Chapter 6

Taiga opened the doors leading to her small private balcony. The air was cool as dusk started to settle over the horizon. The never ending lightning flashed across the darkening sky as the thunder rumbled low and deep.

Pulling her thin robe tighter around her bare shoulders, she tried to hide the tears that threatened, once again, to fall. 'Damn him.' She thought. Her hand went to the bruise on her cheek that still marred the tan flesh. He had given her a really good beating this time, blaming her for the red head's passing out. How was she to know the affect her pheromone would have on him? Youko seemed to want to enjoy it the last time they had encountered each other, the spirit yoko had even tracked her down and tried to show her what a good time they could have, but the fire demon had stopped them before they could continue the fun. It seemed this time the more ningen side of the spirit yoko wanted to fight the affects. That was never a good idea. The real reason for her pheromone was for reproduction, to attract a mate and allow him the pleasures that came with sex and the multiple chances for off spring. None of her other 'lovers' had ever had the reaction the red head had. The others loved the heighten senses and rush that came from her during their rolling in the sheets. However this one seemed to fight it with every breath, until he literally passed out. Of course Yomi had been different with Kurama than he had with the others they have been with. He usually was more into giving the pleasure than receiving it, he would always take the time to prepare their bed partner before having his way, but this time it seemed he was deliberately trying to hurt the red head, wanting him to feel pain and suffering. She didn't know how bad the damage had been until Kurama passed out on top of her and she yelled at Yomi to stop. He kept going until he was finished and then looked at her with his closed eyes, but there was confusion clearly on his face. "He's passed out my love. It would seem we were too much for him." She said softly, running her hand through his red locks.

"What!" Yomi said with anger and frustration.

"He's unconscious, my Lord." She informed, looking up to see anger replace confusion on his face.

"Weakling…stupid ningen half. What did you do to him?" Yomi asked through clenched teeth as he felt for the lean figure under him.

"I did nothing different than I had done to the others." She said as his hand came to the red head's face, touching him, feeling his pulse and listening to the sounds of soft, yet short breathing.

Yomi cried out in frustration and pulling the red head off her, threw the limp body on the floor, where it landed with a thud. She gasped as she saw the blood and bruises covering the pale flesh. The Lord returned his attention to her and she felt the anger rolling off him. "I told you he was part ningen." He slapped her up against the side of the head. "I told you to take it slow and not to over power his keen senses." He fumed and used his fist this time to hit her across the face, a bruise forming before her head even came back to look at him.

"I'm sorry, my Lord." She tried to control the tears, for he never liked to hear her cry and would get even angrier, making him hit her more. "I guess I got a little carried away." She turned her head as he went to strike her again. After the hit, she added. "I have never been with a ningen before either, again…I am sorry my Lord." She said it softly as the tears flowed down her cheeks. She tried to control her heart and fear, knowing he could sense anything out of the ordinary.

Yomi got up and dressed, saying. "You deal with him. If he dies…" He turned to her. "Then you die." He warned then left her room.

She immediately grabbed a robe and called for the doctor that Yomi had hired not to long ago. He came and took the red head to the infirmary, now all she could do was wait.

She sighed and went to head back in, as she turned, she pumped into something and the dim light coming from her room made her realize that that something was a someone.

"Told you I saw a putty cat." Yusuke said as she stepped back in shock.

"How?" She pulled her robe tighter around her as she stepped back and bumped into something else, or rather someone else. A sword was at her neck before she could turn.

Smelling the fire demon, she smirked. She'd had her doubts about his 'death' after overhearing some of the guards say 'no body had been found.'

"Where is he?" Yusuke asked.

"Lord Urameshi, what a surprise." Taiga muttered, giving a nervous laugh, composing herself and ignoring the sharp blade at her neck.

"Where is he?" Yusuke asked again.

"He's in the dungeon." She said with confidence.

"Aaaaaandt." Yusuke made a buzzer noise. "Wrong answer." He said. He and Hiei had checked the dungeons first and had only found a trace of the red head ever being there.

"Then he is with Lord Yomi." She said, holding her head up high.

