Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Path of Discovery ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Mercury was getting more than worried, she and Kurama were working desperately to save Yaten's life. Mercury bit her lips. The poison was working fast. Kurama had given Yaten something to slow the poison but her already weakened metabolism was deteriorating. Mercury watched helplessly as Yaten's vitals dropped while she was analyzing the composition of the poison. She had not dared to tell Kurama how bad Yaten's situation was. He was already beside himself with worry. Yaten needed some time for the antidote to work and time was running out.

When she heard a familiar voice arriving in the living room, Mercury bolted and rushed to the new arrivals.

"MAMORU-SAN!" she yelled. "COME QUICKLY!!!" Mamoru didn't wait to be asked twice. He ran to Yaten's bedroom, he gasped when he saw her sweat covered brow and how her skin had started to turn blue. She was dying, he knew it right away, he also knew why Mercury had called out to him. Without hesitation, he took Yaten hand and let his strength flow to her.

She gasped in a breath. Her color was coming back. Kurama's heart skipped a beat. She could still be saved. He finished the concoction of his most reliable antidote. Mercury took a seringue and she injected Yaten with it. Kurama dabbed her brow with a cold towel. She started to thrash her head. He expected that reaction. He sighed in relief when she did.

"...ku-chan..." She whispered weakly, her hand feebly reaching out.

"I'm here, koibito..." Kurama whispered, taking her hand in his own. "I won't let go. Onegai, hang on my darling... I'm here for you..." He kissed her softly on her cheek.



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"DAMN! What's taking them so long?!" Seiya finally yelled. Maker sighed. She was wondering when Seiya would burst out. Seiya had calmed down when Redi arrived with Usagi and Mamoru. But Maker knew that when someone's life was on the line, he couldn't keep his feelings bottled up. He stood up and started to pace the room, worry etched on his brow.

Redi watched him pace the room. He had completely forgotten about her. She pouted, hoping her reaction would register something from him. It didn't and Seiya turned around and started towards Yaten's room. Hiei stood in his way.

"Your friends and Kurama are doing their best... Don't go in there. You'd be in their way," the koorime told him growling. Seiya took a step back. Hiei was pissed about something, and he had learned real quick not to get in Hiei's way when he was that way. When Seiya backed up, Hiei returned to what he was doing, namely staring at a wall.

He had stared so much at that space on the wall that he was aware of every little imperfections. But he kept starring at it anyway, anything to keep his eyes off HER. He was still trying to figure out what had happened in that dojo. He only knew he wanted to kiss her all of a sudden, just like that. He was afraid to look back at her. When he looked into her eyes, he lost all contact with reality. He didn't like it one bit.

On the opposite side of the room, Makoto was having the same thoughts. What had possessed her to want to kiss Hiei. He was nice with her but still, he wasn't at all like the man she thought would sweep her off her feet. No, it must have been a passing thing, an accident. She couldn't bear to look at him. She kept looking out the window. She scolded herself, Yaten was between life and death and all she could think of was the kiss she almost shared with Hiei.

Haruka, who was just next to Makoto, pondered on her's and Hiei's reaction. When they came into the dojo, Haruka was surprised to see Makoto with him. She shrugged. After all, ever since Yaten and Kurama had started to be together, his friends would pop up from time to time. Since they helped them against that demon, the Senshi had been thankful for the help Kurama and his friends could offer. It was nice to have allies for a change. Haruka nudged Makoto to get her attention.

"What's wrong?" she asked the brunette. Makoto turned to look at her, then she turned her attention back to the window.

"Nothing." Makoto quickly replied.

"You know, when someone says that, there is usually a problem... Is it because of Hiei?" Haruka ventured.

"I told you, it was nothing!" Makoto snapped and she bolted away from where she stood. She sat down next to Redi. Haruka pondered, I must have hit a nerve... She looked to Hiei who seemed to act in the same strange way as Makoto. She smiled. Well, she thought, what do you know? She snickered to herself.

"I don't get it!" said Seiya suddenly. "Why would someone try to poison Yaten? It doesn't make any sense!"

"I don't think Yaten was the intended target..." started Maker. Everyone looked at her.

"What do you mean?" asked Usagi. Maker took off her visor and turned it toward her friends. Suddenly out of thin air appeared a holographic representation of the scene.

"You see..." she started "this is the way the entire scene was played." The figures moved and a dotted line representing the poisoned dart appeared. "As you can see, Yaten moved toward us at the last possible instant, taking the dart that was intended for Kurama."

"You mean the target was Kurama?" asked Minako.

