Sorry chapter three took so long O_O;; I've been tweaking the plot a bit. Still not quite sure where it's going e.e For simplicity's sake let's just say that this is merely an outlet for creation oke? I've thoroughly garbled time periods and techniques. Yes. I know. –bows- and I'm verrrrry sorry. I'll try to clean it up as the story goes along. . Also, Kurama is Shuichi but Shuichi sounds funnier to me. And I'll leave it at that -_- So, with that said, here's chapter three!
Shuichi sat back and steepled his fingers under his chin. The vision that Hiei made was an amusing venture indeed. Just how long could he keep screaming like this before he broke himself?
The red head's eyes rippled and danced like swathes of green velvet—warm, dangerous, indescribably tempting. They traced the demon's movements with the most infinite care, as the latter twisted and writhed, moaning brokenly for release.
Sweat beaded and dripped along the contours of Hiei's body in a way that made Shuichi lick his lips.
This is what he had craved for all these years as he had screamed alone in the darkest pits of his prison. He had hungered for the very presence that had callously pushed him aside. You can cage an animal for only so long before it goes rabid.
And now here he was again, but the tables were turned. This time it would be Hiei who begged. Hiei who suffered…
Said demon fell to his knees and grabbed at his head, trying to curl away from the phantoms that haunted him. They were surrounded by mist, like a curtain he dared not draw back lest it consume him. And he was scared of them. He, a proud demon of considerable rank, was quivering like the child he had once been.
Rose bud lips quirked up in amusement as Shuichi got to his feet and approached the quivering boy. Fog swam around his ankles and rose up to engulf the rest of the rooftop.
Normal mortals wouldn't be able to see this, and they would feel the sudden compulsion to steer clear of the area for as long as Shuichi kept up the gossamer barrier.
Arms slung around Hiei's shoulders from behind. He hoisted the boy back to rest against him and wrapped his arms around the smaller waist to prevent his retreat. Hiei's form had stilled itself by this time as his head propped up against Shuichi's chest. It rolled to and fro for a moment but when Shuichi ground his hips against the shorter boy all motion ceased.
With a sigh, Hiei went limp. "That's it Hiei. Just like that."
Hiei whimpered softly. His eyes stared forward into the fog but saw nothing. Fiery silk spilled over Shuichi's shoulder as he leaned over and breathed into the shell of the shorter boy's ear.
"That's right, remember it all. And then remember me."
Hiei's back arched at the command and Shuichi's arms tightened and strained just a little to keep a steady hold. The shorter boy drew in gasp after strangled gasp and fought the urge to scream.
"I…I can't. Aaah! I don't want to. Stop this!" His chest rattled and his eyes pricked with the burning salt of tears. Shuichi lapped at them gently.
The door on the far side of the roof burst open to reveal a flustered Yukina. The fog cleared instantly and the glow of the sunset illuminated the bodies of the two struggling boys.
"Let my brother go!"
Shuichi looked up with a droll expression and got to his feet, kicking Hiei back to the ground.
"Hey!"
"What? You said to let him go. So, I let him go."
"You dropped him, you brute!"
Without batting a lash, he tucked his slender hands into the pockets of his uniform and strolled past as Yukina rushed forward to collect her brother. Kuwabara wheezed as he climbed the last few steps to catch up to his would be girlfriend but paused as the taller redhead slipped past him.
Shuichi's lips pulled down into a frown as he mumbled, "I haven't forgotten …the gloomy aroma of those flowers…"
"Uh… did you just say something?"
Brown eyes were caught in the gaze of snapping green and the copperhead rubbed his arms to dispel the chills that had suddenly arisen there. The other boy took his leave without hurrying. Kuwabara watched as the other redhead retreated with only one thought: who was that guy?
"Kazuma, help me!"
He shook himself and clambered to her side. Grunting, he slung the shorter boy over his shoulder before following the ice maiden who had captured his heart.
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_
Hiei groaned and rolled over. Pools of reflecting darkness cracked open blearily.
He was home. How had he gotten here? His body quivered as he rolled himself onto his back. The last thing he remembered was…
…was?
Being awoken rudely from his afternoon nap by that new kid. And then…fog.
He swallowed and immediately regretted it. His throat was raw and he grimaced as he tasted blood. What the hell? A knock sounded at his door and he sat up a little to find his sister nudging it open with a tray in her hands. She stepped forward and set it down on the bed before placing her cool hand on his forehead.
"You're burning up big brother."
He snorted. "Hardly a surprise little one. I take after my father after all. He was hot stuff, you know."
Yukina rolled her eyes and gave her brother a bored stare.
"I'm proud of you."
Hiei blinked. "Because?"
"Normally you're so short tempered. But you didn't fry that guy today...even though...even though it looked like you were really in pain."
He stamped down on his shock as she busied herself with laying out a meal and a steaming cup of something. She handed said cup to him.
"Drink this. It'll make you feel better."
Without hesitating, Hiei took a sizeable gulp of the drought then promptly tried to spit it out again. Yukina reached forward and froze his lips shut so that he couldn't.
"I said drink big brother."
