"The base has been discovered, and just as we suspected, it's right here in the human world. It's only about an hour's run from here, right under our noses the whole time..."
"Figures," Yusuke groaned.
"Well, anyway, we've made up this map for you to follow," she said, handing it to Yusuke for them to look over. "It's concealed very well in an underground chasm, and I'm advising you strongly not to try and get in through the main entrance, it would nearly surely be suicide. Instead, we've discovered another way in, but since it's located in the middle of the swamp, I'm afraid you're going to have to get a bit dirty."
"Who cares about dirt!" Kuwabara said. "What do we have to do?"
"The spy we sent two days ago almost got himself killed to find it out, but there's a weakness in the north wall where a large rock formation juts into it. You'll need to break through the outside walls, which will hopefully flood the lower levels of the complex and make your job a lot easier."
Botan pulled some papers out of a folder she had brought with her and looked them over before continuing.
"Unfortunately we've found almost no information about the mastermind behind this operation, so I can't give you a name. Rumors have it though, that he and his top level assistants are almost indistinguishable from humans."
Kurama then recalled the man that had spoken to him in his prison cell when he had been captured.
"I've seen him..." he said.
"Did you get a good look at him?" Botan asked.
"Trust me, it is a face I'll never forget," he said, recalling the haunting white eyes that stared down at him while he lied broken and bleeding on the cold cell floor.
"Kurama is the one who will know who you're looking for then," she said. "Your mission is to cause as much damage as possible, kill or capture the ringleader and any others in a position of authority, and most of all... please make it out alive."
"Well that sounds simple enough," Yusuke said confidently. "Run in, wreak havoc and bail, right up my alley!"
"Yusuke, this is very dangerous," Botan urged. "We're not exactly sure what you'll be facing when you get there, our knowledge is still limited."
"Don't worry, I'll be there to get Urameshi out of any jams he lands in." Kuwabara said.
"Yeah, but who'll be there to save your ass?" Yusuke teased, grinning deviously at his friend.
Kurama and Hiei had both remained silent during their briefing, calculating everything in their minds.
"I am not looking forward to going back to any place where those cold eyes are," Kurama said. The helplessness and pain he had suffered last time had been almost unbearable. He feared that he would end up in a similar situation, completely unable to defend himself. At least, this time, he knew what to expect.
Hiei stared at the redhead and then looked angrily down into his lap. He could not erase the vision of Kurama lying bound and covered in his own blood on the floor of the prison cell, his proud demeanor torn to shreds and left meaning less than nothing to his captors. On top of it all though, was the guilt of knowing it had been his fault. Kurama was merely bait, it had all been to lead him there and make him their slave. He clenched his fists until they shook, swearing he would never let anyone hurt his Youko again, and the only thing on his mind as they left that morning was revenge.
When they reached the designated location, there were no visible signs of any base, only the huge swamp Botan had mentioned. The foursome moved with stealth and speed, lurking in shadows, hiding their spirit energy as much as possible. Yusuke and Kuwabara's playful foolishness had been replaced with complete seriousness, there was no room for mistakes. They searched the terrain carefully until the marker designating the main entrance was finally spotted.
"Ok, Botan's instructions said the weak spot in the wall in due north and twelve meters east of the front door," Yusuke whispered.
"Who's gonna dive down and find it?" Kuwabara said.
"I will," Hiei announced, standing. "I don't care if we're a team or not, this is my fight..."
"Hiei, don't start getting all noble right now, we're going in together and leaving together, got it?" Yusuke said.
The Jaganshi glared at him before removing his tunic and leaving his katana safely with Kurama. He sped through the tall grass and tangled weeds until he was sure he was in the right position. Taking a deep breath, he dove down into the thick, murky water. Unable to see, he used his Jagan to guide him until he was able to find the underwater rock formation and sense the flaw in the wall.
Above the water, the other three boys waited patiently for something to happen.
"He's been under there for like, two minutes..." Kuwabara said, sounding worried. "You don't think he drowned, do you?"
"He's fine," Yusuke said.
"Yusuke is correct," Kurama added. "We would have sensed it if he had died." He was very thankful that they had sensed no such thing.
Suddenly, the water at the top of the swamp began to bubble and then the surface broke out into a violent whirlpool. A soaked, muddy Hiei sprung quickly up from the swamp and landed in a tree branch looming over his companions. The water level slowly fell, being sucked down below.
"You did it!" Yusuke yelled, getting to his feet.
"Water is pouring into the lowest chambers, half the demons inside will be dead before we even get there," Hiei said with much satisfaction. He dropped from the tree and placed his katana back in its hilt.
