Story Title: Consumed by Hellfire

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

Author's Notes: As usual, sorry for not updating in so long. It's my habit of creating other really long fanfics and having to update on them is the reason you don't have a more regular submission of chapters. Or it's because I'm a procrastinator. Meh, I'll figure it out later. Thank you for reading and I hope you stay for later chapters.

Chapter Ten: Cause and Effect

A figure appeared atop the ceramic tile roof of a Japanese-style castle. Making a swift, surreptitious sprint across the rooftop, Hanabi crouched down and hid herself in the shadow of a tower and waited for her messengers. Grinning shamelessly as she narrowed her eyes, Hanabi remarked about how perfect the night's conditions were. The castle was surrounded by a dense pine forest, which on this particular evening was blanketed in a thick fog. Clouds blocked the full moon, making the surroundings especially dark. It's a perfect night to come out and play…she mentally laughed.

Ah…there you are, my babies, she grinned and watched as a pair of Makai quetzals soared above her. They landed, but even in the heavy shadows, their gorgeous black plumage still had a shine. Instead of having to do the hard work herself, Hanabi sent her familiars to scout the layout of the castle, note the placement and number of guards, and most importantly discover the location of her target's private chambers. They leaned up and quietly chirped their lengthy reports into her ears.

"Enough," she dismissed the spell binding her familiars and replaced their two long black tail feathers back into her hair.

So, the lucky demon was sleeping in the South Wing. She considered the plausible paths before her. There was either running across the rooftops, dodging the view of guards and lookouts, until she reached her position or she could race across the center courtyard in front of all the guards and cause chaos while killing as many as possible. Hanabi groaned. Though murdering innocent guards sounded fun, and any other time she would have gladly indulged herself, tonight she just didn't have the energy. Damn, I'm too young and pretty to feel old, the General sighed.

Well, let's get this over with, she unbound her giant folding fans from her back. I think I'll take the easy way, she thought. Hanabi crossed her rust-colored fans in front of her and drew them across, leaving a fading shimmer of light marking where she once stood.

Two guards made their rounds and also kept watch for any signs of the escaped prisoner. They were lightly armored and carried only a polearm and a short sword. As all the guards were uniformed, they wore a red surcoat emblazoned with a black crest of fire. While most of the guards were either an animal or a grotesque apparition, these two guards were some of the few human demons within the ranks and, because of that, they were assigned strictly to the Halls.

The King's guards agreed that all the ensuing chaos and frantic searching was a disgrace to His Majesty. With hundreds of soldiers patrolling the halls, they thought one of them would have at least seen him by now. It was only one boy—they should have already captured him. The prisoner was making a mockery of them all.

"Hey, what is it?" the male guard asked when his twin sister lagged behind.

"Shut up," she snarled and cocked her head, trying to listen again for that sound. After a few moments with no results, she shrugged her shoulders. "I thought I heard something."

"Like a voice? Or was it more like footsteps?" the older guard raised his eyebrow, questioning if his sister actually heard anything at all. This was probably just a lousy prank to get him back for snipping her ponytail off last night. Immature of him, yes, but she deserved it for making him a fool in front of a superior.

"Nah. It sounded more like something scraping against stone. I only heard it for a second." She peered up to the ceiling and her brother cautiously followed suit.

Braziers mounted on the ground lighted the stone floor but the light faded as their eyes ran up walls and reached the pitch-black ceiling. By now, both siblings were wondering the same thought. Was it possible that the prisoner could be above them? It couldn't be. The cast iron chandeliers would have squeaked and swayed if he had leapt onto one of them. Though there was a thin ledge well concealed in the darkness, the only way to use it effectively would be to hang from it and traverse it by hand. But they would have been able to see him if the boy was using the ledge. Unless the bastard was so scrawny that he could actually stand and keep his balance up there…

"Well, it's quiet now. Hurry up." The older brother turned back around and continued walking. His younger sibling sighed and reluctantly returned to her duties as well. Still she couldn't stop herself from stealing glances over her shoulder and up at the ceiling.

The guard stopped at the corner and briskly scolded his sister, "Quit lagging behind. What's wrong now?" She was testing the limits of his patience. They didn't have time to be playing around when a prisoner was loose.