He swallowed, then grimaced. She unsealed his lips with a gentle smile.
"What is that…that…that?"
She sat down on the bed with her back facing him.
"It's bitter weed", she said simply.
Hiei shuddered. In the demon world, bitter weed could be used to cure mild maladies ranging from sore throats, to burns, and slight abrasions. Most demons didn't bother with it though because it had a reputedly ghastly taste. It was indeed the stuff of legends that made even demons fear the times when they had to take their medicine.
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. In the most .ful. waaaaay…
Hiei cringed as the adage from Mary Poppins popped into his head.
"You've got to stop taking lessons from that witch, little sister."
Yukina got up and sniffed daintily. "She's not a witch. She's a wonderful woman."
"She's make believe", Hiei retorted flatly.
"Oh shut up and eat your food before it gets cold."
Hiei smothered the impulse to snort at the irony of that statement and wisely so. Yukina was very sensitive about her cooking. She left him to it as he picked at the food listlessly. There was something just at the edges of his memory that he was trying to grasp at. Something so tantalizingly out of reach.
With a shake of his head, the boy made an effort to consume the rest of the bitter root and the food. It wasn't easy and by the time he got a sizeable portion downed, he was exhausted again. Flumping back down, he allowed his mind to grope lazily at the swimming cacophony of images that flickered and danced behind his eyelids.
He stopped in front of the large oak door, not bothering to knock.
"Its alright Hiei. I won't abandon you", a smooth voice whispered against his temple. Then a hand on his shoulder squeezed lightly. He brought his own hand up, surprised at how cold it was when he laced his fingers with those of the other warmer hand.
Hiei tensed his shoulders, now so much bigger than they were since the last time he had been here. It was time. He pushed open the door with both arms and strode over the threshold with an arrogant swagger, reveling in the screams that bombarded and tore at his ears.
The man behind him moved to stand at his side. One fox ear twitched and he tossed his silver mane irritably over one shoulder. "Not one for subtlety, are they?"
Despite the situation, Hiei chuckled at his companion.
"They aren't called ice apparitions for nothing, you know."
The other man's eyes flashed as he grinned down at his companion. "Go. Do what you need to do. I'll keep these bitches busy."
All humor fled from Hiei's face as the taller man slashed at one pale arm with his claws. The screams raised to a fever pitch as he held that arm out and lianas shot from them. Not just any, but the growth of which carried stunning spores, painful serum in each thorn. One scratch and it would have been enough to drive any being insane with agony. And now those sentient vines creeped forward at an alarming rate catching and holding all the maidens that stumbled in their methodical path.
"Watch your back Youko", Hiei called over his shoulder.
"Same to you my friend."
The spikey haired man tucked his hands in his pockets and sauntered forward, paying no mind to the gore around him. Everywhere his eyes wandered, the women who had looked down on him were being squeezed to death, ripped apart by the bloodthirsty plant, begging for release.
His eyes widened as a guard rushed at him but then they shuttered to half-mast when tree roots rose up and tangled around the woman's ankles.
"Where are you going sugar? Come play with papa for a while." She howled and clawed at the ground as she was dragged past the shorter demon. The lilting drawl of the man's laughter at his back settled in Hiei's chest, strengthening his resolve. He stepped around her and continued on his way down the frigid hall, chuckling as he heard the squelching and crunching noises that signaled her dismemberment.
The screams and bellows muffled as he plunged deeper into the strong hold. Every now and again a vine of some sort would wiggle out from between the cracks in the ice and wave cheerily at him, reminding him that he wasn't alone. Heartened, Hiei finally came upon the door he was looking for. Pausing for a moment, he stared at them.
But then one of those vines curled towards him, brushing against his cheek lovingly. The man nodded. With all his strength, Hiei hauled the heavy ice apart.
Screams, screams of pleasure. Grunts of ecstasy. That terrible slap of two bodies entwining themselves together in sweat slicked passion. Ruri and Hina arched their backs with a final cry of pleasure before they melted into one another. Hiei stood in the shadows, waiting.
"Mother?"
Hina jerked around and materialized shimmering cloth around herself and the other woman. "Who's there? I told you I wasn't to be disturbed."
Her son stepped from his place and made himself visible. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she stalked off the bed and took a crouching step forward.
"Ruri?"
"Yes...m-my lady?"
"I thought I told you to dispose of this whelp."
"I…I threw him from the cliffs as you ordered my lady."
"Then why—"
"Mother?"
"What boy?" she snapped again, rounding on him.
Hiei stuck one arm straight out and let the beast lap at his life force. The dragon reared forward and guided the cold flame as he pointed his arm. Ruri shrieked and fell backwards against the headboard, writhing as the black fire danced over and devoured her.
Hiei's mother curled her lip at the writhing mass of melting flesh on her bed. "I liked those sheets too."
Face grim, Hiei pointed his arm at his mother as well. She glanced at him, sneering. "I hate men. The lot of you. But…you have power as my son. And it is our way to collect the powerful. Will you join me?"
The spikey haired boy cocked his head to the side. Her sneer didn't waver. He sighed and clenched his fist to dispel the beast. She sniffed daintily. "Same predictable ways I see. Even all these centuries later you still grovel like you were made for it."
