Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Between Death and Reality ❯ Nightmare ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Still no ownage over here.

 

 

Chapter 4

 

Nightmare

 

 

“Karasu?” Koenma asked incredulously as Botan related the events of the afternoon to him, culminating in Hiei's theory. She nodded. “But we've been over this. Karasu is dead. It makes no sense,” the Prince muttered.

 

“But it really does though, doesn't it?” Botan said. Koenma looked up at her. “In a nonsensical sort of way, that is,” she retreated quickly.

 

“How does it make sense?” Koenma asked.

 

“Karasu was after Kurama's life when he died,” Botan replied, ticking off a finger as if making a mental list. “Karasu has been the common denominator in al of his dreams as of late,” another finger down. “And apparently, his old wounds from that fight have been extra sensitive since the dreams started.” Another finger down before she looked back up at Koenma. He was frowning.

 

“All true, but Karasu is dead. His spirit is most definitely in Spirit World. I just don't see how he could be attacking Kurama.”

 

“There's a hidden link here,” Botan muttered thoughtfully.

 

“One we need to find, and fast,” Koenma added. “This is not a good time for Kurama to be down.”

 

“What if other demons realize that he his distracted and weaker than usual?” Botan said suddenly, eyes fearful at the thought.

 

“They would take advantage of it,” Koenma replied, tone also suddenly nervous. “We need to talk to Yusuke!”

 

“I'm on it,” Botan replied, pulling out her communication mirror. A few moments after flipping it open, a face appeared on the screen. “Yus-” Botan began before registering the face on the screen. “Hiei? Why do you have Yusuke's mirror again?”

 

“When the fool realizes it's missing, I may consider returning it,” the fire demon said. Botan rolled her amethyst eyes. “Is there a reason you called?”

 

“Yes, actually, there was,” she replied.

 

“And?”

 

“We realized that Kurama is vulnerable to attack right now and if any enemy demons realized it, there could be problems,” Botan explained.

 

“Of course,” Hiei snorted. “Did you really think I wouldn't have realized that? The Detective and the fool, sure, but I have a brain.” Botan grinned sheepishly.

 

“I don't know what we were thinking,” she said. Koenma grabbed the mirror from her hands.

 

“Have you talked to the others about it?” he demanded.

 

“Genkai yes, the other two, no.”

 

“What?!” Botan and Koenma exclaimed in unison.

 

“I'm sure I'll be more than adequate to eradicate any low-class that tries to hurt the fox while he's down,” Hiei replied.

 

“What if it isn't a low-class?” Koenma returned. Hiei gave the Prince an even stare.

 

“I'm sure I'll be more than adequate,” he repeated, then snapped the mirror shut, leaving the Spirit World end with static. Koenma sighed.

 

“I hope that arrogance isn't misplaced,” he said.

 

“We probably won't have to worry about it anyway,” Botan said, her voice regaining some of its normal perk. “The reputation of the Tantei is enough to keep most demons at bay, rumors or not.”

 

“True enough,” Koenma agreed. “I just hope that mysterious being doesn't make its presence known until Kurama is back to normal. It seems to be getting stronger every day.”

 

“We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it, Sir.”

 

“Yes. Yes we will.”

 

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

 

Kurama pushed the front door to his home open and closed it behind him. He rested his head against the door for a moment before slipping his shoes off. He frowned when he saw another pair next to his mother's. They didn't belong to Hatanaka or his son, Suichi, but they definitely belonged to a male.

 

“Mother?” he called out.

 

“In the living room, Suuichi,” Shiori's voice replied. Kurama made his way to the living room and paused at the doorway. Shiori looked up and gave him a smile. Her companion did as well.

 

“Hello, Suuichi,” he greeted.

 

“Dr. Hikari,” Kurama replied with a nod. As well as being his doctor, Sousuke Hikari was an old family friend. However, because of his practice, he never had much time to stop by for a visit.

 

“Come, sit,” Shiori invited, gesturing to the seat next to her. Kurama chose one across from both instead. He had always been adamant about picking higher ground when fighting a battle, whether of words or weapons. He watched them warily for a moment before speaking.

 

“Is something wrong?” His mother and doctor exchanged glances, causing the hackles on the back of his neck to rise. This was going to be a battle of some sort, Kurama decided. They were up to something, and despite his weariness, he was not going to let his guard down, even if they were only human.

 

“Your mother has been telling me that you're having nightmares, Suuichi. Is that true?” Dr. Hikari said finally. Kurama paused a moment before speaking.

 

“Yes,” he replied. There was no point in denying what his mother already knew.

 

“And how long have you been having them?” the doctor asked.

