author's Note: I am SO INCREDIBLY SORRY for making you all wait so long for this chapter! I did not mean for the wait to be so long, but I absolutely despised this chapter. I still hate this chapter, but there's not much else I can do to it right now. I think the chapter's crap, but at least I updated.
A jagged and torn sound ripped itself from Moriko's throat as she struggled to stand, the pain of her injuries filling her body so completely and setting her nerve endings on fire. Tears streamed from her puffy golden eyes and she shook her head violently in the negative. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to do anything. All Moriko wanted was to curl up and die, for the shame that has befallen her was too much for her to bear.
"No!" Kurama barked, dropping his whip and wrapping his arms around her in order to keep her steady. She fought against his hold, splashing her own blood everywhere as she tried to free herself from Kurama's hold and do as she had been commanded.
"Kurama, puštanje njoj pa predložiti!*" Ran cried vehemently.
The command was like a snake that tightened its coil around his body, bringing Kurama to his knees by the sheer force of it, but he did not let go. Instead, Kurama threw a malicious glare over his shoulder as plants shot up from Kurama's hair and clothes in the form of thorny vines and stems. The plants charged at Ran, but their movements were jerky as their swiftness was impaired by the command placed over Kurama. Even so, Ran had difficulty maneuvering his newly possessed body to avoid the attacks completely. Several long streams of blood erupted from his skin, exposed by the slices through his now shredded clothing.
"predložiti!*" Ran shouted again once he was able.
Kurama cried out in pain, but he did not let go of his sister even as she sank her claws into his arms and kicked at his shins. Moriko was considerably weaker than him, especially now in her current state. Her blows would do Kurama no harm, but for how much longer? Her heart may not be in it, but the fact remained that the moment he let go of Moriko she was going to attack to kill either him, or Botan. He could not allow for that to happen.
"Somnus!*" Botan rested her hand on Moriko's forehead, entering the fray not only for the sake of Kurama, but for Moriko as well. She was mere seconds away from bleeding out with the way she was struggling and she needed healing. The affect was almost instant; Moriko's eyes eased shut and her body went lax with slumber. Botan locked eyes with Kurama for a moment needing to see if he would be alright with the constant mental onslaught.
Kurama didn't say a word, leaning Moriko against Botan before giving her a slight smile for assurance. He then turned his back in time to deflect an energy blast from Ran. The charge of the blast danced over his flesh and made his fur bristle with electricity. Drawing his whip again, Kurama snapped it in Ran's direction in hopes of severing a limb. The blow was dodged, but Kurama was prepared for that. Kurama snapped his whip horizontally while Ran was still airborne, catching him around the torso and trapping his arms. Kurama gave a violent yank that pulled Ran onto the ground and dug the thorns of his whip into Ran's flesh.
"Osakaćenje!*" Ran grinned, undeterred by the pain in his arms.
Cuts slashed their way across Kurama's skin, carving along his arteries and digging deep to his very bones. Kurama couldn't bite back the scream of pain that was ripped from his throat, dropping to the ground and clawing at his own flesh as if to follow the trail the unseen knife had engraved. All around him the light shone bright, burning into his retinas and forcing Kurama to seal his eyes shut. Then there was the noise; with a pitch so high and deafening that it shattered his eardrums and stabbed at his very mind. That, coupled with the echo of Ran's maniacal laughter
"Desparatus!*" Botan's voice rang loud and true, freeing Kurama of Ran's command and ending the self mutilation caused by it. She could immediately feel her energy vanish at the sudden expenditure, but she didn't care. Kurama was in danger and she could do something about it to save him. "JA davati određeni član poklon nad volja!"* She fell to the ground in a heap as a wave of dizziness took hold of her, taking the slumbering Moriko down with her.
"Botan!" Kurama coughed, climbing to his feet and stumbling over to her side.
"I'm fine," Botan panted, unable to do anything as Kurama helped Botan into a seated position and readjusted Moriko on Botan's lap. "Don't worry about me. Defeat Ran. Get him out of that body before he destroys that boy's soul."
"Whatever you want," Kurama nodded, fighting against himself to keep from taking both Botan and Moriko and fleeing to safety. Ran needed to be dealt with. The vines that he had previously summoned began to slither and writhe with a renewed vigor around their master, snapping in Ran's direction as bulbs grew into blooms with terrifying and dripping maws. Now that Kurama's energy wasn't being sapped in his struggle to both control his own body and subdue Moriko, Kurama now had his full potential at his disposal. Mist seeped from the mouths of Kurama's plants, spilling from parted lips to pool over the ground like water. From beneath the blanket of white, the sound of something sizzling and popping met the ears of all present. Then there was a slithering sound.
"This is new," Ran cringed, backing away from the mist as it approached him.
"It should be, I learned the trick from one of yours after all," Kurama smirked, feeling the rush of adrenaline course through his veins and build up within his muscles.
"I see," Ran kept moving until the wall pressed against his back, his expression morphing to one of disgust as the scent of decay wafted into his nose. He called his oar to his hands and claimed a high perch in the air, not wanting to touch the dangerous and decidedly nasty mist. This created a rush of wind that parted the mist to reveal several moss covered roots slithering over each other, writhing along each other over their slippery and slimy coated bark.
"Your exhibiting signs of disgust, why is that?" Kurama's voice lilted and deepened to a husky tone. His eyes became hooded and a new hunger was born within his belly; the hunger for blood. "Do my plants bother you? Do they disgust you? They're really quite harmless." Kurama lied smoothly, coaxing his plants to creep and slither up the wall, the acidic mucus dripping from the moss and eating away at the wall and creating more mist. The scent of decay and acid mixed into a heady and sweet aroma, one that coated the tongue with its thickness.
