The Mage and the Sorcerer Saga

Episode four: Secret revealed! The ability to heal

Ice-Puppet

A/N: I normally don't like these but I figuredI should explain... I haven't updated recently because I have been distracted by life and by videogames. I also got my old computer back and had to reinstall everything which took longer than I expect because I'm a lazy brat... sorry.

--

Yuusuke jumped up as Kurama approached from the forest, head down and one arm hanging limply at his side. "Kurama!" He cried, not even catching the boy's attention as he stopped in front of the horses silently.

"You can stop it now, father," the redhead muttered, catching both Yuusuke and Kazuma off guard.

"What?" Kazuma breathed, voice quiet.

"You noticed it too, then?" Genkai asked, crossing her arms and closing her eyes. "Alright, then, you useless kitsune. Stop hiding."

Both guards watched in awe as Usagi began to glow before shifting into the form of a tall man with long silver hair, two fox-like ears, and a single silver tail, dressed in a completely white outfit. Instead of baring the green eyes of a mage, however, his eyes were golden yellow and closed as he stretched his body as if holding a pose he had not enjoyed for quite a while.

"Thank god," the man breathed. "I was sick of that form."

"What the hell is that?" Yuusuke exclaimed, pointing toward the man. "And why was he in Koenma's horse?"

"I am Koenma's horse, you idiot," the guy stated, sending Yuusuke a small glare. "Well, actually… I'm not a horse at all. I'm a kitsune. But shape shifting spells do come in handy… ne, Genkai?"

"Good-for-nothing," she accused, turning away.

"Oh, come on!" The demon whined, ears flattening on his head. "You can't be that mad!"

"Ask your child," was the woman's only response.

Frowning, the kitsune seemed to suddenly realize the situation and turned to the red-haired mage whose eyes remained on the ground, half-lidded and full of nothing but sorrow.

"Shuuichi…" he breathed, holding a hand up as if wanting to touch the boy but not daring to. "Will you at least let me explain?"

"You can if you want," the redhead response, moving to walk toward the fire and plop down beside it. "But I'm in no mood to hear it."

Sighing, silver hair trailing him, the man moved to plop down beside the other and it was then that Yuusuke and Kazuma realized how alike they appeared. "A dragon's heart is like water," he informed, making the teenager jerk slightly at the words. "You can cup your hands for as long as you like, as tightly as you like, but it will eventually slip out."

"How would you know!" Kurama accused angrily, shooting a glare that made the kitsune jerk back. "It's not as if you ever held anyone's heart!"

Smiling, the man placed two of his fingers against Kurama's forehead and pushed back slightly, making the other frown and stare at him. "That's true. The only person I've ever loved is you."

"Who is this guy?" Yuusuke hissed, earning a hit from Genkai.

"Isn't it obvious!" She responded, glaring at him. "That is Youko Kurama. Shuuichi's father."

"His father?" Both guards exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes!" The old woman snapped. "Now be quiet!"

"You were really young," Youko explained, moving to rest his hands on his bent knees as he stared into the fire, appearing not a day older than twenty despite his obvious years of life, having been around when Koenma was born as well as having a nineteen year old son. "So you probably don't remember it… I didn't give you up because I wanted to, Shuuichi… You, like the Prince is now, were cursed by an angry sorcerer."

"Me?" The redhead breathed as if not believing it.

"Yomi, was his name," the kitsune explained, lost in the memory. "Angered because I had managed to blind him in a battle and nearly assassinated him. He found you playing in the palace garden with the Prince at the age of three and cursed you, killing you instantly. He then wiped the memory of the Prince in order to not be caught, but I could tell the curse was his." Sighing, the kitsune turned back toward Kurama. "Do you know how a mage can revive a person, Shuuichi?"

