Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mating ❯ Arrivals ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"The Mating"

Disclaimer: See chapter one. I don't own these characters and never will. I can only wish.

AN: To my reviewers morwen re and Mehi, Thank you and to all who have given me encouragement! Glad you're enjoying the story. Your praise and my beta reader keep me going. The plot is going in a couple of unforseen directions, though, so I am currently trying to figure out how this whole situation will wrap up. I am only giving a small warning, this will be turning into a crossover eventually, most of you can probably guess with what, though. I would like to emphasize that this was not originally thought of, but added later. If you folks would rather I leave you at cliff hangers, please let me know, otherwise, I try to get through a whole situation before I post and this way I can post the whole situation.

Chapter 15- Arrivals

Keiko stirred as Kurama sat down on the bed. She felt almost as if she had never been injured now that she had slept for a little while.

"And how are you feeling?" Kurama asked her when she opened her eyes.

She stretched, feeling no pain and no weakness, just a little stiff. "Much better, thank you."

He bent down and gave her a quick kiss. "That is good. I don't think I knew myself when you were injured."

"I know it was true for me when you were knocked out. Yusuke and Kuwabara were mildly surprised by my attitude." Keiko replied as she sat up, burrowing into his arms.

"This is what it means to be mated, Keiko. I would have fought like the demon that I know myself to be if you had been merely injured, the fact that the wound was poisoned was a complication that I needed to deal with immediately."

"How did you know that it was poisoned?" She asked curiously.

"Did you know that I was locked away from my powers earlier?"

Keiko nodded.

"Same way. I could feel the poison coursing through your veins and I identified it quickly due to long association." Kurama explained. "Fortunately I had the antidote with me. If I hadn't, even Yukina might not have been able to help. It can cause permanent paralysis in addition to great pain."

"It had hurt a great deal. I don't have a long time association with wounds, but I don't think a wound on my side would cause my shoulders to hurt, or my legs."

"No, the human body would have immediately numbed the area due to shock. That was the poison starting." Kurama pulled back and tilted her head up to look in her eyes. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

Keiko met his eyes steadily, clear and pain-free. "Yes. Are you?"

"Can you try to feel through our bond?" Kurama wanted to test just how extensive the knowledge was through their bond.

Keiko closed her eyes. She had never tried to learn anything in the short time they had been mates and didn't know just what she should be doing. She reached mentally, trying to feel the state of his body. It seemed to be fine. ~What's this, connection, that I found?~ She had meant to think it to herself.

~You can communicate like this?~ Kurama was startled. He had only communicated with Hiei like this in such a long time.

Keiko looked up at him. "Wh-what was that?"

Kurama smiled. "You sent your thought to me. I am telepathic and you seem to have gotten that now." As he brought his lips down to meet hers, he sent, ~It can be quite beneficial at times.~

Keiko mumbled, "Mm, hm." As their lips separated, she added, "I still have to focus to do that, though."

"We can work on that, along with a number of other things." He looked thoughtfully at his mate. "The real practice will come in when you can manipulate plants."

Keiko's eye's widened, "I should be able to control plants?" She asked in a small voice.

Kurama nodded. "According to what I've been siphering out of that book, the mate takes on the powers of the demon that they mated with."

"Is that why Hiei gave me those seeds earlier?" Keiko asked.

Kurama nodded. "We don't know when, but you will." He told her, "One of the things about kitsune is that while we may not be the strongest of demons, our agility and abilities are able to counteract most of the brute strength."

Keiko thought about this. "I think I'd have to see it to understand what you're talking about."

"I understand. It's a little complex, but fighting intelligently is just as important as being the strongest or toughest demon, or human out there." Kurama looked at her. She seemed fit, just a little stiff. "Why don't I start you on some basic stretches for the time being? Tomorrow at the school we can borrow the gymnastics equipment and I can be your spotter."

Keiko nodded and got up off the bed. She hadn't realized just how much her body had become more flexable until Kurama showed her some stretches and even with her body a little stiff she was easily able to do all the exercises that Kurama showed her, most of which she hadn't been able to do before.

"Come on, let's go outside and I'll start you on some basic tumbling. The floor in here is a little too hard, grass is much better." Kurama said after about a half hour of exercise for them both. He hadn't really needed it, but it had been good to do some relieving of stress and he didn't want to push her newly healed body too far just yet He wanted to confer with Yukina first.

Keiko willingly followed him out of their room and down to the front door.

