the Jagan and in his full demonic form.
Mukuro would very likely simply bat the dragon aside as if it were a fly.
...They could go to the Ninth Layer, sit in the spot she'd called home for so very long. The place where the fire resides and the trees harvested fruits of all kind. It would be easy to take sanctuary there.
...but even then he knew it wouldn't keep them concealed forever.
And quite frankly, Hiei was not one to simply sit around because a demon posed a challenge, a threat.
(…..It's different this time.)
He made an unhappy sound.
He didn't…
(You are not going to be hunted for the next few millennia.)
But again, he wasn't certain it wouldn't come to that at the very end of it all.
(...is that all it says?) *
Shikiyoku nodded into his chest, holding the two pages up for a moment in case he wished to take them and read for himself.
She sighed.
(At least with Yomi or Raizen, I would be assured of my purpose.)
No matter how...strongly she felt against that purpose.
In fact, as soon as she mentioned it, her stomach clenched as she felt sick.
(With Mukuro, I would have my freedom. We would have our freedom.)
Because who the hell knew what might happen to Hiei if she somehow took the throne.
Renai stole it. His circumstances were different.
She paused.
(...we could...always run to Renai.) 3
Hiei felt himself tense a little. He didn't know this Renai, except what he'd done. He didn't trust that demon.
Then again, he didn't trust any of the three kings either.
(…)
(And be on the receiving end of the wrath from all three kings at once, along with the fox and the fool?) *
(Alright. Fine.)
(He's really not all that bad though.)
There was a certain fondness associated with the demon, a kinship for a being, for the only being, in the nine layers who had been through exactly what she had been through, all the way from Demon of Desire to Demon of Duality.
She conceded that her idea wasn't likely any better than the other two, however.
(Should Renai fall, we would likely be facing whatever of the three had triumphed over the other two anyway, no?)
Shikiyoku let out a nonsensical, grumbling sigh. 3
They were making circles, it felt like. He found himself right back where he'd been. He considered their ability to run through the layers, and how easy it would be to lose track of another using such tactics. But again, he found himself faced with the idea of not wanting to hide. Not wanting to sit around because Shikiyoku's life was counting on it.
Not that it wouldn't be easy to draw certain amounts of demons in certain directions.
It was likely the true fire would help in such a situation, now that he considered it.
...which almost had him convinced such a tactic would work.
(I'd rather deal with fewer than all that are available at the beginning.)
In the very least, if it came down to it, when everything was over everyone would have worn themselves thin in some way or another. And they could use the layers then if necessary.
The ranks would be fewer too.
Less of a hassle to deal with so many at once.
Many would die in this war.
…
He repeated that same unhappy sound.
(We aren't running from today on. Neither of us would be up for it for very long before we'd get sick of it.) *
It wasn't that the thought of running particularly bothered her, or rather, the thought of being on the run, since she knew for every step of the way the demon next to her would stay next to her, but at the same time-
(Yomi may not be very old, but both Mukuro and Raizen are.)
And being on Mukuro's bad side was...a terrifying thought.
Because there was no doubt in her mind that the two who had been would-be Kings the longest were much, much more powerful than she.
Much faster. Much stronger.
(...I am no fighter.)
She knew nothing of war.
(...but I do not wish to become a runner either.)
(...and I do not wish for you to have to run.) 3
Hiei finally let his eyelids come open again to stare at Shikiyoku, watching her unblinkingly as he pulled the paper from her grasp and tossed it over himself, letting it fall onto the floor. He hadn't liked it in the beginning, and he sure as hell didn't like it now.
(We will go.) He sent the impression of the long-suffering sigh he almost gave. (You will utilize the labs for a cure to your sickness. I will…)
Hm.
He would what?
(Do whatever is necessary.)
(At the end, we will see how things go. If it comes to it, the layers are our best opportunity to get away. But only if it comes to it. )
(You will not be harmed if I am near.)
.(..I won't let them.) *
Masking her discomfort at the reminder that he would be subjected to whatever Mukuro had for him, and she obviously had plans or she would not have mentioned him, as Shikiyoku frowned, she slid her hand up until it reached the mark over Hiei's core, setting it aglow and feeling its yellow warmth spread all across his skin.
(...She will use you.)
And Shikiyoku didn't like that thought. 3
The fire demon had been well aware of that thought. He'd known from the beginning, as soon as he had been mentioned, that he would not be left alone to watch over her. In fact, he fully expected them to be separated for certain lengths amount of time.
His eyes traveled to look at her hand, an odd sense of… gentleness seeming to cross his mind for a moment. Of calm. As if her touch brought the eye of the storm so he may gather himself before the rest hit.
And boy was it going to hit, he knew.
(I will always come back to you.) *
(As if there was ever any doubt.)
It was the parting that bothered her, nearly as much as it bothered her to have him at someone else's beck and call.
She let out a chuckle.
(I don't like sharing.) 3
Hiei reveled in the little sound that came from her mouth, feeling his muscles relax a little from the tension that had unknowingly grown.
He didn't like it either. Nothing about this he liked, except the possibility of figuring out how to cure her damn sickness. That blasted, bloody, loathsome illness that had him on edge every time she shifted, had him borderline panicking in certain situations where her life was clearly hanging by a thread.
So the thought that she wouldn't have to deal with it for much longer seemed to soften the blow of being taken from her, even if it was only a little bit of a cushion.
One that likely wouldn't last long once he was out doing… whatever he would be doing.
(It won't last as long as it will seem. And I don't plan on leaving you alone long.) *
(Oh, I doubt I'll be alone.)
The thought came archly, accompanied by the thought of whatever demons Mukuro would see fit to put in her 'employ' as they worked for a cure. 3
Hiei scoffed.
(You know what I meant, woman.)
