Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Blood and Roses ❯ Public Secrets ( Chapter 9 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Karame 
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Supernatural / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.07.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 132 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Supernatural / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.07.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 132 | Status: Work In Progress
Blood and Roses
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
I want to give a thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far (even the people who may have only rated the story. They are just as important as the ones who reviewed). I'm glad you are enjoying the story and I'll try my best to keep everyone happy. I also wanted to give a special thanks to KuwaL for helping me fix up the last couple of chapters.
I know it looks like I'm going to have Fayth and Kurama together in this but you have to remember that she hasn't officially met Hiei. There is still time to get your opinion in. It can go any way at this point. This is how the pairings stand as of now:
Kurama/Fayth: 5
Hiei/Fayth: 2
Kouga/Fayth: 1
Yusuke/Keiko: 1
Kuwabara/Yukina: 3
I'll be taking votes for a little while so get them in while you can.
Also to answer one of the question a reviewer had. Yes I have seen the movie and Queen of the Damned. I only have one of her books though. I believe it is called Tale of the Body Thief.
One other thing for those of you who are into Hiei/Kurama fics there is a story on FF.net called Fires of Possession that's pretty good. If you want to check it out I would recommend it, which really is saying something. I usually don't read Hiei/Kurama fics unless they are really damn good. Nothing against them personally but I just don't particularly care for them. Maybe it's because there are so many out and I just finally got sick of seeing them... I don't know... Anywho now that I've bored you to death I'll get to the point. She hasn't updated in like forever so I figured if she got enough people nagging her to post the next chapter then maybe I'd be able to find out what the hell happens next. Well that it from me enjoy the next chapter.
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Chapter 8: Public Secrets
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In the back corner of the archives Kurama sat reading over various scrolls. The search was exactly as he suspected it would be, painfully slow and tedious. Much of the documents he had already gone over had yet to provide any evidence of the slayers, but he wasn't about to give up so easily. It was a very good possibility any documentation of the five might have been lost forever. Given the fact it wasn't uncommon that spirit world always seemed to be missing vitally important information just when it was needed, at least that's how he felt. It was amazing how entire books suddenly seemed to vanish when they could have helped solve a case faster.
Picking up anther scroll Kurama realized he wasn't alone in the room any longer. A large blue figure of an oni stepped into his line of sight as he set the paper down.
"Oh. Hello Kurama. I didn't expect to find you here at this hour. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Letting out a slow breath he looked at George for a short moment before answering. He wasn't going to give him any more information than was absolutely necessary. It wasn't as though Kurama didn't trust him, but the fact still remained the oni reported to Koenma. If the demi god was going to hold back important information then why should he so forthcoming?
"No. I'm just doing a little research. I was hoping to find something to help Yukina."
"You might want to try checking the shelves over by the door. Maybe you might find some more useful scrolls then the ones you have. I don't really think you're going to find any cures there. It's mostly to do with slayer demons... You know it's funny that kind of makes think about this story my father use to tell me when I was little. But I guess it wouldn't be the same because that one was a demon slayer not a slayer demon. Oh well. just let me know if there is anything I can do to help".
Something clicked in his mind the instant he heard the words demon slayer. It would be a long shot but Kurama couldn't help asking. "Demon slayer? Are you talking about the group humans that fought demons during the feudal era?"
"No. He had said that it was a woman with long lavender hair and a dragon's curse sword. He said she wasn't human but she wasn't a demon either. I remember the people in my village laughing at him because he said she saved his life. Nobody believed the slayers were even real. They all said even if the stories of the slayers were true they wouldn't save the life of something they lived to kill. I guess it made sense but I still believed him." George paused with a look a deep thought. "You know it's too bad he didn't have access to these archives back then. After all anybody who knew where to look could have seen for themselves. Maybe then he could have shown them proof he wasn't lying."
A brief moment of hope flooded his mind as the oni spoke. Before George had a chance to say anything else Kurama spoke. "It must have been difficult for him."
"Not having anyone believe him really made life hard. Even after all these years they still make jokes behind his back. The people still till this day still don't believe it ever happened."
"It really is a shame. I wouldn't mind hearing about it. I don't suppose you would tell me more about this story. That is if it isn't any trouble."
George smiled brightly at Kurama's words. He hardly ever was given the chance to tell his father's story. "Oh no, no trouble at all. I would love to. Not that many people are interested in hearing about the tale any more."
