Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Ties That Bind ❯ A Strange Fog ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 1
A Strange Fog

A flash of red darts down the steps of the old temple. Followed by a black blur. Kurama laughs in victory as he reaches the bottom of the steps only a moment before the fire demon chasing him. Hiei crosses his arms and glares angrily at the fox. Normally the little fire demon would have no trouble defeating his partner in a foot race, but it was difficult to run with creeper vines binding him.

"You cheated fox!" Laughing emerald eyes mock him.

"Now Hiei you can't blame me for your innattention. I told you I let loose some creeper vines in the garden."

"Hn." He crossed his arms in a complete pout. Stupid fox was the one that wanted to go to that stupid party for the stupid oaf's birthday. It was also the stupid fox's idea to have a foot race down the stupid steps. There was also the fact that it was the stupid fox's, stupid vines that made him loose in the first place.

"Stupid fox."

That damned fox just laughs at him.

"Alright Hiei, I'll make it up to you. How about you come stay with me for the night? I'll make dinner and we can have ice cream for dessert." There is a glint in those green eyes that Hiei doesn't trust, not in the slightest. But Kurama knew just how to get to him, he always had.

"Sweet snow?" He asked tentatively. The fox nods enthusiastically. "The white kind with the stuff in it?" ((cookie dough, lol)) Another nod. Hiei's eyes narrow. "No more tricks?" All Hiei gets is a sheepish grin. "Forget it Fox!"

Kurama sighs and throws his hands up in defeat. "Alright Hiei, you win, no more tricks." Hiei 'Hn's' and follows Kurama through the trail that leads back to the street. About half a mile later the air starts to get thick, like a fog only closer to smoke. They both start to cough horribly. Kurama can hear his plants screaming in pain.

Kurama clutches his head... he feels like poison is seeping into his lungs. His chest hurts and burns, his breathing stifled, the last cries of the forest around him echoing in his ears, amplifying the pain, he looks around but all he sees is green, the green cloud. He can't even see the source of the voice that breaks through to him, even though it sounds so close.

"You said no more tricks fox!" Hiei covers his mouth with his cloak and tries to blink the fog out of his eyes.

"This... isn't... me... got to... get... out..." He pitches forward, succumbing to the effects of the weird gas, Hiei catches him before he hits the ground. He begins looking around desperately for a way out. The trees! He coveres them both in his cloak and takes to a tall pine nearby climbing as fast as he can. But it is only a moment before he feels the branches give, the stout old tree withering. They hit the ground. Hiei is too dizzy to brace them, too dizzy to walk, and in a moment, he too falls victim to the strange fog.

***
Kuwabara's head snaps up. He'd been busy being pummeled by Shizuru when they both suddenly stopped and looked toward the entrance of the temple. They both feel some strange kind of energy, demon energy, but weird. Kurama and Hiei had left a little while ago, but they seemed to be fine except for the few angry curses they had heard Hiei let loose just outside the door. The fire demon just wasn't very sociable and Kurama had pushed him out of the temple with a few goodbyes and apologies before any trouble started.

The others in the room finally notice that the siblings had stopped fighting. Yusuke steps forward, looking down the steps as far as he can.

"Demons. But what's that weird feeling with um?" He looked to Kuwabara.

"Dunno." That's when Genkai growled and smacked both of them.

"What are you waiting for dimwits!? There are demons out there killing off my forest! That's the other feel, the forest is dying! Kurama wouldn't just let that happen!" She hissed back, not bothering to stop running down the steps; the others now hot on her heels. They run as fast as they can but Kurama and Hiei's energies disappear before they even make it halfway down. They run faster.

When they reach the bottom of the steps the destruction comes into view. About a mile square of the forest looks like it has been melted away. A greenish funk hanging in the air, dispersing. They walk forward slowly, carefully guarding themselves. The rotting plant life smells horrid, and the green funk mases them dizzy, but they have to help their friends.

It is a half mile later that they come upon the only evidence of their friends. A few, very large footprints and a pile of stuff at the base of what might have been a large pine earlier this morning. At the base is a black cloak, a katana, a pile of seeds and leaves, and a very vibrant red rose sitting on top... withering.

Yusuke opens and closes his mouth a few times, almost unable to comprehend what it all means. He looks at Genkai, praying she has an answer that didn't include his dark thoughts. He picks up the rose and offers it to her, asking her for another alternative. Please Don't let them be... He can't finish the thought. But to no avail, Keiko sobbs, Yukina gasps, Botan squeals, Shizuru just looks on in shock and Kuwabara... damn him... Kuwabara refuses to look him in the eye. But it was Genkai's words that strike home, an oddly soft tone for the old psychic.

"Kurama's rose and Hiei's sword. Their weapons, looks like they didn't get a chance to use them." She looked to the green haze. "Some kind of plant killer, an herbalcide, they were after Kurama. Must have knocked them out before they could find their attackers." Yusuke feels a surge of white hot anger run through him, damn cowards hadn't even given them time to fight back. But before he can scream out his fury, Genkai speaks again.

