Author's Note: Reviews... please? =3
9thDimen: XD I thought people would enjoy the AN at the end of PFC... Heh... And long reviews don't matter, I just like hearing from my readers. O.O Ahem... uuh...uhh... here's the next chapter! PLEASEDON'TKILLME! -hides-
Sherlaylay: Yaaaay one of my old regulars! -huggles- This is going to be a fun sequel... Well... fun in the 'gruesome, but a whole bunch of surprises' way. Heh... Look forward to hearing from you again darling!
Skyla15699: Awww! You're so sweet! -huggles like crazy- I hope I don't disappoint you! I've been working hard on this sequel. ^^ Keep reading, sweetheart!
To All My Readers: So, what do you think Mukuro is up to? And song or musician suggestions for later chapters?
Song for Chapter:
A Little Faster - There for Tomorrow, A Little Faster
Chapter Two: Genesis
Set before prologue of Revelation, Defamation and days after epilogue of Praying for Closure.
Approximately 98 years after Praying for Closure.
"Kotone."
It is funny how one never appreciates what they had until it might be taken away from them. It opened eyes of those blinded by good fortune and ripped thrones away from kings. She saw it now in the legions of males and females below, swathed in the colors of Alaric and Tourin. They were preparing for death.
"Kotone, I believe I called you."
She glanced up, broken from her spiteful reverie to meet the unnerving gaze of a king whose throne was in danger, one who would kill every last being to keep it now that she had reclaimed it.
"I've been in thought here recently, Mukuro," she offered, though did not apologize. The female king did not expect it, but frown lines etched at the corners of her lips. "Is something else wrong?"
"Besides a war? No, but I seek your council. Hiei has gone below with Yusuke to prep the troops." She ushered the redhead to follow and the wind demon did so begrudgingly. Hiei would have been preferred company, a fact that both irritated and unnerved her.
Kotone knew better than to trust the female king; she had tried to be a confidante, yet always did she feel a knife at her back. Mukuro pretended to like her, if only for Hiei's sake, and there might have been a time where the two could have been friends. They were so very alike, after all, but this world was not fit for them to be companions.
They shared their lust for blood and their own secret agendas. The two fought relentlessly to prove themselves over years of running and torture. Both became powerful to protect themselves, doing whatever it took to reach the top, whether they had to rend heads in the process or not.
Where Mukuro held power, Kotone held her secrets. It was the only thing she believed to be keeping her alive by this point. The ruler of Alaric knew her stand-point on this war and how she wanted to go about it- in some ways, but many were left unsaid-, but Kotone knew Mukuro wanted this just as bad as Yomi.
The opportunity to rule all, not just those in their territory, and the name it would make for themselves, the power it would entail. Mukuro was just as greedy as the blind demon.
Kotone did not speak as they wound through the legendary halls of Mukuro's moving fortress, the mobile 'roach'- as Kuwabara had once put it- before coming to a room few were allowed to see. Tanks filled up most of the vacant space against the back wall, whereas windows lined the opposite. A large chair, much resembling a throne, was place in front of these windows, a table and another set of chairs scattered around it.
As usual, the female king took the throne for herself and Kotone chose to stand where she could see both her and out of the window. Dread had not crawled from her heart since Yomi had advanced into the borders of Tourin a day ago, but he had yet to strike.
"You've given me two heirs, Kotone, and powerful ones at that." The redhead did not at all like how Mukuro chose to begin their private conversation. Under normal circumstances, they would talk between a glass of fine alcohol and cards, yet this was far from the norm. "I wish to see all of you protected during this war. When Yomi falls, if he should take me out with him- as unlikely as that is- I would want to assure the throne was still warm when another took it."
Kotone cast her eyes towards the demon female, feeling the wind prickling at her skin where there should be none. It was frightened where she was agitated.
"Mukuro, with all due respect your conversation does not bode well on this situation," she murmured quietly, her voice never rising or changing tone. She would not show weakness to this woman. "What do you ask of me?"
"I want Avaron and Yuji kept from this war," she simply stated, as if it would be so easy. "The two are capable of defending themselves, but to keep them from doing something rash I believe it would be best."
Kotone's jaw set and she glared out of the window at the hordes of troops below. "They have grown far faster than I did as a child. Where it took me nearly ninety-years to grow up and become a woman, they have done so in half that time. I cannot keep them from this war if they wish to be a part of it. I would prefer the two were hidden away where none could find them, but I will not force my opinions on them."