Ran didn't speak. Instead he allowed his body to float higher into the air and farther from the wall of rot and filth. He crossed his arms over his chest so he could scratch at his shoulders and back, the mist seeping into his cloths. He could feel the frigid coldness whisper across his skin, sending chills down his spine as something dripped along his back. The needles of heat ignited along his nerve endings, increasing in intensity until it was almost unbearable. Ran clawed at his back desperately, pulling one hand to his face to discover his own skin under his nails and blood coating his palms. Ran's face turned green with revulsion.
"I wouldn't scratch if I were you, you'll only make it spread," Kurama explained. Slowly, he walked across the room until he was under the possessed teen, the mist and roots parting for him. Blood dripped from Ran's form, raining down on Kurama and staining strands of his silver hair red before staining the white of his tunic. Kurama grinned upwards, tilting his head enough so the blood could rain onto his face. He licked his lips when some of the blood came close enough, tasting the teenage boy's purity as well as Ran's corruption. It was a sultry mix, spiked with the drug that traveled through the mist. It was delicious. "You taste delicious," Kurama sneered.
"Then bon apatite," Ran hissed. He jumped from the body he was currently residing in, the open rash on his back allowing for whatever was in the mist to enter his body quicker. The feeling of filth and wetness beneath his skin was to much for Ran to handle. Ran hovered in the air, watching with a twisted sense of satisfaction as the body he had abandoned plummeted downwards to the ground. He could only imagine what the mist and plants would do to the body without Ran's energy to protect it. Would the body rot until nothing remained? Would the boy wake up to feel the unbearable pain that the event was sure to inflict?
Caught you Kurama smirked, turning to face Ran's spirit even though it lacked a physical body. Grass shot up from beneath the boy, catching him and slowly weaving beneath him to form a cushion of sorts. Kurama walked to the side of the room where the grasses held the boy, safe and protected from the fall and the other plants that would harm him indiscriminately. He did not allow for Ran's incorporeal form to leave his sights, his ears swiveling in each direction to monitor all the other bodies in the home.
The mist spiraled and condensed into a silvery liquid that slithered through the air. It pooled at the center of the room where all the roots seemed to radiate from, a large bulge of roots twisting and knotting together to form a small platform at the very center of the pond. From this, more grasses grew that glowed ominously. A large crimson bud grew and bloomed at its center, and then there was stillness. The air began to become charged with a flux of energy, flowing inwards and outwards around the giant water lily as if it were breathing. Each breath it took became stronger and stronger, drawing the energy inwards towards its deep purple, almost black stamen and black pistils.* Eventually, there was only suction.
The roots near Kurama and Botan rose up to secure them and their charges down. The wood and stone of the house groaned and creaked under the increasing stress as everything that wasn't anchored down began to drag closer to the flower. Furniture and the like lifted from the floor and spiraled above and into the flower, deteriorating into nothing during the descent into the black hole. More groans racked the ceiling before it caved, bringing with it all that furnished the upper floor. Fog rose from the silvery pool, carrying with it a sweet aroma that dulled the senses and called out to the soul.
Over the screeching of the wind, Kurama could hear Botan crying out. In a panic, Kurama removed himself from the roots, leaving the still unconscious boy secured before leaping upwards and riding the wind. He called one of the roots to him, catching himself so he could be pulled across to Botan, who was struggling against her restraints. Kurama wrapped his arms around her form, holding her still even as she fought to be free. Her eyes were glazed over, her pupils narrowed into slits. Her canines and nails lengthened as hunger wracked her form.
"Focus on me," Kurama ordered, turning Botan's head to face him. Instantly, she latched her arms around him, her claws digging into his back before she sank her teeth into his neck. Kurama made no move of complaint, he merely turned his head enough so Botan could feed from him easier and watch Ran's form.
Ran, immune to the funnel that pulled all physical matter towards the flower's center, drifted towards the bloom as if in a trance. He dropped from the air and walked across the silvery water, blind to the fact that his legs were dissolving into the mist. A euphoric smile tugged at his lips as he walked even closer to the flower, his hand reaching outwards as if to caress one of the petals reverently. All it took was one touch, one graze of his finger before he was engulfed in light and swallowed by the lily.
Kurama continued to watch the plant until he felt Botan's lips leave his neck. He turned to check her and was shocked to see that she had been lulled into a half sleep of sorts. Though her eyes were open, her body acted as if she was asleep. Kurama reached up to check her pulse and temperature, but relaxed slightly when he realized that the drug in his system had affected her. It wasn't so severe, but since she wasn't used to it, it had put her in her current state. Kurama made a move to still his plant, but a flash of pale flesh stilled his hand.
Both the woman and Kika, still naked, had come down from their room in a trance-like state. Their movements were jerky, as if they marionettes controlled by an unsteady hand. The unknown young woman's body dropped to the ground as her spirit, a shikigami with crimson hair and candy green eyes continued to glide towards the bloom. The body she had inhabited was sucked into the tornado before being sucked into the black hole. The red haired shikigami touched the petal, and her expression morphed to that of true happiness even as her body became light and she melted into the flower. Kika however faltered. Kurama could see Kika's spirit energy pull itself from her physical container only to be pulled back in. Kika was stuck, bound to her body for reasons he could not understand. Kika did not stop however, instead she jumped and allowed the wind to carry her towards the lily.
