The Sea Prince
Chapter 16
That's right, I'm still alive *gets hit by flying object*... I might have deserved that. Again, sorry for the wait, that was the worst time lapse yet, and after promising to do it in a weak... that was low, sorry readers. I will no longer say when I'll update because we saw what happened last time, and I don't feel like disappointing u all again. My finals are coming up, but I won't be busy when they're over BWAHAHAHA!!! Oh well, thanks Night Tsuki for helping me edit, in fact she set the due date that forced me to stop procrastinating. We have to thank her for that.
So without any more waiting, lets go, and stay tuned after reading if u wanna see something worth wild *-*kukukuku....
To many, a prince's life was meant to be graceful at all times. It was taboo to make them out to be fools, and they had to be seen perfect at all times. Kurama of course had to live up to these standards as well. He had to stay clean, move in the most graceful patterns, and had to remain poised and perfect at all waking moments.
However sleeping moments were another tale, as Kurama lay in a perfect mess. Kurama was a violent and deep sleeper, and had been for as long as anyone could remember. You could tuck him in perfectly and chain him to the bed (Which Shishiwakumaru tried once as an experiment) and in the morning he could be found fallen off half of the bed, and sleeping horizontally on it. Now, even with a human body, his sleeping pattern had not changed.
Now Kurama slept peacefully…on the opposite side of the bed then he had originally fallen asleep on. One arm was tightly wrapped around a pillow, which he hugged to his chest, and the other was dangling of the side of the bed. His hair was a mess, and surrounded his head in a red blob, while hiding most of his forehead. His legs though, were most peculiar, as they were completely clamped together, as if trying to merge together again. Even when he kicked they stayed together, making it look like some kind of double kick, or a butterfly kick (in swimming, that's a type of technique, they call it the butterfly). This was probably how he moved into such a strange direction.
A timid knock was heard on the door, waking Youko who slept on the desk beside the bed. Youko looked at Shuichi and had to hold in a laugh. 'Whoever you are, you won't wake him today. The child is definitely out!' The knock got louder, and after a few minutes of no one responding, the person let themselves in.
Keiko walked in cautiously, but then swung the door open when she saw Kurama on the bed. "So there you are; you know your going to get me in trouble." She said as she walked over and stared at his clumsy form. "...Who are you, Yusuke? Come on and get up already." She said as she gently shook him. Kurama however just stayed asleep, breathing deeply. She shook harder, but he didn't budge and only held onto the pillow tighter.
"Come on!" She yelled out. She then tried to push him out of bed, only to see him reach out from the cold floor and grab the blanket in his sleep, covering up again. She also tried the classic 'dump cold water and hot water on the person' but he didn't seem to mind the cold water, and rolled over to dodge the other in his sleep. She almost yelled out in frustration when he slept through a blow horn. She then tried to tickle his feet and under the arm pits, but he wasn't ticklish there.
"There is absolutely nothing I can do!"
"Hey, what's up Keiko?" She made a small eep and turned around quickly, only to see Yusuke with his trade mark grin on.
"YUSUKE! How many times have I told you to not sneak up on me? Seriously, you're always doing these kinds of stunts, how can you not know why people don't respect you as royalty? And another thing-"
"ALRIGHT I GET IT ALREADY!" He yelled and took a few deep breaths. He and Keiko had known and played with each other since he was brought to the castle. So naturally they had known each other for a long time; but they often got into arguments. Keiko was often telling Yusuke to grow up so he'd gain more respect from the royal council and the rest of nobility. Yusuke on the other hand said that he was fine with out it. They didn't know that it was these petty arguments that really made Yusuke loss his royal touch (a lord getting talked down to by a servant).
"But really Keiko, what's up? Are you trying to wake up the newbie?" He asked, getting a nod from the girl.
"Yes, I've been trying my hardest to wake him up, but he refuses to budge. He's now dripping wet and I even dumped him on the floor, but he refuses to wake up. I swear he's far worse then you: at least you show some kind of life." She said exasperated.
"Hmm… Are you sure he's not in a coma or something?" He asked and Keiko shook her head.
"No, he dodged the hot water which I tried to pour on him. I wonder why he didn't try to dodge the cold water though…" They both thought of it for a second before Yusuke shrugged.
"Oh well, what ever the reason is, its not going to wake him up. Maybe some shock therapy will work." He said with a gleam in his eye.
"Don't even think of it-" But Keiko was too late as Yusuke formed his fist, and aimed it at Kurama's face. However, the reaction was most unanticipated. The fist went flying at him, Kurama rolled over to one side before he was hit, and sent up both legs, kicking Yusuke in the stomach. The young prince went four feet in the air before he landed on his back. He was quick enough to block his stomach though.