"It happened a few hundred years ago. Before the first barriers were put up and demons and humans lived together. My father was coming back home from a long trip. Everything seemed fine at first but that's when he felt a strong energy nearby. The it disappeared as soon as he felt it. He continued walking when all of a sudden a man came out of nowhere and attacked him from behind. Who ever he was, my father said he had a cold empty look in his eyes, almost like they were dead. He asked the man what he wanted but the man didn't answer. The guy just looked down at him and laughed. Then he said something. What was that again? Oh yes I know. He said: Rotten filth. Soon I will rid this world of the stench of these damn chikyuu-jin."
"Chikyuu-jin? Even though I'm almost sure I've never heard this word it also seems very familiar, though I don't know why."
George was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Yes it is strange. I can't say I've ever heard the language before."
Kurama filed that piece of information in the back of his mind for further inspection at a later date. "Sorry for the interruption. Please continue."
"Well as I was saying the man had attacked my father. He was sure the man was going to kill him, that's when that woman appeared. She appeared just like the man did. My father didn't ever sense her approach, she was just there."
"She said to the man 'Zenku it's over now. Your time has come to an end. I will not be denied what is mine. Give me the Shikyo no Tama back and perhaps I shall kill you quickly'. Then she turned to my father and told and said: 'Leave this place. Consider it a gift for it is a rare occurrence for your kind to survive an encounter with a slayer'. He didn't move at first. All he could do was look between the two. That's when she told him if he valued his life then he would heed her warning for he wouldn't get another one."
"My father left as quickly as he could and didn't look back. When he arrived at the village and told everyone they just laughed and said that it was he probably was tired and imagined the whole thing. He had the village elder follow him to the spot he was but when they got there no one was around. They had vanished just as mysteriously as the appeared."
"I'm guessing he never saw her again. I don't suppose you could just take some of the books and scrolls out of the archives yourself? There would be no way they could argue with irrefutable proof such as that."
"No. That was the last reported sighting of a slayer. Not that it matters now. Besides the documents are no longer here. Koenma had them moved about seven and a half months ago."
"Is that so? I don't suppose you know their current location?"
"I do but..."
"What is it?"
"Well... the truth is I'm not suppose to tell anyone about it."
"I'm not trying to get you into any trouble. I was just curious that's all."
"I don't know..."
Being the crafty spirit fox that Kurama was, his mind was strategically processing the conversation. He always was one who thought at least three moves ahead. "If I knew their location then perhaps I could borrow a few documents for you to use."
"Even if I did tell you it's highly doubtful that you would be able to get to them. Truthfully I don't think anyone would be able to get to them now."
Although Kurama didn't care to resort to out right lying twisting the truth a little couldn't hurt. "I find that hard to believe. Spirit World's defenses are nearly impenetrable. You do after all look after much of the day to day comings and goings of everything in here."
"Well it's nice to know someone finally see how much I do around here. Lord Koenma never appreciates anything I do and he never listens to my advice. I tried to tell him I wouldn't be a good idea to trust Lord Sesshoumaru. Not after the argument they had. But Lord Koenma wouldn't listen to me he just said it was a matter that concerned the three worlds and it wasn't safe to keep the information any longer. He had said it was important to protect the documents but he wasn't going to start a war over them."
Kurama didn't speak. He just let the oni ramble on with the story. In his experience, sometimes it was better to throw out a complement or two and let the person give away all their secrets.
"I knew it was a bad idea when Lord Sesshoumaru had come to his office. I wasn't able to hear the argument to well. All I know is Lord Sesshoumaru wanted the books and Lord Koenma was refusing to give him what he wanted. The next thing I knew Lord Sesshoumaru came out of the office looking rather angry. A few day later that wolf demon Kouga came with some other wolf demons and took the stuff away."
'Wolf demon, Kurama thought, I wonder if it was the same one Hiei found in the makai? The way everything seems to keep ending up back at either Fayth, Zero, or now the slayer it is a very good possibility'. "Sesshoumaru? I wounder why Koenma would move anything there? Definitely strange. As far as I know it isn't common policy for spirit world to entrust its documents to anyone in the makai, even if it was one of the demon lords."
"Yeah. I know what you mean. I still don't understand why he did it." George looked over to Kurama and finally realized what he had done. A look of shock and fear planted itself on his face. "Y-you won't tell L-Lord Koenma about this?"
