Chapter Twelve:
Byakuya relaxed against the fluffy pillows of his settee. He'd taken it from some French King back when that country went about beheading all its nobles a few centuries ago. The walls of his viewing room were a deep, dark purple, mirrors lined every clear space, and the carpet was a thick and lush golden color. In the center of the room was a large crystal that served as a mirror to reveal all the happenings within his elaborate maze.
He idly tapped his finger on the lower hanging strands of the origami mobile chandler he hung near the settee. Byakuya withdrew his hand and leaned forward with his hands pressed against his knees. He shook his head in amusement at the battled between Kurama and Kagome and the seven human mercenaries.
"You'll regret this, you bat crazy, pointy eared, pale excuse for a demon!" Souta Higurashi shouted hoarsely. "When my sister finds you, she's going to dissolve you into pink ash! And she's turn all your stupid origami into crisps!"
Byakuya sighed in annoyance at the teen's ceaseless prattle. He'd placed a gag over the boy, but he kept working it out of his mouth and would start his taunts once more.
"I suggest you stay silent, boy!" Byakuya hissed. He rubbed his forehead at the developing headache. "If you continue to annoy me I'll just rip out your tongue." He smashed his fist into one of the many mirrors on his wall and broke it into countless shards that scattered onto the floor. He used his powers of manipulation to shoot several of the shards towards the boy.
Souta immediately quieted as the deadly mirror shards hovered inches from his face.
"Perhaps I could take out your eyes and your tongue. Then you will only be able to hear as your sister finally succumbs to her fate, eh?" Byakuya asked. For a moment, he could feel a cheap thrill of excitement at the torturous prospect.
"Please, sir, have pity on the boy," Shiori asked quietly.
Byakuya shifted his gaze towards her and half the shards flew in her direction. Her dark eyes grew wide in fear, but she didn't protest further. Her arms were shackled to either side above her head, the scared flesh of her bare forearms drew Byakuya's attention. Perhaps he could slice them open again with his shards? That would teach her from interfering.
"Both of you, silence!" Byakuya warned. "The next time you speak, unless it is in answer to something I ask, will see blood spilled from you both!" He looked between the two humans. "You might think twice knowing that your insubordination will result in harm to your fellow captive. Am I understood?"
Shiori nodded once and while he looked decidedly pissed Souta also nodded. The boy probably hadn't noticed, but like his sister, he too had holy powers. Byakuya could feel the burn of the boy's rage. If he'd been trained, the boy would have been more trouble than he was worth.
Byakuya began to pace, the shards of mirror followed after him like loyal dogs. "Do you know the legend of the mirror?" He chuckled and held up a hand. "No need to respond and have your tongue cut out. It was a rhetorical question." Byakuya smiled. It was nice to have an audience to listen to him. "Ancient Nipponese mirrors were quite special. You modern people are ignorant about much of your history. The old metal mirrors were circular and their backs were adorned with reliefs of images of art. While exposed to sunlight, these mirrors had the remarkable ability to display these images onto the back of the person viewing their face in the mirror. Therefore, through constant reflection of one's face, the mirror draws to itself the very soul of the possessor."
He flicked his hand towards one of the mirrors on the wall and it shot towards him in one whole piece. "This is the mirror of Matsuyama. It's a story similar to the European fairy tale of Cinderella. A husband and wife had a young daughter and then the wife died. She told the daughter on her death bed to peer into the mirror and her soul would visit the young girl whenever she was sad. The father remarried of course," Byakuya continued. He stopped in front of Shiori. "It sounds a little like your story, except it was your husband that died." He shook his head. "Anyway, the step-mother feared the girl was a witch casting a curse upon her. Though, once the father confronted the girl, he learned that she believed she was seeing the face of her mother in the mirror, not realizing it was her own face."
The mirror hovered in front of Shiori's face and reflected her fine, delicate features. "What do you suppose your son, Shuuichi sees when he looks into the mirror? Does he see the red hair and green eyes of his dead father? Or does he see the silver haired and golden eyed youkai of his former life?"
Tears began to stream down Shiori's cheeks, but she said nothing. Byakuya sneered at her frailty and ignorance. "You didn't even know your unborn child had been absorbed by a run-away youkai?" He laughed and kept the mirror in front of Kurama's human mother.
