Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Akambo ❯ Time Moves On ( Chapter 6 )

Shiori awoke early the next morning, as usual. The only deviation from her normal routine was that she had nothing to do this morning. Their host, the demon-governor, Mukuro, had provided their meals and lodging. Shiori sat on her bed and wondered about the things she had learned in the past few days. Only the sound of the door to the bedroom opening drew her attention.

 

The door opened slightly and a soft voice called into the parlor, “Mother? Are you awake?”

 

“Yes, Shuuichi,” Shiori responded. Kurama entered the room. He was wearing a blue robe that Shiori had never seen before. “Where did that come from?”

 

“It's Hiei's; I'm borrowing it while my own clothing gets washed. Mukuro is having one sent up for you, as well. We should be able to return home this afternoon, Mother. I'm sorry for dragging you along on this trip, but I had no other choice,” Kurama said softly.

 

“It's fine, Son. It's interesting to see this side of your life. Demon World doesn't seem so terrible,” Shiori mused.

 

Kurama chuckled a bit. “It has gotten much better since the new government took over. Attacks against humans are banned, but the lower class demons will still brawl in the street. You've seen the pretty part of Makai,” Kurama said. Shiori just nodded.

 

“Fox, what do you want for breakfast?” came a voice from the doorway as Hiei entered. Shiori glanced at him in surprise. Between his barely-passable walk to the suite and the tryst the demons shared, she had expected that Hiei would be bedridden for a day or two still. But he looked much better. He was, perhaps, a few shades paler than normal, but overall he appeared fine. The hiyoukai wore a red robe identical to the one Kurama wore, except for the color. He approached his taller mate and leaned casually against the kitsune's shoulder.

 

“Whatever you want is fine with me. Any preference, Mother?” Kurama replied, lifting his arm and draping it around Hiei's shoulders. Shiori shook her head.

 

With a small sigh, Hiei left the warm embrace of his mate and pulled the cord to order food for them.

 

By that afternoon the trio were on the road, bound for Ningenkai. Hiei walked slightly ahead, his katana visible at his side. Kurama walked behind him, near Shiori. The trek to the portal was not a long one, and they were back in the world of humans before supper.

 

--

 

In the Makai Barrens, a demon stood upright, admiring his handiwork. The new capsule was far superior to the first. The old one had been metal. While very durable, it prevented him from watching his little seamonkey grow. The new design was made of glass. It hung, suspended, from a steel scaffold. The liquid inside whirled and ebbed, but there were no leaks to allow it to escape. With a smile the demon dropped his tools where he stood.

 

“It's perfect, Master,” simpered an underling. “But is it sturdy?”

 

“Sturdy enough for my purposes. Unlike some other junk lying around here.” The deformed creatures in the corner shuddered and tried to draw even further into their shadows.

 

“Master,” the underling began, but a wave of his master's hand silenced him.

 

“I gave you very specific instructions, did I not? Were they so difficult to follow?” The pathetic demon shook his head and cringed. “Then why did you fail?” The underling cast his gaze to the floor for a second before opening his mouth to reply.

 

No words were spoken, though. With an almost casual sweep of his hand, the master delivered a bone-crushing blow to the head of his minion. “Too late. When I ask a question I expect a timely response,” the demon said calmly.

 

The wretched corner-dwellers watched as the body sailed through the air away from them, towards THAT corner. With the crunch of breaking bones, the corpse hit the wall and landed to lie still on the pile with the rest of the fetid refuse that once lived.

 

“Ketsueki!” the master called.

 

“My Liege,” a sultry voice responded from the corner.

 

“You are now the point on this project. You will oversee the remaining tasks,” the master said.

 

“Of course, My Lord. Now?” the androgynous voice inquired.

 

“No. There is much yet to do before the next step is taken. First, I want to research that one. I need to finish preparing this chamber. It's in no fit shape for that, not yet,” the demon replied.

 

“Yes,” the voice acknowledged softly. The figure returned to his work on the capsule, stepping deftly over the spear his now-dead minion had left on the floor when he met his demise.

