Disclaimer – "Yu Yu Hakusho" and all known related characters do not belong to me. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"What Goes Around . . . "
by DragonDancer5150

Chapter 2 – Sacrifice

Yusuke paused on the steps of the apartment complex as he dug through his pockets for his keys. "Ah, man! I better not have dropped them somewhere. Mom'll kill me."

Kurama hid a smile behind his hand, teasing, "You survive the Toguro brothers only to have to worry about your mother?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes at him. "Yeah, well . . . There they are!" He jammed one key in the lock and twisted, shoving the door open and glancing up the stairwell. "You sure you don't want to stay for dinner? I know it's kinda late but you and Hiei are both welcome . . . wherever Three-Eyes disappeared to."

"Thank you but no. We have to be getting back to the Spirit Realm to check in, then my mother will be expecting me home."

Yusuke looked at him for a moment, remembering the one time he had met Kurama's human mother, Minamino Shiori. "Yeah. How is she doing these days? Heh - guess I've never asked you that, have I?" He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Kurama grinned at him. "She's fine, thank you. She will be celebrating her marriage to Hatanaka soon. You and Kuwabara should have already received your invitations, in fact." He paused a moment before asking, "Do you think Kuwabara is going to be all right?"

Yusuke considered it. Kuwabara had still looked more than a little depressed by having to say good-bye to Yukina when they dropped him off at his home just shortly before. "Yeah, he'll get over it. Well, if you're going to be seeing Pacifier-Breath, tell him 'hi' for me, will ya?"

"I will, if not quite in those words," Kurama chuckled.

Yusuke laughed. "See ya 'round, Kurama." With that, he closed the door, heading up the stairs to his apartment.

Kurama turned away, sensing more than visually seeking his partner, Hiei. Almost immediately, he looked up, homing in on the presence. The swordsman stood on the limb of a tree high above, watching. He jumped straight down, landing lightly by Kurama's side. "Well, everyone is safely home but us. Shall we?"

"I still don't see why we have to check in after every mission," Hiei groused as the two started down the street. "No doubt Koenma watches everything that happens on that screen of his."

Kurama grinned softly, looking sidelong at his friend. "Not when you block him from scrying on you."

Hiei allowed himself a grin of his own at that. "Well, I can't mask my presence and my Yoki like some people but my Jagan Eye has given me a few useful abilities."

"Yes, well, at least I don't hide from Koenma," Kurama argued mildly.

Hiei's fists clenched suddenly at his sides. "Had Koenma known where I was going, he would have tried to stop me. I'm surprised he didn't send you, in fact. You knew what was on that tape, didn't you? Kurama?"

"I'm sorry, Hiei. They forbade me from telling you. They were afraid of what you would do. There were those who felt you deserved to know - of which I was one - but there were those who felt sure you would go on some kind of violent spree if you found out. Handing you the tape and leaving it up to you to discover the truth or not was the best solution anyone could settle upon. I am not saying I agree with that."

"How long had you been standing there before you finally let me know you were around?" Kurama shrugged. Hiei shook his head with a growl. "I should have been allowed to kill that ugly toad of a human."

"Hiei," Kurama chided, "no matter what they've done, it is not our place to judge humans. They have their own systems for dealing with his kind, just as we have ours - such as it is," he added with a resigned sigh.

"Is that so?" Hiei snarled with such ferocity it caught Kurama off-guard. "Tell me. Had that worthless toad been holding your human mother - imprisoning and torturing her for years - how would you have dealt with him, Kurama?"

Kurama considered that for a long, somber moment before nodding. "A point well made. I have to admit . . . I don't know. There might well have had to be someone there to stop me as well. I can only pray I would have better restraint than that."

Hiei nodded, reluctantly satisfied with the answer. At least he was being honest. They walked in silence a moment longer before he spoke again. "So tell me, what would you have done had I killed that human?"

"What would I have done . . . or what would have happened to me?"

Hiei did not respond. As always, Kurama saw to the heart of his thoughts.

Kurama hesitated before answering. "It is good that Yukina stopped you. We are in this together, my friend. You know that."

More out of guilt than anger, Hiei growled, "You were a fool to ever agree to such a thing."

"Was I?" Kurama stopped walking. After another step, Hiei stopped and turned, ruby red eyes meeting emerald green. "Tell me, Hiei. Am I a fool to trust you?" Kurama's tone was serious but the look in his eyes softened the question.

For a long moment, the two friends stood regarding one another in silence. Hiei was the first to look away and Kurama smiled. Words were not needed. He knew the answer.

Hiei started walking again and, this time, Kurama had to quicken his pace to catch up. They reached the park within moments. The setting sun cast long shadows from the trees around them. "Where is that damned portal site?" Hiei held up his hand, palm out, sensing for the thinness in the barriers between the Realms, his hand glowing with Yoki.