He shifted a little, bringing himself closer. (It will be… interesting for a while…)
Considering Yusuke and Kurama were involved as well.
Interesting indeed. *
(I suppose it was foolish of me to think I might get a chance to enjoy my new Consort.)
Laying around. Not having anything in particular to do.
Shikiyoku frowned.
(I guess this is what I get for wishful thinking.) 3
Hiei resonated his own feelings on the matter, sending his own emotion of consternation that went along with her thought. He'd very much been looking forward to doing absolutely nothing except laying around, only getting up for sweet snow when the thought occurred to him or when either of them needed to get up and stretch their muscles.
He'd even considered turning on that blasted television too, despite his own distaste for such things as daytime tv and infomercials. Whatever that meant.
…
(We will… have time.)
Eventually.
(We are demons, after all.)
And if they both lived through this- which he was bound and determined to achieve by any means necessary- then the first thing they'd do is resume what had been interrupted.
A nice, long, vacation that consisted of absolutely nothing but naps and snacks. *
The little laugh she gave didn't make it past her lips, rumbling in her throat.
(That sounds like a lovely vacation.)
Shikiyoku sighed, readying herself to at least make an attempt at getting up, and then suddenly grumbled again.
(If we don't have a comfortable bed, Mukuro and I are gonna have words.) 3
(Hn.)
He watched Shikiyoku as she began shifting a little, and his own reluctance grew exponentially. He didn't want to go, didn't even want to get up. If he knew it would do any good, he'd burn the letter to make it seem like they'd never received it, but he knew better.
He was well aware that Shikiyoku's opening it had probably sent some sensor off in Mukuro's place about it.
He grumbled intangibly as he too shifted around, moving until he was sitting up, but not quite moving to stand yet.
(And I can guarantee that any who disturb our slumber will leave with third degree burns.) Because he had a feeling he was going to be exhausted when he returned from whatever endeavor he'd be sent on. (I have no qualms with sending her men to hell.) *
Shikiyoku reached over and hugged him, though whether with pleasure at the thought of someone running screaming from their room while wreathed in flames or whether from a sudden need for the gesture as form of comfort, she wasn't really sure herself.
(I don't think she has many useless positions around such as 'waking distempered demons.' Her policy tends to err on the side of punishment, should you not do your duties, even waking yourself up, on your own. She does not waste time with pettiness. And neither does she suffer fools.) 3
He'd only been half serious on that matter.
It was a good thing Hiei was well equipped with adaptivity, hm?
(That's too bad.)
He would have enjoyed sending one of her crew screaming.
He took a deep breath and grabbed one of the hands that had come around him, tugging it in a silent let's go.
Because he really found it tempting to just lay back down and say they could show up later. And while there had been no specific time or date to show up, he knew it was heavily implied to be asap.
(Get it over with.) *
(Yeah…)
And rather sooner than later.
She would be expecting them after all.
Shikiyoku stood, wanting just as badly as he to 'ignore' the summons and lay back down as if nothing happened.
...for some reason she felt like they would not have the freedom to do what they wanted for a very long time.
As if called by an unseen invocation, there was a presence waiting outside the front door.
(An escort. To make sure no one snatches us up along the way.)
(...and to make sure we arrive.) 3
Hiei stood in one fluid motion, his cloak moving with him to flutter around his ankles as he turned to the door, not surprised by the sudden presence outside the door. He had already assumed someone was waiting around for them, watching to ensure they didn't make a run for it or acting as if they hadn't received the letter in the first place.
(Yomi and Raizen may be sending someone here too. I'd prefer to avoid that, so the quicker, the better.)
He didn't even pause as he moved for the door, releasing his hold on Shikiyoku's hand simply so he would have both hands should something happen. *
(Because it would be just like Raizen to send Yusuke to fetch us for kicks and giggles. And knowing Yomi, he will send Kurama.)
Opening the front door, Shikiyoku blinked and looked up at the demon who awaited patiently for them.
Clothing lay loosely hanging down, a short, burlap-colored poncho reaching the thighs while the rest of a robe extended downwards to hide even the hint of feet, face covered by a gas mask with the hood of the robe pulled up to frame it, all features that might indicate a gender completely hidden, only the tips of fingers peeking through the hem of the long sleeves, and even those were gloved in some sort of black material.
Where on a human poloshirt there might have been a left breast pocket, the seal of Mukuro sat blazoned in plain view.
There was no scent to this one, no aura, no hint of demonic energy, absolutely nothing that might confirm the being actually stood there in the doorway except by sight of eyes.
Even when the mask turned down to look at her-Shikiyoku could feel that much, feel that there were eyes of some kind hidden behind that mask-the movement made no sound.
Strange, then, how she knew this entity was male.
Not so strange. She reminded herself. It's what I've done for centuries.
The mask regarded her for only a moment longer, and without a word, noiselessly, turned and began blurring through the layers.
His meaning could have been no clearer if he shouted the order for them to follow.
And without even having to look to see if Hiei joined her, Shikiyoku did just that.
They were lead downwards, and while Shikiyoku could feel a sense of anxiety floating somewhere along the edges of her connection with Hiei, his closeness kept it at bay, kept her mind sharp for any treachery that might be in store, for she did not know what to expect.
At some point when they were between the seventh and eighth layers, their leader pulled himself into the eighth layer and started down at a freefall for the expansive ground below.
Without much of a thought, Shikiyoku followed suit, feeling the increasing velocity whipping her ponytail in the air behind her, but still not catching any sound from the demon a good twenty feet underneath her, even though she could see the way his robe flapped around him with the drop.
When the muddled green of the area beneath them started to clear as they plunged closer, it became easier to spot the Mobile Fortress moving along the forestry, and there was no mistaking the timing of their descent was so accurate that they would meet with it.
