Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Fornever Tantei ❯ Stuck ( Chapter 5 )

Author's Note: This is the sequel to Between Death and Reality. While it isn't required that you read that first, some things referenced here may not make a whole lot of sense.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I am not making any money from writing this. I do, however, own my plotline.

 

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Chapter 5

 

Stuck

 

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

 

He ran as fast as he could, fear racing through his pounding heart. He sped onward as fast as his legs would take him, but it still did not seems fast enough. Despite the turmoil in his heart, he was not even sure what he was running from; but he knew whatever it was would kill him if it caught him. This primitive fear kept him running.

 

The scenery suddenly changed and he found himself running in a dense forest. The branches whipped across his face as he ran past, leaving bloodied scratches. Blind fear kept him running, leaping over tree trunks and other obstacles in his path. As he jumped over a felled trunk, his landing foot came in contact with the underside of another felled log; he was sent sprawling onto his face. Only, the ground beneath him seemed to melt.

 

He felt himself falling through an oppressive blackness. He felt his body make contact with a hard ground, face first once again. Blinking against the sudden intense aching all over his body, he realized he was in a cement ring. The roars of a blood-lusting crowd forced the harsh reality to sink in, as he felt the warm stickiness of blood, his blood, touching his skin. The stench of his own blood was overpowering to his senses.

 

Before he could push himself to his feet, he felt a hand grasp his hair and violently pull him upward. He hissed in pain as his vision blurred. He closed his eyes against the pain-induced dizziness. When he was finally able to open them again, his eyes met a pair of red-tinted violet ones that sent a shiver down his spine. This is what he had been running from. Death.

 

“Bang,” a soft, but malicious voice whispered into his ear, and his world erupted in a white hot pain, then darkness descended.

 

Kurama awoke with a gasp and instinctually grabbed at his branded arm. He took a moment for his rational mind to take control once more. Finally, when his breathing had slowed and his racing heart had slowed, he pulled his hand away from the arm and looked down. The black brand remained, two years after the event had occurred. He rubbed his face in his hands.

 

Just what I needed at a time like that: old scars resurfacing.

 

The red-head sighed and untangled himself from the rest of his covers and slipped out of bed. He looked over at the window, almost expecting to see Hiei sitting there. But no, it was not to be. Times had changed. Kurama smiled ruefully to himself before heading to the bathroom. Turning the lights on, the fox studied himself in the mirror.

 

His lower half was covered with a pair of sweat pants. On his bare chest, Kurama could make out the scar from where Karasu had impaled him in his dream; the wound that had caused the coma. He had put a lot of energy into healing those wounds, but they had been on his body for so long before he could heal them that they had left scars. His long red hair was mussed from tossing and turning on it during the night. Leaning against the sink, Kurama studied his eyes. They were much more peaceful and content than they had been in years. The nightmare had brought back some old pain, but otherwise he felt calmer than ever.

 

Leaning over the sink, Kurama splashed his face with some cold water. Reaching for a towel, he dried himself off. As he stood up, he couldn't help but notice the ugly black marking on his arm. While he had recovered from the wounds, he had put a lot of energy into completely healing the scars, though most would never fade. The brand was one of those. The crow had marked him. The first time was spiritually, though the process of nearly breaking him in the Tournament and the second was his `return' when he had physically marked him. No matter what, Kurama would always be a marked man. If nothing else, it ensured that he could never turn away from that life.

 

The fox shivered. He didn't need this right now. That was past and there were things to deal with in the present. Turning out the bathroom light, Kurama headed for the kitchen, where he put on some tea for himself. Living alone was proving to have its advantages; it was much easier to deal with the nightmares when he did not have to explain them to his mother. Taking his tea, Kurama sat down on the couch and turned on the television, not expecting to find anything on in the middle of the night; and indeed he was right. He spent half and hour vainly changing the channels while he sipped his tea before he finally gave up and headed back to bed. There was, after all, much to be done the next day.

