Author's Note: I'm updating before DoppleGengar decides to send me 'straight to the moon.' XD Sorry everyone; we've opened our store up on Etsy and thus I've been working with that, getting a few things together to add to it, and then cosplay as always. Hope you enjoy!
DoppleGengar: XD Happy now? Heh... And I LOVE Kuronue! I would huggle him all day long if given the chance (without having my head ripped off, that is).
SuiLon434: =3 You have to keep reading to find outttttttt~! The prologue was a piece from the future, obviously, so no one knows who I'm killing off.
Check out my profile for the link to our new Etsy shop! We take commissions for just about anything!
Song for Chapter:
Beautiful With You - Halestorm, Strange Case Of...
Chapter Ten: Reunion
A day had barely passed for Kotone and Kuronue, still sitting in their same statue-like position, when the ground in front of the tombstone quivered and shifted. A body began to lift itself from the mud, a light rain making it harder to do so. The fingers were white and slender, though skeletal in nature, and at last it lifted itself from the remains of its grave.
The two were not suffering as Kotone had alone, but their bodies were sore and very light wounds littered their skin. The blood was washed away by the downpour, stinging the open flesh but keeping infection from crawling in.
The skeleton wheezed and hacked, though not nearly to the degree that Kuronue had when he was resurrected. It leaned heavily against the tombstone, ignoring the strangled cries of the frightened, tongue-less demon nailed to the tree behind it.
"Is that what I looked like?" Kuronue mumbled disgustedly when he saw the muscles and sinew beginning to grow. He felt weak from the loss of youki, but he was still more than capable of moving around at least.
Kotone, much in the same condition as the bat, said, "No, you were uglier."
"Thanks, bitch."
She ignored him and caught the attention of the skeleton. The woman scooted closer, trying to quell the emotions coming into her eyes. The empty sockets of the beast before her simply stared, mouth rotating to try and work correctly.
"You, female, why are you familiar to me?" it hissed, dirt pouring from its mouth when it spoke. "What is the... meaning of all this?"
Kotone swallowed a growing lump in her throat and positioned herself directly in front of the skeleton. She did not catch the quirked brow of the bat demon at her proximity, for she did not dare to get that close to him when he was in just this position. She knew this skeleton, he was certain of it.
"I come to offer you a choice," she whispered, the rain barely allowing her voice to carry to invisible ears. "I offer you a life once more, one that is a half-life. It will be tied to mine and should I die, you will as well. It is not vice-versa, but if you aid me in this great time of need, a new life will be offered to you. Should I believe you are not worthy of walking this world without the threat of having your body ripped apart by me, it will not come to pass. Should you try and double-cross me, I have ways of killing you from hundreds of miles away."
The skeleton nodded, fingers raking across his cheeks and trying to reach out towards her as an after-thought. "You, I trust you. I cannot explain it, but I trust you with my being. What troubles you that you call for my aid?"
"War has broken out and my mate, my friends, and my children are in danger. All of Makai has begun to bathe the lands in blood and I fear for my loved ones," she said, her own fingers twitching before they grabbed the hand that wanted hers. She was disgusted by the slimy feeling of the muscles beginning to cover his bones, but little mind was paid to it. "Accept my terms, please."
Silently, Kuronue watched in awe at the strange display before him. He had never seen her so... emotional. The wind demoness was hardly sobbing or expressing anything drastic, but the slight differences in her were astounding.
"I... accept... my lady," hacked the skeleton.
"Kuronue, the body," she called to the bat, though never looked at him.
As he retrieved the squirming, mute demon from the tree, she pulled her hand from the creature and sliced open her palm. Kuronue deposited the crying demon beside her and her claws immediately sunk into the wretch's flesh, closing around his heart. His screams were unheard and attention placed on the skeleton before her.
The beast used his teeth to create a wound in the palm of his hand, the muck that was his blood slowly dripping from it. He wrapped his slender fingers around Kotone's, trying his best at a forced smile when his muscles screamed in protest.