Shikiyoku did not spend much time wondering why they had not just run along the surface of the eighth layer via being between it and the seventh, after all each would-be King must monitor that 'Tenth Layer' and such movement was likely dangerous.
Their landing atop the fortress slammed them somewhere in the middle of it, each side extending a monstrous amount in either direction. From up here the wind still whipped by them from the movement of the giant beast-like mecha-entity below.
Their escort turned and walked back to them, reaching out to put a hand on Shikiyoku's shoulder and one on Hiei's and pulling them inbetween, maneuvering the three of them down into the fortress until they stood in a large dark room, empty save for the demon standing on the other side of it.
Shikiyoku made note of how weird the inbetween had felt just then, and how if the escort had not placed a hand on her she would not have been able to make the journey down into the fortress.
(That is...disconcerting. Nobody in or out unless they have leave to do so.)
A noise at the other end of the room pulled Shikiyoku's attention back to the present.
Mukuro.
She was just as obscured physically as their guard, face bandaged and lined with seals, her hands chained, handcuffed, together and hanging down in front of her.
The noise had been a shifting of her feet, and around her ankles were other manacles-Restraints, Shikiyoku thought-whose chains appeared to be larger than the demon's feet, attaching the limbs to one another.
"Ah. Our esteemed guests." Her voice was manipulated in some way behind those bandages, obscuring how she might actually sound, and Shikiyoku could not rightly tell if the woman was actually speaking out into the air, or planting the words directly into her mind and making her think they had been spoken.
"Thank you, lieutenant. If you would wait for a moment."
Their escort removed his hands from them.
Shikiyoku's blood ran cold as the awareness that Mukuro was even less there than the lieutenant settled in.
There was this negative space at that side of the room, where Mukuro herself stood, as if the female were too powerful to even comprehend and so negated the area around her, making her feel less than real.
"Kuraku. Gouka." Mukuro gave them each a little nod of her head in turn. "I am pleased to see you accepted my invitation."
(Ha. As if we really had a choice.)
"You should know that there is only one rule in my service: that everything you do is done to make you stronger than you were before."
It took everything within Shikiyoku not to shiver as Mukuro considered the two of them standing there, as the demon's gaze felt colder than ice.
"Lieutenant, if you'll take Gouka."
As Mukuro spoke to Shikiyoku next, the lieutenant placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder and shifted them inbetween again.
"Kuraku, you are expected in the lab and if you have need of anything, my men there will do whatever they can to assist you."
Shikiyoku strained not to look at Hiei as he left, feeling him being slipped between the layers of the fortress and only having a moment to express all the things they had spoken of back at the house: reluctance, unhappiness, (I miss you.)
She became distracted for a moment as she realized a map of the entire fortress had been lifted into her mind somehow, and the heaviness she had felt of the oppression of the fortress lifted. She suddenly realized that heaviness had stemmed from an inability to feel the inbetween here, and even now it still felt locked away from her somehow.
"You must feel that I have given you permission to traverse a portion of the halls using the Tenth Layer. Of course there are some places you likely should not go, but I will not forbid any one of them from you as I imagine you will be busy enough. Should you wish to visit those places, you will simply have to walk."
Without Hiei next to her, Shikiyoku did shiver that time, the power of this demon unsettling without him.
"There will be a technician waiting in the lab to show you around. Do not hesitate to ask him for anything you may need."
There was a sense of dismissal in her presence and Shikiyoku gave the slightest nod and pulled the layers around herself, feeling most assuredly that the inbetween here was confined to the walls of the fortress, and even more so that her own movement was confined further still.
Unhappiness starting to stir dark clouds in her mind, she made her way via the map in her mind to the lab she had been assigned to use. 3
During their little trip to the Eighth Layer, Hiei had taken in everything he could from the lack of presence of their escort to the feeling of the layers around him, even the disconcerting lack of sound from the being that whipped through the air ahead of them, to the emotions he could feel sliding over the connection between him and Shikiyoku.
And really, even if he had wanted to speak, he hadn't been given the time before they were standing in a room that was silent and seemingly empty, aside from the eyes he had known to be on them. Eyes that were cold, calculating, scrutinizing. Eyes that Hiei couldn't see even when his own stare was on the masked being. (Must be a trend.)
Yes, he was aware of the lack of energy he could feel from the demons.
Yes, he was aware that the only hint of Mukuro's presence was her stare and the occasional movement that would rustle the chains.
Yes, he was unnerved.
But his expression remained calm, watchful as he listened to the greeting. And while he'd stood next to Shikiyoku, he found he couldn't rightly think of anything that might ease both of their tensions. He couldn't come up with anything to send to her that wouldn't add to her unease, just as he was certain she was feeling her own inability to come up with something other than such an emotion.
It didn't help when Mukuro told the lieutenant to wait, which told him that the separation of himself and Shikiyoku would be swift and likely last a good while before remedied for even a moment.
And before Hiei could really register much more of anything else, he was being pulled between the layers, the hand on his shoulder remaining there as he was tugged in a different direction than he'd wanted to be. He was guided through hallways, up a few floors, and the only sound he registered within the area was that of the occasional demon checking in with another.
He'd never seen such a populated area be so silent, especially not when those demons all seemed to rush from one place to another, trading information, trading paperwork before going back to wherever they'd come from.
And then he was dropped back onto the layer, standing in the center of a darkened room that was… decorated?... with spindly trees that grew from the cracks in the floor, rock structures that jutted from the floor as if formed by an elementalist. He couldn't quite gauge how large the room was, but he had a feeling that he'd be here a good while.
The demon's hand slid away from Hiei's shoulder, but the hand didn't go far. It remained stretched to him, palm upward in a silent message. The fire demon stared at it for a moment before feeling the stare of the other moving down a little, pausing at the cloth around his neck before roving to the material at his chest and rising to his face again.