"If I had offspring, I would gladly hide them away," she whispered sardonically, though a tone was held that the redhead barely caught. Jealousy, spite, hatred... The female king was a monster in her own right. "Fortunately, I don't and I can't have any due to my condition. Considering you are under my rule and part of my court, I will be putting them into hiding whether they protest or not. Not only them, but to keep them better in line Yusuke and the human have decided to send Tadao and Koume as well."
Anger flared in the kaze dai youkai and she bit her tongue to the point of blood to silence the warring thoughts that threatened to escape. Mukuro would attempt to take her life if she spoke out against her, whether Kotone was her third-in-command or not. She really did not know how Kuwabara had taken the news when he found out his two children would be stashed away as well. "If that is what you wish. When will this be taking place?"
"I'll have them expedited tonight. Say your goodbyes; you won't see them until this war is over with."
When Kotone turned to Mukuro, if only to glance at the woman's demeanor and try to read her, she was met with a blank look. The only signal that something was wrong was a foreboding twinkle in the female king's eye. Kotone changed her own face to one of stoic indifference before bowing to the woman.
"As you wish, my lord. Will you be going down to the troops as well? It would strengthen their resolve to see their ruler giving them faith."
Mukuro nodded and stood from her throne, smiling eerily. "Yes, I believe you are right. I'll be below with Hiei and Yusuke. See what the others are doing and speak with your offspring."
Kotone waited until the demon was gone before she took her own leave. It was not her children she went to first, but instead she sought out another group that would listen. Daiki, Hajime, Mizue, and Daiki's mate were in one of the topmost rooms, seated around a table and having their own discussion.
The wind demon threw the door open before easing it shut, trying to quell the dread she was feeling so prominently. They stared up at her, shocked and surprised that she was off duty long enough to speak with them. Kotone had seen little of her friends in the last week.
"Ko, what's going on?" Hajime immediately asked. He could sense the raging storm of emotions swirling within her, threatening to lash out and become a maelstrom.
"Not here." She pointed at the walls and all understood. "Mizue, Akiye, I need to take a walk with your mates if you don't mind."
The hawk demoness was the first to nod, a grave expression on her face. "I'll need to speak with you later, Kotone. It's about him." Her hand rested on her swollen belly, drawing the redhead's attention to it.
"Yes, of course. I'll come find you as soon as I can afterwards."
Akiye, a little fire demoness with a temper completely opposite of Daiki, forced a smile at Kotone. "Be careful, all three of you. We never know when something bad will happen."
"Of course." Daiki and Hajime gave loving kisses to their mates before the three left them alone.
~:.:{When We Learn Too Much Too Soon, Hold Your Breath Now}:.:~
The woods did not bend and bow to the winds, for there were none in this part of Makai. The foliage knew something dangerous was coming and all were whispering silent prayers in their own languages. The usual sound of screeching and howling had not been heard for weeks, all in the expectance of a war that was brewing.
Kotone stopped in a familiar clearing, one that was lush with beautiful flowers and fallen trees. Where the earth was once scarred and angry, bushes of elaborate grandeur grew. They had been striving for decades now, ever since Youko Kurama created a memory from a nightmare of a time Kotone had once had during the TouMa Tournament. It had become their clearing, one that Daiki, Kotone, and Hajime frequented.
A grave sat at the front of it, far against the trees and nearest a fallen oak that served as their resting spot. Yuji was always with them when they were here.
"Ko, I need you to tell me what is going on," Daiki grumbled, his usual wild attitude tamed from the danger he knew was coming.
She held a hand up before churning the winds around them in a wide arc, completely encasing the clearing in a sound-proof bubble of her element. Only when she knew it was secure did she speak, "Mukuro wishes for Yuji and Avaron to be placed in hiding until the war is over. Koume and Tadao as well."
"Sounds like a great idea, if she can get them to agree," Hajime added, sitting atop the boulder he tended to take up.
Daiki gave a snort of laughter, sitting next to Kotone on the tree. "It's unlikely. The damn brats won't listen to anyone since they believe they've grown up. Right, Ko?"
She gave a small smile and gently smacked him on the arm. "Yes, but they have grown far faster than I had hoped they would. It's not the idea of them hiding during the war that has me troubled."
Hajime, having honed his psychic abilities to formidable levels, had no problem breaking into the storm that was her mind. His eyes widened and he nervously pushed his growing white hair from ghostly green eyes. "You think it is a trap."
"I do not want to think like that, but Mukuro has seemed more hazardous lately. She does not speak with me as she used to, treating me like a friend when I knew I wasn't. I believe she still holds something for Hiei that she doesn't want to admit, and if that is the case-"
"You and the kids are standing in her way," Daiki gaped. "Do you really think she would try to kill all of you?"