Kurama just kept a stoic look on his face. He had known it wouldn't have been that much of challenge for him to get the information he need but never did he think the oni would have given it up so easily. "Don't worry as I said before I am not trying to get you in trouble. Koenma will not hear a word of what was said here." Seeing the oni relax a bit he continued. "I don't suppose they left anything behind."
"I don't think so. They took everything out."
"Thank you for your time. If you'll excuse me I'll go look for those scrolls you mentioned. You said they were on one of the shelves near the door".
"They should be. Well if you need anything else just ask".
As Gorge made his way towards the exit ideas began to fly around in Kurama's mind. 'I wounder why would Koenma send those documents to Sesshoumaru for safe keeping? How could the demon lord be connected with the slayer?'
He was more certain than ever there was a connection between Fayth and the slayer, but the only thing he had to do now was prove it. A task that was easier said then done. For now all he could do was look elsewhere for some more leads.
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How anybody could stand to get one of those damn death traps with wings was beyond Dante. Every last bump and shake made it fell like the wings were going to rip off at any moment. "Turbulence my ass. That pilot must have been wasted with all of the rocking the plane was doing". He let out breath as he set down the midnight black suitcase.
Fayth just quirked an eyebrow and shook her head at his statement. If nothing else Dante had always been a bit of an over exaggerator. Even something as simple taking out a small group of Dasvanu could end up sounding like an all out war with one of the ever growing Re-dead hives. "Don't you think you're going a little over the top on this one"?
"Hell no I don't. You'd be saying the same thing if you were in my place. The thing felt like it was about to fall out of the sky like a rock crashing towards the ground.
"Please spare me the drama, Fayth said as she put down the towel she was using to dry her hair, I swear you can act like such a child sometimes".
"Hey! I am not now nor have I ever been childish".
"I find that hard to believe".
"Whatever. So did the sword get here yet?"
"Yeah. It came in this evening. Along with the other weapons I asked you for".
"That's good. I would hate to think what you would have done if anything ever happened to that precious sword of yours. Heads would roll. And I don't mean that in a figurative way either".
Fayth didn't say anything to him, deciding to just let the issue drop for now. It was partly because he was right about the sword. It had been a gift form Sesshoumaru, not that it was the reason for her wanting to keep it nearby. Fayth remembered when he had given it to her saying it was important that she keep it close at all times. When she had asked why the only response he had given her was his characteristic I-have-no-intention-of-telling-you-so-don't-bother-pushing-the-issue-or-I'l l-be-forced-to-hurt-you look. So she just let it drop. Fayth wasn't the mood for another one of Sessoumaru's week long torture sessions he liked to call training, not that she really needed it. In her opinion, she was almost as good as he was. Almost but not quite. He did after all have several centuries more fighting experience then she did. "So did Sanza finish the getting the kinks out of the new UV guns? It would really help the new recruits in their training. I would hate to have a repeat of the raid on the old factory".
"I know what you mean. Losing Micheal and Karen definitely was a big shock to the others. But the weapons should be operational soon".
"That's good. We could have used them back then".
"What can you do"?
"I know no one really is to blame for it but I can't help feeling bad. It was my decision when the teams were formed. I should have know better. Both of them weren't experienced enough to go on that raid. If I had just taken Jade and Keon then we wouldn't be having this conversation".
Dante let out a long sigh knowing nothing he said would change her mind about this. One of the things about her that made him respect her also drove him insane. Fayth was so stubborn when an idea planted itself in her mind, he believed, nothing short of a nuke would take her off track. "That's not all that's bothering you, is it"?
Sitting down on the opposite end of the couch from Dante, Fayth picked up the sword from the coffee table and absent mindedly ran one finger over the star held buy the tail of the dragon. She could feel a soft pulse of power emanating from within. It was kind of relaxing to her, but at the same time its aura also had an intoxicating effect. "Hey, he finally said after a long silence, you can talk to me you know that right? I mean I'm not Kouga but I can listen just as good as he can ya know".
"I know and I appreciate everything you've done for me...".
"I sense a but in there somewhere".
"There are some things about me that you'll never be able to understand. Not completely anyway. He's been through a lot and before you say anything I know you have too. I just feel like there are some things I can talk to him about that I wouldn't be able to tell you. You know what I mean"?
