Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is a copyright of Yoshihiro Togashi / Shue Isha Fuji TV, & Studio Pierrot. Original characters from this story are of my creation.
CipherChapter 1. Paradeisos
Daylight is the prelude to darkness, and darkness signals the commencement of anarchy.
*My* anarchy.
He dashed along the lush green grass, tail brushing against his calves, ears twitching unconsciously with the rush of adrenaline. The full moon never failed to fill his heart with anticipation—of riches, of blood, of all the possibilities within his grasp. He reveled in the nighttime of Makai, for he was a predator who enjoyed chasing down his prey.
"Kurama!"
He slowed his speed slightly but maintained a steady pace as he turned to the voice calling him. A familiar figure emerged from the shadows, spreading his raven wings, and began to glide by his side. The clash of snow-white clothing worn by one against the midnight black worn by the other created a striking scene.
"Kuronue. How goes the hunt tonight?" He addressed his partner by way of greeting.
"Same old, same old." The raven replied. "A few trinkets here and there, enough to get us by—quite well, in fact."
Kurama said nothing, nimbly clearing a fallen log as the two youkais arrived closer to their destination. They performed the same routine every night, Kuronue off in his "entrepreneurial" ventures while he sought his own. They would then combine forces to obtain the most valuable item targeted for that particular raid, sharing their spoils with each other afterwards. Their nightly activities were rarely uneventful, and what they have given in blood, sweat, and sheer merciless will, they have received twofold in return. The names Kurama and Kuronue echoed throughout Makai, at times in hushed whispers, at others in furious bellows, but never lacking a certain sense of awe, and perhaps more significantly, of fear.
And yet, Kurama was restless. He believed himself to be destined for more. He wanted to hear his name uttered with dread amongst the warring leaders of Makai, for he longed to be one of them. Raizen had beckoned to him and he was considering his offer, though he was not satisfied in being subservient to him. For now, he had set his sights on stealing the most precious thing he and his partner could possibly think of, so as to establish a name for himself.
Beside him, Kuronue folded his wings and touched the ground, ending his train of thought.
"We're here."
A well-secured fort stood before them, sharpened picket fences ominously voicing its distaste for trespassers. Youkai guards stood alert at the gate with spears in their paws. To the casual eye, attempting to take anything from the hut without permission would be an extremely difficult task, to say the least.
Such precaution did not apply to the Makai thief and his partner as they scaled the high walls in absolute silence, stealthily making their way through the courtyard. At the sight of the two guards in front of the main cabin, Kurama produced a rose from his hair and transformed it into his rose whip. With a crisp crackle, the heads of the unsuspicious guards tumbled, severed, onto the wooden planks. Unfortunately for the kitsune, he was spotted by a guard who happened to be approaching the cabin. Giving a yelp of surprise, the youkai immediately signaled for help.
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!!"
The night instantly became animated as hurried footsteps filled the chilly air, accentuated by the metallic clanks of spears and other weapons. Kuronue sighed.
"So much for stealth, eh Kurama?"
The silver-haired kitsune demon crackled his whip in annoyance.
It's going to be a long night.
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I hope the night lasts forever.
She sat on her oar with practiced balance as her lithe form soared in the starlit sky, cerulean hair and pink kimono sleeves flapping in unison. She loved flying by night, especially over Ningenkai, where the houses created their own stars with their candlelight, the human world alit in a soft glow while she fondly surveyed the picturesque scenery from high above. She was alone but she didn't mind. The stars always kept her company.
Botan had ferried quite a few souls tonight. With limited medical technology, Ningenkai suffered a decrease in population daily. Despite the sadness she felt every time she ferried a soul, Botan had to admit that she enjoyed her duties. She was given a fair amount of freedom and she liked the challenge in her job. Being a guide for souls crossing over held a sense of responsibility and usefulness that she often had trouble acknowledging in herself. Besides, ferry girls were allowed to fly, and what was more exhilarating than speeding through the sky with nothing but the clouds and the birds around you, doing all sorts of maneuvers that no living human would have thought possible? Yes, she definitely loved her job.