A small shake of the red hair as the son indicated that he did not know. Sighing, Youko smiled slightly. "If they dismiss their powers as a Mage they can bring a single person back to life, in response to that person then becoming a mage and bearing their powers." He reached a hand out and brushed it across Kurama's surprised face, pushing his matted hair away from his eyes. "I did not hesitate in doing this."

"But… why send me to mother? Why the fake death?" He asked, appearing heart-broken.

"I did not love your mother, and she did not love me," the kitsune informed softly, removing his hand. "It was merely a fling that had caused your birth, but it did not mean that we did not care for you. Because you had potential as a mage she knew you would need to come live with me, but she wanted so badly for you to be with her… when I renounced my powers into you I knew someday you would become powerful and that I needed to hide you because along with my power, you would also develop your own. You were safer with your mother. I had Genkai place a shape-shifting spell on me and inform the Prince of it, so I appeared as his horse."

Appearing guilty at the years he had spent disliking his father, the redhead looked toward the fire quietly, leaning in toward the man as he felt a strong arm wrap around him.

"I am proud of you," the elder man stated and Kurama felt his heart swell. He had longed to hear those words… but still broken hearted, they did not seem as much to him. "And you did the one thing I could not do… you fell in love. I've never been able to do that, in all of my years of life… it may hurt, but it is a feeling you will want to hold on to as long as you can."

"How can I feel that way?" The younger kitsune breathed, forcing the tears from his eyes. "I barely even know him…"

"The heart doesn't care," Youko informed, petting red locks away from tired glowing eyes. "People claim to fall in love after months of knowing someone… but if you love someone, really truly love them… then you know within hours at most. Anything that comes after that is trivial."

"Kurama loves someone?" Kazuma breathed as Genkai felt a small ping of jealousy from both guards. "Who?"

"That is his business," the elderly woman informed. "If he wants to tell you, he will tell you."

--

"Is Kurama going to be okay?" Yuusuke whispered to Genkai as they walked the rest of the way after Youko (as he requested to be called so that his son could still go by 'Kurama') assured them his magic would hold Koenma alive for a while still. "He looks really upset…"

"Heartbroken," she responded, watching the red-haired kitsune as he followed his father silently through the forest, neither of them having spoken after that night and seeming a bit uncomfortable around each other. Kazuma came along the back with the mare he had brought with him. "And not about his father. It is as that good-for-nothing said… it is a feeling that hurts but he will want to hold onto it."

"Why do you still call him that?" The guard inquired, watching as Youko's tail swayed back and forth with each step, the man's arms thrown behind his head as he walked, casting glances toward his son. "After he explained it…"

"He was a coward," Genkai stated, crossing her arms and closing her eyes, not tripping despite all of the twigs and roots clinging to the ground. "He could very well have stayed with Kurama, but he was afraid not only to face the boy's mother, but to watch him grow up."

"He gave up everything for Kurama, though," Yuusuke breathed.

"So?" Looking at him seriously, the old woman snapped. "Yuusuke!" He jumped and turned toward her then, confused. "Do you think a simple apology and a half-ass explanation is going to make up for the years of his life he spent wondering about his father?" Her green eyes hardened then as she asked, "How would you feel if your own father had done what he did?"

Eyes narrowing, Yuusuke thought of the demon his mother had informed him she had conceived him with but never mentioned afterward, before he was snapped out of it as Youko chirped out, "You can see the palace now."

"Thank god!" Kazuma whined. "My feet are starting to hurt!"

"Idiot," Yuusuke accused. "You could have ridden the horse!"

"What? Urameshi, that's a stupid idea!"

"That's what they were brought along for! Riding!"

"You don't have to worry, you know." Kurama turned away from the fighting duo to the brilliant-looking silver haired man who had a distant look in his eyes as he whispered, "I don't have to have the powers of a mage to know you are frightened, Shuuichi."

"It's not so much the healing that I'm worried about," his son responded with no gripes about being honest toward the tall man. "It's the sorcerer. Karasu admitted that he was working below someone else."

