Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Stone of Darkness ❯ Return to Makai ( Chapter 2 )

[ A - All Readers ]

~~I do not own any rights to YU YU Hakusho. The only rights I own belong to the story idea itself, not the characters. ~~
~~This is my first fan fic. so be sure to let me know what you think.~~



"Where did you stash this jewel, Kurama?"
Kurama sighed and lifted his mother into his arms. He quietly walked into the living room and gently lowered her onto the couch. He knelt beside her and stroked back the hair clinging to her sweat dampened forehead.
"In Makai, of course, and in one of my lairs."
Kurama leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before standing. He faced Hiei, arms crossing over his chest. Hiei frowned at him, dark eyes flashing.
"You don't know, do you?" he asked
"No, I don't. It has been years, at least thirty years ago. I never paid much mind to it after stealing it."
"Why?"
Why? Hiei was asking so much with that one word. Kurama turned and pressed a hand to his forehead, rubbing at the throb taking hold there.
"I stole it because it was unattainable to everyone else. Did I really want it? No. Did I need it? No. I have never desired world domination or destruction. That's why I forgot about it. It was of no use to me after I stole it."
"Hn."
Kurama glanced over his shoulder at Hiei. Hiei sheath his sword and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.
"When do we leave?"
"We?" Kurama questioned.
"We. This demon is much too powerful for you alone to handle, and I desire to know his identity. There is something strange about him."
"Thank you," Kurama said quietly.
Hiei only nodded. Kurama looked down at his mother, hesitating. He couldn't just leave her. What if the demon returned while he was in Makai?
"Take her to Yukina. She will be safe there."
"Yes, she would be taken care of there in case something happens. Maybe Genkai or Yukina can heal her."
Kurama retrieved his mother's car keys from the kitchen table and moved back into the living room to carry her outside. Hiei and his mother were gone. He hurried to the front door and stepped outside in time to see Hiei carefully place Shiori in the back seat of the car.
"Don't look so surprised, Kurama. I know how strong the ties of family are," Hiei said before flitting away.
The drive to Genkai's temple took longer than Kurama had expected. It was close to nightfall when he finally stepped out of the car and eased Shiori into his arms once more. Hiei leapt down from one of the large trees and smirked at Kurama.
"You and your human contraptions," he sneered.
"Yes, Hiei, we can't all be gifted with your impressive speed," Kurama retorted, allowing a slight smile to curve his lips.
"Yukina is waiting for her. She will be safe while we're gone."
Kurama nodded and carried his mother into the temple. Yukina led him into a warm room and waited beside the small bed as he lay her down. He caressed his fingers over his mother's cheek for a brief moment.
Mother, I will save you. I will.
He kissed her forehead and passed a grateful smile Yukina's way before heading back outside. Hiei looked up at him, arms crossed over his chest. Kurama stopped beside him, hands clenched into fists at his hips.
"I don't suppose Koenma could lend a gate, do you?"
"Don't be a fool, Kurama."
Hiei reached up and removed the headband covering his jagan. The eye opened and glowed darkly as it fixed on the area in front of him. Kurama watched, stunned, as the area darkened, forming a doorway.
"How did you do that?"
"Do you really expect an answer?" Hiei asked as he wrapped the ward over his jagan.
"Good point."
Hiei stepped into the darkness followed by Kurama. The darkness gradually faded to reveal a thick forest around them. Kurama frowned, trying to figure out where they were. He had been gone much too long, it seemed.
Suddenly a disturbance in the trees caught his attention. He stiffened, feeling Hiei go on the alert beside him. Something moved to his right but, as he was turning, another movement came from his left.
"We're surrounded, it seems," Kurama whispered.
"They had best hope there's enough of them to save some of their miserable lives," Hiei said as he casually drew his sword.
A wave of green dropped down form the tree tops, raining down on them. Kurama caught Hiei's arm and jerked him back several steps. The green wave, which Hiei saw now were actually golf ball sized bugs, rose up on the ground in front of them.
"Be careful, Hiei. Those are flesh eaters," Kurama warned.
"Flesh eaters. Your whip isn't going to be of much use here."
"Neither is your sword."
"Hn."
Hiei sheathed his sword slowly, not wanting to set the bugs off on a flesh eating rampage. The bugs continued to hover in front of them as the two demons warily watched them. Kurama glanced sideways at Hiei.
"What are they waiting for?" Hiei asked.
"Just keep still. Maybe they will think we're trees."
"I can see that happening."
"They may be vicious, but they are not intelligent. They are blind, if you haven't noticed, and only detect movement."
"So we just stand here and wait for them to fly away? Do you know how long that could take?"
"Would you rather be eaten alive?" was all Kurama replied.
Hiei's hands clenched into fists as he glared darkly at the bugs. It was ridiculous being held up by insects. Insects!
Something slammed into Hiei and Kurama and knocked them off their feet. Water covered the insects, drowning them until none remained in the air. Kurama pushed himself up on his hands and knees but froze when a blade touched the back of his neck.
"Stay down," a low voice growled.
Kurama's fingers dug into the soft grass. He felt Hiei shift beside him and glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Hiei lay on his back with a sword pressed against his throat. Hiei met his gaze for a second before quickly looking away.
"What do we have here? A human and a fire demon? You know that you are trespassing on Riago territory."
Riago, huh? Kurama nearly laughed at the idiot. The Riago clan of thieves had on more than one occasion attempted to kill him. Unfortunately for them, Youko Kurama was more than they could handle.
Kurama forced energy into the ground and was rewarded with several pain-filled gasps from behind him. The blade fell away from his neck. Kurama pushed to his feet and turned. The six thieves that had pressed them to the ground lay dead, impaled by hundreds of grass blades.
"Clever. Friends of yours, Kurama?" Hiei asked.
"You could say that. At least they got rid of the flesh eaters for us."
"Yes, it was good that they came along," Hiei said and turned.
"Their deaths weren't in vain," he added and started forward through the dense forest.