The grim expression he received was enough to make him believe the accusations. "I believe she will do anything to get what she wants. Right now, she wants Yomi killed and the possibility of her taking the throne of all of Makai. After that, she'll want a mate that will stand beside her. Hiei has been her right hand for over a century; he's the logical choice."
"If she killed you or the kids, Hiei would die trying to avenge you three," Hajime added. "Does she not see that?"
"Mukuro is smart, even if she is a bitch," scoffed the fire demon. "She has something up her sleeve to fix that."
"What should we do then, Ko?"
The redhead fingered something in her pocket but did not dare draw it out. "If I sent them anywhere, it would be to Genkai's old temple where Kuwabara usually stays with Yukina and the kids. Keiko, Izume, and Shoichi have gone there for safety. Izume may carry the blood of the Mazoku, but Shoichi has nothing more than his spiritual prowess. Yusuke believes them capable, but has a bad feeling about them participating."
"Yuji and Avaron are much stronger than they are though. They won't go into hiding."
Kotone gave a frightening smile to the brute, a single fang protruding the side. "Haji, Dai, tell me something. During a war, is there ever just one battle going on at a time?"
"Usually not, but they are publicized," Daiki shrugged. "I learned that from my video games."
Hajime began to smile as well, his sharp teeth showing. "There are secrets going around in wars, some of which are acting secrets."
"I think we need to place our own secrets down, don't you?" She clenched her fist. "If not to win this thing, but to protect our families. We all have so much more to live for now than just violence and bloodshed. It's like we're back to our younger days when we were fighting for our freedom at the TouMa."
"Except now we really do have a fuck-ton more depending on this turning in our favor," Daiki grumbled, the heat radiating off him in waves. "What do you have in mind, Ko?"
"I don't want to say too much, just in case something happens. Just know that whatever I do I am looking out for everyone, alright?" She stood from the worn, decaying bark and stretched. "We have to get going back. I need to see my children before they leave."
~:.:{It Was Never Good Enough For Me, Show Me What You're After}:.:~
"You honestly believe we would agree to something like this?" Red eyes flared in a silent challenge, a threat, urging the one she spoke towards to continue on this failing mission.
Kotone kept an even face, but her eye twitched at her daughter's ignorance. "We don't have a choice, Avaron. Mukuro has ordered it and she won't back down. I tried to change her mind but to no avail. You will be going tonight."
"I will not!" The demoness, one who took more after her father when it came to her abilities, let fire lick up her arms. Her fists were clenched and she ground her teeth together visibly. "I will not let you and Father fight a war that could kill you two! What if us being there could be the difference?"
"Stop being so selfish, Ava," Yuji scoffed, placing a hand on her shoulder and feeling the heat lick at his skin. Where she favored the fiercer element of the mixture, he cared more for the lighter. The winds had graced him with the same power it had given Kotone, though not to the extent she carried it. "Mother does not have a choice in this and neither do we. Do you honestly think we could stick around if we wanted to? She would force us out!"
"I don't care! I will not be leaving them behind! No way! Are you-"
The door slammed open and caused all three sets of eyes to turn on the intruder of their fight. Hiei stood in the door, his face a mask of indifference, before he strode forward and stood before his daughter. He leaned down, his face directly in front of hers, and he spoke quietly.
"Your mother is on the verge of knocking you unconscious," he warned, using his Jagan to trifle through his mate's head. "You will listen. If you should disobey, I will personally see to it you are taken somewhere safe. Mukuro has ordered it."
Avaron glared so mightily at her father, one might believe he would combust. Fortunately, Hiei was used to the expression, though from the woman that helped create these two offspring. He would not back down and she would not win.
After long minutes of shifting her eyes between both Hiei and Kotone, Avaron finally huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine," was the only response she could offer.
Yuji stepped forth and wound his arms around his mother, hugging her tightly with muscles that became clear when his skin stretched. The lean figure may have dwarfed both Avaron or Kotone, but he stood even with Hiei.
Kotone hugged back just as tenderly, heart racing. Tonight they would be expedited to an unknown location, one that she believed would be their graves. Hopefully her plan would work and she could rest easier during the hard times to come.
"Watch over your sister," she whispered solemnly, face against his chest. "I love you, child. Be careful and keep your eyes opened. Listen to the advice Yuji is sure to give you in your mind. He watches over all of us still."
"Yes, Mother. I love you as well."
Avaron, still pouting, was a little more reluctant to step into her mother's waiting arms. Once she was there, she returned the gesture just as much. Kotone knew she was frightened and worried, but the child had to learn what must be done to survive. No, the woman. Her children were fully-grown.
"I love you," Avaron mumbled into her long ear, a trait Kotone shared only with Yuji. "Please, please be safe."