"Koibito!*" Jinan, fully transformed into the giant five tailed fox, charged forward, ignoring his brother in his rush to reach his beloved. His eyes glowed and he wrapped his body around Kika before she could get too close to the flower. An orb of light encircled him and his mate, holding them midair and protecting them from the affects of the flower. Only once he was sure Kika was alright did he turn to his brother, his eyes alight with rage.
"How dare you attack my mate!" he bellowed viciously.
"I made no such attack on her!" Kurama countered, Kika's scent filling his lungs. "Had you been more attentive to your mate she wouldn't have been within range of the Black Lily's scent. The fault lies with you for letting her leave the safety of your den."
Jinan had nothing to say to that, holding his love close and sending Kurama one final glare before he vanished in a burst of light. "I'll remember this brother." His voice echoed darkly.
"I have no doubt about that," Kurama breathed as the wind around the lily stilled and the bloom closed itself shut. Kurama allowed himself to scan the house over again before he reached into a hidden pouch at his side and pulled a small jar from its confines. It was no larger than walnut, but inside it was one of the most important members of his arsenal. He pulled the wax from its opening with his teeth before holding it to Botan's lips. The pale gold liquid emptied into Botan's mouth with barely a drop spilling. Kurama coaxed her throat to swallow the tea before he nuzzled her neck and cheek.
She tilted her head to the side, resting her cheek on Kurama's forehead. She couldn't move much else though, she wasn't even entirely aware of the actions she had taken. Botan's eyes roamed over the destroyed home without registering anything for what it was. All she felt was emptiness. It was as if everything, all that she was, had been siphoned from her heart and locked away. She thought she didn't like it. It would make sense if she didn't. But for some reason, Botan couldn't truly tell what she felt about the emptiness that consumed her. All I want to do is sleep…
Botan sighed darkly as she worked her arms furiously over the ground, a damp cloth clutched within her grasps. She scrubbed the shrine's floor as hard as she could, cleaning the residue of…something. The black stain had been an eyesore to all those that lived and worked on the shrine's grounds and as such they had demanded that she clean it. Botan could feel raw energy hum and snap at her from the strange darkness in the wood, but she did not let it deter her. Something soft brushed against her leg, making Botan sit up and smile.
"Hello my little friend," Botan greeted, turning so to face her beloved companion the silver fox. He rubbed against her in greeting before he yanked the rag from Botan's hands. Botan gave him a look, but he either ignored it or didn't understand. "I need that to finish cleaning," Botan protested halfheartedly, reaching over to grab the rag so she could start up with her chore right away. The fox thwarted her again, reaching the rag before she could and tossing it away. Botan stared at him for a moment, unsure if she should be entertained by her little friend's antics or annoyed.
"What are you two doing?"
Botan perked up to see the familiar face of her brother-in-law. "Aniki, what are you doing here?" Botan asked. She accepted the hand that he offered, letting him pull her to her feet and ruffle her hair affectionately before tweaking on of her cat ears. He chuckled at Botan's expression before swooping down to scoop up the fox that followed Botan everywhere she went. He allowed the fox to climb onto his shoulder, the dog* far more graceful than should have been possible. The two exchanged looks under, sharing similar expressions even though one was human and the other was a fox.
"I just came to check on you," her brother-in-law admitted. He ran a hand through his shoulder length brown hair, with a tanned hand wrought with calluses. He was a large man, larger than most within the village, but his face was gentle with warm hazel eyes that gleamed gold depending on the angle of the lighting. Also unlike the other men in the village, his face was clean shaven, exposing his charming dimples. He wore a simple brown yukata lined with furs for the chilling weather and his feet were bare, a recent development over the years. A little while after he married Yuri he had grown a distaste for the article of clothing.
"Well, here I am," Botan smiled. She opened her arms in silent invitation and her fox jumped from her brother-in-law's shoulder and into her waiting arms. She gave the fox a kiss on its nose which he returned enthusiastically. Botan laughed heartily, but a well placed glare from her aniki stilled both her and her little fox. His glare was entirely on the fox however, which made Botan arch her brow in askance.
"Yuri has something special planned for you're birthday." Though he meant to hide it, Botan could clearly see that there was no love between husband and wife. There was no love between her fox and her sister as well, her little fox was snorting viciously with his hackles standing on end.
"Hush now," Botan shooshed, cuddling the fox to her chest and smoothing down his hackles. The fox just looked up at her with perturbed eyes and licked her cheek lovingly. Botan smiled before putting him down onto the floor. She then picked up her cleaning supplies and made a move to follow her brother-in-law, curious to know what it was that her sister had planned. She was stopped however by her aniki's arm which was held up in a silent warning.
A small collection of villagers stood at the foot of the steps, their eyes clouded with rage. At the front of the group was a priestess with cold and calculating eyes and a waterfall of deep ebony hair that cascaded down her back to the back of her thighs. It was pulled into a tight ponytail at the base of her neck and the traditional garb of a priestess encompassed her pale form. In one hand she held a sutra while in the other she held a strange metallic ring with a metal star woven onto it. On her back was a bow and quiver of arrows, but so far the priestess made no move to grab for them yet. Instead, she lifted the sutra to her face and began to chant without any provocation.
Botan let out a sound of fright before ducking behind her aniki, knowing from experience the pain that would come should the priestess be able to accomplish her task. Botan braced herself for what she knew was coming, knowing that the sooner the act was over and done with, the sooner she could go home and crawl into bed. She could already feel the hum of pure energy cackle in the air, snapping at her skin and making the fur of her ears and tail stand on end.
"What is the meaning of this?" Botan's brother-in-law bellowed, his voice carrying with authority and rage. He braced his body in front of Botan's, reaching to his side to brace his hand against his katana's hilt. His eyes narrowed darkly with vicious intentions.