Wandering off a few feet from him, Kurama called softly, "Here it is." As Hiei stepped over to his side, a rift began to form before Kurama's upraised hand, responding to the mystical periphery key bound within. It had taken the two of them a while to master the use of their keys and learn the best locations for employing them throughout the three Realms. The portal lengthened to human height and Hiei stepped through, Kurama following and releasing the energy behind them. The magic swirled across the vertical space in decreasing eddies, like ripples on water, until it faded entirely. They stood now in the entry hall of the main fortress of the Spirit Realm, the massive Gate of Judgment behind them. Though it was still early in the evening, the hall was strangely deserted.

Kurama looked around, a feeling of apprehension creeping up on him. "Something is not right." Hiei only nodded as they started across the hall for the administration wing.

Both reacted even before the guards showed themselves. They moved back-to-back on reflex as some three dozen guards emerged from side halls to corner the two between themselves and the Gate. "Not this routine again," Hiei growled.

"What's going on?" Kurama demanded. "Why do you block our way?" This was not quite the same. Whereas the group a few weeks ago had been little more than thugs looking to bully them, this group seemed deadly serious. Something was definitely wrong.

One large fellow singled himself out from the rest, stepping forward. The sash crossing his trunk marked him as a captain. He held a sack in one hand with something large and heavy inside. Kurama startled as his sensitive olfactory caught the smell of blood - human blood. "Jaganshi Hiei - and Youko Kurama, as his partner - you are hereby under arrest for the deaths of the human Tarukane and his household."

Both caught their breaths at the pronouncement. "What did you say?" Kurama gasped.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hiei scoffed angrily. "Against my better judgment, I left that ugly toad babbling in his arena viewing room."

"Then how do you explain this?" the youkai demanded, pulling the item from his sack. Gripped right-side-up by the open throat was the head of Tarukane Gonzu.

Kurama and Hiei both took a step back in shock at the sight. "What kind of sick game - !" Hiei began.

"He was found in said viewing room but no longer in one piece, as you can see. What's more, his entire household - all of his servants, guards, and other employees - have been found dead. Their souls have already been questioned by Spirit Realm agents before released to their final destinations. Not one could positively identify the murderer. They were killed from behind or while already unconscious and helpless. Those who could describe any attacker at all have pointed to you, Jaganshi Hiei - every one of them without variation."

"How were they killed?" Kurama asked, trying to grasp what was going on, if nothing else stalling for time.

"By the sword, a katana as best as we can determine. Except for Tarukane here." The captain tilted the head back on his wrist. "Severed by brute force, as you can see. So, will you surrender yourselves peacefully?"

Without turning to look at him, Kurama contacted Hiei telepathically. -If we do, we'll never see the light of day again. We have to find out what happened.-

-Not from the prison, we won't,- Hiei responded grimly even as he began to reach for his sword.

-No time to open another portal out of here. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!- "Rose Whip!"

They pulled their weapons and charged, breaking one to either side. The guards had anticipated the response, closing around them before they had crossed a dozen feet of the chamber. Within seconds, several were down, either injured or dead. Kurama leaped high and flipped, freeing himself of one knot of opponents, and hazarded a look around. Hiei could have been long gone already, darting through the crowd, cutting a path where he could not otherwise slip through. He had not. Kurama recognized that his partner was pacing him. Just as he took note of it, something else caught his attention. The sense of a powerful, nearly overwhelming Yoki filled his mind. Batsukuno! he realized. -Hiei!-

-We're more than halfway across the room. Watch out! Off your left shoulder!-

Kurama spun around, cracking his Rose Whip and disarming the guard trying to get a sneak shot on him from behind. The next strike blinded him, thorns ripping expertly across his eyes. -Hiei, get out of here!-

-What? Are you insane? Kurama - ! -

-Listen to me! Batsukuno is on his way here. I know you can feel him, too. One of us must escape to find out what's going on. You're much faster than I am. Go! Before Batsukuno gets here and fells us both as he has done before!-

As much as Hiei hated it, he could not argue with Kurama's reasoning. Still . . . -No, Kurama, I won't leave you to these wolves!-

-If you don't go now, very quickly the chance will be gone! Hiei, you know that I am right! Hurry!-

Just then, the hard leather soles of approaching boots could be heard over the din of the fight. Hiei cursed under his breath as a slash of his katana felled yet another attacker. -Damn! . . . I'll be back. I swear it!- With that, he disappeared. The guards around him swore loudly and turned on Kurama in force.

Kurama lowered his weapon, no longer having reason to resist. The whip was wrenched from his hand, the brute tearing it in two even before it could revert to its original form. "Hey, thief - catch!" the captain grunted. On reflex, Kurama did catch the human's head as it was tossed to him, then dropped it in disgust. The fat, bald head rolled to look up at him, sightless eyes staring grotesquely, and Kurama suppressed a shudder of horror.

Batsukuno rounded the corner just then as two guards took hold of their prisoner by the arms. The captain crossed to him and bowed smartly. "Lord Batsukuno, the thief has been captured but I'm afraid the assassin has escaped. Forsook his partner, it would seem," he added, casting a knowing smirk over his shoulder.