Kotone ripped the heart from the demon beside her and shoved it into the chest cavity of the undead, their blood mingling and her mind whitening with pain. Her vision blurred and she clawed back a scream, but the pain was surreal.
No, it was not nearly as drastic as when she did Kuronue's resurrection alone, thanks to the fact that she had far more youki and far less wounds this time, but it was still nearly unbearable. As her hand slipped from the skeleton's and her face hit the mud, she felt solid hands on her shoulders, rolling her over to keep from drowning in the muck around them.
Hazily, she could make out Kuronue's form above her, pulling her up against him to support the demoness. The wounds that began to open across her skin immediately had the ooze from her pack smeared on them, closing them before she lost too much blood. It eased her body's tension by leagues and she leaned her head back against the bat's shoulder in thanks.
"Not so bad this go around, is it?" he whispered playfully in her long ear.
"I still feel like I was run over by a bus." She never realized he did not get the analogy, but instead focused her returning vision on the swirl of erratic youki surrounding the grave and the skeleton within.
The two waited with baited breaths for the youki to die down, the oppression from such a display bearing down on their bodies with a vengeance. Kuronue was in awe while Kotone was praying the ritual would be completed soon.
The youki began to die down and soon, they were greeted with a nude figure standing in the ebbing rains, alabaster hair plastered to his neck and back. Blue eyes shone like diamonds as they searched the area around him, pale skin only creating an ethereal glow around the man.
That is not what caught Kotone's attention, but instead the weapon that was in his hands. The demon sword that had once been the bane of her existence had been resurrected as well, by means she was unsure of.
The lightning demon's eyes finally rested on Kotone and they grew substantially. She could see fresh tears there, his mouth slack and his shoulders quivering.
"Kotone-"
"Yuji, do not come any closer until that thing is destroyed," she growled, leaning up from Kuronue's chest and preparing herself to do the unthinkable, should he disobey.
Without even removing his eyes from hers, the sword was thrown to the side and a torrent of lightning bore down upon it. The weapon exploded into nothing more than dust and when it did, Yuji Takanari's arms opened wide.
Kotone hesitated no longer and threw herself into those waiting arms, ignoring the protest of her injured body, and she clung to the nude demon as if her life depended on it. Tears leaked down her face and she smiled in such joy, her entire face brightened.
Yuji leaned just far enough away to look the shorter demoness in the face, his smile just as wild as hers. The tears in his eyes did not shed but one a time, slowly and almost unseen. Carefully, he reached up and wiped away her sorrows.
"Ko, how I've missed you. How I've missed all of you..." He chuckled and squeezed her once more. "Please, tell me if you have lived as I had hoped. Are you happy? I heard you say you had children."
"Yes, I have an elder son named Yuji and a daughter named Avaron," she admitted and he radiated when he heard her son's name. "He was named after a great demon, you know?"
"I suppose they are Hiei's offspring as well?" The malice that was once present when he spoke of the fire apparition was not there. "I have long made peace in myself that Hiei was meant for you wholly and I was meant to be at your side."
"Yes, they are his," she grinned, though stepped away from him. "Yuji, you are not the first I have resurrected. This is Kuronue, Youko Kurama's previous partner from thousands of years ago."
Kuronue, who had made sure he was just a few feet behind the redhead, strode forward and extended his hand. The bat smirked when Yuji took it, the grip strong and the youki nearly overwhelming. Yes, this one would be a valuable asset, and apparently Kotone knew him from his last life.
"Yuji, put these on." Kotone rummaged in her back for the white and purple ensemble buried there. Kuronue finally realized why they were there when she handed them over to the lightning demon and he tugged them on. They fit him perfectly and he proceeded to smile thankfully. "How do you feel?"
"I am certain my body aches little compared to yours, my dear friend," he murmured and made sure to keep close to her form. The century that had almost passed since his death had left him wanting, and now just being near the woman he loved entirely was enough to placate him. Even if she belonged to another demon, he loved her. She deserved Hiei and it seemed he had made an honest mate. "I did not know for sure, but was it your son whom I spoke to mentally before?"