"Keiko? Kurama!" Shiori called, "Shouldn't she still be in bed?" Then she took a closer look at Keiko's skin. "You look much better! When Kurama carried you upstairs, you looked pretty bad."

"I still felt horrible when we came in." Keiko replied.

Kurama nodded. "Yukina's the best healer I've been around for many years. And there was poison that was in her wound had to be counteracted, that was the hardest part of it."

"Just don't overexert yourselves, dears." Shiori called after them as they went out the door. "Shuuichi, why don't you go out with them?"

Shuuichi looked down from where he was cleaning the top of the fridge. "Okay."

Shiori watched as he ran outside. She worried about them missing school, but there wasn't much that she could do about it. This morning had shocked them all very badly. She had never seen her son so shaken as when his mate was injured. Shuuichi was shocked too with his stepmother getting kidnapped. She was still trying to get over the whole weekend and went to lay down on her sofa for a nap.

Shuuichi came outside and watched Kurama walk Keiko through some basic tumbling. Some cartwheels, sumersaults and other basics. He watched as his brother started some more exotic movements, still keeping an eagle eye on Keiko. His stepbrother was truly graceful to watch and he wondered that he had never put together the grace with his non-human nature. Their backyard had a privacy fence around it and he had always wondered why, but after watching this, he knew why. He watched his stepbrother as he did flips, jumps and handsprings off of tree branches. He knew one thing, he could never pull off any of the moves that his stepbrother did and could barely do some of the moves that Keiko was doing, but without the same innate grace that the two mates were displaying.

Kurama kept an eye on Keiko, making sure that she did not overexert herself. Even as he did so, he went through one of his own routines. He knew that he could almost do this one in his sleep as he was intimately familiar with the trees in his backyard.

Keiko stopped and sat down next to Shuuichi when she felt that she needed a break. "So how are you doing?"

"I'm alright, I guess. How does he do that?" He asked, nodding toward his stepbrother.

"Much practice, I'm guessing, at least from some of the manuvers that he's having me practice. You didn't really get a chance to see him fight. The entire team is really very good at fighting." Keiko told him. "I don't know if I could fight someone like that."

Kurama came over and joined them, lightly sweating. "Keiko, there is one instance where I know you would fight just as hard as Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara or I would. If I was injured."

Shuuichi looked up at Kurama's face and the grim look in his eyes. That was how he knew that his stepbrother was not fully recovered from his mate's wounding. He wondered if he could help. "Brother, can I learn any of this, or no?"

Kurama's eyes turned a little less grim, "Of course you can. Grace is not only innate, it can also be learned." He smiled a bit ruefully. "You should watch Yusuke fight sometime. If you can follow him. He was one who had to learn the grace."

Keiko looked at the two brothers. "How much longer should I practice some of these manuvers?"

"You have pushed yourself as far as it is wise for now. The rest of the team should be assembled by six. It's what, almost five?" Kurama looked at his stepbrother.

Shuuichi checked his watch and nodded. "So the meeting is scheduled for six?"

"More or less. The only other person in the group that has an impeccable sense of timing is Hiei and Genkai, of course. She's more of an advisor to Yusuke and the rest of the group then she is a member of the team." Kurama commented. "I'll teach you the same set of stretches that I showed Keiko earlier. It'll also make it easier when you train with Hiei and Kuwabara. Speaking of which, I need a good practice session with Hiei myself."

"Well, then, Fox, it looks like you're warmed up enough." Replied the gruff voice from behind him.

They turned towards the doorway to see Hiei standing there. "When did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Your mother is asleep on the couch." Hiei replied just as Shizuru brought out a tray of drinks.

"Thought you guys might be thirsty and it was so nice out, I couldn't see everyone sitting inside." She put the tray down on the small table.

"Thanks, Shizuru." Keiko said as she made her way straight for the lemonaide.

Kurama nodded. There were two beverages offered. Lemonaide and iced tea. Both were very welcome. "Let me get a quick drink Hiei. I think I need that sparring session."

Hiei took one look at the kitsune's eyes and knew what was wrong with the fox. He just nodded. Between the intensity of emotions and the mating bond, Kurama was having a hard time dealing with Keiko getting injured. ~Talk to Yukina later. Reassure yourself that your mate is alright.~

Kurama only nodded in response to the mental comment as he downed a glass of lemonaide. "Come. I need to practice."