"I have come to vanquish the demon that plagues your village," the priestess explained, her husky voice lilting with an accent born from the southern edges of Nihon. "Step aside." She resumed her chant immediately afterwards, her gaze honing in on the flash of blue peaking around the village chief's shoulder.
"You can try it," he barked, slowly drawing his blade and dropping into a combative stance. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Botan's fox leap from her arms and take a defensive stance at his side. The fox snorted and barked, pure malice seeping upwards and wrapping around Botan in a shell of youki.
Botan watched from behind her aniki, her eyes never leaving the form of the lethal miko even as her sight was slightly obscured by the dark miasma born from her kitsune's fury. So they found another to try and kill me…Botan thought darkly. What did I do this time? Tears welled up in her eyes and Botan couldn't help but contemplate all the reasons that would prompt this attack. Was it because of what she was? Was it because of what she's done, or rather what her curse had done? Or was it because of what she would do? Botan didn't understand it. She couldn't understand it. She never did anything wrong, not intentionally at least. All she wanted was to be left alone. Why can't they leave me alone? Why can't they leave us alone?
The priestess backed away a step in shock, ill prepared for the presence of obstacles, especially from the fox. A flare of reiki surged through the sutra in her hand, igniting it with a pure spiritual flame before letting it fly. The priestess drew her bow and docked an arrow, taking aim of the fox when the sutra collided with a wall of demonic energy. She let the arrow loose, but she was shocked again when the chieftain cleaved it in two with one swift and inhumanly fast swipe of his blade.
"Apparently she's not the only demon here," the priestess deduced. She docked another arrow and drew the bowstring back, allowing her reiki to flow throw the wood of the arrow's shaft.
"The fox is an emissary of Inari-Ookami, regardless of energy used you should be able to tell."
"Perhaps it is you who is blind, Gimanshamaru-sama.* The creature you shield and the animal by your side are demons and the sooner I rid your village of them the safer you and the villagers will be." The miko pulled several more sutras from the front of her yukata and ignited them with her energy, angering the fox into violence.
The miko jumped backwards in time to avoid a ground shattering attack from the streaking flash of silver. The solid and cracked dirt split under the force of the blow, further proving the supernatural nature of the beast that had taken the title of the demon's guardian. She threw the sutras in hopes of at least injuring the demon fox long enough to draw another arrow, but the fox danced around them as if he knowing exactly where they would land even before she released them. The next thing the priestess knew was that there was a sharp pain at her side, the fox's teeth sinking into her side and the jaws locking in place. The miko shrieked in pain, grabbing a fistful of the dog's scruff in hopes of ripping him free of her side. When he didn't' let go, she pulled an arrow from its quiver and stabbed the kitsune in the back repeatedly.
"Kitsu-chan!" Botan cried, trying to run forward into the fray. Arms wound tightly around her waist in time to stop her, holding her still even as she struggled to be free. Botan screamed, begging for the fight to stop. "Leave him alone! Please!"
Red rained down around her in rivulets, but the fox's grip did not let up and neither did she. The miko forced the arrow into the fox's side and twisted the arrow while forcing it to cleave sideways. The shaft of the arrow broke and the pain of the blow made the jaws of the fox go slack enough for the priestess to throw him off of her and into a tree. The collision forced the arrow farther into the fox's side until the shaft could hardly be seen protruding from his hoary pelt. He did not let that deter him, bracing his paws against the bark of the tree and using it to launch himself into the air.
Botan screamed as an arrow was shot, impaling her fox's shoulder and spilling more of his blood onto the ground. She could only watch in horror as he clamped his jaws onto her forearm only so she could blast him with a burst of pure energy. Even without her heightened senses, Botan would have been able to smell the burning fur and skin of her dearest friend. Even so, he did not falter, and neither did she. Botan snapped her arm back and struck her brother-in-law against his nose, earning her freedom.
The fox's hold on the miko's arm wasn't strong enough, so she was able to throw him off. She pulled another arrow form her quiver and let it fly. Unfortunately the would-be fatal blow missed when the fox made a sharp turn to the left. However the shot wasn't without merit. The kitsune screeched in agony as the arrow stabbed the tip of his tail, the surge of reiki obliterating the tip of his tail. Pain surged throughout him, paralyzing him and forcing the fox to drop to the ground. He struggled to stand, but the pain was to great and the loss of blood far too severe for even him.
"Leave him alone!" Botan bellowed, coming between her fox and the bleeding Miko. Standing tall, Botan stepped in front of her fox and stretched her arms out. Botan looked at the dark haired miko dead in the eye, her gaze unwavering even as fear tugged at her lower lip. Botan watched the priestess draw the last of her arrows before and take aim, closing her eyes in preparation for the inevitable. A shriek startled Botan's eyes back open and she stared in shock and horror as her beloved kitsune tackled the miko to the ground with his jaws clamped tightly over her shoulder. Botan didn't see much more beyond that when her aniki pulled her back and tucked her head against his chest, blocking the sight from view.
"Kitsu-chan!" Botan cried, struggling for freedom. The screaming stopped and within seconds a warm wet thing was dragging against her leg. There was another explosion of sound in the form of terrified screams and prayers, but it receded into the distance. Slowly, the hold around her body loosened, but did not leave her. One of Gimanshamaru's hands lifted from her shoulders so it could rest on her head, the strong and course fingers winding through her dirtied blue strands in an attempt to sooth her.
"Kitsu…" Botan gasped, dropping to her knees in time to catch her fox when he collapsed again.
