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Dreams and Nightmares Part 5
by Korogi
Kurama's eyes slowly slid open, the soft lights overhead
ringed in a rainbow-halo. He felt more alive than he had in quite
a while, the combined healing efforts of both himself and Chibi-hana working
quickly to restore him. He stared off at the ceiling, engrossed more
in thought than what went on around him.
Beside him, he felt the steady, hot breaths of Hiei, startling
him from daydreams back to reality. They came in softly, almost
nonexistent at his neck, rolling off his soft skin to sink deep into his
human soul.
Hiei slept silently beside him, one arm flung on Kurama's chest,
sprawled rather clumsily in the corner of the futon couch, tucked away
as if he wanted no one but Kurama to ever find him back there.
With a deftness he found coming so naturaly to him, Kurama smiled
and gently lifted the arm off his chest, slipping unheard of from
the futon-couch. With soft subtleness, he crouched on the floor and
rested his chin on the edge of the couch, staring back at his little fire
youkai. His human heart fluttered.. he wished he had a camera on
him. Hiei was the most adorable thing he had ever laid eyes on when
he was asleep... and still as sexy as hell! He mentally coached himself,
trying to calm the urge to leap back onto the bed and take Hiei like he
had done so many times before back in the Ningenkai.
Hiei squirmed a bit, cuting Kurama's thoughts short and
raised a hand to rub his eyes roughly, taking on the angelic facade of
a tired, young child just disturbed from sleep. He yawned cutely
and curled an arm up under his head, a gentle tired groan popping from
his mouth before he awoke, opening the red eyes slowly.
Kurama chuckled lightly watching the scene unfold before
him. He smiled proudly at Hiei and reached a hand slowly across the
distance. He watched the red eyes as they followed the subtle movements
of his hand, keeping close eyes on it as Kurama's fingers gently floated
through the air and brushed a soft cheek. Hiei looked back to Kurama
and watched the green eyes as they watched him, the gentle fingers caressing
his cheeks tenderly.
"How are you feeling, Hiei?" Kurama whispered gently,
running a finger over the bandanna tied tightly to the koorime's forehead.
The little forehead wrinkled, the red eyes blinking a
few times. "Shouldn't I be asking YOU that?" he growled, sleep still
deep within his voice. He tried to supress another yawn... but failed,
drawing another chuckle from Kurama.
Kurama drew his hand back and laid his head on the couch,
staring straightly back at Hiei. "I'm just fine... arigato," he smiled
widely, reaching over and rolling Hiei towards him.
The little youkai allowed himself to be moved, really
still on that brink of sleepiness and awake to put up a decent fight, rolling
over on his own will to lay nose to nose with Kurama. The green eyes
flashed a disarming brilliance, and Kurama made a move to kiss Hiei gently
on the lips.
But Hiei drew back quickly, staring back with a questioning
glance, searching back and forth between Kurama's leafy, femine eyes.
He watched the green stare intently... watched as the luster and shine
fell as Kurama's smile faded. He reached out and smoothed a hand
across the tangled mess of red hair that hung behind Kurama's shoulders,
gently brushing his thumb over Kurama's cheek..
"Hiei-chan... gomen nasai... watashi..."
Hiei quickly slid a finger down Kurama's cheek and laid
it to rest on his soft lips, quietly ordering Kurama into silence before
he reached up and laid a loving kiss on them. Hiei sat up, rising
to sit indian-style on the bed, drawing Kurama up with him.
For a handful of heart beats, the two looked back and
forth at each other....
"... just quit trying to be so HELPFUL!!" Kuraihana's
voice floated in, coming up the hall to the room Hiei and Kurama were staying
in.
The door opened and she popped in carrying a tray
of herbs, smiling to herself as she entered in.
"Gomen nasai," Yo-mawari followed closely, bowing politely
behind her, carrying a large bag, most likely filled with various herbs
and salves.
"And quit being so POLITE!!! Every other word out
of your mouth for the past 4 hours has been either please or thank you...
or I'm sorry!"
"Gom..." Yo-mawari paused as Kuraihana circled a look
back to him, a thin, black eyebrow raised. He smiled foolishly
and
shrugged... turning quickly as his cheeks reddened slightly.
Hiei brushed a finger back over Kurama's cheek and scooted
back to sit against the back of the futon couch, stretching his legs before
him, closing the red eyes to the world.
Kurama smiled slightly and turned where he sat, nodding
his head to his brother, reaching out to hug his adopted niece as she bent
down before him.
