After the talk with Koenma, Kurama left Botan with a written manual about watering, grooming, and feeding each and every single plant in his apartment. He could feel the tension of the inevitable building up, as well as the weight of their responsibility - his responsibility, actually. Youko should have dealt with Ranna a long time ago, when she was weaker; when he was in control all the time and had a tremendous amount of energy. He should have... but he did not.
He packed himself a few clothes, a safe amount of money, his laptop containing the data of his research on plant communication, and a few seeds he thought would serve him well. Amara did the same, along with a good selection of cosmetics, and a first aid kit. Something about Botan asking her to watch out for Kurama hurting himself had stuck with her. She was rather confident, but not because she had superhuman resistance or endurance, but rather because she was incredibly fast and agile, and her style was to avoid most of the enemy's attacks - preferably all of them.
The two looked at each other in silence. This was it. They had to meet Yomi at the restaurant, and from there, he was going to lead them into the Demon World through a private portal opened by the Shadows and closed right after their passing. It would take them into the heart of the Golden Desert, in extreme heat. A group of Shadows was going to greet them and blindfold them both.
Shock woke Hiei from his slumber as he heard a faint calling from far away. Yet, he knew the voice... He knew it so well, that his Jagan helped him strengthen the telepathic connection. Reluctantly, he made his way to the border of the Golden Desert. He had been spending quite some time in Mukuro's former kingdom. It was a mostly uninhabited wilderness, quiet and serene. However, as he approached the border, the vegetation changed and became scarce, thin, thorny - better adapted to higher temperatures and a constant deficiency of water and nutrients. So... Kurama accepted it.
"We'll go down a few stairs now - watch your step," Yomi warned the guests. He went ahead, followed by Amara and then Kurama, who wanted to place himself between the girl and the four Shadows escorting them.
Amara was used to fighting in the dark, but not without her weapon. She activated it and held the two pins side by side as one, using it as a cane. Her spirit energy was spreading in a small net of threads around her feet, giving her a hint of her surroundings. The demons noticed it and Yomi heard the pulsing of her energy, frail and pitched, almost... metallic, but so alike to a spider web fluttering in the wind.
"For how long are we supposed to be blindfolded?" Kurama wasn't very happy to be forced to trust Yomi. Their history didn't exactly help their case either.
"I believe it would be enough, though it makes me wonder, Kurama, are you uncomfortable?"
Well aware of where his former ally was taking this conversation, Kurama decided to dodge the subject. "This isn't a very encouraging protocol. I believed you said we would be guests here, am I correct?"
"Everyone arrives here blind, some of us permanently," the demon said as he made a sign for the Shadows to remove the blindfolds. "You can withdraw your weapon. It will be taken as a threat, which is far from a smart choice for a frail little girl like you."
Amara was half a breath away from talking back when she felt Kurama's hand on her. He wrapped an arm around her waist loosely.
"We don't feel welcome yet, that's all," Kurama stressed the situation while Amara deactivated her weapon. She kept it in her jean pocket, close to her hand, and ready to use if needed.
"Of course - please, follow me." He walked them through a maze of tunnels. After a few turns, river stone was replaced by white, pink, and black marble, with golden fittings, creating intricate patterns on the floor. The walls were being painted with incredible detail, depicting myths from all three worlds and all cultures. The scenes were framed by precious stone mosaic borders and sculpted marble adornments. Plants with grow lights were thriving on gold totems or hanging from baskets.
Flowering vines, pitchers, sundew, tropical giants, epiphytes, palms, fruit trees, air plants, cacti in full bloom, parasites. Among them all, the two noticed something - Ranna had a thing for white flowers with unusual colorations. Golden spots, red blush effects, violet trims, yellow hues, blue undersides. White seemed to be the dominant color, omnipresent in the perfectly matching arrangements - there had to be an even number of each, perfectly placed to outline the symmetry of the palace.
At last, they reached a greenhouse with a tall glass ceiling supported by a golden structure, hosting a real tropical jungle with plants layered on several levels. Every here and there, the pathways paved in marble turned into bridges over crystal clear water revealing rare aquatic species, fish, amphibians, and insects. It was a completely enclosed ecosystem, with small animals thriving, birds flying overhead, and a surprising selection of pollinators.
There were doors every here and there, on the sides of the jungle. A double glass door led the three into a white and gold room as grandiose as the rest of the palace. They finally saw Ranna laying on a white setee, dressed in partly transparent and vaporous layers of yellow and white, with gold embroidery and accessories, opal, and diamonds. Three girls were tending to her black hair which looked too long to carry, even with the complicated, traditional updo that she had.
"Welcome," she spoke softly and held out one hand.
Yomi bowed his head in obedience and went to kneel by her side, kissing one of her rings before the woman withdrew her hand without throwing her servant as much as a glance. Her dark eyes were on Kurama the entire time.