Hiei deliberately turned Kurama to look at him. "Fox, listen to me. You will never be able to be in two places at once. The best you can do is train yourself and your mate so that you can defend yourself and each other. No more, no less." He saw his words were starting to sink in and drove home the point that he was trying to make. "You did NOT fail your mate."

Kurama sometimes forgot just how perceptive his friend was. He closed his eyes as he heard the others around him gasp at Hiei's words. "But I did, Hiei."

Keiko put down her glass of lemonaide and flew into his side almost barrelling him over, hugging him fiercely. She also knocked him free of Hiei's grasp. "You did not! Kurama, I've seen all four of you get injured, remember? No one could have done anything differently! Those demons were much higher than the trash that you and Hiei took out yesterday! If I hadn't've taken that injury, it would have been your stepbrother who would have, and that would have killed him! Quit beating yourself up!"

Kurama looked down with some surprise at Keiko. She was still so brave, even now. It had taken the fight between Toguro and Yusuke to make her go into shock when she had never seen a demon before the Dark Tournament. "I shall try, Keiko, for you." He ignored their audience as he bent his head, kissing her deeply. Trying to reassure himself that she was alright.

Shizuru had never seen Kurama anything but calm and collected. Seeing him guilt ridden was something totally foreign to her and looked over at Hiei, remembering his offer. He was offering all this? Could she really be worthy of the gift?

Shuuichi was so unused to his closed off stepbrother demonstrating affection that he looked away. Even with his mother, whom everyone knew he loved her to a fault, he never demonstrated such.

Hiei thought it best to let Keiko take over the persuading. He just had to get them both to start reading each other's moods. Kurama was never the easiest to read, the fox as easily concealing his emotions as he concealed his presence. Keiko was still a bit transparent, but that made the couple easier to deal with. He saw Kurama lift his head and smiled very slightly. "Well, Fox, did you still want to spar with me?"

"It has been a while, Yusuke and yourself are the only two who I can spar with on equal footing." Kurama replied, absently squeezing Keiko's shoulders just before they released each other.

"Timer, or just untill we get exhausted?" Hiei replied.

Kurama looked at the group assembled. "I think timer. We have about a half hour before the rest of the team shows up, I think."

"Then twenty minutes is a good limit." Hiei suggested.

Shizuru and Keiko sat down with Shuuichi as the two demons made their way to the center of the yard, not used to sparring with an audience. The two girls knew how skilled these two were against single opponents and wondered what they would do against each other. Niether had the training to follow the shorter demon if he used all of his speed, but Kurama was obviously not using some of his deadlier attacks. There were several that were too deadly for sparring with, as Hiei did not use the black dragon and Kurama did not use any of his truly deadly plants.

Kurama pulled out his rose whip and they started on some basics. Hiei would flash in, while Kurama tried to hit and then Kurama dodged the sword in Hiei's hands. They kept their session to just the ground and the lower branches, though Hiei did occaisionally flit to the tree top to try coming at Kurama from a much greater height than Kurama's whip's length was currently.

Keiko started to see what Kurama had meant earlier by using the agility to counter strength. She knew how strong Hiei was. Truth to tell, the small demon was almost as strong as Yusuke. The two of them could easily fight as equals, but Kurama had never been as strong as either of the two. He was far more deadly though, and willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others. He countered the lack of strength with agility and cunning, and occaisionally ruthlessness. She remembered some of the fights during the Dark tournament very clearly, almost too clearly at times.

Shizuru watched the two, seeing how their strengths and weaknesses balanced out. Hiei seemed to be using all of his skills to keep in the game with Kurama. This was good practice for both of them. Neither hit the other, but it wasn't for lack of trying, they were obviously holding back from using the deadly attacks, but each was completely focused on what the other was doing.

Shuuichi could only sit in awe as he watched the two. Sometimes they seemed like mere blurs, other times they seemed to pause. He had seen the whip of Kurama's slice through things before and wondered how his brother kept such control over it. Hiei's looked a lot more controllable. A katana was a respectable weapon, though he doubted that he would ever be able to move that fast. Maybe a blend of the two styles? He thought on it. He liked the style of his brother, but he preferred a controllable weapon like Hiei's.

Hiei hadn't had a good workout like this in a while. It felt good to be sparring with the kitsune. The two were so practiced that they couldn't hit each other, even if they wanted to sometimes.

The two of them sensed that twenty minutes had passed and each came to a halt in the same place they had started in. They were both sweating from their efforts.