Slowly treading forward as she now stared at the ceiling, she replied with a straight face and tone of voice, "We're being watched…"

Stomping back, the older brother grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her forward, "You're being paranoid again. Now come on!"

She didn't feel like she was just paranoid. There had to be something there, even if it was just a rat, but her brother didn't believe her. Maybe she was imagining things, not like there was anything else to do and her mind did tend to wander when she was bored. Saying nothing more, she accompanied her brother and they continued their search on the ground.

Giving the guards plenty of time and distance between them, Kurama leapt down from the thin ledge. He had been lucky to finally find his footing before those guards had discovered him. Of course, the skills he acquired when he was a thief also were a tremendous help. Briefly, he paused at the corner, pressed his body against the wall, and listened. With a cursory glance just in case around the corner, Kurama ran down the adjacent hall.

With permission of the owner, they arranged that The Whore would be their base of operation. A brown-stained map of the city and the surrounding land, held down by candleholders at each corner, lay on a table while Suzuki, Jin, and Touya stood around the map. Suzuki held his chin as he thought out a possible plan of attack.

Before they had arrived in Medria, the six demons had stumbled upon Honoo's army. Jin and Touya were sent ahead of the group on a reconnaissance mission. Based on their reports, they used coins to represent both the number of troops and also the quality of troops. So far, against a well-stocked, experienced army, they had too few numbers and the majority of their militia was not of any value.

"It doesn't look good, " Rinku commented.

"We shouldn't despair so soon, " Touya replied.

Shishiwakamaru sat at a table away from the group with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes would shift from the group to a far off wall, and periodically, he would make an intentionally loud and drawn-out sigh for attention. A frown deepening through his lips, Shishiwakamaru grew more bored and impatient as time passed.

"If only we knew more about how this army functions…" Suzuki replaced the coins he had moved from a previous martial strategy to their original positions. They were running out of time however. The army would arrive in three days.

"We should leave now while there's still time," Shishiwakamaru grumbled.

"No, we're not leaving," Suzuki squeezed the coin tightly in his hand and glared at the map. "There is too much riding on our success here."

Raising an eyebrow, the young swordsman turned away, "Playing war hero here will only merit you a grave, Suzuki."

His mouth crimping with annoyance, he turned and faced Shishiwakamaru, "Well, if you're such a military genius, quit sulking in the corner and you come up with a method of attack."

"No. We're wasting time standing here. We shouldn't jump into someone else's issues."

"But this will become our problem. That's why we're here, " Rinku said. There he goes again…the boy thought. Before they had arrived in Medria, the six demons debated amongst themselves whether to come to the town's aid. All but Shishiwakamaru had agreed on the decision.

"Is that of our concern?" Shishiwakamaru rose from his seat and took a few steps around the room as he spoke, "Look at us! We're not exactly a military godsend. We're nothing more than a band of fighters. Jin and Touya's shinobi background and my swordsmanship are the closest forms of military training we have. We're grunt soldiers at best, not generals."

"Sounds like you need some help," the tavern owner said.

Beside him was an older minotaur with broken horns yawning and lightly dressed in a dark blue yukata and wore traditional sandals. The entire left side of his face was scarred and burned. The way the bull stood before the group—everyone could tell he had seen a few skirmishes in his life.

"Lord Taikasei here is a friend of mine. There's not a demon for miles that knows more about military strategy than him. Use him to your advantage."

Shishiwakamaru doubted he could do anything. The minotaur snorted and stepped forward, "Despite my common appearance, I was once a captain and apprentice under the tutelage of Lord Honoo. Regardless of the King he serves, I have always known Honoo to be an honorable warrior with a standard rules and practices of combat. If you would permit me so, I shall impart to you the fruits of his teachings."

Every upper hall looked the same, a mere extension of interconnecting hallways snaking throughout the palace chambers. After running blindly wherever his instincts led him, Hiei had no idea where his location was in the palace and he hated the castle layout more by the second. Hiei slowed his pace. A hand lay protectively over his tender stomach wound. The bleeding had stopped, but the pain, further aggravated by his running, still remained and reminded Hiei of its existence with every step or breath.

A serpent guard halted and respectfully bowed before Hiei. He seemed surprised when the prince paused and asked him whether the prisoner had been caught.