Amara needed one look to make up her mind - she didn't like this woman. The amount of hair and gold on her head was absolutely ridiculous. Her black eyes looked too deep for comfort, while the red eye shadow gave them an unsettling glow. Her skin was as perfect as porcelain and looked equally as cold. Her kimono was loose enough to fall slightly off her shoulders, which was obviously an invitation. The girl felt the woman's gaze on her - she could practically see the way she was judging her. Amara wasn't the one to worry over fashion, but she couldn't help but feel like a lump of coal in front of jewelry. She looked at Kurama for a moment.
Her beauty was undeniable. Kurama sighed as he felt Youko's energy threatening to take over. He remembered his decision from long ago and kept repeating to himself everything that Ranna had done over the years - his men who fell in the most gruesome ways, the fake leads and traps, the hunt... However, his moment of reflection was interrupted by her soft voice speaking again.
"I have a gift for you... Although I confess, when I was told you've chosen a beautiful, weak human body to withdraw, I didn't expect you to appear this... frail. I see you've brought a woman, too. What is she to you?"
Kurama tried to avoid it, but he couldn't fight it for long. Youko surfaced with a small grin. "That's very observant of you. Her existence doesn't concern you."
It was impossible for Amara to keep her weapon deactivated in the presence of Ranna, Yomi, and now Youko as well, so she decided to seal it - just to give Yomi credit for that warning from earlier. She slipped the seal into the same pocket, well aware it will attach itself in place, and took out her cigarettes and lighter.
"Right. Well, since I'm so unimportant, you'll find me outside."
Youko ignored her. Shuichi will more than willingly fix that later and he knew it. Ranna was a whole different story - one which he had to handle before three worlds would succumb to her mysterious disease.
"You allow your slave to talk back? How very generous of you." Ranna remained seated and as much as it pained him, Yomi remained on one knee.
Once again, Youko thought that conversation to be useless, so he avoided it. "Your palace must have doubled in size, from what I see."
"Tripled, and I'd be more than happy to give you the tour. Tell me, what do you desire?"
Answering in his mind was one thing, but to voice that answer while in a position where the fate of the universe depended on him may not be very wise.
"I have little interest in whatever gifts you want to offer me this time, including your body."
"Oh, but I believe otherwise." Ranna stood up gracefully as always. She moved with weightless elegance, and her attire made her look like an immaterial being, a marriage of the desert. "There's something that I've always found fascinating about your men. They are extremely loyal..." she moved past Yomi, still kneeling by her setee, waiting for permission to stand, "Most of them, that is... Yet, I suppose some loyalties can't be judged. You did throw him into the trash."
Youko looked at Yomi. He found it amusing how he was completely obedient to this woman, although he had been bragging about becoming the king that Youko never did become. If that's the kind of throne he got, Youko could live without it.
"Because that's what he is. Yomi had always been talented, that's why I've chosen him. I took him in despite his character thinking that discipline and hardship would shape him into greatness, that maybe he will find a role model among the others and change. Once I had convinced myself he was nothing but a liability, I did what I always do - I dropped the dead weight and moved on." He saw the nerves boiling just beneath the surface as Yomi clenched his teeth and fists.
"He is indeed gifted," Ranna admitted, discussing Yomi as if he wasn't in the same room with them, "but also weak-willed, lazy, and overconfident."
"Arrogant," Youko continued in a light-hearted tone, "hypocritic, foolish - he bets everything on a single card and if it fails, he has nothing else prepared."
Ranna smiled in slight amusement as she approached Youko. "I have everything planned to take over the Demon world and at the same time, force King Enma into submission. With your knowledge and experience in the Human world, we could rule all three."
"You have Yomi for that," Youko smirked. "Puppet shows had never been my hobby."
"I find them quite entertaining, as long as I pull the strings. If I wanted Yomi, you can see that I already have him, and I had for years. I don't want an unstable character such as Yomi by my side - he bores me terribly and my temper happens to be rather short."
"Find another puppet, then," Youko concluded their discussion. "I want you to call off your people and stop spreading this disease. After all, what worth is it reining over a graveyard?"
"Accurate as always." Ranna went past Yomi and towards the curtains which led to a different room, adorned in plants as the rest of the palace. "This is what I am willing to offer you this time. Personally, I found it to be of no real value during the first few years, but now I see why you two shared such a special bond. I've never seen such loyalty before... No matter what we've tried, physical, mental, or spiritual, he didn't even betray you in his delusions... Not even while he was comatose, high, or one step away from death. My telepaths were left questioning their abilities - truly remarkable."
By this point, Youko was questioning Yomi with a silent staredown. Although blind, Yomi could hear the movements of his former ally very clearly, even those of his face muscles. He heard his heartbeat and the sweat breaking out along his spine, cold and unforgiving, betraying his stoic attitude. There was only one who could have met that description, although his mind kept telling him that it was impossible. It had been two centuries that very day...