"Yeah I guess I do. It's still a little harsh though". There was a short silence that stretched between them before he spoke again. "Hey don't sweat it. So what's on your mind"?
"Not much but..." Fayth stopped when she noticed the grin on his face that resembled something of a cheshire cat. Using a small amount of her speed Fayth picked up one of the pillows and hurled it at his head. "Can't you ever be serious? And you wonder why I prefer to talk to Kouga".
"I'm sorry. I just wanted you to lighten up a little. No harm there. So what were you going to say"?
She didn't say anything at first, only tucking her knees up towards her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "I don't suppose you know anything about Spirit Detectives"? He didn't respond so she continued. "I met two of them the other day. The redhead looked strangely familiar, but I know I've never seen him before. It's strange that there is some part of me that screams out just talk to him".
"So why don't you"?
"I don't really know answer that myself. There is something inside of me that can't put off this feeling of... Well I'm not quite sure what it is. I just know it's very unsettling". Looking down at the sword Fayth suddenly got a feeling that left her uneasy. Almost as though she knew dangerous times were ahead and she was walking into a trap there was no way out of. "I guess I'm just being stupid huh".
"Oh come on Fayth. I've never known you to be stupid. A little reckless and maybe stubborn at times. With a bit of a masochistic side".
"I guess so. I don't suppose I mentioned he's a fox avatar did I"?
"No. But I think that might say a few things about why you feel the way you do. Granted I'm no expert in avatars or foxes in general but...".
"Can it Dante. I already know about Kitsune seduction and this isn't the case. He is an avatar after all so it wouldn't be necessary for him to feed off of someone. If I remember correctly avatars don't feed like other foxes. When they use their abilities a little R&R is all they need to recover. Besides even if that wasn't the case I highly doubt he's interested in me for that reason, at least that's the feeling I got. Not that I could read him".
"And we both know how much you hate that. I'm assuming you've already talked to Kouga about him".
"Yeah I've already gone by and talked to him, but he doesn't know about the recent encounter. I was planing on going back sometime soon".
"What were you sleeping with the guy? Or are you still sleeping with him"?
Fayth just rolled her eyes and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. "It's getting late and I have some things to do tomorrow. And no. I'm not sleeping with him".
"But you never said you didn't sleep with him".
"Go screw yourself Dante. Good night".
"Oh come on it's not even one in the morning. What ever happened to your vampire sense of staying up till dawn".
"It went out the same window you're about to. You know where the guest room is. Good night Dante".
"Yeah, yeah. Good night to you too".
Fayth yawned as she made her way to the master bedroom. The past few week seemed to finally catch up with her. A long sleep was something she desperately needed. There were too many things going on at the moment that were beyond her control. And to be honest she didn't have the energy to try to fight it anymore.
Pulling back the covers, she laid down stared toward the window wondering, not for the first time, what could possibly be so important about the redhead that made her feel the need to talk to him. He seemed to be normal enough. Well as normal as any spirit kitsune could be in a human body. He was very handsome. Beautiful wasn't a word Fayth would ever use to describe a man, but somehow he managed to pull it off without seeming any less masculine. The only other person she had met that she could have described like that was Sesshoumaru, not that she would ever try to compare the two. After all they seemed like night and day, opposite side of the same coin, or at least that's what she thought. One was out right ruthless and malicious and, from what she seen of the avatar, he seemed polite and quiet. Though Kurama was as unreadable as Sesshoumaru and that still didn't sit right with Fayth.
Yawning one last time she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
- A couple of hours later -
Fayth shot up in her bed, sending the covers flying to the floor. Her breath came out in labored pants as small beads of sweat rolled off of her forehead. Looking around the room she realized she was alone and it had only been a dream, and what a dream it was. If she didn't know any better could have sworn it was all real.
She could still feel the warmth, that shouldn't have been able to feel from a dream, on her lips. As her breath evened out she looked at the clock's glowing red numbers and it read 2:48 AM. Throwing herself back down on the bed, Fayth just looked towards the ceiling for a minute before deciding it would be best to get in the shower, afterward heading down to the gym to get rid of all the energy her body miraculously seemed to have.
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Well that ends another chapter. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. I just wished it could have been longer. For some reason all my ideas seem to disappear as soon as I sit in front of the damn computer. With any luck this massively huge mountain A.K.A. writer's block will be gone soon so I can get on with the 9Th chapter.