Bowing deeper in forgiveness, he informed all of what he knew at that time, "Unfortunately, Your Highness, he has not been apprehended. However, I assure you it will not be long until…" The guard expected the prince to make a violent outburst like his father, but instead, he merely ignored him and walked away.

He had to act disappointed in front of the guard, but in truth, Hiei was relieved. Of course, he never expected that Kurama would allow himself to be caught by the guards. Somewhere in the castle, the fox was momentarily safe in hiding, at least Hiei hoped. Knowing him, the guards would probably walk right by him undetected. Hiei wasn't worried about the guards finding him.

If only I could find you…Hiei thought. At least then, he could be sure Kurama was okay. Okay but not safe. In fact, both of them would be in grave danger if Hiei was caught helping Kurama escape. Though dying wasn't in either of their plans, at times Hiei wondered if death was the only way they could escape the Land of Fire. Taking a moment to rest against the stone wall, he dispelled the thought. Hiei wasn't about to go through hell for him just to end up another smoldering corpse and he was certain Kurama wasn't too keen on ending his life here either.

"Damn it!" Hanabi shouted as she was thrown into a wall. Splinters were skewed into her back as she rose. He wasn't supposed to be this difficult!

Originally, the plan was for her to creep into his bedchambers and simply slice off his head. No fuss, no fighting, just a quick death. She should have been done by now. No…he had to complicate matters by waking up just as she was about to slit his throat. Now the whole palace knew she was there. Hanabi had…say three minutes tops…until she was surrounded with guards.

"I'll ask you this only one more time. Who are you and who sent you?" Enki commanded.

Hanabi covered her mouth with a kimono sleeve as she laughed. She regarded him with disdain and narrowed her eyes, "You aren't worthy enough to know my name."

"Not worthy? I am the King of Makai. I demand that you answer me!" His voice boomed testily throughout his bedchambers, now completely destroyed. Standing with his fists clenched in front of him, the large red oni was certainly intimidating sight.

"Heh," she paused and raised her head haughtily, "there is but one King in Makai and he has been in power long before you."

He raised an eyebrow immediately at her words. From his expression, she could tell he didn't believe her one bit. Another King? Couldn't be. There were only three before and someone would have informed him of a fourth.

"Enough stalling," Hanabi drew out her smaller folding fans and set them ablaze, "I need your head, please."

This was more than just a miscalculation. Briefly looking over his shoulder, Kurama sprinted down the hall as five guards pursued him. Their steel boots clanked raucously against the flagstone floor, as if their shouts weren't enough to notify the entire castle. His minor misstep had changed into a costly blunder. Somehow, Kurama had to figure out how to correct this before every guard was alerted and was chasing after him.

Easy enough, Kurama thought sarcastically. With one wrong turn, he would be right back in that disgusting cell and he could forget about a second chance. Of course, Kurama had no idea where he was running. Luck and intuition had guided him thus far. With any hope, maybe the combination could lead him out. The guards secretly snickered beneath their helmets. It was only a matter of time to them until the prisoner met a dead end.

Ah! Kurama's eyes widened, happy to see a crossroad at the end of this hall. An opportunity like this was something the fox boy was wishing for. Looking over his shoulder, he increased the distance between him and the unit of guards. Timing was key. Employed too soon, the trick would be over before he could escape. Employed too late, the guards could catch him before it was finished.

Drawing near his designated starting point, Kurama crossed his wrists in front of him as thick white smoke sprayed into the hall. The aghast guards screeched to a halt, slid into one another, and fell over. Kurama turned in the center of the crossroad and poured the smokescreen into each of the narrow hallways, shrouding nearly each path entirely. Sure, the risks of this stunt were plenty. And yes, using a large smokescreen when your goal is remain inconspicuous does defy the point, but if all worked to plan, Kurama could remain hiding in the shadows again. He was willing to try anything if it meant he could elude the guards.

The smoke fully in place, Kurama chose a path and ran. As long as he didn't attract any more guards and remained observant, the plan was going smoothly so far, but the cover wouldn't last long. Luckily as he emerged from the smoke, all he could hear down the stairs was the tapping of his own feet.