Floating in the center of the room was an octangular prism. Byakuya snatched it up and viewed it closely. It had been created over the past century by the best physicists and alchemists that he could recruit. It had a very precise purpose. The free radical energy leaked off from Kagome's holy powers and Kurama's youkai powers were imprisoned within the prism. If he could capture enough conflicting energies, he would be able to create another Shikon no Tama.
He focused his gaze to another area shown within his viewing crystal. He still had his secret weapon and while he expected the two would defeat the mercenaries he didn't expect the priestess to help in the next fight. She'd be a complete liability. Her lover hanyou had long lost his sense of reasoning. Finding him in the Meidou had been a happy, unexpected win.
The key to controlling the hanyou was to keep him enraged. It didn't hurt that Byakuya had captured him a century ago. He kept the beast half-starved and constantly wounded. With just a slight exertion of will, Byakuya sent a wave of razor sharp origami cranes to slice the exposed flesh of his pet. For ages, Imperial China perfected the sacred art of torture through paper cuts. A human would die after a thousand cuts, but youkai with their healing were substantially more resilient. The hanyou cried out in rage, his red eyes burned in pain and madness.
"Don't worry, Inuyasha. You'll soon find what became of your precious priestess," Byakuya cooed, tapping his fingernail against the crystal image. He noted the boy, Souta's eyes grow wide in surprise at the name. Byakuya stalked towards the front of the teenager. "Recognize the name, do you?"
Souta nodded, careful to not say anything aloud.
"Oh, do not fear, I'm sure he'll be overjoyed to be reunited with your sister," Byakuya said with a laugh. "His claws will soak in the warmth of her spilled blood!"
OoO
Yusuke stared at the digital clock near the train tracks. It would be arriving at any moment. He snuck a look over his shoulder at Hiei and Yukina speaking quietly on the bench. The fire demon could hold a grudge like none other, but when it came to his sister he was a complete push over.
The sound of the approaching train drew Yusuke's attention and he faced back towards the rail. He stepped back to be out of the way of disembarking passengers. He blinked in surprise at the sight of the young lady that stepped out in front of him. It had been a few years since he'd last seen her, but he would recognize those chocolate brown eyes anywhere. The pig tails were gone, as was the school uniform.
"Yusuke?" Keiko whispered, her voice reflecting her disbelief. "Is it really you?" She touched her fingertips to his cheek as if to make sure he was real. She gasped and drew her hand to her chest. "What are you doing here?"
"Keiko," Yusuke breathed. His heart swelled at the sight of her and all the old memories of the adventures together came to mind. She saved his life and shared his secret.
"Hey Keiko," Kuwabara said jostling past Yusuke and boarding the train. Hiei and Yukina were already on the train. "Come on, Urameshi, we've got to go."
Keiko's shoulders slumped. "Go, I'm sure you've got to save the world or some other such business."
"Where are you going?" Yusuke asked. She had grown into a beautiful woman. Her hair was loose about her shoulders, she wore a lovely flowing purple dress, an expensive pearl and silver watch adorned her wrist, and even her nails were polished a deep purple color. Who was this sophisticated woman?
Keiko glanced over her shoulder to see that most of the gang was there. "Home. Everyone's here except Botan and Kurama. Is everything okay?"
"We need to go, Urameshi!" Kuwabara shouted.
"Kurama's in trouble. Will you help us?" Yusuke asked.
Keiko smiled softly. "Of course."
Yusuke didn't waste another moment, he grabbed Keiko's hand, and drew her inside the train with him. They took the empty seats across from Hiei and Yukina while Kuwabara held onto one of the ceiling bar handholds.
"I don't understand why you won't even consider the possibility," Yukina said shaking her head at Hiei.
The dark haired fire demon crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. "You have no idea how ridiculous its been fawning after her for the past few months. It was disgusting really."
"What are they talking about?" Keiko asked. "And what happened to Kurama?"
"Oh, well, Yukina cast a love spell on Hiei so that he'd fall for Botan. He only just found out. And," Yusuke paused. Was it awkward to be talking about Botan to Keiko? "Kurama has been kidnapped by some ultra powerful, highly vindictive, very ancient youkai. Along with a friend by the name of Kagome Higurashi. We just got through checking on Kurama's family to find that his mother is missing. We're on our way to the Higurashi Shrine to make sure that Kagome's family is fine."
"I've been there before," Keiko said. "My mother took me there when I was little. The Higurashis are a holy family. Does she have much spiritual power?"