"Ow…good to see your finally-" he was cut off by Shuichi turning onto his back, and letting out a big sigh. He was still obviously- "asleep!"
"Well it serves you right! Trying to punch someone when they're asleep; what the hell is wrong with you!" Keiko said while gathering Shuichi in her arms. He didn't even flinch as he was clung to. If anything, he seemed to relax more.
Yusuke glared some more, but then an idea hit him. "I know, what about Yukina! Maybe she has something to get him up." He said, and Keiko nodded in agreement. Youko stood on the side of the desk this whole time, amused by the performance, but he knew he would have to cut it short now. Kurama was a difficult boy to wake up; however after years of being his care taker, Youko knew the one way to wake him up.
'Hey kid, time to wake up, or you'll miss breakfast.' Youko sent into the kids mind, and all too soon, Shuichi's eyes started to open.
Keiko jumped a bit when she saw him begin to wake up. Yusuke also watched as Shuichi looked up, and behind to Keiko, and tried to speak. Yusuke noticed this and his eyes widened in shock before he smiled.
"Hey, good to see your awake buddy," he said cheerfully and Kurama looked at him. The sea prince then shook his head his head, and mouthed one word that Yusuke had to laugh at.
'Breakfast?'
"Yeah buddy, breakfast is ready, and you're late for work on your second day. So hurry up and get off the floor before you get yelled at again." Kurama shook his head a little to wake up more and scratched his head as he was about to get up but stopped as his legs buckled beneath him, and would have sent him into the ground if Keiko hadn't been supporting him.
"Shuichi-san are you okay?" She asked as she saw his face tense in pain and his toes curl. Yusuke looked from him to the bed, and saw a list on the ground and picked it up. He then looked from the list of exercises that Yukina and Genkai made up for the boy, to the cloths on Shuichi's body, and something clicked. "You have morning cramps!" That's when Keiko put Shuichi on the ground and hit Yusuke in the head.
"Idiot, he's not a girl you stupid-" And as she went on in her rant, Yusuke kept getting hit on the head. Youko would have been laughing if the situation wasn't so serious. However while Keiko lectured Yusuke, Shuichi cringed as his legs kept getting worse. It felt like the muscles in his legs were tightening against his will and cramped so bad that he kicked them out in pain. Keiko and Yusuke stopped fighting to hurry over to Kurama. They were clueless what to do, since he couldn't speak and while in pain, it was probably too difficult to tell them what was wrong (not to mention Yusuke sucked at sign language and Keiko knew none). He also kept hanging onto his lower legs and tried to stretch them sometimes.
Luckily though, the pain seemed to go quickly, and in less then two minutes it was gone. Shuichi just panted and took deep breaths when it was over. Youko sighed and relaxed, knowing now that it was nothing serious. Keiko and Yusuke relaxed and helped him sit on the bed and started asking him a few questions, question which he could answer with a nod or a shake of the head.
"Hey buddy, you ok now?" A nod. "Good is the pain gone?" a small shake.
"Is it just sore?" A nod. "That's good, do you know how it happened?" a shake of the head.
"Hey, how come you're still in your work cloths? And you don't smell too good either; did you pass out or something." Another nod came from the mute as Yusuke thought it over. "That means you also didn't have time for these stretches Yukina told ya to do, right." Shuichi nodded, and through Yusuke's question, Youko understood the situation perfectly.
"I see now. Kurama, do any of the exercises have to deal with the muscles in the lower legs, or maybe the hamstrings?" Keiko explained and Youko also realized the problem. Shuichi looked confused, he had been studying humans but the way their bodies worked was a mystery to him.
"Yeah Keiko, it says here that he has to do two exercises to loosen up his muscles," Yusuke answered for the redhead.
"I see now, Kurama, Yusuke had a similar problem at one point. He refused to do the stretches that Genkai told him to do, and ended up hurting himself and getting cramps all the time. It wasn't until I became his second babysitter that he started doing them." The girl explained, and Kurama nodded at the explanation while Yusuke yelled out indignity.
"You weren't my babysitter! You're not even older then I am, and don't agree with her so easily." Alas, his rant was ignored as Kurama got to his feet and Keiko smiled warmly as she reminded him to do his stretches. Kurama agreed with another nod, and bowed his head in appreciation. "And another thing-…WHY IS IT NO ONE LISTENS WHEN I SPEAKING TO THEM!" Yusuke yelled when he realized no one was listening.