Please review.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
I want to give a thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far (even the people who may have only rated the story. They are just as important as the ones who reviewed). I'm glad you are enjoying the story and I'll try my best to keep everyone happy. I also wanted to give a special thanks to KuwaL for helping me fix up the last couple of chapters.
I know it looks like I'm going to have Fayth and Kurama together in this but you have to remember that she hasn't officially met Hiei. There is still time to get your opinion in. It can go any way at this point. This is how the pairings stand as of now:
Kurama/Fayth: 5
Hiei/Fayth: 2
Kouga/Fayth: 1
Yusuke/Keiko: 1
Kuwabara/Yukina: 3
I'll be taking votes for a little while so get them in while you can.
Also to answer one of the question a reviewer had. Yes I have seen the movie and Queen of the Damned. I only have one of her books though. I believe it is called Tale of the Body Thief.
One other thing for those of you who are into Hiei/Kurama fics there is a story on FF.net called Fires of Possession that's pretty good. If you want to check it out I would recommend it, which really is saying something. I usually don't read Hiei/Kurama fics unless they are really damn good. Nothing against them personally but I just don't particularly care for them. Maybe it's because there are so many out and I just finally got sick of seeing them... I don't know... Anywho now that I've bored you to death I'll get to the point. She hasn't updated in like forever so I figured if she got enough people nagging her to post the next chapter then maybe I'd be able to find out what the hell happens next. Well that it from me enjoy the next chapter.
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Chapter 8: Public Secrets
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In the back corner of the archives Kurama sat reading over various scrolls. The search was exactly as he suspected it would be, painfully slow and tedious. Much of the documents he had already gone over had yet to provide any evidence of the slayers, but he wasn't about to give up so easily. It was a very good possibility any documentation of the five might have been lost forever. Given the fact it wasn't uncommon that spirit world always seemed to be missing vitally important information just when it was needed, at least that's how he felt. It was amazing how entire books suddenly seemed to vanish when they could have helped solve a case faster.
Picking up anther scroll Kurama realized he wasn't alone in the room any longer. A large blue figure of an oni stepped into his line of sight as he set the paper down.
"Oh. Hello Kurama. I didn't expect to find you here at this hour. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Letting out a slow breath he looked at George for a short moment before answering. He wasn't going to give him any more information than was absolutely necessary. It wasn't as though Kurama didn't trust him, but the fact still remained the oni reported to Koenma. If the demi god was going to hold back important information then why should he so forthcoming?
"No. I'm just doing a little research. I was hoping to find something to help Yukina."
"You might want to try checking the shelves over by the door. Maybe you might find some more useful scrolls then the ones you have. I don't really think you're going to find any cures there. It's mostly to do with slayer demons... You know it's funny that kind of makes think about this story my father use to tell me when I was little. But I guess it wouldn't be the same because that one was a demon slayer not a slayer demon. Oh well. just let me know if there is anything I can do to help".
Something clicked in his mind the instant he heard the words demon slayer. It would be a long shot but Kurama couldn't help asking. "Demon slayer? Are you talking about the group humans that fought demons during the feudal era?"
"No. He had said that it was a woman with long lavender hair and a dragon's curse sword. He said she wasn't human but she wasn't a demon either. I remember the people in my village laughing at him because he said she saved his life. Nobody believed the slayers were even real. They all said even if the stories of the slayers were true they wouldn't save the life of something they lived to kill. I guess it made sense but I still believed him." George paused with a look a deep thought. "You know it's too bad he didn't have access to these archives back then. After all anybody who knew where to look could have seen for themselves. Maybe then he could have shown them proof he wasn't lying."
A brief moment of hope flooded his mind as the oni spoke. Before George had a chance to say anything else Kurama spoke. "It must have been difficult for him."
"Not having anyone believe him really made life hard. Even after all these years they still make jokes behind his back. The people still till this day still don't believe it ever happened."
"It really is a shame. I wouldn't mind hearing about it. I don't suppose you would tell me more about this story. That is if it isn't any trouble."
George smiled brightly at Kurama's words. He hardly ever was given the chance to tell his father's story. "Oh no, no trouble at all. I would love to. Not that many people are interested in hearing about the tale any more."