"How are you feeling, ojisan?" she asked quietly, running
a hand over the bandages that wound tightly about his arm.
"Just fine, Chibi-hana... much better, thank you."one
of those famous, disarming smiles crept in, glancing past her to Yo-mawari.
Kuraihana turned and watched the tall man in black.
He smiled widely at his brother and tossed off a mock salute, a twinkling
playfulness sparking to the blackness that were his dark eyes. He
stood as a black form above her.... like Kurama's living shadow, seeming
to perfectly mimic actions that she had known Kurama to do. She realized
exactly how much the two youko's looked alike despite the difference in
color of their hair and eyes.
The two seemed to be having a conversation between themselves
without words. She narrowed an eye and turned so she could watch
the two of them at once. It wasn't at all uncommon for twins to be
linked by their minds... but Kurama had never hinted toward having any
psychic or telepathic powers whatsoever. She pondered as she watched,
each one nodding back to the other occassionally...
Yo-mawari crossed the room and knelt down by Kurama, wrapping
his arms tightly around his brother's shoulders. He hugged him closely
and tightly, smoothing a hand over the matted mess of red hair. Kurama
closed his eyes with a light sigh, and laid his head on Yo-mawari's shoulder.
They stayed like that for a few seconds, like long-lost friends suddenly
united. Every so often, one would rock the other gently, whispering
something, the other whispering back or laughing.
They drew away from each other, Kurama gently clunking
his forhead to his brothers, sparking a laugh between the two of them as
Yo-mawari sat back on his feet, crouching to look back at Hiei.
Hiei seemed to be doing his best to ignore everyone around
him, sitting in his usual statuesque pose, straight and still.
"Meijin-san... o-genki desu ka." Yo-mawari spoke over
to the figure.
"...I'm fine..." Hiei mumbled back, quite civilly despite
the prissy facade. The red eyes slid open quickly to Yo-mawari, asking
their own silent question.
Yo-mawari nodded slightly, rolling his shoulder around,
feeling the stiff muscles pull annoyingly at him. "I've been better..."
He smiled and pushed himself to his feet, reaching down to haul Kurama
up with him, taking him into another embrace.
Kuraihana rose too, pulling a fresh roll of bandages from
her satchel gently nudged Yo-mawari out of the way. The brother's
parted, Kuraihana avoiding Yo-mawari's black glance as she brought light
hands up to the bandages around Kurama's chest. She unraveled them
easily, deep red patches coming in growing intervals as his chest was slowly
exposed. A horizontal scar just shone on the edge of disappearing
into soft, perfect skin right across his brest bone. She heard Yo-mawari
curse himself from behind her, shuffling around the room a bit nervously.
Kurama looked over her shoulder, watching his brother
glance about the room before returning his glace. Kurama bowed his
head lightly, gently tossing one of the black braids of his niece's hair
behind her shoulders, kissing her lightly in the forhead. He reached
past her and took Yo-mawari by the arm. "May I talk with you, kyodai-kun?"
Kurama stared intently at the ground as the two brothers
walked quietly through the forests around Kuraihana's beautiful house.
This part of the Makai was really quite picturesque... the trees seemed
to bloom with a different life, the sun seemed to shine brighter.
He even recognized a few of the bird calls around him as he walked aside
from Yo-mawari as those he might hear in the Ningenkai. Nature was
so much more vibrant around him here, easing his mind and body.
"I know what you wanted to talk about," Yo-mawari put
in boldly, interrupting the tranquility of the scene and Kurama's daydreams.
He watched out of the corner of his eyes as Kurama raised his head, looking
over to him. "It's Mukuro, ne?"
Kurama faltered for a second, plucking a large bud of
Queen Anne's Lace as he walked, twirling it around in his fingers.
He watched the tiny, laced flowers spin in intricate paterns, pin-wheeling
about his hand. "H..hai. How did you know?" he said calmly.
"Intuition... you could call it," the other answered bluntly.
He brushed his hand over the trunk of a tree as they left the path and
turned into the deeper woods. "Kyodai... you're not thinking of going
after her, are you?"
Kurama sighed, tucking the Queen Anne's Lace into his hair,
leaving it visible in a starburst of tiny white blossoms exploding from
the blood-red locks. He kicked at a few dead logs and sticks, shoving
his hands down deep into the pockets of his tattered clothing. "The
thought has crossed my mind several times. It's just that..." he
trailed off, raising his face to the sun as it blinked through the trees
to him.
"You've never seemed like the sort who would desire revenge."
Kurama chuckled slightly, lowering his head from the sun
to look off into the deep woods. "No.. I guess not. It's just...