Kotone nodded and stretched her limbs, wincing when she felt the aches that had formed. "Indeed, and Hajime as well. I'm sure you realized it was him."
"Only vaguely."
"I hate being left out of things," Kuronue finally interrupted. "Mind telling me how you know this guy, Kotone?"
The redhead had forgotten his presence in the past few minutes and turned to face him. The bat did not seem happy about how well they knew one another, due to the growing friendship between the ex-thief and the wind demoness. He was simply being cautious and if he knew the full story, there would be good reason for it.
"Yuji was my teammate in the last TouMa Tournament we participated in nearly a hundred years prior," she explained. "That demon sword sent him haywire, he killed me-"
"He did what now?" The suspicious look grew even more drastic.
"Yes, but you were brought back," Yuji corrected, placing a caring hand on her shoulder. "By Team Urameshi, no less, and under the nose of King Enma."
"Indeed, and when I was resurrected I returned the favor," she laughed, the emotion leaking into her eyes. Kuronue's disposition lightened at that and his shoulders loosened from the tightness of muscles ready to spring. "I killed Yuji, you see, after nearly fifty years of friendship. He died the man he is now, one that was not manipulated by a demon sword."
"That's why you wanted it destroyed." Finally, the bat had caught on to the situation. "Well, despite how much more I'm missing, it can be explained on the way. Are you well enough to travel, Ko?"
The little nickname that was so often used by this day and age did not escape her attention. She did not correct it either, simply accepting that she would become close with the bat demon soon enough. They would be spending a magnitude of time together after this day, thus they would need to be on the same brain-wave.
She flexed her fingers and the wind twisted around her joyously, lavishing the woman with playful nudges and pulls. "Yes, I can fly as well. I suggest we do so for a few miles, but afterwards we will need to take the ground. Our next ally will not be so easy to get to as the two of you were. I fear his tomb is now the middle of the warzone, but I cannot be sure. Yuji, you know the drill."
He stepped closer, the hand on her shoulder gripping just tight enough to hold on. Kuronue watched in silent awe as the wind lifted the pair off their feet, legs crossing into seated position, and Yuji released her. They slowly lifted into the air, waiting patiently for the winged bat to follow along.
"I feel as if we will be having a lot more fun the next round," mumbled the ex-thief, but his wings stretched wide and he eagerly took up flight just beside the wind demoness with the other male on her opposite side. The wind helped his wings glide smoothly, just as they had when he carried the girl, and he nodded in thanks. "Where to now?"
Yuji glanced at the woman beside him and his eyes narrowed, "I suppose it is in Tourin as well?"
"I see you're still perceptive in your death," she quipped. "Yes, to a very popular grave."
"This will not be easy."
"I'm quite aware."
Kuronue glared at the duo playfully, "I thought I said I hate being left out of things!"
The grins were contagious.
~:.:{I Stand Naked Before You Now, No Walls To Hide Behind}:.:~
"I swear she's been here, she has!" Jin stomped his foot like a petulant child, scowling to himself. "The lass took off in a right hurry!"
Touya, ignoring the distress of his close friend, instead stood over a hole in the ground. Bamboo stalks surrounded them, keeping their location hidden and their youki was silenced. They did not need any unwanted attention right now.
"Jin, what do you make of this? There's a strange hole in the ground and a body missing a heart," the ice apparition mumbled and the redhead was soon looming over his shoulder. His eyes cut to the side and he noticed multiple sets of footprints around the scene. "There's two sets of prints."
"Creepy an' all," Jin agreed, prodding the body with his finger before turning his attention on the hole. "Looks like someone just up and crawled right out, yup."
Touya narrowed his eyes and moved away from the scene, focusing on the prints. One was much larger than the other, dwarfing the first by inches. "I think these are her prints, Jin, but whose are those?"