"It happened a few hundred years ago. Before the first barriers were put up and demons and humans lived together. My father was coming back home from a long trip. Everything seemed fine at first but that's when he felt a strong energy nearby. The it disappeared as soon as he felt it. He continued walking when all of a sudden a man came out of nowhere and attacked him from behind. Who ever he was, my father said he had a cold empty look in his eyes, almost like they were dead. He asked the man what he wanted but the man didn't answer. The guy just looked down at him and laughed. Then he said something. What was that again? Oh yes I know. He said: Rotten filth. Soon I will rid this world of the stench of these damn chikyuu-jin."
"Chikyuu-jin? Even though I'm almost sure I've never heard this word it also seems very familiar, though I don't know why."
George was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Yes it is strange. I can't say I've ever heard the language before."
Kurama filed that piece of information in the back of his mind for further inspection at a later date. "Sorry for the interruption. Please continue."
"Well as I was saying the man had attacked my father. He was sure the man was going to kill him, that's when that woman appeared. She appeared just like the man did. My father didn't ever sense her approach, she was just there."
"She said to the man 'Zenku it's over now. Your time has come to an end. I will not be denied what is mine. Give me the Shikyo no Tama back and perhaps I shall kill you quickly'. Then she turned to my father and told and said: 'Leave this place. Consider it a gift for it is a rare occurrence for your kind to survive an encounter with a slayer'. He didn't move at first. All he could do was look between the two. That's when she told him if he valued his life then he would heed her warning for he wouldn't get another one."
"My father left as quickly as he could and didn't look back. When he arrived at the village and told everyone they just laughed and said that it was he probably was tired and imagined the whole thing. He had the village elder follow him to the spot he was but when they got there no one was around. They had vanished just as mysteriously as the appeared."
"I'm guessing he never saw her again. I don't suppose you could just take some of the books and scrolls out of the archives yourself? There would be no way they could argue with irrefutable proof such as that."
"No. That was the last reported sighting of a slayer. Not that it matters now. Besides the documents are no longer here. Koenma had them moved about seven and a half months ago."
"Is that so? I don't suppose you know their current location?"
"I do but..."
"What is it?"
"Well... the truth is I'm not suppose to tell anyone about it."
"I'm not trying to get you into any trouble. I was just curious that's all."
"I don't know..."
Being the crafty spirit fox that Kurama was, his mind was strategically processing the conversation. He always was one who thought at least three moves ahead. "If I knew their location then perhaps I could borrow a few documents for you to use."
"Even if I did tell you it's highly doubtful that you would be able to get to them. Truthfully I don't think anyone would be able to get to them now."
Although Kurama didn't care to resort to out right lying twisting the truth a little couldn't hurt. "I find that hard to believe. Spirit World's defenses are nearly impenetrable. You do after all look after much of the day to day comings and goings of everything in here."
"Well it's nice to know someone finally see how much I do around here. Lord Koenma never appreciates anything I do and he never listens to my advice. I tried to tell him I wouldn't be a good idea to trust Lord Sesshoumaru. Not after the argument they had. But Lord Koenma wouldn't listen to me he just said it was a matter that concerned the three worlds and it wasn't safe to keep the information any longer. He had said it was important to protect the documents but he wasn't going to start a war over them."
Kurama didn't speak. He just let the oni ramble on with the story. In his experience, sometimes it was better to throw out a complement or two and let the person give away all their secrets.
"I knew it was a bad idea when Lord Sesshoumaru had come to his office. I wasn't able to hear the argument to well. All I know is Lord Sesshoumaru wanted the books and Lord Koenma was refusing to give him what he wanted. The next thing I knew Lord Sesshoumaru came out of the office looking rather angry. A few day later that wolf demon Kouga came with some other wolf demons and took the stuff away."
'Wolf demon, Kurama thought, I wonder if it was the same one Hiei found in the makai? The way everything seems to keep ending up back at either Fayth, Zero, or now the slayer it is a very good possibility'. "Sesshoumaru? I wounder why Koenma would move anything there? Definitely strange. As far as I know it isn't common policy for spirit world to entrust its documents to anyone in the makai, even if it was one of the demon lords."
"Yeah. I know what you mean. I still don't understand why he did it." George looked over to Kurama and finally realized what he had done. A look of shock and fear planted itself on his face. "Y-you won't tell L-Lord Koenma about this?"