 

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

 

Kurama entered the Yukimura Diner the next afternoon to find the very people he had been wanting to meet. He had called Kuwabara earlier in the day and asked him to meet him at the restaurant both Yusuke and Keiko tended to fairly often lately.

 

Keiko looked up at his entrance and waved a greeting. Kurama returned it as he approached the counter where Kuwabara sat and Yusuke stood on the other side. Both boys watched as the red-head made his way over and sat down next to Kuwabara.

 

“What's going on now, Kurama?” Yusuke asked. Kurama sighed. He had been working on wording this all morning and he still wasn't sure how best to explain the situation.

 

“Where have you been anyway?” Kuwabara asked. Looking around, Kurama dropped his voice slightly.

 

“I was in Demon World, actually.”

 

“Why?” Kuwabara asked in surprise.

 

“And when?” Yusuke added, equally flabbergasted.

 

“I thought I would pay Hiei a visit and fill him in on the situation. I arrived there two days ago. I got back yesterday.”

 

“That can't be the reason you wanted to meet,” Yusuke pointed out. “A jaunt to Demon World isn't that big of a deal.” Kurama raised an eyebrow and Yusuke was taken aback.

 

“What?”

 

“`Jaunt'?” Kurama asked incredulously. Yusuke flushed and muttered something about hearing Keiko say it. Kurama chuckled. “Always the same.”

 

“Um, Kurama?” Kuwabara prodded. The fox nodded apologetically.

 

“Right. Well, while I was there I paid a visit to Jin and Touya's group,” he explained. “But Chuu and Rinku weren't there. It turned out they were in Human World visiting the temple.”

 

“And?”

 

“And,” Kurama continued, “that is bad when on the news they are showing demons being captured.”

 

“But at Genkai's?” Yusuke asked skeptically.

 

“Genkai had a reputation among humans as well as demons, even those that don't know they exist. I gather,” the red-head said off-handedly, “that was how she managed to get herself and Yukina into the hospital to help me those few years ago. Anyway, how long will it be before-”

 

“Before these people hunting demons come calling at the temple,” Yusuke finished. Kurama nodded.

 

“So, Hiei, Jin, Touya, Suzuka, and Shishi accompanied me back to Human World to bring them back, as well as Yukina,” Kurama explained.

 

“But something went wrong,” Kuwabara prompted. Kurama nodded once more.

 

“The portal was blocked.”

 

“What?” Kuwabara asked, confused at this.

 

“After the tournament in Demon World, when the Kekkai came down, Koenma had several portals to Demon World, each to a different territory, opened up, you might say, for my, Yusuke, Hiei, or any of the six fighters from the Dark Tournament's use. The portal would remain closed at a specific spot until it recognized once of our energies. Then it would open and take us to Demon World, or vice versa. But when the others tried to access the portal, it was blocked off. It felt like running into a warded wall,” Kurama explained.

 

“But the Kekkai is down,” Yusuke said.

 

“Even the Kekkai had its limits,” Kurama added. “B-class demons and lower could pass through. By that logic, Yukina could have passed through.”

 

“But this blocked even Yukina?” Kuwabara asked and Kurama nodded the affirmative.

 

“And demons were on the news last night…” Yusuke began slowly, working to gather his thoughts. Kurama shrugged. This was one question he did not have the answer to.

 

“The others are all staying at the temple right now,” Kurama told his friends. “It should be safe there for the time being.”

 

“I may have to take a trip to the temple in that case,” Yusuke said. He turned to Kuwabara. “You haven't seen them in ages, have you?” The orange-haired boy shook his head.

 

“I knew there were training with Genkai and you, Kurama, but they were always somewhere whenever I visited the temple.”

 

“You game for a visit then?” Yusuke asked.

 

“Sure.”

 

“Just be careful,” Kurama told them. “Keep a low profile.”

 

“It's us, Kurama!” Yusuke said, spreading his arms out.

