Sorry it took so long to update but I haven't been really wanting to, all that work and all. Plus I was working on some other stories that could actually get me money in the future, instead of one that, if I claim-which I don't-will get me thrown in jail. But here it is.
A/N-I suppose you might have realized that I changed the genre. There was a good reason for that. That reason will show up better in later chapters though.
A/N-Kurama's gonna be coughing a lot so I'm just going add some stars (*) like that when he breaks off speech to cough.
Chapter Nine
While Hiei was wasting time trying to first disuade his sister about himself then, finally, deciding to just come out and tell her the whole story, Kurama could feel himself going numb from the frigid air and gusting winds. He hadn't been there for long, not even ten minutes, but he was sure that he was going to freeze to death if his illness wasn't going to kill him first.
When he had first been abducted he had struggled as much as his weakened body would allow. Eventually his captor had gotten aggravated and sealed his energy and movement, it felt even worse to the kitsune than what had happened with Gama. At least then he could move even a little bit. Now he was lucky if his lungs didn't stop working. The most movement he'd gotten thus far, and the only he was going to get, was a twitch of one of his tails.
Currently, Kurama was too worried with staying awake. Gods knew the fox would have preferred to sleep, hell, even die all together if it would just end his misery and the ever worsening migraine. The only flaw in that plan, besides that Kurama didn't actually want to die, was that he wasn't being allowed to. Every time he started to drift off he was jerked into awareness again by any number of methods, most of them painful and none pleasant. So, as a recourse, he drew far into himself to be with his constant companion, Yô-ko, the one that no one could take away from him.
What do we do? Shuichi asked, cringing from the pain that refused to leave him, despite his body's growing numbness.
I wish I knew, my little kit. Yô-ko sighed, Do you want me to take over?
No I- Shuichi flinched, I can handle it. You came to my body for protection, I can't, won't, let you suffer. I befriended Hiei first, I'm the one they really want, you only know Hiei through me.
Shuichi, I entered you because I liked your spirit, I should be protecting you. Yô-ko sighed again as his other half declined and cried out in agony for his efforts, Shuichi, I know you don't want me to but I am taking over.
No, Yô-ko! Shuichi gasped, Whoever is doing this will know if we transform, even on just the soul level.
I do not care. I will not let you suffer for something that you have no reason to be feeling regret about, especially not alone. Yô-ko growled.
He pushed himself to the forefront of their shared being, only slightly ready for the sheer agony Shuichi had been putting up with and, he realized, had been shielding from him for so long. If he had been able to move, he would have howled and curled into a small, trembling, furry ball.
Of course, with such and obvious reaction and the change in energy signals, his captor noticed immediately. For the first time his saw her, the women who had kidnapped him. She looked old and, sharing remarkable similarities to Yukina, physically at any rate, a Koorime.
The ice-demon roughly grabbed and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. Kurama whined painfully as his wounds from the earlier battle reopened and the strain on his body from being held up by just the loose skin on his neck.
"Speak, animal." she demanded.
Kurama looked at her questioningly, he was in his fox form, how was he supposed to talk and what was it she wanted him to say. Apparently the old croan didn't get the point and shook him none too gently.
"Tell me, beast, why?"
The fox, given his past week of torturous events and feelings, felt like his entire being was going to shatter at any moment and all he could do was whine pitilessly once again. Adult foxes, or any mammal for that matter, weren't meant to be carried around by the scruff of their necks, let alone waved about like a toy.
Eventually she realized that the kitsune couldn't talk. "Damned animal." she cursed. Kurama felt lighter as a ward was removed from his frozen fur. Without hesitation, Kurama transformed into his most powerful form with an odd sense of relief, despite the crippling pain and freezing winds that his thin garments did nothing to prevent.
The women gave him no opertunity for thought. The moment he shifted forms the ward was back on his skin and he collapsed, all his muscles giving in, their strength sapped. Kurama shivered uncontrollably, at least in his fox form he'd had fur, this had nothing but an aboundant amount of silver locks and next to nothing in the clothing department.
Needless to say the apparition was less than sympathetic, "You're pathetic." she muttered, "Now tell me. What is your relationship to the Imiko? Will he come for his precious pet?"
Kurama growled, no one called him a pet, "How am I (**) 'pathetic'? I have reasons (*) for not (***) fighting, but you? You're (**) too much of a coward (***) to even allow me (*) movement. As for (***) Hiei, he'll know it is a (***) trap, he will (*) not come." the kitsune yipped loudly as the demon kicked his side and he coughed up more blood.
"Don't lie, the Imiko will come, he can't resist saving his weak and ill pet." she scoffed, "You will help me capture him," Kurama glared at her daggerlike, "You have no choice in the matter."
"What (*) did you (****) do to me?" Kurama managed to force out, vomiting blood, staining the snow around him as well as his splayed silver hair.
She unveiled a vial of greenish liquid. "Just a little poison to make you easier to capture."
"What do you (***) want with (**) Hiei?" Kurama demanded.
"The Imiko will die, he must not be allowed to live." she answered, "I don't know how that Forbidden Child survived the fall but, rest assured, he will not live again."
"Why?" Kurama asked, stalling for time, "What did Hiei-"
The fox broke off with a pained cry as the old demon kicked him again. As Kurama's eyes cleared, he saw the small animal cage and his stomach sank like a rock. Instead of removing the ward again, the woman used her own demon energy to force him back into his fox form. Then, before he could react, he was thrown into the cage where his natural claustrophobia kicked in. The ward fizzedled and disinigrated, leaving his energy blocked but he could now move, even so he remained still. The cage was picked up and Kurama was helpless as the Koorime lugged him toward a group of houses.
For just a second, Kurama hoped and thought that he would be taken inside. Just as quickly as the wish appeared, it was crushed as he was tossed onto the ground outside one of the huts doors.
In the span of minutes, the fox could hardly breathe, his sides burning from where the demon had kicked him and the bruises he was sure were forming from being knocked about in his tiny prison limited his range of intake of air, causing his lungs to burn with simultanious cold and lack of oxygen. The kitsune painfully curled into a ball, hoping to conserve heat but could do nothing about his shivering. What worried him the most was the fact that he was slowly not feeling cold anymore, a certain sign that he was going into hypothermia. At this point only Yô-ko's inner warmth and reassuring voice, as well as thoughts of Hiei kept him from completely giving up on everything.
Be careful but hurry. he thought before drifting off into the beconning darkness of sleep, Please, Hiei.
Okay, that's chapter Nine for you. So do you guys finally get how Yukina came to the conclusion that Hiei was her brother. I'm curious to hear how you readers think she'll take it, will Hiei be right, that Yukina wouldn't want a brother like him? Here's something of a retorhical question for you, why is it that people tend to be meanest to their favorite characters? I mean, look at what I'm putting Kurama through here and I absolutely adore him-yes I do have friends in real life, one of which I like very much.
PS. Has anyone had any experience in getting a gay guy to like a girl? Please, I'm begging here, he's tearing my whole damn world apart. He already knows I like him (though I'm sure he doesn't realize just how much) and he's actually gone as far as to say we'd be perfect together if he was straight. (That's actually true, we share a lot of faults and help balance out the rest)
Anyway, please review. Flames accepted; comments, constructive criticisms and ideas preferred (and if you want to help me with my guy problem please, please, please help me.