"Kagome has a vast amount of spiritual power, but unlike mine, hers is all holy," Yusuke explained. "We think they've been taken to Makai."
Keiki gasped. She reached for Yusuke's hand and held it tight in between hers. "I don't know that there's much I can do, but I'll do whatever I can, Yusuke."
In spite of his worry for Kurama and Kagome, Yusuke felt a calmness course through him at Keiko's solemn promise. While his childhood sweetheart lacked much physical or spiritual power, she was full of hope. And given her polite and caring attitude to him right after he dumped her years ago, apparently full of forgiveness as well.
OoO
Kurama took a deep breath, his chest ached from the exertion of avoiding Renkotsu's constant fiery bombardment. A few times, he hadn't exactly avoided the attacks and his skin was scorched and blistered in a few places.
The plant wings on Kagome's back were shredded and if it wasn't for her fighting back to back with Suikotsu she'd have been split in half by Jakotsu's snake sword. Jakotsu had since collapsed defeated to the ground, but not until after he scored a vicious strike on Suikotsu. One of the clawed man's arms was severed just below the elbow. Kagome had managed to stanch the bleed, but her powers didn't include regrowing severed limbs.
"Why are you helping them, Suikotsu?" Bankotsu shouted.
"I won't be a part of your murderous campaign any longer!" Suikotsu retorted. "I want to help people, not slaughter them!"
Bankotsu burst into laughter. "You're the deadliest of us all! You think you are redeemed for your crimes by siding alongside them?"
Suikotsu gestured towards Kagome with his uninjured hand. "She saved me before. I saw the light before I died. This deal with the mirror youkai you have struck stole me from my peace! I aim to go back!"
"Then let me help you!" Renkotsu shouted throwing a massive fireball at their ally.
Kurama couldn't reach them in time, but Suikotsu pushed Kagome away from him and took the brunt of the fireball. He exploded into flames, but amidst the fire he smiled at Kagome and closed his eyes as he fell into death again in peace.
"How dare you! He was a good man!" Kagome shouted. She held her hands in front of her chest and a huge ball of purifying pink energy snapped and crackled. Kurama could feel the absolute power of the purification bomb she was creating. She sent it soaring towards Renkotsu and he slammed into the wall behind him. Every inch of him began to glow pink. "You've been brought back to life through dark means. I shall purify the miasma reanimating you!"
Bankotsu stepped away from Renkotsu's still form. He was the only one left. "It seems I am outnumbered." He turned towards Kyokotsu, the giant trapped within Kurama's plant and sliced up the branches freeing him. "That's better!"
Kurama sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice." He reached into his pouch and pulled out the seed for his Death Plant. Within moments, the last remaining members of the mercenary band had been consumed as the seed Kurama planted internally killed them from the inside out.
Kagome stumbled towards Kurama and wrapped her arm around his waist. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was until she supported part of his weight. "I think now would be a good time to move on," she suggested.
"I agree," Kurama answered. He locked his arm around Kagome's mid-back and they hurried out of the room into the next room. It was full of plants, which would certainly prove useful with his knowledge. Had this Byakuya failed to take into account Kurama's repertoire of herbs and flora? Surely not. If he was a true strategist, he'd have taken Kurama's abilities into account.
"This looks too good to be true," Kagome said.
"It is," Kurama confirmed. "Most of these plants are poisonous." He began to speak with the plants in his way and reshaped them and moved them to create a clear spot for Kagome. He then reached into his hair with his free hand and pulled out a rose, he manipulated the rose into a huge, branchy bush. He reshaped the rose bush to create a protective barrier between Kagome and the poisonous plants. "Wait here. I'm going to try and replenish some of my seeds."
"If you're going to be wandering through, do you want your jacket?" Kagome asked with concern in her eyes. She began to shuck off the leather jacket. "It should protect you from the barbs and thorns at least a little."
Kurama shrugged. "They won't harm me. Besides, the jacket won't fit me in this form."
"Why not? The rest of your clothes fit?" Kagome asked in confusion.
"That's because I manipulated the cotton that composed the rest of my clothes. The jacket is leather — from an animal," Kurama explained. He took a deep breath. "Though this particular passage might be a temporary relief to make us lose track of time by being too comfortable." He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. Would Byakuya have considered that tactic? Make them a place of rest so that they would be delayed on the deadline.