Jin leaned over to investigate and noted, "Feet were bare, they were. Gotta be a big lad or manly lass, it does."
"It could be Hajime's."
"Nah, that one is huge and these be just big, ya know? I don't think Haji be runnin' 'round without shoes either."
Following the freshest tracks away, they discovered that the two sets turned into one for just a few steps, then ended completely, though not without the indentions being deeper and set better. "I think they flew from here, but Ko hates flying."
"Maybe she was taken!" Jin's face grew serious. "If it be true an' I get me hands on 'em, I'll kill 'em right good!"
"No, there's no sign of a struggle. Come on, let's just see if we can use your little trick to catch a trace of her in any direction," grumbled the irritated Ice Master. This chase was proving fruitless or Kotone was purposefully avoiding them.
Jin closed his eyes, ears wiggling, and felt around for the familiar echo of the winds that favored to stay close to his little sister. Minutes passed with nothing until the faintest touch alerted him to the proper direction. "Gotta head towards Tourin, we do."
The stared at one another, realization hitting them like a ton of bricks. "And what is the one place in Tourin your sister will always go to?"
"Yuji's grave, I betcha."
The two began sprinting into the woods, Jin's feet never touching the ground while Touya easily kept pace with the erratic run.
~:.:{You're Here With Me, Show Me This And I'll Believe}:.:~
"Koenma, sir!" Botan rushed into the office of the tiny Spirit Prince, waving her arms frantically. "I have important news!"
"Well, spit it out already Botan," he huffed around his pacifier. "I'm a busy man, you know."
The blue-haired Grim Reaper bit her tongue to stifle a nasty comment about the word 'man', instead closing the large doors behind her. The only other person in the room was Jorge, the ogre assistant of the toddler.
She hurried closer to his desk and leaned down, "You know the war going on in Makai?"
"Well obviously! I've been keeping in contact with Yusuke and Keiko both, though they only care to know how the other is doing." Koenma glared at her through squinted eyes. "What's going on?"
"I overheard King Enma talking," she mumbled, "and he says he's preparing to go to war as well. He's been wanting an opportunity to destroy Makai, from what I heard, and the moment rogue battles leak into Ningenkai, he's making his move."
Koenma halted the incessant sucking of his pacifier and it nearly dropped from his mouth in shock. "My father... But that can't be! We have long kept our noses out of Makai's affairs, as long as it did not involve the Human World! He wouldn't do that..."
"I'm afraid he might, sir."
Koenma crossed his arms, twiddling his digits against his clothes. "Oh, but I can't let that happen. Yusuke and all the others are down there trying to get things in order."
"Sir, Yusuke might be in trouble. Last we checked, Yomi was winning," Jorge cut in, earning a deadly glare from both the other parties. "Sorry, sorry!"
"Yes Jorge, we know," Botan ruefully agreed. "If things keep up this way, Yomi will conquer Makai and Ningenkai in no time."
"Any news on Kotone's whereabouts? She apparently has some crazy scheme in mind."
"No sir. She's still M.I.A., I'm afraid."
"Well crap. Alright, we need to find a way to keep Ningenkai out of this. If my father gets involved, things are going to get really hairy for all three worlds." Koenma tapped his chin. "Botan, keep your ears open to see what you can find out."
"Yes sir!" She hurried from the room, leaving the Spirit Prince to his own thoughts. Well, and Jorge's...
"Sir, going against your father could get really dangerous for us," he whispered, glancing around nervously for any ears he did not see before.
"Yes, but we owe Yusuke and the others that much."
Well, how about that twist? Yuji is BACK BABY!
Next in 'Revelation, Defamation':
It was time to start preparing for the future and not just the present. To do so, Kotone needed the help of her friends. Suzuka, of all demons, just happened to be at the top of that list. Regardless, for now she had more to resurrect and others to get ready for. Would Yusuke and Hiei be able to hold on long enough for her to finally be able to join the fray? Would they lose faith in the wind demoness? Only time would tell...