|
|
Purple part 3: Black on Silver
by Korogi
Hiei took a deep breath, listening to the wind whisper
through his hair to gently caress his ears. Along with it, he heard
the scream ... felt the pain...could hear Kurama being brutalized just
beyond. He listened to it carefully, the red eyes growing colder
and more deadly as the seconds ticked by.
Yusuke huffed, adjusting the neck of his shirt beside
him a bit nervously. "Well, let's get this over with! I'm sure the
sooner we get to the yosei city ... the quicker we can all get the hell
out of here!" He reached over and locked ahand gently around Keiko's
wrist. "Keiko ... we're a team."
Hiei stepped quickly forward aside of Yukina, glaring
Kuwabara down. "Yukina's with me," he growled lowly. Kuwabara let
out a surprised squeal,stumbling back.
Yukina smiled sweetly at Hiei's side.
Shizuru snorted, taking a long pull from her cigarette.
"Come on Kazuma ..."she spoke, smoke escaping from around the cigarette
as she grabbed heryounger brother by the shirt sleeve and pulled him along.
Yo-mawari watched as the group began to split up ... he
turned black-onyxeyes to Botan and winked. "Looks like it's you and
me."
Kagayaku stumbled off the bed, tossing the bamboo thatch
to the floor roughly. Red spots spattered her white gown ... blood.
She cursed heavily under her breath, whirling to pound a fist on the water
basin stand. "You justwon't give up will you?" She reached
into the water basin and rinsed the spatters of blood off of her hands.
"I tell you, Kurama-san ... you would go through a lot less pain if you
just GIVE IN!!" She dipped a pitcher into the basin and filled it
with the cool, clear water. "But no ... you had to make it hard on
yourself!" She flowed quietly across the room back to the bed and
tossed the water on the figure.
The water hit Kurama's beaten body in a sudden,
numbing rush, slightly easing his pain ... his chest laid riddled in a
great cross-hatch work of red and bleeding whip marks. He laid perfectly
still ... shuddering. His chest felt like a cheese grater had been
taken to him over and over again, mercilessly tearing into his body and
soul. The water flushed the wounds clean to pour off his chest to
soak the white sheets with a diluted red, surrounding him in an aura of
soft-crimson.
Kagayaku smiled, crawling back up on the bed, watching
with seductive malice as Kurama winced, the bed wiggling, stretching his
wounds. The yosei sighed and waved a hand ... Kurama's wards released.
Nothing else controlled his mind. His you-ki flowed
back to him, immediately going to work on his wounds. He laid perfectly
still, watching with careful, heavy-lidded eyes as the yosei knelt beside
him.
The sheet fluttered down to lay gently over Koenma's body,
sticking to his sweat-beaded skin. He shuttered violently feeling
it touch his skin, his entire human form cringing under the almost non-existent
presence.
Murasaki smiled, sitting leisurely beside the bed, taking
a drink of water, smiling at the warded figure on the bed. "Come
come now, Koenma-sama ... don't tell me you didn't enjoy that?" She
took another long drink and sat back in the chair.
Something halfway between a deep-throated growl and a groan
came from under the sheet, the white surface shifting slightly, wiggling.
"Maybe for you..."
"Oh, you poor, spoiled child." Murasaki chuckled
into her glass, listening to her light voice echo in the small glass.
"So.. how can I make this MORE enjoyable?"
"Hm.. let's see..." Koenma added smugly, snorting in his
high-pitched air afterwards. "For starters... you could untie me!"
"Done."
The sheet heaved into the air as Koenma lowered his arms
from where they had been tied on the headboard, flipping the sheet down
from his head. He wiped a hand across his forehead, surveying the
room slightly before setting thin, brown eyes on the purple-haired figure
in the chair.
She smiled back softly, swirling the ice in the glass.
There was something oddly malicious in that sweet smile, Koenma could pick
it out easily, pinning it down with the narrow glare.