"Look lady, we don't have time for this. Yusuke told her. "He's not there either. We checked." They had been able to get a glimpse of the Lord's room through a window and had not seen anyone.

"Then keep looking." She said.

"You win." Yusuke said, giving a nod to the air. "Kill her and let's go. We don't have time and definitely don't have time to play twenty questions." He said, turning to head back into the room.

Taiga felt the nick of the blade across her throat followed by a thin line of blood going down her chest.

"I will take you to him if you let me seek asylum." She said, standing on her tiptoes to get away from the sword.

"What?" Yusuke said, turning around with raised eyebrows.

"I want to live. Call me a coward, but I don't care for him anymore." She said.

Yusuke nodded to Hiei, who lowered his sword. Taiga moved closer to the light and he could see the bruises that adorned her face.

"He do that to you?" He asked. Though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"Yes. I seem to be disappointing him more and more as of late…especially since he's become obsessed with the fox." She muttered the last part.

"You have a deal, but you have to help us get him out of here and I swear if this is a ploy or set up, you're dead…no matter what the circumstances." Yusuke said.

"Yes." She whispered. "Follow me."

a)a)a)a

"This is the last guard. Your fox is in there." Taiga said pointing to a door and a guard stationed outside it. "Stay here."

She walked over and started talking to the guard. He grinned and leaned into her neck, where she began to stroke his head.

The other two watched as she did the same thing she had done to the other guards they had encountered on their way to wherever it was she was leading them. Hiei had wanted to kill the guards, but Taiga had said she would take care of them. Thus here they were around the corner from the door that supposedly held the fox.

The guard fell to the floor, unconscious, but with a look of content on his face. As Yusuke and Hiei came around the corner to the door, Yusuke could not help but notice a wet stain on the front of the guard's pants.

"There's a doctor in there, his name is Yasekoketa, he is a sweet old man, please do not harm him." Taiga said, reaching for the release button on the door.

The door opened and the other two gasped, they could tell it was an infirmary, the walls were all white, the smell of disinfectant hitting their noses.

Hiei pushed Taiga up against the wall, the sword once again at her neck. "What?" He said through clenched teeth. "Did you do to him?"

"He had a reaction to my pheromone and then Yomi…" She let it drop and lowered her eyes, unable to finish as the image of the red head all torn and broken came to mind.

The scene was interrupted by a short demon, a stocky dwarf you could say, who was even shorter than Hiei. He had pale green skin, large elf ears and his skin was wrinkly like an old person's. He was wearing a doctor's blue scrub shirt and a pair of black pants.

"What seems to be the problem here?" He asked, his voice sounding like someone from the country.

Hiei let go of Taiga and held his sword in defense. Yusuke just stood there, a smirk on his face as he tried not to laugh at the sight of the doctor.

"You can put that down son, I do not allow weapons of any sort in my domain." The told him, placing his hands behind his back and showing no fear.

"Where is he?" Hiei growled, ignoring the statement.

The doctor looked to Taiga, raising an eyebrow.

"They're here for the red head." She said, composing herself.

"I see, well I'm afraid he is in no condition to be moved right now." Yasekoketa said still calm like this was an everyday occurrence.

"Just take us to him. We'll decide." Yusuke said.

"He's in here." The doctor said, turning and walking through a door.

Yusuke nodded to Hiei, who sheathed his sword and followed, Taiga followed him and after turning to lock the door, Yusuke brought up the rear.

When Yusuke made it to the room, he stopped dead in his tracks, not because of what he saw, but because Hiei was standing right inside the door and would not move. Taiga was leaning against the wall just next to the door.

Looking over black haired's head, Yusuke could see the doctor on a stool, looking over someone, he stepped down and the raven haired gasped. Kurama lay on a padded table, his head was facing the door and he realized he was on his left side, there was a white sheet pulled up to his neck. Though only being able to see his face, one could tell the red head was in bad shape, his face was pale and there were blood stains in various places on the sheet.