"Because you're acting like a child," Keiko answered at once making Yusuke fall over anime style. Kurama secretly agreed with Keiko, but kept it to himself. "Now Kurama, you can have breakfast later, right now you should take a shower and change your cloths. I'll cover for you this one time, but don't be late again, ok?" He nodded and smiled at her. Yusuke suddenly appeared between him and Keiko, hiding her from sight. He glared a little at Kurama, making the younger man confused.
'He's getting jealous, Shu-chan.' Shuichi's eyes widened from two things. One was that Youko had entered his mind, and the other was what the old fox had informed him. 'If you get to speak to him alone sometime, it would be a good idea to state that you don't have an interest in the girl.'
Kurama was brought back too reality when he saw Yusuke waving a hand in his face. "'Hello earth to Shuichi-kun, it's time to wake up again." Yusuke said. He was confused when the red head's eyes suddenly widened and he seemed to zone out for a moment. But he was back now, so it was okay, although he didn't like the new person so close to Keiko all of a sudden.
Kurama smiled and then headed to the cabinet and grabbed a towel and smirked at them, and mouthed the words so Yusuke could understand. 'It's time for my shower, so you can go now. Unless I being in the shower is that much of an interest to you.' Yusuke blushed and pushed the oblivious Keiko out of the room.
"All right buddy, see ya then." He called back, and Kurama smiled and turned to Youko, who was shaking his head (he's still a crab though).
"Shuichi, you should really stop repeating everything that Jin says."
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Hiei was sitting at his desk, working on his paper work again… well, at least that's what he should have been doing anyway. Right now he was drooling peacefully in his sleep, his face resting comfortably on the paperwork.
Hiei had always loved to sleep in, but hardly ever got to do so. As a child, he was often awoken by other demons who wished to slay him, so he was forced to learn to awake at any type of presence. When he came to the palace his instinct calmed down a little, so not all things awoke him and he only awoke to presences filled with blood lust and darker emotions. Unfortunately, that often meant that he could not sense Yusuke when he sneaked into his room, but he learned to live with it.
However, even though he could wake up instantly, that didn't mean he'd stay up for long. He'd often fall asleep when the danger was gone; often needing one hour of just staring into nothing before he actually woke up. Since he didn't get that today, it was back to sleep.
This happened to be the time when Yusuke bounded into the office.
"Hey man, what's up… oh, you're asleep again, it figures." Hiei opened his eyes and grabbed his katana. He was never a good morning person. "WHOA HIEI, It's me Yusuke. Your old buddy!" Hiei glared as he released the katana and let it relax once more on his side.
"What do you want detective?" He said with a yawn.
"Well…just hear to tell you that…the record for our dish washer has improved."
"Good for… huh?" Hiei looked over at the clock beside him, before turning back to Yusuke. "Four hours isn't a record."
"He came in an hour and fifteen minutes late." Yusuke explained, making Hiei's eyes go wide again. "Pretty impressive isn't it Hiei? You think he might be cheating somehow?" Yusuke asked and Hiei pushed the papers away for the first time.
"I can't think of any other way, but I've stopped caring. It's pointless to think of someone else who has a different job as a rival. Besides I have more important things to do." Hiei said indifferently.
"You sure you're not just jealous that he could beat us at something?" Yusuke said and got a glare from Hiei. "Alright man, I was only kidding." The foolish prince said as he held up his hands.
"By the way, how's your costume for the ball? Mukuro said it would be a masquerade or something right?" Yusuke asked. Hiei looked at Yusuke strangely, contemplating about pounding his head against his desk.
"Hn."
"Oh come on Hiei, you can kiss and tell little oh me."
Hiei glared at the smirk on Yusuke's face, and considered throwing his sword at the idiot, but decided against it.
"I refuse to wear a mask. I'll wear the good for nothing outfit, but I refuse to cover my face with repulsing disguises and childish playthings." There was silence before Yusuke walked up to Hiei's desk and pulled out a small box from his pocket.
"Stop being a party pooper Hiei. Here," he then passed the small box to the smaller demon. "I know you're not interested in this stuff, but at least try to fit the requirements. Besides, it will look stupider if you're the only one without a mask. What's worse: joining the crowd at your own party, or being the only one who sticks out? Just think about Hiei." With that Yusuke turned and with just a wave over his shoulder, left the young man to his work.
With the other prince gone, Hiei finally turned his attention to the small box on his desk and opened it. It was nothing fancy, nothing of great taste or originality even. It was just a simple, black mask, with a small silver dragon on each side of the mask. Each dragon held a small red gem. Hiei sighed and glared at the mask, before holding it up to his face, and tying the silky fabric around his head. It was a perfect fit. (How Yusuke knew the size of his face will be forever unknown.)