They waited until the water level had stopped falling, and when they looked down into the half empty swamp, the hole Hiei had blasted in the wall was visible. The base itself was a huge pyramid, the point sticking of ominously above the top of the water. They leapt down into the water and swam inside. In the hall of the flooded chamber, the water was up to their knees (Hiei's waist) and there was commotion in every direction. A group of demon guards ran towards them, and the four boys attacked swiftly, killing most instantly, and Yusuke grabbed the last remaining, pressing him up roughly against the hard wall.
"Ok, tell us where the hell your boss is and just maybe I'll let you live," he commanded.
The demon, lowly scum who cared about nothing but furthering his own life, betrayed his commander without hesitation with faced with the fury in Yusuke's eyes.
"Top level!" he shouted, "At the tip of the pyramid!"
"Thanks," Yusuke said, punching the demon out and dropping him in the water, leaving him to drown.
"An underwater pyramid is kinda weird if you ask me," Kuwabara said as they ran off.
"But all we've gotta do is head straight up," Yusuke said. The hurried until they reached an intersection at the center of the half flooded floor.
"Separate and fight your way up," Yusuke instructed. "We'll meet again at the top."
The other three nodded and they all headed in different directions, their main objective to kill everything in sight until they reached the uppermost level. Although at least a third of the occupants had been drowned, the base was still heavily patrolled. As they made their way up, each boy had to avoid paralyzing darts and rapid machine gun fire, while working their way through the maze of rooms and hallways. Five floors up from the one they had started on, Kurama suddenly heard an explosion around the corner to his right. He sprinted around the bend to find Hiei looking dazed, getting up from the floor, fire blazing in his immediate vicinity. The Jaganshi was coughing heavily and having difficulty seeing through the thick smoke. Kurama took a starting step and leapt directly through, snatching Hiei around the waist with his rose whip on the way by.
"Fancy meeting you here," he said when they had cleared the flames and ran around the next corner.
"You didn't really need to do that," Hiei said.
"How did you end up lighting yourself on fire, anyway? Or was it merely for fun?" Kurama joked, cocking his head to the side.
"I fired an energy blast at a group of guards that happened to be standing at the door of a roomful of flammable chemicals," he said, dusting soot from his already dirty tunic.
"Shall we go the rest of the way together, then?" Kurama suggested.
"We're nearly at the top, anyway," he said.
"Judging by the decreasing area of each floor and the angle of the walls I'd say you're right," the redhead said. "About three floors left?" he calculated.
"Hn, let's go." Hiei unsheathed his sword and then ran ahead, going up as soon as they found the next stair case.
They found more opposition on each floor, the guards were faster, stronger, trained to protect the top level at any cost. When Hiei and Kurama finally reached the tip of the pyramid, they found Yusuke and Kuwabara had just arrived ahead of them. Before the four was a huge door which Kuwabara was pounding on, trying to break it down but not succeeding.
"I can't make this thing budge!" he yelled. "There's some kind of energy field around it."
"If one can't bust it open maybe four can," Yusuke said, clenching his fist. "All together then!"
The four allies stood side by side, focusing their strongest attacks on the center of the door. The force field protecting it started to fluctuate, and the heavy metal buckled, flying suddenly open. Inside was an eerie calm, everything was dark. They stepped inside cautiously, trying to gain a sense of what was around them. A light suddenly flashed on in the center of the room, and there stood a lonely figure. A middle aged man, dressed in a dark suit and sunglasses smiled at them. He looked so confident, and almost seemed happy that they had finally arrived. He slowly removed the sunglasses, revealing the dead, white eyes underneath.
"That's gotta be him..." Yusuke said under his breath. They all tensed, waiting for some kind of attack, but none came.
"So, you're here at last," he said, a falsely kind smile on his face.
"What do you mean at last!?" Kuwabara shouted.
"Give it up, whoever you are, all your demons are dead. Your stupid organization is over," Yusuke said at the top of his voice towards the figure.
He laughed, long and deep.
"I'm afraid not," he said. "I only wanted to add Hiei to my collection, you know. You others are just in the way." He took a few steps towards them, further into the light so they could see his eerie face. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei, what a splendid team you four make. Tsumetai was merely a test, of course, I wanted to see which of you would be the most use to me, and Hiei was the perfect choice. The blind rage he displayed during the battle on the mountain top was just what I was looking for."
"Who the hell are you!?" Yusuke demanded. "And how do you know so much about us!?"
"I have my ways..." he chuckled. Another figure then appeared from the dark, an aging face with a gaping eye socket was revealed. The four boys were shocked by what they saw before them.