She loved Reikai too. She had many friends there and it had been her home for centuries. She could not imagine leaving it and settling in another place, not even in Ningenkai. And yes, she even loved her boss, the at times insufferable Koenma-sama. She found him adorable in toddler form and even more adorable when he shifted into a teenager. Even though he constantly berated her for her bumbling nature, she realized that he cared for her as more than a mere ferry girl, and she had always been grateful for his concern. She was glad to be a close assistant to the Prince of Reikai. It was much more pleasurable than being an assistant to Enma-Daioh himself.
With that positive image in her mind she set foot in the Reikai palace. As if on cue, a voice thundered through the stately halls, echoing with barely concealed impatience.
"BOTAN? WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU AND WHY AREN'T YOU HERE YET??"
Well, maybe I shouldn't have been *that* positive.
She quickly de-materialized her oar and rushed down the main hallway, light blue ponytail bouncing up and down behind her.
"Coming, Koenma-sama!!"
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"What took you so long?"
Kurama glanced at his companion and continued to walk past him deeper into his lair. He was unable to return to his home until now and his body was a bit fatigued from the night's excursion.
"I was the one who had the jade, remember? They sent quite a few youkais after me." He told Kuronue. The two had managed to obtain their intended target and had decided to split up during their escape. Kuronue, being the one empty-handed, was hounded by a much smaller group of angry youkai. Skilled as he was, a good few hours passed by before Kurama could evade all of his attackers. He threw the large piece of gleaming jade on the table.
"Good hunting tonight."
The two partners in crime looked at each other and smiled very malevolent smiles.
Kurama strode to the stone washbasin and undressed himself. Lifting the basin, he proceeded to pour water down his entire body to wash away the sweat and grime. He sighed with pleasure as he felt the cool water trickle down his skin.
Kuronue's voice rang from another part of the cave. "I found a new target."
He dumped another basin of water down his body again, shaking his head in feline fashion to rid his hair and protruding fox ears of excess water. He looked toward the sound of his partner's voice.
"What is it?"
"It's one of the archaic treasures that few people ever find. In fact, it took me quite a bit of trouble to obtain any information about it at all. It's one of Reikai's most valuable items that has been lost and believed to be somewhere in Makai. It's called Sacred Tears. Legend describes it as a vial of fluid from the ancient divinity that once presided over the three realms. Upon seeing the disharmony between the realms, the divinity shed tears and vanished without a trace. The tears, gathered by worshippers, supposedly hold so much divine power in it that whoever drinks it would gain the power of the divine."
Kurama was transfixed by the raven's tale. He stood still with his white shirt slung over his shoulder, unheeding of the rivulets of water still trickling down his sculpted body, sliding left and right past his chest and down his toned abdomen. As a droplet of water dripped to the ground, he shook himself out of his fixation and reflected on the raven's words.
He had only vaguely heard of the Sacred Tears. It was so archaic that few remembered it, and much fewer knew anything about even the general location of it. The prospects of obtaining such a priceless treasure made his skin crawl, especially upon knowing the power that the vial contained. Practicality compelled him to focus on the situation at hand.
"What do we know about its location so far?" he asked.
"Only that it is around the border between Makai and Reikai. If that doesn't sound like much, it isn't. But even that little scrap of insider information took me a hell of a lot of snooping around. I sure hope the treasure is as good as legend says it is."
"Well, even that 'scrap' will contribute much in narrowing down our target." Kurama reminded his companion. It was the truth; if they had to search over all three realms they would never find the treasure. There was no doubt about it.
"That's true enough." Kuronue replied, feeling less sorry for himself. "I guess we'll go to the border tomorrow and see what we can find out about the Sacred Tears."
"Pack your belongings," Kurama stated thoughtfully. "We may be there for a while."
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"You want me to what??"
"I know, I know. I hate the idea as much as you do. But it seems to be the best plan for now." Koenma had his head in his hands. His face mirrored the agony he suffered in his mind, the forces of rationality and emotionality warring incessantly, offering him no repose and no clear solution.
"Your best 'plan' is to send a ferry girl to Makai as a spy? What the heck kind of plan is that??" Botan asked incredulously, her voice rising by the minute till she was nearly shrieking.