I don't quite understand how Hiei... how he was able to surprise and get
the better of Mukuro to the point where he could over-power her."
"Meijin's a cunning opponent... " Yo-mawari rubbed his
chest tenderly as if his body tried to stress the point by reviving past
injuries. "I guess I know best by experience just what Hiei is capable
of when threatened. You see, it takes more than sheer power to overcome
an opponent. It takes cunning, stamina... it takes skill and ....
and love..." Yo-mawari stressed the last word with a heavy meaning, looking
over at Kurama directly. "Don't doubt for a minute that what Mejin-san
did was out of nothing more than an undying love for you, Kurama.
He may not say it outright, but that little youkai loves you more than
anything else in the worlds. The thought of almost loosing you
to that Makai witch scared him more than you could ever imagine."
Kurama faltered... nearly stumbling over his own feet
as he tried to navigate around a log. Yo-mawari reached out quickly
and grabbed his arm, steadying him with a strong grip. He felt the
bandages under the cothing... he could tell Kurama was still in pain by
the way he winced at the helping hand. Kurama tried not to show his
embarrassment, quickly regaining his footing, waving off the hand.
"I... I..."
There it was again...
As a collective the brother's paused ... eyes darting
around the wood. A familiar you-ki fluttered just on
the edge of their senses, mocking them as it flitted about in a great arc,
staying just out of recognizable distance. It was a rough ki... the
unmistakable signature of another Quest Class youkai.
Kurama stiffened and shook his head slowly, still scanning
abour the woods. "No.. it can't be..." he breathed, pulling Yo-mawari
over closer to him, trying to portect his brother from whatever lurked,
stalking them.
A quick breeze sparked up around him, rustling his matted red
hair. For a brief second, Kurama swore he felt soft, warm fingers
rubbing at the back of his neck... but when he whirled around, there was
nothing there.
Kuraihana tugged at the bandage around Hiei's arm
carefully. "It's warded," she said, more of a comment to herself,
feeling the strange ki flow in and out of her fingers as she tugged on
different parts.
Hiei squirmed and drew his arm back, sniffing the odd
herbs she had rubbed into the bandages, wrinking his nose and growling.
"What is that for?" she asked kindly, tucking a bottle
of ointment back onto the ever-present brown satchel at her hip.
"IJyuTaiHou..." he said quietly, adjusting the bandage
back onto place from the insistant tugs. "It's a ward that keeps
the Kokuryuha from escaping out of my control." He folded his arms across
his chest and glared out the window, searching through the trees beyond.
"Koku... ryu ha? A Black Dragon?" She took
out another bottle of a weird, orange jelly and popped it open, watching
the little youkai seated on the futon-couch before her.
"Now what are you gonna smear on me?" he growled, glaring
down the bottle she held, leaviong all interset he held in the window.
"This will help relax your muscles..."
"Maybe I don't want to relax," he bit out ... then he
blinked quickly. "I'm tired," he answered more civilly, turning back
to the window. "I would just like to be alone."
"If you want," she sighed, corking the small bottle and
beginning to gather her medicines. "I have some tea boiling.
Would you like a cup?"
"No... " he opened his mouth to begin off on her, but
stopped cold. He turned again from the window to her, glaring off
at her deep, blue eyes, mouth open..."
Kuraihana scowled at him and picked up a roll of bandages.
"Nani?"
Hiei leapt past her suddenly, tearing the bandanna from his
forehead, tossing it roughly. It fluttered slowly to the ground as
Hiei began to circle the room.
Kuraihana stumbled backwards, grumbling to herself,
watching the youkai as he lept over a tale and back to the futon, his back
to her. "Uh... what's wrong?" she stumbled, tucking her medicines
into her satchel.
Hiei turned swiftly, the third, purple eye, his Jagan, on his
forehead glowing eerie shades of purple and green, staring back at her
unblinking.
She let out a startled yell, stepping back. Hiei
shifted suddenly and she watched intently as he crossed the room again,
heading toward the window. He pressed his nose up to the glass of
the window, the Jagan glowing wildly, glimmering off the glass searching
through the forest beyond.
Images floated up.. he saw Kurama and Yo-mawari in readied
stances somewhere beyond in the woods... he could feel the new ki that
floated just around them, taunting them to continually change possitions.
The Jagan flew, seeking out the you-ki, whipping through the forest at
dizzying speeds.
Kuraihana inched forward, watching the little youkai as
he rose on his tip-toes, glaring out the window, smashing shis ace into
odd features as he tried to pish his face through the window to see beyond.