Hiei's hands clenched and unclenched with anger, it was taking everything he had not to torch the place. Yusuke went to get around the shorter demon, but Hiei held his arm up and walked further into the small room. He watched as a small shaky hand went to caress the fox's hair.

"What happened?" Yusuke asked, he didn't care who gave him the answer, he just wanted one.

Yasekoketa answered. "He had a reaction to Mistress Taiga's pheromone, seems he tried to fight it."

"And the blood." Hiei said, before leaning into the pale face and whispering something no one could hear.

"I'm afraid Lord Yomi was none to gentle with him, during their….." The doctor was cut off as he found a sword at his neck.

"How bad is it?" Hiei yelled.

The doctor could only gulp.

Taiga stepped around to face them. "He's lost a lot of blood." She said softly, looking at the pale figure and feeling guilty.

Hiei lowered his sword, but did not let go of the doctor. "Yusuke, get him ready, we'll get him back to Mukuro's." He told the raven haired.

"Like I said, he is in no condition to travel." The doctor said.

Hiei let him go and just stood there. "What choice do we have?" He finally said. Guilt in his voice for letting Kurama be taken in the first place.

"Let me do a few things. It won't take long. Then we can see about getting him out of here." The doctor said, moving very slowly around the fire demon and going to the bed.

"We don't have time. Mukuro's army's going to be here at dawn." Yusuke said.

"It won't take that long." The doctor said. "The first thing I can do is take this off." He said and moved Kurama's head so he could untie the wards in his hair. The doctor held them up and they burned to ash, with a puff of smoke.

Hiei could feel a spark of spirit energy in the red head as soon as the wards were gone, his jagan now able to sense him. Apparently it was the wards that had been keeping him from tracking the red head through their bond. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a gasp and saw dull green eyes trying to open.

"Easy fox…I'm here." Hiei tried to assure as he ran his hand through the limp red hair.

"Hiei." The name was said with confusion and uncertainty.

"I'm here…we are going to get you out, don't worry…relax…you're okay…." Hiei was babbling and trying to hold back the flood of emotions.

Kurama was still confused, his eyes fluttered before closing completely.

Hiei could not stop a tear as it escaped his eye and became solid on the bed. He grabbed it, quickly shoving it in his pocket.

"Baka fox, making me worry." He tried to joke. He was going to kill that bastard goat. No doubt he had told his fox he was dead, trying to break his spirit.

"What now. What do you want to do Hiei?" Yusuke asked, standing there feeling useless.

Hiei turned to the doctor, saying. "Get him ready to go. I'm going to go kill the bastard once and for all."

Hiei turned to head for the door, but paused and turned back as he heard Kurama whimper. He saw a pale, shaking hand come out from under the sheet, but his eyes remained closed.

'I'll be back Kurama, rest, this will all be over soon.' Hiei said in his thoughts, projecting them to the red head before going out to the front area.

"Are you sure about this?" Yusuke asked as he followed the fire demon.

"Yes." Hiei said, not turning around.

"Why not just let Mukuro's army handle it?" Yusuke asked.

"Just stay and watch what he does." Hiei said, indicating the doctor. "And don't let her out of your sight." He added, pointing to Taiga.

"Excuse me." Both turned to see the doctor standing there.

"What." Yusuke asked, annoyed that they had been interrupted.

"I wish to seek asylum." The doctor said.

Yusuke let out a breath and looked up at the ceiling. "The ship hasn't even started to sink and all ready the rats are bailing." He mumbled.

"I assure you I did not know what I was getting into when I agreed to be Lord Yomi's doctor. I'm a simple doctor whose only wish is to heal, but what I've been made to heal since I've been here…." The doctor trailed off.

"Okay, okay….Geez enough of the sob speech. We can use you okay. Just help Kurama as best you can, I'm going with Hiei." Yusuke said.

"No!" Hiei shook his head. "I want you to stay here." He said.

"What good are you to Kurama if you get yourself killed?" Yusuke yelled.

"That is none of your concern." Hiei said, turning his back so the raven haired could not see his eyes and the pain they held.