There were steps outside, but at that moment, nothing mattered. He felt all kinds of scents blended together as someone was approaching - his ears picked up two sets of shoes inside Ranna's quarters in unison and the terrifying dragging of something soft. Was that blood he felt or was it something else? He couldn't decide. For the first time in centuries, Youko felt panic gnawn at his mind.
Amara also found two demons approaching her. They were tall and well-built, with sunkissed skin. One was wearing dark blue pants with lateral cuts, exposing even more of the perfect body he possessed and decorated with golden accessories all around. He had white curly hair that looked terribly soft, like the wool of a lamb, falling slightly into his face and the most welcoming smile. The other had sleek dark green hair pulled into a short pigtail behind him, tribal tattoos, and luxurious brown clothes which resembled the attire of a ninja, except much more revealing.
The white-haired demon picked up her bag while the other held out his hand. Amara had been leaning against the wall, enjoying her smoke and listening in on the conversation, but these two didn't look like they were going to leave her alone.
"Good afternoon, my lady. You are awaited in your quarters," the green-haired spoke. He had a lizard tail behind him and some scaley looking patches on his skin.
"Yes, please come with us. You must be tired from traveling all the way from the Human world," the white-haired insisted.
Tempted to refuse, Amara remembered Youko saying she was unimportant twice - once with his words and once with his actions. Ah, what the hell? She had her weapon with her and these two jokers didn't give her any creepy vibes.
"So I'm not a slave anymore, huh?" She blew smoke in their face.
"We've received word to make you comfortable. Is there anything you would desire?" The white-haired demon looked almost human, even with his red eyes. "We will make certain to fulfill any and all of your requests."
"What's your name?" Amara asked as she went along with the demons through the tropical jungle greenhouse.
"We have none," the green-haired lizard replied. "We are Shadows, that's all."
Amara didn't look impressed. "I won't tell her if you give me your names. Everyone has a name."
"Not us," the lizard continued. "You see, we've been born here - we've never received names. The outsiders have to forget theirs, but we have no such burden to carry."
That was odd. "How should I call you, then?"
"Us, Shadows, generally communicate face to face. Names are useless once you involve yourself personally with the one in front of you." The white-haired boy stopped in front of a door and opened it. "Please, after you."
Amara's hand was hovering over her pins. She thought about how fast she could unseal her weapon if she needed to fight. However, she was greeted by a large room with a wide bed, a Roman bath further in, two sofas, an empty shelf perfect for all of her notes, and a woman servant.
"...Talk about royal treatment," she mumbled to herself.
"Please, feel free to ask for anything you wish," the white-haired demon reminded her with a wink before leaving her bag by the door and walking away.
The woman had light pink hair and blue eyes. She approached Amara with her head low. What kind of demon was she? Amara had a hard time making up her mind about this. The woman smiled kindly and tried to undress Amara. When she slapped her hands off, the servant took three steps back and gestured towards the bath. Why not speak, though...?
"Are you alright?" Amara asked her.
The servant nodded. She then opened her mouth to show that she had her tongue missing. Amara needed a minute to understand the situation, but once she did, a cold shiver ran down her spine.
"Is this some punishment?"
The woman shook her head. It was not. This mortified Amara even more. Was Ranna cutting off the tongues of servants as some stupid rule of hers? This was getting too much, and she had only arrived in the devil's lair. Faced with the awkwardness of refusal and afraid this might get the girl in trouble, Amara undressed shyly and stepped into the bath. The pink-haired girl sat on her knees on the edge and poured salts and flower petals into the water, and some kind of a balm which made the water feel like silk. The girl then gave her the gentlest massage while washing her hair. Despite her trust issues and every corner of her mind screaming danger, Amara's body was melting into a deeper state of relaxation with every minute.
Suddenly, the girl became aware of a terrible feeling rooting inside of her gut. There was nothing that would stop her from thinking about Kurama - something had to have happened and it couldn't be good. She sat up, muttered an apology, rinsed her hair, and walked out of the bath. The servant barely had time to handle her a bathrobe as Amara unsealed her weapon. She wrapped herself up in the robe and then rushed outside.
The sun was already setting and the greenhouse was anything but inviting. The abundant vegetation created layers upon layers of shade and the birds made weird noises and calls - it was plain creepy. She tried to remember which way led to Ranna's quarters when a hand caught her from behind a tree trunk covered in moss, orchids, and a gigantic variegated Monstera Deliciosa. A second hand slammed itself over her mouth, muffling a sharp scream. She aimed her needles at her attacker's throat before she recognized the voice.
"Shh! It's me, don't worry."
Author's note:
So we've met Ranna. What do you think about her? Could you see Youko attracted to a powerful demon like her?
Let me know in a review or in a PM. Also, follow and favorite.
This was a bit plain because I needed a new setting for the next few chapters. Things are about to pick up soon.