"Yes and with Mercury, I analyzed the poison." continued Maker. "It contained a strong narcotic. If Kurama was hit he would have dropped unconscious and die for respiratory arrest in five minutes. Since Yaten was hit, Kurama was able to give her something to slow down the poison. That gave him time to work on an antidote. If Kurama was hit, there would have been nothing we could have done to prevent his death."

"Who ever did that was a coward, afraid of what Kurama is capable of doing." said Hiei, looking toward Maker, trying to avoid Makoto.

"But... why would someone want to do that?" asked Haruka.

"I was attacked yesterday..." started Hiei, every one looked at him. He could tell they wanted to know more. "Five ice demons attacked me, three of them managed to trap me in ice."

"Wow! This mustn't have been that tough if you're still here okay..." interrupted Minako.

"I... I had help, Sailor Jupiter..." he looked toward her, then glanced back to Minako. "She... she defeated them..."

Makoto was surprised he admitted that. Hiei was about to speak again when Mercury and Mamoru came out of Yaten's room.

"The danger is passed..." Mercury said, hugging Maker. Their forms shimmered and they turned back to Ami and Taiki. Redi smiled. She expected Seiya to break into a smile and sit next to her. He didn't. Instead, he rushed into Yaten's room to see if his sister was okay.

"Yaten!" he called out. He saw Kurama lift his finger to his mouth to shush him. He was sitting on the side of her bed, still holding on to her hand. She was asleep and with his free hand, he was dabbing her brow with a cool cloth.

"Let her sleep this out; she's exhausted." said Kurama. "If you don't mind, I'll stay a little while longer with her."

Seiya nodded and bit his lips. "Kurama... She wasn't the target. You were..." Seiya saw him tense up.

"Shimatta!" Kurama said between his teeth. "Seiya... I never wanted her to be hurt."

"I know... but we better and try to figure out who is after you and Hiei." replied Seiya. Kurama blinked.

"Hiei was attacked, too?" Kurama frowned, thinking. He rubbed Yaten's hand with his thumb. He looked up to Seiya. "May I use the phone?" Seiya nodded and brought it to him. Kurama called Yuusuke's home but he wasn't there. He then tried Kuwabara's place. He was out, Shizuru told him. He went out to shoot some pool with Yuusuke at their usual spot. Kurama thanked her and hung up.

"Seiya, I'm afraid some people are targeting the Reikai Tantei. Yuusuke and Kuwabara may be next. I'll..."

"Stay here with Yaten..." interrupted Seiya. "I'll take care of it with the help of a couple of friends. Where do they usually go to shot some pool?..."



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"The fool! He missed!" said the figure in the shadow. "Now Urameshi and his cohorts will be on to us... All because that idiot couldn't shoot the right target!"

"We better strike now, partner, strike our targets before they have time to regroup." Said another figure. A third one nodded.

"No... No, we wait... Let's continue to observe them and see what information we can gather from them. Let them fall into a false sense of security, then we will strike. But I think the error of our ways was to strike individually. We shall strike them down together," replied the first figure.

"You said it well, Muraku..." said a man that just appeared out of nowhere.

"Kotoh, you stupid kamaitatchi. We dare appear before us..." Muraku said still cloaked in the shadows. "Because of you, the revenge for the death of our sibling must wait... We are NOT pleased." Kotoh gasped as he saw the three demons' eyes glowing at him.

"Muraku, Tiakko, Koorilyu... Peace! I will not fail you again..." said Kotoh trembling.

"You don't know how true that sentence is..." Muraku said. Lifting his hand to the heavens "ANKOKU-RAIZINKEN!" Kotoh only had time to open his eyes inhorror as lightning truck him with such a force he was instantly atomized.

"Indeed, you shall not fail us again..." Muraku sneered, he and the other two left the room.



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"Redi-chan, I don't think it's a good idea for you to follow us..." started Mamoru. Redi looked straight at him.

"And why is that?" She asked, cocking her head.

"I don't think a pool hall is a place for a young lady." said her future father firmly.

"Oh yeah? Then why are Haruka and Makoto going with you?" Redi asked with slanted eyes. Mamoru face vaulted.

"She got you, there, Mamoru-san. Wouldn't you say so Mako-chan?" kidded Haruka. Makoto didn't answer. She still believed Haruka had insisted that she came with her, Mamoru, Seiya, Redi and Hiei. They were entering the pool parlor where Kurama told them Yuusuke and Kuwabara were. Hiei knew the place so he had taken them there. The place was not too bad but they seemed to have some rowdy patrons.

"Hey there, good lookin'" one leather clad man told Redi. "My name is Kai... What's yours?"

"Buzz off, creep!" replied Redi. The guy wouldn't take no for an answer. He put his arm around her shoulder.

"Aw, come on girl... I can show you a good time."