Hiei's chest clenched as he brought his arm back up. "No mother. I wasn't. Now, where is Yukina?"
His mother raised her chin like the regal woman she was. "I have nothing to say to you."
His eyes flashed like smoldering coals. "Where is my sister?" Hina remained silent and jutted out her chin further, daring him.
"So be it."
The beast roared and lunged from his flesh, eager for another kill. Hiei turned and closed his eyes, letting just one tear fall. He needed to find his sister. But with his new eye, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Now there was just the matter of Youko…Youko….You…
"Youko!"
Hiei sat up in a cold sweat as that single word was ripped from his throat. He cupped his mouth and traced his lips with one finger. The…memory?... no it must have been a dream…
The boy shook his head to dispel the black spikes poking at his eyes, even though he wanted to deny it. He knew what this was. Hiei's face morphed into a scowl as he heard the voice of a man he hadn't seen in centuries. But... why now?
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_
Shuichi laid in his own bed and raised an arm up to stare at his splayed fingers. A different hand. A different body. Borrowed flesh…
A small price to pay in a bargain with a demon. And yet he felt the creature's betrayal like his own. Youku never wept. He never complained. But the restless shifting inside Shuichi's mind was all that was needed to know the demon was in pain.
He rolled over onto his stomach and took a breath in his pillow. It wasn't right. How could someone be punished for just caring for someone? No one should have to pay for love with blood and bone. No one. The redhead could still hear the lyrical clink of the chains. Still feel weight of them as the dark reeked and pressed against his naked body.
But it hadn't been his body. That day after the castle had crumbled Youko had cast about everywhere for his dear friend. But he had been nowhere to be found. Koenma's… No they had been Enma's forces at the time. The hounds had run him straight into the ground before he was dragged into their biased courts. He had been tried for treason against royalty. For Murder. That hadn't bothered him so much. Not so much as Hiei deserting him.
"Are you dwelling again?"
Shuichi flinched. "No."
A silky chuckle purred against his skull. "You need to learn to lie better little one."
If Youko had had a corporeal form, Shuichi would have elbowed him. He was most definitely not little.
"Whatever. We start the next phase tomorrow."
"This isn't your fight Shuichi. And that's too soon."
The redhead snorted."The hell it's not. I choose my fights Youko. Make no mistake. Trust me, I'm helping you."
The fox shifted hesitantly, remembering a time when he had uttered those same words with just as much conviction. A muffled moan bled through the wall.
The poor woman was having night terrors again. All those that crossed death's line and lived to tell about it carried the burden. Death was a jealous bastard, and even when he had to let someone go, they never got away completely. The woman in the next room was the perfect example. Any guilt he had for her suffering though was washed away by the comfort he knew his host drew from her.
"Your mother is calling."
It didn't matter that it was the middle of the night. Even if Armageddon had stricken, Shuichi would still answer his mother's beckoning. The only reason he still had her was the demon lurking within him.
A small price to pay.
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_
"Are you kidding me?" Keiko groused.
Yusuke cringed at her and rubbed the back of his neck. She glared ocular fire at him, at the quiz paper, and back at him again. "How on earth could anyone get a five on a pop quiz? Even if they sleep like the dead!"
She crumbled it up and tossed it at the sheepish youth before opening her mouth to rail at him again. Before she could get the chance however he perked up and ran past her.
"Hiei my man! Just the demon I wanted to see."
Hiei scratched his chin and regarded the delinquent. "Isn't that a conflict of interest?"
Yusuke thought about that for a moment but waved his hand in the air carelessly. Poor Yusuke just jabbered on and on, not noticing the raging femme behind him. She on the other hand was quite aware of him.
Hiei's eyes flicked back to Yusuke then he grabbed his sister and sidestepped just in the nick of time. Keiko ran at her boyfriend and drop kicked him, using his body to skid safely to a stop. Road rash nothing, Yusuke was road kill. Hiei hid his smirk and tugged Yukina along behind him, the latter of which craned her neck with a concerned expression.
"Shouldn't we help him brother? Oh… there goes a tooth."
"Leave it. That's the only way idiots will ever learn."
He turned to face forward again but stopped just as they were about to walk past the school gates. Shuichi stood there with his arms crossed and one leg crooked up, resting against the rough brick. A slight breeze picked up and lifted those fiery locks, wafting them gently. Hiei's entire body erupted in chills and phantom screeches of terror tickled his ears.
"Fine morning we're having, isn't it?" The red haired boy smiled politely down at Yukina, who stared back blankly.
Shuichi scowled. "No need to be rude. I was just trying to be pleasant."
"I still haven't forgotten what you tried to do to my brother" she hissed. "Excuse my lack of courtesy."
He inclined his head. "You're quite excused."
Hiei growled and grabbed his sister's arm again. "Come on Yukina. Your first class is about to start."
She shot one last look at the redhead before following after her brother. An insufferably unconscious Yusuke was dragged through the gates minutes later by his banshee of a girlfriend. Shuichi rolled his eyes.
"Let the games begin."