"Botan get to spirit world and alert Koenma. We need to get as many leads as we can. Time is everything in a rescue operation." Yusuke's head snaps up. Everyone looks at her a little dumbly. She seems to understand them.

"Do you see any dead bodies dimwits? They aren't dead, at least not confirmed anyway, they are likely abducted. Now get off your sorry asses so we can find them! Start prowling the area for clues! Botan what the hell are you waiting for!? They obviously opened a portal, we can track that! Dimwit go alert Yomi and Mukuro! They can help search..." Botan pulls out her oar and flies off in a hurry, everyone else breaks off into teams, scouting the area. Yusuke sprints toward the nearest legal portal, one that conveniently leads to a mile away from Alaric. Their friends are in danger, and that just isn't allowed.

Yusuke had thought it was stupid when Enki allowed the three Lord's to remain in power with him as a sort of president... even if it had been Kurama's idea. He had to admit that the system was working well since it worked with the old one. Now he secretly thanks it. Having allies with vast armies at their command... armies that could help search for the two missing demons he had come to call family... Maybe the system isn't so bad.

He hops through and keeps running without even breaking his stride. Surely they would help... Hiei is Mukuro's heir after all and Kurama, well he always suspected Yomi had a crush on the fox spirit. But that aside, Kurama still acts as Yomi's lead adviser. That, combined with his own army at Tourin... they would find Hiei and Kurama quickly...

Right?

***
Botan bursts through the doors to Koenma's office at a run, only to find the teen already giving orders to the furiously scrambling ogres. She slams her hands on his desk to get his attention, his eyes snap to her at once.

"Lord Koenma..." he cuts her off.

"I already know Botan, I was just checking in to see how the festivities were going... and trying to decide whether I wanted to go or not... when that poisonous cloud descended! I am already tracking that illegal portal and..." He stops, looking at her carefully before pulling some plant goo off her shoulder and swiping it on a piece of paper, then he shoves it at Gorge. "I want the analyzed! That stuff was summoned with demon energy! We need to know who we are dealing with."

George scrambles out quickly. "Right away Koenma sir!"

"Oh Lord Koenma is there anything I can do!?" Botan claspes her hands in front of her, tears brimming in her eyes.

Koenma sighs and turns away from her, nearly tripping on his much larger feet, he was still getting used to holding this form on a more permanent basis. After all, even though he had overthrown his father for letting demons run amok in the human world, who was going to listen to a toddler? Pfft, no one. "Well Botan the only thing I can think of is to alert the other ferry girls."

Botan looks at him, rather confused. "But why sir?"

He sighed again, refusing to look her in the face. "Because, even though I have their papers flagged to come across me desk early, if we catch the departing soul early we might be able to spare the death."

Botan gaspes. "But!"

"No buts Botan. We have to be prepared for all contingencies. We don't know what their captors want or where they are, therefore we need to act to prevent casualties. Do you understand?"

She draws herself up proudly. "Yes sir!" Then promply walks out to alert the others.

Koenma sighs and sinks into his chair. Please be ok, the team, the Makai, and several families just won't be the same without you two. I hate to think of the disturbance this could cause.

***
A small glow of moonlight in an otherwise pitch black clearing. A dark figure looms over red hair and pale skin, a claw running down the creamy cheek. So soft, so human, press too hard and it will bleed, bleed as red as that hair that should be silver. No matter though, he knows what this demon should look like. A gruff voice from a little ways away... "I can't believe it was so easy to capture the legendary bandit, you sure that's him?"

The long finger attached to the claw stops, and replies in a silk voice. "Yes, though the little one was unexpected. No matter we'll just sell them both."

The gruff voice sounds a bit perplexed. "Sell? I thought you wanted revenge."

There is a laugh, a very cold laugh. "Yes, they are one in the same. You see, if we keep them, we are bound to be killed, however... there are places, dark places here in the deeper levels of Makai that we demons slowly torture and kill our own, leaving the victims with an honor less death."

The other finally understands. "You mean the games? Aren't they too strong for that? Break out as soon as they wake up they will!"

Again the cold laugh. "Simple minded fool, what do you think we took the trouble to acquire the power limiters for? One prick under the skin and they will be more than challenged by those weaker fools. Though now we cannot avoid a mistake in placing them, now I am glad I have a back up, we can use is on his friend."

The gruff voice finally laughs too. "That's why I like working with you! Always on top of these things! But I got another question. Um... I mean I used my energy to create that stuff... won't they be able to uh... track it?"

A sadistic grin spreads in pale moonlight, the long clawed fingers curling around a green neck. "Yes, and that is why you are no longer necesary." A swift movement, and a crack splits the quiet night, the gruff voice forever silenced. The clawed fingers move back to the unconscious red head, running through crimson locks. "Now that the fool is out of the way, we can cripple you power and send you off. I'll collect my money and everything will be as it should have. But we must hurry... yes... the games traders will be here soon..."

Cold laughter fills the dark clearing.
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Well thanks for reading. Don't worry, this is just the first chapter of a longer fic planned. I would appreciate some feedback on this. It's really the first one that I've published. I'll try to get the second chapter up quickly.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho nor any of its characters. They belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot and original characters of this fic, are however, mine.