One guard ordered the others to get up. Slowly the soldiers in their bulky, clanking armor rose and held their polearms in front of their bodies like spears. All of the guards, including their unofficial commander, were hesitant to enter the smokescreen. Who knows what could be waiting for them inside the wispy swirling smoke? And if the prisoner had the resources to kill General Lord Maki, what chance did a handful of lesser demons have? As they forced themselves forward, the cover began to clear. The boy was gone. Cursing themselves, the guards couldn't believe how easy they were tricked.

There were no ledges to climb in the hall below—in fact, Kurama was out in the open if a guard appeared. As it was in most of the halls, the lighting was poor. Bird-headed gargoyles accused Kurama from their wall mountings as shadows flickered across their crowing beaks and stone wings. Softly groaning, he wondered if it was possible to find his way out. Was he even close? Kurama had been in plenty of castles before but none had ever been this confusing. I'm probably almost free, Kurama assured himself. Momentarily, he remembered Koenma saying that this would be a simple mission. Briefly, a smile passed his lips at the Prince's words.

There are no such things as simple missions, Kurama mentally retorted.

Kurama heard footsteps from around the corner. Beneficially at the end of the hall was a small storage room. Quickly slipping inside, Kurama carefully peeked from around the open door frame.

"Hiei…" he whispered, although it was too far for him to hear.

Kurama saw Hiei walking forward down the adjacent hall. He would have caught up with him, but unfortunately, a guard was near. Kurama turned, pressed his back against the wall, and kept watch. Maybe, the guard wouldn't find any need to inspect the tiny chamber, thought the fox wasn't keeping his hopes up. Luckily, the guard passed without batting an eye toward the pitch-black chamber.

Good, the guard is out of the way, Kurama thought as the guard turned toward a nearby flight of stairs. The wait had not been long, so Hiei could not be far. He was right. Finding Hiei quickly, Kurama eagerly called to him in a hushed voice. But the fire demon's reaction was not what he expected. Hiei turned and seemed taken aback and angry by Kurama's presence.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled in a strained whisper. His narrowed eyes scoured the halls and stairways, searching for signs of guards approaching.

"I escaped—" Kurama did not finish his sentence. He saw how Hiei guarded his stomach and shifted his focus toward that. "Hiei, you're injured."

I am aware of that, Hiei thought. Turning his side slightly to the side, Hiei forced himself to maintain a strong face, "It's nothing."

"Just a flesh wound…" Despite his joking words, Kurama wore a dour expression.

"I'll be fine, " Hiei groaned. He hated seeing the soft sadness in the fox's concerned eyes. "Don't give me that look! You should be more concerned with your own life than mine."

"Then we should be going," Kurama started to dash forward.

"We?" Hiei raised an eyebrow.

Kurama looked back and stopped. Momentarily, he paused and nodded his head. "Yes, let's go. You are coming…right?"

"We've been over this before…" Hiei replied through clenched teeth.

Kurama stood puzzled and at a lost for words. His mouth was slightly agape and eyes blinked rapidly. So, he was serious? Hiei was really going to stay behind? This, this was crazy. What reason did Hiei have to remain here? He didn't explain why before and did not seem like he was about to.

His eyes fell upon Hiei's wound, "You can't stay here."

"I am," he faced his back toward Kurama. Hiei interrupted the fox before he could respond," But you need to leave."

Kurama sighed, " Don't be so stubborn…"

Clenching his fingers into tight fists, Hiei clamped his eyes shut, wrinkling his brow in annoyance. "This isn't about being stubborn! I told you I have my own complications."

"Then I am staying as well. I will help you." As Kurama tried to lay a comforting hand on Hiei's shoulder, he bristled away from his touch.

"I don't need your help." Trust me, this has nothing to do with you, Hiei added in thought.

"No. You do not want my help." Kurama tried to lighten the mood with a smile, "You don't have to do everything on your own, Hiei."

The fire demon shot him a look that said otherwise. Sounds of muffled voices were becoming louder. Hiei ordered Kurama again to leave, but the fox wasn't budging. Kurama stood again with the sad concern on his face, making Hiei avert his eyes in shame. Certain that someone was about to catch them together, Hiei practically shoved Kurama before he finally moved. So it seemed that Hiei had his mind decided. Yet, Kurama still hung his head as he reluctantly began to walk away.

