Learning to Live Again

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho, its characters, universe, or any of that.

Notes: Possibly some pairings later on. Also, there are additions of characters of my own creation; I do own those. :) Comments, reviews, suggestions, etc. are greatly appreciated and encouraged! :)

Thanks and enjoy...

Chapter Nine: Obtaining Answers

Steeling his resolve, and trying to forget that his human self was gagging, he moved towards the fighting grounds, preparing to watch what would surely be torture. Two other curious demons decided to follow, as well.

Yusuke felt, more than saw or heard, his two companions. "Come to watch the show?" he asked a bit bitterly.

"If you dislike what is about to take place, why don't you stop her from doing it?" Hiei hissed back. "Though, I'd rather you didn't; I'm intrigued to see what she'll do to that lowly demon scum."

Kurama chuckled darkly in agreement with what the Jaganshi had said. Yusuke sighed, "I can't stop her. I'm too... interested to see what happens." The fox and the fire demon both laughed softly at this.

"Blood-thirsty, are we?" Kurama mused quietly as they neared their destination.

"You could say that," the lord replied darkly. The conversation between them ended there as they reached their destination and lifted their gazes to watch what had already begun.

"Answer me, vermin," Aurora hissed. The air around them was cold, snow was falling absently all around. The previous tendrils of ice Yusuke remembered were still wrapped harshly around her prisoner. "I said," she growled, lifting the ice dagger in her hand meaningfully, "answer me... I promise you there will be pain to pay for your uncooperative behavior in this." She sliced the side of his face with her cold weapon. The demon before her hissed in pain as the blood trickled down his cheek but did not respond. Yusuke noted that was not his first wound at her hand. It appeared she had already taken the liberty of removing a good chunk of flesh from his right leg. "Very well," her tone carried an almost laughing note.

Her hand moved again, the dagger now up against one of his fingers. Still, he stayed silent, so she thrust her wrist forward. She smirked as the thin dagger dug deeper underneath his fingernail. He yelped, "Alright! Yes, he sent me." She didn't let up, however.

"And what were his orders?"

"I-I don't know! All I was supposed to do was spy on Raizen's brat! That's all he said!" the yellow demon croaked.

"Liar," she whispered, moving to another nail as soon as the first one was detached. Blood dripped to the floor in a little puddle.

"No! No! I-I would never, never lie to you, mistress."

She laughed at this. "Don't insult me, you filthy swine." She removed her knife and turned it over in her palm once before crushing it. "Obviously, I'm not giving you the proper amount of pain." She gripped the forefinger of the opposite hand from the one she had just previously been working on. "Last chance," she whispered in his ear, bending the finger upwards.

He only winced in response. Snap... snap. She broke his finger in two places before moving to the next. He was crying out now, "That's all I know!" Snap. "I swear!" Snap. "I swear!" he screamed over and over. After she had broken the rest of the fingers, with equally sickening crunches, she let his hand drop.

"One... last... chance..." she hummed softly, the danger appearing in her hand again.

"Okay, okay! He-he's mad, real angry."

"With whom?"

"Well, miss, with you, mostly."

She laughed again, though this time it made Yusuke's stomach clench. He had no idea what they were talking about, but her tone was... disturbing him. She was... enjoying this. "What else, pitiful insect?"

"Well-well," the panic and pain was causing him to stutter. "He-he's gonna come here, as soon as I return and make my report, miss."

"That, obviously, shall not occur... I'm afraid I cannot allow you to make that report."

He let out a high pitched squeak. "Please! Don't kill me! Don't kill me or else- or else I can't tell you anything more!"

"Then you had better start providing me with the remaining details. Now, tell me, when is he planning on moving?"

The demon merely shook his head. "I don't-"

She cold eyes glinted in anger. Raising the dagger, she moved it towards his face. He closed his eyes in hollow fear. Her delicate tongue slipped past her lips, wetting them slightly. She pressed the knife against one eyelid. Slowly, the sharp icicle disappeared into his eye-socket. An agonized, animalistic screech escaped the creature below her. It broke off into a choked sob. "He's going to kill you," he whimpered to her.