"Thank you, Hiei. I needed that." Kurama told him as they made their way back to the small group.

"Not a problem, Fox. You needed convincing that you could protect your mate if you needed to, and were able to." Hiei replied. "If I ever need the same, I expect the same treatment."

"Then your courtship is progressing?"

Hiei only nodded. ~She wishes to speak with your mate, I think she wants to know what being mated is like from the inside.~

~I understand. I had no chance to give Keiko a choice, and I do regret that, but she seems happy and I only hope that she is.~

The two reached their ladies and Shuuichi.

Shuuichi looked up at the two demons. He was in awe of their skill and it showed on his face.

Kurama looked down and sighed. "Fighting is never something to be proud of, Shuuichi. We have had to fight just to survive. You have not. Train your mind and in this world, you will not have to be as cutthroat as we are."

Hiei nodded his agreement. "You do not need to emulate us. Your world is a much more peaceful place."

"Yeah, due to the spirit detectives!" Yusuke piped in. "Well, most of the time, anyway. Did you two have a sparring session without me?"

"I am sorry, Yusuke, yes, we did." Kurama replied.

"The fox needed a 'good kick in the ass', as I believe I put it once." Hiei replied.

"Yeah, I remember that one." Yusuke replied. "So why'd Kurama need it?"

"Because I failed to protect my mate from being injured." Kurama said quietly.

Keiko exploded. "Kurama Minamino! You did not fail to protect me! " She was literally shaking with rage and pointing her finger into his chest as she made each point.

Kurama looked a little taken aback at how vehemently she was defending him, as well as how forceful her pointing was getting. He knew he would have a bruise on that spot for a short while anyway.

She went on, not quite done. "Now, what will convince you that you did NOT fail to protrect me? Did you throw whatever it was at me? Did you tip the thing in that nasty poison?" She continued poking him in the chest with each question. "No, and no! You did not throw it at me! You did NOT tip it in poison! In fact you had the antidote right there! And administered it before it could truly get in my bloodstream! You dealt with my wounds before you finished the fight!"

Yusuke was glad to see someone else on the recieving end of Keiko's considerable temper, but felt kinda sorry for Kurama. Not that Keiko was a shrew, she wasn't. Just had a temper from hell. She could be understanding, hell, she was understanding enough during the entirety of the Dark Tournament, but there were limits. He took one look at Hiei who was watching the two mates with a rather fond look on his face.

Hiei just watched the two. Kurama would take a while to be convinced that he hadn't failed his mate, but she seemed to have things well in hand. Kurama had been focused during their sparring session and not completely guilt ridden. He went and stood behind where Shizuru was still sitting next to Shuuichi.

Shuuichi was amused that his imperterbable brother was letting his mate push him around. He was not yet intimately familiar with her temper.

Shizuru had heard Keiko many times lay into Yusuke, but this was a lot more detailed. Yusuke's infractions had been fondling, flipping up her skirt and other such, which had earned him what she had mentally dubbed the 'Keiko slap specialty', but Kurama was beating himself up more thoroughly than she could have thought possible. She didn't know the specifics, but it was clearly related to earlier with him carrying in Keiko and heading straight for Yukina. The two hadn't even been a couple for a whole week yet, but they seemed so close. She looked up at Hiei. He looked as though he had closed himself off once again, with the introduction of others to their group. He still stayed by her, but seemed more like his normal self. She looked down once again at the now two charms on her bracelet. Protection and his heart. Both very precious gifts, far beyond the symbols that he had given her. She was starting to see that this was not lightly being offered. His emotions were already entangled if earlier was anything to judge by.

Hiei just watched the mates. He hoped that Shizuru was seriously considering his offer. While mating would weaken them both for a time, it was more than worth it. He glanced down at the stone hanging around her neck. There was one other person whom he wished to give one to, and that was the woman who had taken him in and offered him a home, even before she knew his sad story. He was just so used to keeping his feelings to himself that it was hard to let them out. He may like most of these people, but that did not mean that he always trusted them with who he was. He layed his hand on Shizuru's shoulder.

"Well, this is an unusual scene!" Botan exclaimed, eyeing the tender scene between Hiei and Shizuru then turning her attention to Kurama and Keiko. She had never seen Keiko quite so fierce, nor Kurama being so, meek.

"Hey, Botan. Glad to see you could make it." Yusuke told her, looking up to see her jumping off her oar.