"Or you twisted him into admitting it," Youko commented, sending the younger kitsune a small smirk. Blushing slightly at the praise, Kurama nodded and his father turned back toward the castle. "You don't need to necessarily be powerful to destroy a sorcerer… your smarts and your trickery is part of it, too. Both of which you have, as far as I have seen." He turned then, the sunset picking up his silver hair and making it appear almost golden. "You really are my son."

"Don't tell my mother," was the young man's amused response. "She spent years attempting to tell me how much I wasn't."

Laughing, Youko began to walk toward the city once more. "Your mother was a wonderful woman. I only knew her a short while and though we did not love each other, I am glad it was she that raised you. I would have made you into a spoiled little thief."

With a small giggle, the younger kitsune followed his father as the sun went down.

They reached the palace only a few hours later, greeting a servant at the front who stared on in awe.

"Yuusuke, sir?" The blonde-haired boy asked, looking over the group. "Weren't you supposed to… just get the mage and come back?"

"Didn't work out that way, Mitarai," Yuusuke responded, taking on the high-guard roll he always had when in the palace and holding his head up. Kurama secretly admired his ability to switch to such a roll within seconds of entering the building. "But we are here now, and we have brought the mage." He motioned to Kurama who bowed politely. "Is Lady Botan awake?"

Nodding, the blonde motioned for them to follow as he gave them small glances, walking through the surprisingly easy to follow hallways until they reached a sitting room. "Lady Botan?" he inquired as he entered the room, bowing low. "Sir Yuusuke has re-"

"Oh thank HEAVENS!" A blue haired girl flew from the room and landed on top of Yuusuke, sending them both to the ground. "I was worried you would never return!" Kurama laughed lightly at this before she jumped up and rounded on him, slamming her face inches from his own. "You must be the mage they traveled so far to get!"

He bowed low in front of her, always the description of respect. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Minamino Shuuichi, but I would prefer it if you would refer to me as 'Kurama.'"

"Only if you'll call me Botan!" She giggled, blushing slightly before a confused look fell on her face. "But… if I call you Kurama, what do I call him?" She motioned to Youko who grinned at her density.

"Youko," he responded. "Call me Youko, Botan."

She nodded at that before squealing suddenly, "Let's go see Koenma!" Amused, the group followed her toward her brother's room.

As she pushed open the door the two mages winced slightly and hesitated to walk in, able to feel the curse that lingered in the air. "Can you see it?" Genkai inquired and when Kurama nodded the others looked toward them.

"See what?" Kazuma inquired with a frown.

"The curse is powerful," Kurama informed. "We are able to see it." Small gasps echoed from everyone save Youko. "He is nearly swallowed by it… the only thing keeping it back is that pacifier."

"When can you start?" Botan asked a little nervously, not meaning to be rude but wishing for her brother to be healed as soon as possible.

"Right now," he informed, approaching the Prince slowly. "It will take twice as long with my arm not working right."

"Oh my," The Princess whispered. "What happened?"

"We had an encounter with the demon that cursed your brother," Genkai explained as she shooed everyone from the room so that Kurama could work in peace, the redhead placing a hand against Koenma's forehead from above, his eyes closing.

"And you survived?" Botan shrieked in surprise, motioning for them to head back to the sitting room she had previously occupied.

"Thanks to Shuuichi's trickery," Youko explained. "And the forbidden child."

"The forbidden child?" Botan inquired and at their nods she hummed lightly, crossing her arms. "Such a horrible name… for years Koenma has been attempting to convince our father to lift the band of 'good' and 'evil.' It is why he has not been allowed to become King yet… When he heard about this so called 'forbidden child', he told be if the man was to come to him than he would easily have a place on Koenma's council and he would treat him like a person instead of like a side."

"The Prince is a good man," Genkai stated calmly. "Kurama will be able to save him, but it may take a while and it will take all of his energy."

"He won't be hurt, will be?" Yuusuke asked, having never thought of that before.