"I've no doubt he'll attempt to," she agreed offhandedly. Her head tilted to the side. "Would you like the other done, as well?" she asked, gesturing with her knife to the other eye.

A slight head shake was her answer. "He has it, you know," the dim creature was laughing now. "He's going to suck out your soul, demoness. And the brat's soul, too. Maybe that damned fox, also."

She made a hissing noise in anger. "When did he lay hands on it?" she demanded.

"No, no, no," he sang, tone crazed.

"Oh, don't lose it, now," she snapped, irritated. "I'm not finished." In the hand not holding the dagger, she produced water from her fingertips and proceeded to pour it down the demon's throat. He choked and sputtered, but this seemed to bring him back into some clarity. "That's better, isn't it?" she sounded amused.

"I'll tell you, but only if you promise to kill me quickly," he said finally.

An eyebrow quirked, "That depends solely on your information."

"The Master has it, mistress. He found it. He can't use it yet, though, doesn't know... Only you... He wants to kill you with it. Said your betrayal will destroy your soul... Mistress, he found it in the cave, where it's kept."

"What else?" was her quick demand. Yusuke was believed there was a tiny trace of fear in her hard gaze.

"On the night he once spoke of; that's when he'll come. When the... the moon is- With... He'll come with them. And-and he wants the kingdom. Wanted you. But not- not this way... Master has it, mistress. Master has it! He'll use it! He'll kill you all-" In apparent blind anger, she stabbed through his other eye. His howl seemed to bring her out of her momentary lapse into thought, however.

"I believe you've earned your death wish, you damned fool." With a flick of her wrist, his head fell to the floor with a dull thud.

"Bravo, sister," Kurama suddenly called, clapping his hands twice. "That was quite a show." Her head snapped towards him.

"Yoko?" Her face became unreadable as she realized the other three in this room had surely seen and heard everything that had just taken place. "I had not sensed your arrival, brother." She cursed herself silently over and over for her carelessness in not taking notice of them.

"What was that about?" Hiei asked coldly. "Who is the 'he' that worthless creature spoke of, and what does he have?"

"That, Fire Child, is not truly your concern," she returned easily. Her eyes flicked to Yusuke, "I believe we have nearly six days before he'll make his first move."

Before Yusuke could respond however, Kurama spoke, "The full moon." His eyes traveled to the lowly demon she had justed killed. "And him?"

"A slave. Remarkably unintelligent, but his information was slightly helpful... If it was at all correct." She moved to wipe blood from her hands.

Kurama turned slightly to look at Yusuke, then Hiei. "I'd like a moment with my sister, if that's alright?" His eyes lingered on Hiei just a little too long, Yusuke noticed, and Kurama gave the barest of nods. Hiei had definitely spoken telepathically with Kurama. Yusuke wondered vaguely what had been said. He didn't ask, though.

"Come, Detective," Hiei muttered coolly. Yusuke followed him from the room.

When they were out of earshot of the foxes, Yusuke stopped and turned to look at Hiei, "What happened out there?"

Hiei stopped walking just ahead of him but didn't turn to face him. "That fox interrogated a demon. What did it look like to you?" he asked, words dripping with the usual sarcasm.

Yusuke rolled his eyes even though Hiei wasn't looking. "Not what I meant. Who were they talking about?"

"The mastermind of this operation, I imagine. In case you weren't listening, Detective, I am equally as unsure as you are."

Yusuke almost rolled his eyes again; he settled with a sigh instead. "Hiei... I think I should tell you..."

"I'm listening."

"Aurora... She told me that she killed Yomi herself... With someone else's help," he added hastily.

Hiei did turn around at this. One eyebrow lifted a fraction. A dark smirk formed on his face. "Did she now?" The eyebrow lowered, "I'm not so surprised, however... Not many, I'm quite sure, are actually aware of his murder. I had wondered how she happened upon that information so quickly..."

"Do you... Do you think that her being here is just a... a ruse?"

Hiei was silent as he considered an answer. "Honestly, Detective, I highly doubt she would have offered up that information to you that if it was going to compromise herself."

"But she- she killed Yomi."

"So that merely makes her a force to be reckoned with. We knew that already."

Yusuke didn't speak for a few moments, then he asked quietly, "Hiei, do you think she'll kill me, too?"