Taking it off, Hiei sighed before putting it neatly back in the box. 'Fine, I'll wear it…lousy detective!'
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Kurama slumped on his way across the beach. He was heading back to the spot where he was found. Youko, who finally had a chance to return to his true form, took it as fast as he could and swam near by in the shallow water. Kurama stumbled again and fell. He braced himself, so he landed on his hands and knees, with half his body in the water. The cold water eased his sore muscles, and due to the fact that he had lived in the ocean all his life, he felt no pain when the exposed cuts on his hands hit the salt water.
'I really should stop grabbing the knives.' Kurama thought tiredly. He had experimented with his water power, and found that he could make multiple blobs of water. He used this to wash many at once. He even could rotate the dishes and if Youko added soap to the water, it became foamy. However, when Kurama got weak, he either got hurt by his own power if it went out of control, or he would hurt himself while he and Youko washed them by hand. Either way, it was hard work, and Youko complained about everything.
'Maybe he should have become the mute.' Kurama thought tiredly. He tried to get up again, but stopped when he saw a shadow in the water. He watched it slowly come closer, transfixed on the spot.
Suddenly a splash erupted from the water soaking Kurama and awakening him from his trance. As Kurama shook his head, he heard a familiar laugh.
"Ahahaha, that's what you get for spacing out; all mighty sea prince." That was followed by another round of laughter, and Kurama's eyes lit up in excitement.
'Kuwabara-kun,' He thought excitedly. Sure enough, the giant carp was laughing and swimming happily around the prince. Kurama tried to pounce on the carp for fun, but Kuwabara dodged and Kurama ended up being jumped on instead. They both started laughing (although Kurama still couldn't make a sound), while Youko smiled at the happy reunion.
"So Kurama, what's the land walker's world like now? I bet you've learned a lot just by being here for one day." Kurama nodded happily, as Kuwabara continued on as if nothing was wrong. "That's awesome; these parts are pretty boring though. There's hardly any fish around, and I saw a great white earlier, luckily he didn't see me." Kuwabara said with a shudder.
"So what happened on land?" Kurama looked like he was about to answer his friend's question but stopped, his smile turning into a frown.
"He can't answer you." Youko stated. Kuwabara looked from Youko to Kurama, clearly confused. "His price for his legs was his voice. He can no longer speak."
Kurama nodded sadly, and Kuwabara looked at him in shock. "No…no way. Kurama you love to talk, to sing… mermen… they need their voices. Kurama say you're joking, that you're making it up." Kurama looked down sadly at his old friend.
'I can't tell you that, I can't speak.' Kurama mouthed, while using sign language to prove his point. Kuwabara's eyes widened in shock, 'why did this have to happen?'
"Kurama… how, you…"
Youko cut the carp off."Kuwabara, I already lectured him. He knows how stupid he was." He knew the carp wanted to yell at the prince, but right now, they had other things to discuss. "What we need to focus on now, is how we can keep Kurama human. Its time you heard the whole story."
So Youko told Kuwabara about everything, about the deal, why Kurama accepted, the use of his water powers. Kuwabara stayed silent through it all, only asking the occasional question that came to mind. Meanwhile Kurama had abandoned most of his cloths, and just sat neck deep in water, feeling more alert as he sat there.
"So…Kurama has only a week-"
"Six days!"
"WHATEVER! The point is we don't have much time left…and after this week, if Hiei kisses you…you can't be with us anymore." Kuwabara said sadly.
Kurama slowly nodded, feeling another wave of guilt hit him. After hearing about how Kuwabara was forced to tell Yomi, he felt horrible about not believing in him. They were best friends after all, how could he have not believed him?
"It's better than letting him lose and letting Karasu get a hold of him." Youko said solemnly.
"I KNOW THAT! It's just…" Kuwabara didn't voice his sadness, but inside it was tearing him apart. His best friend had chosen a complete stranger over him, he wasn't as important as some land walker. "…Never mind."
Youko and Kurama knew there was more, but Youko decided to discuss something more important. "Good, now that that discussion has ended, I have to tell you both something important. Kuwabara, you already know the start of this story but it's important that we tell Shuichi straight out." Kurama looked confused as Youko turned directly at him, and looked at him straight in the face. "Shuichi, I'm a demon!"
The world seemed to stop for a moment, before Kurama shook his head and tried to ask questions like 'what?' and 'How?' However since he couldn't say anything, Youko merely waited until the boy calmed down to continue his story.
"When I was a young demon, 600 years ago, I had already gained myself a title throughout Makai and Ningenkai. I was the king of thieves; there wasn't a treasure on land that I couldn't get. At only 400 years of age ("That's young?" Kuwabara asked shocked, but was once again silenced by the merman's fist.) I had gained power, skills, and knowledge that made me infamous." ('Infamous? Is that really something to brag about?' Kurama thought. However, he decided to stay silent, not wanting to be hit like Kuwabara.)