Koenma winced visibly. "I told you, we consider ourselves lucky to have any information about the Sacred Tears at all. Now, we are told that the lost treasure is hidden in a bar called Paradeisos that is located at the border between Reikai and Makai. But nobody else, including the owners of the bar, appears to know that. So not only do we need to confirm its existence, we'd have to get our hands on the treasure as soon as possible without anyone getting wind of it.
That is why we need you. Your task is to infiltrate the bar, find out the exact location of the Sacred Tears, and deliver it safely back to Reikai."
"Why not just send the Reikai Tantei? They're detectives for a reason, aren't they? They can easily acquire the treasure." Botan said dubiously. She did not like to entertain the idea of her going to Makai alone, and for an undetermined period at that.
"They'll just attract attention and trigger even greater trouble. We need someone who does not pose a threat, someone who can lie low and stay out of sight. That's why we chose you, Botan." Her boss replied with a sigh. "Believe me when I say I hate the idea as much as you do. I'm not completely heartless"—Botan suppressed a scoff under Koenma's glare—"and I fully realize the dangers we're putting you into. Know that you're being entrusted with one of the heaviest burdens that can be placed on an attendant of Reikai. Enma-Daioh and I would appreciate your acceptance of this mission to no end, be it successful or not." He said genuinely.
Botan was touched by the immortal toddler's rare solemnity and surprised at the amount of faith Koenma was placing in her. She also recognized the gravity of the situation, knowing that the longer they wait, the more people would receive notice of the lost treasure's miraculous resurgence. Having the treasure seized by any creature in the Makai would be highly dangerous, and if one of the powerful youkais in Makai possessed it, the destruction that would befall on all living beings was unfathomable.
"Okay, I accept." She said. Simply, but with determination.
Koenma smiled in relief. "I knew you wouldn't turn Reikai down."
Botan made a face at his slightly ornate statement. "So what do I have to do?"
"Prepare for a stay at Makai. You'll have to be in disguise to conceal your Reikai identity. I'll make the necessary arrangements, so just pack what you need and make sure you're ready for this, mentally and physically." He looked at her wide amethyst eyes and felt a pang of sympathy. After all, it was basically putting a sheep with a pack of wolves and hoping it wouldn't be eaten alive. In truth, he was worried sick about the danger that his most loyal ferry girl would be placed in, but there was no other choice.
"We will be in constant contact." He assured her. "You'll always be in touch with Reikai. It's not much consolation, but you won't be completely alone over there. Okay?"
She flashed him a small smile. "Okay."
He sat back in his chair with his hands clasped together, elbows resting on the table in a contemplative pose. "You should start getting ready then."
"Hai." Botan turned to leave. Koenma watched her retreating figure and the fragility of her small frame caused him to agonize over his decision all over again.
The following day, a ferry girl with sky-blue hair rode on her small paddling oar towards the Reikai border, the balance of the realms resting on her slim shoulders.
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Kurama leaped off the wooden cart that they were riding on. Slinging his pack over his shoulder, he thoroughly surveyed his surroundings.
The Makai Bordertown was somewhat barren but still teeming with youkai. Granted, the most lascivious and corrupted place was located deep in the heart of Makai, but Bordertown was not without its own…charms. The hostels were seedy, the air reeked of vice and promiscuity, and the endless nights were oft pierced by the chaotic sounds of violence and of whores calling out to passersby.
Kuronue stepped up beside the speculative Youko. "Looks like your average youkai paradise all right."
Kurama nodded. "It's also somewhat bigger than I expected. Let's go find some place to stay and start asking around."
They had no trouble locating a small room for board, but the task of information collecting turned out to be much more difficult than they had anticipated. They began by asking anyone at and near their inn concerning the Sacred Tears' whereabouts, but those questioned either had no substantial information to offer—under both bribery and force—or were too afraid to voice anything. The latter portion of youkai, which numbered only a scarce few, would infallibly cower in fright, stare at the questioners with wavering eyes, and mumble about the tremendous and destructive powers of the ancient treasure. Kurama and Kuronue could only watch those figures with a mixture of annoyance and wonder.
Days turned into weeks, and one month swiftly flew by. The youkai thieves have interrogated almost every single informant in Bordertown, but their treasure hunt remained fruitless. One cloudy day, Kurama and Kuronue were passing by a deserted alley when they encountered an old, wrinkled youkai seated upon the brownish grass. Initially paying him no heed, they were stopped by his gaze when he tilted his head upwards towards the walkers.