"Not interested..." Redi replied. The guy took her hand as she struggled against him. Mamoru was about to take care of that guy when Seiya turned around and landed an uppercut to the man's jaw. He fell down with a loud thud.

"The lady said she wasn't interested, Jerk!" Seiya told the unconscious guy on the floor. His friends came to give Seiya a lesson but Mamoru, Haruka and Hiei intercepted them. When they saw that Seiya had friends, they took off.

"Nice uppercut Seiya... " said a voice behind.

"Yuusuke!" said Seiya. They quickly sat at a booth. Yuusuke called for a pitcher of beer and they briefed Yuusuke and Kuwabara about what happened.

"So it seems," said Mamoru taking a small sip of his glass "...that some people are looking to do you in."

"So, what else is new?" replied Kuwabara. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it... no sweat!"

"I wish it were that simple." said Hiei. "But if the attempt on Kurama would have worked, he'd be dead now..."

"True..." said Yuusuke. "Is Yaten going to be all right?"

"She scared us for a while there, but with Kurama, Ami and Mamoru's help, she pulled through okay." replied Seiya.

"I suggest that you guys stay together, just in case somebody else tries something." said Haruka, taking a sip of beer.

"Well, I can always crash at Kuwabara's place and he can come with me to my mom's place. No problem." replied Yuusuke.

"We were thinking of asking Kurama to stay at our place until things cool off. I have an extra futon in my room." added Seiya.

"What about Hiei?" asked Redi. "Where will he go?"

"I can take care of myself. I never sleep in the same place twice..." Hiei replied. "I never take the same tree to sleep in..."

Makoto blinked; tree? Hiei slept in trees? "You... You don't have a place to stay?" she asked shyly. He shook his head.

"Well we can't let you be by yourself..." started Haruka. "Makoto... don't you have a folding bed?"

"Ooh... yeah but..." started Makoto.

"Then I'm sure Hiei can be a perfect gentleman and sleep on the folding bed, ne?" interrupted Haruka.

"Hiei... a gentleman?... HAH!" Kuwabara started to laugh, as if Haruka had just told a joke. Hiei, growling, got up.

"I can take care of myself... I don't need anyone!" he spat. He was about to leave when Redi stopped him.

"Don't listen to him, Hiei..." she said. "It would be best if you stayed somewhere with someone for a while... just in case. We can give you all communicators so you can stay in contact with us. But if another poisoned attack is successful and you're all alone... Well I'd rather not think about the consequences."

"Hiei, she's right you know..." said Yuusuke. "I'm sure if Kurama was here, he'd agree with her..."

Makoto sighed. She didn't want Hiei to be alone but at the same time she felt awkward to have him over. Especially after what happened... It's not that she didn't trust Hiei... Couldn't someone else shelter him?

"Very well... but where shall I go?" said Hiei.

"Well, Mamo-chan has a really small apartment and he's got a friend from Kyoto visiting. Our place is full I'm afraid. There is no place available at the temple..." started Redi. "And Minako's place is off limits because of her parents, so is Ami's place..."

"We don't have room at our place, either ..." add Haruka. She turned her head to Makoto. She cringed. Now she couldn't say no. She had the definite impression that Redi and Haruka were setting her up. Mamoru was a little against the idea of Hiei being alone with her, but he knew Makoto was a girl capable of defending herself.

So Makoto agreed to shelter Hiei for a couple of days. As they all got up to leave, Mamoru took Makoto aside while Haruka gave them communicators identical to Mamoru and the Three Lights. Those that looked like wristwatches. Hiei felt a little weird wearing that, but he wore it anyway. Haruka explained how it worked and how they could communicate with anyone on the team.

"Mako-chan..." started Mamoru. "I know that you feel maybe awkward about accepting a guy to live with you for a few days. If I didn't already have a friend crashing at my place, I would have taken Hiei in. Since I'm the closest to your apartment, Mako-chan, I want you to call me on the communicator if anything is wrong... I do mean anything..."

"Yes... thank you, Mamoru-san. I don't think there will be any problems but I'll remember what you told me. Don't worry..."

Mamoru nodded and bid her good night; when he turned around he realized Seiya and Redi were gone. He started to fume. Where could they have gone?



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"It was very nice of you to escort me back to my place, Seiya-kun." said Redi, smiling.

"Well, you did ask me... How could I say no to a damsel in distress?" His reply made her chuckle. Having arrived, she turned around to face him. He looks so much like Mamo-chan, she thought. With the moonlight cascading on her, Seiya couldn't believe how much she looked like Usagi. They both stared at each other for a while. Seiya became acutely aware that he was just staring. Embarrassed, he scratched his head.