From the corner of her eye a flash of moving green drew her attention, prompting Botan to turn and face…something. A giant pink bloom glittered with red under the setting sun, its thorny black stalk winding like a serpent over the soaked ground. Botan didn't want to know with what the earth was darkened with, the heavy shadow of the flowers petals shielding her from the truth she already knew. Fear and sorrow clenched her heart and Botan silently reached out for her brother-in-law in search of comfort. Her hand found his and she held it tightly, refusing to allow her mind to connect the dots.
"Are you afraid?" Gimanshamaru asked suddenly without any other prompting, staring at the priestess's resting place without any sign of emotion. His gaze was cold and calculating, without fear or regret. He did not care about what had happened to the traveling Miko, feeling that the actions taken were justified.
"…I…" Botan looked down to face her dearest friend, the fox that had made himself a permanent fixture in her life. He looked up at her, his eyes singing with his emotions; agony, fear, worry, anger, and something more that always seemed to shine through whenever he looked at her. "No…I'm not scared. I just… I just wish…"
"What do you wish?"
Raw guilt consumed her as she took in her dearest friend's injuries. "I wish I wasn't the way I was, or that I never even existed at all," Botan wept. How many times am I going to have to watch my kitsu-chan be hurt? Why is it always him?
"Don't ever say that again!" Gimanshamaru snapped harshly. His expression softened when he saw the true sincerity in Botan's gaze. "I know you hurt, but it'll get better in time. Soon the villagers will leave you alone, just give it time. Besides, what will happen to him?" He gestured to the fox Botan now held tightly, knowing without knowing that Botan's survival and the survival of the fox were becoming so completely interwoven that if one did perish, the other would surely follow. "You're his heart and he loves you terribly. He would be nothing without you, do you really want that? You're his reason for being."
"He's the only reason I stay," Botan admitted. "He's my heart too."
Botan drifted awake, the lethargy that had once plagued her lifting from her body and mind like a veil that had been drawn. She blinked her eyes open and allowed herself to scan the room for any sign of danger, all the while allowing her body to remain still as if playing dead. Her eyes landed on a head of red laced with silver, a sight that calmed her. She slowly eased herself into a seated position so she could look down over her Kurama better. His breath was deep and even, as if in deep slumber, but she knew better. Kurama would never let his guard down so completely in a strange place such as the one they were in.
Botan looked around and marveled at the tightly woven roots that made up the walls of the room she had woken up in. She could see pieces of the manor around her, but the roots monopolized the space, weaving all around her to form a bubble around the room Kurama had chosen as their resting place. Botan shifted in the bed slightly to get more comfortable before pulling Kurama's head onto her lap. He stirred slightly, his ear twitching to investigate, but he did not rise. Botan chuckled at this, weaving her fingers through Kurama's hair as more and more red bled into the strands. She paid extra attention to Kurama's ears, massaging the base with her fingers before scratching the base and trailing down the silken strands of his hair. She repeated the process multiple times, the act clearing her head and calming her.
What did it all mean? Botan pondered, thinking back to her dream as she looked around again. She found Moriko to Kurama's other side, almost completely healed save for her tails. It would be near impossible, but Botan knew she had it in herself to reattach them. Lifting Kurama's head from her lap, Botan got up from the bed and walked over to a nearby chair where four of Moriko's tails lay, cleaned of blood and draped over the chair's arm almost reverently. Botan lifted one into her hands, inspecting the damaged muscle and protruding vertebrae. I can do this, Botan assured herself.
She walked over to Moriko's side and sat on the edge of the bed. Fortunately, Moriko had tucked herself into Kurama's side, exposing her back and ravaged tail bones. This made it easier for Botan to locate where the tail she held belonged. She called her renewed reiki into her hands, her energy spilling forth in mighty waves to do her bidding. It was more than Botan was used to, but she did not allow herself the time to question it, not with the other questions dancing around in her mind.
Why did I remember that day? What was so special about it? Botan couldn't understand why she would think of her brother-in-law and that day, especially now after so long. I do miss him…and my dear kitsu, and I'd love to see them again, but they haven't been reincarnated yet… Botan sighed, continuing through her work as if it was nothing. Again Botan pondered the ease at which she healed Moriko with, grateful to it but at the same time fearful. What happened before I fell asleep?
"How are you feeling?" Kurama's voice alerted Botan to his presence, his gold and emerald eyes focusing solely on her hands. He bit his lip as if pondering an unspoken question, but he made no move to ask it.
"I was able to reattach her tails, but it'll be a while before she can use them again," Botan explained, stroking her fingers through the fur of Moriko's reattached tails. Her fingers worked through some of the tangles, careful not to pull or jerk the limbs for whatever reason. Botan watched Moriko squirm, but the slumber was still heavy within her. It would be a while before Moriko would be able to wake up. It's for the best, she needs time to give her emotions a rest and a night of dreamless slumber should do her some good.
"Thank you," Kurama breathed, moving closer to Botan so he could place one of his hands on hers. For a kitsune to lose one of their tails…It was a punishment almost worse than death. It's degrading and debilitating, rendering the kitsune powerless to all things. Very few manage to survive such an attack, even fewer are able to regain their strength and grow them back. Kurama was lucky when he lost his tails, sacrificed of his own free will in his pursuit of survival. Were it not of his choosing, Kurama knew he would not have survived the loss.
"When she wakes up we'll be able to head back to the hotel," Botan smiled, giving Kurama's hand a squeeze. When he didn't say anything, Botan cocked her head to the side in silent question.
"How are you feeling?" Kurama asked, slowly easing Moriko from his side so he could move closer to Botan. He placed a palm over Botan's forehead before allowing his hand to trail downwards to caress her cheek.