 

--

 

Time was passing quickly for the detective group in Ningenkai. When Hiei had left on his mission, the summer heat was nearing its peak. When he returned, over five weeks later, the muggy summer days were giving way to the shorter, cooler ones of fall. Before they realized what was happening, the group was being called in for dress and tuxedo fittings, and the wind carried the bite of impending snow.

 

The mysterious attacks had ceased completely since Hiei had been targeted. The detectives spent their time doing normal, human things. The most difficult task they now faced was Kuwabara and Yukina's union.

 

The week before the wedding could be described only as frenetic. Everyone in the wedding party was in a hurry to do something or pick up something. Hiei had skipped several tuxedo fittings, and Kurama had to drag him to the haberdasher with some rather intimate threats.

 

--

 

Three days before the ceremony, Yusuke and Kuwabara's old classmates practically kidnapped the taller youth from the temple for his bachelor party. Kurama had agreed to meet up with them closer to the club and had even managed to convince Hiei to join them.

 

Kuwabara's bachelor party was the tamest the bartender had ever seen. After the group finally convinced the bouncer that the short one with spiky, black hair was old enough to enter the bar, the girls immediately flocked to their table. The bartender chuckled as he saw four of the girls fawning over a pretty, redheaded man. The man, oddly enough, was gently trying to dissuade them from touching him. The short one next to him glowered at every girl that approached them. Finally, the shorter one narrowed his eyes menacingly. In a single, fluid movement, he straddled the lap of the redhead and pressed his lips to the taller one's mouth in a deep kiss, pushing his body into that of the taller one, and claiming the redhead as his own. The girls watched, mesmerized, as the shorter one plundered that taller one's mouth. The taller one wrapped his arms around the other willingly. When they broke apart, the pretty redhead was breathing heavily. With a triumphant stare, the shorter one cowed the girls who immediately set their sights elsewhere. The shorter man, meanwhile, leaned in for another deep kiss from his lover.

 

The tallest member of the group seemed to be the guest of honor. The bartender watched as his friends conspired and approached the girls. Without his knowledge, they bought him a private lapdance by three of the girls. But when the girls approached him, he stood and offered them his chair in a gentlemanly fashion. He then proceeded to use his lapdance time talking to them about his perfect fiancé. When the time expired, none of the girls moved. Two even had teary eyes, listening to this man speak so reverently of the woman he loved. By the end of the night, the group had not even attempted to touch a single girl. As they left the bartender just shook his head.

 

--

 

The night before the ceremony Hiei found himself unable to sleep. The normally quiet hiyoukai tossed and turned in his bed. Kurama was, of course, acutely aware of his mate's discomfiture. Finally the fox turned to the demon and asked, “What's wrong, Hiei?”

 

“I can't sleep,” Hiei complained, turning over yet again. Kurama sighed. No stranger to insomnia, he sat up and began to rub Hiei's back soothingly.

 

“Why can't you sleep, Love?” the kitsune asked, pressing his fingers into the tight muscles.

 

“Mmmm,” Hiei murmured. “That feels good.”

 

“That's not what I asked,” Kurama whispered, delving deeply into the tense flesh of Hiei's back and causing the demon to moan in pleasure.

 

“They're getting married tomorrow,” Hiei said, as Kurama moved his hands and began massaging a new set of muscles. “They'll be united. Tomorrow night they'll share a bed.”

 

Kurama did not respond. He thought about this as he continued to rub his mate's back. Hiei was feeling conflicted. The hiyoukai had admitted that the only reason he gave Kuwabara permission to woo Yukina was because he could not deny his sister the happiness he had found in his own union. But the idea of her union was weighing heavily on the mind of the brother who had spent so much of his time watching her and trying to keep her safe from the outside world. Considering all of this, Kurama leaned over his mate, pressing his chest onto Hiei's back and whispered into his lover's ear, so close his warm breath tickled the sensitive flesh.

 

“You think about it too much, Hiei. Tomorrow night I'll have to find a way to keep your mind off such things.”

 

“How?” Hiei asked, turning his head ever so slightly.