"What... what is it?" she whispered.
Hiei suddenly gasped, drawing back quickly from the window,
knocking over a table in the process. "K'SO!" he shouted, ripping
the katana from its sheath and rushing by.
"Hiei-san!! What's going on!!!" she yelled, running out
the door and down the hall after him. "Hiei-san!!"
"Karasu!!" he shouted back.
Mukuro groaned heavily... more or less snarled at
the healer that cowered beside her, bowing occasionally. "Fine!
You're finished, now get the hell out of my sight!" she bellowed, rubbing
a hand tenderly along her shoulder.
She watched the lowly creature quickly disappear into
a back room of his hut as she pulled herself to her feet, flexing a hand
and checking her ki levels. A wall torch burst into flame over her
shoulder, calmed instantly by a stiff wind... and she smiled widely.
"That little youkai punk.. who does he think he is?" she
grumbled, storming across the small hut and flinging the door open.
She ran a hand roughly through her short, orange hair, adjusting the eyepiece
as she surveyed around. "I'm gonna get that little idiot!"
Mukuro huffed and took of quickly into the forest, tossing
branches and leaves out of her way. She could still pick up Hiei's
residual you-ki, like a tiny trail of bread crumbs swerving through the
forest, perching on tree limbs just above her. She grumbled to herself
as she walked easily, the wounds on her back and shoulders fading nicely
from the healers work, edging her re-growing power.
She laid a fist into a tree as she passed, listening intently
as began to split and crack behind her, tearing away at the loss of its
foundations. She heard it begin to fall, crashing through other trees
as it went, trying to break its own fall. A great shadow fell over
her.. the tree was coming right for her, begining to pick up speed due
to gravity despite the trees that tried to hold it up aroud her.
Mukuro paid it little to no attention, continuing to push through the forest,
listening to it fall faster and faster down to her, a smile rising on her
face.
In a brilliance of unseen power, the tree suddenly split
cleanly in half inches before it hit her head, falling in two separate
pieces around her as she pressed on... and smiled faintly, rubbing the
fist lightly.
Kuraihana rushed out of the house only to catch the
slightest glimpse of black wind as Hiei disappeared off the path and into
the Makai forest. She sighed heavily and watched intently, but he
had disappeared completely from view.
Not more than 1/4 of a kilometer off, a great tree suddenly
broke from it's foundation, crashing through the trees around it, falling
in her direction. She watched and listened as it hit the ground in
two separate THUMP's.... spooking animals and birds in it's wake.
"That's odd," she thought to herself, turning all her attention now to
the fallen tree.
She watched the tree line on the opposite side of the
path Hiei had disappeared to. Something was coming through the forest...
but it possessed great amounts of you-ki from what she could sense, so
much stronger than what she had felt around Kurama or Hiei. Nothing
really ignighted any fear in her mind as she felt the ki grow closer and
closer.
A figure suddenly popped out of the thick foliage... a
woman, with straight, orange hair and a strange blue device over one of
her eyes. The woman was grumbling to herself as she entered into
Kuraihana's range of sight.
Kuraihana stiffened. "Who are you? What do
you want?" she called.
The woman stopped quickly for a second and changed directions
to meet up with Kuraihana. She slowed her pace considerably, her
face taking on a calm and majestic hue as she picked her way through the
logs to the path leading to the large house.
Kuraihana looked the woman over as she approached.
She was dressed rather regally in three or four shades of deep purple and
lilac, accenting the orange hair brilliantly. The robes were riddled
with soot marks, torn in a few places from most likely a struggle.
A heavy bandage shown through around the clothing, running up her arm and
to her shoulders as she approached.
"Are you hurt?" Kuraihana asked sweetly, slightly bowing
as the woman paused before her, looking her over
"Uh... not really," the stranger answered, adjusting her
possition. "You're a healer, ne?"
"Hai," Kuraihana bowed. "Kuraihana desu. Anata
wa?"
The woman smiled. "My name's not important at the
moment. Perhaps you can help me, though. I'm looking for a
short, little man, about this high" she gestured, holding her bandaged
hand up a few inches shorter that Kuraihana stood. "He goes by the
name of... Hiei."
Kuraihana nodded. "Hai, he was here just a minute
ago but ran off to look for Kurama-ojisan and..."
"Ojisan?" the woman smiled widely, her good eye narrowing
slightly. "Indeed... perhaps I'll stay and wait for him until he
comes back." She nodded her head slightly. "Watashi no Mukuro
desu."