"I'm feeling fine; a little tired, but fine," Botan offered while leaning into his touch. Her gaze became increasingly curious, but Botan did not attempt to press him and instead focused on something else. "…Did something happen…What did happen anyway? How did…? Did you save the boy? You did save him…right? I can't really remember." Botan dropped her eyes from Kurama's face and looked around the room again. She couldn't find the boy that Ran had possessed, but she didn't want to think that Kurama had failed.
"He's fine. He's on the floor over on the other side of the bed. Some of my plants are healing him while others are keeping him asleep and working on his memories. He does not need to remember what had transpired here." Kurama explained. He lifted his free hand to rest against her neck, feeling her pulse and marveling at how strong and slow it was beating.
"So what happened?" Botan stared ahead as a pink flush bleed onto her cheeks.
"What do you remember?" Kurama didn't know how to answer Botan just yet, unsure how she would handle the fact that she had drank from him again.
"Not much to tell you the truth," Botan admitted. She shifted in her seat slightly, piecing her memories together as best as she could. "I remember everything up to the flower. After that everything gets very…hazy. What was that thing?"
"That was the Black Lily, a plant that I had been working on for a while whenever I had free time since…Since I learned of Yuri. It acts like a soul magnet and devours everything; the soul, the essence, everything. Unfortunately it needs more work so it will only suck in the souls instead of everything be it physical or not." Kurama explained.
"But it worked, right? You defeated Ran?"
"I did. But I miscalculated the range of the Black Lily's and sucked in another shikigami as well." Kurama pressed his index finger to Botan's lips before she could make a sound of protest, knowing that she feared for the innocent bystander that had been lost. "The shikigami was another traitor that possessed the other girl that was with Jinan."
Botan relaxed under Kurama's touch relieved to know that no innocent had been lost. "It affected me too, didn't it?" Botan concluded, drooping her shoulders as shame bubbled in her stomach.
"It did, but I managed to distract you from its lure." Kurama offered reassuringly.
"You fed me again…"
"I did." Kurama would not let Botan know that she had been the one to instigate the feeding, knowing that such knowledge would break her heart. She did not want to be falling, and yet it was as if her very body longed for it. Kurama eased himself closer to Botan so he could pull her into his arms, feeling her relax in his hold only a fraction. She was upset about his words, but there was something else bothering her. Something linked, but separate.
"I know I should be grateful since I had the strength to heal Moriko because of it, but I…I don't feel anything." Botan admitted, not knowing if it was a good thing that she was slowly growing numb to the trauma of falling or not.
"When you drank my blood, the drug's affects took hold of you. It'll wear off soon, don't worry." Kurama explained with some fraction of relief.
"Oh, I see…" Botan dropped her cheek to Kurama's pectoral, waiting patiently for the strong beat of his heart. It came in one powerful pump, echoing within his chest and her ears. Reaching up to feel her own heart, Botan pondered if hers would ever beat as slowly as Kurama's did. It was already slowing, a strange feeling due to the fact that the container's heartbeat that she resided in was always so fast, faster than even the human hearts of her friends.
Moriko stirred behind them, rolling over onto her stomach before lifting onto her hands and knees. Slowly she blinked her eyes open, but it was clear that she was not fully awake. She lifted her head and searched for predators, her eyes keen even though her mind was cloudy. When her eyes landed on her brother, she was instantly aware of everything and tears started to bead up in her eyes. Seeing this, Botan moved away from Kurama just as Moriko launched herself into his arms. Tears fell from her eyes in cascades and her voice came out in broken, haggard sobs. She clung to Kurama's form, trying to become smaller as if in hopes of vanishing altogether.
No one knew how long Moriko cried, nor cared. All that mattered was Moriko's pain and sorrow. But even so, Botan could not help but be fearful of Moriko's condition. Her voice, which had been known for its beauty*, did not sound as it should. Far from it; Moriko's voice was broken and gravelly, as if she had swallowed rocks and they had replaced her vocal chords. Careful not to disturb her, Botan eased herself back onto the bed and peered between Kurama's and Moriko's bodies so she could better see the vixen's neck. It was as Botan; feared Moriko's vocal chords had been cut and the wound was so old that Botan knew she could not heal it, not as she was now.
Botan didn't say anything, merely looked up at Kurama in hopes of relaying her newfound knowledge. Amethyst met gold speckled with emerald and Botan knew that Kurama already had the knowledge. Her fox wore an expression of absolute rage, but Kurama made no sound. He merely held his sister and let her cry; all the while thoughts of retribution filled him so completely.
"We should probably go now, before someone else gets here," Botan suggested. She rested a hand on Kurama's cheek, drawing him from his hate and into the present. She blushed when she felt him lean into her caress, the expression deepening when he licked, nipped, and kissed her palm. The darkness remained in his eyes and encased his heart in stone, but his lips silently reminded her that he was there for her regardless of situation.
"Grab the boy, I'll carry him so we can leave this…place," Kurama requested.
Moriko's face was instantly upturned and panic was clear in her eyes. She shook her head violently, opening and closing her mouth as if to speak but all that came out were painful croaks. She coughed violently, struggling to form the words she so desperately wanted to say.
"Stop trying to talk," Kurama commanded softly, helping Moriko stand and pushing her to an arm's distance. When she stilled and gave him her full attention he started to sign, weaving his hands into intricate positions fluidly. She was too weak to converse telepathically, and such an act could harm her since telepathy was not her strength. Kurama just prayed that Moriko understood him.
Moriko's eyes brightened considerably before she did the same, forming her words with intricate and urgent movements of her hands. "We can't leave yet, not without mother!"