 

“Mind-blowing sex?” Kurama asked, almost innocently as he drew back slightly. Hiei turned over completely to face his lover. “I'll deflower you all over again so you won't have time or energy to think of anything else,” Kurama said, the innocence gone, replaced by a lustful burning in his green eyes. Leaning front he kissed Hiei's chest, using his tongue to excite the skin and send shivers down Hiei's spine. “Noting...” Kiss. “But...” Kiss. “Raw...” Kiss. “Pleasure.” Hiei reached out to pull the fox towards him, his body reacting almost painfully to the redhead's words and actions. Kurama leaned in close enough to kiss his mate deeply on the lips, but stopped there. “It's not until tomorrow, Love. You'll just have to wait until then.” With that Kurama rolled over and pulled the covers over himself.

 

The kitsune smirked as he heard the words, “Stupid Fox,” muttered half-heartedly from his aroused mate. But sure enough, when Hiei lay back down, he fell into slumber quickly and easily, the promise of a wonderful distraction the following night giving him reasons to dream.

 

The day dawned bright and cheerful. A soft blanket of snow covered the ground. A light snow fell, but the day was not overcast. Instead, the sun hit every snowflake, causing each to shimmer and dance as it descended. Kurama and Hiei were up early, as were the rest of the detective group, primping and preening for the wedding.

 

When they arrived at the hall, the demons were immediately ushered into the changing rooms reserved for men. They began to dress, waiting for the others to arrive. When Yusuke and Kuwabara entered, Hiei was standing in front of the mirror. Kurama stood behind him, his arms encircling the youkai as he tied the bowtie gracefully around Hiei's neck. Smiling the other two began to dress. Kuwabara's friends arrived a few minutes later, and Hiei and Kurama left to wait in the less-crowded hallway.

 

The guests in the hall ranged from human to demon. It was a small wedding, and the couple had only invited close friends from both worlds and family from only the human world. As the ushers took their places at the front of the hall, Yusuke noticed his mother hanging out at the bar a little too long. He still wondered why Kuwabara had invited her, until he realized that she knew he was best man and probably would have crashed the wedding if she hadn't been properly invited. Rolling his eyes Yusuke looked around some more. When he looked at the bar again, he saw a demon friend of his, Chuu, approach his mother and order a drink as well. `Great,' he thought. `That's an explosive duo.' His musings were interrupted as the music began and the guests all found their seats quickly.

 

The bride's side of the bridal party came down the aisle one by one. Each person looked beautiful. They took their places opposite the ushers at the head of the procession. No one said a word when the bridesman, Kurama, walked forward. He looked as beautiful as the women did. Finally the bride emerged, escorted by her brother.

 

Yukina's dress was the purest white. It was an off-the-shoulder style that had a fitted bodice and a wide skirt, in the A-line style popular in western fashion. The skirt fell to the floor in graceful folds and trailed behind her elegantly. On the silk bodice, small, blown-glass beads were hand sewn. They glittered and glistened like the snow outside. When she took her place opposite Kuwabara, against the backdrop of the falling snow outside, she looked more like an ice maiden than ever before. Kuwabara looked at her with tears in his eyes as the ritual began.

 

Kurama leaned front slightly to look at his mate, only to find the crimson eyes staring right back at him. They had foregone the “who gives this woman to be married” portion of the ceremony due to Hiei's utter refusal to “give away” his sister. Instead they progressed right to the vows. As the Yukina and Kuwabara exchanged their vows, Kurama and Hiei smiled at each other. In his head, each was vowing his loyalty to the other again. Although they could not legally wed, their vows were as strong as any others taken in matrimony. Both were surprised when the guest began applauding. They had been so intent on each other and their bond, they did not notice the ceremony was over and recessional had begun.

 

The reception began immediately. The obligatory first dance between the newlyweds was observed, and when the DJ announced that the rest of the bridal party should join, Hiei reluctantly followed Kurama onto the dance floor. Luckily, once they began swaying together, the hiyoukai forgot the rest of the world and focused only on Kurama's heartbeat. Before he was ready to let go, the dance was over and he was being told to dance with his sister in some weird, western tradition.

 

After the ritual dances were finished, Hiei made his way to the table and sat down next to Kurama. His surly mask slipped back into place; it seemed the fire demon had exhausted his supply of “nice” for the day. Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, Kurama whispered into his ear, “Thank you for being so patient with the weird ningen. Your reward will come tonight.” Hiei perked up considerably at this, but he did not return to the dance floor or initiate any conversation. Instead, when anyone came to them, Kurama intercepted the visitor and took care of the pleasantries for both of them. As a result, the kitsune was exhausted as the meal began.