"I promise you," offered the wind demon, though she wondered if she could keep to her word. "I love you too."
Hiei barely hugged Yuji, for the two had established long ago that it was not something they favored to do between themselves. Avaron, on the other hand, clung to him as if life had been taken from him. She idolized her father in every way and often trained with him if she had the chance. It was no surprise she had taken more to fire than to wind.
The four set out down the hall, a thick silence following them as they went. All were wrapped in their own thoughts, even as they broke through to the outside, night cloaking them like a veil. The only light came from the two guards posted at the door, holding torches to allow them to see one another.
They were not the first to arrive either, considering Kuwabara and Yukina stood nearby with their children. The twins, Tadao and Koume, seemed a little more nervous than anything else.
Tadao, a spiritually aware human- if he could be called that, considering he was still young and already ninety-seven years old-, carried the characteristics of his father. From the orange hair, broad and tall build, and the determination that glittered in his eyes to the love that radiated from him, he was a miniature Kuwabara. He was the first to approach the group, giving a brief hug to Kotone and a firm handshake to Hiei.
"Mother, calm down," Koume insisted, her sea foam hair blending in with her mother's. She possessed the power over ice and was a profound healer, taking after her mother in almost every way. "Let me say goodbye to Aunt Kotone and Uncle Hiei."
When Yukina was pried from Koume, she clung to her mate instead. Kuwabara hushed her, trying his best to calm the koorime down and failing.
"We'll be safe," Tadao promised as his sister gave hugs to both their relatives. "Between me, Yuji, Avaron, and Koume, we will be safe."
Kotone felt as if he was trying to reassure himself more than the rest of them.
"Take them and be careful. It is time to leave." Mukuro had entered the scene, giving no emotion to show she felt bad for forcing them to do this, to abandon their children on the eve of war. Kotone hated her more in that instant than she ever had before.
Ten armed and high-leveled demons made up the guard of the four offspring. They waved to their parents, but had no more time to grieve before they were ushered off into the dark woods. Not a single light accompanied them, but when Avaron turned at the edge of the forest Kotone knew the look she gave them.
She had glared at Mukuro, one filled with just as much malice as Kotone held in her heart for the female king, before disappearing with the group.
Silence was not allowed for long, for Mukuro clapped her hands and waved everyone inside the fortress. "They'll be safe."
"They better be," Kuwabara and Kotone said in unison, giving each other a pained smile once they realized.
They did not catch the horrid glance Mukuro offered in return.
~:.:{Just A Little Faster}:.:~
A figure sat alone in his elaborate tent, hidden deep in the forests. He was meditating on the war to come and all that he would be forced to do in order to play his part. The tides were churning and he knew what could have happened at the TouMa ninety-eight years ago would have been a tea party compared to this.
Honestly, he was worried beyond all doubt. He would need to be on his toes and able to watch his back from every direction. He knew he would be in serious trouble throughout this entire war if he stepped a single foot out of line. He could not allow that to happen.
He had too many loved ones that would be injured if he did not keep his guard up. If anything, he would survive for them.
The man barely noticed the fluttering of wind or the breeze that carried in the front flap of his temporary dwelling. When he cracked open his eyes, ready to close the flap, the wind completely died out and he stared curiously at something on the floor.
A single piece of paper was folded, lying atop a rich rug as if it had been there all along. He knew better. He had scoured this tent for any sort of misconception the moment it was presented to him. He knew every nook and cranny, every scrap of parchment and flask of water. This was new.
Standing carefully, he approached the paper and stared down at it. It could have been a paper bomb for all he knew and he would need to be cautious. The man kneeled next to it, but before he could touch the strange note a stray burst of wind knocked it open.
The handwriting and peculiar circumstances that he received it alerted him of the sender. He did not hesitate to pick it up, narrowed eyes skimming over the letter. As he read, his jaw set tightly and he knew he could not refuse the request given.
He did not make a noise as he stood there, contemplating how to go about this. After long moments and a solid plan forming in his head, he knew what he had to do. The note was pocketed, concealing any evidence, and he donned a dark cloak. He knew where he had to go and little time was given for him to do it.
He would help in any way he could, whether it risked his own life or not.
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To All My Readers: So, what do you think Mukuro is up to? And song or musician suggestions for later chapters?
Next in 'Revelation, Defamation':
And in a war, death will come. Yet, was it ever really death? Kotone had indeed created her own secret agendas with allies hidden in all corners of Makai, and that was the only reason she lived to see what was to come. Without her secrets, Mukuro would have killed her long ago. And now, holding a secret that was one of glorious purpose, she is to be separated from her loved ones.
But... had she planned that too?