Kurama felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Mother? Mother's here? What is she…? How is she…? "Where is she?"
Moriko didn't answer, she just grabbed Kurama's hand and pulled him out of the room, leaving Botan to grab the still unconscious teen and catch up. Moriko led the four of them our and down a nearby stairwell, guiding them down an intricate path that only she knew. Eventually they came to a door, so plain that it would have easily been mistaken for a wall and passed. Moriko grabbed the door's brass knob and braced her shoulder against the painted wood's surface. At first it didn't want to budge, swollen into its frame by some unknown and unfelt moisture.
Kurama placed a hand on Moriko's shoulder, silently telling her to step aside before he brought up a foot and kicked the door down. Darkness greeted them, barely brightened by the light that hovered overhead. Slowly, the smell of stagnance and foliage wafted into their noses, carrying with it another smell that made both Kurama's and Botan's stomach's churn; animal. The scent of an animal was thick in the air. Kurama exhaled in a rush, almost as if in a sneeze before he reached into his hair and tossed a seed into the darkness. A lamp weed grew within moments, its gentle glow revealing a stone corridor that looked to have been part of a cave.
"Your mother's in there?" Botan voiced*, removing herself from behind Kurama so she could peek in through the door. She could feel the hum of energy over her skin uncomfortably, but there was a familiarity to it. Botan cocked her head to the side, trying to place it but before she could another energy flared, overpowering the first as if to shout its presence. Botan gasped, staring ahead in shock and relief. "Koenma!"
"He's there as well?" Kurama questioned, noticing a head of blond draped over Botan's shoulder. Kurama silently reprimanded himself, angered that he had forgotten the teen and allowing for Botan to carry the burden. Though he knew she was more than capable of carrying him, maybe even more so than he as of that moment, but as his intended it was far from appropriate. Kurama snaked his arm around the teen's waist before hefting him from Botan's back and tossing him over his shoulder in a fireman hold.
Botan looked as if she was going to protest, but let the issue drop which was something Kurama was grateful for. He dipped his head low enough to butt against Botan's in silent thanks before allowing his sister to lead them farther down the corridor. He bit his lip anxiously, his nervousness pooling within the pit of his stomach and making him shake slightly. Not enough to be noticeable by his companions, but enough to unnerve himself. He was scared, no, terrified. Down the dark and dank tunnel was his mother, his demon mother. It had been three thousand years since he'd last seen her, since he abandoned her.
Raw shame filled his heart and Kurama didn't know if he could go on. He didn't know if he wanted his mother to see him as he was then. Even though his demon traits were taking hold, his was the body of a human. Would his mother feel shame? Would she feel disgust? Or would his current form not matter? What if her hatred was for something he could not change? What if there would be no retribution for his sins. For as long as he remembered, Kurama had entertained the idea of going home; of seeing his mother and sister again. But fear had always held him back, just as it was now.
"You okay," Botan asked, tugging at a strand of Kurama's hair to gain his attention. When he turned to face her, Botan pulled his head down so she could bump his forehead against hers. When Kurama nuzzled her cheeks Botan instantly knew that Kurama was not going to tell her, at least not then. She didn't press it. Botan just released her hold on Kurama's hair and moved to Kurama's other side so she could hold his hand.
When the light of the lamp weed had dimmed into darkness, Kurama released his hold on Botan's hand for only a moment so he could withdraw another seed and send it flying into the wall. The plant took root and added more light to the winding path that snaked ahead of them. Overhead Kurama could see ceiling lights suspended overhead, focusing his eyes on them and using them to measure distance; anything to take his mind off of the coming events so he could remain calm. He could still feel his heartbeat escalate within his chest, but he could do nothing but hope that he could distract himself long enough to get over it.
The tunnel slowly narrowed, forcing them all to travel in a single file line. Kurama kept both Moriko and Botan in front of him, keeping his head low to keep his ears from scraping along the dangling light over head. Traversing through the passageway was increasingly difficult with the still unconscious teen thrown over his shoulder, but Kurama welcomed the delay caused by it. He didn't want to dare voice it, but he was not ready to see his mother. Yet there they were, walking towards her prison. What else could he do? Kurama could not just turn on his heel and leave his mother for another day. In the time he took any number of things could happen. If he turned back, Botan and Moriko both would not be able to look him without feeling shame or disgust. He would not be able to look them in the eye if he left now. I can't do this… and yet Kurama still walked, following close behind Botan.
With his hand still in her grip, Botan moved faster along the tunnel in hopes of being free of the confined space. Botan wasn't claustrophobic per say, but she was getting there. She was so used to open spaces that she couldn't help it. She tightened her grip on Kurama's hands with the hope that she could derive some comfort from him. She was well aware of Kurama's nervousness, but there was nothing that could be done about that. What she could do something about was the shrinking corridor. In the increasing darkness, Botan could see the tunnel widen into a cave that promised ample room to move and breath. Closer to the widening in the cave, Botan proceeded to drag Kurama forward in a desperate attempt to be free of the cramped quarters. Moriko was already out and moving freely and Botan wanted that freedom as well. However, when she got there Botan wished she had stalled longer for Kurama's sake.
There against the wall was a sight that neither Kurama nor Botan were ready for. Chained to the wall was a giant vixen. Her golden fleece* was matted and caked with dirt and mud, the clumps of fur clinging so tightly to her hide that it ripped open her skin and allowed for more blood to stain her once flawless pelt. She had nine tails tucked neatly behind her, with an incomplete tenth curled against her hind leg. Around her neck was a long and thick length of chain that held her captive to the cave wall. From each individual link hung a crystal of gold and amber, its raw energy pulsing like the beating of a human heart. There were five in total and a ring of light was pieced together between them.