 

When the plates were cleared away, Kurama leaned over to his mate. “I need a break from the noise. I'll be back,” he whispered. The fox then rose and slipped, unnoticed, through the nearest door.

 

Kurama stepped outside and closed the door silently behind him. Although he was, by far, the more sociable of the mates, even he needed a break from the noise sometimes. The snow was falling steadily with no wind to detour it from its downward journey. The kitsune walked along the path towards the small garden. Although the paths had been cleared that morning, the rapid snow had covered them again. Kurama watched his feet making prints in the white powder.

 

When he got to the garden area, the fox did not enter the gazebo. Rather he stayed outside and closed his eyes. Tilting his head up, he allowed the cold snow to land on his face, enjoying the tickling sensation as the flakes melted quickly against his warm skin. With a sigh, Kurama opened his eyes to gaze at the beauty of the frosty wonderland. A sudden, brief rise in ki behind him was all the warning he received.

 

Six sets of arms wrapped around Kurama simultaneously from behind, immobilizing him completely. A sultry voice whispered in his ear, “Hello, Youko Kurama.” Three more demons appeared before him. Although they sneered at his predicament, they did not approach. The demon holding the kitsune shifted his grip so only five arms held the redhead. The sixth arm, the top one on Kurama's right, gently stroked back the crimson tresses from his shoulder.

 

“This won't hurt for long, Dear Fox,” the silky, mysterious voice whispered again as the free hand grasped Kurama's tuxedo by the shoulder and pulled down sharply. The material, along with the white shirt underneath, jarred Kurama's arm, but tore before it could cause him any real damage, exposing his neck and shoulder.

 

“What do you want?” the fox muttered through clenched teeth.

 

“Just a taste,” the voice murmured gently. A hot tongue licked the skin over Kurama's shoulder, then two large fangs sank into the soft tissue. Pain seared through the bite.

 

“Nnngh,” Kurama grunted in pain and shock. But that pain rapidly receded. A warm, numb feeling spread from the wound, slowly engulfing Kurama's entire body. Unable to resist, he slumped, supported solely by the five arms still encircling his body. His head lolled to the left, away from the bite, unintentionally giving his attacker easier access. Although unconsciousness was creeping up on him quickly, Kurama strained to remain coherent as long as possible, blinking his eyes rapidly to keep them from drifting shut.

 

“Hey, don't forget what we came for,” one of the other demons said gruffly. The multi-legged demon holding the kitsune did not respond immediately. “Hey, are you listening to me?” the demon repeated.

 

After a moment the lead demon removed his fangs from his victim's flesh. The wound instantly began to bleed freely. “I heard you,” the slick voice replied, laden with contempt. “I know how to subdue my victims; do not second guess me. Where is it?” The subordinate paled and fumbled in his pocket. Quickly, with shaking hands, he produced a small, crystal phial. The leader took this with his free hand and held it to the wound, collecting a bit of Kurama's blood. When the phial was full, he returned it to his henchman. The other capped it and hid it in his pocket once more.

 

“C'mon. Let's go,” one of the other lowly demons said, casting fearful glances at the hall that housed the entire Spirit Detective team.

 

“Relax. The master said I could have a taste,” the first demon said, again pressing his mouth to the wound he had made in the kitsune's flesh and sucking deeply. Pulling away, he licked his lips. Glancing at Kurama's profile, he saw the fox's eyes fluttering, trying desperately to cling to wakefulness. With a smile, he whispered into his victim's ear, “So delicious. Sweet, like human blood, but with an undeniably demon undercurrent. Like fine aged wine. I think I may be getting drunk on you.”

 

Kurama did not respond as the demon bowed his head for another draught of blood. The warmth that had pervaded the kitsune's body was seeping away through the wound with his blood, leaving a cold numbness behind. Kurama's world began to grow darker as the cold claimed him.

 

Hiei wondered at his mate's absence. The fox had mentioned stepping out for a moment, but it was unlike him to leave the hiyoukai alone in a crowd for so long. Curious, Hiei slipped, unnoticed, out the door. Kurama's footprints were still visible, but were rapidly disappearing in the accumulating snow. Hiei walked along the path following the prints around a curve to the garden, and stopped abruptly.