 

“A few weeks,” Kurama replied once more. He knew his mother had already put two-and-two together, so there was no point in lying about that either. Dr. Hikari nodded thoughtfully. Shiori exchanged another glance with the doctor before turning to her son. Kurama hated when others plotted behind his back, as he had so often done, and these two were definitely plotting something.

 

“Dr. Hikari recommended some pills,” she began, but Kurama cut her off as he jumped to his feet in surprise.

 

“Pills?” You think I need medication?” He blinked at his tone after seeing the surprised looks on Shiori and Dr. Hikari's faces. “I apologize,” he said softly, sitting back down. He could feel Shiori's worried eyes on him.

 

“They're just sleeping pills, Suuichi; to help you get to sleep at night,” she said gently.

 

“And to stay asleep,” Dr. Hikari added.

 

“No,” Kurama said immediately. With the dreams he had been having, the last thing he wanted to do was stay asleep. And now that he was waking up with physical wounds… Kurama began to reach for his bandaged neck before he realized what he was doing. He stopped himself and placed his hand firmly in his lap.

 

“Please, hear me out, Suuichi,” the doctor said quickly. “Dreaming occurs in the REM phase of sleep, but these pills would take you directly to slow-wave sleep, which is the more restful part of sleep, and keep you there.”

 

“No,” Kurama repeated, shaking his head adamantly. If none of his plants, human or demon, could stop the dreams, he highly doubted some human medication would have the desired effect. Only bad side effects would come of it, that much he was sure of.

 

“Suuichi…” the doctor began, but Kurama shook his head once more.

 

“I appreciate the concern, but I'm alright.” Shiori sighed.

 

“Alright, Suuichi, you win.” Kurama nodded and she turned to the doctor. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Sousuke?”

 

“I would love to, Shiori. It's been far too long,” he replied. Shiori looked back at Kurama.

 

“Suuichi, do you…?”

 

“No, no. By all means. Old friends really need to catch up.” He stood up. “But I was planning to go to the library tonight to study. I can get something to eat while I'm out.”

 

“But…” Shiori began to protest.

 

“We have a test coming up and I really need to study,” Kurama replied firmly. “But don't let me ruin your evening.”

 

“If that's what you want…?”

 

“It's a rather important exam.”

 

“Alright, just don't stay out too late,” Shiori sighed.

 

“Of course, Mother.” Kurama turned to the doctor and longtime family friend. “Good evening, Dr. Hikari,” he said with the slightest bow.

 

“Good evening, Suuichi,” he replied with a nod of the head. Kurama exited the room and immediately headed for his bedroom. He suddenly felt exhausted, as if he had just fought a major battle. Opening his bedroom door, he was greeted with the sight of Hiei perched on his window sill. Kurama closed the door behind him and walked over to his bed, where he sat down with a sigh.

 

“What are you doing here, Hiei?” he asked wearily.

 

“Do I need a reason?” Hiei retorted. Kurama rolled his eyes.

 

“I suppose not. But you do seem to be coming by more often as of late.”

 

“Hn.” The two friends sat in silence for several minutes as the sound of cookware being pulled out came from the downstairs. “I thought you were going to study,” Hiei said finally. Kurama quirked an eyebrow but did not say anything. Playing games like this with Hiei took energy; energy that he did not have right now.

 

“What I need is time to clear my thought,” Kurama said after a moment. Hiei looked over at the red-head.

 

“And?” he prompted.

 

“There's a nice spot in the park by a stream. I go there sometimes when I need some peace a quiet,” Kurama explained as he stood up.

 

“Do what you want,” Hiei said. Kurama frowned.

 

“Is there a reason I shouldn't?”

 

“You're the intelligent one. Do what you will.”

 

“How comforting,” Kurama said with a roll of his emerald eyes.

 

“Hn.” That warranted no response. The red-head grabbed a light jacket from his desk chair before turning back to the window. Hiei was gone.

 

“Why am I not surprised?” he sighed before heading out.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

Nighttime in nature, especially in the spring, was a revitalizing time and place for Kurama. With all the new flora coming to life, his plant awareness increased exponentially, as did his spirits. His medium was returning to life, and thus, so was his power.

 

Clear nights, such as this night, had always had a calming effect on Kurama's psyche. Only certain parts of Demon World had stars during the night, and more often than not, the fox would go out of his way to spend a night under them. Perhaps it was getting lost in a world of infinite proportion or marveling at the beauty and wonder of each speck of light or perhaps, it was something completely different. But whatever it was, it worked wonders on his heart. And tonight that was what he needed.

