I'm updating for Christmas Eve Eve! This makes up for being late last time! I hope you all like it!
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Words Once Spoken: Chapter 7
And so they went. They had left later that day. Kuronue, it seemed, was not one who was inclined to wait, as he initiated the whole expedition. Even though it had been suspected, Yusuke was surprised at how far Kuronue was willing to go to reach Kurama. He was forced to rethink his opinion of Kuronue, but it didn't change. As soon as they arrived, the bat had set Kurama to different tasks, many degrading, in an attempt to anger the kitsune. But Kurama had obeyed without pause, showing no objection to the bat's every whim. That was when Kuronue discovered something that terrified both boys.
When Kurama heard his love's command, he hurried to obey. It was all he could do, nothing else would save him from hurting again. Kuronue would protect him. He knew, it was just a matter of time before he was given his peace, before his pain went or stayed forever. His mother was dead, and despite what his head told him, he knew he was to blame. It hurt so much to acknowledge this truth. It was just that he knew he had to do it. So as long as Kuronue wanted him to do anything, he would accept it as punishment for his crimes. It was his way of helping in any way he could.
For how could Kuronue not resent him? Youko had left him while there was still a chance for him to live. Kurama was a sham, just a worthless being that tried to measure up to his master. Youko was his true identity, a thief. A thief of treasure, a thief of identity. He didn't have any reason to remain here, except his love for Kuronue. And oh yes, he felt Kuronue's mark burning on his neck. It was shameful to any demon to be subjugated by the demon bond, to be the only one marked. However, Kurama felt that the shame was appropriate with the way things were.
To Kurama, it was merely a reason he could hold on to. Kuronue had returned to him, it didn't matter how. All that mattered was that he would still let Youko be his slave. Even without being loved back, he could still give his own love So of course he did whatever he was told, how could he not? He had asked for master Kuro, and his master had understood. He was given his wish. He lived in a daze now, where everything was tinted black. It seemed so real, so permanent. But in the corners of his mind, something screamed that this was wrong, that the world shouldn't appear like this. What if it was through tainted eyes though? If the onlooker was corrupted, then it was right for the world to be different. That silenced the voice in his head, it couldn't argue with that kind of flawed reasoning. (A/N: Nor could it comprehend it..)
He felt Kuronue's hand grasp his wrist. He knew it to be Kuronue's, no other being mattered, so he could only sense Kuronue. He felt something. Cold metal was being pressed into his hand. He knew he was to grab it, so he closed his fingers around the hilt of Kuronue's knife. "Good boy." he heard the praise whispered softly, and felt a warm feeling spread through him. Even like this, the chimera could affect him, make him feel love. "Now take this, and hold it here." the bat said, lightly tracing Kurama's pale throat with silky fingers.
Kurama obeyed, holding the blade to his throat. He heard a sharp intake of breath beside him. His love was surprised. He wasn't sure why, it was his duty to obey. He held perfectly still with the curved blade at his throat, waiting for his next command. For some reason he felt suddenly sad, as if he had done something wrong. A feeling, approaching shame swept through him. Odd, what had he done to make that happen? He had simply done what he was told to do. So how could he be at fault?
That was what had shocked them. The reality hit his two caretakers with a rushing clarity. This was the first time they realized just how awful this was. This situation just seemed to get worse and worse. They looked sadly at Kurama, who just sat there with no trace of emotion. The knife was held firmly, no sign of trembling, as Kurama sat there, ready to take his own life if ordered. It was heart breaking, really, to see such a prideful being lowered to this level. And even worse, he wasn't aware of what he was doing.
"Youko would have never considered taking his own life like this." Kuronue said, his voice trembling for the first time. "It must be little kit who is hurting so much." His master wasn't talking to him, but to another that he could not see. It was of no consequence to him if he was not being told to listen, so he turned the conversation out of his mind. It never even once crossed his mind that the conversation did concern him.
A reply came from Yusuke, though Kurama was unaware. "How can we help him?" he looked at the fox, the fear he had for his friend was reflected clearly in his eyes. Kuronue looked on Yusuke intensely, as if trying to determine how trustworthy he was. Yusuke gulped, those eyes were piercing, as if they saw into his very soul.
"I suggest we do two different things. One would be to get him to use his energy. The other is to make him snap out of it, likely by putting him or myself in a threatening situation." Kuronue put his hands to his chest as he spoke and frowned thoughtfully at the kitsune, losing himself in contemplation.
His head snapped intently to his lover's gaze, which had drifted slightly up towards the sky. "Youko." he said thoughtfully in a stern voice. A teacher catching a student unawares. The fox's gaze quickly turned towards him. Kuronue smiled slightly, that was much like when Youko was an apprentice. He would often catch the fox gazing off if he wasn't being spoken to. Then he would question him about what he had been thinking. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, just like old times indeed.