The old youkai's eyes were colorless and crystal as glass. He had no pupils but Kurama felt him to be blind yet a far-seer at the same time. He opened his mouth, filled with sharp, jagged teeth, and spoke to them in a low voice.
"I know who you are. I know what you came here for. I alone fear not the wrath of the ancient treasure for I welcome death and chaos. I shall tell you the location of the Sacred Tears…for a low price."
"What is the price?" Kuronue asked nonchalantly.
"A vial of each of your blood." The old youkai grinned eerily. Kurama raised an eyebrow.
"The blood of youth rejuvenates mine." He told them. So they obeyed, desperate as they were. The two younger youkais accepted two small vials handed to them by the elderly youkai and sliced a thin wound in each of their wrists. Blood flowed almost instantly. The blind youkai grinned, his fangs gleaming in the harsh sunlight.
After the vial was filled, Kuronue crouched down beside him, cradling his bleeding wrist. "We have fulfilled your request. Tell us, old one."
The old man closed his translucent eyes. "The treasure lies at Paradeisos, deep under the floorboard seven paces to the right of the eastern door." Sensing Kuronue's satisfied grin, he opened his eyes again and bore them to the younger youkai's faces.
"If—when you find it, use it wisely. You know not how much power will be in your grasp."
"What makes you trust us in finding the treasure?" Kurama asked him, curious.
The old youkai's colorless, eyeless stare reflected Kurama's own image in double as if they were twin mirrors. "Because I can see greatness in you."
With that final statement, he closed his eyes and appeared to slip into a state of trance. Kurama and Kuronue glanced at each other, and knowing that they will likely not attain any more information, they simply turned and exited the alleyway.
"Tonight we will go to Paradeisos and see if the old fool's rant holds any truth."
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Nightfall descended upon the Makai Bordertown, and the area was immediately transformed in an upturn of wild carousing and revelry. Youkai can be seen teetering around with bottles of sense-heightening concoctions, and scantily clad prostitutes decked their voluptuous bodies in seductive outfits and heavy makeup in search of customers.
Amidst the howls of laughter and occasional screams of pain, two companions strode purposefully towards the local bar. It was not their usual locale for entertainment or abode, but tonight they came with a mission. Pushing aside the heavy wooden doors, Kurama and Kuronue were greeted by the clamor of drunken merriment emanating from the spacious establishment within.
A small crowd of barmaids and prostitutes instantaneously surrounded the two new arrivals, purring sensually for attention.
"Hey handsome, I haven't seen you two around here before!"
"Would you like to get to know *all* of me tonight?"
Kuronue looked to be a man in turmoil as he lingered among the attractive female throng. Kurama raised his eyebrow but said nothing, and merely advanced towards the few empty tables in the bustling bar, pushing away a barmaid clinging onto his arm in the process.
Seating himself upon a chair, Kurama swept his eyes across the bar. It is larger than the average Makai bar, and there appeared to be at least four doors situated at all directions to facilitate incomers. Indeed, Paradeisos was one of the most popular underground entertainment locations during the sleepless Makai nights. Even now the prostitutes had an abundance of potential customers to select from.
The black raven joined his partner thief soon after. "Pity!" He sighed. "I haven't had fun for a long while now."
The corner of Kurama's lips curled into a slight smirk. "We'll have plenty of time after we find that treasure and rule the realms." He reminded Kuronue. "Let's concentrate on the business part for now and leave the pleasure for later."
Kuronue cast a longing glance at the females gathered by the doors. "Easier said than done."
Their conversation was interrupted by a barmaid who approached them, a feline youkai in a revealing outfit with hair the color of wine. She smiled at them pleasantly.
"What can I get for you?"
"Give me your house special." Kurama said in his trademark toneless voice. His golden eyes met hers as he lifted his head. He was not surprised when she involuntarily took a step back in recognition. The name of Kurama was typically enough to send chills down most youkai's spines, and being in his presence tended to elevate that common fear triple-fold. The combination of his glossy silver mane, pale skin, and most of all, his frosty golden orbs, usually drove away enemies who have looked upon his impassive yet beautiful face.