Hiei did as instructed, removing the loose clothing materials and passing them over.
And then he was alone in the room. *
"And if you need use of the-"
The tech had only just started 'walking' Shikiyoku through the lab that she could already feel was going to be a pain in the neck and the place where she spent most of her time.
There was a growing tension settling at the back of her neck and being led around was putting her in a foul mood, her jaw flexing and her shoulders unable to relax.
It did not help that the members of the lab themselves, likely demons assigned there by Mukuro herself, were following closely behind her and the tech, and she could feel their desires rolling off of them.
These demons knew her, or had at least been told of her. They knew who she was, knew what she had done, and obviously knew what she had become.
Their desires ranged from mild curiosity in regards to the tales they had been told of her and her involvement in the battle at the first portal to ones centered around the seductress side of things and the more obscene stories surrounding that.
And if she had the power she would have blasted each and every one of their heads from their bodies.
The desire, both hers and those of the others, only got worse the longer the 'tour' took and Shikiyoku had barely even heard anything of what the tech had told her they could, and did, plan to do to assist her.
This facility isn't even that big, what the hell is he yammering on about?
Pulled from rather delicious thoughts of ripping limbs from bodies, Shikiyoku realized they had stopped moving and the tech was looking mildly in her direction.
She played back the last few moments and heard her mind feed her the question one of the demons behind her had asked.
Her lips pulled back into a silent snarl as she ran her tongue over the front of her teeth, making a slight sucking noise as she turned around, giving a look that might kill across the gathered group now in front of her.
"All of you...get. Out."
The demons stared at her for a moment as if they didn't believe her.
"Did I...stutter?" She seethed at them.
As if that broke the spell, they started to look at one another, murmuring quietly, but when she spoke up again she grabbed their attention.
"If you are not out of here in the next five seconds, I promise that you will spend the rest of your life entertaining wet dreams of Mukuro that you will strive to make a reality. Get. Out."
It only took another second of the demons blinking at her, and after that she was releasing her energy to start it snaking among them, inciting general panic as they scrambled to retreat from it.
Two of the demons near the front appeared to be regarding the entire showing unimpressed, and it was these two she turned to after casting a withering glare at the tech behind her before he too stammered an excuse and disappeared.
"You, and you." She could see by the emblems on their coats that the first demon was the highest ranked scientist at her disposal, the second his assistant. She had picked them out early. She felt no desires from them at all.
They turned to her, having only just started to walk calmly off.
"You will stay and help me."
The head scientist tilted his head a little, glancing at his assistant, and gave a slight nod to Shikiyoku as the mayhem around them escalated to a climax before every other demon was gone.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku paced the floor of the main room to which she and Hiei had been assigned for the duration of their stay.
This room was no longer or wider than fifty feet, a perfect square, with the door that lead out into the hallway in the Western wall and a rather plain couch backed up against the Northern one. A drab coffee table stretched the length of the couch and on it sat Hiei's cloak and scarf.
It was at those articles Shikiyoku would occasionally stop to stare at as she paced back and forth in the middle of the room.
The rest of the space was bare, as if the decorator had put the furniture in it and then forgot to do anything else.
The walls were dark, the room's light rather dim-and appearing to come from nowhere at all-and the floor could have been some sort of concrete at some point that had only been coated with some substance or another to relieve it of its harshness under the feet and color it the same as the walls.
A turn away from the main door after staring at it for a beat and Shikiyoku stalked in the other direction.
The Eastern wall had one door in it as well, maybe five or six feet from the Southern wall and Shikiyoku felt as if she had every blood corner of the room unintentionally memorized as she turned back to pace in the other direction.
She did not know how much time had passed as within the fortress there was no way of knowing, but after terrorizing the demons of the lab, she had attempted to help the two that were left-they had ideas of where to begin and she felt grateful for not having to think of any-but her mind could not stay focused on the tasks and after a good while she dismissed herself, unable to think about her sickness much less start analyzing it in any way.
That wasn't her area of expertise anyway, it was Kit's.
Shikiyoku let out a little groan and stopped in place, lifted a hand to rub her fingers over her forehead.
When she first found the room, she had hoped perhaps Hiei was already inside-despite the fact she could feel he was not there-and went from this main room to the next through the other door.
Roughly the same size of room, this one had a large, half-circle shaped bed against the wall opposite the door that she immediately ignored as it did not have Hiei laying within it.
A rug was spread out on the ground between the end of the bed and the wall with the door, and if Shikiyoku had decided to lay down on it for some reason, even if she stretched her arms out over her head or to either side she could not have touched its edges.
And while it looked incredibly soft and fluffy, some demon hide or another with fur that would be up to her ankles if she stepped on it, she took no further notice of it either.
She had, however, stomp her way over to the left, a box-like device that came up to her waist and gave off the appearance of a fridge sitting silent in the corner.
Upon opening it, she blinked at the two loaves of bread inside, circular and larger at the bottom than her palm, and could feel the very light sense of coolness that washed over her knees from the open door. One was reddish, the other purple.
She slammed the door shut and turned away, not even bothering with the other door she could see in the wall across from her now, far to her left and almost in the corner.
She knew Hiei was not in there either.
Shikiyoku pulled her hand down from her forehead and tried to take a deep breath.
Attempting sleep hadn't occurred to her yet, because she was not tired, simply feeling anxious and overly short tempered and not really understanding why.
Letting out a growl into the silence of the main room, Shikiyoku turned and paced back in the other direction. 3
For what felt like a very long while, Hiei had stood in that room, waiting for something, anything to happen. And when nothing had jumped from the shadows- though he was very much aware of eyes on him- he began to slowly make his way around the room, feeling out its size and looking over every shadow he could see.