The Kitsune opened his mouth to speak, "I was thinking." he began, his voice piercing the still air somewhat hesitantly, as if his voice might bring him harm. "That this forest is so much like home. All of the plants are singing to me, they all know me." His voice actually had emotion in it. He sounded like a child that just discovered something wondrous, like presents on Christmas morning. (I just had to add it) "I was anticipating the moment when we become one, the plants plunging into my energy, filling with my essence. There's nothing as wonderful as that. But don't worry, master Sho taught me how to resist their call. I won't do anything until you command me to." he smiled at Kuronue, it was a smile of innocent delight. Like he had at last returned home.
Suddenly, Kuronue's arms surrounded his fox in a fierce hug. "Have you at last decided to come out foxy boy?" he sounded so relieved. "My little Youko, always so eager to embrace the foliage. Can you and little kit come back from this? Will you survive?" he looked down at his love's innocent face. It was the same, even if it was a different face. "Can you help him to recover? You never had a mother, so I'd imagine that you enjoyed a second chance with her. But will you be able to return to me fully? Now that she's gone..." His voice sounded almost guilty as it trailed off.
"Yes," golden eyes softened as they looked upon the chimera. "Shuuichi was devastated by the loss of his mother, don't rush him. I am unable to see any but you as a result. Only when he is ready to face reality will he reawaken to the rest of the world." Youko threw the knife with deadly accuracy into a tree behind Kuronue. It went in hilt deep. Yusuke was surprised at the Kitsune's apparent skills with a knife. "He needs time to think, and I'll help him along the best that I can." He turned in the bat's arms so he was looking up at him. "Until then, please don't try any more of your little experiments." he was clearly referring to the knife, and his voice was stern. Determined lips engulfed Kuro's in a fierce kiss before he stepped back, golden eyes returning to a lifeless green.
Yusuke was very confused as this happened, why was Kurama referring to Shuuichi as another person. Wasn't that just his birth name? Or was it possible that... "Yo, bat man." Yusuke said, drawing the chimera's gaze to him. "Are Youko and Kurama different people?" he asked, a rather contemplative look on his face.
"No." Kuronue said. Kurama is the second part of Youko's name, the part that I gave him when he became my apprentice. Youko Kurama is a demon, and Shuuichi, I believe he's named, is human. I only know what I've seen from looking at them, so I don't know the specifics. I can see that my foxy boy, Youko, isn't the same as he was. There is another entity inside his body, little kit, or Shuuichi. Both are the same, yet different at the same time. They are two separate, thinking parts of one being, but one being they are. I suppose it is possible to separate them. In fact..." Kuronue's voice trailed off as his gaze whisked back over to the redhead.
He called Kurama closer to them and spoke to him. "Do you still have the amulet with you?" he asked. A brief nod from Kurama made him thoughtful. "Can you show it to me?" Kurama nodded slowly, hesitantly. He held his hands in front of him about three inches apart. A golden light began to form in the air between his hands. A crescent shape slowly began to form. It was at that point that Kurama sank to his knees, gasping. His breathing became agonized, but the golden light never faltered once.
A few tears ran down his cheeks, and he gritted his teeth, determined to do as commanded. Yusuke was growing more agitated at the sight of Kurama's agony, and Kuronue's obliviousness. "Stop it!" he finally yelled at Kuronue, knowing Kurama wouldn't hear him. "Can't you see that's hurting him?"
Kuronue ordered Kurama to stop. The light ceased instantly. Kurama put his hands on the ground to support himself and gasped frantically for air. Kuronue seemed intrigued. (Again!) "Why is it harmful to make the amulet appear?" he asked gently.
That was when something he had said finally registered with Yusuke. "Wait! He said that Kurama was his apprentice. If that's true, then when they say master, they mean like a teacher." Yusuke thought. "I thought that meant he was a slave. But if he isn't, why did he say that? 'I was his to do with as he pleased.' " Poor Yusuke just kept getting more and more confused.
Kurama answered, his voice so soft that each word seemed to caress their flesh as it came out. Kuronue got chills at the sound of his lover's voice, so intelligent and graceful. "The devil's amulet is connected to our soul, binding us to one another. It is the anchor on Youko's soul, the thing that keeps his soul in this world. One day, I will die, and our body will belong to him only, the spell will be released. He was planning to bring you back once I'm gone. Until then, it puts a lot of pressure on my body to do anything involving the amulet."
Before either boy could react, a large mass of demon energy came to life around them. Instantly, Yusuke and Kuronue jumped to attention. Kurama stayed where he was until Kuronue yelled for him to stand up and fight with him. Just as Kurama jumped up into a tree and raised his energy, their attackers came into view. There were definitely a lot of them. They were completely surrounded.
"Since when do so many demons live in human world?" Yusuke muttered as he cracked his knuckles. He grinned though. "I haven't had a challenge in months. This might come close though. This'll be fun."
As the demons rushed onward towards them, they prepared for battle.
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I'm unhappy with this chapter for some reason. Is it just my imagination? Well, at least it's one of my longest, consider it your Christmas gift.
I have just one more thing to say, "Happy Christmas Eve Eve!".