"However, after one of my heists, something went horribly wrong. I can't remember the exact details, but my partner and I were stealing a legendary pearl in ningenkai that was guarded pretty heavily. Somehow we got separated and most of the guards went after me. Although I eventually lost them, I was not unscathed. And after getting away from them, I had somehow ended up near the edge of a bay, and I decided to try and escape through swimming. It was then that something that I'll never forget happened."
"My escape was going successfully, when suddenly something grabbed onto my leg and dragged me down. My first reaction was to kill the creature who dared tried to stop me. However, when a hand grabbed my wrist, I looked into the face of the most amazing thing that I had ever seen. I saw a mermaid." Youko seemed to smile at that thought. "Of course my reactions were still on 'kill mode' so I still attacked her." Kurama and Kuwabara's jaw dropped at that.
"There was a little fight between us before she started to talk to me, I was barely listening since my thoughts were more on killing her and getting away with the treasure. Instead, the most annoying thing that could have happen did: someone knocked me out from behind." Kurama and Kuwabara were listening intently to the story, but both of them had a sweat drop appear on their head's when the merman said that.
"When I awoke, I was surrounded by water somewhere near the bottom of the ocean. I was also stuck in some sort of glass case or other see through material. It kept the pressure of the sea away I know, but I reacted quite violently to it. Since I can't remember much, I guess I must have panicked. Foxes don't do well in cages, it's quite terrifying for our species since we are not meant to be in confined spaces. However then the woman appeared before me again. I can't remember quite what she told me, but I had to admit that she was lovely…She was your mom after all Shuichi."
Kurama's eyes widened in shock, 'MOM! My mother was the one who brought you down? Wow, no wonder she's known as the best hunter in the oceans.'
"Yes Shuichi, thank you for your consideration. I was taken from my worlds and forced into a tank like some kind of reverse aquarium, where the FISH watch the PEOPLE!" Youko growled but Kurama was still happy for his mom.
'Mom's so cool…'
"Ahem, anyway after what ever we were talking about, they brought my cage to see the sea king, whom was your grandfather at the time. Ironically he had the same name as you and I."
"Makes sense, Kurama told me that he was names after both of his grandfathers." Kuwabara said and Youko looked at the prince surprised.
"Both of them? Is this name popular under the ocean?" When both Kurama and Kuwabara shook their head's Youko scratched his, clearly annoyed. However he quickly continued with his story.
"Anyway, apparently the item I stole from the heist was extremely important to the merpeople, so they wanted to thank me for 'returning' it for them. However I was still a demon, therefore they had to think what to do with me. They knew that I wouldn't survive in the cage, yet they could not return me to the surface. They were actually discussing killing me, you're dad was the one who brought up the death topic actually… I really do hate him ('so their grudge and hatred goes way back…' Kurama and Kuwabara thought.). Then Shiori made another suggestion which seemed to solve all their problems."
FLASH BACK
Youko glared as Yomi suggested his death. He was the most feared and powerful thief in all of makai, how dare a couple of fish people do this to him. Very beautiful fish people but fish none the less. He was going to get back at them for just placing him in this god forsaken cage. His vendetta would be merciless, as soon as he escaped their captivity.
"Father, if we kill him now then this case will be done with. It's just a disgusting land walker anyway."
"You would know about disgusting, wouldn't you fish breath." Youko yelled out just as spitefully to the younger merman. The man glared at the fox, hatred fueling their minds and bodies.
"Yomi, calm yourself. This fox has returned one of our greatest treasures. Without him it would still be lost on the land above. Killing him would be both disrespectful and dishonorable for our great civilization." The Lord said wisely.
"He did not return it; Shiori got it back for us! If she hadn't done anything once she saw the beast, he would have just ran off with it." Yomi argued again, and Youko bristled at being called a beast. He was one of the most sought after in Ningenkai and Makai, how dare some smart mouth brat call him that.
"Since I was the one who caught him, then I guess I should have an opinion in the matter." Everyone stopped what they were doing when her young feminine voice drifted across the court room. Shiori had risen from her seat in the crowd and slowly approached the lords, her navy blue tail swaying calmly behind her. Already she had the grace of an orca and the silence of a shark, it was obvious to many that she would become a great hunter in time. Yomi's eyes widened when he saw her and looked away, but Youko saw the thin line of pink that went across the boy's face.