Kurama looked at the trembling barmaid with a mixture of contempt and pity. Contempt was his usual nature, but pity arose from seeing the undeniable, almost instinctive fear in her crimson-purple eyes. He thought her eyes peculiar, and not unpleasant to look upon—if devoid of the timidity in them.
As the barmaid stood transfixed, Kuronue cleared his throat. She jumped and gave him an apologetic grin, her fangs bared in her smile.
"I'm so sorry!" She stammered. "What…what would you like?"
Roguishly, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I'd like you, served with the strongest brew from this godforsaken place." He smiled at her expectantly, his ears twitching with delight as his hand briefly caressed her posterior. "Tell me how much it would cost to have you, sweet."
Her eyes widened. Having recovered from her initial surprise, the barmaid leapt up in indignation and embarrassment. "I'm not for sale!" She yelled with pride, and the youkais at surrounding tables turned to stare at her. "I mean…not for tonight." She added sheepishly. "I still have a shift to finish."
"Well then, I'll be looking for you later on." Kuronue answered smoothly. "Run along now and get us our drinks or Kurama here will get impatient." He jerked his head towards the kitsune.
Casting one last fearful glance, she more or less fled, bumping against cussing youkais as she disappeared in the crowd. Kurama's eyes followed her retreat.
"Feh." Kuronue's remark brought his attention back to the table. "Some whore she is. Doesn't even know how to lure a customer. Ah well…at least she has a gorgeous body. Let's finish what we're supposed to do or I'll be a lonely youkai tonight."
Kurama nodded. "The old man said the eastern door." He focused his youkai senses and located the correct direction. "That should be the one." He pointed at what appeared to be the main entrance.
"Oh excellent." Kuronue commented wryly. "Let's go right ahead and dig up the floorboards with tons of people as our witnesses."
"We could do that and then kill every eyewitness in here." Kurama suggested.
At Kuronue's incredulous look, he conceded. "I jest, of course. It requires unnecessary strength. We'll wait till this place closes or contains a small amount of people and then we'll proceed." Kuronue nodded his assent.
A ruckus on the other side of the bar caught their notice. A huge, club-wielding youkai had just broken down one of the heavy doors, along with those unfortunate enough to be in his way. His entrance was trailed by a team of equally menacing youkais. They occupied the entire western portion of Paradeisos.
"Seal off all the exits." The first youkai told his teammates. As the occupants of the bar began to stir, he roared, "NOBODY MOVE OR MEET YOUR DEATH!!"
Naturally that produced the exact opposite effect as every youkai attempted to escape from the bar. The first youkai gave a signal and the whole team produced gigantic spiked clubs and began swinging towards the youkai in the nearest proximity as if they were fleas, impaling a few in their heads.
Kurama and Kuronue rose in alarm as the screaming began. "Who the hell are they??" Kuronue asked with apprehension.
"I don't know." Kurama replied. "But they could very well be after the same thing we're after. Who else would enter an obscure bar in Bordertown and start killing everyone there?"
The same thought entered their minds simultaneously. They must acquire the Sacred Tears before this cluster of oafs could. With that, each leapt into the air and began crossing swiftly from their table towards the eastern entrance, clearing or killing the fleeing youkai in their paths.
Almost immediately, Kurama and Kuronue attracted the attention of the team of youkai, as they were the only ones who did not try to flee the bar.
"GET THEM!" The first youkai roared, and five fierce youkai quickly blocked their passage, swinging their spiked clubs in attack.
Unfazed, Kuronue produced his scythe. "I'll play with these midgets. You go get what we came for."
Kurama did not even glance back as he easily leapt over the snarling youkai. He knew Kuronue was capable enough to handle a few enemies with ease. He continued to hack his way towards the eastern doorway. As he neared his destination, a figure walked through the door in between the team of youkai. Following his instincts, he halted to scan his new enemy.
The newcomer radiated a ki so powerful that even Kurama could not underestimate. His charcoal tresses were bound loosely in a low ponytail that flowed smoothly down his muscular back. His face was sculpted and his mouth drawn in fierceness and pride. He wore a lightweight armor that shone with darkness. But most unusual were his eyes. Like the old man Kurama encountered earlier, this man had no pupils. Herein ended the similarity, for while the old man had crystalloidal orbs, this youkai's eyes were a bottomless black, akin to voids in his eye sockets.