Yusuke could see Hiei's hand clench and unclench, he knew the fire demon never showed his emotions, but he needed to make the fire demon realize that Kurama would not survive if he were to die. "I'm not going to be the one to tell Kurama you died and I won't be able to comfort him in his suffering, or recovery. I have my own problems to deal with yeah know." He said folding his arms across his chest and knowing the koorime wouldn't believe him. For it has always been known that Yusuke cared very deeply for the red head and if he hadn't been in love with Keiko and straight, to his knowledge, though sometimes seeing the two demons kiss made his heart flutter, he would have had his sights on Kurama.

Hiei smirked, but of course no one saw it. 'Hn, Yusuke wants to play games, well fine, I'll play along.'

"I'm not going to be the one to tell your woman that you got killed doing something stupid." The fire demon countered. "I can't deal with hysterical women…specially ningen ones and I would 'not' comfort her in anyway, is that understood, detective?" He said calmly, turning around.

"I wouldn't expect it." Yusuke smiled, knowing he had won the argument.

"Fine." Hiei said and then turned to the doctor. "If anything happens to him before we get back, there will be nowhere in all three worlds you can hide…understood?" He warned, looking him in the eyes.

"You have my word that he will be taken care of to the best of my ability." The doctor assured with a bow.

"Let's go then…I'm ready to kick some ass." Yusuke said with a crack of his knuckles.

When the two left, Yasekoketa went back to Kurama. He saw Taiga standing next to the red head, running her claws through his hair. "You can do something more useful than that." He said.

Taiga looked up. "Get some cool water and a washcloth, you can bath him and I'll recheck his injuries." The doctor told her. She nodded and left the room, coming back with the items.

"I'm going to go get the things I need, be right back." The doctor told her and left the room again.

Taiga wet the cloth and washed the pale, sweaty face. Kurama whimpered, but otherwise did not respond to her.

Kurama was tired, and hurt all over, the events of the evening came to him in a flood of images and he whimpered at them. 'Damn that goat.' His mind screamed. He thought he'd heard Hiei's voice and mentally laughed at himself. 'Maybe I should just let myself die. If I am already losing my mind thinking I am hearing Hiei's voice, why not join him in the afterlife.' He knew that once he was healed Yomi would continue the games, why not make the Lord angrier with his death. End his torture now.

"Because you should not give that bastard the satisfaction." A voice in the back of his mind said.

"Youko?!" He was surprise to hear the spirit yoko. He'd thought the demon gone since he'd not heard from him in months.

"It would seem you still need me." Kurama heard with a chuckle.

"But where, what…?" He didn't know if this was real or just in his delusional mind like Hiei's voice.

"I was biding my time, I was only going to give you so much longer, then I was going to be gone, but it would seem, as I have said, you still need me." Youko said.

"Okay, what do you want to do?" Kurama asked, he was in no shape or mood to argue, all he knew was that he had finally lost it.

"Let me out, I want to see the 'Lord' suffer for what he has done to us. I want to laugh in his face while he is begging for release and eventually his death." Youko spat and showed an image of his fangs.

Kurama was going to tell the fox that they were warded, but then realized he could feel his spirit energy, it was weak but there.

"No worries little one." Youko smiled. "I have had a good rest."

Taiga pulled her hand back as she watched something change in the red head. She could sense an overwhelming power and gasped as the red hair became completely silver, ears formed on the top of his head and a silver tail tapped on the side of the bed.

Youko sat up and looked at Taiga.

"Well if it is not the 'pussy' cat." He smirked.

The bowl of water dropped to the floor, splattering the clear liquid as Taiga gasped and stood. "Youko." She whispered, backing into the wall.

The yoko smiled and went to her. "We will have to finish what we started sometime back, though I am afraid it can not be at this moment, for I have a low life to deal with, so will you wait for me?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I have to apologize for the wait, but I am afraid it will take awhile before I allow him his death." He told her and placed a hard kiss on her lips before leaving the room, leaving her staring after him with her mouth hanging open.

The doctor was in the main room, still getting stuff ready, when he saw a tall silver spirit yoko walk out from the back room and then out the front door.

End Chapter 6