"If we don't want to kill this land walker, and we obviously can't return him, then the obvious solution is that we make him into one of us." She said calmly, and multiple gasps and muttering went across the crowd. Youko himself became furious.
"WHAT! Don't you dare try and change me into one of you, fish-girl! I am the proud Youko Kurama; if you even try to change me I will kill you later on. A fox's wrath is known threw out Makai as a horrid fate. So release me, and I'll forget you even exist." Youko said menacingly. Shiori raised her eyebrows, but Youko noticed something, she was not afraid. There was absolutely no negative emotions running threw her eyes, just pure curiosity.
Another female made a noise, but unlike Shiori's calm and relaxing voice, this one was just a female laugh. Youko found himself getting irritated just by the sound of it. Turning he saw a young woman wearing a lovely shirt, with a small tiara upon her hot pink hair.
"Minamino-san, I do believe you are being too idealistic. What is the point in saving one demon's life, which is so stupid that he can't even understand the privileges of joining such a great race like ours! There is no point in helping the stubborn. Besides he threatened out king, surely this is a punishment worthy of death." Shiori glared at the woman.
"Luka-sama, I am not idealistic. However, I do believe this situation will work, since we did the same thing three decades ago." She smirked as she looked to the door. "I have a demon here to see what his opinion of the matter is."
The merpeople gasped as the door slowly opened, and a man with pitch black hair came in. He was tall, handsome, with a lovely fin and a pale complexion.
"Karasu-san, what would your opinion be? Do you think the method we used on you would be valid, or is it too idealistic?" She smirked as she used the last words to mock the princess. Karasu smiled charmingly however before turning to the king.
END FLASH BACK
"As you can see, he vouched for me to live. I was forcibly changed into a merman, yet my ears stayed the same. Maybe it was proof of my demon heritage, or maybe because he only changed my legs and a few organs, but they stayed."
'Can you still use youkai?' Kurama asked and Youko nodded with a smirk. Suddenly he took a seed from his hair. "I haven't been on land in over 600 years, but I have never forgotten the texture of a plant, neither the feel of vines and leaves twirling around my flesh as it grew." Slowly, the plant did just that. Vines started wrapping around the fox's arms, and roses bloomed from the tips. Kurama couldn't help but stare in its beauty, Kuwabara also stared. Red roses wrapped around white angelic flesh, this was clearly the sign of Youko Kurama, Makai's, Ningenkai's, and the oceans greatest thief.
"Ironically, there was a curse put on me so that I'd never leave the ocean… want to know what it was?" Youko asked with a smirk. "The final curse was that I could never leave the ocean, unless I was accompanied by a sea prince."
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"Okay sweetie, spread your arms out wide. We need to make sure the measurements are perfect for tonight." A woman said with a smile. She had long dirty brown hair that went to her waste, and an attitude that would make a yakuza member proud. She was also one of the finest tailors in the palace, and a good friend of Mukuro's.
Hiei huffed as he spread his arms one more time. Mukuro smiled as she watched the woman measure her agitated son. "Careful honey, I might get jealous to have your hands on my son so much."
"Don't worry Queeny dearest, soon you'll be all mine once I'm done with this little bugger." Shizuru responded. Hiei glared at the two and tensed up. He knew that the two had become good friends over time, but why did they always have to act like this when they were around him. He really hated how the two always joked like that, if one wasn't careful they'd think that they weren't kidding.
Smirking, the woman put the measuring tape away and looked at her work. Hiei was wearing mostly black, and was made from a type of silk which fitted him nicely, but was a bit loose in some areas for comfort. The coat was long so it went to his heels, but it was thin, and only in the back was it long. It had long sleeves with silver thread decorating them to make two dragons. His shirt was a plain loose black shirt, but Mukuro forced him to wear a silver and red pendant. It made him look handsome indeed, especially with the mask he was supposed to wear.
"Wonderful Shizuru, you truly are the best." Mukuro said.
"That's what I'm paid for, and don't think sweet words will get you a discount."
"How about actions then; they speak louder then words after all." Mukuro said with a smirk and Shizuru was about to reply when Hiei interrupted.
"Enough of your foolishness! If all you two do is flirt, then do it away from me." He said and started marching away.
The two women laughed as soon as they heard the door slam and smirked at each other. "Isn't my son fun to tease?" Mukuro asked with a smile and Shizuru nodded.
"Yup, the little runt is fun, but its time to get to business now that he's gone." Mukuro nodded as she went to a desk and sat down. Shizuru handed her a bunch of papers for the night's events.
"All these people? It wasn't suppose to be this big at first, how did so many princesses get on the list?" Mukuro asked and Shizuru shrugged.