"Aaahhh... I better get going..." he said. He was about to turn away when Redi took a step forward.

"Don't I get a good night kiss, Seiya-kun?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

Seiya was taken aback by her bold request. Sure, he was interested in kissing her. But something held him back. He couldn't figure out what it was. She looked at him expectantly, batting her eyelashes. He found he couldn't deny her request. He bent forward and kissed her.

"REDI-CHAN!!!!! GET IN HERE THIS INSTANT!!!!" yelled Usagi at the door. Seiya blushed and Redi giggled giving him another quick kiss before going into the house. Seiya was still in the same position when, just before she entered, she blew him another kiss. Usagi grabbed her and yanked her into the house. Once inside the house, Usagi started to sermon Redi about kissing Seiya like she did. Ikkuko and Kenji looked at their daughter with a weird look.

"Usagi-chan! Leave your cousin alone... It's none of your business..." said Ikkuko.

"I'll say, Usagi-chan... You're not her mother!" added Kenji.

They face vaulted as Usagi threw her arms in the air and grumbled about them never understanding and she headed back to her room. Redi also went into her room with a wistful smile on her face.



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Seiya had come back to the apartment. He kept thinking about the kiss he just had with Redi. Part of him was happy to have someone who seemed to love him. Finally, after all this time watching Taiki and Yaten with the one they loved, he was finally in love himself. He was smiling all the way home, but something kept nagging him. He didn't know what it was, but somewhere, in the recesses of his mind, there was this small feeling of guilt. He shook it off, I've been alone so long, I'm starting to feel guilty about loving someone. He dismissed the idea when he came inside.

Kurama was still monitoring Yaten's health, when Taiki and Seiya told him he could stay for the night. They had prepared him a futon in Yaten's room just at the end of her bed.



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Makoto and Hiei came back to her apartment. They both had kept silent for the entire length of the trip. Makoto wanted to say something, anything but the words kept themselves in her throat. Finally they were at her door when Hiei said.

"I'm sorry... for what happened..."

She entered the apartment as he closed the door, she replied. "It wasn't your fault... it happened..." she said softly.

She went to prepare the bed. They both kept silent while she took out some blankets. When she was finished, they both sat down and they felt embarrassed by the heavy silence. Suddenly both their stomachs growled at the same time. They both looked at each other blushing a little, then they started to chuckle, then laugh.

"So much has happened today..." she said after she finished laughing, "that I forgot I didn't have a bite since lunch..."

"I haven't had a bite, since breakfast..." admitted Hiei. Makoto looked at him with a slight frown.

"We have to correct that... Anything you would like to eat?" she asked.

"Well... " pondered the koorime. "Do you still have some of that food you gave Taiki... that looked good."

Makoto smiled and nodded, she took off for the kitchen and Hiei followed her. His stomach growling all the way.



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Later that night, Makoto woke up. She put her nightgown on and went to check if Hiei was all right. The moonlight was streaming inside her apartment and it lighted it enough for her to see. She looked at the small koorime sleeping with a small smile on his face. With his eyes closed like that he looked so cute, not so fierce and aloof anymore. He had taken his headband off and she reached to brush a few hairs away. She gasped when she saw his third eye open and look at her. The whole eye was red and it turned to look at her. She took her hand back, expecting him to wake up any second now. But he continued to sleep. He whispered her name in his dream.

Makoto didn't know what to do. She kept staring at the Jagan and it kept staring back at her. Suddenly Hiei's body sat up and turned to face her. She looked at him incredulous, his normal eyes were still closed as if he was still asleep. Makoto's heart started to hammer in her chest. She was about to activate her communicator when Hiei whispered her name again, as though he was sleepwalking. He's dreaming? she gasped. He was was moving toward her. He reached for the back of her head with his hand and leaded her towards him.

Makoto's blood was coursing hot and cold in her veins. All she could hear was the beating of her heart in her ears. She wanted to yell out for him to wake up but she also realized she wanted that kiss. She closed her eyes and she felt his lips touch hers. Makoto's heart hammered even more. She felt dizzy by that kiss. He stopped kissing her long enough to whisper her name again. Hiei's lips were back on her mouth and she found that she responded to that kiss. She made some small mmm sounds as other kisses followed. She was still dazzled by that kiss when he stopped kissing her and reclined back on the bed. The Jagan looked at her one more time and it closed back.

Makoto, shaking with emotions she still was trying to figure out, got quickly off the bed. She turned to look back at him. His smile had broadened. Was... was he dreaming of me? she thought blushing. She climbed back into her own bed, her heart still hammering in her chest. She could still feel the pressure of Hiei's lips on hers. What had happened, she thought. She blushed furiously when she realized she wanted him to kiss her again.