"The old man from the cabin..." Kurama gasped.
"But I thought you were on our side!" Kuwabara exclaimed.
The decrepit figure smile, showing a toothless grin.
"Any loyalty can be changed," the old traitor said, "for the right price..."
Hiei stepped ahead of his three companions, his sword drawn, facing directly towards the suited figure's throat.
"Why did you pick me, anyway?" He growled.
"Because," the man said, smiling. "I like you, Hiei. I like the way you think, and it was just so easy to lure you to me." He stared down, his white eyes fixed on the demon before him. His voice changed then, to a whisper, it was so soft and calm that it sounded nearly seductive. "Did it break your spirit to see your precious Youko lying pathetically in my jail cell like that? To see him have to beg for help... unable to even move?"
The fire demon's teeth clenched, he bared his fangs. The figure disgusted him, the only thought forming in his mind was to kill.
"It hurt you, didn't it...? It hurt so badly to see everything you loved and admired about him stripped away like that, didn't it, little demon?"
Kurama's mouth was agape, he wanted to step forward and do something to stop this, but he was glued to the spot. The three of them watched at Hiei's rage increased. Every inch of his body was shaking with anger. Yusuke and Kuwabara were terrified to even approach him.
Hiei breathed deeply, never had he felt such passionate fury. How dare he talk about Kurama about that, how dare he make his Kurama seem so worthless....
"I'm afraid it was not meant to be, though," the dark man said, breaking the silence.
"As we speak," he said ominously, "the entire base is filling with toxic fumes to crush your lungs and consume all of you. So sorry, really. I, of course, am immune, so when this is all over I can just start from scratch, without any pesky spirit detectives to get in my way."
Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama looked down, startled, to see a thick yellow smoke rising up around their ankles. Suddenly, a huge set of metal doors began to close in front of the entrance they had blasted down. The doors moved together slowly, getting ready to seal and trap them.
"If we stay here to kill this guy now we're toast," Yusuke said.
They turned and started making their way towards the door to escape the empty base as quickly as possible before the fumes could overtake them. Just as Kurama was about to step though the door, though, he saw that Hiei was still standing resolute in the same position, staring up at the tall figure.
He went back and placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder.
"Please, we must leave, the doors are closing," he pleaded.
"Kurama, Hiei, come on!" Yusuke shouted. "The smoke is rising!"
"Hiei!" he tugged on his arm forcefully but the Jaganshi would not budge. The doors were glowing closer and closer together, there were only seconds left to escape.
"Kurama! Just pick him up and drag him!" Yusuke shouted.
Kurama went to wrap his arms around the demon's waist, but was shrugged off and knocked to the floor. Hiei's eyes were burning with hatred. He moved directly forward, ready to attack.
"Hiei!" Kurama got to his feet and grabbed at him again. "There's no time, we have to go!" He tried to pull Hiei up over his shoulder, but he would not be taken.
"Kurama, get out of there!" Yusuke said. He and Kuwabara rushed through the doors back into the dark room, only a few feet of space left. The toxins were rising rapidly, up past their knees by now and flooding out into the hallway.
Hiei still walked towards the figure in the center of the light. Yusuke and Kuwabara grabbed the frantic Kurama by the arms and began pulling him for the door.
"Stop, let me go!" Kurama yelled, trying to knock them off and get back to his Jaganshi.
"He's not budging, Kurama, we've gotta get out of here!" Yusuke demanded. They dragged a struggling Youko to the door, leaving Hiei standing ready for the kill.
"No! You can't leave him here!" Kurama screamed. "Hiei! HIEI!"
"Master," the one eyed old man said in his raspy voice. "There is a way out, right?"
"I'm afraid you go down with the ship..." he replied. "You've been a loyal servant though."
"HIEI! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!" Yusuke screamed, Kurama still struggling with all his might to get back through the door.
"Come on, shrimp, you're not gonna make it!" Kuwabara shouted.
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE HIM, LET ME GO!" It was all they could do to pull Kurama from the door.
"You..." Hiei finally spoke. All was quiet. Kurama stared in complete anguish through the mere inches left between the two doors.
The tip of his blade was against the figure's chest. His fury had not faded, he trembled with the strongest emotion he had felt in his life.
"You have hurt my lover..." he hissed. "The one most dear to me... The pain you caused him is unforgivable... AND I WILL NOT LET YOU LIVE!"
Hiei leaping up and slashing his katana was the last thing Kurama saw as the doors slammed shut, sealing them out.