The room smelled clean- too clean, really- and looked just as spotless. There was no indication of another being inside except for its cleanliness, and as he walked the perimeter first, he found himself frowning. He knew he was being observed just as much as he was observing the room, roving each nook and cranny with a keen gaze.
It was a room with vast expanse of space, enough so that if he wanted to run at full speed from one end to another, it would actually take a few full seconds. Add that to the cleanliness of the room and the eyes watching him, and he was easily able to figure out what the purpose of him being here was.
After all, everything you do is to make you stronger, right?
The thought had him quickly growing angry.
He'd been pulled from Shikiyoku without even knowing where she'd be. He'd been tossed into a room without any explanation and had his cloak and scarf removed, leaving the jewels out in the open. He'd tucked them under his shirt, but not before another had already seen them both.
Which made him uneasy.
Uncertain.
The hilt of his sword bounced once against his leg as he pulled to a stop, ears twitching with the slightest of sound he could hear at the other end of the room. His eyes watched the path that lead towards the door, the silence ensuing once more.
Briefly, his eyes narrowed and tension formed between his brows.
"Gouka."
The word seemed to echo around the room from a source he couldn't pinpoint. But he knew where to go.
And it only took a few milliseconds before he was standing where he'd been left hours ago, guarded and eyeing the lieutenant.
He made a gesture at him before turning and moving for the open door, the message crystal clear.
He was walked through the building, the demon showing him the way to another floor, passing door after door until he became faintly aware of a new sort of tension filling his mind.
A tension that was not his own.
Shikiyoku.
The demon in front of him came to a halt outside a heavy door, turning to give a cloaked glare at the fire demon.
"Those gems will not serve you there." Again, Hiei had the faint impression that the voice had no identifiable source, only reaching his ears as if he were the only one to hear them, but he knew it not to be a telepathic communication. "You will do well to leave them behind before this evening."
The demon disappeared and Hiei wasted no time moving into the room that he'd been lead to, his hand pulling the gems from hiding only when the door was firmly shut behind him. *
If Shikiyoku even knew why she had started pacing back and forth in the first place, she had certainly forgotten it by this point, stopping to glare at the front door just as she reached it, crossing her arms over her chest for a few seconds-minutes? She still wasn't sure-before scowling again and dropping her arms to tread quietly back in the direction of the opposite wall.
As if the state of the other room might have changed without her watchful eye, she kept striding this time, opening the door and letting it slam with ceremony against the wall to her right, moving just far enough inside to be able to see every other corner and note that absolutely nothing had changed, and that everything continued to not change even as she glowered at each item in the otherwise plain room, feeling as if the sable color of the walls themselves were darkening her temper. 3
Hiei had both gems in his hand as he took to looking around the room, his ears picking up the sounds of angry footsteps back and forth across the flooring of the area. He felt his tension suddenly melt away despite the thickening tension in the room, aware of the angry pacing of the woman who was silent, and had likely been doing this for a good while.
Hiei's eyes moved to watch Shikiyoku, his stare heavy on her as his hand fell to his side, the strings from the necklaces brushing the fabric of his pants.
(Shiki.)
His lips twitched, turning down into the frown he had been keeping carefully under wraps for a good while. And he crossed the room with silent steps, coming to a stop in front of Shikiyoku. *
When Shikiyoku turned and tromped with annoyance out of the bedroom, her eyes were on the floor, a low growl of ire resonating deep in her chest until both she and the growl stopped short suddenly, blinking at a pair of feet that were not her own and lifting her eyes to catch sight of Hiei standing before her.
Another blink as if she didn't believe it was actually him, and then a sudden flood of relief washed over her, leaving her only able to stand there staring at him, unable to form enough of a coherent thought to do anything else. 3
Hiei's lips flattened into a calm line when the tension in Shikiyoku's entire body suddenly melted away and her gaze had met his. Whatever had been left of his own tension slowly left as well, as if her state of being had directly affected his own without his direct notice.
After a brief moment of simply standing there, he closed the space between them and pulled her into a hug, knowing it usually helped her regain her footing, whether it be metaphorical or literal. *
Wrapping her arms around him, Shikiyoku let out a noise of protest, though it was aimed at having been kept from him.
(This is not going to work.)
Being away from him.
(I can't...I can't even think.)
There was a moment where all her previous emotions of irritation and short temperedness shuffled past her awareness.
Anger. Resentment. Annoyance.
The recalling of how ticked off she'd gotten with the demons down in the lab, something she knew rarely happened. She considered herself a patient female as far as demons go and it was uncharacteristic.
(What did you do to me?)
Her eyes narrowed playfully even up against him like this. 3
Hiei gave a small sneer of amusement at her question, but he didn't answer her. He was no stranger to anger, and was able to manage it on most occasions, which made him think of how they'd been laying on the couch earlier that day, her determination to help him get through the heaviness that he'd never felt before.
...Odd how the tables had turned so quickly.
He blinked and glanced over her shoulder at his hand that held the gems against the small of her back. He hadn't liked the idea of leaving them in the room unsupervised. And he knew wearing them into the other room wouldn't do much of anything for him either.
Which meant he had only one option.
He pulled away from her suddenly and held that hand out to her, letting the strings slide through his hand until the gems were gleaming in the low lighting and he had hold of the strings only.
(I will not be wearing these for my tasks. They would be in the way.) *
Her initial reaction had been 'so what will you do with them,' but even she did not think they should be left in the room, and like himself she followed the answer to the problem to its conclusion and only came up with one path.
She still hesitated.
Like when Uryo had first offered what ended up being the jewel that belonged to Hiei, there was a part of her which knew the meaning behind offering her his tear, but now the other part of her rationalized it away as simply the solution to his problem to save his sister's.