"No, but he will need to rest for a good two weeks at least after that," the old woman explained. "Healing takes a lot of work."

"But it's what mages are best at, right?" Kazuma inquired. "Healing, I mean."

Genkai hummed in disdain as Youko stated, "A Mage's duty is to other's first, and then to themselves. That is why Shuuichi had no problems about helping you."

"Is that really how they live?" Yuusuke breathed in question, appearing guilty. At Genkai's nod he sighed. "It's like a life of a slave…"

"You learn to live with it," she informed.

"And then there is the fact that, as mages, we are forced to hide," Youko whispered, looking down at his hands. "If we prance around openly then we are killed either by a sorcerer or by scared people who fear that a sorcerer will come after them. Being a mage is a life of solitude… perhaps that is why I never fell in love."

"Wow…" Kazuma breathed in awe. "I always thought being a mage was so cool… but now I'm not so sure…"

"Yes, well…" was all the Kitsune said.

After a moment Botan chirped, "Let's get our new guests settled then, shall we? Mitarai!"

"U-Um! Yes?" He squeaked, surprised that she had even realized he was there.

"Can you lead them to a few guest rooms?" The Princess inquired.

"Yes… follow me, please," the blonde breathed, bowing low before moving to leave, Youko and Genkai following. With one look from the old woman, Kazuma followed as well, leaving Yuusuke behind.

"Yuusuke…" the blue-haired woman then breathed, catching his attention fully. "It's… about Koenma…"

"What about him?" Yuusuke asked nervously. "Is he alright?"

Instead of answering (because she honestly didn't know), Botan responded with, "In one of his slightly-conscious states, he asked about you."

Brown eyes narrowed lightly in despair. "But… he knew that I left, didn't he?"

She nodded slowly. "The curse is slowly eating his very being… I am grateful that you have returned because, despite what the mages say, I fear he does not have much longer."

"I only hope that Kurama will be able to fight it," the brunette breathed, looking over toward the fireplace in thought.

Her soft cherry-violet eyes watched him for a moment before the Princess breathed, "Beautiful…"

"What?" He inquired as he looked toward her in confusion. Was he beautiful? That was insane.

A smile crossed the woman's face. "Your love. It's beautiful."

--

Three days passed without a word from Kurama or Koenma. It was then that Yuusuke decided to check up on the wayward mage.

Opening the door he found himself staring at Kurama standing beside Koenma whom, surprisingly, was awake and looked fairly well. The mage, however, appeared ready to pass out.

"Yuusuke…" Koenma breathed as if in awe.

"Koenma…" Yuusuke replied, his eyes swelling up in joyful tears.

"Kurama?" Kurama asked feeling rather left out of this loop.

"Ah! Kurama!" The guard squeaked as he nearly fell over in shock. "Erm… how is it going?"

"You are referring to me healing him, yes?" The redhead inquired and although his eyes were closed he knew Yuusuke was nodding. "I'm nearly finished. I cannot heal him all of the way but the pacifier should be able to finish the job… unfortunately my magic has clashed against it and although it is still healing him the spell that keeps it in his mouth has broken."

Yuusuke approached slowly, Koenma's tired face watching his every step with the eyes of an artist, taking in every small movement like the detail of a masterpiece.

"Yuusuke?" Kurama inquired after a few moments, catching the brown eyes. "Could you do me a huge favor?"

"What?" He asked in response.

"Catch me?" Confused by these words, Yuusuke only had a few moments to grab hold of Kurama's falling body when the redhead toppled over.

"Are you okay?" He cried as he sat Kurama up.

"I'm fine," the Kitsune breathed in response, his voice heavy with lack of sleep and energy. "Merely exhausted… Prince Koenma, you should be well enough in a few days to return to your duties…" Koenma sat up slowly, watching his 'savior' with a frown. "And I would like some sleep if that is possible…"

"Of course!" The Prince gasped, moving off of the bed and scrambling to pull the covers of the other side open. "Yuusuke… lay him down, if you will?"