"HIEI!" he screamed, breaking from Yusuke and Kuwabara's grasp and pounding at the doors. He gone completely out of his mind, he slammed against the thick metal with all his strength, doing anything he could to get back in.
"KURAMA!" Yusuke yelled at the top of his lungs. "We've got to leave right now or all of us are going to die!"
The yellow fumes were up past their waists, and Yusuke feared they would not be able to reach the exit in time. Kurama had to be completely dragged away, his green eyes overflowing with tears. He injured both Yusuke and Kuwabara quite badly trying to escape, but they did not let go. They ran as fast as possible down the pyramid. The smoke started to fill their lungs the lower they went. Coughing, feeling faint, they finally reached the exit and hauled Kurama through the water to the edge of the swamp to safety.
The fox went limp in their arms when they had reached land. He stared blankly down into the swamp, unable to process what he had just seen.
"Urameshi..." Kuwabara said. "Is he really...?"
Yusuke bit his lip and had to hold back a tear leaking from his eye.
"I don't know..."
They waited for excruciatingly long minutes at the edge of the swamp. Kurama had broken down into violent sobs. Yusuke and Kuwabara watched and listened, trying desperately to feel any sign of Hiei's spirit energy.
"I don't sense anything..." Kuwabara said softly. Though the demon had never been very fond of the auburn haired boy, the thought of his team mate lying dead was devastating.
"I can't believe this..." Yusuke whispered, straining every ounce of his being to reach out and find the tiniest glimmer of Hiei's spirit still alive. "This can't be happening!" he yelled, his voice echoing off the bare sides of the pyramid.
Kurama suddenly bolted up, his tear filled eyes opened wide.
"He's there... I can feel him!"
Yusuke placed his hand sadly on Kurama's shoulder.
"Kurama, there's nothing..."
The redhead turned and stared back at Yusuke.
"You have never felt the closeness to him that I do... he is alive."
Kurama bolted away towards the other side of the swamp, the two boys following quickly after him. He reached out with his mind, trying to pinpoint Hiei's location, and then, rounding a clump of gnarled trees, he saw a small body lying at the edge of the swamp.
He swooped down and took the Jaganshi in his arms. He was barely breathing, choking each time he tried to inhale.
"Stay calm," he whispered. "Breathe slowly..." Kurama held Hiei tightly against his body, using all the power he had him to heal and bring life's breath back to his precious fire demon. Yusuke and Kuwabara stood over them, watching, praying their partner would be able to hang on to life. Hiei began to cough fiercely, his body trying to expel the toxins from his lungs. After a few minutes of wheezing and ragged breaths, he was finally able to get the air he needed.
"It's over..." he said, his voice still raspy from the irritation. "Calypso is dead... nothing but a lifeless pile of body parts.
"Hiei..." Kurama wept, holding the demon's head against his heart. He did not ask why he had done such a foolish thing, for it would be a pointless question. Hiei only did what he thought he had to, and if he felt avenging Kurama was something he had to do, there was no convincing him otherwise.
Though he had nearly lost is life, the internal battle that had been raging inside him had finally come to an end. Kurama had captured his heart for all eternity, and he would never leave his side again, making sure he lived each day proving his love to the Youko he adored.
****
As it turned out, Hiei had managed to break through the doors that had sealed his would-be tomb and escape out the main entrance of the pyramid. It was truly a miracle that he had survived, any lesser demon would have surely perished.
Only one problem still faced him. His love was pure, it was burning him up inside, but he still had to find a way to tell that to Kurama. He needed it to be official, that they would be one for all eternity. He struggled with it for weeks, trying to simply go up to the fox and say the simple words that were constantly on the tip of his tongue. Each time, though, he lost his nerve, and left without making his final confession.
Kurama knew that Hiei would never be happy as the submissive partner in their relationship, and did not want to try and control him anyway. He had taught him all that he could, the fox wanted him to be the aggressor, Hiei just had to find a way to show him he was actually able to make a first move.
Then one day, he decided he only had one option left. He needed help.
In her bedroom, Kyo had just returned home from school, and was pulling her uniform off to change into some more comfortable clothes for the rest of the day. In only her underwear, she walked towards the dresser to find and outfit. Just as she was opening the drawer through, she looked up and let out a scream, finding the dark haired demon perched in her open window. She tore the blankets from her bed to cover herself.
"What are you doing here!?" she cried.
He stepped gracefully into the room, apparently unaware that he had done anything offensive.
"I need your help," he said, embarrassed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Kyo forgot the fact that she was close to naked and sat down beside him. He had really come to her, after all the pushing away he had done?
"What's the matter?" she asked, although she was sure it had to do with Kurama.