 

Four demons surrounded Kurama. One, a spider demon by the looks of it, had Kurama in his grasp. The kitsune was not fighting. What shocked Hiei was the lack of youki from the group. It was as if they were not there; he could not sense them with the Jagan covered, but he saw them with his visual eyes as clear as anything else. Without hesitating, he launched himself at the demon brazen enough to restrain his mate.

 

“Shit! The fire demon!” an underling yelled. The three weaker demons immediately jumped back and disappeared. The spider demon raised its head from Kurama's still-bleeding shoulder. Through reddened lips, it smiled a cruel grin. Then it released its victim and jumped back, disappearing as well.

 

Kurama's form crumpled when the spider had released him. Unconscious and bleeding, he toppled to the snow-strewn path without making a move to break his own fall. Landing hard, facedown, on the concrete walkway, he lay still.

 

Within a second, Hiei was by his mate's side. Gently he turned the fox over to survey the damage. Kurama was pale and blood still flowed freely from his shoulder. His youki, suppressed by the venom of the spider demon, was barely there. Quickly Hiei grabbed the flap of material the spider demon had ripped to expose his prey and tore it off completely. Wadding it up, he pressed it to the wound and blotted. The blood began to congeal slowly, but kept oozing from the wound.

 

The venom of a spider demon had several effects. The first was to stun and paralyze the prey and prevent the meal from fighting. The second was to prevent the blood from clotting and allow the spider to enjoy its dinner. Both effects had not been wasted on the kitsune. With no other option, Hiei took his two fingers and pressed them into the fang holes in Kurama's shoulder. Using his ki, he heated his fingers quickly to a temperature that would almost cauterize the wounds, but, hopefully, not leave a scar. When he removed his fingers, he was glad to see the bleeding had stopped. He had never attempted this technique on anyone but himself, and he hoped he had not done more damage than good to his mate, but he had no choice.

 

It was at this moment Hiei heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, he saw Kuwabara and Yusuke approaching. “I told you, Urameshi, I felt Hiei's ki flare all of a sudden. But I never felt Kurama's. What's going on?”

 

Hiei looked back at the fox on the ground. “He was attacked. The demons gave off no ki. I interrupted them without knowing they were even here,” he said, picking up Kurama. He was shocked at how cold his fox was. Quickly, he gathered his mate off the snowy ground.

 

“Brother?” called a small voice from behind the detectives. Yukina stood there with Botan at her side. “What happened?” the ice maiden gasped when she saw Kurama's limp form in Hiei's arms. Hiei didn't respond; it was an obvious answer.

 

“That explains the portal,” Botan said. When everyone looked at her she elaborated, holding up the communication mirror. “I just received a call from Spirit World. A portal was opened right here just a few minutes ago. The strange thing is that it was left open for several minutes. That type of portal leeches youki, so if the demons who entered Ningenkai stayed near enough to it, they could not be detected by youki alone. What's more, if there were enough of them to balance out the portal's leeching effect, the portal itself would be practically indistinguishable.”

 

“So that's why one attacked and three watched,” Hiei muttered angrily.

 

“Brother, does Kurama need to be healed?” Yukina asked gently, approaching the demons.

 

“Stay there,” Hiei instructed before Yukina could enter the blood-laden snow where Kurama fell. Carefully he lifted his mate and carried the fox to Yukina. “I closed the wound by heat-sealing it,” He said, tilting Kurama to let Yukina look.

 

“It should be fine,” she said. “Since it's closed, there's little I can do to heal it. It looks like a spider bite.” Hiei nodded. “He will have to recover from the venom on his own; that's not something reiki manipulation can control. You should take him home and keep him warm.”

 

Hiei nodded, turning to go, but stopped. Facing his sister again, he said softly enough for the others not to hear, “I'm sorry to leave. You look beautiful today. Congratulations,” he paused. “Sister.” Yukina beamed at his praise as he turned and flitted home.

 

--

 

A/N-I hope you enjoyed it. All reviews are welcome. More soon. We're getting to the good part very quickly. heh heh heh.