'I'm not getting anywhere if I don't play along here,'
he though quietly to himself, circling a nonchalant look about the room.
"So..." he spoke up suddenly, trying to divert her attention. "Just
what in the worlds do you do all day around here?"
Murasaki smiled yet again and rose from the chair.
She drifted silently across the room and tugged the sash on a window open.
An immediate breeze flowed into the room, taking up locks of the light
purple hair and tossing it behind her to mingle slightly. "There's
not much to do in a place like this. Companionship is our greatest
treasure." She paused and took in a large breath of the air.
We have our gardens, which is our main past time.... but
we scout the land for stray wanderers to take as companions...." she chuckled
and pushed aside a curtain, leaning out on the window. "Like you.
The Reikai isn't exactly a normal haunt for us... but I made an exception
for you, Koenma-chan..." she turned from the window.
The bed was empty.
Her deep eyes darted about the room frantically as she
quickly stepped forward. Along with the absence of the young
man that was once seated, his clothing was gone too. "Koenma-chan?
You're not trying to hide from me, are you?"
She carefully walked into the center of the room.
There was no way he could have broken the magic seal on the door... they
were several stories up, too high to jump.
Another breeze crossed the path of the existing one...
another window hung wide open, sending the soft curtains billowing violently
in the wind. "Damn you, son of Enma!!" she screamed. She reached
down and picked up the layers of her gown, rushing quickly to the other
open window.
She threw her upper body over the window sill. Just
below her, a few meters down, Koenma was expertly making his way down the
ivy towers that lined the castle walls.
Murasaki choked slightly and hopped onto the window sill...
"KOENMA-SAMA!!!! Hang on!!!"
Murasaki was suddenly blown back into the room by a streak
of pink following the cry, knocking her back roughly to the floor, sliding
up to meet with the bed.
Botan quickly dismounted the oar, stumbling across the
floor.
Murasaki sat up, dazed, just into time to see Botan's
face before he was tackled flat onto the floor again.
The yosei screamed violently, tossing about,
Botan furiously grinding a small, brown object into her shoulder.
"Get off of me!!!!!!!!!" she screamed loudly, tossing about frantically.
Botan hopped back, taking up her oar easily. She watched
carefully as the yosei hobbled slowly to her feet. The purple hair
swirled about her in the breeze, her hands trying viscously to swat it
from her vision. "Stay away from me , woman!" she choked, tossing
locks of the purple hair behind her.
Botan lurched forward slightly, watching pleased as Murasaki
stumbled back. "I should kill you for what you did to Koenma before...
and what you've most likely done to him now."
The yosei snarled and tried to round about Botan to the
window.
The spirit guide easily blocked the escape, herding the
yosei back to the center of the room.
Behind her, the curtain rustled and a familiar voice rose
up. "I've got him Botan! Come on!" Yo-mawari's voice floated
in.
Botan smiled slightly, more to herself than anything.
She flipped a hand into the air, the oar appearing in a flash or rei-ki...
and she was out the window in a heart beat.
Koenma thankfully transformed back into his more comfortable
toddler form, tugging on his hat and grumbling behind the blue pacifier
as Botan zoomed down to meet him and the youko that stood tall beside him.
"Koenma-sama!!!" she whined, hopping off the oar and nabbing up the little
form.
"Ack! Botan-san! I'm fine, really!"
Botan cuddled the little figure like a prized doll,
turning back and forth, squeezing tighter and tighter with each turn.
The youko beside them bled quickly into the human form
of Yo-mawari, scanning quickly around the area. He had done some
rather interesting work to get himself and the spirit guide to the castle...
behind them the entire garden area was overgrown with odd Yomatsu and Makai
plants, some imprisoning the yosei in their living tendrils, others having
had neatly spliced or eaten whatever stood in it's path.
He turned quick, black eyes down to Botan, a small smile
gracing his lips as he watched her squeeze the toddler unrelentlessly.
"Botan-san... did you do what I asked?"