"Word must have got along and the girls must have wanted to come. Then they called Koenma and he must have placed a few on the list without reporting. He probably thinks it will help the kingdom."
"Agreed, he has done so before and I trust his judgment, but this means we'll need a bit more staff."
"Kaito agreed, so he asked me to make a few extra outfits, he'll probably get a few of our best servants and turn them into waiters. I have a feeling that I'll be on that list."
"Then you probably will be there, being my best psychic you're usually correct about such events. So tell me, who are the others that will be appointed?" Mukuro asked. Shizuru sighed as she got into her pocket, pulling out a cigarette. She was about to light it when a small ball of fire blew from Mukuro's hand. Shizuru leaned forward and the tip got lit. The flame went out instantly and Mukuro leaned back in her chair.
Shizuru blew out some smoke and she closed her eyes, concentrating. "My gut tells me there won't be many, just three other then me… One will be Botan, her good looks and cheerful attitude will be perfect. Next Keiko, she's so responsible, and she'll keep Yusuke in check if he starts goofing off again. That's a good bonus and the third… that's strange." She inhaled a large amount of her cigarette and blew out again. "The red head, 'Mr. newbie' is gonna be the third. How unfortunate, the clown wanted to make him his date for tonight."
"Minamino-san? That is indeed strange, allowing someone so close to so many nobles without knowing his motif yet."
"You don't trust him Queenie?" The psychic asked, raising a brow. Mukuro smirked in return, and her glass eye flashed in the light.
"No, I don't believe that a person will just appear out of nowhere. He's here for a reason, and it has something to do with my son; I'm sure of it! Also, there is defiantly something off about that kid. He didn't even know how to use a fork and knife, nor chop sticks, and yet his posture is that of a noble or lord. What is he…?"
Shizuru smiled and she lightly touched the queen's hand. "He won't hurt Hiei." She said making Mukuro look at her questionably.
"Is that a prediction?" she asked
"Do you want one?" Mukuro nodded her head slowly, and held out her hand. Shizuru sighed as she put the bud into the lord's hand, smothering it out. "You don't always have to use pain as payment you know."
"Everything deserves a price; the future especially needs one. To gain something without putting any work into it is a pathetic way to live." Mukuro said as the cigarette burned her flesh. Shizuru sat up and took her hand in hers.
"So getting hurt by a human damages your pride?"
"No, getting hurt by a friend always stings the most." Mukuro said with a smile as she relaxed in her chair again. "So yakuza, tell me what you can see."
Shizuru's eyes went blank as she went into a trance. An aura swirled around her as she talked in a monotone voice. "A strange aura surrounds the boy, he is of a species unknown, and belongs no where, not in ningenkai nor makai. Yet his is a race that controls and thrives in both worlds. His heart hides secrets, and a dark figure circles in his soul, for protection against fears. It will not surface unless if someone awakens it. He has great power on his own though, and strength in body, mind, heart, and soul. Do not fear him, do not hate him, and do not worry. He will not hurt what is most important, but threatens to steal it. If something does not catch him first."
Mukuro's eyes filled with confusion and suspicion. The child would steal her most precious possession? A dark soul? A different species? Closing her eyes, she started pondering all the hints, putting them together. Shizuru shook her head and looked at Mukuro tiredly.
"So, how did it go; any good information?" She asked, unable to remember what she said. Mukuro looked up and smiled.
"Yup, and now I have a lot to think about. Want in on it?"
"Nah, I'll pass this time Queenie, but I will have another smoke as confiscation." The psychic said with a laugh, and Mukuro laughed as well.
"Anything for you dearest."
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Kurama sighed as he put on his waiter outfit. It was in the traditional English type costume, with a black vest, a white blouse that went underneath, and slick black slickpants. There was also a ribbon that he was supposed to wear, but in his opinion it was too restricting around his neck. Youko made a couple a wise cracks about the outfit, but Kurama could only glare back at him. Truthfully though, he felt a little weird around the ex-yoko. Knowing now that his life long companion and friend was the thing he had the most interest in, made him feel so excited. For once he could learn all about Makai and Ningenkai, and learn all the land walker culture that the fox knew. However, he wondered how he could ask all these questions. It wasn't the fact that he had no voice that bothered him; it was that he didn't want to look like a fool. Asking questions that may seem obvious to him were things that Kurama obsessed about constantly.
Sighing, he stretched out on his bed. Idly, he turned his head to the side, and saw the box of things that the idiotic man had given him the other day. What was his name again? It was something similar to one of his brother's, but just slightly different. Suzuka? Sukaki?
Suddenly, there was a loud pounding at his door and he turned in confusion. 'Who on earth could that be?' He thought, and Youko who was soaked and sitting on a chair as a merman, turned quickly into a crab.