Her eyes were closed as if in slumber, her breathing heavy and even, but the twitch of her ear alerted all to her awareness. Slowly she lifted her head, the heavy links around her neck clinking against Koenma's soul fragments. She didn't open her eyes at first, relying on her nose to smell her visitors, but when she realized who one of the scents belong to her golden eyes flashed open and she was on her feet. She pulled against the chain, charging in the direction of her children in a surge of desperation. She was stopped however when the chain began to glow and a surge of energy course through her body. She yelped in pain, but did not stop struggling.
"Hahaue, stop!" Moriko pleaded, rushing over to her mother as close as she dared to go. Though the energy could only contain her mother, the same energy would kill Moriko in an instant.
"My son. My son! It's my son," The gingistune repeated, her accent made thick through her excitement. Her voice was thick with so much emotion; sorrow, fear, anger, joy. She struggled against her chains in her desperate attempt to reach him, needing to feel Kurama close to her so she could know it was real. So many times she'd dream of being reunited with her son again, of righting the wrongs she had committed by him, by all her kits. How many nights had she dreamed of her child? How many times had her mind tortured her with images of his face, only to find that they weren't real? The gingistune strained against her chains, the glowing metal groaning under the constant stress. There he was, right in front of her and real: Her greatest failure: Her greatest achievement. Her son was right in front of her and now she could finally do what she had longed to do for thousands of years. Nothing was going to stop her; not her shame, not her guilt, nothing.
"…Hahaue," Kurama breathed, inching forward as if afraid of what would happen. For so long he had wished to go home; to apologize for all the wrongs he had done. Now the opportunity was there, right within his reach, but he was made mute. What could he say? Sorry for leaving? Sorry for becoming a monster? Sorry for turning his back on his own family, for turning his back on her? What could he say? What could he do to show his mother the extent of his regret?
The chains that bound Kurama's mother snapped and shattered, her shame no longer holding her captive. She ran to her son, shifting from fox to humanoid before pulling her child into her arms.
He stood there frozen at first, unable to comprehend what was going on. Was this real? Was it a dream? Slowly Kurama lifted his arms and wrapped them around his mother's shoulders. Her scent was masked by the musk of her imprisonment, but not completely so. Kurama could still smell the forests of Reikai where she would live and the Kyara she would burn within her dens. She still smelt of home. For the first time in a long time, tears began to bead up in his eyes as emotion took hold. Kurama tightened his arms around his mother and allowed for the tears to fall. He was home for the first time in over three thousand years.
*1 – Serbian for let her go and submit
*2 – Submit in Serbian if you didn't know already. I've used it enough I think.
*3 – Latin for sleep. Latin will be used for magic spells (sleep, fire, water, bio, that kinda thing).
*4 – Serbian for mutilation. This subduing spell turns the body against the subdued individual, causing it to inflict injuries onto itself on top of the injuries inflicted by the same subdued individual. In the hands of a powerful master, every wound ever inflicted on the body would be re-inflicted on the subdued at once. Fortunately for Kurama, Ran isn't that strong.
*5 – Latin for despell
*6 – Serbian for I give the gift of free will. This permanently frees Kurama from any subduing spells performed by anyone who is weaker than Botan, which fortunately includes Ran. Unfortunately, true freedom can only be given by the gods and the freedom of the subdued can be taken back.
*7 – the stamen and pistils in a flower are the parts that stick out of the flower's center.
*8 – Koibito (sp?) roughly translates to beloved. I could be using it in the wrong context, so let me know if you have an alternative word I should use, 'kay?
*9 – In case you forgot, male foxes are called dogs.
*10 – Botan has made it a point to keep tabs on everyone that is even remotely attached to her tantei, which included compiling as much information as she could about family, friends, victims, everyone and everything else she could find out. Botan even has a recording of Moriko singing in Kurama's file…or rather the filing cabinet she keeps in her room dedicated to him. He has the most information on him out of his whole group and she's memorized every bit of it…but she sometimes doesn't remember to remember the information.
*11 – as a shikigami under Koenma's employ, it is mandatory to know all languages, including sign language. Even though in death the soul is technically perfect (all injuries and ailments that plagued the body stay with the body) sometimes the ghost doesn't realize that so conversation would be very difficult.
*12 – I have no idea if Botan's brother-in-law's name can count as a real one, but I'm gonna leave it as is…unless someone who knows the language can give me an alternative…Hint hint, nudge nudge.
*13 – Kurama's mother is a golden kitsune, or a gingitsune, which means that she has the blood of Inari coursing through her veins. Some would even go so far as to say that Kurama's mother is Inari's offspring in some way.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the craptastic chapter and even more so for the rediculously long wait for an update. This fic is my baby and I hate making you guys feel as if I'm forgetting about it. It's just that this chapter took forever for me to put together. I literally just finished it after a month or so of working on it. My main indicator of whether a chapter is a bad one for me is when I'm easily distracted, and boy have I been distracted from this chapter.
Young Justice has been a major distraction for me like you wouldn't believe. (A shout out to all the SuperMartian fans out there!) Then there's school, cosplays and the gym eating away at my time. I know it's not an excuse, but you see where I'm coming from?
Well, the chapter's out and now I can rest easily for a bit...before I get right into the next chapter. I'd like to have it out next week or the one following, but I'm not going to make any promises just yet. I am going to be putting myself on my original updating schedule, but I think that'll be after the next chapter's up. Well, please send me your reviews since they're the kick in the pants I need to get my act together. Love you guys! Night!