 

Kurama sat with his back against the thick trunk of a tree. A small stream meandered parallel to the tree; the sound of softly running water was soothing to Kurama's enhanced hearing. The moon and starlight reflected on the surface of the water, trembling as the water diffracted the light. The sounds of insects coming to life added to the moving water to make a peaceful background noise.

 

Closing his eyes, Kurama set to clearing his mind. He felt all his muscles relax and his breathing slow and even out. Focusing on the sounds of nature, he painted the picture of the night sky in his head, successfully pushing out any unwanted thoughts. It had been a long time since he had to work to clear his mind. As he at perfectly relaxed, mind concentrated on the night sky, his thoughts and emotions began to sort themselves. Sometimes letting one's heart do the work was the right thing to do, when cool logic failed.

 

As he continued to sit, focused only on painting the night sky in his mind, his heart began to sort through all that had been going through his head. The weight on Kurama's heart seemed to lift as things returned to their rightful place. When the final weight lifted, the image in Kurama's mind was completed. He opened his eyes and he seemed to see everything around him a little bit clearer than he had earlier. His mind was functioning normally once more. The fox gave himself a small, satisfied smile. Perhaps tonight he would finally get some much needed sleep.

 

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

 

The calm night that surrounded Genkai's secluded temple was interrupted by the enraged exclamation that came from the inside.

 

“He might be attacked?” Yusuke exclaimed in surprise. Hiei nodded.

 

“It's a possibility,” Genkai replied.

 

“Then we have to watch him,” the Spirit Detective said. The fact that one of his friends was not only being mentally attacked, but might be physically as well, enraged him. His friends meant everything to him.

 

“Fool. What do you think I've been doing?” Hiei growled. Yusuke looked at the fire demon in surprise.

 

“Then you already knew?”

 

“I suspected,” Hiei confirmed.

 

“And you didn't tell us?” Kuwabara demanded from his seat next to Yusuke.

 

“I didn't think I'd need to,” Hiei retorted.

 

“And you tell us now, why?” Yusuke prodded.

 

“Because Koenma wanted you to know,” Genkai answered instead.

 

“You were in on this too, Grandma?”

 

“I wasn't `in' on anything, dimwit. I merely used my brain and came to the same conclusion Hiei did.” Yusuke grumbled inaudibly under his breath as Kuwabara frowned.

 

“So what are we going to do?” the orange-haired boy asked finally.

 

“Nothing. Not now anyway,” Hiei replied gruffly.

 

“Nothing? What the hell, Hiei? Kurama could be in danger!” Yusuke growled.

 

“I'm more worried about his mental safety,” the fire demon said softly, a tone indicating how serious he was. Yusuke's temper calmed at the sound of Hiei's concern for his best friend.

 

“Where is he tonight?” Genkai asked suddenly.

 

“He went to clear his thoughts,” Hiei replied.

 

“And you left him alone?” Kuwabara demanded.

 

“Yes, you fool.”

 

“Call me a dimwit or whatever, but I don't follow,” Yusuke said.

 

“Kurama went to meditate,” Genkai answered. “I'm guessing, with his plant abilities, he went somewhere where he could become one with nature.” Hiei nodded. Genkai nodded at the confirmation. “The only way he could successfully clear his mind and work through his thoughts is if he was completely alone.”

 

“What if he is attacked while he's `becoming one with nature'?” Yusuke retorted. Hiei snorted.

 

“No demon is that foolish, unless they have a death wish.”

 

“What does that mean?” Kuwabara asked.

 

“When a plant master, like Kurama, becomes mentally vulnerable while he's in nature, the surrounding plant life will protect him while his consciousness is elsewhere. Anything with malicious intent would find themselves facing the forces of nature,” the fire demon explained. Yusuke's and Kuwabara's eyes widened.

 

“Damn,” Yusuke whistled softly.

 

“You said it,” Kuwabara echoed. Hiei turned to Genkai.

 

“He went around sunset. I'd guess he'd return around midnight.” Genkai nodded her agreement. Standing, she looked out the window.

 

“It's getting close to midnight now.”

 

“Crap!” Kuwabara exclaimed suddenly. “Shizuru's gonna kill me!” Genkai waved a dismissing hand.

 

“Stay here the night and tell her it was at my request.” Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded and headed off to find a place to sleep, officially ending the meeting. “What will you do, Hiei?” she asked, not bothering to turn to face the demon.

 

“Hope the fox knows what he's doing,” he replied before disappearing. Genkai nodded her agreement.

 

“I hope the same thing.”

 

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

 

The aura of Kurama's room almost seemed hostile when he entered it. He frowned, searching for the source of the darkness, but was unable to pinpoint the source. It felt so familiar… yet different at the same time. Deciding that he was not going to let miscellaneous worries ruin his successful evening, Kurama slipped on his pajamas. Sliding into his bed, he checked the clock, which read 1:17 a.m. He grimaced and hoped his mother did not worry.