Those black voids scanned the fleeing mass of youkai, and suddenly the stranger pointed to a figure huddled against the wall, one of the few not abandoning the bar.
"Woman!" He demanded. "Tell me where the Sacred Tears lies or your life ends here!"
Kurama looked towards the direction of the wall and recognized the terrified figure as the barmaid who served them earlier. He could not help but feel a tinge of sympathy for her predicament.
First she meets the hated Youko thief and now this. She must be in shambles.
The barmaid shook her burgundy mane vehemently. "I don't know what you're talking about!" She said, and attempted to sprint towards the nearest exit. Despite her statement, Kurama could tell she was lying simply by the tone of her voice and the veiled uncertainty in her eyes. She did not seem capable of masking her emotions.
The youkai in the black armor seemingly vaporized and re-vaporized behind her, spanning the 10-foot distance in less than half a second. Kurama watched in partial awe as he reached for the fleeing barmaid's ponytail with a cruel smirk.
Both men were taken aback by the subsequent turn of events. As the youkai grabbed hold of the barmaid's ponytail and pulled back amid her cry of terror, her entire scalp came off, revealing it to be a wig. Kurama saw a cascade of soft cerulean locks fall free of its confines, spilling down her shoulders and onto her back. Emitting a soft gasp, the girl looked back once with her lavender-hued eyes and began to flee once again. The youkai, tossing her burgundy wig, simply made a gesture with his hand. The remaining team of youkai pounced upon her and knocked her to the ground. As her delicate chin hit the floors painfully, a row of fangs fell out. Rei ki could be detected in the room at once.
"So you're a little Reikai spy." The dark warrior chuckled. "Bring her to me." Obediently, the cackling youkai dragged the girl towards their leader with ease.
The girl resisted with spirited defiance. "No!! No!! I don't know anything! Please let me go!!" Tears formed in her wide eyes and flowed down her face. Heedless, the two huge youkai hauled her roughly to her feet and continued to drag her along.
Watching her futile struggle in the midst of the chaos and bloodshed, Kurama could not elucidate the flicker of feeling that surged through his veins. It was not sympathy—no, for he knew not of such an emotion—nor was it concern. But in that split second before the sobbing, mysterious Reikai barmaid could meet her demise, the silver-haired youko's fingers made a movement. In response, the two brawny youkai who held her captive virtually exploded in a blast of demonic flowers. Their splattered blood hung in the air for what seemed like seconds, and then showered down upon the dazed girl, covering her in awful red.
Kurama's actions had incensed the youkai leader. Golden eyes met bottomless black and an instant challenge to the death was born. The dark-haired youkai narrowed his eyes in recognition.
"Why, is it not Kurama, the renowned thief in all of Makai?" He declared. "I am truly honored to be in your presence on this fateful day." He swept his arm in a mock arc.
"Name yourself." Was his only reply.
"I am Osiris, second-in-command for Lord Elba' Lune. You would not have heard of us. We have concealed ourselves with deliberation.
"The current leaders of Makai are weak." He spat contemptuously. "Our army had been gaining in force for the past century, preparing in secret for the takeover of Makai, Reikai, and Ningenkai." His tone became menacing. "This is the time. Join us now or die standing in our way."
"I have no intentions for either option." Kurama answered. "Rose whip!"
Kuronue had disposed of half the team of youkai with a mere scratch on his arm. Standing alongside his partner in crime, the raven prepared his weapon for attack, but Kurama extended his arm to halt his advance. This shall be his fight.
Leaping in the air, Kurama unleashed his whip and sent it crashing down in a powerful attack. His intention was to acquire the advantage in the first few moments, as he knew they were badly outnumbered. His golden eyes widened in surprise when Osiris vanished before him.
Kurama was a veteran warrior, and his own movements normally overwhelm in speed. Never before had he encountered an opponent whose swiftness was so tremendous that he could not even hazard a guess as to which direction he had proceeded. Suddenly he felt an enormous ki behind him, followed by Kuronue's cry of alarm, and he turned.