Kurama just kept a stoic look on his face. He had known it wouldn't have been that much of challenge for him to get the information he need but never did he think the oni would have given it up so easily. "Don't worry as I said before I am not trying to get you in trouble. Koenma will not hear a word of what was said here." Seeing the oni relax a bit he continued. "I don't suppose they left anything behind."
"I don't think so. They took everything out."
"Thank you for your time. If you'll excuse me I'll go look for those scrolls you mentioned. You said they were on one of the shelves near the door".
"They should be. Well if you need anything else just ask".
As Gorge made his way towards the exit ideas began to fly around in Kurama's mind. 'I wounder why would Koenma send those documents to Sesshoumaru for safe keeping? How could the demon lord be connected with the slayer?'
He was more certain than ever there was a connection between Fayth and the slayer, but the only thing he had to do now was prove it. A task that was easier said then done. For now all he could do was look elsewhere for some more leads.
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How anybody could stand to get one of those damn death traps with wings was beyond Dante. Every last bump and shake made it fell like the wings were going to rip off at any moment. "Turbulence my ass. That pilot must have been wasted with all of the rocking the plane was doing". He let out breath as he set down the midnight black suitcase.
Fayth just quirked an eyebrow and shook her head at his statement. If nothing else Dante had always been a bit of an over exaggerator. Even something as simple taking out a small group of Dasvanu could end up sounding like an all out war with one of the ever growing Re-dead hives. "Don't you think you're going a little over the top on this one"?
"Hell no I don't. You'd be saying the same thing if you were in my place. The thing felt like it was about to fall out of the sky like a rock crashing towards the ground.
"Please spare me the drama, Fayth said as she put down the towel she was using to dry her hair, I swear you can act like such a child sometimes".
"Hey! I am not now nor have I ever been childish".
"I find that hard to believe".
"Whatever. So did the sword get here yet?"
"Yeah. It came in this evening. Along with the other weapons I asked you for".
"That's good. I would hate to think what you would have done if anything ever happened to that precious sword of yours. Heads would roll. And I don't mean that in a figurative way either".
Fayth didn't say anything to him, deciding to just let the issue drop for now. It was partly because he was right about the sword. It had been a gift form Sesshoumaru, not that it was the reason for her wanting to keep it nearby. Fayth remembered when he had given it to her saying it was important that she keep it close at all times. When she had asked why the only response he had given her was his characteristic I-have-no-intention-of-telling-you-so-don't-bother-pushing-the-issue-or-I'l l-be-forced-to-hurt-you look. So she just let it drop. Fayth wasn't the mood for another one of Sessoumaru's week long torture sessions he liked to call training, not that she really needed it. In her opinion, she was almost as good as he was. Almost but not quite. He did after all have several centuries more fighting experience then she did. "So did Sanza finish the getting the kinks out of the new UV guns? It would really help the new recruits in their training. I would hate to have a repeat of the raid on the old factory".
"I know what you mean. Losing Micheal and Karen definitely was a big shock to the others. But the weapons should be operational soon".
"That's good. We could have used them back then".
"What can you do"?
"I know no one really is to blame for it but I can't help feeling bad. It was my decision when the teams were formed. I should have know better. Both of them weren't experienced enough to go on that raid. If I had just taken Jade and Keon then we wouldn't be having this conversation".
Dante let out a long sigh knowing nothing he said would change her mind about this. One of the things about her that made him respect her also drove him insane. Fayth was so stubborn when an idea planted itself in her mind, he believed, nothing short of a nuke would take her off track. "That's not all that's bothering you, is it"?
Sitting down on the opposite end of the couch from Dante, Fayth picked up the sword from the coffee table and absent mindedly ran one finger over the star held buy the tail of the dragon. She could feel a soft pulse of power emanating from within. It was kind of relaxing to her, but at the same time its aura also had an intoxicating effect. "Hey, he finally said after a long silence, you can talk to me you know that right? I mean I'm not Kouga but I can listen just as good as he can ya know".
"I know and I appreciate everything you've done for me...".
"I sense a but in there somewhere".
"There are some things about me that you'll never be able to understand. Not completely anyway. He's been through a lot and before you say anything I know you have too. I just feel like there are some things I can talk to him about that I wouldn't be able to tell you. You know what I mean"?
