Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Fox Song ❯ Delusions ( Chapter 3 )

Fox Song:

Chapter 3- Delusions

The sun warmed the top of his head as the silver kitsune followed his short friend through the forest; leaves danced beneath their feet and spun around them, glinting in the bright light. Sighing, Kurama slashed out with a clawed hand and shredded one such leaf, wishing he could shred the sunbeams also, as they reminded him of Haven. But no matter how hard he tried, the glittering beams slid through his grasp like water.

Frustration welled up within him and he gave a low growl. Half turning around, Hiei shot Kurama a withering look. But once he saw the utter torment shining in those golden eyes, his glare turned pitying. The fox had really loved her, with his entire heart and soul. Something Hiei knew he could never do…what could a forbidden child ever know of love? Moodily he turned his ruby eyes forward once more, his mood now matching Kurama's.

And so it was that the two friends came back their little camp, both their faces plastered with angry scowls and both sets of eyes murky with frustration and suppressed emotion. Slightly wary, Yusuke and Kuwabara walked on tiptoes and whispered for the rest of the morning as the other two boys sat on the ground and stared at nothing, occasionally muttering or cursing to themselves. Sunbeams glittered and caught in their hair, irking Kurama even more as his dream was brought back to the front of his mind.

It wasn't until later that morning that Yusuke and Kuwabara decided to try to rouse the two thinking demons. After a short debate they decided that, under the circumstances, Hiei seemed more approachable then Kurama; at least they were used to his aloofness. "Hey shorty!" Kuwabara said, waving a hand in front of the little fire demon's face.

All he got for his troubles was a swift elbow in the gut, which sent him sprawling backwards about ten feet. Getting to his feet with a pained grunt, he chose to throw caution to the wind. "What is the matter with you two?! We are here on a mission you know, in case you had forgotten. And it's not getting accomplished with the two of you sitting around here on your butts!" Hands on hips, he stood there glaring at the other two boys.

Eyes widening, Kurama held up a slender fingered hand and made a sharp shushing noise. Kuwabara looked dumbfounded; this was not the reaction he had expected. Yusuke, who had been cringing ever since Kuwabara's outburst, now joined in his friend's astonishment. Hiei threw the silver youko a sharp look.

Ears twitching, Kurama rose slowly to his feet, eyes darting all over the greenness around them. "Do you hear it?" he whispered, taking a step forward.

"Hear what?!" Yusuke asked, annoyed.

"SHHHH!!!" Kurama hissed, waving his claws in Yusuke's general direction. He took a few more steps forward, not noticing the looks the other boys were exchanging. "Can't you hear it?" he asked, hope coloring his voice.

"Hear what?" Yusuke asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Hear that!" The silver kitsune paused for a second. "That voice! That song!"

Shaking his head Hiei answered, "No we can't, Kurama."

"But it's Haven!!" Kurama exclaimed. "I know it is! I know I can hear her!" And with those words he charged off into the forest.

Sighing, Yusuke plopped back onto the ground. "So who's gonna go get him?"

"Not me," Hiei replied. "I fetched the fox this morning." Both boys looked at Kuwabara.

He groaned, but jogged off in the direction his friend had gone. The noon sun was high overhead and Kuwabara could feel its hot rays on his head and shoulders. Colors flashed by on all sides and the singing of thousands of birds reached his ears with an almost deafening volume. He raced on, sensing Kurama close up ahead, and burst through a clump of bushed to find Kurama on his knees, claws digging into the dirt of the forest floor.

Tears were streaming down his face and his ears strained as if catching the faint sounds of a far off angel's song.

Kuwabara approached the fox warily. "Kurama?" he asked in a low voice.

But the fox did not answer. To Kurama, all he heard were the crystal clear notes of Haven's voice; and it was singing the very first song he had ever heard her sing. The song that still echoed in his dreams and brought back memories of the days when their love had still been new and frightening. It reminded him of that one feverish night he had spent sleeping on Haven's lap, her voice reverberating in his human ears and soothing all his pain.

Kuwabara looked on with worried silence, chewing on his lip regretfully. He hated to do this to his friend, but it looked as if the poor kitsune were too far gone to listen to reason. "Sorry man, it's nothing personal," he whispered, reaching out and striking the crying kitsune square on the temple with one large fist. Catching the other boy as he fell forward, Kuwabara stood up and slung him over his shoulder.

He strode back to their small camp, and ignoring the startled stares he was receiving, announced it was time to head out. Nodding wordlessly, the other two gathered up the few belongings lying around and kicked dirt over the fire.

"I think he's delirious," Kuwabara stated once they were on their way. "There's something wrong with him; he shouldn't be like this."

Yusuke and Hiei nodded their agreement. "There's nothing to hear," the shorter demon said in a flat tone. "He let himself become too attached to that vixen!" Although his voice was unnecessarily sharp when he said this, there was an underlying tone of pain in his voice. The other two could tell Hiei was trying his best to cover it up and hid it, so they wisely said nothing.

Soon after that, Kurama began to stir and with unspoken agreement, the three concious boys all halted their journey for the time being and let Kuwabara lay the fox gently on the grassy carpet. Groggily, he sat up and shook his head, sending long silver locks everywhere and pulling a pained moan from his mouth. Lying back down, he opened his eyes and patiently waited for the world to stop spinning overhead. The last thing he remembered was hearing Haven's voice before everything went black. Everything went black…

Moaning, he rolled over and buried his face in well-muscled arms; Haven! Choked sobs now escaped his mouth and tears once more ran down his smooth cheeks and dripped onto the grass below. His entire body shook as the others looked on anxiously, waiting for him to calm down. Hiei awkwardly patted his best friend's back and Yusuke cleared his throat uneasily. Kuwabara sat about four feet away, hoping Kurama would be too confused to know it was he who had given him that raging headache.

Flexing his fingers, Kurama dug into the soft ground and tore it up with his claws. Raising his head, he let out a tormented roar, the entire forest seeming to vibrate with his anguish. Shocked, his companions jumped about five feet in the air, muscles humming and poised on the edge of flight. It seemed as if Kurama really had gone crazy.

The scream was cut off abruptly as Kurama's head fell forward once more; though it was many long moments before any of his friends worked up enough courage to move back to his side and check up on him.

The silver kitsune was fast asleep. Heaving a heavy sigh, Kuwabara once again slung him over a strong shoulder and the little group continued their trek through the Makai, a quiet silence now hanging over their heads. What were they going to do?