All of that flowed into the connection between them.
Those two sides fought for a second and even as she reached out towards the necklaces she paused and looked up at him.
(Are you...certain?) 3
Hiei took everything in stride, and while he was reluctant to not keep these jewels on his person, he felt Shikiyoku capable of keeping them hidden well enough until he could fetch them. Until they would no longer be a target for anyone who would know of them being on his person.
And a part of him would not put it past Mukuro to take them should she find a reason.
...Which he would readily fight tooth and nail for.
(It is unavoidable.) He moved them closer to her hand, urging her to take them. (You will have less trouble keeping them hidden than I.) Because without his cloak, they wouldn't be easily concealed. The black shirt he wore was too thin, meant to fit him enough to not be a hindrance when a thick cloak would be. *
Shikiyoku nodded in agreement. She knew that much.
She took them from him carefully, staring down at the wintry depths of the jewels and seeing within them the reason a "Cursed Child" might have for living when they felt too desperate or lost to continue.
Her grip on the strings tightened and she looked up at him.
(You know such a gift can also be a promise, right?)
(A promise that you will find your way back to it, will come back for it.) 3
Hiei released the strings when Shikiyoku's fingers were wrapped around them, his eyes remaining on the jewels for a moment longer before moving up to Shikiyoku's face, watching her. He considered her for a few moments with a calm stare before his brow raised a little.
(Naturally.)
Because there was no way he'd leave her behind either. *
Shikiyoku lowered her hand to her side, matching his crimson stare with her own and starting to smile.
(Good.)
(Then I will keep them for that.)
She frowned a little, still unhappy that they meant to keep the two of them apart.
And noting briefly that they had not exchanged two words out loud with one another since the day before they arrived, finding the realization amusing while also feeling thankful that they had the luxury afforded them to not have to.
Walls usually have ears. 3
Hiei's lips twitched briefly, turning up into a smirk of amusement at her declaration. And truthfully, he found he rather preferred her holding onto them than for the jewels to be anywhere else aside from his person. It would also make it easier for him to locate her without calling upon the Jagan, should he have need of it.
His eyes suddenly lifted from hers to look around the room, actually seeing it for the first time and taking in his surroundings, memorizing everything in the room and the path that had brought him here before his eyes came down again.
He couldn't tell what time of day it was when there were no windows to the outside world.
(I assume you've looked in the scientific laboratories. And I expect you to be working hard on that while I am doing other means of work.) *
The feelings associated with the 'lab' were that they were irksome and terrible. Not to mention the fact that she didn't have any idea what exactly was expected of her because 'science wasn't really her thing.'
Which sounded a little stupid when she actually let the thought form.
The science of herself, how her own body worked, she felt well-enough acquainted with. Even now with the subtle differences having another side gave her.
The problem was the other side itself. She did not know much about it, nor did she have any expertise in isolating viruses or discovering cures. That was all...
She could feel a sigh resonating between their connection.
That was all Kitoushi's realm of understanding. 3
Hiei gave a small scoff.
She had an entire lab at her hands and an immeasurable amount of time to figure it out. And demons ready for her every beck and call, he was sure. Even if it wasn't her expertise, there would be people around who would, in the very least, explain to her what was going on.
Because they both knew Hiei had no skills there either. Only the basic cleaning and wrapping of wounds.
(You have time.)
Too much time, he thought. They were going to be here for a good while, and he wasn't sure what all was in store for him. At least he knew she would be in a lab, working towards something that would benefit her. Hiei would-
He'd be gaining power.
That would make up for his stay, he supposed. It would open up new options in case something happened when the war went into full swing and-
He cut the thoughts off and blinked once before pulling away from her. There was a little bell going off in his head, and his eyes wandered the room for a moment before decoding its meaning.
Time to go.
He brought his eyes back to Shikiyoku's, watching her expression for a moment.
(You'll figure it out.) *
Shikiyoku tensed for a second as if she'd actually be able to do anything about the fact that he had to leave, and she let it go, eyes glancing off to the side.
(I don't want to figure it out.)
But that was really only because-
(I don't want to be here.) 3
Hiei let out a breath from his nostrils.
(But we are here. And it was the best option of the ones we had.)
He paused, eyes closing as the bell continued to ring in his head.
(We will make due.)
Another pause and he was stepping away, half-turning, stopping for a moment, and continuing on his way.
(Keep those with you. I'll be coming back.) *
Shikiyoku let out a sigh and watched him go, fingers still clutching at the necklaces in her grasp.
There was no way she would be getting any sleep, so even when she gave the door behind her, still open from earlier, a passing glance over her shoulder, she knew she wasn't staying here.
She would go crazy.
Even if a little of the irritation with the labs was already creeping back into her mind.
She held up the twin necklaces in front of her face for a moment and then pulled one of them over her head, feeling a resounding sense of-
Yukina.
-coming from it as it settled against her sternum. With the second-
Hiei.
-and then the two were nestled closely next to one another, Shikiyoku looking down at them until she took them in her fingers and slipped them underneath her tanktop, letting them rest against her skin.
Strangely enough, this time when she thought of returning to the lab it didn't hold quite so much contempt in the place in her mind.
Another heavy sigh and she wrapped the layers of the fortress around her, moving through the structure back to the lab itself. 3
Hiei shut the door behind him and turned away from it, making his way back the direction he'd come earlier. No demon to escort him this time, no guide. He was rather thankful for that, since he'd grown rather irritable with the being every time that hand had come to rest on his shoulder.
The trek back had been just as it had been the way to the room: quick, quiet, and irritating. Demons bustled by on silent feet with papers in their hands or objects in their arms, each giving him a glance, pausing briefly, and then continuing on.