In an easy movement the guard lifted Kurama into his arms and rested him on the previously unused side of the bed. "Will you be okay?" He inquired despite Genkai's constant assuring that the redhead would be.

"Honestly?" came an almost inaudible whisper. "I can't say… I've never used this much energy before… that curse was powerful…" As Kurama glanced toward Koenma, Yuusuke could see that his previously glowing eyes had become dulled. "Do not remove that pacifier at any cost until myself or Genkai tells you to… if you do then the curse could come back full-force and kill you… perhaps instantly." The Prince nodded and Kurama drifted off.

Silence filled the room and the tension suddenly grew between the two men, Koenma's golden eyes sweeping over Yuusuke once before he turned away.

"I'll… retrieve your sister…" the guard whispered before he rushed from the room.

--

"Read your mind?" The elder man asked with a small laugh. "My dearest Karasu… there is no possible way that boy read your mind."

"He could tell exactly what I was thinking," the crow-demon responded, running his hands through his hair. "It was… incredible…"

Another laugh came from the elder before he shooed his apprentice off and leaned back on the couch he had taken over for himself.

"What do you have to say?" Came a softer voice from behind him.

"The mage is kitsune," he informed, running his fingers over a small ring that would not fit his own fingers by far. "Karasu was obviously tricked."

The man behind him chuckled lightly. "Not surprising."

Violet eyes narrowed at the small ring before a grin crossed the face of the master. "No… not at all."

He stood then, pocketing the ring and turning toward the man behind him. "I must meet this Kitsune mage… if Karasu is smitten with him then he must really be something."

Green eyes glowed back at him from the shadows, light catching only a few strands of dark turquoise hair. "Indeed," the other stated.

--

Despite what Genkai had said it only took Kurama a week to be up and running again although he did appear quite worn still. In that week Koenma had eventually gotten back on track to what he had done before although under Youko's words he was taking it slow.

He and Yuusuke also avoided each other like the plague.

It was Kazuma whom first ran into Kurama when the younger man awoke, patrolling the hallways on his normal rout.

"Kurama!" He squeaked in surprise, cheeks turning red upon running into the green-eyed redhead. "What are you doing out of bed so soon?"

"I couldn't handle sitting still," Kurama offered with a warm smile. "How is everyone doing? And how long have I been out?"

"You've been in your room for a little over a week," Kazuma informed as he motioned for Kurama to walk with him. "Everyone is doing okay I guess… Yuusuke and Prince Koenma are avoiding each other thought."

"Oh? Why?" The tone suggested that Kurama knew exactly why.

A grin crossed the man's pale face. "Well, you didn't hear it from me but… well, we all know that they like each other but… there is a rumor going on that something happened between them before Prince Koenma fell ill."

At the idea of a nice juicy rumor Kurama grinned like the kitsune he was. "Oh…?"

"It was Mitarai that said it," Kazuma stated, turning a corner to continue his routine patrol. "He said that he thought he saw the two of them kissing just the day before the Prince was cursed."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! It wouldn't surprise me, either… those two are obviously smitten with each other but I'll be damned if they actually tell each other."

Laughing lightly Kurama looked up as they approached a small garden, spotting his father lying amongst the grass with his eyes closed. Bidding good-bye to Kazuma he approached slowly.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Youko asked with only a twitch of one fox-like ear to indicate he had even heard his son approaching.

"I can't stay in one place long," Kurama responded as he sat down beside the elder Kitsune before lying back on the grass, his body sprawled parallel to the other man's with his head next to the slipper-covered feet.

Comfortable silence passed between them then and soon the redhead found himself drifting off to sleep.

His eyes snapped open only seconds before Youko's did and the two of them were up as one. The Kitsune reached out and grabbed hold of his son's arm to pull him away from the blue energy ball that slammed into the ground where he had been which exploded and completely destroyed the spot.