 

“I know,” Kurama countered. “That's why I worry. Yusuke faked a blow to the heart.

 

“That hurts, Kurama. It really does.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Come on.”

 

“Yusuke, I know you too well.”

 

“Good point,” Yusuke relented and Kurama rolled his eyes.

 

“Are you going to come along, Kurama?” Kuwabara asked. “To the temple?” The red-head shook his head.

 

“I'll have to take a rain check,” he replied. “I have some things to take care of, but you two have fun.”

 

“What do you have to take care of?” Yusuke asked curiously.

 

“Just a few small things,” Kurama answered evasively. Yusuke raised an eyebrow, doing a fairly good imitation of the fox.

 

“Like what?”

 

“Nothing important.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yusuke, do you really think I wouldn't tell you if it was important?” Kurama asked exasperatedly.

 

“You didn't mention your trip to Demon World.”

 

“I thought my little `jaunt' didn't warrant a meeting.” Yusuke grimaced and Kuwabara snorted.

 

“Never try to match wits with Kurama, Urameshi.”

 

“Shut up,” Yusuke snapped without any heat.

 

“If you really have to know, I just have to check up on a few things about starting classes at the university in the fall,” Kurama told the two boys. “And check up on my family and attempt some damage control.”

 

“So it wasn't important,” Yusuke said.

 

“I would never lie to you, Yusuke,” Kurama chuckled.

 

“Right.” It was said with less feeling than usual. Memories from two years previous when Kurama had attempted to hide his dreams and the pain they were causing him came back in an instant.”

 

“Yusuke…” Kurama began.

 

“No, forget it. I trust you, Kurama.” Kurama nodded slowly. Kuwabara watched the exchange in silence, noticing the body language. While Kurama may have been the master of reading body language and tone, the orange-haired boy felt he was getting fairly good at it himself.

 

Why do you need to assure yourself of that, Urameshi? he thought. I know back then it was different. So does he. And so do you. He was just trying to keep us from worrying about him. That's just how he is. He looked over at the fox. But something is bugging you too, Kurama. What?

 

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

 

Walking through the downtown university campus, Kurama smiled at the sight of the wonderful flora that lined the paths. Living in an apartment in town kept him from much contact with plants, so this was nice. Colors were blooming with the new spring and the plant master reveled in the feeling of life it bestowed upon him.

 

However, he noticed students along the path with newspapers that headlined the capture of the four demons. Other small groups he caught talking about it. He grimaced to himself. This much public exposure could only make things worse. Sighing to himself, he looked down at the papers in his hand. He had just been by the office to inform them of his living arrangements. They had given him some paperwork to fill out and more on choosing freshman classes.

 

He knew his step-father ran a business and could use help and idly pondered whether he should do something in business. No, he decided, business just wasn't where his interest was. He had another forte.

 

The red-head walked through the downtown streets casually. He still needed to see him family at some point; but right now he felt as if he had earned a break from it all. He supposed Yusuke and Kuwabara would be visiting the temple. He grinned slightly; Genkai would have her hands full with the combination of Yusuke, Jin, and Chuu on the temple grounds. But if anyone could handle it, it was Genkai.

 

Deciding to take a detour into some shops, Kurama walked into a bookshop. Not looking for anything specific, the red-head browsed through the store. With a small smile, he picked out some manga to give to Shuichi, a romantic comedy for Shiori, and a small tome about travel for Hatanaka. Idly looking through some magazines, Kurama's hand froze as he caught sight of the headline of one:

 

Demons: How to recognize them and what to do once you have

 

Another stuck out:

 

Demon 911: How to protect yourself and your family

 

And others:

 

The Nonhuman Threat

 

Protecting Our World

 

Arm yourself against the plague: demons

 

“Scary to think about, isn't it?” the shopkeeper asked when he noticed Kurama staring at the magazines. The red-head started at the man's voice.

 

“Yes…” he said as he brought his books up to the counter. “Terrifying.”