She paused her squeezing, letting up slightly.
"Hai. I put the seed in her shoulder."
Yo-mawari owed his head slightly in a silent thank you...
and the window overhead exploded into a tangled mass of vines and leaves,
sending a great shudder through the castle walls. "That takes care
of that..."
Yukina slid rather gracefully around the corner,
following closely behind Hiei as he darted about quickly, his senses flaring
for the slightest twinge of his lover's you-ki. A deep scowl
set almost permanently in his face, wrinkling his forehead under the bandanna.
A light hand gripped his elbow... he turned quickly, his
cold features relaxing slightly as he looked down on Yukina. "This
way, Hiei-san," she spoke quietly, tugging on his arm and pointing down
a corridor,
He straightened and looked past her, opening his senses...
but he felt nothing.
"Are you sure?"
"He has a ward over him... but I can still detect his
healers soul. Trust me," she smiled gently, tugging on his arm again.
Kurama winced slightly, trying to channel more of his you-ki
into the wounds, trying feverishly to heal the concussion that still hung
over him. His head throbbed furiously, robbing his concentration
as Kagayaku finished weaving the last of the ward over him. "You
are such a pain in the ass, you know," she snarled, twirling off the bed,
taking up another of her torture devices, gripping it tightly in her hand.
"I had so much more I wished to do today... I had other plans than to babysit
a stubborn little human. "She smacked him on the side of the face with
the lash, leaving a deep, red welt instantly. "And I absolutely HATE
IT when people don't cooperate with me!"
The new ward prevented all movement from him... he lay
helplessly still as Kagayaku hopped easily on to the bed, kicking at the
sheets and snarling curses to himself. The stinging in his cheek
intensified suddenly... he couldn't channel any amounts of the free you-ki
floating about him to do so much as rustle a petal on the flowers that
stood about the room.
His head hurt too much to really care about anything but
staying alive. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to brace himself
for whatever assault would come. He choked back a slight sob, imagining
if he could ever hope to survive this ordeal... to survive to see his little
fire demon again. No matter what he had to.
"Open your eyes, ningen!" the yosei snarled above him...
quickly laying the lash onto his other cheek. Involuntarily his eyes
popped open... but it wasn't the lash... something played on the edge of
his muted senses... a familiar spark in you-ki.
"... Hiei..."
Kagayaku growled deeply. "You still call his name...
pathetic excuse for a man. The BOTH of you!"
"Watch your words..." a deep voice broke in, shaking the
room slightly, shuddering the flowers in their pots.
Kagayaku turned swiftly... a small black shadow
hung just in the doorway, three red eyes in a triangular formation glowing
from the depths. The shadow snarled loudly, a metallic object glinting
suddenly into view.
"How in the name of hell did you get through that door??"
the yosei gasped, jumping off the bed.
"Never mind. You've committed a great crime, both
against me and that man's brother," the figure pointed to Kurama.
"And for that, I find it only right to kill you..."
Kagayaku laughed harshly and began forward.
Another figure appeared in the shadow of the doorway,
stepping forward into the light. Yukina bravely stood, gripping
the sides of her kimono, something long and icy blue in one of her hands.
The yosei fell back immediately... Yukina stepped forward.
Hiei appeared from the shadows, bringing the katana
before him. "Yukina, make sure Kurama's okay... I can handle this"
She shook her head slightly, keeping wild red eyes on
the yosei as she slowly rounded to the bed.
"Keep your hands off him, woman. He's MINE!"
"WRONG!" Hiei boomed, lurching forward, spreading the
katana before him. "He's mine," he ended in a hissing whisper, glaring
down the figure before him.
"You stand no chance against me, little youkai... I could
rip you into 50 pieces faster than you could blink."
Hiei smiled a feral smile and crouched. "Only 50?"