Hiei smirked, "She'll have to go through Kurama and I before that happens, so no, she won't kill you; we will not allow it."

Yusuke nodded, "Thanks."

Hiei snorted and resumed walking, saying, "I'm going to my room. Don't bother me unless it's extremely important."

Yusuke murmured his understanding and didn't follow him any further. Instead, he decided he'd head to his room, too. He could use a nap... Besides, Kurama will come find me later to tell me what Aurora had said, won't he?

:-:-:-:-: (Scene change... Would it be helpful to use that more?)

"Tell me what this all means, Aurora," Kurama demanded. He'd lost his patience. "Enough with dodging my questions."

"Yoko, you will not understand even if I attempt to explain," she eyes and features had softened immensely. Kurama was the only one she ever allowed her guards to come down around. With him, she wasn't cold-blooded, vicious, demonic; around him, she was patient, understanding, even loving.

"Try me."

"I killed him," she whispered, eyes suddenly pleading.

"Yes, I watched you do it just moments ago, remember?" he muttered dryly.

"Not him," she gestured offhandedly to the beheaded demon behind her. "Yomi. I killed Yomi."

Yoko's golden eyes flashed and narrowed, "You did not think this was something you should have brought forth in the beginning?"

She looked away from him for a moment. "No, I..." she began uncertainly. "No," she repeated, more firmly. "I apologize." She lifted her gaze from the floor, gold meeting gold. "You must understand, brother. You must know why I did it."

"Inform me then," he snapped. He was livid.

"Yomi... kidnapped me after the night you fled to Human World."

The anger in Kurama's eyes dimmed a bit, "And what did he do with you after he took you?"

Her features hardened, "He... attempted to impregnate me. He required another heir."

The cold anger was back, though this time it wasn't directed at his twin, "I see." Silence reined for a while before he spoke again. "Seed did not take?" he hissed.

"No," she replied without emotion. "And because of that, he then attempted to end my life. Which, obviously, did not take, either."

"How did you escape?"

"We're foxes, Kurama. I'm a fox," she returned, as though she felt that should have been quite plain to him.

"When did you return to kill him?"

She sighed gently, "Years later. I needed to get stronger... Now, know this; I did not take his life alone."

"No?"

She shook her head, "No, I had assistance. Though, I daresay I did not need it."

"Who?"

She suddenly looked ill. "I cannot tell you that," she stammered uncharacteristically.

Kurama growled quietly, "And why is that?"

"You'll see soon enough. Now, please, I need to go and sleep."

"No. Not so fast. You will tell me. Now."

"Kurama-"

"No, Aurora," he practicality roared. "I'm not some pawn you can use to your own devises. I will know all of the details."

She sighed in defeat and nodded. She breathed, "It was-"

He didn't get to who exactly it was, however, as Koenma burst outside just then. "Kurama!" He didn't notice the deadly look on the youko's face. "Kurama, we've got a problem!"

"Wonderful..." he muttered under his breath. "What is it, Koenma?" he called with more restraint than he felt he had.

"Yusuke is gone."

Kurama whirled, "Gone? What are you talking about? Hiei was with him; I saw them both just moments ago."

"Well, he's physically here, but he- he won't wake up. Won't respond to anything. I tried yelling at him, shaking him; I even slapped him. Nothing."

This day just keeps getting better... Kurama thought bitterly. And dawn hasn't even broken yet... Isn't that just fantastic? "Where is he?"

"In his room."

Kurama bared his teeth, "I swear, Koenma, if he's merely sleeping, I may be forced to teach you the difference." Anger rolled off his body as he stalked back inside and towards Yusuke's room.

Koenma turned to Aurora, "You aren't going to follow him?"

She scoffed, "Get out of my sight before I force you to, princeling." And with that, she swept away, too. Koenma was left standing in the middle of the empty (except for a dead demon) patch of dirt, a look disbelief painted on his face.

"Demons are unbelievable!"

Things are going to start heating up here soon. One more chapter, maybe two, and we'll be to fighting/war scenes. Thank you to those who have been patient with the building story line, and thank you to those who have left responses! You, dear readers, make writing all the more worth while. :) See you next chapter!