"I'll keep track of time. You gather what you can," Kagome said. She snuggled back inside of his jacket and Kurama paused a moment to appreciate how fine his jacket looked on her.
He shook his head. He needed to focus on the task at hand. His mother and her brother were in danger. There was no time to appreciate how attractive his partner was. "How will you keep track of time?" Kurama asked. "You don't have a watch."
Kagome tapped her temple. "I can count. Besides, I'm going to see if I can contact my brother. Souta inherited some holy power, not as much as me, but a decent amount. Perhaps I can sense him in the depths of the maze. It would help us navigate the rest of the maze."
"Good idea," Kurama said with a sly grin. He wandered within the thick growth. He recognized most of the plants. There were quite a few useful seeds, including the one that allowed him to create the Binding Fist of the Demonic Vine. He collected several of those.
When he returned to the rose barrier and opened it to allow himself inside, he saw that Kagome had a grin plastered upon her face. "Were you successful in contacting your brother?" Kurama asked. He sat next to her, his shoulder brushed against hers in the process.
"I know exactly how to get to him. We were able to communicate through images. Your mother is with him too. It seems there is one more obstacle between us and them," Kagome said. "At least, through the direct route. I'm sure if we were to choose one of the other pathways we'd be much delayed."
"Most likely," Kurama agreed. "Any idea who our foe might be? I imagine it would be someone from our past. If it was someone from my past I would guess Yomi. He was once part of my band of thieves, but he became greedy and I allowed him to be captured. Though, he's still alive and we sorted out our differences in a tournament a few years back."
"Unfortunately, my group made a lot of enemies. Many youkai lusted after the Shikon no Tama, greedy for the power it promised them. Though, some of our former enemies became allies like the wolf prince Kouga and Lord of the Western Lands Sesshoumaru. The latter was Inuyasha's older half-brother," Kagome explained. "In the end, we all worked together to defeat Naraku. Byakuya was Naraku's last detachment."
Kurama recognized both Kouga and Sesshoumaru's names. In his former life, Youko's mother had been particularly spiteful about the Lord of the Western Lands for some reason, though Youko never actually met him. His reputation had been impressive and he never dared to steal anything from him. "I doubt if we'll be facing any former allies," Kurama said.
Kagome shivered noticeably and on instinct, Kurama wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her near to him. "We'll save our family," he promised quietly.
Kagome looked up at him and met his gaze. She smiled faintly in the dim light that penetrated through the thick branches of the rose bush. "Together we'll save them," she agreed. Her gaze fell to his lips and Kurama licked them self-consciously.
"How long have we been here?" Kurama asked quietly. He found himself staring at Kagome's lips.
"About half an hour," Kagome answered.
Kurama's tail twitched up and down on the ground behind him in agitation. As a human, it was easier to control his hormones. As a youkai, particularly a kitsune, Youko Kurama saw what he liked and took what he liked. "Plenty of time," he said dipping his mouth to Kagome's.
At first Kagome was non-responsive and then her arms looped around his neck and she kissed him back. Kurama's arms banded around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. The rose bush around them grew denser as he subconsciously strengthened their protective barrier. Kagome gasped and Kurama took the opportunity to deepen their kiss.
Kagome braced her hand upon his chest and pushed. Kurama pulled away from the kiss and blinked down at her in a daze. "Not that I'm not enjoying this impromptu make-out session after our most recent near-death experience," Kagome said with quick smile. "We should focus on the mission at hand."
"Uh," Kurama answered unable to articulate a proper response. He cleared his throat. "You're right. My apologies."
"Don't apologize, Kurama. I enjoyed it — thoroughly. But, now isn't the right time. However, when this is all said and done I expect you to ask me out on a proper date. Agreed?" Kagome asked.
"I can agree to that," Kurama said. He took a deep breath and the rose barrier around them began to crumble. "Let's see about our next challenge." He stood and offered his hand to Kagome.
A/N: Thanks guys for sticking with me on this story! I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Have y'all seen Guardians of the Galaxy? I think Kurama should have a Groot! Special thanks to those that took the time to review last chapter. I appreciate you more than you can know! Thank you: fierynightangel, Infinities Lover, FanficLover577, Mistress of Darkness Katana, Ayla27, HlfDemonLvr7703, BlueMoon-Darling, and PatrinePtn.