"Well, of course! Koenma-sama really wants to know what's going on down here! Not to mention that I'm dying of curiosity!" Botan made her oar disappear with a flick of her wrist.

Keiko stopped her tirade in mid-pointing while Kurama looked up. Both looked over at the spirit guide. Hiei nodded at her, welcoming her to the party. Botan had never seemed quite like the other Reikai lackeys that he had run across. Shizuru smiled and said, "Hey there. Refreshments are on the table."

Shuuichi was still trying to understand exactly what Botan was. "Hello."

"Greetings, Botan." Kurama said, closely followed by his mate, who added, "Hi, Botan!"

"Well, this sure is a party, but I thought Master Genkai was supposed to be here, and what about Yukina and Kuwabara?"

"They're behind me." A gravelly voice came from in back of Botan.

"Master Genkai!" Botan spun and greeted her. "Yukina, how are you doing? Hello, Kuwabara."

"Hello, Botan." Yukina replied in her sweet voice. "It looks like everyone is here."

"Yeah, now what all do we have to talk about?" Kuwabara was not quite as stupid as he sometimes sounded, just thick-headed.

"Where to start is an interesting issue." Kurama replied. "We have many to start with."

"I know where Koenma wanted me to start. That journal." Botan replied. "What is so important about that journal?"

"You have been around us the most out of the Reikai lackeys." Hiei said, "What do we not tolerate?"

Botan put a finger to her lips and screwed her face up, trying to think. "Oooh, I don't know, weakness, maybe?"

"You have it in a word, Botan." Kurama confirmed. "That journal is a documentary detailing exactly what happened to humans who mated with high ranking demons. All B-class and above."

"The stupid toddler is trying to make everyone submissive to him!" Yusuke replied.

"You know that's not true!" Botan replied.

"Botan, no offense, but how well do you know your boss?" Shizuru asked, watching this whole thing from the sidelines and deciding to bring herself into the fray, considering how her talk with Keiko went, she would also be in that stupid journal.

"Well, ah . . . " Botan trailed off, come to think of it he had been busy a lot recently.

"I think the question becomes, how well does the Toddler know us?" Hiei asked.

"Obviously not as well as he thought." Genkai added, after watching all this. "He's being really stupid if he thinks he can command an S-class demon to do anything."

Kurama added quietly, "Especially after threatening my access to my family."

Kuwabara added in shock, "He what? After doing all that stuff for your mom, too!"

Yukina asked, "Why would he do that?"

"Because he only partially realizes how important family is to a youko." Hiei replied. "He has no clue what he set into motion with that threat."

"None what-so-ever." Kurama added.

"Why don't you tell us, Kurama? We can't help you, if we don't know what we're helping you with." Shizuru replied, getting a cigarette out and lighting it, then passing the pack to Genkai.

"Yes, why are Mom, Dad and I so important to you?" Shuuichi said, finally coming to a topic that he fully understood. The demon talk was still going over his head for the most part.

"That all comes down to the youko's view on family." Kurama reluctantly started. He sat down on the grass, sitting Keiko down in his lap in a loose embrace. "We are, for the most part, out for ourselves. When we choose a family, we defend them fiercely, even unto death. All of you here are in my chosen family, if you will, with Yusuke as the head of the family."

Yusuke looked at Kurama in surprise. "Why me?"

Hiei glared over at him. "You tie us together, Detective."

"It's true, Urameshi." Kuwabara replied when Yusuke looked at him for confirmation.

"Just think, you've managed to keep my baby brother alive, even in close proximity to Hiei. I thought for sure they would kill each other at some point." Shizuru added.

Genkai just looked at him. "You really are a dimwit. You draw people to you and earn their loyalty. That's how Keiko and yourself were mistaken for a couple for so long."

Yusuke was floored. He had no idea that he was that important to the group. Sure they all had their quarrels, but he'd never seen it in a family situation before.

"I think we have managed to shock Yusuke." Kurama added when Yusuke didn't seem to respond at all. ~Hiei, is your ward still in place around the house?~

~Of course it is, Fox. And yes, that includes the yard.~

~Good.~ Kurama replied. "I figure we'll stay out here for now. Mother's sleeping on the couch, which is in the only room actually within the house big enough to hold us all. My stepfather should be back within the hour, he normally works late." He considered some of the topics that they had to discuss. The journal was only the tip of the iceberg in these circumstances.

To be continued . . .