Only to be face-to-face with a dark, searing ball of fire.
Kuronue stifled a gasp as he witnessed his companion crash halfway through the concrete wall, then crumple to the floor in a bloody heap. He did not miss the kitsune's lightening reaction to the dark ball of ki so he would not absorb its full impact. But the damage was done. Kurama could barely raise his head to glare at Osiris, and then his body slackened.
Osiris shifted his gaze towards Kuronue and bared a fanged grin. Squatting down, he dipped his clawed hands in Kurama's rapidly flowing blood and held it up in examination. The thick, warm blood slowly trickled down his fingers onto his arm. Kuronue could have sworn he licked his lips in satisfaction.
Just then, there was a loud crash from the ceiling. The building was beginning to collapse. Kuronue seized the moment and propelled himself forward, grabbing a hold of Kurama's bloodied collar. Dashing to the nearest exit, he neatly sliced the blocking youkai in half and bolted through the heavy door. Once outside, he spread his wings and soared into the sky in desperate escape.
To his amazement and relief, there was no pursuit. Always cautious, Kuronue kept his eyes forward and continued his flight until he was certain they were not being followed. Only then did he decelerate his pace and paused for breath.
As the pounding in his ears died down, the raven made an immediate and unwelcome discovery. Looking down at his injured companion, he was more than a little startled to see a small hand gripping the kitsune's ankle. It belonged to the girl from Reikai. Barely conscious, Kuronue surmised that survival instinct was what prompted her to hold onto what she could. Her body was so light that he could hardly feel the additional weight that he had to carry.
"Hey!" He yelled down at her. "Let go, dammit!"
She did not move. Her body, stained head to toe with youkai blood and now added with Kurama's own blood, remained still.
"Damn." He concluded after a few more attempts to rouse her. "She must have fainted in that death-grip of hers."
He sighed. The priority was to return to their lair and let Kurama heal. From the extent of his injuries, it might take some precious time. Kuronue shrugged. The girl was of no consequence to them.
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Botan opened her eyes reluctantly as consciousness found her once again. Reluctant, because memory had not failed her; she was well aware of what had happened and who she was with. How she wished the vision in front of her would be one of her own sleeping quarters far away in the safety of Reikai!
But that was not to be. As she felt her body slump to the damp grass, Botan knew they had arrived at Kurama and Kuronue's lair. Fearing what the youkai might do to her now that they were at familiar territory, Botan quickly released the still unconscious Kurama's leg and scrambled to the nearest tree.
Seeing her frightened movement, Kuronue gave a harsh laugh. "So the intruder from Reikai has awakened. Tell me your purpose here or I'll…" He took a step towards her and Botan, already scared half out of her wits, huddled closer to the tree irrationally. Kurama gave a pained groan and Kuronue stopped in his tracks.
"Never mind for now. I will demand you, however, to assist me in transporting my companion inside our lair. I assume you already know who we are and I cannot guarantee your survival if you dare to oppose in any way."
It was not unreasonable. Botan nodded and fearfully advanced to where the raven stood. Together they lifted Kurama into the cave they called home.
The dwelling-place of the Makai thieves was almost exactly as Botan had envisioned. The opening led to a long, dark, slippery tunnel. Here and there live plants jutted out of the glistening rocks and seemed to peer at them. The tunnel gave way to a small opening, something that resembled a den to her. Kuronue motioned her to walk past the opening and deeper into the lair, where they finally reached their rest-place. With a bit of difficulty, they heaved the well-built kitsune onto his bed of grass.
Kuronue looked at his pale friend, his face concerned. He threw his blanket at Botan.
"You'll find a stream on the western part of this cave. Go cleanse yourself, you're covered with dried blood and it stinks. Wrap yourself in my blanket while your clothes dry." He smirked at Botan's slightly horrified look. "Don't worry, I'm in no mood for pleasure—at least not yet, and not with one from Reikai like you."
Botan wasn't sure if she was rejected or spurned, or both. At any case she was relieved at the raven's words and exited as quickly as possible. Kuronue's statement echoed in the walls of the cave.
"Don't try to run away; you'll never survive in the heart of Makai."
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C&C would be appreciated. Thank you for reading!