I waited with bated breath for something to happen. For what, exactly? I didn't necessarily know. But something.
And that something came. Suddenly, in the hallway, I heard loud crashes and shouts - four of the five voices were ones I knew very well, and loved dearly. I clutched Sonata closer to me, laughing.
"Do you hear that, Nata? That's your daddy! He's coming!"
Sonata, sensing my good mood, smiled and giggled, proving that she was definitely not an ordinary human baby.
"Aya!" A voice yelled from the hallway. I couldn't stop smiling.
"In here, Kurama!" I shouted back. "Come and meet your daughter!"
Kurama entered the room a moment later, covered in scratches and blood, but to me, he looked like an angel. He broke out in a smile when he laid eyes on Sonata, and came forward to kiss me and stroke her head.
"Do you want to hold her?" I asked.
"More than anything," he replied. "But right now, we are fighting a battle with a demonic doctor, so I'm going to have to wait. We're keeping him alive for now, though, because we thought you might be interested in doing the honors of killing him."
I smiled at my husband. "I'd love to." I handed Sonata to my favorite midwife, the one who seemed to resent Otome as much as I. Kurama caught my wrist in his hand.
"What's this?" He said, examining my metal bracelet.
"Something that restrains my power. I'm as weak as a human."
Kurama chuckled. "Considering how two of our best friends happen to be the most powerful humans in the world, that doesn't count as much." He suddenly became serious. "I've seen these before…If I'm right, then…" He muttered some mystic mumbo-gumbo, which sounded faintly like Yiddish or Swahili, and the metal band fell off my wrist in two pieces. I gaped at it.
"I wish I would have known how to do that sooner!" I snapped. Kurama laughed.
"I know just what to do with this." He took my hand, and led me out in the hall, where Otome was trapped by Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke. Hiei, once he spotted me, threw something quite large through the air. I caught it, smiling at the familiar touch of my laptop. Kurama walked to Otome, and snapped the metal band around his wrist. Otome staggered.
Grinning wickedly, I sauntered toward Otome. When I reached him, I held my laptop securely, and smacked him straight across the face with it. Blood and teeth sprayed everywhere.
"THAT was for all the girls you killed!" I yelled. I whacked him across the other cheek. "THAT was for using their children as slaves!" I gripped the corners of my laptop more securely, and then leapt into the air. "This is for wanting to eat me!" I brought the laptop straight down on Otome's head, and he crumpled to the ground. I landed nimbly on my feet, grinning with satisfaction. With no further ado, I began to kick his body as viciously as possible, muttering swear words.
"Uh…Aya?" Hiei said awkwardly. "I think he's dead." Sighing because he had spoiled my fun, I backed off, tucking my blood-covered laptop under my arm.
"You're pretty spry for a woman who just gave birth," Yusuke remarked. I was now in too good of a mood to glare at him, so I punched him semi-playfully in the arm.
When we got back to the room, the midwife was still holding Sonata. Since I was now covered in Otome's blood, I didn't think I should hold our daughter. I gestured to Kurama to take her from the midwife, which he did, smiling brightly.
"Sonata," he whispered, caressing her cheek. She sneezed, and lightning sparked out of her nose. I thought was the cutest darn thing I'd ever seen. Yusuke, Kuwabara and I crowded around Kurama and Sonata, just watching our little fox baby. She was confused by the attention, yet seemed to enjoy it all the same.
"Do you want to go home?" Kurama asked. I wasn't sure if he was talking to Sonata or I, but since she couldn't talk, I decided to answer.
"Oh! Wait! We have to free the slaves!" I said, dashing out of the room.
"Free the slaves?" Hiei repeated sardonically, following me. "Now you're going around freeing slaves?"
"Be nice," I snapped. "These slaves are the children of all the girls Otome has eaten."
Kurama cuddled Sonata with one of his arms, and took my hand with his free one.
"Come on," he said, giving me a smile that made my heart leap. "Let's go find these slaves."
I led him and the others to where I remembered the kitchen being. I was on edge, wondering if any guards would try to assault us. But, we managed to pass through the entire massive house with no trouble.
"Hey." I said suddenly. "Why did you send me a blank piece of paper? It was you that sent it to me, right?"
Kurama chuckled. "Yes. I'm sorry about that. That paper was treated to react with your spirit energy, and it would send out a signal when you touched it. Hiei could trace that signal, and lead us right to you."
I blinked in surprise. So, THAT'S what is was! "Ingenious," I complimented.
"Thanks," Hiei replied shortly. I giggled.
"It was his idea, after all," Kurama whispered. Grinning wickedly, I threw my arms around Hiei, kissing him on the cheek.
"Thank you, Hiei!" I cried. The angry fire demon struggled to get out of my grasp.
"Hey! Get off, Aya!" He growled. Laughing, I let go, and he lost his balance, falling flat on his face. I crouched down, as he got to his knees.
"Oops." I said, sheepishly. "Sorry, Hiei."
"It's alright." He said icily, getting to his feet and continuing to walk on. I frowned, also standing up.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked the other three boys in confusion. "If possible, he's even colder than usual."
Yusuke shrugged. "He's been like that for a while, probably ever since you guys got back from Kyoto. He even passed on the perfect opportunity to tease Kuwabara earlier."
"Huh." I said. How strange. I couldn't think of anything that had happened over the trip to make Hiei like this.
Kurama's hand gently brushed against my cheek. "Don't worry about it right now. Let's just focus on rescuing the slaves."