Pausing, Kurama looked back. Hiei wore a striking glare as he curtly nodded his head, signaling the fox should keep walking. "Hiei, please…" A moment of silence passed between them. The footsteps drew nearer.

"Take care of yourself."

Eyes softening, Hiei stared downcast and drew in his lower lip. He responded with a single nod. And then, Kurama ran away, leaving Hiei behind to watch him go. Hopefully, the fox could escape. Of course, he can, Hiei sighed and reassured himself.

"This is how it is supposed to be…" Hiei whispered the thought aloud. Still part of him wished he had gone, that he was running beside Kurama. Leaving. The guards stopped in front of Hiei and saluted. He said the hall was clear and ordered them to turn around. Looking to one another, the guards considered protesting, but since it was the Prince's command, they forced a nod and obeyed. Even though, he couldn't be seen with Kurama, Hiei was determined to help him get away.

When the guards left, Hiei turned around and continued his way down the hall. Taking just a few steps, a hard jolt of pain ran through his wound, forcing him to drop onto one knee. Not now, he ordered while frozen in his place. If only his own body was as obedient as those guards…

Hiei cringed and held his breath as he rose onto his feet. Bracing one hand against the wall for balance and support, he pushed himself to trudge down the hall.

Well, this seems like a good sign, Kurama hoped while he passed glimpses of the open courtyard visible between the single row of thick, engraved columns. In any case, he had a rudimentary understanding of his whereabouts within the center of the palace. A fleeting flash of heat lightning dazzled the dark sky.

Hiei…I may never know why you have decided not to run away with me, but I hope you've the right choice. I'll trust you, he thought, and pray that we'll see each other again. Though his heart was already beating rapidly due to running, when he thought about not seeing Hiei, a new ache emerged. Kurama thought he had already dealt with those feelings earlier just before Maki arrived.

I meant as friends, he told himself, I want to see him again as friends. Not because I love…Kurama slowed his pace and stared at the stone floor. Who am I kidding? I'm just as confused as before. If only I could figure out how I feel about him…Kurama lied. He knew exactly how passionate his love for Hiei was. What he didn't know was how his family would feel...and that reaction weighed heavily on his mind and his own emotions. That and even if he accepted his feelings for Hiei, how would he carry out his affections?

Come clean to Hiei?

Mentally playing out the situation, Kurama shut his eyes and shook his head. No…he decided he would rather not endure the humiliating rejection and the awkward silence afterward and then on end between them.

The flashes of heat lightning became incessant and relentless, casting his faint shadow on the far wall and floor. Kurama narrowed his eyes and picked up to a running pace again. Now wasn't the time to sit around and ponder over his tumultuous affections. Not until he was far away from the palace at least. Reluctantly, he dropped the subject and returned to his muddled escape plan.

Strange, the fox thought. He was still running along the view of the courtyard, but he had neither heard nor sensed a guard approaching from anywhere. Things were becoming ridiculously auspicious, making him believe that something wasn't right in this hall. Surely, a guard might have seen him from the courtyard.

"You there, halt!"

Kurama paused and bowed his head down to hide his smirk. So there were the guards…

Still smiling, Kurama turned and faced the pair standing with their polearms positioned forward, "I'm sorry I can't comply."

"Then I suggest you reconsider," the King replied bitterly and dramatically flared a corner of his top lip. The fox silently gasped. No spirit energy, no footsteps, Kurama hadn't realized the King was behind him until he had smelt his burning stench a second before he spoke.

A nervous sweatdrop ran down the side of his face. The King laid his hands on Kurama's shoulders, told him they were going somewhere more open, and began to guide him to the new location. Stay calm, Kurama told himself. Already he was darting his eyes around, assessing the situation, and preparing his urgent escape options. I'm sure there's a way out of this.

Somehow…

–end chapter

10/15/09 Edit: Turns out I've been misspelling Suzuki's name wrong and nobody ever informed me of that. Not a big deal, I suppose, but I HATE messing up characters. His dub name is Suzuka, and I've been calling him Shizuka, which I get confused with Shizuru and Suzaku's name sometimes, so hopefully I've caught all the mistakes, and I'll remember his name better using the Japanese version…