"Shuuichi!" Youko snapped as he caught the shaken mage's attention. "Go and secure Prince Koenma!"

"But-" The redhead attempted to protest.

"Go!" Youko snapped as he pushed Kurama toward the gate. "That's your mission at the moment! To protect the Prince!"

Appearing as if he would be sick, Kurama slowly headed inside only moments before the violet-eyed man stepped into the garden.

"Such a smart man, Kurama," he purred. "Protecting him from me. Knowing whom his true target was."

"What do you want with my son?" The Kitsune snapped angrily. "You have no business with him, Sensui."

"You are correct as always my dearest Youko," Sensui informed as he fingered the small ring in his palm. "My gripes are with the Prince… but any mage protecting him must be destroyed."

--

"Prince Koenma!" Mentioned boy's eyes shot up from the meal he had been staring at but had not disturbed for the past ten minutes. He let out a small gasp when the doors to the smaller eating room (the larger one was used for parties and such) burst open to reveal a slightly hysterical redheaded mage who rushed up quickly.

"Shouldn't you be res-" Koenma began but was cut off when Kurama grabbed hold of his arm in a rather non-respectful way.

"The sorcerer that cursed you has returned!" the half-Kitsune hissed before he began to drag a gaping Koenma from the room. "I need to get you somewhere safe!"

"B-but… Kazuma said you scared him off!" The Prince protested as he struggled to keep up with Kurama's fast pace.

"That was his apprentice!" the other boy shrieked. "The Master is he-"

His words were cut off then an explosion shook the hallways from behind him. "Shit!" Kurama snapped before he broke into a run only to stumble and fall over in his weakened state. "Prince Koenma!" He snapped as the brunette knelt beside him to see if he was okay. "Go and find Yuusuke! The two of you are to escape into the forest until someone comes to get you!"

"But…" Koenma whispered with a small frown.

"Go now!" Kurama growled as he gave the other a light push, which knocked him out off his knelt position and on to his rum. "Move it!"

Nodding after a few seconds, the Prince pulled him self up to stand and broke into a run in the opposite direction that the explosion had been in.

Turning toward the hallway Kurama didn't bother to get up before forming the seal to place a shield across it. He only prayed that Koenma would listen to him and hurry.

Stomping was heard in front of him and he opened his eyes to see a shadowed figure approaching, glowing violet eyes the only visible feature. As the man stepped out of the shadows he could see his father unconscious over his shoulder.

"Youko!" He gasped, unable to call the man 'father' just yet.

"Well now… you must be the kit," the sorcerer purred as he dropped Youko off of his shoulder and caught the back of his robes before holding him up. "This is your father, yes?" Kurama remained silent, which only provoked a grin from the tanned man. "Such a powerful shield… but if you don't drop it… I will kill him." To prove his point he grabbed Youko around the throat and squeezed, pulling a cry from the man.

The redhead twitched but did not move to lower his hands or the shield.

A laugh came from the man before he tossed the unconscious kitsune toward Kurama. His father collided with the shield and hit the floor without twitching. "What a brave boy… and with such a sense of nobility. But while your shield protects from the physical…" he grinned as the redhead let out a small gasp of pain when a screeching filled his ears. He barely heard the man as he finished with, "It will not protect you from attacks at the mind."

His body began to move of its own accord and no matter how much he fought his fingers broke and with it the shield fell. Narrowed green eyes glowed with anger as Kurama lifted his eyes toward the man whom approached, his body still unmovable.

"Tell me…" the sorcerer purred as he bent down and grabbed the front of the boy's shirt, lifting him up. "Where did you tell the Prince to run to?"

Before he could stop himself his mouth had whispered, 'The Forest.'

Laughing, the sorcerer began walking, dragging Kurama along with him. "Good boy."

--

The next episode: Sacrifice! The forbidden love