"I can't do it..." he said softly. "I can't find a way to tell him... To tell him..."
"To tell him you love him?" she finished. Hiei nodded, almost unable to believe what he had resorted to. He was actually going to this human girl for help confessing his love. But then, Kyo remembered what she had told Kurama weeks before.
"A rose, you need to give Kurama a rose."
Hiei looked up at her, staring with his crimson eyes. He thought back to the rose Kurama had given him in the arboretum and how happy something like a simple flower had made him. And most of all, Kurama adored roses above all other plants.
He nodded, sprung up to the windowsill and glanced back at her.
"Thank you."
He was gone in a flash, and Kyo called out the window after him.
"Wait, Hiei! You're going to need money!" she yelled. She waited for an answer, but the Jaganshi was already long gone.
"Great..." she sighed. "He doesn't know that there are no wild roses in bloom anymore, summer is over..."
Late that night, the moon was full, and Hiei waited in the shadows, his eyes glowing brightly. He sat under a huge tree in a heavily wooded area, away from all humans, all disturbances, tonight was finally the end of his hiding.
"Why have you asked me here in the middle of the night?" he heard Kurama's voice say from the shadows. He stepped into the small clearing and the moonlight made him visible standing there on the forest floor. Hiei stood, stepping towards him and looking up at Kurama's half lit face. He was completely and utterly beautiful.
"I have a gift for you this time," he said. He reached for the stem he had tucked into his belt, and held up one, perfect, white rose. Kurama gazed at the blossom, astounded.
"Hiei... where did you get this?" he asked, knowing that all the rose bushes had fallen bare for the beginning of autumn already.
"It's a secret," the Jaganshi grinned, sliding the rose into Kurama's long locks of red hair.
"Thank you, it's beautiful," he said gratefully. "But surely you didn't bring me all the way out here just for that."
Hiei shook his head, now came the hard part.
"I also have something to say..." he started. He swallowed nervously and took a breath. All the battles he had fought, all the hardships to stay alive growing up in a world of hostile demons, none of it could compare to the difficulty of this moment.
"I..." he paused, trying to force the words out of his mouth. Three simple words, that was all he wanted to say, but no matter how hard he tried, they were trapped inside him. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He roughly grabbed the sides of Kurama's face and pressed his Jagan against the youko's forehead. They dropped to their knees, Kurama suddenly overwhelmed by all the struggle, frustration and pain Hiei had been feeling since spring rushing into his mind all at once. Every word he had never been able to say flowed between them, he bared his entire soul to Kurama and the youko's ancient mind raced, hardly able to believe the range and intensity of the passionate emotions the fire demon was capable of feeling. It was unlike everything he had ever experienced, Hiei had handed over everything he had for Kurama to do with as he pleased. He trembled, and then one final trickle of thought entered his mind from Hiei's. One sentence, the three words that meant more than anything else. Kurama at last opened his green eyes, barely able to speak.
"I love you too..." he whispered. He knew that it could not compare to what Hiei had just given him, but it seemed to be enough. He was on his back, the Jaganshi's hot tongue was probing into his mouth and they kissed so deeply Kurama was unable to breathe. Their clothes were all tossed aside into the blackness of the forest. Hiei ran his slender fingers through Kurama's hair, the boy was shaking with so much excitement he appeared to be shivering. They pressed together, and Hiei made love to him with only the ferocity and passion a demon could give. Kurama never cried out as Hiei pounded into his body, and suddenly every tree and flower and tiny plant in the forest shuttered wildly, every single seed exploding from its casing for miles around. All life sprouting from the earth around them shared in surge that passed through Kurama. His eyes were still open wide, their gazes had never left each other. As Hiei stared down into his beloved fox's deep pools of green, he finally managed to say the words he had been holding inside himself.
"I love you..."
Their lips locked and they tasted each other again. They had shared all that they were that night, and as the two held each other with only the moon and stars and forest to witness their act of love, the last rose of summer lay forgotten on the ground...
****
'And that sir, is how it all happened.'
'When you told me Hiei was planning to live in the human world, I didn't believe it for a second!'
'So do you believe me now?'
'After a story like that, I'd believe you if you said your grandmother was a moose. That was wonderful!'
'Why, thank you, sir, I'm not sure what to say.'
'Say you'll tell me a bed time story every night from now on.'
'Well...'
'SAY IT!'
'Oh, look at the time! I have dead people to lead to their resting place for all eternity, see you later!'
'Wait! Get off that oar and tell me the one about the three little pigs!'
'Byyee!'
****
The End ^_~