"Yeah I guess I do. It's still a little harsh though". There was a short silence that stretched between them before he spoke again. "Hey don't sweat it. So what's on your mind"?
"Not much but..." Fayth stopped when she noticed the grin on his face that resembled something of a cheshire cat. Using a small amount of her speed Fayth picked up one of the pillows and hurled it at his head. "Can't you ever be serious? And you wonder why I prefer to talk to Kouga".
"I'm sorry. I just wanted you to lighten up a little. No harm there. So what were you going to say"?
She didn't say anything at first, only tucking her knees up towards her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "I don't suppose you know anything about Spirit Detectives"? He didn't respond so she continued. "I met two of them the other day. The redhead looked strangely familiar, but I know I've never seen him before. It's strange that there is some part of me that screams out just talk to him".
"So why don't you"?
"I don't really know answer that myself. There is something inside of me that can't put off this feeling of... Well I'm not quite sure what it is. I just know it's very unsettling". Looking down at the sword Fayth suddenly got a feeling that left her uneasy. Almost as though she knew dangerous times were ahead and she was walking into a trap there was no way out of. "I guess I'm just being stupid huh".
"Oh come on Fayth. I've never known you to be stupid. A little reckless and maybe stubborn at times. With a bit of a masochistic side".
"I guess so. I don't suppose I mentioned he's a fox avatar did I"?
"No. But I think that might say a few things about why you feel the way you do. Granted I'm no expert in avatars or foxes in general but...".
"Can it Dante. I already know about Kitsune seduction and this isn't the case. He is an avatar after all so it wouldn't be necessary for him to feed off of someone. If I remember correctly avatars don't feed like other foxes. When they use their abilities a little R&R is all they need to recover. Besides even if that wasn't the case I highly doubt he's interested in me for that reason, at least that's the feeling I got. Not that I could read him".
"And we both know how much you hate that. I'm assuming you've already talked to Kouga about him".
"Yeah I've already gone by and talked to him, but he doesn't know about the recent encounter. I was planing on going back sometime soon".
"What were you sleeping with the guy? Or are you still sleeping with him"?
Fayth just rolled her eyes and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. "It's getting late and I have some things to do tomorrow. And no. I'm not sleeping with him".
"But you never said you didn't sleep with him".
"Go screw yourself Dante. Good night".
"Oh come on it's not even one in the morning. What ever happened to your vampire sense of staying up till dawn".
"It went out the same window you're about to. You know where the guest room is. Good night Dante".
"Yeah, yeah. Good night to you too".
Fayth yawned as she made her way to the master bedroom. The past few week seemed to finally catch up with her. A long sleep was something she desperately needed. There were too many things going on at the moment that were beyond her control. And to be honest she didn't have the energy to try to fight it anymore.
Pulling back the covers, she laid down stared toward the window wondering, not for the first time, what could possibly be so important about the redhead that made her feel the need to talk to him. He seemed to be normal enough. Well as normal as any spirit kitsune could be in a human body. He was very handsome. Beautiful wasn't a word Fayth would ever use to describe a man, but somehow he managed to pull it off without seeming any less masculine. The only other person she had met that she could have described like that was Sesshoumaru, not that she would ever try to compare the two. After all they seemed like night and day, opposite side of the same coin, or at least that's what she thought. One was out right ruthless and malicious and, from what she seen of the avatar, he seemed polite and quiet. Though Kurama was as unreadable as Sesshoumaru and that still didn't sit right with Fayth.
Yawning one last time she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
- A couple of hours later -
Fayth shot up in her bed, sending the covers flying to the floor. Her breath came out in labored pants as small beads of sweat rolled off of her forehead. Looking around the room she realized she was alone and it had only been a dream, and what a dream it was. If she didn't know any better could have sworn it was all real.
She could still feel the warmth, that shouldn't have been able to feel from a dream, on her lips. As her breath evened out she looked at the clock's glowing red numbers and it read 2:48 AM. Throwing herself back down on the bed, Fayth just looked towards the ceiling for a minute before deciding it would be best to get in the shower, afterward heading down to the gym to get rid of all the energy her body miraculously seemed to have.
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Well that ends another chapter. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. I just wished it could have been longer. For some reason all my ideas seem to disappear as soon as I sit in front of the damn computer. With any luck this massively huge mountain A.K.A. writer's block will be gone soon so I can get on with the 9Th chapter.
Please review.