"Talking"
"Thinking"
-Telepathisis-
Flashback

-x-x-x-x-
Chapter Eight
Water Under the Bridge?

I frown, as Koenma has called me-and only me-to his office. I stealthily slip away from where I have been relaxing with Botan and Kat; I sneak into his office just as quietly.

"Hi." He greets, smiling a welcome.

I bow. "Greetings."

The smile turns to a slight frown. "I hate to bother you..."

I blink. "It's no trouble. The other two are talking clothes anyhow."

Koenma grins. "Ah, not a past time of yours?"

I grimace. "Not at all."

His smile is restored. "Very well then. If possible, could I borrow you?"

I pause in thought before replying, "for what?"

"I have something that needs to be recovered from demon world."

0x0x0x0

Kurama lies on the ground, completely still save the rise and fall of his chest; his breathing is ragged; various bones are broken; he is covered in minor burns; many cuts decorate his abused body. One in particular is over his left eye; it slowly drips blood into it. The fox demon is unable to strike back. The voodoo replica is bound with small, woven ropes of hemp, which disables movement; any other counter he might have attempted with his plants is impossible, as his tormentor does not leave him alone long enough for him to be able to focus.

The five restrained and supported by chains are furious in their own ways. Hiei is seething; his jagan is glowing, despite being bound; Yusuke's glare is nearly potent enough to kill; Kuwabara is pale with fury; Sora is dead white; he is barely able to process some of the things he has just seen; Kimi is shaking and gritting her teeth.

A quiet buzzing crackle breaks the silence; the man places the doll down, sticking a pin through each limb, before turning to Kimi. "So you still have that thing?" His face becomes thoughtful. "If you could manage to remove it, you might be able to overwhelm the seals on the chains..." He frowns before suddenly smirking. "Ah, but if that were possible, I wouldn't be breathing right now, would I?"

Said chains restraining her shudder; one link shatters.

He blanches, paling slightly, but no further damage occurs. "Heh. Pathetic." He pulls the doll up, making sure the needles go through the doll's limbs; Kurama screams soundlessly, as his vocal cords are already too badly damaged to make anymore noise.

"I'll deal with you..." He states and smirks when a spark of triumph enters her eyes. "...after I kill him, that is." The man calmly plucks one of the needles from the table out of it and holds it up for them to see. "With some luck, I'll miss his heart the first time around." The needle then descends towards the wax figure's chest.

0x0x0x0

Kuronue hurriedly dodges an assailant's down stroke with his broad sword; he then counters with his scythe-bladed chain. It slips past his enemy's guard to bite deep into his neck; he drops like a stone. The bat demon then engages another opponent in a deadly dance of skill and flashing blades.

Another ten minutes and the last attacker falls; Kuronue stands amidst the carnage, slightly battered but lacking any serious injuries.

"Not bad."

The winded bat demon spins to meet cold golden eyes.

"However," the demon continues, "isn't the point of being a thief not to get caught?"

"Don't needle him, Lord Youko!" Whispers one of his band hurriedly. "That's Kuronue!"

A silvery eyebrow arches.

Knowing he is being baited, the blue eyed demon keeps his face neutral and turns away. He is aware that he is out numbered and, in his present state, attack would be suicide.

-.-.-.-.-

Several run-ins with the thief king later, he is startled when, with a slight smile, the youko approaches him.

"You pass." He states.

Kuronue stares. "Pass what?"

"My tests. I have heard much of you and I am in need of a competent second-in-command."

The bat demon considers his options; after a moment, he nods.

-.-.-.-.-

"Idiot!" Snaps the irritated fox demon. "What were you thinking?"

Kuronue ignores his dramatic (dare he call him) friend and continues tending his injuries.

"You weren't thinking at all, were you?"

The bat demon fixes venomous blue eyes on him. "Unlike you, I dislike leaving my own behind."

"So you getting injured this badly justifies saving one underling?"

"I saved five." He manages out through gritted teeth; he stands and leaves the thief to glower at his unused bandages.

"Doan min' 'im." Comments one of the thieves elected by the band to serve as one of Youko's personal guard. "'Imself's juss worr'd 'bout yerself."(1)

"Aren't I as replacable as his 'underlings'?" The vexed bat demon snaps.

"'E's ups't tha' weh lost 'un. 'E prolly 'uz afeared fer yerself too."(2)

Kuronue glances back to find Youko still staring at the bandages, though his manner is now melancholy.

0x0x0x0

Sora's arm jerks sharply as he returns to the present; he smothers a gasp as what feels like fire races through it. That is when he realizes that he is hanging crooked; his next move is made as the needle descends a second time. The chain dangling ripples as he moves to strike the blonde. The ripple reaches the end of the chain before it strikes him; his head rolls off his shoulders as the chain hits the floor with a clang. Attached to the end is a scythe, much like the weapon he normally carries-and did carry as Kuronue.