The bandages on his arm seethed with an eerie black smoke, seeping
into the air around him. They began to ignite in several places,
burning right onto his skin, dissipating as it ate through the bandages
into a purple fire. The fires seemed to etch a curling, spiked black
tattoo onto his arm, the shape of a black dragon coiling tightly about
his entire arm like a great vine.
The head of the tattoo lifted from Hiei's fist and hissed
violently at the yosei, red, glowing orbs filling in where eyes should
be.
Yukina worked easily to undo the ward. It was a simple
ward without much power, locked only in place my the fact that it was weaved
and ties throughout Kurama's ties wrists.
Kurama laid still on the bed as she worked her healers
ways, more dazed and exhausted to do much of anything else. His chest
laid in a giant, horrid mess of cross-hatching, like someone had played
tic-tac-toe with a whip on his skin. Identical slashed ran down his
cheeks, quickly being sealed by the combined efforts of both Yukina and
himself...
A sickly heat rolled in on Yukina as she laid her hands
gently on the scarring wounds of Kurama's chest. She looked over
quickly to the little youkai she accompanied. The Kokuryuha still
laid semi imbedded on his arm, fighting violently to be released.
"Yukina..." the dark voice of Hiei floated back, bringing
with it more heat. "Can you get Kurama out of hear?"
On his own, Kurama struggled to his hands and sat up,
biting back pain as he stretched and ripped open some of the scabbing wounds.
Yukina looked to him quickly, watching him nod his head slightly.
"Hai, Hiei-san," she said softly, scooting off the bed and helping the
tall, young man.
Hiei shifted, putting himself between Yukina and Kagayaku.
"Get out of this castle as fast as you can."
"Hai," she answered swiftly, feeling Kurama rest some
of his weight down on her small shoulders.
"Get out.. now!" he ordered harshly, slashing at the yosei
before him.
Yukina wasted no time and hurried Kurama out of the room
and into the hallway. Momentary panic set in as she looked up and
down the blank corridor, trying to remember how they got here in the first
place. Too much occupied her mind as she kept pumping her you-ki
over to Kurama, trying to ease the immense pain he felt.
She gave in and just began down the left way, more or
less pulling Kurama with her. "Kurama-san.. can you make it out of
here alright?"
Kurama groaned something, reaching a hand up to his head.
"I think so. Don't worry about me. Let's just go."
Another corridor erupted into a huge blast of ki, one
of the walls completely collapsing over. A barreling laugh resounded,
pinging off the walls like maniacle echoes, swirling about them.
Kuwabara's great voice laughed into existence, mercilessly. "HA!!!
I, Kuwabara Kazuma will not rest until everyone one of you..."
"Just shut up and let's get going!" Shizuru's voice broke
in.
Yukina paused and looked down the hall. "Kazuma-san!"
she called. "Over here!"
There was a startled squeak.... then Kuwabara soon came
bounding up the corridor, arms flailing out beside him, laughing like an
utter moron. "AH!! Yukina-san!!!" he screeched, sliding through
the corridor, hopping rubble piles.
HE slid to a faltered stop and bowed... then noticed she
was practically carrying Kurama.
The green eyes fluttered and smiled as best as they could.
"Geeze, Kurama... ya look like shit!"
Shizuru reached quickly over and bonked her younger brother
over the head. "Show some respect, you ingrate. Geeze!"
Kurama stood up, wincing slightly, biting his bottom lip.
"We have to get out of here quickly... Hiei..."
"That little squirt's gonna burn the place down???
AHHH!! He's gonna kill us all one of these days!" Shizuru elbowed
him. Kuwabara wiggled slightly, but instead stepped forward, laying
one of Kurama's arms about his neck.
"What are you doing.. you're not going to CARRY ME are
you??" Kurama protested.
Kuwabara smiled foolishly and heaved him up into his arms
easily. "You can't exactly walk in your condition."
Shizuru snorted. "Always so noble when Yukina's
around, ne?" she waited for the inevitable squeal of protest from her brother.
"I hope you get a hernia, Kazuma!!"