Kurama walked to the door and was about to open, when it slammed open on its own accord. Kurama glared as the man- no, idiot he was thinking about waltzed in.
"Shuichi-kun, it's so nice to see you again. It is I the beautiful Suzuki." Kurama continued glaring as the man walked in, carrying an outfit that was packaged, so he couldn't see what it was. "I know we have met under strange circumstances, but that has not stopped me from wanting our castle's guest to miss out on certain events. This ball is going to be fascinating, a masquerade! As such I have made you an outfit, so you and I can-"
Shut up, I can't go with you. Can't you see by the outfit that I'm a waiter for tonight? Kurama said using sign language.
"Wa-waiter? They made you a waiter for tonight?" Suzuki asked and Kurama nodded, still annoyed with the man. "Oh, I see… that's too bad. Huh, have you not checked out the stuff I gave you?" He asked, noticing the box on one of the tables. Kurama shook his head and Sazuki walked toward it. "You really should see them, they might be older models, but they are still relatively useful. This, for example, is a very fine recorder that I made about a month back." He said as he picked up a device.
Kurama stared at the tiny thing. It was white, small, enough that if you could fit it in a rose the petals would keep it hidden.
"This isn't all; this is just one of two sets. You see, It works as a recorder, but it's also a microphone that's wireless from its main part. The actual recorder is here." He said as he handed a bigger thing to Kurama. It looked a lot like an old fashion walk man (Kurama had found one in a ship one time) but instead of a tape there was a tiny disk. Kurama stared in wonder; human objects really were his true interest. He smiled as he started to listen. Apparently, anything that the little one recorded could go back to the big one, in case it was destroyed. Also the big one could control the little one by acting as a switch. It could turn the little one on and off, and anything else that was needed. So it was actually pretty neat. Shuichi continued to listen as the man described many other objects in the box.
"-And of course not only is this TV remarkable because of its size, but because- oh, what time is it?" Kurama looked startled as the man looked at his watch. "Oh dear, the party is only an hour away, where did all the time go?" The man said as he got up. "Well it can't be helped; I might as well leave now. Also if you get any time off, can you-"
You truly do remind me of one of my brothers. Kurama suddenly said (sign language) all of a sudden, making the other man confused. He also loved the sound of his voice, and was quite a narcissist.
Suzuki glared at the redhead until the he continued. However even if he was weird like that, and we did fight a lot… he wasn't bad all the time. So… thanks for the stuff Suzuki, they're pretty cool. And if I do have the time, I won't mind going to the party in that costume.
Suzuki looked bewildered before he smiled. "That's the beautiful Suzuki to you."
Kurama smiled as the man finally left. 'That does not mean I'll hang out with him though,' he telepathically said to Youko, who laughed evilly.
"Hey Shuichi…shouldn't you get to the hall? The guests will be arriving soon, and your boss wanted you to be there about an hour early to help with last minute preparations." Youko said and the prince's eyes burst open.
'Oh no, I'M LATE AGAIN!' He thought loudly and he quickly grabbed Youko and pushed him into his chest pocket on his vest before he started running to the hall. He was always bad at remembering times for parties, no matter where he was.
End Of Chapter
Chaseha_Wing:*whispering* allo, thanks for joining me for this added bonus. What we're about to see, is behind the scenes of the Sea Prince.
*holding up a camera and opens a door*
Hiei: Stupid authors always getting us into these situations. I swear these bloody fanfiction writers get crazier by the years.
Kurama: At least you don't have to wear a fin, these costumes are so tight they cut off my circulation.
Jin: An don' fa'get that we 'av to wear im through the 'ol fic!
Shishi: agreed, next to us you have nothing to complain about.
Jin: say it Waka-chan!
Shishi: STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!
Jin: Waka-waka-waka-waka-
SHISHI: SHUT UP!!!
Yomi: well at least I got a good role.
Kurama: ya, but everyone hates you. *shows him he comments*
Yomi: WAH!!!
Karasu: I got that too, only difference is-I'M FUCKING GREY!!! I swear that writer will pay for damaging my good looks. But at least I had fun with Kurama ^^.
Shuichi: *pales*
Youko: *sigh* forced into a crab form, how humiliating...
Kuwabara: I'M STILL A CARP! A CARP! HOW DARE YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT UR STUPID PROBLEMS!!!
Youko: *not listening* siiigh... a crab.
Shura: Hey, what's that red light?
Yomi: ITS THE EDITOR! GET 'EM!!!
Chaseha: Uh oh, time to go. please review, I love constructive critism! WAAAAAAHHHH!!!! *running away*