So perhaps it was with relief that he moved into the room, standing in place for a moment as the door slid shut of its own accord and a string of words echoed around the room.
"Try not to die."
~!**!~
It was early. Way too early.
Yet a presence had woken her and a fist hit her door once.
Wha-at?
"Get up, dog. We have limited time!"
Great.
She didn't know this voice, didn't know the presence on the outside of her door, but she got up and dressed anyway, sliding her armor over her head and pulling her hair up into a messy bun before unlocking and swinging the door open. "What?"
"Yomi needs results. We're getting them."
Great.
"You'll be with me for the next few days."
Is that so?
"And you'll be wishing it was the fox."
I can already tell you that that is much more true than you will ever know. *
~!**!~
Allowing the runner to get by them wasn't really all that difficult this time since they didn't actually get a lock on the letter until it was already in Shikiyoku's house.
Yomi told Kurama 'it was time,' by sending his second lieutenant to fetch him and the pair left promptly.
But apparently arrived too late.
To make sure no one recognized him on the first layer, Kurama waited until he stood in the middle of Shikiyoku's house before stepping out from the Veil.
Not a soul.
He scouted out the room, the lieutenant going upstairs to make sure, and found the letter they tracked tossed aside and laying askance underneath the coffee table.
I thought as much.
He scanned the contents, affirming both the authenticity of Mukuro's seal as well as his own reservations about Mukuro knowing Raizen and Yomi's possible plans for Shikiyoku.
And if Mukuro knows, Raizen knows.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt thankful to Mukuro being the one to pick Shikiyoku up.
A sniff of the air told him Hiei had been with her.
And had left with her.
He was thankful for probably the first time that Youko was still hibernating.
But how did they get there?
Kurama looked up to see the lieutenant coming back down the stairs shaking his head.
"We will catch up to her, then." Kurama said mildly, folding himself back up in the Veil and taking off, following the faint trail Shikiyoku's scent had left behind.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku leaned her elbow onto the counter beside her, shifting her legs to cross one knee over the other as she propped her cheek up with her fist.
Staring at the pad of paper he had in his hand, Shikiyoku had been trying not to look anywhere else.
Iketeru didn't seem to notice as he asked her another question and Shikiyoku answer to the best of her ability.
His hair was brown.
And wasn't like it was even anywhere near the color of brown that Taka's had been. Plus Taka's was always messy, sticking up in every direction. Iketeru's hair seemed smoother, more feathery. Shorter too.
Feathery.
Shikiyoku restrained a groan, but Iketeru looked up at her and blinked as if sensing something.
The lack of desire from him was refreshing and instead of questioning how or why Shikiyoku just accepted it as a small blessing.
"And you're positive you feel nothing while in this form?" He turned his green eyes back down to his notes.
"Yes." Shikiyoku replied as if she had answered this question too often for Iketeru to not already know her response. "I'm positive. Absolutely nothing."
A noise from somewhere behind him had her eyes flicking away from the clipboard Iketeru held as he scratched on it some more.
His assistant's name was Rikei, and he was moving about in the background probably preparing something or another that the pair of them thought up while she had been absent.
Luckily, Rikei's dark purple hair reminded her of no one, though she did find it a bit strange to see a demon wearing glasses, even if he looked fairly attractive with them.
As if aware of her stare, Rikei glanced over at her, his amber gaze mesmerizing and unearthly for a second as a portion of his bangs fell over his eyes and then he blinked and turned back to whatever he was working on. 3
Hiei had lost count.
Of the minutes. Of the hours. Of the demons. Of the number of times the dragon had screeched to life. Of the number of trees that had been annihilated with the flames he called forth. Of the number of times a new wave had begun.
He'd even lost count of the number of times he'd lost his temper and thought of the tear gems.
Hiei had lost count of just about everything, and he was sure he hadn't even been in the room as long as it felt. His sword had returned to his sheath and he took a step back, hearing the lack of movement in the room and only hoping it meant a moment to breathe, but not daring to believe it would be as such.
His guard remained, his feet digging into the concrete-like flooring and his Jagan searching for new threats.
Nothing.
So far, each and every demon had been just a little above his standing in power. And each and every demon had been a challenge all their own, with different abilities than the one before. And each and every demon had fallen, even if it had been because of the dragon or his loss of temper.
He'd forgotten what that felt like, to lose his temper and engulf a large group of living beings into a flame that took over an entire area, or in this case the entire room. And each time it happened, there would be a break between that wave and the next, as if he had been rewarded for his extreme use of his energy.
He'd forgotten what it felt like to send an inferno simply to save his own hide. Or to wrap his sword about in a flame purely of anger and hatred.
But with each new wave, he was remembering quicker, recalling his older way of fighting that consisted of kill first investigate later. Kill or be killed.
And even when he lowered himself to the floor with his sword in an easily accessible place and rested his chin on his arms, his senses were open and ready for any new attack. Even as his mind cautiously drifted off for a brief moment of rest, the Jagan was searching, aware of every shadow in the room, ready to wake him in an instant.
And even in his deepest of sleep, if a single sound was heard, his hand would be around his sword's hilt and he'd be on his feet, ready with fire blazing in his eyes and rage in his stomach.
Because he was already sick and tired of being in this room.
~!**!~
Akari stood in a room with a demon she did not recognize, who had been waiting for her earlier that morning when the other had woken her. This demon sat crosslegged in the air, hands on his knees and ears twitching, grin showing a single sharpened tooth as his spiky red hair waved about in a wind all his own.
And again, he repeated what he'd said, this time giving a loud laugh.
And she still didn't understand. He spoke too fast, and his accent was one she hadn't heard before.
She only stared at him.
And for the fourth time, he spoke the same amount of words, looked to her in amusement and then nodded his head encouragingly.