 

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

 

“So yah heard, eh? Chuu asked as Yusuke and Kuwabara arrived at the temple. Yusuke nodded as he took a seat on the porch.

 

“Yeah, Kurama filled us in earlier.” Chuu nodded.

 

“He told us there was no way to get back,” Kuwabara added. Chuu nodded once more, this time grimly.

 

“Yeah, the portal's blocked.”

 

“So you're just gonna stay here until you can get back?” Yusuke asked. The drunkard shrugged.

 

“Not much else to do, now is there?”

 

“It's not like we could go back and live with Kurama,” Rinku added.

 

“But what if they find this place?” Kuwabara asked worriedly.

 

“We'll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Genkai said simply. “Until then, everyone is safe here.”

 

“Besides,” Yukina added, “Kurama promised to let us know if he heard anything about them coming.”

 

“Good old Kurama,” Yusuke said.

 

“Yeah, good old Kurama,” Kuwabara echoed. What id on your mind my friend?

 

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

 

“Suuichi!” Shiori exclaimed when Kurama walked into the kitchen. “There you are!” The red-head blinked.

 

“Here I am,” he said, sitting down, unsure of the course of his mother's worry. Shiori looked at her son to see his hand was bandaged.

 

“What happened to your hand?” Kurama started and looked down at his hand.

 

“I burned my hand making tea last night,” he replied, recovering smoothly. Shiori glanced nervously at her son. He had been hiding wounds from her since a young age and she felt this was another one of those times. “It's nothing to worry about. I'm fine.” Shiori's eyes remained worried, but she changed the subject.

 

“We've been calling you the last few days and there's been no response,” she said instead. Ah, that explains the worry.

 

“I've been quite busy the last few days,” he said. “I really haven't been home much.”

 

“Where have you been?” Shuichi asked curiously.

 

“Taking care of some things.”

 

“Like what?” Kazuma asked,

 

“Dealing with the university, for one thing,” Kurama replied. “I've been clearing up housing arrangements and such.”

 

“Have you seen Botan?” Shiori asked lightly.

 

“No, though we've spoken. She's quite busy at work right now,” the fox supplied. “It may be awhile.”

 

“Too bad,” Kazuma commented.

 

“Indeed,” Kurama nodded.

 

“What's in the bag?” Shuichi asked, eyeing the bag from the bookshop. Kurama blinked, then smiled sheepishly.

 

“How silly of me. I picked up a few things downtown this afternoon.” He pulled out the manga and handed them to his stepbrother. “For Shuichi.” Shuichi's eyes lit up.

 

“Thanks, Suuichi!” Kurama smiled, then pulled out the travel book. He handed to Kazuma.

 

“For Father.” Kazuma looked at the book for a moment before grinning.

 

“It's wonderful, Suuichi. Thank you.” Kurama nodded and pulled out the book for his mother and handed it to her.

 

“Suuichi, you shouldn't have,” Shiori said with a smile.

 

“Why not?”

 

“You spoil me,” Shiori scolded lightly. Kurama leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek.

 

“Only because I care.”

 

“You charmer, Suuichi,” Kazuma chuckled. Kurama merely smiled as Shuichi engrossed himself in his comics.

 

“I hope you're going to stay for dinner,” Shiori said as she stood up.

 

“Only if I can help,” Kurama replied. Shiori beamed, having forgotten her worry.

 

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

 

Kurama sighed in relief as he entered his apartment. His gifts had succeeded in preoccupying the family from the topic of demons. Even just a day's respite would give him more time to think. Setting his keys down on the counter, he blinked when his pocket started to ring. He reached in and pulled out the communication mirror. Flipping it open, he waited for Botan's face to appear.

 

“Kurama,” Botan greeted wearily.

 

“What's wrong, Botan?” the fox asked with a frown at the normally chic ferry girl's disheveled appearance.

 

“We were able to get a reading on what's blocking the portals,” she said. Kurama nodded.