All is silent as the chains crumple to dust; the suspended ones fall to the floor. Hiei vanishes near instantly as Kuwabara and Yusuke race over to Kurama. Kimi approaches Sora and squeezes his shoulder in assurance before following the other two to Kurama.

"Damn." Kuwabara murmurs.

Yusuke is visibly restraining himself from attacking the dead body. "What're you doing?" He snaps at Kimi, who kneels beside him and places her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sharing my energy with him." She explains. "I don't have a lot, but I'm the only one who can currently."

"What about Sora?" Kuwabara questions. "He was emitting a lot a minute ago."

"Which he currently has little to no control over."

"She's right." Sora rasps as he begins to feel the effects of unlocking his energy. "With the lack of control I have, I would do more harm than good..."

Hiei reappears with Yukina, who begins to heal Kurama's injuries as best she can.

0x0x0x0

"Wow." Kuwabara stares at the mostly-healed injuries. "You've gotten a lot better, Yukina!"

The ice maiden blushes prettily, though her hands remain steady as she wraps Kurama's arm. "It wasn't all me, Kazuma."

The two redheads trade glances. "What do you-"

"Is this enough?" Yusuke growls from the doorway; the three turn to see the detective tangled in yards of bandage. Kurama sighs, a slight smile playing on his lips; Yukina starts giggling; Kuwabara cracks up and falls out of his seat.

"All patched up?" The aged psychic questions as she enters to the ruckus.

"Almost." Kurama murmurs.

0x0x0x0

Once Kurama's injuries are tended, Yukina checks the rest of the team over. It is discovered that Sora sprained his arm; the ice maiden promptly fixes a sling for him. She receives a quiet "thanks" before Sora exits; the other three boys ignore it.

After the three are checked over, Yukina makes a mental note to locate Kimi later. She glances around the room, then does it once more to make sure her eyes aren't playing tricks on her. "Where's Kurama?"

Yusuke, who has challenged Kuwabara to a video game, pauses it. "Isn't he on the-"

Kuwabara looks. "He isn't."

"The fox is fine." Hiei interrupts flatly.

0x0x0x0

Kurama locates his quarry on the edge of the dojo porch; said quarry is pale, shaking and has a pile of leaves covering the vomit near him.

Sora refuses to meet his eyes and glares stubbornly at a tree. "What d'you want?"

"No one forgets their first kill." The redhead comments softly; the other boy freezes but his shocked and vulnerable look is quickly replaced with a glare. The fox demon sighs slightly. "No one is going to think you're weak for it."

The blue eyed boy stares, then scowls. "What makes you think I care about your opinion?"

"The fact that you became defensive." The fox's tone is mild.

"If you're going to-"

"I'm not here to mock you."

Sora's composure slips again, though he now registers that the fox demon is as uncomfortable as he is. "Does this mean you want to try to bury the hatchet?"

"Aside from sensing what I now assume was your latent powers, I never had a real reason to be hostile to you." The redhead murmurs after several tense moments.

"It was more of an 'I can tell this guy's different and it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end' kinda thing for me." Sora admits. "Then again, I didn't know about demons, let alone that I was one..."

Kurama nods. Both hesitate for a moment; the redhead nods a 'bye' to Sora; said boy nods a 'later' back.

Kimi, who is approaching, stops and watches the two. Sora's aura, which had been flaring erratically, was now calmer. As she ducks behind a tree, it calms further.

"Whatever he said must have done the trick." Confident that the two will become more at ease-and hoping a friendship develops because of it-she continues to her destination, which is the top of the mountain by the dojo.

0x0x0x0

I walk into Koenma's office and hold out the requested artifact. I am exhausted, exhilarated and more than a little roughed up.

"Th-thank you." The demi-god states and accepts it. "Do you...need to go to the infirmary?"

"No way!" I burst out, then duck my head slightly. "Sorry. I don't like that place..."

"But you really should get them looked at..."

"But-"

"Please?"

I give in and head off. Damn him and his irresistable puppy dog eyes.

-x-x-x-x-

(1) - "Don't mind him." "He's just worried about you."

(2) - "He's upset that we lost one. He was probably afraid for you too." (I have too much fun messing with accents and I fear sometimes I make them undecipherable...)

Okay, this chapter was written with the assistance of a song. (Reoccurring theme in this story, it seems.) Anyway, I recommend it to anyone who reads this story: "Stand" by Rascal Flatts

So. Yep.
Emma