"So it would seem, indeed," Batsukuno murmured, crossing to Kurama. "So our little fire apparition shows his true merit, after all. So much for the thief's good judgment."

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "Whatever is going on, Hiei will get to the bottom of it."

Batsukuno backhanded him angrily, a ring lacerating a line across Kurama's cheek. "Hiei is the bottom of it! Don't be blind. You're too intelligent for that. He's a fire apparition and an assassin to boot. Even you can deny neither his temper nor his training. Tell me, did you not see the guards and servants he left slaughtered on his way in?"

Kurama glared back in stubborn defiance. "Hiei never drew his sword. His martial expertise is equal to his swordsmanship. He left those men subdued, unconscious - not dead."

"You saw this yourself, then?"

At that, Kurama hesitated, then decided that the truth was best. "I . . . entered through another door."

"And once you did meet up with him in the room after the girl Yukina stopped him, did he ever leave your sight until you were both off the premises?"

"Kurama!"

Both turned as Koenma flew down the corridor from the administration wing, Jorju close behind. Kurama did a double-take at the sight. Yes, Lord Koenma was indeed flying.

Koenma pulled up short of Batsukuno, hovering at eye level. "Tell your men to release him, Batsukuno! He's still under my - "

"Not anymore." Kurama saw Koenma pull back from the cold glare and hard tone of voice. "I have already discussed this with you and the matter is closed. Probation is hereby revoked. End of discussion. When Hiei is recaptured - and I assure you, he will be - he will suffer the full penalty for the death of each human he killed. And this one" - He glared over his shoulder at Kurama - "will be going where I should have sent him in the first place. As I have said, I was too lenient before. That mistake will now be remedied."

"What do you mean?" Koenma gasped.

"Lord Koenma, Hiei - "

"Silence!" Batsukuno snarled, whirling on Kurama with a gesture.

Agony flashed through Kurama, every fiber of his existence screaming as though he had been thrown into a raging fire. His legs buckled and his guards released him, letting him collapse in a heap.

Jorju jumped back at the sight. "L-lord Koenma!"

Koenma hugged his arms about himself, shivering. The last time he had seen someone writhe like that, it had been Yusuke trying to fight the Saint Beast Suzaku through his Storm of Torment attacks. ""B-batsukuno, s-stop it this instant!" he demanded, hoping he sounded more authoritative than he felt. "That's uncalled for. Stop it!"

Batsukuno gestured again and slowly Kurama relaxed, breathing hard. His guards hauled him to his feet once more, this time having to support him until his legs could recover. Batsukuno grabbed him by the chin, forcing Kurama to look at him. "You have gotten away with quite a bit up until now. I kept your trial private and your true identity largely unknown as I am aware that you have many enemies in the Demon Realm. You evaded capture time and again during your career until the Special Defense soldier Shunjun finally caught up with you. Don't think that I have been unaware of your crimes. That past has now caught up to you, 'Silver Fox'. Your new sentence begins now."

"Hey! W-wait!" Koenma protested, his voice barely above a whisper. "What about . . . a trial . . . ?"

Without taking his eyes off Kurama, the chief admin coldly replied, "This was his trial. You are my witness. Youko Kurama, you will serve out the remainder of your time in the Pit - should you live that long."

Kurama met his gaze evenly, giving no outward reaction, even as he felt his insides knot in response. He had been expecting that but anticipating it did not make hearing it pronounced any less fearful. Gods above and below, have mercy!

"You." Batsukuno singled out a handful of the guards, including the two holding Kurama. "Take him away. Captain, take the rest and find me that traitorous assassin. And someone, clean up this unsightly mess." Batsukuno nudged the head with a toe, then turned an ugly grin to Jorju. "The oni can take care of that. Oh, and Lord Koenma, your father will have a full report from me by morning as well." Koenma winced at that. Satisfied, Batsukuno spun on his heel and departed.

A guard pulled a set of Yoki-dampening shackles and began to fasten them on Kurama, who offered no resistance. Koenma just stared at him for a moment. "K-kurama . . . " Kurama met his gaze, noting the anguish in the small ruler's brown eyes. "I-I'm sorry. There's . . . nothing more I can do." He growled suddenly, smacking one fist into the other palm. "Argh! I knew I should have sent you with Hiei from the start! I just knew something like this would happen!"

"No! Lord Koenma, Hiei is innocent of this. I know he is. He will find out who is behind this and set things right."

"Maybe. But even if you're right . . . will he be in time?"

Kurama swallowed the lump in his throat. He could not answer that.

"Enough," one guard put in. "Lord Koenma, with your permission . . . " The comment was more of a formality than anything else as the group pushed past Koenma and Jorju, dragging their prisoner to his fate.

Jorju stared after them, shuddering. "L-lord Koenma, sir, s-surely there must be something - "

"No. Nothing," Koenma replied, his tone desolate. He heaved a sigh, feeling a weight heavier than any he had felt before settling around him. "Believe me, Jorju . . . I wish there was."

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!