Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ If Roses Are Dark ❯ At Living This (Sorry Life of Mine) ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I own nothing Yuu Yuu Hakusho related except for about seven tapes of English dubs, seven DVDs, and one wall scroll.

Part II of the Silver Obsidian series

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At Living This (Sorry Life of Mine)

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~Hiei~

He ran, ran so fast, the scenery blurring by beside him. Emotions were emerging faster and more often, and as he ran, sometimes they would leave him, for just a bit, so he concentrated on his running.

Running faster running faster running faster run faster run faster run harder run more run harder run more run on the wind, fly like the wind…

He was running from his problems, of course, but Hiei didn't care. The point was, he was running, and sometimes when he ran, his emotions would run too, run in all directions and leave him alone.

He soon found himself flying through the trees, gliding on the winds, which were picking up, gliding over everything and leaving everything behind, below, where he didn't have to see it and it didn't come chasing after him. He looked down, of course - how could he not? Attentiveness to one's surroundings was key in Makai, and lacking it would result in certain death in almost no time at all.

Where was he going? He didn't know. Following some ki signal, something drawing him east, east, head east. And he headed east.

Another signal suddenly appeared near the one he tracked - no, not one, it was two - no, it was three - he kept running, tracking the four signals as they drew him on, drew him on east and he didn't know why.

* * * * *

~Kurama~

He had no intention of asking Koenma, of course. If Hiei wanted to be found, they would find him. Maybe it would be better for him not be found, anyway. They could use some time apart.

Right?

He had been telling himself that, though, since Hiei had left the first time. That didn't make it any more true. He needed to see the little youkai, he needed to talk to him and they needed to figure out what exactly was going on between the two of them. Or maybe it wasn't what was going on so much as it was what wasn't.

So rather than search around for the closest gateway to Reikai, Kurama walked calmly in the direction of Yuusuke's house. Kuwabara would no doubt be there already, and maybe Botan would, too. All he would need to do would be to say Hiei had gone off to Makai on his own, and they would move on. They had completed missions without him before, and could do it again. It wouldn't be seen as unusual, and everything would be fine.

Everything would be fine.

Yes, everything would be fine.

Fine.

Arriving at Yuusuke's house mere minutes later, he rapped softly on the door and smiled when his friend opened it.

"Hey, Kurama, c'mon in." Yuusuke held the door open and Kurama stepped in, slipping off his shoes and noticing Yuusuke look around outdoors behind him. "Where's Hiei?"

"Oh, Hiei won't be joining us today. Yukina said he's gone off to Makai on his own for a few days." It would probably be a few days, at least. Yukina hadn't actually said anything of the sort, but it was a safe bet.

"Oh, right then. Fine. C'mon, Botan's gonna give us a briefing or something."

Or something.

Kurama remembered "or something." Hiei and he had used it so often over the last two days. But…this was different. This wasn't Hiei, and he had no business relating the two.

"Konnichiwa, Kurama-kun!" cried Botan in that perky voice of hers as he entered.

How can you be so happy when Hiei isn't here?

…They're not related. Don't compare.

But how can you be so happy when Hiei isn't here?

…Don't compare.

"Konnichiwa," he replied with a slight bow. "Yuusuke said you would be briefing us on the new mission." He looked over at his friend and couldn't resist a slight jab at him. "…Or something."

Yuusuke glared, but made no other outward reaction, and even the glare was playful and lighthearted.

"…Yes," Botan replied, just a bit confused, but brushing it off quickly. "Well, anyway, a summary of your mission."

"That is why we're here," Yuusuke muttered, near-silent. Kuwabara stifled a snicker, and Kurama looked over, dignified as ever. It is, isn't it.

Botan shot him a Look and removed a piece of paper from some invisible pocket in her kimono. "Nothing too difficult," she began, seemingly trying, for some reason, to be comforting. "No traps or tricks to get through. At least, we think not. No youkai who have approached your target have been trapped so far, but none of them have accomplished what they tried to."

"Kill the target, you mean," said Kurama softly.

"Um, well, yes - kill the target." Botan laughed nervously. "Anyway, all you'll have to do is kill him. I mean, it. It's sort of androgynous, you see," she explained at their confused looks. "Not that that will matter when it's dead." Looking down at the paper, she read something quickly and looked back up at them.

"It's held itself up quite well so far, but it's just stayed in the middle of a field. The field doesn't seem particularly special, and should give you an easier time of it. The battle, that is."

Hiei would be suspicious…

"How simple…" Kurama murmured. "Too much so…"

"What do you mean, Kurama?"

"Doesn't it seem too easy?" Kurama asked slowly. "A creature so powerful, sitting in the middle of a field for no particular reason, just sitting, waiting for prey, waiting for us, to come try and kill it. It kills without a care, yet it does nothing to search for more. It assumes we will come to it, and trusting in that belief, it only waits. Doesn't it need to eat? Sleep? Even to move, for that matter? Youkai are restless creatures, and if not to meditate, which is only done in safe, well protected areas, and sparingly, I have never known one to simply sit and wait for such a time."

"That's true," said Yuusuke, now equally suspicious. "Why hasn't it moved?"

"Maybe it fights while it meditates?" asked Kuwabara. "You know, kind of a half-unconscious thing. Spiritual, things like that."

"No," said Kurama, leaning back on the couch where he sat. "Youkai either fight or meditate, not both, and they would never trust an open space like a field to keep them safe enough to try both at once. If someone too strong came along, someone they couldn't sense immediately, they would be killed instantly for their foolishness."

"Maybe you're just paranoid," Yuusuke suggested. "Not everyone's as smart as you, Kurama. This guy could be relying on its strength alone and, I dunno, eating its victims to keep itself alive. From the sound of it, it's had enough."

Kurama laughed slightly. "Maybe."

"Anyway," Botan interrupted smartly, "as I was saying, the mission. Since we don't appear to think Hiei's going to come along, we've got no reason to wait any longer. Come on, there's a temporary portal nearby."

* * * * *

~Hiei~

A flash of red in a nearby tree caught his attention, and Hiei jerked to a stop.

What…?

No. Go away. This is my fight. This is my release. This is my forgetting. This is my distraction. Go away.

But please stay with me…

He lurked nearby, stopping mid-step, watching as Yuusuke and the fool each fell ungracefully to the ground near where Kurama had landed. They were here for a mission, of course. Probably to stop the very creature whose youki he had locked on to and was now following.

But this is my fight…

No, no it's not. They have every right to be here. Reikai business, isn't it?

But why?

Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to go after the youkai attached to the youki he had been following. If Reikai was after it, it could only mean danger. Real danger, not the kind he searched out when he wanted a halfway decent warm-up match after a long rest.

But danger could just as easily be fun.

Changing course abruptly, Hiei darted off, taking a more roundabout route to the prey.

Give me a chance, Kurama, I can do this. I can do everything you ask of me and more. Just let me live this life of mine…