"It's hard to work with ya if ya aren' goin' to talk, lass."
Oh.
She frowned.
He gave a wiggle of his ears and lowered himself to the floor, this time speaking a little slower, a little clearer. "Since ya won' tell me how far you've go'en, we'll star' from the basics. Sit like this, lass."
No fighting?
"You don't want me to do that," she finally said, speaking for the first time since she'd woken up.
"Well of course I do!"
You're hard to follow.
And then he was off on some explanation or another, sitting up straighter and waving his hands a little in his speech, none of which she understood.
So she sighed and complied, lowering herself to the floor to sit crosslegged in front of him.
"There ya go, lass! Now we're gettin' somewhere!"
This is annoying and stupid. I've already tried this an-
"You shouldn't let your anger about a situation cloud your thoughts."
Yeah, yeah.
"Ready lass?"
"Say that again, but slower. You're a little different than everyone I've been tossed to, I hope you understand."
"Sure thing, lassie!"
But he never did slow down. *
The trail was none too difficult to follow.
The problem being that once they reached the end of it, or at least as far as they were willing to go, Kurama knew Shikiyoku was lost to the Mobile Fortress.
Thank the kamis.
He stared for a second off in the distance where he knew Shikiyoku disappeared, then turned and began moving back through the layers.
Shikiyoku had not been the only thing Kurama was sent out for. And they had wasted enough time on this wild goose chase.
~!**!~
Rikei had taken Iketeru's spot next to her and the two of them were leaning over sheets and sheets of paper with scribbled notes and half-finished formulas, their feet propping themselves forward on the bars of the stools so they could get further over the counter as their eyes scanned the work and they argued over the contents.
Shikiyoku was catching on to this stuff rather quickly.
And it was severely affecting her mood.
Because each time she found herself able to nod or counter something Rikei said, it was because she finally understood a word or phrase or meaning Kitoushi once spoke with her about in all the years they had known one another.
She told them everything the cat demon had known about the Crusnik, the virus that affected those who acquired the ability, and all of the conjectures Kitoushi had made about the situation.
Including the piece of knowledge that nearly every demon had the infection already, but it stayed dormant until the Crusnik came in and activated it.
That's what Iketeru was doing at the moment. Drawing a sample of his own blood and running tests on it against Shikiyoku and Rikei's, seeing if he could spot any differences or find the virus itself as well as piping up with his own two cents as the other two talked.
Iketeru knew they were avoiding the inevitable for as long as possible. Because eventually, Shikiyoku was going to have to switch forms in order to actually spur their research in the right direction. There would be a point where they would have to stop only talking about it.
There came a moment where the conversation between Rikei and Shikiyoku went silent, their eyes scanning around the different pages and Shikiyoku tapping her leg with the pencil she held.
She closed her eyes, a small frown forming between her brows.
Iketeru may have had Taka's hair, but Rikei...Rikei smelled like Douji. Like the forests of the Ninth Level and-
And that's likely what depressed her the most.
Where before there had been irritation and short temperedness, now she just felt worn out, and any time she paused or looked around she was reminded of the ones she lost.
But any time she spoke, came up with another answer, she was reminded of a certain cat-eared loss too.
I miss Hiei. 3
Hiei dreamt, and most of the time he wished he hadn't. And really, dream wasn't the right term for what he saw. Memory was more accurate.
He dreamed of the ice world, of the woman who had first called him a curse, an abomination. Being held by a woman named Rei who had murmured to him words about their destruction by his hands, who had tucked the tear gem in the bindings that had sealed away any power he might've had at such a young, uncontrollable age. And he could swear that another voice in the background was yelling, asking him to be spared.
And then he remembered very clearly being released over the cliff's edge, left to fall through the air to his demise, and only living because of his sheer willpower to survive.
He could recall every demon he'd ever lead to their demise over his gem. Every demon who had even glanced at it, because at the time it had been all that mattered. The jewel, and finding his way back to that frozen hell.
He recalled losing that gem, and promptly searching for the demon surgeon who was famous for his Jagan implant.
He dreamed of his return to the ice world, only to find his mother had died and he had a sister. How-
Hiei was up and standing, sword in hand and pointed in the direction of the demons he'd heard marching in. It was apparent immediately that these were stronger than any he'd faced yet, and that he would not be getting rest again any time soon.
~!**!~
Son of a-
"You alrigh' there lass?"
Akari gave a growl. "I told you you didn't want me doing that."
The redheaded, one-horned demon leaned towards her, his expression shifting to concern and his ear twitching when he leaned it towards her chest. And when he leaned away, he was blinking at her sitting form.
"Tha's no' how you do it."
"You don't say?"
"I can feel ya on me wind, missy."
This time, it was Akari's turn to blink as a gust of wind moved through the air, through her spiritual form, and then took to circling her.
He'd been about to speak again when the door behind him opened and a new demon entered, slamming the door behind him and tromping forward before collapsing to his rear next to the wind demon. "Hey, that's the Sheila we're supposed to be workin' with?" There was a pause. "She's got quite a problem there. I can't recognize tha drink she's been havin'!"
Jin responded in a quick flourish of words before his eyes came back to the spot where his wind was circling.
"You mean to tell me she drank herself out o' her own body? Where can I find that?"
Another flourish of words. Akari could only cross her arms at the pair and stare. Why am I stuck with crazies?
"You shouldn't harbor such bitterness, young one."
Yeah yeah.
Akari began to move, walking around to stand behind her body and stare down at it, the whirlwind following and whipping her hair about. She let her eyes close and tried concentrating on what she wanted to have happen.
Except the newcomer was rather… loud.
And she couldn't concentrate on anything when he continued to refer to her as 'Shiela' every time he spoke to or about her.
Kuramaaa…. Help mee… *
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! BOOP! -Star