Me: ((anime sweats)) Sorry for taking so long. I had trouble along the way.
Suzaku: Like computer break downs and brain freezes?
Raytora: ((sarcastic)) Oh that would never happen to our author...
Me: ((smacks Raytora)) Hey now!
Suzaku:((totally ignoring them)) Read and review, this time she might work faster.
Chapter 5: Destiney and Fidelity
Hiei had arrived at Kurama's house over seventy-two hours ago with the pheonix kitsune and it was still unconscious in it's demon form. Each of the gang had taken turns watching over him and bandaging his wounds again and again. It was Hiei's shift again since everyone else had to go to school and quite frankly, he was losing patience with the kitsune. He sat in the window sulking, occasionally shifting positions to keep from falling asleep. Unfortunately he did and when he woke up he saw the kitsune had moved off the bed he was placed on and started crawling towards the door. Hiei jumped down and interrupted the kitsune's coarse.
Bud paused and looked at the figure before him. He bared his fangs weakly and tried to crawl farther. Hiei grabbed the scruff of his neck and carried him back to the bed he was on. Bud glared at him and tried once again to get away.
"Stop!" Hiei growled grabbing the scruff of his neck again. "Do you want to die?"
Bud growled, "Better than seeing your ugly face."
"Watch it baka!" Hiei growled holding his katana to Bud's throat.
Bud stuck his tongue out, "Make me."
Hiei put Bud on the floor and stuck his katana through one of Bud's loose bandages. Bud glared at the fire demon, but unfortnately do to Hiei's last action, he was stuck to the floor.
"I hate you." Bud glared.
Hiei frowned, "Hn"
Bud bit off the bandage and moved again towards the door. Hiei stopped him, and sat in front of the door just to piss off our little hero.
Bud growled but crawled back the way he came. He stopped at the window and lifted his paws up to the ledege. Hiei frowned at the little kitsune as it pathically tried to pull it's own weight onto the ledge.
Bud wobbled, stuck in one place, unable to let go and unable to pull himself up. But soon gravity solved this and with a rather loud thud. Bud swore a soft oath and drove his claws into the wall, clawing up until once again he got stuck. This time though, he had no chance of falling. He groaned and swore softly again looking for a way to get off with out asking that 'hn' guy.
Hiei smirked on the other side of the room, "Stuck?"
"Just a little." Bud sighed.
Hiei pucked off the bedraggled kitsune and sat him on the bed. He was soon unbandaging Bud's wound with gentle light touches. Bud whimpered softly as air flowed through the wound but didn't move away from the touch. Once Hiei had finshed bandaging him, Bud yawn and licked his hand greatfully.
Bud shifted suddenly and fell off the bed. "Ow...Yang, that's not funny." He swatted at a shadow.
Yang shifted shape into a lab puppy and barked at him, "No, it's not funny; It's very humorous. So how's it hanging with the gang?"
Bud yawned as he shrugged, "I just woke up."
Yang frowned as he noticed Hiei, "Oh, that could be why he told me not to come."
"Sensei! Sensei sent you!" Bud hopped to his feet only to fall back down. Hiei caught him quickly and settled him back to his crawling position.
Yang frowned at Bud and lightly tapped the side of Bud's head with a paw, "Idiot, you haven't told them?" He was glaring at Bud with rather large cat eyes and a grizzly bear sized panther body to go with it.
"No." Bud said sheepishly.
Yang flopped down on the floor with an exasperated sigh. He sat back up quickly, "Bud, I'm going to throttle you..."
Bud scrabbled behind Hiei, who had a katana at the ready.
Yang fell over laughing and rolled on the floor a little before composing himself well enough to speak. "Ha ha! I haven't laughed so much in centuries!" He paused and turned grim, "But seriously Bud, how are you going to fight in the tourniment if you fear battle?"
Bud whimpered as he tucked his tails between his legs.
Yang rolled his eyes and flicked his tail as he changed again, this time into a fox. He lowered himself to Hiei and glared at Bud. He shifted into a teenage boy, white short spiky hair with blue tips, ripped black jeans, and gray muscle shirt. He rolled his neck and the dogtags on the spike collar jingled lightly, his white wolf ears flicked as if also stretching. "Bud, do you want me to heal you or carry you?" He asked folding his arms across his chest. "Nevermind I'll just heal you." He said quickly as he flicked his wrist.
Darkness wrapped around Bud taking away the pain and sores on his body. When the darkness cleared he was back to his humanized form. Yang started dragging him, then stopped.
"Ummm, where to?" He asked looking at Hiei. Hiei showed them to the living room, where Kurama was doing his homework. Yang shoved Bud in front of him, "Say it."
Bud looked at Kurama then to the floor, "May I speak to the whole team, Kurama-sama?" He looked at Yang who was sniffing couch behind them, not the support he needed, but it had to do.
Yusuke arrived at Kurama's house as soon as he could with Kuwbara in tow. Kurama had told him to be there soon with Kuwabara. When he enter there was Bud all stressed out and pacing but fully healed. He had a demon behind him, who was staring at the TV while sitting on the couch. He flicked his ear and turned to them, he navy blue eyes looking into the every detail. He barked at Bud, making his tumble over.
"YANG!!!!" He cried looking for support from the other demon. Finding none he motioned for them to sit down. Yang grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down beside him.
"Our tourniment is held each year the ruler of old is about to die. We, the phoenix kitsune, have to compete in the tourniment to see who rules..." Bud looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath. "Now the tourinment is open to others as well, but they have to have one of our kind to compete. If the team wins the kitsune is a ruler and they can bend him or her to their will. This year though..." He bit the sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt.
Yang frowned continuing for him, "Bud's the son of the ruler now. He was forced to compete and so are you. We were all placed onto a team of his choice..." He smiled evilly, "I hope you can get along with Raytora and Suzaku cause that is what his lord has decided."
Yusuke pratically yelled, "WHAT?!"
"And personally I don't think the lord or Ray would be too happy if you refused." Yang continued, looking rather delighted at the thought.
"Why's that?" Kuwabara asked.
Yang sighed, "His lord wants a good show before he dies. Raytora has no choice because Bud's brother has the only cure for his curse..." He smiled, "Yes Bud has a brother."
Bud was curled into a small ball and crawled into Yang's lap. He was shaking as well as biting his hand until it bled. Yang pulled Bud's hand away and his voice rumbled lowly into his ear. Bud soon fell asleep.
Kurama looked at Yang, " He doesn't want to rule." It was more a statment than a question.
Yang sighed, "Never in the thousands of years I've been alive have I seen a more selfless demon. Nor one that is so afraid...but with good reason. His brother tried to kill him ever since their father told them that if one of them didn't rule that he would haunt their families and such. Bud and Alaras used to be best friends and their still equally matched..."
Hiei stared at him, "Hn." He knew it when he first saw Bud it had been confirmed to him already by Yang.
"Bud's afraid of battle. He can train with Raytora on trees and things but if he gets pitted against anything at reasbles demon or human, he freezes and holds his head screaming. What he remembers, I have no idea, Raytora hides it from me and so does Bud." Yang yawned, "You want me to get your team mates?"
Kurama nodded, "That would be wise."
Yang disappeared like smoke in the wind. Yusuke started arguing with Kurama.
Me: ((anime sweats)) Sorry for the sucky chapter but it needed to happen. Heh heh.
Raytora: Read and Review. No flames.
Yang: Or else I shall be forced to fight back.