 

Turning off the light, Kurama felt confident as he prepared for sleep. Though he was exhausted, he felt as if his mental barriers were fortified. He could get some rest tonight; a rare treat as of late. Almost immediately, he was welcomed by the beckoning arms of sleep.

 

For awhile, Kurama slept, oblivious to all that was around him. However, it was a pounding sound that brought consciousness to his mind.

 

He had no shape or form, but he was able to wander. He realized he was in his mind. He could see the barriers set up, seemingly made of stone. He felt confident they would hold, except… his shapeless eyes looked up at a pounding sound. Something was trying to break through his barriers. At the sound of crumbling rubble, Kurama realized the intruder was succeeding.

 

He could do nothing but watch and listen as barrier after barrier fell. He watched until there was one final barrier separating him from his attacker. The wall around him crumbled and Karasu stood on the other side. Kurama's eyes widened.

 

“That was amusing, Kurama. You thought you could rebuild your mental barriers and keep me out. And it almost worked,” the crow said.

 

“What?” was all Kurama could manage to say.

 

“You're exhausted. You've lost so much sleep you're beginning to use your energy to continue to function. Your supplies are being depleted as you sleep. There is no way a barrier made with no energy behind it could protect you. Perhaps if your thoughts were together…”

 

“No. This isn't possible,” Kurama said. Karasu grinned.

 

“Oh, but is.” He snapped his fingers and they stood in the Dark Tournament ring. He snapped his pale fingers again and they stood in the alley where Karasu had bit him. Another snap and they were in a cemetery. Karasu's grin widened. “How I've waited for this.”

 

“What?” Karasu pointed behind the red-head and Kurama turned. He stood at the head of a freshly dug grave. The tombstone read:

 

Youko Kurama

Suuichi Minamino

1,000+ years

16 years

Legendary Bandit

Reikai Tantei

 

Kurama's eyes widened in shock. He turned back, but not in time; Karasu made his move. Kurama gasped as he felt the crow's hand go through his stomach. Warm blood bubbled in his mouth. He gasped again and spit out blood as Karasu removed his hand.

 

“Your pain and fear give me strength,” he whispered in Kurama's ear, before biting the old bite wound again. Had he been able to, Kurama would have cried out in pain. He fell backwards into the grave into an open coffin. The lid closed on top of him. “Farewell, my kitsune,” the crow crooned as the sound of dirt hitting the top of the coffin met the fox's ears.

 

I'm really going to die, he thought, suddenly afraid. His vision began to blur as the blood loss and pain finally got to him. The last thing he heard was the sound of dirt hitting the grave.

 

Kurama's eyes bolted open and he tried to breath, but only tasted blood. He coughed as he felt an intense pain in his stomach. He could feel all the blood on the sheets. He was losing a lot, and quickly. If he wanted to survive, he was going to have to act quickly.

 

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

 

Hiei's eyes bolted open. He immediately leapt to his feet and vanished from the tree head had taken over on Genkai's grounds. He ran as fast as he could toward Kurama's house. The smell of blood, Kurama's blood, became stronger as he drew nearer. The fox would have lost a lot of blood for Hiei to smell it so far away. Any demon nearby could smell this, he realized, which only spurred him to run faster.

 

Arriving at Kurama's window, the stench of blood was overpowering. Hiei jumped into the room and made his way to Kurama's bed. Kurama's head lay on the pillow, his face deathly pale. His energy is practically gone. He was about to make some sort of move when emerald eyes opened to meet his ruby ones.

 

“Hiei,” the fox croaked weakly.

 

Don't speak, Hiei commanded his best friend.

 

Alright.

 

What happened?

 

Stomach. Hiei looked at Kurama, who nodded weakly. He pulled the blood stained blanket from the practically limp form of Kurama, and was met with a bloody hole in the fox's pajama top. The wound, however, was missing. Hiei looked back to Kurama's face.

 

You used all your remaining energy to heal the wound.

 

Had to do something.

 

Your energy is depleted.

 

I need time to recover.

 

Not alone, you don't.

 

Is that an offer to help, Hiei?

 

Hn.

 

Thank you. How much of it did you see?

 

All of it.

 

I see. Kurama paused. I'm glad you're here.

 

Me too, Hiei replied almost inaudibly.

 

/*/*/*/*/

 

Author's Note: So, it's just moving along. Not much else to say. I'm really enjoying writing this story, so I hope you're enjoying reading it. Let me know: leave a review. It's always nice to hear that someone is reading the story.