 

“It's blocking all of them isn't it? I checked on the others and couldn't pass,” he said, holding up the bandaged hand. A flicker of concern passed through Botan's eyes, but the experienced ferry girl knew it was no danger to the fox and let it pass.

 

“Yes. This barrier, however, seems to be much more ingenious than the Kekkai,” she replied. Kurama frowned.

 

“How so?”

 

“Instead of blocking all of Human World, it merely reinforces the places where portals or passages could be found.”

 

“So only in the weak spots of pseudospace,” Kurama clarified and Botan nodded.

 

“Even without the Kekkai, making a portal to pass into Demon World is tricky. It can only be done in places where certain warps in pseudospace occur, except for a few exceptions,” she explained.

 

“Sensui,” Kurama said and Botan nodded.

 

“That was a special kind of portal, more like a tunnel than anything. Passing through pseudospace was necessary. Portals use warps in pseudospace to travel directly from Demon to Human World to the other way around.” Kurama nodded his understanding.

 

“It was even more difficult with the Kekkai because the warps had to be within an opening in the net.”

 

“Exactly,” Botan agreed. “But these warps are necessary to pass through unless you have a psychic to break into pseudospace to make a tunnel.”

 

“Meaning portals, at this point, are the only way to and from.”

 

“Yes,” Botan nodded. “But this barrier is like a brick was built up at every warp in pseudospace.”

 

“Ingenious. So no portals can be opened or made.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Instead of stretching the barrier into a net to cover it all, only cover the places that were actually a threat. Very clever, Kurama though to himself.

 

“Can you bring others to Demon World via Spirit World, then?” he asked. Botan shook her head.

 

“No. Whoever created this barrier knew that they were doing. They've blocked off portals from Spirit World to Demon World as well.”

 

“Is that possible?” Kurama asked in surprise. “I tough pseudospace existed only between Human and Demon World.”

 

“Pseudospace only exists between the two worlds, that's true,” Botan replied. “But there is a buffer zone between Demon and Spirit World which portals are created through to reach Demon World from the Spirit World end.”

 

“Then how could it be blocked?”

 

“From the Demon World end.” Kurama's jaw dropped. His mouth worked but no sound came out. “That was our reaction when he found out as well,” Botan said, exhaustion evident in her voice, which was lacking its usual perk.

 

“So Demon World is completely blocked off…” Kurama breathed. A sudden thought hit him. “Can you still get to Human world?” Botan nodded and Kurama sighed in relief. Only being able to see Botan like this hurt the fox and the ferry girl both.

 

“But I still have duties here,” Botan said sadly.

 

“I understand,” Kurama told her. He studied her weary face for a moment. “You could use some rest.”

 

“I know, but so much is going on that there hasn't been time for such luxuries,” Botan replied.

 

“You'll do nobody any good if you're dead on your feet,” Kurama reasoned. “Get some sleep.” Botan nodded.

 

“Alright.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you, too.” Botan's end went blank and Kurama closed his own with a pang in his heart. He hated not being with her and seeing her in such disarray made the fox want to hold her and comfort her. But they both knew that what they did had to come first.

 

“News from the ferry girl?” Hiei asked, slipping into the apartment window as Kurama pocketed the mirror. Kurama nodded and related the conversation to his friend.

 

“So we're stuck here?” Hiei growled when the red-head had finished.

 

“Yes, for now.”

 

“Perfect.”

 

“Indeed.”

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

 

Mukuro watched the demon sun set and sighed. Hiei had not returned in three days from what was supposed to be a quick recovery mission. She could feel in her heart that he was still alive, but he was somehow unable to return. She sighed. I knew something would go wrong.

 

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

 

Author's Note: No homework this weekend so I decided to get some updating done. Yay for updates, hehe. Anyway, the story is definitely coming along nicely so I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought. Tell me you loved it, tell me you hated it, tell me there isn't enough Hiei, but tell me something!